Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa

{{Short description|Buddhist text}}

{{Vajrayana}}

The Āryamañjuśrī­mūlakalpa (The Noble Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī) is a Mahāyāna sūtra and a Mantrayāna ritual manual (kalpa) affiliated with the bodhisattva of wisdom, Mañjuśrī. In Tibetan Buddhism it is classified as a Kriyā-tantra.{{Cite web |title=Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100131167;jsessionid=D3D5193B6F1E885C85FBF25FCF0758FE |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=Oxford Reference |language=en }}Keown, Damien (editor) with Hodge, Stephen; Jones, Charles; Tinti, Paola (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-860560-9}} p.172.{{Cite web |title=Publication: Manjushri Mula Kalpa (Chapter Colophons) |url=https://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=6468 |access-date=2023-07-29 |website=www.himalayanart.org}}{{Cite book |last=C.B.H. Publications |url=http://archive.org/details/LsLC_arya-manjushri-mula-kalpa-of-t.-ganapathi-shastri-c.-b.-h.-publications |title=Arya Manjushri Mula Kalpa Of T. Ganapathi Shastri C. B. H. Publications}} According to Sanderson (2009: 129) and the study by Matsunaga (1985), the text is datable to about 775 CE.{{Cite journal |last=Sanderson |first=Alexis |title=The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period. In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 41-350. |url=https://www.academia.edu/3621440 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Matsunaga |first=Yukei |title=Tantric and Taoist Studies in honour of R.A. Stein |publisher=Institut Belge des Hautes Études Chinoises |year=1985 |editor-last=Strickmann |editor-first=Michael |location=Brussels |pages=882–894 |chapter=On the Date of the Mañjuśrı̄mūlakalpa}}

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa is often cited as the earliest example of an extant Indian Buddhist Tantra. Some scholars identify it as a compilation of a core verse text dated circa 6th century CE with later accretions and additions. The Sanskrit version, significantly longer than its corresponding Chinese and Tibetan renderings, is still extant.

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa states that mantras taught in the Shaiva, Garuda and Vaishnava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Mañjuśrī.Sanderson, Alexis. "The Śaiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of Śaivism during the Early Medieval Period." In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism, edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series, 23, pp. 129-131. The attribution to Mañjuśrī is an attempt by its author(s) to counter the objection that the teachings in this text are of non-Buddhist origin.

The bulk of the text deals with chants and mantras useful for spiritual purposes as well as material gain. Some chapters discuss fierce and sexual tantric rituals.{{Cite web |last=Delhey |first=Martin |date=December 11, 2009 |title=How Buddhist is the Mañjuśriyamūlakalpa (a.k.a.Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa), Abstract of the talk in Tokyo |url=http://www.icabs.ac.jp/iibs/delhey_abstract.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208004247/http://www.icabs.ac.jp/iibs/delhey_abstract.pdf |archive-date=February 8, 2018 |access-date=February 7, 2018 |language=en}}