Mahottara Heruka
Translator: Soh Hong Nan
Translation Accuracy Editor: DJ Chang
English Proficiency Editor: Ky Ly and Henry Wolf
When I practice Mahottara Heruka, I know my body is the mandala.
Hundreds of wrathful and peaceful principal deities magically manifest from the brow chakra, throat chakra, heart chakra, sacral chakra and root chakra.
This is The Web of Great Illusion.
My practice method is:
Be naturally silent.
Body sits in the Vairocana seven points of meditation posture.
Speech is silent with only the in and out circulation of qi.
Mind is not distracted by thoughts of the past, present or future. In other words, it is impartial and free of reactions. (This is non-abiding)
In addition, I visualize the Mahottara Heruka's twenty-one faces, forty-two arms and eight feet and Krodheshvari's nine faces, ten arms and four legs.
Furthermore, I visualize Samantabhadra Tathagata, Samantabhadri, Five Dhyani Buddhas, Five Dhyani Buddha-Mothers, Eight Great Bodhisattvas and Eight Great Bodhisattva Buddha-Mothers, The Four Dharma Protectors and Four Wrathful Mothers, and Six Capable Benevolences of Shakya.
(This is abiding)
What I mean is:
Naturalness - - non-abiding.
Visualization - - abiding.
Once, when I was practicing the method of non-abiding, I suddenly and clearly heard a very secret voice saying I am Mahottara Heruka!
I asked, Please show your form!
He replied,
My appearance is illusory. Form is illusion and illusion is form. What point is there to see me!
I said, I would like to see!
He replied, Since you desire to see me, I will let you!
Hence, a taoist sage, divine in aspect, appeared.
I said, Not him!
Then a divine celestial official wearing a feathered robe appeared.
I said, No!
Then a lotus-holding Padmakumara appeared.
I said, No!
Then a transcendently beautiful goddess appeared.
I said, No!
Then a buddha resembling the Tathagata appeared.
I said, No!
Then an Asura with three heads and six arms, holding dharma implements appeared.
I said, No!
He said,
Grand Master Lu, Mahottara Heruka has come to teach you. It is not anything and this itself is the Great Illusion. This is the Web of Illusion.
Ha Ha Ha! He left in a great roar of laughter.
Suddenly I awakened!
Poem:
Practicing, practicing, and practicing
Is there any form that truly exists
Cultivating mind, cultivating mind, cultivating mind
I wonder when one does arrive at tranquility
Without hearing its sound, without
fixating on its gracefulness
Water is clear and pure
One seeks but does not find its form
Thus awakening
This is the truth from the very beginning
see also: Chemchok Heruka
