Item: Heruka (Nyingma)

Heruka (Tibetan: drag tung. English: Blood-drinker): from the Lama Gongdu Cycle of Revealed Treasure (Tibetan: ter ma) teachings of the Nyingma tradition.

Sanskrit: Heruka Tibetan: Drag tung

Wrathful in appearance, blue in colour, with three faces and six hands he embraces the consort with the first right hand. The two remaining outstretched right hands hold a crescent moon and a mass of fire. The three left outstretched hands hold a plough, a sun and a mass of blue water. The white two-armed consort holds a skullcup and a golden wheel. Standing on two prone forms, a sun disc and multi-coloured lotus seat, they are surrounded by the brightly burning orange and red flames of pristine awareness fire.

Eight main retinue couples surround the central pair. Four of the couples are beautiful in appearance and four are skeletal. Minor figures stand in various dancing postures in the foreground. Seated at the top left and right are two lineage lamas wearing orange and red hats.

Sanggye Lingpa (1340-1396) discovered the 'Middling Collection of Precepts, the Gathering of the Guru's Intention' (Tibetan: ka du bar wa la ma gong pa du pa) in the great cave of Puri Rinchen Barwa in the year 1364.

Jeff Watt 11-2000