FRANCESCO SFERRA THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION IN SOME TEXTS OF LATE INDIAN BUDDHISM I It is well-known that in Vajrayana texts the spiritual path is often described in terms of the progressive purification (visuddhi; Tib.: rnam dag) of the body and the psyche. This study is a contribution to the analysis of the concept of “spiritual purification” in the light of (A) printed and translated texts, such as the Hevajratantra and the Naropa’s  Paramarthasam . graha, and (B) some selected passages from works edited but not translated or only partially translated. These works include the Amr. takan. ika by Ravisrıjn~ana, the Vimalaprabha by Pun. d. arıka, and the  Laghukalacakratantra. This study also considers (C) some unpublished  texts, such as the Abhayakarapaddhati by Abhayakaragupta and the      Muktavalı by Ratnakarasanti, which are preserved in manuscript form. Some passages, which focus mainly on the description of initiatory and liturgic ceremonies, insist on the elimination (or, if we prefer, on the transformation) of impurity, which is considered an obstacle. From this point of view, the concept of purification implies the disappearance of a maculation (mala) (the definition of which must be gone into more fully) and the attainment of an ontologically preexistent state of purity. This state is usually described in positive terms: Supreme  and so forth. Notwithstanding Pleasure, Adamantine Being, tathata, this, there are also definitions, at first sight perplexing, which arouse the suspicion that speaking of purification in terms of elimination of something actually reflects a partial and limited point of view, even if this is necessary to some extent. Some texts, for example, in referring to the ultimate reality in its pureness, speak of Great Hate, Great Aversion, Great Envy, and so on.1 As we shall see, this type of implosion, which “negative” energies undergo in order to reveal themselves in their true nature, is linked to the manifestation of a particular kind of knowledge   n~ana)  (jn~ana), sometimes called Great Knowledge (mahaj or Buddha’s  Knowledge (buddhajn~ana), which is not the product of particular rites Journal of Indian Philosophy 27: 83–103, 1999. c 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. PDF-OP, CP, DISK Victory PIPS: 193882 HUMNKAP indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.1 84 FRANCESCO SFERRA that the adept or the practitioner has to perform.2 This knowledge constitutes the purifying element par excellence and represents, in the final analysis, the very nature of reality, transfigured and shining. It is not by chance that, according to some texts, the last phase of yoga, in which the transformation of the physical and psychical elements of the yogin into pure elements actually occurs is, indeed, nothing but the 3  attainment of a body of gnosis (jn~anadeha). Therefore, it is necessary to have a direct vision of reality without the conceptual projection of an “I” and a “mine”, and to permit the various realities to offer themselves to knowledge according to their true nature. The specific nature of this knowledge, which transcends sense organs and which is said to pertain to the Omniscient One (sarvajn~a), also explains why sometimes, in connection with the subject matter, one finds philosophical considerations on the cause-effect relationship (this relationship, among other things, is required to justify the passage from impurity to purity) in which it is possible to recognize an echo of the debate between Buddhist logicians and the exponents of other traditions. II The theme of “purification” (visuddhi) is particularly significant, as it reflects the difficulties and elusiveness that sometimes characterize the sapiential language. This theme has a particularly important role in the texts of Vajrayana, which is evident not only from the fact that we find visuddhipat. alas – that is, “chapters on purification” – in well-known tantras, for instance,  . an. a (XV), and the Buddhakapala  the Hevajra (I.ix), the Can. d. amaharos (XIII), but also from the frequent occurrence, in the examined texts, of  terms such as visuddhi, suddhi, sodhana, parisodhana, suci, vyavadana  and adhivasana. First of all, it can be noted that such words – of which visuddhi and suddhi are certainly the most used – appear in the Vajrayana literature substantially in two different contexts: one ritual and one speculative.4 Furthermore, within these ambits, it is possible to single out various shades of meaning in the use of these words, which we shall now try to illustrate briefly. In relation to rituals that have to be performed before the drawing of the man. d. ala and during the initiation ceremony, the term “purification” is generally used in a very limited sense, as signifying “elimination”. In such cases it is necessary to remove the impurities present in the indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.2 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 85 body and the psyche of the practitioner, in the initiation substances, and in the platform on which the rite is to be performed, so that it can be executed in the proper way. The purification can occur through concrete actions, such as cleaning the land, fasting or bathing, or through the  muttering of specific mantras5 or the imposition (nyasa) of particular syllables on parts of the body,6 which the Tantras describe in detail and usually with a certain clarity.7 Through mantras and by means of aspersions (seka), purification is also performed during initiation. Initiation itself is often explained as a process of purification,8 so that, sometimes, the word visuddha (lit. ‘pure’) is commented on simply with abhis. ikta, viz., ‘initiated’.9 In the Kalacakra cycle, for instance, the seven inferior initiations and the four superior ones are progressively linked to the purification of specific aspects of reality.10 At other times – as has been noted by D. Snellgrove - the term visuddhi, mostly used in the instrumental case, means that something makes itself known through one of its aspects or that it is represented by another thing. When in the Hevajratantra, for example, we read that the initiation of the master is purified through the smile, we should understand that this initiation is symbolized by the smile.11 Various symbolic relationships, which often connect seemingly incongruous levels of reality, are settled in the texts. Hence, specific aspects of the religious path, deities, colours, dispositions of character, emotive reactions, parts of the human body, etc. are mutually related. In fact, in the texts there is not complete agreement about these various symbolisms. For instance, the thirty-seven facets of awakening  . ikadharma) are often considered to be manifested through (bodhipaks the various parts of the man. d. ala, even if the four doors of the latter 12 to the four truths,13 or  may correspond to the four smr. tyupasthanas, to