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བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ་གོས་སྔོན་པོ་ཅན་གྱི་རྒྱུད།

The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi

Bhagavannīlāmbara­dhara­vajra­pāṇi­tantra
བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས་ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ་གོས་སྔོན་པོ་ཅན་གྱི་རྒྱུད་ཅེས་བྱ་བ།
bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje gos sngon po can gyi rgyud ces bya ba
The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi
Bhagavannīlāmbara­dhara­vajra­pāṇi­tantra­nāma

Toh 498

Degé Kangyur, vol. 87 (rgyud ’bum, da), folios 158.a–167.a.

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Group
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

First published 2013
Current version v 3.29.4 (2019)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.1.37

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

Warning: Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read this translation are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility for reading this text or sharing it with others who may or may not fulfill the requirements lies in the hands of readers.

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co.

Table of Contents

s.

Summary

s.­1

In the Kangyur and Tengyur collections there are more than forty titles centered on the form of Vajrapāṇi known as the “Blue-Clad One,” a measure of this figure’s great popularity in both India and Tibet. This text, The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi, is a scripture that belongs to the Conduct tantra (Caryātantra) class, the third of the four categories used by the Tibetans to organize their tantric canon. It introduces the practice of Blue-Clad Vajrapāṇi, while also providing the practitioner with a number of rituals directed at suppressing, subduing, or eliminating ritual targets.

ac.

Acknowledgments

ac.­1

This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Catherine Dalton and Andreas Doctor translated the text, with assistance from Ryan Damron and Wiesiek Mical.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi is a scripture that, in the fourfold classification that the Tibetans employed to organize their tantric canon, belongs to the “Conduct” or Caryātantra class. The small number of tantras in this category were grouped together because of their similarities in philosophical view and ritualistic conduct. The Caryātantra class is the second of the “three outer tantras.” It adopts features from both Kriyātantra and Yogatantra (the first and third, respectively), being characterized by its attention to worldly rituals (as found in Kriyātantra) as well as more soteriological insights (as emphasized in Yogatantra). From an historical perspective, the Caryātantras can also be viewed as exemplifying the transition in Indian tantric practice from a role of predominantly protecting against worldly calamities to one of providing a path toward personal awakening, as the later tantric systems promise. Generally the texts of the Caryātantra class have been tentatively dated to the early seventh century ᴄᴇ (Williams 2000, 207). There is, however, some evidence within this tantra (which will be discussed below) that might point to a slightly later date for this text.

The Translation
The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi
p.

Prologue

p.­1
[F.158.a] I prostrate to the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi!
I prostrate to the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times!
p.­2

Thus have I heard at one time. Blessed Akṣobhya, the buddha of the vajra family, was residing in the palace in Alakāvatī together with a retinue of millions of bodhisattvas, including Vajrapāṇi, [F.158.b] Vajra Regiment, Constant Vajra Holder, Vajra Tamer, Terrible Vajra Conqueror, Vajra Tamer of All Evil, Vajra Victor of Basic Space, Vajra Joyfully Abiding Protector, and others.

Taming the Nāgas

p.­10
Hūṃ!
For the benefit of all sentient beings,
The Teacher, the Great Vajra Holder,
Carefully observed his own retinue,
Projected light into all directions,
And then taught the method for destroying all grahas:
p.­11
“On the eighth day of the waxing moon,
Or likewise on the fourteenth and fifteenth days,
In an extremely isolated place,
Contemplate wrathful Vajrapāṇi,
Youthful and with majestic poise. [F.159.b]
1.
Chapter 1

Accomplishing Peaceful Activity

1.­1

Then the Blessed One explained the ritual for the action deity:

“Always in possession of the awakened mind,
And endowed with all commitments and vows,
Engage in all of the acts of bathing.
1.­2
“In a clean and pure place,
Beautify the maṇḍala as is fitting.
Visualize an iron hook that emerges from the syllable hūṃ,
Bringing the buddhas and bodhisattvas instantaneously before you.
Make offerings and so forth to them.
2.
Chapter 2

