Five New Publications

Practices involving the recitation of the Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī are very popular and
widespread in Tibet, China, and Nepal. According to the initial narrative, recounted in the
original text in the group, “The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī” (Toh 597), the dhāraṇī was first taught by the Buddha (after he had emanated lights from the uṣṇīṣa on his crown) to Śakra, king of the gods, in order to save another god from impending rebirth in the lower realms.

The dhāraṇī became an important part of funerary rites in China. The other texts in this group of five translations, all from the Action Tantra section of the Kangyur, provide an alternative origin story and include ritual manuals that detail various forms of practice using the dhāraṇī, particularly to prolong life and prevent unfavorable rebirths. As is the case with certain other dhāraṇīs, the dhāraṇī itself became identified as a protective goddess, often linked to Amitāyus and seen in Tibet as one of the three deities of longevity (along with him and White Tāra), giving rise to many rituals still in widespread use today—including one used weekly in Nepal.

However, the canonical texts on the Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī have remained little studied, and we are delighted to present for the first time these translations of the complete set from the Kangyur.