Toh 543Căn Bản Nghi Quỹ Về Các Nghi Thức Của Mañjuśrī

Summary

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa is the largest and most important single text devoted to Mañjuśrī,
the bodhisattva of wisdom. A revealed scripture, it is, by its own classification, both a Mahāyāna sūtra and a Mantrayāna kalpa (manual of rites). Because of its ritual content, it was later classified as a Kriyā tantra
and assigned, based on the hierarchy of its deities, to the Tathāgata subdivision of this class. The Sanskrit text as we know it
today was probably compiled throughout the eighth century ce and several centuries thereafter. What
makes this text special is that, unlike most other Kriyā tantras, it not only describes the ritual procedures, but also explains
them in terms of general Buddhist philosophy, Mahāyāna ethics, and the esoteric principles of the early Mantrayāna (later called
Vajrayāna), with an emphasis on their soteriological aims.

Acknowledgements

This translation was produced by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee under the supervision of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche.
Wiesiek Mical translated the text from the Sanskrit manuscripts, prepared the Sanskrit edition, and wrote the introduction. Paul
Thomas, Ryan Damron, Anna Zilman, Bruno Galasek, and Adam Krug then compared the translation draft against the Tibetan text found
in the Degé and other editions of the Tibetan Kangyur. Wiesiek Mical then completed the translation by incorporating all the
significant variations from the Tibetan translation either into the English translation itself or the annotations.

The translation was completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.

The generous sponsorship of 中國宗薩寺堪布彭措郎加, which helped make the work on this
translation possible, is most gratefully acknowledged.

Introduction

The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (henceforth MMK) is a scripture devoted to Mañjuśrī, the
bodhisattva of wisdom. It is a vaipulya sūtra—only a few large sūtras can
claim this title—that was later classified as a tantra of the Kriyā class. Reflecting its status as a sūtra, the chapter
colophons found in the MMK variously identify the work as a Mahāyāna sūtra, a bodhisattvapiṭaka (bodhisattva basket), and bodhisattvapaṭalavisara (full bodhisattva collection). The phrase “bodhisattva basket” is significant as it
implies that the MMK is part of the Bodhisattva Basket, in contradistinction to the Śrāvaka Basket in the binary
classification made by Asaṅga in the Abhidharmasamuccaya
. While the Tibetan translations of the MMK refer to it as a
“tantra,” the Sanskrit text refers to itself as a kalpa (“manual of rites”), a kalparāja (“king of rites”), and a mantratantra (“mantra treatise”). The term
mantratantra, used throughout the MMK to refer to its own content and to
tantric teachings in general, could also be understood as “mantra systems/methods,” or the “art of mantras.”

Parts of what we know today as the MMK were in circulation by at least the beginning of the eighth century ce, as evidenced by Chinese translations. From this time onward the text was probably compiled in stages by bringing together different writings on
Mañjuśrī, whether from the earlier sūtra tradition or more recent ritual texts, thus creating the mūlakalpa of Mañjuśrī, i.e., the root (mūla) or
standard textbook of his ritual (kalpa). The MMK also draws from non-Buddhist
sources, thereby demonstrating the exchanges that took place between various religious traditions during the period when it
was compiled. The Śaiva mantras and mudrās taught in the MMK are specifically held in high regard (

–42). The MMK would in turn serve as a touchstone for
other Buddhist Kriyā tantras, as is demonstrated by the Tārāmūlakalpa (Toh 724), a large part of which is a “clone” of the first
13¾ chapters of the MMK; the correspondence—apart from the substitution of the names of the chief deities—is almost
verbatim.

The teachings of the MMK are presented as the direct speech of Buddha Śākyamuni, who introduces them as
“Mañjuśrī’s” (mañjuśriya) in the dual sense that they either originate from
or directly relate to Mañjuśrī. Despite being presented as the direct speech of the Buddha, some of the teachings are in fact
given by Mañjuśrī or Vajrapāṇi as part of their dialogue with Śākyamuni. The venue for the teachings is the magically created
pavilion “above the Pure Abode” (śuddhāvāsopari), and the audience comprises
all Buddhist deities, the deified saints who once lived on earth, the infinite hosts of the most prominent divine and
semi-divine beings, and all the classes of nonhuman beings.

The MMK has been likened to an encyclopedia of knowledge, and the description of the audience is one of the many
types of valuable information found in the MMK. The list of attendees, which includes more than 1,300 names, was possibly intended to serve as a “Who’s Who” of Buddhism, and illustrates the extent and structure of the
Buddhist pantheon. The deities are listed in groups according to a hierarchical order, while the list of the Buddhist saṅgha
in attendance blends the traditional with the historical in its inclusion of the names of many beings that regularly featured
in Buddhist literature prior to the MMK. Its other “encyclopedic” content includes astrology (with lists and descriptions of
personified astrological categories); geography; types of languages and their geographical distribution; history (presented,
in the narrative context of the MMK, as prophecy), including lists of kings and accounts of historical events that emphasize
the history of the Buddhist religion; types of persons based on medical categories; types of dreams; and many other subjects.
Much of its main ritual content is also presented in encyclopedic format, as is seen in the descriptions of hundreds upon
hundreds of different mudrā gestures, mantras, and other ritual elements arranged into categories. This encyclopedic character
of the MMK is reflected in the size of the glossary accompanying this translation, which includes more than 2,000 entries.

As a Kriyā tantra and a ritual text (kalpa), the MMK is primarily
concerned with ritual. Unlike most other Kriyā tantras, though, the MMK not only describes ritual procedures, it also explains
the principles behind them whereby one reaps their benefits, be it the ultimate benefit of awakening and liberation, or a
desired temporal benefit. Kriyā (ritual performance), when skillfully used as
an instrument of karman (activity), becomes the
tool for gathering the accumulations of knowledge and merit indispensable for awakening, or for achieving any other desired goal, providing that this
goal does not violate one’s bodhisattva conduct or samaya. The mechanism of the mutual dependence of kriyā, karman, and
phala (result) is the core of a system that could be regarded as a Kriyā
doctrine of the MMK, a doctrine that also applies to other tantras of the same class. The employment of this mechanism allows
the practitioner to eventually break the chain of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda) and win liberation. In addition to explaining this theory, the MMK also contains didactic
material in regard to karman—this time understood as the principle of
retribution—such as in the statement, “One creates karma laughing, but experiences it crying” (hasadbhiḥ kriyate karma rudadbhir anubhūyate,

).

A soteriological orientation predominates in the MMK, and awakening to buddhahood is considered the most important
outcome of its rites. The goals of the rites found in the MMK are typically listed as threefold—supreme, middling, or
minor—and depend on the specific aspirations of the practitioner. The supreme goal is full awakening
(samyaksambodhi) thus all rites in the MMK are ultimately aimed at
liberation. The MMK explains this goal of liberation using another triad: the liberation of the fully realized buddhas, of the
pratyekabuddhas, or of the śrāvakas. The highest goal—that of fully realized buddhahood—is always inspired by the bodhisattva
wish to benefit others.

On a more mundane level, the MMK prescribes a wide array of distinct mantras for different purposes, to be used in
different contexts, and employed at specific times; it even prescribes a mantra for the time of death that will enable the
dying person “to take the final refuge in the supreme body of the dharmadhātu” (

). The many worldly applications of mantras in the MMK usually come with the stipulation that
mantras should not be used selfishly or to cause others harm.

The most fundamental principle of Kriyā practice is that the mantra and the deity are one and the same. It is in
this spirit that some deity emanations are given names such as “One Syllable,” and some mantras are referred to as a cakravartin (wheel-turning monarch/universal emperor), or “Great Lord of Wrath” (mahākrodharāja).
Being identical with the deity, the mantra is fundamental to all rituals and essential to their efficacy, while other kriyā elements, such as the mudrā, the maṇḍala, the homa
(fire offering), and so forth, serve to enhance and amplify its power. A second, and
closely related core principle explained in the MMK is that a mantra is inseparable from and coextensive with the mind
(cittāyata,

), or, as the MMK phrases it, “there is no mantra without mind” (na mantraṃ cittavarjitam,

).
This threefold unity of the deity, the mantra, and the mind is the secret behind the magical power of the ritual.

Among the numerous mantra deities that appear in the MMK, prominence is given to the supramundane classes that
manifest as the activity of the Buddha. One such class is the esoteric uṣṇīṣa
deities, the best known among them being the eight “uṣṇīṣa kings.” As the name suggests, they emanate from the uṣṇīṣa
protuberance on the Buddha’s head, and so embody the nature of awakening itself. The deities referred to as uṣṇīṣa, tathāgata-uṣṇīṣa,
cakravartin, uṣṇīṣa-cakravartin, vidyā-cakravartin, and so on, always
represent the highest level of realization, be they male or female, peaceful or wrathful. Some of the most powerful among
these are the ekākṣara (one syllable) mantras, and this epithet is often used
as the proper name (One Syllable) of a given deity who might be one of the uṣṇīṣa deities, or One Syllable emanations of Mañjuśrī, Yamāntaka, or Vajrapāṇi.

The reader may at first feel daunted by the presence in the English translation of terms left in the original
Sanskrit. However, terms such as uṣṇīṣa, cakravartin, vidyā, vidyārāja, or vidyārājñī serve multiple functions
and often convey more than one meaning simultaneously, something not easily captured in English. On the most basic level,
these five terms are generic names referring to categories of mantra deities and of the corresponding mantras. Apart from this
dual classificatory function, they are also employed as epithets whose literal meanings are given in the accompanying
glossary. As class names, these terms define groups that lack clear boundaries and often overlap—uṣṇīṣa deities, a group
virtually conflatable with cakravartins, is a subgroup of vidyārājas, who in turn are a subgroup of vidyā deities in general.
Accordingly, the terms vidyārāja/-jñī apply also to cakravartins and to uṣṇīṣa deities. As it would be too confusing to vary the translation
depending on context, and often impossible to decide which meaning prevails in a particular context, these terms have been
left, for the most part, in their Sanskrit form.

The present translation is based on the published Sanskrit text (Śāstrī 1920–25), which represents the most
complete version of the MMK in existence. This text is a transcript of the Trivandrum manuscript, which, according to
Isaacson, could be as old as the eleventh
century, and, judging by its script, is likely to have originated in Nepal. There are a few other extant Sanskrit manuscripts
of the MMK, most of which, if not all, were produced in Nepal. None of them is complete, and none has the chapters in the same
order. Their variant readings have nevertheless been included in the critical apparatus of the partially edited Sanskrit text
that accompanies this translation.

Apart from the Sanskrit manuscripts, the MMK exists also in canonical Tibetan and Chinese translations. Each of
them is much shorter than the extant Sanskrit version and includes a different selection of chapters. The Tibetan translators’
colophon tells us that the Tibetan translation was completed, “by the Indian preceptor and spiritual teacher Kumārakalaśa and
the monk translator Śākya Lodrö (shAkya blo gros),” most likely in the mid-11th century.
The translation presented here is from the Sanskrit, but has been revised against the Tibetan text of the Pedurma (dpe bsdur ma) comparative edition of the Degé Kangyur. It includes only the chapters that exist
in the Tibetan translation: thirty-seven out of the total of fifty-five chapters that comprise the extant Sanskrit version of the Trivandrum manuscript. The
discrepancies between the extant Sanskrit and Tibetan versions of the text are reflected in the sequence of chapters in this
translation. The Tibetan translation omits chapters 18-23, so they have been omitted here as well, necessitating a jump from
chapter 17 to 24. Similarly, because the Tibetan translation omits chapters 39-49 we have also left them out of this
translation, which is reflected in the jump from chapter 38 to 50. The last two chapters included in this translation, 53 and
54, are combined into a single chapter in the Tibetan translation, which is enumerated as chapter 36 in the Tibetan text.
Finally, the extant Sanskrit version includes an additional chapter at the end of the text that is omitted in the Tibetan
version, and so is omitted here.

There is no known commentary on the MMK in existence, compounding the problem of translating its difficult and
often corrupt Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) language, and interpreting many of its obscure passages, whose exact meaning, it
seems, was often missed even by the canonical translators in Tibet, one of whom was an ethnic Indian.

Regarding the general Mahāyāna content of the MMK, its teachings are applicable to and can be practiced by
everyone. However, when it comes to its esoteric content, the MMK itself clearly states:

“This Dharma treasury of the tathāgatas is extremely occult, as it depends in every respect on mantras. It must not
be taught to those who have not received the samaya from the master, or those who do not understand the samaya. Why is this?
This is because it is secret. It is an occult teaching; it is a teaching [arising from] omniscience. No beings should ever
reject or take it lightly” (

).

The Translation

The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī

Chapter 1

Oṁ, homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. Lord Śākyamuni dwelt above the Pure Abode, in an inconceivable, wondrous pavilion,
circular in shape, with a congregation of bodhisattvas distributed all around, located in the canopy of the sky. There the Lord addressed the gods of the
Pure Abode: {1.1}

“Honored gods! Listen as I tell of the inconceivable, wondrous miracles of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, bodhisattva,
and great being—listen as I tell of his conduct, different types of samādhi, and magical power; his liberation, maṇḍala, and
his miraculous bodhisattva manifestations; and how he is the sustenance for all beings and brings them life, health, and
sovereignty! I will explain, for the benefit of all beings, the mantra subjects that completely fulfill one’s wishes. Listen
well and duly reflect upon it—I will now tell you about him.” {1.2}

Thereupon the gods of the Pure Abode, folding their hands, said:

“Then tell us, Lord, about the conduct of the bodhisattvas; their different samādhis and their attainment of the
bodhisattva levels; their sitting upon the vajra throne, overpowering of Māra, and turning of the wheel of
Dharma; their liberating of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas; their ensuring for all beings rebirth as a god or a human and the pacification of all suffering; their removal of diseases of the poor, sick, and wealthy
alike; their invulnerability to the use of all mundane and supramundane mantras; and their fulfilling of all wishes that thus
makes the speech of all the tathāgatas fruitful. Lord, speak with a mind full of love and concern for
our welfare,
and out of pity for all sentient beings.” {1.3}

Then Lord Śākyamuni, casting a glance with his buddha eye over the entire realm of the Pure Abode, entered the samādhi
called the spreading and diffusing of the light of the pure sphere. As soon as the Lord entered this samādhi,
out of his
ūrṇā
came an array of
light rays called arouser of the bodhisattva Saṃkusumita; he was surrounded by many hundreds of thousands of millions of rays. The light circumambulated
the Buddha three times and, having passed through billions of trichiliocosms and crossed as many worlds in the northeastern
direction as there are grains of sand in one hundred thousand Gaṅgā rivers, it came to the world sphere called Kusumāvatī,
where the tathāgata Saṃkusumita Rājendra was staying. Due to the power of his previous aspirations, Mañjuśrī was also staying
there together with other bodhisattvas, great beings engaged in bodhisattva activity. Seeing this effulgence of light, he
gently smiled and addressed the multitude of bodhisattvas: {1.4}

“This arousing ray of light, O sons of the victorious ones, has come here to wake me up. Do pay attention!” {1.5}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, the bodhisattva, the great being, with his eyes wide and unblinking, sat facing the
radiance of the ray. And this arousing ray, illuminating the Kusumāvatī world sphere with great radiance, circumambulated the
thus-gone lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra clockwise three times and dissolved into the head of the great being, the bodhisattva
Mañjuśrī. {1.6}

The divine youth Mañjuśrī then got up from his seat
and circumambulated the thus-gone lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra
three times. Then, bowing his head and placing his right knee on the ground, he spoke to Lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra: {1.7}

“May Lord Śākyamuni, the tathāgata, the arhat, the completely awakened one, think of me. Let me go, O lord, from here
to the Sahā world sphere to see Lord Śākyamuni, to honor him and serve him. Let me go so that he may instruct me in the mantra
practice, the sādhana practice, and the procedure of constructing the right maṇḍala; the secrets of the ritual and the
procedure of drawing the picture; and the secret mudrā empowerment into the heart of all the tathāgatas, so that all the
wishes of all beings are fulfilled.” {1.8}

Being so addressed, the thus-gone lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“You may go, divine youth Mañjuśrī, if you think that this is the right time. And please ask Lord Śākyamuni, on my
behalf, if he is without pain and without worry, if his efforts come easily to him, and if his life is comfortable.” {1.9}

Then, the thus-gone lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra

further said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Also, O divine youth, the tathāgatas, the arhats, the completely awakened ones, numerous as grains of sand in one
hundred thousand Gaṅgā rivers, have taught and will teach again of your proficiency in mantra practice, maṇḍala ritual, the
secret empowerment, the mudrās, the picture drawing procedure, the homa rite,
the mantra recitation, and the regular observations, all of which fulfill every wish and bring joy to every being. They will
teach of your proficiency in the vast fields of astrology and gemology; of your knowledge of the past, present, and future;
and of your ability to govern and make predictions. They will teach of your mantra repetition, your ability to travel to the
ends of the earth and to become invisible, and your vast knowledge of the right time and occasion for anything. They will
teach how to traverse all the stages of the buddhas, bodhisattvas, śrāvakas, and pratyekabuddhas, and all the mundane and
supramundane stages without exception. They will teach the way in which you are established in the practice of all of these.
So that I too may rejoice, please go Mañjuśrī, O divine youth, if you think that the time is right. You will hear these
teachings in the presence of Śākyamuni, face to face with him, and you will later give them yourself. The mantra for this is
as follows: {1.10}

“Homage to all the tathāgatas whose instructions are inconceivable and perfect!

{1.11}

“This was, O divine youth Mañjuśrī, the root mantra. It is the heart essence of all the tathāgatas, and it was and
will be
recited by them. You will also now recite this, the all-accomplishing mantra, together with all its parts, having arrived in
the Sahā world. This has been sanctioned by Śākyamuni. Here, the ultimate heart mantra is:

{1.12}

“The subsidiary heart mantra in this set is:

“Speech, hūṁ!”
{1.13}

Lord Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, being thus granted leave by Saṃkusumita Rājendra,
the tathāgata, entered the samādhi called the
ornament of all supernal manifestations that brings the attainment of the essence of awakening which is a product of the
conduct of a bodhisattva. As soon as Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered this samādhi, the world sphere with
all its directions—above, below, and across—up to its farthest reaches, became filled with lord buddhas. Saṃkusumita Rājendra
then said: {1.14}

“Good, good it is, O son of the Victorious One, that you have entered this particular samādhi! No śrāvakas,
pratyekabuddhas, or bodhisattvas who are established in the perfect conduct, not even those on the tenth bodhisattva level,
are able to enter this samādhi.” {1.15}

Then Saṃkusumita Rājendra, having conferred with the lord buddhas, the tathāgatas, taught the following mantra of
Mañjuśrī, the divine youth—his ultimately secret, innermost heart essence that accomplishes all purposes. This most secret,
divine mantra, called One Syllable,

Lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra, the tathāgata, became quiet for a moment. Looking with his buddha eye over all the world
spheres, he considered all the lord buddhas dwelling there, and with a mind filled with love, pronounced the mantra:

“Homage to all the buddhas!

“Oṁ maṁ!”

“This mantra is the ultimate heart essence of Mañjuśrī, which accomplishes all endeavors.” {1.17}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, arose from the aforementioned samādhi and performed, in the time that it takes a
strong person to bend or to extend their arm, or to snap their fingers, or to close and open their eyes, the miraculous,
special samādhi called the intellect with the force of magical power, and went to the Sahā world. Having
arrived there, he established himself in the palace of the gods of the Pure Abode founded upon fine jewels and gems in the
canopy of the sky. Illuminating this entire realm of the Pure Abode with powerful rays of light, he entered the samādhi called
the illuminator adorned with brilliant jewels. {1.18}

As soon as Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered this samādhi, he manifested through the power of bodhisattva
transformation, for the worship of Lord Śākyamuni, a divinely created palace sumptuously studded with many gems and adorned
with jeweled parasols spanning many hundred of thousands of leagues; bedecked with divinely beautiful great bundles of silk
streamers; decorated with celestial flowers, banners, flags, garlands, and jewels; and pleasant with the sweet sound of
draperies of latticed wind-chimes. Also, in the act of worshiping Lord Śākyamuni, he manifested a copious rain of perfume,
garlands, ointments, wreaths, and scented powders. {1.19}

Seeing this extraordinary and marvelous display—a miracle of a bodhisattva—the hair of the gods of the Pure Abode
stood on end in excitement. When, however, they saw their abodes trembling, their hearts became tormented and pained. They
immediately began to wail loudly, with a sense of great urgency, “Oh, what can this be? Could it be that we are being deprived
of our divine powers?” And they implored, “Please protect us, Lord! Please protect us, Śākyamuni!” {1.20}

Lord Śākyamuni then addressed the entire assembly of the gods of the Pure Abode:

“Do not be afraid, friends! Do not be afraid! Mañjuśrī, the divine youth present here, the bodhisattva, the great
being, has come here from the presence of the tathāgata Saṃkusumita Rājendra in the buddhafield Saṃkusumita, in
order to see, worship, and serve me. He has come to teach the conduct of great purpose, the mantra subjects, and the vast and
amazing Dharma subjects.” {1.21}

The divine youth Mañjuśrī, in turn, circumambulated Lord Śākyamuni three times and, looking at him with unblinking
eyes, bowed down to his feet and praised him with these succinct words: {1.22}

“Homage to you, the liberated one not subject to birth!

Homage to you, the best among men!

Homage to you, the elder of men,

Who accomplishes all purposes of [mantra] conduct! {1.23}

“Homage to you, O lion of a man,

Who prevents anything undesirable from occurring!

Homage to you, the great hero

Who eliminates all evil destinies! {1.24}

“Homage to you,
white lotus of a man,

Who is fragrant with the scent of merit!

Homage to you, O lotus of a man,

Who purifies the mire of the three types of existence! {1.25}

“Homage to you, O liberated one,

Who delivers from all pain!

Homage to you, the tranquil one

Who perfectly tames all the untamed ones! {1.26}

“Homage to you, the accomplished one

Who fulfills the purpose of all mantra practice!

Homage to you, the auspicious one,

The most auspicious among all auspicious! {1.27}

“Homage to you, the awakened one

Who awakens others to the complete truth of the Dharma!

