• 84000
  • The Collection
  • The Kangyur
  • Tantra
  • Tantra Collection
  • Unexcelled Yoga tantras
  • Toh 437

This rendering does not include the entire published text

The full text is available to download as pdf at:
/translation/toh437.pdf

འཕགས་མ་སྒྲོལ་མ་ཀུ་རུ་ཀུལླེའི་རྟོག་པ།

The Practice Manual of Noble ​Tārā​ Kurukullā​
Introduction

Ārya­tārā­kurukullā­kalpa
ཀུ་རུ་ཀུལླེའི་རྟོག་པ།
ku ru kul+le’i rtog pa
The Practice Manual of Kurukullā
Kurukullā­kalpa

Toh 437

Degé Kangyur, vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), folios 29.b–42.b

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ
  • Kṛṣnapaṇḍita
  • tshul khrims rgyal ba

Imprint

84000 logo

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2011

Current version v 2.42.18 (2024)

Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.26.1

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

Warning: Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read this translation are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility for reading this text or sharing it with others who may or may not fulfill the requirements lies in the hands of readers.

Tantra Text Warning

Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra.

Practitioners who are not sure if they should read translations in this section are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage.

The responsibility for reading these texts or sharing them with others—and hence the consequences—lies in the hands of readers.

About unrestricted access

The decision to publish tantra texts without restricted access has been considered carefully. First of all, it should be noted that all the original Tibetan texts of the Kangyur, including those in this Tantra section, are in the public domain. Some of the texts in this section (but by no means all of them) are nevertheless, according to some traditions, only studied with authorization and after suitable preliminaries.

It is true, of course, that a translation makes the content accessible to a far greater number of people; 84000 has therefore consulted many senior Buddhist teachers on this question, and most of them felt that to publish the texts openly is, on balance, the best solution. The alternatives would be not to translate them at all (which would defeat the purposes of the whole project), or to place some sort of restriction on their access. Restricted access has been tried by some Buddhist book publishers, and of course needs a system of administration, judgment, and policing that is either a mere formality, or is very difficult to implement. It would be even harder to implement in the case of electronic texts—and even easier to circumvent. Indeed, nowadays practically the whole range of traditionally restricted Tibetan Buddhist material is already available to anyone who looks for it, and is all too often misrepresented, taken out of context, or its secret and esoteric nature deliberately vaunted.

84000’s policy is to present carefully authenticated translations in their proper setting of the whole body of Buddhist sacred literature, and to trust the good sense of the vast majority of readers not to misuse or misunderstand them. Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read translations in this section are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility, and hence consequences, of reading these texts and/or sharing them with others who may or may not fulfill the requirements lie in the hands of readers.

Logo for the license

This work is provided under the protection of a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution - Non-commercial - No-derivatives) 3.0 copyright. It may be copied or printed for fair use, but only with full attribution, and not for commercial advantage or personal compensation. For full details, see the Creative Commons license.

Options for downloading this publication

This print version was generated at 5.08pm on Wednesday, 27th November 2024 from the online version of the text available on that date. If some time has elapsed since then, this version may have been superseded, as most of 84000’s published translations undergo significant updates from time to time. For the latest online version, with bilingual display, interactive glossary entries and notes, and a variety of further download options, please see
https://84000.co/translation/toh437.


co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgments
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 5 chapters- 5 chapters
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
c. Colophon
ap. Sanskrit Text
+ 8 chapters- 8 chapters
app. Prologue to the Sanskrit Text
ap1. Chapter A1
ap2. Chapter A2
ap3. Chapter A3
ap4. Chapter A4
ap5. Chapter A5
ap6. Chapter A6
ap7. Chapter A7
ap8. Chapter A8
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 1 section- 1 section
· Websites
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā is the most comprehensive single work on the female Buddhist deity Kurukullā. It is also the only canonical scripture to focus on this deity. The text’s importance is therefore commensurate with the importance of the goddess herself, who is the chief Buddhist deity of magnetizing, in particular the magnetizing which takes the form of enthrallment.

The text is a treasury of ritual practices connected with enthrallment and similar magical acts‍—practices which range from formal sādhana to traditional homa ritual, and to magical methods involving herbs, minerals, etc. The text’s varied contents are presented as a multi-layered blend of the apotropaic and the soteriological, as well as the practical and the philosophical, where these complementary opposites combine together into a genuinely spiritual Buddhist work.


ac.

Acknowledgments

ac.­1

Translation by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee.

Translated by Thomas Doctor from the Tibetan of the Degé Kangyur, with continuous reference to an English translation and critical edition of the extant Sanskrit manuscripts by Wieslaw Mical. English text edited by Gillian Parrish.

This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The very foundation of all Buddhist paths is the recognition of the unsatisfactory nature of saṃsāra, the cycle of conditioned existence, and the quest for liberation from it. Building upon that basis, the Great Vehicle holds that saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are indeed inseparable and that the goal of all practice must be the liberation from suffering, not only of oneself, but of all other beings. It is a debated point as to whether tantra has its own unique view. Where there is unanimity, however, is that the path of the tantras adds a panoply of methods that enable the practitioner to achieve the goal of the Great Vehicle swiftly and effectively.

i.­2

The tantras are concerned principally with the stages of “deity yoga.” With the guidance of a skilled teacher and after suitable preliminary training and empowerment, the practitioner is introduced to, and subsequently trains in recognizing, the divine nature of the world and its inhabitants. This is symbolically centered on the generation of the deity as the embodiment of enlightenment in one of its many aspects‍—a depiction in terms of form, sound, and imagination of the very goal to which the practitioner aspires. Through various modes of such practice, which differ according to the different levels of tantra, the practitioner is able to recognize, access, and actualize his or her own innately enlightened nature.

i.­3

The female deity Kurukullā, whose practice is the subject matter of this text, has a particular place and orientation amid the pantheon of meditational deities. Like all deities, she is a personification of buddhahood in its entirety. As a female deity, she is understood to embody the wisdom aspect of enlightenment (i.e., emptiness), and as a form of the savioress Tārā, herself a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, she personifies all-embracing compassion. But her particular quality is related to the “activity” of enlightenment. Many Great Vehicle scriptures describe the spontaneous and effortless activity of buddhas for the benefit of beings. In Vajrayāna that enlightened activity is spoken of in terms of four modes, or types, of activity: pacifying, enriching, magnetizing, and destroying. It is the third of these, magnetizing, that is the special field of Kurukullā, and it is to deploy that particular quality of enlightenment that a practitioner would undertake her practice.

i.­4

While there are as many as thirty-seven Kurukullā sādhana liturgies included in the Tengyur, and many more in the indigenous Tibetan literature, the text translated here is the only work in the Kangyur that focuses on Kurukullā. Rather than being a systematic presentation of one form of practice, it takes the form of a compendium of varied elements‍—ranging from formal sādhanas to traditional fire offering ritual, and to magical recipes and methods involving herbs, minerals, and other ingredients‍—from which a practitioner might draw in order to constitute a range of Kurukullā-centered practices. The text’s varied contents are presented as a multilayered blend of the apotropaic and the soteriological, as well as the practical and the philosophical.

