The Secret Maṇḍala

"Every doubt now cut away, wisdom of every kind free of every affliction — for the sake of beings, I question the guide. What comes first in the maṇḍala? I beg only that the Great Silent Sage explain it. How many kinds of master are there? And how many kinds of disciple? How is the nature of the ground known? And how is it chosen and worked? How should it be purified? How does it become firmly settled, and how are disciples purified? I beg only that the guide explain this. What is the mark of a ground already purified? And with what is it protected? How is the ground empowered — and what task comes first? How many threads are there, and how are the ground's divisions made? How many kinds of offering are cultivated? And of flowers, incense, and the rest — to whom should these flowers be offered, and incense likewise — how are they to be presented, and with what flowers and incense? And of food, and the fire offering — with what rite is each performed? And of the seats of every holy deity — I beg you to teach this method as well…How many kinds of initiation are there? And how many kinds of samaya? For how long should a mantra practitioner diligently cultivate mantra conduct, before the bodhisattva path is complete? How does one see the true reality? How many kinds of siddhi are there, and when is each accomplished?…How many kinds of fire offering are there, and by what means is their power increased? I beg only that the guide explain the distinct nature of every buddha."

"There are two kinds of master. Both have penetrated seal and mantra alike; their outward manner may look the same, yet one holds the profound and secret sense, the other only its plain and general outline. One who is able to know the profound and vast meaning is the one to whom the teaching should be entrusted — the true eldest child of the Perfectly Awakened One, far removed from worldly pleasure. The second seeks only visible results in the present, deeply attached to and grasping after delusion; every worldly maṇḍala is made by such a one alone. The buddhas, most honored among the two-footed, who confer initiation and transmit the teaching, speak of four kinds of disciple, distinguished by timing and its absence: the first practices recitation at the proper time; the second, at no fixed time; the third, both at once; and the fourth, possessed of every mark at once — this the Buddha calls the true, intimate disciple. The very first thing to be known is the nature of the ground — that is, the ground of the mind itself, which I have already explained how to purify, cultivating it as described before…One should, for the disciple's sake, purify their bodhicitta, protecting them with Acala, or else with Trailokyavijaya…The first empowerment of this ground rests on the teaching of every buddha; the second, on the mind's own sovereignty — this alone, and no other teaching. There are four kinds of thread — white, yellow, red, and black — and a fifth to be held in mind, namely the color of space itself; held in equipoise within that very space, the maṇḍala is sealed and fixed in place."

"There are four kinds of offering: bowing and joining the palms; loving-kindness and compassion held in mind; worldly offerings of flowers and incense; and flowers made to arise from one's own hand, offered to every savior of the world, forming the seal of the arising of every limb, while contemplating bodhicitta…There are two kinds of fire offering, called inner and outer. Liberation from karmic birth, and the arising of the seed and sprout — because these burn away karma itself, this is called the inner fire offering. The outer offering has three stages, three positions abiding within three, accomplishing the paths of the three karmas — this is the supreme fire offering of the world…There are three kinds of initiation, children of the Buddha — listen with full attention. Should one attain it through the skillful means of the secret seal alone, free of any ritual action, this is called the first, most excellent method, the initiation of the Tathāgata himself. What is called the second causes one to rise and carry out every task. The third is conferred through the mind alone, entirely free of time and place. Causing the honored one's own joy, and acting exactly as taught, an initiation given directly, in person, before a buddha, is the most excellent of all. The Perfectly Awakened One, in brief, speaks of five kinds of samaya. The first samaya: seeing the maṇḍala for the first time, complete in itself; the true and actual word not yet transmitted, its secret seal is not yet conferred. The second samaya: entering and beholding the assembly of holy ones. The third: possessing the altar's own seal, cultivating wondrous conduct as taught; and, further, being permitted to transmit the teaching, this is spoken of as the samaya complete. Though one may possess the seal and the altar's own station, exactly as taught, if the initiation of the mind has not yet been reached, secret wisdom does not arise. Therefore, a mantra practitioner within the secret place of practice, possessing this fifth, essential vow, should be initiated in accordance with the Dharma — know that anything other than this cannot rightly be called samaya."

