The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths focuses on the purification of karma through funerary rituals. It is notable for its frame story involving a god named Vimalamaṇiprabha who has fallen into hell. The Buddha reveals that Vimalamaṇiprabha can be saved if rituals are performed on his behalf. The text then teaches numerous maṇḍala rites, homa sacrifices, and other rituals. With their help, Vimalamaṇiprabha is finally restored to heaven, and the Buddha reveals the reason for his downfall: severe transgressions during an earlier lifetime. The tantra employs ritual techniques common to the Yogatantra class but is distinct in its emphasis on rituals to benefit others—such as the dead—rather than sādhana practices for self-cultivation.
This text was translated by Kris L. Anderson. Thanks to Meghan Howard for suggestions on several points.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Bhutanese 84000 community.
The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths begins with a frame story concerning a god named Vimalamaṇiprabha, who has recently died and fallen from his place in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When the other gods ask about Vimalamaṇiprabha’s fate, the Buddha informs them that he has fallen into Avīci Hell and is destined to suffer for many thousands of lifetimes, taking rebirth in various hells, as a preta, as an animal, and as a human burdened by misfortune. The gods are shocked and beg the Buddha for some means to intercede and save Vimalamaṇiprabha. The Buddha acquiesces, and the text proceeds to teach a series of maṇḍalas and other rituals intended to save an individual from bad rebirths by purifying their transgressions. In later chapters, the frame story is revisited, and it is revealed that the rituals have succeeded and the god Vimalamaṇiprabha has been restored to his former place in heaven. The Buddha also reveals a further teaching, explaining that the reason for his downfall was due to having committed heinous acts in a previous lifetime, before his birth as a god. Finally, those assembled praise the Buddha and the rituals that have made this possible.
As with the frame stories in many Buddhist texts, this account provides the context and precedent for the rituals. It focuses specifically on the problem of death and makes several key points about the subject. The first is that everyone dies—even gods—and death often comes as a surprise. If this is the case for gods, how much more so for humans, even those who are powerful and privileged? Second, in saving Vimalamaṇiprabha and restoring him to his former heavenly existence, the text emphasizes the power of its rituals, which can save even those reborn in the most terrible hell realms. Moreover, it stresses the suitability of this work for use in funerary contexts, since it specifically permits the deceased’s family (or others) to undertake the rituals on their behalf, and to do so after death has occurred. Finally, the story shows that the ripening of karma is complex and its effects are not necessarily limited to the next life alone. In the god’s case, repentance and appropriate concentration at the moment of death in the last life were enough to secure his good rebirth as a god, but not enough to eradicate the karma from earlier bad deeds.1 The rituals thus offer protection against unknown lingering karma from the past and are suitable for anyone, even individuals whose current life has been virtuous.2
This frame story is echoed by similar narratives in certain other Buddhist texts, notably including The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī as well as a number of extracanonical ritual works preserved at the Dunhuang Library Cave.3 In certain cases, the shared frame story may indicate a historical relationship between the texts, while in others, it is likely that the story was adapted due to its compelling narrative and the pervasive human questions about the fate of the dead.4
The tantra was composed in the early eighth century, and there are two versions of it preserved in the Kangyur. This work, The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths, was translated into Tibetan in the eighth century, while the later version, A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, was translated in the thirteenth century. The present work is extant only in Tibetan; there is, however, a Sanskrit version similar to the later translation. Because the two Tibetan translations have substantial differences and only one Sanskrit version survives, the textual history and relationship between their source texts remains elusive. On the basis of surviving sources, we can only say that the work was composed in Sanskrit in approximately the eighth century and translated into Tibetan relatively soon thereafter, and that—at some point—a substantially different version was in circulation and available to translators of the thirteenth century.5
The text’s translation into Tibetan was most likely completed in the late eighth century, under the auspices of the Pugyal6 Dynasty’s imperial translation efforts. However, the transmission history of this translation presents difficulties, and the colophons conflict somewhat with other historical sources. The colophons examined, including representatives from both the Tshalpa and Thempangma lines, consistently identify it as translated by Śāntigarbha and Jayarakṣita, and revised by Ma Rinchen Chok.7 However, as modern scholars have noted, a number of Tibetan commentators were either uncertain or offered conflicting suggestions about the translators.8 Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa (1357–1419), for example, identifies the Tibetan translating partner as Paltsek Rakṣita, and there has been disagreement in modern scholarship over whether these two (Jayarakṣita and Paltsek Rakṣita) refer to the same individual.9 Tibetan commentators such as Jetsün Drakpa Gyaltsen and Butön Rinchen Drup (1290–1364) were also uncertain about the identities of the translators.10
Although the tantra received attention and commentary from a number of notable Tibetan scholars, it was not without controversy. All surviving Sanskrit commentaries translated and preserved in the Tengyur refer to the present work; there are none relating to A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths. Even then, some Tibetan scholars expressed doubts about their authenticity.11 Another point that raised questions among Tibetan scholars was the issue of the total number of maṇḍalas in the text and the presence or absence of certain references to fierce homa rites; in some editions of the Kangyur, the current work contains an additional twelfth maṇḍala.12 Despite these irregularities, in the Tibetan tradition it was this version of the tantra that came to be the more influential of the two. It attracted both the efforts of Tibetan scholars in later centuries and inspired a body of ritual practice literature, a number of early examples of which have been preserved alongside more recent literature.13
The tantra is especially notable in accounts of the history of Buddhism’s introduction in Tibet, where evidence suggests it held an important role in both practice and in narratives about the arrival of Buddhism. It was one of the few tantras approved for translation and circulation by the Tibetan imperium in the ninth century. Moreover, although the tantra itself is not listed, works associated with it appear in both of the imperial-era catalogs that survive from the ninth century.14 Similarly, Rinchen Sangpo (958–1055), in his earliest extant biography, is said to have translated texts associated with the tantra, consecrated a number of related maṇḍalas on behalf of his mother, and performed the funeral rites for the king Lha Lama Yeshé Ö (947–1019/1024) according to the tantra’s methods.
The tantra’s connections in the Tibetan Empire can be traced back earlier, as well. The text is mentioned in relatively early post-imperial sources, The Chronicle of Ba (sba bzhed) and its earlier version, The Chronicle of Wa (dba’ bzhed), in two particularly notable cases. First, they record that Sarvavid Vairocana, a form unique to this version of the tantra, was one of the central deities in the main temple at Samyé (bsam yas), Tibet’s first Buddhist monastery, when it was established in 779.15 Second, the tantra features as a central element in an account of a debate at the funeral of the king Tri Songdetsen (742–ca. 800). The debate concerned whether his funeral should be performed according to Buddhist or non-Buddhist traditions, and concluded with the Buddhist side victorious, declaring that thenceforth royal funerals would be performed according to Buddhist methods, naming The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths in particular.16 In contrast to the account of the temple at Samyé, this account may not be reliable, and scholarship suggests it may be substantially later than other parts of The Chronicle.17 However, even if it is not historically accurate, the existence of the narrative itself is notable, for it demonstrates the importance the tantra came to hold in the imagining of Tibet’s Buddhist origins.
The present text survives only in Tibetan and does not seem to ever have had a Chinese translation, although there is a partial Chinese translation that corresponds to the later Tibetan version. More surprisingly, the current work’s Sanskrit source text is not preserved in the Newar Buddhist tradition of Nepal, nor have any of its manuscripts been identified in the archival collections of the Kathmandu Valley. Newar Buddhist funerary rituals continue to employ the Sanskrit version to the present day, however. Whether the Sanskrit source was present in the Kathmandu Valley and was subsequently lost, or whether its geographic distribution never included the region, has not been determined.18
In modern scholarship, an edition of the text has been published by Tadeusz Skorupski. Skorupski also included editions of A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, the later translation, and the Sanskrit, as well as an English translation primarily based on the Sanskrit. To supplement this, reviews and articles of Skorupski’s monograph have also been published by Leonard van der Kuijp, D. Seyfort Ruegg, and Per Kvaerne. Although there has been little work on the tantra as a whole, due to its significance to the history of Buddhism in early Tibet, portions of it have been examined in detail by Matthew Kapstein and others. So too, there survives a substantial body of ritual literature related to the work in the Dunhuang Library Collection, and in this context studies have been undertaken by Sam van Schaik, Jacob Dalton, Yoshiro Imaeda, and others. In art historical studies, the scholarship on Vairocana in early Tibet by Amy Heller is also relevant to the tantra. Relating to the Sanskrit version that more closely parallels the later translation, Lokesh Chandra has also published a manuscript from a Nepalese source, and Takahashi Hisao has published an edition and translation into Japanese of the first chapter.19
The present translation is based on the Tibetan translation of the text found in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) of the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the Stok Palace Kangyur, the notes in the Comparative Edition of the Kangyur (dpe bsdur ma), and the Phukdrak MS. In the portions that overlap substantially with A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, the Sanskrit edition and English translation published by Skorupski have also been referenced, especially since he made extensive use of commentaries on the current work, as it is the only version treated by commentaries preserved in the Tengyur. The text is relatively stable across all the Kangyurs examined. The colophons, however, do contain some differences, as noted above, and we have drawn on recent scholarship in examining them.
