Buddhist Scriptures
Page 26
6. Generating the image or stūpa as an enlightened being: By reciting oṃ svabhāvaśuddhāḥ sarvadharmāḥ svabhāvaśuddho ’ham, all the images and stūpas are visualized away. From the true state of emptiness, generate the seats of the five buddhas of the maṇḍala, beginning with the elephant seat. [On top of them generate] the throne of precious substances, [on top of it] the lotus throne, [and on top of that], the sun and moon thrones. [If you consecrate images] and you know these embodiments of enlightenment, on top of the thrones generate their seed syllables, [from these] their emblems [such as a vajra or a wheel], and [from these] their individual forms. If you do not recognize these embodiments of enlightenment, generate the three seed syllables [oṃ āḥ hūṃ], and from these generate the blessed one, great Vajradhara with white body holding a vajra and a bell. When you consecrate a stūpa or a temple, generate [the seed syllable] bhrūṃ and from that Vairocana. Dissolve that and generate the stūpa or temple exactly as they appear [but now they have become embodiments of Vairocana]. Inside [the stūpa or temple] generate the thrones of the five buddhas of the maṇḍala, beginning with the lion throne, and on top of these [the seed syllables of these five buddhas] oṃ hūṃ trām hrīḥ āḥ and from them the forms of these five buddhas of the maṇḍala. Meditate that [the stūpa or temple] are replenished with inconceivable buddhas and bodhisattvas. If you consecrate books, generate the seed syllable āḥ and from it generate the tathāgata Amitābha. If you consecrate an emblem such as a vajra and a bell, generate the seed syllable hūṃ and from it the tathāgata Akṣobhya.
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7. Invitation and fusion of the wisdom beings:
(a) Inviting: By making the vajra-assembing hand gesture and reciting oṃ vajra samājaḥ jaḥ hūṃ baṃ hoḥ, an inconceivable assemblage of buddhas and bodhisattvas assembles from [all] quarters of the sky…. Then, for inviting them closer to the space in front of themselves, the mantric performers hold their vajras and bells while reciting either with melody or without:
Faithfully I invite the chief lord of all dharmas, similar in colour to refined gold, still more intensely bright than the sun, peaceful and very compassionate, abiding in a state of concentration and control, endowed with complete realization of all phenomena, free of desire, endowed with a completely inexhaustible capacity. Come hither, come hither, the enlightened being who is the embodiment of tranquillity, who has undergone the supreme birth of a sage, who is omniscient. With offerings, I request you to come to this well made reflected image. May you remain here united with the image for as long as saṃsāra lasts, and generously bestow [on us] the best health, longevity and capacity.
(b) Making offerings to those invited:
It is good that the blessed one has compassionately come. We are so meritorious and fortunate. May you accept my water for welcoming, consider me and grant my [request]. oṃ vajra-gagana-samaya-śrīye hūṃ.
With these words, offer water for welcoming. Likewise offer bath, seat, flowers and other offerings as much as you can afford.
(c) Fusing: By making the vajra-hook hand gesture and reciting oṃ vajra-aṅkuśa jaḥ, invite the wisdom beings closer.
By making the vajra-noose hand gesture and reciting oṃ vajra-pāśa hūṃ, the wisdom being enters into the commitment being.
By making the vajra-fetters hand gesture and reciting oṃ vajra-sphoṭa baṃ, think that they intermingle into ‘one taste’.
By making the vajra-bell hand gesture and reciting oṃ vajra-aveśa a, the commitment being is turned into the essence of the wisdom being.
Further, recite the vajra-assembling mantra [oṃ vajra samājaḥ jaḥ hūṃ baṃ hoḥ] as before, make the vajra-assembling hand gesture and recite:
Just as when all the buddhas came from Tuṣita heaven, they entered the womb of Queen Māyā, so may the protector always reside here together with this image. For the sake of generating the mind of enlightenment and for the sake of the patron, may you accept these offerings and flowers, etc., my own resources as much as I can afford. May you consider me and my disciples compassionately. May you bless this [image or stūpa]. May you agree in every way to abide in this very [image or stūpa].