Homage to you, the tathāgata,

The one who abides in and teaches

The suchness of all phenomena,

Which is devoid of conceptual elaboration! {1.28}

“Homage to the omniscient one who is established, and is establishing others, in nirvāṇa and in the path of the three
vehicles that encompasses all consciousnesses and all knowable objects, both conditioned and unconditioned!” {1.29}

Having praised Lord Śākyamuni in his presence with these words, Mañjuśrī said:

“There is, O lord, in the eastern direction beyond world spheres as numerous as the grains of sand in one hundred
thousand Gaṅgā rivers, a buddhafield called Saṃkusumita. There is a world sphere there called Kusumāvatī where
the tathāgata Lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra dwells. An arhat, one perfectly awakened, perfected in wisdom and conduct, the
bliss-gone one, the supreme knower of the world, the guide of people who need to be tamed, the preceptor of gods and men, he expounds the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end.
He presented an account of the buddha activity
that is profoundly meaningful, full of beautiful figures of speech, original, complete, perfectly pure, and highly polished.
He is presently living and teaching all sentient beings the Dharma, the bodhisattva basket that pertains to the mantra practice,
the path that conforms to the practice of the threefold
path, the protection, the place of rest, the refuge, the highest aim, the well-being, and the ultimate and final cessation. It
is by his command that I have arrived here in your presence, to be at your feet. Lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra, the tathāgata,
asks if you are without pain and without worry, if your efforts come easily to you, and if your life is comfortable. He also
said this: {1.30}

“ ‘It is indeed wonderful that in this time of the five degenerations Lord Śākyamuni, the awakened one, has appeared
and is giving complete Dharma teachings with nothing missing —the Dharma that consists of the threefold path and that brings about rebirth as a god or a human and final emancipation. Wonderful indeed is Lord Śākyamuni’s courage, that in this world of helpless beings
he establishes them on the path that leads to escape from the three realms, and he also establishes them in the state of
nirvāṇa, which is complete with boundless spiritual accomplishment and happiness. Is it not true that only the awakened ones can know the
minds of the lord buddhas? How could I know how to perform the magical feats of the lord buddhas, whose
miracles stem from an inconceivable, wondrous, superhuman power? How could I know of their engagement in the mental and
physical conduct that constitutes their potential for the accomplishment of tasks? Would I be able to even summarize these
things in hundreds of thousands of millions of eons? The accomplishments of the tathāgatas, and all their forms without
exception, whether separate and distinct or altogether, should be seen in terms of unconditioned dharmas. Only you, O Lord,
the tathāgata, can explain the conduct and the qualities related to the elimination of traits eliminable through the path of
seeing. I cannot do that.’ ” {1.31}

Seated on a great jeweled lotus miraculously created through his own magical power, Mañjuśrī, the divine youth,
watched Lord Śākyamuni with anticipation. The latter,
following the usual practice of a tathāgata, first gave by way of introduction the customary manifold preamble preceded by
questions from the audience, and then he spoke to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, the bodhisattva, the great being, with a voice
as sweet as Brahmā’s, a voice that resembled the call of a cuckoo or the resounding of thunder or a drum, a voice that is
fitting to a Dharma discourse and causes the bodhisattva to be accomplished: {1.32}

“Welcome to you, Mañjuśrī! The extensive tract of this great manual will now be explained; it has been approved by me
and taught by all the buddhas. It is the manual that effects the accomplishment of the conduct of great beings; that is
blessed by the buddhas; that achieves the aims of bodhisattvas; that contains the mantra topics together with the secret
empowerments, mudrās, maṇḍalas, and empowerment rituals; that brings about long life, lack of illness, and dominion and
fulfills all wishes; that contains all the tantras on sādhana rites; that causes one to know all minds and mental objects, the
occurrences in all times, all hidden phenomena, and the kingdoms and realms in the past, present, and future—in short, the
fulfillment of all the wishes of all beings. This is a mantra practice that facilitates the generation of good qualities and
is the cause of the joy of beings. This manual contains instructions on becoming invisible; traveling through space; fast
walking; increasing intelligence; the magic of summoning; the ability to visit subterranean paradises; the rites of assault;
the obtainment of every sensual pleasure; the power to summon the multitudes of yakṣas and yakṣiṇīs, kiṃkaras, piśācas, and bhūtas; and the power to become a child, an old person, or a youth, as
required by circumstances. {1.33}

“In short, this teaching has the power to perform all actions; it fulfills the heart’s every wish, magically
manifesting itself in the magic of assault, of enriching, and of pacifying. It will be accomplished exactly according to how
it is applied. Please teach now this ornament of the bodhisattva basket, this great, jewel-like, extensive manual,
this treasury of teachings on the mantra practice of pure
beings that was sanctioned by me and taught by all the buddhas. Teach it for the benefit and happiness of many beings, gods
and humans, with all sentient beings in mind.” {1.34}

Upon hearing this, Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered the bodhisattva samādhi called arousing with an array
of light rays the blessing power of all the buddhas. As soon as he, the pure being, entered this samādhi, the light primarily illuminated the world
spheres that were as numerous as the grains of sand in many Gaṅgā rivers, as well as all the buddhafields from the
Akaniṣṭha heaven to the Avīci hell. Any beings that were experiencing pain attained a peaceful state with
their suffering pacified. Having aroused all the śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and lord buddhas, the light again
disappeared into the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī’s forehead. Immediately, all the lord buddhas who inhabited the buddhafields in the
eastern direction were impelled by the display of the light sphere illuminating everything around. These buddhas were: {1.35}

The tathāgata Jyotissaumyagandhāvabhāsaśrī, the tathāgata Bhaiṣajyaguruvaiḍūryaprabharāja, the tathāgata
Samantāvabhāsaśrī, the tathāgata Samudgatarāja, the tathāgata Śālendrarāja, the tathāgata Lokendrarāja, the tathāgata
Amitāyurjñānaviniścayarāja, the tathāgata Anantāvabhāsarājendra, and the tathāgata Jyotiraśmirājendra. {1.36}

The lord buddhas headed by those just mentioned,
surrounded by multitudes of bodhisattvas and residing in
numberless and infinite world spheres—the tathāgatas, the arhats, the fully awakened ones—all congregated in the Sahā world in
the realm of the Pure Abode where Śākyamuni, the tathāgata, the arhat, the fully awakened one, was staying together with
Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, and expounding the vast topic of mantras and bodhisattva conduct. {1.37}

So it was also in the southern, western, and northern directions, and in the intermediate directions. The light
illuminated there all the buddhafields that lie above, below, and across, and it obscured all the abodes of the māras. All the
tathāgatas who were surrounded by multitudes of bodhisattvas and accompanied by congregations of śrāvakas, desiring to see the
Pure Abode, the miraculous power of the buddhas, and the greatness of bodhisattvas, and desiring to make the instructions of
the tathāgatas—the vast topics of the different types of samādhi produced by the mantra practice—shine unimpeded throughout
the world, took their places. They were: {1.38}

Subāhu, Suratna, Suvrata, Sunetra, Surata, Sudharma, Sarvārthasiddhi,
Sarvodgata, Dharmodgata, Ratnodgata, Ratnaśrī, Meruśrī, Acintyaśrī, Prabhākaraśrī, Prabhaśrī, Jyotiśrī, Sarvārthaśrī, Sarvaratnapāṇi, Cūḍāmaṇi, Merudhvajapāṇi, Vairocanagarbha, Ratnagarbha, Jñānagarbha, Sacintyārthagarbha, Acintyārthagarbha,
Dharmodgatagarbha, Dhvajaketu, Suketu, Anantaketu,
Raśmiketu, Vimalaketu, Aśeṣaketu, Gaganaketu, Ratnaketu,
Garjitaghoṣadundubhisvararāja, Anantāvabhāsajñānarāja, Sarvatamāndhakāravidhamanarāja,
Sarvavikiraṇabodhividhvaṃsanarāja, Sarvacaryātiśayajñānarāja, Lokendrarāja, Atiśayendrarāja,
Vidhamanarāja, Nirdhūtarāja, Ādityarāja, Abhāvasamudgatarāja, Svabhāvasamudgatarāja, Abhāvasvabhāvasamudgatarāja,
Avipakṣitarāja, Svabhāvabha, Puṇyābha, Lokābha, Amitābha, Anantābha, Sunetrābha, Susambhavābha, Arthabhāvābha, Adhṛṣya, Amṛṣya, Akarma, Akaniṣṭha, Amala, Anala, Dyuti, Pati, Mati, Sukha, Sukhanemi,
Nimiketu, Ṛkṣa, Divideva, Divya, Nābhi, Bharata,
Lokaśānti, Umāriṣṭa, Dundubhi, Siddha, Sita, Ākhyadivya, Duḥprasaha, Durgharṣa, Durālabha, Dūraṅgama, Durāla, Dūrasthita, Ucca, Uccatama, Khadyota, Samantadyota, Adyota, Ṛṣabha, Ābha,
Sumanāpa, Sumanas, Mahādeva, Sunirmala, Malānta, Dānta, Sami,
Sūci, Cihna, Śvetadhvaja, Imi,
Kimi, Kaniṣṭha, Nikarṣa, Jīva, Sujāta, Dhūmaketu, Dhvajaketu, Śvetaketu, Suketu, Vasuketu, Vasava, Pitāmaha, Pitā, Niṣkakuru, Lokākhya, Sahākhya, Mahākhya, Śreyās, Tejās, Jyotis,
Kiṃkara, Samaṃkara, Lokaṃkara, Divaṃkara, Dīpaṃkara, Bhūtāntakara,
Sarvārthaṃkara, Siddhaṃkara, Jyotiṃkara, Avabhāsaṃkara, Dundubhisvara, Rutasvara, Susvara, Anantasvara,
Ketusvara, Bhūtamuni, Kanakamuni, Krakucchanda, Kāśyapa, Śikhin, Viśvabhuk, Vipaśyin, and Śākyamuni. {1.39}

These and many other lord buddhas, having illuminated the realm of the Pure Abode, sat on their lotus seats. There was
also a multitude of bodhisattvas there who arrived in a similar way. They were: {1.40}

Ratnapāṇi, Vajrapāṇi, Supāṇi, Gagaṇapāṇi, Anantapāṇi, Kṣitipāṇi, Ālokapāṇi, Sunirmala, Sukūpa, Prabhūtakūṭa, Maṇikūṭa, Ratnakūṭa, Ratnahastin, Samantahastin, Gandhahastin, Sugati, Vimalagati, Lokagati,
Cārugati, Anantagati, Anantakīrti, Sukīrti, Vimalakīrti, Gatikīrti, Amalakīrti, Kīrtikīrti, Nātha,
Anātha, Nāthabhūta, Lokanātha, Samantanātha, Ātreya, Anantatreya, Samantatreya, Maitreya, Sunetreya,
Namantreya, Tṛdhatreya, Saphalātreya, Triratnātreya, Triśaraṇātreya, Triyāṇātreya, Visphūrja, Sumanojña, Valgusvara,
Dharmeśvara, Abhāveśvara, Samanteśvara, Lokeśvara, Avalokiteśvara, Sulokeśvara, Vilokiteśvara, Lokamaha, Sumaha, Garjiteśvara,
Dundubhīśvara, Vitateśvara,
Vidhvasteśvara, Suvakṣa, Sumūrti, Sumahat, Yaśovat, Ādityaprabhāva, Prabhaviṣṇu, Someśvara, Soma, Saumya, Anantaśrī, Lokaśrī, Gagana, Gaganāḍhya, Gaganagañja, Kṣiteśvara, Maheśvara, Kṣiti,
Kṣitigarbha, Nīvaraṇa, Sarvāvaraṇa, Sarvāvaraṇaviṣkambhin, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, Samantanirmathana, Samantabhadra,
Bhadrapāṇi, Sudhana, Susaṃhata, Supuṣya, Sunala, Ākāśa, Ākāśagarbha, Sarvārthagarbha, Sarvodbhava, Anivartin, Anivartita, Apāyajaha, Avivartita, Avaivarttika, and Sarvadharmopaccheda.
{1.41}

Lord Śākyamuni dwelt with these and other bodhisattvas in the realm of the Pure Abode. There were also other
bodhisattva great beings. Some, with female forms, fulfill the purpose of bodhisattva conduct throughout the infinite
universe. Some embody the inconceivable magical formulae of mantras
and dhāraṇīs with the power to establish the minds of all beings on the path of no return. Some take on the forms of medicinal
herbs. Some emulate the ways of different types of beings, entering flocks of birds, yakṣas, rākṣasas, or entities not designated as sentient beings (asattvasaṁkhyāta), such as jewels, mantras, or wish-fulfilling kings of gems.
They act in a manner suitable for taming beings according to
their individual capacities and take on the forms most suited to this purpose. The Lord dwelt there with uṣṇīṣa kings who grant proficiency in the Dharma
based on perfect realization in accordance with the instructions pertaining to vidyārāja. They cause beings to enter the Tathāgata, Lotus, and Vajra families and all the worldly and supramundane families. They prevent beings from
breaking their samaya vows, establish them on the path of the teachings, and keep the lineages of the Three Jewels from
breaking up. They were: {1.42}

Uṣṇīṣa, Atyadbhuta, Atyunnata, Sitātapatra, Anantapatra, Śatapatra,
Jayoṣṇīṣa, Lokottara, Vijayoṣṇīṣa, Abhyudgatoṣṇīṣa, Kamalaraśmi, Kanakaraśmi, Sitaraśmi, Vyūḍhoṣṇīṣa, Kanakarāśi,
Sitarāśi, Tejorāśi, Maṇirāśi, Samanantarāśi, Vikhyātarāśi, Bhūtarāśi, Satyarāśi, Abhāvasvabhāvarāśi, and Avitatharāśi. {1.43}

Lord Śākyamuni dwelt with these and other uṣṇīṣa
kings, who abide in the sphere of phenomena fulfilling the heart aspirations of
beings and pursuing the heart essence of all the victorious ones, in the realm of the Pure Abode. It would be impossible to
list all of these uṣṇīṣa kings down to the last one, or to describe their
greatness, with their inconceivable might and powers, even in hundreds of thousands of millions of eons. Therefore, they are
described here only briefly in an abbreviated form. {1.44}

The gathering of vidyārājñīs will now be enumerated:

Ūrṇā, Bhrū, Locanā, Pakṣmā,

Śravaṇā, Grīvā, Abhayā, Karuṇā, Maitrī, Kṛpā, Prajñā, Raśmi, Cetanā, Prabhā, Nirmalā, and Dhavalā.
{1.45}

Along with the vidyārājñīs, emitted from the infinite and unbounded form of the tathāgatas, there were others,
namely:

Tathāgata’s Bowl, Tathāgata’s Dharma Wheel, Tathāgata’s Couch, Tathāgata’s Splendor, Tathāgata’s Speech, Tathāgata’s
Lip, Tathāgata’s Thigh, Tathāgata’s Purity, Tathāgata’s Banner, Tathāgata’s Ensign, and Tathāgata’s Sign. {1.46}

Lord Śākyamuni dwelt with these and with other beings—the vidyārājas and vidyārājñīs, the ceṭas and
ceṭīs, the dūtas and dūtīs, the yakṣas and yakṣiṇīs, and other sentient and
non-sentient beings—uttering tathāgata mantras, created out of the Cloud of Dharma, and distinguishable by their adornments.
They were themselves a product of special samādhis, surrounded by enormous retinues of hundreds of thousands of millions,
vidyārājas ranking at the top of all the groups of vidyā beings. They also dwelt in the realm of
the Pure Abode. Among the vidyārājas belonging to the Lotus family, there were: {1.47}

The lords, Dvādaśabhuja, Ṣaḍbhuja, Caturbhuja, Halāhala, Amoghapāśa, White Hayagrīva, Anantagrīva, Nīlagrīva, Sugrīva,
Sukarṇa, Śvetakarṇa, Nīlakaṇṭha, Lokakaṇṭha, Vilokita, Avalokita,
Īśvara, Sahasraraśmi, Manas, Manasa, Vikhyātamanasa,
Kamala, Kamalapāṇi, Manoratha, Āśvāsaka,
Prahasita, Sukeśa, Keśānta, Nakṣatra, Nakṣatrarāja, Saumya, Sugata, and Damaka. {1.48}

He dwelt with these and with other vidyārājas, headed by Abjoṣṇīṣa, who had attained the samādhis arising
from the infinite accomplishment, the Cloud of Dharma, and who were surrounded by many hundreds of thousands of millions of
vidyās and many vidyārājñīs created through the form-samādhi of the lord of the world. These vidyārājñīs
were: {1.49}

Tārā, Sutārā, Naṭī, Bhṛkuṭī, Anantaṭī, Lokaṭī, Bhūmiprāpaṭī, Vimalaṭī, Sitā, Śvetā, Mahāśvetā,
Pāṇḍaravāsinī, Lokavāsinī, Vimalavāsinī, Abjavāsinī, Daśabalavāsinī,
Yaśovatī, Bhogavatī, Mahābhogavatī, Ulūkā, Alūkā, Amalāntakarī,
Vimalāntakarī, Samantāntakarī, Duḥkhāntakarī, Bhūtāntakarī, Śriyā, Mahāśriyā,
Stupaśriyā, Anantaśriyā, Lokaśriyā, Vikhyātaśriyā, Lokamātā, Samantamātā, Buddhamātā,
Bhaginī, Bhāgīrathī, Surathī, Rathavatī, Nāgadantā, Damanī, Bhūtavatī, Amitā, Āvalī, Bhogāvalī, Ākarṣaṇī, Adbhutā, Raśmī,
Surasā, Suravatī, Pramodā, Dyutivatī,
Taṭī, Samantataṭī, Jyotsnā, Somā, Somāvatī, Māyūrī,
Mahāmāyūrī, Dhanavatī, Dhanandadā, Suravatī, Lokavatī, Arciṣmatī, Bṛhannalā, Bṛhantā, Sughoṣā, Sunandā, Vasudā, Lakṣmī, Lakṣmīvatī, Rogāntikā, Sarvavyādhicikitsanī, Asamā,
Devī, Khyātikarī, Vaśakarī, Kṣiprakarī, Kṣemadā, Maṅgalā, Maṅgalāvahā, Candrā, Sucandrā, and Candrāvatī. {1.50}

These and other vidyārājñīs, headed by Parṇaśavarī, Jāṅgulī, and Mānasī, whose accomplishment is limitless, who have
the nature of the space of the sphere of phenomena, and whose mental states arise due to the presence of the bodhisattva
conduct and marvels—the dūtas and dūtīs, ceṭas and ceṭīs, kiṃkaras and kiṃkarīs, yakṣas and yakṣiṇīs, rākṣasas and rākṣasīs, and piśācas and piśācīs who have taken the samaya vows of the
Lotus family and perform the mantra practice—also dwelt in the gods’ realm of the Pure Abode inhabited by
pure beings. Staying there, they remained wholly preoccupied with acts of worship of Lord Śākyamuni. {1.51}

In Lord Śākyamuni’s presence, the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi then summoned his own retinue of vidyās, saying,
“Please gather here, venerable friends—hosts of vidyās of my retinue—krodharājas,
vidyārājas and vidyārājñīs, and great dūtīs!” Then, merely by the power of thought, all the multitudes of
vidyā beings were gathered. The male vidyā beings were: {1.52}

Vidyottama, Suvidya,
Susiddha, Subāhu,
Suṣeṇa, Surāntaka, Surada, Supūrṇa, Vajrasena, Vajrāntaka, Vajrākara, Vajrabāhu, Vajrahasta, Vajradhvaja, Vajrapatāka,
Vajraśikhara, Vajraśikha,
Vajradaṃṣṭra, Śuddhavajra, Vajraroman, Vajrasaṃhata, Vajrānana, Vajrakavaca, Vajragrīva, Vajravakṣas, Vajranābhi, Vajrānta,
Vajrapañjara, Vajraprākāra, Vajrāstra, Vajradhanuḥ, Vajraśara, Vajranārāca, Vajrāṅka, Vajrasphoṭa, Vajrapāṭāla, Vajrabhairava, Vajranetra, Vajrakrodha, Jalānantaścara,
Bhūtāntaścara, Bandhanānantaścara, Mahāvajrakrodhāntaścara, Maheśvarāntaścara, Dānavendrāntaścara, Sarvavidyāntaścara,
Ghora, Sughora, Kṣepa, Upakṣepa, Padavikṣepa, Vināyakāntakṣepa, Suvinyāsakṣepa, Utkṛṣṭakṣepa, Bala, Mahābala, Sumbha, Bhramara, Bhṛṅgiriṭi, Krodha,
Mahākrodha, Sarvakrodha, Ajara, Ajagara, Jvara, Śoṣa, Nāgānta, Daṇḍa, Nīladaṇḍa, Aṅgada, Raktāṅga,
Vajradaṇḍa, Megha, Mahāmegha, Kāla, Kālakūṭa, Śvitraroga, Sarvabhūtasaṃkṣayaka, Śūla, Mahāśūla, Ārti, Mahārti,
Yama, Vaivasvata, Yugāntakara, Kṛṣṇapakṣa, Ghora, Ghorarūpin, Paṭṭisa, Tomara, Gada, Pramathana,
Grasana, Saṃhāra, Arka, Yugāntārka,
Prāṇahara, Śakraghna, Dveṣa, Āmarṣa, Kuṇḍalin, Sukuṇḍalin, Amṛtakuṇḍalin, Anantakuṇḍalin, Ratnakuṇḍalin, Bāhu, Mahābāhu,
Mahoraga, Duṣṭasarpa, Visarpa, Kuṣṭha, Upadrava, Vidrava, Vidrāpaka, Bhakṣaka, Atṛṣṇa, and Ucchuṣma. {1.53}

These and other vidyārājas and mahākrodhas who completely tame
all beings; who perform the activities of banishing, dispersing, killing, and destroying; who are generous toward worshipers;
and who engage in the awakened activities of pacifying, enrichment, and assault, themselves surrounded by their own retinues
of hundreds of thousands of millions of vidyārājas, bowed, in anticipation of orders, to their
vidyārāja Vajrapāṇi, who, for his part, was intently observing Lord Śākyamuni and the divine youth
Mañjuśrī. All these vidyārājas sat
down on their seats in the places assigned to them according to their buddha family affiliation. {1.54}

Also the great dūtīs, the messengers of Lord Vajrapāṇi, together with their retinues of thousands of millions of
vidyārājñīs, abiding nonconceptually in their own sphere of phenomena that has the nature of the sky, gathered in that place.
They were: {1.55}

