Taking a worldly ḍākinī to be enlightened could endanger one’s spiritual development or even one’s life; her powerful message could be that of a demoness or obstructing spirit.

The ḍākinī must also test the confidence of the practitioner to discover whether he or she has sufficient personal conviction in inherent wakefulness, a prerequisite for tantric realization.

any study of the feminine in Tibetan Buddhism must also include the masculine, the heruka who is a symbol of skillful means and compassion.