By reciting these [verses] invite an inconceivable number of buddha-fields and fuse them [into the image or stūpa].
8. Sealing: The sealing is for stablizing the wisdom being in the image or stūpa. If you consecrate according to the systems of the kriyā or caryā tantras, seal with the general pledge seals of the three tathāgatas [the vajra, lotus and tathāgata families of the maṇḍala]. If you consecrate according to the yoga tantra, seal with the four hand gestures [mudrās seals: action seal, commitment seal, dharma seal and emptiness seal]. If you consecrate according to the mahāyoga, on the forehead visualize an oṃ and from it a wheel marked with oṃ. On the throat visualize an āḥ and from it a lotus marked with āḥ. On the heart visualize a hūṃ and from it a vajra marked with hūṃ.
9. Initiation: If you perform according to the systems of the kriyā and caryā tantras, confer the water, crown and emblem initiations and seal with the lords of the maṇḍala. In the present case [the consecration] is performed mainly according to the yoga tantra, hence confer the five initiations of knowledge together with the master initiation and seal with the lords of the maṇḍala. If you perform according to the system of mahāyoga, confer the four initiations [vase, secret, consort and fourth initiation].
10. Offerings and praises:
(a) Offerings: Offer water for welcoming, water for cooling the feet, the five common offerings [flowers, incense, light, fragrance and food], the eight outer and inner [offerings] of the goddess, the seven precious objects of royalty and the five sense gratification offerings.
(b) Praises:
Prostrations to Vairocana, [embodiment of non-dual] appearances and emptiness, the realm of vajra-sense, the enlightened wisdom of reality, the vajra-body making the hand gesture of supreme enlightenment.
Prostrations to Akṣobhya, [the embodiment] of the grasped and grasper, stable vajra-earth, the mirror-like enlightened wisdom, the vajra-body making the hand gesture of the great victory over Māra.
Prostrations of Ratnavajra (Ratnasaṃbhava), [the embodiment] of jewel, blazing vajra-fire, the enlightened wisdom of equanimity, the vajra-body making the hand gesture of supreme perfect generosity.
Prostrations to Amitābha, [the embodiment of purified] desire, vajra-water of dharma, the enlightened wisdom of particularized understanding, the vajra-body making the hand gesture of great meditative absorption.
Prostrations to Amoghasiddhi, [the embodiment of purified] jealousy, vajra-carrying wind, the enlightened wisdom of accomplishment, the vajra-body making the hand gesture of bestowing great protection.
11. Opening the eyes: Take with a golden spoon a tiny coloured powder particle from the maṇḍala and apply it directly to the eyes of the image [a more common method of opening the eyes is to pretend one offers a special eye ointment to the eyes of the image]. While reciting the following verse, open the eyes.
Even though you are omniscient, endowed with an eye of enlightened wisdom, free of faults, by reverently opening the exalted eyes, may sentient beings, up until the limit of the sky, obtain the eye of enlightened wisdom of the Buddha, oṃ cakṣu cakṣu samanta-cakṣu viśodhani svāhā.
12. Requesting the enlightened beings to firmly remain in the image or stūpa:
May all the buddhas and bodhisattvas who reside in the ten directions consider me. As long as the realms of sentient beings vast as the sky have not entered the path of non-abiding nirvāṇa, may you firmly remain without passing into nirvāṇa; and particularly, as long as these receptacles of body, speech and mind are not destroyed by the harm of earth, water, fire and wind, acting immeasurably for the sake of sentient beings, may you firmly remain.
Touch the image or stūpa with your vajra and recite: oṃ supratiṣṭhā vajra. In this manner request [the enlightened being] to firmly remain and visualize that
those sacred embodiments [of enlightened beings] are transformed back into stūpas, images, books, emblems, temples and so forth [as they had been prior to the consecration].
13. Enthronement offerings [this is only a very small selection from the enthronement offerings]:
(a) Make general enthronement offerings with extensive offerings and praises.
(b) Special enthronement offerings.