Mekhalā, Sumekhalā, Śṛṅkhalā, Vajrārṇā, Vajrajihvā, Vajrabhrū, Vajralocanā, Vajrāṃsā, Vajrabhṛkuṭī, Vajraśravaṇā,
Vajralekhā, Vajrasūcī, Vajramuṣṭī, Vajrāṅkuśī, Vajraśāṭī, Vajrāsanī, Vajraśṛṅkhalā, Vajraśālavatī, Śālā,

Viraṭī, Kāminī, Vajrakāminī, Kāmavajriṇī, Paśyikā, Paśyinī,
Mahāpaśyinī, Śikharavāsinī, Guhilā, Guhamatī, Guhavāsī, Dvāravāsinī,
Kāmavajriṇī,
Manojavā, Atijavā, Śīghrajavā, Sulocanā, Surasavatī, Bhramarī, Bhrāmarī, Yātrā, Siddhā, Anilā, Pūrā, Keśinī, Sukeśā, Hiṇḍinī, Tarjanī, Dūtī, Sudūtī,
Māmakī, Vāmakī, Rūpiṇī, Rūpavatī, Jayā, Vijayā, Ajitā, Aparājitā, Śreyasī, Hāsinī, Hāsavajriṇī,
Lokavatī, Yaśavatī, Kuliśavatī, Adāntā, Trailokyavaśaṅkarī, Daṇḍā, Mahādaṇḍā, Priyavādinī, Saubhāgyavatī,
Arthavatī, Mahānarthā, Tittarī, Dhavalatittarī, Dhavalā, Sunirmitā,
Sunirmalā, Ghaṇṭā, Khaḍgapaṭṭiśā, Sūcī, Jayantī, Ambarā, Nirmitā, Nāyikā,
Guhyakī, Viśrambhikā, Musalā, and Sarvabhūtavaśaṅkarī. {1.56}

These and other great dūtīs, surrounded by retinues of many other dūtīs, were all gathered in that great assembly.
There were also many dhāraṇī goddesses who arise in the mind absorbed in samādhi, and who let their chastising sticks fall
upon wicked beings to control them. They were: {1.57}

Vajrānalapramohanīdhāraṇī, Meruśikharakūṭāgārādhāraṇī,
Ratnaśikharakūṭāgāradharaṇiṃdharā, Sukūṭā, Bahukūṭā,
Puṣpakūṭā, Daṇḍadhāriṇī, Nigrahadhāraṇī, Ākarṣaṇadhāriṇī, Keyūrā, Keyūravatī, Dhvajāgrakeyūrā, Ratnā, Ratnāgrakeyūrā, Lokāgrakeyūrā, Patāgrakeyūrā, Triparivartā, Lokāvartā, Sahasrāvartā,
Vivasvatāvartā, Sarvabhūtāvartā, Ketuvatī, Ratnavatī, Maṇiratnacūḍā, Bodhyaṅgā, Balavatī,
Anantaketu, Samantaketu, Ratnaketu, Vikhyātaketu, Sarvabhūtaketu,
Ajiravatī, Asvarā,
Sunirmalā, Ṣaṇmukhā, Vimalā, and Lokākhyā.
{1.58}

These and other dhāraṇī goddesses, surrounded by retinues of many hundreds of thousands of millions of such dhāraṇīs,
all gathered in this great assembly. Through the infinite blessing of the buddhas, and the great blessing of the samādhi of
the bodhisattvas, there assembled in this great gathering also venerable pratyekabuddhas from other buddhafields where there
are no tathāgatas present. Among them were both the solitary, rhinoceros-like
ones and those who move among people, working for the benefit of beings. They demonstrate the way of the Dharma that involves
habituation to silence. However, as their mindstreams are devoid of great compassion, they circle in saṃsāra with their minds
ever weary. Their minds brim over with habitual thought patterns, and thus their previously generated bodhicitta is also
tainted by habitual thinking. Their minds thus stall in progress when they reach the first, second, third … or any
bodhisattva level up to the eighth, and they are fearful of saṃsāra, with minds ever weary.
They were: {1.59}

Gandhamādana, Samantāyatana, Samantaprabha, Candana, Kāla, Upakāla, Nemi, Upanemi, Riṣṭa, Upariṣṭa,
Upāriṣṭa,
Pārśva, Supārśva, Dundubhi, Upadundubhi, Lokākhya, Lokaprabha, Jayanta, Areṇu, Reṇu, Upareṇu, Aṃśa, Upāṃśa, Cihna, Sucihna, Dinakara, Sukara, Prabhāvanta,
Prabhākara, Lokakara, Viśruta, Suśruta, Sukānta, Sudhānta,
Sudānta, Anantānta, Bhavānta, Sitaketu, Cihnaketu, Ketu, Upaketu, Tiṣya, Padmottara, Padmasambhava, Svayambhu, Adbhuta, Manojña,
Manasa, Mahendra, Kūṭākhya, Kumbhaka, Saṃlākṣa,
Śaṅkara, Upakara, Śānta, Śāntamānasa, Dharma, Upadharma, Vairocana, Kusuma, Sunīla,
Śreyasa, Svabandhudūrāntaka, Duḥprasaha, Kanaka, Vimalaketu, Soma, Susoma, Suṣeṇa, Sucīrṇa, Śukra, Kratu, Iṣṭa,
Upendra, and Vasu.
{1.60}

Lord Śākyamuni dwelt with these and other hundreds of thousands of millions of pratyekabuddhas who had entered and
were established in what is taught as the “middling vehicle,” which, unconditioned and free from mental elaboration,
corresponds in nature to the sky-like sphere of phenomena, which is inconceivable, unmatched, and free of aim —the pratyekabuddhas who are basically
free from attachment and anger. There was also a great congregation of śrāvakas who, in turn,
were accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of millions
of śrāvakas. They were: {1.61}

Kāśyapa, Mahākāśyapa, Nadīkāśyapa, Gayākāśyapa, Urubilvākāśyapa, Bharadvāja,
Piṇḍola, Maudgalyāyana,
Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Śāriputra, Mahāśāriputra, Subhūti, Mahāsubhūti, Gavāmpati, Kātyāyana, Mahākātyāyana, Upāli, Bhadrika,
Kaphiṇa, Nanda, Ānanda, Sunanda, Upananda, Sundarananda, Lokabhūta, Anantabhūta, Varṇaka, Upavarṇaka, Nandika,
Upanandika, Aniruddha, Pūrṇa, Saṃpūrṇa, Upapūrṇa, Tiṣya, Punarvasu, Aruru,
Raudraka, Raurava, Kuru, Pañcika, Upapañcika, Kāla, Sukāla, Devala, Rāhula, Harita,
Upaharita, Dhyāyanandi, Dhyāyika, Udāyin, Upodāyika, Śreyasaka, Dravya, Mallaputra, Upadravya, Upeta, Khaṇḍa, Tiṣya, Mahātiṣya, Samantatiṣya, Āhvayana, Yaśoda, Yaśika, Dhanika,
Dhanārṇava, Upadhanika, Pilindavatsa,
Pippala, Kimphala, Upaphala, Anantaphala, Saphala, Kumāra, Kumārakāśyapa,
Mahodaya, Ṣoḍaśavargika, Nandana, Upanandana, Jihva, Jihma, Jitapāśa, Maheśvāsa, Vātsīka, Kurukulla,
Upakurukulla, Śroṇakoṭīkarṇa, Śravaṇa, Śroṇaparāntaka, Gāṅgeyaka, Girikarṇika, Koṭikarṇika, Vārṣika, Jeta,
Sujeta, Śrīgupta, Lokagupta,
Gurugupta, Guruka,
Dyotīrasa, Śamaka, Ḍimbhaka, Upaḍimbhaka,
Viṃśachoṭika, Anāthada, Upavartana, Nivartana, Unmattaka, Dyota, Samanta, Bhaddāli, Suprabuddha, Svāgata, Upāgata, Lokāgata, Duḥkhānta, Bhadrakalpika, Mahābhadrika, Arthacara, Pitāmaha, Gatika,
Puṣpa, Pālaka, Puṣpapālaka, Puṣpakāśika, Upakāśika, Mahauṣadha, Mahojaska, Mahojas, Anurādha, Rādhaka, Rāśika, Subrahma, Suśobhana, Suloka, Samāta, and Susmita.
{1.62}

Lord Śākyamuni dwelt with these and many other śrāvakas who knew the taste of infinite freedom in the sphere of
phenomena. Out of the collection of the three vehicles, they had reached the lesser one. Fleeing saṃsāra, they had immersed themselves in
the contemplation of the triple liberation. They were endowed with the deportment of the four immeasurable thoughts. They
focused single-mindedly, became properly ordained, and followed the correct conduct. Having adopted the right system (sunaya), they attained the state of nirvāṇa with its
mental tranquility and freedom from mental elaboration. They too were seated in this great assembly along with Lord Śākyamuni
and the others, established on the tenth level, who constitute the Three Jewels. {1.63}

Together with them there were many female śrāvakas. Relying on the path of the unconditioned, they abided in the
state of nirvāṇa—the attainment of śrāvakas. Pure and free from desire, they developed halos of light. They were all objects
worthy of veneration, being repositories of good qualities who facilitate purification. The best among the multitude of
beings, they were the foremost leaders of the world.
They were objects of worship of gods and humans and were
their fields of merit. They were the supreme leaders of two-legged, four-legged, multi-legged, and legless beings. They were:
{1.64}

Yaśodharā, Yaśodā, Mahāprajāpatī, Prajāpatī, Sujātā, Nandā, Sthūlanandā, Sunandā, Dhyāyinī, Sundarī, Anantā,
Viśākhā, Manorathā, Jayavatī, Vīrā, Upavīrā, Devatā, Sudevatā, Āśritā, Śriyā,
Pravarā, Pramuditā, Priyaṃvadā, Rohiṇī, Dhṛtarāṣṭrā, Dhṛtā, Svāmikā, Sampadā, Vapuṣā, Śrāddhā, Premā, Jaṭā, Upajaṭā, Samantajaṭā, Bhavāntikā, Bhāvatī, Manojavā, Keśavā, Viṣṇulā, Viṣṇuvatī, Sumanā,
Bahumatā, Śreyasī, Duḥkhāntā, Karmadā, Karmaphalā, Vijayavatī, Jayavatī, Vāsavā, Vasudā, Dharmadā, Narmadā, Nāmrā,
Sunāmrā, Kīrtivatī, Manovatī, Prahasitā, Tribhavāntā, Trimalāntā, Duḥkhaśāmikā, Nirviṇṇā, Trivarṇā, Padmavarṇā,
Padmāvatī, Padmaprabhā, Padumā, Padumāvatī, Triparṇā, Saptaparṇā, and Utpalaparṇā. {1.65}

These and other of the most senior of the great female śrāvakas approached in order to salute the Lord’s feet.
Desiring to swell the ranks of this great gathering, which was a
great miraculous feat of the bodhisattvas, they congregated and took their seats. They were eager to hear the Lord’s teaching
and to become a shining example to demonstrate the accomplishment of mantra practice. {1.66}

Lord Śākyamuni then looked at this entire gathering and, knowing with his pure heart that the realm of beings extends beyond the three times and is
sky-like in nature, without independent existence, he addressed Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, as follows: {1.67}

“Please focus your attention, Mañjuśrī, on the acts that serve the interests of beings! Enter now the bodhisattva
samādhi that will delight them according to their wishes, that is accompanied by faith in karmic results, and that will
fulfill the purpose of their mantra practice; the samādhi that is the seat of the Dharma, the seat of right action, and the
seat of tranquility and liberation; the samādhi that accomplishes ritual procedures and brings a state of equipoise free of
all conceptuality; the bodhisattva samādhi that is endowed with the complete power of the ten powers of the tathāgatas and
overwhelms the power of Māra.” {1.68}

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, then entered the samādhi that was just described by the Lord. As soon as he entered it,
he illuminated with a great light and caused to shake great trichiliocosms equal in number to the minute dust particles in
many hundreds of thousands of world spheres, similar to this trichiliocosm of ours. He also displayed the use of magical
powers, and then pronounced the words of his own mantra: {1.69}

“Homage to all the buddhas who arise out of the nature of nonexistence of individual entities! Homage to the
pratyekabuddhas and the noble śrāvakas! Homage to the bodhisattvas, the lords established on the ten levels, the great
beings! This is the mantra proper: {1.70}

“
Oṁ, kha
kha! Devour, devour! O tamer of evil beings, with a sword, a club, an axe, and a noose in your hands! One
with four arms, four faces, and six feet, go, go! O great destroyer of obstacles with contorted face, inspiring fear in
all nonhuman beings! One who roars with wild laughter and wears a tiger skin, perform, perform all tasks!

Cut, cut all the mantras [of non-believers]! Break,
break all the mudrās of non-believers! Draw here, draw here all nonhuman beings! Grind, grind all the wicked ones! Cause
them to enter into the center of the maṇḍala! O terminator of the life of Vaivasvata, perform, perform tasks for me! Burn,
burn! Cook, cook! Do not delay, do not delay! Remember your samaya pledge! Hūṁ hūṁ!
Phaṭ phaṭ! Split, split! Fulfiller of all wishes! Hey, hey, blessed one! Why do
you tarry? Accomplish all my aims! Svāhā!

{1.71}

This mantra of Lord Mañjuśrī, called Yamāntaka, Great Lord of Wrath, will crush or summon even the king Yama, not to
mention ordinary beings. As soon as the Great Lord of Wrath is pronounced, all beings will come into Lord Mañjuśrī’s presence,
unhappy, frightened, and terrified, their minds disturbed and their spirits broken, without any other refuge, no other
protection or recourse apart from Lord Buddha and the divine youth Mañjuśrī. {1.72}

Any beings that live on dry land, or in water, or fly in the sky, the mobile and the immobile, those enumerated as
born from a womb, from an egg, from moisture, or as born spontaneously, those that are situated in the infinite world spheres
up to their farthest reaches, and those that are hidden in the cardinal and intermediate directions, above, across, and below
will be removed at that very moment from those places by the Great Lord of Wrath himself and brought into the presence of
Mañjuśrī. The Lord of Wrath must not be pronounced in the presence of those whose desires have not been
extinguished, for they also would wither and die. It should be recited by those who keep their samaya pledges, in front of a
buddha image, or a caitya containing relics, or a book containing a genuine
Dharma teaching, or in front of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth. It must not be recited for the sake of performing other acts in
just any place, otherwise terrible omens and great ruin will come to the reciter. {1.73}

For the lord buddhas are indeed filled with utmost compassion, and the bodhisattvas, the great beings, exclusively
strive to establish beings in the practice of the insight of omniscient knowledge; enthralling all beings, they establish them
in the way of the Dharma. They deliver into nirvāṇa the entire realm of sentient beings; they give instructions and establish
beings on the triple path; they prevent breaks in the lineages of the Three Jewels; they illuminate the mantra practice. With
minds born of the power of great compassion, they obliterate the power of Māra. They destroy obstacle makers and
keep the lords of evil in check. They increase
their own power and hold back the power of opponents. They perform the acts of paralyzing, killing, destroying, chastising,
burning, and gratifying. They teach the practice of their own mantra. They cause the lifespan, health, and power of beings to
increase. They swiftly accomplish all tasks. They readily assume the modes of great love, great
compassion, great equanimity, and great sympathetic joy. That is why the Yamāntaka mantra was now recited with a mind free
from all doubt and deliberation. Summoned by the mantra were: {1.74}

Nāgas, great nāgas, yakṣas, great yakṣas, rākṣasas, great
rākṣasas, piśācas, great piśācas, pūtanas, great pūtanas, kaṭapūtanas, great kaṭapūtanas, mārutas, great mārutas, kuṣmāṇḍas, great kuṣmāṇḍas,
vyāḍas, great vyāḍas, vetāḍas, great vetāḍas, kambojas, great kambojas, bhaginīs, great bhaginīs, ḍākinīs, great ḍākinīs,
cūṣakas, great cūṣakas, utsārakas, great utsārakas, ḍimphikas, great ḍimphikas, kimpakas, great kimpakas, rogas,
great rogas, apasmāras, great apasmāras, grahas, great
grahas, ākāśamātṛs, great ākāśamātṛs, rūpiṇīs, great rūpiṇīs, virūpiṇīs, great virūpiṇīs, krandanās, great krandanās, chāyās, great chāyās, preṣakās, great preṣakās, kiṅkarās, great kiṅkarās, yakṣiṇīs, great yakṣiṇīs, piśācīs, great piśācīs, jvarās, great jvarās, cāturthakās, great
cāturthakās, nityajvarās, viṣamajvarās, sātatikās, mauhūrtikās, vātikās, paittikās, śleṣmikās, sānnipātikās,
vidyās, great vidyās,
siddhas, great siddhas, yogins, great
yogins, ṛṣis, great ṛṣis, kinnaras, great kinnaras, mahoragas, great mahoragas, gandharvas, great gandharvas, gods, great
gods, humans, great humans, country people, great country people, oceans, great oceans, rivers, great rivers, mountains, great
mountains, treasures, great treasures, lands, great lands, trees, great trees, birds, great birds, kings, great kings, Śakras,
Mahendras, Vāsavas, Kratis, Īśāna the Lord of Beings, Yama, Brahmā, Great Brahmā,
Vaivasvata, Dhanada, Dhṛtarāṣṭra,
Virūpākṣa, Kubera, Pūrṇabhadra, Maṇibhadra, Pañcika, Jambhala, Stambhala, Kūṣmala, Hārīta, Harikeśa, Hari, Hārīti, Piṅgalā,
Priyaṅkara, Arthaṅkara,
Jalendra, Lokendra, Upendra, Guhyaka, Great
Guhyaka, Cala, Capala, Jalacara, Sātatagiri, Hemagiri, Mahāgiri, Kūtākṣa, and Triśiras. {1.75}

These and other great yakṣa generals, surrounded by many hundreds of
thousands of millions of yakṣas, gathered together through the blessing and magical
power of the bodhisattva, in that great assembly in the realm of the Pure Abode. Having assembled, they took their seats in
order to listen to the Dharma. Also, the great kings of the rākṣasas, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of millions
of rākṣasas, had been brought by the Great Lord of Wrath. They were: {1.76}

Rāvaṇa, Draviṇa, Vidrāvaṇa, Śaṅkukarṇa, Kumbha, Kumbhakarṇa, Samantakarṇa, Yama, Vibhīṣaṇa, Bhīṣaṇa, Ghora, Sughora, Akṣayamati, Saṃghaṭṭa, Indrajit, Lokajit, Yodhana, Suyodhana, Śūla, Triśūla, Triśiras, and Anantaśiras. {1.77}

They all gathered to hear the Dharma. Also the great piśācas with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of millions
of piśācas gathered there. They were: {1.78}

Pīlu, Upapīlu, Supīlu, Anantapīlu, Manoratha, Amanoratha, Sutāpa, Grasana, Supāna, Ghora, and Ghorarūpin. {1.79}

They all gathered to hear the Dharma. Also, the great nāga kings, with
retinues of many hundreds of thousands of millions of nāgas, were brought by the
Lord of Wrath through his display of the power of the bodhisattva. They were: {1.80}

Nanda, Upananda, Kambala, Upakambala, Vāsuki, Ananta, Takṣaka, Padma, Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, Śaṅkhapāla, Karkoṭaka, Kulika,
Akulika, Māṇa, Kalaśoda, Kuliśika, Cāṃpeya, Maṇināga,
Mānabhañja, Dukura, Upadukura, Lakuṭa, Mahālakuṭa, Śveta, Śvetabhadra, Nīla, Nīlāmbuda, Kṣīroda, Apalāla, Sāgara, and
Upasāgara. {1.81}

These and other nāgas, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of
millions of nāgas, gathered together in this great assembly and took their seats to
hear the Dharma. Also, the sages and the great sages gathered there. They were: {1.82}

Ātreya, Vasiṣṭha, Gautama, Bhagīratha, Jahnu, Aṅgirasa, Agasti, Pulasti, Vyāsa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇagautama, Agni, Agnirasa, Jāmadagni, Āstika, Muni, Munivara, Ambara, Vaiśampāyana, Parāśara, Paraśu, Yogeśvara, Pippala, Pippalāda, Vālmīki, and Mārkaṇḍa. {1.83}

These along with other great sages, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of other great sages, entered this
great gathering. Having saluted Lord Śākyamuni, they sat down in order to hear and rejoice at this basket of bodhisattva
teachings explaining the purpose of mantra practice. Also, the great kings of the mahoragas entered this great gathering and
took their seats. They were: {1.84}

Bheraṇḍa, Bheruṇḍa, Maruṇḍa, Marīca, Mārīca, Dīpta, and Sudīpta.
{1.85}

Also, the garuḍa kings came together in this great assembly, with retinues of many of hundreds of thousands of
garuḍas. They were: {1.86}

They too joined this great assembly. Also, the kinnara kings, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of
kinnaras, came to this great gathering. They were: {1.88}

Druma, Upadruma, Sudruma, Anantadruma, Lokadruma, Ledruma, Ghanoraska, Mahoraska, Mahojaska, Mahoja, Maharddhika, Viruta, Susvara, Manojña, Cittonmādakara, Unmāda, Unnata, Upekṣaka, Karuṇa, and Aruṇa.
{1.89}

These and other great kinnara kings, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of kinnaras, came all together for
the purpose of hearing the Dharma. So did come: {1.90}

The Sahāmpati Brahmās, the Great Brahmās, the gods from the heavens of Ābhāsvara, Prabhāsvara, Śuddhābha, Puṇyābha, Avṛha, Atapas, Akaniṣṭha, Sukaniṣṭha, Lokaniṣṭha, Ākiñcanya, Naivakiñcanya, Ākāśānantya, Naivākāśānantya, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, Sunirmita, Paranirmita, Śuddhāvāsa, Tuṣita, and Yāma; the gods from the
realm of the Thirty-Three and from the realm of the four great kings; the gods from the heavens of Sadāmatta, Mālādhāra,
Karoṭapāṇi, and Vīṇātṛtīyaka; the gods who dwell in mountains, on mountaintops, and on mountain
peaks; those dwelling in Alaka, those who dwell in palaces and mansions, those who dwell in the sky, those who dwell on the
earth, those who dwell in trees, and those who dwell in houses. {1.91}

Also came the kings of the dānavas, headed by Prahlāda, Balin, Rāhu, Vemacitri, Sucitri, Kṣemacitri, Devacitri, Rāhu, and Bāhu. {1.92}

