Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 47-minute teaching, Kyabje Rinpoche guides students through the generation stage practice of Heruka: the protection wheel visualization with mantras stretching infinitely and rays that terrify obstacles; Mount Meru at the center with Sanskrit letters representing Buddha’s marks and qualities; their transformation into a moon mandala; and the crucial moment when consciousness descends into the mandala and arises as Heruka with consort and celestial palace. Throughout, Rinpoche parallels each visualization step to the actual rebirth process: the four elements and Mount Meru represent the parents; Sanskrit letters represent semen and blood; consciousness entering the mandala mirrors consciousness entering the womb; Heruka’s arising corresponds to birth. He emphasizes that mastering these three core practices—representing the three Buddha bodies—is essential for all other generation stage work. Pitched at practitioners already familiar with Heruka initiation.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 1989-10-21 – 7B – KR.mp3
UUID: 21a4f568-8959-4206-b8de-f2f73f42e957
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Heruka Commentary
Date: 1989-10-21
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,869
In the East? So first mantra is in the East, second one in the North, third in the West, fourth in the South, and think the mantras, like the first one, just stretching, a fully stretched like a rainbow, not short on the rosary, means they’re not grouped together instead they’re stretched far and split. Very big, big mantra. So in a way, just a far flung. Yeah.
Just all the mantras there. So in a way one, things, on the east, north, west, south, this mantra, if you can each direction on the mantras stretch to the whole expanse of the three universes, three empty universes, and then north again three empty universes, meaning the imagination of yours can expand, you can visualize each direction the mantra stretch that far. So at this point of practice it is called the meditation or visualization of the protection wheel. In the course of doing Dharma practice, there are a lot of obstacles from others. So this is to protect oneself from others’ obstacles, hindrances.
So regarding the visualization of protection wheel, it is of three kind, very extensive, middling, and short one. And this is the short visualization of protection wheel. And now, as one has visualized the mantra, think that the mantras emit countless rays upward and downward, and upward as high, extending to the realm of the Brahma devas, and downward emittance of the light going as down to the lowest base of the universe. So in this way, the whole man whole set of mantras, they emit countless rays upward and downward. So everything in the the East is black.
The whole light in mantra is black. In the North is whole thing green. In the West, whole thing red. And in the South, thing yellow. And now we have got what I call square.
We have got square, a wall, or framework like this house of Buddha House, you know, general framework. And then at the center of it, our visualized Hung syllable, which transform into a variegated vajra. So that’s in the whereas it goes in the sādhana, variegated vajra. And this is like a cross vajra, which has a vajra on all four. And again, on top of it is a Hung syllable, which transform into or emits countless rays and transform into what I call the golden ground base and also upward forming the or external tent.
And inside the tent is the canopy and outside that is the wire fence. And in between the wire fence, the whole, what I call, whole sets of countless arrows going to and fall. So that’s according to us in the self-generation sādhana. And in the sādhana, there are what I call six sets of mantras starting from Om Madhini and so forth. So these six sets of vajra mantra are to bless and make firm all these six things starting from what’s your base, and what’s your tent, what’s your awning or canopy, and your arrows or arrow fence?
And what’s your fire fence? And again, following those six sets of mantra, the four sets of mantra starting from like before. So think that this four one is being recited by the small Heruka. And while reciting that four set of mantras by small Heruka, think that the Heruka dispels all the obstacles, hindrances for Dharma practice far away beyond limitless distance and think now all the sentient beings they are without any obstacles, without any hindrances for their Dharma practice. And now we have formed the house of protection, very firm, very strong.
And also I think at this point, the mantras, each syllable of mantra has such an enormous sound of what we call an enormous sound, more than each of them, more than 1,000 dragons put together. And the sound of mantra is so loud that not to talk about the humans and nonhuman harm inflicters to come there, but not to talk about it. Even they would feel very much threatened to be not even strong enough to look at you on the Dharma practitioner. So in meaning, the sound of the mantra is so loud that it frightens all the harm doers that they can’t even dare to look at you, not to talk about being coming close by. So this is the external house of the protection circle house.
