THEBODYASATEXTANDTHETEXTASTHEBODY:AVIEWFROMTHEKfiLACAKRATRANTRA’SPERSPECTIVE

VesnaA.Wallace

UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara

I.Introduction

Whencontemporarygeneticistsstudythebody,theylookatitasagenetictextandstriveto

intelligiblyreaditasablueprintforhowthebodyisformedandmaintained.Inthissense,

forgeneticists,amalleablegenetictextservesasametaphorofthebody.Theholdersofthe

K›lacakratraditioninIndiasawthebodyinasimilarway.Theyvieweditasatantrictext,

consisting of mantras and letters that provide a blueprint of the mind-body complex, its

operations,habitualpropensities, andpotentialities for transformation.Theydevised their

own method of interpreting, editing, and changing that text in order to transmute the

ordinarybodycharacterizedbyafflictionsintotheblissfulbodyofemptyform.

OnecansaythatinthecontextoftheK›lacakratradition,atantraisalsointerpreted

asametaphorofthebody,sincethetantrictextanditsdiscoursethemselvesaretreatedas

blueprintsoftheindividual’smindandbody.Moreover,atantrictextisalsounderstoodas

representational body of ultimate reality, manifesting in a literary form, as a literary

reproductionofVajrasattva,theBuddha’sgnosisofbliss.

In this paper, I will discuss both—the Indian Buddhist interpretation of the

K›lacakratantradiscourseas thebody,andthe interpretationsofthebodyas theK›lacakra

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tantric text having a performative function. These two interpretations can be equally

relevantforourunderstandingoftheconceptsoftantraandthetantricbody.Isurmisethat

thesetwointerpretationscouldalsohavebroaderimplicationsforcontemporarytheoriesin

literaryandculturalstudies,astheyextendtheexistingnotionsofthetext,itsfunction,and

theroleofthereader.

InthecontextofIndiantantricBuddhism,theconceptofthebodyasasacredtextis

evoked in various definitions of the term “tantra” and is elaborated within the Buddhist

tantricdiscourseonthebodyandtantricpractice.

TheBuddhisttantricconceptofthebodyasaDharmadiscourseorasasacredtext

hasitsprecursorsinearlierBuddhistliterature.IntheearlyP›lisources,itsantecedentscan

berecognizedintheBuddhistdefinitionsofDharma,containedindiscussionspertainingto

the Buddha’s discourse on Dharma. In the Ariyapariyesan›-sutta of the Majjhimanik›ya, I.

167,Dhammaisdefinedasdependentorigination(pa˛iccasamupp›da),whichissynonymous

with sa˙s›ra, the condition of a sentient being, and it is also defined as nibb›na. The

Mah›hatthi-padopama-sutta(MN,2001,p.282)furtherstatesthatonewhoseesdependent

originationseesDhamma,andonewhoseesDhammaseesthedependentorigination.Inthe

P›lisuttas,theBuddhahimselfisidentifiedwithDhammaduetohisinsightintodependent

origination.Therefore,oneoftheepithetsoftheBuddhaintheP›lisuttasisdhamma-bhÒta

(“onewhohasbecomeDhamma”);andtheBuddha isquotedassaying:“Hewhosees the

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Dhamma sees me, and he who sees me sees the Dhamma.”1 This early Buddhist

interpretation of Dharma suggests that by gaining transformative insight into a Dharma-

discourse,onebecomestheembodimentofDharma.Itfurthershowsthatinthecontextof

earlyBuddhism,anordinaryindividualwhofullygraspsaDharma-discoursewithbothofits

aspects—sa˙s›ricandnirv›˚ic—becomes transformed into itsnirv›˚icaspect.Thus, there

isnothingoutsidetheDharmaitselfthatisbeingtransformed,andthereisnothingoutside

theDharmathatbringsaboutatransformation.Thisinterpretationcanbealsosupportedby

a statement given in the commentary on the Pa˛isambhid›-magg›, which interprets the

phrase “dhamma-cakka” as Dharma being a weapon (pahara˚a-cakka) by means of which

mental afflictions (kilesa) are destroyed.2 This understanding ofDharma as a three-faceted

phenomenon, consisting of the basis, means, and the result of a transformative insight, is

echoed in the later Buddhist views of Mah›y›na sÒtras and in the Buddhist tantric

interpretationsoftheterm“tantra.”

InthesubsequentMah›y›naliterature,aMah›y›nasÒtra,sometimesreferredtoasa

Dharma text, is seen as a textual embodiment of all the good qualities of Buddhahood.