They had retinues of many hundreds of thousands of asuras—titans with
extravagant habits, great and varied wealth, and a
predilection to engage the gods in battle. Because of the bodhisattva’s blessing, they also joined this great assembly in
order to witness, pay respect to, and attend this miraculous bodhisattvic event. In addition, there were also the grahas and
the great grahas who work for the benefit of mankind and who dwell in the sky. They were: {1.93}

Āditya, Soma, Aṅgāraka, Budha, Bṛhaspati, Śukra, Śanaiścara, Rāhu, Kampa, Ketu, Aśani,
Nirghāta, Tāra, Dhvaja, Ghora, Dhūmra, Dhūma, Vajra, Ṛkṣa, Vṛṣṭi, Upavṛṣṭi, Naṣṭārka, Nirnaṣṭa, Hasānta, Yāṣṭi, Ṛṣṭi,
Duṣṭi, Lokānta, Kṣaya, Vinipāta, Āpāta, Tarka, Mastaka, Yugānta, Śmaśāna, Piśita,
Raudra, Śveta, Abhija, Abhijata, Maitra, Śaṅku, Triśaṅku, Lubdha,
Raudraka,
Dhruva, Nāśana, Balavān, Ghora, Aruṇa, Vihasita, Mārṣṭi, Skanda, Sanat, Upasanat, Kumāra,
Krīḍana, Hasana, Prahasana, Nartāpaka, Nartaka, Khaja, and Virūpa. {1.94}

These great grahas too, along with retinues of many of hundreds of thousands of grahas, were in this great assembly.
They gathered together in the great assembly in the realm of the Pure Abode by the blessing of the Buddha and took their
seats. Also, the nakṣatras, who move across the sky in the manner of birds, along with retinues of many hundreds of thousands
of nakṣatras, were present there. They were: {1.95}

Aśvinī, Bharaṇī, Kṛttikā, Rohiṇī, Mṛgaśirā, Ārdrā, both Punarvasus, Puṣya, Āśleṣā, Maghā, both Phalgunī, Hastā, Citrā, Svāti, Viśākhā,
Anurādhā, Jyeṣṭhā, Mūlā, both Āṣāḍhās, Śravaṇā, Dhaniṣṭhā,
Śatabhiṣā, both Bhadrapadās, Revatī, Devatī,
Abhijā, Punarnavā, Jyotī, Aṅgirasī,
Nakṣatrikā, both Phalgu and Phalguvatī, Lokapravarā, Pravarāṇikā, Śreyasī,
Lokamātā, Īrā, Ūhā, Vahā, Arthavatī, and Surārthā. {1.96}

These nakṣatra queens, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of nakṣatras, gathered together in this great
assembly in the realm of the Pure Abode through the blessing of the Buddha and took their seats. Present were also the
following thirty-six signs of the zodiac: {1.97}

These great rāśis, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of rāśis, came to this great gathering in the realm of
the Pure Abode. Having arrived, they bowed to the Lord’s feet and sat down in their respective seats. Also, the great
yakṣiṇīs, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of yakṣiṇīs, were present there. They were: {1.99}

Sulocanā, Subhrū, Sukeśā, Susvarā, Sumatī, Vasumatī, Citrākṣī,
Pūrāṃśā, Guhyakā, Suguhyakā, Mekhalā, Sumekhalā, Padmoccā, Abhayā, Abhayadā, Jayā, Vijayā, Revatikā, Keśinī, Keśāntā, Anilā, Manoharā, Manovatī, Kusumā,
Kusumāvatī, Kusumapuravāsinī, Piṅgalā, Hārītī, Vīramatī, Vīrā, Suvīrā, Sughorā, Ghoravatī,
Surasundarī, Surasā, Guhyottarī, Vaṭavāsinī, Aśokā, Andhārasundarī, Ālokasundarī, Prabhāvatī, Atiśayavatī, Rūpavatī, Surūpā,
Asitā, Saumyā, Kāṇā, Menā, Nandinī, Upanandinī, and Lokottarā. {1.100}

These great yakṣiṇīs, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of yakṣiṇīs, bowing to Lord Śākyamuni from a
distance, were present in this great gathering. Also the great piśācīs, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of
piśācīs, joined in, paying respects to Lord Śākyamuni. They were: {1.101}

Maṇḍitikā, Pāṃsupiśācī, Raudrapiśācī, Ulkāpiśācī, Jvālāpiśācī, Bhasmodgirā, Piśitāśinī, Durdharā, Bhrāmarī, Mohanī,
Tarjanī, Rohiṇikā, Govāhiṇikā, Lokāntikā, Bhasmāntikā, Pīluvatī, Bahulavatī, Bahulā, Durdāntā, Elā, Cihnitikā,
Dhūmāntikā, Dhūmā, and Sudhūmā.
{1.102}

These great piśācīs, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of piśācīs, also entered this great gathering. Also,
the mātṛs and the great mātṛs,
who wander throughout the world harming living beings and
seizing oblatory offerings of food and garlands, joined in. They were: {1.103}

Brahmāṇī, Māheśvarī, Vaiṣṇavī, Kaumārī, Cāmuṇḍā, Vārāhī, Aindrī, Yāmyā, Āgneyā, Vaivasvatī, Lokāntakarī, Vāruṇī,
Aiśānī, Vāyavyā, Paraprāṇaharā, Mukhamaṇḍitikā, Śakunī, Mahāśakunī, Pūtanā, Kaṭapūtanā, and Skandā. {1.104}

These great mātṛs, with retinues of many hundreds of thousands of mātṛs, were present in this great assembly, calling
out, “Homage to the Buddha!” {1.105}

Similarly, the entire expanse of space with its many hundreds of thousands of beings, both human and nonhuman, sentient and non-sentient, from the great hell of Avīci to the pinnacle of saṃsāra, became
open and accessible to sight. Within the totality of beings there was not a single one who would be in disharmony with
another. By the blessing of the Buddha enriched with the magical power of the bodhisattvas, all these beings then saw Lord
Buddha and the divine youth Mañjuśrī seated on the crowns of their heads. {1.106}

Now, Lord Śākyamuni, having looked over this entire assembly with his buddha eye, said to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth,
“Please speak, O pure being! Give a full presentation of the section on samādhi that explains the meaning of mantra practice.
Present this basket of bodhisattva teachings if you think that the moment is right.” {1.107}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, with the approval of Lord Śākyamuni, entered the samādhi called the
ornament of a contiguous formation

solid as fused vajras, adorned with miraculous displays

of the space-like nature. As soon as Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered this samādhi, he blessed the
realm of the Pure Abode, which extended over many hundreds of thousands of leagues, so that it became made of vajras. All the many yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, mārutas,
and piśācas—in short, the entire universe inhabited by living beings—became situated by the blessing of the bodhisattvas in
this great palace that resembled diamond jewels and gems, and there took their seats together, without any mutual enmity. {1.108}

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, seeing that this great assembly had gathered, said to Yamāntaka, the Lord of
Wrath, “Ho, ho, Great Lord of Wrath, who emanates from all the buddhas and bodhisattvas! Please protect this great
gathering! Protect and enthrall it! Tame the wicked ones! Awaken the gentle ones into realization! Placate the implacable
ones! As long as I am teaching this bodhisattva basket that accords with my own mantra practice and contains the extensive
instructions on mantra practice and the maṇḍala, please go outside and guard this gathering.” {1.109}

Thus addressed, the Great Lord of Wrath, of extremely ugly, misshapen appearance, acknowledged the command and
went outside in order to protect all the beings and to train the assembled audience in every respect. Letting out a terrible
roar into the four directions, above, below, and across, he took up his position in the form of Yamāntaka Lord of
Wrath, with a retinue of many hundreds of thousands of wrathful deities. Thus all beings, having become peaceful
and content, did not transgress his orders. They also heard these words: “Those who would disobey this injunction, their heads
will split into one hundred parts
like a garland made of basil plants. For such is the power
of the bodhisattvic blessing. {1.110}

Mañjuśrī then gave a Dharma teaching on the practice of his mantra.

“When a bodhisattva, a great being, possesses a single quality, his mantras become effective. What is this single
quality? It is the mind that beholds all phenomena without mentally elaborating upon them. {1.111}

“When a bodhisattva, a great being, possesses two qualities, his mantras become effective. What are these two? They
are ⁽¹⁾ never abandoning bodhicitta, and ⁽²⁾ having equanimity toward all sentient beings. {1.112}

“With three qualities, his exposition of the meaning of mantra practice will be perfect. What are these three? They
are ⁽¹⁾ never abandoning any sentient being, ⁽²⁾ guarding the vows of the bodhisattva’s discipline, and ⁽³⁾ never abandoning
his mantra. {1.113}

“When a bodhisattva, who has made the initial resolution of a bodhisattva, possesses four qualities, his mantras
become effective. What are these four? They are ⁽¹⁾ never abandoning his mantra, ⁽²⁾ not neutralizing the mantras of
others, ⁽³⁾ generating loving kindness for all sentient
beings, and ⁽⁴⁾ suffusing his mindstream with compassion. The mantras of a bodhisattva who has made an initial resolution and
possesses these four qualities become effective. {1.114}

“Five qualities will bring the bodhisattva’s mastery of his mantra practice and his engagement in the basket of
teachings to perfection. What are these five? They are ⁽¹⁾ frequenting solitary places, ⁽²⁾
frequenting remote, peaceful places, ⁽³⁾ not hating others, ⁽⁴⁾ not considering employing mundane mantras, and ⁽⁵⁾
establishing others in discipline, learning, and good character. These five qualities
will completely fulfill the purpose of his mantra practice.
{1.115}

“Six qualities will completely fulfill the purpose of mantra practice. What are these six? They are ⁽¹⁾ not giving up
faith in the Three Jewels, ⁽²⁾ not giving up faith in the bodhisattvas, ⁽³⁾ praising both mundane and supramundane mantras,
⁽⁴⁾ perceiving the sphere of phenomena that is free of elaboration, ⁽⁵⁾ not rejecting the sūtras of the Great Vehicle that
contain profound words and meaning, ⁽⁶⁾ never losing heart, ⁽⁷⁾ pursuing the mantra practice, and ⁽⁸⁾ not letting virtue
decline. These six
qualities will bring complete success in the practice of mantra and the knowledge of vidyās. {1.116}

“There are seven qualities that lead to the taking up of mantra practice that are helpful at the time of the actual
application of magical vidyās. What are these seven? They are ⁽¹⁾ taking up the profound path by cultivating the
perfection of wisdom; ⁽²⁾ resolving upon the bodhisattva conduct that consists in reciting, teaching, studying, and writing;
⁽³⁾ taking up the right demeanor, thoughts, recollections, and the holding on to insight, without being impeded by time,
place, ritual injunctions, mantra recitation, homa offerings, vows of silence, or the practice of austerities; ⁽⁴⁾ entering the way of the deep teachings of the Great Vehicle through the two
accumulations of a bodhisattva; ⁽⁵⁾ skill in the procedures of summoning the mantra deities of one’s own lineage or in effecting protection; ⁽⁶⁾ cultivating great compassion, great loving kindness, great equanimity, and great
sympathetic joy, as well as the six perfections; ⁽⁷⁾ pursuing the two types of omniscient wisdom by bringing together the sphere of sentient
beings, the sphere of phenomena, and ‘suchness’ through nonconceptuality; ⁽⁸⁾ never abandoning any sentient being; and ⁽⁹⁾ not
seeking the Lesser Vehicle. These seven qualities lead to the perfect mastery of mantras and magical knowledge. {1.117}

“Eight qualities will completely fulfill the purpose of the practice of mantra and magical vidyās. What are these eight? They are ⁽¹⁾
faith in karmic results, both seen and unseen; ⁽²⁾ refraining from investigating anything out of mere curiosity or the desire
to know; ⁽³⁾ displaying magical powers made effective
through the grace of a bodhisattva; ⁽⁴⁾
out of respect for the teacher, learning from him the undistorted mantras; ⁽⁵⁾ taking to
heart the master’s instructions on the buddhas and bodhisattvas’ own mantra system; ⁽⁶⁾ keeping one’s word; ⁽⁷⁾ renouncing all of one’s possessions; ⁽⁸⁾ being able
to skillfully explain the signs received in one’s sleep about suitable and unsuitable places for gaining accomplishment; ⁽⁹⁾ freeing oneself from all stains of
stinginess, sleepiness, and dullness, and constantly practicing diligence; and ⁽¹¹⁾ always offering oneself to the buddhas and
bodhisattvas. In short, never
being complacent about accumulating the roots of virtue, donning great armor, or desiring to remove all obstacles, one will
ascend the seat of awakening and experience great bliss as anticipated. One will be known as a great being and will also fall
in with other great beings. One will never be separated from a spiritual friend and will be accompanied by Mañjuśrī, the
divine youth, the bodhisattva. The aforementioned eight qualities will completely fulfill the purpose of mantra practice. {1.118}

“Friends! To sum up, a person who is not separated from bodhicitta, who is devoted to the Three Jewels, who
continually exerts himself with unwearied mind even if he were of extremely bad disposition, will succeed in the infinite and
marvelous mantra practice of a bodhisattva as taught in the detailed chapter on my mantra, and will develop the mind that
arises from this practice. It should not be known to be otherwise. Once someone has become free from dualistic thinking, he
will succeed even if his original motive was mere curiosity.” {1.119}

Then, the entire gathering, graced with the presence of buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and venerable
śrāvakas, said these words: {1.120}

“Good! It is good, O son of the victorious ones! This Dharma discourse, which leads beings to enter an illustrious
Dharma path whose special purpose is mantra practice, has been well presented for the benefit of all beings. O divine youth
Mañjuśrī, this talk that is in accord with mantra practice and complies with the requirements of a fine Dharma discourse has
been eloquently presented. If any king has this chapter, which records the coming together of the audience, retold, or causes
it to be memorized or reflected upon, or if, before a battle, he has it mounted on an elephant and worshiped with various
flowers, incense, scents, and ointments, there we will also be present. We will bring his opponents and enemies under control,
and we will destroy the armies that oppose him. Or, if anyone keeps it in their house written in the form of a book, we will
grant to that son or daughter of the Buddha family—be they a king or a queen, a monk or a nun, or a male or female lay
practitioner—protection, prosperity, long life, life free from disease, and the continuous increase of good fortune.” {1.121}

Having said this, the great assembly fell silent. {1.122}

This concludes the first chapter, describing the coming together of the audience, from this great root manual
containing an exposition of the mantra practices of the Great Vehicle, an extensive textbook that is a miraculous bodhisattva
display of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth.

Chapter 2

Now Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, gazing at this entire assembly,
entered the samādhi called the gaze that causes
all sentient beings to take up the samaya pledge. As soon as Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered this samādhi,
a ray of light issued from his navel. Along with many hundreds of thousands of millions of other rays, it entirely illuminated
all the realms of sentient beings and, reflecting back onto the realm of the Pure Abode, suffused it with light. {2.1}

Then the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi, the great being, addressed Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Please teach, O son of the victorious ones, the full chapter on the maṇḍala called
Establishing All Beings in the Samaya, which concerns the accomplishment of the practice that is common to all beings. Having
taken up this practice, beings will accomplish your collection of mantras, in addition to accomplishing all mundane and
supramundane mantras.” {2.2}

Being thus requested by the lord of guhyakas and yakṣas, Mañjuśrī, the
divine youth, taught the most secret system of the maṇḍala. He displayed the magical feat called impelling all the
vidyā beings
. Raising his right hand, he drew the attention of the assembled congregation by
using the tip of his finger, from which emerged many hundreds of thousands of millions of vidyādhara kings. Upon emerging, they illuminated the entire
realm of the Pure Abode with great light and remained there. {2.3}

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, then pronounced the heart mantra of Yamāntaka, the Lord of Wrath, a sole
hero suitable for all activities. This mantra effects summoning, dismissing, pacifying, enriching, and assaulting. It bestows the ability to become invisible, travel through space, enter
subterranean paradises, and walk with great speed. It can be used for the activities of bringing beings into one’s presence, sowing enmity among them or
enthralling them, and obtaining all kinds of
perfume, garlands, ointments, and lamps. Being the chief
mantra in its own tradition, it can accomplish, in short, anything that it is employed for. It is called Three Syllables. It
is a great hero that accomplishes all purposes; it is the Great Lord of Wrath himself. And what is it? {2.4}

“Oṁ āḥ hrūṃ!”

This is the all-accomplishing heart mantra of the Great Lord of Wrath, prescribed by the great being Mañjughoṣa for
all maṇḍalas and all types of mantra practice. It will destroy all obstacles. {2.5}

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, then raised his right hand and, placing it next to the head of Lord of
Wrath, said, “Homage to all the buddhas! May the lord buddhas, established in the infinite world spheres throughout the
ten directions, pay heed! May the bodhisattvas with great magical powers, present throughout the limitless universe, empower
this pledge!” {2.6}

Having said this, he turned the Lord of Wrath around and dispatched him. As soon as he was dispatched,
the Great Lord of Wrath went to every world sphere and, in an instant, subjugated all ill-willed beings possessed of great
magical powers and brought them into the great assembly in the realm of the Pure Abode. Having thus established them there, he
assumed a form surrounded by a blaze of light and placed himself atop the heads of the evil beings. {2.7}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, looking at the gathering, said, “Please listen, all you respectable beings! Anyone
who would transgress my samaya will here be brought into submission by the Lord of Wrath. For that reason
the words of the lord buddhas and the bodhisattvas who
possess great magical powers—the words that convey the meaning of the samaya pledges and the secret mantra—should not be
disobeyed. Please listen well and keep in your minds what I will tell you. {2.8}

“Homage to all the buddhas!

{2.9}

“This, friends, is my root mantra. It is called Noble Mañjuśrī. The mudrā that should be employed with this root
mantra is the so-called great five-crested mudrā. {2.10}

“Next is the all-accomplishing heart mantra. I will now pronounce this auspicious mantra that is suitable for all
actions:

{2.11}

“The mudrā that belongs with this mantra is the one called three-crested. It increases all
pleasure and good fortune. {2.12}

“There is, in this set, also the subsidiary heart mantra:

“Speech, hūṁ!

{2.13}

“The mudrā that belongs with this mantra is also the one called three-crested. It will magically
summon any being. {2.14}

“There is, in this set, also the ultimate, one-syllable heart mantra:

“Oṁ.
{2.15}

“There is another mantra, of eight syllables, most propitious, with great purificatory power, which is called Great
Hero. It severs the path of the threefold existence, it prevents
all unhappy rebirths, it pacifies everything, it performs all activities, it brings forbearance, and it leads to nirvāṇa. It is like meeting the Buddha directly. I myself, the bodhisattva
Mañjuśrī, have assumed the form of this most secret mantra for the benefit of beings. It
fulfills all wishes and, merely by being called to mind, purifies the five acts of immediate retribution. Is there a need to
say more? So, what is this mantra? {2.17}

“Friends, this mantra is my very self in the form of the eight syllables.
It is a great hero, the ultimately secret heart mantra that
is like buddhahood itself. It can, in short, help with any task.
The extent of its qualities cannot be described in full even in many hundreds of thousands of millions of eons. There is also
a mudrā that belongs with it—it is called great fortitude, and it fulfills all aspirations. {2.18}

“There is also, in this set of mantras, a summoning mantra:

“
Oṁ, he
he! O divine youth! You [assume] every form to awaken childish beings through speech. Please come, O lord,
come! You, who playfully hold the blue lotus of the divine youth, please
remain in the center of the maṇḍala, please do! Please remember your samaya pledge! You are a perfect teacher, hūṁ! Do not delay! Act! Phaṭ, svāhā!

{2.19}

“This mantra calls upon Lord Mañjuśrī and also summons all beings—all bodhisattvas, all pratyekabuddhas, venerable
śrāvakas, gods, nāgas, yakṣas, gandharvas,
garuḍas, kinnaras, mahoragas, piśācas, rākṣasas, and all spirits. {2.20}

“Should one incant sandalwood water seven times and throw it upward, downward, across, and all around in the four
directions, all the buddhas and bodhisattvas will come, along with Mañjuśrī himself with his retinue, all the mundane and
supramundane mantra deities, the entire host of spirits, and all beings. {2.21}

The incense mantra is as follows:

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers! [The mantra is:]

“
Oṁ, dhu, be steady, be steady! Remain within the fragrant flame of incense, hūṁ! Remember your samaya! Svāhā!

{2.22}

“Having blended together sandalwood, camphor, and saffron, one should offer it as incense to the tathāgatas, all the
bodhisattvas, and all beings. Their minds gratified by the incense, they will all be drawn to it. The mudrā that belongs with this
mantra is called garland of lotuses. This auspicious mudrā attracts all sentient beings. This is the
mudrā of ritual activity,
called

garland of lotuses. {2.23}

“When all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and also all sentient beings, have arrived, one should prepare a welcome
offering. Having infused water with camphor, sandalwood, and saffron, one should mix into it the flowers of royal jasmine,
sacred jasmine, or Arabian jasmine; the blossoms of the pannay tree, cobra’s saffron tree, bulletwood tree, and the flowers of
crepe jasmine; or any other fragrant flowers that may be in season. One should present the welcome offering while saying the
following mantra: {2.24}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers! The mantra is:

“
He, he, O greatly compassionate one who assumes all forms! Please accept the welcome offering and let [the
others] accept it. Remember your samaya pledge! Endure, endure! Enter into the center of the maṇḍala and let [the others]
enter! You who have compassion for all beings, please take, take [this offering], hūṁ! Svāhā to the one who abides in space!

{2.25}

“The mudrā that belongs with this mantra is called the complete; it is steadfast and suitable
for all beings. There is also, in this set, the mantra of perfume: {2.26}

“Homage to all the buddhas! Homage to the tathāgata Glorious with Surrounding Fragrance and Light! The mantra is:

{2.27}

“In this set there is also the mudrā that fulfills all hopes called blossom, and a mantra of
flowers, which is as follows: {2.28}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers! Homage to the tathāgata Saṃkusumita Rājendra! The mantra is:

“Kusumā, Kusumā! Rich in flowers! Dwelling in the flower palace with an
abundance of flowers! Svāhā!

“One should burn incense while saying the mantra of incense given above. {2.29}

“Paying homage to all the buddhas,

Inconceivable and marvelous in form,

I will now proclaim the bali mantra,

As taught by the completely awakened ones. {2.30}

“Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, the perfect teachers! The mantra is:

“
He, he! O venerable great being with the gaze of the Buddha! Do not delay! Please take this bali and let [the others] take it! Hūṁ, hūṁ! You with all [forms]! Ra ra, ṭa ṭa! Phaṭ! Svāhā!