Inside, we yet generated or we haven’t yet formed celestial mansion in which the deity is to be So at this point, it’s only external protection wheelhouse, and the center is now empty at this point. And then in the sādhana where it says the four syllables are yam, ram, bam, lam, from there arise the four elements, the wind, fire, water, and earth. So firstly, each of them is the syllable of the seed syllable of each element, being the seed syllable of the wind, and so forth. So firstly, the wind has to form, and then the fire, and then the water and then the earth. And now there is what I call the whole protection house, so a wheel is completely filled by the earth element, meaning earth mandala, the whole expanse of surface is filled by earth.
Now in the center, as in the text, is the sum that’s at the center, and that transforms into Mount Meru. And Mount Meru, it is of eight levels. And it’s white in east direction, and it’s the green in the South, red in the West, and yellow in the North. So that’s the different color of the Mount Meru, Mount Meru, king of mountain. And now which lies on top of the what called Mount Meru, which is flat at the top, there’s a palm syllable which transform into a lotus having 64 petals.
On top of that, 64 petal lotus is a Hung syllable which transform into or variegated variegated. And at the hub of that variegated is a eight petal lotus. Visualize on the lotus, the 16 vowels, first set from right to left, and the second, another 16 set of Sanskrit vowels from left to right forming a circle around. And these 32 in total represent the 32 complete marks of excellences of a Buddha. And, again, with the Buddhist body, he also possess the 80 qualities which exemplifies him as a great being.
So to represent those 80 qualities, we arrange 40 sets sets of consonants of Sanskrit language, Kaka Gang, Vata Dasanya and so forth, from right to left 40, and another set of 40 from left to right forming circle surrounding behind those 32. So the 32 vowels, they are white in white in color, and the surrounding, what I call 80 consonants, are red in color, and all those letters are standing upward, upright. You’re getting confused? Can be have that’s possible at the beginning because maybe you haven’t heard before. You think, oh, it’s so messy.
There’s a lot of messy things being going on. But it’s not that difficult. You go on reciting these and getting familiar with your daily prayer time. And it’s just quite easy. And now think that the lotus which is underneath those letters, vowels and consonants, that the lotus together with all those letters are somehow in a sort of being mixed together, lotus and letter, in a sort of being mixed together, they transform into a moon mandala, which is white in color with red luster.
So in the meaning, the previous one, it’s not the letters together, it’s the letters. So letters in a sort of being mixed together transform into a moon mandala. And that moon mandala, white with red luster, think it’s in a way very delightful and very attractive sort of appearance, the moon, and moon on top of lotus. And now, one might ask a question, where am I at this point of the practice? One’s always in the form of nada up in the space as before one has visualized.
And now at this point one cell is up in the space in the form of nada, white in color and red luster, and along with that next to it is the small Heruka. Now at this point, think that small Heruka absorbs into nada. One serving that nada, now think that one is looking down on that very nice looking, what I call nice looking moon mandala on the lotus, and think that by looking down, think that now, oh that’s very nice, I must take birth down there. So with that thinking, another which is one sort of goes down, goes down and enters, so it literally says enters into the moon. And now because at this point the nada having absorbed into the moon mandala, think that due to that, instantly there arise a Hung syllable together together with crescent moon, drop and the curved line and others complete Hung syllable.
Another thing from that Hung syllable, five rays goes to the 10 directions, white, red, green, blue, and yellow rays of light goes to a 10 direction, and they touch the sentient beings and transforms the sentient being into the aspect of, into the nature of Heruka and then visualize after that these sentient beings in nature of Heruka absorbed back into oneself which is the Hung syllable at this point and after that instantly that Hung syllable transforms into Heruka together with the consort as well as the support mandala, meaning the celestial mandala together. And regarding this Heruka with concert, how it looks like you can have a clear eye if you look at the pictures and paintings of Heruka. And now this Oh. Now with this one, Rinpoche has completely explained the whole meaning of the lines in the self-generation sādhana where the line starts or where the line goes on from the point on these two completely transforming meaning the consonant and vowel and the moon mandala in the reflection of the moon which is white and red luster like a mirror and so forth. So this is what Rinpoche has explained.
Firstly there is the Lotus and the Moon and then there’s another up there. One looks down and enters and then arises into form of Hung and the rays in it, there’s the sentient beings at the center being absorbed back into oneself and to arise into Heruka complete with the support mandala and supported deity with the consort. And after that, is the sādhana Om Ah Hum mantra recitation, that is arise in the aspect of the body, speech, mind, to receive the blessing of the body, speech, and mind of the Heruka deity and after that the mantra Om Ah Hum and so forth. After that, that mantra has to do with the holding of the pride that one is the deity Heruka. So this arising or generation of the complete mandala of the support and supported, this is called taking the dharmakaya into the path in the process of the birth.
