Tantra in Practice PDF
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TANTRA IN PRACTICE Edited by David Gordon White P R I N C E T O N R E A D I N G S I N R E L I G I O N S R E L I G I O N / A S I A N S T U D I E S TANTRA IN PRACTICE Edited by David Gordon White As David White explains in the Introduction to Tantra in Practice, Tantra is an Asian body of beliefs and practices that seeks to channel the divine energy that grounds the universe, in creative and liberating ways. The subsequent chapters reflect the wide geographical and temporal scope of Tantra by examining thirty-six texts from China, India, Japan, Nepal, and Tibet, ranging from the seventh century to the present day, and representing the full range of Tantric experience - Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and even Islamic. Each text has been chosen and translated, often for the first time, by an international expert in the field who also provides detailed background material. Students of Asian religions and general readers alike will find the book rich and informative. The book includes plays, transcribed interviews, poetry, parodies, inscriptions, instruc- tional texts, scriptures, philosophical conjectures, dreams, and astronomical speculations, each text illustrating one of the diverse traditions and practices of Tantra. Thus, the nine- teenth-century Indian Buddhist Garland of Gems, a series of songs, warns against the illu- sion of appearance by referring to bees, yogurt, and the fire of Malaya Mountain; while fourteenth-century Chinese Buddhist manuscripts detail how to prosper through the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper by burning incense, making offerings to scriptures, and chanting incantations. In a transcribed conversation, a modern Hindu priest in Bengal candidly ex- plains how he serves the black goddess Kali and feeds temple skulls lentils, wine, or rice. A seventeenth-century Nepalese Hindu praise-poem hammered into the golden doors to the temple of the Goddess Taleju lists a king's faults and begs her forgiveness and grace. An introduction accompanies each text, identifying its period and genre, discussing the his- tory and influence of the work, and identifying points of particular interest or difficulty. The first book to bring together texts from the entire range of Tantric phenomena, Tantra in Practice continues the Princeton Readings in Religions series. The breadth of work in- cluded, geographic areas spanned, and expert scholarship highlighting each piece serve to expand our understanding of what it means to practice Tantra. David Gordon White is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. A specialist in the religions of South Asia, he is the author of Myths of the Dog-Man and The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India. P R I N C E T O N R E A D I N G S I N R E L I G I O N S Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Editor Adopting a fresh approach to sourcebooks on the religions of the world, Princeton Readings in Religions moves away from an emphasis on philosophy and the religious expressions of elite groups to represent instead a wide range of current and historical religious practices. The series provides a new configuration of texts by making available for the first time works that have never been translated before, including ritual texts, hagiographical and autobiographical works, folktales, and ethnographic material. Although the books are designed for students, specialists will discover in them a wealth of unfamiliar and valuable material. Furthermore, the selections, appealing in themselves, are placed in an understandable context to attract a wide audience of general readers. The contributors include experts from around the world, each of whom provides a substantial introduction for his or her piece, placing the text in time and genre, discussing the history and influence of the work, and identifying points of particular difficulty or interest. Each volume also contains a substantial general introduction in which the history of the traditions is outlined and the significance of each work is explored. www.pup.princeton.edu P R I N C E T O N R E A D I N G S I N R E L I G I O N S Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Editor T I T L E S I N T H E S E R I E S Religions of India in Practice edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Buddhism