"Abiding, unmoving as Mount Sumeru, within every dharma's own fundamental stillness, its ever-constant lack of any nature of its own — this is called seeing the truth. This very emptiness is reality's own limit, no mere idle claim; what is seen is exactly as a buddha sees it — the buddhas before have seen it in just this way. Once bodhicitta is attained, siddhi, most unsurpassed of all, follows from it in five distinct kinds: namely, entry into practice, advancement through the grounds, the five worldly superknowledges, and what belongs to buddhas and to pratyekabuddhas. Cultivating this practice without interruption, until the mind's own continuity is purified, what was not yet ripe is brought to ripeness — and at that moment, siddhi is accomplished…Siddhi rises into the realm of space, like an illusion, fearless, as though caught in a web of enchantment identical to Indra's own net, or like the people who dwell within a city of gandharvas. The secret of the body is exactly this — neither the body itself, nor consciousness — just as, in sleep and dream, one may roam through the palaces of the gods without ever leaving this body, and yet without ever truly arriving there either…The mantra, like a wish-fulfilling jewel, gives rise to a body of mind and speech, raining down every object according to one's own thought, and yet without any discriminating notion attached to it. Like space itself in every direction, free of every conditioned action, the mantra practitioner is undefiled by any such discrimination."

"That which the Perfectly Awakened One first laid out, this maṇḍala — the very secret within the secret, born of great compassion's own matrix — together with every worldly and transcendent maṇḍala without measure, and every image it bears: listen now, as I explain them in due order. On every side, a single gate and passageway all around, adorned throughout with the vajra seal, and, at the center, the vajra of ritual action. Above it, a wondrous lotus, open in bloom and holding its fruit within; upon that great lotus-seal, adorned with the point of great emptiness. Its eight petals, perfectly round and complete, finely formed with filament and pistil, the twelve-part phrase of arising pervading the whole lotus dais. And above it, the one most honored among the two-footed, the guide who accomplished perfect awakening, entering the maṇḍala, surrounded by his own retinue. Know that this is the very first, the maṇḍala born of compassion, from which every other altar flows, each according to its own teaching, its ritual actions, its forms, and its siddhi, where every child of the Buddha is placed."

At that time the World-Honored One further proclaimed this udāna verse on the method of entering the secret maṇḍala:
"A mantra practitioner who has studied fully, penetrating the secret altar, and, in accordance with the teaching, acts on the disciple's behalf, burns away every offense entirely. Their whole karmic lifespan is burned to nothing, so that it no longer arises again — and, once reduced to ash in this way, that very lifespan is restored once more. This is called burning letter with letter: by means of a letter, one is born anew — every lifespan, every birth, made pure, and stainless throughout. Through the twelve-part phrase, this vessel is fashioned; and this samaya is shared alike by every Tathāgata, every bodhisattva, savior of the world, every buddha and śrāvaka, and indeed by the whole world, in perfect equality, contradicting nothing. Whoever understands this vow of equality, this secret maṇḍala, enters every teaching of the Dharma, and attains mastery over every altar there is. My own body is equal to theirs, and so too is the mantra practitioner's — and because there is no difference between them, this is called samaya."

Then the glorious Vajrapāṇi, his mind greatly gladdened, empowered by the majesty of the buddhas, spoke these verses: “This Dharma is without end, without own-nature, without abiding; in the liberation from what is born of action it is the same as the Perfectly Awakened. The means by which the world is saved turn in accordance with compassion and vow, awakening the knowledge of non-arising — such is the aspect of all dharmas. As for bodily aspect, appearance and color, only set them out in order. In all the worlds without remainder, and in what is beyond the world — their fruit and their number, and the most excellent samādhis — where does ripening take place? And what of what is not yet ripe? And after how long a term is what is born of action liberated?”

The Perfectly Awakened, the All-Knowing, the World-Honored One free of fever, said to Vajrapāṇi: “Well asked, greatly diligent one! The secret maṇḍala, the determined stations of the holy ones, born from the root of great compassion, the unsurpassed Great Vehicle, the most secret of all the buddhas — just as you have asked. Vajra-holder of great strength, I shall now declare it briefly: the first work of the maṇḍala, children of the Buddha, listen closely. Born of the twelve-limbed phrase, the mighty vidyā-king is what should be made first of all. Abiding in the root samādhi, understanding the path of yoga, he performs the various works. If he is free of fault and trouble, the ground of his mind without fear, he will attain what is truly pure, free of every fault. Abiding firmly in such knowledge, he sees his own awakening; and if it be otherwise than this, he cannot purify the ground. If he abides in deluded discrimination, then though the practitioner purifies his ground — Lord of Secrets, it is not pure, because it has departed from the awakening-mind. Therefore let him abandon discrimination, and purify every ground. …If the disciple is not moved by deluded grasping, he will attain the most perfect awakening, stainless as space.