The Oblation

2.­1

Then the great bodhisattva, the great being Vajrapāṇi, supplicated the Blessed One with these words:

“Blessed One, Teacher, Vajra Holder,
Please explain the supreme ritual
For the oblation that pacifies obstacles.
Make this effort for the benefit of beings!”
2.­2
Then the Blessed One said:
“Excellent, principal Vajra Holder!
I will explain the basis of all oblations:
The ritual for pacifying obstacles,
And the ritual that is a method for gaining spiritual accomplishment.
3.
Chapter 3

Vaiśravaṇa

3.­1

Then, for the benefit of those who wish to attain worldly accomplishment, the Blessed One entered the absorption called the origination of all worldly wheels [F.161.a] and emanated rays of light from the pores of his body. Vaiśravaṇa and his retinue were thus inspired and gathered around him. He prostrated to the Blessed One, scattered dust made from precious gems, and made this request:

3.­2

“Blessed One, I am the Dharma-upholding king named Vaiśravaṇa. If I myself were to proclaim a secret in order to protect the Dharma of the pious and ensure that the Dharma abides for a long time, would the Blessed One grant me an opportunity?”

4.
Chapter 4

The Wheel of Suppression

4.­1

Then, once again, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi requested the Blessed One, “Lord, for the sake of sentient beings of the future, please teach a wheel that strikes all wicked ones!”

The Blessed One mentally consented to this request, yet remained completely silent. Instead he projected an all-pervading light from his heart center that embraced all sentient beings with love.

4.­2

Then he told Vajrapāṇi, “Vajrapāṇi, I shall now teach a wheel that strikes the obstructors within the ground below. So listen one-pointedly, and I will teach.”

5.
Chapter 5

The Ritual for Drawing the Diagram

5.­1
Then, at another time, the Vajra Holder
Taught the ritual of the diagram:
5.­2
“On a piece of birch bark or rind,
Draw a wheel
With twenty-one sections.
Commence this on the waxing phase of the moon,
5.­3
“And write, with a one-pointed mind.
In the center, place the wrathful syllable.
In the second, the syllable of the wealth holder.
In the third, comes the vajra.
6.
Chapter 6

The Stages of Fire Offering

6.­1

Then, once again, Vajrapāṇi asked the Blessed One, “Lord, since everything is the domain of the profound, does one get liberated through such rituals as fire offerings, or not? Please clear away my doubts!”

The Blessed One replied:

6.­2
“Vajrapāṇi! Great compassion,
Removal through the power of faith,8
The maṇḍala endowed with substantial riches,
And the activity of the fire offering—these you should know.
7.
Chapter 7

The Wheel of Expulsion

7.­1
Then the teacher, the Vajra Holder,
The Great Glorious One, stood up on his seat.
He gazed at Vajrapāṇi and said:
7.­2
“One should know the ritual of activity.
With substances such as poison,
Produce the form that you wish for,
Then insert the diagram at the heart center.
8.
Chapter 8

Mantra

8.­1

Then the Blessed One, the Vajra Holder, taught this chapter on mantra for the sake of living beings:

“Oṃ nīlāmbara­dhara vajrapāṇi hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ.

8.­2
“The root mantra of the Blessed One accomplishes all activities;
This is the secret of the awakened mind of all buddhas.
It accomplishes all activity, even without practice;
With the vajra fists, you accomplish the binding of all mudrās.
9.
Chapter 9

Certainty and Purity

9.­1
“Then, moreover, the certainty of recitation
Will be taught now.
Whoever wishes to gain spiritual accomplishments
Should fully possess commitments and pledges,
9.­2
“And visualize oneself as the deity of activity.
Then invite the wrathful wisdom.
Summon and the rest with jaḥ hūṃ vaṃ hoḥ.
In your heart, on a moon, is the mantra chain.
10.
Chapter 10

