notes

This concertina appears to be incomplete at the beginning and end, and to have a lacuna in the middle which is partially filled by another part of the same manuscript in the Pelliot collection:288(discussed in entry to item 2). The first page of the concertina is the only one to contain seven lines of text; the other pages all contain only four or five lines.

The text on this first page may be connected with the followingsādhanaofAvalokiteśvara(in item 2). It is not complete. The empowerments of the mind and the body are mentioned in general terms. The last sentence on the page states that the nature of speech is the absorption and emanation ofAvalokiteśvara.

Yoga sadhana

There is a lacuna in this section of the manuscript between foliosRf.4randRf.4vwhich is partially filled by288verso. However, there are still lacunae betweenRf.4rand the beginning of the288versoand between the end of288versoandRf.4v. In both cases, the remaining lacuna is probably no more than two panels of text.

This is asādhanaofAvalokiteśvarawhich would probably fall into theYoga tantracategory. It agrees in many details with thesādhanain the Pelliot manuscript331and is also similar to thesādhanafound in a manuscript split between the Stein and Pelliot collections:IOL Tib J 509and320.

After the homage, thesādhanais introduced with the phrase: "With the desire for thesiddhiof nobleAvalokiteśvarain this very life..." (Rf.1v.2-4 de la 'phags pa spyan ras gzigs gyi dbang phyug/ tshe 'di nyid la dngos su grub par 'dod pas/). The meditator is enjoined to find a quite place, and to remember the master who gave the instructions on this practice. As a preliminary to the visualization, the meditator is to visualize a yellowŌṃat the crown of the head, a redAṃat the throat and a blueHungat the heart, and then to meditate "without fixation" (Rf.3r.1-3 myi dmigs) that everything is natureless. Following this, a moon disc appears from the syllableĀ, and the celestial palace is visualized, manifesting from the syllableprung.

At this point comes the lacuna, and the text continues, after a break of one or two pages, on the first page of288verso. The text picks up in the middle of the description ofAvalokiteśvara:Amitābhacrowns his head. He has two arms, one in the gesture of giving refuge, and one holding a red lotus. He sits cross-legged on a lotus. To the left of him is his consort,Chos kyi sems ma. The meditator is to develop thevajrapride in himself asBcom ldan 'das dpal chos kyi sems pa(San.*Bhagavān Śrī Dharmasattva), which seems to be another name for this form ofAvalokiteśvara. Note that in theSarvatathagātha-tattvasaṃgraha,Avalokiteśvarabelongs to thedharmafamily (which is identical with thepadmafamily). Then the other deities of themaṇḍalaare described: In the eight directions are the eight offering goddess typical of theYoga tantras. At the four gates are the four guardians. At this point288versocomes to an end.

The text continues, after a brief lacuna, onRf.4rof the present manuscript. The meditator is enjoined to recite thesnying po108 times. Then there is a visualization and recitiation of "the rootmantraof the heart[-mantra] of approach" (Rf.4v.1-3 nye ba'i snying po rtsa ba'i sngags). ThismantraisRf.4v.4 Ōṃ bā dzra dar mā rhri. Thismantracontains the root syllables ofAvalokiteśvara(vajradharma) according to theVajradhātu maṇḍalaof theSarvatathagātha-tattvasaṃgraha(112: 223-3-5). This is to be recited 1008 times or more, along with "the three suchnesses" (Rf.5r.2 de kho na nyid gsum) until the meditator attains "stainlessness" (Rf.5r.1 bye ma la). Then a single syllable is visualized, and the meditator is from outer objects such as sound. This appears to be the end of the main part of thesādhana.