Second, he takes the cord and lays it out upon the ground of the practice-place. For the seats of all the Tathāgatas, and of the buddhas’ children of wisdom: the delightful and exquisite lotus, which the world calls auspicious. For the solitary awakened and the hearers, those said to have partial knowledge — know that the seat spread for them is the leaf of the water-chestnut and the blue lotus. For the gods of the world, with the Brahmā host at their head, the red padma flower, which is called the king of seats. Below these, as is fitting, he considers where each has its portion of ground. …The dharma-realm is the king of trees, making offering to the Honored among men; with true speech he empowers it, and samādhi turns in sovereignty; an excellent and vast cloud arises out of the dharma-realm. From it rain down flowers, always and everywhere before the buddhas; and the remaining worldly gods should scatter these flowers too. Let the presentation answer to the nature and class of the root mantra; and so with unguent and the rest, each according to what befits it. The space- and water-wheels holding one another: this is called the auspicious seal, and the flowers he presents should be offered from his own heart. As for the worldly gods, know that it is at the station of the navel; or the vajra-fist seal, or else a lotus garland, offered in the air — for the Guide who saves the world, and so on down to the worldly gods, each in its own order.

The Perfectly Awakened, honored among those who walk on two feet, has spoken of two kinds of homa — the inner, that is, and the outer — and of increasing majesty likewise. The distinct natures and classes of the honored ones are to be examined and realized. As for the mantras of the world, their limit is now declared. The gods of merit and sovereignty and the rest, the deities everyone knows — the vidyās and spells they have declared, and the seals of great power: all of these have their fruit in the present life, and therefore are said to have a measure; and though accomplished, they do not abide firmly, being wholly subject to arising and ceasing. The supramundane mantras are without making and from the first unarisen. What is born of action is wholly cut off; victory is won and the three faults left behind. Those like the rhinoceros-horn who have no teacher, the Buddha and the community of hearers, and the mantras of the bodhisattvas — their measure I shall declare. Transcending the three times, arisen from the conjunction of conditions, their fruit visible or not visible, they are born of mind, speech, and body. What the world transmits has fruit whose count passes a single kalpa; what the Perfectly Awakened has declared — mantra — exceeds the count of kalpas. The great seers, the Perfectly Awakened, the samādhis of the buddhas’ children, are pure and apart from conception; what has conception is worldly, gains its fruit from action, and has a ripening and a time of ripeness. But one who attains accomplishment turns all actions in sovereignty; and because the mind has no own-nature, he is far from cause and fruit, liberated from what is born of action, and his birth is the equal of space.

Further, Lord of Secrets: the maṇḍala of the Tathāgata is like a pure full moon, showing within it the color of a conch. All the buddhas are a triangle upon a white lotus, with the point of space as their emblem, encircled by vajra seals. From the lord of that mantra light is emitted all around, and with a mind free of doubt and hesitation it streams out everywhere. Further, Lord of Secrets: the secret maṇḍala of Avalokiteśvara — children of the Buddha, listen single-mindedly. Four-square and even throughout, in the middle an auspicious conch, from which arises a padma flower, opened wide and holding its fruit. Above it, the emblem of vajra wisdom, borne upon the great lotus seal; and he spreads there every seed-syllable, taking skill itself for the seed. Tārā and Bhṛkuṭī, and Pāṇḍaravasinī the honored one, the vidyā-queen and the lord of wealth, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, and the auspicious ones who receive commands — all are within the maṇḍala, and the seal of the Sovereign One is made their exquisite emblem. Hayagrīva abides, as the rule prescribes, in a triangle encircled by the maṇḍala, splendid as the light of the rising sun; he should be placed at the side of the vidyā-king, by one skilled in wisdom.

Further, Lord of Secrets: now the second altar is declared. Four-square, perfectly even, encircled by vajra seals, everything of exquisite golden color, with a lotus opened at the inner heart. On the dais appears the kalaśa vase, its light and color like a pure moon, adorned all round with the point of great space. Above it, the emblem of the great wind seal, thick as dark clouds, with the aspect of banners beaten in the wind, the point of space for its emblem. Above that arise fierce flames, the same as the fire that ends a kalpa, made in a triangle and encircled by triangles. A garland of light is everywhere about it, of the color of morning sunlight; and within it a padma, red-black like the kalpa-fire. Above that a vajra seal, streaming and scattering blazing light, held with the sound of the syllable HŪṆ, the most excellent seed-syllable. …Acala’s maṇḍala has wind-wheel and fire together, set in the southwestern quarter, below Mahāvairocana; encircled by seed-syllables, with the exquisite great wisdom-blade, or else the noose seal — so let one endowed with wisdom lay it out. Trailokyavijaya differs: he is within the wind-wheel, encircled by vajra seals, and abides in three places.

