214 richard d. mcbride ii
god Maheśvara and summons spirits from the heavenly realm to carry
out his will (Strickmann 2002, 204–238).
To summarize, the relationship between esoteric Buddhism, heal-
ing, and demonology may be described as the gradual subjugation and
incorporation into Mahāyāna Buddhist ritual of several classes of vex-
ing spirits and noxious influences that flourished in the Indian cultural
sphere. Several of the texts that describe spells to subdue long lists of
toxic and debilitating entities and procedures for efficaciously employ-
ing them were continually revised and expanded over time, such as the
various recensions of the Book of the Peacock Spell (Mahāmāyūrī, T.
nos. 982–988) that were translated into Chinese from the mid-fourth
to mid-eighth centuries. These kinds of spell texts probably helped set
the stage for newer ritual texts. Many of these later ritual texts not
only unabashedly integrated the major gods and supernatural entities
of mainstream religion in India, but they also translated ritual proce-
dures initially used for healing into practices effecting enlightenment
as well as into procedures for achieving success in worldly pursuits.