i.­5

The text’s pattern of contents is in keeping with the term kalpa that figures in the title. An ancient meaning of the word kalpa, already found in the Ṛgveda, is “sacred rule” or “precept,” applying, in particular, to ritual procedures. As such, the scriptures that carry this term in their title are mostly ritual compendia or manuals of ritual practice. With the emergence of Vajrayāna a number of these works appeared, such as the Mañjuśrī­mūla­kalpa, the Kurukullā­kalpa, and the Vajra­vārāhī­kalpa. As these titles might then suggest, they are ritual compendia for their specific deities.

i.­6

The word kalpa derives from the root kḷp, which means “to prepare” or “to arrange.” This meaning is also reflected in the contents of the works that belong to this genre‍—they are primarily concerned with the technicalities of the ritual rather than with philosophical debate about the principles involved. This is not to say, however, that the latter is altogether absent. Genre-wise, kalpas are closely related to tantras, inasmuch as they are divinely revealed by the Buddha or one of the great bodhisattvas, such as Avalokiteśvara or Vajrapāṇi. Moreover, both kalpas and tantras are concerned with a particular deity, or set of deities, and aim to guide the practitioner in the rituals and practices related to that deity.

i.­7

The Tibetan version of The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā‌ Kurukullā1 is structured into five chapters, whereas the Sanskrit has essentially the same content, structured into eight. Chapter 1 begins with the statement of its authenticity, and for this the text declares that it is a direct literary descendant of the tantra of The Arising of Tārā (Tārodbhava). These Kurukullā teachings, as found in our text, were given by Lord Avalokiteśvara on the Potala mountain, in response to a plea by a female audience consisting of different classes of semidivine beings. Responding to their request, Avalokiteśvara begins to explain Kurukullā worship and its requisites, which include the drawing of the deity’s image (Kurukullā in her four-armed, seated form), the eighteenfold pūjā, the mantra, and the gathering offering. The main three benefits of this practice are the ability to enthrall beings, to increase wisdom, and to remove poison.

i.­8

These benefits all have a spiritual dimension if the practitioners possess a bodhisattva attitude: with loving kindness they will be able to control wild animals, with compassion they will deliver the entire world from pain, and by becoming identical with Tārā-Kurukullā, they will be able to provide assistance to beings in need. The practice of compassionate virtue is the key to this success.

i.­9

In Chapter 2 there follows a description of the sādhana of the wish-fulfilling tree, through which one makes offerings to the buddhas and provides sentient beings with all that they need. This sādhana of the wish-fulfilling tree is followed by the main sādhana of the Kurukullākalpa. It is introduced by the statement that the mind is the sole “reality,” and because this is so, the key to attaining buddhahood is the cleansing of the mirror of mind. The means by which to accomplish this cleansing is this very sādhana. As it follows the formal structure of a typical Yoginītantra sādhana with its prayers, worship, visualizations, etc., it is unnecessary to recount here all the traditional details.

i.­10

After summoning the “wisdom being,” one requests an empowerment, and along with the empowerment one is given the injunctions regarding the follow-up practice. The sign of success is that the lotus-mudrā formed with one’s hands at the end of the six-month practice period will burst into flames. By proceeding as described, the practitioner will attain the three enlightened bodies and will thereby be able to enact the great deeds of the Buddha.

i.­11

At this point in the text, there is an interruption in the descriptions of the empowerment and of the samaya-pledges (which are resumed much later in the text), and we have instead a discourse, given by Vajrapāṇi, on the three enlightened bodies, followed by a Nāgārjuna-style exposition of the doctrine of emptiness. When asked how the mudrās, mantras, maṇḍalas, and siddhis should be interpreted in the context of emptiness, Varjapāṇi explains that they too are part of the chain of dependent origination‍—i.e., that the accomplishments are achieved in dependence on the mudrās, the mantras, and so forth.

i.­12

Chapter 3 begins with a section containing various methods and related information on the main types of Kurukullā activity‍—enthralling, increasing wisdom, and removing poison‍—with discussion of the deeper spiritual implications of these three acts. We are told what materials should be used as mālā beads for these three types of activity, and are given specific instructions on the lighting of sacrificial fires (the shape of the fire pit, the type of firewood, etc.) and on the substances used as offerings. Some methods further described involve medicinal plants and other materials. The teacher also points out the more profound purposes: by enthralling beings with the mind of loving kindness one can establish all of them in enlightenment, by increasing intelligence one can attain the perfection of wisdom and achieve liberation, and by removing poison one brings peace to the world.

i.­13

Further, we are given instructions on the method of visualizing the syllable hrīḥ (the seed syllable of Kurukullā) on different parts of the body and told the benefits arising from that: if it is on the clitoris, then enthrallment will follow; if on the chest, wisdom will increase; if between the teeth, one will remove poison. Connections are explained between the removal of faults of the body, speech, and mind, and the acts of enthrallment, removing poison, and increasing wisdom, respectively. There is also a connection between removing poison (in the spiritual sense) and increasing wisdom. When the poison of ignorance is neutralized, desire is pure wisdom. It is explained that the goddess Pāṇḍarā (implicitly identified with Kurukullā) is, in essence, desire. Her nondual passion is, however, completely free from poison and thus none other than wisdom.

i.­14

The section on these different methods ends with a description of other Kurukullā magical practices, mostly for bringing results other than the main three outcomes specified above. These include a yantra for warding off snakes, amulets for enthrallment and protection, and rituals for bringing wealth with the help of drawings or a cowrie shell (the latter is also said to help one obtain a kingdom or even win at dice).

i.­15

In Chapter 4 we return to the description of the empowerment and the samaya ritual. This includes the description of the Kurukullā maṇḍala and the divination wherein a flower is tossed into the maṇḍala. After the divination, the initiand is told to observe secrecy regarding their practice and is given the samaya injunctions. The practitioner is instructed to rely on red substances, abstain from nonvirtue, accomplish all the qualities associated with the perfections, and respect and pay homage to all women.

i.­16

Once the samaya has been received, the four empowerments are bestowed, using water from the four jars of “the arrow,” “the bow,” “fearlessness,” and “the lotus.” An offering maṇḍala is described, with eight pitchers containing precious substances, along with a “pitcher of victory.” The disciple, suitably attired, is ushered into the maṇḍala and taught a secret method to control the nāgas. The Kurukullā dhāraṇī is now given‍—a lengthy formula aimed at bringing rain and prosperity. Further methods involving interaction with nāgas are also described‍—for stopping excessive rain, for curing leprosy and snakebites, and also for magically summoning and enthralling nāga women.

i.­17

Chapter 5 contains three nidāna stories, which are accounts of situations that prompted the Buddha to give the Kurukullā teachings. The first story is about the Buddha’s son, Rāhula, who, while being “pulled” (i.e., subjected to a particular kind of magic) by a nāga, recites the Kurukullā mantra and is miraculously transported into the Buddha’s presence. Witnessing thus the power of Kurukullā’s mantra, he requests from the Buddha the Kurukullā teachings.

i.­18

The second story is about Mahākāla and Hārītī. Mahākāla, not being happy in his marriage with the ill-tempered demoness Hārītī, neglects his duty to protect the teachings. The Kurukullākalpa is then taught to help Hārītī enthrall Mahākāla, and in this way mend things between these two unhappy lovers. As this is successfully accomplished, great happiness ensues.

