This event is an online panel, and can be attended online via Zoom.
This event is made possible by the generous support of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, co-sponsored by the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS).
We are delighted to host this virtual symposium entitled:
Other Power IV:
Its Nature and Role in Buddhist Awakening
About this Series
This virtual symposium is the fourth in a series of panels of scholars investigating various dimensions of the “Other Power” in Buddhism organized by Prof. Kenneth Tanaka. Links to the first three symposia as well as video recordings and text Q&A, may be found below.
About this Event
In this fourth symposium in the series on “Other Power in Buddhism,” we are expanding our scope to include materials from Tibetan Buddhism while continuing to include new topics from India and East Asia. In the first presentation, we will learn that in India and early Tibetan Buddhism consecration is represented as the gateway ritual allowing an initiate access to the ritual practice and scriptural literature of the esoteric tradition. Supporting these consecrations are the Other Power of the Buddha and the lineage graced by the teachers. The second presentation will reveal that according to Tibetan Dzogchen texts, “other power” also refers to the idea that awakening cannot be achieved through the known self but rather is a natural state of being that is already present within each of us. The notion of inherent realization challenges the traditional view that realization is caused by individual effort and self-exertion. The third presentation will argue that the non-dual Mahayana philosophical underpinnings of the mantra teachings ultimately call into question the polemical claims about Other Power over Self Power approaches as well as the very idea that Self Power can exist without Other Power. The final presentation will show that practice is, as it were, enlightenment itself. So the practice is not separate from the world of enlightenment and is sustained, carried, and realized by the wisdom of Buddha or the support of Other Power.
About the Panelists and their Papers
Ronald M. Davidson, Professor, Fairfield University, Connecticut
Grace of the Teacher, Power of the Lineage: Abhiṣeka in India and Early Tibet
Consecration or initiation (abhiṣeka) is represented as the gateway ritual allowing an initiate access to the ritual practice and scriptural literature of the esoteric tradition, variously described as the path of mantras (mantranaya) or the lightning path (Vajrayāna). Both Indian and Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism identify the levels of consecration into the tradition as the blessing of the teacher and his lineage, a model that in some measure evolves from the power of the Buddha in earlier Mahayana documents. The earliest abhiṣeka was simply a consecration of the elements in the mandala, evident in the sixth century CE. By the middle of the seventh century, consecration rituals had substantially evolved into the grand multi-day celebrations found in the Dhāraṇīsaṃgraha translated by Atikūṭa in 654 CE. With the addition of later forms of consecration in the eighth to the tenth centuries, both the form and force of the ritual continued to develop. In Tibet, ritual systems diverged: The conservative traditions like the Sakya closely followed Indian models. On the other hand, alternative explanations, especially among the Nyingma, foregrounded specific Tibetan gnostic concerns that were evident in Tibetan apocryphal tantras. All these required a teacher graced with a lineage.
Grace of the Teacher, Power of the Lineage: Abhiṣeka in India and Early Tibet
Consecration or initiation (abhiṣeka) is represented as the gateway ritual allowing an initiate access to the ritual practice and scriptural literature of the esoteric tradition, variously described as the path of mantras (mantranaya) or the lightning path (Vajrayāna). Both Indian and Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism identify the levels of consecration into the tradition as the blessing of the teacher and his lineage, a model that in some measure evolves from the power of the Buddha in earlier Mahayana documents. The earliest abhiṣeka was simply a consecration of the elements in the mandala, evident in the sixth century CE. By the middle of the seventh century, consecration rituals had substantially evolved into the grand multi-day celebrations found in the Dhāraṇīsaṃgraha translated by Atikūṭa in 654 CE. With the addition of later forms of consecration in the eighth to the tenth centuries, both the form and force of the ritual continued to develop. In Tibet, ritual systems diverged: The conservative traditions like the Sakya closely followed Indian models. On the other hand, alternative explanations, especially among the Nyingma, foregrounded specific Tibetan gnostic concerns that were evident in Tibetan apocryphal tantras. All these required a teacher graced with a lineage.
Ronald M. Davidson is Professor of Religious Studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. His Ph.D. was in Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley (1985). His publications focus on Indian and Tibetan esoteric Buddhist traditions and related matters. His publications include Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement (Columbia U. Press, 2002), Tibetan Renaissance: Tantric Buddhism in the Rebirth of Tibetan Culture (Columbia U. Press, 2005), several edited volumes, a series of focused studies on Dhāraṇī Literature, and studies of pre-tantric traditions in India.
Georgios T. Halkias, Professor, The University of Hong Kong
An Exploration of Other Power in the Great Perfection
There are elements similar to the concept of “other power” that are not explicitly discussed or defined in Dzogchen. The most important is the power of the realized guru who imparts pointing-out instructions (ngo sprod) and transmissions (rlung) to the disciple for recognizing rigpa, confers empowerments (dbang), grants blessings (byin rlabs), and gives out instructions (khrid). In treasure literature texts (gter ma), references are made to ḍākinī, female deities or enlightened beings linked to the five elements as supportive forces. They appear in dreams and visions as symbols of ultimate reality, offering guidance and transmitting teachings that enhance spiritual realization. According to Dzogchen texts, “other power” also refers to the idea that awakening cannot be achieved through the known self, but rather is a natural state of being that is already present within each of us. The notion of inherent realization challenges the traditional view of Buddhist realization said to be caused by individual effort and self-exertion, while also questioning the notion of agency by recognizing a self-emerging primordial awareness (rig pa) that underpins all mental and physical phenomena and goes beyond constructed boundaries between self and other.
An Exploration of Other Power in the Great Perfection
There are elements similar to the concept of “other power” that are not explicitly discussed or defined in Dzogchen. The most important is the power of the realized guru who imparts pointing-out instructions (ngo sprod) and transmissions (rlung) to the disciple for recognizing rigpa, confers empowerments (dbang), grants blessings (byin rlabs), and gives out instructions (khrid). In treasure literature texts (gter ma), references are made to ḍākinī, female deities or enlightened beings linked to the five elements as supportive forces. They appear in dreams and visions as symbols of ultimate reality, offering guidance and transmitting teachings that enhance spiritual realization. According to Dzogchen texts, “other power” also refers to the idea that awakening cannot be achieved through the known self, but rather is a natural state of being that is already present within each of us. The notion of inherent realization challenges the traditional view of Buddhist realization said to be caused by individual effort and self-exertion, while also questioning the notion of agency by recognizing a self-emerging primordial awareness (rig pa) that underpins all mental and physical phenomena and goes beyond constructed boundaries between self and other.
Georgios T. Halkias is the Director of the Centre of Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong. He earned his DPhil in Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford with an emphasis on Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhism. His dissertation turned into his first book, Luminous Bliss: A Religious History of Pure Land Literature in Tibet (Hawaii 2013). Since then, he has researched and published on Tibetan Buddhist literature and history, the interface between Buddhism and Hellenism, and Pure Land Buddhism in Tibetan contexts. His most recent publications include The Copper-Colored Mountain: Jigme Lingpa on Rebirth in Padmasambhava’s Pure Land (Shambhala 2022), Pure Lands in Asian Texts and Contexts: An Anthology (Hawaii 2019), and Religious Boundaries for Sex, Gender, and Corporeality (Routledge 2018). He currently serves as co-editor-in-chief for the Oxford Encyclopaedia of Buddhism.
Aaron Proffitt, Associate Professor, State University of New York, Buffalo
Other Power and the Mantra Teachings
Pure Land Buddhist thinkers have often categorized Shingon Esoteric Buddhism as a “self power” practice. Shinran (1173-1263) himself notes that many practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism ultimately turn to the Pure Land path at the end of their lives. When read in its broader context however, one finds that not only were the mantra teachings seen as a powerful tool for attaining rebirth in the Pure Land, and not only were some of the most important systematizers of East Asian Esoteric Buddhism also enthusiastically engaged in Pure Land practice throughout their lives, but moreover, the non-dual Mahayana philosophical underpinnings of the mantra teachings ultimately call into question polemical claims about Other Power over Self Power approaches, and as well even undermines the very idea that Self Power can exist without Other Power. In this talk, I will explore how the concept of Other Power functions within the Shingon tradition by exploring the thought of Dōhan (1179-1252), a Kōyasan scholar-monk living during the Kamakura Period. In addition to considering the many areas of “overlap” between Pure Land Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism, this paper will also consider how, when taken at face value, premodern polemics and modern sectarianism may interfere with our ability to accurately engage with pan-Mahayana concepts like Other Power.
Other Power and the Mantra Teachings
Pure Land Buddhist thinkers have often categorized Shingon Esoteric Buddhism as a “self power” practice. Shinran (1173-1263) himself notes that many practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism ultimately turn to the Pure Land path at the end of their lives. When read in its broader context however, one finds that not only were the mantra teachings seen as a powerful tool for attaining rebirth in the Pure Land, and not only were some of the most important systematizers of East Asian Esoteric Buddhism also enthusiastically engaged in Pure Land practice throughout their lives, but moreover, the non-dual Mahayana philosophical underpinnings of the mantra teachings ultimately call into question polemical claims about Other Power over Self Power approaches, and as well even undermines the very idea that Self Power can exist without Other Power. In this talk, I will explore how the concept of Other Power functions within the Shingon tradition by exploring the thought of Dōhan (1179-1252), a Kōyasan scholar-monk living during the Kamakura Period. In addition to considering the many areas of “overlap” between Pure Land Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism, this paper will also consider how, when taken at face value, premodern polemics and modern sectarianism may interfere with our ability to accurately engage with pan-Mahayana concepts like Other Power.
