A Dunhuang Manuscript On Vajrakılaya
A Dunhuang Manuscript On Vajrakılaya
A Dunhuang Manuscript On Vajrakılaya
81-82]
(1)
the dimensions of the material ki1a, i.e. the ritual object, and
the visualisations and hlantras to be employed in consecrat
ing it;
(2)
are
simultaneously
destroyed
and
spiritually
liberated;
(3)
(4)
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Finally, the terse description of the practice of sbyor-ba given here does
not, as far as it goes, demonstrate any noticeable departures from later
tradition. It is equally noteworthy that the mantras found in this manu
script are not very different from those of the later tradition. As we point
out below, several of them occur but little changed, to perform similar or
identical functions, in texts from the rNying-ma rgyud-'bum, or by later
authors.
An interesting feature of this Ms is that while we have found that at
least some of the materials it contains are also found among the
voluminous Vajraldlaya scriptures of the rNying-ma rgyud-'bum, they are
not found in the short rDo-rje phur-pa rtsa-ba'i dum-bu, the sole
VajrakIlaya text contained in the Kanjur, and the most important text for
3
the Sa-skya-pa Kilaya tradition (although, of course, it must be pointed
out that the materials contained in the Sa-skya text itself are also all
contained within several of the longer rNying-ma-pa texts, from which
make such a kila in Chapter 10, and how to project visualisations upon it
and consecrate it, in Chapter 11, in terms remarkably close to those of the
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manuscript,
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including
place under Ralpachen had taken full effect. Hence, the name of the
consort of Vajrakilaya, Diptacav.r3, is transliterated, in one of the
always, rendered as "kyilaya," and seed syllables like hum, oIp and phat
are represented in
a number of different ways in different places "
(although we have not always been able to convey this latter feature in
the transliteration).
within the transliteration, and our comments appear beneath each section.
Where the handwriting or vocabulary proved too difficult to read with
certainty, we have underlined the parts that remain doubtful.
/ki la ya'i rgyud brdags la mgo rgya mdud ma gdogs par bar/
6
keeping in mind (the instructions of) the KHaya Tantra, one makes (a kila
7
with a shaft) eight inches long up to and not including the head (and)
57
or o therwise be circular.
COMMENT
facets for its length in bebveen but not including the knotted cords and
the head. The zur-bzhi mentioned next would apply to the four-square
area around which the cords are knotted; rtse-mo zur-gsum would refer
to the triangular blade; and gzhan-zlum-po would mean that
the re
the description of the klla exactly in line with the descriptions found in
the surviving Kilaya tantras of the rNying-ma rgyud-'bum (for example,
8
Chapter 10 of the Phur-pa bcu-gnyis), or with the standard modem
Tibetan and Nepalese kllas, as well as bringing it closely in line with the
kila's shaft eight spokes (rtsibs) 9 However, one does not want to
,
jump
to
con clusions too quickly.: eight inches is one of the few permitted lengths
for a kila, according to the Phurpa bcu gnyis Ch. 10 (p.l06, line
-
7),
and
kilas with round points are sometimes found in the Sino-Japanese tantric
traditions, although they are not usual in other Tibetan sources. This Ms
might simply mean exactly what it says!
/rgya mdud kyi steng du bdag gi Iha gang bsgom pa'i snying pol
One should individually establish the essence (syllable) for meditating on
the Lord's divine palace10 above the knotted cords;
/ngos bzhir rigs bzhi snying pol
the essence (syllables of) the fou r families (on) the four faces;
and the essence (syllables of) the four goddesses (at) the four lower sides.
COMMENT
If this ManUSCript agrees with the later tradition, then the four families
mentio ned here would refer to those of Buddha, Ratna, Padma and
Karma,
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Vajra occupies the hollow centre of the kHa, represented by the central
deity Vajrakllaya himself, in union with his consort. The four female
consorts mentioned next are perhaps those of the lords of the four
families. The four goddesses might be the well-known four female
gatekeepers or messengers who wield the iron hook, the noose, the chain,
and the bell (see below); however, there are also other sets of goddesses
in the later tradition, including those who are emanated to take the lives
of the enemies of the Dharma.
crating the klIa, the manufacture of which was described in Chapter 10.