Protection

10.­1
Then the teacher Vajradhara
Gazed at the protector of beings
And taught the ritual of protection:
10.­2
“Vajrapāṇi, listen well!
“Those beings who are seized by wicked ones
Should skillfully craft an image
Of an animal in pure copper
And fill its interior with silver and the like.
11.
Chapter 11

The Arrangement of Mantras

11.­1

Vajrapāṇi then said these well-spoken words:

“The ritual of arranging mantras,
How might that be?”
11.­2
“Vajra Holder, please listen well.
Vajra Holder, listen well,
And I will teach you the arrangement of mantras.
12.
Chapter 12

Bestowing Empowerment on Students

12.­1
The teacher, Vajradhara,
Emanated light from his eyes.
Then, in order to ripen students,
He taught the ritual of conferring empowerment:
12.­2
“The vajra master, the great ascetic,10
Has obtained empowerment, replete with secrets.
He is disciplined, upright, and a great spiritual friend.
In the excellent state of little movement, he obtained the awakened mind.11
Learned in the maṇḍala ritual,
He should bestow empowerment on the foremost student.
13.
Chapter 13

Establishing the Secret

13.­1

Then the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi requested the Blessed One, “Lord, for the sake of all sentient beings, please explain the secret of enlightened mind.”

13.­2

The Blessed One answered this request by saying:

“Vajrapāṇi, terrifying one,
It is excellent that you consider the welfare of others so diligently.
In the degenerated age, whoever wishes
To tame those sentient beings that are difficult to tame,
c.

Colophon

c.­1

The translation was completed by the Kashmiri scholar Celu and the Tibetan translator Phakpa Sherab.

n.

Notes

n.­1
See Davidson (2002) p 204.
n.­2
See Mayer (2007).
n.­3
Despite being the shortest of the three tantras, Toh 501 is somewhat broader in scope as it also includes rituals to tame beings above the ground.
n.­4
We are unsure of these two lines: kun rten rab tu spyad dge can / rten can sbyor ba rab tu dben.
n.­5
Translation based on the spelling in the Yongle, Peking, Narthang, and Lhasa Kangyurs: mer sbar. The Degé Kangyur has: ner sba.
n.­6
We are unsure about this line: las me gnod sbyin rdzas kyis brab.
n.­7
Tibetan: drang bar bya.
n.­8
Tibetan: rab snyams.
n.­9
We are unsure of this line: glang chen g.yang ltung me chen ’bar.
n.­10
Tibetan: dka’ thub che.
n.­11
We are unsure of this line: g.yo chung ngang bzang byang sems thob.
b.

Bibliography

Tibetan Texts

bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje gos sngon po can gyi rgyud ces bya ba (Bhagavan­nīlāmbaradhara­vajrapāṇi­tantra­nāma). Toh 498, Degé Kangyur vol. 87 (rgyud ’bum, da), folios 158a.6–167a.3.

bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje gos sngon po can gyi rgyud ces bya ba. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 87, 469–90.

Secondary Sources

Dalton, Jacob. “How Dhāraṇis were Proto-Tantric: Liturgies, Ritual Manuals, and the Origins of the Tantras.” In Gray, David B. and Overbey, Ryan R., eds., Tantric Traditions on the Move. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

Davidson, Ronald M. Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.

Isaacson, Harunaga. “Observations on the Development of the Ritual of Initiation (abhiṣeka) in the Higher Buddhist Tantric Systems.” In Hindu and Buddhist Initiations in India and Nepal, edited by Astrid Zotter and Christof Zotter, 261–80. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2010.

Mayer, Robert. “The Importance of the Underworlds: Asuras’ Caves in Buddhism, and Some Other Themes in Early Buddhist Tantras Reminiscent of the Later Padmasambhava Legends.” In Journal of the International Association for Tibetan Studies 3 (December 2007): 1–31.

Williams, Paul. Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition. London: Routledge, 2000.

g.

