Kukuraja
Encyclopedia
Kukuraja was a mahasiddha
within the lineages of Esoteric Buddhism and he was contemporaneous with Indrabhuti
of Sahor in Oddiyana
(also known as King Ja) and Kambalapada (also known as Lawapa).
Some sources hold that it was Kukuraja who prophesied the birth of Garab Dorje
, the founder of the human lineage of the Nyingma
pa Dzogchen
Tantra teachings though the chronology is problematic. The tradition holds that there may be multiple Kukaraja's which are conflated (a view also propounded by modern scholarship) or the different Kukkaraja according to Nyingma tradition may be understood as a lineage of mindstream
emanations.
(1904–1987), et al. (1991: p. 613 History) took place on the Tibetan calendar
year of the Earth Monkey, which Dudjom et al. identify as 853 BC[E]. Kukuraja received instruction drawn from "the Book" on what may be understood as the Outer Tantras
from King Ja, then King Ja received instruction on what may be understood as the Inner Tantras
from Kukuraja (Kukkuraja taught King Ja after Kukkuraja received a direct revelation of Vajrasattva
wherein Vajrasattva prophesied the imminent esoteric transmission of Vajrapani
, the Lord of Secrets, to Kukuraja which was only made possible through the quickening of Kukuraja by King Ja with his intuitive knowledge drawn from "the Book") as Dudjom
(1904–1987), et al. (1991: p. 460) of the principally Nyingma
view
relates:
.
that holds a small dog, a marked Buddhadharma motif of the Hindu deity which holds iconic salience with the narrative and motifs of the "Dog King", Kukuraja. This is important for identifying the date of the tantric lineage(s) that disseminated to the Indonesian archipelago, refer: Vajrayana Buddhism in Southeast Asia
.
Candi Sukuh
is a fifteenth century Javanese-Hindu
-Buddhist temple (candi
) that demonstrates strong tantric
influence. Candi Sukuh is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu
(elev.
910 m or 3000 feet (914.4 m) above sea level) on the border between Central
and East Java
provinces. The monument was built around 1437, as written as a chronogram
date on the western gate, meaning that the area was under the rule of the Majapahit Kingdom during its end (1293–1500). The distinctive Dancing Ganesha relief in Candi Sukuh has a similarity with the Tantric
ritual found in the history of Buddhism in Tibet
written by Taranatha
. The Tantric ritual is associated with several figures, one of whom is described as the "King of Dogs" (Sanskrit: Kukuraja), the mahasiddha
who taught his disciples by day, and by night performed Ganacakra in a burial ground or charnel ground
. Importantly, Ganesha also appears in Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god , but also portrayed as a Hindu demon
form also called . Ganesha's image may be found on Buddhist sculptures of the late Gupta period. As the Buddhist god , Ganesha is often shown dancing, a form called Nṛtta Ganapati that was popular in North India and adopted in Nepal and then into Tibet. It is this Dancing Ganesha form which is evident in Candi Sukuh. For more information on different permutations of Ganesha beyond 'Hinduism' proper, refer Ganesha in world religions
.
Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha is a term for one who cultivates those teachings that lead to becoming perfect. They are a type of eccentric yogini/yogi in both Sanatan Dharma and Vajrayana Dharma, given by Siddhartha. Mahasiddhi are those practitioners, or tantrikas who have gained sufficient understanding and are so...
within the lineages of Esoteric Buddhism and he was contemporaneous with Indrabhuti
Indrabhuti
Indrabhuti is a name attributed to a number of individuals that have become conflated in the esoteric Buddhadharma tradition of Mantrayana...
of Sahor in Oddiyana
Oddiyana
', a small country in early medieval India, ascribed importance in the development and dissemination of Tantric Buddhism. The physical location of is disputed and open to conjecture. Possible locations that have been identified are:...
(also known as King Ja) and Kambalapada (also known as Lawapa).
Some sources hold that it was Kukuraja who prophesied the birth of Garab Dorje
Garab Dorje
Garab Dorje was the semi-historical first human teacher of the Ati Yoga or Great Perfection teachings according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Prior to Prahevajra, the Nyingma hold that the Dzogchen teachings had been expounded only in celestial realms and the 'pure lands' of the Buddhas,...
