Toh 538The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings”

Summary

The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings” includes a
short dhāraṇī along with its rite. The dhāraṇī is used to make extensive
offerings to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Its recitation purifies evil and
brings virtue to the reciter, such that he or she will be protected and, at the
time of death, will take rebirth in Sukhāvatī.

Acknowledgements

This publication was completed under the patronage and supervision of
84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The text was translated, edited, and introduced by the 84000 translation
team. Catherine Dalton produced the translation and wrote the introduction.
Nathaniel Rich edited the translation and the introduction, and Dawn Collins
copyedited the text. Martina Cotter was in charge of the digital publication
process.

Introduction

The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings” includes
a dhāraṇī for making offerings and its brief rite. Through simply reciting
the dhāraṇī one makes vast offerings to countless buddhas. The result of
these offerings is that the reciter is freed from their evil deeds and
obtains virtues. One will continually encounter the buddhas and
bodhisattvas, be protected by all manner of beings, and finally, at the time
of death, one will take birth in Sukhāvatī.

Like many dhāraṇī texts, The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings” is found in the Degé Kangyur in both the Tantra section,
where it is classed as an action tantra (bya rgyud, kriyātantra), and in the Compendium of Dhāraṇīs section. We
are unaware of either an extant Sanskrit text or a Chinese translation of
The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings”. None of the
Kangyur recensions includes a translators’ colophon, but a text bearing the
same title appears in both the Denkarma as well as the Phangthangma imperial
catalogs, suggesting that some version of The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings” was translated into Tibetan and circulated in
Tibet during the imperial period. We cannot be sure, however, that
the texts referenced in these catalogs match the present work.

Indeed, at Dunhuang we find a number of manuscripts that include
texts entitled The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings”,
yet none of them is an exact match for the recension in the Kangyurs. Some
of the recensions at Dunhuang include just a dhāraṇī, which is essentially
the same as the one found in the Kangyur recensions, with minor variants;
others include this same dhāraṇī with an additional prayer, rather than the
rite described in The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings” as it appears in the Kangyurs; still another group
include an entirely different dhāraṇī that nonetheless bears the same
name.

This translation was made on the basis of the two Degé Kangyur
recensions of the text (Toh 538 and Toh 1068 ), with reference to the Stok Palace edition as well as to the notes
to the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma).
There are no major discrepancies among the recensions consulted. The dhāraṇī
proper has been transcribed exactly as it occurs in Toh 538.

The Translation

The Dhāraṇī “Cloud of Offerings”

Homage to the Three Jewels.

namo ratna trayāya| namo
bhagavate| vajrasāra pramardani| tathāgatāya| arhate samyaksaṃbuddhāya|
tadyathā| oṃ vajre vajre| mahāvajre| mahātejavajre| mahāvidyāvajre|
mahābodhicittavajre| mahābodhimaṇḍōpasaṃkramaṇavajre| sarvakarma
āvaraṇaviśodhanavajre svāhā||

The rite for this dhāraṇī mantra is as follows. In the instant of
recollecting it, one makes offerings to as many blessed buddhas who reside
in the ten directions as there are coarse and subtle grains of sand in the
river Gaṅga, and pays homage at their feet. These offerings are in the form
of flowers, incense, perfumes, flower garlands, scented unguents, powders,
parasols, banners, pennants, seats, carpets, clothing, enjoyments, food,

and so forth, as well as ornaments and flowing garments. One
will be freed from all evil deeds and will possess every virtue. One will
see all the buddhas and bodhisattvas and thereby be comforted. All the gods,
nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kinnaras, and mahoragas, as well as the Lords of Secrets, such as Vajrapāṇi, as well as the Four
Great Kings, will follow, protect, guard, and remain near to one. When one dies and transmigrates, one will be
born in the realm of Sukhāvatī. If one has not accomplished these special
qualities, they will be obtained with just a single recitation.

This completes the dhāraṇī called “The
Cloud of Offerings.”

Notes

Bibliography

Source Texts

Secondary Sources