Modern Buddhism 2: Tantra by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

Author:Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Buddhism
ISBN: 9781906665883
Publisher: Tharpa Publications
Published: 2011-09-18T04:00:00+00:00

The Practice of Heruka Body Mandala

THE LINEAGE OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS

As mentioned above, Heruka – also known as Chakrasambara – is an enlightened Deity of Highest Yoga Tantra who is the manifestation of the compassion of all Buddhas.

To lead living beings to the supreme happiness of enlightenment, all the Buddhas’ compassion appears in the form of Heruka who has a blue-coloured body, four faces and twelve arms, and embraces the consort Vajravarahi. Every part of Heruka’s body is the nature of wisdom light. Although each aspect of Heruka’s body has great meaning, as explained in the commentary to Heruka body mandala practice called Essence of Vajrayana, at first we should be satisfied with the mere name Heruka. There is no need to search closely for Heruka’s body, because like a rainbow the closer we search for it the more it will disappear. The name Heruka has three parts, ‘He’ ‘ru’ and ‘ka’. ‘He’ refers to the emptiness of all phenomena, ‘ru’ refers to great bliss and ‘ka’ refers to the union of great bliss and emptiness. This indicates that through relying upon Heruka with faith we shall attain the realization of the union of great bliss and emptiness, which is the actual quick path to enlightenment.

Heruka imputed upon Buddha’s Enjoyment Body is ‘Enjoyment Body Heruka’, and Heruka imputed upon Buddha’s Emanation Body is ‘Emanation Body Heruka’; together they are called ‘interpretative Heruka’. Emanation Body Heruka can be seen even by ordinary beings who have a special pure mind. When, through training, we are able to believe spontaneously that our Spiritual Guide is an emanation of Heruka, we shall see Emanation Body Heruka. Heruka imputed upon Buddha’s Truth Body, or Dharmakaya, is called ‘definitive Heruka’, and always lacks form, shape and colour. Because its basis of imputation, Buddha’s Truth Body, is extremely subtle, definitive Heruka can be seen only by Buddhas and not by other beings. It is also called ‘wisdom being Buddha Heruka’. Definitive Heruka pervades the entire universe; there is no single place where definitive Heruka is absent.

Buddha expounded extensive, middling and condensed Heruka root Tantras. The Condensed Root Tantra and many of its commentaries written by Indian Buddhist Tantric scholars, including the great Yogis Ghantapa and Naropa, were translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan. Later, many Tibetan Tantric scholars, including the great translator Marpa, the founder of the Kagyu tradition, and Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug tradition, wrote commentaries to the practice of Heruka Tantra. In this present age, the great Lama Je Phabongkhapa wrote special commentaries to the practices of Heruka body mandala and Vajrayogini. He also wrote many profound ritual prayers, or sadhanas, and gave extensive teachings on these. It is through the great kindness of Je Phabongkhapa and his heart disciple, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, that even in these times of extreme spiritual degeneration the profound practices of Heruka body mandala and Vajrayogini are flourishing both in the East and the West.

Je Phabongkhapa had direct visions of Heruka. At one time Heruka told him: ‘For seven

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