Introduction to Yangdak Heruka

Introduction to Yangdak Heruka

by Stefan Mang

Yangdak Heruka (yang dag he ru ka)—commonly translated as “Utterly Pure Heruka” or “Perfect Heruka”—is a wrathful tantric deity central to the Mahāyoga class of tantric practice, particularly within the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. While his name has been variously rendered in Sanskrit as Viśuddha Heruka or Śrī Heruka, the exact Indic equivalent remains uncertain.[1] The Tibetan term yang dag connotes meanings such as “completely,” “authentically,” or “perfectly,” reflecting the deity’s role as a supreme embodiment of enlightened purity and wrathful compassion.

According to the 15th-century historian Gö Lotsawa Zhönnu Pal (’gos lo tsā ba gzhon nu dpal, 1392–1481),[2] the practice of Yangdak Heruka originates from the Sarvabuddhasamāyoga Tantra (Toh. 366, sangs rgyas thams cad dang mnyam par sbyor ba) and its associated texts. This tantra marks a pivotal transition between yogatantra and yoginītantra, introducing seminal elements such as feast offerings (gaṇacakra), transgressive rituals, and cremation-ground symbolism—features that became defining hallmarks of later tantric Buddhism.[3]

Traditional sources trace the transmission of Yangdak Heruka’s teachings to the tantric adept Hūṃkāra, likely of Newar origin.[4] He is credited with composing five ritual manuals (Toh. 1674–1678) for the Sarvabuddhasamāyoga, and with attaining the level of mahāmudrā vidyādhara—the third of the four vidyādhara stages in the Nyingma system[5]—through his practice of Yangdak Heruka. Hūṃkāra’s oral and revealed transmissions were passed to Guru Padmasambhava and his disciple Namkhé Nyingpo (nam mkha’i snying po), who became the main lineage-holders and early promoters of the practice in Tibet. Tibetan hagiographies state that Hūṃkāra later traveled to Tibet and served as spiritual chaplain to King Senalek (sad na legs), further embedding the deity into the fabric of Tibetan tantric Buddhism.[6]

Guru Padmasambhava is said to have incorporated Yangdak Heruka into the pantheon of Kagyé (bka’ brgyad)—the eight great yidam deities of the Nyingma tradition—whose teachings he concealed as treasures (gter ma) to be later revealed by treasure discoverers such as Nyangrel Nyima Özer (nyang ral nyi ma ’od zer, 1124/1136–1192/1204). Within the Kagyé maṇḍala, Yangdak Heruka represents the awakened mind of the buddhas. When Padmasambhava and his consort Śākyadevī undertook the practice of Yangdak Heruka at the sacred caves of Asura and Yangleshö in Nepal, they encountered fierce obstacles. It was through the practice of Vajrakīlaya that Padmasambhava and Śākyadevī overcame these obstructions and attained the realization of mahāmudrā vidyādhara. Thus, Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé (’jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha’ yas, 1813–1899) famously described the relationship between the two deities as follows:

“Yangdak Heruka is like a merchant engaged in trade; the reward can be great, but so can the obstacles. Vajrakīlaya is like the armed escort needed to guard the merchant and ensure success.”[7]

Namkhé Nyingpo played a crucial role in preserving and disseminating the Yangdak Heruka teachings. As a close disciple of both Hūṃkāra and Guru Padmasambhava, and as a spiritual advisor and healer to Dharma King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde brtsan), he transmitted the Yangdak Heruka teachings at the royal court. Following political exile instigated by jealous ministers, Namkhé Nyingpo settled at Lhodrak Kharchu (lho brag khar chu), a site associated with Guru Padmasambhava’s awakened mind.[8] There, he entered intensive retreat and attained the realization of mahāmudrā vidyādhara through the practice of Yangdak Heruka. Tibetan accounts portray him flying through the sky on rays of sunlight—an iconic image that underscores his siddhi and enduring place in Nyingma iconography. In this way, Namkhé Nyingpo is seen as the Tibetan counterpart to the Indian/Newar siddha Hūṃkāra, both having reached the same pinnacle of realization through Yangdak Heruka.[9]

Today, the legacy of Yangdak Heruka remains vibrant. The deity’s practice was instrumental in introducing the gaṇacakra feast offering—a cornerstone of Vajrayāna ritual life—into the broader Buddhist tantric tradition, making Yangdak Heruka not only a symbol of enlightened wrath but a key figure in shaping the ritual culture of Vajrayāna Buddhism.

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Further Reading

Dudjom Rinpoche. The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History. Translated and edited by Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 1991.

Gyalwa Changchub and Namkhai Nyingpo. Lady of the Lotus-Born: The Life and Enlightenment of Yeshe Tsogyal. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Boston: Shambala, 2002.

Jamgön Kongtrul. The Life and Liberation of Padmakara, the Second Buddha. Trans. Samye Translations, Lotsawa House, 2018.

Jamgön Kongtrul. The Hundred Tertöns. Trans. Yeshe Gyamtso. Woodstock: KTD Publications, 2011.

Lo Bue, Erberto. “The Role of Newar Scholars in Transmitting the Indian Buddhist Heritage to Tibet.” In Les habitants du toit du monde. Hommage à Alexander W. Macdonald, edited by Karmay and Sagant. Nanterre: Société d’ethnologie 1997, 629–658.

Roerich, George N. The Blue Annals. Calcutta: Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1949.

Szántó, Péter-Dániel and Arlo Griffiths. “Sarvabuddhasamāyogaḍākinījālaśaṃvara.” In Brill Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Vol. I: Literature and Languages, edited by Jonathan A. Silk. Leiden: Brill 2015, 367–372.

Taranatha. The Seven Instruction Lineages (Bka' babs bdun ldan), translated by David Templeman. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1983.

Tulku Thondup. Enlightened Journey. Ed. Harold Talbott. Boston: Shambhala, 2001.

Yeshe Tsogyal. The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava, Vol. I & II. Rediscovered by Terchen Urgyan Lingpa, translated into French by G. C. Toussaint and into English by K. Douglas and G. Bays. Emeryville: Dharma Publishing, 1978.

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