On Rosaries March 4, 2010

I recently found this short scripture, which is about the perfect length for a blog entry.  It’s entitled the Scripture on Meditation Beads of the Yoga of the Vajra-Tip.  There are several scriptures in the Chinese canon whose titles include the phrase “Vajra-Tip” or “Yoga of the Vajra-Tip” (Vajrasekhara), translated in the Tang by the Indian acaryas Vajrabodhi and his disciple Amoghavajra.  They are believed to be early excerpts from a longer collection called Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṃgraha, which is considered in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism to belong to the Yoga class of Tantras.  I haven’t been able to find much information on this short text; a translator’s note in the beginning mentions that it is excerpted from a larger, 100,000-verse collection, which presumably refers to the full Tattvasamgraha, but I can’t find a corresponding section in the Chinese translation of that text done in the Song byDanāpāla.  Anyway, it’s an interesting little text, and I imagine that many of the people who walk around wearing Buddhist rosaries (known as mālā) are quite unaware of the great significance attached to them which this text describes!  So, without further ado…

Scripture on Meditation Beads of the Yoga of the Vajra-Tip

Translated by the Tripitaka Master Amoghavajra of the Great Xingshan Monastery

At that time, the World-Honored One, Vairocana, addressed Vajrapani, saying, “How wonderful, how wonderful – that, for the benefit of the various bodhisattvas undertaking mantra-practice, you would explain the principles of the various different ritual observances, and that, out of sympathy for those sentient beings of the future, you would explain the superior benefit of the great merit of meditation beads.  Having heard such wondrous [teachings], they will quickly attain the siddhis.”  At that time, Vajrasattva-bodhisattva addressed the Buddha, saying, “True indeed, World-Honored One.  I will now explain this.”  Then, Vajrasattva-bodhisattva spoke these verses, saying:

The beads represent the superior fruit attained by the bodhisattva,
Who have completely cut off all outflows.
The string that runs through and connects them all represents Avalokitesvara,
And the mother bead represents Amitabha.
Take care not to cross over [the mother bead], or you will commit the infraction of “transgressing the dharma.”
The accumulation of merit is based on the meditation beads:
Beads made from tridacna shell produce one level of merit;
Beads made from soapberry seeds produce twice as much merit;
Beads made from iron produce three times the merit;
Beads made from worked copper produce four times the merit.
Crystal, pearl, and the other various gems -
Beads made from such as these produce a hundred times the merit.
A thousand times the merit comes from Sakra-seeds;
Beads made from vajra-seeds produce a koṭī [10 million] times the merit;
Meditation beads made from lotus seeds produce a thousand koṭī times;
Beads made from bodhi-seeds produce incalculable merit.
Members of the Buddha-family should perform recitations using bodhi-seeds;
In the Vajra family they should use vajra-seeds;
In the Treasure [Ratna] family, recitations should be performed [with beads] made from various gems;
The beads of the Lotus [Padma] family should be made of lotus seeds;
In the Karma family, when making meditation rosaries,
All different kinds of beads should be strung together.
Meditation rosaries can be divided into four types:
Superior, most supreme, middling, and inferior.
1,080 [beads] is superior;
108 is most supreme;
54 beads is middling,
and 27 beads is inferior.
With both hands holding the rosary over the heart,
Quiet your thinking, free yourself from thoughts, and concentrate the mind.
[Performing] the yoga of your root deity with single-minded focus,
You will completely attain fulfillment of the absolute and relative dharmas.
Place [the rosary] on the crown of your head [or, on your topknot] or drape it on your body,
Hang it on your neck or place it on your arm;
All that you say or discuss will become recitation,
And with that recitation you will purify the three types of karma [of body, speech, and mind].
From placing it on the crown of your head, the unpardonable sins will be purified;
From hanging it on your neck, the four grave offenses will be purified;
Holding it in your hand or on your arm, you can eliminate all various infractions;
[The rosary] is capable of quickly bringing the practitioner to purity.
The method of ritually empowering the rosary can be found in the Susiddhi[kara]-sutra; the Sutra on the Yoga [of the Vajra-Tip] only explains the main import of its capabilities, and does not discuss other related knowledge.

(CBETA, T17, no. 789, p. 727, c3-p. 728, a9)