The symbolism of Heruka's body

Question 1

Furthermore, I am the Blessed One Heruka
With a dark-blue body like a lapis mountain.

Answer 1

Wisdom Truth Body

Question 2

I have four faces, which counter-clockwise are blue, green, red and yellow.

Answer 2

Teach us to realize emptiness by meditating on the four doors of perfect liberation:
1. Emptiness (the emptiness of all functioning things)
2. Signlessness (the emptiness of their causes)
3. Wishlessness (the emptiness of their effects)
4. Non-production (the emptiness of all non-produced phenomena)

Question 3

(1) My two principal hands hold a vajra and bell and (2) embrace my consort

Answer 3

(1) method and wisdom; together they teach us that we need to accomplish the union of method and wisdom.

(2) we need to complete our training in great bliss first with a visualized wisdom mudra and then with an actual action mudra.

Question 4

Below these in sequence I have two hands holding an elephant skin

Answer 4

Need to abandon the ignorance of self-grasping

Question 5

Two holding a (1) damaru and a (2) khatanga, two holding an (3) axe and a (4) skullcup of blood,

Answer 5

(1) the blazing of the inner fire
(2) the ultimate bodhichitta of inseparable bliss and emptiness appears as Heruka’s mandala and Deities
(3) abandon the faults of body, speech and mind.
(4) blood symbolizes great bliss, skullcup symbolizes emptiness. Together they symbolize the union of the two.

Question 6

Two holding a (1) curved knife and a (2) vajra noose, and two holding a (3) three-pointed spear and a (4) four-faced head of Brahma.

Answer 6

(1) abandon conceptions grasping at extremes
(2) our mind should always be bound by bliss
(3) abandon all imprints of the delusions of the three realms
(4) Nature Truth Body

Question 7

I display the nine moods and wear six bone ornaments

Answer 7

(1)
Physical
i. Majesty - body maintains an air of majesty
ii. Heroism - feet tread on Bhairawa and Khalarati
iii. Menace - frown at the center of my brow

Verbal
iv. Laughter - slight smile on my lips
v. Wrath - my bared fangs
vi. Ferocity - my tongue slightly curled back

Mental
vii. Compassion - long almond-shaped eyes
viii. Attentiveness - my wide-open eyes
ix. Serenity - my looking at the mother from the corner of my eyes

(2) train in the six perfections

Question 8

My crown is adorned with (1) a half moon and (2) crossed vajra

Answer 8

(1) white bodhichitta in the crown melting and descending through the central channel, giving rise to four joys.

(2) emanation Body

Question 9

I wear a (1) necklace of human heads and a lower garment of a (2) tiger skin

Answer 9

(1) abandon ordinary appearances and conceptions by purifying the fifty inner winds.
(2) abandon hatred