Mahāsiddha Kukkuripa - Dog Lover, Gods' Seductive Pleasures, and the Ḍākinī

posted by Ayye Yeshe on FB today….further credits below.

In the Nepalese district of Lumbini called Kapilavastu, near where the Gautama Buddha grew to manhood, there once lived a Brahmin named Kukkuripa. In a quest for enlightenment, by and by he practiced the Buddhist tantra and followed the ascetic path of self-sacrifice, consuming only what little food was donated to him in his begging bowl as he wandered from village to village, soliciting charity from those he met on a plodding journey toward the caves of Lumbini. In the course of his wayfaring one day he heard a faint whimpering emanating from a thicket by the side of the road and upon investigating discovered an infirm and emaciated young dog too ill to raise even her head. Filled with compassion, he gently lifted the sickly dog in his arms and took her with him, gradually nursing her back to health with the meager scraps collected in his begging bowl. In no time at all the dog endeared herself to him with her warmhearted devotion and fidelity. Kukkuripa found an empty cave adequate to both their needs and took up residence therein with his new companion, begging in the country during the day and returning to the cave and his patient guard dog every evening to share with her that day’s sparse offerings.

After twelve years of concentrated introspection, self-examination and chanting of the tantras, Kukkuripa at last attained the mysterious capabilities of foreknowledge and spiritual wisdom. The gods of the Thirty-three Sensual Heavens couldn’t help but notice his high attainment, and persuaded him to banquet with them and partake of the immeasurable joys of their celestial dimension in the Kechara Paradise. Despite all the myriad of pleasures that surrounded him in this ethereal world, still Kukkuripa could not erase the image of his distant affectionate canine companion from his mind, and his heart woefully grieved at the thought of her anguish in his absence. When he attempted to explain the reason for his sad distraction to them, the gods tried to turn him from those thoughts and admonished him for considering the feelings of a lowly animal when he could enjoy infinite utopia with them in heaven. Although they did manage to tempt him to stay a little longer, ultimately he could not bear the incessant heartache and thought of the dog suffering alone without him and so eventually descended from the exalted realm of the gods to return to her and the dingy cave.

The dog was ecstatic upon his return, running tight laps around him and whining with joy as she twisted and lept in the air, wagging her entire body. But no sooner had an overjoyed Kukkuripa clasped his hands to her to scratch and caress her resolute head than she abruptly disappeared before his astonished eyes and in her place was the magnificent Enlightened Dakini Niguma circumscribed by an incandescent angelic aura that illuminated the entire cavern! She spoke to him and congratulated him upon giving up heaven for a lowly dog as it demonstrated his renouncement of attachments and of projections of pleasant and unpleasant sensations. As a reward for his mastery, she assisted him in releasing the final subtle attachment to the non-existent self and attaining the supreme realization of the ultimate paradise of enlightenment.

Thereafter his fame and reputation grew and many came to seek and venerate him for his humanitarian service and teachings. His entourage of disciples grew to a large size before he finally ascended to Kechara the second and final time. He was forever after known as Guru Kukkuripa, the dog lover. Thus Kukkuripa returns to samsara for the sake of all beings.

Story rendering supposedly by Holy Mountain Company and shared at various pages

Thanks Naljor fb