Therefore,oneistoldthatbylistening,memorizing,reciting,orcopyingaMah›y›nasÒtra,

one will acquire those good qualities and see the Buddhas.3 Similarly, the

Saddharmapu˚˜arıka-sÒtraassertsthatbyreading,copying,mastering,andteachingthistext

toothers,oneattains thepureandperfectbody,whichreflects the tripleuniversewithall

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theBuddhasandBodhisattvas in it.4 It is also stated in the Lalitavistara that thehouse in

which this Dharma text is found is the dwelling place of the Tath›gatas, and one who

masters it,willbe like the imperishableocean.5Statements like these indicate thatalso in

the context of Mah›y›na, by mastering a Dharma discourse, which is a container of all

virtuesand themeansofattaining thevirtues,onebecomesa livingDharma text, instilled

withvirtueandworthyofreverence.

In Indian Buddhist tantric sources, the term “tantra” is frequently defined as a

“connecteddiscourse.”6IntheAm¸taka˚ik›,onereadsthefollowing:

Atantraiscalleda“connecteddiscourse.”Sa˙s›raisconsideredatantra. Atantraiscalleda“secretmystery.”Thehigheriscalleda“tantra.”7

Thus, similarly to the early Buddhist definition of Dharma, a tantric discourse here has

sa˙s›raandnirv›˚aasitstwointerconnectedaspects.This“connecteddiscourse”issaidto

have threeaspects,namely: thecause (hetu),result (phala),andmethod(up›ya) leading to

theresult.AlthoughinvariousBuddhisttantrictexts,interpretationsofthesethreemutually

relatedaspectsofa tantricdiscoursedifferslightly, theyequallysuggest that the individual

maybeviewedasatantrawithallofitsfacets.AccordingtotheYogaratnam›l›commentary

on theHevajratantra(1959,p.105), thecausalaspectofatantra issentientbeings(sattva)

who are the members of the vajra-family. Another commentary on the Hevajratantra, the

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Hevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı, identifies the causal tantra and a causal Hevajra (hetu-hevajra),

withageneologicalline(gotra),oravajra-family.

Atantraisaconnecteddiscourse(prabandha).Itisofthreekinds:thecausaltantra(hetu-tantra),resultanttantra(phala-tantra),andmethod-tantra(up›ya-tantra).Therefore,Hevajraisalsoofthreekinds:thecausalHevajra,resultantHevajra,andmethod-Hevajra.Acause(hetu),ageneologicalline(gotra),andafamily(kula)aresynonyms.Here,avajra-familyitselfiscalleda“causalHevajra”anda“causaltantra”duetobeingareceptacleofvirtuesthathavesublimecompassion(mah›-karu˚›)andwisdom(prajñ›)astheiressentialpart.WhyisitHevajra?BecauseHevajraisthecause.Whyisitaconnecteddiscourse?Onaccountofthemultitudeofsentientbeingswhobelongtothevajra-familyandowingtothepowerofacausalHevajra,thestateofsublimeVajradhara,whichisattainablethroughthelong-termpracticeofthemethod-Hevajra,iscalleda“resultantHevajra”anda“resultanttantra.8

IntheGuhyasam›jatantra(Ch.18,vs.34-35),thecausalaspectisthematerialnature

(prak¸ti), which is the cause of a form, or appearance (›k¸ti).9 In the Gu˚avatı˛ık›

commentaryontheMah›m›y›tantra,(1992,p.2-3),itisthebeginninglessandendlessmind

of sentient beings, which is luminous by nature (prak¸ti-prabh›svara) and the cause of

spiritualawakening.10

As for the method aspect of a tantra, all the aforementioned texts describe it as a

means of transforming a tantra’s causal aspect into its resultant form. As will be

demonstratedlaterinthispaper,themethodaspectofatantraisanembodiedpractice;itis

aperformativefacetofanembodiedtantrictext.

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Furthermore,theresultantformofatantra,whichisreality(tattva),orthegnosisof

supreme and imperishable bliss, is said to have its origin and place in the body. In the

Am¸taka˚ik›,thegnosisofsublimebliss(mah›-sukha-jñ›na)isreferredtoasasublimetantra

(mah›-tantra)andasasublimemantra(mah›-mantra).11In thisandotherBuddhist tantric

texts,theidentificationofamantrawiththegnosisofsublimeblissisjustifiedonthebasis

thatthemantrasecuresprotection(tr›˚a)ofthemind(manas)throughthemanipulationof

pr›˚as, while innate bliss is the source of the origination of all mantras and their

accomplishments.12IntheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.4,v.7,the

state of supreme, indestructible bliss (param›k˝ara-sukha) is identified with the syllable a,

which, as the first syllable of the Sanskrit alphabet, stands for the dharma-source

(dharmodaya) and for the vajra-womb of all the Buddhas. As such, it is seen as the

fundamentalcauseofallexpressions,asthebirthplaceofallmantras.13Inlightofthisview,

theindividualsyllablesthatconstituteatantricdiscoursearedeclaredtobeofthenatureof

amantra;14andthemantraissaidtobeinthebody.Thus,atantra,whichisidentifiedwith

mantra on this ground, is a text that is encoded in the individual’s body in the form of

mantricsyllables.

