Book Reviews

Author(s): J W De Jong
Publisher: J W De Jong

Page 18

244
IV.
V.
REVIEWS
(a) the Pancakrama by Nagarjuna, the Sanskrit text of which edited by Louis de la Vallée Poussin, Études et textes tantriques. Pancakrama, Gand 1896. Note that what according to this edition is ch. I is in fact a separate work, the Pindikṛtasadhana; hence ch. II of de la Vallée Poussin's edition is referred to as ch. I by Wayman, etc. A list of those verses which are quoted and translated in the present volume is given below: Pindikṛtasadhana: 43-44 (192), 51-52 (159), 56-60 (209-10), 91-93 (249
P. 25
Guhyasamajanidānakārikā by Wayman. A major part of the present volume consists of the author's own commentary on these forty verses (pp. 181-331). Extensive use is made of Tsongkhapa's subcommentary on the PU (short title: mChan-'grel), as well as other works by Tsongkhapa. The Tibetan text is not always given.
Other tantric texts of which substantial portions are quoted:
P. 26
I now pass to a number of instances where I would suggest that the translation found in the present volume may be corrected or improved.
50).
Pancakrama (Wayman's numbering): 1,2 (297), 3 (198), 19-23 (72), 58 (297), 66 (74); II,5 (191), 8-13 (185), 15 (273), 16-21 (187), 23 (273), 24-25 (188), 29 (186), 30 (321), 32-34 (196), 36 (264), 37 (263), 44-47 (227-28), 50 (239), 53 (188), 57-62 (188-89), 79 (145); III,12 (330), 19 (281), 20 (297), 23 (281), 25 (330), 26-27 (267), 29-30 (297), 31 (327), 36 (293); IV,3, 5-7, 12-13, 16 (320-21), 17 (321), 25-27 (280-81), 31 (284); V,2 (312), 12 (31314), 18 (312), 25 (312), 26 (314), 34-35 (309).
(b) The chapter on the Akṣobhya-mandala in the Nispannayogavali by Abhayākaragupta, English translation pp. 126-130. The Sanskrit text is not given, as it may be found in the edition of Nispannayogavali by Benoytosh Bhattacharyya, GOS 109, Baroda 1949, reprint 1972, pp. 5-7.
from ch. VI of the GST: Wayman: "the samadhi called 'Dustless Diamond Abode"" (virajapadavajram nāma samādhim). This would presuppose *virajavajrapadam, so I suggest "The samadhi called 'Diamond of the Immaculate State"".
ch. VI,1: I suggest the following translation, "The triple vajra (i.e. body, speech and mind) of the tathāgatas, which brings about (vibhāvanam, Wayman: 'which contemplates') a state, viz. the 'Secret State', one may bring to perfection by means of these invocations (ebhiḥ pravarair, referring to the preceding three mantras; Wayman: 'by these preeminences'), (the triple vajra of which each is) distinguished by a characteristic mantra".
ch. VI,3: Wayman emends the line sadhayet pravarām siddhim manaḥ santosanapriyām to... manaḥsamtoṣaṇām priyām, and translates "should accomplish... the 'surpassing one', successful one', 'one satisfying the mind', 'beloved one"". He does not indicate to what these categories might refer. I would suggest the much simpler emendation manaḥsamtoṣaṇapriyām, and translate, "he should accomplish the supreme perfection which is dear because it satisfies the mind". ch.VI,5: kāyavākcittanidhyapteḥ svabhavo nopalabhyate; nidhyapteḥ is taken by Wayman as a gen. ("The self-existence of body-, speech-, and mind-visualization is not reached..."); surely it is an abl., "By meditation on body, speech, and mind, self-nature is not obtained". In the second half of the verse, Matsunaga reads mantramurtiprayogena na bodhir na ca bhāvanā, "nor is Enlightenment or meditational realization (obtained) by the application of the body of mantras". ch.VI,6: I would (with Matsunaga) retain vidhisamyogam (Wayman: bodhisam°), cf. VI,2 buddhan pujayed vidhivat. I translate the second half of the verse, "he