The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is one of the pivotal tantras of the Old Tantras section of the Kangyur and is the root tantra of what came to be called Anuyoga—the second among the three highest levels of tantra according to the Nyingma tradition. In this text, the Buddha Samantabhadra-Vajrasattva, also called Custodian of the Supreme Secret, is exhorted to teach by his consort Samantabhadrī-Siṃhaśārikā. He thereupon enters a series of concentrations and empowers his spokesperson Sattvavajra to bestow the teachings that make up the tantra. These teachings cover a wide array of topics, ranging from the ultimate nature of mind, through a presentation of several key doctrinal notions of Anuyoga, to a variety of rituals that include those for sexual union and longevity, the benefits involved in reviving corpses, the fierce liberation of negative forces, the preparation of medicinal pills, the burnt offering, and the empowerments whereby the meditator is initiated into the Anuyoga tradition.
This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. Dylan Esler produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Lopon P. Ogyan Tanzin Rinpoche acted as consultant for difficult portions of the Tibetan text. Passang Dolma curated the e-text of The Armor Against Darkness commentary, enhancing its usefulness. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Linda Griffin copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The generosity of the anonymous sponsor who helped make the work on this translation possible is gratefully acknowledged.
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is one of the fundamental tantras of the Old Tantras section of the Kangyur.1 As such, it is also found within the separate Nyingma Gyübum (rnying ma rgyud ’bum) collection, an alternative canon of tantras that are venerated in the Nyingma school,2 some of which have found their way into the Kangyur.3 Also known as The Adamantine Array (rdo rje bkod pa) or simply as The Array (rnam bkod),4 it is classified as the root tantra of what came to be called Anuyoga and is part of a wider list of four Anuyoga tantras, which additionally includes The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions5 (Toh 829), The Lightning Wheel of Magnificent Wisdom6 (Toh 830), and The Play of the Charnel Ground Cuckoo.7 This core list is sometimes expanded into five texts, in which case The Sūtra That Is the Great Authoritative Scripture of the Mind8 is also included, and we also encounter more complex lists of fourteen (seven earlier and seven later sūtras)9 and even ninety-two texts.10 Although The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is thus considered by the tradition to be an Anuyoga scripture, this is not the way that it presents itself. Rather, it seems to cover the whole gamut of what eventually would crystallize into the three inner tantras (nang rgyud sde gsum) of the Nyingma school—Mahāyoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga—and this is also how it was understood by its earliest exponents. For example, in his Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation (bsam gtan mig sgron), the early Tibetan exegete Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé (ca. 844–mid-tenth century) quotes from The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness (usually under the title The Adamantine Array) in his Mahāyoga chapter (which also covers Anuyoga), yet he does so too (albeit somewhat less frequently) in his chapter on Atiyoga.11 On a number of occasions, the tantra itself makes use of the term great completeness (rdzogs pa chen po, rdzogs chen), which would eventually come to signify a distinct contemplative approach, although it must be said that the term is usually qualified in one way or the other and that it tends to be mentioned as part of other rubrics, without the same weight of significance attaching to it as in the later tradition. Nonetheless, the tantra discusses in quite some depth the absolute nature of mind and reality and the formless type of meditation that enables the practitioner to immerse themselves in this nondual state.12
In the above-mentioned list of four Anuyoga scriptures, which probably was settled on in the early twelfth century,13 a particularly close relationship can be seen to exist between The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness, which is considered to be the root tantra, and The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, classified as the explanatory tantra.14 This relationship is discernible both in terms of the topics covered and in the sharing of textual passages between these two tantras.15 Given the relationship of root and explanatory tantra that is ascribed to both texts and given that The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is shorter than The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, it is likely that it was written first.16 We do not, however, have any information on the compilers of this scripture or even on its translators. One of the Nyingma Gyübum editions, the Tingkyé, contains a colophon claiming that the tantra was translated by Padmasambhava and Vairocana, and this statement is repeated by Terdak Lingpa Gyurmé Dorjé (1646–1714) in his Record of Teachings Obtained (thob yig).17 However, the fact that this colophon is absent from the Kangyur versions and from the Tsamdrak edition of the Nyingma Gyübum makes this doubtful,18 as does the fact that the catalog for the Degé edition of the Nyingma Gyübum contradicts the Tingkyé colophon, giving the translators as Vimalamitra and Chokro Lui Gyaltsen instead.19 The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is not mentioned in the ninth-century catalogs of imperially sanctioned translations, the Denkarma and Phangthangma.20 This, however, is not in itself surprising given the esoteric nature of this scripture. Indeed, during the imperial period the propagation of such tantras was considered potentially subversive, so their omission from the official catalogs may well have been deliberate.21
Although there are no direct commentaries on The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness,22 the explanatory tantra, The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, and the extensive commentary that Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé devoted to the latter, The Armor Against Darkness (mun pa’i go cha), provide some insight into an early exegetical tradition associated with this tantric corpus. These subsidiary texts can also help us suggest a tentative date for the compilation of The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness. For if we assume that Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé composed The Armor Against Darkness at the end of the ninth century following his repeated trips to India and Nepal,23 but before The Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation, which represents his literary masterpiece and which he is said to have written toward the end of his life (i.e., in the middle of the tenth century),24 it seems likely that The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions dates to the mid-ninth century. Evidence suggesting this is the fact that the empowerment scheme of The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions is somewhat archaic, with Nupchen seeking to update it to more recent tantric developments in his Armor Against Darkness, notably by combining it with other empowerment schemes (in particular that of the four empowerments), thus showing that the text on which he is commenting must have predated his commentary by several decades at least.25 Since the explanatory tantra, The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, picks up on and systematizes ideas announced in The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness, it seems plausible that the latter, as the shorter root tantra, was compiled first, probably in the early ninth century.
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness, along with the entire group of five Anuyoga scriptures, is among those tantras mentioned in the decree of Phodrang Shiwa Ö (fl. eleventh century) as having been fabricated by Tibetans while falsely claiming to have an Indian pedigree.26 The question of whether there was ever a Sanskrit original for this text is certainly a complex one. While the text displays features of the stilted style of Tibetan translations from Sanskrit, it also contains etymological discussions of technical terms, where the words (e.g., ye shes, “wisdom,” and dam tshig, “pledge”)27 are broken up into their constituent parts in Tibetan in a way that cannot be replicated in Sanskrit. Nonetheless, it cannot be excluded that these indigenous Tibetan etymologies are drawing on Indic traditions of etymological interpretation (Skt. nirukti), which are based on the principle that the description of a referent term must be directly tied to revealing the semantic meaning inherent in the linguistic term itself, including its individual components.28 Similar questions are raised by the discussion of the shapes of the vowels in the Tibetan alphabet that we find at one point in the text,29 although again this may be a reflection of Indian writing conventions too, appropriately adapted to the Tibetan context. A further problem concerns the Sanskrit title found at the beginning of the tantra, which looks like a back-translation from the Tibetan,30 and this is not to mention the numerous variants between the Kangyur versions on the one hand and the Nyingma Gyübum versions on the other: sarvatathāgata-cittaguhyajñānārthagarbha31-krodhavajra32-kulatantra-piṇḍārtha33-vidyā-yogasiddha-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra.34 Taken together, these issues call into question the notion that the tantra was a straightforward translation from Sanskrit. Indeed, although during the early translation period some tantras were certainly translated from Sanskrit,35 it is also clear that a large number of them were revealed or compiled in Tibet itself, and it seems likely that The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness belongs to the latter category. These tantras freely recombined extant Indic textual and ritual modules by culturally adapting and localizing them to indigenous Tibetan contexts. The incorporation of Tibetan deities into their pantheons is an example of this,36 as are the indigenous Tibetan etymologies mentioned above. While such a practice of continual revelation may seem surprising from the standpoint of the stringent criteria of textual authenticity (i.e., the demonstrability of an Indian original) applied during the later diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet, we would do well to remember that those who revealed such tantras on Tibetan soil were in fact simply emulating the modes of scriptural revelation that had always been practiced in India, both in Mahāyāna and in tantric Buddhism.37