i.­19

The third story is about Rohiṇīkumāra, a boy who, although born with auspicious marks, is dull-witted. His father asks the Buddha about possible ways to increase Rohiṇīkumāra’s intelligence, and in response the Buddha teaches the boy the Kurukullākalpa. As a result, Rohiṇīkumāra acquires great learning and wisdom.

i.­20

The next section treats of alchemy (applied in combination with the Kurukullā mantra), which, as may be expected, is meant to bring the accomplishments of sky-travel and longevity. Here we find instructions on (1) producing a mercury preparation that will enable the alchemist to fly through the sky as well as give him the power to enthrall women, (2) producing silver using a specially processed mercury (this is meant to lead, eventually, to the ultimate benefit for oneself and others), and (3) attaining the accomplishment of longevity by employing special plant-preparations.

i.­21

The last part of chapter 5 describes the magical use of herbs and other substances (in combination with the Kurukullā mantra), as well as amulets, yantras, and other practices, which may be described as magical. Some of these means include an ointment protecting one from wild elephants; a paste, which, when smeared on shoes, will enable the wearer to walk on water; an incense for the well-being of monks; an ointment to stop children from vomiting breast-milk; inscribed amulets affording protection and bringing good fortune; an amulet to be worn on one’s forearm to bring wealth; an alms bowl inscribed with the Kurukullā mantra, which enables the owner to procure alms in a place where they are difficult to obtain; various methods of enthrallment; a method to prevent miscarriage; methods to ensure easy childbirth; remedies for breast diseases; practices meant to prevent premature graying of the hair; a paste meant to help women secrete vaginal lubrication (for pleasurable lovemaking); a remedy for premature ejaculation; a method for putting out a fire by sprinkling it with wine; and enthrallment methods involving yantra. Other wished-for results include obtaining a fine son, healing different types of fever, curing eye diseases, overcoming impotence, and finding buried treasures. Finally, the closing passages of the chapter once more ground the text and its teaching in the compassion of Avalokiteśvara, and beyond him in the infinite activity of the buddhas throughout space and time.

i.­22

The final colophon in the Tibetan text gives the names of its two translators: the Indian Kṛṣnapaṇḍita and the Tibetan Tsültrim Gyalwa (1011–ca. 1068), also known as Naktso Lotsawa. The latter was a prolific translator who was sent to India to invite the Indian master Atiśa Dipaṃkāraśrījñāna (982–1054), met and studied with him at the monastic university of Vikramaśīla, and accompanied him on his journey to Tibet. With Atīśa and Kṛṣnapaṇḍita, Tsültrim Gyalwa translated numerous classical texts of both sūtra and mantra.

i.­23

This English translation was prepared on the basis of the readings of the Degé Kangyur found in the Comparative (dpe bsdur ma) edition. The translation emerged in a process of continuous reference to a critical edition of the extant Sanskrit manuscripts and an English translation from the Sanskrit already prepared by one of the collaborators in this project.2 As the various Sanskrit manuscripts of the Kurukullā are not readily available and present important variants, we have decided to include the critical edition as an appendix to this translation.

i.­24

While endeavoring to produce a rendering of The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā‌ Kurukullā informed by the full range of available Sanskrit and Tibetan manuscripts and editions, we have nevertheless retained the primary objective of translating here the Tibetan text contained in the Degé Kangyur. Where the Tibetan text is open to multiple interpretations, the English translation follows the Sanskrit manuscripts whenever this can be done while staying within the field of meanings conveyed by the Degé text. In general, words in Sanskrit have been reconstructed on the basis of the Sanskrit manuscripts rather than the Tibetan transliterations. Where the translation diverges from the explicit message of the Tibetan manuscript, the discrepancies have been noted. There are numerous further instances where the Tibetan and Sanskrit texts differ. These can be appreciated through a comparison with the forthcoming annotated translation from the Sanskrit.


Text Body

The Translation
The Practice Manual of Noble Tārā Kurukullā

1.

Chapter 1

[F.29.b]


1.­1
Homage to noble Mañjuśrī, the youthful one.
Homage to the noble goddess, Tārā.
The tantra of The Arising of Tārā is an ocean of yogic practice.
Although its scripture and practice manual had declined and disappeared,
There was The Meditative Absorption of Tārā, chief among tantras.
Once that, too, became lost, this practice manual appeared.
1.­2
For the sake of many beings, and as a compendium of the tantras
That elaborately teach the yogic practices,
Lokeśvāra, Lord of the World, taught this manual of practice.

2.

Chapter 2

2.­1
Through the method of worship in accordance with the Dharma,
One will attain dharmatā
And oneself will become the dharmadhātu.
That shall now be correctly explained.7
2.­2

Now follows the practice method of the wish-fulfilling tree:

One should visualize, arising from the syllable vṛm,8
A wish-fulfilling tree.
As a transformation of the utpala,
It should be visualized to the left.
2.­3
A rain of various riches
Falls from the middle of the sky,
And so fulfills wishes and desires.
The one who meditates like this becomes the Lord of Wealth.

3.

Chapter 3

3.­1
The progression of the ritual for reciting the mantra
Shall now be explained.
By merely understanding it,
The practitioner will reach success.
3.­2
Coral is used for enthrallment,
Puṣkara removes poison,
And with crystal insight will expand.
These are to be used in three activities.
3.­3

In a pit the shape of an aśvattha tree leaf, which is the pure nature of the place of birth, one should light a fire with wood from the aśoka tree. One must then, in the prescribed way, perform one hundred and eight offerings of red lotus flowers. The fire should be obtained from the home of an actor. The offerings are to be smeared with the three sweets and presented together with the root mantra.


4.

Chapter 4

4.­1
The mere seeing of the colored powder
Quickly brings about the attainment of buddhahood,
As one progresses through the stages of perception of the maṇḍala.
That shall now be explained correctly.
4.­2
Four-sided and with four doors,
It is adorned with four arches.
In its center one should place the goddess,
In a bhaga form of good color.
4.­3
In the east an arrow should be drawn;
And in the south, a bow;
In the west, a hand of fearlessness,
And in the north, an utpala.
4.­4
All are in the border areas:
The vajra, the wheel, and so forth.
Wearing a red upper garment,
And with his face covered by a red silken cloth,
The disciple should enter there.

5.

Chapter 5

5.­1

Once when young Rāhulabhadra had gone to Rājagṛha to receive alms, he went to the Veṇuvana grove, and there descended into a long pond to wash his alms bowl. While there, he, the son of Yaśodharā, was mistaken for a white ascetic and so was pulled into the pond. At that time the young Rāhulabhadra recited this spell. No sooner had he recited the mantra than‍—just like someone emerging from his house‍—he arrived in the presence of the Blessed One.


c.

Colophon

c.­1

The translation was prepared, edited, and established by the Indian preceptor, Kṛṣnapaṇḍita, and the lotsāwa monk, Tsültrim Gyalwa.


ap.
Appendix

Sanskrit Text

KURUKULLĀKALPA
app.

Prologue to the Sanskrit Text

app.­1

Sources referred to in critical apparatus, listed by the code letter(s):

Manuscripts

• Sanskrit manuscripts of the Kurukullākalpa:

C – Shelfmark “Add. 1691/II”, Cambridge (UK) University Library; see Bendall 1992.

G – Shelfmark “Xc 14/50 no. 4”, Göttingen University Library; see Bandurski 1994.

