Vajrasattva
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vajrasattva (Dorje Sempa, Tibetan, Kongosatta, Japanese), (金剛薩埵 Jingang Satuo, Chinese), or Diamond Mind (see Vajra), is the name given the bodhisattva Samantabhadra after initiation. In the initiation practices of Vajrayana Buddhism, many Buddhist figures assume different identities to signify their new form after initiation, complementary to the old form before initiation. Vajrasattva is an important figure in two esoteric Buddhist sutras, the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajrasekhara Sutra. In both sutras, Vajrasattva plays the role of the student, who learns the Dharma from Mahavairocana Buddha, and is taught the esoteric rituals to help actualize the Dharma.
In Buddhist rituals for initiation, the initiate re-enacts the role of Vajrasattva and recites mantra and dialogue from the sutras, while the teacher enacts the role of Mahavairocana Buddha bestowing wisdom. In Vajrayana Buddhist practice, Vajrasattva is used in the Ngondro, or preliminary practices, in order to "purify" the mind's defilements.
In lineages of initiation such as Shingon Buddhism, Vajrasattva is also seen as the initiator of that lineage. Traditionally, Nagarjuna was said to have met Vajrasattva in a tower in South India, and was taught tantra by Vajrasattva, thus transmitting the esoteric teachings to historical figures.
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[edit] Bibliography
- Becoming Vajrasattva, 2nd Edition: The Tantric Path of Purification (2004) by Lama Yeshe, ISBN-13: 978-0861713899, Wisdom Publications.
- Teachings from the Vajrasattva Retreat (1999) by Lama Thubten Zopa, ISBN-13: 978-1891868047, Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, downloadable
- The Tantric Path of Purification: The Yoga Method of Heruka Vajrasattva (1994) by Lama Thubten Yeshe, ISBN-13: 978-0861710201, Wisdom Publications.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Vajrasattva Mantras - calligraphy in Siddhaṃ and notes on the mantras.
[edit] See also
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