Glossary

g.­1

Absorption

  • ting nge ’dzin
  • ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
  • samādhi

A state of meditative concentration or absorption.

g.­2

Alakāvatī

  • lcang lo can
  • ལྕང་ལོ་ཅན།
  • Alakāvatī
g.­3

Anantaka

  • mtha’ yas
  • མཐའ་ཡས།
  • Anantaka
  • Ananta

Another name of Śesa, the serpent upon whom Viṣṇu rests during the interlude between the destruction and recreation of the world.

g.­4

Bhūta

  • ’byung po
  • འབྱུང་པོ།
  • bhūta

A generic term for spirits or ghosts.

g.­5

Bījakuṇḍalī

  • bi tsi kuN+Da li
  • བི་ཙི་ཀུཎྜ་ལི།
  • Bījakuṇḍalī

A yakṣa.

g.­6

Burnt offering

  • sbyin sreg
  • སྦྱིན་སྲེག
  • homa

Fire ritual.

g.­7

Caryātantra

  • spyod pa’i rgyud
  • སྤྱོད་པའི་རྒྱུད།
  • caryātantra

“Conduct tantras,” the second, middle category of the three outer tantras according to the new translation (gsar ma) traditions; in old translation (rnying ma) classifications the term Upa- or Ubhaya-tantra is more often used.

g.­8

Celestial chariot

  • khang brtsegs
  • ཁང་བརྩེགས།
  • vimāna

The Sanskrit term vimāna can refer to a multi-storied mansion or palace, or even an estate, but is more often used in the sense of a celestial chariot of the gods, sometimes taking the form of a multi-storied palace; hence the Tibetan translation, khang brtsegs, literally “storied house.”

g.­9

Celu

  • tse lu
  • ཙེ་ལུ།
  • Celu
g.­10

Commitment

  • dam tshig
  • དམ་ཚིག
  • samaya

A tantric vow or commitment.

g.­11

Constant Vajra Holder

  • rdo rje kun tu ’dzin pa
  • རྡོ་རྗེ་ཀུན་ཏུ་འཛིན་པ།

    A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

    g.­12

    Dhāraṇī

    • gzungs
    • གཟུངས།
    • dhāraṇī

    Used in several senses, elsewhere in this text translated as “incantation mantra,” but here referring to entire canonical texts used mainly for ritual purposes, structured around an incantation mantra in Sanskrit but also detailing its uses and the story of its origin.

    g.­13

    Diagram

    • ’khrul ’khor
    • འཁྲུལ་འཁོར།
    • yantra

    A diagram drawn in tantric rituals.

    g.­14

    Disciplined conduct

    • bstul zhugs
    • བསྟུལ་ཞུགས།
    • vrata
    • saṃvara
    g.­15

    Five substances of a cow

    • ba yi rnam lnga
    • བ་ཡི་རྣམ་ལྔ།
    • pañcagavya

    Milk, yogurt, clarified butter, cow urine, and cow dung.

    g.­16

    Graha

    • gdon
    • གདོན།
    • graha

    A type of evil spirit known to exert a harmful influence on the human body and mind. Grahas are closely associated with the planets and other astronomical bodies.

    g.­17

    Guhyasthāna

    • ’brog gnas
    • འབྲོག་གནས།
    • Guhyasthāna

    A yakṣa.

    g.­18

    Holder of the hare

    • ri bong ’dzin pa
    • རི་བོང་འཛིན་པ།
    • śaśadhara

    An epithet of the moon.

    g.­19

    Incantation

    • rig pa
    • རིག་པ།
    • vidyā

    A type of incantation or spell used to accomplish a ritual goal. This can be associated with either ordinary attainments or those whose goal is awakening.

    g.­20

    Incantation mantra

    • gzungs sngags
    • གཟུངས་སྔགས།
    • dhāraṇī
    g.­21

    Jambhala

    • rmugs ’dzin
    • རྨུགས་འཛིན།
    • Jambhala

    An alternate name for the yakṣa Kubera.