The last part of the text is said to be taken from "the ritual of the faultless mind" (Rf.5v.2 skyon med sems gyi cho ga). It is introduced with the phrase "If you wish to dismiss..." (Rf.5v.3-4 gtong bar 'dod na). The meditator is very briefly instructed to do the outer and innermantras andmūdras, invite the deities, venerate them with the songs and dances of the yogicmūdras, do the aspirational prayer and confession, guard the body with the deity and celestial palace, always remember the deity and recite themantra.

prayers

This text consists of six verses addressed to the five buddhas: (i)Myi bskyod pa(Akṣobhya), (ii)Rnam par snang mdzad(Vairocana), (iii)Rincen [sic for /can ]rgyal po (=Ratnasambhava), (iv)Rdo rje myi mchi(=Amitābha), and (v)Gdon mi za(=Amoghasiddhi). In the final verse the prayer is referred to as "these peaceful verses of praise" (Rf.9r.1 bstod tshogs zhi ba 'di rnams). There is some doubt regarding the last two verses, which appear separately in583as the first text in this manuscript. These occur onRf.8v-Rf.9r. The text on the verso of the concertina (item 5) appears to be interrupted at this point, so there are probably also some pages missing from this text, and thus some verses missing in between the fourth and five verse.

Vajrayāna treatise

This text, which continues from the recto side of the concertina to the verso, is incomplete because the concertina is missing several pages at the end.

The first lines of the text identify it as a treatise on the six kinds ofbskol mdo, which might be translated as "boiled-down essentials." The six are: (i) view, (ii)samaya, (iii) recitation practice, (iv) purification through burning, (v) aspirational prayer, and (vi)no pyi ka: the method for accomplishment. Due to the incompleteness of the manuscript, we only have the beginning of the explanation of the first essential, and the end of the explanation of the sixth. A text on the same subject also appears in240/2, although this manuscript (also a concertina) is also incomplete at the end, and only three of the six essentials are completely covered.

The lines that remain on the first essential state that the view is to be presented according to the texts ofChan,SutraandMantra. The view is non-fixation and the naturelessness of appearances. On the verso, the end of the discussion of the sixth essential point is clearly the final part of a discussion ofsādhanapractice.

prayers

This prayer toVajrasattvais incomplete at the end, evidently due to some missing pages in the manuscript. It is a short propitiation, asking for blessing andsiddhis.

Mahāyoga notes

A few lines on "the view ofMahāyoga:" Phenomena are neither pure nor impure, the path of liberation is one's own mind, and there is no need to strive for anything else.

prayers

These three verses address bodhisattvas of three of the five buddha families: (i)Vajrasattva Mahāsattva, (ii)Ratnasattva Mahāsattva, (iii)Dharmasattva Mahāsattva. The verses are an invitation to each of the deities. Although only three of the five families are addressed, this text appears to be complete.

prayers

These verses, like the previous ones, are an invitation. They describe the five families as inseparable in nature, but nevertheless teaching individually.Vajrasattvais invited to come with all of his emanations.

Vajrayāna treatise

This is a fairly lengthy treatise directed at "the students ofyoga." It is unfortunately incomplete at the end, and has a lacuna betweenVf.6vandVf.7rwhich is only partially filled by288recto. The text is a commentary on seven injunctions (Vf.6r.4-6v.3): (i) to cut off ordinary phenomena (chos gyi la gcad); (ii) to examine the three realms (khams gsum brtag); (iii) to attain the five principals (gtso bo lnga brnyes); (iv) to maintain the five samayas (dam tshig lnga bsrung); (v) to accept the five nectars (bdud rtsi lnga dang du blang); (vi) to practice the ten nonvirtues ([myi] dge ba bcu spyad); (vii) to uphold the eight laws (khrims brgyad bca' 'o). This list is given at the beginning of the text, where the sixth injunction is listed as "to practice the ten virtues," but in the commentary on this line later in the text (Vf.8r.3) it is "nonvirtues", and this is certainly the correct reading, as the commentary makes clear.

The commentary on the first injunction is partially lost in the lacuna, though the end is picked up at the beginning of288recto, and some of the section on the third is also lost in the lacuna, before the text is picked up again in the present manuscript atVf.7r. There is no commentary on the fifth injunction, and the commentary on the seventh and last injunction is incomplete, with only a partial line of commentary remaining.