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04/2012manuscriptof the month
Hevajratantra!"k#- The Way to Complete
Enlightenment
Anyone with an interest, scholarly or other, in Indian tantric
Buddhism will almost certainly come
across one of the most influential scriptures of this form of
religion, the Hevajratantra. But without
detailed commentary, the Hevajratantracan neither be understood
nor interpreted. As is the case
with most tantras, a commentary is practically indispensable,
even for experienced scholars, for
interpreting the text correctly. Such a commentary is essential
for practitioners, as otherwise tantric
practice cannot be carried out properly so that enlightenment
cannot be achieved. For the
commentator, the achievement of enlightenment on the part of
practitioners is one of the main goals.
But who wrote the commentary, if not an ordinary scholar? And
how does he know what the rightinterpretation and the correct way
of performance is?
Hevajratantra!"k#Kathmandu, Kaiser Library, MS 128 = NGMCP MS C
14/6, fol. 48r
The copy of the Hevajratantra!"k#, Commentary on the
Hevajratantra, presented here is a palm-leaf manuscript that
was
probably produced around the end of the 12th century. It is
written in an Eastern Indian script (sometimes called M!gadh")
and
originally consisted of 58 folios. Unfortunately, a number of
folios have not been preserved or discovered yet. Today, those
which have been found are kept in the Kaiser Library,
Kathmandu.
This manuscript is of special interest because the last folio
(f. 58r, shown below) tells us that it was copied in Vikrama#"la,
one
of the greatest Buddhist monastic universities in Eastern India.
Furthermore, it was an official copy for the monastic library
which was completely destroyed. It reflects the nature of this
library and its collection of which very little was known until
now.
Thanks to this manuscript as well as to some others which have
recently been identified as originating from Vikrama #"la, we
are
at least able to gain a picture of the treasures of this
renowned Buddhist library.
Hevajratantra!"k#, fol. 58r
But this manuscript is very important in another respect too,
namely its content. The tantric tradition is characterized by
complex mystical formulae and secrets regarding performance, for
instance of the consecration, which should only be taught to
faithful disciples by Masters or Gurus. Thus the complexities
and secrets of the Hevajratantra directly related to the
performance of the rituals, which aim at complete enlightenment,
are not always easy to understand either, not even for scholars
or practitioners. Hence, commentaries on such texts are
necessary for both a better understanding of the text itself and
the
Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC)
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Hevajratantra!"k#, fol. 58r, fourth line (enlarged)
performance of the tantric rituals. The introductory verses of
this commentary tell us that it explains the secrets of the
Hevajratantra, which is a relatively short tantra, comprising
750 stanzas. We also learn that the commentated tantra is a
small
part of the root-tantra (m$latantra), a comprehensive work
consisting of 500,000 stanzas.
The commentary continues with an extensive section in which
other commentators are criticised sharply for attempting to
explain the Hevajratantra without having either supernatural
powers or access to the root-tantra of the work. The author
Vajragarbha however claims to possess both, and in fact to be a
Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is an enlightened being whose
essence is perfect knowledge and who helps sentient beings in
the process of achieving enlightenment. Vajragarbha claims to
be
the Bodhisattva who attended the original teaching of the tantra
and who was one of the main interlocutors of the Buddha. By
means of this commentary, he facilitates the use of
theHevajratantra, correcting the wrong interpretations of others,
and thus
helps sentient beings to achieve enlightenment in this life.
The symbols in this manuscript
are used to visually demarcate
the text, but they also have a
more specific significance. In
this context, the first symbol
by which the copyists
statement at the end of the volume is demarcated (fourth line)
is of particular importance. It is probably intended as a
florally
stylized vajra, a key ritual implement that was at the same
time, amongst others, a symbol of the self-identity of this form
of
Buddhism (which called itself Vajray!na) and the non-conceptual,
non-dual, gnosis of awakening or enlightenment.
To put the creation of theHevajratantra!"k#in context, it is
important to be aware of the social environment and especially
the
predominant religious ideas during the 9th-12th century CE.
Tantric Buddhism, similar to other religious traditions,
comprises
various aspects and components of other schools of thoughts,
including other forms of Buddhism. The contemporary milieu of
India was highly dynamic and many new groups formed, competing
with each other to attract new followers. Vajray!na
Buddhism appears to have outcompeted many other forms due to its
attractive claim to offer Buddhahood without having to
overcome severe adversities and face harsh and enduring ways of
life. Enlightenment within their current life and assorted
magical powers must have fascinated and convinced many
people.
This commentary is one of the earliest texts of the
K#lacakrasystem of Indian tantric Buddhism that established this
new
tradition and has kept it alive to date. This system is well
known today mainly because it is commonly regarded as the
highest
of tantric traditions within Tibetan Buddhism; and even the
Dalai Lama, for instance, often refers to it and initiates
practitioners
into this tradition.
References
DASGUPTA, S.B. (1958):An Introduction to T#ntric
Buddhism.Calcutta: University of Calcutta.
FARROW, G.W. and I. Menon (2001): The Concealed Essence of the
Hevajra Tantra. With the Commentrary Yogaratnamala.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
ISAACSON, Harunaga (1998): Tantric Buddhism in India (from c.
A.D. 800 to c. A.D. 1200). In: Buddhismus in Geschichte
und Gegenwart.Band II. Hamburg: University of Hamburg, pp.
23$49.
SFERRA, Francesco (2005): Constructing the Wheel of Time.
Strategies for Establishing a Tradition. In: Squarcini,
Federico
(ed.)Boundaries, Dynamics and Construction of Tradition in South
Asia.Firenze: University Press, New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal, pp. 253$285.
SFERRA, Francesco (2009): The Laud of the Chosen Deity, the
First Chapter of the Hevajratantrapi%d!rtha&"k!by
Vajragarbha. In: Einoo, Shingo (ed.): Genesis and Development of
Tantrism.Tokyo: University of Tokyo, pp. 435$468.
SHENDGE, Malati J. (2004): %a!-S#hasrik#-Hevajra!"k#. A Critical
Edition.Delhi: Pratibha Prakashan.
SNELLGROVE, D.L. (1959): The Hevajra Tantra. A Critical Study.
Part I. Introduction and Translation; Part II. Sanskrit and
Tibetan Texts.London: Oxford University Press.
Description
Kathmandu, Kaiser Library, MS 128
Microfilm availiable at theNepalese-German Manuscript
Cataloguing Project (NGMCP)MS C 14/6
Palm-leaf, 29,5 '5 cm
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