Buddhist tantric practitioners embrace the liminal status of the human body to manifest divine identity. In piercing to the pith of human embodiment, the tantric practitioner reconfigures the shape and contours of his/her reality. This article investigates the evolution of one particular technique for piercing to the pith of the body on Tibetan soil, a ritual practice known as body mandala [lus dkyil Skt. deha-maṇḍala]. In particular, it uncovers a significant shift of emphasis in the application of the Guhyasamāja body mandala practice initiated by champions of the emerging Gandenpa [Dga’ ldan pa] or Gelukpa [Dge lugs pa] tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) and Mkhas grub rje (1385–1438). This article reveals some of the radical implications of ritual exegesis, ranging from the socioreligious aspects of securing prestige for a tradition to the ultimate soteriological goals of modifying the boundaries between life and death and ordinary and enlightened embodiment.
目次
1. Introduction: Acts of Mapping Landscape, Body, and Text 2. Contributions and Goals 3. Mapping the Body in a Ritual Text from Dunhuang 4. Goddesses, Elements, and Winds: Mkhas Grub Maps the Guhyasamāja Body Mandala 5. Dissolving the Bodies of Fifteenth-Century Tantric Practitioners 6. Conclusions: Piercing to the Pith
