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THEBODYASATEXTANDTHETEXTASTHEBODY:AVIEWFROMTHEKfiLACAKRATRANTRA’SPERSPECTIVE
VesnaA.Wallace
UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara
I.Introduction
Whencontemporarygeneticistsstudythebody,theylookatitasagenetictextandstriveto
intelligiblyreaditasablueprintforhowthebodyisformedandmaintained.Inthissense,
forgeneticists,amalleablegenetictextservesasametaphorofthebody.Theholdersofthe
K›lacakratraditioninIndiasawthebodyinasimilarway.Theyvieweditasatantrictext,
consisting of mantras and letters that provide a blueprint of the mind-body complex, its
operations,habitualpropensities, andpotentialities for transformation.Theydevised their
own method of interpreting, editing, and changing that text in order to transmute the
ordinarybodycharacterizedbyafflictionsintotheblissfulbodyofemptyform.
OnecansaythatinthecontextoftheK›lacakratradition,atantraisalsointerpreted
asametaphorofthebody,sincethetantrictextanditsdiscoursethemselvesaretreatedas
blueprintsoftheindividual’smindandbody.Moreover,atantrictextisalsounderstoodas
representational body of ultimate reality, manifesting in a literary form, as a literary
reproductionofVajrasattva,theBuddha’sgnosisofbliss.
In this paper, I will discuss both—the Indian Buddhist interpretation of the
K›lacakratantradiscourseas thebody,andthe interpretationsofthebodyas theK›lacakra
2
tantric text having a performative function. These two interpretations can be equally
relevantforourunderstandingoftheconceptsoftantraandthetantricbody.Isurmisethat
thesetwointerpretationscouldalsohavebroaderimplicationsforcontemporarytheoriesin
literaryandculturalstudies,astheyextendtheexistingnotionsofthetext,itsfunction,and
theroleofthereader.
InthecontextofIndiantantricBuddhism,theconceptofthebodyasasacredtextis
evoked in various definitions of the term “tantra” and is elaborated within the Buddhist
tantricdiscourseonthebodyandtantricpractice.
TheBuddhisttantricconceptofthebodyasaDharmadiscourseorasasacredtext
hasitsprecursorsinearlierBuddhistliterature.IntheearlyP›lisources,itsantecedentscan
berecognizedintheBuddhistdefinitionsofDharma,containedindiscussionspertainingto
the Buddha’s discourse on Dharma. In the Ariyapariyesan›-sutta of the Majjhimanik›ya, I.
167,Dhammaisdefinedasdependentorigination(pa˛iccasamupp›da),whichissynonymous
with sa˙s›ra, the condition of a sentient being, and it is also defined as nibb›na. The
Mah›hatthi-padopama-sutta(MN,2001,p.282)furtherstatesthatonewhoseesdependent
originationseesDhamma,andonewhoseesDhammaseesthedependentorigination.Inthe
P›lisuttas,theBuddhahimselfisidentifiedwithDhammaduetohisinsightintodependent
origination.Therefore,oneoftheepithetsoftheBuddhaintheP›lisuttasisdhamma-bhÒta
(“onewhohasbecomeDhamma”);andtheBuddha isquotedassaying:“Hewhosees the
3
Dhamma sees me, and he who sees me sees the Dhamma.”1 This early Buddhist
interpretation of Dharma suggests that by gaining transformative insight into a Dharma-
discourse,onebecomestheembodimentofDharma.Itfurthershowsthatinthecontextof
earlyBuddhism,anordinaryindividualwhofullygraspsaDharma-discoursewithbothofits
aspects—sa˙s›ricandnirv›˚ic—becomes transformed into itsnirv›˚icaspect.Thus, there
isnothingoutsidetheDharmaitselfthatisbeingtransformed,andthereisnothingoutside
theDharmathatbringsaboutatransformation.Thisinterpretationcanbealsosupportedby
a statement given in the commentary on the Pa˛isambhid›-magg›, which interprets the
phrase “dhamma-cakka” as Dharma being a weapon (pahara˚a-cakka) by means of which
mental afflictions (kilesa) are destroyed.2 This understanding ofDharma as a three-faceted
phenomenon, consisting of the basis, means, and the result of a transformative insight, is
echoed in the later Buddhist views of Mah›y›na sÒtras and in the Buddhist tantric
interpretationsoftheterm“tantra.”
InthesubsequentMah›y›naliterature,aMah›y›nasÒtra,sometimesreferredtoasa
Dharma text, is seen as a textual embodiment of all the good qualities of Buddhahood.