Heretoothen,thatwhichisbeingtransformedonthetantricpathisnotsomething

outsidethetantraitself,butrather,oneaspectofatantraistransformedintoitsotheraspect

bymeansofyetanotheraspectofatantricdiscourse.Thissuggeststhatatantraasatextthat

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is encoded in a human body ismalleable and therefore can be altered. It is an embodied

tantrictextthatcanbechangednotthroughanexternalagencybutthroughitsowninternal

workings.Aswillbeshownlater,onlytheinnerworkingsofanembodiedtantrictext,orits

ownself-manipulation,leadstoitstransformation.

II. A Perspective from the Indian K›lacakra Tradition

IntheSekoddeŸa,thefollowingissaidwithregardtothefidubddhatantra:14

Thus,thefidibuddha[tantra],denotingtheK›lacakra,ispurifiedbymeansofthesixpoints(ko˛i),15fourvajra-yogas,16fourperfectawakenings,sixfamiliesofthepsychophysicalaggregates(skandha),elements(dh›tu),andsense-bases(›yatana),bymeansofthefivechaptersknownas“Cosmos,”andsoon,andbymeansofthetwotruths17.18

ThesetwoversesclearlysuggestthattheK›lacakratantratext,whichispurifiedbyitscontent

andstructure,shouldbeunderstoodnotonlyasamerediscourseontheK›lacakra,butalso

asthefidibuddhahimself.S›dhuputraandN›ropa,commentingonthesetwoversesinthe

SekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ı and SekoddeŸa˛ık› respectively, point to the fidibuddhatantra as the

fidibuddhaK›lacakrahimself.ForS›dhuputra,thefidibuddhatantrais“withoutbeginningor

end, devoid of adherence to the two doctrinal positions, and imparting the complete

mundaneandsupramundaneknowledge.”19ReferencingtheversecitedintheVimapalrabh›,

Vol.1,1986,p.43,whichgives theK›lacakra tradition’setymological explanationof the

phrase“k›lacakra”andreads:

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k›k›r›tk›ra˚eŸ›ntelak›r›tlayo‘travaicak›r›ccalacittasyakrak›r›tkramabandhanai¯

S›dhuputra identifies the fidibbuddhatantra with the resultant aspect of the tantra, the

Buddha K›lacakra. N›rop› does the same by explaining the Vimalaprabh›’s above-cited

expositionof the term“k›lacakra” in the followingway.Withregard to the syllablek›,he

asserts, “The cause (k›ra˚a), called the body of bodhicitta, is peaceful and free from

conceptualizations (vikalpa)onaccount of thedestructionof thewaking state; and it is a

Nirm›˚ak›ya owing to the cessation of the drop of the body (k›ya-bindu) in the lal›˛a.”

Withregardtothesyllablela,hesays:“Whenitisso,adissolution(laya)ofpr›˚a,whichis

of the nature of the destruction of the dreaming state, is a Sa˙bhogak›ya owing to the

cessationofthedropofthespeech(v›g-bindu)inthethroat.”Withrespecttothesyllable

ca,hestates:“Amotion(cala) thatmoves toward thesense-objects suchassoundand the

likeinthewakinganddreamingstatesisthemindthatisofthenatureof[seminal]emission

(cyuti),overcomebydarkness,andacquiredthroughatransformationoftheeighteenbodily

constituents.Itsbindingisaremovalofdarkness,adestructionofthedreamlessstateowing

to thecessationofthedropofthemind(citta-bindu) intheheart,aDharmak›ya.”Lastly,

withregardtothesyllablekra,hecomments:“Asequentialprocess(krama)isanemissionof

thedropsofthebodyandsoon.Abindingofthat[emission]isadestructionofthefourth

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statebymeansofinnatebliss.Owingtothecessationofthedropofgnosis(jñ›na-bindu)of

perishable[bliss],itisaSahajak›ya.Thus,[K›lacakra]consistsofthefourbodies.”20

Moreover, since K›lacakra is said to be a unity (ekatva) of the knowledge of

indestructiblebliss,referredtobytheterm“time”(k›la),andoftheobjectofknowledge,or

the world characterized by endless beings of the three realms, referred to by the term

“wheel”(cakra),21theK›lacakratantrawithwhichheisidentified,istobeseennotonlyasa

representationoftheBuddhaK›lacakra’smindbutalsoastherepresentationofthebodyof

sentientbeings.N›rop›supportsthisinterpretationwiththeversefromtheK›lacakratantra

(1994,Ch.5,v.56),which identifiesall sentientbeingswithin the sixrealmsofexistence

withacakra,referredtointhesametextasthebodyoftheBuddha.22

In theK›lacakratantra and in theVimalaprabh›, a tantra is also identified with the

bodyoftheindividual,asasublimemantra,andasatantricdiscourseanditssubjectmatter.

