The Cakrasamvara Tantra: A Study and Annotated Translation

Citation preview

The Cakrasamvara Tantra (The Discourse of Sri Heruka) A Study and Annotated Translation

by David B. Gray

TREASURY OF THE BUDDHIST SCIENCES series Editor-in-Chief: Robert A. F. Thurman Jey Tsong Khapa Professor oflndo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia University President, American Institute of Buddhist Studies Executive Editor: Thomas F. Yarnall Department of Religion Columbia University Editorial Board: Ryuichi Abe, Jay Garfield, Laura Harrington, Thubten Jinpa, Joseph Loizzo, Gary Tubb, Christian Wedemeyer, Chun-fang Yu The American Institute of Buddhist Studies (AIBS), in affiliation with the Columbia University Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS) and Tibet House US (THUS), has established the Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences series to provide authoritative English translations, studies, and editions of the texts of the Tibetan Tengyur (bstan gyur) and its associated literature. The Tibetan Tengyur is a vast collection of over 3,600 classical Indian Buddhist scientific treatises (fiistra) written in Sanskrit by over 700 authors from the first millennium CE, now preserved mainly in systematic 7th-12th century Tibetan translation. Its topics span all of India's "outer" arts and sciences, including linguistics, medicine, astronomy, socio-political theory, ethics, art, and so on, as well as all of her "inner" arts and sciences such as philosophy, psychology ("mind science"), meditation, and yoga. The Publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous support of David Sloss, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Anonymous, the Conanima Foundation, the Infinity Foundation, the Sacharuna Foundation, and Robert and Nena Thurman in sponsoring the publication of this series ..

The Cakrasamvara Tantra (The Discourse of Sri Heruka) (Sriherukabhidhana) A Study and Annotated Translation by David B. Gray

Editing and Design by Thomas F. Yarnall

Tengyur Translation Initiative Treasury ofthe Buddhist Sciences series

Published by The American Institute of Buddhist Studies at Columbia University in New York Co-published with Columbia University's Center for Buddhist Studies and Tibet House US

New York 2007

Tengyur Translation Initiative Treasury of the Buddhist Sciences series A refereed series published by: American Institute ofBuddhist Studies Columbia University 80 Claremont Avenue, room 303 New York, NY 10027 http:/ /www.aibs.columbia.edu Co-published with Columbia University's Center for Buddhist Studies and Tibet House US. Distributed by Columbia University Press. Copyright© 2007 by David B. Gray All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system or technologies now known or later developed, without written permission from the publisher.

Printed in Canada on acid-free paper. ISBN 978-0-9753734-6-0 (cloth)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Tripiraka. Siitrapiraka. Tantra. Cakrasamvaratantra English. The Cakrasamvara Tantra : the discourse of Sri Heruka (Sriherukabhidhana) I a study and annotated translation by David B. Gray ; editing and design by Thomas F. Yarnall. p. em. - (Treasury of the Buddhist sciences) "Co-published with Columbia University's Center for Buddhist Studies and Tibet House US." Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-9753734-6-0 (alk. paper) 1. Tripiraka. Siitrapitaka. Tantra. Cakrasamvaratantra-Commentaries. I. Gray, David B., 1969- II. Yarnall, Thomas, F. III. Title.

BQ2180.C3522Z52 2007 294.3'85--dc22 2007060677

Contents Series Editor's Preface ................................................................................... ix Author's Preface ............................................................................................ xv Introduction: The Study of the Cakrasamvara Tantra 1. Introduction to the Cakrasamvara Tantra

The Cakrasamvara and the Yogini Tantras ....................................... 3 Dating the Text ............................................................................... 11 Cakrasamvara Literature ................................................................. 15 2. Traditional History of the Cakrasamvara Tantra

Mythic Root Texts ............................................................................ 28 The Origin ofHeruka ...................................................................... 35 3. Contents and Contexts

The Triple Wheel Marz(iala ............................................................. 54 l)akinis, Yogin is, and Women ......................................................... 77 Consecration and the Sexual Yogas ................................................. 103 Mantras and Magic ....................................................................... 131 4. Texts and Translation

Texts Employed .............................................................................. 137 Translation Methodology ............................................................... 145 Technical Notes ............................................................................. 151 Translation of the Cakrasamvara Tantra I. The Descent of the Mal).