A note on the difficulties of the text should be made with regard to the descriptions of mudrās. Across all versions, the text is noted for its numerous mudrās, and, indeed, in the associated ritual literature there is much attention paid to the correct formation of mudrās—in some cases going as far as to include images of the correct hand positions. There is a reason for the popularity of such texts—verbal descriptions of mudrās are not always clear, and translation into a different language only adds to their complexity. For this reason, the descriptions of the mudrās in this translation must be considered somewhat provisional. Furthermore, for mudrās that appear in sets, the sequence and transitions from one mudrā to the next are just as important as the static positions that are described. In some portions of the text, this is evident by the way they are described successively with reference to the one that came before, often starting out phrased as “from that, but with…” and going on to indicate a form that modifies the preceding one.
The tantra is divided into three chapters, and includes a total of twelve maṇḍalas.20 The first chapter focuses on what is generally understood as the principal maṇḍala of the tantra, centering on Sarvavid Vairocana, a form of Vairocana unique to the tantra, in a five-buddha array. They are surrounded by maṇḍala assembly deities such as bodhisattvas and offering goddesses commonly found in many maṇḍalas of Yogatantra texts, and the maṇḍala’s outer precincts are populated by various Indian gods and spirits, astral deities, pratyekabuddhas, śrāvakas, and others. In addition to the sādhana and the production of the maṇḍala and its rituals, this chapter contains sections for initiating students, making images, and performing rituals for the dead. Except for the opening scene, the first chapter is completely different from that found in the later translation, where a different maṇḍala is taught instead.
The second chapter also contains maṇḍalas, most of which are presided over by Vajrapāṇi and populated by worldly gods. These include maṇḍalas of (1) Śākyamuni, (2) Vajrapāṇi, (3) the Four Great Kings, (4) the Guardians of the Ten Directions, (5) the Eight Great Planets, (6) the Eight Great Nāgas, (7) the Eight Bhairavas, (8) the Great Gods, and (9) the King of Long Life. Following these, there are instructions for initiating students, instructions for performing the four rites of pacifying, gaining prosperity, subjugation, and destroying; and final praises. This chapter also presents an expanded explanation of the reason for the downfall of the god Vimalamaṇiprabha. Specifically, the Buddha explains that before being born as a god, he was a prince who killed his father and also caused his mother’s death. Later, he encountered a sage and repented. He was overcome by grief and died, and his recent repentance gained him a good rebirth as the god Vimalamaṇiprabha. However, although he attained a good rebirth, the karma from his earlier deeds was delayed rather than eliminated. Finally, the Buddha reveals that the past events and the present setting of the frame story are linked through the karmic connections of those involved: the prince was the god Vimalamaṇiprabha, his father was Indra, and the sage was Śākyamuni himself.
The third chapter contains a maṇḍala of Cakravartin, the four rites, collections of mudrās and mantras, the maṇḍala of wrathful deities, and further description of the four rites and instructions for different types of homa offerings. The chapter also features a wrathful maṇḍala not present in the later translation, and it likewise contains the irregularities discussed above, such as naming the four rites—pacifying, gaining prosperity, subjugation, and destroying—but, in most versions, only teaching the method of making hearths and offering burnt sacrifices for the first three types. Finally, it ends with closing praises of the text and the Buddha.
[F.58.b]Homage to glorious Vajrasattva.21
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was enjoying the highest Park of Delights of all the assemblies of gods. It was graced with bushes and trees with trunks bearing vines and branches and leaves of jewels and gold, medicinal herbs, and various flowers such as lotus, utpala, karṇikā, bakula, sesame flowers, aśoka flowers, mandārava, and mahāmandārava blossoms. There were also countless other offerings and wish-fulfilling trees that made the grove extraordinarily beautiful, and it was sonorous with birdsong of many types of birds, and resounding with the sounds of drums, ḍamaru drums, cymbals, flutes, and bherī drums. Śakra and Brahmā and various other gods and goddesses were at leisure there, and it was blessed by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Assembled there were Śakra and Brahmā and various gods and vidyādharas and goddesses in multitudes of retinues of quintillions; yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, nāgas, and so forth, in innumerable retinues; and eight hundred million bodhisattva mahāsattvas, such as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Limitless Intelligence,22 Acalamati, Vipulamati,23 Samantamati, Anantamati,[F.59.a] Kamalamati, Mahāmati, Divāmati, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vividhamati, and so forth. The infinite, boundless community of irreversible bodhisattva mahāsattvas honored, venerated, worshiped, and respected the Blessed One.
In the middle of that numerous retinue he sat down upon the lotus seat of Mahābrahmā and entered the samādhi known as purifying all bad rebirths.
A garland of many expanding and contracting light rays of the samādhi of the bodhisattva mahāsattva called Apāyatrayasantativimokṣaka emanated from the ūrṇā on his forehead. They fully illuminated the trichiliocosm.
From that complete illumination, the bonds of the mental afflictions of sentient beings were released, each individually attained happiness, and the entire garden of delight was fully illuminated. Performing worship with clouds of many kinds of offerings, they circumambulated one hundred thousand times and prostrated one hundred thousand times. Then they sat down before the Blessed One on a spotless jewel24 and said:
Then Śakra, lord of the gods,25 circumambulated the Blessed One one hundred thousand times, and after paying homage to him, asked, “Blessed One, how can we be completely liberated from the succession of bad rebirths by the all-illuminating light rays of the Buddha, and then placed on the path of complete liberation? Blessed One, it is astonishing![F.59.b] Sugata, it is astonishing!”
The Blessed One replied, “Devendra, this is nothing astonishing; the blessed buddhas have amassed excellent accumulations of immeasurable merit.
“Devendra, the perfect and complete awakened ones are the source of countless precious qualities.
“Devendra, the perfect and complete awakened ones are truly endowed with limitless skillful means.
“Devendra, the insight of the blessed buddhas is immeasurable.
“The conduct of the blessed buddhas is boundless.
“Innumerable beings disciplined by the blessed buddhas become worthy recipients.
“The blessed buddhas possess unparalleled wisdom.
“The blessed buddhas are endowed with unparalleled supernatural power.
“The blessed buddhas are endowed with the strength of incomparable aspirations.
“Therefore, Devendra, it should be known that the blessed buddhas’ action for the benefit of beings is in accord with the recipients, just as their action for the benefit of beings is in accord with the disciple, and their action for the benefit of beings is in accord with their inclinations. With regard to this, one should refrain from doubts, uncertainty, or ambivalence. There isn’t anyone whom the tathāgatas cannot tame.”
Śakra, lord of the gods, then got up from his seat and again made vast offerings and paid homage to the Blessed One, and then said to the Blessed One, “May the Blessed One engender eloquence in me, in order to enact benefit for all beings,[F.60.a] be compassionate toward all beings, act with compassion, practice great compassion, and fulfill all aspirations without exception—Sugata, grant me eloquence!
“Blessed One, seven days have passed since the god Vimalamaṇiprabha died and fell from the assembly of gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Blessed One, where has he been reborn? What kind of bliss or torment is he experiencing? Blessed One, please explain it. Sugata, please explain it.”
The Blessed One said, “Devendra, if the proper time should arise for it, listen well!”
Devendra replied, “Blessed One, this is the time for it! Sugata, this is the right time!”
“Devendra,” said the Blessed One, “the god called Vimalamaṇiprabha has died and fallen from here to be reborn in the great Avīci Hell. He will experience acute and unbearable suffering there for twelve thousand years, after which he will experience suffering in lesser hells for hundreds and hundreds of years.
“Then he will experience suffering for hundreds and hundreds of years as an animal and as a preta. Then he will be born dwelling among people in the border regions, deaf, naturally mute and stuttering and unable to speak clearly, and experience suffering for sixty thousand years.
“For eighty-four thousand years, dripping pus and blood, he will be tormented with leprosy and boils. Many people will revile him and he will be rejected by everyone. Being in a low-caste family, he will endure suffering after suffering in succession. He will also do harm to others and face various kinds of karmic obstructions without respite. Furthermore, he will experience a succession of one torment after another.”[F.60.b]
Upon hearing this, Śakra and the other gods were bewildered26 and frightened, collapsing on their faces in grief. After getting up, he asked, “Blessed One, how can there be escape from this succession of great suffering? Sugata, how can there be escape? Blessed One, please save and liberate him from this mass of suffering by all means! Sugata, please save him!”
The Blessed One said, “Devendra, what the eighty-four thousand buddhas have explained, I will also explain—listen!”