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is presented as a teaching that the Buddha Samantabhadra-Vajrasattva, also called Custodian of the Supreme Secret, gives to his great assembly of disciples after having been exhorted to do so by his consort Samantabhadrī-Siṃhaśārikā. The tantra’s main speaker is in fact Sattvavajra (alias Vajrasattva), for while Custodian of the Supreme Secret is the spiritual inspiration behind the tantra as a whole and empowers Sattvavajra as his spokesperson, it is Sattvavajra who gives voice to most of the text. As such, he is regularly addressed as a blessed one in his own right. In the Degé Kangyur edition (and the Kangyur versions more generally), the tantra consists of thirty-three chapters, but in the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé Nyingma Gyübum versions it has thirty-seven chapters. This discrepancy is not, however, due to any fundamental difference in content but is simply due to a different way of dividing some of the chapters, with the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé Nyingma Gyübum versions inserting two additional chapter titles in chapter 9, one in chapter 16, and one in chapter 19. Interestingly, not all the Nyingma Gyübum versions follow suit: the Degé Nyingma Gyübum edition has thirty-three chapters,38 like the Kangyur versions, which suggests a degree of regional variation in this regard.39 The text does not follow any clearly discernible logical structure, although a loose progression is observable between the initial chapters (up to and including chapter 9), which set forth the theoretical framework of the tantra, and the later chapters, which are mainly devoted to ritual concerns.40
Chapter 1 is the longest and most deeply philosophical, and it sets the stage for the entire tantra. It describes how Custodian of the Supreme Secret enters into a series of concentrations that inspire the teachings expounded in the tantra. Such concentrations also play a significant role in subsequent parts of the text. Chapter 1 presents many of the doctrinal elements that would subsequently form the building blocks of the Anuyoga system as a whole, notably the lists of eleven yogas and eleven (or, more usually, ten) stages. Among the subjects discussed in the initial chapters are the signs of spiritual progress (chapter 3), the pledges (chapter 4), and the symbolic modes of communication used in the context of tantric ritual (chapter 5), as well as the various types of concentration that are entered into and displayed by the two buddhas presiding over the tantra’s delivery (chapter 9). The later chapters in the tantra address a variety of ritual topics, providing fascinating details of a wide range of rituals, including those relating to sexual union (chapter 10, as well as chapter 12, which is about the feast gathering and the configuration of deities) and longevity (chapter 11). A number of the rituals involve corpses. For example, chapter 9 includes a special concentration to revive corpses (which even gives its name to one of the additional chapter headings found in the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé Nyingma Gyübum versions), along with specific instructions on the rituals to do so. Among the special accomplishments mentioned that the practice is supposed to yield is swift-footedness. Furthermore, in chapter 15 the substances obtained from a corpse’s sense faculties are ground and made use of to gain the supercognitions related to each of the five sense faculties, with chapter 16 explaining the procedures involved in producing human ashes from bones. Chapter 14 is particularly interesting, for it offers a corrective to the mistaken notion that tantric practice condones unbridled debauchery. In it a group of wild yogins boast of their ability to engage in unconventional forms of tantric conduct, inverting the traditional Buddhist virtues, yet they are chastised by Sattvavajra, who comments that their fixation on the external trappings of nonduality (the morbid fascination with unclean foodstuffs) causes them to miss the central point of mind-as-such.41 He subsequently explains that they should not inhibit their particular style of conduct and alludes to the correct manner of compassionately liberating the hostile forces represented by an effigy.42 The topic of the fierce liberation of the negative forces of ego-clinging, embodied by the figure of Mātaṃga Rudra and symbolized by his effigy, is taken up again in greater detail in chapters 20 and 21. This also leads to a number of related subjects, notably the extraction of the ritual ambrosia and the preparation of medicinal pills (chapter 24), which are consumed as substances of accomplishment, and the rite of the fire offering, whereby the effigy (also called the corpse) is burned (chapter 26). Other topics covered include a presentation of the mantras and emblematic gestures used in tantric ritual (chapters 27 and 28). Of particular importance to the later tradition are the configuration of deities (called the configuration of the supremely secret charnel ground, a complex structure in nine stacked-up tiers43 held to symbolize the nine vehicles) introduced in chapter 12 and the sequence of thirty-six empowerments expounded in chapter 32; both of these elements form the basis for the extensive sūtra empowerment (mdo dbang) ceremony, which has continued to be transmitted down to the present day.44 In a way befitting the grandiose teaching delivered in the tantra, the final chapter closes with a praise sung by the retinue of disciples.
This is the first translation of The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness to appear in English or in any other European language. Among modern scholars, Jacob Dalton provides a succinct overview of The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness in the appendix to his study of the explanatory tantra,45 The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, and his work on the latter has been drawn on in this introduction, particularly as regards the tentative dating of both texts.
The present translation is based on the Degé Kangyur as well as the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé editions of the Nyingma Gyübum. Where relevant, reference has also been made to the variants reported in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur. In general, it can be said that the variant readings between the various Kangyur versions are negligible when compared to those between the Kangyur versions on the one hand and the Nyingma Gyübum editions on the other. In the case of difficult passages shared between the root and explanatory tantras and commented on in Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé’s Armor Against Darkness, the commentary has been drawn on to clarify their meaning.
[F.1.b]Homage to the Blessed One, the glorious liberator, the compassionate king.
Thus did I hear at one time. The blessed lord among all the thus-gone ones, the glorious Samantabhadra-Vajrasattva,46 the heruka Custodian of the Supreme Secret, the omnipotent lord of blessings, was moved by his sacred engagement in the great meaning, the array of the inexhaustible treasury.
The place where he explained this wondrous meaning was the ultra-secret universal ground, the palace of the open dimension of phenomena, the unfurled expanse of the seminal nucleus, the wondrously renowned celestial mansion of emptiness,47[F.2.a] its extent unlimited throughout all directions.
From the sky of reality-as-such, miraculous clouds amassed, and the rain of awakening poured down. The torments of the afflictions were soaked, and the sprouts of wisdom grew. The place was without center or periphery; its peaks were everywhere equal in extent; and it was adorned with turquoises48 and beautified by braided pearls, flower wreaths, and tassels. In the sky, which was illuminated by the great sun, inlaid with the great moon, studded with stars and constellations, and totally radiant with the luminescence of precious diamonds, there arose a massive dark whirlwind, equal in extent to unlimitedness, and a billowing sea of blood, its extent unlimited throughout all directions. Thereupon was the abode of Mātaṃga Rudra, the blazing celestial mansion, propelled on frothy scum and built on a ground which in extent was everywhere equal to a heap of bones. Rays of light radiated everywhere. The walls were made of small piled-up reliquary lockets, and striking nails of meteoric iron were planted in the interstices. The sun and moon glided along all the mansion’s spokes, in courses propitious and unpropitious. Its pillars and beams were made of large fish, and it was full of rafters and lattices made of small fish. The pillar bases were made of moon, the pillar capitals of sun, and the pillars were adorned with wreaths of snakes, and so forth. The thunder and lightning of hūṁ struck. The palace was adorned with the canopies of reality-as-such, bedecked with tassels of wisdom, and covered in adamantine ornaments and ribbons. The drains were made of venomous vipers, and wherever there were intervals that fell like the shadows of dark clouds,[F.2.b] these were beautified by jewels, pearls, and flowers. Requisites were exhibited49 on the surrounding maṇḍala: corpses great and small, upper and lower torsos, long and short limbs, and garlands of sense organs, totally bedecked with diamonds.
In the luminous places in the nine orifices of the body, there assembled all the adamantine wrathful deities, such as Adamantine Hatred, known as the adamantine regent; Jewel Pride, known as the adamantine spike;50 Lotus Passion, known as the adamantine envoy; Variegated Jealousy, known as the adamantine worker; Holder of the Insignia of Warmth, known as the adamantine raven; Harmonious Attendant, known as the adamantine juncture; as well as all the adamantine siblings, the adamantine brothers and sisters,51 the adamantine awareness holders, all the deities of the adamantine body, all the adamantine yogins, all the deities of adamantine speech, all the deities of the adamantine activities, all the deities of adamantine ideation, all the adamantine girls, all the adamantine envoys, all the adamantine ḍākinīs, all the adamantine śākinīs, all the adamantine piśācīs, all the adamantine blazers, all the adamantine yakṣīs, and all the adamantine rākṣasīs, all women, whether they be adamantine maidservants, adulteresses, or slave girls, as well as all the adamantine emissaries, and so forth.