further aspects of the spiritual path,14 according to the different tradi . ikadharmas are connected tions. However, in some texts, the bodhipaks with the female deities, Locana and so on. The latter are purified, viz.,  . ikadharmas.15 symbolized, through the bodhipaks The second context in which visuddhi appears, and on which we shall dwell a little, is the one which deals with the crucial theme of the essential nature of things, not merely as aiming at theoretical definitions, but also as a starting point of the practice that leads to awakening. In this second context we see that the term “purification” is used in two different ways. On the one hand it indicates “pureness”, Buddha’s nature itself, the ever shining and pure condition that is always present in all things. This pureness represents one of the foundations on which the indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.3 86 FRANCESCO SFERRA practice and the doctrine of Buddhist Tantras is based16 and which can  be exemplified by the formulas visuddhis tathata17 and tathatatmik a 18 suddhih. . On the other hand, the term indicates “purification” and  a nirdos. a bhavanti sa therefore a process or a means: yaya sarvabhav visuddhih. .19 This ambivalence of terms denoting purification justifies a question concerning its true meaning. In other words, we must try to answer the question posed by authors such as Kr. s. n. acarya and Ratnakarasanti: if a thing is pure by its own nature, why and in what sense is it purified?20 Or, in other words, if a thing is pure, why is its pureness not evident in itself? In effect, the statement that things possess a pure nature is contradicted by common experience. And we might agree with Abhayakaragupta, when he states that “pureness is [certainly manifest in] a pure reality, but it is not reality tout court, because, if it were, there would be the illogical consequence that, as there are realities everywhere and in every place, there should be pureness everywhere and in every place”,21 but we can see that this is not the case, at least it does not seem to be. Concerning this doubt it is possible to note within the Buddhist schools a progressive development – even though some elements remain constant – of the concept of purity/purification, a kind of redefinition of the concept over the time. Since this redefinition appears to be strictly linked to a shifting of accent in the way of defining the relationship between mind (citta) and maculation (mala), we consider it useful to explore this last point further. III It is well-known that Buddhist tradition conceives mind (citta) as being  naturally pure and shining (prabhasvara; Pal.i: pabhassara) but darkened 22 by adventitious maculations. In answer to the above question, we could say that the process of purification is necessary due to the existence of these adventitious maculations, which is precisely what prevents us from perceiving pureness. The fact that the citta is sometimes not mentioned, and we find it  stated that it is the various realities (bhava) that are naturally pure and shining and that maculations veil the latter only temporarily,23 does not substantially contradict the preeminence of mind, because worldly realities are, in any event, perceived by the mind: it is the mind, in a certain sense, that brings them into existence, allows them to appear and to be the object of knowledge. There is an ancient expression that indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.4 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 87 recurs in these texts, which leaves no doubt on the matter: vis. ayas . , “objects are creations of mind”.24 cittavit. hapitah The importance given to the mind as a foundation both of cognitive process and spiritual progression is stressed in the texts of ancient Buddhism and has constituted an element of continuity in the Buddhist tradition until the present day; this subject has been dealt with repeatedly in a little but very famous work, the Cittavisuddhiprakaran. a by  Aryadeva, who must not be confused with the celebrated Madhyamika teacher. A clear Yogacara trend emerges in this little work, which was probably written at the end of the seventh century CE. It is no coincidence that in one of the first verses the initial stanzas of the Dhammapada are summarized: “The dharmas are preceded by mind, which is the most important and the most rapid of them. Indeed, it is because of mind that one speaks and acts”.25 It is worth noting that purification depends on mind. To use a language acceptable to all Buddhist schools, it is in the mind that the transition between vedana (‘sensation’) and tr. s. n. a (‘craving desire’)  occurs. These are the crucial factors of the pratıtyasamutpada, the  “dependent origination” (Pal.i: pat. iccasamuppada), the factors on which it is necessary to act in order to interrupt the circle of transmigration and sorrow and to give birth to the transcendent dependent origination, the  lokottarapratıtyasamutpada, which begins with faith.26 In other words, attachment, aversion and ignorance become manifest in the mind after  sensation (pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral). They arise in vedana, a conditioned sequence that can however be interrupted. Mind is the very place in which this sequence can be broken. As Abhayakaragupta  states in his unpublished commentary on the Buddhakapalatantra: “the [various] maculations, that is, attachment and so on, are void in themselves [: : : ] their purification [is possible and] depends on the purification of the mind. The mind, in its turn, in shining by its own nature”.27  alacakratantra  that In the Sekoddesa, the only chapter of the Mulak has reached us and one of the most important works of the Kalacakra, we find a statement of great import that, at first sight, appears to contradict our initial premise: “Maculation is not adventitious in mind”.28 The explanation that the Sekoddesa itself and its commentaries29 offer concerning this is very interesting for our discourse: (1) If maculation were adventitious it would follow that it could characterize the mind of a person, even that of a saint; maculations could manifest or disappear at will. (2) If maculation preceded the mind, and had existed from time immemorial, it would be causeless. Instead, it is a creation of mind indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.5 88 FRANCESCO SFERRA (cittavit. hapita). (3) If, on the other hand, maculation were causeless, i.e., if it were born without the mind, it would lack causal efficiency, and would be unable to achieve results, like a flower in the sky. (4) If maculation were connatural with the mind, it would follow that mind and maculations would have the same destiny: either maculations would be indestructible or mind would vanish with them. But these last two hypotheses are unacceptable. The conclusion is that impurity appears with the mind. Therefore, it does not precede the mind, does