Those who have received the empowerment and commentary of Heruka body mandala, and who have a sincere wish to gain deep realizations of the generation and completion stages of Heruka body mandala, can practise this sadhana, which is the very essence of Vajrayana.
For the purposes of daily practice, in front of a shrine con- taining a statue or picture of Heruka you should set out three tormas. These can either be made in the traditional way according to the illustration on the next page, or can consist simply of any clean, fresh food such as honey or cakes. The central torma is for the Deities of the great bliss wheel - Heruka Father and Mother and the four Yoginis; the torma to its left is for the supra- mundane retinues of Heruka; and the torma to its right is for the mundane retinues of Heruka.
In front of the tormas, set out three rows of offerings. The first row, nearest the shrine, is for the supramundane in-front-generated Deities, and the second row is for the mundane Dakas and Dakinis. Both these rows start from the left side of the shrine, your right, and include AHRGHAM, PADÄM, PUPE, DHUPE, DIWE, GÄNDHE, and NEWIDE. Nothing is set out for the SHAPTA offering because music is not a visual object. The third row, which is for the self-generated Deities, starts from the right side of the shrine and includes AHRGHAM, PADÄM, ÄNTZAMANAM, PUPE, DHUPE, DIWE, GÄNDHE, and NEWIDE.
When making a tsog offering, this can be set out at any suitable place in front of the shrine and can consist of clean, fresh foods such as cakes, biscuits, honey, and fruit. You can also offer a tsog offering torma made in the traditional way according to the illustration on page 58. If you do not have time to practise extensive self-generation, you can make the tsog offering in conjunction with the brief sadhana entitled Assembly of Good Fortune. More information on tsog offerings can be found in the book Guide to Dakini Land.
On a small table in front of your meditation seat, arrange from left to right your inner offering, vajra, bell, damaru, and mala. In front of these, place your sadhana text. Then, with a pure motivation and a happy mind, begin the actual practice. Do not worry if initially you are unable to prepare the shrine and the offerings as described here; the important thing is simply to practise the sadhana with a pure mind and strong faith.
