The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī
Chapter 11

Now Lord Śākyamuni looked again at the realm of the Pure Abode, and said this to Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“There is, Mañjuśrī, in your ritual, a painting procedure of the medium type, a practice procedure serving as the means for accomplishing middling rites. I will teach it in brief, so please listen carefully and reflect upon it well. I will teach it now.” {11.1}

Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, for his part, said this to the Blessed One:

“May the Blessed One, the teacher, full of compassion for the world and delighting in benefiting all beings, speak! Please speak, if you think that the time is right, out of compassion for us and regard for future generations.” {11.2}

Having been thus addressed by Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, the Blessed One said this:

“Listen, Mañjuśrī. All the rites involved in the practice of the mantra conduct will bear fruit and not be futile for those who, first of all, are firmly established in discipline, ritual observances, purificatory acts, ritual obligations, mantra recitations, homa ritual, and the meditation methods.771 Then, the application of all the mantras will swiftly772 lead to success. Why is this so? I will explain that. Listen, O divine youth! {11.3}

“To start, one should assume the disciplined conduct and observances pertaining to the practice of vidyās. First, one should take the samaya pledge according to the instructions773 of the maṇḍala master as clearly taught in your king of manuals. One should acquire a learned master who has received the ‘master empowerment’ (ācāryābhiṣeka) and has the acumen of a spiritual instructor.774 [F.153.a] [F.170.a] Such a master should possess the Dharma that is virtuous and clear and be truthful, diligent, grateful, steadfast,775 good natured, not too old and not too young, free from desire with regard to all gain and favors, and celibate. He should be compassionate, but not merely on account of desire or based on sensual pleasure or emotional attachment. He should not speak untruth out of strong delusion and greed, let alone due to trivial reasons. He should keep his promises and be equanimous toward all beings, have compassion for them, and practice generosity.776 He should have completed the preparatory rites and the preliminary practice that involves the recitation of your secret mantra and have gained [therefrom the requisite] knowledge.777 He should have entered your maṇḍala according to the right order of succession. He must understand the ways of the world and also know the ritual procedure. He should be kind, industrious, and wise. He must practice goodness and be fearless, free from hesitation or vacillation,778 stable, and diligent. He should not be afflicted by any disease that would render him inactive, and he should be disciplined.779 He should come from a great and illustrious family. These are the qualities that the maṇḍala master should be endowed with. {11.4}

“The practitioner, for his part, should be either the same as him or lacking in some attributes.780 After worshiping such a maṇḍala master, he should supplicate him as follows:

“ ‘I would like to enter the samaya with you, master, who are identical with the great bodhisattva, the divine youth Mañjuśrī.781 Out of the master’s782 kindness, please instruct me with a benevolent and kind mind.’ {11.5}

“The maṇḍala master then, [F.153.b] [F.170.b] following the same procedure as previously explained, should examine the disciples as before and usher them in. He should give the empowerment as before and give them the mantra.783 He should then explain the stages of samaya and the secret tantra, mudrā, and rites. After examining them for a long time and determining their character, he teaches them the rites for all tantras, mantras, and so forth. He should not teach this to anyone else.784 This is the accepted procedure. {11.6}

“The disciple, for his part, should gratify the maṇḍala master with anything that may be pleasing to him, and offer himself and the enjoyments. {11.7}

“The maṇḍala master should then regard the disciple as his son, and treat him as such. Like a mother, he should offer him comforts and enjoyments. {11.8}

“The disciple then, having obtained a particular mantra, should retire to a secluded area, to a place as previously described in more detail, and, in short, employ this mantra for the summoning, dismissing, and offering to the deities a bali consisting of lamps, perfume, and incense, following the elaborate procedure that has been taught as part of the maṇḍala instructions. He should thus summon the deity and present it with a welcome offering and a seat at the three junctions of the day. He should perform ritual ablutions three times a day, wear the three-piece apparel of an ascetic, and recite the mantra every day. Regarding the junctions of the day, the first junction is said to be from the end of the night until the sun is four angular cubits785 above the horizon. The second junction is said to be at midday, for as long as the center of the sun disk traverses in the sky the distance of four cubits. The third junction is said to be at sunset, for as long as it takes the sun to move the full distance of four cubits. {11.9}

