Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

A CRITICAL TANTRISM

nirviir.za ( l:lE~) through abstaining from action, thus severing the chain of action
and its results which have been in existence since the beginningless past was the
ideal. In Tantrism, however, action and its results have ceased to be the issue.
For a Tantrist, who is essentially a solitary yogin sitting in meditation directly
facing the ultimate reality by himself, the existence of others is of no meaning.
For him, no compassion toward others and no exertions for the benefit of others
based of compassion are necessary.
On the other hand, in the Vairocaniibhisambodhi-siitra quoted at the begin-
ning of this chapter, it is clearly stated that the ideal is not to sever the chain of
action and its results, but to complete the chain itself. It naturally follows that
everyone is responsible for the continued existence of the world of Vairocana.
The compassion of Vairocana works so as to have each one of them live their
lives completely through the entire process which seems practically endless.
Correspondingly, each person has as the duty of his life to live so as to have
Vairocana continue to exist. The world of reality, the omniscience (sarvajiia-
jiiiina ( -1l.Jtftf), or Vairocana as the ultimate reality (dharmakiiya i*~) con-
tinues to exist for its own sake, simply because its existence itself is good.

iii. Conditions for the existence of the world of Vairocana

As is natural to a Mahayanic way of thinking, this world of Vairocana is thought

to exist not as an objective, solid substance, but as an essence less (siinya ~ ),

conditional existence ( ~1.:). It exists as long as certain necessary conditions are

complete.

Vajrapal)i, who has seen the world of Vairocana and recognized it to be the

self-development of the universal wisdom (sarvajiiajiiiina -fi/Jt\''tf) (see p.

178), compares it to the five gross elements, viz. ether, earth, fire, wind and

water (paiicamahiibhiita 11.-:k:). Subsequently, he asks the Reverend Lord Vairo-

cana the conditions which keep the universal wisdom, which is nothing other

than the world of Vairocana, existent:

" ... 0 Reverend Lord, metaphorically speaking, the element of water

makes the bodies of all living beings comfortable. Likewise, the

wisdom of the omniscient (sarvajiiajiiiina -Wtf1P) makes the world

accompanied with the celestials comfortable. In that case, what is the

cause ( IZSI)? What is the root (tit)? And what is the final aim ( ~~) of

this wisdom?"^14

The answer to this question is contained in what has been referred to as 'the

three phrases' c::::'fiJ) (seep. 169).

"0 Vajrapal)i1 Well done! Well done! You cleverly asked me those

questions. Listen and remember rightly and completely what I will tell

you. The cause is the mind seeking for enlightenment (bodhicitta