Śakra, lord of the gods, then made various kinds of offerings to the Blessed One, especially of mandārava flowers, mahāmandārava, various other flowers, jeweled crowns, bracelets, armlets, earrings, long necklaces, and medium-length necklaces. He circumambulated and bowed hundreds of thousands of times and said, “Blessed One, how wonderful! Sugata, how wonderful!”
After pleasing the Blessed One with the words “how wonderful,” he said, “Blessed One, I make this request for the sake of a well-spoken explanation for the benefit and happiness of the world including the gods, and for the complete liberation of future beings from the succession of the three bad states of rebirth.”
Then Brahmā and the many other gods also said, “Blessed One, how wonderful! Sugata, how wonderful! Please explain how future beings can be freed from the path of the three bad rebirths by merely hearing the Blessed One’s name, and how those with fortunate births in the realm of the gods or even the human world can achieve complete, unsurpassable awakening.”
The Blessed One then entered the samādhi called empowerment of the vajra that is infallible and free from doubt27 in order to empower Śakra, Brahmā, and the other gods with this heart mantra of the tathāgatas.[F.61.a] Then also this mantra came forth from his own heart and the gods who hold the vow were empowered:28
oṁ sarvavidyā vajrādhiṣṭhānajñānasamaya hūṁ |29
Having entered that samādhi, and having empowered with the empowerment of the vajra that can neither be doubted nor bested, he emitted from his own heart this heart mantra of all the tathāgatas, called the sovereign purifier of all bad rebirths:30
oṁ śodhane śodhane31 sarvapāpaṃ viśodhane | śuddhe viśuddhe | sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśuddhe svāhā |32
As soon as he spoke this great formula, all the bonds to the succession of bad rebirths for sentient beings were severed. All beings were completely purified. All types of terrible suffering were eliminated and many beings were endowed with happiness. Then, moreover, he spoke this secret heart mantra:
oṁ śodhane śodhane oṁ sarvāpāyān sarvasattvebhyo hūṁ |33 oṁ |34
“Furthermore, Devendra, this is the heart mantra of all the tathāgatas:
oṁ sarva apāyaviśodhane hūṁ phaṭ |35
“Furthermore, Devendra, this is the subsidiary heart mantra of the heart mantra of all the tathāgatas:
oṁ traṭ |
“Furthermore, Devendra, this is the heart mantra of the complete purification of all bad rebirths:
hūṁ |
“Furthermore, Devendra, in brief, even with merely this thought, beings with little merit can easily become completely liberated from all successions of bad rebirths:
namo bhagavate sarvadurgatipariśodhanarājāya tathāgatāya arhate saṃyaksaṃbuddhāya | tadyathā | oṁ śodhane śodhane sarvapāpaṃ viśodhane śuddhe viśuddhe sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśuddhe svāhā |36
“This is the root formula.37
oṁ sarvavit sarvāvaraṇāni38 viśodhaya hana hūṁ phaṭ |39
oṁ sarvavit hūṁ |40
oṁ sarvavit phaṭ |41
oṁ sarvavit a |42
oṁ sarvavit trātha |43
oṁ sarvavit oṁ |44
oṃ sarvavit svā |45
oṁ sarvavit a |46
oṁ sarvavit hūṁ |47
oṁ sarvavit trā eṭ |48
oṁ sarvavit śa |49
oṁ oṁ bha |50[F.61.b]
“Devendra, any son or daughter of a good family who merely hears the name of the secret heart syllable of the tathāgata Sarvadurgatipariśodhanatejorāja, or who keeps it in mind, reads it out loud, or copies it and attaches it at the head, crown of the head, or throat and bears it in mind will not encounter the eight kinds of untimely death or dreams associated with the eight kinds of untimely death. All those signs associated with bad rebirth will not enter their dreams in this very lifetime. This is even more certain for those who enter the maṇḍala, and having entered it and been consecrated, recite the heart syllable and meditate on the meaning of the mantra. As for them, transgressions will not arise and obtaining bad rebirths will not come to pass. If men, women, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, animals, pretas, beings in hell, and so on, or any bodies of the deceased, are placed in the maṇḍala and consecrated, then even if they are reborn in hell they will swiftly be completely liberated from there and take birth among the classes of gods.
“Having been born among the gods, they directly perceive the essential Dharma of all the tathāgatas, offer reverence to all the tathāgatas, and are irreversibly established on the path to buddhahood. They come to the true meaning of the tantra and are certainly born into the family of all the tathāgatas. Their obscurations are eliminated and they experience happiness in the family of all the tathāgatas or the gods or among others. In brief, Devendra, they will experience both worldly and transcendent benefits and happiness.”
Śakra, lord of the gods, circumambulated the Blessed One as before, prostrated, and said, “Blessed One, please give a sermon for the sake of easily attaining the realization of unsurpassable, complete, perfect awakening,[F.62.a] accordingly turning sentient beings away from all bad rebirths, and for the benefit and happiness of those who are subject to bad rebirths. Lord, please give a sermon!”
The Blessed One Śākyamuni then entered the samādhi called the wisdom vajra of the complete purification of all bad rebirths by all the tathāgatas51 and explained the great maṇḍala called the king of splendid light of the complete purification of all bad rebirths by all the tathāgatas:52
Then, due to his compassion for all beings, the Blessed One explained the outer maṇḍala:
oṁ vajra adhitiṣṭha hūṁ |60
oṁ vajra samaya hūṁ |61
oṁ vajra praveśa hūṁ |62
asame trisame mahāsamaye hūṁ |63
“Then, with these mantras, the flowers and so forth should be cast.
oṁ vajra pratigṛhṇa ha hūṁ |64
oṁ vajra pratitiṣṭha vajrasamaya tvaṁ |65
oṁ vajrasamaya hūṁ phaṭ |66
“One should then bind the mudrā of that family at one’s heart and recite the mantra establishing the pledge deity in the heart:
oṁ vajra samaya hṛdayaṃ me praveśa dṛḍha tiṣṭha hūṁ |67
“With this, one should then proclaim the vow.
The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths focuses on the purification of karma through funerary rituals. It is notable for its frame story involving a god named Vimalamaṇiprabha who has fallen into hell. The Buddha reveals that Vimalamaṇiprabha can be saved if rituals are performed on his behalf. The text then teaches numerous maṇḍala rites, homa sacrifices, and other rituals. With their help, Vimalamaṇiprabha is finally restored to heaven, and the Buddha reveals the reason for his downfall: severe transgressions during an earlier lifetime. The tantra employs ritual techniques common to the Yogatantra class but is distinct in its emphasis on rituals to benefit others—such as the dead—rather than sādhana practices for self-cultivation.
This text was translated by Kris L. Anderson. Thanks to Meghan Howard for suggestions on several points.
The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. Rory Lindsay edited the translation and the introduction, and Ven. Konchog Norbu copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication process.
The translation of this text has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Bhutanese 84000 community.
The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths begins with a frame story concerning a god named Vimalamaṇiprabha, who has recently died and fallen from his place in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. When the other gods ask about Vimalamaṇiprabha’s fate, the Buddha informs them that he has fallen into Avīci Hell and is destined to suffer for many thousands of lifetimes, taking rebirth in various hells, as a preta, as an animal, and as a human burdened by misfortune. The gods are shocked and beg the Buddha for some means to intercede and save Vimalamaṇiprabha. The Buddha acquiesces, and the text proceeds to teach a series of maṇḍalas and other rituals intended to save an individual from bad rebirths by purifying their transgressions. In later chapters, the frame story is revisited, and it is revealed that the rituals have succeeded and the god Vimalamaṇiprabha has been restored to his former place in heaven. The Buddha also reveals a further teaching, explaining that the reason for his downfall was due to having committed heinous acts in a previous lifetime, before his birth as a god. Finally, those assembled praise the Buddha and the rituals that have made this possible.