So there was what I call taking the taking the what I call emanation body into the path in the process of the rebirth of birth. And now with this one, as in a normal case, like if a person dies, then his death mind doesn’t remain long, he has to go or arise into the aspect of the bardo being intermediate state, and as intermediate state he doesn’t remain there long, again he has to take rebirth and when he is born he needs when in the process sorry, when he is to take rebirth he needs two parents and not only that, when the parents are in union they are formed or they release the semen and blood. And when these two semen and blood forms together or mixed together then this person in the intermediate state as consciousness enters into the and takes birth. And the first week, the what I call mixture of the semen and blood is very hard and after that the process of birth becomes like the child being in the form of a cylindrical aspect without any limbs. And after that, with the passing of the weeks, limbs like the hands and feet start coming out and then his head start emerging out and after that he takes birth from the womb.
So this whole thing which involves in simple knowing process of rebirth is what at this point there’s a whole of these practices. Meaning all these different processes of practice in the the nirmanakaya is because there’s a whole complex process of rebirth in the actual state of rebirth. As a normal taking of rebirth in human case, there’s a whole lot of thing involved and there are whole factors required. So same thing here in the generation of one’s own deity. This whole thing, why there are whole thing in the process is because of that reason.
As in before I had, we talked about the four elements and the king of the mountain, Mount Meru. So these two, the four elements and the Mount Meru is like the parents, the two parents. On top of the mountain is the lotus, on top of which is variegated vajra. Lotus and vajra are like the nadis or the channels within a person’s body and the elements, so elements within a person’s body, channels and elements within a person’s body. And also there’s another explanation where lotus is like the female’s organ and the vajra is like a male organ.
And then there are the 32 vowels, white in color, and 80 consonants, red in color. So that’s like these two are like the white obtained from the father and red blood obtained from mother. And that’s how the example goes in parallel with the meaning. And then the vowels and the consonant mix together and forms into a moon mandala, white in color with red luster. So that thing in in that thing is the semen in the blood of the father and mother being mixed together.
And then another, nada, up in the space looking down at the moon, mandala coming down and entering is like one’s consciousness entering into one’s mother’s womb, into mother’s womb. Enters in between the semen and blood of the father and mother. And in this way, the birth takes place. And after that, the nada arises into the form of Hung syllable and after that follows the whole act of emanation of rays, absorption of rays. So that’s like in one’s mother’s womb when one takes birth in between the blood of father and mother, it takes a whole duration of time for oneself to develop physically.
So that whole thing is like being developed physically where limbs and parts of body takes time to develop. After that, being in mother’s womb, and after duration of nine months and about ten, eleven days, one is born. So that’s in meaning the practice, the part where it has to do with instantly arising into the support mandala and supported deity together with the consort. So at this point, once body is formed, or means once body came into being, and also the residence of body also the house is also formed. So because there has to be explanation in relation to because there has to be explanation in parallel to the actual example in the normal process, therefore, there there requires a whole lot of explanation and practice.
So at this point, one is visualize. One arises into with the four face and the six arm and embracing the consort or the mother and together with the whole mandala. So one has to meditate or visualize the whole of support mandala and supported deity. Shot I shot every time. Oh, so so each has six six arms in total 12 arms each.
So today, we have generated the support mandala together with support in deity. So let’s stop here for today. Today. Have you wish nice or have you generated these two? The support mandala and supported deity?
No, should be able to. We have to think how nada, which is one’s consciousness, looks down on the white with red luster moon, mandala, and enters there and instantly one arrives in the aspect of the supporting deity. So we have to think on that. That’s the meaning. It just involves that much only.
So this is like in the normal process of death which happens, we in this practice takes it as dharmakaya. In the normal case of part or intermediate state here in the practice we take that as a sambhogakaya practice. In the normal case of we take as a nirmanakaya or emanation body. So these three in short is what is normally called taking the three Buddha bodies into the path. So these three are the main practices in the generation stage.
If these three practices are quite complete and going good, then all the other supplementary practices of generation stage can become good. And if one is not able to do these three practices well then whatever deity, whatever generation practice one may do, it’s quite definite one’s practice will not be good.