ON THE CONCEPT OF SAHAJANotes
The term yana is somewhat out of place when referring to the various aspects of
tantricism; the distinction between Sahajayana, Ki.ilacakrayana, and Vajrayana is
quite artificial.
2 Such is the terminology of e.g. S. B. Dasgupta, ORC p. 13-14 et seq. dealing with
the "Buddhist Sahajiya Cult".
3 A commendable but not entirely satisfactory attempt has been made by Dasgupta in
the sub-chapter "The Idea of Sahaja", ORC p. 77-86.
4 Les Chants Mystiques, passim.
5 HVT passim.
6 Yoga, p. 268, has "Innate". The French original has "non-conditionne".
7 H. Guenther, The Royal Song of Saraha. A Study in the History of Buddhist
Thought, Seattle 1969, p.9 n.l4.
8 However, sahaja is used as a noun designating the Absolute, God, etc. in a poet like
Kablr, as well as in Sikhism etc. See C. Veaudeville, Kabir granthavali (Doha),
Pub!. de l'Inst. Fran<;aise d'Indologie No. 12, Pondichery 1957, p.xviii-xx.
9 Cf. Lessing and Wayman's translation "together-born" (FBT p. 323) and W. Y.
Evans-Wentz "simultaneously-born", Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines, 2nd. ed.,
London 1958, p. 205 n.2.
10 See in particular HVT I.ii and xi, passim: II.v.38--47; x, passim.
11 HVT I.x.2-5, 21-29 and CMT Chap. II passim describe the external laying out of
the mal)<;iala. A VS p.40--43 (translated by Snellgrove in Buddhist Texts Through the
Ages, Oxford 1954, p.249-52) gives an account of the evolving of an internal
mal)<;iala. HVT Il.v.4-37, 48-57 could be understood both ways.
12 G. Tucci, The Theory and Practice ofthe Mandala, London 1961.
13 I reproduce Snellgrove's translation, HVT Part I, p. 131.
14 Thus Carelli, ST p.S and passim.
15 Thus translated by Lessing and Wayman, FBT passim; however, their translation is
of the Tibetan term dbait bskur-ba, lit. "conferring of power".
16 See Snellgrove, HVT Part I p.131. For a discussion of this theme, see D. L. Snell-
grove, "The Notion of Divine Kingship in Tantric Buddhism", in: The Sacral King-
ship, Studies in the History of Religions vol.IV, Leiden 1959, p.204-18.-For a
study of divine kingship in the wider context of Indian religion, see J. Gonda,
Ancient Indian Kingship From the Religious Point of View, Leiden 1969.
17 The term is used by Tucci, Theory and Practice, p.44.
18 For further descriptions of the consecrations and of the ritual of the mal)<;iala in
general, see, besides the work just quoted by Tucci, M. Eliade, Yoga, p.219-27,
with extensive bibliography p.408-09.
19 ST p.29. Cf. HVT l.vi.l 0 "Then the yogin, self-collected, performs the dance in the
place ofHevajra", and CMT p.54-55.
20 However, note that unless it vanishes of its own accord, it is to be "undone" by a
special rite called ave5opasamana, lit. pacification of the state of possession".
21 Translation of the relevant passage is found in HVT Part I, p.131-32.
22 Ibid.
23 ST p.27.
24 The assimilation of a female breast with a jar is conventional in Sanskrit, cf. expres-
sions like kuca-kumbha, stana-kalasa etc.
25 Further titles are given HVT I.v.2, 16-18; II.v.59; vii.ll. The term mudra will be
discussed in Chap. III.
26 Carelli's ed. has sabda, certainly a corruption, perhaps for * sodasabda as the suit-
able mudra is elsewhere (p.32) stated to be dvadasabda. The texts differ as to the age
of the Seal, see Wayman, "Female Energy." in particular p. 105-10.