In 750, he left the court to join the military governorship of Geshu Han 哥舒翰, for whom he conducted large-scale tantric initiations 灌頂 at field headquarters. In 754, he translated the first portion of the Tattvasaṃgraha (T 865), the central text of Buddhist esotericism, which became one of his most significant accomplishments. He regarded its teachings as the most effective method for attaining enlightenment yet devised, and incorporated its basic schema in a number of writings.

Amoghavajra was captured in general An Lushanʼs 安祿山 rebellion but in 757 was freed by loyalist forces, whereupon he performed rites to purify the capital and consolidate the security of the Tang state. Two years later, he initiated the emperor Suzong 肅宗 as a cakravartin 轉輪王. In 765, Amoghavajra used his new rendition of the Sutra for Humane Kings 仁王經 (T 246) in an elaborate ritual to counter the advance of a 200,000-strong army of Tibetans and Uighurs which was poised to invade Chang'an 長安. Its leader, Pugu Huaien 僕固懷恩, dropped dead in camp and his forces dispersed. The opulent Jingao temple 金閣寺 on Mount Wutai was completed in 767, a pet project of Amoghavajra's, and one of his many efforts to promote the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī 文殊菩薩 as the protector of China. Amoghavajra continued to perform rites to avert disaster at the request of the emperor Daizong 代宗. On his death in 774, three days of mourning were officially declared, and he posthumously received various exalted titles. The Chinese monks Huiguo 惠果 and Huilin 慧琳 were among his most prominent successors. Seventy-seven texts were translated by Amoghavajra according to his own account, though many more, including original compositions, are ascribed to him in the Chinese canons. The following documents relate to his life and work: the Biaozhi ji 表制集 (T 2120) contains records of his personal correspondence, the Xu kaiyuan shijiao lu 續開元釋教錄 (T 2156) records lineages. There is a biography in the Fu facang yinyuan fu 付法藏因緣傅 (T 2058), and an account of his travels is given in the Zhenyuan lu 貞元錄 (T 2157).

Attributed translation in Taishō include the following:

1. Dale jingang bukong zhenshi sanmoye jing 大樂金剛不空眞實三摩耶經
2. Renwang huguo bore boluomiduo jing 仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經
3. 普賢菩薩所說經
4. Dasheng wenshushilipusa focha gongde zhuangyan jing 大聖文殊師利菩薩佛刹功德莊嚴經
5. 三十五佛名禮懺文
