Fóshuō suíqiú jídé dàzìzài tuóluóní shénzhòu jīng 佛說隨求即得大自在陀羅尼神呪經
Sūtra of the Spirit-Spell of the Great-Sovereign Following-Wishes-and-Immediately-Attaining Dhāraṇī Spoken by the Buddha (Mahāpratisarā-dhāraṇī-sūtra, shorter recension) by 寶思惟 (Bǎosīwéi, Manicintana, 譯)
About the work
A one-fascicle Tang Esoteric dhāraṇī sūtra translated by Manicintana (寶思惟, the North-Indian Kashmiri translator, fl. 693–721, d. 721). Colophon: 大唐北印度迦濕彌羅國三藏寶思惟於天宮寺譯 — preserving the master’s North-Indian Kashmiri provenance and the Tian-gong-si 天宮寺 translation venue. Sanskrit title (per CANWWW): Mahāpratisarāvidyārajñī(sūtra) / Mahāpratisarādhāraṇī(sūtra). Alternate title 隨求得自在咒. Taishō head-note: No. 1154 [cf. No. 1153]. The shorter, earlier Chinese version of the Mahāpratisarā sūtra; complemented by the longer Amoghavajra translation KR6j0371 (T1153) some sixty-odd years later.
Abstract
The sūtra opens with the Buddha at Rājagṛha (王舍大城) on Vulture Peak (耆闍崛山, Gṛdhrakūṭa) preaching to the disciples, when Mahābrahmā (娑婆世界主大梵天王), Lord of the Sahā-realm, descends, circumambulates the Buddha thrice clockwise, prostrates at his feet, and respectfully requests the Buddha to expound a teaching for the benefit of beings. The Buddha then propounds the Mahāpratisarā-dhāraṇī — the “Following-Wishes-and-Immediately-Attaining” formula — together with its applications: protection, wish-fulfilment, eradication of grievous karmic obstacles, and rebirth in pure realms. Compared with Amoghavajra’s longer T1153 (KR6j0371), this Manicintana version is briefer and structurally simpler, lacking the elaborate cosmic-Vajraśekhara stage-setting; it represents the earlier-stage Chinese transmission of the formula. Forte 1984 has shown Manicintana’s significance as a major translator-figure who came to Luòyáng in 693 and worked at Tian-gong-si and other monasteries through the early 8th century.
The dating bracket follows Manicintana’s translation activity in China beginning 693 (the latest catalog-attested compositions of his are pre-706, when his major translation phase ends; he died 721).
Translations and research
- Forte, Antonino. “The Activities in China of the Tantric Master Manicintana (Pao-ssu-wei: ?–721 A.D.) from Kashmir and of his Northern Indian Collaborator Bodhiruci before Going to Luoyang in 693.” Estratto degli Annali della Facoltà di Lingue e Letterature Straniere di Cà Foscari 23.3 (1984): 99–137.
- Hidas, Gergely. Mahāpratisarā-Mahāvidyārājñī: The Great Amulet, Great Queen of Spells. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan, 2012.
- Copp, Paul. The Body Incantatory. New York: Columbia University Press, 2014.
Links
- CBETA T20n1154
- Kanseki DB
- 寶思惟 DILA
- Dazangthings date evidence (710) — 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.