As with the frame stories in many Buddhist texts, this account provides the context and precedent for the rituals. It focuses specifically on the problem of death and makes several key points about the subject. The first is that everyone dies—even gods—and death often comes as a surprise. If this is the case for gods, how much more so for humans, even those who are powerful and privileged? Second, in saving Vimalamaṇiprabha and restoring him to his former heavenly existence, the text emphasizes the power of its rituals, which can save even those reborn in the most terrible hell realms. Moreover, it stresses the suitability of this work for use in funerary contexts, since it specifically permits the deceased’s family (or others) to undertake the rituals on their behalf, and to do so after death has occurred. Finally, the story shows that the ripening of karma is complex and its effects are not necessarily limited to the next life alone. In the god’s case, repentance and appropriate concentration at the moment of death in the last life were enough to secure his good rebirth as a god, but not enough to eradicate the karma from earlier bad deeds.1 The rituals thus offer protection against unknown lingering karma from the past and are suitable for anyone, even individuals whose current life has been virtuous.2
This frame story is echoed by similar narratives in certain other Buddhist texts, notably including The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī as well as a number of extracanonical ritual works preserved at the Dunhuang Library Cave.3 In certain cases, the shared frame story may indicate a historical relationship between the texts, while in others, it is likely that the story was adapted due to its compelling narrative and the pervasive human questions about the fate of the dead.4
The tantra was composed in the early eighth century, and there are two versions of it preserved in the Kangyur. This work, The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths, was translated into Tibetan in the eighth century, while the later version, A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, was translated in the thirteenth century. The present work is extant only in Tibetan; there is, however, a Sanskrit version similar to the later translation. Because the two Tibetan translations have substantial differences and only one Sanskrit version survives, the textual history and relationship between their source texts remains elusive. On the basis of surviving sources, we can only say that the work was composed in Sanskrit in approximately the eighth century and translated into Tibetan relatively soon thereafter, and that—at some point—a substantially different version was in circulation and available to translators of the thirteenth century.5
The text’s translation into Tibetan was most likely completed in the late eighth century, under the auspices of the Pugyal6 Dynasty’s imperial translation efforts. However, the transmission history of this translation presents difficulties, and the colophons conflict somewhat with other historical sources. The colophons examined, including representatives from both the Tshalpa and Thempangma lines, consistently identify it as translated by Śāntigarbha and Jayarakṣita, and revised by Ma Rinchen Chok.7 However, as modern scholars have noted, a number of Tibetan commentators were either uncertain or offered conflicting suggestions about the translators.8 Tsongkhapa Losang Drakpa (1357–1419), for example, identifies the Tibetan translating partner as Paltsek Rakṣita, and there has been disagreement in modern scholarship over whether these two (Jayarakṣita and Paltsek Rakṣita) refer to the same individual.9 Tibetan commentators such as Jetsün Drakpa Gyaltsen and Butön Rinchen Drup (1290–1364) were also uncertain about the identities of the translators.10
Although the tantra received attention and commentary from a number of notable Tibetan scholars, it was not without controversy. All surviving Sanskrit commentaries translated and preserved in the Tengyur refer to the present work; there are none relating to A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths. Even then, some Tibetan scholars expressed doubts about their authenticity.11 Another point that raised questions among Tibetan scholars was the issue of the total number of maṇḍalas in the text and the presence or absence of certain references to fierce homa rites; in some editions of the Kangyur, the current work contains an additional twelfth maṇḍala.12 Despite these irregularities, in the Tibetan tradition it was this version of the tantra that came to be the more influential of the two. It attracted both the efforts of Tibetan scholars in later centuries and inspired a body of ritual practice literature, a number of early examples of which have been preserved alongside more recent literature.13
The tantra is especially notable in accounts of the history of Buddhism’s introduction in Tibet, where evidence suggests it held an important role in both practice and in narratives about the arrival of Buddhism. It was one of the few tantras approved for translation and circulation by the Tibetan imperium in the ninth century. Moreover, although the tantra itself is not listed, works associated with it appear in both of the imperial-era catalogs that survive from the ninth century.14 Similarly, Rinchen Sangpo (958–1055), in his earliest extant biography, is said to have translated texts associated with the tantra, consecrated a number of related maṇḍalas on behalf of his mother, and performed the funeral rites for the king Lha Lama Yeshé Ö (947–1019/1024) according to the tantra’s methods.
The tantra’s connections in the Tibetan Empire can be traced back earlier, as well. The text is mentioned in relatively early post-imperial sources, The Chronicle of Ba (sba bzhed) and its earlier version, The Chronicle of Wa (dba’ bzhed), in two particularly notable cases. First, they record that Sarvavid Vairocana, a form unique to this version of the tantra, was one of the central deities in the main temple at Samyé (bsam yas), Tibet’s first Buddhist monastery, when it was established in 779.15 Second, the tantra features as a central element in an account of a debate at the funeral of the king Tri Songdetsen (742–ca. 800). The debate concerned whether his funeral should be performed according to Buddhist or non-Buddhist traditions, and concluded with the Buddhist side victorious, declaring that thenceforth royal funerals would be performed according to Buddhist methods, naming The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths in particular.16 In contrast to the account of the temple at Samyé, this account may not be reliable, and scholarship suggests it may be substantially later than other parts of The Chronicle.17 However, even if it is not historically accurate, the existence of the narrative itself is notable, for it demonstrates the importance the tantra came to hold in the imagining of Tibet’s Buddhist origins.
The present text survives only in Tibetan and does not seem to ever have had a Chinese translation, although there is a partial Chinese translation that corresponds to the later Tibetan version. More surprisingly, the current work’s Sanskrit source text is not preserved in the Newar Buddhist tradition of Nepal, nor have any of its manuscripts been identified in the archival collections of the Kathmandu Valley. Newar Buddhist funerary rituals continue to employ the Sanskrit version to the present day, however. Whether the Sanskrit source was present in the Kathmandu Valley and was subsequently lost, or whether its geographic distribution never included the region, has not been determined.18
In modern scholarship, an edition of the text has been published by Tadeusz Skorupski. Skorupski also included editions of A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, the later translation, and the Sanskrit, as well as an English translation primarily based on the Sanskrit. To supplement this, reviews and articles of Skorupski’s monograph have also been published by Leonard van der Kuijp, D. Seyfort Ruegg, and Per Kvaerne. Although there has been little work on the tantra as a whole, due to its significance to the history of Buddhism in early Tibet, portions of it have been examined in detail by Matthew Kapstein and others. So too, there survives a substantial body of ritual literature related to the work in the Dunhuang Library Collection, and in this context studies have been undertaken by Sam van Schaik, Jacob Dalton, Yoshiro Imaeda, and others. In art historical studies, the scholarship on Vairocana in early Tibet by Amy Heller is also relevant to the tantra. Relating to the Sanskrit version that more closely parallels the later translation, Lokesh Chandra has also published a manuscript from a Nepalese source, and Takahashi Hisao has published an edition and translation into Japanese of the first chapter.19
The present translation is based on the Tibetan translation of the text found in the Tantra Collection (rgyud ’bum) of the Degé Kangyur, in consultation with the Stok Palace Kangyur, the notes in the Comparative Edition of the Kangyur (dpe bsdur ma), and the Phukdrak MS. In the portions that overlap substantially with A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, the Sanskrit edition and English translation published by Skorupski have also been referenced, especially since he made extensive use of commentaries on the current work, as it is the only version treated by commentaries preserved in the Tengyur. The text is relatively stable across all the Kangyurs examined. The colophons, however, do contain some differences, as noted above, and we have drawn on recent scholarship in examining them.
A note on the difficulties of the text should be made with regard to the descriptions of mudrās. Across all versions, the text is noted for its numerous mudrās, and, indeed, in the associated ritual literature there is much attention paid to the correct formation of mudrās—in some cases going as far as to include images of the correct hand positions. There is a reason for the popularity of such texts—verbal descriptions of mudrās are not always clear, and translation into a different language only adds to their complexity. For this reason, the descriptions of the mudrās in this translation must be considered somewhat provisional. Furthermore, for mudrās that appear in sets, the sequence and transitions from one mudrā to the next are just as important as the static positions that are described. In some portions of the text, this is evident by the way they are described successively with reference to the one that came before, often starting out phrased as “from that, but with…” and going on to indicate a form that modifies the preceding one.
The tantra is divided into three chapters, and includes a total of twelve maṇḍalas.20 The first chapter focuses on what is generally understood as the principal maṇḍala of the tantra, centering on Sarvavid Vairocana, a form of Vairocana unique to the tantra, in a five-buddha array. They are surrounded by maṇḍala assembly deities such as bodhisattvas and offering goddesses commonly found in many maṇḍalas of Yogatantra texts, and the maṇḍala’s outer precincts are populated by various Indian gods and spirits, astral deities, pratyekabuddhas, śrāvakas, and others. In addition to the sādhana and the production of the maṇḍala and its rituals, this chapter contains sections for initiating students, making images, and performing rituals for the dead. Except for the opening scene, the first chapter is completely different from that found in the later translation, where a different maṇḍala is taught instead.
The second chapter also contains maṇḍalas, most of which are presided over by Vajrapāṇi and populated by worldly gods. These include maṇḍalas of (1) Śākyamuni, (2) Vajrapāṇi, (3) the Four Great Kings, (4) the Guardians of the Ten Directions, (5) the Eight Great Planets, (6) the Eight Great Nāgas, (7) the Eight Bhairavas, (8) the Great Gods, and (9) the King of Long Life. Following these, there are instructions for initiating students, instructions for performing the four rites of pacifying, gaining prosperity, subjugation, and destroying; and final praises. This chapter also presents an expanded explanation of the reason for the downfall of the god Vimalamaṇiprabha. Specifically, the Buddha explains that before being born as a god, he was a prince who killed his father and also caused his mother’s death. Later, he encountered a sage and repented. He was overcome by grief and died, and his recent repentance gained him a good rebirth as the god Vimalamaṇiprabha. However, although he attained a good rebirth, the karma from his earlier deeds was delayed rather than eliminated. Finally, the Buddha reveals that the past events and the present setting of the frame story are linked through the karmic connections of those involved: the prince was the god Vimalamaṇiprabha, his father was Indra, and the sage was Śākyamuni himself.