(i) For images:
In the case of images in the style of renunciates, who shave their heads, pretend you shave the head and face with a golden razor:
Even though the azure hair of the Victorious One is faultless, for the sake of fulfilling the purposes of others, and for the sake of renouncing the householder’s marks, by faithfully offering a golden razor, may all sentient beings be liberated from every suffering oṃ vajra-kaca unmūla āḥ hūṃ svāhā.
In the case of images in the style of the saṃbhogakāya of the buddha and of bodhisattvas portrayed as householders, pretend you comb the hair with a golden comb:
Even though the precious braids of the hair [of the Victorious One] are unruffled, are faultless and beautiful, and one can never look upon them enough, by offering this appropriate [comb] for the sake of purifying my mind, may all sentient beings be free from the three poisons, oṃ vajra-vāla śodhaya āḥ hūṃ svāhā.
(ii) Special enthronement offerings for stūpas:
Visualize that you offer life wood oṃ vajra-āyuṣe svāhā.
May all sentient beings be endowed with the ten knowledges, and may the holy dharma, the teachings of the Sugata, not decline and firmly remain for a long time. May all sentient beings engage in the aspiration of Samantabhadra with immaculate resolve.
[Similarly offer a dharma wheel, crown, cloth decoration, makara banner, parasol, flower garland and a throne.]
(iii) Special enthronement offerings for books:
[Offer a throne, wrapping cloth, wooden boards and book strap.] For offering the wooden boards recite:
Even though the holy dharma of the unity of pairs is totally free of grasping, by offering this cover – an auspicious sign of interdependence that brings wisdom and compassion into interde-pendency, similar to the sun and the moon, may people attain the union of all dualities, oṃ vajra-prajñā-upāya-advaya āḥ hūṃ svāhā.
(c) Make enthronement offerings of fire offerings or caru food:
If you are able, make fine fire offerings for increasing and delighting the maṇḍala of the tathāgata. If you are not able, place in a nice vessel, decorated with various ornaments, exquisite, divine food and drink, bless them and offer to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
(d) Make enthronement offerings by reciting verses of auspiciousness, reciting the consecration mantra and by scattering flowers: All [performers] hold the dhāraṇī thread tied to the image or stūpa… and hold a flower in their hands. The lama recites any verses of auspiciousness…. The lama together with the chief assistants recite the consecration mantra 108 or 21 times and scatter flowers while the others [offer] immeasurable songs and instrumental music. oṃ supratiṣṭā-vajre svāhā.
Translated by Yael Bentor from Grags-pa-rgyal-mtshan (1147–1216), ‘Agra’i cho ga dang rab tu gnas pa don gsal ba’, in The Complete Works of the Great Masters of the Sa Skya Sect of the Tibetan Buddhism (Tokyo: The Toyo Bunko, 1968), vol. 4, pp. 237–52.
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A HYMN TO THE BUDDHA
The Buddha seems to have been an object of devotion, praise and homage from the beginning of the Buddhist tradition in India. As the tradition developed, he was not the only buddha to receive such devotion, but he was always held in special esteem as the buddha who compassionately chose to be born in, and teach the dharma to, our benighted world. Early Buddhist texts describe the devotion displayed towards Śākyamuni by his disciples, and the later tradition developed standardized lists (one of which contains 206 qualities in 21 categories) of his virtues of body, speech and mind. Indeed, the term dharmakāya (dharma-body) originally meant the corpus (kāya) or qualities (dharma) of the Buddha that were worthy of devotion. Hymns of praise to the Buddha were composed in India that seem to have circulated widely and to have been used in various ritual settings.
Some hymns praised the miraculous beauty of the Buddha, his body adorned with thirty-two major marks and eighty secondary marks of a superman. Others praised his unsurpassed wisdom, in its many manifestations. The Buddha was also praised as a teacher, for he not only discovered the truth that brings liberation from suffering, but he compassionately taught it to the world. He is thus regarded as the best of teachers, endowed with unmatched pedagogical skills.
