Wrathful Manifestation of Avalokiteshvara - Hayagriva 馬頭明王

 

Whoever, including even the insects, has heard the name and mantra of Hayagriva only one time will never again fall into the lower paths. ” — The sutra of Forming Hayagriva, the Supreme Mantra of Hayagriva chanted.

“A swift and powerful means to overcome the negative forces and obstacles. Prayers to Hayagriva are especially beneficial in these degenerate times when sufferings and illnesses are rampant due to the strong delusions of sentient beings.

Hayagriva — Chief among the Wrathful

As the Heruka of Amitabha’s Lotus Family, he is Chief among the Wrathful emanations, representing Dharma and Speech in its ferocious form — signified by the screaming (neighing) horse head bursting out of his fiery red hair.

Hayagriva is a wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara embodies the compassion of all the Buddhas and connects to the enlightened mind. In the Hayagriva manifestation, he represents the enlightened speech of all Buddhas. He is the Heruka of the Lotus (Padma) Buddha Family. Referred to as “Lotus-like Speech”, he is usually depicted as red in color with a dark-green horse head with a blazing red mane emerging from his fiery red crown.

Hayagriva (Enlightened speech)

Hayagriva is a wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Generally, Avalokiteshvara embodies the compassion of all the Buddhas, and so he is connected with the enlightened mind, but in his manifestation, as Hayagriva, he represents enlightened speech.

*Benefits of Practice of Yoga of Hayagriva.

*Footnote: Requires full initiation and permission of a lineage teacher were stated in The Manifestation of the Superb Victorious Wrathful Great Horse Tantra. 

To the superb Initiation of the Fierce Hayagriva

And the victorious Tantra of great value! If one surely beholds the initiation and has a fancy for it, he will be emancipated from fear and all diseases. Those who practice the Yoga of Hayagriva, their patron Buddha, will be immune for seven hundred births from falling into the lower path and hell. Those who have the faith and the pure realization constantly, will in their future life be born in the Pure Land.

If one recites each word of mantra 100,000 times,

Right in this life, he shall see the face of Hayagriva.

Even in offering a part of the offerings to the Lord,

He will influence his surroundings and his neighbors.

Those who merely recite the mantra frequently

Will be free from the afflictions caused by evil spirits.

What is the benefit of Hayagriva mantra?

Praying to Most Secret Hayagriva is a swift and powerful means to overcome the negative forces and obstacles, including those caused by spirit harms. Prayers to the deity are especially beneficial in these degenerate times when sufferings and illnesses are rampant, arising from the strong delusions of sentient beings.

Hayagriva — the Heruka of Speech

Symbolism is crucial in Vajrayana visualized meditations. Even so, many wonder why Hayagriva appears to have a green horse head bursting out of his wrathful fiery hair — the horse screaming with mouth wide open. A horse roar, the challenge of the stallion protecting his herd, is a terrible sound, piercing intensity, carrying for miles in all directions.

In Tibet

In Tibet, Hayagriva was promoted especially by Buddhist teacher Atisa and appeared as a worldly Dharmapala (Protector). His special ability is to cure diseases, especially skin diseases even as serious as leprosy, which is said to be caused by nagas (dragons).

Buddhist iconography

In his simplest form Hayagriva is depicted with one face, two arms and two legs, and a horse head above his head. Everything about him is wrathful - a scowling face with three glaring eyes, a roaring mouth with protruding fangs, a pose of the warrior’s aggressiveness, a broad belly bulging with inner energy, a sword raised threateningly in his right hand (poised to cut through delusion), his left hand raised in a threatening gesture and snake ornaments.

This terrifying aspect expresses compassion’s fierce determination to help us overcome inner egotism and outer obstructions. In other representations, Hayagriva has six hands, four or eight legs and three large eyes. In these versions, on the top of Hayagriva’s head are three small green horse heads. The legs stand on two corpses, symbolizing the mundane attachments that should be destroyed.

* Footnote 
For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and 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 practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.
 
Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.

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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 then obtain omniscience?

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migrants from the ocean of existence.

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

 

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