in the presence of such a practitioner our unhappiness, mental disturbances, delusions and other obstacles are dispelled. Why is this? It is because the actual Deities of Heruka abide within the body of the practitioner and therefore seeing the practitioner is not so different from seeing Heruka himself. In Tibet, there are many sayings to the effect that merely seeing a special Lama or wearing a blessing cord received from such a Lama causes liberation. Je Phabongkhapa said, ‘I do not know whether or not these sayings are true, but seeing or touching a Heruka practitioner is a real cause of liberation.’
As times become spiritually more degenerate, it is harder to receive the blessings of other Tantric Deities such as Yamantaka or Guhyasamaja; and, as the number of Gurus in the lineage increases, it takes longer to receive attainments. However, the opposite is the case with Heruka. Vajradhara Trijang Rinpoche says in his ritual prayer of Heruka:
As times become ever more impure,
Your power and blessings ever increase,
And you care for us quickly, as swift as thought;
O Chakrasambara Father and Mother, to you I prostrate.
As times become more impure, Heruka’s blessings become more powerful and we receive them more easily; and the greater the number of Gurus in the lineage, the more swiftly we receive attainments. Why is this? When Buddha revealed other Tantras, such as the Guhyasamaja or Yamantaka Tantras, he emanated the Deities and their mandalas and then reabsorbed them after the discourse; but when he taught Heruka Tantra he did not reabsorb the mandalas. There are twenty-four places in particular, such as Puliramalaya and Dzalandhara, where the mandalas of Heruka still remain. Practitioners with pure karma are able to see these mandalas and Deities. The people of this world therefore have a very close connection with Heruka, and if we practise the instructions purely we can easily and swiftly receive great results.
Heruka practitioners can attain the Pure Land of Keajra, Dakini Land, without abandoning their present body. Even if they are very old, the moment they reach this Pure Land their body transforms into that of a sixteen-year-old. In Keajra they can receive empowerments and teachings directly from Heruka and Vajrayogini and, while living with Heroes and Heroines and enjoying the five objects of desire, they can easily attain Buddhahood. If out of compassion they wish to visit ordinary worlds, they can do so at any time through the power of emanation.
In other Pure Lands it is not possible to practise Highest Yoga Tantra and so it is not possible to attain Buddhahood quickly. In general, to practise Highest Yoga Tantra we need six elements: flesh, skin and blood from the mother, and bone, marrow and sperm from the father. Bodhisattvas in other Pure Lands such as Sukhavati do not possess these elements, and so they pray to be reborn as humans so that they can practise Highest Yoga Tantra. In Heruka’s Pure Land, however, practitioners can possess these six elements. Many practitioners have attained the Pure Land of Heruka, Keajra, without abandoning their human bodies, and so they have a great opportunity to continue with their Highest Yoga Tantra practice.
From a practical point of view all the essential practices of Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka are included within this instruction of Heruka body mandala, and so we do not need to practise Guhyasamaja and Yamantaka separately from Heruka practice. We should integrate the practices of all other Deities within the practice of Heruka Father and Mother, and in this way we will progress in our practice of Highest Yoga Tantra. We should remember Atisha’s advice to the Tibetan translator, Rinchen Sangpo, which is explained in the book The New Guide to Dakini Land.
If we contemplate these benefits, we will feel extremely fortunate to have met these precious instructions of Heruka and we will develop a genuine wish to practise them purely.
EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS PRACTITIONERS WHO ACCOMPLISHED ATTAINMENTS THROUGH THESE INSTRUCTIONS
By contemplating these examples of previous practitioners, our faith in the Heruka instructions will be greatly increased. If we study the biographies of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas of ancient India, we will see that most of them attained enlightenment by relying upon Heruka as their personal Deity. There now follow brief life stories of some Heruka practitioners who accomplished attainments by relying upon these instructions.
SARAHA
Saraha was one of the first Mahasiddhas, and was greatly admired by later Mahasiddhas. By relying upon Heruka and practising the stages of Heruka’s path, he attained the Pure Land of Keajra without abandoning his human body.
NAGARJUNA
Nagarjuna was one of Saraha’s disciples, who attained enlightenment in one life by relying upon Heruka. His life and works were prophesied several times by Buddha. In a well-known passage in Gone to Lanka Sutra Buddha is asked who will uphold the doctrine after he has passed away. Buddha replies:
In the Southern region, in the Land of the Palms,
The monk Shriman of great renown,
Known by the name, ‘Naga’,
Will refute the extremes of existence and non-existence.
Having proclaimed to the world my teachings,
The unsurpassed Great Vehicle,
He will accomplish the ground, Very Joyful,
And depart to the Land of Bliss.
As predicted, four hundred years after Buddha passed away, a son was born to a prosperous Brahmin family living in an area of Southern India known as Bedarwa, or the ‘Land of the Palms’. An oracle predicted that the child would live for only seven days, but that his life span could be extended by a further seven days if gifts were bestowed upon a hundred ordinary people, by a further seven months if offerings were made to a hundred brahmins, or by a further seven years if offerings were made to a hundred monks. However, the oracle knew of no method to extend his life beyond that. Accordingly, his parents made offerings to a hundred monks, and as a result were able to live happily with their son for seven years.
As the child’s seventh birthday drew near, however, they sent him on a pilgrimage with several of their servants, for they could not bear to witness his death. Guided by a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the party made its way to Nalanda Monastery where they met the great Teacher Saraha. They explained the boy’s plight to Saraha, and he told them that the child could avert an untimely death by staying at Nalanda and taking ordination as a monk. He gave the child an empowerment into the long-life practice of Buddha Amitayus and encouraged him to practise that yoga extensively. On the eve of his seventh birthday the child recited the mantra of Amitayus without interruption and as a result averted an untimely death. The following day he was ordained as a monk and given the name ‘Shrimanta’. He remained at Nalanda where under the protection of Manjushri he was able to study all the Sutras and Tantras. He soon became a fully-accomplished scholar and Teacher, and his reputation spread widely. Eventually he was appointed Abbot of Nalanda.
Nagarjuna’s life comprised three great periods of auspicious deeds that correspond to Buddha’s three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma, which is why he is often referred to as ‘the Second Buddha’. The first period was during his tenure as Abbot of Nalanda. Unfortunately, the moral discipline of the monks had degenerated since the time Buddha first gave the vows, and Nagarjuna was very active in restoring the purity of the discipline. He clarified many points of moral discipline in extensive teachings, and composed a number of works on pure conduct. These writings, known as the Collection of Advice, include such works as Precious Garland, Friendly Letter, Tree of Wisdom, A Hundred Wisdoms and Drops for Healing Beings. These activities are likened to Buddha’s first turning of the Wheel of Dharma.
Nagarjuna