J – “New 104” (“Old 198”); see Matsunami 1965.

Y4 – “New 105” (“Old 203”); see Matsunami 1965.

R – Running no. 5257, Asha Archives, Kathmandu

• Sanskrit manuscripts containing Kurukullā dhāraṇī (used only for the edition of KK (this document) 5.39):

E1 – Reel E 1774/3 (multi-title), National Archives, Kathmandu

E2 – Reel E 614/3 (multi-title), National Archives, Kathmandu

• Sanskrit manuscripts of the Sādhanamālā (used for the overlapping passages only):

SMB – Reel B 0105-09, National Archives, Kathmandu

Editions

• editions of the Sanskrit text of the Kurukullākalpa:

Es – Pandey (2001) (see Bibliography)

KK – this document

• editions of the Tibetan text of the Kurukullākalpa:

T – Tibetan: Pandey (2001) (see Bibliography)

S – Tibetan: Stok Palace (stog pho brang) Kangyur

• editions of other Sanskrit texts (used for the overlapping passages only)

SM – Bhattacharyya (1968)

ap1.

Chapter A1

ap1.­1
oṁ namo bhagavatyai āryakurukullāyai23
naṣṭe gate24 cāntarhite ca tantre tārodbhave yogamahāsamudre.
tārārṇavo nāma mahādhitantro [naṣṭe ca tasmin punar eṣa kalpaḥ]..
ap1.­2
uddhṛtya tantreṣu ca vistareṣu yogān prayogān bahusattvahetoḥ.
lokeśvaraḥ kalpam idaṃ babhāṣe śṛṇvantu sarve kila bodhi[sattvāḥ..
ap1.­3
imaṃ nayaṃ sarva]janārthakāri lokaṃ vilokyāśaraṇaṃ mayādya.
triduḥkhaduḥkhena25 vidheyam etad grāhyaṃ26 bhavadbhir mahatādareṇa..
ap2.

Chapter A2

ap2.­1
150 athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi151 yena tuṣyanti dharmatāḥ152.
dharmapūjāprayogeṇa dharmadhātuḥ svayaṃ bhavet..
athātaḥ153 kalpavṛkṣasādhanaṃ bhavati..
ap2.­2
vṛṃkārākṣarasaṃbhūtaṃ kalpavṛkṣaṃ vibhāvayet.
utpalasya154 parāvṛttyā155 vṛkṣaṃ vāmena bhāvayet..
ap2.­3
nānādhanamahāvṛṣṭiṃ varṣayantaṃ nabhastalāt.
arthināṃ156 pūrayed āśām iti dhyātvā157 dhaneśvaraḥ..
ap2.­4
caturdvīpagatān sattvān ākṛṣya cittaraśminā.
tebhyo dānaṃ pradātavyaṃ saptaratnamayaṃ sadā..
ap2.­5
pariṇāyakamahāratnaṃ158 ratnaṃ sāmudrikaṃ159 tathā.
strīratnam aśvaratnaṃ160 ca khaḍgaratnaṃ tathaiva ca..
ap3.

Chapter A3

ap3.­1

atha te sarvabodhisattvā284 ātmanaivātmacitta285 parivitarkam286 āpadya vajrapāṇiṃ287 mahābodhisattvam evam āhuḥ. kathaṃ vajrapāṇe288 buddhā bhagavanto vajrakāyā dharmadhātukāyāḥ289 abhedyakāyāḥ290 kasmiṃścit291 pṛthivīpradeśe kālakriyāṃ kurvanti.. atha khalu vajrapāṇis tān bodhisattvān292 evam āha. bodhisattvā mahāsattvā mā evaṃ procuḥ.293 kathaṃ buddhā294 vajrakāyā295 abhedyakāyā dharmadhātukāyāḥ kasmiṃścit296 pṛthivīpradeśe kālakriyāṃ kurvantīti. athāha297 vajrapāṇiḥ298. tatraivaṃ299 śṛṇvata300 bodhisattvā yad bhagavān parinirvṛtaḥ301 sukhāvatyāṃ gataḥ..

ap4.

Chapter A4

ap4.­1
athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi mantrajāpavidhikramam.
yena vijñātamātreṇa sādhakaḥ siddhim āpnuyāt..
ap4.­2
vidrumeṇa363 vaśaṃ364 kuryāt puṣkaro365 viṣanāśane.
sphaṭikena vardhate prajñā triṣu karmasu yojayet..
ap4.­3
yoniviśuddhyā aśvatthapattrākāre366 kuṇḍe aśokakāṣṭhenāgniṃ367 prajvālya vidhinā raktotpalānām aṣṭaśataṃ juhuyāt, naṭaveśmā368 gninā mūlamantreṇa trimadhurāktānām..
ap4.­4

paścād yantraṃ bhavati. rajasvalākarpaṭe trikoṇamaṇḍalaṃ vilikhya madhye sādhyāyāḥ sādhakasya ca nāmagrahaṇena codaka­pada­saman­vitenāmukī369 me vaśībhavatv iti kṛtvā paścān mūlamantreṇa370 vidarbhya lākṣāra­senāvasavyānāmikā­raktasammi­śreṇa371 karpūreṇa kuṅkumena372 kastūrikādibhir373 varṇakair likhet374..

ap5.

Chapter A5

ap5.­1
athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi maṇḍalasya yathā476 kramam.
rajasāṃ477 darśanād yasya kṣipraṃ buddhatvam478 āpnuyāt..
ap5.­2
caturasraṃ caturdvāraṃ catustoraṇabhūṣitaṃ.
tatra madhye likhed devīṃ bhagākārāṃ surañjitām479..
ap5.­3
pūrveṇa [ca]480 likhed bāṇaṃ dakṣiṇe cāpam eva tu481.
paścime abhayapāṇiṃ cottare482 utpalaṃ tathā..
ap5.­4
koṇabhāgeṣu sarveṣu vajracakrādayaś catuḥ.
raktavastrottarīyaṃ ca raktābharaṇam eva ca483..
ap5.­5
raktavastreṇa [ca]484 mukhaṃ baddhvā śiṣyaṃ485 praveśayet..
ap5.­6

anena sattvavajrīmudrāṃ baddhvā cakre puṣpaprakṣepaṇaṃ486 kārayet. pratīccha vajra487 hoḥ muktvā maṇḍalaṃ darśayet. madhye patati varaṃ bhavati. bāṇe patati488 vaśyakarmaṇi yogyo bhavati. abhaye patati

ap6.