{2.31}

“One should offer, with the above mantra, bali of food that satisfies all the senses.
In this set there also is a mudrā called
spear, which wards off all evildoers. Here belongs also the mantra of lamps: {2.32}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers who remove the darkness of ignorance! Homage to the tathāgata
Splendid with Light and Fragrance All Around! The mantra is:

“
He, he! O venerable lord with a body adorned with hundreds of thousands of rays of light! Please manifest
[yourself] magically, please do! O great bodhisattva with a body illuminated by radiating light! Please frolic and play!
Behold [with compassion] the totality of beings, behold! Svāhā!

{2.33}

“This is the mantra of lamps; with it, one should offer butter lamps. The mudrā that belongs with it is called
beholder of all beings. In this set belongs also the mantra that produces fire: {2.34}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers! The mantra is:

“Burn, burn! Set ablaze, set ablaze! Huṁ!

{2.35}

“This is the mantra that produces fire. The mudrā that belongs with this mantra is called the hollow
space. It is famed throughout the world and illuminates all beings with light. It has been taught before by the
best among sages to the bodhisattva Dhīmat.”
{2.36}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, said this to the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi:

“These mantric formulae, O lord of guhyakas, are most esoteric and require secrecy. {2.37}

“There is, known to belong to your buddha family,

A wrathful and terrifying son,

Whose every mantra, without exception,

Yields results for the wise. {2.38}

“His name is Mūrdhaṭaka and he belongs

To both the Vajra and the Lotus families.

The following formula is now taught

For the sake of invoking his power to expel. {2.39}

“Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, the perfect teachers!

“
Oṁ, act, act! Please carry out my task!
Break all the troublemakers, break! Burn all the vajravināyakas, burn! Mūrdhaṭaka, you who bring death! One with misshapen form! Cook, cook all
miscreants! Bringer of the death of Mahāgaṇapati! Bind, bind all the spirits who cause possession! O six-faced, six-armed,
six-footed one! Please summon Rudra! Summon Viṣṇu! Summon the gods, Brahmā and so forth! Do not delay, do not delay!
Protect, protect! Enter into the center of the maṇḍala! Remember your samaya pledge! Hūṁ
hūṁ! Phaṭ phaṭ!

Svāhā!

{2.40}

“This mantra, O supreme lord of guhyakas, which is supremely secret, is called Six-Faced Mañjuśrī of Great
Courage. He is the Great Lord of Wrath himself,
the destroyer of all obstacle makers. As soon as it is recited, even the bodhisattvas established on the tenth bodhisattva
level will flee, not to mention wicked trouble makers. As soon as it is recited, great protection is effected. The mudrā that
belongs with it is called great spear; it destroys all obstacles. The following is
the heart mantra of this Lord of Wrath: {2.41}

“
Oṁ, hrīṁḥ, jñīḥ! You with contorted face, huṁ! Destroy all the enemies! Paralyze them! Phaṭ phaṭ! Svāhā!

“With this mantra one can afflict all enemies with severe pain or quartan fever.  But if one keeps reciting for as long as one likes, or until loving kindness or compassion
arise, the
target will not be freed at the end of the recitation and will die.  Thus, this should only be performed on enemies of the Three Jewels and not on
others with peaceful minds. {2.42}

“One should also employ the mudrā great spear. In this set there is also a subsidiary heart mantra:

{2.43}

“Only the great spear mudrā should be employed. One will be able to deal with any wicked being
that one wants to. There is also a supreme heart mantra, rich in the blessing of all the buddhas, consisting of just one syllable: {2.44}

“Hūṁ!

“This mantra accomplishes all ritual activities. With this mantra, too, only the great spear
mudrā should be employed. It will put an end to all misfortune, and will enthrall all beings. In short, this mantra, the
Lord of Wrath, can be employed in all ritual activities. It should be recited, especially at the time of the
accomplishment, at the center of the maṇḍala. {2.45}

“The following are the mantras of dismissing:

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers! The mantras are:

“Win a victory, an auspicious victory, O most compassionate [lord] whose
nature is everything!
Go, go to your own abode and dismiss [also] all the
buddhas with their retinues. Cause them to return to their respective dwellings. Remember the pledge. May the words of
[these] mantras fulfill my every purpose. Make my wishes come true, svāhā!

{2.46}

“The above mantra of dismissing can be employed in all ritual activities. The accompanying mudrā is called
auspicious seat. With this mudrā one should provide the seat. The dismissal is effected after mentally reciting the above mantra
seven times. {2.47}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, again directed his gaze at the Pure Abode and the great assembly gathered there, and
taught in full the section on the mantras of the host of vidyās from his own great retinue-circle: {2.49}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers!

“Oṁ riṭi svāhā!

“This vidyā, Keśinī by name, is an attendant of Mañjuśrī and
may be employed in all rites. When combined with the great five-crested mudrā, she may be employed in all
rites involving poison. {2.50}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers!

“Oṁ niṭi!

“This vidyā, Upakeśinī by name, may be employed in all rites. When combined with the mudrā
budding blossom, she may be employed in all rites involving demonic possession.
{2.51}

“Homage to all the buddhas, whose conduct is impeccable!

“Oṁ niḥ!

“This vidyā, Nalinī by name,

Is useful in all ritual activities.

When combined with the mudrā auspicious seat,

She will certainly summon yakṣiṇīs. {2.52}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are inconceivable.

“Oṁ jñaiḥ svāhā!

“When combined with the mudrā spear,

This vidyā will kill all the ḍākinīs. {2.53}

“This vidyā, Kapālinī by name,

Was taught by Mañjughoṣa.

The buddhas perpetually praise

Her divine form.
{2.54}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the followers of impeccable paths! The vidyā of Varadā is:

“
Oṁ, Varadā! Svāhā!

“With a propitious attitude,

One should combine this vidyā with the mudrā three-crested.

This vidyā goddess assumes many forms

And swiftly bestows good fortune. {2.55}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

“Oṁ bhūri svāhā!

“When combined with the mudrā spear,

This vidyā will remove all fever. {2.56}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

“Oṁ ture svāhā!

“This vidyā, Tārāvatī by name,

Is proclaimed to be effective in all rites.

When combined with the mudrā wand of power,

It will destroy obstacles. {2.57}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

The next vidyā is:

“
Oṁ, Vilokinī! Svāhā!

“This vidyā, Lokavatī by name,

Can enthrall the entire world.

When combined with the mudrā the mouth,

It will grant every type of enjoyment. {2.58}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

The next vidyā is:

{2.59}

“This vidyā, Mahāvīryā,

Was taught by guides of the world.

When combined with the fangs mudrā,

She, the auspicious, enters all weapons.

She is a granter of boons,

And proclaimed as the totality of all beings. {2.60}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

The next vidyā is:

{2.61}

“When combined with the mudrā peacock seat,

This vidyā may be employed in all rites.

She is called Mahāśvetā, the brilliantly white one.

With her wondrous, inconceivable form,

She brings prosperity and happiness to the world,

Enthralling both men and women. {2.62}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

The next vidyā is:

{2.63}

“This vidyā, Mahāvidyā,

Is said to be a yoginī.

When used in combination with the mudrā the mouth,

She can tame wicked beings. {2.64}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

The followers of impeccable paths.

The next vidyā is:

“
Oṁ, Śrī!

{2.65}

“This vidyā, Mahālakṣmī,

Was taught by the protectors of the world.

When combined with the mudrā hollow space,

She will grant the rank of a great king. {2.66}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

The givers of fearlessness to all beings.

The next vidyā is:

{2.67}

“Her name is Ajitā, and she is

A girl of royal bearing arisen from ambrosia!

When combined with the mudrā complete,

She will restrain all one’s enemies. {2.68}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

Whose forms are wondrous and inconceivable!

The vidyā of the four sisters is:

{2.69}

“These attendants upon bodhisattvas

Are referred to as the four sisters.

They wander the breadth of the earth,

Showing favor to living beings. {2.70}

“They are accompanied by their brother,

Who is referred to by the name Tumburu.

They travel in boats,

Dwelling on the water.

When this vidyā is combined with the mudrā the fist,

It will completely fulfill all wishes. {2.71}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

The supreme masters of the world!

The mantra of Mañjuśrī-Kārttikeya
is:

“
Oṁ, divine youth! Great prince, play,
play! O six-faced one, authorized by the bodhisattvas! Mounted on a peacock seat and raising your hand with a spear in it!
Your color is red and you are fond of red fragrances and unguents. Kha kha! Eat, eat,
eat! Huṁ! Dance, dance! Your images are worshiped with red flowers. Please remember
your samaya! Move about, move! Stir them up, do, do! Quick, quick! Don’t delay! Carry out all my tasks, do! You with a
bright and colorful form, remain, remain, huṁ! You have the authorization from all of
the buddhas, svāhā!”

{2.72}

The bodhisattva Mañjughoṣa, the protector,

Spoke these words

And the entire earth shook all around

In six different ways. {2.73}

At that moment, this terrifying son of Maheśvara

Arrived in this world for the benefit of all beings,

To restrain every wicked being,

And for the sake of those to be trained. {2.74}

“The mantra of Skanda, who is marked with

The distinguishing marks of the planet Mars,

Should be recited in a soft voice

And with the mind filled with compassion. {2.75}

“He is a magnanimous bodhisattva,

Acting for the benefit of naive beings.

Since he is engaged in virtuous conduct,

He wanders everywhere throughout the world. {2.76}

“When his mantra is combined with the mudrā shaft of a spear,

This magnanimous being can bring forth

Even the state of Brahmā, and so forth,

Let alone the state of a human being. {2.77}

“In short, all deafness and dumbness

Can be destroyed by this divine youth,

For his mantra, when pronounced,

Is Mañjuśrī-Kārttikeya himself. {2.78}

“This bodhisattva has arrived in this world

With the desire to show kindness to beings.

The mantra called Three Syllables

Has been taught as his heart mantra. {2.79}

“He is completely dedicated to bringing enjoyments

In order to benefit all beings.

Combined with the mudrā shaft of a spear,

This three-syllable mantra may be used in all rites. {2.80}

“Oṁ hūṁ jaḥ.

“The above mantra, in short,

Will bring about birth as a human. {2.81}

“Homage to all the buddhas,

With their forms all radiant!

The auxiliary heart mantra of Kārttikeya is:

“
Oṁ, you disfigured graha! Huṁ phaṭ, svāhā!

{2.82}

“When this subsidiary heart mantra is combined,

Optionally, with the mudrā spear,

It will ward off spirits, including grahas,

As well as the mātṛs. {2.83}

“This mantra will produce results

When combined with any of the above mudrās;

It will frighten away evil beings

And release beings from their possession. {2.84}

“This divine youth called Mañjuśrī-Kārttikeya is an attendant of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth. He may be
employed in all rites. By merely reciting him, he will accomplish all tasks—frighten any being away, summon it, enthrall it, cause it to wither, or smash it; or, he will bring whatever
the practitioner who has mastered his mantra may desire. {2.85}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers!

The mantra of Brahmā is:

{2.86}

“This mantra is the great Brahmā;

He has been taught by the bodhisattva [Mañjuśrī].

Living beings can attain soothing calm

The very moment they recite it. {2.87}

“If, in addition, the five-crested mudrā is employed,

Good fortune will soon follow.

It is taught in all rites of assault

On the authority of the Atharva Veda.

This procedure has been concisely taught here

In its abridged form. {2.88}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers!

The mantra of Viṣṇu is:

“
Oṁ, you with a garuḍa for a mount!
Holding a discus in your hand! The four-armed one! Hūṁ hūṁ! Remember your samaya!
Bodhisattva [Mañjuśrī] is commanding you, svāhā!

{2.89}

“Commanded by Mañjughoṣa,

He, the peaceful one, will promptly accomplish the assigned task.

In his form of Viṣṇu, he will expel spirits

From the bodies of living beings.
{2.90}

“When employed in conjunction with the mudrā three-crested,

He will promptly and resolutely carry out his tasks.

Whatever elaborate rites

Were expounded in Vaiṣṇava tantras

Had been taught by Mañjughoṣa

As the means to guide sentient beings. {2.91}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers!

The mantra of Śiva is:

{2.92}

“This mantra has been proclaimed by me,

Wishing to benefit living beings.

Used in combination with the mudrā spear,

It will destroy all evil spirits. {2.93}

“The old rites of [Śiva],

Which I formerly taught,

Are described, by beings who dwell

On the surface of this earth, as Śaivite.

Different rites of great value, taught by me,

Can be found in the Śaiva tantras. {2.94}

“Homage to all the buddhas, the perfect teachers!

The mantra of Vainateya is:

“
Oṁ, bird, great bird! With your wings
spread like lotuses! Destroyer of all serpents! Kha kha! Devour, devour! Remember
your samaya, hūṁ! Remain! Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is commanding you, svāhā!

{2.95}

“This mantra is intensely potent;

It is known by the name Vainateya.

It is the supreme tamer of those who are difficult to tame

And the destroyer of the poison of snakes. {2.96}

“Used in combination with the great mudrā,

It kills the evil and the cruel ones.

It will cure poison without a doubt,

Whether it is of animate or inanimate origin. {2.97}

“Commanded by the bodhisattva [Mañjuśrī],

This king of birds, great in splendor,

Travels to different places in the form of a garuḍa

To train sentient beings by skillful means. {2.98}

“Whatever elaborate rites

Were expounded in the Garuḍa tantras

Were all taught by me alone

For the good of sentient beings. {2.99}

“That garuḍa bird is a bodhisattva

Who has arrived in this world in order to guide beings.

He wanders around in a bird’s form

To destroy the poison of serpents. {2.100}

“Whatever worldly mantras there are,

They have been taught in this manual of rites.

I apply them in whatever way is necessary

In order to guide sentient beings. {2.101}

“As for the mantras of the tathāgatas

Of both the Vajra or the Lotus families,

They have been taught

In this extensive manual and also before.
{2.102}

“Just as a mother enthusiastically plays

With her child in various ways,

In the same way I assume different mantra forms

For the sake of naive beings. {2.103}

“What was previously taught by those of the ten powers

I have now taught.

The entire subject matter of the mantra system

Has also been explained by the divine youth of great splendor. {2.104}

“The verses sung by the supreme victors,

And those sung by the sons of those of the ten powers,

Have also been sung by Mañjughoṣa

In many wondrous and inconceivable forms.” {2.105}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, gazing at the realm of the Pure Abode and the great gathering that had assembled
there, entered the samādhi called the one that animates all samayas. When this samādhi is entered, every
being develops the intention to engage in conduct to liberate all sentient beings.
{2.106}

As soon as Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, entered this samādhi, the entire realm of the Pure Abode changed, by way of a
wondrous and inconceivable transformation through his bodhisattva power, into a beautiful maṇḍala adorned with ornaments of
jewels and gems of many colors. None of those who have undertaken the conduct of pratyekabuddhas or venerable śrāvakas, nor
any of the bodhisattvas, these mighty lords established on the tenth level, would be able to paint or supervise the painting
of such a maṇḍala, so what need is there to mention ordinary people? {2.107}

When they beheld Mañjuśrī, the princely youth, established in the state of accomplishment of the samaya of this
divine, noble maṇḍala, all the blessed
buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, venerable śrāvakas, bodhisattvas established on the tenth level, crown princes consecrated to
kingship, and all those who undertook their respective conduct including beings that are free from or subject to karmic
influences perceived themselves, through the blessing of the divine youth Mañjuśrī, as being part of this inconceivable
maṇḍala arisen as the consequence of buddha or bodhisattva activity through the mental power of his special samādhi. It is not
possible for ordinary people even to visualize this maṇḍala in their minds, let alone paint it or supervise a painting of it.
{2.108}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, addressed the beings who were about to enter the samaya of the maṇḍala of this great assembly as follows:

“Listen, friends! This samaya must not be violated even by the tathāgatas and the bodhisattvas, let alone by other beings,
be they noble or not.” {2.109}

Then Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, spoke to Vajrapāṇi, the general of the guhyakas:

“Mentally generated samayas beyond the scope of humans have been
taught before, O son of the victorious ones. But I will now teach the samaya of the completely liberated tathāgatas, suitable
for humans, whereby beings, once they have entered it, will attain the accomplishment of all worldly and transcendent
mantras.”
{2.110}

Vajrapāṇi, the general of the guhyakas, replied to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, “Speak, speak, O son of the victorious
ones, if the time seems right to you! {2.111}

“Once the protector of the world,

The Lion of the Śākyas, had entered into perfect nirvāṇa,

You created a maṇḍala here on
earth

That is, for beings, like awakening itself. {2.112}

“For, when this maṇḍala is merely seen,

One will attain, in this world, the accomplishment of mantra.

But if the rite is corrupted out of ignorance,

Or if one does not master the samaya, {2.113}

“One will not accomplish the mantras,

Even though one may be as great as Brahmā.

If one does not apply oneself to this tantra

And does not meet with its teaching on the samaya,
{2.114}

“One will not accomplish the mantras,

Even if one exerts oneself again and again.

If one’s application of the samaya is corrupt,

Then even if one has the perseverance of Śakra, {2.115}

“One will not accomplish the mantras;

How then could the humans on earth?

However, when one knows the true teaching on the samaya

And performs the activities pertaining to conduct,

The mantras will be accomplished as soon as they are recited,

Be they worldly or noble. {2.116}

“One who has entered the maṇḍala of Mañjughoṣa

Will be able to accomplish all activities.

One will definitely attain the accomplishment of mantra

Just as in the teachings of the divine youth.” {2.117}

At that moment, Vajrapāṇi, the general of the guhyakas, supplicated the great being Mañjuśrī:

“Ho, ho, great bodhisattva! Please teach concisely the maṇḍala procedure for the benefit of all beings.” {2.118}

Being thus requested by the general of the guhyakas, Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, commenced teaching the maṇḍala
procedure for the benefit of all beings. {2.119}

“To start, on a bright fortnight of the month of Caitra or Vaiśākha, which is a ‘fortnight of miracles,’ on an
auspicious day, after ascertaining the favorable positions of the planets and when the moon is in the right constellation,
either on the first day of the bright fortnight or during the full moon, or at some other time, other than the rainy months,
one should
consecrate the ground in the morning. {2.120}

“One should take one’s quarters in a city, or where oneself or the maṇḍala master lives, or by a river that flows
into the ocean, or near an ocean shore that is to the northeast of the city, neither too near nor too far from
where the maṇḍala master lives. One should build there a hut
of leaves and stay there alone for a period of a week or two. {2.121}

“There, one should choose a place on the ground that is clean, covers a square area measuring sixteen or twelve
cubits across, and is free from stones, gravel, ash, coals, chaff, eggshells, and bones. Having cleaned and prepared this place well, one should sprinkle it using water
that is free of living organisms and mixed with the five products of the cow, or water mixed with sandalwood, camphor,
and saffron. This water should be incanted one thousand and eight times with Yamāntaka, the Lord of Wrath,
recited while forming the great five-crested mudrā. One should throw the water in the four cardinal and
four intermediate directions, upward, downward, horizontally, and all around the area. {2.122}

“This square area on the ground with four equal sides may be sixteen, twelve, or eight cubits across—sixteen cubits
is the largest size, twelve the medium size, and eight cubits is the smallest. Such a maṇḍala has been proclaimed by the
all-knowing ones to be of three kinds: the largest is for those who desire kingship, the medium serves for bringing
enjoyments, and the smallest, which merely safeguards the samaya, can be used in
all activities as it is auspicious. {2.123}

“One should thus draw the maṇḍala in the size that one desires, and excavate its area to the depth of two cubits. If
one sees stones, coals, ashes, bones, hairs, or any other products of living beings, one should dig at another location. It
ought to be a place where one will not be obstructed or disturbed. If such a place is difficult to find, one should go to a
mountaintop, or dig the layers of sand, or other soil, on the beach of an estuary, the sea, or a large river. After examining
the place with great care, cleaning it, and removing all living creatures, one should draw the outline. {2.124}

“One should further smear this entire area with the five products of the cow mixed with water uncontaminated by
living organisms and fill it with unpolluted clay from a riverbank or an anthill, making sure that the clay does not contain
living creatures. Once the area has been filled and well beaten, with an even surface, one should create the threefold maṇḍala
as required, with a well-beaten and even surface all over.
In its four corners one should plant four stakes made of
cutch wood, incanting them seven times with the Lord of Wrath. Then, having likewise incanted a
five-colored thread seven times with the heart mantra of the Lord of Wrath, one should completely enclose with it
the maṇḍala, tracing its four-sided shape. {2.125}

“One should trace in the same way a four-sided shape delimiting the intermediate area and another one delimiting the
inner area.
The maṇḍala master, standing in the intermediate area, should recite the root mantra of his own vidyā
one thousand and eight times.
By forming the great five-crested mudrā while reciting the root mantra the master will afford protection
for his assistants and himself. After reciting, he should step outside and circumambulate the maṇḍala clockwise. Then, facing
east, he should sit on a bundle of kuśa grass and contemplate all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Then, he should completely surround the maṇḍala with kuśa grass, tracing its quadrangular shape. On the outside of it, he should keep two cows
for one night without food and then have them led away.
{2.126}

“The maṇḍala master, who has completed the preparatory rites, is skilled in the art of mantra in his tantric
tradition, is fully intent on the Mahāyāna goal of benefiting sentient beings through skillful means, and has fasted for one
night, should prepare, with help from his able assistants and following the prescribed procedure as gleaned from scientific
treatises (śāstra), five-colored powder, finely ground, sparkling, and well
refined. Having incanted it with the six-syllable heart mantra, he should
place it in the center of the maṇḍala.
{2.127}

“On the outside, he should adorn the area with raised banners and flags and four gateways. Upon supports of plantain
posts he should hang clusters of fruits and have the area resound with kettledrums, tambourines, and the sounds of conchs and
lutes. He should have others recite texts of the Mahāyāna sūtras, with their exalted words, containing Dharma teachings
suitable for the fourfold assembly. They should be recited in the four quarters as follows:
{2.128}

the noble Candrapradīpasamādhi
in the west, the noble Gaṇḍavyūha

in the north, and the noble Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra
in the eastern direction. If the texts
are not available, the master should instruct four Dharma reciters, learned in these four sūtras, to recite them accordingly.
Then the maṇḍala master, rising up in order to listen to the Dharma, should strew white flowers of nice fragrance mixed with sandalwood,
camphor, and saffron all over the maṇḍala while reciting the root mantra. Having thus bestrewn it, he should exit the maṇḍala.
{2.129}

“After seven days, he should bring in two or three highly skilled painters of sacred images—ones who rely on
sacrificial food, give rise to bodhicitta, and follow the prescribed observances and fasts. The master should tie their hair
into topknots while reciting the root mantra. Then, after obtaining nice and finely ground powder in five vivid colors and
made from gold, silver, and various shining jewels, the master should request
some great kings who follow the Dharma, very wealthy and pure, to commission the painters to do the main drawing, one which has awakening for its goal and invariably leads to such.
{2.130}

“One attains this goal of awakening through merely seeing the maṇḍala—

What need is there then to speak of its bringing about the accomplishment of the mantra?

