Buddhism : Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Vol. VI

TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)

B

Fig. 6

A Cntic:~l Tanuism

The Ma~14ala of

the Va,rocanabhisaittbodhi.sUira

~

The Vajradhiilu-ma':l<falu of

the TattvaJori:tgrah.o.-tantra

I

I

---=-....'

synthesized in the religion of the Sarhvara literature. In order to judge whether
this assumption is correct or not, we must examine the structure of the Sarhvara-
mm:ufala once again.

iii. The 'critical' character of the Samvara Tantrism

The outer circle of the Sarhvara-mar:ujala had not been formed before the theory
of the internal plthas was completed. The aggregate of twenty-four (jiikinls
united with twenty four (jiikas was a complete world in itself. It had ceased to be
the mal)f}ala of pilgrims when it was incorporated into the mal){jala of the
Sarhvarodaya-tantra composed of fourteen deities which was essentially the