Chapter A6

ap6.­1

atha rāhulabhadrakumāro yadā piṇḍapātrāya rājagṛhaṃ praviṣṭaḥ praviśya625 ca veṇuvanaṃ gatavān. tatra ca626 pātraprakṣālanāya dīrghikām avatīrṇo627 yaśodharāsuto nāgena628 śvetabhikṣubhrāntyā ākṛṣṭaḥ. tasminn api629 samaye rāhulabhadreṇa630 kumāreṇa iyaṃ vidyā paṭhitā. paṭhitamātreṇa yathā kaścit svagṛhān niṣkrāntas tathā rāhulabhadrakumāro bhagavato ˈntikaṃ631 gataḥ. upasaṃkramya ca632 bhagavantam evam āha633. tāta tvayā yan mantraṃ prasādīkṛtaṃ634 tasya mantrasyānubhāvo mayā dṛṣṭa iti. bhagavān āha. kutra. nāgānām antikāt. tad bhagavān anyeṣām api prāṇināṃ rakṣārtham idam eva mantraṃ pravartayatu. atha bhagavāṃs tena samayena635 idaṃ mantram asya kalpaṃ [ca]636 vajrapāṇiṃ637 preṣayitvā śrāvakāya bodhisattvāya bhikṣubhikṣuṇyupāsakopāsikābhyaḥ prasādīkṛtavān. tena bhoḥ kulaputrā638 idaṃ mantram asya639 kalpaṃ [ca]640 yaḥ641 paṭhati642 candanena maṇḍalaṃ643 kṛtvā644 tasya śarīre viṣadūṣaṇaṃ viṣanāśanaṃ645 na lūtabhayaṃ na sarpabhayaṃ646 na pāmābhayaṃ647 na nāgabhayaṃ na kuṣṭhabhayaṃ na rogabhayaṃ648 na vyāḍabhayaṃ649 na mṛgabhayaṃ650 na śastrabhayaṃ na śatrubhayaṃ na dāridrya651 bhayaṃ nākālamṛtyubhayaṃ bhaviṣyati. nātikramiṣyati652..

ap7.

Chapter A7

ap7.­1
atha bhagavān khecara681 siddhim uvāca..
gṛhītvā sūtakaṃ682 samyak giridoṣādivarjitam683.
śilāgartagataṃ kṛtvā684 lokanāthena mardayet..
ap7.­2
punar dharmarasaiḥ kṣālya yavatiktikayā685 tathā.
ākhukarṇī686 rasenāpi mardayec ca dinatrayam..
ap7.­3
vandhyākākolikākṣīraiḥ687 kṣīrair bhāskaravajrayoḥ.
aviddhaśravaṇatoyena stanyamiśreṇa mardayet..
ap7.­4
taṃ sūtaṃ kāñjikenāpi saptadhā kṣālya mardayet.
lohapātre samāveśya vṛddhadārakavaṭe pacet..
ap8.

Chapter A8

ap8.­1
atha bhagavān auṣadhiprayogān uvāca.730
putreṇa kāryī731 baka732 vṛkṣapuṣpaṃ kṣīraiḥ samāloḍya733 pibed vratasthaḥ.
tasyāpi nārī ca sapoṣadhena734 pibed bhavet735 putravaraḥ sabhāgyaḥ736..
ap8.­2
mantreṇa cānena vacāphalāni piṣṭāni dugdhena737 pibanti yās tu.
putraṃ labhante nṛpalakṣaṇena738 tā yoṣitaḥ poṣadhikā yadi syuḥ..
ap8.­3
lakṣaṇākṣa739 mūlaṃ payasā pibed yā snānāvaśeṣe labhate suputram.
siddhārthamūrtiṃ paripūrṇadehaṃ śastreṇa śāstreṇa viśāradīkṛtam..
ap8.­4
unmūlayitvā jalaśītalāyā ādāya mūlaṃ nihitaṃ śiroje.
saptābhimantrīkṛtakaṃ tad eva nāśej jvarāṃ vārṣikāṃ740 kṣaṇena..

ab.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations (notes 1–22)
D Degé Kangyur
H Lhasa (zhol) Kangyur
K Kangxi Peking Kangyur
N Narthang Kangyur
Y Yongle Peking Kangyur

See Appendix Prologue for abbreviations in notes 23–900.


n.

