Adhisthana
Encyclopedia
Adhiṣṭhāna are initiations or blessings in the Vajrayana
Buddhist schools such as Tibetan Buddhism
and Shingon.
Fremantle
(2001: p. 48) gives an etymology of the Sanskrit "Adhishthana" and Tibetan "jinlab" thus:
Martin (1994: p.274) opines that the Chinese term for 'adhishthana' (Sanskrit) influenced the Tibetan:
points out that in Tibetan Buddhism
adhistana blessings are an important part of the esoteric transmission received from the guru
and lineage
. Receiving these blessings is dependent on the student having proper motivation, aspiration and intentionality (refer: Bodhichitta) and sufficient 'devotion' (Sanskrit: bhakti
). These blessings may be received from the student's guru
during initiation
, from the yidam
during deity yoga or simply from being in the presence of holy objects such as stupa
.
Kiyota (1978: p.70) in a study of the theory and practice of Shingon, an extant non-Himalayan Vajrayana Buddhist school, identifies three kinds of adhisthana:
The term adhisthana is also used to describe the transformative power of the Buddha
. According to D. T. Suzuki:
were introduced in the first wave of translations of Sanskrit texts into the Tibetan language
, from the 8th century onwards, the term chosen by the community of 'translators' (Tibetan: lotsawa
) which importantly is one of the most concerted translation efforts in documented history, chose to render "Adhiṣṭhāna" as "". This metaphorical usage of the 'stream', 'wave', 'thread', 'continuum' is reinforced in philosophy with the mindstream
doctrine and its relationship to tantric sadhana
where it is used in visualizations and invocations, particularly in relation to the Three Vajra of Padmasambhava
and depicted in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist and Bon iconography such as representations of the Adi Buddha and Tapihritsa
. Mills (2003: p.160) in a modern political and power-relations dissection of "chinlabs" in relation to hierarchical structures of the Gelugpa, a school of the 'second wave of translations' (Tibetan: sarma
), holds that:
, mudra
and visualization practices aim at achieving Honzon Kaji, or union with the deity. According to Shingon priest Eijun Eidson:
' (Sanskrit; Devanagari: शरीर) are held to emanate or incite 'blessings' and 'grace' (Sanskrit: adhishthana) within the mindstream
and experience of those connected to them.
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhist schools such as Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
and Shingon.
Nomenclature, orthography and etymology
Adhishthana(m) is a term with multiple meanings: seat; basis; substratum; ground; support; and abode. Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary Online holds the following semantic field for 'Adhishthana':- [noun] standing by, being at hand, approach
- standing or resting upon
- a basis, base
- the standing-place of the warrior upon the car
- a position, site, residence, abode, seat
- a settlement, town, standing over
- government, authority, power
- a precedent, rule
- a benediction (Buddhism)
Fremantle
Francesca Fremantle
Francesca Fremantle is a scholar and translator of Sanskrit and Tibetan works of Hindu and Buddhist tantra, and was a student of Chögyam Trungpa for many years...
(2001: p. 48) gives an etymology of the Sanskrit "Adhishthana" and Tibetan "jinlab" thus:
The Sanskrit word literally means "standing over" and conveys ideas of taking possession, dwelling within, presence, protection, and sovereignty. The Tibetan literally means "an engulfing wave or flood of splendor and power."
Martin (1994: p.274) opines that the Chinese term for 'adhishthana' (Sanskrit) influenced the Tibetan:
Byin-rlabs is commonly glossed as 'gift wave', but it more properly goes back to a literal translation of a Chinese word which was almost certainly made during the earliest introduction of Buddhism into Tibet in the seventh or eighth centuries. It is not a literal translation of the Sanskrit Buddhists term adhisthana. Its actual, or rather its philologically correct, meaning is 'received by (way of) giving'.
Vajrayana
Tsultrim AllioneTsultrim Allione
Lama Tsultrim Allione is an author and teacher who has studied in the Tibetan Buddhist lineage. She was born in 1947 in Maine, in the United States, and given the name Joan Rousmanière Ewing. She first travelled to India and Nepal in 1967, returned in 1969 and in 1970 she became one of the first...
points out that in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
adhistana blessings are an important part of the esoteric transmission received from the guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
and lineage
Lineage (Buddhism)
An authentic lineage in Buddhism is the uninterrupted transmission of the Buddha's Dharma from teacher to disciple.The transmission itself can be for example oral, scriptural, through signs, or directly from one mind to another....