After the best of the Śākyas has reached nirvāṇa,

And at a time when beings have but little merit,

How could such a boon be found?

But yet this rite is now being taught. {2.131}

“Seeing the misery of poor humanity,

Mañjughoṣa, great in splendor,

Will now briefly teach the maṇḍala

With a summary of its ritual.
{2.132}

“One should color the maṇḍala

Using finely ground rice grains,

Brightly dyed in five colors—

White, yellow, red, dark blue, and green.
{2.133}

“The maṇḍala master should take up the previously prepared powder, form the great five-crested
mudrā, and seal the powder with it while reciting the
root mantra. He should have the second officiating master dig a fire pit outside of the maṇḍala to the southeast, following
the prescribed ritual.
The pit should be two cubits across and one cubit deep, its
rim with anthers like a lotus flower.
{2.134}

“A fire should be lit outside using sticks of the bilva tree for firewood and sticks of the dhak tree, as thin as the
anthers of a lotus flower, for kindling. The former should be nine inches long,
moist with sap, and smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. The officiant should summon the fire deity
by reciting the root mantra or the six-syllable heart mantra
while forming the mudrā the fist. Having summoned it, he should use the previously explained
single-syllable root mantra or the heart mantra to once again perform one hundred and eight oblations. {2.135}

“Then the master of the maṇḍala, having tied on a turban and prepared the implements, should himself guide the
skilled painters in their work. Thinking of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, he should light incense while saying the same incense
mantra as previously specified.
Folding his cupped palms together, he should bow to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth. Having thus paid homage, he should
fetch the colored powders and let the painters do their work. They should fill in with the powders each shape as
outlined. Employing this procedure, the maṇḍala master should first
supervise the painting of the blessed lord, Buddha Śākyamuni endowed with all the supreme features, sitting on a bejeweled
lion throne in the realm of the Pure Abode and teaching the Dharma. When the image has been created, the assistant to the
maṇḍala master should perform self-protection by reciting the root mantra and then offer bali that satisfies all spirits. He
should throw it into the four directions outside of the maṇḍala and also upward and downward. {2.136}

“After bathing, ritually pure and wearing clean clothes, he should go to the fire pit and perform the rite of
protection and offer one thousand and eight oblations of ghee mixed with saffron while reciting the root mantra. Subsequently,
he should sit down on a bundle of kuśa grass and remain there, reciting. {2.137}

“He should incant white mustard seeds one hundred and eight times with Yamāntaka, the Lord of Wrath, and
place them between two earthenware bowls.

If an obstacle maker is perceived in any form, be it a
misshapen figure, a terrible sound, wind, rain, bad weather, or any other form, the assistant should, in a wrathful state of
mind, offer seven mustard seed oblations. The obstacles will then
vanish. If the obstacle makers are human, he should offer five oblations. They will become paralyzed, lose their strength, and die or will immediately
be seized by nonhuman beings. There is no doubt about this. Even Śakra would die swiftly, let alone human beings with wicked minds or other obstacle makers. Seized by the fear of Yamāntaka, the Lord of Wrath, they will disappear, fleeing in all directions. {2.138}

“The assistant should remain seated at the same place, on a bundle of kuśa grass, and keep reciting Yamāntaka, the
Lord of Wrath. The master of the maṇḍala should then let the painters execute the painting of two
pratyekabuddhas, sitting in a cross-legged posture on lotus seats to the right of the painting of Lord Śākyamuni. Below the
pratyekabuddhas, two great śrāvakas listening to the Dharma discourse should be painted. {2.139}

“To the right of them, there should be the blessed lord, the noble Avalokiteśvara, adorned with every ornament, white
as the autumn moon, sitting on a lotus seat,
holding a lotus with his left hand and making a boon-granting gesture with his right. To the right of him, again, there should
be the blessed Pāṇḍaravāsinī, holding a lotus with her left hand and saluting Lord Śākyamuni with her right, sitting on a
lotus seat, and wearing a diadem on her hair tied in a topknot,
a turban of white silk, white garments, and a tightly fitting silken bodice. She should be painted with three dots made of black ash. Tārā and Bhṛkuṭī should be depicted in a similar way, sitting
on their respective seats and displaying their specific postures. Above them are the blessed Prajñāpāramitā,

Tathāgatalocanā, and Uṣṇīṣarājñī.
{2.140}

“The sixteen bodhisattvas should also be included: Samantabhadra; Kṣitigarbha; Gaganagañja;
Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin; Apāyajaha; Maitreya with yak-tail whisk in his hand and looking at the Blessed Buddha; Vimalamati;
Vimalaketu; Sudhana; Candraprabha; Vimalakīrti;
Bhaiṣajyarāja; Sarvadharmīśvararāja; Lokagati; Mahāmati; and Patidhara. Each of these sixteen great bodhisattvas should be depicted in
a peaceful form adorned with all types of jewelry. {2.141}

“The chief vidyārājas and vidyārājñīs should all be painted in the forms and postures of the Lotus
family as passed down by the tradition or described in scriptures and arranged in their respective places. On the
periphery, a four-sided area should be designated and strewn with lotus flowers; in this should be included whatever other
vidyā deities one can think of. {2.142}

“The two pratyekabuddhas on the right side of Lord Śākyamuni, as mentioned above, are Gandhamādana and Upāriṣṭa. The maṇḍala, facing east, should have entry gates painted on all sides. On the left side of
Lord Śākyamuni should be the other two pratyekabuddhas, Candana and Siddha. Below
them should be the two great śrāvakas, Mahākāśyapa and Mahākātyāyana. {2.143}

“To their left is the noble Vajrapāṇi in his peaceful form, dark blue like a water lily, adorned with all types of
jewelry. He holds a fly-whisk in his right hand; his left is clenched into a vajra fist in an expression of wrath. Vajrāṅkuśī,
Vajraśṛṅkhalā, Subāhu, and Vajrasenā should all be painted in their respective
locations, wearing their specific apparel and emblems and surrounded by retinues of vidyārājas and vidyārājñīs.

Their forms, postures, and so forth should be drawn according to
the tradition. To their left, a symbol of the double vajra should be painted in the shape of a square. Once painted, the
following should be said: ‘In this place, where vidyā beings have not been known to assemble, may they now come
to reside.’
{2.144}

“Above them should be painted the six pāramitā goddesses and the blessed Māmakī, all of them with serene forms
adorned with all types of jewelry. Above them are the eight uṣṇīṣa kings, each surrounded by a halo of blazing light. Having
first formed the appropriate mudrā, the respective forms of these great cakravartin kings should be painted, golden in color,
with pacified senses and adorned with all types of jewelry. Their gaze is cast slightly in the direction of the image of the Tathāgata (Śākyamuni). These eight
are Cakravartyuṣṇīṣa, Abhyudgatoṣṇīṣa,
Sitātapatra, Jayoṣṇīṣa, Kamaloṣṇīṣa, Vijayoṣṇīṣa, Tejorāśi, and Unnatoṣṇīṣa. {2.145}

“These eight uṣṇīṣa kings should be painted to the left of the pratyekabuddhas. At the gate should be two
bodhisattvas: to the right of the entrance, one called Lokātikrāntagāmin, and to the left, the great bodhisattva called
Ajitañjaya. The first should be depicted as having a peaceful form, wearing a diadem on his topknotted hair, holding a rosary in his
right hand and a water jar in his left, facing the gate, and with a slight frown on his face. The other has a peaceful form,
wears a diadem on his topknotted hair and carries a staff and a water jar in his left hand, and in his right hand, which
displays a boon-granting gesture, he carries a rosary. He should be painted facing the gate, with a slight frown on his face.
{2.146}

“Below the lion throne should be painted a Dharma wheel surrounded by a halo of blazing light. Below that should be
painted a jeweled palace within which is Lord Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, the great bodhisattva, with a youthful body of pale
saffron color. He has a peaceful form of beautiful appearance and a gentle smile on his face. In his left hand he holds a blue
lotus; with his right he displays a boon-granting gesture and holds a wood-apple fruit. {2.147}

“He is adorned with all the ornaments of youth and is decorated with five locks of hair. He wears a string of
pearls, a sacred cord, a silken bodice, and garments of silk. Shining in all directions, he is surrounded by a halo of blazing
light. He sits on a lotus seat facing the entrance gate of the maṇḍala and looks toward Yamāntaka, Lord of Wrath.
He should be painted as being beautiful to behold in every respect. {2.148}

“On his right side, below the lotus, should be painted Yamāntaka, Lord of Wrath, in his ugly misshapen form, completely
surrounded by blazing light. Awaiting a command, he looks at the great bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. He should be painted complete in
every detail. On the left side of Mañjuśrī, below the lotus, should be painted five bodhisattvas in the form of gods of the
realm of the Pure Abode. These five are Sunirmala, Sudānta, Suśuddha, Tamodghātana,
and Samantāvaloka. All of them should be depicted as residing in the realm of the Pure Abode, their beautiful forms covered
with flowers and bright all around with multicolored light like multifaceted gemstones. {2.149}

“The inner maṇḍala has an outer perimeter in the shape of a square. It has four archways and shines in the four
cardinal directions with a vivid light of five colors. It should be
demarcated with nicely colored cord stretched in straight lines. In the eastern quarter, above Lord Śākyamuni, is Saṃkusumita
Rājendra. He should be drawn in the center within the cord-lined area, sitting on a lotus,
with the body of a tathāgata but small in size, and
surrounded by a halo of blazing light. His right hand displays the boon-granting gesture, and he sits in the cross-legged
posture. {2.150}

“To the right and left of Saṃkusumita Rājendra should be drawn, respectively, the mudrās of the uṣṇīṣa [kings]
Cakravartin and Tejorāśi. The mudrā of Prajñāpāramitā should be drawn above Tathāgatalocanā.
Above the noble Avalokiteśvara and to the right of the mudrā of Prajñāpāramitā should be drawn Lord Amitābha with the body of
a tathāgata. With his right hand Amitābha displays the boon-granting gesture; he sits on a lotus seat and is surrounded by a
halo of blazing light. {2.151}

“To Amitābha’s right the mudrās of the alms bowl and the monk’s robe should be drawn. Following the sequence, the
lotus mudrā should be drawn at the entrance. To the left of Lord Saṃkusumita Rājendra, the mudrā of
the uṣṇīṣa king Tejorāśi should be drawn surrounded by a halo of blazing light. To his left the thus-gone Ratnaketu should be drawn sitting upon a jewel mountain and expounding the Dharma. He
should be depicted as surrounded by light emanating all around from a multicolored blaze of sapphires, beryls, emeralds, and
rubies. {2.152}

“To the left of Ratnaketu should be painted the mudrā of Jayoṣṇīṣa,
surrounded by a halo of blazing light. To its left is the mudrā of the Dharma wheel, with light blazing all around it. To its
left are the mudrās of a mendicant’s staff, water jar, rosary, and the auspicious throne. Next in sequence, at the gate of the
maṇḍala, should be painted an earth vajra with three prongs at either end, radiating
blazing light. The great five-crested mudrā and the utpala
mudrā, both radiating blazing light and connected to one another, should be
painted below Lord Mañjuśrī. {2.153}

“Then the surrounding maṇḍala should be drawn. It should be made so that one enters it via the western gate, and it
should be facing to the east. This
outer maṇḍala should be painted in all its aspects the same as the inner one—it radiates five-colored light, is beautiful to
behold in its vividness, and it has four gateways in the four cardinal directions. It should extend two cubits beyond the
inner maṇḍala. {2.154}

“In the eastern quarter should be painted the Great Brahmā with four faces, wearing white apparel including a white
shirt and a white sacred thread. He is of golden color, wears a diadem on his topknotted hair, and carries a water jar and a
walking stick in his left hand. To his right there is a god from the Ābhāsvara realm—golden in color, distinguished in
appearance due to his meditation, wearing silken garments and a silken shirt, and with a serene expression on his face. He
wears a diadem on his topknotted hair and a white sacred thread. He sits in the cross-legged posture with his right hand
displaying the boon-granting gesture. {2.155}

“To his right should be painted a god from the Akaniṣṭha realm, adorned with all types of jewelry. With
his mind steeped in meditation, he is of peaceful appearance. He is wearing silk garments and a silk shirt, sits in the
cross-legged posture, and displays with his right hand the boon-granting gesture. He is invested with a white sacred thread.
The gods from the Tuṣita, Sunirmita, and Paranirmita realms should be painted following the same sequence, and they are headed
by Suyāma and Śakra, each at his assigned location, and following the right order. Below Śakra should be painted
gods from the realm of the four great kings, as well as the sadāmattas, mālādhārins, karoṭapāṇis, and
vīṇādvītiyakas. The gods of the earth should likewise be painted sequentially arranged, with all their respective attributes.
{2.156}

“Similarly, in the southern quarter, the gods starting with those from the Avṛha, Atapas, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana,
Parīttābha, and Puṇyaprasava realms should be drawn, all in their respective places and wearing their
individual ornaments.
The same should be done for the western and northern
quarters. More are drawn below the ones just mentioned, arranged in two rows. {2.157}

“Outside of the second circle there is the third circle in which the four great kings are drawn sequentially in the
four quarters. To the right of the entrance gate in the northern direction should be painted Dhanada in the form of a yakṣa standing next to a treasure trove. He is adorned with all types of jewelry and
wears a slightly curved diadem. To his right are the two yakṣa generals,
Maṇibhadra and Pūrṇabhadra. {2.158}

“Next, following the proper order, should be drawn the great yakṣiṇī Hārītī with an amiable boy sitting in her lap
who is looking at the maṇḍala, as well as Pañcika, Piṅgala, and Vibhīṣaṇa, with the emblems (mudrā) of the yakṣas near them.
{2.159}

“Following next, in the west, should be drawn Varuṇa with a noose in his hand, followed by the two nāgas Nanda and Upananda and the eight great nāga kings, starting with Takṣaka and Vāsuki. {2.160}

“In this way should be painted two sequentially arrayed rows of yakṣas,
rākṣasas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, ṛṣis, siddhas, pretas, piśācas, garuḍas,
and other human and nonhuman beings, as well as medicinal herbs, gems and jewels in all their
variety, mountains, rivers, and islands—with the chief and most important among them at the head. {2.161}

“In the southern quarter should be painted Yama along with his retinue, which includes the seven mothers. In the
southeastern quarter is Agni, depicted as surrounded by a halo of flames; holding a staff, a water jar, and a rosary in his
hands; wearing a diadem atop his matted hair; and dressed in white garments including a shirt of fine silk. He is of golden
color, wearing a white sacred thread, and has a triple line drawn with ash on his forehead. They are all painted arranged in
two rows, with their various respective adornments, weapons, attire, body postures, and colors. {2.162}

“All around the area outside this triple maṇḍala are distributed the following deities: Umā’s husband, riding a bull,
with a trident in his hand; the goddess Umā herself, of golden color,

adorned with all kinds of jewelry; and
Kārttikeya, in his form of a divine youth with six faces and a red body, sitting on a peacock, raising a
javelin in his hand, wearing yellow garments and a yellow shirt, and holding in his left hand a bell and a red banner. Next in
sequence are Bhṛṅgiriṭi, extremely emaciated, Mahāgaṇapati, Nandikeśvara, Mahākāla, and the seven mothers. They should be
painted with their respective adornments, weapons, attire, and body postures. {2.163}

“Next to be painted are the eight vasus and seven ṛṣis. Viṣṇu
should be painted with four arms, holding a discus, a mace, a conch, and a sword. He rides a garuḍa and is adorned with all
types of jewelry. Next are the eight grahas, the twenty-seven constellations, and the eight upagraha deities who roam the
expanse of the earth. Following next are the personifications of the fifteen lunar days of the bright fortnight and the
fifteen of the dark fortnight, the twelve signs of the zodiac, the six seasons, the twelve months, and of the year. Next are
the four sisters, riding in boats, and the five brothers who live in water. For conciseness these deities can be represented by their
respective mudrās and arranged sequentially in two rows. {2.164}

“In short, as regards the three maṇḍalas, one should draw them
also as the three dwelling places (āśraya), each with the four corners, with
the distribution [of the deities] as follows:
{2.165}

“In short, Lord Buddha must be painted at the head of all beings. Representing the Lotus family, Noble
Avalokiteśvara must be painted to Śākyamuni’s right. Representing the Vajra family, Noble Vajrapāṇi
must be painted to Śākyamuni’s left.
Samantabhadra must be painted at the head of all bodhisattvas, and likewise the divine youth, Mañjuśrī, should also be
included. The remaining ones should each be represented by his or her mudrā in their respective places. This is how the inner
maṇḍala should be painted. {2.166}

“In the middle maṇḍala, Brahmā Sahāmpati must be painted in the eastern quarter. Similarly, in the southern quarter
are the Ābhāsvara and Akaniṣṭha gods, the form gods, and the gods from the realm of neither
consciousness nor unconsciousness who do not appear in the maṇḍala in any particular form. In the northern quarter are the
king of gods Śakra and the gods starting with those from the realms of Suyāma, Tuṣita, Sunirmita, Paranirmita, and
Parīttābha. Each king of the gods’ realms must be painted individually. The rest should be represented by
their respective mudrās. {2.167}

“Similarly, in the third maṇḍala, Īśāna the Lord of Beings must be painted in the northern quarter together with Umā.
Kārttikeya-Mañjuśrī should be painted near the second gate, riding on a peacock and holding a
javelin in his hand. His body is of red color and he is dressed in a yellow upper shirt and other garments. In his right hand
he holds a bell and a red banner. He possesses the beauty of a youth and looks upon the maṇḍala.
Vainateya, who has the form of a bird, should always be painted in the eastern quarter, along with the sage Mārkaṇḍa. The rest
should be represented by their respective mudrās. {2.168}

“In the southeastern division should be the four girls of royal bearing together with their brothers, the divine
youths. They are aboard boats, traveling around the great ocean. Also Agni, the lord of gods, should always be painted in the
same area of the maṇḍala. Also in the southern quarter should be painted Vibhīṣaṇa, the king of rākṣasas, in the country of
Laṅkā. Also located there, dwelling in a neem tree, is the bodhisattva named Jambhala, the Lord of Waters, who has the form of
a yakṣa. Painted
next in the same sequence should be the king Yama, a preta of great power. So too the king of piśācas named Vikarāla. The
remaining ones should be represented by their respective mudrās. {2.169}

“Similary, the two chief nāgas, Nanda and Upananda, and also
Āditya, the chief among celestial bodies, must be painted in
the southwestern division. The best of ṛṣis, the sage named Kapila, should be in the western quarter. The preeminent one among
non-Buddhists, he should have the form of a naked mendicant. The remaining ones should be represented by their respective
mudrās, arranged in a proper order.
{2.170}

“In the northwestern division should be the king of yakṣas Dhanada, the king
of gandharvas Pañcaśikha, and the king of kinnaras Druma. These three must always be included in the painting. The remaining
ones should be represented by their respective mudrās and arranged in sequence according to their respective places. {2.171}

“Outside the third maṇḍala there should be a fourth, comprised of five concentric zones and adorned with rows of
mudrās. It has four sides, each including a gateway graced with [one of] the four great kings. The emblems are arranged in the
following order: {2.172}

“At the entrance gate in the east should be painted a blue lotus. From right to left, there should be a lotus, vajra, axe,
sword, trident, mace, discus, swastika, water jar, fish, conch, earring, banner, flag, noose, bell, dagger, bow,
arrow, and hammer. All four of the maṇḍala’s sides should be filled with rows of symbols (mudrā) [representing] these various
weapons and implements. Outside all of this, in the four directions, should be placed the four great oceans. {2.173}

“In the northern direction should be drawn a small four-sided maṇḍala, within which is placed a three-pronged double vajra that radiates blazing light. In the
eastern direction should be drawn a small triangular maṇḍala, within which is placed a lotus that radiates blazing light. In
the southern direction should be drawn a small bow-shaped maṇḍala, within which is placed a bowl that radiates blazing
light. In the western direction should be drawn a
small maṇḍala entirely made of light, within
which is placed a blue lotus complete with a stalk and leaves and radiating blazing light. {2.174}

“In the four intermediate directions should be the following four mudrās, each of them blazing with light all around:
A noose should be placed in the northwestern direction, within a round maṇḍala. A staff should be placed in the southwestern
direction, within an elongated maṇḍala.

An axe should be placed in the southeastern direction,
within a triangular maṇḍala. A sword should be placed in the northeastern direction. {2.175}

“When all this has been drawn, three mudrās should be traced with colored powders outside the gate of the main
maṇḍala: one above, one below, and one at the same level. The three mudrās to be painted are clothes, a fly-whisk, and a pair
of shoes, each surrounded by blazing light.” {2.176}

This maṇḍala procedure

Has been taught here in brief

By the wise Mañjughoṣa,

Out of his desire to benefit beings. {2.177}

“Then, the maṇḍala master should first of all select the right disciples. They should have unimpaired faculties and
bodies beautiful in every limb; should belong to the brahmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or śūdra castes; should have developed
bodhicitta; should be followers of the Great Vehicle; should possess discipline that is not related to other vehicles; should
be great beings (bodhisattvas); should have faith and follow the auspicious Dharma; should wish for the great kingship; should shun trivial
enjoyments but delight in the great ones; should be gracious, well mannered, and disciplined; should be monks or nuns, or male or female lay practitioners; should observe their
particular rules, fasts, and ritual observances; should abide by their vows of conduct; should not harbor hatred for great
bodhisattvas; should belong to a spiritual family of many adherents; and should have a natural inclination to practice Dharma.
{2.178}

“They will have fasted for one day and one night, put on clean clothes, nicely scented their hair, bathed three
times, and observed silence. On the day of the empowerment, they should perfume their mouths with the fragrances of camphor,
saffron, and cloves, and, after the regular performance of ritual
besprinkling, they should sit on bundles of kuśa grass and have the protection ceremony performed for them. Celibate and
committed to truth, they should be placed outside the maṇḍala Victorious over the Divisions of Time, not too far from it and
not too near to it.

