AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
‘UCCHUSMA VAJRAPALA GREAT SOVEREIGN DIVINE KING BUDDHA’
The origin of the Ucchusma Vajrapala has two versions; one of which is from the famous Surangama Sutra, the other the Ucchusma Vajrapala Sutra.
The Surangama Sutra states that the Ucchusma Vajrapala is actually an accomplished spiritual-practitioner during Shakyamuni Buddha’s time. At the Dharma assembly whereby the Surangama Sutra was first delivered, the Ucchusma Vajrapala recounted His own experience at spiritual cultivation to Shakyamuni Buddha, "I remember that many aeons ago, when I was a lecherous mundane being, there lived a Buddha by the name of the ‘Emptiness King’. The Buddha preached that persons with strong sexual desire are like pathetic souls engulfed in great flames. Meanwhile, He taught me to be mindful of the cold and heated inner energies circulating throughout my body and limbs. Practising thus, I managed to gather and consolidate the Divine Brilliance within me, eventually enabling the transformation of my lust into the Fire of Wisdom. From then onwards, all Buddhas began to call me the ‘Fire Head’.
"Utilising the power generated by the Fire Brilliance Samadhi, I finally attained Arahathood. I made the great vow that I would become a Guardian Deity to protect the teachings of the Buddhas, and to personally subdue all demonic obstacles."
Due to His distinct method of attaining spiritual enlightenment, the Ucchusma Deity is also known as the ‘Fire Head Vajrapala’.
The Ucchusma Vajrapala Sutra, on the other hand, asserts that the Ucchusma Deity is actually the Vajra manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha. Legend has it that when Shakyamuni Buddha was about to enter into Nirvana, all heavenly beings, with the exception of the ‘Spiral Hair-knot Brahma King’, came to pay their respect to Him. The Brahman King was in fact enjoying himself with the heavenly maidens in his own celestial palace. The heavenly gods, being unhappy with the arrogance of the Brahma King, went to his abode and try to persuade him to attend the Dharma assembly. Upon reaching his palace however, the gods found themselves trapped in the defiled energy cast by the supernatural powers of the king. Even some of the Vajra Deities who were later sent to apprehend the Brahman King were imprisoned by the foul forces as well.
When Shakyamuni Buddha came to learn of this, He employed His Origin Wisdom, and the Light of Perpetual Joy and Pliancy was emitted from His heart. The Ucchusma Vajrapala soon appeared from amidst the revolving radiance of the Buddha’s heart, and ascended to the celestial palace of the Brahma King. Despite the defiled energy hurled at Him by the Brahman King, the Ucchusma Deity was unharmed as He immediately turned these forces of contamination into ordinary soil. In no time, the Brahma King was subdued and brought to the feet of Shakyamuni Buddha.
For this reason, the Ucchusma Deity is also known as the ‘Filth-eliminating Vajrapala’.
The Ucchusma Vajrapala is venerated in both Eastern Tantrism and the
In addition, it must be noted that the cultivation-method of the Ucchusma Vajrapala is not commonly known. Although the practice is recorded in the earlier collections of Dharani Sutras, it is not found in the later and major Tantric scriptures such as the Mahavairocana Sutra and Vajra Peak Sutra.
UCCHUSMA VAJRAPALA AND THE
The Ucchusma Vajrapala is one of the two uncommon Vajra Guardians of our
According to Grand Master Lu’s seventy-sixth book, "Night at the Phantom Lake", great Karmic affinity has been forged between the Deity and True Buddha School even before the Maha Padmakumara has descended unto this world. Below is an extract from the book:
"(After the Maha Padmakumara, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had failed to deliver the suffering beings out from the boundless and turbulent ‘Lake of Blood’ situated in hell, due to the tremendous amount of filth that had existed therein…..) At this moment, Shakyamuni Buddha said, ‘The Maha Padmakumara will soon descend upon and be born in the Samsaric world, to fulfill a Dharma aspiration of crucial importance. Moreover, I am the One who shall prophesy and affirm His Buddha hood Enlightenment in the future. Therefore, it is imperative that I should assist Him to salvage the sentient beings that are suffering in the
"From within the blue brilliance, the majestic Ucchusma Vajrapala Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha manifested. The Vajrapala appeared in the form of a wrathful deity, with eight arms, red eyes and a deep-blue colored body with great fire brilliance radiating around Him. His hands were either forming mudra or grasping Dharma implements, which includes a sword, silk rope, a stuff and a three-forked lance. More impressively, each of the Deity’s arms was ornamented and coiled around by a dragon.