All the buddhas of the adamantine family dwelled in a dignified manner without fear52 on the vajra seat together with their numerous retinues. These included the great miracle buddha known as Omnipotent Lord of the Sky, the great miracle buddha known as Provider of Liberation, the great miracle buddha known as Proclaimer of Liberation, the great miracle buddha known as Accomplishing Everything, the great yoginī sky maiden known as Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī sky maiden known as Assembler of Joy,53 the great yoginī sky maiden known as Tormentor, the great yoginī sky maiden known as Tārā, and so forth, and their retinue of the great secret. Moreover, the retinue of the great pledge comprised the great pledge buddha known as Vajragarbha, the great pledge buddha known as Quintessence of Gems, the great pledge buddha known as Padmagarbha, the great pledge buddha known as Arrayed Quintessence, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Adamantine Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Omnipotent Mistress of Gems, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Lotus Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Adorned Omnipotent Mistress, and so forth, and their retinue of great nontransgression. Furthermore, the retinue of the immeasurables comprised the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Kindness, the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Compassion, the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Joy, the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Equanimity, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Omnipotent Mistress of Bliss, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Conquering Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Omnipotent Mistress of Joy, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Pervading Omnipotent Mistress, and their retinue of immeasurables. There was also the retinue of the great display,54 comprising the buddha of the great display known as Yakṣaheruka, the buddha of the great display known as Rakṣaheruka, the buddha of the great display known as Bhīṣaṇaheruka,55 the buddha of the great display known as Viśvaheruka, the yoginī of the great display known as Yakṣaśārikā,56 the yoginī of the great display known as Rakṣaśārikā,57 the yoginī of the great display known as Bhīṣaṇaśārikā, the yoginī of the great display known as Viśvaśārikā, and their retinue of great displays. Moreover, the great terrifier retinue comprised the great terrifier buddha known as Takṣaheruka,58 the great terrifier buddha known as Keśaheruka,59 the great terrifier buddha known as Pakṣaheruka,60 the great terrifier buddha known as Viśvaheruka, the great terrifier yoginī known as Takṣaśārikā, the great terrifier yoginī known as Keśaśārikā, the great terrifier yoginī known as Pakṣaśārikā,61 the great terrifier yoginī known as Viśvaśārikā, and so forth, and their great terrifier retinue. Furthermore, the great conqueror retinue comprised the great conqueror buddha known as Dakṣaheruka,62 the great conqueror buddha known as Dīkṣāheruka,63 the great conqueror buddha known as Kaśaheruka,64 the great conqueror buddha known as Bhakṣaheruka,65 the great conqueror yoginī known as Dakṣaśārikā, the great conqueror yoginī known as Dīkṣāśārikā,66 the great conqueror yoginī known as Kaśaśārikā, the great conqueror yoginī known as Bhakṣaśārikā, and their great conqueror retinue. There was also the great devourer retinue, comprising the great devourer buddha known as Ṛtiheruka,67 the great devourer buddha known as Raktiheruka,68 the great devourer buddha known as Kharīheruka,69 the great devourer buddha known as Sahaheruka,70 the great devourer yoginī known as Ṛtiśārikā, the great devourer yoginī known as Raktiśārikā, the great devourer yoginī known as Kharīśārikā, the great devourer yoginī known as Sahaśārikā, and so forth, along with many retinues of yoginīs and nothing short of an infinity of inconceivably numerous herukas. Moreover, the retinue of the secret maidens comprised the secret maiden known as Lady White, the secret maiden known as Lady Thief, the secret maiden known as Lady Dull, the secret maiden known as Vetālī, the secret maiden known as Lady of the Middle,71 the secret maiden known as Caṇḍālī, the secret maiden known as Lady Butcher, the secret maiden known as Lady of the Assembly, and so forth, and their inconceivable retinue of secret maidens. Furthermore, the retinue of the maidens of joy72 comprised the maiden of joy known as Siṃhamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Gṛdhramukhā, the maiden of joy known as Vyāghramukhā, the maiden of joy known as Śṛgālamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Śvānamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Kaṅkamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Kākamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Ulūkamukhā,73 and so forth, and their inconceivable retinue of maidens of joy. There was also the retinue of devoted maidens, comprising the devoted maiden known as Hayāsyā,74 the devoted maiden known as Varāhamukhā,75 the devoted maiden known as Monkey Face,[F.4.b] the devoted maiden known as Ash-Maker, and so forth, and their retinue of devoted maidens. Moreover, the retinue of the great killer sons comprised the great killer known as Glorious Tiger Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Yak Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Deer Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Leopard Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Hayagrīva, the great killer known as Glorious Wolf Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Lion Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Bear Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Boar Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Hyena Throat, the great killer lady known as Adamantine Murderess,76 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Charnel Ground Hauntress,77 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Mortar,78 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Ferocity,79 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Haughty Arrow,80 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Emitter of Sound,81 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Devourer, the great killer lady known as Adamantine Courtesan, the great killer lady known as Adamantine Raiser, and their many retinues of great killer ladies. They were all together, as numerous as particles of dust.
The consort, adamantine Samantabhadrī-Siṃhaśārikā,82 clasped the Buddha’s body, facing him all the while. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret considered all phenomena and, knowing that they arise in equality, he entered the meditative equilibrium of the state called nonimaging of the equality of exalted body. He entered the state called nonimaging of the equality of exalted speech.[F.5.a] He entered83 the state called nonimaging of the equality of exalted mind. He did not referentially image either entering, or reverting, or utter reverting. While the Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret was unwaveringly resting in the state of the open dimension, his consort, the adamantine Samantabhadrī, besought him by intoning this song of emptiness:
The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret knew that all phenomena arise in the mind of awakening, and from the state of emptiness he disclosed his adamantine body. It was like the stainless moon shining in the limpid sky. Beholding his consort Siṃhaśārikā, he smiled. His smile was like the light rays emitted by a thousand suns. From the rays of light, clouds of awakening amassed, and the rain of display poured down, instigating the thunder and lightning of variegated displays along with offerings, song and dance, drums, conches, cymbals, and flutes, ornaments, charm, and seduction, embracing and indulging, union, dissolving, and pleasure, yearning and tasting, biting and bliss, relishing, alluring, and entering, and the great joy of variegated displays. His consort Samantabhadrī, with her eyes half-closed, reverently[F.5.b] gazed at the Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret. Prostrating in the manner of applying yoga, she threw her entire body upon the ground and prayed to him with this song of the great display:
The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret, cognizant that he had been exhorted by this song, emerged from the state of great bliss in the manner of a great miracle. He pervaded the entire sky with his dignity and resplendence, with the great emblematic gestures of his dance, with his varied explanations, with the positions of his feet, stretched out and drawn in, with the poses of his body, with changing drawn patterns,86 and with emanated light rays. Custodian of the Supreme Secret pervaded everything everywhere—all signs and aspects, all of existence and nonexistence—and abided in their nature. The adamantine Samantabhadrī was in wonder and, prostrating in the manner of yoga, she threw her entire body upon the ground and prayed to him with this song of the miraculous occurrence:
The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret entered the meditative equilibrium of the concentration called suchness of the adamantine display and remained silent. His consort, the adamantine Samantabhadrī, as well as the great pledge being Vajrasattva and their numerous retinues were in wonder. All of them with a single voice prayed to and besought him with this song of the suchness of the adamantine display:[F.6.a]
With exclamations of joy, she prayed while bowing down before him. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret, heeding the prayer of this song of the suchness of the adamantine display, gazed at all the retinues and smiled. When he smiled, the inexpressible sun of awareness, along with its infinite and similarly inexpressible rays of light, arose from the pure expanse of his heart, pervading everywhere. From each of these rays of light, there arose90 hosts of numerous adamantine herukas. From each of them, hundreds of thousands of buddhas along with their retinues and their individual servants were made to be spontaneously present. The rising sun of awareness alighted upon them,91 and the entire expanse of darkness was rendered clear. The thunder of the principle of awareness,[F.6.b] its rain and varied songs, as well as various dances and offerings emerged. Various sounds occurred constantly, vibrant and everywhere pervading, hither and thither, upward and downward, as well as pell-mell in the sky’s infinity. A rain of offerings poured down. The Buddha’s amazing body was inconceivable, vibrant and constant; his amazing mind, too, was vivid. His amazing speech was inconceivable and proclaimed exclamations of joy. The melodious speech of the hundreds of thousands of buddhas exclaimed in a single inconceivable voice: “How wonderful is the absolute meaning of the doctrine of the amazing display!”
Hundreds of thousands of retinues and the various beings to be tamed generated the wonder of delight. They trained the dexterity of their awareness, discovered the greatness of their purpose, and were overawed92 and in wonder. They all remained close by. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret entered the meditative equilibrium of the concentration called the adamantine ornament that trains the retinue. Once he had entered that equilibrium, he spoke these words of the adamantine mantra:
By merely pronouncing this, a great mass of luminous fire arose on his tongue, from which emerged a blazing garland of light consisting of wrathful ones, as well as, in succession, a blazing garland of light consisting of rākṣasas, one consisting of yakṣas, and one consisting of devourers. The raudras, demons, rākṣasīs, yakṣas, rākṣasas, as well as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Īśvara,[F.7.a] and Balavat, along with monkeys, goats, sheep, bees, crows, fireflies, the retinues, water, earth, sky, fire, sounds, and all evil thoughts, and so forth, were wiped out. As they no longer abided there, this produced amazement. The light rays swirled through the sky, and the numerous retinues became afraid and prayed: “Alas, O Blessed One, please bless us!”
The countenance of the Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret emitted a lustrous glow. Light rays endowed with the peaceful and swirling light of wisdom, as well as with beauty94 and bliss, rendered all those in the assembly rapturous and cleansed them into suitable vessels. The light rays dissolved into the abode of light. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret emerged from the expanse of great nonabiding wisdom and, with a sound like that of a victorious lion, explained the semantic layout, the certainty of secrecy, the elucidation of the tantra, the display of indications,95 and the locutions of the textual tradition relating to the adamantine regal poise:
a o oṁ | samaya adhi96 guhya97 pūti98 aho | kulam aho99 jitapatra100 amogha īśvara sayana101 guti102 alalaho ||
He said nothing more. Saying nothing at all, he indeed said nothing, yet his speaking did not stop and was ceaseless. He remained in the essence wherein the extensive explanation lies in not speaking.
Remaining thus, he appeared in a vision before the great pledge being Vajrasattva and exhorted him through his smile. Aware that he was being exhorted, the great pledge being Vajrasattva rose from his seat. Touching the marks on his five places, he placed them upon the lotus of his tongue. He prostrated in the manner of yoga, throwing his body upon the ground. With a lion’s gaze,[F.7.b] he looked upon the Teacher’s countenance, saying,
He prayed to him thus with exclamations of joy. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret, in order to bless the sacred injunctions of his adamantine worker, entered the meditative equilibrium of the concentration called adamantine radiation and said, “vajrakarma cakrasattva raṁ.”104 A wheel of crossed vajras alighted on Sattvavajra’s hand, and he obtained the empowerment of the adamantine worker. He was equipped with the fierce105 confidence of the great display. Having been thus blessed, he became endowed with great gravitas106 that was totally unfabricated.107 Thereupon, Sattvavajra took in his hand the sign of his activity. Taking various poses108 and dance steps, with the adamantine words of various songs, he turned the wheel of crossed vajras twelve times.109 At the count of two and five, all the pure fields began to shake and tremble, to quake and quiver, and to whirr and rattle with ever greater levels of intensity.110 All the pure fields became nothing but the secret configuration. The entire scope of objects111 became the great seal. Eagerly he sat facing the Teacher in a dignified manner on a seat that was marked with an adamantine lion. Many of those gathered among the retinues assembled there said to the Blessed One,[F.8.a] “It is wonderful, O Blessed One, that this Sattvavajra, who has such great force and such great blessings, who is so vast, so skilled, so clear, and so profound, was produced from the heart of the Blessed One.”