Clean and ritually purified, they should number no more than
between one and eight and be close associates of one another. They will include kṣatriyas who are closely associated with one
another and great kings who have had their heads anointed, as well as their offspring—the princes and princesses who have not
yet experienced sex. This is because Lord Mañjuśrī, the great bodhisattva in a youthful form, loves to engage in youthful
play, awakening foolish people to realization. {2.179}

“Consequently, it is the princely youths who should be ushered in first. This will elevate their regal status and
promote long life, health, power, and the ability to savor sensual enjoyments. In particular, this will stabilize the
accomplishment of mantra for them, the inexperienced. {2.180}

“Once they are positioned in front, assigned an assistant, and attentive, the maṇḍala master should exit
backward while burning incense of camphor. After exiting, he should bathe and besprinkle
himself, as convenient for the season, with water that has been incanted
one hundred and eight times with the root mantra and sealed with the great mudrā called five-crested.
Dressed in clean white clothes, he should then approach the sacrificial fire pit, and, {2.181}

“Seated on the bundles of kuśa grass and facing northeast,

He should offer into the fire

One thousand and eight oblations consisting of

Camphor, saffron, and sandalwood mixed together.
{2.182}

“Having summoned and then dismissed the deities according to the previously described procedure, he should again
enter the maṇḍala. After entering he should prepare eight full vases draped in clean cloth, adorned with mango blossoms, and
containing gold, silver, gems, grain, and rice. He should allocate the first to Lord Śākyamuni, the second to all the buddhas,
the third to all the pratyekabuddhas and the noble congregation of the śrāvakas, the fourth to all the great bodhisattvas,

the fifth to the great bodhisattva Mañjuśrī, and the sixth
to all the gods. The seventh and the eighth should be placed in the niches by the gate of the second maṇḍala. They should be
draped in clean white cloth. One of them should be assigned to all the spirits, and the second should be dedicated to all
beings equally. {2.183}

“Then, following the previously described procedure, the maṇḍala master should burn incense and, forming the great
five-crested mudrā, should do the summoning again. Following the procedure as before, he should
summon all the buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, noble śrāvakas, great bodhisattvas, spirits, and beings, as well as Mañjuśrī, the
divine youth.
{2.184}

“Similarly, he should offer, in a ritual as previously described, flowers, incense, fragrances, light, and
foodstuffs; he should offer all this to all the recipients, thoroughly and in the right order. For the offering of light, he
should offer butter lamps. When offering food to all the noble recipients and others, he should offer rice pudding with curds.
{2.185}

“To all the tathāgatas he should offer cakes rich particularly in honey and milk and fried in butter, as well as
pastry-rolls (vartī), candies (khaṇḍa), and other delicacies. To all the pratyekabuddhas, noble
śrāvakas, great bodhisattvas, and the noble deities he should offer dishes prepared with honey and cooked in milk, rich in
butter, and flavored with chir pine resin. Similarly, to all the gods and hosts of spirits, and all beings in general, he
should offer cake products, particularly sweetmeats, incanted with the mantra according to procedure. {2.186}

“Similarly, to all the buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, noble śrāvakas, and great bodhisattvas as well as all noble and
ordinary beings he should offer fragrant flowers as described before, starting
with royal jasmine, crepe jasmine, champak, and the blossom of the pannay tree. Royal jasmine flowers are particularly
suitable for the Tathāgata family, lotuses for the Lotus family, and water lilies for the family of
Vajrapāṇi. For other mantra deities other flowers may be suitable. {2.187}

“Camphor incense is suitable for the Tathāgata family, sandalwood for the Lotus family,

and bdellium for the family of Vajrapāṇi, the lord of
guhyakas. For all other mantra deities the master should
offer a different incense. Butter lamps should be offered to all the noble ones, and scented oil lamps to all the ordinary
mantra deities.
{2.188}

“As for the successive procedures

That function as previously described,

These procedures are the same as the one taught for perfume

And are required in the case of all mantra deities.
{2.189}

“Whatever has been taught by Avalokiteśvara

Or taught by Vajrapāṇi,

In their respective tantras,

On accomplishing the aims of mantra practice,

That also can be learned from this manual

And applied in every respect.
{2.190}

“The maṇḍala master then, following the previously described procedure, should perform the ritual acts of summoning,
making offerings, burning incense, and the rest, and he should offer food and service as well. Having done this, he should have his skillful assistants promptly prepare the
meatless bali for all the spirits. He should have them beat the kettledrums, blow the conchs, and utter cries of joy in every
direction. The bali should include incense, flowers, lamps, and garlands. {2.191}

“Circling then the maṇḍala to the right, the master should scatter the extensive bali that satisfies all
spirits, upward, downward, and horizontally, into
each of the four cardinal and four intermediate directions and everywhere outside the maṇḍala. After bathing, he should offer
into the fire one thousand and eight oblations consisting of rice grains smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. As the master
offers the oblations while reciting the heart mantra and the six-syllable root mantra, the great beings who have entered the
maṇḍala and now stand before him; who have had the protection rite performed for them and have been accepted as disciples by
the maṇḍala master; who have developed bodhicitta, observed the ritual fast, and offered their own bodies to all the buddhas
and bodhisattvas; who for the sake of spiritual accomplishments share in the experiences of ordinary beings;
who are fit to ascend to the seat of unsurpassable awakening; and who desire omniscient awakening will become liberated from all their vices through merely beholding
the maṇḍala.
Even those people who have committed the five deeds of
immediate retribution are immediately liberated. {2.192}

“The maṇḍala master then should cover the faces of the initiands who wish to enter the maṇḍala with a veil fashioned
from a newly made, unbleached cloth from which the loose
threads have been pulled out and hairs removed, that has been incanted with the root mantra seven times, and that has been anointed with fragrant ointments, sandalwood, and
saffron. First, boys should be brought into the maṇḍala starting from the sixteen- and finishing with the
three-year-olds. They may be embellished with either five decorative locks of hair or just one,
and they may wear a topknot of hair or not. They should be princes whose crowns have been anointed, sons of kṣatriyas, or
others of great endeavor who desire sovereignty. {2.193}

“When the initiand stands in the second maṇḍala with a veiled face, the master should form the
utpala
mudrā and have
him recite the root mantra of Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, once. Guiding his actions, he should give him a flower of nice
fragrance and have him throw it onto the maṇḍala with both hands that have been purified with the mixture of sandalwood and
saffron. The master should give him the mantra corresponding to the spot where the flower falls. {2.194}

“That is said to be his personal mantra and will stay with him through the succession of his future births. This
mantra is like his spiritual guide; it will bring about his ascension to the seat of awakening and the complete unfolding of
the omniscient knowledge of great bodhisattvas. He should master this mantra, which will bring
great enjoyments, the status of a king, and the company of eminent people. That which is to be accomplished will be
accomplished in this very life without doubt, including all the activities. {2.195}

“Thus, in due course, those who desire magical accomplishments will obtain each one of them until all eight are
obtained, but no other accomplishments. If one desires other accomplishments, such as the removal of sins, only the samaya may
be given. For this purpose, the maṇḍala master who bestows the empowerment
should first consecrate an area outside the maṇḍala toward
the northeast, neither too far nor too near, by purifying it with the root mantra. Just as in the case of the royal
empowerment, he should admit disciples whom he regards as single-mindedly devoted to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha;
who have faith and great energy; who are never separated from bodhicitta and follow the Great Vehicle; and who serve the Three
Jewels. They should have unimpaired faculties, be irreproachable, and wish to accomplish the mantras in this very life. Their
hearts may be kind and their minds resolved upon mantra practice, or they may be merely interested in the nonconceptual
meaning of the mantra out of curiosity and a desire to know. They should be granted the first through the fifth empowerments;
the remaining ones should be omitted.
Only those with the special qualities of insight and full understanding of the conduct should be initiated; others should not
be. {2.196}

“The master should then collect the requisites as in every royal empowerment, or any that he finds pleasing. A canopy
should be spread above him, banners and flags raised, and a white parasol should be held above his head. He should be fanned
with a white yak-tail whisk with great care, and praised with well-wishing, auspicious, and excellent verses as spoken by the
buddhas themselves, accompanied by cries of joy, the sounds of conchs, kettledrums and tambourines, and cries of victory.
After circumambulating the maṇḍala clockwise, the disciples should bow to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, bow their heads to
the master, and
say the following: {2.197}

“ ‘O master! I will exert myself in order to engage in carrying out the
mantra activities of all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, in order to enter the secret maṇḍala of liberation that surpasses all
that is mundane, and to realize the state of buddhahood that affords sovereignty over all phenomena. In short, I will become a
buddha.’ {2.198}

“Then, the initiand should sit on a bundle of kuśa grass, facing east and looking at the maṇḍala. He will first be
given the knowledge (
vidyā
) empowerment and then made to form the mudrā called five-crested. Then, whatever mantra he
desires should be written on a leaf of birchbark with bovine bezoar. Having written it, he should smear both his hands and the
interior of an earthenware vessel with sandalwood and saffron and place the birchbark leaf between two earthenware bowls. He should then place the leaf,
enclosed between the two bowls, inside the maṇḍala at the soles of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī’s feet.
{2.199}

“Next, the disciple sitting there should first be made to recite the root vidyā mantra one hundred and
eight times and then should be consecrated while still sitting on the bundle of kuśa grass. The master should take the full
vase that had been allocated to all beings in common from outside the inner maṇḍala
where it was earlier placed near the gate and, while reciting the root mantra, anoint the disciple’s head. For the remaining empowerments, he
should use whatever water is appropriate. {2.200}

“The earthenware container should then be handed to him, and, while a butter lamp is burning, he should be made to
recite the mantra. If it is the same mantra, the disciple will succeed through merely reciting it. If
it is a different one, he will succeed gradually, after applying effort. It is said that even if the
mantra given to him lacks or has extra syllables, he can still succeed, without a doubt, at the first sādhana session, for
this mantra was written earlier by the master himself. If he keeps practicing, he will arrive, within three sādhana sessions,
at the stage where success comes without effort. In this way, the master should first give the knowledge empowerment. {2.201}

“As for the empowerment in the second maṇḍala, he should take the full vase that had been allocated to all the gods
in this maṇḍala and anoint the disciple’s head with it. As before, this procedure will free him from all his vices. He is then
authorized by all the buddhas to enter samayas for any worldly or transcendent maṇḍala, as well as the practice of
any mantra or mudrā. He will be blessed by all the
bodhisattvas. Consequently, the master may now give him the ācārya
empowerment.
{2.202}

“The ācārya empowerment is given in the third maṇḍala. The master should take the full vase that had been allocated
to all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas and, following the same procedure, anoint the disciple’s head with it. The master
should say, ‘All the buddhas and bodhisattvas of great power have authorized you to write and recite all worldly and
transcendent mantras, to use the instructions on the maṇḍala, and to give to others, as well as apply yourself, the
instructions on the practice of the mantra methods, including the mudrās. In this very life, and in the lives to come until
the final one, you will definitely obtain the state of awakening.’
{2.203}

“Similarly, in the empowerment of victory and the empowerment of conquest, the master should perform the sprinkling
following the previously described procedure, using, respectively, the full vase that had been allocated to the blessed
buddhas and the one allocated to the bodhisattvas. He should say, ‘You are authorized by all the blessed buddhas, the great
bodhisattvas, and the śrāvakas, {2.204}

“ ‘Unassailable by any spirits,

And unconquerable by any embodied beings;

May you find victory through all the mantras

And accomplish whatever you desire.’
{2.205}

“The maṇḍala master should,

According to each of their wishes,

Grant to all the disciples

The five empowerments, but only the five. {2.206}

“The master should then usher them, one by one, into the maṇḍala, present them to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas,
have them circumambulate the maṇḍala clockwise three times, and dismiss them. At a later time they should be gradually
instructed in and enjoined to practice the mantra. On the present occasion, however, the master should take the full vase that
had earlier been allocated to the great bodhisattva Mañjuśrī
and make those disciples who have entered the maṇḍala drink
three handfuls of water while facing east. He should say to them: {2.207}

“ ‘Do not generate a great amount of nonvirtue by transgressing the secret samaya of the divine youth, the
bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. You must not discard any of the mantras. You must be loyal to all the buddhas or bodhisattvas and must
please the master. Otherwise you will break your samaya, your mantras will not be successful, and there will be much
nonvirtue.’ Having said this, he should dismiss them. {2.208}

“The maṇḍala master should, in addition, offer oblations of rice grains smeared with curds, honey, and ghee, while
reciting the eight-syllable heart mantra. Getting up, he should then enter into the middle of the maṇḍala and make a welcome
offering to all the visualized recipients using the previously mentioned flowers and following the procedure as previously described. Using the
previously specified incense, he should make an incense offering to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas and
noble śrāvakas, and all the gods, nāgas, yakṣas, garuḍas, gandharvas, kinnaras, mahoragas, rākṣasas,
piśācas, and bhūtas, as well as the divine yogins, siddhas, and ṛṣis and all beings.
He should strew flowers over them, sprinkle them with water scented with sandalwood and saffron, and then dismiss them
following the previously described procedure. He should imagine that all of them become liberated.
{2.209}

“The maṇḍala master should then take the food, bali, and aromatic powder and let all these articles float upon a river. Alternatively, he should give them to suffering beings. He should select an area on
the ground, sweep and clean it well, adorn it, and smear it with cow dung. Optionally, he may wash it with water, smear it with
well-purified clay,
or cover it with sand. He should do this himself and may
proceed as he desires. Those who have entered the maṇḍala should themselves partake of the milk porridge or sacrificial food.” {2.210}

This concludes the second chapter, that of the instructions on the maṇḍala procedure, from this great king of
manuals that forms a garland-like
basket of bodhisattva teachings, an extensive bodhisattva textbook that is a miraculous display of Mañjuśrī, the divine
youth.

Chapter 3

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, again looked at the realm of the Pure Abode and, bowing to all the buddhas and
bodhisattvas gathered together in that great assembly, pronounced the most secret single-syllable mantra, which removes all
poisons and can be employed in all rites the mantra that is effective in the practices of his maṇḍala and which can also be
used in all minor ritual activities. What is that mantra? {3.1}

“Homage to all the buddhas! This mantra is:

“jaḥ.

“After cleaning an area on the ground either eight or four cubits in size, it should be delimited using five-colored
powder by oneself, not by anyone else. No matter where this is done, there is no fault. The area should be four sided, with
sides of equal length, and should include the triple maṇḍala. First one should draw the great five-crested mudrā, the
utpala
mudrā of Lord
Mañjuśrī, and the mudrās the fangs, the mouth, and the stick.
These mudrās should be drawn in the eastern quarter of the inner maṇḍala. {3.3}

“Next, outside the door base should be drawn a red lotus, a vajra, a blue lotus, a banner, a flag, a parasol, a
doorway, a chariot, an elephant, a horse, a bull, a buffalo, a swastika, a peacock, a goat, a ram, and a man of youthful
appearance. They should be arranged in successive rows
fitting in with the threefold maṇḍala. {3.4}

“Then, in the southeastern direction, one should perform the fire kindling ritual using the one-syllable mantra and
offer one hundred and eight oblations with sticks of the devil’s horsewhip plant smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. Then a welcome
offering of flowers should be presented. Using the one-syllable mantra, one may also offer, whenever desired, a bali, sacrificial food,
lamps, or incense or perform the summoning and the dismissing.
{3.5}

“One should usher the supplicant into the maṇḍala. If he wants royal power, the maṇḍala should be drawn in the middle of a city; if he wishes
for enjoyments, then near a banyan tree; if he wants a son, then near a lucky bean tree. If he desires a wife, horses, or elephants, then inside an elephant stable or a horse stable; if
he has been bitten [by a snake], then at a pond or a place where nāgas live; if he is afflicted
with a quartan, chronic, or any other fever, then near a solitary liṅga or to the south of a village; if he is possessed by
rākṣasas, then in a cemetery or in an empty house; if he is possessed by piśācas, then near a beleric myrobalan tree or a castor oil plant; if he is possessed by any
of the mātṛs, then at a crossroad or near a house where a male offspring has died; if he is possessed by brahmarākṣasas, then under a palm tree or a large sebesten tree. If he was fed poison, he
should be given water incanted seven times with the one-syllable mantra and made to lie down in the middle of the maṇḍala—he will be released from the
effects of the poison. {3.6}

“Similarly, in the case of a woman or a man who seeks fame, one should draw the maṇḍala at a crossroad or on
brahmins’ land. If it is a woman whose child has died, then it
should be drawn near a fruit-bearing tree or a sap-filled tree. In the case of a childless woman, it should be drawn in the
middle of a field of rice ready to harvest. For those who have contracted the three diseases or
have been afflicted by others, it should be drawn at a crossing point or a similar place. In
the case of severe illness, a maṇḍala that destroys rākṣasas should be drawn on a river island or a riverbank. Drawn on a mountaintop, the
maṇḍala counters all diseases, in whatever form they may be. For the diseases caused by ḍākinīs, it should be drawn in a brahmin’s garden, an empty
house,
a lonely spot, or a depression in the terrain. {3.7}

“In all rituals such as these, the maṇḍala should be drawn at midnight, or midday, or otherwise at any time. Employing this very
one-syllable mantra, one should present a welcome offering of flowers to the deity and then dismiss him. Having done so, one
should inundate the maṇḍala with water. This will provide strong protection to all those who are weary. {3.8}

“They will be freed from all illnesses

And will attain their desired goals.

One without a son will obtain a son,

And the unfortunate will meet with good fortune. {3.9}

“The destitute will obtain wealth

Through merely seeing the maṇḍala.

Anyone with faith in the ritual,

Whether it is a woman or a man,

Will meet, every time,

With whatever kind of good fortune they wish for.”
{3.10}

This concludes the chapter on the maṇḍala procedure, the third in “The Root Manual of the Divine Youth
Mañjuśrī,” an extensive bodhisattva textbook.

Chapter 4

Homage to the Buddha and all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Mañjuśrī then looked at the entire realm of the Pure Abode and again directed his gaze at the great assembly gathered
there. Prostrating at the feet of Śākyamuni, he smiled and said this to the Blessed One: {4.1}

“It is good fortune, O Blessed One, that there is a painting procedure, intended for the benefit of all beings, from
the extensive chapters that produce a rain of desired results falling down from the Cloud of Dharma that arises from the
accomplishment of sādhana methods of mantra practice. This procedure generates a vast amount of merit and creates the seed of
perfect awakening; it also brings complete omniscience.
{4.2}

“In short, it completely fulfills all wishes; it grants the complete acquisition of the fruits of all mantras; it
brings about accomplishments that are fruitful and effective, as well as the complete fulfillment of bodhisattva conduct; it
equips one with the armor of a great bodhisattva; and it overpowers and puts to flight the entire army of Māra. Please take
pity on us, O Blessed One, and on all beings, and teach us this procedure.” {4.3}

Being thus addressed by the divine youth Mañjuśrī, Lord Śākyamuni said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Good, Mañjuśrī! It is good that you, acting for the benefit of many people, with compassion for the world, deem this
topic to be worthy of asking the Tathāgata. Listen well and reflect upon it thoroughly. I will teach your painting procedure
to you in full—the procedure that is the means for all sentient beings to accomplish their practice. I will teach
it just as it was previously taught by all the tathāgatas, introducing and expounding it in the right order. I will teach it
now. {4.4}

“To start, the maṇḍala master should bring cotton to a patch of ground free of impurities and have it cleaned by
people who have taken up the samaya vows. When it has been cleaned, the maṇḍala master should
incant it with the mantra, as given next, one hundred and eight times. {4.5}

“Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas whose intentions are impeccable and who practice impeccable conduct.
Homage to the sovereign king of kings who purifies and pacifies suffering, the tathāgata, the worthy one, the perfectly
awakened one. The mantra is as follows:

{4.6}

“Then the maṇḍala master should procure a young girl, who has not yet had a sexual experience, born into a brahmin,
kṣatriya, or vaiśya family. Those of a low-caste origin should be avoided. She should be physically
unimpaired and beautiful in every limb. She should have obtained permission to take part in
the ritual from her mother and father and should be observing the ritual fast. She should have developed bodhicitta and be
compassionate. She should have a clear, light complexion without any discoloration. In short, she must have all the auspicious
marks of a woman. On an auspicious day of the bright fortnight, having ascertained that the planets are astrologically
auspicious and bright, in a clean, windless place that is free from smoke, fog, and clouds, having bathed
the previously described girl, the maṇḍala master should dress her nicely in clean clothes
and perform the protection ritual employing the mantra as
given next along with the great mudrā. He should mix some white sandalwood and saffron
with water that is free of living organisms and, while the girl is drinking it, he should sprinkle her with this water, purified with the same mantra. {4.7}

“He should throw white sandalwood and saffron-scented water in the four cardinal directions, upward, downward, and in
the four intermediate directions. Having blended white sandalwood, saffron, and camphor together, the master should offer it himself or have the practitioner do
this. The
following should be spoken three times: {4.8}

“ ‘May the blessed buddhas and the great bodhisattvas established on the tenth bodhisattva level bless the thread for
making this cloth.’ ” {4.9}

“The blessed buddhas and the great bodhisattvas will subsequently give their attention to the ritual. While the
master burns incense, at that time peacocks, curlews, wild geese, cranes, and ruddy geese—many beautiful birds who live on
water or on land—will fly up into the air and utter their auspicious cries. The practitioner should then know, ‘My rite will
bear fruit. The holy buddhas and the great bodhisattvas have blessed my canvas thread for me. My present life will be a happy
one, and my mantra accomplishment will not be in vain.’ {4.10}

“The sounds of drums—big, medium, and small—conchs, lutes, flutes, cymbals, and tambourines will be heard. Women,
boys, girls, and men—both real and imagined —will at that time spontaneously say the following:

“They, and others too, will say similar words. Sounds of a bell or sounds of rejoicing may also be heard. Only then
will the knowledge holder know
that the thread has been blessed by the holy buddhas and the
great bodhisattvas, not in any other way. The accomplishment will not be futile. {4.12}

“But, on that occasion, they may also say harsh words, such as:

“ ‘Seize, devour, and cause others to devour! It is lost, lost completely. Alas! It is far, very far! It is gone!’
{4.13}

“They could say words such as these. Also, the monkeys, buffaloes, jackals, donkeys, cats, and other detestable
humans and animals might utter their cries. The practitioner will then realize that he has not succeeded, and that his present
life will be short. As an option, he can do the preliminary practice and repeat the procedure from the beginning up to seven
times. After the seven performances of the ritual, even someone who has committed the five acts of immediate retribution will
succeed. {4.14}

“The practitioner should then perform the protection ritual for the previously selected girl and have her sit on a
bundle of kuśa grass. He should place her facing the east or north, get his sacrificial food, and feed it to her. Following this
procedure, he should have her spin the cotton upon the bundle of kuśa grass that was prepared beforehand. {4.15}

“The thread, well spun and white, should be twisted together by a girl who has previously been trained. It should be
well measured into units of one, three, five, eight, or up to sixteen palas or karṣas.
The best would be of sixteen units. The middling would be of eight units. The next in
rank would be of five units. In rites where the target is of minor significance, the thread should be of one unit. A
mantra adept should use this scheme in all rites according to his ability.
{4.16}

“From then onward,

Whatever bad karma one has previously committed

Will be destroyed in an instant,

As his mind focuses on the thread.
{4.17}

“He should take this thread

And place it in a clean container.