Here, the mantra for bestowing the consecration of Buddha Body, "with
the bodhicitta of the yab and yum in union," is quite similar to that of the
12
Ms, as follows: 011' cindha cindha hana hana tiptacakra hurp.. To bestow
a corruption of the bhur bhu ba of the Ms, since the latter resembles a"
well-known Sanskrit mantra (the vyhriti mantra, alP bhur bhuva), while
the Tibetan word phur-bu, meaning a kilaka or small kTla, should not
...
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15
/lag pa g-yas ni thabs/ g-yon ni shes bar gnyis gyi bar du bcug ste/
T he right hand is means, and the left hand is wisdom; (the k!la) is
inserted in between the two of them,
lcags skyu'i pho nyas bgyigs kyi snying po nas dran s tel
the messenger with the iron hook drags the obstacles 6 by their hearts;
17
18
dril bus mnan par bsam!
and subdued by the bell.
COMMENT
killing (sgroI chog dngos), the four occur with the same implements and
19
functions.
The one exception is that, as in many other contexts where
the four are described, the activity of the fourth messenger is described
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!iU
b5am!
/sngags ia om ga ga ga ta yaJ
With the mantra OIT! gha gha gM ta ya/
sa rba du stha na phad/
sarva dutan phat
/kyi
la ya kyi la yaJ
kHaya kilaya
gdab!
Strike!
21
/khro bo'i spml pas bgig kyi Ius drul phran bzhin bshigs!
The Wrathful One's em anations will smash up the bodies of the obstacles
into dust,
/sems
mam
liberation.
24
rang bzhin mgos po 1as23 ci yang ma yin ba'i ngang du gyur par bsam/
Think of them as being transformed into the basic state which has no
own-being whatsoever.
COMMENT
The r olling (dril-ba) of the kIla between the left hand (visualised as
later tradition retains the same theme as the rite of sgroI described in the
Ms: while the bodies of the obstacles are "smashed into dust" by the
"Wrathful One's emanations," their minds are simultaneously tran sfer red
/lus bsrung!
The body is (thus) protected.
/bgegs tshad gnan pa'i sngags shi ri he ru kha rna ha badzra sa rba du
stha pra ban ca ka ha na ha na hUIll phat ces zlasl
27
The mantra for punishing and suppressing the obstacles: sri
heruka mahavajra sarva dutan prabhailjaka hana hana hlu}1 phat; recite
this.
/di 'dra ba'i las la/ bdag yid hes par bgyi/28
COMMENT
responses to his prac t ke. It is possible that this is what is being alluded
to here. We cannot at this stage locate the m antra in other sou rces. The
indistinct element pra ban 0 ka might refer to some word generated from
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/chos kyi phyag rgya ni thugs kar zla ba'i steng du sngags gyi 'bru bgod
pa 1a bya'o/
As for the dharmamudra, it is to establish
29
/dam tshig phyag rgya ni pad rna la rdo rje gnas pa la30 bya'o/
As for the samayamudra, it is to make the vajra remain in the lotus.
/las kyi phyag rgya ni spa ra na pat dang sang ha ra na hum la bya'of
This section corresponds very closely to the practice of the Four Mudras
according to Yogatantra, as described by modem authors such as Dudjom
32
Rinpoche and Mipham Gyamtso.
This is interesting, since the later
tradition classifies'Vajrakilaya as Mahayoga, rather than Yogatantra. It
should be noted that the better known four mudra system of the
Anuttarayogatantras, such as the Hevajra, is different. The Sanskrit
..
01'[1
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light rays, for example to generate the deity from the seed syllable,
or to invite the jnanasattva and merge it with the samayasattva.
33
See, for instance, the short Sa-skya-pa liturgy Nges-don thig-le.
On Yogatantra's karmamudra as the emanation and re-absorption
/dag pa roam gsum34 nes bdag pa dang! gzhan dag pa36 dang
sprul pa dag pa'ol
As for the Three Purities: these are the purities of oneself, of the
other, and of the emanations.
rna
bya'ol
As for the purity of the other, this is to make a seductive girl the
object of one's concentration, (seeing her) as an offering goddess.
/sprul pa dag pa nil de gnyis kyi bar nas 'phro zhing 'du ba la
bya'oll
Notes
1. See Dudjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, trans.
Dorje and Kapstein, Boston, 1991, p.356. See also H.Y. Guenther,
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