not follow the mind, and is not born independently of the mind.30 This concept, which seemingly breaks with the preceding tradition, is actually only the more systematic and audacious expression of an idea already found in previous or coeval texts of the Buddhist tradition. Let us consider, for instance, the  Acintyadvayakramopade sa where we read that mind is the support for  the Gun. abharan. ı, and the defects and virtues,31 or the Amr. takan. ika,  which, in similar words, affirm that M Vimalaprabha, ara, evil personified, is nothing but our own mind when it is affected by maculations.32 In other terms, maculations or impurities, like everything else, do not possess an independent reality, they are “void in themselves”. They could not exist if there were no mind. The adventitious nature of attachment, and so forth, exists in relation to the mind. After all, it is the mind that becomes attached, hateful and darkened. And, in the same way that impurities do not exist in themselves, there are no objects or realities that are in themselves impure or pure. It is by purifying the mind that the objects with which it comes into contact also become pure.33 Reversing the initial assumption, we can say that the process of purification is necessary due to the existence of the mind. However, this is not completely true, and does not fully answer the question we posed. Far from being a radical break with ancient Buddhist doctrines, it is rather a change of perspective to which both the thought of Nagarjuna, _ and Vasubandhu must have contributed and that of the school of Asanga in many respects. First of all, it should be noted that both purity and impurity are  conceived as non-subsistent from an absolute point of view. If sam . sara  and nirvan. a do not appear as separate realities but, in a certain sense, depend on our own mind, it is precisely in the mind that the concepts of purity and impurity also exist.34 Indrabhuti clearly states that “the idea of pure and impure is only an idea and nothing more. This idea pertains to common usage. The mutual dependence of these two concepts – like the opposite shores of a sea – implies that if pureness did actually indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.6 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 89 exist, there would be some form of impurity; if – on the other hand – there were no pureness, impurity would not exist either”.35 We would like to point out that these reflections are not aimed at providing a basis for theories on moral relativism, even if it is sometimes possible to interpret the texts in this light. What they seem to say – which will become clearer later – is that “true” pureness essentially depends on a factor that is within the mind, to such an extent that it transcends conceptual constructs (vikalpa) and also the mind’s capacity to create them. In this regard, we cannot gloss over what is precisely  stated in the Prajn~opayavini scayasiddhi, that is, that both maculation  and sam s ara are the mind endowed with conceptual constructs, whereas . . a is the mind devoid of these.36 nirvan From this point of view, it might be said that true pureness of mind consists in transcending the sphere of conceptual constructs, beginning with the very concepts of “pure” and “impure”, and, above all, those connected with the idea of an “I” and a “mine”.37 In any event, texts do not fail to specify that transcending conceptual constructs does not mean attaining a state of insentience.38 On the contrary, the state reached by the mind is essentially knowledge. “Just as the impurity of blister copper is destroyed by virtue of the union with the elixir, but its essential nature is not dissolved and remains pure, so the maculation of mind is destroyed by virtue of the union with voidness, but the true nature of [mind], that is, knowledge, is not destroyed and remains pure”.39 Knowledge is not only the result of the process of purification. Sometimes it is described – more or less implicitly – as an active factor, a factor that determines this process.40 “Buddhahood – we read in the Vasantatilaka – cannot be obtained by men through the absence of conceptual constructs, nor through conceptual constructs. It can occur only through the knowledge of pure realities”,41 that is, the knowledge of the actual nature of aggregates, etc.42 In this respect, ritual baths or practices of external purification are meaningless.43 Realities are not impure in themselves, but only to the extent that their true nature is not known. Concerning this, it is useful to specify that the object of criticism is not thought as a useful and indispensable faculty, but the tendency of thought to consider various realities as independent and substantial. Sometimes, it is simply stated that impurity derives from subject-object dichotomy. Every conception, indeed, every judgment or expectation is basically rooted in this dichotomy. “ ‘O Blessed One – asked Vajragarbha – what are the impure things?’ Blessed One answered: Form, and indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.7 90 FRANCESCO SFERRA so forth. ‘Why?’ [replied Vajragarbha]. Due to the existence of the perceivable and the perceptive. ‘What are the perceivable realities and the perceptives?’ asked Vajragarbha. Form is perceived by eyes, sound by ear, smell by nose, taste by tongue, objects by touch, and pleasure etc. by mind.”44 In the light of these arguments, we believe that we can define purity/purification essentially as a noetic experience: pureness is knowledge because, on the one hand, it permits direct penetration through veils of ignorance and the perception of things as they are, that is, “pure” or adamantine realities; and, on the other hand, because it is only with the manifestation of knowledge that maculation vanishes. As a passage of the Cittavisuddhiprakaran. a reminds us, it is knowledge that completely uproots nescience and sins: “Attachment, aversion, ignorance, envy and  are generally held to be at the root of [all] sins; craving desire (tr. s. n. a)  these cannot be purified by means of a ritual bath (snana). Here [in this world], for a being [sins] derive from the erroneous idea (graha) of an  ‘I’ and a ‘mine’. In its turn, this idea stems from nescience (avidya)  and nescience is known as ‘error’ (bhranti). Just as the [erroneous] perception of a conch as silver vanishes when the conch is recognized,  so [nescience] is utterly uprooted (nirmulam avasıdati) through the  realization of insubstantiality (nairatmya). Just as the perception of a rope as a snake vanishes as soon as the rope is recognized and can no longer be mistaken for a snake, so, through adamantine knowl45 here, in this life, the idea of a [substantial and  edge (vajrajn~ana), independent] being (sattva) no longer arises.”46 As we have seen, maculation has a paradoxical ontological status. It requires mind to exist and vanishes when knowledge appears in the mind; knowledge that could