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Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
,
Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...
and
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
term Bīja () ( Jp. 種子 ''shuji'') ( Chinese 種子 ''zhǒngzǐ''), literally
seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...
, is used as a metaphor for the origin or cause of things and cognate with bindu.


Buddhist theory of karmic seeds

Various schools of Buddhist thought held that karmic effects arose out of seeds that were latent in an individual's
mindstream Mindstream (Pali: ''citta-santāna'', Sanskrit: ''citta-saṃtāna;'' Ch: ''xin xiangxu'' 心相續) in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment continuum of sense impressions and mental phenomena ( citta), which is also described as continui ...
or psycho-physical continuum.Fukuda, Takumi. Bhadanta Rama: A Sautrantika before Vasubandhu, Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, 26 (2), 2003. Rupert Gethin describes the theory thus:
When I perform an action motivated by greed, it plants a 'seed' in the series of dharmas henomenathat is my mind. Such a seed is not a thing in itself - a dharma but merely the modification or 'perfuming' of the subsequent flow of dharmas consequent upon the action. In the course of time this modification matures and issues in a particular result, in the same way as a seed does not produce its fruit immediately, but only after the 'modifications' of the shoot, stem, leaf, and flower.
The Sautrantika school held such a theory as did the Mahasamghikas and the early Mahasisakas. The Sautrantika Sthavira Srilata held a conception of "subsidiary element" (''anudhatu'' or *''purvanudhatu'') which also corresponds to this theory of seeds. The seed theory was defended by the Buddhist philosopher
Vasubandhu Vasubandhu (; Tibetan: དབྱིག་གཉེན་ ; floruit, fl. 4th to 5th century CE) was an influential Indian bhikkhu, Buddhist monk and scholar. He was a philosopher who wrote commentary on the Abhidharma, from the perspectives of th ...
in his Abhidharmakosha who mentions that is the view of the “old teachers” (''purvacarya''). It is also present in the ''Viniscayasamgrahani'' of the Yogacarabhumi. In the Bashyam Vasubandhu connects the Sautrantika theory of seeds with the notion of the latent defilements or anusaya:
The Sautrantikas define anusayas as kleshas in the state of seeds and say that they are not separate
dravya ''Dravya'' () means substance or entity. According to the Jain philosophy, the universe is made up of six eternal substances: sentient beings or souls ('' jīva''), non-sentient substance or matter (''pudgala''), principle of motion (''dharma'' ...
s (substances). Anusayas are dormant, i.e., not actualized, while paryavasthanas (active defilements) are awakened.
Likewise, the ''Nyayanusara'' of Sanghabhadra states that the theory had different terms to refer to "seeds":
There are certain masters who give different names to these seeds, each according to his own understanding. Some call them subsidiary elements (''anudhatu''), others call them impressions (''vasana''); still others call them capability (''samarthya''), non-disappearance (''avipranasa''), or accumulation (''upacaya'').
The theory is considerably extended in the
Consciousness-only Yogachara (, IAST: ') is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditation, as well as philosophical reasoning (hetuvidyā). ...
teachings of the
Yogacara Yogachara (, IAST: ') is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditation, as well as philosophical reasoning (hetuvidyā). ...
school of Buddhism. According to this theory, all experiences and actions produce ''bīja'' as impressions, stored in the
alaya The Eight Consciousnesses (Skt. ''aṣṭa vijñānakāyāḥ'') are a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogācāra school of Mahayana Buddhism. They enumerate the five sense consciousnesses, supplemented by the mental consciousn ...
(storehouse) consciousness. The external world is produced when the seeds "perfume" this consciousness.


As mantras

In
Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
Buddhism and
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
, the term ''bīja'' is used for mystical "seed syllables" contained within
mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...
s or standalone seed syllable mantras ( bijamantra). These seeds do not have specific linguistic meaning nor are they name mantras, but they may stand for specific principles, deities, powers, or ideas. The best-known ''bīja'' syllable is Om, first found in the Hindu scriptures the
Upanishads The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...
. In Buddhism, the most important seed syllable is the letter A bija. In some tantric traditions, the Bija of the ' Varnamala' (Sanskrit; English: "garland of letters"; which may be rendered as alphabet) are understood as aniconic representations and sound embodiments of the
matrikas Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṛkā, lit. "mothers") also called Mataras or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group of seven, the Saptamatrika(s) (Seven Mot ...
(a group of goddesses). In
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
the seed syllables corresponding to the
trikaya The Trikāya (, lit. "three bodies"; , ) is a fundamental Buddhist doctrine that explains the multidimensional nature of Buddhahood. As such, the Trikāya is the basic theory of Mahayana Buddhist theology of Buddhahood. This concept posits that a ...
are: a white ''oṃ'' (enlightened body), a red ''āḥ'' (enlightened speech) and a blue ''hūṃ'' (enlightened mind). In the
Bön Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
tradition of Tibet, it's a little different: a white ''āḥ'', a red ''oṃ'' and a blue ''hūṃ''. Bijas are often the vehicle of
esoteric transmission Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...
of terma to a '
tertön In Tibetan Buddhism, a Tertön () is a person who is a discoverer of ancient hidden texts or '' terma''. Many tertöns are considered to be incarnations of the twenty five main disciples of Padmasambhava ( Guru Rinpoche), who foresaw a dark time in ...
' (Tibetan; English: "revealer of terma"), such as that experienced by Dudjom Lingpa.*Lingpa, Dudjom; Tulku, Chagdud; Norbu, Padma Drimed; Barron, Richard (Lama Chökyi Nyima, translator); Fairclough, Susanne (translator) (1994, 2002 revised). ''Buddhahood without meditation: a visionary account known as 'Refining one's perception' (Nang-jang)'' (English; Tibetan: ''ran bźin rdzogs pa chen po'i ranźal mnon du byed pa'i gdams pa zab gsan sñin po''). Revised Edition. Junction City, CA, USA: Padma Publishing. p.xx


Cross-cultural correlates

Guruwari of the
Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
peoples is an interesting cross cultural correlate and may be cognate. See also gankyil of the
Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
tradition, which is cognate with bindu. In fieldwork published in ''Aboriginal Men of High Degree'', A.P. Elkin cites what he considers to be evidence that traders from
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
brought fleeting contact with
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
to areas near modern-day Dampier. Elkin, A.P. ''Aboriginal Men of High Degree: Initiation and Sorcery in the World's Oldest Tradition''. 1973. Inner Traditions, 1993. Traditions of
Mantrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
were also evident in Indonesia, e.g. Candi Sukuh. And it is in the Vajrayana and Mantrayana traditions of
esoteric transmission Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...
where bija take precedence. Indeed, bija defines Mantrayana. Elkin interpreted a link between
Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
culture and Buddhist ideas such as
reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...
. He argued this link could have been brought through contact with Macassan traders.


See also

* Bindu * Gankyil *
Surya Namaskar Sun Salutation, also called Surya Namaskar or Salute to the Sun (, ), is a practice in yoga as exercise incorporating a flow sequence of some twelve linked asanas. The asana sequence was first recorded as yoga in the early 20th century, though s ...
- the Sun Salutation, in which each posture is sometimes associated with a Bīja mantra


References

{{Buddhism topics Buddhist philosophical concepts Hindu philosophical concepts Metaphors Vajrayana