OnereadsintheVimalaprabh›23thattheoriginalfidibuddhatantra,whichconsistsof1,620

deities, is the n›˜ıs in the body. Form that root-tantra emerged the K›lacakratantra in

accordancewiththeclassificationofthen›˜ısoftheheart-cakra.AccordingtotheK›lacakra

tradition, the number of n›˜ıs in body is 72,000. It is worth noting that this number of

bodily n›˜ıs corresponds the number obtained by adding the 12,000 lines of the

K›lacakratantratothe60,000linesoftheVimalaprabh›commentary.24Sincethesignificance

ofthenumberof lines inthese two textshasnotbeendiscussedbytheirauthors, it isnot

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clear whether or not the authors or redactors of these texts wrote the aforementioned

numbersoflineswithintentiontocorrelatethemtothenumberofthen›˜ısinthebody.

OneisfurtherinformedintheVimalaprabh›,thatnotonlythefidibuddhatantrabut

also all other tantras are contained in the body. In some places, it is said that the yoginı-

tantrasarepresent infemalebodies,and theyoga-tantrasare inmalebodies;25and inother

places it is asserted that both of these classes of tantras are in a single body. The body is

described as a collection of the kings of tantras (tantra-r›ja)—namely, the threefold

M›y›j›latantraandthesix-foldSam›jatantra.26Theoriginationofthetwomentionedtantra-

r›jaswithinthebodyisdescribedasaprocessoftheirgradualcomposition.Theexpansionof

thenumberof theiremergingsections isunderstood toaccordwith thedevelopmentofa

childfromthemomentofitsconceptiontotheageofsixteen.Thus,thethreephasesofthe

M›y›j›latantra’scompositioninthebodytakeplaceinthefollowingway.Withthearisingof

thefivepsychophysicalaggregates(skandha),fiveelements(bhÒtas),eightbodilyconstituents

(dh›tu), twelve sense-bases (›yatana), six faculties of action (karmendriya), four cakras, and

threedo˝as—v›ta,pitta,andkapha—theM›y›j›laemergesasatexthavingforty-twoparts,or

sections.Withthedevelopmentoftheu˝˚ı˝aandsecret(guhya)cakras,itexpandsintoatext

withforty-fivesections;andwith thearisingofthementalafflictions(kleŸa)ofattachment,

aversion,delusion,andprideitbecomesacompletetextconsistingforty-ninesections.27

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TheprocessofthecompositionoftheSam›jatantrainthebodyisalsounderstoodto

accordwiththedevelopmentofahumanbeingfromtheinitialembryonicstatetoasixteen

year-oldperson.Withthearisingofthepsychophysicalaggregatesandelementsofthefetus,

theSam›jatantraemergesasa text thathasninesections.Upontheoriginationofthefour

cakras,ithasthirteensections;andwiththearisingofthesense-faculties(indriya)andsense-

objects (vi˝aya), it extends into a text with twenty-five sections. Afterwards, with the

emergenceof the facultiesofaction, the secretcakraandu˝˚ı˝a, ithas thirty-two sections;

and with the arising of the divine faculty (divyendriya) and bliss (sukha), it becomes a

completetextwiththirty-foursections.

Furthermore, according to the K›lacakratantra tradition, one becomes the Buddha

Mañjuvajrabyknowing themanner inwhich thefidibuddhaandallother tantras thatare

includedinthefidibuddhatantraarepresentinthebody.28Heretoothen,rightinsightinto

one’s own body as a tantric text and its subject matter is a requisite for spiritual

transformation.Oneshouldknowthetantrasthatarepresentinthebodybytheirrespective

classes ofconsonants,whichare the letters ofamantra.Here, like inotheranuttara-yoga-

tantras,atantricbodyisconstructedonaspecificlinguisticmodel,onthetaxonomicorder

of syllables. This suggests that Indian Buddhists considered linguistic structures of the

embodiedtantrictextstobeimportantandpowerful.

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Consonants are referred to as the presiding deities of the n›˜ıs and the lords

(n›tha)ofthecakras.Forexample:

1. In the joint of the left shoulder andupper arm are gutturals with short vowels ofspace,etc.ininvertedorder.In the joint of the right shoulderandupper armaregutturalswith longvowels ofgnosis.Inthejointoftheleftupperarmandforearmarepalatalswithshortvowelsofspace,etc.In the joint of the right upper arm and forearm are palatals with long vowels ofgnosis,etc.In the joint of the left hand and forearm are retroflex consonants with six shortvowelsofspace,etc.Intherightjointofthelefthandandforearmareretroflexconsonantsareretroflexconsonantswithlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftherighthipandthigharelabialswithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointofthelefthipandthigharelabialswithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.Inthejointoftherightkneeandthigharedentalswithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftheleftkneeandthigharedentalswithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.Inthejointoftherightfootandshinaresibilantswithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftheleftfootandshinaresibilantswithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.intheinvertedorder.Thus, every single class of consonants, makingup thirty syllables, is in the twelvecakras, which have thirty spokes—in the action (karma) cakras and in the activity(kriy›)cakras.