The Blessed One replied, “O you gathered here in this great assembly, this Sattvavajra is the ancestor of all bodhisattvas, the custodian of all compassion, the revered one among all the buddhas, the father of all the awareness-holding bodhisattvas, the grandfather of all yogins, the captain of all those who attain nirvāṇa, the great arch-demon to all demons,112 the treasury of all doctrines, the great source of all wisdoms. Why? From the time of equality without beginning or end, the furthest boundary without bounds, the time of infinity, unfathomable and unthinkable, he did his duty and his task, becoming fully awakened. Uniting with and abiding by the nature of all phenomena, he is produced from the heart of all the victorious ones and becomes the father of them all.”
When he had spoken thus, the whole of the assembled gathering was in wonder: “Wondrous is the Blessed One! Wondrous is the Well-Gone One!” Bowing down before the holy Sattvavajra, they prostrated in the manner of yoga, throwing their bodies upon the ground. Having presented amazing flowers and feast offerings, they prayed to him with exclamations of joy:
The holy Sattvavajra115 thereupon turned116 his vajra and spoke these indicative words in a resplendent manner:
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is one of the pivotal tantras of the Old Tantras section of the Kangyur and is the root tantra of what came to be called Anuyoga—the second among the three highest levels of tantra according to the Nyingma tradition. In this text, the Buddha Samantabhadra-Vajrasattva, also called Custodian of the Supreme Secret, is exhorted to teach by his consort Samantabhadrī-Siṃhaśārikā. He thereupon enters a series of concentrations and empowers his spokesperson Sattvavajra to bestow the teachings that make up the tantra. These teachings cover a wide array of topics, ranging from the ultimate nature of mind, through a presentation of several key doctrinal notions of Anuyoga, to a variety of rituals that include those for sexual union and longevity, the benefits involved in reviving corpses, the fierce liberation of negative forces, the preparation of medicinal pills, the burnt offering, and the empowerments whereby the meditator is initiated into the Anuyoga tradition.
This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation team. Dylan Esler produced the translation and wrote the introduction. Lopon P. Ogyan Tanzin Rinpoche acted as consultant for difficult portions of the Tibetan text. Passang Dolma curated the e-text of The Armor Against Darkness commentary, enhancing its usefulness. Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Linda Griffin copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The generosity of the anonymous sponsor who helped make the work on this translation possible is gratefully acknowledged.
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is one of the fundamental tantras of the Old Tantras section of the Kangyur.1 As such, it is also found within the separate Nyingma Gyübum (rnying ma rgyud ’bum) collection, an alternative canon of tantras that are venerated in the Nyingma school,2 some of which have found their way into the Kangyur.3 Also known as The Adamantine Array (rdo rje bkod pa) or simply as The Array (rnam bkod),4 it is classified as the root tantra of what came to be called Anuyoga and is part of a wider list of four Anuyoga tantras, which additionally includes The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions5 (Toh 829), The Lightning Wheel of Magnificent Wisdom6 (Toh 830), and The Play of the Charnel Ground Cuckoo.7 This core list is sometimes expanded into five texts, in which case The Sūtra That Is the Great Authoritative Scripture of the Mind8 is also included, and we also encounter more complex lists of fourteen (seven earlier and seven later sūtras)9 and even ninety-two texts.10 Although The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is thus considered by the tradition to be an Anuyoga scripture, this is not the way that it presents itself. Rather, it seems to cover the whole gamut of what eventually would crystallize into the three inner tantras (nang rgyud sde gsum) of the Nyingma school—Mahāyoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga—and this is also how it was understood by its earliest exponents. For example, in his Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation (bsam gtan mig sgron), the early Tibetan exegete Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé (ca. 844–mid-tenth century) quotes from The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness (usually under the title The Adamantine Array) in his Mahāyoga chapter (which also covers Anuyoga), yet he does so too (albeit somewhat less frequently) in his chapter on Atiyoga.11 On a number of occasions, the tantra itself makes use of the term great completeness (rdzogs pa chen po, rdzogs chen), which would eventually come to signify a distinct contemplative approach, although it must be said that the term is usually qualified in one way or the other and that it tends to be mentioned as part of other rubrics, without the same weight of significance attaching to it as in the later tradition. Nonetheless, the tantra discusses in quite some depth the absolute nature of mind and reality and the formless type of meditation that enables the practitioner to immerse themselves in this nondual state.12
In the above-mentioned list of four Anuyoga scriptures, which probably was settled on in the early twelfth century,13 a particularly close relationship can be seen to exist between The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness, which is considered to be the root tantra, and The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, classified as the explanatory tantra.14 This relationship is discernible both in terms of the topics covered and in the sharing of textual passages between these two tantras.15 Given the relationship of root and explanatory tantra that is ascribed to both texts and given that The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is shorter than The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, it is likely that it was written first.16 We do not, however, have any information on the compilers of this scripture or even on its translators. One of the Nyingma Gyübum editions, the Tingkyé, contains a colophon claiming that the tantra was translated by Padmasambhava and Vairocana, and this statement is repeated by Terdak Lingpa Gyurmé Dorjé (1646–1714) in his Record of Teachings Obtained (thob yig).17 However, the fact that this colophon is absent from the Kangyur versions and from the Tsamdrak edition of the Nyingma Gyübum makes this doubtful,18 as does the fact that the catalog for the Degé edition of the Nyingma Gyübum contradicts the Tingkyé colophon, giving the translators as Vimalamitra and Chokro Lui Gyaltsen instead.19 The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is not mentioned in the ninth-century catalogs of imperially sanctioned translations, the Denkarma and Phangthangma.20 This, however, is not in itself surprising given the esoteric nature of this scripture. Indeed, during the imperial period the propagation of such tantras was considered potentially subversive, so their omission from the official catalogs may well have been deliberate.21
Although there are no direct commentaries on The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness,22 the explanatory tantra, The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, and the extensive commentary that Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé devoted to the latter, The Armor Against Darkness (mun pa’i go cha), provide some insight into an early exegetical tradition associated with this tantric corpus. These subsidiary texts can also help us suggest a tentative date for the compilation of The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness. For if we assume that Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé composed The Armor Against Darkness at the end of the ninth century following his repeated trips to India and Nepal,23 but before The Lamp for the Eye of Contemplation, which represents his literary masterpiece and which he is said to have written toward the end of his life (i.e., in the middle of the tenth century),24 it seems likely that The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions dates to the mid-ninth century. Evidence suggesting this is the fact that the empowerment scheme of The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions is somewhat archaic, with Nupchen seeking to update it to more recent tantric developments in his Armor Against Darkness, notably by combining it with other empowerment schemes (in particular that of the four empowerments), thus showing that the text on which he is commenting must have predated his commentary by several decades at least.25 Since the explanatory tantra, The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, picks up on and systematizes ideas announced in The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness, it seems plausible that the latter, as the shorter root tantra, was compiled first, probably in the early ninth century.
