Yoga ritual manual

A complete manual for an intitiation ritual (dbang chog) associated with theSarvadurgatipariśodhana-tantra(116). The manual seems to be divided into three general sections. First the visualizedmaṇḍalais described (1r.1-3v.5), second a seven-day propitiation rite (bsnyen pa) is performed (3v.5-7r.3), and third the initiation ceremony is described (7r.3-18r.7).

Drawing mostly upon the second chapter of the tantra, the first section describes a forty-three deitymaṇḍalawhich consists ofŚākyamuniat the centre, surrounded by the four principal deities of the other buddha families. The latter four are in turn each surrounded by four bodhisattvas together comprising the "sixteen bodhisattvas of the good age" (bskal pa bzang po byang chub sems dpa' bcu drug). There are also four additional deities in the intermediate directions. To these twenty-five deities are then added the four offering goddesses, the four guardians of the gates, and the gods of the ten directions. This may be a significant description, as its forty-two deities may explain the layout of the top storey of theBsam yastemple, which is said to have held aSarvavid Vairocana(associated with theSarvadurgatipariśodhana-tantra) surrounded by forty-two deities (on this issue, see61).

The first section is also interesting for how it combines all three of the most popular early methods for organizing the generation of amaṇḍala, namely (1) thethree concentrations(San.samādhis) normally associated withMahāyogarituals, (2) the five complete enlightenments (San.pañcābhisaṃbodhi; Tib.mngon par byang chub pa lnga), and the fourmudrās. The work opens with the first of these, the threesamādhis, by which the visualization of themaṇḍalapalace is generated out of emptiness. The five complete enlightenments are then employed to populate themaṇḍalawith the principal deities (1r.7-1v.4). The role of the fourmudrās is less clear, but thekarmamudrāand thesamayamudrāseem to be used respectively to bring in the wisdom beings (San.jñānasattva; Tib.ye shes sems dpa'--see2r.3-2v.6), and to activate the deities (see2v.6-3v.5).

Section two, on the propitiation, consists of choosing the site (3v.5-), preparing the site (4r.3-), making the maṇḍala platform (4r.9-), performing the offerings, cleansings, recitations, and eliminating the obstructions (4v.9-), and laying the lines and drawing themaṇḍala. The section ends with prayers, generation ofbodhicitta, and prostrations to themaṇḍala(6r.3-7r.3).

The third and final section on the initiation rite draws upon the previous two ritual sections. The first part proceeds according to six subdivisions which are enumerated at the beginning of the section: (1) invitations (7r.6), (2)karmamudrās (10r.1), (3)samayamudrās (10r.3), (4) prostrations (10r.6), (5) offering goddess dances (lha mo gar mchod;10v.8), and (6) praises (11r.7-13v.7). Thekarmamudrās and thesamayamudrās are not described in detail, but can be seen in the tantra's first chapter (for an English translation, see22-24). Following these six subdivisions, the offerings are described (13v.7-14r.5). Then the stages of the main ritual sequence are enumerated (14r.5-7), and the student throws the flower (14r.7-), receives thesamaya(14v.5), and is introduced to themaṇḍala(15r.4). Finally, the ten initiations are granted. These match those found in the tantra, except that the final eleventh initation of the union of wisdom and means (338 : prajñopāyasamayoga) is missing from our manual. Considering how closely the present manuscript follows the root tantra's ritual passages, this difference may be significant, with bearings on the literary development of theSarvadurgatipariśodhana-tantraas well as tantric ritual technique more generally.