, the founder of the human lineage of the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
pa Dzogchen
Dzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
Tantra teachings though the chronology is problematic. The tradition holds that there may be multiple Kukaraja's which are conflated (a view also propounded by modern scholarship) or the different Kukkaraja according to Nyingma tradition may be understood as a lineage of mindstream
Mindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
emanations.
Instruction
According to Nyingma tradition, King Ja taught himself intuitively from "the Book" of the Tantric Way of Secret Mantra (that is Mantrayana) that magically fell from the sky along with other sacred objects and relics "upon the roof of King Ja" according to DudjomDudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 on the tenth day of the sixth month in the year of the wood dragon in Southern Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Pema Ko. He died on January 17, 1987...
(1904–1987), et al. (1991: p. 613 History) took place on the Tibetan calendar
Tibetan calendar
The Tibetan calendar is a lunisolar calendar, that is, the Tibetan year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years, so that an average Tibetan year is equal to the solar year.The Tibetan New Year...
year of the Earth Monkey, which Dudjom et al. identify as 853 BC[E]. Kukuraja received instruction drawn from "the Book" on what may be understood as the Outer Tantras
Outer Tantras
The Outer Tantras are the second three divisions in the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. This system divides the whole of the Buddhist path into three divisions of three and is in contrast to the division of the Sarma, or New Translation schools ...
from King Ja, then King Ja received instruction on what may be understood as the Inner Tantras
Inner Tantras
The Inner Tantras are the final three divisions in the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. They comprise the Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga...
from Kukuraja (Kukkuraja taught King Ja after Kukkuraja received a direct revelation of Vajrasattva
Vajrasattva
Vajrasattva is a bodhisattva in the Mahayana, Mantrayana and Vajrayana buddhist traditions...
wherein Vajrasattva prophesied the imminent esoteric transmission of Vajrapani
Vajrapani
' is one of the earliest bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of the Buddha, and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapani was used extensively in Buddhist iconography as one of the three protective deities surrounding the Buddha...
, the Lord of Secrets, to Kukuraja which was only made possible through the quickening of Kukuraja by King Ja with his intuitive knowledge drawn from "the Book") as Dudjom
Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 on the tenth day of the sixth month in the year of the wood dragon in Southern Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Pema Ko. He died on January 17, 1987...
(1904–1987), et al. (1991: p. 460) of the principally Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
view
View (Buddhism)
View or position is a central idea in Buddhism. In Buddhist thought, in contrast with the commonsense understanding, a view is not a simple, abstract collection of propositions, but a charged interpretation of experience which intensely shapes and affects thought, sensation, and action...
relates:
"Then King Ja taught the book to master Uparaja, who was renowned as a great scholar throughout the land of Sahor, but he could not understand their symbolic conventions and meaning. The king then taught them to the master Kukkuraja. He intuitively understood the chapter on the "Vision of Vajrasattva", from the Tantra of the Magical Net of Vajrasattva [Wylie: rdo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drva ba (also known as the Guhyagarbha TantraGuhyagarbha tantraThe Guhyagarbha Tantra is the main tantra of the Mahayoga class and the primary Tantric text studied in the Nyingma tradition as a key to understanding empowerment, samaya, mantras, mandalas and other Vajrayana topics....
)], and practiced it, whereupon Vajrasattva revealed himself and predicted that the Lord of Secrets would reveal the meanings of this tantra thereafter. When he had practised more, the Lord of Secrets actually appeared and granted him [Kukkuraja] the complete empowerment of the authentic teaching and of all vehicles. Then he told him to request the verbal teaching from the Licchavi Vimalakirti. It is said that, following the transmitted precepts of the Lord of Secrets, master Kukkuraja divided [the Mahayoga tantras] into the Eighteen Great Tantrapitaka (tantra chen-po sde bco-brgyad) and taught them to King Ja."
Interpreter
Kukuraja interpreted Tantras for King Indrabhuti. Indrabhuti is held in some sources to be the father of PadmasambhavaPadmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
.