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness, along with the entire group of five Anuyoga scriptures, is among those tantras mentioned in the decree of Phodrang Shiwa Ö (fl. eleventh century) as having been fabricated by Tibetans while falsely claiming to have an Indian pedigree.26 The question of whether there was ever a Sanskrit original for this text is certainly a complex one. While the text displays features of the stilted style of Tibetan translations from Sanskrit, it also contains etymological discussions of technical terms, where the words (e.g., ye shes, “wisdom,” and dam tshig, “pledge”)27 are broken up into their constituent parts in Tibetan in a way that cannot be replicated in Sanskrit. Nonetheless, it cannot be excluded that these indigenous Tibetan etymologies are drawing on Indic traditions of etymological interpretation (Skt. nirukti), which are based on the principle that the description of a referent term must be directly tied to revealing the semantic meaning inherent in the linguistic term itself, including its individual components.28 Similar questions are raised by the discussion of the shapes of the vowels in the Tibetan alphabet that we find at one point in the text,29 although again this may be a reflection of Indian writing conventions too, appropriately adapted to the Tibetan context. A further problem concerns the Sanskrit title found at the beginning of the tantra, which looks like a back-translation from the Tibetan,30 and this is not to mention the numerous variants between the Kangyur versions on the one hand and the Nyingma Gyübum versions on the other: sarvatathāgata-cittaguhyajñānārthagarbha31-krodhavajra32-kulatantra-piṇḍārtha33-vidyā-yogasiddha-nāma-mahāyāna-sūtra.34 Taken together, these issues call into question the notion that the tantra was a straightforward translation from Sanskrit. Indeed, although during the early translation period some tantras were certainly translated from Sanskrit,35 it is also clear that a large number of them were revealed or compiled in Tibet itself, and it seems likely that The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness belongs to the latter category. These tantras freely recombined extant Indic textual and ritual modules by culturally adapting and localizing them to indigenous Tibetan contexts. The incorporation of Tibetan deities into their pantheons is an example of this,36 as are the indigenous Tibetan etymologies mentioned above. While such a practice of continual revelation may seem surprising from the standpoint of the stringent criteria of textual authenticity (i.e., the demonstrability of an Indian original) applied during the later diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet, we would do well to remember that those who revealed such tantras on Tibetan soil were in fact simply emulating the modes of scriptural revelation that had always been practiced in India, both in Mahāyāna and in tantric Buddhism.37
The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness is presented as a teaching that the Buddha Samantabhadra-Vajrasattva, also called Custodian of the Supreme Secret, gives to his great assembly of disciples after having been exhorted to do so by his consort Samantabhadrī-Siṃhaśārikā. The tantra’s main speaker is in fact Sattvavajra (alias Vajrasattva), for while Custodian of the Supreme Secret is the spiritual inspiration behind the tantra as a whole and empowers Sattvavajra as his spokesperson, it is Sattvavajra who gives voice to most of the text. As such, he is regularly addressed as a blessed one in his own right. In the Degé Kangyur edition (and the Kangyur versions more generally), the tantra consists of thirty-three chapters, but in the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé Nyingma Gyübum versions it has thirty-seven chapters. This discrepancy is not, however, due to any fundamental difference in content but is simply due to a different way of dividing some of the chapters, with the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé Nyingma Gyübum versions inserting two additional chapter titles in chapter 9, one in chapter 16, and one in chapter 19. Interestingly, not all the Nyingma Gyübum versions follow suit: the Degé Nyingma Gyübum edition has thirty-three chapters,38 like the Kangyur versions, which suggests a degree of regional variation in this regard.39 The text does not follow any clearly discernible logical structure, although a loose progression is observable between the initial chapters (up to and including chapter 9), which set forth the theoretical framework of the tantra, and the later chapters, which are mainly devoted to ritual concerns.40
Chapter 1 is the longest and most deeply philosophical, and it sets the stage for the entire tantra. It describes how Custodian of the Supreme Secret enters into a series of concentrations that inspire the teachings expounded in the tantra. Such concentrations also play a significant role in subsequent parts of the text. Chapter 1 presents many of the doctrinal elements that would subsequently form the building blocks of the Anuyoga system as a whole, notably the lists of eleven yogas and eleven (or, more usually, ten) stages. Among the subjects discussed in the initial chapters are the signs of spiritual progress (chapter 3), the pledges (chapter 4), and the symbolic modes of communication used in the context of tantric ritual (chapter 5), as well as the various types of concentration that are entered into and displayed by the two buddhas presiding over the tantra’s delivery (chapter 9). The later chapters in the tantra address a variety of ritual topics, providing fascinating details of a wide range of rituals, including those relating to sexual union (chapter 10, as well as chapter 12, which is about the feast gathering and the configuration of deities) and longevity (chapter 11). A number of the rituals involve corpses. For example, chapter 9 includes a special concentration to revive corpses (which even gives its name to one of the additional chapter headings found in the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé Nyingma Gyübum versions), along with specific instructions on the rituals to do so. Among the special accomplishments mentioned that the practice is supposed to yield is swift-footedness. Furthermore, in chapter 15 the substances obtained from a corpse’s sense faculties are ground and made use of to gain the supercognitions related to each of the five sense faculties, with chapter 16 explaining the procedures involved in producing human ashes from bones. Chapter 14 is particularly interesting, for it offers a corrective to the mistaken notion that tantric practice condones unbridled debauchery. In it a group of wild yogins boast of their ability to engage in unconventional forms of tantric conduct, inverting the traditional Buddhist virtues, yet they are chastised by Sattvavajra, who comments that their fixation on the external trappings of nonduality (the morbid fascination with unclean foodstuffs) causes them to miss the central point of mind-as-such.41 He subsequently explains that they should not inhibit their particular style of conduct and alludes to the correct manner of compassionately liberating the hostile forces represented by an effigy.42 The topic of the fierce liberation of the negative forces of ego-clinging, embodied by the figure of Mātaṃga Rudra and symbolized by his effigy, is taken up again in greater detail in chapters 20 and 21. This also leads to a number of related subjects, notably the extraction of the ritual ambrosia and the preparation of medicinal pills (chapter 24), which are consumed as substances of accomplishment, and the rite of the fire offering, whereby the effigy (also called the corpse) is burned (chapter 26). Other topics covered include a presentation of the mantras and emblematic gestures used in tantric ritual (chapters 27 and 28). Of particular importance to the later tradition are the configuration of deities (called the configuration of the supremely secret charnel ground, a complex structure in nine stacked-up tiers43 held to symbolize the nine vehicles) introduced in chapter 12 and the sequence of thirty-six empowerments expounded in chapter 32; both of these elements form the basis for the extensive sūtra empowerment (mdo dbang) ceremony, which has continued to be transmitted down to the present day.44 In a way befitting the grandiose teaching delivered in the tantra, the final chapter closes with a praise sung by the retinue of disciples.
This is the first translation of The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness to appear in English or in any other European language. Among modern scholars, Jacob Dalton provides a succinct overview of The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness in the appendix to his study of the explanatory tantra,45 The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions, and his work on the latter has been drawn on in this introduction, particularly as regards the tentative dating of both texts.
The present translation is based on the Degé Kangyur as well as the Tsamdrak and Tingkyé editions of the Nyingma Gyübum. Where relevant, reference has also been made to the variants reported in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur. In general, it can be said that the variant readings between the various Kangyur versions are negligible when compared to those between the Kangyur versions on the one hand and the Nyingma Gyübum editions on the other. In the case of difficult passages shared between the root and explanatory tantras and commented on in Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé’s Armor Against Darkness, the commentary has been drawn on to clarify their meaning.
[F.1.b]Homage to the Blessed One, the glorious liberator, the compassionate king.
Thus did I hear at one time. The blessed lord among all the thus-gone ones, the glorious Samantabhadra-Vajrasattva,46 the heruka Custodian of the Supreme Secret, the omnipotent lord of blessings, was moved by his sacred engagement in the great meaning, the array of the inexhaustible treasury.
The place where he explained this wondrous meaning was the ultra-secret universal ground, the palace of the open dimension of phenomena, the unfurled expanse of the seminal nucleus, the wondrously renowned celestial mansion of emptiness,47[F.2.a] its extent unlimited throughout all directions.
From the sky of reality-as-such, miraculous clouds amassed, and the rain of awakening poured down. The torments of the afflictions were soaked, and the sprouts of wisdom grew. The place was without center or periphery; its peaks were everywhere equal in extent; and it was adorned with turquoises48 and beautified by braided pearls, flower wreaths, and tassels. In the sky, which was illuminated by the great sun, inlaid with the great moon, studded with stars and constellations, and totally radiant with the luminescence of precious diamonds, there arose a massive dark whirlwind, equal in extent to unlimitedness, and a billowing sea of blood, its extent unlimited throughout all directions. Thereupon was the abode of Mātaṃga Rudra, the blazing celestial mansion, propelled on frothy scum and built on a ground which in extent was everywhere equal to a heap of bones. Rays of light radiated everywhere. The walls were made of small piled-up reliquary lockets, and striking nails of meteoric iron were planted in the interstices. The sun and moon glided along all the mansion’s spokes, in courses propitious and unpropitious. Its pillars and beams were made of large fish, and it was full of rafters and lattices made of small fish. The pillar bases were made of moon, the pillar capitals of sun, and the pillars were adorned with wreaths of snakes, and so forth. The thunder and lightning of hūṁ struck. The palace was adorned with the canopies of reality-as-such, bedecked with tassels of wisdom, and covered in adamantine ornaments and ribbons. The drains were made of venomous vipers, and wherever there were intervals that fell like the shadows of dark clouds,[F.2.b] these were beautified by jewels, pearls, and flowers. Requisites were exhibited49 on the surrounding maṇḍala: corpses great and small, upper and lower torsos, long and short limbs, and garlands of sense organs, totally bedecked with diamonds.
In the luminous places in the nine orifices of the body, there assembled all the adamantine wrathful deities, such as Adamantine Hatred, known as the adamantine regent; Jewel Pride, known as the adamantine spike;50 Lotus Passion, known as the adamantine envoy; Variegated Jealousy, known as the adamantine worker; Holder of the Insignia of Warmth, known as the adamantine raven; Harmonious Attendant, known as the adamantine juncture; as well as all the adamantine siblings, the adamantine brothers and sisters,51 the adamantine awareness holders, all the deities of the adamantine body, all the adamantine yogins, all the deities of adamantine speech, all the deities of the adamantine activities, all the deities of adamantine ideation, all the adamantine girls, all the adamantine envoys, all the adamantine ḍākinīs, all the adamantine śākinīs, all the adamantine piśācīs, all the adamantine blazers, all the adamantine yakṣīs, and all the adamantine rākṣasīs, all women, whether they be adamantine maidservants, adulteresses, or slave girls, as well as all the adamantine emissaries, and so forth.