The third chapter contains a maṇḍala of Cakravartin, the four rites, collections of mudrās and mantras, the maṇḍala of wrathful deities, and further description of the four rites and instructions for different types of homa offerings. The chapter also features a wrathful maṇḍala not present in the later translation, and it likewise contains the irregularities discussed above, such as naming the four rites—pacifying, gaining prosperity, subjugation, and destroying—but, in most versions, only teaching the method of making hearths and offering burnt sacrifices for the first three types. Finally, it ends with closing praises of the text and the Buddha.
[F.58.b]Homage to glorious Vajrasattva.21
Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was enjoying the highest Park of Delights of all the assemblies of gods. It was graced with bushes and trees with trunks bearing vines and branches and leaves of jewels and gold, medicinal herbs, and various flowers such as lotus, utpala, karṇikā, bakula, sesame flowers, aśoka flowers, mandārava, and mahāmandārava blossoms. There were also countless other offerings and wish-fulfilling trees that made the grove extraordinarily beautiful, and it was sonorous with birdsong of many types of birds, and resounding with the sounds of drums, ḍamaru drums, cymbals, flutes, and bherī drums. Śakra and Brahmā and various other gods and goddesses were at leisure there, and it was blessed by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Assembled there were Śakra and Brahmā and various gods and vidyādharas and goddesses in multitudes of retinues of quintillions; yakṣas, rākṣasas, asuras, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, nāgas, and so forth, in innumerable retinues; and eight hundred million bodhisattva mahāsattvas, such as the bodhisattva mahāsattvas Limitless Intelligence,22 Acalamati, Vipulamati,23 Samantamati, Anantamati,[F.59.a] Kamalamati, Mahāmati, Divāmati, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Vividhamati, and so forth. The infinite, boundless community of irreversible bodhisattva mahāsattvas honored, venerated, worshiped, and respected the Blessed One.
In the middle of that numerous retinue he sat down upon the lotus seat of Mahābrahmā and entered the samādhi known as purifying all bad rebirths.
A garland of many expanding and contracting light rays of the samādhi of the bodhisattva mahāsattva called Apāyatrayasantativimokṣaka emanated from the ūrṇā on his forehead. They fully illuminated the trichiliocosm.
From that complete illumination, the bonds of the mental afflictions of sentient beings were released, each individually attained happiness, and the entire garden of delight was fully illuminated. Performing worship with clouds of many kinds of offerings, they circumambulated one hundred thousand times and prostrated one hundred thousand times. Then they sat down before the Blessed One on a spotless jewel24 and said:
Then Śakra, lord of the gods,25 circumambulated the Blessed One one hundred thousand times, and after paying homage to him, asked, “Blessed One, how can we be completely liberated from the succession of bad rebirths by the all-illuminating light rays of the Buddha, and then placed on the path of complete liberation? Blessed One, it is astonishing![F.59.b] Sugata, it is astonishing!”
The Blessed One replied, “Devendra, this is nothing astonishing; the blessed buddhas have amassed excellent accumulations of immeasurable merit.
“Devendra, the perfect and complete awakened ones are the source of countless precious qualities.
“Devendra, the perfect and complete awakened ones are truly endowed with limitless skillful means.
“Devendra, the insight of the blessed buddhas is immeasurable.
“The conduct of the blessed buddhas is boundless.
“Innumerable beings disciplined by the blessed buddhas become worthy recipients.
“The blessed buddhas possess unparalleled wisdom.
“The blessed buddhas are endowed with unparalleled supernatural power.
“The blessed buddhas are endowed with the strength of incomparable aspirations.
“Therefore, Devendra, it should be known that the blessed buddhas’ action for the benefit of beings is in accord with the recipients, just as their action for the benefit of beings is in accord with the disciple, and their action for the benefit of beings is in accord with their inclinations. With regard to this, one should refrain from doubts, uncertainty, or ambivalence. There isn’t anyone whom the tathāgatas cannot tame.”
Śakra, lord of the gods, then got up from his seat and again made vast offerings and paid homage to the Blessed One, and then said to the Blessed One, “May the Blessed One engender eloquence in me, in order to enact benefit for all beings,[F.60.a] be compassionate toward all beings, act with compassion, practice great compassion, and fulfill all aspirations without exception—Sugata, grant me eloquence!
“Blessed One, seven days have passed since the god Vimalamaṇiprabha died and fell from the assembly of gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Blessed One, where has he been reborn? What kind of bliss or torment is he experiencing? Blessed One, please explain it. Sugata, please explain it.”
The Blessed One said, “Devendra, if the proper time should arise for it, listen well!”
Devendra replied, “Blessed One, this is the time for it! Sugata, this is the right time!”
“Devendra,” said the Blessed One, “the god called Vimalamaṇiprabha has died and fallen from here to be reborn in the great Avīci Hell. He will experience acute and unbearable suffering there for twelve thousand years, after which he will experience suffering in lesser hells for hundreds and hundreds of years.
“Then he will experience suffering for hundreds and hundreds of years as an animal and as a preta. Then he will be born dwelling among people in the border regions, deaf, naturally mute and stuttering and unable to speak clearly, and experience suffering for sixty thousand years.
“For eighty-four thousand years, dripping pus and blood, he will be tormented with leprosy and boils. Many people will revile him and he will be rejected by everyone. Being in a low-caste family, he will endure suffering after suffering in succession. He will also do harm to others and face various kinds of karmic obstructions without respite. Furthermore, he will experience a succession of one torment after another.”[F.60.b]
Upon hearing this, Śakra and the other gods were bewildered26 and frightened, collapsing on their faces in grief. After getting up, he asked, “Blessed One, how can there be escape from this succession of great suffering? Sugata, how can there be escape? Blessed One, please save and liberate him from this mass of suffering by all means! Sugata, please save him!”
The Blessed One said, “Devendra, what the eighty-four thousand buddhas have explained, I will also explain—listen!”
Śakra, lord of the gods, then made various kinds of offerings to the Blessed One, especially of mandārava flowers, mahāmandārava, various other flowers, jeweled crowns, bracelets, armlets, earrings, long necklaces, and medium-length necklaces. He circumambulated and bowed hundreds of thousands of times and said, “Blessed One, how wonderful! Sugata, how wonderful!”
After pleasing the Blessed One with the words “how wonderful,” he said, “Blessed One, I make this request for the sake of a well-spoken explanation for the benefit and happiness of the world including the gods, and for the complete liberation of future beings from the succession of the three bad states of rebirth.”
Then Brahmā and the many other gods also said, “Blessed One, how wonderful! Sugata, how wonderful! Please explain how future beings can be freed from the path of the three bad rebirths by merely hearing the Blessed One’s name, and how those with fortunate births in the realm of the gods or even the human world can achieve complete, unsurpassable awakening.”