in Practice edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Religions of China in Practice edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Religions of Tibet in Practice edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Religions of Japan in Practice edited by George J. Tanabe, Jr. Asian Religions in Practice: An Introduction edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Religions of Late Antiquity in Practice edited by Richard Valantasis Tantra in Practice edited by David Gordon White TANTRA I N P R A C T I C E David Gordon White, Editor P R I N C E T O N R E A D I N G S I N R E L I G I O N S P R I N C E T O N U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S P R I N C E T O N AND O X F O R D Copyright © 2000 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 3 Market Place, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 ISY All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tantra in practice / David Gordon White, editor. p. cm. - (Princeton readings in religions) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-691-05778-8 (cloth: alk.paper) - ISBN 0-691-05779-6 (paper: alk.paper) 1. Tantrism. 2. Tantric Buddhism. I. White, David Gordon. II. Series. BL1283.84 T36 2000 294.5'95 - dc21 00-022890 This book has been composed in Berkeley The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) {Permanence of Paper) www.pup.princeton.edu Printed in the United States of America 1 3 5 7 9 1 0 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9 1 0 8 6 4 2 (Pbk.) PRINCETON READINGS IN RELIGIONS Princeton Readings in Religions is a new series of anthologies on the religions of the world, representing the significant advances that have been made in the study of religions in the last thirty years. The sourcebooks used by previous generations of students, whether for Judaism and Christianity or for the religions of Asia and the Middle East, placed a heavy emphasis on "canonical works." Princeton Read- ings in Religions provides a different configuration of texts in an attempt better to represent the range of religious practices, placing particular emphasis on the ways in which texts have been used in diverse contexts. The volumes in this series therefore include ritual manuals, hagiographical and autobiographical works, popular commentaries, and folktales, as well as some ethnographic material. Many works are drawn from vernacular sources. The readings in the series are new in two senses. First, very few of the works contained in the volumes have ever been made available in an anthology before; in the case of the volumes on Asia, few have even been translated into a Western language. Second, the readings are new in the sense that each volume provides new ways to read and understand the religions of the world, breaking down the sometimes misleading stereotypes in- herited from the past in an effort to provide both more expansive and more focused perspectives on the richness and diversity of religious expressions. The series is designed for use by a wide range of readers, with key terms translated and technical notes omitted. Each volume also contains a substantial introduction by a distinguished scholar in which the histories of the traditions are outlined and the significance of each of the works is explored. Tantra in Practice is the eighth volume of Princeton Readings in Religions and the first substantial anthology of Tantric works ever to appear in English. The thirty-nine contributors, drawn from around the world, are leading scholars of Tantra. Each contributor has provided a translation of a key work, in most cases translated here for the first time. Each chapter in the volume begins with an introduction in which the translator discusses the history and influence of the work, identifying points of particular difficulty or interest. David White has pro- vided a general introduction to the volume that serves as an ideal guide to the riches contained between the covers of this book. He has organized the volume thematically, providing fascinating juxtapositions of works from different regions, periods, and traditions. Two additional tables of contents are provided, organizing the works by tradition and by country of origin. vi P R I N C E T O N R E A D I N G S I N R E L I G I O N S The range of works represented here is remarkable, spanning the continent of Asia and the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam over more than a millennium. With the publication of this volume, the long disparaged and neglected Tantric traditions of Asia receive the attention they so rightly deserve. This is a groundbreaking work. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. Series Editor NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION The works in this volume are translated from many Indic languages, as well as from the Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan languages. In the case of the Indic languages, the translators have, in general, adhered to the standard transliteration system for each of the languages. Certain common place names, proper names, and selected terms that have entered into English usage on the Indian subcontinent are shown without diacritical marks. Chinese terms appear in Pinyin. Japanese terms appear in Hepburn transliteration. Tibetan terms are rendered in a phonetic equivalent by the translator, after which the term is provided in Wylie transliteration. Modern place-names and names of modern authors and editors are transliterated without diacriticals. CONTENTS Princeton Readings in Religions v Note on Transliteration vii Contents by Tradition xiii Contents by Country xv Contributors xvii Introduction • David Gordon White 3 Gurus and Adepts 1. The Tantric Guru • Andre Padoux 41 2. King Kunji's Banquet • Matthew T. Kapstein 52 3. Interviews with a Tantric Kali Priest: Feeding Skulls in the Town of Sacrifice • June McDaniel 72 4. A Parody of the Kapalikas in the Mattavilasa • David N. Lorenzen 81 5. A Trance Healing Session with Matajl • Kathleen M. Erndl 97 Kings and Priests 6. The Consecration of the Monastic Compound at Mount Koya by Kukai • David L. Gardiner 119 7. Praises of the Drunken Peacocks • Richard H. Davis 131 8. Precepts for an Emperor • Allan G. Grapard 146 Devotees and Deities 9. Raising Snakes in Bengal: The Use of Tantric Imagery in Sakta Poetry Contests • Rachel Fell McDermott 167 10. The Wedding of Siva and the Goddess in the Kulalikamnaya Teun Goudriaan 184 FEB 24 2001 X C O N T E N T S 11. An Advertised Secret: The Goddess Taleju and the King of Kathmandu Bronwen Bledsoe 195 12. Tantric Rites in Antal's Poetry • D. Dennis Hudson 206 Traditions in Transition and Conflict 13. The Jain Monk Jinapati Suri Gets the Better of a Nath Yogi Paul Dundas 231 14. Longchenpa and the Possession of the Dakinis • David Germano and Janet Gyatso 239 15. The Anonymous Agama Prakasa: Preface to a Nineteenth-Century Gujarati Polemic . Robin Rinehart and Tony K. Stewart 266 16. Conversation between Guru Hasan Kabiruddin and Jogi Kanipha: Tantra Revisited by the Isma'ili Preachers • Dominique-Sila Khan 285 Tantric Paths 17. Emptiness and Dust: Zen Dharma Transmission Rituals • William Bodijord 299 18. The Necklace of Immortality: A Seventeenth-Century Vaisnava Sahajiya Text • Glen A. Hayes 308 19. The Tibetan Practice of the Mantra Path According to Lce-sgom-pa • Yael Bentor 326 20. The Ocean of the Heart: Selections from the Kularnava Tantra • Douglas Renfrew Brooks 347 21. Tantric Buddhism and Chinese Thought in East Asia • Fahio Rambelli 361 Rites and Techniques 22. Worship of the Ladies of the Dipper • Charles D. Orzech and James H. Sanford 383 23. The Great Wisdom Mother and the Good Tradition • Giacomella Orofino 396 24. Worship of Bell-Ears the Great Hero, a Jain Tantric Deity • John E. Cort 417 25. Secret Yantras and Erotic Display for Hindu Temples • Michael D. Robe 434 26. The Six Rites of Magic • Gudrun Buhnemann 447 C O N T E N T S x i 27. The Worship of Kali According to the Todala Tantra • Sanjukta Gupta 463 28. Ritual Manual for the Protective Fire Offering Devoted to Manjusri, Chuin Lineage • Richard K. Payne 489 29. The Purification of the Body • Gavin Flood 509 Yoga and Meditation 30. A Tantric Meditation on Emptiness • Donald S. Lopez, Jr. 523 31. Japanese Tantra, the Tachikawa-ryu, and Ryobu Shinto • Bernard Faure 543 32. Assorted Topics of the Great Completeness by Dodrupchen III • Anne Carolyn Klein, Oral commentary by Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche 557 33. On the Seal of Sambhu: A Poem by Abhinavagupta • Paul E. Muller-Ortega 573 34. Vajrayoga in the Kalacakra Tantra • John Newman 587 35. Jain Tantra: Divinatory and Meditative Practices in the Twelfth- Century