Toh 370Vajraḍāka

An Exposition of the Vajraḍāka Tantra (Toh 370)

Background

The Vajraḍāka Tantra (Vajraḍākatantra) is an important part of the Northern Tibetan Canon—the Mahayana Buddhist tradition focused on the esoteric Dharma. This scripture is included in the Kangyur, the authoritative collection of canonical texts compiled under the patronage of the Tibetan kings, and is now preserved at the Inti Foundation’s Institute for the International Promotion of Buddhist Studies in English.

The term “Vajraḍāka” (Tibetan: rdo rje zhabs) means “Vajra-Hued One” or “One with Vajra Feet.” This name refers to a Buddha or bodhisattva honored in the Tibetan tradition, symbolizing the power, indestructibility, and thoroughgoing nature of the esoteric Dharma.

The Vajraḍākatantra belongs to the class of Tantras in the Northern Tibetan tradition, in which the Dharma is taught in the form of profound esoteric instructions through symbolic imagery, rituals, and inner practices. Such Tantras require guidance from a highly accomplished teacher (guru) and are not teachings intended for the general public.

Main Content

The specific contents of this scripture have not yet been fully translated in the currently available materials. However, according to the general context of the Mahayana Tantras of the Northern Tibetan tradition, the Vajraḍākatantra teaches methods of practice related to the Vajra Being—symbolizing the luminous, undefiled, and transcendent mind.

Tantras such as this commonly present: (1) mandalas—maps of the spiritual cosmos that practitioners visualize and merge with; (2) forms of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and related deities; (3) mantras—profound formulas of sacred sound; (4) sādhana rituals for training the mind to become the mind of a Buddha; and (5) concepts concerning subtle energy (prāṇa) flowing through the body’s energy channels (nāḍī).

In particular, the key term “Ḍāka”