The Blessed One then entered the samādhi called empowerment of the vajra that is infallible and free from doubt27 in order to empower Śakra, Brahmā, and the other gods with this heart mantra of the tathāgatas.[F.61.a] Then also this mantra came forth from his own heart and the gods who hold the vow were empowered:28
oṁ sarvavidyā vajrādhiṣṭhānajñānasamaya hūṁ |29
Having entered that samādhi, and having empowered with the empowerment of the vajra that can neither be doubted nor bested, he emitted from his own heart this heart mantra of all the tathāgatas, called the sovereign purifier of all bad rebirths:30
oṁ śodhane śodhane31 sarvapāpaṃ viśodhane | śuddhe viśuddhe | sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśuddhe svāhā |32
As soon as he spoke this great formula, all the bonds to the succession of bad rebirths for sentient beings were severed. All beings were completely purified. All types of terrible suffering were eliminated and many beings were endowed with happiness. Then, moreover, he spoke this secret heart mantra:
oṁ śodhane śodhane oṁ sarvāpāyān sarvasattvebhyo hūṁ |33 oṁ |34
“Furthermore, Devendra, this is the heart mantra of all the tathāgatas:
oṁ sarva apāyaviśodhane hūṁ phaṭ |35
“Furthermore, Devendra, this is the subsidiary heart mantra of the heart mantra of all the tathāgatas:
oṁ traṭ |
“Furthermore, Devendra, this is the heart mantra of the complete purification of all bad rebirths:
hūṁ |
“Furthermore, Devendra, in brief, even with merely this thought, beings with little merit can easily become completely liberated from all successions of bad rebirths:
namo bhagavate sarvadurgatipariśodhanarājāya tathāgatāya arhate saṃyaksaṃbuddhāya | tadyathā | oṁ śodhane śodhane sarvapāpaṃ viśodhane śuddhe viśuddhe sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśuddhe svāhā |36
“This is the root formula.37
oṁ sarvavit sarvāvaraṇāni38 viśodhaya hana hūṁ phaṭ |39
oṁ sarvavit hūṁ |40
oṁ sarvavit phaṭ |41
oṁ sarvavit a |42
oṁ sarvavit trātha |43
oṁ sarvavit oṁ |44
oṃ sarvavit svā |45
oṁ sarvavit a |46
oṁ sarvavit hūṁ |47
oṁ sarvavit trā eṭ |48
oṁ sarvavit śa |49
oṁ oṁ bha |50[F.61.b]
“Devendra, any son or daughter of a good family who merely hears the name of the secret heart syllable of the tathāgata Sarvadurgatipariśodhanatejorāja, or who keeps it in mind, reads it out loud, or copies it and attaches it at the head, crown of the head, or throat and bears it in mind will not encounter the eight kinds of untimely death or dreams associated with the eight kinds of untimely death. All those signs associated with bad rebirth will not enter their dreams in this very lifetime. This is even more certain for those who enter the maṇḍala, and having entered it and been consecrated, recite the heart syllable and meditate on the meaning of the mantra. As for them, transgressions will not arise and obtaining bad rebirths will not come to pass. If men, women, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, animals, pretas, beings in hell, and so on, or any bodies of the deceased, are placed in the maṇḍala and consecrated, then even if they are reborn in hell they will swiftly be completely liberated from there and take birth among the classes of gods.
“Having been born among the gods, they directly perceive the essential Dharma of all the tathāgatas, offer reverence to all the tathāgatas, and are irreversibly established on the path to buddhahood. They come to the true meaning of the tantra and are certainly born into the family of all the tathāgatas. Their obscurations are eliminated and they experience happiness in the family of all the tathāgatas or the gods or among others. In brief, Devendra, they will experience both worldly and transcendent benefits and happiness.”
Śakra, lord of the gods, circumambulated the Blessed One as before, prostrated, and said, “Blessed One, please give a sermon for the sake of easily attaining the realization of unsurpassable, complete, perfect awakening,[F.62.a] accordingly turning sentient beings away from all bad rebirths, and for the benefit and happiness of those who are subject to bad rebirths. Lord, please give a sermon!”
The Blessed One Śākyamuni then entered the samādhi called the wisdom vajra of the complete purification of all bad rebirths by all the tathāgatas51 and explained the great maṇḍala called the king of splendid light of the complete purification of all bad rebirths by all the tathāgatas:52
Then, due to his compassion for all beings, the Blessed One explained the outer maṇḍala:
oṁ vajra adhitiṣṭha hūṁ |60
oṁ vajra samaya hūṁ |61
oṁ vajra praveśa hūṁ |62
asame trisame mahāsamaye hūṁ |63
“Then, with these mantras, the flowers and so forth should be cast.
oṁ vajra pratigṛhṇa ha hūṁ |64
oṁ vajra pratitiṣṭha vajrasamaya tvaṁ |65
oṁ vajrasamaya hūṁ phaṭ |66
“One should then bind the mudrā of that family at one’s heart and recite the mantra establishing the pledge deity in the heart:
oṁ vajra samaya hṛdayaṃ me praveśa dṛḍha tiṣṭha hūṁ |67
“With this, one should then proclaim the vow.
The expanded narrative showing that the god’s downfall was due to deeds in earlier lives appears only in the current text; it is not present in the later translation, A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths.
For a more detailed analysis of how the frame story promotes use of the text, see Bjerken 2005. Additionally, for a discussion of debates between the Tibetan scholars Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen (1147–1216), Gorampa Sönam Sengé (1429–89), and Bodong Paṇchen Choklé Namgyal (1375/6–1451) over whether the account of Vimalamaṇiprabha’s rescue is relevant to funerary practices for ordinary people, see Lindsay 2024, pp. 183–89.
On the relationship between The Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths and The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī, as well as relevant works in the Dunhuang corpus, see Dalton, 2016 and 2023. A study of The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī, including an analysis of its frame story, from the perspective of Chinese Buddhism can be found in Copp 2014. See also The Uṣṇīṣavijayā Dhāraṇī (Uṣṇīṣavijayādhāraṇī, Toh 597).
See Dalton 2016 and Dalton 2023. For a discussion of the frame story adapted and popularized in more distant material like The History of the Cycle of Birth and Death (skye shi ’khor lo’i bstan pa), see Imaeda (1981 [in French] and 2007 [translated into English]), as well as Kapstein (2000, 2003, and 2010).
Tib. spu rgyal. The name of the Tibetan royal dynasty based in Yarlung that ruled Tibet until the collapse of the empire in 842.
This includes the versions in the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma) of the Kangyur as well as the Stok Palace MS. The Phukdrak MS differs, but it contains no colophon, not a variation with different attribution.
Drakpa Gyaltsen, in an overview to the tantra, was not clear on the Tibetan translator and named no Indian translator. Butön, meanwhile, claimed that the translators were Gyalwa Tso and Rinchen Chok, not mentioning an Indian partner and changing Rinchen Chok from editor to translation partner. Further differing attributions were also given by Gorampa Sönam Sengé (1429–89), and others. See van der Kuijp 1992, p. 109.
However, the thirteenth-century translation date of the later version is likely to be a significant reason for receiving somewhat less engagement. See also the introduction to A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths for further detail.
These are the Denkarma (ldan kar ma), from the early ninth century, and the Phangthangma (’phang thang ma), from slightly later in the ninth century. See Schaeffer and van der Kuijp 2007, p. 46, n. 87, and also Hermann-Pfandt 2008, p. xxii.
Kapstein 2000, p. 61. Kapstein also acknowledges that The Chronicle is not a contemporaneous record and its assertions must be considered with caution; however, he also argues that in some things it may be reasonably reliable. In the present instance, the descriptions of Samyé from other sources concur with this one.
Wangdu and Diemberger 2000, p. 105. However, it should be noted that there has been, more recently, scholarship questioning whether the reference truly refers to the current text. The passage itself identifies the works in question by shortened forms of the name: “Henceforth the funerals were celebrated following the ngan song sbyong rgyud (Tantra Purifying Bad Rebirths) and on the basis of the kun rig dkyil ’khor (maṇḍala of the Buddha Sarvavid Vairocana) and the gtsug tor dgu’i dkyil ’khor (the maṇḍala of the nine uṣṇīṣas)” (Wangdu and Diemberger 2000, p. 105).
For a more detailed discussion of the Indian history of practice and the Nepalese tradition relating to the Sanskrit version of the text and the Chinese translation, see our introduction to A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths.
See our introduction to A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths for further discussion of the scholarship on the Sanskrit version.
This is one more than is found in the later translation, namely the maṇḍala of fierce deities that appears in the third chapter. On the debates and concerns among Tibetan scholars about these differences, see van der Kuijp 1992, p. 115.
The homage in the later translation, A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths, is to Śākyasiṃha. Although the extant Sanskrit version is more similar to the later translation, its homage is to Vajrasattva, as in the current work.
Tib. blo gros tshad med pa. The bodhisattva at the equivalent point in the later translation is Pratibhānamati (Tib. blo gros pobs pa).
The name included here is Vipulamati, as a translation of the Tibetan blo gros yangs pa. Elsewhere in the canon, blo gros yangs pa is used as a translation for Viśālamati, while Vipulamati is translated into yangs pa blo gros (i.e., reversing the order of the terms). Both viśāla and vipula have been translated as yangs pa. The present translation of Vipulamati is based on the suggestion of the Sanskrit parallel to the later translation.
Usually in this text lha’i dbang po has been rendered using its Sanskrit equivalent “Devendra” to read more smoothly. However, because Śakra (brgya byin) is also provided, the name has been translated into English, since in this instance the intent seems explanatory.
This reading follows the later translation’s “bewildered” (sngangs) because it seems to fit better; however the present text’s reading of “angry” (sdangs) is not wholly implausible.
Tib. don yod gdon mi za ba’i rdo rje byin gyis brlabs. The parallel in A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths varies slightly, omitting “free from doubt” (gdon mi za ba). As this is also the case in the Sanskrit (Skt. amoghavajrādhiṣṭhāna), it is not possible to confirm the Sanskrit for the current name.
“Oṁ all vidyās, pledge of the knowledge of vajra empowerment hūṁ.” The later translation does not include the sarvavidyā but is otherwise the same. Orthography in the current text has been adjusted on its basis.