All the buddhas of the adamantine family dwelled in a dignified manner without fear52 on the vajra seat together with their numerous retinues. These included the great miracle buddha known as Omnipotent Lord of the Sky, the great miracle buddha known as Provider of Liberation, the great miracle buddha known as Proclaimer of Liberation, the great miracle buddha known as Accomplishing Everything, the great yoginī sky maiden known as Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī sky maiden known as Assembler of Joy,53 the great yoginī sky maiden known as Tormentor, the great yoginī sky maiden known as Tārā, and so forth, and their retinue of the great secret. Moreover, the retinue of the great pledge comprised the great pledge buddha known as Vajragarbha, the great pledge buddha known as Quintessence of Gems, the great pledge buddha known as Padmagarbha, the great pledge buddha known as Arrayed Quintessence, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Adamantine Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Omnipotent Mistress of Gems, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Lotus Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī of the great pledge known as Adorned Omnipotent Mistress, and so forth, and their retinue of great nontransgression. Furthermore, the retinue of the immeasurables comprised the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Kindness, the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Compassion, the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Joy, the great secret buddha known as Quintessence of Equanimity, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Omnipotent Mistress of Bliss, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Conquering Omnipotent Mistress, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Omnipotent Mistress of Joy, the great yoginī of the great secret known as Pervading Omnipotent Mistress, and their retinue of immeasurables. There was also the retinue of the great display,54 comprising the buddha of the great display known as Yakṣaheruka, the buddha of the great display known as Rakṣaheruka, the buddha of the great display known as Bhīṣaṇaheruka,55 the buddha of the great display known as Viśvaheruka, the yoginī of the great display known as Yakṣaśārikā,56 the yoginī of the great display known as Rakṣaśārikā,57 the yoginī of the great display known as Bhīṣaṇaśārikā, the yoginī of the great display known as Viśvaśārikā, and their retinue of great displays. Moreover, the great terrifier retinue comprised the great terrifier buddha known as Takṣaheruka,58 the great terrifier buddha known as Keśaheruka,59 the great terrifier buddha known as Pakṣaheruka,60 the great terrifier buddha known as Viśvaheruka, the great terrifier yoginī known as Takṣaśārikā, the great terrifier yoginī known as Keśaśārikā, the great terrifier yoginī known as Pakṣaśārikā,61 the great terrifier yoginī known as Viśvaśārikā, and so forth, and their great terrifier retinue. Furthermore, the great conqueror retinue comprised the great conqueror buddha known as Dakṣaheruka,62 the great conqueror buddha known as Dīkṣāheruka,63 the great conqueror buddha known as Kaśaheruka,64 the great conqueror buddha known as Bhakṣaheruka,65 the great conqueror yoginī known as Dakṣaśārikā, the great conqueror yoginī known as Dīkṣāśārikā,66 the great conqueror yoginī known as Kaśaśārikā, the great conqueror yoginī known as Bhakṣaśārikā, and their great conqueror retinue. There was also the great devourer retinue, comprising the great devourer buddha known as Ṛtiheruka,67 the great devourer buddha known as Raktiheruka,68 the great devourer buddha known as Kharīheruka,69 the great devourer buddha known as Sahaheruka,70 the great devourer yoginī known as Ṛtiśārikā, the great devourer yoginī known as Raktiśārikā, the great devourer yoginī known as Kharīśārikā, the great devourer yoginī known as Sahaśārikā, and so forth, along with many retinues of yoginīs and nothing short of an infinity of inconceivably numerous herukas. Moreover, the retinue of the secret maidens comprised the secret maiden known as Lady White, the secret maiden known as Lady Thief, the secret maiden known as Lady Dull, the secret maiden known as Vetālī, the secret maiden known as Lady of the Middle,71 the secret maiden known as Caṇḍālī, the secret maiden known as Lady Butcher, the secret maiden known as Lady of the Assembly, and so forth, and their inconceivable retinue of secret maidens. Furthermore, the retinue of the maidens of joy72 comprised the maiden of joy known as Siṃhamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Gṛdhramukhā, the maiden of joy known as Vyāghramukhā, the maiden of joy known as Śṛgālamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Śvānamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Kaṅkamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Kākamukhā, the maiden of joy known as Ulūkamukhā,73 and so forth, and their inconceivable retinue of maidens of joy. There was also the retinue of devoted maidens, comprising the devoted maiden known as Hayāsyā,74 the devoted maiden known as Varāhamukhā,75 the devoted maiden known as Monkey Face,[F.4.b] the devoted maiden known as Ash-Maker, and so forth, and their retinue of devoted maidens. Moreover, the retinue of the great killer sons comprised the great killer known as Glorious Tiger Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Yak Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Deer Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Leopard Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Hayagrīva, the great killer known as Glorious Wolf Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Lion Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Bear Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Boar Throat, the great killer known as Glorious Hyena Throat, the great killer lady known as Adamantine Murderess,76 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Charnel Ground Hauntress,77 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Mortar,78 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Ferocity,79 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Haughty Arrow,80 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Emitter of Sound,81 the great killer lady known as Adamantine Devourer, the great killer lady known as Adamantine Courtesan, the great killer lady known as Adamantine Raiser, and their many retinues of great killer ladies. They were all together, as numerous as particles of dust.
The consort, adamantine Samantabhadrī-Siṃhaśārikā,82 clasped the Buddha’s body, facing him all the while. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret considered all phenomena and, knowing that they arise in equality, he entered the meditative equilibrium of the state called nonimaging of the equality of exalted body. He entered the state called nonimaging of the equality of exalted speech.[F.5.a] He entered83 the state called nonimaging of the equality of exalted mind. He did not referentially image either entering, or reverting, or utter reverting. While the Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret was unwaveringly resting in the state of the open dimension, his consort, the adamantine Samantabhadrī, besought him by intoning this song of emptiness:
The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret knew that all phenomena arise in the mind of awakening, and from the state of emptiness he disclosed his adamantine body. It was like the stainless moon shining in the limpid sky. Beholding his consort Siṃhaśārikā, he smiled. His smile was like the light rays emitted by a thousand suns. From the rays of light, clouds of awakening amassed, and the rain of display poured down, instigating the thunder and lightning of variegated displays along with offerings, song and dance, drums, conches, cymbals, and flutes, ornaments, charm, and seduction, embracing and indulging, union, dissolving, and pleasure, yearning and tasting, biting and bliss, relishing, alluring, and entering, and the great joy of variegated displays. His consort Samantabhadrī, with her eyes half-closed, reverently[F.5.b] gazed at the Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret. Prostrating in the manner of applying yoga, she threw her entire body upon the ground and prayed to him with this song of the great display:
The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret, cognizant that he had been exhorted by this song, emerged from the state of great bliss in the manner of a great miracle. He pervaded the entire sky with his dignity and resplendence, with the great emblematic gestures of his dance, with his varied explanations, with the positions of his feet, stretched out and drawn in, with the poses of his body, with changing drawn patterns,86 and with emanated light rays. Custodian of the Supreme Secret pervaded everything everywhere—all signs and aspects, all of existence and nonexistence—and abided in their nature. The adamantine Samantabhadrī was in wonder and, prostrating in the manner of yoga, she threw her entire body upon the ground and prayed to him with this song of the miraculous occurrence:
The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret entered the meditative equilibrium of the concentration called suchness of the adamantine display and remained silent. His consort, the adamantine Samantabhadrī, as well as the great pledge being Vajrasattva and their numerous retinues were in wonder. All of them with a single voice prayed to and besought him with this song of the suchness of the adamantine display:[F.6.a]
With exclamations of joy, she prayed while bowing down before him. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret, heeding the prayer of this song of the suchness of the adamantine display, gazed at all the retinues and smiled. When he smiled, the inexpressible sun of awareness, along with its infinite and similarly inexpressible rays of light, arose from the pure expanse of his heart, pervading everywhere. From each of these rays of light, there arose90 hosts of numerous adamantine herukas. From each of them, hundreds of thousands of buddhas along with their retinues and their individual servants were made to be spontaneously present. The rising sun of awareness alighted upon them,91 and the entire expanse of darkness was rendered clear. The thunder of the principle of awareness,[F.6.b] its rain and varied songs, as well as various dances and offerings emerged. Various sounds occurred constantly, vibrant and everywhere pervading, hither and thither, upward and downward, as well as pell-mell in the sky’s infinity. A rain of offerings poured down. The Buddha’s amazing body was inconceivable, vibrant and constant; his amazing mind, too, was vivid. His amazing speech was inconceivable and proclaimed exclamations of joy. The melodious speech of the hundreds of thousands of buddhas exclaimed in a single inconceivable voice: “How wonderful is the absolute meaning of the doctrine of the amazing display!”
Hundreds of thousands of retinues and the various beings to be tamed generated the wonder of delight. They trained the dexterity of their awareness, discovered the greatness of their purpose, and were overawed92 and in wonder. They all remained close by. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret entered the meditative equilibrium of the concentration called the adamantine ornament that trains the retinue. Once he had entered that equilibrium, he spoke these words of the adamantine mantra:
By merely pronouncing this, a great mass of luminous fire arose on his tongue, from which emerged a blazing garland of light consisting of wrathful ones, as well as, in succession, a blazing garland of light consisting of rākṣasas, one consisting of yakṣas, and one consisting of devourers. The raudras, demons, rākṣasīs, yakṣas, rākṣasas, as well as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Īśvara,[F.7.a] and Balavat, along with monkeys, goats, sheep, bees, crows, fireflies, the retinues, water, earth, sky, fire, sounds, and all evil thoughts, and so forth, were wiped out. As they no longer abided there, this produced amazement. The light rays swirled through the sky, and the numerous retinues became afraid and prayed: “Alas, O Blessed One, please bless us!”
The countenance of the Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret emitted a lustrous glow. Light rays endowed with the peaceful and swirling light of wisdom, as well as with beauty94 and bliss, rendered all those in the assembly rapturous and cleansed them into suitable vessels. The light rays dissolved into the abode of light. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret emerged from the expanse of great nonabiding wisdom and, with a sound like that of a victorious lion, explained the semantic layout, the certainty of secrecy, the elucidation of the tantra, the display of indications,95 and the locutions of the textual tradition relating to the adamantine regal poise:
a o oṁ | samaya adhi96 guhya97 pūti98 aho | kulam aho99 jitapatra100 amogha īśvara sayana101 guti102 alalaho ||
He said nothing more. Saying nothing at all, he indeed said nothing, yet his speaking did not stop and was ceaseless. He remained in the essence wherein the extensive explanation lies in not speaking.