6. 大集大虛空藏菩薩所問經
7. 百千頌大集經地藏菩薩請問法身讚
8. 文殊問經字母品第十四
9. 佛爲優填王說王法政論經
10. Dafangguang rulai zang jing 大方廣如來藏經
11. Dasheng miyan jing 大乘密嚴經
12. 慈氏菩薩所說大乘緣生稻??喩經
13. 大乘稻芋經
14. Jingang ding yuqie nianzhu jing 金剛頂瑜伽念珠經
15. 大毘盧遮那成佛神變加持經略七支念誦隨行法
16. 大日經略說念誦隨行法
17. Piluzhena wuzi zhenyan xiuxi yigui 毘盧遮那五字眞言修習儀軌
18. 金剛頂一切如來眞實攝大乘現證大經王經
19. Jingangdingjing yujia shibahui zhigui 金剛頂經瑜伽十八會指歸
20. 略述金剛頂瑜伽分別聖位修證法門
21. 金剛頂瑜伽三十七尊出生義
22. 金剛頂蓮華部心念誦儀軌
23. 金剛頂一切如來眞實攝大乘現證大教王經
24. 金剛頂經金剛界大道場毘盧遮那如來自受用身內證智眷屬法身異名佛最上乘祕密三摩地禮懺分
25. 金剛頂瑜伽三十七尊禮
26. 瑜伽金剛頂經釋字母品
27. 蕤呬耶經
28. 總釋陀羅尼義讚
29. 都部陀羅尼目
30. 金剛頂瑜伽護摩儀軌
31. 金剛頂瑜伽護摩儀軌
32. 受菩提心戒儀
33. 阿閦如來念誦供養法
34. 藥師如來念誦儀軌
35. 無量壽如來觀行供養儀軌
36. 金剛頂經觀自在王如來修行法
37. 九品往生阿彌陀三摩地集陀羅尼經
38. 藥師琉璃光如來消災除難念誦儀軌
39. 金輪王佛頂要略念誦法
40. Putichang suoshuo Yizi ding lunwang jing 菩提場所說一字頂輪王經
41. Yizi qite foding jing 一字奇特佛頂經
42. 一字頂輪王念誦儀軌
43. 一字頂輪王瑜伽觀行儀軌
44. Jingangdingjing yizi dinglunwang yujia yiqieshichu niansong chengfo yigui 金剛頂經一字頂輪王瑜伽一切時處念誦成佛儀軌
45. 如意寶珠轉輪祕密現身成佛金輪呪王經
46. 寶悉地成佛陀羅尼經
47. 熾盛光大威德消災吉祥陀羅尼經
48. 佛頂尊勝陀羅尼念誦儀軌法
49. 佛頂尊勝陀羅尼注義
50. 佛母大孔雀明王經
51. 大孔雀明王畫像壇場儀軌
52. 大雲輪請雨經
53. 大雲經祈雨壇經
54. Renwang huguo bore boluomidu ojing tuoluoni niansong yigui 仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經陀羅尼念誦儀軌
55. 仁王般若念誦法
56. 仁王般若陀羅尼釋
57. 成就妙法蓮華經王瑜伽觀智儀軌
58. 法華曼荼羅威儀形色法經
59. Bukong juan suo piluzhenafo daguan dingguang zhenyan 不空羂索毘盧遮那佛大灌頂光眞言
60. Dale jingang bukong zhenshi sanmeiye jing boreboluomiduo liqushi 大樂金剛不空眞實三昧耶經般若波羅蜜多理趣釋
61. 般若波羅蜜多理趣經大樂
62. Dabao guangbo louge shanzhu mimi tuoluoni jing 大寶廣博樓閣善住祕密陀羅尼經
63. Butichang zhuangyan tuoluoni jing 菩提場莊嚴陀羅尼經
64. Chusheng wubian men tuoluoni jing 出生無邊門陀羅尼經
65. 出生無邊門陀羅尼儀軌
66. Dafangguang fo Huayanjing ru fajiepin sishier zi guanmen 大方廣佛華嚴經入法界品四十二字觀門
67. Yiqie rulaixin mimi quanshe nsheli baoqie yin tuoluoni jing 一切如來心祕密全身舍利寶篋印陀羅尼經
68. 觀自在大悲成就瑜伽蓮華部念誦法門
69. 聖觀自在菩薩心眞言瑜伽觀行儀軌
70. 瑜伽蓮華部念誦法
71. 金剛恐怖集會方廣儀軌觀自在菩薩三世最勝心明王經
72. Guanzizai pusa shuo puxian tuoluoni jing 觀自在菩薩說普賢陀羅尼經
73. Aliduoluo tuoluoni aluli jing 阿唎多羅陀羅尼阿嚕力經
74. Guan zizaipusa xinzhen yanyiyin niansong fa 觀自在菩薩心眞言一印念誦法
75. 觀自在菩薩大悲智印周遍法界利益衆生薰眞如法
76. 金剛頂瑜伽千手千眼觀自在菩薩修行儀軌經
77. Qianshou qianyan guanshiyin pusa dabeixin tuoluoni 千手千眼觀世音菩薩大悲心陀羅尼
78. 大悲心陀羅尼修行念誦略儀
79. 攝無礙大悲心大陀羅尼經計一法中出無量義南方滿願補陀落海會五部諸尊等弘誓力方位及威儀形色執持三摩耶標織幟曼荼儀軌
80. 十一面觀自在菩薩心密言念誦儀軌經
81. 千手觀音造次第法儀軌
82. Qijuzhi fomu suoshuo zhunti tuoluoni jing 七倶胝佛母所說准提陀羅尼經
83. 觀自在菩薩如意輪念誦儀軌
84. 觀自在菩薩如意輪瑜伽
85. 七星如意輪祕密要經
86. Yeyi guanzizai pusa jing 葉衣觀自在菩薩經
