Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa explained

The Āryamañjuśrī­mūlakalpa (The Noble Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī) is a Mahāyāna sūtra and a Mantrayāna ritual manual (kalpa) affiliated with the bodhisattva of wisdom, Mañjuśrī. In Tibetan Buddhism it is classified as a Kriyā-tantra.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} According to Sanderson (2009: 129) and the study by Matsunaga (1985), the text is datable to about 775 CE.^{[5] [6]}

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa is often cited as the earliest example of an extant Indian Buddhist Tantra. Some scholars identify it as a compilation of a core verse text dated circa 6th century CE with later accretions and additions. The Sanskrit version, significantly longer than its corresponding Chinese and Tibetan renderings, is still extant.

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa states that mantras taught in the Shaiva, Garuda and Vaishnava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Mañjuśrī.^[7] The attribution to Mañjuśrī is an attempt by its author(s) to counter the objection that the teachings in this text are of non-Buddhist origin.

The bulk of the text deals with chants and mantras useful for spiritual purposes as well as material gain. Some chapters discuss fierce and sexual tantric rituals.^[8]

Editions

The editio princeps of the mixed Sanskrit text was published by T. Ganapati Sastri in three volumes (Trivandrum, published 1920, 1923, and 1925 respectively).^{[9] [10]}

Rahul Sankrityayana's edition appeared in 1934.^[11] Ganapati Sastri's edition with some modifications was reprinted by P. L. Vaidya in 1964.^{[12] [13]}

An English translation was published online in 2020 by the 84000 organization.^[14]

External links

• English translation of the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa by 84000
• Paper from The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies on the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa by Glenn Wallis

Notes

1. Web site: Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa . 2023-07-29 . Oxford Reference . en .
2. Keown, Damien (editor) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p.172.
3. Web site: Publication: Manjushri Mula Kalpa (Chapter Colophons) . 2023-07-29 . www.himalayanart.org.
4. Book: C.B.H. Publications . Arya Manjushri Mula Kalpa Of T. Ganapathi Shastri C. B. H. Publications.
5. Sanderson . Alexis . The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period. In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 41-350. . en.
6. Book: Matsunaga, Yukei . Tantric and Taoist Studies in honour of R.A. Stein . Institut Belge des Hautes Études Chinoises . 1985 . Strickmann . Michael . Brussels . 882–894 . On the Date of the Mañjuśrı̄mūlakalpa.
7. Sanderson, Alexis. "The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period." In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 129-131.
8. Web site: Delhey . Martin . December 11, 2009 . How Buddhist is the Mañjuśriyamūlakalpa (a.k.a.Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa), Abstract of the talk in Tokyo . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004247/http://www.icabs.ac.jp/iibs/delhey_abstract.pdf . February 8, 2018 . February 7, 2018 . en.
9. Book: The Āryamanjuśrîmûlakalpa. Printed by the Superintendent, Govt. Press. Trivandrum., 3 vols, 1920, 1923, 1925, Trivandrum Sanskrit Series no. 70, 76, 84, new reprint ed. in one vol. University of Kerala 2008, Trivandrum Sanskrit Series no. 269 (Sri Satguru Publications reprint in 1989, Delhi; 1992 combined CBH reprint edition at Archive org.)
10. Web site: www.wisdomlib.org . 2020-03-11 . Manjushrimulakalpa, Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, Manjushri-mulakalpa: 1 definition . 2023-07-29 . www.wisdomlib.org . en.
11. Book: Jayaswal, K. P. An imperial history of India in a sanskrit text: [c. 700 B.C. - c. 770 A.D.] ; with a special commentary on later Gupta period]. 1934. Dass. Lahore. 257169166.
12. Book: Vaidya, Parashuram Lakshman. Mahāyāna-sūtra-saṁgraha. P.2 P.2. 1964. Mithila Inst. of Post-graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning. Darbhanga. sa. 246245976.
13. Book: Einoo . S. . Genesis and Development of Tantrism . Sanderson . Alexis . University of Tokyo . 2009 . Tokyo . 316.
14. Web site: The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī (Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa). 2023-06-15 . 84000 Translating The Words of The Buddha . en.