Further, Lord of Secrets: first is declared the maṇḍala of the mother of buddhas and bodhisattvas, and the placing of the altar’s forms. Square and true, of pure gold color, encircled by vajra seals — the most excellent maṇḍala; now the aspects of the honored ones are shown. Within it a great lotus, its blaze yellow throughout; in the middle is set the Uṣṇīṣa of the Tathāgata, surpassing the middle division; and reaching to the third division, the Eye of the Tathāgata should be made, abiding of itself within a blaze of light, with her seed-syllable spread throughout. Next, all the bodhisattvas, with the great wish-fulfilling jewel honored one: that maṇḍala is round and white with four projections, wholly still and utterly pure, fulfilling every hope. Further, listen closely: the altar of Śākyamuni the Lion. It is Mahendra’s, of exquisite true gold color, its four quarters equal, with vajra seals as before. Above appears a padma, its glow yellow throughout; a great begging bowl with a blaze of light, encircled by vajra seals; the kāṣāya robe, the ringed staff and the rest, set out each in its order.

…Children of the Buddha, listen next: the vajra altar of the bestowal of vows, its four quarters even throughout, guarded by vajra seals. Within it he makes the fire-born maṇḍala, and at the inner heart sets besides the exquisite blue-lotus seal. The wise Mañjuśrī, encircled by his root mantra, with the seed-syllable spread as the rule prescribes, is himself taken as the seed. And on its four sides, adorned with blue lotuses, he paints the host of the diligent and brave, each in its order: Jālinīprabha with the hook seal; Ratnamukuta holding the jewel seal; Vimalaprabha the youth, a blue lotus not yet opened. …Further, the seal of the southern quarter: Sarvanīvaraṇaviṣkambhin, whose seed of great diligence is the wish-fulfilling jewel, abiding in the fire-wheel with a dignified retinue in attendance. Vimātiprahāṇa with a jewel vase, in which a single-pronged vajra is set; the holy one Abhayaprada makes the gesture of bestowing fearlessness; Sarvāpāyajāha has the raising hand for his mark; Paritrāṇāśayamati the bodhisattva keeps the hand of compassion always at the heart; Mahamaitrī-udbhava the bodhisattva should have the hand that holds a flower, compassion recollected above the heart, the fire-wheel finger bent down; Sarvadāhapraśamita makes the hand that bestows every vow, with ambrosial water streaming from every fingertip; Acintyamati holds the wish-fulfilling jewel in the hand — all of them abiding upon lotuses, within the maṇḍala.

The honored Kṣitigarbha of the northern quarter — his secret seal is now declared. First make an adorned seat within Mahendra’s altar, a great lotus giving off a blaze of light, mingled and furnished with every color. Upon it he raises a great banner with a great jewel at its tip: this is called the most excellent, the form of the secret seal. …Ratnākara upon a jewel, the three-pronged vajra seal; Ratnapāṇi upon a jewel, the single-pronged vajra seal; Dharaṇiṃdhara upon a jewel, the two-headed vajra seal; Ratnamudrāhasta upon a jewel, the five-pronged vajra seal; Dṛḍhādhyāśaya upon a jewel, the karma-vajra seal — all of them to abide within that maṇḍala. Ākāśagarbha of the western quarter has a round white and delightful altar, a great white lotus seat, on which is set the great wisdom-blade seal. Such a firm and keen blade, its edge sharp as ice and frost; his own seed-syllable for the seed — so let the wise one lay it out, and paint the retinue besides, their seal-forms as the rule teaches.

Child of the Buddha! Because you now directly realize the equal body, speech and mind of Mahāvairocana the World-Honored One, you are known to the assembly as the equal of the Perfectly Awakened. And he spoke this verse: “You ask the All-Knowing, Mahāvairocana the Perfectly Awakened, the most excellent mantra practice, and the teaching that should be declared. It was by this that I in the past awoke to exquisite awakening, revealed all dharmas and brought beings to final release; and the buddhas now present throughout the ten directions all bear witness to it.” …I declare the teaching at length, and all the maṇḍalas; but what comes first among them the foolish do not understand — it is not called worldly awakening, nor is it the knowledge of all, and such a one cannot even relinquish the discriminating of the causes of suffering.

