Toh 517The Dhāraṇī, the Stainless
Pāli / Sanskrit:Vimaladhāraṇī
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THE SŪTRA OF THE STAINLESS MANTRA
Vimaladhāraṇī — A Traditional Vajrayāna Interpretation
Context
The Vimaladhāraṇī Sūtra (The Sūtra of the Stainless Mantra) belongs to the Tantra section of the Kangyur and represents a form of Buddhist literature characteristic of the Vajrayāna tantric tradition. In the tantric context, a “dhāraṇī” is not merely a scriptural passage serving as an aid to memory, but a transcendent formula imbued with the transformative power of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. The word “Vimala” (stainless, pure) indicates that this sūtra focuses on purifying the afflictions (kleśas) of the practitioner’s body, speech, and mind.
The approach of Tantra—distinct from the Śrāvakayāna or Mahāyāna—is to employ esoteric language, symbols, and verbal formulas (mantras) to directly awaken the profound wisdom of the mind. This sūtra is regarded as a Dharma method for eliminating obscurations (āvaraṇas), especially those arising from conceptual discrimination and attachment to worldly things.
Main Content
The specific contents of this sūtra have not yet been fully translated in sources commonly available today. Nevertheless, within the context of the Vajrayāna tantric tradition, dhāraṇī sūtras of this kind commonly present:
First, the appearance or activity of a particular Buddha or bodhisattva, usually one whose form is associated with purification. The Stainless Dhāraṇī is commonly linked with peaceful aspects symbolizing wisdom (prajñā) or luminosity.
Second, the sūtra introduces a sequence of sacred syllables (bījas), the seed syllables with which mantras begin. Each syllable contains the complete awakened nature of the Buddha himself. These sounds are not ordinary words but manifestations of the true mind of the Buddhadharma.
Third, the sūtra describes the method of practice: how to concentrate through visualization, perform the act of generating bodhicitta, and recite the mantra in order to bring about the transformation of consciousness. This is the process of “practicing the three mysteries”
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