Notes

n.­1
Ārya­tārā­kurukullā­kalpa is the title in the Sanskrit manuscripts. D reads Ārya­tāre­kurukulle­kalpa.
n.­2
Wieslaw Mical, whose annotated English translation from the Sanskrit is forthcoming.
n.­3
Based on Sanskrit manuscripts and N and H. D reads sna rtser.
n.­4
Based on Sanskrit manuscripts. D here reads ’dod pa’i lha las dga’ ba’i bu la sogs pa ri ’khrod ma.
n.­5
Based on Sanskrit manuscripts and N and H. D here reads sgron ma rather than sgrol ma.
n.­6
Based on N and H. D here reads sgron ma rather than sgrol ma.
n.­7
The translation of these last two lines departs from the Sanskrit text, which reads athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi yena tuṣyanti dharmatāḥ. dharma­pūjā­prayogeṇa dharma­dhātuḥ svayaṃ bhavet. The word dharma­dhātu is used here in its meaning of a “buddha” (multiple sources attest to this usage), and so is the word dharmatāḥ (in the plural, indicating that “the buddhas” is meant). The stanza could therefore be translated: “I will presently explain / The method of Dharma worship / Whereby the buddhas are pleased / And oneself becomes a buddha.” [W.M.]
n.­8
Based on Sanskrit manuscripts. The Tibetan versions read brag rather than vṛm.
n.­23
oṁ namo bhagavatyai āryakurukullāyai] C; oṁ namastārāyai Es, G
n.­24
naṣṭe gate] C, G; naṣṭaṃ gate Es
n.­25
triduḥkhaduḥkhena] C; triduṣṭaduṣṭena Es
n.­26
grāhyaṃ] C, G; grāhyo Es
n.­150
As this chapter overlaps to a large extent with SM.171 (the correspondence starting from verse 15 and ending with the first half-stanza of verse 39), SM readings have been included in the critical apparatus.
n.­151
saṃpravakṣyāmi] Es; pravakhyāmi C
n.­152
tuṣyanti dharmatāḥ] C; tuṣyati dharmatā Es.
n.­153
athātaḥ] C; atha G, Es
n.­154
utpalasya] Es; utpanasya C
n.­155
parāvṛttyā] C; parāvṛttaṃ Es
n.­156
arthināṃ] C; arthānāṃ Es
n.­157
dhyātvā] C; jñātvā Es
n.­158
pariṇāyakamahāratnaṃ] C; pariṅāyakaṃ mahāratnaṃ Es
n.­159
sāmudrikaṃ] C; samudrajaṃ G, Es
n.­160
strīratnam aśvaratnaṃ] C; strīratnāśvaratnañ (hypometrical) Es
n.­284
atha te sarvabodhisattvā] Sac; atha bhavantas sarvabodhisattvā G; atha bhagavantaḥ sarvatathāgatā C; atha te sarva[tathāgata]bodhisattvā° Es pc (text in square brackets reconstructed from T by the editor)
n.­285
°citta°] Es; °cittaṃ C
n.­286
parivitarkam] C; parivitarkān Es
n.­287
vajrapāṇiṃ] Es; vajrapāṇir C
n.­288
vajrapāṇe] C, G; vajrapāṇiṃ(ṇe) Es
n.­289
dharmadhātukāyāḥ] G, Es; dharmakāyāḥ C
n.­290
abhedyakāyāḥ] G; om. C, Es
n.­291
kasmiṃścit] C, G; kasmin Es
n.­292
bodhisattvān] C; sarvān bodhisattvān G; sarva[buddha]bodhisattvān Es (text in square brackets reconstructed from T by the editor)
n.­293
bodhisattvā mahāsattvā mā evaṃ procuḥ] C; bodhisattvā mahāsattvā mā evam ūcuḥ G; om. Es
n.­294
kathaṃ buddhā] C; yad bodhisattvāḥ buddhā bhagavanto Es
n.­295
vajrakāyā] (corroborated by T) C; vajrakāyā dharmakāyā Es
n.­296
kasmiṃścit] C; kasmiṃścit [dapi] Es
n.­297
athāha] C; tata āha Es; om. G
n.­298
vajrapāṇiḥ] om. G
n.­299
tatraivaṃ] G; evaṃ C; tatraiva Es
n.­300
śṛṇvata] C, G; śṛṇvantu Es
n.­301
parinirvṛtaḥ] Es, G; parinivṛtaḥ C
n.­363
vidrumeṇa] G; vidrumeṇa tu (hypermetrical) Es; vidrumeṇa tad (hypermetrical) C
n.­364
vaśam] C, G; vaśyaṃ (unmetrical) Es
n.­365
puṣkaro] emend.; pulakā C; pulakā ca G; purukā Es; puṣkara (transliterated from Sanskrit) T
n.­366
°kāre] C, G; °kāra° Es
n.­367
°kāṣṭhenāgniṃ] C, G: °kāṣṭhair agniṃ Es
n.­368
naṭaveśmā°] C, G; naṭanāgaphaṇivaiśyā° Es
n.­369
°samanvitenāmukī] C; °samanvitena amukī G; °samantritena amukī Es
n.­370
mūlamantreṇa] C, G; mūlamantraṃ Es
n.­371
°raktasammiśreṇa] G; °raktena C, Es
n.­372
karpūreṇa kuṅkumena] C, G; kuṅkumena karpūreṇa Es
n.­373
kastūrikādibhir] C, G; kastūrikābhir Es
n.­374
likhet] (reconstructed by the editor from T) Es; om. C, G
n.­476
In C there are markings above thā as if this syllable was crossed out.
n.­477
Because of smudging, it is not possible to tell whether the reading in C is rajasā or rajasāṃ.
n.­478
kṣipraṃ buddhatvam] C; buddhatvaṃ śīghram G, Es
n.­479
surañjitām] G, Es; surañjitā C
n.­480
ca] conj.; om. C, G; [tu] Es
n.­481
tu] C; ca G, Es
n.­482
cottare] C; ca uttare (unmetrical) G, Es
n.­483
raktābharaṇam eva ca] Es; om. C, G (also, not accounted for in T)
n.­484
ca] conj. (m.c.); om. C, G, Es
n.­485
śiṣyaṃ] C, G; śiṣyaṃ tatra (hypermetrical) Es
n.­486
puṣpaprakṣepaṇaṃ] Es; puṣpaprakṣepaṃ G; puṣpābhiṣekaṃ C
n.­487
vajra] Es, T; om. C; jaḥ G
n.­488
varaṃ bhavati. bāṇe patati] (reconstructed from T by the editor) Es; om. C, G
n.­625
paviśya] Es, G; praviṣṭaś C
n.­626
ca] C, G; om. Es.
n.­627
avatīrṇo] em.; avatīrṇaḥ C, Es; avatīṇḍa tato G
n.­628
°suto nāgena] conj.; °sutena C, G, Es
n.­629
api] C; om. G, Es
n.­630
rāhulabhadreṇa] C; rāhula° G; rāhulabhadra° Es
n.­631
ˈntikaṃ] C; ˈntike G, Es
n.­632
ca] C; om. G, Es
n.­633
evam āha] C, G; etad avocat Es
n.­634
tvayā yan mantraṃ prasādīkṛtaṃ] C; yat tvayāyaṃ mantraḥ prasādīkṛtas Es
n.­635
tena samayena] C; tasmin samaye G, Es
n.­636
ca] Espc (om. Esac); om. C, G
n.­637
vajrapāṇiṃ] C, G; vajrapāṇinaṃ Es
n.­638
kulaputrā] C; kulaputrāḥ G; kulaputra Es
n.­639
mantram asya] Es, G; mantrasya C
n.­640
ca] Espc (om. Esac); om. C, G
n.­641
yaḥ] G; ya C; ye Es
n.­642
paṭhati] C, G; paṭhanti Es
n.­643
maṇḍalaṃ] Es; maṇḍalakaṃ C, G
n.­644
Single daṇḍa in Es.
n.­645
viṣadūṣaṇaṃ viṣanāśanaṃ] G; viṣanāśanaṃ viṣadūṣaṇa C; na viṣadūṣaṇaṃ na viṣanāśanaṃ Es
n.­646
na sarpabhayaṃ] C; om. Es, G
n.­647
na pāmābhayaṃ] Es, G; om. C
n.­648
na nāgabhayaṃ na kuṣṭhabhayaṃ na rogabhayaṃ] G; na rogabhayaṃ na nāgabhayaṃ Espc; na rogabhayaṃ C; na nāgabhayaṃ Esac
n.­649
vyāḍabhayaṃ] C; vyālabhayaṃ Es
n.­650
na mṛgabhayaṃ] Es; na vyāḍamṛgabhayaṃ C, G
n.­651
dāridrya°] C; dāridra° Es, G
n.­652
nātikramiṣyati] C; om. Es, G
n.­681
khecara°] C; khecararasa° Es
n.­682
sūtakaṃ] C, G, Espc; sūtrakaṃ Esac
n.­683
°varjitam] C, G; °varjite Es
n.­684
kṛtvā] G, Es; bhūtvā C
n.­685
yavatiktikayā] C, G (the sign over °kta° in C is probably a sign for i – cf. sarpiṣā in C.8.15); yavatiktakayā Es; jābatikitika (a rendering of Sanskrit yāvatiktikā?) T
n.­686
ākhukarṇī°] C, G; ākhupūrṇā° Es
n.­687
°kṣīraiḥ] Es, G; °kṣīrai C
n.­730
atha bhagavān auṣadhiprayogān uvāca] Es; om. C, G
n.­731
kāryī] G; kāyī C; kāryo Espc; kāryā Esac
n.­732
baka°] C, G; vaṭa° Es
n.­733
samāloḍya] Es, G; samālodya C
n.­734
sapoṣadhena] Es, G; sahapoṣadhena (hypermetrical) C
n.­735
bhavet] C, G; sa Es
n.­736
sabhāgyaḥ] C (on the authority of T); subhāgya G; subhāgyaḥ Es
n.­737
piṣṭāni dugdhena] C; dugdhena piṣṭvā tu Es
n.­738
nṛpalakṣaṇena] Es, G; sanṛpalakṣaṇena (hypermetrical) C
n.­739
lakṣaṇākṣa°] C, Es; lakṣaṇākhyaṃ G
n.­740
jvarāṃ vārṣikāṃ] C; jvarān varṣikakān Es, G

b.

Bibliography

The bibliography contains the publications that we have referred to as well as background reading on Kurukullā and Tārā in India and Tibet. Information on the Sanskrit manuscripts consulted is given at the beginning of the critical edition.


’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kulle’i rtog pa (Ārya­tārā­kurukullā­kalpa). Toh. 437, Degé Kangyur, vol. 81 (rgyud ’bum, ca), folios 29.b–42.b.

’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kulle’i rtog pa. Toh. 437, 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. 81, pp. 127–69.

’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kulle’i rtog pa. Stok 403. Stok Palace Kangyur (stog pho brang bris ma). Leh: smanrtsis shesrig dpemzod, 1975–80, vol. 95 (rgyud ’bum, nga), folios 316.b–435.a.

