The Origin and Background of the Vajrakilaya:
Long ago, when human societies were evolving, the world was plagued by powerful forces of ego and demonic activities. As the Demons had continuously inflicted suffering, the beings were unable to live their lives. Such a painful situation to see, the five wisdom dakinis, enlightened with the feminine energy, had tried to subdue the demons. But they could not.
Therefore, they invoked the power of the five Buddha families, who represent various aspects of the enlightened mind. From the union of their wisdom and wrathful compassion, the Vajrakilaya emerged to destroy Demons. The Vajrakilaya took the form of a three-wrathful-headed, six-armed deity with vajra wings, standing amidst fire, rolling the vajra (Phurba) between the palms of his hands. His lower body assumed the form of the vajra to pin down the three root poisons, such as ignorance, attachment, and aversion.
The story of the Vajrakilaya and the Guru Padmasambhava:
In ancient India, the Vidyadhara Prabhahasti was a great master who had accomplished profound Vajrakilaya teachings and wielded great power. He was a teacher of the Guru Padmasambhava. The Vidyadhara Prabhahsti revealed the power and wisdom of the Vajrakilaya and conferred secret teachings to Guru Padmasambhava. The Guru Padmasambhava arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, on the way to search for the right place to retreat to Yangdak Heruka.
The Kathmandu Valley was just recently filled by human inhabitants following Bodhisattva Manjushree draining water from the valley when he was coming to pray to Swayambhunath. The Guru Padmasambhava started a deep retreat of Yangdak Heruka at the rocky cave of Pharping on the South side of Kathmandu. He set a mandala of Yandak Heruka and practiced with unwavering focus, mantras, and powerful visualization. Since he had been starting practice, the maras created small-scale obstacles.
He controlled them. But up to three years there had been no rainfall. The local spirits, maras, and powerful demons shook the ground, allowed the sky to roar, and stopped rainfall so that famine, diseases, and suffering spread throughout Nepal. As well as he tried to control them, he failed. Therefore, the Guru Padmasambhava sent his disciples to bring the most profound and powerful Vajrakilaya tantric volumes from his Guru Vidyadhara Prabhahasti in India.
His Guru sent the most profound and powerful Vajrakilaya tantric volumes that the Guru Padmasambhava had sought. He practiced it and invoked. Eventually, with the power of the Vajrakilaya, he tamed and subdued all of the local spirits, maras, and powerful demons, and made them the Dharma protectors. Afterwards, the regions that had been plagued by famine, diseases, and suffering transformed into the most delightful situations. Later, he resumed the retreat of Yangdak Heruka and accomplished the Mahamudra Siddhas.
How did Vajrakilaya practice begin in Tibet?
The king Trisong Deusten called the Indian Buddhist scholar and philosopher Shantarakshita to teach the Buddha Dharma and build Samye monastery in Tibet. After he came to Tibet, he set to build the Samye Monastery. The local ancient deities obstructed continuously. The building would always collapse after reaching to certain stage. It kept happening continuously.
Therefore, Shantarakshita advised the king to invite the Guru Padmasambhava, who lived in a cave of Pharping in Nepal. The Guru Padmasambhava arrived in Tibet, accepting the invitation of the king. The king stated all the evidence that had occurred problems when building the monastery. Once he stood in the spot where the Samye monastery was going to be built, he had noticed that elemental spirits and ancient gods had resisted building a monastery. Therefore, the Guru Padmasambhava performed Vajrakilaya rituals and consecrated the ground. His tantric dance removed all the obstacles.
What symbol does Vajrakilaya present:
The Vajrakilaya’s triangular dagger (Phurba) is symbolized as a weapon to cut through the roots of ignorance, desire, and hatred. The dagger’s three blades are also related to the three times – Past, Present, and Future, and about three realms as well – above, on, and below the earth’s surface.