2. Ineveryjointoftherightthumbaregutturalswith6longvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointofthelowerknuckleofthethumbare6n›˜ıs,orgutturalswith6longvowelsofgnosis,etc.Inthejointoftherightforefingeristhesyllablekha.Thesyllablegaisinthemiddlefinger.Thesyllableghaisinthejointoftherightringfinger.Thesyllableºgawithsixlongvowelsofgnosis,etc.isinthejointoftherightlittlefinger.The syllable ºga with six short vowels of space, etc. is in the joint of the lowerknuckleoftheleftlittlefinger.The syllable gha with six short vowels of space, etc. is in the joint of the leftforefinger.

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Thesyllablegawithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.isintheleftmiddlefinger.Thesyllablekhawithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.isintheleftringfinger.Thesyllablekawithsixshortvowelsofspace,etc.isintheleftthumb.

Thesixclassesofconsonants—ka,ca,˛a,pa,ta,andsa—makeupthirtyconsonants

duetotheirrespectivefive-folddivisions.29Thesethirtyconsonantstogetherwithha,ya,ra,

la,va,andk˝a,areconsideredtobethelordsofthethirty-sixbodilycakras.Eachclassofthe

six consonants is further divided into thirty-six syllables, in accordance with the

accompanying short and longvowels, gu˚as andv¸ddhis. These thirty-six syllables of each

consonantalclassaredeclared tobe the lordsofthecakras inthirty-sixtantras inthebody,

namely, intheka-vajra-tantra,kha-vajra-tantra,andsoon.30Thus,eachclassofconsonants

withitsthirty-sixsyllablesisitselfatantra.31Thisimpliesthateachn›˜ı-cakraisanindividual

tantra. These diverse individual tantras are linked together, forming a single, all-inclusive

tantra, namely, the fidibuddhatantra, or the K›lacakratantra.Among these multiple tantras,

notasingletantraexistsindependentlyofothertantras.Thenumeroustantrasinthebodyare

linked together by their common pervader (vy›paka), which is the mind (citta), or gnosis

(jñ›na).Perhaps,thispresentationoftheinterconnectionofthemultipletantrasinthebody

couldbeinterpretedasauniqueK›lacakratantra’stheoryofintertextuality,onethatpertains

totheembodiedtexts.

The aforementioned thirty-six consonants are also identified as the six

psychophysical aggregates, six elements, six faculties of action and their activities, sense-

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faculties,sense-objects,andthe like.32Thus,everybodilyconstituent is tobeknownasan

individualtantrictext,andthebodyistobeseenasamulti-volumedtantra.Theseindividual

tantrictextsinthebody,representedbythegroupsofthirty-sixsyllables,arealsoidentified

astheyoga(method)andyoginı(wisdom)tantras.33

However, due to being a corporeal text, this inclusive tantra in the body is

characterizedbyfinitude,as it issubject todestruction.Itcarries themeaningofordinary,

conventional reality, which must be transcended. For this reason, this corporeal and

provisional tantra is in need of transformation into the definitive text. Its transformation

requiresacertainkindoftranslation,atransitionfrompresentationtoreality.Itstransition

fromafinitetextwithaprovisionalmeaningtoatranscendenttextwithadefinitivemeaning

isaprocessoftransformationfromtheconceptuallyconstructedtexttothenon-conceptual

text. This transition of a text from one state of being to another involves a rewriting of

personal history. In this process of rewriting, the old signs must be reinterpreted and

subsequentlyreplacedbynewsignsneededforcapturingreality.Thesignsthatexpress the

unitary and partless reality are deemed as non-conceptual signs; and thus, although

functioningassigns,ultimatelytheyarenotsignsatall.

