270 charles d. orzech
lodged at Tiangong Monastery (Bodhiruci arrived the same
year). That same year he translated the Scripture of the Amoghapāśa
Dhāraṇī, The Sovereign Lord of Spells (Amoghapāśa kalparāja sūtra;
Bukong juansuo tuoluoni zizai wang zhou jing
, T. 1097) as well as the Mahāpratisarā dhāraṇī; Foshuo suiqiu
jide dazizai tuoluoni shenzhou jing
, T. 1154).^26 He was actively engaged in translation work (car-
ried out primarily at Da Fuxian Monastery ) until 706; he
then retired to the “Indian monastery” established for him at
Xiangshan at Longmen. The monastery became famous for its
Indian style.
We have some indication that late in life Manicintana met
Śubhākarasiṃha, who treated him as his elder.^27 Zhisheng’s Kaiyuan
shijiao lu of 730 lists him as the translator of seven texts, though, as
Forte has shown, Zhisheng’s list is only of texts accepted into the canon
of which Manicintana was directly in charge and that had not fallen
afoul of censorship after the Tang restoration.^28 He was involved in the
production of several other texts, including the Da baoji jing
(Mahāratnakūt sūtra), T. 310, under the direction of Bodhiruci; and
the Yuqie fajing jing , T. 2895, which was banned under
the suppression of the Three Stages movement from 725 onward.^29
Most significant, from the point of view of esoteric Buddhism’s
role in the political economy, was Manicintana’s rendering of the
Amoghapāśa kalparāja sūtra (T. 1097).^30 Amoghapāśa, “Unfailing
Lasso,” is a manifestation of Avalokiteśvara whose devices—including
the lasso or lifeline—save those in danger. The translation was readied
around the time of Empress Wu’s assumption of the title “Cakravartin
of the Golden Wheel,” and the text would appear to bolster her claims
contained in the Mahāmegha sūtra. For an overview of the empress, see Guisso 1979,
306–21. For an analysis of the role of Bodhiruci and others in the Buddhist establish-
ment who enabled this process, see Forte 1976. 26
Reis-Habito 1999.
(^27) The “meeting” is mentioned in an inscription by Li Hua in the Xuanzong
chao fan jing sanzang Shanwuwei zheng Honglu qing xingzhuang
, 28 T. 2055.50:291b16–17, but see the caveats by Forte 1984, 314.
Forte 1984, 315–22.
(^29) Forte 2002, 91, 94, 104; 1984, 318–20. See also Lewis 1990, 207–38.
(^30) There are several other versions of this popular scripture, including ones by
Xuanzang (T. 1094), Manicintana’s colleague Bodhiruci (T. 1092, 1095), Li Wuchan
(T. 1096), Amoghavajra (T. 1002, 1098), and Dānapāla (T. 1099). For a study of some
of these texts see Wong 2007a, 151–158.