not appear if maculation did not exist. Maculation – we could say – is in the service of the mind, in the same way that – to use the language of alchemy with which many Buddhist and non-Buddhist writers were acquainted – the impurity of blister copper is the element on which the elixir acts to change it into gold. In the Amr. takan. ika it is clearly stated that “[Man~jusrı] is pure because all aggregates, elements, bases and so forth, are no longer obstructed by obstacles by virtue of the fire of Great Attachment”,47 that is, attachment in its transfigured aspect, in the service, as it were, of awakening.48 The paradox lies in the fact that maculation veils the mind and the essential nature of all things, but, at the same time, constitutes the basic element through which the shining nature of the latter manifests, to such an extent that one might say that impurity and pureness are substantially rooted in the same reality.49 indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.8 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 91 IV To sum up, we have said that pureness is the original (or adamantine) nature of things, and that its manifestation corresponds to the more or less gradual revelation of knowledge and to the disappearance of the klesas, i.e., impurities, beginning with attachment. The gradualness with which all this occurs and the employment of several means, which range from the observance of specific rules of conduct to the celebration of liturgic ceremonies and the practice of yogic techniques, authorizes us to speak of a process of purification. Thus, visuddhi can signify both a state of purity and a gradual process of purification, which consists essentially in a progressively less self-centred way of knowing things. We have previously outlined some essential characteristics of knowledge that is able to purify: it can be considered a factor within the mind, to such an extent that it transcends conceptual constructs and the faculty of creating concepts. Far from being a state of insentience, it consists in the consciousness that all dharmas are devoid of their own self.50 Tantric scriptures do not systematically treat nor present univocal or unequivocal statements on this subject. In the last part of this paper we shall briefly examine some other characteristics of this knowledge, in order to stimulate reflection. One of the most interesting and original statements we find in Buddhist tantric works concerns the more or less explicit definition of the Buddha’s knowledge in terms of “pleasure” or “happiness” (sukha). “The knowledge of all the Tathagatas [: : : ] is called Great Pleasure 51 In the texts there are many references to this cognitive  (mahasukha)”. experience, which we could compare to aesthetic rapture, to a kind of pleasure that precedes the subject-object dichotomy, which has nothing to do with attachment and which transcends ordinary pleasure. Regarding this, we find another statement of considerable import: Great (or Supreme) Pleasure derives from the pure nature of objects: “The Supreme Pleasure – we read in the Hevajratantra –, which is directly experienced within ourselves (svasam . vedya), comes from the  pure nature (suddhabhava) of sense-objects”.52 Two things should be noted here: the reference to the “pure nature” of sense-objects and the use of the adjective svasam . vedya. Concerning the “pure nature” of objects, it suffices to say that it means the reality of objects devoid of conceptual superimpositions. To know an object in its pureness does not simply mean knowing its  insubstantiality (nairatmya), but grasping it immediately, without the indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.9 92 FRANCESCO SFERRA mediation of mental constructs. In the light of this, the above-mentioned passage from the Hevajratantra can be considered a modern and succinct  (I, 10): “ ‘May Blessed version of the memorable words of the Udana One teach me the Noble Doctrine! : : : so that I might receive benefit and felicity for a long time!’. ‘Then, : : : you should train yourself [in the following way]: in what you see there must be only what [you] have seen, in what you hear only what [you] have heard : : : ’ ”.53 The modality through which this kind of knowledge operates shows that it is, to some extent, linked to direct perception (pratyaks. a). From this viewpoint, the experience of purification, of non-dual knowledge that manifests before the subject-object dichotomy – i.e., at every given moment in the perceptive process before the manifestation of conceptual constructs (which divide the subject from the object) – can be defined as a return to the moment of direct perception. References to pratyaks. a do in fact abound in the texts of late Indian Buddhism, particularly in the  Kalacakra. “Direct perception – we read in the Laghukalacakratantra – is like a star in the sky [: : : ], reasoning is like a corpse”.54 Thus, to know the pure nature of objects does not only mean “to know the pureness” of their nature, but also “to know” their nature “in a pure way”. The term svasam . vedya merits deeper examination. First of all, it has a wide field of application; in fact, it occurs in several contexts and circumstances in the examined texts.55 Svasam . vedya is not merely pleasure (due to internal or external causes).56 It is also Great Knowledge, which is sometimes referred to as Tathagata’s (or Tathagatas’) knowledge, and identified with Great Pleasure.57 “This knowledge – we read in the Hevajratantra –, which goes beyond the realm of words, is directly knowable inside us. It  corresponds to the adhis. .thanakrama and is identified with the Omniscient 58 One’s knowledge”. “This knowledge, which is free from notions of Self and Other and is similar to the ether, immaculate and void, the very essence of existence and non-existence, supreme, and the fusion of wisdom and means, of passion and absence of passion, arises from direct personal experience”.59 Lastly, purification itself – logically enough – is svasam . vedya: “only purification that is [a reality] directly perceivable within us is able to set us free, and no other means”.60 Sometimes, the term svasam . vedya means simply ‘verifiable through one’s own experience’ and can be considered a synonym of  pratyatmavedya, viz., ‘personally realizable’. However, in the abovementioned stanzas and, often, in the texts examined here, this term is used with a more pregnant meaning. In reference to Great Pleasure indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.10 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 93 and Great Knowledge (which, as we have seen, are like two sides of a coin), it is employed to stress that we are speaking of unconditioned realities, that is, realities that can be fully known and perceived only through a specific cognitive act, a direct and personal experience that – as is clearly stated in some texts – even transcends the mediation of the senses.   . arajn~anasiddhi  In several parts of the Jn~anasiddhi and of the Paramaks – a section of the Vimalaprabha –, there is strong criticism of the idea that Great Pleasure and Great Knowledge may depend on certain conditions: on female and male organs, and on knowable realities (aggregates, and so forth) and sense organs, respectively. Tathagata’s knowledge, indeed, is completely independent of the activity of the senses61 and Great Pleasure has nothing to do with ordinary pleasure.62  n~ana),  The Hevajratantra recognizes that Great Knowledge (mahaj since it pervades everything, also exists in the body (dehastha);63 notwithstanding this, the text states that this knowledge does not arise  from the body64 and – as is clearly stated in the S. at. sahasrik a – does 65 not disappear when the body decays. Therefore, ‘self-perceivable knowledge’, viz., ‘knowledge directly  experienced within ourselves’ (svasam can be termed a . vedyam . jn~anam), priori knowledge, in the sense that it exists independently of knowable realities and transcends the activity of the senses, the means of knowledge. In any case, knowledge being independent of knowable realities and sense organs does not imply a state of insentience. Sometimes, the adjective svasam . vedya is used precisely to underline the fact that the knowledge of the Buddha is not absence of thought.66 However, this adjective is also used to emphasize that this kind of knowledge is the presupposition for ordinary communication and ordinary knowledge. Pun. d. arıka clearly states that if this shining (i.e., self-conscious) knowledge did not exist, it would be impossible to teach the doctrine according to the inclinations of beings, and to know all dharmas.67 We might say that, in the process of purification, this kind of knowledge assumes the leading role that in the teachings of Theravada Buddhism is ascribed to sati, i.e., smr. ti, mindfulness or awareness, the “one sole way that leads to the purification of beings”.68 Of course, also in the  texts of the Vajrayana we find references to the four smr. tyupasthanas, the standpoints of mindfulness, but – as far as we know – they are mostly occasional references in often extremely summarized listings of  . ikadharmas;69 whereas we also find works the thirty-seven bodhipaks partially or entirely dedicated to describing the characteristics of this non-dual knowledge. indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.11 94 FRANCESCO SFERRA V In all the phases of Tantric practice, both in the generation process and the completion process, one tries to stimulate and strengthen in the practitioner an awareness of his adamantine nature, insubstantial ity (nairatmya) and pureness.70 Concerning this, let us consider the   n~anavajrasvabh   atmako  recitation of mantras, such as om aj av . sunyat 71  suddhah . sarvadharmah . svabhava  suddho ’ham72 ’ham or svabhava and the practice of identifying with the chosen deity through techniques of visualization and according to the master’s teachings. 73 Through the sixfold yoga, in particular, the adept attains the vision of every aspect of reality in its pure form. He acquires a new way of “seeing” and “perceiving” the entire reality. It is seen by the yogin as the pure manifestation of divine energies that, according to the Buddhist point of view, can be divided – for didactic purposes – into the six families of the Bodhisattvas. Each of the elements of which the world is composed is ruled by one of the Bodhisattvas or one of their partners: form   by Amit (rupa) is purified by Vairocana, notion (sam abha, and so . jn~a) 74 on. In the following table we can see the correspondence between the thirty-six deities of the Buddhist pantheon and the various realities, according to the Kalacakra teachings.75 1) Vajrasattva Heruka (Aks. obhya) Amoghasiddhi Ratneśa (Ratnasambhava) Kamaladhara (Amitābha) Samayajina (Vairocana) skandha vijn~āna sam . skāra vedanā ~ā sam . jn rūpa 2) Viśvamātā Vajradhātvı̄śvarı̄ Tārin. ı̄ (Tārā) Pān. d. arā Māmakı̄ Locanā 3) Samantabhadra Vajrapān. i Khagarbha Ks. itigarbha Lokeśvara Sarvanivaran. avis. kambhin indriya srotra ghrān. a caks. us jihvā kāya  4) Sabdavajrā Dharmadhātuvajrā Sparśavajrā Rasavajrā Rūpavajrā Gandhavajrā  5) Sumbharāja Us. n. ı̄s. acakravartin Vighnāntaka Padmāntaka Prajn~āntaka Yamāntaka karmendriyā 6) Raudrāks. ı̄ upastha Atinı̄lā vāc Ativı̄ryā pān. i Jambhı̄ pāda Māminı̄ pāyu Stambhinı̄ dhātu akāśa vāyu tejas toya pr.thvı̄ vis. aya dharmadhātu sparśa rasa rūpa gandha kriyā sukracyuti vit.srāva gati adāna alāpa indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.12 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 95 Thus, through the sixfold yoga the yogin directly perceives and becomes aware of the general interrelationship between all the planes of reality; an interrelationship that also extends through the microcosm and the different levels of the path of spiritual advancement. The development of such awareness is accompanied by pure intention (subhasaya), viz., the intention to do good. As the Cittavisuddhiprakaran. a states, on the basis of Vinaya texts, an action performed with a pure intention, even if wrong, entails positive rather than negative consequences.76 It is a condition for gaining spiritual merits and, in the final analysis, for obtaining an increase in faith in the master’s teachings, and in knowledge. It is a “virtuous” circle of which there are other examples in Buddhist doctrine. The manifestation of knowledge/awareness is not completely independent of the intention to do good, of the bodhicitta vow, of the  practice of the four brahmaviharas and of the yoga. Great Knowledge accompanies and, in a certain sense, presupposes all these things. Thus we can say that the development of wisdom goes hand in hand with the development of moral sensibility and concentration. They are interdependent factors that nourish each other. ABBREVIATIONS AAKU AK AKU AP CIHTS CMT CVP Dhıh. HT JS LKC  MA NAK NGMPP NS PAJS SN S. S SU VP YRM  sa Acintyadvayakramopade  Amr. takan. ika (Namasam . gıtit. ippan. ı) Amr. takan. ikoddyota Abhayapaddhati Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies  . an. atantra Can. d. amaharos Cittavisuddhiprakaran. a Dhıh. . Journal of Rare Buddhist Texts Hevajratantra  Jn~anasiddhi  Laghukalacakratantra  ı (Hevajratantrapan~jika)  Muktaval National Archives of Nepal, Kathmandu Nepal German Manuscript Preservation Project  Namasam . gıti  . arajn~anasiddhi  Paramaks  Sam . yutta Nikaya   S. at. sahasrik a (Hevajratantrapin. d. arthat. ıka) Sekoddesa Vimalaprabha  a (Hevajratantrapan~jika)  Yogaratnamal indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.13 96 FRANCESCO SFERRA NOTES  The author expresses his profound feeling of gratitude to the authorities of the K.P. Jayaswal Research Institute and the Bihar Research Society of Patna (India) for kindly having made available their valuable source materials through the good offices of Dr. Gustav Roth and Prof. Raffaele Torella. For the same reason, he would also like to express his deep gratitude to the authorities of the National Archives of Nepal and the Kaiser Library of Kathmandu, of the Royal Asiatic Society (London) and of the Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente (Rome). 1 Cf. NS V, 3 and ff; SU, 161-169; CVP, 4a. 2     aramit   n~anam  . akalpan arahitam aj It is defined man. d. alacakrakarmajn~anamudr . prajn~ap  vikalpajalarahitam (S. S, MS 3-693, fol. 13r2,3 ). 3  ıpoddyotana (comm. on Guhyasamajatantra  Cf. Guhyasamajaprad XVIII, 154, ed., p. 119), LKC IV, 119. 4 However, it should be noted that it is not always possible to clearly differentiate these contexts. 5  ay  an  sarvasattvebhyo hum For example, om . sodhane sodhane sodhaya sarvap . , om .  sarvavit. sarvavaran . ani visodhaya hana hum . phat. , etc. (Sarvadurgatiparisodhanatantra, ed., pp. 126, 128). 6 See, for instance, VP, ed., vol. II, p. 32 and ff. For a general description, see Tucci 19693 : 99 ff. 7 This argument is not shrouded in mystery and is generally devoid of the complex  which is particularly important in Hindu Tantras. liturgy of the mantroddhara, Obviously, much information can be drawn from commentaries. In the LTT. by Vajrapan. i – a commentary on the first ten and a half stanzas of the Cakrasam . varatantra – we find the description of the balisodhanamantra, which has to be used to purify . i the substances that have to be offered to spirits (om . vajrakrodhesvari sarvadravyan  . phat. , MS, fol. 37v. C. Cicuzza kindly gave me the opportunity visodhaya hum to study this text from his forthcoming edition and translation). We could also quote the SUT. , which describes the mantras that are employed in the Kalacakra for the purification of pots (kalasa) and disciples (sis. ya) (ed., p. 10; Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 159–61; cf. also VP, ed., vol. II, pp. 36–7), and the VP (comm. on LKC III, 87; ed., vol. II, pp. 84–5), which explains the mantra (outlined in the verse) that the master uses in the preliminaries of initiation in order to make the Krodharaja enter into the disciple (previously cleansed and anointed with perfumed oils) and eliminate the Maras (cf. LKC III, 88) from him. See also Hopkins 1985: 106–7, 439– 40. 8 J. Hopkins (1985: 69) writes: “The first seven initiations establish potencies in practitioners’ mental continuums for purifying impure appearances and impure conceptions. Impure appearances are appearances, to the mental consciousness, of ordinary phenomena such as a body made of flesh, blood, and bone; impure conceptions are conceptions of oneself, based on ordinary appearance, to be ordinary. During the stage of generation, practitioners develop clear appearance of themselves as the deity, or ideal being, Kalacakra together with a consort and other deities. When such meditation is successful, all ordinary appearances of bodies made of flesh, blood, and bone and houses made of wood and so forth vanish from the mental consciousness (not the sense consciousnesses) such that all that appears is divine [: : : ].” See also pp. 13–22, 71, 108–9, 120–27. 9 Cf. VP, ed., vol. II, pp. 100, lines 24–5; Gun. abharan. ı (MS, fol. 8v1,2 ). For some traditional etymologies of the term abhis. eka, see Hopkins 1985: 66–7, 484, note  adikam   89. In the SUT. (ed., pp. 2–3) we read: sicyate kay . nirmalam . niravaran . am . kriyate ’neneti sekah. “It is seka because through it the body etc. is sprinkled  (sicyate), that is, it is made pure, without obstacles (niravaran . a)”. See also HT II.iii, 12cd. indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.14 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 97 10 During the seven initiations we have a gradual purification of families, elements, aggregates, etc. See SU, 12–14, LKC III, 99 and VP (ed., vol. II, p. 95). On the basis of a wider subdivision, the initiations purify body, word, mind and knowledge. See SU, 10–11, 15–17. See also SUT. (Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 178–182, 185–6, 193); Hopkins 1985: 72–4, 109–118.  ıpan~jika by Kumaracandra – a A similar concept can be found in the Ratnaval  – where we read (ed., pp. 100–2) that the commentary on the Kr. .sn. ayamaritantra   is purified through the initiation of the master, the vagvajra through the kayavajra initiation of the secret parts, and the cittavajra through the initiation of the knowledge of wisdom. It is also worth mentioning that we occasionally find a more specific use of the term “purification” in the texts. Sometimes the past-participle of the root sudh or visudh – the primary meaning of which is ‘pure’, ‘purified’, and so forth – is used to mean ‘furnished with’, ‘perfected by’, as the glosses sometimes confirm. S adhuputra  ıdharananda, for instance, while explaining stanzas six and seven of the Sekoddesa Sr (see below), comments on the word suddham precisely with samanvitam (SUT. ippan. ı, ed., p. 120, line 12. See also Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 142, note 1). evam . s. at. kot. ibhih. suddham . vajrayogais caturvidhaih. j catuh. sambodhibhih.  ayatanas   adikair  skandhadhatv . at. kulaih. jj pat. alaih. pan~cabhih. suddham . lokadhatv  am  adibuddham   kalacakr    abhidh anakam jj (SU, 6–7). mataih. j satyabhy . syat “Thus, purified by the six points, by the four vajrayogas, by the perfect comprehensions, by the aggregates, elements, bases, and [respective] six families, and also purified by five chapters, the first concerning the structure of the world, and  known as Kalacakra”. See also SU, 170– by the two truths, we have Adibuddha, 172. 11 Cf. HT II.iii, 11a. “As for ‘clarification’ by a smile, a gaze etc., the Sanskrit term means literally ‘purification’ (visuddhi), but in Buddhist tantric usage it comes to mean to ‘represent’ or ‘symbolize’. The meanings come together when it is said for instance that the Five Buddhas ‘purify’ the Five Evils, but it can equally well be said that they ‘purify’ the Five Wisdoms, which they effectively symbolize” (Snellgrove 1987, vol. I: 253). With an analogous meaning the term visuddhi is used, for example,  (ed. p. 5) and in the S. S (MS 128, fols. 54v–55r). in the Jn~anodayatantra 12  . tyupasthanavi   . evam  suddhya daks. in. advaram evam vedanasmr . tyupas. dharmamanusmr   . j evam    . [: : : ] suddhya pascimadvaram uttaradvaram thanavi . tyupasthanam . cittanusmr (Hevajrat. ippan. a, MS, fol. 6v4,5 ). Cf. also Dhargyey 1985: 57. 13  j [: : : ] purvoktaman   am  . [cf. CMT, chap. II] tu visuddhim atha bhagavaty aha . d. alan .  aha  j athatah  . sam  [ vaks. ami:  me vada prabho jj atha bhagavan MSS . pravaks. yami 4-342 and 1-220] visuddhim . sarvasodhanam j tatra [tatra: deest in MSS 3-661 and  ı j caturdvaram  . catuh. satyam j catustoran. am 1-220] caturasram . caturbrahmavihar .   as . .tango _  . j ekaput. am  caturdhyanam j as margah a [: : : ] . .tastambha ary . cittaikagrat (CMT, chap. XV, MS 3-661, fol. 32v7,8 , [this MS has a lacuna after the compound sarvasodhanam]; MS 4-342, fols. 57r3 -57v2 ; MS 1-220, fol. 18r5,7 ). 14    . j catuh. samyakprahan . a [ praman . a : catuh. smr. tyupasthanavi suddhya purvvadv aram   am  . : MS] j catuh. .rddhipadavi  [daks. in. e dvar suddhya MS]visuddhya daks. in. advaram  . j pan~cendriyavisuddhya uttaradvaram  . j dhyanacatus  pascimadvaram . .tayavisuddhya  MS, fol. 66r3,4 ). See also the Abhisamayaman~jarı, catustoran. am . j (Hevajrasadhana, Dhıh. (13) 130–1. 15  (MS, fols. 43v9 – See VP, ed., vol. II, pp. 129–30. See also Kalparajatantra  chap. VII, ed., pp. 51 ff, Yoginısam  MS, fols. 2r6 – 44v1 ), Vasantatilaka, . caratantra, 2v4 . 16 See Snellgrove 1987: 125. 17  . khalu vastun  am  . visuddhis tathata smr. ta (I.ix, 1ab). See also sarves. am indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.15 98 FRANCESCO SFERRA  ımahasam  . varodayatantraraja  IV, 18d (ed. Tsuda, p. 81), AK (comm. on NS Sr VIII, 22), ed., p. 69, and AKU, ed., p. 176 (where this verse of the HT is quoted). 18  (MS, fol. 67v1,2 ), comm. on HT I.ix, 3a. YRM (ed., p. 130), MA 19  (MS, fol. 67r3 ). YRM (ed., p. 130); cf. MA 20  comm. on HT I.ix, 2 (MS, fol. 67r5,6 ). Cf. YRM (ed., p. 130) and MA, 21  . visuddhih. j tatvasya sarvavisuddham . tatvam . visuddhih. j na tu tatvamatram  at  j sarves. am _ at  (AP, MS, fol.  . sarvada ca visuddhiprasang tra sarvada ca bhav 23v2,3 ). 22 . avarttika  Cf. Dharmakırti’s Praman I, 210. In the JS (chapter XV, ed., p. 140)  a ahuh  . –] prakr. ti<pra>bhasvaram  idam we read: [sarvatathagat . kulaputra cittam .    candraman. d. alavat j candraman. d. alam j yatha . prakr. tiprabhasvaram . tadvad jn~anam  candraman. d. alam  . am  kramac . sampurn . bhavati, tadvat prakr. tiprabhasvaram . cit . am  . taratnam api paripurn . bhavati j yatha candraman. d. alam agantukakalabhih   kramat  purn  . am suryaman . d. alarasmyapagamat . dr. syate, tadvat prakr. tiparisuddham . _ apagamakram   paripurn  . abuddhagun. am cittaratnam api sarvaklesamalakalank at . dr. syate iti. 23    s. ad. indriyam j svabhavena visuddham . pan~caskandham . .sad. ayatanam . pan~cabhutam   . tam jj (HT I.ix, 2). Beings are already enlightened, their sair avr apy ajn~anakle enlightenment is obscured by adventitious maculations (HT II.iv, 70–71). Cf. also HT II.iv, 77. 24 Cf. AP (MS, fol. 10r3 ). On the term vit. hapita, which lit. means ‘based on’, see Edgerton 1970, vol. II: 486. 25  ngam _ . j manasa hi prasannena manah. purva a dharma manah. sres. .tha manojavah . ate va karoti va jj (st. 10). Cf. Dhammapada, I, 1–2. In the CMT (VII, 13cd– bhas   14ab) we read: manah. purvagamam . sarvam . papapun . yam idam . matam . jj manasah.  aram  . gatisthan  adibheditam  kalpanak . j (trans. George 1974: 79–80). See also JS IX, 6–9; Dhargyey 1985: 53. 26 Cf. SN XII.iii, 23. 27  . cittanairmalyat  adayah     a [: : : ] nairmalyam  j asvabh av mala rag . sunyat . cais. am cittam . ca prakr. tinirmalam . (AP, MS, fol. 10r3,4 ). 28  nagantuko malas citte, st. 129a. 29 SU, 129b–131, SUT. (ed., p. 65; Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 341–2), SUT. ippan. ı (ed., p. 139), SUPan~jika (ed., pp. 290–1). 30 Cf. SU, 132–133 and SUT. (ed., pp. 65–6, Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 342–43). 31 . am  . ca cittam adh  aram  ucyate (st. 33cd). dos. an . ca gun. anam 32 In the AK (ed., p. 2) and in the Gun. abharan. ı (MS, fol. 17r5 ) Ravisrıjn~ana quotes  . svacittam a stanza in which it is stated that Mara is the mind itself: marah . na paro  . [: : : ]. In the VP (ed., vol. I, p. 23, lines 11–2) we read: maro  nama  ’sti marah  am  . sam   amalah    asan  arahitam  sam sattvan . saracittam . vasan . , buddhatvam . nama . sarav . cittam. 33  adir   evantaram In the AP (MS, fol. 10r4,5 ) we read: rag . vis. am . j tad   iti j te ca uktam . bhagavata “ragadves . as ca mohas ca ete loke trayo vis. a”   ah . j tatas cittam eva mud . haraktam  av cittasyaivagantusvabh . dvis. .tam . cantaram . vis. am .   ıvitavighat  at  j tac cittavasad  vis. ayasvarupam  pun. yajn~anasambh araj api vis. am j    . nairmalyan  nirvis. am  yada tu cittam akarun avam . sunyat . abhinnasvabh . niscitam . tada  api malarahitam vis. ayasvarupam .. 34  . vidyate kin~cid na pun. yam In the CMT (VIII, 29–30ab) we read: na papam . kin~cid  am  . cittaraks. ayai   . yatah. sarvam  papapun asti hi j lokan . yavyavasthitih. jj cittamatram .  n~ ca tatsthitih. j (trans. George 1974: 84). ks. an. amatra 35  ad  asucitvam sucitvam asti cet kin~cid asucitvam . bhavis. yati j sucyabhav . sarvatha      p ar ap arakavad yath a j laukik ı kalpanaivais nopalabhyate jj apeks. ikatvam anyonyam . . a  sucyasucyadikalpan a jj (JS X, 9–10). indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.16 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 99 36  adidurv      vajrı jj prabhasvaram  aramal avaliptam uvaca rag . cittam . hi sam . saram .  adimalapralepam    kalpanaya vimuktam j grahyam . prahın. arag . na ca grahakam . avaram  jj “Vajra-Holder said agrasattvas [agrasattvam . : ed.] tad eva nirvan . jagada that transmigration is the mind stained by maculation, i.e., by attachment, and so on, which is difficult to eliminate. [Furthermore,] the Primeval Being said that this same mind, which is shining, devoid of conceptual constructs, free from those impurities and stains that are attachment and so forth, and without the perceivable . a” (Prajn~opayavini  scayasiddhi IV, 22cd–23). See also the and the perceptor, is nirvan   alena cittaratnam following verse: kalpanamalaj . malıkr. tam “The jewel that is mind is stained by the net of maculations that are conceptual constructs” (AAKU, 10cd). Cf. also CVP, 25. 37 Cf. CVP, 66 (see below, note 46). 38 Cf. JS V, 7ab; PAJS (Gnoli 1997: 35–6). 39  tamrasya kalima yadvad rasayogena nasyati j na tasya sattvata nasyen nir  ayogena pranasyati j na tasya jn~anata malatvena ya sthita jj tadvac cittamalah. sunyat nasyen nirmalatvena ya sthita jj (SU, 132–133). In the AAKU (st. 11) we read:   buddham [bauddham  ad ucyate. malapagaman . ?] advayam . jn~anam 40  18–23 (quoted in SUT. , ed., Cf., for instance, CVP, 51 and Dharmadhatustava, p. 66, Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 342–3). 41  na buddhatvam  ca no tatha j suvisuddhaparijn~an  ad  bhaved nirvikalpan . savikalpac  jj (I, 12). eva manıs. in. am 42  . svabhavaparij   at  tad bhavati (ed., n~an In the commentary we read: skandhadeh p. 11). 43 Cf. SN VII.i, 9 (for an interesting analysis of this passage, see Bhattacharya 1973: 116–18), CVP, 60–64. 44  ke te ’visuddhah . j bhagavan  aha   adayah   jj he bhagavan j rup . jj kasmat    at  jj vajragarbha aha  j ke te grahyagr   as ceti jj bhagavan  grahyagr ahakabh av ahak  j caks. us. a gr. hyate rupam  . sabdah. karn. ena sruyate    aha j gandham n asikay a vetti .     spr. syate vastu manah. sukhadim apnute j (HT jihvaya svadanam . vidhuh. jj kayena I.ix, 5–8ab). 45 Cf. JS I, 37, 47. 