Nomenclature, orthography and etymology
Kukuraja, Kukkuraja, Kukuradza, Kukkuradza and many other permutations.Indonesian or Malay Mantranaya
There is a Dancing Ganesha at Candi SukuhCandi Sukuh
Sukuh is a 15th century Javanese-Hindu temple that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu on the border between Central and East Java provinces....
that holds a small dog, a marked Buddhadharma motif of the Hindu deity which holds iconic salience with the narrative and motifs of the "Dog King", Kukuraja. This is important for identifying the date of the tantric lineage(s) that disseminated to the Indonesian archipelago, refer: Vajrayana Buddhism in Southeast Asia
Vajrayana Buddhism in Southeast Asia
Vajrayana Buddhism, also known as Tantric Buddhism, found its way to the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra before 700 C.E., which predates the 8th Century first wave of the 'Ancient Translation School' in Greater Tibet and the Himalayan region. This particular Tantric and Vajrayana lineage in...
.
Candi Sukuh
Candi Sukuh
Sukuh is a 15th century Javanese-Hindu temple that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu on the border between Central and East Java provinces....
is a fifteenth century Javanese-Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
-Buddhist temple (candi
Candi
Candi may refer to:* Candi of Indonesia, an Indonesian word for stupa * Candi, Sidoarjo, a subdistrict of Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia* Candi & The Backbeat, a Canadian dance band, initially known as just Candi...
) that demonstrates strong tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
influence. Candi Sukuh is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu
Mount Lawu
Mount Lawu, or Gunung Lawu, is a massive compound stratovolcano straddling the border between East Java and Central Java, Indonesia. The north side is deeply eroded and the eastern side contains parasitic crater lakes and parasitic cones. A fumarolic area is located on the south flank at 2,550 m...
(elev.
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
910 m or 3000 feet (914.4 m) above sea level) on the border between Central
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
and East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...
provinces. The monument was built around 1437, as written as a chronogram
Chronogram
A chronogram is a sentence or inscription in which specific letters, interpreted as numerals, stand for a particular date when rearranged. The word, meaning "time writing", derives from the Greek words chronos and gramma . In the pure chronogram each word contains a numeral, the natural chronogram...
date on the western gate, meaning that the area was under the rule of the Majapahit Kingdom during its end (1293–1500). The distinctive Dancing Ganesha relief in Candi Sukuh has a similarity with the Tantric
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
ritual found in the history of Buddhism in Tibet
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
written by Taranatha
Taranatha
Tāranātha was a Lama of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is widely considered its most remarkable scholar and exponent....
. The Tantric ritual is associated with several figures, one of whom is described as the "King of Dogs" (Sanskrit: Kukuraja), the mahasiddha
Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha is a term for one who cultivates those teachings that lead to becoming perfect. They are a type of eccentric yogini/yogi in both Sanatan Dharma and Vajrayana Dharma, given by Siddhartha. Mahasiddhi are those practitioners, or tantrikas who have gained sufficient understanding and are so...
who taught his disciples by day, and by night performed Ganacakra in a burial ground or charnel ground
Charnel ground
Charnel ground is a very important location for sadhana and ritual activity for Indo-Tibetan traditions of Dharma particularly those traditions iterated by the Tantric view such as Kashmiri Shaivism, Kaula tradition, Esoteric Buddhism, Vajrayana, Mantrayana, Dzogchen, and the sadhana of Chöd, Phowa...
. Importantly, Ganesha also appears in Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god , but also portrayed as a Hindu demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
form also called . Ganesha's image may be found on Buddhist sculptures of the late Gupta period. As the Buddhist god , Ganesha is often shown dancing, a form called Nṛtta Ganapati that was popular in North India and adopted in Nepal and then into Tibet. It is this Dancing Ganesha form which is evident in Candi Sukuh. For more information on different permutations of Ganesha beyond 'Hinduism' proper, refer Ganesha in world religions
Ganesha in world religions
India and Hinduism had an impact on many countries of East and South Asia as a result of commercial and cultural contacts. Ganesha is one of many Hindu deities who reached foreign lands as a result. The worship of Ganesha by Hindus outside of India shows regional variation...
.