Yīqiè rúlái dà mìmì wáng wèicéngyǒu zuìshàng wéimiào dà màntúluó jīng 一切如來大祕密王未曾有最上微妙大曼拏羅經
Sūtra of the Unprecedented-Supreme Subtle Great Mandala, the Great-Esoteric-King of All Tathāgatas by 天息災 (Tiānxīzāi, 譯)
About the work
A five-fascicle Sòng-period Esoteric translation by Tiānxīzāi (天息災) — the senior Indian translator at the Sòng Yìjīngyuàn who arrived at Kāifēng with Dānapāla in 980 and was later renamed Fǎxián 法賢 (法賢) in 987. The text presents an advanced Esoteric mandala scripture in the late-tantra tradition.
Abstract
The text is one of Tiānxīzāi’s principal Esoteric scripture translations. The “great mandala” of the title corresponds to the Sarva-tathāgata mahā-guhya-rāja-anuttara-saukṣma-mahā-maṇḍala — an elaborate late-tantric mandalic scripture organised around the assembly of all Tathāgatas. The five fascicles cover the doctrinal framework, the mandala construction, and the sādhana practices.
The translation dates from Tiānxīzāi’s career at the Sòng Yìjīngyuàn before his renaming as Fǎxián in 987 — i.e., 980–987 (the bracket 980–1000 reflects the wider Tiānxīzāi-Fǎxián career).
Translations and research
- Sen, Tansen. Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2003. — On the Sòng Yìjīngyuàn.
- Jan Yün-hua. “Buddhist Relations between India and Sung China.” History of Religions 6 (1966): 24–42, 135–168.