Tib. ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba’i rgyal po zhes bya ba de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi snying po ’di. That is to say, similar to the name of the text (Tib. ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba’i rgyal po; Skt. sarvadurgatipariśodhanarāja). As phrased in the current text, this appears to be the name of the mantra, whereas in the later translation, with only minor differences, it appears to be the name of the tathāgata whose mantra it is. The Sanskrit agrees with Toh 485; however, since the current text’s reading is also coherent, it has not been emended.
The reading śodhani śodhani, as attested in the Degé version, has here been provisionally aligned with the reading found in the following mantras.
“Oṁ purification purification, complete purification of all transgressions, purified, completely purified, completely purified of all karmic obscurations svāhā.”
The additional oṁ does not appear in the later translation. It is unclear whether its presence is due to the following line being interpreted as a mantra as well, although in the Tibetan it is explicitly instructional.
“Homage to the Blessed One, sovereign purifier of all bad rebirths, tathāgata, arhat, perfect and complete awakened one. And so: oṁ purification purification, complete purification of all transgressions, purified, completely purified, completely purified of all karmic obscurations svāhā.” This differs from Toh 485 only with the omission of viśodhane viśodhane before the sarvapāpaṃ.
Although this is the root formula of the text, and as such quite important to the traditions that have employed the text, there is some variation both between the Sanskrit and Tibetan canons, and different instances of its appearance within individual versions. Between differing Tibetan canons the differences are mostly minor deviations in the transliteration. The version included here is based on the Degé. The Sanskrit according to Skorupski’s edition differs slightly: oṁ namo bhagavate sarvadurgatipariśodhanarājaya tathāgatayārhate samyaksambuddhāya | tadyathā | oṁ śodhane śodhane sarvapāpaviśodhani śuddhe viśuddhe sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśodhani svāhā (Skorupski 1983, p. 126). The Sanskrit in Takahashi’s edition is: oṁ namo bhagavate sarvadurgatipariśodhanarājāya tathāgatāyārhate samyaksaṃbuddhāya | tadyathā | oṁ śodhani sarvapāpaviśodhani śuddhe viśuddhe sarvakarmāvaraṇaviśodhani svāhā (Takahashi 1985(a), p. 132).
Tib. de bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba’i ye shes rdo rje. This differs from the later translation and Sanskrit only in having an additional segment “of all the tathāgatas.” On that basis, its Sanskrit could plausibly be *Sarvatathāgata-sarvadurgatipariśodhanajñānavajra.
The later translation is identical, so the Sanskrit can probably be reliably reconstructed as *Sarvatathāgatasarvadurgatipariśodhanatejorāja.
From here to the end of the first chapter, the current text diverges from the later translation and the Sanskrit.
Tib. rin chen. However, this refers to Ratnaketu (normally translated in Tibetan as rin po che tog).
Tib. me tog. However, this refers to Vikasitakusuma (normally translated in Tibetan as me tog chen po rgyas pa).
Tib. ri rnams. Skorupski notes that this is explained by Tsongkhapa as gser gyi ri bdun la gnas pa’i lha rnams.
Tib. lcags kyu. Skt. aṅkuśa. Although also taking form as deities and mudrās for binding the maṇḍala, the name is here translated because it is paired with the shapes that the four following mudrās take (hook, noose, and so on).
The description here of perceiving that which has no beginning or end is most commonly found in reference to emptiness, although emptiness is not mentioned in this line.
The interpretation of this mantra caused disagreement among Tibetan commentators; see Skorupski, p. 316, n. 17. See also Dalton, who notes that it appears elsewhere serving as a mantra for opening the doors to the maṇḍala (Dalton 2023, p. 253, n. 54).
This parallels the section on images in the third chapter of the later translation, A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths.
Although this passage is very similar to the parallel one in the later translation, the final portion of the latter specifies that Hayagrīva and Trailokyavijaya should be drawn facing their respective deities (Tib. rang gi lha la mngon par phyogs par bri), while the present translation says they should be drawn in dependence upon them (Tib. rang gi lha la brten par bri).
The current text reads “male or female” (Tib. pho mo). In contrast, the later translation and Sanskrit concur with the reading “girl” (Tib. bu mo).
Tib. de ni rtag tu sangs rgyas dang / /chos ’gro ba ni thos par ’gyur. In comparison, the later translation instead reads chos bgro ba, or “proclamations of the Dharma.” The Degé reading has been retained here as plausible, which is supported by Vajravarman’s interpretation of the passage as referring to the Three Jewels. See Skorupski 1983, p. 319, n. 25.
These numbers are somewhat provisional, since both ’bum phrag stong and brgya phrag stong can mean one hundred thousand.
See also note at F.81.b, where “bird” (Tib. bya) vases appear once again. According to Vajravarman, this is explained in that instance as referring to vases shaped like birds (Skorupski 1983, p. 62, n. 55). It is likely, given the similar context listing offering materials, that this is the intent here also at n.195.
This statement is slightly ambiguous because the “cut off” remains implicit. Degé as well as other canons are relatively consistent in reading Tib. ci ste mtshan ma la sogs ’byung / /de bzhin sdig can rgyud ces bya. As phrased in the later translation, the meaning is clearer: yang na mtshan ma yang dag byung na ni/ /de bzhin sdig rgyun spangs par shes par bya (“Once a sign arises, one will know that the continuous series of transgressions has been eliminated”). See also A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths. Among the versions of the current text, the Phukdrak Kangyur offers a different reading, which carries a similar intent to this one. However, the passage in fact is a repetition of the line appearing several verses down (“If, due to the sinful mind of the deceased, one of these signs is not seen…”). It is possible this was included in an attempt to clarify this initial ambiguity.
“Wisdom” is used in this instance to translate Tibetan shes rab; Sanskrit prajñā, although in other contexts these are translated as “insight.” A Portion of the Practice Purifying Bad Rebirths differs slightly with the addition of nihilistic views (med pa nyid du lta ba) to this list as well as slightly differing phrasing.
“Oṁ completely purify all bad rebirths vajra hūṁ phaṭ.” We have tentatively emended Tibetan sa+rba a bA ya to sarvāpāyān.
“Oṁ contain contain all obscurations phaṭ.” For the translation, “contain” is somewhat speculative. Skorupski, on the basis of Tsongkhapa’s suggestion of it as dral bar gyis, translates it as “rend” (Skorupski 1983, p. 36, n. 3).
“Oṁ cut off cut off all obscurations hūṁ phaṭ.” This mantra is the same in the later translation, and Skorupski, following Tsongkhapa, explains traṭa as Tib. chod (Skorupski 1983, p. 36, n. 4).
“Oṁ sever sever all obscurations hūṁ phaṭ.” This follows the Degé; however, some versions also include additional syllables: vidrava vidrava.
A bodhisattva mahāsattva.
Also known as Ma Rinchen Chok (
The god of the sun; the sun personified.
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 desire (rāga), anger (dveṣa), and ignorance (moha). It is said that there are eighty-four thousand of these negative mental qualities, for which the eighty-four thousand categories of the Buddha’s teachings serve as the antidote.
Kleśa is also commonly translated as “negative emotions,” “disturbing emotions,” and so on. The Pāli kilesa, Middle Indic kileśa, and Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit kleśa all primarily mean “stain” or “defilement.” The translation “affliction” is a secondary development that derives from the more general (non-Buddhist) classical understanding of √kliś (“to harm,” “to afflict”). Both meanings are noted by Buddhist commentators.
The Indian god of fire.
Lord of those who move in the sky; one of the ten world protectors.
A bodhisattva.
Lit. “Not Disturbed” or “Immovable One.” The buddha in the eastern realm of Abhirati. A well-known buddha in Mahāyāna, regarded in the higher tantras as the head of one of the five buddha families, the vajra family in the east.
The buddha of the western buddhafield of Sukhāvatī, where fortunate beings are reborn to make further progress toward spiritual maturity. Amitābha made his great vows to create such a realm when he was a bodhisattva called Dharmākara. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, popular in East Asia, aspiring to be reborn in his buddha realm is the main emphasis; in other Mahāyāna traditions, too, it is a widespread practice. For a detailed description of the realm, see The Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī, Toh 115. In some tantras that make reference to the five families he is the tathāgata associated with the lotus family.
Amitābha, “Infinite Light,” is also known in many Indian Buddhist works as Amitāyus, “Infinite Life.” In both East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions he is often conflated with another buddha named “Infinite Life,” Aparimitāyus, or “Infinite Life and Wisdom,”Aparimitāyurjñāna, the shorter version of whose name has also been back-translated from Tibetan into Sanskrit as Amitāyus but who presides over a realm in the zenith. For details on the relation between these buddhas and their names, see The Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra (1) Toh 674, i.9.
A name for Amoghasiddhi. One of the five buddhas, of the northern direction and the karma family.
