Twenty-four great sacred places 二十四勝處

Twenty-four great sacred places (Wyl. gnas chen nyer bzhi)

According to the Hevajra Tantra these are: 根據《喜金剛》為：

1. Jālandhara
2. Oddiyana
3. Paurnagiri
4. Kamarupa
5. Malaya
6. Sindhu
7. Nagara
8. Munmuni
9. Karunyapataka
10. Devikota
11. Karmarapataka
12. Kulata
13. Arbuta
14. Godavari
15. Himadri
16. Harikela
17. Lampaka
18. Kani
19. Saurasta
20. Kalinga
21. Kokana
22. Caritra
23. Kosala
24. Vindhyakaumarapaurika

參考敦珠林巴《金剛心》英譯註解： 藏gnas nyi shu rtsa bzhi：（1）布拉羅摩羅衍（Pullīramalaya）、（2）闍蘭達羅（Jālandhara）、（3）歐訖耶那鄔仗那（Oḍḍiyana）與（4）阿羅補陀（Arbuda）為四處聖地；（5）僑達婆梨（Godāvarī）（6）羅摩婆羅（Rāmeśvara）（7）提毗瞿陀羅（Devīkoṭa）與（8）摩臘婆（Mālava）為四處近聖地；（9）迦摩縷波（Kāmarūpa）與（10）（Oḍra）為二處國土;（11）（Triśakuni）與（12）拘薩羅（Kośala）為二處近國土；（13）羯陵伽（Kaliṅga）與（14）蘭毗迦（Lampāka）為二處樂土；（15）迦尼闍（Kāñci）與（16）喜瑪拉雅（Himālaya）為二處近樂土；（17）劄達（Pretapuri）與（18）闍訶提婆（Gṛhadevatā）為二處聚處；（19）蘇羅奢陀羅（Saurāṣṭra）與（20）須跋羅那提婆（Suvarṇadvīpa）為二處近聚處；（21）那迦羅（Nagara）與（22）信度 （Sindhu）為二處屍陀林；（23）摩若（Maru）與（24）格魯達（Kulatā）為二處近屍陀林。

Other Traditions

Other sources, such as the sadhana of Yumka Dechen Gyalmo from the Longchen Nyingtik, give a different enumeration of these twenty-four sacred places. They abide on the vajra-body inherent in every sentient being, which is symbolized here by the body of Vajrayogini. These twenty-four are divided in three groups: 根據《龍欽心髓》〈大樂佛母成就法〉等來源，則有不同的算法。它們本來就安住在每位有情眾生的金剛身上，於此則以金剛瑜伽母的身來象徵。分為三組：

a) 八天勝處 Eight celestial abodes (Skt. khagacharya; Wyl. mkha' spyod): 1) 頂冠 The crown of the head is Jālandhara, 2) 眉間 in between the eyebrows is Pullīramalaya, 3) 頸背 the nape is Arbuta, 4) 白毫 the urna (the hair at the center of the forehead) is Rāmeśvara, 5) 右耳 the right ear is Oddiyana (Skt. Oḍḍiyāna), 6) 左耳 the left ear is Godāvarī, 7) 雙眼 the eyes are Devikota, and 8) 雙肩 the shoulders are Malava.

b) 八地勝處 Eight earthly abodes (Skt. gocharya; Wyl. sa spyod): 9) 喉嚨 the throat is Lampāka, 10) 雙手腋下 the underarms and kidneys are Kāmarupa, 11) 雙乳 the two breasts are Odra, 12) 肚臍 the navel is Triṣanku, 13) 鼻尖 the nose-tip is Kosala, 14) 上顎 the palate is Kaliṅga, 15) 心臟 the heart is both Kaṅcika and 16) Himalaya (Himavat).

c) 八地下勝處 Eight underground abodes (Skt. bhugarbha; Wyl. sa 'og gi gnas brgyad): 17) 密處 the genitals are Pretapuri, 18) 肛門 the anus is Gṛhadeva, 19) 手拇指與腳拇趾 the thumbs and the big toes are Maru, 20) 大腿 the thighs are Saurashtra, 21) 小腿 the calves are Suvarṇadvīpa, 22) 其他手指與腳趾 the sixteen other fingers and toes are Nagara, 23) 膝蓋 the knees are Kulata, and 24) 腳踝 the ankles are Sindhu.

Further Reading

• Elizabeth English, Vajrayogini—Her Visualization, Rituals, and Forms, Wisdom Publications, 2002
• Matthieu Ricard, The Life of Shabkar (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2001), pages 342-343, note 10.
• Ngawang Zangpo, Sacred Ground: Jamgon Kongtrul on "Pilgrimage and Sacred Geography," (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2001).