Remaining thus, he appeared in a vision before the great pledge being Vajrasattva and exhorted him through his smile. Aware that he was being exhorted, the great pledge being Vajrasattva rose from his seat. Touching the marks on his five places, he placed them upon the lotus of his tongue. He prostrated in the manner of yoga, throwing his body upon the ground. With a lion’s gaze,[F.7.b] he looked upon the Teacher’s countenance, saying,
He prayed to him thus with exclamations of joy. The Blessed One Custodian of the Supreme Secret, in order to bless the sacred injunctions of his adamantine worker, entered the meditative equilibrium of the concentration called adamantine radiation and said, “vajrakarma cakrasattva raṁ.”104 A wheel of crossed vajras alighted on Sattvavajra’s hand, and he obtained the empowerment of the adamantine worker. He was equipped with the fierce105 confidence of the great display. Having been thus blessed, he became endowed with great gravitas106 that was totally unfabricated.107 Thereupon, Sattvavajra took in his hand the sign of his activity. Taking various poses108 and dance steps, with the adamantine words of various songs, he turned the wheel of crossed vajras twelve times.109 At the count of two and five, all the pure fields began to shake and tremble, to quake and quiver, and to whirr and rattle with ever greater levels of intensity.110 All the pure fields became nothing but the secret configuration. The entire scope of objects111 became the great seal. Eagerly he sat facing the Teacher in a dignified manner on a seat that was marked with an adamantine lion. Many of those gathered among the retinues assembled there said to the Blessed One,[F.8.a] “It is wonderful, O Blessed One, that this Sattvavajra, who has such great force and such great blessings, who is so vast, so skilled, so clear, and so profound, was produced from the heart of the Blessed One.”
The Blessed One replied, “O you gathered here in this great assembly, this Sattvavajra is the ancestor of all bodhisattvas, the custodian of all compassion, the revered one among all the buddhas, the father of all the awareness-holding bodhisattvas, the grandfather of all yogins, the captain of all those who attain nirvāṇa, the great arch-demon to all demons,112 the treasury of all doctrines, the great source of all wisdoms. Why? From the time of equality without beginning or end, the furthest boundary without bounds, the time of infinity, unfathomable and unthinkable, he did his duty and his task, becoming fully awakened. Uniting with and abiding by the nature of all phenomena, he is produced from the heart of all the victorious ones and becomes the father of them all.”
When he had spoken thus, the whole of the assembled gathering was in wonder: “Wondrous is the Blessed One! Wondrous is the Well-Gone One!” Bowing down before the holy Sattvavajra, they prostrated in the manner of yoga, throwing their bodies upon the ground. Having presented amazing flowers and feast offerings, they prayed to him with exclamations of joy:
The holy Sattvavajra115 thereupon turned116 his vajra and spoke these indicative words in a resplendent manner:
For an overview of the history and internal classifications of this section of the Kangyur, see the 84000 Knowledge Base article “Old Tantras.”
One of the earliest editions of this collection, in thirty volumes, was compiled by Drogön Namkha Pal, the second son and main heir of Nyangral Nyima Özer (1124–92), as part of the funeral rites performed following his father’s death. See Mayer 1996, pp. 224–25. For a convenient overview of the history and the various recensions of the Nyingma Gyübum, see Mayer 2015, pp. 392–93, pp. 395–96.
It may be noted that the Nyingma tantras are only included in the Kangyurs in the Tshalpa line; they are not found in those deriving from the Thempangma line, such as the Stok Palace Kangyur. See the 84000 Knowledge Base article “Old Tantras.”
Tib. dur khrod khu byug rol pa’i rgyud. This tantra is not included in the Kangyur but is present in the various versions of the Nyingma Gyübum.
Dudjom Rinpoche 1991, vol. 1, p. 289. Dalton (2016, pp. 134–36) usefully elaborates on the various texts that are mentioned by Dudjom Rinpoche as a group and also discusses the other lists alluded to here.
E.g., Esler 2022, pp. 231–32, pp. 346–47. Details of the individual quotations are found in the notes to the present translation.
This classificatory scheme was certainly known to Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé, who in his Armor Against Darkness repeatedly alludes to The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness as the root tantra (vol. 50, fol. 3.a.2, 196.b.2, 197.b.3, 199.a.2, 202.a.2, 210.b.2, 212.a.6, 216.b.3, 218.b.4, 299.b.2; vol. 51, fol. 108.b.2, 158.b.4, 167.b.4, 176.a.1, 185.a.5, 186.a.3, 186.b.4, 187.b.2, 217.a.1, 282.a.2, 285.a.4, 285.b.4, 286.b.4, 290.b.5–6, 292.a.5) and to The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions as the explanatory tantra (vol. 50, fol. 95.a.5, 216.b.4; vol. 51, fol. 290.b.6).
Dalton 2016, p. 146; p. 209, n. 22. On the potential unreliability of colophons as sources for historically accurate information, see Almogi 2008, pp. 115–17, and 2016a, pp. 3–5.
Achard 2003, p. 64 (no. 177). As mentioned, the information about the translators is derived from the catalog (Like the Great Drum of the Gods, fol. 299.b.6) to the Degé Nyingma Gyübum compiled by Getsé Mahāpaṇḍita Rikzin Tsewang Chokdrup (1761–1829), since this edition contains no colophon for this particular tantra.
In his autobiography, Khenpo Ngawang Palzang (1879–1941) relates that after he became the head preceptor at Kathok monastery, he received from Kathok Situ Chökyi Gyatso (1880–1925) the transmission of an annotation-commentary on The Sūtra of All-Embracing Awareness by Dampa Deshek (Ngawang Palzang 2014, p. 141), but sadly this commentary does not appear to be extant. Many thanks to Dr. Nathaniel Rich for pointing out this reference.
On the Indian tradition of semantic analysis, see Kahrs 1998, pp. 47–48, pp. 89–93, and pp. 95–97.
A translation of the Sanskrit title (as given in the Degé Kangyur) into English would read, The Mahāyāna Sūtra That Accomplishes Yoga, the All-Embracing Awareness of the Tantra of the Wrathful Adamantine Family, Being the Quintessence of the Meaning of the Secret Wisdom of the Exalted Mind of All the Thus-Gone Ones, which, it will be noted, is somewhat different from the way the title reads in Tibetan. We have translated the title based on the latter.
Following D: ar+tha. Omitted in Gtb and Gtk, which read dz+nyA na ga rb+ha (i.e., jñānagarbha) instead.
Following D: bi d+yA yo ga sid+d+ha nA ma ma hA yA na sU tra. Gtb: bi d+yar tha/ mahA sid+hi/ yo gi sU tra/ (i.e., vidyārtha-mahāsiddhi-yogisūtra). Gtk: bi da rya tha ma hA sU tra (i.e., vidyārtha-mahāsūtra).
The issue of the greatness of the early translators is discussed in a somewhat polemical context by Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo (eleventh century); see Tanzin 2013, p. 31, pp. 33–34, and p. 41; Almogi 2016b, pp. 2–10.
It would appear that such regional variation is indeed the norm with the tantras of the Nyingma Gyübum. See Cantwell and Mayer 2012, p. 1, n. 2; Esler 2020, pp. 14–15, p. 136.
The text has ye ’byam, which is an archaic term for emptiness (stong pa nyid). See Namgyal Tsering 2001, p. 512; Tsenlha Ngawang Tsültrim 1997, p. 851.
The text has rin po che’i rgyal po, which refers to turquoise. See Tudeng Nima 1998, p. 2700.
Following D: go phur. Gtb and Gtk: ga phur. The variant of the Nyingma Gyübum versions is probably a corruption of ga bur, signifying “camphor” (Skt. karpūra).
Following D: bsnyengs pa (an archaic term meaning “fear”; see Namgyal Tsering 2001, p. 196; Tsenlha Ngawang Tsültrim 1997, p. 234). Gtb: sngangs pa. Gtk: bsngangs pa. The latter two are both variant spellings of dngangs pa, which also means “fear.”
In the following passage, the Tibetan text provides rough phonetic renderings of ostensibly Sanskrit (or, at least, Indic) names. By comparing the different versions of the Tibetan, an attempt has been made to reconstruct these Sanskrit names. Interpreting which Sanskrit word is intended has proven to be more challenging in some cases than in others. These renderings should, in any case, be considered conjectural.
Emending to ta k+Sha (i.e., takṣa, “cutting through,” a word related to takṣan, which has the sense of “carpenter”). Gtb: te k+sha. Gtk: te k+Sha. D: te sha.
Following Gtb and Gtk: pa k+Sha (for pakṣa, meaning “wing”). D: pa sha (for pāśa, meaning “noose”).
Emending to pa k+Sha (i.e., pakṣa, as in Pakṣaheruka given above). Gtb and Gtk: dpe k+Sha. D: pe shwa.
Emending to da k+Sha (i.e., dakṣa, “adroit” or “dexterous”). D: trag sha. Gtb: drag+sha. Gtk: drag.
Following D: ka sha (for kaśa, meaning “bridle”). Gtb and Gtk: ka k+Sha (for kakṣa, meaning “hiding place” or also “armpit”).
Emending to dI k+ShA (i.e., dīkṣā), as given above. D: tri sha. Gtb (fol. 165.b.1): ha k+Sha. Gtk (fol. 5.a.2): hri k+Sha.
Emending to kha rI (i.e., kharī, “female mule”). Presumably, this refers to the said heruka’s means of conveyance. The term khara, from which kharī is derived, means “harsh” or “rough.” D, Gtb, and Gtk: kha hi. Conceivably, this could also be an allusion to the verbal form khā hi, which means “devour!”, but in this position this seems highly unlikely.
