Shèng liùzì zēngshòu dàmíng tuóluóní jīng 聖六字增壽大明陀羅尼經
Sūtra of the Noble Six-Syllable Life-Extending Mahā-Vidyā Dhāraṇī by 施護 (Dānapāla, 譯)
About the work
A one-fascicle Northern-Sòng translation by Dānapāla (施護) of a zēngshòu (life-extending) variant of the Shèng Liùzì (Noble Six-Syllable) tradition. Companion to KR6j0246 (T1047), with the additional life-extension function emphasised in the title. Together with KR6j0249 (Tiānxīzāi’s Kāraṇḍavyūha), these three texts constitute Dānapāla’s contribution to the Sòng-period introduction of the oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ / Liùzì dàmíng tradition into China.
Abstract
The zēngshòu (life-extending) function inscribed in the title brings this text into the same merit-cycle as KR6j0220 (Prajña’s Zàotǎ yánmìng gōngdé jīng) and the broader Sòng-Yuán longevity-merit tradition. The Liùzì dàmíng mantra (oṃ maṇi padme hūṃ) was understood from its Indic origins to confer multiple benefits including longevity; the present text is a focused application of the mantra to the longevity-prolongation function. The text is short and ritually programmatic.
Translations and research
- Studholme, Alexander. The Origins of Oṃ Maṇipadme Hūṃ. Albany: SUNY Press, 2002.
- Hidas, Gergely. Powers of Protection. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2021.
Links
- CBETA T20n1049
- Kanseki DB
- 施護 DILA
- Dazangthings date evidence (1000) — T = CBETA [Chinese Buddhist Electronic Text Association]. Taishō shinshū daizōkyō 大正新脩大藏經. Edited by Takakusu Junjirō 高楠順次郎 and Watanabe Kaigyoku 渡邊海旭. Tokyo: Taishō shinshū daizōkyō kankōkai/Daizō shuppan, 1924-1932. CBReader v 5.0, 2014.