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and Vajrasekhara Sutra. It is also necessary to review the
complete set of Sutras in the Secret Buddhism collection.
I. The Mahavairocana and Vajrasekhara Secret
Buddhism Sutras:
The Mahavairocana’s formal title is “The Meditation for
Attaining the Buddha's Body in Five Aspects.” It is composed of
seven books, translated from Sanskrit to Chinese by both
Subhakarasimha and Ichigyo during the Tang Dynasty.
The Vajrasekhara stands for “Sutra of the King of the Great
Teaching Attested to in Mahayana Bearing the Truth of All the
Buddhas at the Vajra Peak”. It is composed of three books
translated by Amoghavajra.
These two Sutras theoretically explain the truth and the real
nature of the following principles: The Six Primary Elements,
The Four Mandalas, The Three Mysteries and The Ten Stages of
the Mind.
- The Six Primary Elements
Secret Buddhism advocated that the Six Primary Elements
form the real nature of the cosmos. They are: Earth, Water, Fire,
Wind, Space, and Consciousness. They have the ability to
reproduce and expand. The first five elements belong to
inanimate things. The last one belongs to the mind. The six
elements interpenetrate without obstruction and in eternal union
to create different laws.
The Six Primary Elements are composed of three aspects: