Preface

. I WENT to Nepal for the purpose of examining MSS. in the Darbar Library in 1907 and I took notes of certain palm-leaf MSS. and paper MSS. in that Library. When editing these notes for the second volume of my Nepal Catalogue in 1915 I found that a MS. entered there as Tattva-dasaka was a collection of short works the last few leaves of which had that name. When I went again there in 1922 I examined the MS. carefully and found that it is a collection of 21 or 22 works mostly by Advayavajra on points relating to Buddhism almost chronologically arranged. The scope of the work ranged from the time of the rise of Mahayana to the time of Advayavajra in the eleventh or early twelfth century. The age of Advayavajra has been fixed by Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya in his Introduction to the Sadhanamala. So I need not dilate upon it. The 22 short works seemed to me to be very important for the history of Buddhism, because (1) they gave much information that was not found in the works on Buddhism written up to date from Indian, Tibetan, Chinese or other sources, (2) because they came from an Indian source, and (3) because they threw light on the period of Buddhism scarcely studied, namely, from the time when the Chinese ceased to come to almost the time of the fall of the Pala dynasty. I therefore took care to copy the MS.; I myself dictated the work to my son Kalitosa who wrote it from me I compared his writing with the MS. several times and His Grace the Rajaguru Hemaraja had the two compared by his pupils who were students of palaography with me. Thus I thought the copy to be faithful and I was anxious to get it printed. His Highness the Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad lent me the

vi PREFACE. hospitality of his now famous Series of Sanskrit publications and I presented the copy made by me to his Library of MSS. But during the course of passing the MSS. through the press I found that a collation with original MS. in the Darbar Library was absolutely necessary and I applied to His Highness the Maharaja Sir Chandra Samsher Jang Bahadur Rana to lend me the MS. for a short period and my request was most graciously granted. I have given a list of readings in which the copy differed from the MS. But still there are readings which are doubtful but I did not venture to make conjectural emendations as there were no Lamas with me to whom I might refer for collating with the Tibetan translation. I did not venture to give an English translation of the work for several reasons: (1) because the readings are in many places so hopelessly corrupt that nothing can be made out of them; (2) the subjects are so unfamiliar that I can expect no help from any one in India; (3) the technical terms of Mantrayana and Vajrayana are still a mystery to Buddhist scholars; (4) the sentences are so elliptical that it is difficult to make a grammatical construction. Advayavajra himself says that he hated diffuseness and was a lover of brevity, and in making his works brief he has made them enigmatical, and brevity has often degenerated into obscurity. For all these reasons I have abstained from giving a translation. I give the work as it is and I hope my readers will look at me with indulgence, but I venture to think that the works will throw much light on obscure points of Buddhist History and Buddhism and that is an excuse for their publication. There are twenty-one short works in this collection of the works of Advayavajrapada who bears the titles of Pandita and Avadhuta, with a short supplement of six

verses. PREFACE. vii In the Colophons most of them are attributed to the Pandita. Some of the Colophons do not name him but from other sources we can ascertain their authorship; one work, No. 6, is not attributed to him but other sources tell us that it is by Nagarjuna-pada. One or two more are attributed in Tibetan to Maitripada, but one of these in question bears a Colophon attributing the work to Advayavajra. Most of these works were translated into Tibetan and collected together in the Bstan-Rgyud. They are-1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21. The following is a detailed account of the twenty-one works:- 1. Kudrsti-nirghatanam (refutation of wrong theory and notes on it) :-The Colophon attributes the work to Advayavajra who is described here as Pandita and Avadhuta. Advaya says that this is a work on Adikarma or initiation. There was a Pandita named Gaganagarbha, a follower of the Madhyamika system of Philosophy. A well-meaning man named Viprajanya coming from Vajrapitha requested Gaganagarbha to write a book on the duties of the initiated. He wrote a large work and at his request Advaya shortened it, appending a few notes which have made the meaning of the author clear. This short work was translated into Tibetan by the collaboration of two Sanskrit scholars, one Indian and one Tibetan. Upadhyaya Guru Vajrapani was the Indian Pandita and Ye-Ces hbyun-gnas (Jnanakara) the Tibetan Lo-tsa-ba. The work gives the duties of one initiated in Buddhism. It is of the nature of a work on Ahnika of the Hindus. It first discusses who are to do the Adikarma and then lays down the duties of a lay Buddhist from early morning to his retirement at night, and ends with a fanciful derivation of the word Upasaka.

viii PREFACE.● 2. Mulapattayah and Sthulapattayah (the radical and gross offences against Vajrayana):-The Colophon is silent about the authorship and there is no translation of this work under the name of Advayavajra. It enumerates fourteen offences under the radical and eight under the gross heading. 3. Tattvaratnavali (a row of gems of truth) :-The Colophon attributes it to Advayavajra who is described as Pandita and Avadhuta. It has a Tibetan translation by the Indian Pandita Vajrapani and the Tibetan Lama Tshul-khrims rgyal-ba (Jayasila), of Nags-tsho, but the Tibetan translation has another original Sanskrit work Tattvaprakasa. The It is a very important work; it distributes the three Yanas among the four schools of Buddhist philosophy. It says that the Vaibhasika school absorbs the Sravakayana and Pratyekayana. Sautrantika, Yogacara and Madhyamaka all belong to Mahayana. This is at variance with the current theory that the first two schools belong to Hinayana and the last two to Mahayana. The work proceeds to define the schools and the Yanas. Mahayana it subdivides to Paramitanaya and Mantranaya. Paramita is explained by all the three schools and the Mantra by the last two schools only. It speaks of two schools of Yogacara, Sakara and Nirakara, and of two schools of Madhyamaka, Mayopamadvayavada and Sarvadharmapratisthanavada, that is, (1) Monism with something like illusion, and (2) the evanescent character of all phenomena. It ends with a discourse, on the necessity of the three Yanas: the first two, it says, are mere stepping stones to Mahayana. It leaves the Mantrayana unexplained. 4. Pancatathagata-mudra-vivaranam (an explanation of the marks of the five Tathagatas). The Colophon is silent about the authorship, but it has a Tibetan

. ix translation in which the authorship is attributed to Acarya Advayavajra and the translation to Upadhyaya Vajrapani and to Lo. B. Chos-hbar (Vandya Dharmajvala). It treats of what is called the five Dhyani Buddhas. The word Dhyani Buddha is misleading. The five Dhyani Buddhas are the Sunya representation of the five Skandhas. The last Skandha is Vijnana or Knowledge. The other four, Form, Name, Feeling and Impression, are marked with knowledge, that is, they or the Tathagatas representing them, have a miniature of the Knowledge Tathagata on their forehead. But the Vijnana Tathagata again holds the miniature of another Tathagata on his forehead. Why is this? Whose is the miniature? It is the miniature of Vajrasattva. 'Vajra' means Sunyata and 'Sattva' means principle. The miniature Vajrasattva on the head of the Knowledge Tathagata means that Void is the principal and Knowledge is subordinate. Sunyata is regarded as the highest knowledge. Sunyata does not exactly Sunyata mean Void; it means the absolute or the transcendental. The work says that the world is the same as Sungata and Karuna. 5. Seka-[nirnaya] or Sekanirdesa (the nature of impregnation). The Colophon does not name the author. But the author himself in his Tattvaratnavali says that he has written a work on the nature of impregnation. It has a Tibetan translation where the authorship is attributed to Sri Advayavajra; the translator's name is not mentioned. The work is here named as SamskhepaSeka-Prakriya. It treats of the impregnation of the highest knowledge which is compared with an act of Copulation. It speaks of four pleasures and four supreme moments, and it controverts the theory of Hatha-Yoga. 6. I have named the sixth work as Caturmudra,

☑ PREFACE. < (the four Mudras); the paras treating these four Mudras have their separate names but the work treating of all of them has no name, so I had to put some name there. The Colophon is silent about the author. In another bundle of Vajrayana MSS. in my possession I find this work is. attributed to Nagarjuna under the name of Caturmudropadesa; it has a Tibetan translation where the work is attributed to Advayavajra and the translation to Upadhyaya Vajrapani, and Lo. B. Tshul-khrims rgyal-ba (Jayasila). It treats of the four Mudras. No. 1 Karmamudra. Karma means the work of body, speech and mind. Mudra means phenomena. Karmamudra means the phenomena of body, speech and mind. This is the source of four kinds of pleasures and of four supreme moments. No. 2 Dharmamudra. Dharma here means Dharmadhatu which is the absolute. Pharmamudra means the work of the absolute. No. 3 Mahamudra. It is identical with Dharmamudra but at the same time Mahamudra is said to be caused by the Dharmamudra. No. 4 Samayamudra. It is the fruit of Mahamudra. 7. Sekatanvayasamgraha. (A collection of the theme of impregnation.) The Colophon attributes this work to Advayavajra who is described as Pandita and Avadhuta. This work is named in Tibetan Catalogue as Sekakaryya-samgraha; it is attributed to Mahapandita Advayavajra and the translation is made by Upadhyaya Vajrapani of India and Lo. B. Yeses hbyungnas (Jnanakara). It speaks of Coronation or impregnation through water-pot, through mysticism, through knowledge, and again through true knowledge. The water-pot initiation includes initiation with a tiara, initiation with a thunderbolt, initiation with a dominion, initiation with a name

. xi and the initiation as a teacher. It describes also under the major heads initiation into the secret of Bodhicitta and two sorts of Prajnajnana. 8. Pancakarah (five forms, or the five Tathagatas). The Colophon does not name the author. It has a Tibetan translation which attributes the original to Sri Advayavajra, but does not mention the translator. But the translation appears to have been checked by Amrtadeva. It treats of the five Tathagatas and their Saktis with an appropriate Mantra for each. 9. Mayanirukti (the explanation of illusion). The Colophon is silent about the author. It has a Tibetan translation which attributes the Sanskrit original to Advaya vajra and the translation to Upadhyaya Vajrapani. It treats of illusion and speaks of Maya as magic. Some consider it to be magic and some think it to be true. For the satisfaction of this illusion the Yogin may enjoy all good things of the world which come to him of their own accord, because he enjoys them as a Maya. But a true Yogin should have the earth for his bed, athe quarters for his cloth and the alms for his food. He should have forbearance for all phenomena because they are not produced and his benevolence should be perennial. 10. Svapnanirukti (the explanation of dreams). The Colophon does not name the author but the Tibetan translation attributes the original to Advayavajra and the translation to Upadhyaya Vajrapani and Jayasila of Tibet. In all Buddhist works the phenomenal world is compared to a dream. But what is a dream? Is it true or is it untrue, or is it baseless like Maya? This short work explains the theory of dream in all its aspects.

xii PREFACE. 11. Tattva-prakasa (the publication of truths:) The Colophon is silent about the author but the Tibetan translation attributes it to Advayavajra, and the translation to Vandya Dharmajvala. The gist of the teaching of this short work is that Dharma has no beginning, no creation It distinguishes the theories of Yogacara from those of the Madhyamika and says that the Madhyamika is superior because it formulates that either existence, or non-existence, or a combination of the two or a negation of the two cannot be predicated to Sunya. 12. Apratisthana-prakasa (publication of the want of substratum of knowledge). The Colophon is silent about the author. The Tibetan Catalogue has a work named Aprasahaprakasa attributed to Advayavajra. The cardinal faith of the Bauddhas is the want of substratum of knowledge. 13. Yuganaddha-prakasa (the nature of Yab-Yum). The authorship and the translatorship as before. 14. Mahasukha-prakasa (the nature of supreme happiness [Monistic]). The authorship and translatorship as before. Without happiness there is no Bodhi, no true knowledge, because true knowledge is happiness; and if there is no happiness there is attachment and where there is attachment there is transmigration. The happiness produced by causes and conditions has a beginning and an end. Therefore, we should say it is not a Vastu or an entity. It says further that Sunyata is true knowledge and from Bodhi is issued the Bijamantra, or the syllabic formula, from that syllable comes the picture, in the pictures there are limbs, and so forth. Therefore, everything is the product of causes and conditions. But Mahasukha is not the product of causes and conditions. It is not produced but absolute. 15. Tattva-vimsika (Twenty verses on Truth). It is called Tattva-Mahavana-Vimsati in the Tibetan Cata-

. xiii logue Colophon is silent about the author but the Tibetan Catalogue attributes it to Advayavajra and its Tibetan translation to Bhatta Sri Jnana of Dhara and Lo. B. Sakyaprana. In twenty verses it gives the substance of Vajrayana and Mantrayana. 16. Mahayana-Vimsika (Twenty verses on Mahayana). No author is mentioned in the Colophon. Tibetan Catalogue attributes the work to Advayavajra and the translation to Divakara Candra of India, and Lo. B. Sakyavirya. It really explains the Mantrayana. 17. Nirvedhapancaka (Five verses on piercing the soul or remorse). The Colophon is silent about the author but the Tibetan Catalogue attributes the work to Maitripada and the translation to Vajrapani from India and Lo. B. Dharmajvala. I think it should be Nirvedapancake or 'five verses on remorse,' because this short work is full of remorse. 18. Madhyaka-Satka (Six verses in praise of Madhyamika System of Philosophy). It speaks of Monism coupled with illusion and also of the absolute want of sub-stratum. The Colophon attributes it to Advayavajra, though in the Tibetan Catalogue Maitripada is mentioned as the author. The translation is by Vajrapani and by Jayasila. In 19. Premapancaka (Five verses on Love). this Sunyata is the bride and its reflection is the bridegroom. Without the bridegroom the bride is dead. If the bride is separated the bridegroom is in bondage; therefore, these two trembling with fear came to their Guru, and that Guru owing to his profusion of benevolence gave them a love which is Sahaja and which has no beginning and no end. Such is the cleverness of the Guru that these became eternal and without a substance but at the same time pertaining the nature of all things in existence.

xiv PREFACE. The Colophon is silent about authorship but the Tibetan Catalogue attributes the text to Advayavajra and the translation to Vajrapani and Jranakara. The name of the work there is Prajnopayo-daya-pancaka. 20. Tattva-dasaka (Ten verses on Truth). The Colophon attributes it to Advayavajra; the Tibetan Catalogue also attributes the text to Advayavajra and the translation to Vajrapani and Jnanakara. It explains what is called the Unmattavrata or the vow of a madman. 21. Amanasikaradhara (That which does not stick to the mind). The Colophon attributes it to the Advayavajra and so does the Tibetan Catalogue. The translation is attributed to Bhattaraka Sri Jnana of Dhara and to Lo. B. Sakyaprabha. It discourses on the correctness of the form Manasikara and raises a grammatical controversy. Then it treats of the A, the first letter of the vowels, as the essence of Sunyata and comes to the conclusion that Amanasikara means a combined form of Sunyata and Karuna. The last six verses after the Colophon of this section gives some of the essential doctrines of Mantrayana. In conclusion I have to offer my hearty thanks to His Highness the Maharaja of Nepal for allowing me to work in his famous Library which has made Nepal a place of pilgrimage to Sanskrit scholars of all countries, and for lending me a valuable MS. from his Library, and to His Highness the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda for lending me the hospitality of his Series. I have also to thank Dr. Benoytosh for passing the proofs to the press and for help rendered in various ways in literary matters. 26. PATALDANGA STREET, CALCUTTA. The 12 th June, 1927. H. P. S.