Toh 2588A Ritual of Precious “Recitation of the Names of Mañjuśrī”

Exposition of the Scripture on the Sacred Names and Talismans of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī

Context

The scripture Āryamañjuśrīratnopāyikā (The Noble Sacred Names and Talismans of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī) is an important part of the Tengyur, the Tibetan Mahāyāna Treatise Collection. This work is classified among ritual practices (sādhana) and profound analytical manuals on the method of using the names of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī in meditation practice and preliminary activity.

Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is the symbol of perfect wisdom (prajñā) in the Mahāyāna, especially in the Tibetan tradition. This scripture is directed toward practice through affecting the nature of mind by means of the sacred power of the bodhisattva’s names and appellations. “Ratnopāyikā” (Precious Talisman) suggests that this is a precious means (upāya), an authentic path leading to liberation.

This scripture comes from the higher Tantra and Dzogchen tradition, where language, sound, and symbol are not merely meaningless signs but direct expressions of ultimate reality. The practice of reciting the names of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is regarded as an act of practice with profound transformative power.

Main Content

The Precious Talisman scripture focuses on listing and explaining the different names of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, each name corresponding to an aspect of the wisdom of the Buddha Dharma. These names are not merely arbitrary words, but formulas (mantra) that contain transcendent power.

This scripture instructs the practitioner in how to practice:

First, to focus the mind on the image of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, with a pure countenance, youthful yet full of keen intelligence, holding the sword of Wisdom and the book of Prajñā-pāramitā.

Second, through reciting each name sincerely and wholeheartedly, the practitioner begins to dissolve obstacles to wisdom, the darkness of mind, and mistaken discriminations.