Therefore,oneistoldthatbylistening,memorizing,reciting,orcopyingaMah›y›nasÒtra,
one will acquire those good qualities and see the Buddhas.3 Similarly, the
Saddharmapu˚˜arıka-sÒtraassertsthatbyreading,copying,mastering,andteachingthistext
toothers,oneattains thepureandperfectbody,whichreflects the tripleuniversewithall
4
theBuddhasandBodhisattvas in it.4 It is also stated in the Lalitavistara that thehouse in
which this Dharma text is found is the dwelling place of the Tath›gatas, and one who
masters it,willbe like the imperishableocean.5Statements like these indicate thatalso in
the context of Mah›y›na, by mastering a Dharma discourse, which is a container of all
virtuesand themeansofattaining thevirtues,onebecomesa livingDharma text, instilled
withvirtueandworthyofreverence.
In Indian Buddhist tantric sources, the term “tantra” is frequently defined as a
“connecteddiscourse.”6IntheAm¸taka˚ik›,onereadsthefollowing:
Atantraiscalleda“connecteddiscourse.”Sa˙s›raisconsideredatantra. Atantraiscalleda“secretmystery.”Thehigheriscalleda“tantra.”7
Thus, similarly to the early Buddhist definition of Dharma, a tantric discourse here has
sa˙s›raandnirv›˚aasitstwointerconnectedaspects.This“connecteddiscourse”issaidto
have threeaspects,namely: thecause (hetu),result (phala),andmethod(up›ya) leading to
theresult.AlthoughinvariousBuddhisttantrictexts,interpretationsofthesethreemutually
relatedaspectsofa tantricdiscoursedifferslightly, theyequallysuggest that the individual
maybeviewedasatantrawithallofitsfacets.AccordingtotheYogaratnam›l›commentary
on theHevajratantra(1959,p.105), thecausalaspectofatantra issentientbeings(sattva)
who are the members of the vajra-family. Another commentary on the Hevajratantra, the
5
Hevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı, identifies the causal tantra and a causal Hevajra (hetu-hevajra),
withageneologicalline(gotra),oravajra-family.
Atantraisaconnecteddiscourse(prabandha).Itisofthreekinds:thecausaltantra(hetu-tantra),resultanttantra(phala-tantra),andmethod-tantra(up›ya-tantra).Therefore,Hevajraisalsoofthreekinds:thecausalHevajra,resultantHevajra,andmethod-Hevajra.Acause(hetu),ageneologicalline(gotra),andafamily(kula)aresynonyms.Here,avajra-familyitselfiscalleda“causalHevajra”anda“causaltantra”duetobeingareceptacleofvirtuesthathavesublimecompassion(mah›-karu˚›)andwisdom(prajñ›)astheiressentialpart.WhyisitHevajra?BecauseHevajraisthecause.Whyisitaconnecteddiscourse?Onaccountofthemultitudeofsentientbeingswhobelongtothevajra-familyandowingtothepowerofacausalHevajra,thestateofsublimeVajradhara,whichisattainablethroughthelong-termpracticeofthemethod-Hevajra,iscalleda“resultantHevajra”anda“resultanttantra.8
IntheGuhyasam›jatantra(Ch.18,vs.34-35),thecausalaspectisthematerialnature
(prak¸ti), which is the cause of a form, or appearance (›k¸ti).9 In the Gu˚avatı˛ık›
commentaryontheMah›m›y›tantra,(1992,p.2-3),itisthebeginninglessandendlessmind
of sentient beings, which is luminous by nature (prak¸ti-prabh›svara) and the cause of
spiritualawakening.10
As for the method aspect of a tantra, all the aforementioned texts describe it as a
means of transforming a tantra’s causal aspect into its resultant form. As will be
demonstratedlaterinthispaper,themethodaspectofatantraisanembodiedpractice;itis
aperformativefacetofanembodiedtantrictext.
6
Furthermore,theresultantformofatantra,whichisreality(tattva),orthegnosisof
supreme and imperishable bliss, is said to have its origin and place in the body. In the
Am¸taka˚ik›,thegnosisofsublimebliss(mah›-sukha-jñ›na)isreferredtoasasublimetantra
(mah›-tantra)andasasublimemantra(mah›-mantra).11In thisandotherBuddhist tantric
texts,theidentificationofamantrawiththegnosisofsublimeblissisjustifiedonthebasis
thatthemantrasecuresprotection(tr›˚a)ofthemind(manas)throughthemanipulationof
pr›˚as, while innate bliss is the source of the origination of all mantras and their
accomplishments.12IntheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.4,v.7,the
state of supreme, indestructible bliss (param›k˝ara-sukha) is identified with the syllable a,
which, as the first syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet, stands for the dharma-source
(dharmodaya) and for the vajra-womb of all the Buddhas. As such, it is seen as the
fundamentalcauseofallexpressions,asthebirthplaceofallmantras.13Inlightofthisview,
theindividualsyllablesthatconstituteatantricdiscoursearedeclaredtobeofthenatureof
amantra;14andthemantraissaidtobeinthebody.Thus,atantra,whichisidentifiedwith
mantra on this ground, is a text that is encoded in the individual’s body in the form of
mantricsyllables.
