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The Meanings of the term Mudra T h e M and a Historical Outline of ae n ni "Hand gestures" g s o f ht e Dale Todaro t re m M u d 梗 概 ar a この 拙 論 は2部 に分 か れ る。 n d 第1部 は"mudra"と い う語 の最 も一 般 的 な 定 義 を 扱 う。仏 教 ・ヒ ン ドゥー 教 a H を 研 究 して い る学 者 や東 洋 の 図像 学 の専 門 家 は、 大 抵、"皿udra"の さ ま ざ まな 意 i torical Outline味 を 知 って い る。 しか し、特 に タ ン トラ にお い て 使 用 され た"mudr翫"の す べ て の 定 義 が、 どん な 参考 文 献 に も見 つ か るわ け で は な い。 従 って、 第1部 は これ ら 種 々の、 一 般 的 な"mudra"の 語 法 を集 め る よ う試 み た。 又、 イ ン ドの舞 踏 や 劇 につ いて 書 いた 人 が、"hasta"と い う語 を 使 用 す べ きで あ るの に、 専 門的 に言 え ば 誤 って"mudra"を 用 いて い る。 それ に つ いて も説 明 を試 み た。 fo " 第1部 よ りも長 い 第2部 で は、"印 契(手 印)"と い う意 味 で使 用 され た"mu- H a dra"の 歴 史 の あ らま しを、 系 統 的 に述 べ た。 印契 の歴 史 上 異 な った 使 用 と意 味 n d g は、 次 の4に お い て 顕著 にみ られ る。 即 ち、1)ヴ ェー ダ の儀 礼、2)規 格 化 され た se ut イ ン ドの舞 踏、3)イ ン ドの彫 刻(仏 教、 ヒ ン ド ゥー 教、 ジ ャイ ナ教)、4)タ ン ト r s"e ラの 成 就 法、 で あ る。 これ ら4の 分 野 は す べ て、 共 通 して、 イ ン ドで 使 用 され た 印 契 の 伝統 か ら由 来 して い る。 そ しで、 い くつか の事 例 に お いて、 イ ン ドか ら 日 本 密 教 の 伝 統 まで に わ た って、 特 定 の"mudra"が 驚 くほ ど継 続 して 使 用 され て い るこ とが、 証 明 で き る。 Introduction The goal of this short essay is twofold. First of all, to clarify the numerous meanings of the term mudra, not all of which are found in any one standard reference work, its numerous technical definitions will be presented. While the distinct meanings of this term are well known to scholars of Buddhism and Hinduism and to specialists in Eastern iconography, the assertions of some writers still can give the wrong impression. For example, although A. Bharati writes "mudra has no special significance in non-tantric Buddhism to my -71- knowledge, certainly not in Theravada Buddhism, "" it certainly has very specific meanings in non-tantric Buddhism, including Theravada Buddhism, 密 as will be discussed below. Also, great numbers of writers on Indian dance and drama continue to use hasta and mudra in a technical sense without 教 discrimination" despite the fact that classical Indian works on drama use only the term hasta. A reasonable explanation for this error as already noted by 文 a few writers will be given below. The special meanings of this term in Bud- 化 dhist tantric literature also deserve attention. Because of the great number of uses of this term its proper meaning in the context one finds it always needs clarification. Needless to say, the diverse meanings of this term reflects its continuing and changing historic usage. Knowledge of its changing historic usage can help distinguish these meanings. Secondly, this essay aims to give an outline of the history of mudra in the sense of a hand gesture, as witnessed in Indian dance, Buddhist art and Tantric Buddhist ritual meditation. " Part I Definition of Mudra The Sanskrit word mudra4) is derived from the root mud meaning to be happy, glad or merry, or to rejoice or take delight in. 5) Historically, this root and other derivatives like mudita and muda generally predate the ap- pearance of the word mudra, although Monier-Williams6' also notes the usage of the term mudra (mfn.) meaning joyous or glad in the Atharva Veda. Otto Bohtlingk gives numerous instances of the use of mudita and other derivatives in the Rig-Veda and the later Brahmanas and Upanishads.7) In Pali the feminine mudita is translated soft-heartedness, kindness and sympathy while the masculine mudita is translated pleased, glad, satisfied and the feminine muda joy or pleasure.8) In the post-Vedic period when the term mudra commonly appears it generally means: 1) seal, stamp, ring, signet ring or any instrument used for sealing or stamping; 9)2) the stamp or impression made by a seal;10)3) a stamped coin, piece of money or wages;11)4) an image, sign, badge or token, esp. a token or mark of divine attributes impressed upon the body;12)5) the art of calculation or reckoning by the finger, always in a list of arts learned by a young man, and associated with mathematical terms;13) 6) name or particular position, ritualistic gestures or intertwinnings of the fingers or hands; 24 in number, commonly practised in religious worship, and supposed to possess an occult meaning and magical efficacy; 14)7) parched or fried grain used in the sakta or Tantric ceremonies. 