In the current text, said to be the lord of the guhyakas. Elsewhere, he is identified as a vidyā king (
A major śrāvaka disciple and personal attendant of the Buddha Śākyamuni during the last twenty-five years of his life. He was a cousin of the Buddha (according to the Mahāvastu, he was a son of Śuklodana, one of the brothers of King Śuddhodana, which means he was a brother of Devadatta; other sources say he was a son of Amṛtodana, another brother of King Śuddhodana, which means he would have been a brother of Aniruddha).
Ānanda, having always been in the Buddha’s presence, is said to have memorized all the teachings he heard and is celebrated for having recited all the Buddha’s teachings by memory at the first council of the Buddhist saṅgha, thus preserving the teachings after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The phrase “Thus did I hear at one time,” found at the beginning of the sūtras, usually stands for his recitation of the teachings. He became a patriarch after the passing of Mahākāśyapa.
One of the eight great nāgas.
A bodhisattva mahāsattva.
The god of Mars; the planet Mars personified.
A gesture of salutation in which the palms are joined together in front of oneself.
One of the four gate guardians, also called Vajrāṅkuśa.
A bodhisattva. The name in Tibetan means “one who liberates from the uninterrupted succession of the three bad rebirths” referring to rebirth in the lower realms (i.e., as a being in hell, a preta, or an animal).
One of the ten perfections. Also a declaration of one’s aspirations and vows, and/or an invocation and request of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, etc.
One of the six classes of sentient beings, sometimes included among the gods and sometimes among the animals, they are engendered and dominated by envy, ambition, and hostility and are described as being incessantly embroiled in disputes with the gods (
One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In the current text, he is primarily present as a member of the retinue of bodhisattvas.
The eighth and lowest of the eight hot hells.
The realms of hell beings, pretas, and animals—the three bad states into which one can be born. Also translated as “lower realms.”
Indian tree with a very fine flower.
An offering of food; unlike
The Tibetan scholar credited with translating this tantra together with the Indian scholar Śāntigarbha.
One of the mātṛkās; consort to Mahābhairava.
A vidyārāja from the personal retinue of Vajrapāṇi; also, one of the personal attendants on Śiva.
This term in its broadest sense can refer to any being, whether human, animal, or nonhuman. However, it is often used to refer to a specific class of nonhuman beings, especially when bhūtas are mentioned alongside rākṣasas, piśācas, or pretas. In common with these other kinds of nonhumans, bhūtas are usually depicted with unattractive and misshapen bodies. Like several other classes of nonhuman beings, bhūtas take spontaneous birth. As their leader is traditionally regarded to be Rudra-Śiva (also known by the name Bhūta), with whom they haunt dangerous and wild places, bhūtas are especially prominent in Śaivism, where large sections of certain tantras concentrate on them.
In Buddhist literature, this is an epithet applied to buddhas, most often to Śākyamuni. The Sanskrit term generally means “possessing fortune,” but in specifically Buddhist contexts it implies that a buddha is in possession of six auspicious qualities (bhaga) associated with complete awakening. The Tibetan term—where bcom is said to refer to “subduing” the four māras, ldan to “possessing” the great qualities of buddhahood, and ’das to “going beyond” saṃsāra and nirvāṇa—possibly reflects the commentarial tradition where the Sanskrit bhagavat is interpreted, in addition, as “one who destroys the four māras.” This is achieved either by reading bhagavat as bhagnavat (“one who broke”), or by tracing the word bhaga to the root √bhañj (“to break”).
A being who is dedicated to the cultivation and fulfilment of the altruistic intention to attain perfect buddhahood, traversing the ten bodhisattva levels (daśabhūmi, sa bcu). Bodhisattvas purposely opt to remain within cyclic existence in order to liberate all sentient beings, instead of simply seeking personal freedom from suffering. In terms of the view, they realize both the selflessness of persons and the selflessness of phenomena.
The term can be understood to mean “great courageous one” or "great hero,” or (from the Sanskrit) simply “great being,” and is almost always found as an epithet of “bodhisattva.” The qualification “great” in this term, according to the majority of canonical definitions, focuses on the generic greatness common to all bodhisattvas, i.e., the greatness implicit in the bodhisattva vow itself in terms of outlook, aspiration, number of beings to be benefited, potential or eventual accomplishments, and so forth. In this sense the mahā- is closer in its connotations to the mahā- in “Mahāyāna” than to the mahā- in “mahāsiddha.” While individual bodhisattvas described as mahāsattva may in many cases also be “great” in terms of their level of realization, this is largely coincidental, and in the canonical texts the epithet is not restricted to bodhisattvas at any particular point in their career. Indeed, in a few cases even bodhisattvas whose path has taken a wrong direction are still described as bodhisattva mahāsattva.
Later commentarial writings do nevertheless define the term—variably—in terms of bodhisattvas having attained a particular level (bhūmi) or realization. The most common qualifying criteria mentioned are attaining the path of seeing, attaining irreversibility (according to its various definitions), or attaining the seventh bhūmi.
1375/6–1451. A prolific scholar who founded the Bodong tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Bodong Paṇchen wrote extensively on the Sarvadurgatipariśodhana Tantra and was intensely critical of Jetsün Drakpa Gyaltsen’s interpretations of its funerary rites.
A high-ranking deity presiding over a divine world; he is also considered to be the lord of the Sahā world (our universe). Though not considered a creator god in Buddhism, Brahmā occupies an important place as one of two gods (the other being Indra/Śakra) said to have first exhorted the Buddha Śākyamuni to teach the Dharma. The particular heavens found in the form realm over which Brahmā rules are often some of the most sought-after realms of higher rebirth in Buddhist literature. Since there are many universes or world systems, there are also multiple Brahmās presiding over them. His most frequent epithets are “Lord of the Sahā World” (sahāṃpati) and Great Brahmā (mahābrahman).
A member of the highest of the four castes in Indian society, which is closely associated with religious vocations.
The planet Jupiter.
The planet Mercury.
1290–1364. An influential scholar, historian, compiler, and cataloger of the canon. His compilation of lists of translated works contributed to the emergence of the Kangyur and Tengyur collections. He wrote several works on the Sarvadurgatipariśodhana Tantra.
The Tibetan translates both stūpa and caitya with the same word, mchod rten, meaning “basis” or “recipient” of “offerings” or “veneration.” Pali: cetiya.
A caitya, although often synonymous with stūpa, can also refer to any site, sanctuary or shrine that is made for veneration, and may or may not contain relics.
A stūpa, literally “heap” or “mound,” is a mounded or circular structure usually containing relics of the Buddha or the masters of the past. It is considered to be a sacred object representing the awakened mind of a buddha, but the symbolism of the stūpa is complex, and its design varies throughout the Buddhist world. Stūpas continue to be erected today as objects of veneration and merit making.
The form of Viṣṇu who appears in the maṇḍala of the great gods.
The term
In this case, this is a shortened form of the name of one of the eight uṣṇīṣa buddhas, Uṣṇīṣacakravartin, and thus a proper name, although it is written in the same way as the general term for the universal wheel-turning monarch.
Pledges or commitments to specific behaviors that bind a practitioner of mantra to their deity and/or spiritual master. These commitments are often specific to the deity or rite being practiced. Also rendered here as “samaya.”
Manifesting the complete awakening of a buddha.
Also translated as “empowerment.”
A class of powerful nonhuman female beings who play a variety of roles in Indic literature in general and Buddhist literature specifically. Essentially synonymous with yoginīs, ḍākinīs are liminal and often dangerous beings who can be propitiated to acquire both mundane and transcendent spiritual accomplishments. In the higher Buddhist tantras, ḍākinīs are often considered embodiments of awakening and feature prominently in tantric maṇḍalas.
Another name for Indra, Śakra.
de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po’i rtog pa (Sarvadurgatipariśodhana-tejorājāyatathāgatasya arhatesamyaksambuddhasyakalpa). Toh 483, Degé Kangyur vol. 85 (rgyud, ta), folios 58.b–96.a.
de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po’i brtag pa phyogs gcig pa. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 85, pp. 164–274.
de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyis rgyal po’i brtag pa phyogs gcig pa. Phukdrak MS vol. 108 (rgyud, tha), folios 272.a–332.b.
de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po’i brtag pa phyogs gcig pa. Stok Palace Kangyur vol. 98 (rgyud, ja), folios 252.a–303.a.
de bzhin gshegs pa dgra bcom pa yang dag par rdzogs pa’i sangs rgyas ngan song thams cad yongs su sbyong ba gzi brjid kyi rgyal po’i brtag pa phyogs gcig pa (Sarvadurgatipariśodhanatejorājasya tathāgatasyārhataḥ saṃyaksaṃbuddhasya kalpaikadeśo). Toh 485, Degé Kangyur vol. 85 (rgyud, ta), folios 96.b–146.a.
Mahāvyutpatti (bye brag tu rtogs par byed pa chen po). Toh 4346, Degé Tengyur vol. 204 (sna tshogs, co), folios 1.b–131.a.
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