Toh 707Dhāraṇī for a Beautiful Slender Physique

Explanation of the Ruciraṅgayaṣṭidhāraṇī

Dhāraṇī for a Beautiful and Slender Physique

Background

The Ruciraṅgayaṣṭidhāraṇī belongs to Vajrayāna esoteric Buddhism and is contained in the Kangyur—the ancient repository of Buddhist scriptures preserved in the Tibetan tradition. It is a secret dhāraṇī (陀羅尼), a wondrous sacred formula taught in the context of bodhisattvas and buddhas.

Dhāraṇīs in esoteric Buddhism are not superstitious formulas, as the Theravāda tradition is said to regard them. They are sounds that make direct contact with transcendent wisdom (jñāna) and are regarded as “words of the Buddha” (Buddhavākya) bearing the liberating intention of the bodhisattvas who are present. When practitioners cultivate a dhāraṇī, they do not merely pronounce it but also remain mindful of the nature of reality signified by its words.

This scripture is especially associated with the yidam (本尊—the sacred deity selected as the object of meditation), bodhisattvas, or buddhas described as having beautiful, slender forms—symbols of the refinement and purity of absolute wisdom.

Main Content

The Ruciraṅgayaṣṭi Dhāraṇī—meaning “a beautiful physique like a slender bamboo stalk”—was established to invoke blessings related to a beautiful physical form and fresh vitality. In the Vajrayāna esoteric tradition, however, the concept of “beauty” is not vanity—it is the manifestation of a purified mind, a mind that contemplates the true nature of phenomena.

This scripture teaches that through faith in the dhāraṇī and sustained practice, practitioners will:

First, bring the body into accord with the law of the Dharma—that is, the body will no longer be blindly governed by habitual tendencies, endless craving, anger, and delusion. The body becomes “slender” because it is no longer filled with such cravings, anger, and delusion.

Second, the beauty of the physical form corresponds to the light of wisdom radiating from within.