The Written Tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism: Ārya Bhadracarya Praṇidhāna Rāja (Tib. Bzang spyod smon lam)
Abstract
The article examines one of the most popular aspiration prayers of Tibetan Buddhism — Ārya Bhadracarya Praṇidhāna Rāja (shortly referred to as Bhadracarya), known in the Tibetan tradition as Zangcho monlam (Tib. Bzang spyod smon lam). It is considered both in the context of grand sutras — the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and Gaṇḍavyūha Sutra — as a part of which it once entered the canonical collections of Kangyur and Tengyur, and as an independent text. Its popularity and wide dispersion in the written culture since the very beginnings of the Buddhist era in Tibet (Tib. snga dar) are evidenced by numerous written versions, as well as some epigraphic sources, e. g., an inscription in the Brag Yerpa monastic complex dated to the 9th century AD. Moreover, the Dunhuang manuscripts dated to the same period comprise over forty texts of this monument represented by Tibetan and Chinese translations along with some related narratives. One such narrative, manuscript PT 149, most likely contains attempts by Tibetan translators to identify the transmission line of Bhadracarya, which definitely adds to its significance in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The text dealt with the cult of the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha — Sukhavati — in China and, probably, in Tibet, and, as researchers S. van Schaik and L. Doney suggested, was had been recited for the long life of King Trisong Detsen. Also, in the Tibetan written tradition Bhadracarya was often quoted by Buddhist teachers as an example of the sevenfold ritual which is very important to Vajrayana practices.
The article also deals with biographies of the translators mentioned in the colophons of Tibetan translations of Bhadracarya — Kawa Peltseg (Tib. Ska ba dpal rtsegs), Cogro Lui Gyaltsen (Tib. Cog ro klu’i rgyal mtshan) and Ma Ratna Yatra (тиб. Rma rad na ya kra) whose translation is contained by the Dunhuang sources; and Yeshe De (Tib. Ye shes sde), Indian pandits Jinamitra (Tib. Dzi na mitra) and Surendrabodhi (Tib. Su rendra bo dhi), and Vairocana (Tib. Bai ro tsā na) whose translation was included in the Kangyur and Tengyur. Bhadracarya is still very popular in contemporary Tibetan Buddhism, and the fact is emphasized by many scholars.
Keywords
Tibetan literature,
Bhadracarya,
Zangcho monlam,
translations,
Kangyur,
Tengyur,
Kawa Peltseg,
Yeshe De
About the Author
Saglara V Mirzaeva
Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS
Russian Federation
Junior Research Associate
Russian Federation
Junior Research Associate
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Review
For citations:
Mirzaeva S. The Written Tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism: Ārya Bhadracarya Praṇidhāna Rāja (Tib. Bzang spyod smon lam). Oriental Studies. 2018;11(2):131-143. (In Russ.)
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