Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

A CRITICAL TANTRISM

tions will complete all the truths of buddhas without difficulty as they

are equipped with the power of confidence (FaM'JJ), originated within

them. 0 the chief of guhyakas! Concisely speaking, these sons or

daughters of noble families will acquire infinite merits".^33

As is known from this quotation, the inner part of the tenth circle of these
concentric circles indicates the ideal realm of the world of Vairocana and is
thought to correspond to the palace of Vairocana, "the palace of the grand
adamantine sphere of the reality" ( 4:ffl1Jl:W-'8) mentioned at the beginning of
the sutra (seep. 177). Therefore, we can divide the world or mmJC]ala of Vairo-
cana into two parts (fig. 2): the inner circle (A) which corresponds to the centre
and two inner layers of fig. I and does not contain any differences of quality or
brightness, and the outer circle (B) which corresponds to the outer nine layers of
fig. I and contains differences of quality or brightness. This inner circle (A) only
is adopted by the Tattvasmngrahatantra. Here it becomes the Vajradhiitu-
mm:ufala composed of five buddhas or five families of buddhas, the first expres-
sion of the Tantric image of the world of the ultimate reality (fig. 2).
The outer circle (B) of the mm;r..iala of the Vairocaniibhisambodhi-sutra
having been discarded, the Vajradhiitu-ma1Jr..lala contains no part representing
the realm of people who are on the process of gradual promotion. What is
needed for the people of the Tantric world is not the strenuous efforts of accu-
mulating two kinds of merits, viz. moral and intellectual, but an 'easy' yogic
practice of uniting themselves with the ultimate reality which appears high in the
sky as the Vajradhiitu-maQrjala.
In the next chapter, we would like to observe the Tantric view of the world,
expressed in the Tattvasamgraha-tantra, which is in every aspect anti-thetical to
the Mahayanic view of the world shown in the Vairocaniibhisam-bodhi-sutra
discussed in this chapter.

Fig. 2

The Ma7J4ala

of

The VairocanO.bhisa1ilbodhi.sUtra

A: the realm of truth

the stage of wisdom (jiiiina·bhiimi)

B: the realm of process

The Vajradhiitu.mrH)~ala

composed of

the five families

of

the Tattva.stnirgraha-/rm/111