Heretoothen,thatwhichisbeingtransformedonthetantricpathisnotsomething
outsidethetantraitself,butrather,oneaspectofatantraistransformedintoitsotheraspect
bymeansofyetanotheraspectofatantricdiscourse.Thissuggeststhatatantraasatextthat
7
is encoded in a human body ismalleable and therefore can be altered. It is an embodied
tantrictextthatcanbechangednotthroughanexternalagencybutthroughitsowninternal
workings.Aswillbeshownlater,onlytheinnerworkingsofanembodiedtantrictext,orits
ownself-manipulation,leadstoitstransformation.
II. A Perspective from the Indian K›lacakra Tradition
IntheSekoddeŸa,thefollowingissaidwithregardtothefidubddhatantra:14
Thus,thefidibuddha[tantra],denotingtheK›lacakra,ispurifiedbymeansofthesixpoints(ko˛i),15fourvajra-yogas,16fourperfectawakenings,sixfamiliesofthepsychophysicalaggregates(skandha),elements(dh›tu),andsense-bases(›yatana),bymeansofthefivechaptersknownas“Cosmos,”andsoon,andbymeansofthetwotruths17.18
ThesetwoversesclearlysuggestthattheK›lacakratantratext,whichispurifiedbyitscontent
andstructure,shouldbeunderstoodnotonlyasamerediscourseontheK›lacakra,butalso
asthefidibuddhahimself.S›dhuputraandN›ropa,commentingonthesetwoversesinthe
SekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ı and SekoddeŸa˛ık› respectively, point to the fidibuddhatantra as the
fidibuddhaK›lacakrahimself.ForS›dhuputra,thefidibuddhatantrais“withoutbeginningor
end, devoid of adherence to the two doctrinal positions, and imparting the complete
mundaneandsupramundaneknowledge.”19ReferencingtheversecitedintheVimapalrabh›,
Vol.1,1986,p.43,whichgives theK›lacakra tradition’setymological explanationof the
phrase“k›lacakra”andreads:
8
k›k›r›tk›ra˚eŸ›ntelak›r›tlayo‘travaicak›r›ccalacittasyakrak›r›tkramabandhanai¯
S›dhuputra identifies the fidibbuddhatantra with the resultant aspect of the tantra, the
Buddha K›lacakra. N›rop› does the same by explaining the Vimalaprabh›’s above-cited
expositionof the term“k›lacakra” in the followingway.Withregard to the syllablek›,he
asserts, “The cause (k›ra˚a), called the body of bodhicitta, is peaceful and free from
conceptualizations (vikalpa)onaccount of thedestructionof thewaking state; and it is a
Nirm›˚ak›ya owing to the cessation of the drop of the body (k›ya-bindu) in the lal›˛a.”
Withregardtothesyllablela,hesays:“Whenitisso,adissolution(laya)ofpr›˚a,whichis
of the nature of the destruction of the dreaming state, is a Sa˙bhogak›ya owing to the
cessationofthedropofthespeech(v›g-bindu)inthethroat.”Withrespecttothesyllable
ca,hestates:“Amotion(cala) thatmoves toward thesense-objects suchassoundand the
likeinthewakinganddreamingstatesisthemindthatisofthenatureof[seminal]emission
(cyuti),overcomebydarkness,andacquiredthroughatransformationoftheeighteenbodily
constituents.Itsbindingisaremovalofdarkness,adestructionofthedreamlessstateowing
to thecessationofthedropofthemind(citta-bindu) intheheart,aDharmak›ya.”Lastly,
withregardtothesyllablekra,hecomments:“Asequentialprocess(krama)isanemissionof
thedropsofthebodyandsoon.Abindingofthat[emission]isadestructionofthefourth
9
statebymeansofinnatebliss.Owingtothecessationofthedropofgnosis(jñ›na-bindu)of
perishable[bliss],itisaSahajak›ya.Thus,[K›lacakra]consistsofthefourbodies.”20
Moreover, since K›lacakra is said to be a unity (ekatva) of the knowledge of
indestructiblebliss,referredtobytheterm“time”(k›la),andoftheobjectofknowledge,or
the world characterized by endless beings of the three realms, referred to by the term
“wheel”(cakra),21theK›lacakratantrawithwhichheisidentified,istobeseennotonlyasa
representationoftheBuddhaK›lacakra’smindbutalsoastherepresentationofthebodyof
sentientbeings.N›rop›supportsthisinterpretationwiththeversefromtheK›lacakratantra
(1994,Ch.5,v.56),which identifiesall sentientbeingswithin the sixrealmsofexistence
withacakra,referredtointhesametextasthebodyoftheBuddha.22
In theK›lacakratantra and in theVimalaprabh›, a tantra is also identified with the
bodyoftheindividual,asasublimemantra,andasatantricdiscourseanditssubjectmatter.