Following Gtb and Gtk: dbus mo. D: lbos mo. The latter might possibly be related to lbo, which is an archaic term for sbos, meaning “swollen.” Cf. Tsenlha Ngawang Tsültrim 1997, p. 607; Dungkar Losang Trinlé 2002, p. 1575.
The following set of eight animal-headed goddesses is also mentioned in other texts of the Nyingma Gyübum, notably The Noble Noose of Methods (’phags pa thabs kyi zhags pa, Toh 835), chapter 11 (fol. 304.a–305.a) and its commentary (see Cantwell and Mayer 2012, pp. 163–65, p. 290), and in the mantras of The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (phur pa rtsa ba’i rgyud kyi dum bu, Toh 439, fol. 44.a–44.b; see Boord 2002, pp. 81–83). Many thanks to Dr. John Canti for pointing out the latter source.
All versions of the Tibetan text have mun gdong ma, meaning “dark-faced one,” but it is clear from the context of the eight animal-headed goddesses that the “owl” (Skt. ulūka), as the bird of darkness and of the night, is intended.
This goddess is mentioned in The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (Toh 439, fol. 44.b; see Boord 2002, p. 83).
This goddess is mentioned in the commentary to The Noble Noose of Methods, chapter 13 (Cantwell and Mayer 2012, p. 301, p. 360) and in The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (Toh 439, fol. 44.a; see Boord 2002, p. 82). From her mantra found in the latter source, the Sanskrit of her name can be reconstructed to Vajraśmaśānapati (with pati being taken as a feminine stem).
This goddess is mentioned in The Noble Noose of Methods (Toh 835), chapter 22 (fol. 307.b) and its commentary (Cantwell and Mayer 2012, p. 194, p. 321, and p. 360), and in The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (Toh 439, fol. 44.b; see Boord 2002, p. 82). From her mantra found in the latter source, the Sanskrit of her name can be reconstructed to Vajramuśalā.
This goddess is mentioned in the commentary to The Noble Noose of Methods, chapter 13 (Cantwell and Mayer 2012, p. 301, p. 360) and in The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (Toh 439, fol. 44.b; see Boord 2002, pp. 82–83). The mantra in the latter source does not allow us to reconstruct her name directly, although one might surmise that it is Vajracaṇḍālī.
This goddess is mentioned in The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (Toh 439, fol. 44.b; see Boord 2002, p. 83). The variant rdo rje mda’ snyegs ma, instead of rdo rje mda’ snyems ma, is found in the commentary to The Noble Noose of Methods, chapter 13 (Cantwell and Mayer 2012, p. 301, p. 361).
This goddess is mentioned in the commentary to The Noble Noose of Methods, chapter 13 (Cantwell and Mayer 2012, p. 301, p. 359) and in The Fragment of the Vajrakīlaya Root Tantra (Toh 439, fol. 44.a; see Boord 2002, p. 81). The mantra in the latter source does not allow us to reconstruct her Sanskrit name.
Emending to zhugs. D, Gtb, and Gtk: bzhugs (“dwelled in”). The emendation is justified since snyoms par zhugs pa (“entered the meditative equilibrium,” from snyoms par ’jug pa) in the first instance is a stock phrase, which also applies to the following two cases (“entered the state”). Whereas in the first two examples D reads the standard zhugs, Gtb and Gtk have bzhugs in all three instances.
A parallel version of the stanzas of this chapter, as well as of many of the passages in prose, is found in The Sūtra Comprising the Intentions (Toh 829, fol. 214.a–216.a).
The expression smin ris kyi ’bri ku ta is enigmatic, so the translation here is tentative at best.
Note the wordplay in Tibetan between the expressions “Well-Gone One” (bde gshegs) and “proceed to bliss” (bde bar gshegs mdzad).
Following D: sdug bsngal rgya mtshos bcings pa thabs kyi khrol. Gtb: gsang sngags rgya mtshos bcings pa thabs kyi zhol. Gtk: gsang sngags rgya mtsho’i bcings pa thabs kyis gzhol. The variant of the Nyingma Gyübum versions would mean “Be assiduous in your skillful means to bind them to the ocean of secret mantras!”
The Tibetan reads ngam, a word which can have the sense of being overawed by something. Cf. Tsenlha Ngawang Tsültrim 1997, p. 130.
A rough translation of this mantra would be as follows: “Hūṁ, wrathful one, burn! Pledge. Protector, burn! Pledge. Yakṣa, burn! Pledge. Mind, burn! Pledge.”
Emending to pūti (“purity” or “fetid”). D and Gtb: pu ti. Gtk: bu ti (perhaps for bhūti, meaning “prosperity”).
Emending to kulam aho (with kula signifying “family,” to which an exclamation is added). Gtk: ku la ma ho. Gtb: ku na la ma ho. D: ku la ma tong.
In Yogācāra thought, this refers to the fundamental transformation of consciousness (often referred to as the repository consciousness) into its pure counterpart. (See Makransky 1998, p. 63.)
Also translated as “absolute meaning” and “meaning.”
Also translated as “meaning” and “absolute.”
One of the great miracle buddhas belonging to the retinue of the great secret.
Accomplishment or success in general, as well as any particular magical power or ability derived from tantric practice.
This term denotes the two accumulations of merit and wisdom, which are gathered by bodhisattvas on the path to awakening. The fulfilment of these two accumulations constitutes the fruition of the entire path, resulting respectively in the maturation of the body of form and the body of reality.
One of the five families. The activity family is associated with the northern direction, the transformation of the poison of jealousy, and the action-accomplishing wisdom.
Name of a past buddha who lived during the eon of the Universal Array.
The sixth of the six perfections, it refers to the profound understanding of the emptiness of all phenomena, the realization of ultimate reality. In its more general acceptation, it can refer to sharpness of mind and to the ability to correctly discern the qualities of a given object, such as its characteristics or whether it should be taken up or rejected. In effect, the specific sense of penetrating to the heart of phenomena to reveal their emptiness can be seen to be derived from this general sense of mental acuity.
This term generally indicates indestructibility and stability. In the sūtras,
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the five families. The adamantine family is associated with the eastern direction, the transformation of the poison of hatred, and the mirrorlike wisdom.
One of the great killer ladies.
Described as the adamantine regent.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great yoginīs of the great pledge retinue.
One of the great killer ladies.
One of the great yoginīs of the great pledge retinue.
The term literally
The essentially pure nature of mind is obscured and afflicted by various psychological defilements, which destroy the mind’s peace and composure and lead to unwholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind, acting as causes for continued existence in saṃsāra. Included among them are the primary afflictions of attachment (
Name of a householder who was born as a likeness of Vajrasattva.
The eighth and highest level of the realm of form (Skt.
An important bodhisattva, his name
Literally “Not Disturbed” or “Immovable One.” The buddha in the eastern realm of Abhirati. A well-known buddha in early Mahāyāna, regarded in the higher tantras as the head of one of the five buddha families, the adamantine family in the east.
The resinous heartwood of the
One of the eight offering goddesses alluded to in Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé’s
One of many terms used to describe miraculous phenomena in Buddhist narrative and doctrinal texts.
Name of the indigo-colored queen of ambrosia.
Buddha of the western direction, associated in
The buddha associated with longevity and with the lotus family. Presently better known by his alternative name Amitābha, he presides over the western pure field of Sukhāvatī.
Buddha of the northern direction, associated in
One of four gatekeepers listed in Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé’s
The name of a group of auxiliary works that supplement the Vedas, usually enumerated as six different works on the six subjects of (1) pronunciation and phonetics (Skt.
An imprecise, catchall term, difficult to translate. In the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the term
Refers to the cognition of an object.
A palace created by Custodian of the Supreme Secret, which includes all the emblematic gestures (Skt.
One of the buddhas of the great pledge retinue. Also called “Variegated Quintessence.”
One of the goddesses of the retinue of devoted maidens.
A declaration of one’s aspirations and vows, accompanied by an invocation of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, etc.
The third of the three and four doorways to release. It is defined as the absence of hopes and fears.
One of the great yoginī sky maidens belonging to the retinue of the great secret.
A type of nonhuman being whose precise status is subject to different views, but is included as one of the six classes of beings in the sixfold classification of realms of rebirth. In the Buddhist context, asuras are powerful beings said to be dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility. They are also known in the pre-Buddhist and pre-Vedic mythologies of India and Iran, and feature prominently in Vedic and post-Vedic Brahmanical mythology, as well as in the Buddhist tradition. In these traditions, asuras are often described as being engaged in interminable conflict with the devas (gods).
Atrophies are rigidified negative tendencies, of which twenty-four are listed in the
One of the three root afflictions that bind beings to cyclic existence. Also translated as “passion.”
This is the faculty that maintains a conscious watch for any inclination of the mind toward mental dullness or agitation, especially during meditation. Together with recollection (
Anubhūtisvarūpācārya.
Candragomin.
Getsé Mahāpaṇḍita Rikzin Tsewang Chokdrup (dge rtse mahA paN Di ta rig ’dzin tshe dbang mchog grub).
Kathok Dampa Deshek (kaH thog dam pa bde gshegs).
Nupchen Sangyé Yeshé (gnubs chen sangs rgyas ye shes).
Terdak Lingpa Gyurmé Dorjé (gter bdag gling pa ’gyur med rdo rje).
Denkarma (
Phangthangma (
84000. Emergence from Sampuṭa (
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