Toh 779The Dhāraṇī of Homage

Scripture of the Dhāraṇī of Homage (The Dhāraṇī of Homage)

Context

The Dhāraṇī Scripture of Homage (Toh 779) is a mantra practice of the Vajrayāna tantric tradition, recorded in the Kangyur—the canonical collection of tantric Buddhist scriptures. In Tantra, the concept of “homage” is not merely an outward gesture of reverence, but a profound practice combining faith, wisdom, and the empowering sign of the Dharma.

Dhāraṇīs, in the tantric context, are sacred linguistic formulas—primordial sounds bearing the transformative power of wisdom. They are not ordinary prayers, but sonic symbols of enlightenment. This scripture is presented to provide a particular method of practice through which, by the act of homage, practitioners may recognize the ultimate Mind—the unborn and undying nature of mind.

Main Content

Although the Kangyur contains many different tantric scriptures, the Dhāraṇī Scripture of Homage focuses on teaching a special mantra used to offer complete reverence. In Tantra, the act of homage has three levels: homage of body (bowing until one's head touches the ground), homage of speech (uttering words of reverence), and homage of mind (single-pointedly contemplating the Buddha-nature of the one to whom homage is paid).

Through reciting these dhāraṇīs, practitioners do not merely express outward reverence, but also purify their inner minds. Each syllable of the mantra is a seal of boundless wisdom. The scripture teaches that when one recites the mantra while paying homage, the entire universe of the Buddha Dharma recognizes this in accord. The practitioner is no longer an isolated subject, but becomes part of the current of compassionate energy present throughout the three realms—the three cosmic levels: the realm of form, the formless realm, and the invisible transcendent realm.

The practice of homage through this dhāraṇī also has the purpose of karmic awakening. Homage is a means for eradicating obstacles from former lives, dark words, and actions.