OnereadsintheVimalaprabh›23thattheoriginalfidibuddhatantra,whichconsistsof1,620
deities, is the n›˜ıs in the body. Form that root-tantra emerged the K›lacakratantra in
accordancewiththeclassificationofthen›˜ısoftheheart-cakra.AccordingtotheK›lacakra
tradition, the number of n›˜ıs in body is 72,000. It is worth noting that this number of
bodily n›˜ıs corresponds the number obtained by adding the 12,000 lines of the
K›lacakratantratothe60,000linesoftheVimalaprabh›commentary.24Sincethesignificance
ofthenumberof lines inthese two textshasnotbeendiscussedbytheirauthors, it isnot
10
clear whether or not the authors or redactors of these texts wrote the aforementioned
numbersoflineswithintentiontocorrelatethemtothenumberofthen›˜ısinthebody.
OneisfurtherinformedintheVimalaprabh›,thatnotonlythefidibuddhatantrabut
also all other tantras are contained in the body. In some places, it is said that the yoginı-
tantrasarepresent infemalebodies,and theyoga-tantrasare inmalebodies;25and inother
places it is asserted that both of these classes of tantras are in a single body. The body is
described as a collection of the kings of tantras (tantra-r›ja)—namely, the threefold
M›y›j›latantraandthesix-foldSam›jatantra.26Theoriginationofthetwomentionedtantra-
r›jaswithinthebodyisdescribedasaprocessoftheirgradualcomposition.Theexpansionof
thenumberof theiremergingsections isunderstood toaccordwith thedevelopmentofa
childfromthemomentofitsconceptiontotheageofsixteen.Thus,thethreephasesofthe
M›y›j›latantra’scompositioninthebodytakeplaceinthefollowingway.Withthearisingof
thefivepsychophysicalaggregates(skandha),fiveelements(bhÒtas),eightbodilyconstituents
(dh›tu), twelve sense-bases (›yatana), six faculties of action (karmendriya), four cakras, and
threedo˝as—v›ta,pitta,andkapha—theM›y›j›laemergesasatexthavingforty-twoparts,or
sections.Withthedevelopmentoftheu˝˚ı˝aandsecret(guhya)cakras,itexpandsintoatext
withforty-fivesections;andwith thearisingofthementalafflictions(kleŸa)ofattachment,
aversion,delusion,andprideitbecomesacompletetextconsistingforty-ninesections.27
11
TheprocessofthecompositionoftheSam›jatantrainthebodyisalsounderstoodto
accordwiththedevelopmentofahumanbeingfromtheinitialembryonicstatetoasixteen
year-oldperson.Withthearisingofthepsychophysicalaggregatesandelementsofthefetus,
theSam›jatantraemergesasa text thathasninesections.Upontheoriginationofthefour
cakras,ithasthirteensections;andwiththearisingofthesense-faculties(indriya)andsense-
objects (vi˝aya), it extends into a text with twenty-five sections. Afterwards, with the
emergenceof the facultiesofaction, the secretcakraandu˝˚ı˝a, ithas thirty-two sections;
and with the arising of the divine faculty (divyendriya) and bliss (sukha), it becomes a
completetextwiththirty-foursections.
Furthermore, according to the K›lacakratantra tradition, one becomes the Buddha
Mañjuvajrabyknowing themanner inwhich thefidibuddhaandallother tantras thatare
includedinthefidibuddhatantraarepresentinthebody.28Heretoothen,rightinsightinto
one’s own body as a tantric text and its subject matter is a requisite for spiritual
transformation.Oneshouldknowthetantrasthatarepresentinthebodybytheirrespective
classes ofconsonants,whichare the letters ofamantra.Here, like inotheranuttara-yoga-
tantras,atantricbodyisconstructedonaspecificlinguisticmodel,onthetaxonomicorder
of syllables. This suggests that Indian Buddhists considered linguistic structures of the
embodiedtantrictextstobeimportantandpowerful.
