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From "Translating the Words of the Buddha":

Like most Buddhist tantras, the Caṇḍamahāroṣaṇatantra (CMT) is regarded within the Vajrayāna tradition as a divinely revealed text, with its teachings delivered directly from the level of the saṃbhogakāya, that is, the bliss body of Lord Buddha. In such tantras, the saṃbhogakāya deity who delivers the original discourse varies—it could be Avalokiteśvara, Vajrapāṇi, or others. In this case, it is Lord Vajrasattva. The teaching itself takes the form of a dialogue between Vajrasattva and his consort. Lord Vajrasattva here assumes the identity of the deity Acala (Immovable One), which is another name for the deity of the title, Caṇḍamahāroṣaṇa (Fierce Great Angry One). His consort is Vajradhātvīśvarī (Goddess of the Vajra Realm).

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Although the tradition of this tantra and its title deity never became widespread or popular outside the Kathmandu Valley, it flowered and thrived for almost a millennium among Kathmandu’s Newar Buddhist community, leaving a rich legacy still evident today. There is at least one active shrine of Caṇḍamahāroṣaṇa in the Kathmandu Valley; it is part of the sacred Hiraṇyavarṇa Mahāvihāra complex in Patan. 

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The text of the CMT presumes the reader’s prior knowledge and understanding of Buddhism’s main principles, including the tenets of Vajrayāna. Further, it requires that the reader has faith and devotion, which is so indispensable for the intuitive grasp of, and the eventual awakening to, the true nature of things—the nature that is described as empty (śūnya). According to the CMT, this awakening is irreversible and is therefore termed indestructible awakening (vajrabodhi). It can only take place when all dualistic concepts, such as “pure” and “impure,” fall away. And it is here that the seemingly revolting practices found in our text become significant: they are a call to give up our deluded dualistic notions, while at the same time constituting a touchstone for the direct experience of reality, a reality where even what may seem revolting to the conceptual mind can now be experienced as the deity. 

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To facilitate the arising of nondual awareness, the tantras, especially those of the Yoginī class, bring in another essential element. This is the overwhelming intensity of experience that obliterates mental acts of self-reference. When this experience is founded on an exclusively benevolent frame of mind, such as the feeling of great affection (mahārāga), there is a chance that dualistic fixations can melt away, bringing on an irreversible change. This brings us closer to the specific content of the Caṇḍamahāroṣaṇatantra, namely its sexual practices. 

When used skillfully, sexuality becomes a powerful tool. The ritual union engages the two partners on all levels—the physical level; the level of the five senses (the senses constituting a bridge between the body and consciousness); and all the different levels of consciousness. The partners, perceiving each other as deities, generate strong love and devotion for one another. Their union allows for an intense experience, which brings the mind effortlessly into focus and sharpens the awareness. After the intensity peaks, there is a brief natural gap, when the three kleśas—desire, aversion, and indifference, which normally drive one’s conceptual thinking—completely cease. All that is needed at this point is recognition. This recognition can be arrived at and stabilized through the repeated practice of ritual union. 

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One feature of the CMT is the exalted position of women. This thread, present throughout the text, starts from the premise that the man and the woman are deities—Caṇḍamahāroṣaṇa and Vajradhātvīśvarī, respectively—and both should worship each other as such. The text, however, dwells on the service rendered by a man to a woman, rather than the other way around. The woman is the one who grants the ultimate beatitude and the final awakening, and she is the one who deserves infinite gratitude and devout service. This may be best illustrated by a quotation: 

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Women are heaven, women are the Dharma,

And women are truly the supreme austerity.

Women are the Buddha, women are the Saṅgha,

Women are the Perfection of Wisdom. (CMT, 8.14) 

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The word used for “service” is sevā, which in Sanskrit means “attending to” (as a servant would to a master). It also means “sexual intercourse,” which— being in itself a form of service—here takes a ritualized form. Again a quotation summarizes it all: 

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For a woman, the man is a deity;

For a man, the woman is a deity.

They should honor each other

By uniting the vajra and the lotus. (CMT, 10.9)

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The aim and purpose of the CMT’s profound teachings lie in the realization of nondual awareness through the practice of the four joys. As such its unique beauty is in the love and devotion experienced in the union of the two partners—the wisdom and the means. 

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