The Mantra of Light (Japanese: kōmyō shingon, 光明眞言, Sanskrit: Prabhāsa-mantra), also called the Mantra of the Light of Great Consecration (Ch: 大灌頂光真言) and Mantra of the Unfailing Rope Snare, is an important mantra of the Shingon and Kegon sects of Japanese Buddhism. It is also recited in Japanese Zen Buddhism.[1]

The mantra is found in the Amoghapāśa-kalparāja-sūtra (Chinese translation at Taisho no. 1092) or Sutra of the Mantra of the Unfailing Rope Snare of the Buddha Vairocana's Great Baptism and is associated with the deity Amoghapāśa (lit. "Unfailing Rope"), a form of Avalokiteshvara. It is also the mantra associated with the consecration (abhiseka) of Amoghapāśa by myriad Buddhas (hence its name as "mantra for the mudrā consecration" in the Tibetan version of the text).[2][3]

Mantra

Stone stele of the Mantra of Light, Niutsuhime-jinja, Japan

The "mantra of light" is the following:

Sanskrit

Chinese script

Japanese

Korean

Vietnamese

Tibetan

Translation

The translation of this mantra, according to Professor Mark Unno,[2] is roughly:

Praise be to the flawless, all-pervasive illumination of the great mudra [or seal of the Buddha ]. Turn over to me the jewel, lotus and radiant light.

Another translation according to the Dharmachakra Translation Committee is:[3]

“Oṁ, amogha jewel-lotus of the splendorous great mudrā! Blaze! Set in motion! Hūṁ!”

Use and history

Light Mantra Mandala

The mantra appears in the Amoghapāśa-kalparāja-sūtra. It is used as a consecration mantra by the Buddhas of the ten directions which appear to ritually consecrate the bodhisattva Amoghapāśa. In the Tibetan version of this text, the passage which introduces the mantra is:

All the tathāgatas throughout the ten directions, the fully realized buddhas established throughout the three times, became clearly visible, appearing, through their magical power, to be suspended in the canopy of the sky. They applauded the blessed Tathāgata Śākyamuni: “Good! It is good, Śākyamuni! This king of consecrations is extremely difficult to obtain. The king of vidyās was also consecrated by the former tathāgatas established throughout the three times. All of us declare with a single voice that each of us will also consecrate the great king of vidyās, the Light of the Wish-Fulfilling Amogha Jewel.” Subsequently, each of the tathāgatas established throughout the three times extended his golden hand and consecrated the king of vidyās by anointing his head. Each tathāgata thus bestowed the mudrā consecration upon the king of vidyās. The mantra for the mudrā consecration is: “Oṁ, amogha jewel-lotus of the splendorous great mudrā! Blaze! Set in motion! Hūṁ!” Immediately after bestowing the great mudrā of consecration, each tathāgata congratulated the king of vidyās and disappeared, returning to his particular buddha field.[3]

Initially, the mantra received little mention in East Asian Buddhist texts. The mantra is found in a short text translated by Amoghavajra which focuses on its apotropaic and healing uses (Taisho no. 1002, entitled Sutra of the Amoghapasa Light Mantra of the Buddha Vairocana’s Great Consecration, 不空羂索毘盧遮那佛大灌頂光真言一卷). Although Kukai brought the Amoghapāśa-kalparāja to Japan in the 9th century, there are no records that he ever utilized it in tantric practices.[2]

Records show gradually increasing use in the Heian Period, until the 13th century when it was popularized in medieval Japanese Buddhism by Myōe,[2] and later by Shingon monks Eison and Ninshō in their ministries.[4]

Both the Mantra and the nembutsu were often incorporated by medieval Buddhists at one time or another, often in the same service. A common practice for the Mantra of Light was to sprinkle pure sand, blessed with this mantra, on the body of a deceased person or their tomb, based on teachings expounded in the Sutra. The belief was that a person who had accumulated much bad karma, and possible rebirth in Hell would be immediately freed and allowed a favorable rebirth into the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. This practice is known as dosha-kaji (土砂加持) in Japanese.

Today, the mantra remains one of the most popular mantras in Shingon Buddhism.

References

  1. ^ Unno, Mark, Shingon Refractions: Myoe and the Mantra of Light, Ch. 1.
  2. ^ a b c d Unno, Mark (2004). Shingon Refractions: Myoe and the Mantra of Light. Wisdom Press. pp. 1, 26–41. ISBN 0-86171-390-7.
  3. ^ a b c "The Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa | 84000 Reading Room". 84000 Translating The Words of The Buddha. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  4. ^ Tanabe Jr., George (1999). Religions of Japan in Practice. Princeton University Press. p. 92. ISBN 0-231-11286-6.
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