The Hidden Bodhicaryāvatāra: Double Entendres, the Confession of Sins, and the Invocation of Mañjunātha
Iain Sinclair
Journal of Contemplative Studies January 29, 2026 DOI: 10.57010/riyr6072 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Confession law Invocation Contemplation Action physics Interrogation Humility Transgressive Aesthetics Rite Epistemology Silence Psychoanalysis Wrongdoing |
| Key points | Argues that Śāntideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra developed in tandem with restricted tantric practices, with its visualization techniques and emphasis on bodhicitta containing double entendres that critique transgressive bodily yogas and internalize tantric praxis. |
Abstract
Modern teachings on Buddhist meditation often draw on Śāntideva’s eighth-century Bodhicaryāvatāra (Introduction to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life). While Śāntideva’s thought is presented as fit for broad global audiences, the fact that it developed in tandem with restricted tantric practices has received little attention. Visualization techniques in the early chapters parallel transgressive rituals in the system of the Secret Communion (Guhyasamāja Tantra). Śāntideva pays homage to Mañjunātha, an esoteric knowledge deity unknown in mainstream Mahāyāna texts, and his emphasis on holding on to bodhicitta, the “thought of awakening,” contains apparent double entendres about libertine yogis. Whereas tantric yoga aims at deification, Śāntideva’s mandalic confession rite aims to foster humility and altruism. Śāntideva’s indirect critique of transgressive bodily yogas paves the way for the internalization of tantric praxis. This article reconsiders the relationship between guided meditation and other kinds of ritual action in an influential contemplative tradition.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |