According to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, the

original scriptural source for Simhamukha is

the Drwa-bai sdom-pai rgyud. This Tantra,
where Simhamukha is linked with the eight
wrathful Gauris (keu-ri-ma brgyad) and the
eight Tramenmas or animal-headed
sorceresses (phra-men-ma brgyad), appears
to be connected with the Guhyagarbha
Mayajala cycle (sGyu-phrul drwa-ba). In the
Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bar-do thos
grol), these Gauri witches, representing the
eight types of mundane consciousness, and
these eight animal-headed sorceresses,
representing the eight objects of
consciousness, appear to the deceased
consciousness on the twelfth and thirteenth
days of the Bardo experience after death.
However, it is mainly through the Termas or
hidden treasure texts discovered since the
11th century that Simhamukha is practiced
among the Nyingmapas.

According to the Sutra system, the practitioner takes refuge in the Three Jewels of the
Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. However, according the Tantra system one also takes
refuge in the Three Root of the Guru, the Deity, and the Dakini (bla-ma yi-dam mkha-gro
gsum). In the Terma system of Jatson Nyingpo (Ja-tshon snying-po, 1585-1656), known as
the dKon-mchog spyi dus, The Union of all the Precious Ones, the principal visualization
practice is the Zhi drag seng gsum. Here zhi (zhi-ba) means peaceful, that is, the peaceful
form of Guru Padmasambhava known as Guru Zhiwa, dressed in his usual robes, holding in his
right hand a golden vajra before his heart and in his left hand a kapala containing a long-life
vase. Drag (drag-po) means fierce, and refers to the wrathful form of Padmasambhava
known as Guru Dragpo, who is flaming red in color, attired as a wrathful deity, holding a vajra
in his right hand and a black scorpion in his left. And seng means lion, and refers to the lionheaded Dakini Simhamukha (sen-gei gdong ma). These three, invoked as a trinity, represent
the Three Roots of Guru Deva and Dakini. The famous Terton Ratna Lingpa (Ratna gling-pa,
1403-1479) also discovered many Termas relating to Simhamukha. Similarly, the famous child
prodigy Tulku Mingyur Dorge (Mi-gyur rdo-rje, 17th cen.), who received the gNam-chos or
sky teachings, channeled certain hidden treasure texts pertaining to her. Here and in other
Termas there are presented different histories of how Padmasambhava received transmissions
directly from his Dakini teacher in Uddiyana, Guhyajnana Dakini (gSang-ba ye-shes mkhagro-ma). One of the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava (mtshan brgyad) is Simharaurava (Seng-ge sgra-sgrogs), the roar of the lion, which is linked with Simhamukha
because Padmasambhava recived the transmission from Guhyajnana when he was in that
guise. As already said, Simhamukha is regarded as an emanation of this Dakini from Uddiyana.
Because of the close link of Simhamukha with Padmasambhava, one could say she represents
his Anima. According to the traditional history of the Seven Line Prayer (tshig bdun gsol debs)
of Padmasambhava, once an assembly of Buddhist scholars at Nalanda university debated with
a group of Hindu scholars over certain matters of philosophy. But the Buddhist scholars soon
found themselves losing, and offered puja to the Dakinis, praying for their help. The melodious
voices of the Dakinis prophesied that their brother, Padmasambhava, would come the next day
to help them. The next morning, a wild looking yogi from the cremation ground nearby entered

the hall and engaged the Hindu scholars in philosophical debate. By the end of the day, he had
systematically demolished all their arguments. But many scholars remained obstinate, shouted
insults at the yogi, and strode about the hall arrogantly. The Guru sitting calmly amidst the
storm raging about him, allowed a thought of anger to well up within him and then he
projected the fiery energy of this wrath into the space before him. It coalesced into the
terrifying form of the fiery lion-headed Goddess. The haughty scholars were terrified at this
manifestation and fled the hall. But the goddess pursued them, throwing them down of the
ground. Terrified the begged for their lives and submitted to the Guru and his teachings.
Despite her wrathful appearance and her magical activities, Simhamukha is a manifestation of
the enlightened awareness of the Buddha and her nature is compassion. She slays the dragon
representing the forces of evil and chaos. She only shows her fierce and angry face in order to
subdue misguided beings, much like a mother disciplining her naughty child. The worldly gods
and spirits are not enlightened beings; they are still conditioned by their ignorance and their
karma and still abide inside of Samsara or cyclical existence. And sometimes they direct
negative energy against humans in the form of maledictions and the practice of Simhamukha
may be used to avert and repulse these psychic attacks.
Transcendent deities like Simhamukha are emanations or projections of enlightened beings
and being archetypes they may serve as meditation deities. These figures are principally
classified into three types, because meditation on them the serve as antidotes to the three
principal poisons that afflict human consciousness:
1. meditation on peaceful tranquil deities transforms confusion,
2. meditation on wrathful deities transforms anger, and
3. meditation on lustful or joyous deities transforms desire.
Where do the ornaments, attire, and attributes of a wrathful deity come from? According to the
Tantras, in prehistoric times on an island in the Indian ocean, Matam Rudra, a black sorcerer
and demon king, threatened the very survival of the primitive human race. Therefore, the
Bodhisattvas Hayagriva and Vajravarahi gained entrance into his gigantic body and blew him
apart from the inside. Thereupon, they donned his attire and ornaments and proceeded to
subdue the lesser demons, terrifying them with their wrathful appearance. Simhamukha wears
these same ornaments. As the Queen of the Night, she keeps at bay the nightmarish demonic
entities who ever seek to invade our sunlight world of consciousness from the twilight realms
beyond. As the active manifestation of emptiness and wisdom, her lions roar disperses
discursive thoughts. And she is naked because she is equally devoid of discursive thoughts.
If the Great Goddess can be said to manifest herself in the three archetypes of Maiden,
Mother, and Crone, Simhamukha represents the Crone aspect of feminine wisdom. She is the
archetype of the destructive Terrible Mother, who destroys and yet regenerates all life out of
her cauldron. All phenomena dissolve into Shunyata or emptiness, and again all phenomena
arise out of Shunyata.
In the Tantras, one fights fire with fire. To those who are without knowledge, Simhamukha is
the demonic Terrible Mother, who threatens to devour her son, threatening his very existence.
What is more terrifying than the lions roar heard in the dark jungle in the middle of the night?
She represents the primordial fear of being killed and devoured by a savage beast. It is the
threat of annihilation. But to those who possess knowledge, the lion-headed goddess is the
very form of emptiness. They have nothing to fear from the great void. She is the terrible lionheaded sentinel of time who stands at the portal, the active manifestation of primordial
wisdom, who destroys the notion of an unchanging permanent ego or substance.

http://scanr.net/the-lion-headed-dakini/