Tag: Vajrayāna Buddhist

The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi

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Bhagavannīlāmbara­dhara­vajra­pāṇi­tantra

Toh 498

Degé Kangyur, vol. 87 (rgyud ’bum, da), folios 158.a–167.a

ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛɪʙᴇᴛᴀɴ ʙʏ

  • Celu
  • Phakpa Sherab

Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Group
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

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Warning: Readers are reminded that according to Vajrayāna Buddhist tradition there are restrictions and commitments concerning tantra. Practitioners who are not sure if they should read this translation are advised to consult the authorities of their lineage. The responsibility for reading this text or sharing it with others who may or may not fulfill the requirements lies in the hands of readers.

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“The text begins with the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi requesting the Buddha Akṣobhya to teach a tantra that can tame all evil spirits that live beneath the ground. The notion that an underworld exists in which various forms of evil spirits flourish was well developed in Indian Buddhism since the very early days. Both of the two other Caryātantra tantras on Blue-Clad Vajrapāṇi (Toh 499 in seven chapters and Toh 501 in five chapters) share the same theme, unfolding as Vajrapāṇi requests the Buddha to teach the rituals that can tame the nāgas and yakṣas below the ground and, in the process, accomplish the wealth that they guard and repel the disease that they inflict on humans. These two other tantras thus appear to be slightly condensed (or perhaps earlier) versions of The Tantra of the Blue-Clad Blessed Vajrapāṇi.

The Buddha Akṣobhya agrees to Vajrapāṇi’s request, and then prepares to teach the tantra known as The Vajra That Subjugates the Evil Forces Below the Vajra Earth, which throughout this text is synonymous with the main title of the tantra. Before he begins, however, he first blesses Vajrapāṇi with the ability to tame the various serpent beings living in the environment below, headed by the nāga king Anantaka (another name for Śesa, the serpent associated with Viṣṇu). Once tamed in this way, the serpent beings join in the request being put to the Buddha that he teach the tantra. With the stage thus set, the Buddha Akṣobhya proceeds to teach.”

Excerpted from. https://84000.co/translation/toh498#UT22084-087-003-introduction