Essay name: Hevajra Tantra (analytical study)
Author:
Seung Ho Nam
Affiliation: University of Kerala / Faculty of Oriental Studies
This is an English study of the Hevajra Tantra: an ancient Sanskrit text that teaches the process of attaining Buddha-hood for removing the sufferings of all sentient beings. The Hevajratantra amplifies the views and methods found in the Guhyasamaja Tantra (one of the earliest extant Buddhist Tantras) dealing with Yoga and Mandalas.
Chapter 3 - Tantric Doctrine in Hevajra Tantra
36 (of 138)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Therefore it can be concluded that the Tath膩gatagarbha and the Truth
Body both are Suchness, only the former is with defilements while the
latter is without defilements, i.e. their purity is essentially of the same
nature. From this the Universal Nature of Tath膩gatagarbha can also be
understood. Further the all-pervading aspect of Truth Body is also
indicated here. This relationship between Tath膩gatagarbha as
one with
defilements and Truth Body as one without defilements is also discussed
in Hevajra Tantra.
[HT] Bhagavan said: Truly All beings are buddhas, but this is obscured by
accidental defilement. When this is removed, they are buddhas at once, of this
there is no doubt. The goddesses said: It is as you have said, this is true and not
false. (II.4.70-71)218
[HT] Although the six sense organs, their six objects, the Aggregate of the Five
Components of Phenomenal Awareness and the five elements are by their intrinsic
nature pure, they are veiled by ignorance and afflictions. (1.9.2)219
The Self-nature of Tath膩gatagarbha is pure hence all sentient beings
are pure. In other words, all sentient beings are actually enlightened
existence, but being covered by defilements they appear to be impure.
When it is purified the sentient beings are the very Buddha. In the light
of the Suchness, all existence are equal without discrimination.
In "Hevajra Tantra, it is said that all existences including 'the six
lower states of existence' [that includes even the worms and so on in
the dung] can be eternally blissful. This point must be understood as an
expression of the totality of Consciousness (cittasam膩jalupi) and not as
the Undifferentiated state of the Suchness. By the term Consciousness
(citta) one means the Enlightened Consciousness (bodhicitta), while the
term Totality (sam膩ja) means to be of One taste (ekarasa).
218 bhagav膩n 膩ha/ sattva buddh膩 eva kim tu 膩gantukamal膩v峁泃膩岣� tasy膩pakar峁峁嚹乼
sattva buddh膩 eva na sam艣aya岣�//70/ devya 膩hu岣�/ evam etad bhagavan satyam na
m峁涐梗膩//71// (HT[F&M]., p.228)
219 峁岣峣ndriyam pa帽caskandham 峁岣嵞亂atanam pa帽cabh奴tam/ svabh膩vena vi艥uddham
apy aj帽膩nakle艣air 盲v峁泃am// (HT[F&M]., p.111)
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