Meditative Introduction to Kurukulle

Today, our mind will take us to a wondrous world, where we can glimpse emptiness, wisdom, and compassion — all in the form of a beautiful, glowing, female Buddha. Wisdom, compassion, and Enlightened Buddhas, can appear in any form that suits our mind — as a meditative Buddha sitting under a tree, or as a Buddha of Infinite Light, glorious and majestic, or as a playful dakini, dancing on our mind. All you need, to meet such exotic and fantastic Buddhas is to allow your mind to imagine. Take a journey with me now.

You are seated in your simple meditation room, settled in a comfortable posture, back straight. Your half-opened eyes are aware of the single flickering candle.

You are watching your own mind, as your teacher suggested. Not analyzing. Not studying. Just watching.

You are surprised where your mind goes, sometimes at the speed of light, one second here, one second there. You have flashes of your day at work, full of stress. You slap yourself down, then stop yourself. Your teacher guided you not to control, just to watch.

And this is why, you are startled, when your half closed eyes glimpse a wondrous form — a dancing red form. A playful, stunningly beautiful female Buddha. She seems both wrathful and laughing at the same time. She spins and dances in a dervish of brilliant light, dazzling and hypnotic. She is dancing on the edge of emptiness, glowing with light, fantastical, beautiful, dazzling. 

You know her. You've seen her in books. Your teacher has spoken of her briefly. She is Tara, the female aspect of Buddha — but here, semi-wrathful, playful and exotic all at the same time. Her three eyes — yes, she has a third eye, open at her forehead — is focused on you piercingly, yet you see her glowing light, her blessing light, pushing out in all directions, absorbing into all beings, going out to all worlds, dimensions and times. She's not just here for you. You know her blessings are for everyone. 

Her name is Kurukulla. She is also Red Tara. She is equally all Taras. She is also all Buddhas at once. She is also magic personified. She knows we all need a little magic in our lives, so she dances into our meditation in the form of the dancing magician. She does this because she knows life becomes too dry and numbing in the absence of joy and magic. This is, in part, her mission. She returns us to the euphoric joy of Buddha's dharma. For today, we can put aside our mindfulness practice, and focus on the magic of her appearance. We can return to wonder.

She sees that you are afraid of her — startled, and shocked, and disbelieving — and she laughs at you! Flashing fangs, and white teeth, but not ferocious. More playful and charming. This aspect she has manifested is one of the diva star — beautiful like a movie star — alluring, impossible to look away from, and that is her magnetizing power. She is one of the beautiful people, who uses her charm and charisma and stunning looks to draw you in. You don't resist, because you know you are being drawn into the wisdom of compassionate activity of the Buddhas.

She applies her popularity, and stunning looks, to the dharma cause: bodhicitta, metta and compassion. She's all about love. She's also sparkling with magic. She is glowing with light, not flesh and blood, and she's blazing like a red sun! She holds a bow and arrow drawn back like cupid, but her bow is made of magical lotus flowers. Whatever she pierces with that lotus magic will feel the power of love and compassion — for that is her mission. She is dancing so fast, flying in the air, a cyclone of magic and power.

As a dakini, she dances on the edge of emptiness. Her power is to attract, magnetize, mesmerize. But her mission is an enlightened one. She draws us irresistibly to the dharma.

Yes, she is known as the love goddess, but this nickname and function is not other than a skillful means to draw us into the dharma. Her flowery bow and arrow is aimed at Bodhichitta and Enlightenment. She is also known as the magic Buddha, the grantor of wishes, yet this, too, is skillful means. By bringing us blessings and happiness, we have the circumstances conducive to Dharma practice without the stress. But don't mistake her wish-granting for some unenlightened magician. There is a price to pay. You must stay on the path of bodhicitta, metta and wisdom Buddha-dharma.

You can't take your eyes off her glowing red body, a brilliant light red, like the setting sun in the west. Her three eyes are semi-wrathful, yet beautiful, her hair stands straight up — energized by power. Two of her four hands draw a floral bow: the blessings of love and compassion in her other two hands, she holds a vajra hook, which you instinctively know is to hook you in — to draw you back into her compassionate arms. And a lasso, also made of red uptala Lotus flowers. And, now you find yourself whispering her mantra, over and over. "Om Kurukulle Hri Soha."

And, as you chant the mantra quietly, her light grows stronger. As it absorbs into you, you feel supported. You feel her love. You feel her magnetizing power, drawing you in. You are mesmerized. Her power energizes you.

You feel loved. You are loved! You feel the metta, and the love of all the Buddhas, for she is one aspect of all the Buddhas. And that same light is going out to all beings, everywhere, red hot light, absorbing into all beings everywhere. As she sends out her boundless love for all beings, your enemies and friends equally absorb her love and kindness. You see all beings of the universe, now, surrounding you on all sides: behind you, in front of you, above you, below you. Your enemies are there. Criminals are there. Animals are there. Reptiles are there. Snakes are there. Politicians are there. Prideful people are there. Also there are all your friends and your relatives. The kind people, and the generous people are there. Nuns and monks are there. Bodhisattvas are there. All the Taras are there, the Twenty-One Taras, all the Taras. All the Buddhas. All the masters of the past and the present and the future are there. And you know that all of these beings surrounding you at one time — due to the endless continuity of time and rebirth — have once upon a time been your mother. And all of the beings who are surrounding you are receiving magnetizing love and power. And now everyone is chanting her mantra.