Toh 2601A Maṇḍala Ritual of “The Recitation of the Names of Mañjuśrī”

Exposition: A Maṇḍala Ritual of “The Rite of Repentance through the Exclusive Recitation of Mañjuśrī’s Names”

Background

This scripture belongs to the Northern Canon (Tibetan Buddhism) and is found in the Tengyur—the collection of commentaries and practice rituals of the Mahāyāna Vajrayāna tradition. It is a maṇḍala ritual (maṇḍala-vidhi) for the rite of repentance through the exclusive recitation of the names of Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī (Āryamañjuśrī), the bodhisattva who embodies transcendent wisdom and skillful means in Buddhism.

Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is one of the central figures of the Mahāyāna and is revered as the manifestation of the Buddha’s wisdom (prajñā). In the Tibetan tradition, especially within the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug schools, Mañjuśrī is regarded as the supreme spiritual guide. His names (nāma-recitation) are not merely words, but the form of his Dharma body manifested through sound and profound meaning.

The maṇḍala in this ritual is not merely a decorative symbol, but a symbolically recreated universe in which the practitioner makes offerings, repents, and prays for the realization of all sentient beings. This ritual combines elements of meditation, repentance (prāyaścitta), and single-minded offering.

Main Content

This ritual comprises the fundamental stages of practice. First, the practitioner establishes a sacred space by visualizing the maṇḍala of Mañjuśrī, with him at its center, surrounded by bodhisattvas, Buddhas, and protective deities. This maṇḍala symbolizes the Western Buddha Realm (Sukhāvatī), or any Buddha realm envisioned as an ideal place for practice.

The practitioner then performs the rite of repentance—repenting of past transgressions and obstructions through the single-minded recitation of Mañjuśrī’s names. Each name, such as “Bodhisattva of immeasurable wisdom,” “The condition for a Buddha’s awakening,” “Ever-radiant, momentarily opening consciousness”