The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi
Vaiśravaṇa
Toh 498
Degé Kangyur, vol. 87 (rgyud ’bum, da), folios 158.a–167.a
- Celu
- Phakpa Sherab
Imprint
Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Group
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha
First published 2013
Current version v 3.29.12 (2024)
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Table of Contents
Summary
In the Kangyur and Tengyur collections there are more than forty titles centered on the form of Vajrapāṇi known as the “Blue-Clad One,” a measure of this figure’s great popularity in both India and Tibet. This text, The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi, is a scripture that belongs to the Conduct tantra (Caryātantra) class, the third of the four categories used by the Tibetans to organize their tantric canon. It introduces the practice of Blue-Clad Vajrapāṇi, while also providing the practitioner with a number of rituals directed at suppressing, subduing, or eliminating ritual targets.
Acknowledgments
This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche. Catherine Dalton and Andreas Doctor translated the text, with assistance from Ryan Damron and Wiesiek Mical.
This translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.
Text Body
Vaiśravaṇa
Then, for the benefit of those who wish to attain worldly accomplishment, the Blessed One entered the absorption called the origination of all worldly wheels [F.161.a] and emanated rays of light from the pores of his body. Vaiśravaṇa and his retinue were thus inspired and gathered around him. He prostrated to the Blessed One, scattered dust made from precious gems, and made this request:
“Blessed One, I am the Dharma-upholding king named Vaiśravaṇa. If I myself were to proclaim a secret in order to protect the Dharma of the pious and ensure that the Dharma abides for a long time, would the Blessed One grant me an opportunity?”
The Blessed One said, “Great King, excellent! Explain your secret well! I rejoice and give my blessings. May all vajra holders also bless you. Speak well!”
Then Vaiśravaṇa got up from his seat, prostrated to the Blessed One, and spoke his own incantation: “Oṃ vaiśravaṇāya hūṃ hūṃ paca paca chinda chinda svāhā.”
Once he had spoken these words, he said to the Blessed One, “O Blessed One, the accomplishment of this, my mantra, is excellent. Whoever wants to accomplish my state of being should arrange great offerings in the three times. To make the offering to me and my retinue, the practitioner should remain with one-pointed concentration in an isolated place. A practitioner of the blessed Vajrapāṇi must recite my mantra ten thousand times, and then accomplish the activities. One who thus accomplishes my state of being and my activity should offer an oblation and make vast offerings to me and to my retinue. The mantra to recite for making vast offerings and offering the oblation to me and my retinue is this:
“Know that these are the mantras both for making offerings and giving an oblation to me and my retinue.
“Then, with respect to accomplishing my activity, I requested the Blessed One to bless me with his explanation. The explanation of the activity is this:
Then Vaiśravaṇa and his retinue declared to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, whoever engages in the practices that we have explained here should continually worship the Blessed Vajrapāṇi and the yakṣas with the three white substances. He must completely avoid alcohol. He must acquire meats that are suitable and auspicious.7 If we fail to accomplish, properly and one-pointedly, the activities that are our accomplishments, then we will have insulted the Blessed One and we will have failed to protect the Dharma. This is our oath. Oṃ vaiśravaṇa arthakathama.” [F.162.b]
“Great Vaiśravaṇa, that is excellent. So very excellent!” said the Blessed One. “So very excellent! The secret of which you have spoken will be of great benefit for the people of the future. In order that their benefit will certainly be accomplished, I also will pronounce this mantra. Listen!”
“Excellent!” said Vaiśravaṇa and the others to the Blessed One, and listened accordingly.
The Blessed One then said, “Oṃ vajrapāṇi nīlāmbaradhara vajrasphoṭa hūṃ phaṭ svāhā. This incantation is a mantra that brings control over activities. Great Vaiśravaṇa brings about possession of the secret just as he promised.”
“That is so,” said the yakṣas, and they vanished.
This was the third chapter of “The Tantra of the Vajra in the Underworld,” the chapter on Vaiśravaṇa.
Colophon
The translation was completed by the Kashmiri scholar Celu and the Tibetan translator Phakpa Sherab.
Bibliography
Tibetan Texts
bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje gos sngon po can gyi rgyud ces bya ba (Bhagavannīlāmbaradharavajrapāṇitantranāma). Toh 498, Degé Kangyur vol. 87 (rgyud ’bum, da), folios 158a.6–167a.3.
bcom ldan ’das phyag na rdo rje gos sngon po can gyi rgyud ces bya ba. 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. 87, 469–90.
Secondary Sources
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Mayer, Robert. “The Importance of the Underworlds: Asuras’ Caves in Buddhism, and Some Other Themes in Early Buddhist Tantras Reminiscent of the Later Padmasambhava Legends.” Journal of the International Association for Tibetan Studies 3 (December 2007): 1–31.
Williams, Paul. Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition. London: Routledge, 2000.