The work translated here is a hymn to the Buddha praising him not for how he taught, but for what he taught. Among the large number of doctrines set forth by the Buddha (traditionally numbered at 84,000), one is singled out here: the teaching of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda). The Buddha seems to have gained fame early on for his emphasis on causation; he explained how suffering arises from causes, and argued that by destroying the cause of suffering, suffering itself would cease. Indeed, the summary of the Buddha’s teaching by one of his first disciples, Aśvajit, was, ‘Of those things that have causes, the Tathāgata has shown their causes. And he has also shown their cessation. The great renunciate has so spoken.’ This single statement would be repeated throughout the Buddhist world and would be written on strips of paper and placed inside images, this statement of the Buddha taking the place of a relic, as noted in the previous chapter.
The idea of dependent origination took on special meaning in the philosophy of Nāgārjuna, who elaborated on the Buddha’s claim that everything is empty of self because everything arises in dependence on something else; nothing can be independent because everything is dependent. Thus, the mere fact that things arise in dependence on causes is itself proof that everything is empty of autonomous existence. This emptiness and dependent origination are said to be fully compatible and complementary. The world functions, the law of karma operates, the path to liberation may be traversed because of emptiness; if things were not empty, change and transformation would not be possible. At the same time, the fact of dependent origination means that emptiness is not the utter absence of existence, but rather the absence of a specific kind of falsely imagined existence.
This is the chief theme of the work below, composed by the Tibetan monk Tsong kha pa (1357–1419), who expresses his eternal devotion to the Buddha because he taught that effects arise in dependence on their causes – that everything depends on something else.
Praise of the Blessed Buddha from the Perspective of Dependent Origination, Essence of the Well-Spoken
Homage to the guru Mañjughoṣa.
I bow to the Conqueror, unsurpassed visionary and teacher of what is to be seen and to be spoken, who saw and set forth dependent origination. (1)
Because you saw that the root of all the world’s troubles is ignorance, you set forth dependent origination to counter it. (2)
When you did so, what intelligent person would not understand that the path of dependent origination is the very essence of your teaching? (3)
When this is so, who can find something more extraordinary to praise you for, O Protector, than your teaching of dependent origination? (4)
Is there an eloquence more wondrous than the statement, ‘That which depends on causes is empty of intrinsic nature’? (5)
Fools who grasp on to it only make the bonds of extreme views stronger; for those who understand reality, it is the way to cut through all nets of elaboration. (6)
Because this teaching is not seen elsewhere, only you are called ‘teacher’. It is a term of flattery to non-Buddhists, like calling a fox a lion. (7)
Wondrous teacher, wondrous refuge, wondrous speaker, wondrous protector; I bow down to the teacher who set forth dependent origination so well. (8)
O Benefactor, you explained it in order that it might be a medicine for transmigrators; this essence of your teaching is the
peerless proof for understanding emptiness. (9)
How is it possible for someone who sees dependent origination to be a contradiction or unproven to understand your teachings? (10)
When you saw that emptiness is the meaning of dependent origination, then [you saw] that the emptiness of intrinsic nature and the efficacy of actions are not contradictory. (11)
You explained that seeing the opposite of that – that actions are infeasible in emptiness and that emptiness does not exist among actions – is to fall into a frightening abyss. (12)
Independence is like a flower in the sky. Thus, that which is not dependent does not exist. If things existed naturally, that existence would contradict dependence upon causes and conditions. (13)
Therefore, you said that apart from things that arise dependently, nothing exists. Thus, apart from things that are intrinsically empty, nothing exists. (14)
You said that, because it is impossible to reverse what naturally exists, then if some things did naturally exist, nirvāṇa would not be feasible and no elaborations could be overcome. (15)
Therefore, again and again did you proclaim with the roar of a lion to the assembly of the wise, ‘Things lack intrinsic nature.’ Who can surpass this? (16)
You join without contradiction the utter lack of intrinsic nature and the viability of all presentations of this arising in dependence on that. What need is there to say more?(17)
‘By reason of dependent origination, one does not resort to extreme views.’ This statement of yours, O Protector, is the reason you are the unsurpassed speaker. (18)
Understanding that all of this is naturally empty and understanding that this effect arises from that are mutually supportive, without impeding each other. (19)
What is more amazing than this? What is more sublime than this? When you are praised for this, nothing else is worthy of praise. (20)