. zen and esoteric buddhism 927
), and the radiant kings (myōō ) of immovability (Fudō
shingon ) and lust (Aizen daishu ), among others.
The Śūraṅgama spell (Ryōgon shu ; T. 944A) stands out as
the dhāraṇī most often associated with Zen training.^6 Every day at
noon during the summer training retreat (mid-May to mid-August),
Zen monasteries conduct a Śūraṅgama assembly (Ryōgon e )
during which this dhāraṇī is chanted repeatedly. The Chinese Zen
patriarch Zhenxie Qingliao (Shinketsu Seiryō, 1088–1151)
supposedly initiated this custom after the monks at his monastery
complained of pain in their legs caused by long periods of sitting Zen
(zazen ) meditation. He taught his students that the Śūran ̇gama-
dhāraṇī would ease their pain, increase the vigor of their meditation,
and enable them to attain buddha awakening. He also composed
the “Universal Dedication” (Fu ekō ) that is recited after the
dhāraṇī. This dedication directs the merit of the dhāraṇī to ease the
suffering of all humans and gods who protect Buddhism, ensure politi-
cal tranquility, bring seasonable weather, make immediate progress
toward the ultimate goals, and attain perfect wisdom.^7
Aside from the noontime Śūraṅgama assembly, this dhāraṇī also is
chanted at every important monastic ceremony throughout the year.
According to the Sho ekō shingi shiki of 1556, it is chanted during
memorial services for ancestors and teachers (628b, 628c); anniver-
saries of the Buddha’s birth, awakening, and nirvana (631a–b); the
(^6) The Sanskrit name for this dhāraṇī probably should be reconstructed as Sitātapatra-
uṣṇīṣa-dhāraṇī (Xidaduobo daluo tuoluoni ), which is the name
used in the title of the translation attributed to Amoghavajra (Bukong ; 705–774):
Da foding rulai fangguang xidaduobo daluo tuoluoni
(1 fascicle; T. 944A). It is known as “Śūran ̇gama” because it subsequently
became embedded in another scripture titled the Śūraṅgama sūtra (Lengyan jing
; 10 fascicles; T. 945), an apocryphal work likely composed in China (see Luk,
trans. 1966). This scripture and its descriptions of the powers of the heroic concen-
tration (Śūraṅgama samādhi) remain extremely influential among Zen practitioners.
Because of the similar title, it is frequently confused with the Śūraṅgama-samādhi
sūtra (Lengyan sanmei jing ; 2 fascicles; T. 642) translated by Kumārajīva
(Jiumoluoshi 7 , 350–409?); see Lamotte 1998.
This account is pieced together from information about Zhenxie Qingliao
and his universal dedication in the following collections of pure rules, listed in
chronological order. The texts are Conglin jiaoding qinggui zongyao
(1274), fascicle 2 (ZZ. 1905–1912, 2:17.18c–d); the Chanlin beiyong qung-
gui (1311), fascicle 3 (ZZ. 2: 17.38d); the Luyuan shigui
(1324), fascicle 10 (ZZ. 2: 11.47c–d); the Chixiu Baizhang qingqui
(1338), fascicle 7 (T. 2025.48:1151c); and the Sho ekō shingi shiki
(1556), fascicle 1 (T. 2578.81:631b, 631c).