Kurukulla by Hoku Lani

Writer: Hoku Lani

Subject: Kurukulla

Link: MEWE / 05.11.2024

Kurukulla

She is the “Diva” Dakini of enlightened magic; the enchantress transforms seduction into the cause of wisdom. She is Lilith in Thailand and worshiped by Buddhists around the world. As a female deity, she is understood to embody the wisdom aspect of enlightenment, and as a form of the savioress Tārā, herself a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, she personifies all-embracing compassion. But her particular quality is related to the activity of enlightenment.

COMMENTS BY XP (VIA LS666 BLOG)

Thanks, Hoku, for this introduction — so, of course, this began my investigation into the Diva called “Kurukulla”, whose name is derived from her residence on Kurukulla mountain in Lāṭadeśa (in present-day Gujarat). In Tibetan, her name means, “She who is the cause of knowledge” …

It seems that there could be an interesting story here, right?

Kurukulla is the “Goddess of sex”, although she is also a goddess of witchcraft, she corresponds to the Western goddesses Aphrodite and Venus. She is depicted as a voluptuous and seductively nude sixteen-year-old girl.

Kurukullā is particularly associated with the “Red Rite”, the Tantric Rite of Fascination or Subjugation (vaśikaraṇa). She is red, dancing on a red lotus, and as Lokesh Chandra says, “She beams with love in all the freshness of youth”.

Red Magic or Vashya-karma (dbang gi phrin-las) has the function of bringing people under one’s power, of enchanting, bewitching, attracting, subjugating, magnetizing them. This is the primary function of Kurukulla and hence her red color.

The Red Rite is on the mundane level associated with attracting lovers, and on the transcendental level, relates to the Sameness Wisdom of Amitābha. Her seed syllable hrīḥ emphasises her relationship with Amitābha. There are some variations in her iconography, but she is always shown with a pulled-back bow and arrow, both covered in flowers.

The flowery arrow will remind Westerners of Cupid, the Roman equivalent of the Greek Eros, who is depicted as a cherub who goes about shooting people with arrows that make them fall in love. She also often holds an elephant goad and a noose, both of which are used to help to subjugate lovers.

DEPICTION OF KURUKULLA

The Goddess Kurukulla, with a body red in colour, one face and four arms. The first two hands hold an utpala bow and arrow drawn to the ear. The lower right holds a hook that subdues the Three Worlds; the lower left an utpala noose; with short fangs, the face is slightly smiling and slightly angry, with three eyes and adorned with two beautiful breasts, having the youthful form of sixteen years, with brown hair flowing upwards, adorned with five skulls having the nature of the Five Families as a crown, a necklace of fifty fresh heads and five ornaments of bone, wearing a tiger skin as a lower garment, standing on a human corpse with the head turned to the left, with the left leg extended. The toes of the right are placed on the thigh, as in a half vajra [posture] dancing manner, dwelling amid a beautiful circle of sun rays, visible, but not solid, like the form of illusion.