Having placed it there,

He should cense it with an incense of camphor {4.18}

“Or other substances not derived from the bodies of living beings,

Such as saffron, sandalwood, and so forth.

He should worship it with fragrant flowers

Such as jasmine, champak, and others. {4.19}

“The mantra adept, familiar with all the rites,

Having recited the mantra as required, well focused,

Should place the thread in a clean place

For which the protection rite has been performed. {4.20}

“He should then go to a weaver

And pay him a fee of his choice.

The weaver should not be lacking any limbs,

Not be emaciated, and always delight in the pure Dharma. {4.21}

“He should not be afflicted with illnesses, not be too old,

And be free from coughing and asthma.

He should not be impotent,

And should be of a blameless origin.
{4.22}

“He should be faultless,

Have no hump, and not be lame.

He must have all the auspicious marks

And be praiseworthy and good looking. {4.23}

“He should be pure in mind, virtuous in conduct,

And depend for his livelihood on a profession approved by the world.

The practitioner who seeks accomplishment in this ritual

Should request him to weave the best of cloths. {4.24}

“His assistants should be praiseworthy, of good caste,

Intelligent, and well trained

In weaving the best cloth

Of the highest quality.
{4.25}

“For the highest rite, the mantra adept should follow the highest routine;

For the medium, he should follow the medium.

He should follow other routines

Whenever the deeds are low or insignificant, {4.26}

“Paying whatever price

The craftsman specifies.

At the first utterance of the craftsman

The mantra adept should {4.27}

“Promptly make the payment—

This is called the ‘heroes’ transaction,’

Since the mantra reciter pays

After a mere request, without bargaining. {4.28}

“This supreme and best of cloths

Swiftly produces accomplishment,

Fulfills all rites, is venerable,

And bestows divine and human happiness.

The perfectly awakened buddhas taught

That this was auspicious for all beings. {4.29}

“Then the knowledge holder should prescribe to the weaver the observance of a fast and, during an auspicious lunar
asterism, on a bright day during the ‘fortnight of miracles’ when the planets have been ascertained as auspicious, or during
another bright fortnight, in the spring, that best of seasons when mango trees are garlanded with blossoms and the best of
trees are fully in bloom, in the morning when the sun has risen, he should give sacrificial food to the weaver who fits the
previously described characteristics. He should dress him in clean clothes, tie a turban on his head, bathe and anoint him
well, and smear his body with white sandalwood and saffron or some other such fragrance.
He should perfume the weaver’s mouth with camphor, cheer him
up, and make sure that he is neither hungry nor thirsty. The knowledge holder should then thoroughly clean the weaving
implements, the rope, and other tools, using clay and cow dung. Placing them in front, he should rinse them with the five
products of a cow again and again. {4.30}

“Then, having rinsed them with water free of living organisms, he should ritually besprinkle them with white
sandalwood and saffron. Having chosen a clean spot on the ground in a place free from noise and people, the practitioner
should sit on a seat that is secluded, peaceful, and adorned with flowers. He should then throw white mustard seeds incanted
one hundred and eight times with the purification mantra in the four cardinal directions, upward, downward, and in the four
intermediate directions. Then, having cast mustard seeds at the weaver, he should form the great
five-crested mudrā and tie his hair into a topknot. This will afford powerful protection. {4.31}

“If the cloth is going to be of the superior kind, it should be four cubits wide and eight cubits long; he should supply the weaver with enough material for these measurements. If the cloth is going to be of
the medium kind, it should be two cubits wide and five cubits long. If it is to be of the smallest kind, it should have the
width equal to the thumb-to-index-finger measurement of the Sugata, and the length of one cubit. Regarding these particular measurements, the thumb-to-index-finger
measurement of Lord Buddha corresponds to the length of the forearm of a man from the central region —this is what is known as the Buddha’s thumb-to-index-finger measurement as
a unit of length. The cloth is said to be of the authentic size when these measurements are used. {4.32}

“When the cloth is of the superior kind,

The superior accomplishment will arise, as taught by the most eminent of men.

The medium cloth is for those desiring royal status

After the sage has disappeared.
{4.33}

“When the cloth is of the lowest quality, the accomplishment is said

To belong to the seekers of great prosperity

Who will attain the comforts of the three classes of gods and the asuras.

When middling, the accomplishment will be middling. {4.34}

“The cloth of the lowest quality should always be used

To accomplish the least important activities.

Any activity will be accomplished

And all substances always obtained. {4.35}

“What is taught in the cloth ritual will bring accomplishment

For people seeking good fortune.

Those who stray from the right procedure—

Even Śakra, the husband of Śacī—will not succeed. {4.36}

“Those, however, who follow the right procedure,

Even those of lowly birth,

Will swiftly succeed

In all rituals without effort. {4.37}

“This path has been taught

By the victorious ones and their foremost sons

To improve the lot of all beings

Suffering from poverty and lacking a protector. {4.38}

“The complete path to awakening

Has been explained by those who know the truth.

This path, the cause of awakening,

Is presented by means of the Mantra Vehicle. {4.39}

“Mantras will be accomplished without effort,

As will all mundane maṇḍalas.

The supramundane ones that have been taught

Will also be accomplished. {4.40}

“Those whose minds are set on awakening

Will always gain accomplishment.

As for those who are always hostile to the world,

Their accomplishment will not be taught in this manual. {4.41}

“The great being Mañjuśrī, the divine youth,

Always taught this accomplishment

In particular for those beings

Who set out in pursuit of awakening. {4.42}

“One can swiftly obtain this accomplishment in full

For the sake of fulfilling that which needs to be done.

The craftsman should therefore

Weave the cloth diligently, step by step, {4.43}

“Working in two sessions of four time units each day,

It will take him five or eight days of sixteen time units.

Working all day and all night,

The weaving will be completed quickly.
{4.44}

“In the case of those who desire the accomplishment of the highest order

The cloth should be completed within a single day and night.

The craftsman should be continually supervised

To check whether he observes his purification practices. {4.45}

“He should walk away from his dwelling the required distance

To evacuate his bowels and bladder.

He should then bathe and wash his clothes,

Changing into the new ones. {4.46}

“Wearing white garments and a garland,

He should rinse his mouth repeatedly,

Anoint his body with white sandalwood,

And wipe his hands clean. {4.47}

“He should weave on with diligence,

Making a fine and blemish-free cloth.

Using the previously mentioned methods

Or other methods as taught by the victorious ones, {4.48}

“When the thoughtful and disciplined weaver

Who weaves the entire cloth

Creates it through the preceding rites

And completes it as described, {4.49}

“The practitioner should ensure, on an auspicious day,

That it is not too small but of the right size and even.

Then, during an auspicious bright fortnight,

He should invest it with a mantra.
{4.50}

“Having spread out the cloth,

Adorned with knotted tassels,

He should fasten it onto bamboo sticks,

Then take it and go. {4.51}

“He should congratulate the craftsman at length,

Rewarding him with a substantial honorarium.

He should then go wherever he wishes,

Sticking by his rules of conduct and ritual observances. {4.52}

“He should worship the cloth with fragrant flowers

Then place it in a clean place

And perform the protection rite

Using the mantra. {4.53}

“To perform the protection rite

He should use the same mantra

With which he had earlier purified the cotton repeatedly.

The protection should be both for himself and the cloth. {4.54}

“Mañjuśrī, he of great valor,

Has been expressed in the form of mantra

In the past by many mantras

And by me as well again and again.
{4.55}

“He, the very nature of mantra,

Pervades all mantras;

With great valor and efficacy,

He fulfills the aims of all mantras. {4.56}

“He takes a great diversity of forms

And serves as the cause for all manner of protection.

Foolish are the minds and behavior

Of beings living in Jambūdvīpa. {4.57}

“They are devoid of faith and perverted;

They follow mistaken conduct and are very greedy.

They are unable to accomplish the mantras,

Nor can they obtain any substances. {4.58}

“And so they wander

In the dark prison of saṃsāra.

However, if one has a pure mind,

Constant faith, and keen interest in the auspicious; {4.59}

“If one is constantly eager

To grasp and maintain all the mantras;

And if such a great being desires accomplishment

And has great perseverance and energy, {4.60}

“The mantras taught by the victorious ones

Will bring him results without effort.

But among those without faith,

The virtuous Dharma will not grow. {4.61}

“It is like a seed sown in salty soil,

Whose sprout will not bear fruit.

Faith is always the root of Dharma,

As has been taught by all those who show the true goal.

The accomplishment of mantra, as has always been taught,

Belongs to those disciplined for the sake of the Dharma. {4.62}

“Therefore, only a well-trained painter skilled in sādhana, or oneself if able
to, should do the painting using uncontaminated paints.
The painter, having undergone the ritual procedure as
previously described for preparing the weaver, and endowed with the auspicious marks and so forth should choose any bright
paints of strong colors and execute the painting in detail. The painting may be commissioned or done by oneself adhering to
the same procedure as before in the case of the weaver. {4.63}

“One should infuse the paints with camphor, saffron, sandalwood, and so forth, and then, burning incense, incant them
with the very same mantra one hundred and eight times. One should bestrew the cloth with the blossoms of the ironwood tree, pannay tree,
bulletwood tree, and the flowers of champak, Arabian jasmine, dhānuṣkārika jasmine, and royal jasmine. Then, sitting on a
bundle of kuśa grass and facing east, with a settled mind and thoughts directed to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, one
should take hold of a fine-tipped brush and, with a relaxed mind, commence the painting. {4.64}

“First one should paint the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, endowed with all of his excellent forms, his body marked with the
thirty-two marks of a perfect man and adorned with the eighty minor characteristics. He sits on a jeweled lotus, his form
surrounded by a halo of light to the distance of one fathom all around. He teaches the Dharma with a serene expression. {4.65}

“Beneath the great throne in the center, which consists of a lotus with a strong beryl stalk, are two nāga kings—Nanda and Upananda—who support the stalk. They should be painted in
half-human, half-serpent form, looking at the Tathāgata and greeting him with their right
hands. A lotus pond should be painted surrounding them that is filled with lotus leaves and flowers with opening buds and
teeming with aquatic creatures such as birds, fish, and so forth. All the figures throughout it should be of exquisite form.
{4.66}

“At the base of the stem of the Blessed One’s lotus spring several other lotus flowers, all growing progressively
higher.
To his left, eight lotuses should be drawn with the figures
of the eight great bodhisattvas seated upon them. {4.67}

“On the first lotus is Noble Mañjuśrī. His color is either whitish like the filaments of a lotus or golden like saffron. His form is that of a divine
youth with the features of a young male child. On his head are five decorative locks of hair, and he is ornamented with all
the adornments of a divine youth. In his left hand he holds a blue lotus, and with his right he salutes the Tathāgata, at whom
he is directing his gaze. His bodily form is charming and peaceful, with a slightly laughing countenance, and a halo of
blazing light encircling him. {4.68}

“The noble Candraprabha should be painted on the second lotus, also in the form of a divine youth. On the third
should be Sudhana; on the fourth, Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin; on the fifth, Gaganagañja; on the sixth, Kṣitigarbha; on the
seventh, Anagha; and on the eighth, Sulocana. All of them should be painted as divine youths ornamented with the corresponding
adornments. {4.69}

“To the right of the Blessed One there are another eight great bodhisattvas, all of them, except Maitreya, adorned
with all types of jewelry. The noble Maitreya, who is next to the Blessed One, wears the attire of one who is celibate and has
a topknot held up with a crown. His body is golden colored and his robes red ocher. His silken upper garment is red. His
elegant form is marked with the triple line of an ascetic. Inside his left arm he carries a staff with a water jar suspended from
it, and he has a black antelope skin thrown over his left shoulder. With his right hand he holds a rosary and greets the
Tathāgata at whom he directs his gaze. His mental activity has its basis in mental absorption. {4.70}

“On the second lotus is Samantabhadra, his body the dark color of the beautyberry flower
and adorned with all types of jewelry. In his left hand he
holds a wish-fulfilling gem and in his right a bel fruit, which he holds out in the boon-granting gesture. He should also be
painted with a charming form. {4.71}

“On the third lotus is the noble Avalokiteśvara, white as the autumn moon and adorned with all types of jewelry. He wears a topknot and a crown and is invested with a white sacred
thread. On his head is the noble omniscient Amitābha, sitting nestled in the ends of his matted hair—wondrous and beautiful in
form and possessed of the ten powers. He should be painted holding a lotus in his left hand and displaying the
boon-granting gesture with his right. His mental activity is grounded in mental absorption, and his body is surrounded by
light. {4.72}

“On the fourth lotus is the noble Vajrapāṇi, with a vajra in his left hand. Golden in color, he is adorned with all
kinds of jewelry. His right hand is clasped around a fruit and displays a boon-granting gesture. His charming form is of
gentle aspect. His body is adorned with long and short pearl necklaces, and a pearl necklace serves as his sacred thread. He
wears a crown studded with sparkling jewels, short trousers of fine cloth, and an upper
garment of white silk. Just like the noble Avalokiteśvara and Samantabhadra, he wears a cloak used for visiting holy bathing
places, and his appearance is as previously described. {4.73}

“On the fifth lotus is the noble Mahāmati; on the sixth, Śāntamati; on the seventh, Vairocanagarbha; and on the
eighth, Apāyajaha—these bodhisattvas, too, should be depicted. They hold in their hands fruits and books, are adorned with all
types of jewelry, and wear an upper garment and short trousers of fine silk. {4.74}

“Above them should be painted the eight pratyekabuddhas,
attired in monks’ garb. Their robes are red ocher and their
bodies possess the marks of a great being. They sit cross-legged on seats of jeweled lotuses in serene absorption, surrounded by halos of blazing light. While painting the picture, one should strew the cloth
with fragrant flowers such as royal jasmine, Arabian jasmine, dhānuṣkārikā jasmine, blossoms of the pannay tree and ironwood
tree, and so forth. {4.75}

“To the left of Lord Śākyamuni and above Noble Mañjuśrī one should paint a lofty palatial maṇḍala, decorated with
many gems and adorned with the king of mountains. It has the shape of a
mountain entirely covered with precious stones. There
one should paint the eight blessed buddhas, as listed below. {4.76}

“The first, Ratnaśikhin, should be painted adorned with jewels the color of beryl and with an aura of light extending
one fathom all around him. He shines in all directions with the glow of many exquisite jewels, such as rubies, sapphires,
emeralds, beryls, and so forth. His body of a tathāgata has the soft color of the rising sun. He wears the yellow robes and
upper garment of a monk, sits in the cross-legged posture, and expounds the Dharma. His outer garment is yellow. His body is
armored with the thirty-two marks of a great being and is also adorned with the eighty minor marks. He is of peaceful
appearance and in all aspects excellent. Thus should Tathāgata Ratnaśikhin be depicted. {4.77}

“The second, Tathāgata Saṃkusumitarājendra, should be painted in golden color and richly bestrewn with flowers, such
as the blossoms of the ironwood tree, bulletwood tree, and so forth. His gaze is directed at Noble Mañjuśrī. He is surrounded
with light that forms a halo sparkling with the colors of precious jewels.
{4.78}

“Tathāgata Śālendrarāja should be painted as the third. He is of the color of lotus filaments and is expounding the Dharma.
The fourth to be painted is Tathāgata Sunetra; the fifth is Duḥprasaha; the sixth is Vairocana, the Victorious One; the
seventh, Bhaiṣajyavaidūryarāja; and the eighth, Tathāgata Rājendra, the pacifier of all suffering.

All of them should be depicted endowed with tathāgata forms
of golden color, displaying the hand gesture of granting fearlessness. {4.79}

“Two gods from the realm of the Pure Abode should be painted among the clouds above the tathāgatas, each in an upper
corner of the canvas. They should be depicted releasing a rain of flowers. Standing in the midst of space, they salute all the
buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and the noble śrāvakas. {4.80}

“Beneath the
pratyekabuddhas should be painted the eight great śrāvakas, seated separately near the bodhisattvas’ heads. They are Elder
Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Subhūti, Rāhula, Nanda, Bhadrika, and Kaphiṇa. {4.81}

“The eight pratyekabuddhas are Gandhamādana, Candana, Upariṣṭa, Śveta, Sita, Ketu, Nemi, and Sunemi. All of them are beautiful, serene, and self-controlled. They and the great
śrāvakas fold their hands in reverence, looking at the blessed Buddha Śākyamuni. {4.82}

“Above them should be painted two more gods, near to the other two gods of the Pure Abode. They hold a long, elegant
canopy of fine cloth, spreading it above all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and noble śrāvakas. They should be
depicted wearing celestial garlands and clothes. {4.83}

“Above the head of Lord Śākyamuni one should paint a bundle of jeweled threads, including strings of pearls, gems,
rubies, sapphires, and so forth. On this bundle, there should be a well-arrayed canopy of silk, decorated all around with
hanging strings of pearls. {4.84}

“Below the lotus seat of Lord Śākyamuni, near the base of Noble Mañjuśrī’s
feet and to the side of Upananda, the king of nāgas, one should paint a great jewel mountain, rising up from a lotus lake. The
mountain is overgrown with jeweled sprouts, vines of coral, and jeweled trees; it abounds in gorges and hidden caves and is
frequented by great sages and siddhas. {4.85}

“On the mountain’s summit one should paint Yamāntaka, Lord of Wrath, most terrible in form, holding a noose in his
right hand and a staff in his left. He knits
his brow and looks at Noble Mañjuśrī, awaiting orders. He has a ‘wolf’s belly’ and upwardly flowing hair. His body
color is that of collyrium or a dark cloud. He has a reddish beard, prominent fangs, long nails, and red eyes. He is adorned with snakes coiling around his neck and clothed in tiger
skin. Extremely fierce, he destroys all obstacles. One should thus paint Yamāntaka, Lord of Great Wrath, with flames blazing
all around him. {4.86}

“Below this mountain, one should paint the practitioner sitting on a slab of stone, with his knees touching the
ground, and with an incense censer in his hand. He holds the emblems consistent with his dress and form and acts in the
attitude of obedience. He should be depicted with his gaze directed at Noble Mañjuśrī. {4.87}

“Near Nanda, the king of nāgas, and off to the right below Lord
Śākyamuni, one should paint the great jewel king of mountains rising from a lotus lake, as previously described. This time one should paint it without
Yamāntaka, Lord of Wrath; also it should be bestrewn with celestial flowers and located below the noble
Avalokiteśvara. This tall and lofty mountain should be painted as made of ruby, with a single
summit made of beryl in the shape of a sprout.
{4.88}

“Resting there should be painted the goddess who is the compassion of the noble Avalokiteśvara embodied—the noble
Tārā. She is adorned with all types of jewelry and wears a red bodice and brightly colored silken garments. Her whole body is
adorned with feminine adornments.
In her left hand she holds a blue lotus. Her body color is
golden and her waist slim, but not overly so. She is neither too young nor too old. Her mind is absorbed in meditation, and she is awaiting an order. Her
body is slightly bent forward with her right hand displaying the boon-granting gesture, and so forth. She sits in a
cross-legged posture, turning her gaze slightly toward Avalokiteśvara. She is surrounded by a halo of blazing light. {4.89}

“There, on the jeweled peak made of beryl, completely enclosed and shaded by a pannay tree whose branches are all
covered in flowers with buds fully open, is the blessed Tārā. The tree’s overspread branches are bent down with fresh sprouts,
in a variety of shapes, bright and colorful. The goddess Tārā should be painted looking ahead. {4.90}

“The goddess removes all obstacles

And is the ultimate destroyer of fear.

For the protection of the practitioner,

She should be painted as the virtuous granter of boons. {4.91}

“The goddess takes the female form

And arises, along with her ten powers, from compassion.

She should be painted granting the boon

Of good fortune to all beings. {4.92}

“The goddess is the mother of the divine youth—

Mañjughoṣa of great splendor.

In order to completely remove

The practitioner’s every obstacle,
{4.93}

“To ensure protection by the rulers of men,

And to bring prosperity, she should be installed on the canvas.

The supreme Lord of Wrath,

Situated at the top of his mountain,
{4.94}

“Has been taught by the most excellent Victor and his sons

For the sake of destroying all obstacles.

Very terrifying, most venerable,

Very fierce, and of great splendor, {4.95}

“He is primed for restraining beings

Who are hostile to the teachings.

For the practitioner, however,

He is a remover of all obstacles. {4.96}

“Violent and of a wrathful disposition,

He is the mantra deity to be summoned.

Most terrible and frightening,

He wards off all who are cruel. {4.97}

“He brings under control the unsubmissive

Who commit evil and violent acts,

Whether they dwell in the sky, on earth,

In subterranean realms, or anywhere else. {4.98}

“He destroys all evildoers

Who oppose the teachings of the Sage.

Thus one should paint the cloth

Four sided, with four corners. {4.99}

“At the bottom edge of the cloth,

There is an area with rivers.

Throughout it one should paint nāgas, one by one,

With their distinctive hoods expanded. {4.100}

“Their pure, white bodies

Are half human in form.

Raising up their torsos,

Their hands are folded in constant reverence. {4.101}

“One with seven hoods, of great valor,

Ananta by name, is referred to as ‘great lord.’

Adorned with jewels and gems,

He directs his gaze at Tathāgata Śākyamuni. {4.102}