87. 佛說大方廣曼殊室利經
88. 金剛頂經多羅菩薩念誦經
89. 一髻尊陀羅尼經
90. 大慈大悲救苦觀世音自在王菩薩廣大圓滿無礙自在靑頸大悲心陀羅尼
91. Dale jingangsaduo xiuxing chengjiu yigui 大樂金剛薩埵修行成就儀軌
92. 金剛頂勝初瑜伽經中略出大樂金剛薩埵念誦儀
93. 金剛頂瑜伽他化自在天理趣會普賢修行念誦儀軌
94. 金剛頂勝初瑜伽普賢菩薩念誦法
95. 普賢金剛薩埵略瑜伽念誦儀軌
96. Jingangding yuqie Jingangsaduo wumimi xiuxing niansong yigui 金剛頂瑜伽金剛薩埵五祕密修行念誦儀軌
97. 金剛王菩薩祕密念誦儀軌
98. 金剛壽命陀羅尼念誦法
99. 金剛壽命陀羅尼經法
100. 金剛壽命陀羅尼經
101. 佛說一切如來金剛壽命陀羅尼經
102. Foshuo yiqie zhu rulai xinguangming jiachi Puxian pusa yanming jingang zuisheng tuoluoni jing 佛說一切諸如來心光明加持普賢菩薩延命金剛最勝陀羅尼經
103. 大虛空藏菩薩念誦法
104. 轉法輪菩薩摧魔怨敵法
105. 修習般若波羅蜜菩薩觀行念誦儀軌
106. Pubian guangming qingjing chicheng ruyibao yinxin wunengsheng damingwang dasuiqiu tuoluoni jing 普遍光明淸淨熾盛如意寶印心無能勝大明王大隨求陀羅尼經
107. 金剛頂瑜伽最勝祕密成佛隨求卽得神變加持成就陀羅尼儀軌
108. 雨寶陀羅尼經
109. Ba dapusa mantuluo jing 八大菩薩曼荼羅經
110. 金剛頂經瑜伽文殊師利菩薩法
111. Jingangding chaosheng sanjiejing shuo wenshu wuzi zhenyan shengxiang 金剛頂超勝三界經說文殊五字眞言勝相
112. 五字陀羅尼頌
113. 金剛頂經瑜伽文殊師利菩薩供養儀軌
114. 曼殊室利童子菩薩五字瑜伽法
115. Dasheng yuqie jingang xinghai manshushili qianbi qianbo dajiaowangjing 大乘瑜伽金剛性海曼殊室利千臂千鉢大教王經
116. 大聖文殊師利菩薩讚佛法身禮
117. 金剛手光明灌頂經最勝立印聖無動尊大威怒王念誦儀軌法品
118. 底哩三昧耶不動尊威怒王使者念誦法
119. Dili sanmeiye budong zunshengzh niansong mimi fa 底哩三昧耶不動尊聖者念誦祕密法
120. 金剛頂瑜伽降三世成就極深密門
121. 降三世忿怒明王念誦儀軌
122. 甘露軍荼利菩薩供養念誦成就儀軌
123. Sheng Yanmandejia weinuwang licheng dashen yan niansong fa 聖閻曼德迦威怒王立成大神驗念誦法
124. 妙吉祥最勝根本大教經
125. 大威怒烏芻澁麽儀軌經
126. 毘沙門天王經
127. 北方毘沙門天王隨軍護法儀軌
128. Beifang Pishamentianwang Suijun hufa zhenyan 北方毘沙門天王隨軍護法眞言
129. 毘沙門儀軌
130. 北方毘沙門多聞寶藏天王神妙陀羅尼別行儀軌
131. 大吉祥天女十二名號經
132. Da jixiangtiannǚ shierxie yibaiba ming wugou dasheng jing 大吉祥天女十二契一百八名無垢大乘經
133. 末利支提婆華鬘經
134. 摩利支天菩薩陀羅尼經
135. 摩利支天經
136. 摩利支菩薩略念誦法
137. 大藥叉女歡喜母幷愛子成就法
138. 訶利帝母眞言經
139. 冰揭羅天童子經
140. 北方毘沙門天王隨軍護法儀軌
141. 穰麌梨童女經
142. 大聖天歡喜雙身毘那夜迦法
143. 摩訶毘盧遮那如來定惠均等入三昧耶身雙身大聖歡喜天菩薩修行祕密法儀軌
144. 文殊師利菩薩根本大教王經金翅鳥王經
145. Suji liyan Moxishouluotian shuo aweishe fa 速疾立驗魔醯首羅天說阿尾奢法
146. Foshuo Jinpiluo tongzi weide jing 佛說金毘羅童子威德經
147. 深沙大將儀軌
148. 供養十二大威德天報恩品
149. Wenshushili pusa ji zhuxian suoshuo jixiong shiri shane xiuyao jing 文殊師利菩薩及諸仙所說吉凶時日善惡宿曜經
150. Foshuo jiuba yankou egui tuoluoni jing 佛說救拔焰口餓鬼陀羅尼經
151. 施諸餓鬼飮食及水法
152. 瑜伽集要救阿難陀羅尼焰口儀軌經
153. 瑜伽集要焰口施食起教阿難陀諸由
154. Chu yiqie jibing tuoluoni jing 除一切疾病陀羅尼經
155. Nengjing yiqie yanjibing tuoluoni jing 能淨一切眼疾病陀羅尼經
156. 大乘緣生論
157. Jingangding yujia zhong fa anouduoluo sanmiaosanputi xin lun 金剛頂瑜伽中發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心論