482 henrik h. sørensen
(Collection of the Secret Storehouse of Dhāraṇīs of the High-
est Vehicle of Buddhism),^16 the Zunsheng foding zhenyan xiu yuqie fa
(Method of the Sarvabodos nīṣ a-mantra for ̣
Cultivating Yoga),^17 the Amituo Guyinsheng wang tuoluoni jing
(Scripture on Amitābha’s Drum Sounding King
Dhāraṇī),^18 the Putichang suoshuo yizi touding lunwang jing
(Scripture Spoken at the Bodhimanda on the One
Letter Usṇ̣īsa Wheel King)̣^19 and the apocryphal Foding xin Guanshi-
yin pusa da tuoluoni jing (Scripture
on the Great Dhāraṇī of the Buddha’s Usṇ̣īsa Heart of Avalokiteśvara ̣
Bodhisattva).^20
Also included in the Fangshan material carved under the Jin is a
preface, the Dazang zhu fo pusa minghao ji xu
(Preface to the Collection of All the Buddhas’ and Bodhisatt-
vas’ Names in the Great Treasury of the Teaching),^21 that discusses,
among other things, the benefit of chanting the names of buddhas
and bodhisattvas, which is compared with the use of spells/dhāraṇīs.
When seen in an overall context, this preface represents a doctrinal
compromise between Huayan and Esoteric Buddhism, a situation that
also prevailed under the Jin.
Popularity of Spells and Dhāraṇīs
The widespread popularity of spells and mantras under the Jin is
best documented in the many surviving examples engraved in stone.
Numerous dhāraṇī pillars and structural elements of tombs inscribed
(^16) Zhonghua dazang jing , 1619.68, 500–675. See also Fangshan shijing:
Liao-Jin kejing zhi bu, vol. 22. The stone slabs for this compendium were carved in
1147 C.E. This is possibly the single most important Esoteric Buddhist spell collection
from the Tang to have come down to us. For a more detailed discussion see Sørensen,
“On Esoteric Buddhism in China: A Working Definition,” in this volume.
(^17) Fangshan shijing: Liao-Jin kejing zhi bu, vol. 21.
(^18) Fangshan shijing: Liao-Jin kejing zhi bu, vol. 7.
(^19) Fangshan shijing: Liao-Jin kejing zhi bu, vol. 19. This scripture is mentioned in
the Zhengyuan xinding shijiao mulu (Newly Established Cata-
logue of the Buddhist Teaching from the Zhengyuan Era). Cf. 20 T. 2157.55:881b.
Fangshan shijing: Liao-Jin kejing zhi bu, vol. 22. This work also exists in a well-
preserved Dunhuang manuscript from the end of the Tang. Cf. P. 3916 (5). See also
Yü 1995.
(^21) Reproduced in Fangshan Yunju si shijing, pls. 63a–64b. It was written by Sixiao
(fl. mid-eleventh century), an important monk-official from Haiyun Temple
.