Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia

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460 henrik h. sørensen


yishi yanmi chao and the Xianmi yuantong chengfo xin yaoji men-
tioned above.^23
Jueyuan, an important monk from Yuanfu Temple in Yan-
jing and the author of the Dari jing yishi yanmi chao, reveals in
his preface that he was engaged in both abhiṣeka and homa rituals.
The mantras and dhāraṇīs accompanying the rites in this work are
referred to as “secret spells” (mizhou ) and their use as “spell arts”
(zhoushu ). Moreover, Jueyuan also signals an ideological and rit-
ual affiliation with the Zhenyan tradition of the mid-Tang by invoking
the names of Śubhākarasiṃha and Yixing, the original translators and
commentators on the Mahāvairocana sūtra in China.^24 Jueyuan’s for-
mulation of Esoteric Buddhism and Huayan reveals that even though
he did combine the two, he placed primary emphasis on the former.^25
In comparison, the integration between Huayan doctrines and
Esoteric Buddhist practices takes on a more evenly balanced form of
harmonization in Daochen’s Xianmi yuantong chengfo xin yaoji. In
this work, Esoteric Buddhism is added to and correlated with the pan-
jiao system of the so-called “five teachings” (wujiao ), i.e.,
the provisional teaching ( faxiang etc.); the teaching of empti-
ness (prajñā); the “final teaching” represented by the Nirvāṇa and the
Saddharmapuṇḍarīka; the sudden teaching of the One Vehicle;^26 and
the perfect teaching of the Avataṃsaka.^27 The Cundī-dhāraṇī-mantra
is especially mentioned for its importance to the practice of Esoteric
Buddhism,^28 and its use is recommended as part of the concept of
“protection of the realm” (huguo ).^29
The harmonization of Esoteric Buddhism and Huayan is also reflected
in the epigraphical material. The inscription on the stele raised for the
monk Xuanzhao (d. 1106) informs us that he was a follower of the


(^23) For an attempt at coming to terms with the doctrinal contents of this work, see
Tang 2004.
(^24) Cf. QLW, p. 269.
(^25) For a rather detailed discussion of Jueyuan’s brand of Esoteric Buddhism, see
Lü 1995, 476–85. 26
Here referred to as the “One Vehicle of the Sudden Teaching ( yisheng dunjiao
),” as transmitted by the Chan School of Bodhidharma. Cf. 27 T. 1955.46:990a.
Cf. Lü 1995, 485–89. That the cult of the bodhisattva Cundī was very popu-
lar among the Khitans and their Chinese subjects is well adocumented in the extant
sources.
(^28) Cf. T. 1955.46:994c. For a discussion of this aspect of Daochen’s practice of Eso-
teric Buddhism, see Tang 2004, 28–42.
(^29) T. 1955.46:999b.

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