12
Consonants are referred to as the presiding deities of the n›˜ıs and the lords
(n›tha)ofthecakras.Forexample:
1. In the joint of the left shoulder andupper arm are gutturals with short vowels ofspace,etc.ininvertedorder.In the joint of the right shoulderandupper armaregutturalswith longvowels ofgnosis.Inthejointoftheleftupperarmandforearmarepalatalswithshortvowelsofspace,etc.In the joint of the right upper arm and forearm are palatals with long vowels ofgnosis,etc.In the joint of the left hand and forearm are retroflex consonants with six shortvowelsofspace,etc.Intherightjointofthelefthandandforearmareretroflexconsonantsareretroflexconsonantswithlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftherighthipandthigharelabialswithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointofthelefthipandthigharelabialswithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.Inthejointoftherightkneeandthigharedentalswithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftheleftkneeandthigharedentalswithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.Inthejointoftherightfootandshinaresibilantswithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftheleftfootandshinaresibilantswithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.intheinvertedorder.Thus, every single class of consonants, makingup thirty syllables, is in the twelvecakras, which have thirty spokes—in the action (karma) cakras and in the activity(kriy›)cakras.
2. Ineveryjointoftherightthumbaregutturalswith6longvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointofthelowerknuckleofthethumbare6n›˜ıs,orgutturalswith6longvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftherightforefingeristhesyllablekha.Thesyllablegaisinthemiddlefinger.Thesyllableghaisinthejointoftherightringfinger.Thesyllableºgawithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.isinthejointoftherightlittlefinger.The syllable ºga with six short vowels of space, etc. is in the joint of the lowerknuckleoftheleftlittlefinger.The syllable gha with six short vowels of space, etc. is in the joint of the leftforefinger.
13
Thesyllablegawithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.isintheleftmiddlefinger.Thesyllablekhawithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.isintheleftringfinger.Thesyllablekawithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.isintheleftthumb.
Thesixclassesofconsonants—ka,ca,˛a,pa,ta,andsa—makeupthirtyconsonants
duetotheirrespectivefive-folddivisions.29Thesethirtyconsonantstogetherwithha,ya,ra,
la,va,andk˝a,areconsideredtobethelordsofthethirty-sixbodilycakras.Eachclassofthe
six consonants is further divided into thirty-six syllables, in accordance with the
accompanying short and longvowels, gu˚as andv¸ddhis. These thirty-six syllables of each
consonantalclassaredeclared tobe the lordsofthecakras inthirty-sixtantras inthebody,
namely, intheka-vajra-tantra,kha-vajra-tantra,andsoon.30Thus,eachclassofconsonants
withitsthirty-sixsyllablesisitselfatantra.31Thisimpliesthateachn›˜ı-cakraisanindividual
tantra. These diverse individual tantras are linked together, forming a single, all-inclusive
tantra, namely, the fidibuddhatantra, or the K›lacakratantra.Among these multiple tantras,
notasingletantraexistsindependentlyofothertantras.Thenumeroustantrasinthebodyare
linked together by their common pervader (vy›paka), which is the mind (citta), or gnosis
(jñ›na).Perhaps,thispresentationoftheinterconnectionofthemultipletantrasinthebody
couldbeinterpretedasauniqueK›lacakratantra’stheoryofintertextuality,onethatpertains
totheembodiedtexts.
The aforementioned thirty-six consonants are also identified as the six
psychophysical aggregates, six elements, six faculties of action and their activities, sense-
14
faculties,sense-objects,andthe like.32Thus,everybodilyconstituent is tobeknownasan
individualtantrictext,andthebodyistobeseenasamulti-volumedtantra.Theseindividual
tantrictextsinthebody,representedbythegroupsofthirty-sixsyllables,arealsoidentified
astheyoga(method)andyoginı(wisdom)tantras.33
However, due to being a corporeal text, this inclusive tantra in the body is
characterizedbyfinitude,as it issubject todestruction.Itcarries themeaningofordinary,
conventional reality, which must be transcended. For this reason, this corporeal and
provisional tantra is in need of transformation into the definitive text. Its transformation
requiresacertainkindoftranslation,atransitionfrompresentationtoreality.Itstransition
fromafinitetextwithaprovisionalmeaningtoatranscendenttextwithadefinitivemeaning
isaprocessoftransformationfromtheconceptuallyconstructedtexttothenon-conceptual
text. This transition of a text from one state of being to another involves a rewriting of
personal history. In this process of rewriting, the old signs must be reinterpreted and
subsequentlyreplacedbynewsignsneededforcapturingreality.Thesignsthatexpress the
unitary and partless reality are deemed as non-conceptual signs; and thus, although
functioningassigns,ultimatelytheyarenotsignsatall.