Itistheearliermentioned,thirdaspectofatantra,knownasthemethod,ors›dhana,

thatprovidesthenewencodingnecessaryforsuchtransition.Inthecourseofthes›dhana,or

the stage of generation practice, the earlier discussed groups of thirty-six consonants of

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varioustantrasarementallydissolved.Theembodiedtantrictextisdisintegrated.Uponthis

disintegration, a new tantra is generated, the thirty-six consonants are encoded in a new

form—intheformofadeity-ma˚˜ala—andtheirnewmeaningisproduced.Theconsonants

aretransformedintothetextualbodyofmantricdeities(mantra-devat›).Bybeinggenerated

with new meanings into the new textual form, the consonants undergo a gradual

transformationinthesamesix-phasedsequenceinwhichtheyinitiallyhademergedfromthe

timeoftheindividual’sconceptiontilltheageofsixteen.Upontheirregenerationinthenew

formwithnewmeaning, theycontinue toundergo furthermetamorphosis in the sixmain

cakras (u˝˚ı˝a, heart, lal›˛a, and guhya) brought by the intervention of different sets of

vowels.34 The vowels are the six types of wisdom (prajñ›), or the pure psychophysical

aggregates,elements,andthelike.“Spliced”onthetopoftheconsonants,whichcarrythe

meaningofcompassioninrelationtothevowels,theytakepossessionoftheconsonants.In

thecontextoftheK›lacakratantrapractice,thisprocessofalteringtheembodiedtext,carried

out through the “splicing” of the completely different classes of sounds—namely, the

consonants andvowels—is called“sealing,” or “printing” (mudra˚a)of the revised text of

thebody,speech,andmind.Inthisphasetoo,theredactedconsonants,ortherevisedyoga

andyoginıtantras,inthebodyaremutuallylinkedbythemind(citta),orthepervadinggnosis

(jñ›na),whichistheirpresidingdeity(n›yaka).

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However, the embodied tantric discourse that is redacted in this way is still a

provisional and conceptually constructed text, which is said to be a fabrication of the

individual’s own mind.35 Although in this new form it continues to be a complete and

coherentunit,itisstillstructuredasacompositionofthemutuallyconnectedbutdisparate

parts.Consequently,afurtherredactionisneededforitscompletealteration,theredaction

thatwillamalgamate themutuallydifferingpartsof the text inanovelway.Asubsequent

phaseofrevisionentails themutualassimilationof thedifferentclassesofconsonants that

havebeenearliersealedbytheirrespectivevowels.InBuddhisttantricjargon,thisisreferred

toasan“embracingofadifferentfamily”(para-kula-liºgana).Itisapreparatoryphaseforthe

actualmergingofthebody’syogaandyoginıtantrasintoeachother,formingaunitarytext,

devoidofdiverseparts.Itisfollowedbyafurtherredactionbymeansofwhichtheembodied

text becomes a partless and nondual text, in which all the letters of the n›˜ı-pr›˚as are

unifiedintothesingleword“eva˙.”Thewordeva˙issaidnottobeaterm,oraconceptual

sign,becauseitistheunionofwisdomandmethod.Eisasyllablea,oremptiness,thespace-

element,inthelocativecase;andva˙isgnosis,sublimebliss,whicharisesfromandabides

inemptiness,orspace.Thus,themulti-syllabletextisreducedtoatwo-syllabletext,which

isneitherayogaoryoginıtantra.

Inthefinalphaseofrevision,theembodiedtextiscompletelytransformedwiththe

incinerationoftheallofitslettersbythefireofthesamegnosisthatpreviouslylinkedthem

17

together. Following the model of the six-phased composition, dissolution, and

reconstructionofthetext’stwoearlierforms—phenomenalandconceptual—theprocessof

itsincinerationisalsocarriedoutinsixconsecutivephases.Thisnewtext,whichisdevoidof

parts and signs (nimitta), is said to have a unique non-conceptual form, characterized by

non-pronounceableconsonantsandvowels.Itisreducedtothesinglesyllablea,referredto

asasupremesyllable(param›k˝ara),asublimeemptiness(mah›-ŸÒnya),thedharmadh›tu,the

vajra-womb,andthecauseofthebody,speech,andmindofalltheBuddhas.Assuch,itis

likened to formless, non-embodied (arÒpa) space and is characterized as inexplicable

(anirdeŸya)andungrounded (aprati˝˛ha) inanything.36 Onaccount ofbeing reduced to the

single letter, it transcends the subject-object duality and is thereby self-cognizant in the

sense that it isan indivisibleunionof thediscourse, its subjectmatter,and theauthor.In

contrast, the embodied, conceptual text, consisting ofmany letters, exists as an object of

knowledgeinrelationtothereaderasitssubject.Furthermore,theembodied,conceptual

text,which iscomposedofacomplexsetofsystems,exists indialecticalrelationshipwith

other sets outside its boundaries; whereas, the non-embodied and non-conceptual text is

seen as free from controversial relations due to being non-localized. Although the

disembodiedtantric text isnotcharacterizedbyform, it issaidnot tobecharacterizedby

formlessnesseither,sinceitexistsinthevowela,whichisitsemptyform.37

18

The discussed revisional methods and their results suggest that a tantric text is