46  dves. as ca mohas ca ırs. ya tr. s. n. a ca sarvada j pap  an  am  . mulam   atam  . nais. am . akhy rago   ıyagrahad  ete sambhavantı ha janminah. j avidyahetukah   atm snanena sodhanam jj atm .   so ’pi savidy a bhrantir is. yate jj raupyabuddhir yatha suktau suktidr. s. .tau nivartate j   sapi  nirmulam  nairatmyadar sanat avasıdati jj sarpabuddhir yatha rajjau rajjudr. s. .tau  iha janmani jj sattvabuddhis tathatr  api  nivartate j sarpabuddhih. punas tatra naiva syad  nivartate j (stt. 65–69ab). vajrajn~anan 47  ag  analena   ayatan   ınam  . niravaran   a  suddhatm mahar sakalaskandhadhatv ad . ıkaran. at (comm. on NS VI, 5). 48 The same concept – mutatis mutandis – is common to Hinduism and can be found in classical texts of traditional Hindu darsanas. Let us consider just one example: the  in the Sam concept of purus. artha . khya. On this subject, see interesting considerations by C. Pensa in G. Gnoli (ed.) Mircea Eliade e le religioni asiatiche, Serie Orientale Roma (64), IsMEO, Roma 1989, pp. 133 ff. 49 Cf. Tucci 19693 : 23. 50  agatam   . In the PAJS (VP, ed., vol. III, p. 77) we read: iha tath . jn~anam . am  avabodhanam    avalaks  sarvadharman na sarvabh . nih. svabhavat . nama, . an. am . sus. uptacittam. 51  agatam   iti smr. tam (JS VII, 3a, d). sarvatath . jn~anam . [: : : ] mahasukham 52   svasam at vedyam param vis. ayasuddhabhavatv . . . sukham jj (HT I.ix, 3cd). 53 The full passage is: [: : : ] desetu me bhante bhagava dhammam . jj desetu sugato  sukhay  a ’ti jj tasmat  iha te Bahiya  dhammam . jj yam . mama assa dıgharattam . hitaya indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.17 100 FRANCESCO SFERRA evam . sikkhitabbam . jj dit..the dit..thamattam . bhavissati jj sute sutamattam . bhavissati  vin~n~atamattam  jj mute mutamattam . bhavissati jj vin~n~ate . bhavissatıti || evan~ hi te   sikkhitabbam dit..the dit..thamattam Bahiya . jj yato kho te Bahiya . bhavissati jj sute  vin~n~atamattam  sutamattam . bhavissati jj mute mutamattam . bhavissati jj vin~n~ate .   bhavissati jj <tato tvam na tena, yato tvam na tena> jj tato tvam . Bahiya . Bahiya .    Bahiya na tattha jj yato tvam nev’ attha jj tato tvam nev’ idha na . Bahiya . Bahiya  Bodhivagga huram . na ubhayamantarena jj es’ ev’ anto dukkhassa ’ti jj (Udana,  ed. by P. Steinthal, Pali Text Society, London, 1885, p. 8). I, 10; Cf. Udanam, A very similar passage can be found in the SN (XXXV.xcv, 12–13, ed., vol. IV, p. 73). 54  . mr. takatanur iva (LKC IV, pratyaks. am . [: : : ] ud. ur iva gagane [: : : ] anumanam 232 cd). Cf also JS IV, 30cd: sarvam . pratyaks. ato vetti sarvajn~as tena kathyate. 55 Cf., for instance, HT I.viii, 25, 44–45, JS, I, 90. 56 Cf. Sahajasiddhi III, 8, PAJS (ed., VP, vol. III, p. 63, line 2). 57 JS VII, 3b. 58  . vakpath   ıtagocaram j adhis. .thanakramo  at hy es. ah. svasam . vedyam idam . jn~anam  sarvajn~ajn~anatanmayah . jj (HT I.viii, 49). 59  bhaved jn~anam  . svaparavittivarjitam j khasamam  svasam . vedyad . virajam . sunyam .  abh  av  atmakam    ar  agavimi  bhav sram sritam jj (HT I.x, . param j prajn~opayavyatimi . rag 7). 60   suddhya vimucyate j (HT I.ix, 3ab). Cf. also svasam a suddhir nanya . vedyatmik Sahajasiddhi III, 3cd. 61   na bhavati, athendriyadvarikam . svasam . vedyam . tada nis. kalam . sarvagam . sarvavyapi     ~   n~am  at j tasm at t ath agatam j n anam svasam vedyam sarvadharmasvabh avaj sarvavaran . . . . . . nirvikalpam anindriyam iti (PAJS, ed., VP, vol. III, p. 77, lines 30–2; see also Gnoli 1997: 37). Cf. also JS III, 10. 62 Cf. JS VII; PAJS, ed., VP, vol. III, pp. 78–9. 63 Cf. HT I.i, 12a. 64 Cf. HT I.i, 12b. 65  . dehajam  adheyasambandhena   ar In the S. S we read: yadi buddhajn~anam . bhavati j adh  vinasyati yatha pus. pabh  ave  gandhabh  avo,  na yatha pus. pajam . gandham . tadabhave       ato dehe b ahye ca vy apitv ad b ahyastham dehastham ity ucyate j deh abh ave j caivam . .  avo  yasmat  tasman  na dehaja [HT I.i, 12] iti niyamah. j tatha aha  – na tasyabh  asasya yatha bhango _ nasti  kumbhasya bhangatah _   bhango _ ak ca tatha nasti . j jn~anasya _ dehasya bhangatah . jj (MS 3-693, fol. 13v5,9 ). Cf. JS II, 38–40. 66 Cf. PAJS, ed., VP, vol. III, pp. 76–7. 67    agatam   . na bhavati, yadi svasam prakr. tiprabhasvaram . nama . vedyam . tath . jn~anam  tathagatasya   j sarvadharma aprabodhah . , dharmadesana na syat tada sattvasayavasat  j (PAJS, ed., VP, vol. III, p. 77, lines 28–30). asam . vedyatvat 68 In the SN (XLVII.III.ii, 8 and v, 3) we read: “Then, as the Exalted One meditated in solitude, there arose in his mind this train of thought: This is the one sole way that leads to the purification of beings, to the utter passing beyond sorrow and grief, to the destruction of woe and lamentation, to the winning of the Method, to the realizing of Nibbana, to wit: the four stations of mindfulness.” (trans. Woodward 1930: 147; cf. also p. 162; ed., vol. V, pp. 167, 184). 69   The smr. tyupasthanas (Pal.i: satipat..thana; ‘foundations of awareness’) are mentioned for instance in the LKC V, 238c (VP, ed., vol. III, p. 148). Concerning the  . ikadharmas, see also the Yoginısam   MS, fols. thirty-seven bodhipaks . caratantrat . ıka, 16v–32r. See also above, note 15. 70 J. Hopkins (1985: 70) writes: “Through developing, in the stage of generation, clear appearance of pure body and pure mind, ordinary appearances are stopped for the mental consciousness. [: : : ] Thus, successful meditators have a conception of themselves as ideal beings, not inherently existent but merely designated in depen- indi9910.tex; 23/03/1999; 15:58; v.6; p.18 THE CONCEPT OF PURIFICATION 101 dence upon pure mind and body. For deity yoga to succeed, two prime factors are needed: clear appearance of a divine body and pride in being that deity. With success in visualizing the deity, both mind and body appear to be pure; hence, the sense of self that the meditator has in dependence upon purely appearing mind and body is of a pure self, a divine self.” 71 Cf. Hopkins 1985: 107. 72   Parapı.tha, III pat. ala, MS, fols. 22r1 , 26v3 . The same Catuh. pı.thamahatantrar aja, mantra recurs in other texts, such as the Abhisamayaman~jarı (ed. in Dhıh. 13, p. 128) and the VP (comm. on LKC III, 35, ed., vol. II, p. 32). See also Dawa-Samdup 19872 : 87, 122. 73 See, for instance, CVP, 17, 29, 76–78, 80cd–81, 118, 129. 74 In Kalacakra texts we have six families (see, for instance, SU, 161–172; LKC V,  101–107). Vajrasattva is the head of the sixth family, which purifies the jn~anaskandha,   the manas, and so on. On this theme, see also NS III, 1–2 and AK atu, the jn~anadh  ıpoddyotana (ed., p. 17); PAJS (VP, ed., vol. III, pp. (with AKU); Guhyasamajaprad 71–3); Tucci 19693 : 67. 75 See also Gnoli-Orofino 1994: 79. The differences between this table and the ones that we find in other Kalacakra texts has been analysed by Orofino (1996: 138–139). 76  (vol. I, p. 371); Vinayapit. aka (vol. I, p. 83). Cf. 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