. Receiving these blessings is dependent on the student having proper motivation, aspiration and intentionality (refer: Bodhichitta) and sufficient 'devotion' (Sanskrit: bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
). These blessings may be received from the student's guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
during initiation
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
, from the yidam
Yidam
In Vajrayana Buddhism, an Ishta-deva or Ishta-devata is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for life. The term is often translated into English as tutelary deity, meditation deity, or meditational deity...
during deity yoga or simply from being in the presence of holy objects such as stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
.
Kiyota (1978: p.70) in a study of the theory and practice of Shingon, an extant non-Himalayan Vajrayana Buddhist school, identifies three kinds of adhisthana:
- mudraMudraA mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
, the finger sign; - dharaniDharaniA ' is a type of ritual speech similar to a mantra. The terms dharani and satheesh may be seen as synonyms, although they are normally used in distinct contexts....
, secret verses ; and - yogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, through meditation practicesTantra techniques (Vajrayana)Tantra techniques in Vajrayana Buddhism are techniques used to attain Buddhahood. Vajrayana partially relies on various tantric techniques rooted in scriptures such as tantras and various tantric commentaries and treatises...
.
The term adhisthana is also used to describe the transformative power of the Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
. According to D. T. Suzuki:
The Buddha is creative life itself, he creates himself in innumerable forms with all the means native to him. This is called his adhisthana, as it were, emanating from his personality.
The idea of Adhisthana is one of the Mahayana landmarks in the history of Indian Buddhism and it is at the same time the beginning of the 'other-power' (tariki in Japanese) school as distinguished from the 'self-power' (jiriki).
Stream of blessings
In the Indo-Himalayan lineages of Mantrayana where traditions of TantraTantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
were introduced in the first wave of translations of Sanskrit texts into the Tibetan language
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
, from the 8th century onwards, the term chosen by the community of 'translators' (Tibetan: lotsawa
Lotsawa
Lotsawa is a Tibetan word used as a title to refer to the native Tibetan translators, such as Vairotsana, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa and others, who worked alongside Indian scholars or panditas to translate the texts of the buddhist canon into Tibetan from Sanskrit, Chinese and other Asian languages...
) which importantly is one of the most concerted translation efforts in documented history, chose to render "Adhiṣṭhāna" as "". This metaphorical usage of the 'stream', 'wave', 'thread', 'continuum' is reinforced in philosophy with the mindstream
Mindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
doctrine and its relationship to tantric sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
where it is used in visualizations and invocations, particularly in relation to the Three Vajra of Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ; Mongolian ловон Бадмажунай, lovon Badmajunai, , Means The Lotus-Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighbouring countries in the 8th century...
and depicted in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist and Bon iconography such as representations of the Adi Buddha and Tapihritsa
Tapihritsa
Tapihritsa is a Bönpo who achieved the Dzogchen mastery of the rainbow body and consequently, as a fully realised Trikaya Buddha, is invoked as a yidam....
. Mills (2003: p.160) in a modern political and power-relations dissection of "chinlabs" in relation to hierarchical structures of the Gelugpa, a school of the 'second wave of translations' (Tibetan: sarma
Sarma (Tibetan Buddhism)
Sarma In Tibetan Buddhism, the Sarma schools include the three newest of the four main schools, comprising:*Kagyu*Sakya*Kadam/Gelukand their sub-branches.The Nyingma school is the sole Ngagyur or "old translation," school....
), holds that:
"The acceptance of offerings by worldly deities and spirits was felt very strongly to oblige the recipient to act in favour of the donor, and particularly to act as their protector (strungma), a term widely used by householders to describe the various numina that inhabited their houses. This protection was seen as being a blessing (chinlabs) which descended upon the offerer from above in the manner of a stream. This metaphor of the stream and its pure source is an important one, and is a central idiom by which hierarchical relations, either in hospitality gatherings, offering practices, or religious teachings, were conceived and spoken about, emphasising once again the salience of height as designating relations with social superiors and preceptors."
Sadhana
- The Prayer of Inspiration known as "The Falling Rain of Blessings" (gsol 'debs byin rlabs char 'bebs) (from the Yang Zab Nyingpo)
Honzon Kaji
In Shingon Buddhism, mantraMantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
, mudra
Mudra
A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...
and visualization practices aim at achieving Honzon Kaji, or union with the deity. According to Shingon priest Eijun Eidson:
Honzon simply refers to the main deity in any given ritual. Kaji refers to the enhancement of a sentient being’s power through the Buddha’s power (Nyorai-kaji-riki), and it translates the Sanskrit word adhisthana.
Sarira
'SariraSarira
Śarīra are generic terms for "Buddhist relics", although in common usage these terms usually refer to a kind of pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters...
' (Sanskrit; Devanagari: शरीर) are held to emanate or incite 'blessings' and 'grace' (Sanskrit: adhishthana) within the mindstream
Mindstream
Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
and experience of those connected to them.