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佛說壞相金剛陀羅尼經

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Text ID
KR6j0649
Date
1271–1294
Dynasty
元

Fó shuō Huàixiàng jīngāng tuóluóní jīng 佛說壞相金剛陀羅尼經

Sūtra of the Vajra-Bhañjaka Dhāraṇī (Aspect-Shattering Vajra)

by 沙囉巴 (譯)

About the work

A short single-juan dhāraṇī-sūtra translated under the Yuán dynasty by 沙囉巴 Shāluóbā (Tib./Skt. Śaraba / Śarvajña-bhadra; d. 1314), an important Yuán-period Tibetan-affiliated translator into Chinese, recipient of the title 光祿大夫大司徒. The colophon — 光祿大夫大司徒三藏法師沙囉巴奉詔譯 — reflects his court status. The text is a re-translation of the same Indian vajra-bhañjaka / vajra-vidāraṇī spell tradition translated by 慈賢 Cíxián for the Sòng under T1416 (KR6j0648). The dating window 1271–1294 reflects Shāluóbā’s productive period under Khubilai Khan; he died in 1314 but his Sòng-format dhāraṇī translations cluster early in the period.

Abstract

“Thus have I heard”: the Bhagavān is at the Vajra-maṇḍa (Jīngāng-chǎng 金剛場 = the vajrāsana / Bodh Gayā). By the Tathāgata’s empowerment, Vajrapāṇi (金剛手) becomes vajra-bodied; on that day he enters the Vajrasamādhi. By the empowerment of all Tathāgatas, bodhisattvas and others, the Vajra-krodha (金剛忿怒) form pronounces this most-excellent vajra-mind dhāraṇī — uncuttable, indestructible, true and firm; nothing can obstruct or repel it. It strikes terror into all beings; it crushes the kleśas of beings; it cuts off the vidyās [of demonic origin] and pacifies them; it destroys the actions [of evil agents] and breaks others’ actions; it crushes the māras and undoes their grip; it drives all bhūta-classes; it brings to fruition all unaccomplished vidyās and prevents the loss of accomplished ones; all wishes are fulfilled.

The text is one of the standard vajra-vidāraṇa spells, transmitted in the Yuán-period Sino-Tibetan environment, and its juxtaposition with KR6j0648 (Cíxián’s translation) gives an instructive sample of the Liáo→Yuán continuity in vajra-bhañjaka dhāraṇī transmission.

Translations and research

  • Sperling, Elliot. “Some Remarks on Sa-skya Paṇḍita’s Biography,” in Reflections on Tibetan Culture: Essays in Memory of Turrell V. Wylie, Lewiston: Edwin Mellen, 1990. — for the broader Sino-Tibetan Buddhist translation milieu of the Yuán.
  • Tuttle, Gray. “Translating Buddhism from Tibetan into Chinese in the Early Yuan,” in M. Kapstein (ed.), Buddhism between Tibet and China, Boston: Wisdom, 2009. — directly addresses Shāluóbā’s role in the Yuán imperial Buddhist project.

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