Preliminary Notes on the Mahāmudrātilaka: Contents, History, Transmission

P. Szántó
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Abstract

This short essay is an introduction to the study of the Mahāmudrātilaka (‘An Ornament of the Great Seal’), an important Buddhist tantric scripture of the Hevajra cycle. The text is a so-called uttaratantra (ancillary scripture) of the Hevajratantra. This cult emerged around ca. 900 CE in Eastern India and quickly rose to a position of prominence. In order to illustrate this point, first I discuss some historical references to the Hevajra cult: a lexicographical work, inscriptions, and testimony in Śaiva exegesis. I then contextualise the Mahāmudrātilaka among the Hevajra ancillary scriptures and share some notes on the purpose of such texts. I argue that such scriptures were meant to update a cult’s ritual and doctrinal palette in order to keep up with developments seen (and thought desirable to have) in rival schools. In the next section, I present the only known Sanskrit manuscript of the Mahāmudrātilaka, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz Orientabteilung Hs. or. 8711, a late Nepalese copy dated 1827 CE, which can be shown to be a copy of a Vorlage dating to 1204 CE. Next, I compare the text transmitted therein to the Tibetan translation, Tōh. 420, and identify them as two recensions. I then proceed to discussing exegesis on the Mahāmudrātilaka, the works of *Gambhīravajra and *Prajñāśrīgupta; these texts are for now available only in their Tibetan translation. I also identify some testimonia of the Mahāmudrātilaka. Using all this evidence, I argue that the text cannot be much earlier than the late 11th century. Next, I present an overview of the text by means of examining selected passages and their most significant features, with special focus on the differences and similarities with the Hevajratantra, the internal references to other scriptures, and the text’s significant parallels with the Vajramālābhidhāna. I argue that the text is unapologetically antinomian and gnostic. In the second half of the paper, styled as an appendix, I select five blocks of verses, which I edit and translate: the first deals with the relationship between initiating master and disciple, the second provides some insights into the attitudes of tantric practitioners towards orthodox Buddhists, the third contains detailed instructions on how to gather the antinomian substances known as ‘nectars’, the fourth deals with communal worship in a rite known as the gaṇacakra, and the final one describes a somewhat rare and rather gruesome ritual meant to bestow the power of flight.
大目犍连经》初注:内容、历史、传承
这篇短文是研究《大手印论》(Mahāmudrātilaka)的入门文章,《大手印论》是一部重要的佛教密宗经文,属于黑金刚轮回。该经文是《大手印经》的所谓附属经文(uttaratantra)。这种崇拜大约出现在公元 900 年左右的东印度,并迅速崛起。为了说明这一点,我首先讨论了有关黑瓦金刚崇拜的一些历史参考资料:一部词典著作、碑文和圣十字训诂学中的证词。然后,我将 Mahāmudrātilaka 与 Hevajra 辅助经文联系起来,并分享了关于此类经文目的的一些说明。我认为,此类经文的目的是更新邪教的仪式和教义,以跟上敌对流派的发展(以及认为应该有的发展)。在下一节中,我介绍了唯一已知的《大目犍连经》梵文手稿(柏林国家图书馆,Preußischer Kulturbesitz Orientabteilung Hs. 或 8711),这是一份尼泊尔晚期的副本,日期为公元 1827 年,可以证明是公元 1204 年的 Vorlage 的副本。接下来,我将其中传递的文本与藏文译本 Tōh.420 号译本进行比较,确定它们是两个修订本。然后,我开始讨论《大毗婆沙论》的注释、*甘比拉瓦杰拉 (*Gambhīravajra) 和*普拉贾纳希里古普塔 (*Prajñāśrīgupta) 的作品;这些文本目前只有藏文译本。我还发现了一些《大般泥洹经》的考据。根据所有这些证据,我认为该经文不可能早于 11 世纪晚期。接下来,我通过研究选定的段落及其最重要的特征,对该文本进行了概述,并特别关注了与《金刚经》(Hevajratantra)的异同、对其他经文的内部引用,以及该文本与《金刚经》(Vajramālābhidhāna)的重要相似之处。我认为,该文本是毫无保留的反宗教和可知论。在论文的后半部分,即附录部分,我选取了五段经文,对其进行了编辑和翻译:第一段涉及灌顶上师和弟子之间的关系,第二段提供了密宗修行者对正统佛教徒态度的一些见解,第三段详细说明了如何采集被称为 "甘露 "的反宗教物质,第四段涉及在被称为 "嘎ṇacakra "的仪式中的集体崇拜,最后一段描述了一种罕见且相当可怕的仪式,旨在赐予飞行的力量。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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