Itistheearliermentioned,thirdaspectofatantra,knownasthemethod,ors›dhana,
thatprovidesthenewencodingnecessaryforsuchtransition.Inthecourseofthes›dhana,or
the stage of generation practice, the earlier discussed groups of thirty-six consonants of
15
varioustantrasarementallydissolved.Theembodiedtantrictextisdisintegrated.Uponthis
disintegration, a new tantra is generated, the thirty-six consonants are encoded in a new
form—intheformofadeity-ma˚˜ala—andtheirnewmeaningisproduced.Theconsonants
aretransformedintothetextualbodyofmantricdeities(mantra-devat›).Bybeinggenerated
with new meanings into the new textual form, the consonants undergo a gradual
transformationinthesamesix-phasedsequenceinwhichtheyinitiallyhademergedfromthe
timeoftheindividual’sconceptiontilltheageofsixteen.Upontheirregenerationinthenew
formwithnewmeaning, theycontinue toundergo furthermetamorphosis in the sixmain
cakras (u˝˚ı˝a, heart, lal›˛a, and guhya) brought by the intervention of different sets of
vowels.34 The vowels are the six types of wisdom (prajñ›), or the pure psychophysical
aggregates,elements,andthelike.“Spliced”onthetopoftheconsonants,whichcarrythe
meaningofcompassioninrelationtothevowels,theytakepossessionoftheconsonants.In
thecontextoftheK›lacakratantrapractice,thisprocessofalteringtheembodiedtext,carried
out through the “splicing” of the completely different classes of sounds—namely, the
consonants andvowels—is called“sealing,” or “printing” (mudra˚a)of the revised text of
thebody,speech,andmind.Inthisphasetoo,theredactedconsonants,ortherevisedyoga
andyoginıtantras,inthebodyaremutuallylinkedbythemind(citta),orthepervadinggnosis
(jñ›na),whichistheirpresidingdeity(n›yaka).
16
However, the embodied tantric discourse that is redacted in this way is still a
provisional and conceptually constructed text, which is said to be a fabrication of the
individual’s own mind.35 Although in this new form it continues to be a complete and
coherentunit,itisstillstructuredasacompositionofthemutuallyconnectedbutdisparate
parts.Consequently,afurtherredactionisneededforitscompletealteration,theredaction
thatwillamalgamate themutuallydifferingpartsof the text inanovelway.Asubsequent
phaseofrevisionentails themutualassimilationof thedifferentclassesofconsonants that
havebeenearliersealedbytheirrespectivevowels.InBuddhisttantricjargon,thisisreferred
toasan“embracingofadifferentfamily”(para-kula-liºgana).Itisapreparatoryphaseforthe
actualmergingofthebody’syogaandyoginıtantrasintoeachother,formingaunitarytext,
devoidofdiverseparts.Itisfollowedbyafurtherredactionbymeansofwhichtheembodied
text becomes a partless and nondual text, in which all the letters of the n›˜ı-pr›˚as are
unifiedintothesingleword“eva˙.”Thewordeva˙issaidnottobeaterm,oraconceptual
sign,becauseitistheunionofwisdomandmethod.Eisasyllablea,oremptiness,thespace-
element,inthelocativecase;andva˙isgnosis,sublimebliss,whicharisesfromandabides
inemptiness,orspace.Thus,themulti-syllabletextisreducedtoatwo-syllabletext,which
isneitherayogaoryoginıtantra.
Inthefinalphaseofrevision,theembodiedtextiscompletelytransformedwiththe
incinerationoftheallofitslettersbythefireofthesamegnosisthatpreviouslylinkedthem
17
together. Following the model of the six-phased composition, dissolution, and
reconstructionofthetext’stwoearlierforms—phenomenalandconceptual—theprocessof
itsincinerationisalsocarriedoutinsixconsecutivephases.Thisnewtext,whichisdevoidof
parts and signs (nimitta), is said to have a unique non-conceptual form, characterized by
non-pronounceableconsonantsandvowels.Itisreducedtothesinglesyllablea,referredto
asasupremesyllable(param›k˝ara),asublimeemptiness(mah›-ŸÒnya),thedharmadh›tu,the
vajra-womb,andthecauseofthebody,speech,andmindofalltheBuddhas.Assuch,itis
likened to formless, non-embodied (arÒpa) space and is characterized as inexplicable
(anirdeŸya)andungrounded (aprati˝˛ha) inanything.36 Onaccount ofbeing reduced to the
single letter, it transcends the subject-object duality and is thereby self-cognizant in the
sense that it isan indivisibleunionof thediscourse, its subjectmatter,and theauthor.In
contrast, the embodied, conceptual text, consisting ofmany letters, exists as an object of
knowledgeinrelationtothereaderasitssubject.Furthermore,theembodied,conceptual
text,which iscomposedofacomplexsetofsystems,exists indialecticalrelationshipwith
other sets outside its boundaries; whereas, the non-embodied and non-conceptual text is
seen as free from controversial relations due to being non-localized. Although the
disembodiedtantric text isnotcharacterizedbyform, it issaidnot tobecharacterizedby
formlessnesseither,sinceitexistsinthevowela,whichisitsemptyform.37
18
The discussed revisional methods and their results suggest that a tantric text is
alwaysproductiveofwhatitdenotes.Arisingfromthesyllablea,thesourceofallexpressions
andgnosis in thebody,a sublime tantra takes onvariousphenomenal forms. Inorder to
elucidate themundaneandtranscendent truthsandpaths, it takeson theformofabook,
consistingofmantrasymbols,characterizedbyarticulation.Italsoassumes theformofthe
textembodiedinahumanfigure,consistingofthen›˜ıs,psychophysicalaggregates,andthe
like. Due to sharing a common source (yoni), these two phenomenal forms of a sublime
tantra—thebookandthebody—arefundamentallynondual.Inthisregard,theyarenotjust
meremetaphorsofeachother,buttwodifferentmanifestationsofthesamereality.Areader
ofatantrawhoknowsthistruthalsoknowsthatheisnotamereconsumerofthetextbut
alsoitsproducer.Heknowsthatitishismindalonethatlinksalltheletterstogetherintoa
single textandgives itdifferentmeaningsuntil it finallyabsorbs them into itsowngnosis,
from which they initially arose. By knowinghimself to be all of these—the text itself, its
author and revisionist, and its subject matter—one is said to become liberated from the
mind’s ideationandspiritual ignorance.One’s impermanentbody,subject to illness,aging,
anddiseasebecomesalteredintotheblissfulbodyofgnosis.