Aaron Proffitt is Associate Professor of Japanese Studies at The University at Albany-SUNY. He earned his Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2015. His first book, Esoteric Pure Land Buddhism (Hawaii 2023), explores the ways that Buddhists in East Asia employed tantric thought and practice to attain rebirth in the Pure Land, and contains the first translation of Dōhan’s (1179-1252) Himitsu nenbutsu shō into a modern language. His research and publications have explored Esoteric Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and the Lotus Sutra, and his current research explores the way that emptiness has been understood and employed within the Pure Land tradition. Makio Takemura, Prof. Emeritus & Past President, Tōyō University, Tokyo
The Dimensions of Other Power in Mahayana Buddhism
It is regarded in Buddhism that one should practice by himself or herself to realize Buddhahood. However, in order to practice the Buddhist way, one is taught to first listen to the Buddha’s teachings, understand them well, and practice them. This is well known as the process of “listening-thinking-practicing” or “faith-practice-enlightenment.” The various teachings of Buddha that are the basis of practice are said to flow out from the realm of truth (dharma-dhātu-niṣyanda). This means that at the starting stage of the Buddhist practice, one should follow the voice of Oneness that transcends oneself and be guided by that Other Power. It may also be thought that Buddhist practices progress by self-power. However, the meaning of wisdom in the Six Paramitas or Perfections (the fundamental practice in Mahayana Buddhism) is that the practice itself has already reached the other shore of enlightenment. Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen school in Japan, made this very point in his work Shobogenzo. This means that practice is, as it were, enlightenment itself. So the practice is not separate from the world of enlightenment and is sustained, carried, and realized by the wisdom of Buddha. As seen above, even though Mahayana is often regarded as “Buddhism of self-power,” the goals of the practices are attained by the support of the Other Power. Nishida Kitaro, considered the greatest philosopher in modern Japan, stated that there cannot be a religion of self-power. I also think that Mahayana Buddhism is also a path that fundamentally follows the calling voice of the Oneness that transcends myself.
The Dimensions of Other Power in Mahayana Buddhism
It is regarded in Buddhism that one should practice by himself or herself to realize Buddhahood. However, in order to practice the Buddhist way, one is taught to first listen to the Buddha’s teachings, understand them well, and practice them. This is well known as the process of “listening-thinking-practicing” or “faith-practice-enlightenment.” The various teachings of Buddha that are the basis of practice are said to flow out from the realm of truth (dharma-dhātu-niṣyanda). This means that at the starting stage of the Buddhist practice, one should follow the voice of Oneness that transcends oneself and be guided by that Other Power. It may also be thought that Buddhist practices progress by self-power. However, the meaning of wisdom in the Six Paramitas or Perfections (the fundamental practice in Mahayana Buddhism) is that the practice itself has already reached the other shore of enlightenment. Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen school in Japan, made this very point in his work Shobogenzo. This means that practice is, as it were, enlightenment itself. So the practice is not separate from the world of enlightenment and is sustained, carried, and realized by the wisdom of Buddha. As seen above, even though Mahayana is often regarded as “Buddhism of self-power,” the goals of the practices are attained by the support of the Other Power. Nishida Kitaro, considered the greatest philosopher in modern Japan, stated that there cannot be a religion of self-power. I also think that Mahayana Buddhism is also a path that fundamentally follows the calling voice of the Oneness that transcends myself.
Makio Takemura is Prof. Emeritus & Past President of Tōyō University in Tokyo. He earned his Litt.D. in Buddhist Studies at Tokyo University in 1993 with the study of Mind-only philosophy. His dissertation was published as The Study of Three-nature Doctrine in Mind-only Teaching. Since then, He has also researched and published in the areas of Hua-yen Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism. His most recent publications include Mind-only Buddhism, Hua-yen Buddhism, Kukai’s Esoteric Buddhism and Nishida Philosophy (Tokyo, 2021), A Study of Dogen’s Philosophy (Tokyo, 2022), and A New Treatise on Kukai’s thoughts (Tokyo, 2023).About the Organizer & Moderator
Kenneth K. Tanaka is Professor Emeritus of Musashino University, Tokyo. He received his education at Stanford (B.A.), a temple in Thailand, Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley (M.A.), Tokyo University (M.A.), and the Universiy of California, Berkeley (Ph.D.). After serving as Associate Professor and Assistant Dean at IBS for 11 years, and a resident priest for 3 years in a Shin temple in California, he taught at Musashino University for 20 years. He is the former President of the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS). His publications include The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine, Ocean: An Introduction to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in America, and books in Japanese on Shin and American Buddhism. His books have been translated into Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese. He is the 2017 recipient of the 27th Nakamura Hajime Eastern Study Prize, awarded by the Eastern Institute and the Indian Embassy, Tokyo.
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