(Pronunciation: "YAH-mahn-tah-kah") The Conqueror of Death—believed to be a manifestation of the ultimate wisdom which overcomes evil, suffering and death. In Vajrayana Buddhism, he is frequently depicted as a buffalo-headed demon, but in the Institute's sand mandala, he is symbolized by a blue vajra, or thunderbolt. Chinese: Ta-wei-te ("dah-WEH-duh"); Japanese: Daiitoku ("DIE-toh-koo").

Yamāntaka is a Mahāyāna Buddhist yidam or iṣṭadevatā of the Highest Yoga Tantra class in Vajrayana, popular within the Geluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. Yamāntaka is seen as a wrathful manifestation of Mañjuśrī, the buddha of wisdom.