Ācāryas' Mantrayāna Canonical Classification Comprehensive Record (諸阿闍梨真言密教部類總錄)

About 諸阿闍梨真言密教部類總錄

Japan · by 安然集

24,191 · about 81 min

The Comprehensive Catalogue of the Esoteric Teachings Transmitted by the Ācāryas is a catalogue of esoteric Buddhist scriptures compiled by the Japanese monk Annen of the Heian period. Annen, an important scholar-monk of Japanese Shingon Buddhism active in the 9th century, was a disciple of Shinga, who himself was a disciple of Kūkai. This work systematically organizes the esoteric scriptures circulating in Japan at that time, classifying them according to the transmission lineages of the ācāryas. It includes a vast collection of mantra and esoteric texts, encompassing dhāraṇīs, ritual manuals, commentaries, and treatises, serving as fundamental reference material for the study of Japanese esoteric Buddhist literature. This catalogue reflects the state of esoteric Buddhism's dissemination in Japan during the early Heian period and provides valuable clues for understanding the history of esoteric Buddhist exchanges between China and Japan. It holds an authoritative position in the history of Japanese Buddhist bibliography.