Dà fódǐng rúlái fàngguāng xīdáduō bōdáluó tuóluóní 大佛頂如來放光悉怛多鉢怛囉陀羅尼
Dhāraṇī of the Light-Emitting Sitātapatra of the Great-Buddha-Crown Tathāgata (the Śūraṅgama / Sitātapatra Dhāraṇī) by 不空 Bùkōng (Amoghavajra, 譯)
About the work
A one-fascicle Esoteric dhāraṇī text by Amoghavajra (不空), giving the Sitātapatra-dhāraṇī (Xīdáduō bōdáluó 悉怛多鉢怛囉 = Skt. sitātapatra, “white-parasol”) — one of the most popular and widely-recited dhāraṇīs in East Asian Buddhism, also known as the Śūraṅgama-mantra when integrated with the Śūraṅgama-sūtra tradition. The Sitātapatra (the cosmic-protective “white-parasol” deity) is associated with the Buddha-crown (Buddhoṣṇīṣa) cult — the worship of the uṣṇīṣa (cranial protuberance) of the Buddha as the cosmic-protective seat of his power.
Abstract
The Sitātapatra-dhāraṇī is one of the longest single dhāraṇīs in East Asian Buddhism (commonly given as 427 lines / over 5,000 syllables in its full form). Its protective function — driving away demonic forces, malign deities, and obstacles — made it one of the most-recited dhāraṇīs in Chinese and Japanese monastic daily practice. Amoghavajra’s Táng Esoteric translation (T944A) is one of several Chinese translations of the same Sanskrit dhāraṇī; it forms the textual basis for the morning-practice recitation of the Léngyán zhòu 楞嚴咒 (Śūraṅgama-mantra) in Chinese Buddhist monastic practice.
The composition dates from Amoghavajra’s mature Cháng’ān period (746–774).
Translations and research
- Reis-Habito, Maria. Die Dhāraṇī des Großen Erbarmens des Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. Nettetal: Steyler, 1993.
- Goble, Geoffrey C. Chinese Esoteric Buddhism: Amoghavajra. New York: Columbia UP, 2019.
Other points of interest
The Sitātapatra-dhāraṇī is recited daily in Chinese Buddhist monasteries as the principal element of the morning practice. Its 5,000-syllable length makes it the longest dhāraṇī in regular liturgical use — recitation of the full mantra typically takes 20–25 minutes. Amoghavajra’s translation has continuous canonical status as the basis of the Chinese Buddhist morning Sitātapatra recitation.
Links
- CBETA T19n0944A
- Kanseki DB
- 不空 Bùkōng DILA
- Dazangthings date evidence (CBETA / Taishō; date: 750)