Yogasastra of Hemacandra • Olle Qvarnstrom 595 36. Cheating Death • Michael Walter 605 Glossary of Foreign Terms 625 Index 635 CONTENTS BY TRADITION Buddhist Tantra 2. King Kunji's Banquet 6. The Consecration of the Monastic Compound at Mount Koya by Kukai 8. Precepts for an Emperor 14. Longchenpa and the Possession of the Dakinis 17. Emptiness and Dust: Zen Dharma Transmission Rituals 19. The Tibetan Practice of the Mantra Path According to Lee-sgom-pa 21. Tantric Buddhism and Chinese Thought in East Asia 22. Worship of the Ladies of the Dipper 23. The Great Wisdom Mother and the Good Tradition 28. Ritual Manual for the Protective Fire Offering Devoted to Manjusri, Chuin Lineage 30. A Tantric Meditation on Emptiness 31. Japanese Tantra, the Tachikawa-ryu, and Ryobu Shinto 32. Assorted Topics of the Great Completeness by Dodrupchen III 34. Vajrayoga in the Kalacakra Tantra 36. Cheating Death Hindu Tantra 1. The Tantric Guru 3. Interviews with a Tantric Kali Priest: Feeding Skulls in the Town of Sacrifice 4. A Parody of the Kapalikas in the Mattavilasa 5. A Trance Healing Session with Mataji 7. Praises of the Drunken Peacocks 9. Raising Snakes in Bengal: The Use of Tantric Imagery in Sakta Poetry Contests 10. The Wedding of Siva and the Goddess in the Kulalikamnaya 11. An Advertised Secret: The Goddess Taleju and the King of Kathmandu 12. Tantric Rites in Antal's Poetry 15. The Anonymous Agama Prakasa: "Preface to a Nineteenth-Century Gujarati Polemic xiv C O N T E N T S BY T R A D I T I O N 18. The Necklace of Immortality: A Seventeenth-Century Vaisnava Sahajiya Text 20. The Ocean of the Heart: Selections from the Kularnava Tantra 25. Secret Yantras and Erotic Display for Hindu Temples 26. The Six Rites of Magic 27. The Worship of Kali According to the Todala Tantra 29. The Purification of the Body 33. On the Seal of Sambhu: A Poem by Abhinavagupta Jain Tantra 13. The Jain Monk Jinapati Suri Gets the Better of a Nath Yogi 24. Worship of Bell-Ears the Great Hero, a Jain Tantric Deity 35. Jain Tantra: Divinatory and Meditative Practices in the Twelfth- Century Yogasastra of Hemacandra Tantra and Islam in South Asia 16. Conversation between Guru Hasan Kabiruddin and Jogi Kanipha: Tantra Revisited by the Isma'ili Preachers CONTENTS BY COUNTRY China 21. Tantric Buddhism and Chinese Thought in East Asia 22. Worship of the Ladies of the Dipper India 1. The Tantric Guru 3. Interviews with a Tantric Kali Priest: Feeding Skulls in the Town of Sacrifice 4. A Parody of the Kapalikas in the Mattavilasa 5. A Trance Healing Session with Mataji 7. Praises of the Drunken Peacocks 9. Raising Snakes in Bengal: The Use of Tantric Imagery in Sakta Poetry Contests 10. The Wedding of Siva and the Goddess in the Kulalikamnaya 12. Tantric Rites in Antal's Poetry 13. The Jain Monk Jinapati Suri Gets the Better of a Nath Yogi 15. The Anonymous Agama Prakasa: Preface to a Nineteenth-Century Gujarati Polemic 16. Conversation between Guru Hasan Kabiruddin and Jogi Kanipha: Tantra Revisited by the Isma'ili Preachers 18. The Necklace of Immortality: A Seventeenth-Century Vaisnava Sahajiya Text 20. The Ocean of the Heart: Selections from the Kularnava Tantra 24. Worship of Bell-Ears the Great Hero, a Jain Tantric Deity 25. Secret Yantras and Erotic Display for Hindu Temples 26. The Six Rites of Magic 27. The Worship of Kali According to the Todala Tantra 29. The Purification of the Body 33. On the Seal of Sambhu: A Poem by Abhinavagupta 35. Jain Tantra: Divinatory and Meditative Practices in the Twelfth- Century Yogasastra of Hemacandra XVI C O N T E N T S BY C O U N T R Y Japan 6. The Consecration of the Monastic Compound at Mount Koya by Kukai 8. Precepts for an Emperor 17. Emptiness and Dust: Zen Dharma Transmission Rituals 28. Ritual Manual for the Protective Fire Offering Devoted to Manjusri, Chuin Lineage 31. Japanese Tantra, the Tachikawa-ryu, and Ryobu Shinto Nepal 11. An Advertised Secret: The Goddess Taleju and the King of Kathmandu Tibet 2. King Kunji's Banquet 14. Longchenpa and the Possession of the Dakinis 19. The Tibetan Practice of the Mantra Path According to Lee-sgom-pa 23. The Great Wisdom Mother and the Good Tradition 30. A Tantric Meditation on Emptiness 32. Assorted Topics of the Great Completeness by Dodrupchen III 34. Vajrayoga in the Kalacakra Tantra 36. Cheating Death
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