alwaysproductiveofwhatitdenotes.Arisingfromthesyllablea,thesourceofallexpressions

andgnosis in thebody,a sublime tantra takes onvariousphenomenal forms. Inorder to

elucidate themundaneandtranscendent truthsandpaths, it takeson theformofabook,

consistingofmantrasymbols,characterizedbyarticulation.Italsoassumes theformofthe

textembodiedinahumanfigure,consistingofthen›˜ıs,psychophysicalaggregates,andthe

like. Due to sharing a common source (yoni), these two phenomenal forms of a sublime

tantra—thebookandthebody—arefundamentallynondual.Inthisregard,theyarenotjust

meremetaphorsofeachother,buttwodifferentmanifestationsofthesamereality.Areader

ofatantrawhoknowsthistruthalsoknowsthatheisnotamereconsumerofthetextbut

alsoitsproducer.Heknowsthatitishismindalonethatlinksalltheletterstogetherintoa

single textandgives itdifferentmeaningsuntil it finallyabsorbs them into itsowngnosis,

from which they initially arose. By knowinghimself to be all of these—the text itself, its

author and revisionist, and its subject matter—one is said to become liberated from the

mind’s ideationandspiritual ignorance.One’s impermanentbody,subject to illness,aging,

anddiseasebecomesalteredintotheblissfulbodyofgnosis.

Althoughalloftheanuttara-yoga-tantrasagreethatasingle-syllabletextofthegnosis

of sublime and imperishable bliss is fundamentally same in all sentient beings, they offer

different transcriptions for it. For example, in the Hevajratantra,38 it is transcribed as the

19

syllablehe,standingforHevajra,intheK›lacakratraditionasthesyllablek›,orK›lacakra,

and so on. Its different transcriptions are determined by differing forms in which it may

appearandnotbyanyotherfactors.Thus,inthecontextoftheanuttara-yoga-tantras,justas

theevolutionofthephysicalbodycorrespondstothecreationofacanonicaltantra,sothe

closingofthephysicalbodycorrespondstotheclosingofthecanonicaltantrictext.Inthe

caseoftheK›lacakratantra,whichisthelatestIndianBuddhisttantra,theclosingofthebody

intimates the closing of Indian tantric tradition. The implications of these notions are

intriguing. One of the implications that is significant for the Indian Buddhist tantric

traditionisthatacanonicaltantrictextandthebody,whichareseenasultimatelynondual

andfunctionalasavehicle tospiritualawakening,are likearaft that isdiscardedwhen its

purpose is accomplished. In that respect, a canonical tantric text and the body can be

understoodastheVajray›naitself.Moreover,whilebeingclosedandcastasideinthecase

oftheindividualwhohasreachedhisfinalgoal,acanonicaltantracontinuestobeopenand

functional for those who have not yet reached spiritual awakening. Thus, being

simultaneouslyclosed foronepersonandopen foranother, a tantric text calls fordiverse

hermeneuticalapproaches.

20

1Sa˙yutaNik›ya,III.2Pa˛isambhidamagg›A˛˛hakath›cited in theEncyclopaediaofBuddhism,1979-1989,Vol.4,pp.371-372.3Ugraparip¸cch›sÒtra,2003,Ch.7,pp.319-320.4Saddharma-pu˚˜arıkaorTheLotusoftheGoodLaw,1963,Ch.18,pp.349-353.5LalitavistaraSÒtra,1983,Vol.2,pp.673-674.6See theGuhyasam›jatantra,1965,Ch.18,v.34, theMah›m›y›tantramwithGu˚avatı˛ık›,1992, p. 2, Am¸taka˚ik› commentary on the MañjuŸrın›masa˙gıti, 1994, p. 200, theYogaratnam›l›,1959,p.105:tantra˙prabandham,tantramitiprabandha¯.7TheAm¸taka˚ik›commentaryontheMañjuŸrın›masa˙gıti,,1994,p.9,v.13:tantra˙prabandham›khy›ta˙sa˙s›ra˙tantrami˝yate/tantra˙guhya˙rahasay›khy›tamuttara˙tantramucyate//8Hevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı,2001,p.9.9Guhyasam›jatantra,1978,Ch.18,p.115,vs.34-35:prabandha˙tantram›khy›ta˙tatprabandha˙tridh›bhavet/›dh›ra¯prak¸tiŸcaivaasa˙h›ryaprabhedata¯//prak¸tiŸc›k¸terheturasa˙h›ryaphala˙tath›/›dh›rastadup›yaŸcatribhistantr›rthasa˙graha¯//10tantram iti prabhandham/ trividha˙ tantra˙—hetutantra˙ phalatantram up›yatantra˙ ca/tatra prak¸tiprabh›svaram an›dinidhana˙ citta˙ bodhicittam/ sa hetus tadbıjam/ kasya bıjam/bodhe¯/11TheAm¸taka˚ik›,1994,pp.9,21.12TheAm¸taka˚ik›,1994,p.200,theVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.4, v. 7,Ch.1,v. 1. Cf. the Hevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı, 2001, p. 29: “It is a mantradue toprotectingtheworldfromcogitatingonreality.”(tattv›rthamanan›jjagattr›˚›ccamantra¯.)13The MañjuŸrın›masa˙gıti, vs. 28-29, cited in the Vimalaprabh› commentary on theK›lacakratantra,1986,Ch.1,v.3.Cf.theHevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı,2001,p.24:Amantraitself is reality (tattva), the letter a, and so on. Gnosis itself is reality, free from mentalelaborations(ni˝prapañca)andunexcelled(anuttara)gnosisofbliss(sukha-jñ›na).14TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.4.

