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Chapter III
Guiding Principles and the Basic Doctrine
The teachings of the Secret Dharma were recorded in many
different Sutras. All of them composed the Secret Collection that
is part of the Great Store Sutra (the Pali Canon), written in
Chinese and in other languages. However, the translation from
Sanskrit to the Chinese version ordered by the emperor was the
most complete and traditional one. Among the many Sutras were
three important books that have all the principles of the doctrine
and serve as basis for the esoteric school.
- The Mahavairocana Sutra was mostly about Mandalas. It
was popular in southern India and was the basis for the
Garbhadhatu sect. - The Vajrasekhara Sutra was popular in the Eastern regions,
and was the basis for the Vajradhatu sect. - The Supreme Enlightenment Sutra teaches Dharani, the
altar's rules and regulations to attain enlightenment. In addition,
hundreds of scriptures on Secret Buddhism were summed up in
the Secret Scriptures over thousands of years. The scriptures
emphasize the practice and the magical power of Dharani, while
saying little about its theories.
Some of the scriptures include the Secret Store Dharani,
Five Words Dharani Sutra, Great Support for the King, Great
Compassion Dharani, Subahuh the Pilgrim, Permanent and
Solemn Seed of Dharani, Recitation for the Ultimate Winner,
One Word Dharani, Six Sacred Words, and the Samantabhadra
Dharani. To have a general understanding of the secret doctrine,
it is best to consult the two major books: Mahavairocana Sutra