"The Ucchusma Vajrapala is also known as the Fire Head Vajrapala, the Indestructible Vajrapala and the Impure Vajrapala. His origin vow is to devour and eradicate all filth and impurities.
"The Ucchusma Vajrapala stood amidst the emptiness with an unrivaled lofty bearing. Upon smelling the foul and pungent scent of blood, the eight dragons winded around His arms were eager for action.
"The Ucchusma Vajrapala then straightened His arms and all the dragons immediately darted from Him, revealing their true spiritual forms. The eight dragons were so gigantic that they were able to swallow the water contained in three lakes with a single gulp.
"In actuality, the eight dragons were:
1. The Sagara Dragon King,
2. The Nanda Dragon King,
3. The Upananda Dragon King,
4. The Vasuki Dragon King,
5. The Taksaka Dragon King,
6. The Anavatapta Dragon King,
7. The Manasvati Dragon King,
8. The Utpalaka Dragon King .
"The eight dragon kings circled in the mid-air and were intensely excited. They opened their mouths and drank up the filthy blood in the lake, swallowing even the blood monsters dwelling within it. In no time, except for the suffering sentient beings at its basin, the lake was emptied and dried..
"The Ucchusma Vajrapala Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha again stretched out His eight arms to recover the eight dragon kings. All eight dragons returned and were coiled back the arms of the Vajrapala. Such magnificent spectacle had won for the Deity praises from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who were present:
This is indeed the ‘Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha’!
A great Vajrapala omnipresent throughout the Dharma realms,
Consistent in His compassionate vow to salvage all Samsaric souls;
Neither loathes nor forsakes places that are filthy and foul,
He manifests instantly upon the prayers of sentient beings.
"The Ucchusma Vajrapala was transformed into the blue brilliance, which returned into the heart of Shakyamuni Buddha."
1.) Elimination of Filth
This perhaps, is the most unique feature of the Ucchusma Vajra Yoga. It implies the elimination of all defiled things, as practising the cultivation-method can not only enable the subduing of all demons, it can also convert sexual desire into the Fire of Wisdom. Besides, evil spirits and poisonous snakes will not dare to come near one who is cultivating the Ucchusma practice.
‘Ucchusma’ in Sanskrit can be defined as ‘to scavenge for the leftover food on the mouth and hands’. This in turn reveals the Deity’s preference for foul things and likewise, His ability at purifying contaminated matters. For this reason, the Ucchusma Vajrapala is often worshipped in the lavatories of Japanese temples.
2.) Enhancement of the Masculine Energy
With the elimination of filth (which is considered a feature of the Feminine Energy), the Dharma-cultivator’s Masculine Energy is therefore enhanced. As a result, children of the Ucchusma practitioner will be sons rather than daughters, for feminine souls are unable to utilize the body of the cultivator to gain rebirth. In addition, the cultivator shall have no fear for spiritual disturbances and other forms of superstitious taboos.
3.) Spiritual Enlightenment & Supernatural Powers
It must be mentioned that those who have achieved spiritual response in the Ucchusma method, will soon attain Buddhahood enlightenment. Subsequently, the accomplished Ucchusma cultivator can also perform supernatural acts. He is able to avert natural calamities and overpower poisonous dragons, simply by reciting the Ucchusma mantra and pointing the Ucchusma mudra at his desired objective. He can even delay the death of a dying person, dispel black magic, erect spiritual boundaries, command powerful spirits and wild beasts, enable a dried lake to be refilled with water, a withered tree to produce new sprouts and a scorched hill to regain its greenery.
4.) Worldly Benefits
Practicing His method will result in the generation of tremendous merits. It can also, among many other things, allow for the eradication of illnesses and disasters, the attainment of great magnetizing powers, the prevention of dire accidental occurrences, acquisition of great fortune and the subduing of one’s grievance foes.
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Om Mani Padme Hum