Althoughalloftheanuttara-yoga-tantrasagreethatasingle-syllabletextofthegnosis
of sublime and imperishable bliss is fundamentally same in all sentient beings, they offer
different transcriptions for it. For example, in the Hevajratantra,38 it is transcribed as the
19
syllablehe,standingforHevajra,intheK›lacakratraditionasthesyllablek›,orK›lacakra,
and so on. Its different transcriptions are determined by differing forms in which it may
appearandnotbyanyotherfactors.Thus,inthecontextoftheanuttara-yoga-tantras,justas
theevolutionofthephysicalbodycorrespondstothecreationofacanonicaltantra,sothe
closingofthephysicalbodycorrespondstotheclosingofthecanonicaltantrictext.Inthe
caseoftheK›lacakratantra,whichisthelatestIndianBuddhisttantra,theclosingofthebody
intimates the closing of Indian tantric tradition. The implications of these notions are
intriguing. One of the implications that is significant for the Indian Buddhist tantric
traditionisthatacanonicaltantrictextandthebody,whichareseenasultimatelynondual
andfunctionalasavehicle tospiritualawakening,are likearaft that isdiscardedwhen its
purpose is accomplished. In that respect, a canonical tantric text and the body can be
understoodastheVajray›naitself.Moreover,whilebeingclosedandcastasideinthecase
oftheindividualwhohasreachedhisfinalgoal,acanonicaltantracontinuestobeopenand
functional for those who have not yet reached spiritual awakening. Thus, being
simultaneouslyclosed foronepersonandopen foranother, a tantric text calls fordiverse
hermeneuticalapproaches.
20
1Sa˙yutaNik›ya,III.2Pa˛isambhidamagg›A˛˛hakath›cited in theEncyclopaediaofBuddhism,1979-1989,Vol.4,pp.371-372.3Ugraparip¸cch›sÒtra,2003,Ch.7,pp.319-320.4Saddharma-pu˚˜arıkaorTheLotusoftheGoodLaw,1963,Ch.18,pp.349-353.5LalitavistaraSÒtra,1983,Vol.2,pp.673-674.6See theGuhyasam›jatantra,1965,Ch.18,v.34, theMah›m›y›tantramwithGu˚avatı˛ık›,1992, p. 2, Am¸taka˚ik› commentary on the MañjuŸrın›masa˙gıti, 1994, p. 200, theYogaratnam›l›,1959,p.105:tantra˙prabandham,tantramitiprabandha¯.7TheAm¸taka˚ik›commentaryontheMañjuŸrın›masa˙gıti,,1994,p.9,v.13:tantra˙prabandham›khy›ta˙sa˙s›ra˙tantrami˝yate/tantra˙guhya˙rahasay›khy›tamuttara˙tantramucyate//8Hevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı,2001,p.9.9Guhyasam›jatantra,1978,Ch.18,p.115,vs.34-35:prabandha˙tantram›khy›ta˙tatprabandha˙tridh›bhavet/›dh›ra¯prak¸tiŸcaivaasa˙h›ryaprabhedata¯//prak¸tiŸc›k¸terheturasa˙h›ryaphala˙tath›/›dh›rastadup›yaŸcatribhistantr›rthasa˙graha¯//10tantram iti prabhandham/ trividha˙ tantra˙—hetutantra˙ phalatantram up›yatantra˙ ca/tatra prak¸tiprabh›svaram an›dinidhana˙ citta˙ bodhicittam/ sa hetus tadbıjam/ kasya bıjam/bodhe¯/11TheAm¸taka˚ik›,1994,pp.9,21.12TheAm¸taka˚ik›,1994,p.200,theVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.4, v. 7,Ch.1,v. 1. Cf. the Hevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı, 2001, p. 29: “It is a mantradue toprotectingtheworldfromcogitatingonreality.”(tattv›rthamanan›jjagattr›˚›ccamantra¯.)13The MañjuŸrın›masa˙gıti, vs. 28-29, cited in the Vimalaprabh› commentary on theK›lacakratantra,1986,Ch.1,v.3.Cf.theHevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı,2001,p.24:Amantraitself is reality (tattva), the letter a, and so on. Gnosis itself is reality, free from mentalelaborations(ni˝prapañca)andunexcelled(anuttara)gnosisofbliss(sukha-jñ›na).14TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.4.