21

14SekoddeŸa:ACriticalEditionoftheTibetanTranslationsWithanAppendixbyzRaneiroGnolion the Sanskrit Text, 1994, 131,vs. 6-7.For the commentary on these verses see RanieroGnoli, ”La SekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ı di S›dhuputra ⁄rıdhar›nanda: Il Testo Sanscrito,” inRivistadegli Studi Orientali, Vol, 70, fasc. 1-2 (1996), 1997, p. 119, and Francesco Sferra, TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›byN›rop›(Param›rthasa˙graha),2006,p.69.15According to the SekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ı of S›dhuputra, 1997, p. 119, and the SekoddeŸa˛ık› ofN›rop›, 2006, p. 69, the six points (˝a˛ko˛i) refers to the sixfold division of theK›lacakratantradiscourse, which is classified into the uddeŸa (the abridgedK›lacakratantra)andnirdeŸa(theroot,extensiveK›lacakratantra),eachofwhichisofthreekinds:pratyuddeŸa,mahoddeŸa,andpratinirdeŸa.16The yogas of the body, speech,mind, andgnosis, which eliminate the four states of theordinarymind—thewaking,dreaming,deepsleep,andthefourthstate—andwhichareofthenature of the fourbodies of theBuddhaonaccountofbeing free of the afflictive andcognitiveobscurations(›vara˚a).17Thetwotruthsrefertoconventional(sa˙v¸ti)andultimate(param›rtha)truths.18eva˙˝a˛ko˛ibhi¯Ÿuddha˙vajrayogaiŸcaturvidhai¯catu¯sa˙bodhibhi¯ksandhadh›tv›yatana˝a˛kulai¯.pa˛alai¯pañcabhi¯Ÿuddha˙lokadh›tv›dikairmatai¯saty›bhy›˙›dubuddha˙sy›tk›lacakr›bhidh›nakam.19RanieroGnoli,“LeSekoddeŸa˛ippa˚ıdiS›dhuputra⁄rıdhar›nanda,”inRivistadegliStudiOrientali,Vol.70,fasc.1-2(1996),1997,p.6. 20TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›byN›rop›,2006,p.73.21TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›byN›rop›,2006,p.74.22TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›,1941,p.3. 23TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,vs.56-57.24According the Vimalaprabh› commentary on the K›lacakratantra, these two texts aretraditionallyconsideredtoconsistof60,000linesand12,000lines,respectively.25TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,Ch.2,v.53.26TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,v.55.27TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,v.52.28TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.2,vs.56-57.29Accordingto theVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.1.v.1, thesixclassesofconsonantswiththeirindividualfivefolddivisionsare:kakhagaghaºgacachajajhaña˛a˛ha˜a˜ha˚apaphababhama

22

tathadadhanasa¯pa˝a¯kaThevowelsarelistedasthese:a›iıuÒ¸∂˘∑a˙a¯eaiar›roaual›lhah›yay›rar›vav›lal›.30TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,vs.7-8.31TheVimalaprabh›commentaryon theK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.9:kha-vajr›dika˙tantramucyataeka-vyañj›n›tmaka˙˝a˚tri˙Ÿan-m›tr›-bhinnamiti.32TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.10.33TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.9.34TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1994,Ch.5,v.10:A, i, u, ¸, ˘, a˙--or Ak˝obhya, Amoghasiddhi, Amit›bha, Vairocana, RatneŸa, andVajrasattva--forthetransformationofthebody.˘,u,¸,i,a,forthespeech,orpr›˚ao˙,›¯,hÒ˙forthemind(citta)aforgnosis(jñ›na).35TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.1,v.1.36TheSekoddeŸa˛ık›ofNa˜ap›da,1941,pp.57-58.37TheVimalaprabh›commentaryontheK›lacakratantra,1976,Ch.1,v.1.38SeetheHevajratantra,2001,Ch.1,v.7,andtheHevajrapañjik›-mukt›valı,2001,p.9.

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