    g.­22

    Kubera

    • ku be ra
    • ཀུ་བེ་ར།
    • Kubera

    An alternate name for the yakṣa Jambhala.

    g.­23

    Maṇibhadra

    • nor bzangs
    • ནོར་བཟངས།
    • Maṇibhadra

    A yakṣa.

    g.­24

    Nāga tree

    • klu shing
    • ཀླུ་ཤིང་།
    • nāgakesara

    A species of euphorbia used in burnt offerings to get rid of nāga influences.

    g.­25

    Oblation

    • gtor ma
    • གཏོར་མ།
    • bali

    A ritual offering of food and drink.

    g.­26

    Obstructors

    • bgegs
    • བགེགས།
    • vighna
    g.­27

    One to be accomplished

    • bsgrub bya
    • བསྒྲུབ་བྱ།
    • sādhya

    This is the object of ritual accomplishment, whatever is the focus and/or the goal of ritual activity. Also translated “target.”

    g.­28

    Pāñcika

    • lngas rtsen
    • ལྔས་རྩེན།
    • Pāñcika

    A yakṣa.

    g.­29

    Phakpa Sherab

    • ’phags pa shes rab
    • འཕགས་པ་ཤེས་རབ།
      g.­30

      Practice manual

      • sgrub thabs
      • སྒྲུབ་ཐབས།
      • sādhana
      g.­31

      Pūrṇabhadra

      • gang ba bzang po
      • གང་བ་བཟང་པོ།
      • Pūrṇabhadra

      A yakṣa.

      g.­32

      Samprajñāna

      • yang dag
      • ཡང་དག
      • Samprajñāna

      A yakṣa in this tantra. Although yang dag is normally translated as “Viśuddha,” we have rendered it here as “Samprajñāna” since this is the Sanskrit rendering of this particular yakṣa’s name in the list of name mantras at 2.14.

      g.­33

      Spiritual accomplishment

      • dngos grub
      • དངོས་གྲུབ།
      • siddhi
      g.­34

      Target

      • bsgrub bya
      • བསྒྲུབ་བྱ།
      • sādhya

      This is the object of ritual accomplishment, whatever is the focus and/or the goal of ritual activity. Also translated “one to be accomplished.”

      g.­35

      Terrible Vajra Conqueror

      • rdo rje mi bzad ’joms
      • རྡོ་རྗེ་མི་བཟད་འཇོམས།

        A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

        g.­36

        Vaiśravaṇa

        • rnam thos bu
        • རྣམ་ཐོས་བུ།
        • Vaiśravaṇa

        A yakṣa.

        g.­37

        Vajra Joyfully Abiding Protector

        • rdo rje dgyes gnas skyob
        • རྡོ་རྗེ་དགྱེས་གནས་སྐྱོབ།

          A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

          g.­38

          Vajra Regiment

          • rdor rje sde
          • རྡོར་རྗེ་སྡེ།

            A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

            g.­39

            Vajra Tamer

            • rdo rje rab tu ’dul byed
            • རྡོ་རྗེ་རབ་ཏུ་འདུལ་བྱེད།

              A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

              g.­40

              Vajra Tamer of All Evil

              • rdo rje gdug pa kun ’dul
              • རྡོ་རྗེ་གདུག་པ་ཀུན་འདུལ།

                A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

                g.­41

                Vajra Victor of Basic Space

                • rdo rje dbyings las rgyal ba
                • རྡོ་རྗེ་དབྱིངས་ལས་རྒྱལ་བ།

                  A bodhisattva in the Buddha Akṣobhya’s retinue in this tantra.

                  g.­42

                  Vajracaṇḍa

                  • rdo rje gtum po
                  • རྡོ་རྗེ་གཏུམ་པོ།
                  • Vajracaṇḍa

                  Lit. “Fierce Vajra.”

                  g.­43

                  Yakṣa

                  • gnod sbyin
                  • གནོད་སྦྱིན།
                  • yakṣa

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