21
14SekoddeŸa:ACriticalEditionoftheTibetanTranslationsWithanAppendixbyzRaneiroGnolion the Sanskrit Text, 1994, 131,vs. 6-7.For the commentary on these verses see RanieroGnoli, ”La SekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ı di S›dhuputra ⁄rıdhar›nanda: Il Testo Sanscrito,” inRivistadegli Studi Orientali, Vol, 70, fasc. 1-2 (1996), 1997, p. 119, and Francesco Sferra, TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›byN›rop›(Param›rthasa˙graha),2006,p.69.15According to the SekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ı of S›dhuputra, 1997, p. 119, and the SekoddeŸa˛ık› ofN›rop›, 2006, p. 69, the six points (˝a˛ko˛i) refers to the sixfold division of theK›lacakratantradiscourse, which is classified into the uddeŸa (the abridgedK›lacakratantra)andnirdeŸa(theroot,extensiveK›lacakratantra),eachofwhichisofthreekinds:pratyuddeŸa,mahoddeŸa,andpratinirdeŸa.16The yogas of the body, speech,mind, andgnosis, which eliminate the four states of theordinarymind—thewaking,dreaming,deepsleep,andthefourthstate—andwhichareofthenature of the fourbodies of theBuddhaonaccountofbeing free of the afflictive andcognitiveobscurations(›vara˚a).17Thetwotruthsrefertoconventional(sa˙v¸ti)andultimate(param›rtha)truths.18eva˙˝a˛ko˛ibhi¯Ÿuddha˙vajrayogaiŸcaturvidhai¯catu¯sa˙bodhibhi¯ksandhadh›tv›yatana˝a˛kulai¯.pa˛alai¯pañcabhi¯Ÿuddha˙lokadh›tv›dikairmatai¯saty›bhy›˙›dubuddha˙sy›tk›lacakr›bhidh›nakam.19RanieroGnoli,“LeSekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ıdiS›dhuputra⁄rıdhar›nanda,”inRivistadegliStudiOrientali,Vol.70,fasc.1-2(1996),1997,p.6. 20TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›byN›rop›,2006,p.73.21TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›byN›rop›,2006,p.74.22TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›,1941,p.3. 23TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,vs.56-57.24According the Vimalaprabh› commentary on the K›lacakratantra, these two texts aretraditionallyconsideredtoconsistof60,000linesand12,000lines,respectively.25TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.2,v.53.26TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,v.55.27TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,v.52.28TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,vs.56-57.29Accordingto theVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.1.v.1, thesixclassesofconsonantswiththeirindividualfivefolddivisionsare:kakhagaghaºgacachajajhaña˛a˛ha˜a˜ha˚apaphababhama
22
tathadadhanasa¯pa˝a¯kaThevowelsarelistedasthese:a›iıuÒ¸∂˘∑a˙a¯eaiar›roaual›lhah›yay›rar›vav›lal›.30TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,vs.7-8.31TheVimalaprabh›commentaryon theK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.9:kha-vajr›dika˙tantramucyataeka-vyañj›n›tmaka˙˝a˚tri˙Ÿan-m›tr›-bhinnamiti.32TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.10.33TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.9.34TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.10:A, i, u, ¸, ˘, a˙--or Ak˝obhya, Amoghasiddhi, Amit›bha, Vairocana, RatneŸa, andVajrasattva--forthetransformationofthebody.˘,u,¸,i,a,forthespeech,orpr›˚ao˙,›¯,hÒ˙forthemind(citta)aforgnosis(jñ›na).35TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.1,v.1.36TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›ofNa˜ap›da,1941,pp.57-58.37TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.1,v.1.38SeetheHevajratantra,2001,Ch.1,v.7,andtheHevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı,2001,p.9.
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