15) -70- In Buddhist, Hindu and Jain iconography and in Buddhist and Hindu Tantra mudra in the sense of a hand gesture or posture is most widely known. 161 T h Moreover, Tantric Buddhism greatly expands the application of the word e M mudra. According to the Tantr arthavataravyakhyana of Padmavajral7) eaning of the"Seal term (mudra) signifies the ability to arouse gladness or to make an impression, so there is the term mudra (joyous seal'). It is joyous' by reason of it's ability to please the noble ones (arya); it is a seal' by reason of the incision as a seal impression, since it cannot be effaced by others and speedily secures the desired thing....Among them, the Great Seal (maha-mudra) shows the nature of deities by images or their bodies; and since it is the preeminent basis for vividly contemplating the nature of deity by way of body, it is called Great Seal.... Munra and aThe Historial Symbolic Outline Seal o (samaya-mudra) shows the nature of the mind of deities. Through its blessing of the Symbolic Seal the knowledge possessed of perfect merit is displayed, and displayed as the seal which liberates the mind. Thus by reason of not transgressing those deities, it is called symbolic seal....The Law Seal (dharma-mudra) shows the nature of the speech of deities. It has the characteristics or such syllables of the Law as vajra jnana and samayas tvam, which are attributes or signs of the pure intrinsic nature of speech; and it teaches all the sublime doctrines constituting the meaning of the language of deities...The Action Seal (Karla-mudra) shows the conduct of deities." These four seals are four methods of contemplating a god.18) While not discussed in Yoshito S. Hakeda's work entitled Kukai: Major Works, the f " standard reference work in English on Shingon. Buddhism in Japan, Kukai H a n also inherited the above tradition of the four mudras, each corresponding with d g four mandalas of identical designation as in the Indian Tantric tradition.19) se ut Karma-mudra is also used to denote the female partner, a wholly symbolic r s"e term, who participates in the tantric ritual meditation,20) or sakti, the feminine counterpart of a god. "Although it is stated in the Tantras and authoritative texts that there is an initiation based on the action seal (karma-mudra) of a concrete wisdom (vidya), this means the initiation of the 'jewel-like' individual among the candidates for the high goal of the Anuttara (-tantra). Here, the guru, with complete charac- teristics for recourse to the action seal, with visualization of all the gods of the mandala, invites them and draws them into his own body. Then he unites with the vidya; and when the substance of the drop (?semen-bindurupa-bhuta) molten by the fire of great passion, falls into the lotus' (padma) of the mother' (yum) and mixes with the red element (dhatu) of the mother', he achieves then what is referred to as relative bodhicitta-mandala....In explanation of the action seal' and the knowledge seal' with which one enters union-by reason of acts (karma) of former lives, one flings himself on the body of a woman and there realizes, hence the action seal, and such actions as the mutual embrace with limbs do not require any contemplation by oneself-only the seal itself (or herself) is necessary, hence the action seal. Nowadays, the general ex- planation of the expression renowned knowledge seal' is as follows: one does -69- not realize in a concrete place, i. e., a woman. However, knowledge is ones own samadhi. Being the seal which expands and generates that, it is called knowledge seal."21) 密 In Tantric Buddhism the term mudra is also used to mean the objects 教 (a lotus, banner, stupa) which symbolize the "enlightenment, vows, virtues or works"22) of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, and also the Dharmakaya. These 文 objects serve to identify the Buddha or Bodhisattva in question when no figure is specifically drawn in Tantric Buddhist art.23) This tradition undoubtedly 化 can be traced back to the early symbolic, aniconic representations of the Buddha, i.e., the dharmacakra, the empty seat under the Bodhi tree, or foot- print with auspicious signs.

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