Chapter eight

Tsangnyön Heruka and Tantric

Tsangnyön vigorously practiced Tantric Buddhism until he reached accomplishment () and became an accomplished one (siddha). Heart of the Sun mentions that while Tsangnyön was staying in Menkhab, a certain Dzetrampa remarked that: Many true yogins of India adopted the hand symbols, the heruka imple- ments, and the long hair and so forth, of the Secret Vajra vehicle, but in Tibet, besides a few with long and matted hair, no one before the Lord [Tsangnyön] wore the completely perfect heruka implements. At pres- ent there are many who dress like this [like a heruka] outwardly, but lack the inner qualities or experiential realization [of a true heruka]. As for us disciples, unless we have permission, we are not allowed to take on the manner and wear the garments of a heruka. Concerning this, what inner experience, realization, and qualities need [a yogin attain] to be allowed to use the heruka garments?1 This is an interesting question since it implies that Dzetrampa consid- ered Tsangnyön to be the first person in Tibet who dressed and acted like “many true yogins of India,” namely with the authority to wear the full heruka garments (he ru ka’i chas). The heruka garments consist of six ornaments made of human bone: crown ornament, earrings, necklace, bracelets, shoulder-belt, and ashes from a cremated corpse.2 Besides these ornaments the yogin wears a tiger-skin skirt and carries a tantric staff in his right hand and a skull-cup in his left.3 This chapter addresses Dzetrampa’s question in a somewhat detailed fashion. What do Indian and Tibetan tantric and masters actually say about the path of the heruka? What is meant, for example, by a heruka? Who is allowed to dress and act like a heruka? How does such a practitioner act and dress? When, or more precisely, at what point in one’s tantric practice, is one allowed to perform these practices? Finally,

1 G: 230. 2 There are different lists of the six bone ornaments (rus pa’i rgyan drug). I have fol- lowed Bod rgya tshig mdzod chen mo (Zhang Yisun et al. 1996: 2713). 3 Das 1998: 1329. 190 part two

Figure 13. Statue of Tsangnyön Heruka.