Rounding-out this series revolving around all-things-Naga, it needs to be stated unequivocally that what was represented early-on was no figment of an active imagination or some attempt to engage in any form of, let us say, “role-playing”—as if encountering nagas and their singular Naga-Gnosis is like partaking in a “game”, such as Dungeons and Dragons. Denny Sargent states in his Naga Magick: The Wisdom of the Serpent Lords,
…as I expanded my research geographically I realized that the Naga were a global phenomenon, that Naga and similar serpent spirits were venerated almost everywhere in the world. Upon the discovery that Naga mythically morphed into dragons in Southeast Asian and Chinese mythology, I felt that I was involved in something significant enough to share on both academic and spiritual levels.
In the Western Esoteric Traditions we have the Greek serpent-spirit called Agathodaimon, the guardian spirit for each person. Neriads were half serpent beings in rivers and lakes (much like Nagas) and the Genius Loci or spirit of a place was often depicted as a serpent. The Delphic oracle relied on a serpent intermediary, the primal Titan Python, and the oracular priestess was called the ‘pythoness.’ In Greece the Great Mother—under many names such as Gaia, Rhea and so on—was venerated in the form of or through a serpent intermediary.
I’ve encountered them in China as Dragon spirits, in Japan as the ‘white snake’ spirit living in a lake, in Korea as guardian serpent spirits, and variants all throughout Southern Asia. In Australia, the White Serpent Spirit, Rainbow Serpent and Black Serpent Spirit are key archetypes in Aboriginal dreamtime mythology. There is something deep and powerful here. [Sargent, Denny. Naga Magick: The Wisdom of the Serpent Lords, The Original Falcon Press. Kindle Edition.]
Thus, we can see that the Naga is not only indigenous to ancient India, but also to all four corners of the world, in particular in the Americas. As the focal point in this series, their import in light of Mystical Buddhism and the Buddhadharma itself is most profound. Apart from taking a prominent place in the Mahayana Sutras (yea, often appearing as an audience of the Tathagata), they were appointed as the supreme guardians of the Prajnaparamita teachings until the Nagas revealed them to Nagarjuna. There is also another wonderful little story depicting Nagarjuna and Vasuki:
Here we may refer to a pretty legend contained in the Harshacharita regarding a wonderful pearl necklace which was presented to the king by a holy man. The pearls of this jewel were born from the tears of the Moon-god, which had fallen down in pearl-oysters and become an antidote against all poisons, “in consequence of its having been produced from the moon, which is the ever-cooling fountain of ambrosia.” This precious necklace came into the possession of Vasuki, the King of Serpents, who presented it to Nagarjuna during his stay in the Nether World. Nagarjuna, in his turn, gave it to Satavahana, and in course of time it came into the hands of a holy teacher…[From Indian Serpent Lore, or the Nagas in Hindu legend and art.]
A Black Naga refers to their undivided and adamantine Wisdom Power—obscure in the face of vulgar sentitalia, yet most profound as it is revealed to those with little sand in their eyes—who see with eyes that hear and hear with ears that see the hidden and arcane truths of the living Buddhadharma. Hence, I unashamedly consider it a high-honor to have been blessed by Nagakanya’s healing touch and instilled with a Naga-Lord’s Naga-Gnosis. All this is no less-significant than those who have been graced by a kalyana-mitra (spiritual friend), even though some who do so consider their experience to be somehow an exclusive affair–a privilege being reserved for themselves alone, yea, the ultimate arrogant conceit! Recollecting on my experience this summer with the nagas has refined what my spiritual sojourn has been about. I’ve noticed that over the past three years, after my encounter with that vision of “a large-serpent crawling across my body, biting my left arm—not injecting any lethal poison, but rather secreting ambrosia of divine origin”, that my own “skin-tone” has been gradually becoming Naga-like, as can be witnessed in a frame from the film, Terma: A Mind Film by Vajragoni:
I’ve noticed this occurring with ever-frequent regularity—in particular on my hands, arms and legs and feet. Be aware that these are not mere “aging-spots” but actual coloration of large white-filmy like patches with most pronounced designs appearing throughout. It all leads me to wonder if I have been a Naga in a former life or that this is a revelation of my next possible incarnation; although, I discern that my exegesis skills are characteristically Naga-like which leaves me to believe that it was formerly my last incarnation and that hopefully this will be my last spin on the wheel.
This Naga-Spirit leaves you now in wonderment—may you be protected from all evil:
Nagas are alright!