…Each of the Tathāgatas, and the children born of them, with these faultless flowers, fragrant and shining. …If one does otherwise than this, not understanding the work of homa, that fool gains no fruit and has forsaken the wisdom of mantra. For the mantras of the Tathāgata family, and what the Perfectly Awakened declare, know that it is white and yellow; and vajra is furnished with every color. For the mantras of Avalokiteśvara it is pure white, shifting with the matter at hand; the four-square aspect layered throughout, the round disc in its order, the three-cornered and the half-moon — the shapes are declared likewise. First one should know the colors and images, that is to say, a male or female body; or else, in every place, according to the kind, its shape and color. Inconceivable wisdom arises, and therefore it is inconceivable. It differs in response to the thing, yet the wisdom of wisdom that realizes it is always one; and even to the mind’s breadth — know that to be its measure. The seat and the seal are likewise, and so with all the gods: as they are born of the buddhas, so are their seals born alike. With this seal of Dharma-arising he stamps and holds the disciples; and so the dharma-realm is declared in brief, and this is used as its emblem.

If he abides well and contemplates the intention, the awakened mind of the mantra practitioner cannot be found in the three places — and he is called a bodhisattva. Gaining the practice of contemplation without object, by skillful means he benefits living beings, and because he plants the roots of goodness in them he is named the Honored among men. In the space of a single moment, with pure works and mind alike, the mantra practitioner will gain attainment arising according to his will. Such is the dream of yoga; and for one abiding in mantra practice, the merit and works that arise give the body an aspect like a rainbow.

…“Further, Lord of Secrets! Listen closely to those secret seals, their forms and aspects, the laying out of the stations of the holy ones, the manifesting of their majestic proof, and the direction the samādhis take. These five are what the buddhas of the past awoke to, the dharma-realm’s course through space, the vow they originally made to deliver the realm of beings without remainder — for the sake of benefiting and giving ease to those bodhisattvas practicing by the gate of mantra.”

The buddhas of old declared this Dharma, the maṇḍala of the diligent and brave: the family-mother, Śaṅkara, and the lord of the vajra family; the vajra hook and noose and their attendants; the greatly virtuous vidyā-kings — all of them are here, within the great maṇḍala. For the children of the Buddha on the sealed altar, form and color each in its order, answering to their kind — and the various works are well accomplished. Further, of what I declare: the sovereigns of vajra — that is, Vajra-Space-Stainless, Vajra-Wheel and Vajra-Tusk, Exquisite-Abiding and Renown, Great-Wrath and Swift-Keen, Still Great-Vajra and Blue-Vajra besides, Lotus and Broad-Eye, Exquisite Vajra-Vajra, and Abiding-Without-Frivolous-Elaboration, and Measureless-Space-Stride — for the maṇḍalas of these, what is declared is white, yellow, red, and so on to black; and for seal-forms and the rest, the trident and the single-pronged seal, the two-headed and the five-peaked alike, or holding a vajra garland — distinguished according to color and class.

…The White Parasol takes the parasol seal, the excellent Uṣṇīṣa of one endowed with wisdom, encircled by the great wisdom-blade, light streaming out everywhere. The Most Excellent has the wheel seal of the Uṣṇīṣa; Vikiraṇa the hook seal of the Uṣṇīṣa; and the great being’s topknot-aspect is what is called the fire-heap seal. Vast-Arising takes the vajra, Generating takes the lotus, Measureless-Sound the conch — observe and know the classes of their images. The Ūrṇā-mark takes the maṇi jewel; and now hear of Buddhalocanā: her topknot yellow throughout, encircled by vajras. The seal of the Invincible Queen holds a lotus in the hand; the Invincible Great-Mouth is upon a black lotus. The practice of the pure domain — that is, the gods of the Pure Abodes — their seal-aspects are set down; children of the Buddha, listen closely. They are the contemplating hand, the virtuous hand, the laughing hand, the flower hand, and the space hand — painted as the rule prescribes.

The earth-spirit takes the kalaśa vase, round and white, encircled by vajras; for the seal that summons the fire-god, the great seer’s hand should be used. Kāśyapa and Gautama, Mārkaṇḍeya and Gaṅgā, Vasiṣṭha and Garbha — each in its own order. The Vedic hand should be painted, and placed within the fire-altar. Yama’s staff-seal has its place always in the wind-wheel. Mātṛ’s bell seal; Black Night’s comet seal; Rudra’s trident; the consort of great Brahmā, a lotus. Kumārī’s spear; Vaiṣṇavī’s wheel seal; and know that Yama’s queen has the mudgara seal. Kauberyā’s queen uses the kapāla seal. All such as these are within the wind maṇḍala, encircled by crows and vultures, owls and jackals and the rest. If one would accomplish attainment, let him paint them as the rule prescribes: Nirṛti’s great blade, Viṣṇu’s excellent wheel; Kumāra’s spear; Nanda and Upananda, with dense cloud and lightning together, all of them the color of a clear pool — flanking and guarding the gate-chambers, in the altar of Śākyamuni the Lion.