Bandurski, Frank (1994). Übersicht über die Göttinger Sammlung der von Rahula Sankrtyayana in Tibet aufgefundenen buddhistischen Sanskrit-Texte (Funde buddhistischer Sanskrit-Handschriften, III). (Sanskrit-Wörterbuch der buddhistischen Texte aus den Turfan-Funden: Beiheft ; 5). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1994.

Bendall, Cecil. Catalogue of the Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts in the University Library, Cambridge, p. 178, 1992.

Beyer, Stephan. The Cult of Tārā: Magic and Ritual in Tibet. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973.

Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh. The Indian Buddhist Iconography: mainly based on the Sādhanamālā and cognate Tāntric texts of rituals. 2nd edition. Calcutta: K.L. Mukhopadhyay, 1958.

Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh, ed. The Sādhanamālā. 2nd edition. Baroda: Oriental Institute, 1968.

Matsunami, Seiren (1965). A Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Tokyo University Library. Tokyo: Suzuki Research Foundation, 1965.

Mehta, R. N. “Kurukullā, Tārā and Vajreśī in Śrīpura.” In Tantric Buddhism: Centennial Tribute to Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya, edited by N.N. Bhattacharyya. Reprint. New Delhi: Manohar, 2005.

Pandey, Janardan Shastri, ed. Kurukullā­kalpaḥ. Rare Buddhist Texts Series, 24. Sarnath, Varanasi: Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, 2001.

Shaw, Miranda Eberle. Buddhist Goddesses of India, ch. 22. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.

Snellgrove, David. The Hevajra Tantra: a critical study. London, New York: Oxford University Press, 1959.

Willson, Martin. In Praise of Tārā: Songs to the Saviouress: source texts from India and Tibet on Buddhism’s great goddess, selected, translated, and introduced by Martin Willson. Boston, MA.: Wisdom Publications, 1996.

Websites

FRLHT Encyclopedia on Indian Medicinal Plants


g.

Glossary

Types of attestation for names and terms of the corresponding source language

AS

Attested in source text

This term is attested in a manuscript used as a source for this translation.

AO

Attested in other text

This term is attested in other manuscripts with a parallel or similar context.

AD

Attested in dictionary

This term is attested in dictionaries matching Tibetan to the corresponding language.

AA

Approximate attestation

The attestation of this name is approximate. It is based on other names where the relationship between the Tibetan and source language is attested in dictionaries or other manuscripts.

RP

Reconstruction from Tibetan phonetic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the Tibetan phonetic rendering of the term.

RS

Reconstruction from Tibetan semantic rendering

This term is a reconstruction based on the semantics of the Tibetan translation.

SU

Source unspecified

This term has been supplied from an unspecified source, which most often is a widely trusted dictionary.

g.­1

Ākhaṇḍala

Wylie:
  • mi phyed pa
Tibetan:
  • མི་ཕྱེད་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • ākhaṇḍala

(Indra)

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­25
g.­2

Amitābha

Wylie:
  • ’od dpag med
Tibetan:
  • འོད་དཔག་མེད།
Sanskrit:
  • amitābha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­21
g.­3

amorous sentiment

Wylie:
  • sgeg byed
Tibetan:
  • སྒེག་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • śṛṅgāra

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­20
g.­5

Avalokiteśvara

Wylie:
  • spyan ras gzigs dbang phyug
Tibetan:
  • སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་དབང་ཕྱུག
Sanskrit:
  • avalokiteśvara

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

One of the “eight close sons of the Buddha,” he is also known as the bodhisattva who embodies compassion. In certain tantras, he is also the lord of the three families, where he embodies the compassion of the buddhas. In Tibet, he attained great significance as a special protector of Tibet, and in China, in female form, as Guanyin, the most important bodhisattva in all of East Asia.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • i.­6-7
  • i.­21
  • 5.­61
  • n.­898
g.­8

blessed one

Wylie:
  • bcom ldan ’das
Tibetan:
  • བཅོམ་ལྡན་འདས།
Sanskrit:
  • bhagavat

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

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”).

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­13
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­70
  • 5.­1-4
  • 5.­59
  • 5.­61
g.­10

empowerment

Wylie:
  • dbang
Tibetan:
  • དབང་།
Sanskrit:
  • abhiṣeka

Located in 10 passages in the translation:

  • i.­2
  • i.­10-11
  • i.­15-16
  • 2.­33
  • 2.­35
  • 2.­37
  • 2.­39
  • 4.­23
g.­11

enthrall

Wylie:
  • dbang byed
Tibetan:
  • དབང་བྱེད།
Sanskrit:
  • vaśīkṛ

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • i.­18
  • i.­20
  • 1.­12
  • 3.­20
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­31
g.­14

Hārītī

Wylie:
  • ’phrog ma
Tibetan:
  • འཕྲོག་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • hārītī

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­18
  • 5.­3
g.­19

knowledge

Wylie:
  • rig pa
Tibetan:
  • རིག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vidyā

In different contexts in this text, also translated as “spell.”

Located in 7 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­8
  • 1.­21
  • 2.­7
  • 3.­3
  • 4.­28
  • 5.­35
  • g.­45
g.­20

Kurukullā

Wylie:
  • ku ru kul le
Tibetan:
  • ཀུ་རུ་ཀུལ་ལེ།
Sanskrit:
  • kurukullā

Located in 23 passages in the translation:

  • s.­1
  • i.­3-4
  • i.­7-8
  • i.­12-17
  • i.­20-21
  • i.­23
  • 1.­12-13
  • 1.­21
  • 2.­16
  • 3.­27
  • 5.­3
  • 5.­14
  • app.­1
  • n.­282
g.­22

Mahākāla

Wylie:
  • nag po chen po
Tibetan:
  • ནག་པོ་ཆེན་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • mahākāla

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­18
  • 5.­3
g.­24

Mañjuśrī

Wylie:
  • ’jam dpal
Tibetan:
  • འཇམ་དཔལ།
Sanskrit:
  • mañjuśrī

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Mañjuśrī is one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha” and a bodhisattva who embodies wisdom. He is a major figure in the Mahāyāna sūtras, appearing often as an interlocutor of the Buddha. In his most well-known iconographic form, he is portrayed bearing the sword of wisdom in his right hand and a volume of the Prajñā­pāramitā­sūtra in his left. To his name, Mañjuśrī, meaning “Gentle and Glorious One,” is often added the epithet Kumārabhūta, “having a youthful form.” He is also called Mañjughoṣa, Mañjusvara, and Pañcaśikha.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­4
g.­26

oblation

Wylie:
  • sbyin sreg
Tibetan:
  • སྦྱིན་སྲེག
Sanskrit:
  • homa

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • 3.­3
  • 3.­6
  • 4.­10
g.­27

one to be won

Wylie:
  • bsgrub bya
Tibetan:
  • བསྒྲུབ་བྱ།
Sanskrit:
  • sādhya

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 3.­3
g.­30

perfections

Wylie:
  • pha rol tu phyin pa
Tibetan:
  • ཕ་རོལ་ཏུ་ཕྱིན་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • pāramitā

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­15
  • 4.­14
g.­31

Potala

Wylie:
  • gru ’dzin ri
Tibetan:
  • གྲུ་འཛིན་རི།
Sanskrit:
  • potala

Located in 3 passages in the translation:

