Compendium of Incantations

The 249 texts in this section all belong to the genre of “Incantations,” a somewhat unsatisfactory translation of the Sanskrit term dhāraṇī (Tibetan gzungs. This term can mean “memory” or “retention” as well as designating a formulaic sequence of syllables or words (of the kind that characterizes these texts) understood to have a power greater than their mere semantic content.

Dhāraṇī in the sense of “retention” refers to a quality of mind or accomplishment said to be attained by arhats and bodhisattvas that allows them to memorize long teachings and instructions, one method of so doing being to compress them into a few words or syllables which then provide a key or mnemonic for their later recall. These words or syllables therefore contain all the potency of the material of which they are the quintessence, and can be deployed in rituals for a wide variety of purposes. Although such dhāraṇī are often taken to be of a tantric nature (and many of them are indeed of tantric origin), their use is widespread in many Buddhist traditions outside any tantric influence. The term is thus distinct from the related term “mantra.”

Works of this genre almost always include more than simply such a formula or set of formulae (usually in Sanskrit). Typically, an introductory narrative may explain their history and the reasons for their being taught, and a concluding section may describe how they should be used and what results and benefits will ensue.

A total of 108 dhāraṇī texts are listed in the early 9th century Denkarma catalogue, including a set headed the “Five Great Incantations,” a miscellaneous group of 103 other works, and a set of nine works centered on the recital of the 108 names of a deity or bodhisattva.

The slightly later Pangthangma inventory lists the same “Five Great Incantations,” 13 miscellaneous incantations with rituals, a set of 89 incantations ranked in order of their different size, a group of nine “essence” mantra-incantations extracted from larger texts elsewhere, and a final mixed group of 34 texts, some with 108 names, some praises, expressions of auspiciousness, or aspiration prayers.

In most Kangyurs, works categorized as dhāraṇī are to be found in the General Sūtra section and in several subdivisions of the Tantra Collection. But in addition, Kangyurs of the Tshalpa tradition contain the present Compendium of Incantations as a separate collection. Nevertheless, almost all of the works it contains are duplicates of works in other divisions of the Kangyur. Only 13 titles in this section are unique to this part of the Kangyur: Toh 846, 862, 865, 912, 952, 953, 987, 1059, 1059A, 1066, 1067, 1090, and 1091.

As well as works conforming to the usual structure of a dhāraṇī, the section also includes texts containing the 108 names of the Buddha (Toh 873), the Eight Bodhisattvas (Toh 874-881), Tāra (Toh 1000), and the wealth god Jambhala (Toh 972); sūtras recited for ritual and protective purposes, including three of the Mahāsūtras (Toh 1061-2 and 1093); texts that essentialize much longer works, whether sūtra or tantra (Toh 932-934 and 939-945); and a number of praises and invocations.