A CRITICAL TANTRISMsame as that of the Hevajra-tantra of sixteen deities. Therefore, the outer and
the inner circles of Samvara-mm:ujala represent two different mal)galas of the
religion of meditators which can function independently. This mal)gala itself
does not necessarily show that the two antithetical elements of Tantric Bud-
dhism, viz. the Mahayanic ideal of accumulating merits and the Tantric logic of
yoga were successfully synthesized within it.
However, it has become apparent that the true problem does not exist in the
fact that these two elements were synthesized. In reality, they did not have to be
synthesized at all. Now it is apparent that the problem consists in the fact that
the followers of the Samvara Tantrism, who were essentially Tantrists, retaining
the Mahayanic idea of the truth adopted from the fourth consecration of the
Hevajra-tantra, rejected the Mahayanic practice needed for realizing the
Mahayanic truth.
The idea of the fourth consecration, which teaches the Mahayanic idea of the
truth, was accepted in the Samvara Tantrism at all times. In the Tattvasam-
graha-tantra, there were no methaphysical or philosophical arguments about the
abstruct truth discussed. Arguments of this kind were not necessary for the fol-
lowers of the tantra as they could unite themselves with the truth itself instantly.
In the Hevajra-tantra, there is an independent chapter which argues about
the nature of truth, viz. Tattvapatalal; paiicamal;. However, its contents were not
the arguments about abstract, philosophical problems as we can see it from the
passage we quoted above (see p. 209). In the Samvara literature, each text has
an independent chapter about the nature of truth, such as chapter 29 of the Sam-
varodaya-tantra: Tattvanirdeia-patala, chapter 69 of the Abhidhiinottarottara-
tantra: Tattvapatala, kalpa II, prakaral)a i of the Samputodbhava-tantra:
Niriikiinksatattvopadesabhiivanii-prakaral)a, the first chapter of the Vajratfiika-
tantra: Paramatattviivalokavisayiivatiirajiiiina-patala etc. in which it attempts to
express the truth itself with words.
This tendency in the Samvara literature of betraying Tantrism may be sym-
bolically indicated with following quotations: one is from abovementioned
chapter of the Samvarodaya-tantra (abbrev. SU) and the other from abovemen-
tioned prakaral)a of the Samputodbhava-tantra. These were referred to by Bu
ston in his abovementioned work together with the quotation from the Hevajra-
tantra we have discussed (seep. 215) as the contents of the fourth consecration.
The passage from the Samvarodaya-tantra is as follows (SU. XXIX.):^55
nzriipamkrtam iinandal; svayambhiir udayati asau I
tathiicittatayii cittam ekavisviivabodhakam Ill 01 I
bhiiviibhiivavivekatiivirahito yatra svayam riijate I
siindriinandamayal; prabodhamahimii vyomiintaravyiipakal; I
niiniikiiravisiiri nirmalatayiidarsasuphrad mal)galam I
priiya/:1 sarvasukhiilayal; sa sahajiinandas caturthiikyayii 11111/
niitra prajiiii na copiiyal; samyaktattviivabodhakal; I
yoginya/J kalpanii/J sarvii mal)galam bhuvanatrayam 111211