The divine couple could thus be represented in Buddhist terms. In Mahayana teaching, there were countless Buddhas in the universe, and each ruled over a cosmic land.
Each of those Buddhas actually had a female counterpart. Their union was the mystical reality that was greater than the simple being of the Buddha—it was reality beyond all dualities.
On the Hindu level, this ultimate duality was envisaged as Shiva and Shakti.