  • i.­7
  • 1.­4
  • 5.­59
g.­32

practice manual

Wylie:
  • rtog pa
Tibetan:
  • རྟོག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • kalpa

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­1
g.­33

practitioner

Wylie:
  • sgrub pa po
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲུབ་པ་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • sādhaka

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • i.­1-4
  • i.­6
  • i.­8
  • i.­10
  • i.­15
  • 1.­14
  • 1.­21-22
  • 2.­49
  • 3.­1
  • 3.­3
  • 4.­15
  • 4.­20
  • 4.­30
  • 5.­3
g.­34

Rāhulabhadra

Wylie:
  • sgra can ’dzin bzang po
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲ་ཅན་འཛིན་བཟང་པོ།
Sanskrit:
  • rāhulabhadra

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­35

Rājagṛha

Wylie:
  • rgyal po’i khab
Tibetan:
  • རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཁབ།
Sanskrit:
  • rājagṛha

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

The ancient capital of Magadha prior to its relocation to Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan dynasty, Rājagṛha is one of the most important locations in Buddhist history. The literature tells us that the Buddha and his saṅgha spent a considerable amount of time in residence in and around Rājagṛha‍—in nearby places, such as the Vulture Peak Mountain (Gṛdhrakūṭaparvata), a major site of the Mahāyāna sūtras, and the Bamboo Grove (Veṇuvana)‍—enjoying the patronage of King Bimbisāra and then of his son King Ajātaśatru. Rājagṛha is also remembered as the location where the first Buddhist monastic council was held after the Buddha Śākyamuni passed into parinirvāṇa. Now known as Rajgir and located in the modern Indian state of Bihar.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­38

Rohiṇīkumāra

Wylie:
  • gzhon nu snar ma
Tibetan:
  • གཞོན་ནུ་སྣར་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • rohiṇīkumāra

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­19
  • 5.­3
g.­45

spell

Wylie:
  • rig pa
Tibetan:
  • རིག་པ།
Sanskrit:
  • vidyā

In different contexts in this text, also translated as “knowledge.”

Located in 5 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­23
  • 3.­11
  • 5.­1
  • 5.­48
  • g.­19
g.­49

Tārā

Wylie:
  • sgrol ma
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲོལ་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • tārā

Lit. “the Saviouress.”

Located in 18 passages in the translation:

  • i.­3
  • i.­8
  • 1.­1
  • 1.­17
  • 1.­21
  • 1.­30-32
  • 2.­17
  • 2.­28
  • 2.­38
  • 2.­43
  • 3.­13
  • 4.­15-16
  • 4.­18
  • 5.­18
  • n.­711
g.­50

The Arising of Tārā

Wylie:
  • sgrol ma ’byung ba
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲོལ་མ་འབྱུང་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • tārodbhava

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • 1.­1
  • 1.­15
g.­52

The Meditative Absorption of Tārā

Wylie:
  • sgrol ma ’byung ba’i ting nge ’dzin
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲོལ་མ་འབྱུང་བའི་ཏིང་ངེ་འཛིན།
Sanskrit:
  • tārāsamādhi

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 1.­1
g.­53

Tsültrim Gyalwa

Wylie:
  • tshul khrims rgyal ba
Tibetan:
  • ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་རྒྱལ་བ།
Sanskrit:
  • —

Prolific eleventh century Tibetan translator also known as Naktso Lotsawa (nag tsho lo tsā ba). He was sent to India by Lhalama Yeshe-Ö (lha bla ma ye shes ’od), the king of Western Tibet, and his grand-nephew Changchub-Ö (byang chub ’od) to invite Atiśa to Tibet.

Located in 2 passages in the translation:

  • i.­22
  • c.­1
g.­58

Vajrapāṇi

Wylie:
  • lag na rdo rje
Tibetan:
  • ལག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ།
Sanskrit:
  • vajrapāṇi

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Vajrapāṇi means “Wielder of the Vajra.” In the Pali canon, he appears as a yakṣa guardian in the retinue of the Buddha. In the Mahāyāna scriptures he is a bodhisattva and one of the “eight close sons of the Buddha.” In the tantras, he is also regarded as an important Buddhist deity and instrumental in the transmission of tantric scriptures.

Located in 6 passages in the translation:

  • i.­6
  • i.­11
  • 2.­54
  • 2.­65
  • 2.­71
  • 5.­3
g.­60

Veṇuvana grove

Wylie:
  • ’od ma’i tshal
Tibetan:
  • འོད་མའི་ཚལ།
Sanskrit:
  • veṇuvana

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
g.­62

Yaśodharā

Wylie:
  • sgrags ’dzin ma
Tibetan:
  • སྒྲགས་འཛིན་མ།
Sanskrit:
  • yaśodharā

Definition from the 84000 Glossary of Terms:

Daughter of Śākya Daṇḍadhara (more commonly Daṇḍapāṇi), sister of Iṣudhara and Aniruddha, she was the wife of Prince Siddhārtha and mother of his only child, Rāhula. After Prince Siddhārtha left his kingdom and attained awakening as the Buddha, she became his disciple and one of the first women to be ordained as a bhikṣunī. She attained the level of an arhat, a worthy one, endowed with the six superknowledges.

Located in 1 passage in the translation:

  • 5.­1
0
    You are downloading:

    The Practice Manual of Noble ​Tārā​ Kurukullā​

    Click here to make a dāna donation

    This is a free publication from 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, a non-profit organization sharing the gift of Buddhist wisdom with the world.

    The cultivation of generosity, or dāna—giving voluntarily with a view that something wholesome will come of it—is considered to be a fundamental Buddhist practice by all schools. The nature and quantity of the gift itself is often considered less important.

    Table of Contents


    Search this text


    Other ways to read

    Download PDF
    Download EPUB
    Open in the 84000 App

    Spotted a mistake?

    Please use the contact form provided to suggest a correction.


    How to cite this text

    The following are examples of how to correctly cite this publication. Links to specific passages can be derived by right-clicking on the milestones markers in the left-hand margin (e.g. s.1). The copied link address can replace the url below.

    • Chicago
    • MLA
    • APA
    84000. The Practice Manual of Noble ​Tārā​ Kurukullā​ (Ārya­tārā­kurukullā­kalpa, ’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kul+le’i rtog pa, Toh 437). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024. https://84000.co/translation/toh437/UT22084-081-006-introduction.Copy
    84000. The Practice Manual of Noble ​Tārā​ Kurukullā​ (Ārya­tārā­kurukullā­kalpa, ’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kul+le’i rtog pa, Toh 437). Translated by Dharmachakra Translation Committee, online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2024, 84000.co/translation/toh437/UT22084-081-006-introduction.Copy
    84000. (2024) The Practice Manual of Noble ​Tārā​ Kurukullā​ (Ārya­tārā­kurukullā­kalpa, ’phags ma sgrol ma ku ru kul+le’i rtog pa, Toh 437). (Dharmachakra Translation Committee, Trans.). Online publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. https://84000.co/translation/toh437/UT22084-081-006-introduction.Copy

    Related links

    • Other texts from Unexcelled Yoga tantras
    • Published Translations
    • Browse the Collection
    • 84000 Homepage
    Sponsor Translation

    Bookmarks

    Copyright © 2011-2024 84000 - All Rights Reserved
    • Website: https://84000.co
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy