Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

A CRITICAL TANTRISM

attempting to realize this Upani~adic, enigmatic remark that "you are yourself
your own father". Since the yogic practice of Tantrism was judged as a conven-
tional means only, they had nothing left other than the Mahayanic practice
through which to solve the mystery of this remark. This can be attested to by the
fact that the system of pilgrimage places (pltha) was very quickly consolidated
in the short period of transition from the Hevajra-tantra to the subsequent Sariz-
varodaya-tantra.

V. The fate ofTantric Buddhism

i. The theory of pilgrimage places

The practice of pilgrimage did exist in the time of the Hevajra-tantra. The fol-
lowers of the Hevajra-tantra actually visited sacred places of the cult of yogin Is
in quest of a group of yogin Is external to them just as the Vajra-dhiitu-mm:ujala
was external to the followers of the Tattvasarizgraha-tantra. They did go on pil-
grimages, but pilgrimage itself was not essential for them. If a group of yogin Is
could have been found nearby, it would have eliminated the need for pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage places (pltha) and names of countries or cities are enumerated
though not systematically in the Hevajra-tantra as follows:

"[ vajragarbha uviica] I

he bhagavan he te meliipakasthiiniib II

bhagaviin iiha I

pzthaii copaplthaii ca /cyetraii copalcyetram eva ca I

chandohaii copacchandohariz meliipakopameliipakam tathii I 1101 I

pllavopapzlavaii caiva smasiinopasmasnaii ca I

~tii dviidasabhiimayab I

dasabhiimzsvaro niitha ebhir anyair na hathyate !111/1

[ vajragarbha uviica] I

he bhagavan he te plthiidayab I I

bhagaviin iiha

pzthariz jiilandharariz khyiitam ocjiyiinariz tathaiva ca I

pzthariz piin:wgiris caiva kiimariipariz tathaiva ca 111211

upaplthariz miilavam prohtariz sindhur nagaram eva ca I

lcyetrarh munmuni khyiitarh h$elrariz kiiw;yapiitakam I

devzhotarh tathii lcyetrarh lcyetrarh karmiirapiitakam !1131 I

upa/cyetrariz hulatii proktam arbudaii ca tathaiva ca I

godavari himiidris ca upal!jetraii ca sarh/cyepata !11411

chandoharh harikelaii ca lavanasiigaramadhyajam I

lampiikarh kiiiicikaii caiva saurii!ftraii ca tathaiva ca !1151 I

kalingam upacchandoharh dv!paii ciimlkariinvitam I

kokm;aii copacchandoharh samiiseniibhidh!yate !11611

pllavarh gramantasthariz pllavarh nagarasya ca I