Toh 681The Web of Lotuses, the Root Tantra of Avalokiteśvara
Pāli / Sanskrit:Avalokiteśvarapadmajālamūlatantrarāja
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The Scripture of the Web of Lotuses—A Tantra Teaching on Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva
Background
The Web of Lotuses, the Root Tantra of Avalokiteśvara (Avalokiteśvarapadmajālamūlatantrarāja) is a tantric scripture belonging to the Vajrayāna system, preserved in the Kangyur, the collection of scriptures translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan. It is one of the important scriptures of the Tantra section that teaches practice through the imagery and disciplines of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva—the embodiment of great compassion in the Buddhadharma.
The title uses the image of a “web of lotuses” (padmajāla) to symbolize the interconnection and interweaving of countless methods of compassion and wisdom, all joined within an integral system. This scripture is foundational (mūla), meaning that it presents the essential principles of Avalokiteśvara practice in the Vajrayāna tradition.
Main Content
In the Vajrayāna tradition, Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is not merely a deity to whom prayers are directed, but a nature of buddhahood within the dharmadhātu that can be directly realized through tantric practice. This scripture teaches that by establishing oneself in the form of Avalokiteśvara and concentrating on his boundless compassionate nature, practitioners can overcome psychological obstacles and themselves attain liberating wisdom.
The image of the “web of lotuses” alludes to the organization of the practice: like a network of countless strands connecting methods of compassion, each strand leads to the transformation of the mind and ultimately to the opening of buddha-wisdom. Centered on Avalokiteśvara, this scripture instructs practitioners in the following methods:
First, visualizing oneself and the surrounding universe in the form of the all-powerful Avalokiteśvara with countless arms, each arm manifesting a different means of deliverance.
Second, repeating mantras connected with his unconditional compassion, thereby activating the latent capacities within the mind.
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