Eight Herukas of the Nyingma Mahayoga - No. 3 Vishuddha Heruka

Heruka ( Sanskrit ) Tibetan: ( Khrag Thung), is the name of a category of wrathful deities, enlightened beings in Vajrayana Buddhism that adopt a fierce countenance to benefit sentient beings. In East Asia, these are called Wisdom Kings.

Herukas represent the embodiment of indivisible bliss and emptiness. They appear as Istha-devata (Tibetan: Yidam) or meditational deities for Tantric Sadhana, usually placed in a mandala and often appearing in Yab-Yum.

Heruka represents wrathful imagery with indivisible emptiness (Sunyata), bliss, peace, wisdom, compassion (Bodhicitta), and love. Herukas represent unified consciousness, with emptiness being a reflection of "non-phenomena" or emptiness which is "all love," or removal of imagery to reach universal love, mercy, and compassion-mind. Interpretation of Heruka is similar to the female Dakiṇi or Buddha Vajrayogini.

* The eight Herukas of the Nyingma mahayoga

The Nyingma mahayoga tradition (and their corresponding sadhanas) are said to have been received by Padmakara from the Eight Vidyadharas  or Eight Great Acharyas: Manjushrimitra, Nagarjuna, Vajrahumkara, Vimalamitra, Prabhahasti, Dhanasamskrita, Shintamgarbha and Guhyachandra. They were proficient in the practices of, respectively:

No.3) Vishuddha/Sri Samyak (Tibetan: Yangdak Thuk,) the wrathful Vajrapani deity of mind. Vishuddha/Sri Samyak (Tibetan: Yangdak Thuk,) is one of the eight deities of Kagye, corresponding to the Enlightened Mind. Yangdak Heruka is the wrathful manifestation of Vajrasattva and is similar to the deity known as Chakrasamvara (Tibetan:Demchok), practised in the Sarma tradition. 

Yangdak Heruka or Vishuddha Heruka or Shri Heruka is one of the eight deities of Kagye, corresponding to the Enlightened Mind. Yangdak Heruka is the wrathful manifestation of Vajrasattva and is similar to the deity known as Chakrasamvara (Tibetan: Demchok) practised in the Sarma traditional.

All the deities of the Mother Tantras are said to be included in the practice of Yangdak. Yangdak Heruka was the main yidam deity of the Vidyadhara Humkara and his Tibetan disciple Namkhe Nyingpo.

The instructions related to Yangdak are based on the so-called "eight syllables of the rulu mantra". In the Longchen Nyingtik, the Yangdak practice related to Palchen Dupa is called "Union Of The Buddhas"

* Footnote 

For those who had received the empowerment of this Tantric practice, you are reminded not intentionally or unintentionally to disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practice, and by disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors. 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practice! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practice, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain and sure that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods which, if they are practiced in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have the pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practice is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power and self-interests.

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

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