tantric threads between india and china 261Stressing accomplishment of occult skill (Skt. siddhi, Chin. chengjiu
) conferred upon the hierophant by the divine and further sub-
verting the authenticating foundation of Mahyna, the imprint of
siddha culture also becomes evident in Amoghavajra’s translation of the
Sarvatathgatatattvasa graha—particularly in an allusion to kyamuni’s
awakening to buddhahood—where the name of the main interlocutor
bodhisattva Yiqieyichengjiu (“He Who Has Accomplished
All Objectives”) reads in Sanskrit Sarvrthasiddhi which is a play on
Siddhrtha, kyamuni’s name prior to his awakening: “He Whose
Objective is Accomplishment”.^51
While ubhakarasiha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra established
the “secret teachings” at the court as ritual means of state protection
and empowerment, one should give credit to Xuanzang, who was
rst in translating a fully developed Tantric stra, namely the Prajñp
ramitnayaatapañcatik (Perfect Insight of the Command of Truth in
150 Verses) which was integrated into the 600 fasciculi of his Da bore
boluomiduo jing (Grand Prajñ pramit Scripture)
as its tenth section, the Liqu fen (Section on the Command of
Truth, Skt. naya).^52 About a century later, shorter recensions of the
Prajñpramitnayaatapañcatik were translated again by Vajrabodhi
and Amoghavajra—transmitted to Japan, the latter version became a
central text for Shingon ritual practice.^53
Finally, Amoghavajra, Vajrabodhi’s chief disciple, became the most
prominent promulgator of “secret teachings” in China. Of Central
Asian descent but having spent his life since his youth in the imperial
capital Chang’an, he was not only pro cient in Chinese and South
Central Asian languages, but also gained insight into the pragmatics
of polity and the play of power relations at the Tang-court. Thus, he
became a proli c translator, compiler and exegete, who proved to be
very skilful in his religio-political activities, gradually gaining in u-
ence under the reign of three succeeding emperors (Xuanzong ,
r. 712–756, Suzong , r. 756–762, and Daizong , r. 762–779).
He achieved this status not by institutionalising the “secret teachings”
but by becoming an institution himself, creating a techne-oriented praxis(^51) T.865.18.207c10; Giebel 2001, pp. 10, 23.
(^52) T.220.7.986a24–991b9.
(^53) Shingon is an esoteric Buddhist denomination in Japan, based upon the work of
the eminent scholar monk K kai (774–835); see below. For an analysis and annotated
translation of Amoghavajra’s version see Astley-Kristensen 1991; cf. T.241.8.778b18–
781c8; T.243.8.784a7–786b15.
HEIRMAN_f9_247-276.indd 261 3/13/2007 6:40:08 PM