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

“Having said this, Lord Kāśyapa remained silent. {11.149}

“As soon as Lord Kāśyapa, the perfectly awakened one, spoke the words of this mantra in full, the entire sky appeared filled with a cloud consisting of choicest foodstuffs. The entire great trichiliocosm appeared to have its sky canopied with a cloud consisting of food. Whatever food the beings [F.159.b] [F.176.b] desired to satisfy their individual needs, whatever food they wished for, that had manifested for them. Whatever food preparations the beings desired to appease the pains of hunger, whatever drinks the thirsty ones wanted to drink, a stream of water along with the eight articles of offering, [all this] fell down exactly wherever it was wished for. {11.150}

“All the beings, for their part, had on that occasion, at that particular time, the suffering of their hunger completely pacified and all their thirst completely removed. The entire assembly became greatly amazed and elated and rejoiced at the Blessed One’s words. Joyfully they bowed their heads to his feet and disappeared at that very moment. Lord Kāśyapa, for his part, said, ‘Lord Śākyamuni and I sojourned on earth as tathāgatas. At that time this mantra was taught in this king of manuals and celebrated.’861 {11.151}

“This mantra862 ought to be accomplished for the benefit of all beings, in particular the mantra reciters, to remove their hunger and thirst, just as it was previously accomplished by the reciter [Kāśyapa]. If one does not feel up to wandering around for the sake of alms, one should climb to a mountaintop and recite that mantra six hundred thousand times,863 living on the three pure food products864 or milk dishes. {11.152}

“There, on the mountaintop, one should install the medium painting of Noble Mañjuśrī and, as before, offer a big pūjā [followed] by a big bali offering of food. Employing the mantra taught by Kāśyapa and other perfectly awakened buddhas, one should make a fire of cutch tree sticks and offer into it, [while reciting the mantra], one thousand and eight sticks of either the cluster fig or bilva tree, nine inches long, [moist with sap], and smeared with curds,865 honey, and ghee. {11.153}

“Then, at the midnight hour, a great whirlwind will arrive in the form of a black cloud. [F.160.a] [F.177.a] One should not be afraid, nor should one get up or approach it.866 Just as before,867 one should effect protection for oneself and the protective binding of the maṇḍala for one’s companions by means of the eight-syllable heart mantra of Noble Mañjuśrī. The black whirlwind will subsequently disappear, and in front of the practitioner will appear women adorned with all types of jewelry. One of them, with a halo of light illuminating the space around her, will say, ‘Rise up, O great being! You have reached accomplishment.’868 {11.154}

“The practitioner should then give her a welcome offering of water with floating jasmine flowers. At that very moment she will disappear. On that very day, she will give to the practitioner and twenty-five of his companions, or whomever the practitioner fancies, foodstuffs and any useful objects that they may want. At that point the practitioner should give a farewell offering and circumambulate the painting clockwise three times. He should then take the painting, bow to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas three times,869 and go to a place of his choice that is conducive to sādhana practice as previously described, such as a big forest, a mountaintop, or any uninhabited place. There, he should build a hut and live there alone or with companions. While living there, he should do the rites that involve sky travel, and so forth. {11.155}

“As before, the practitioner should sit on a bundle of kuśa grass, place the medium painting before himself, and, as before, light a fire of cutch tree sticks. He should offer one thousand and eight oblations of white flowers870 smeared with curds, honey, and ghee, three times a day for twenty-one days. {11.156}

“Then, at the end of the homa ritual, at the midnight hour, one will see Noble Mañjuśrī in person. He will grant a desired boon, such as the ability to fly, [F.160.b] [F.177.b] become invisible, an attainment of a bodhisattva level, the state of a pratyeka­buddha or a śrāvaka, the five superknowledges,871 long life, a great kingdom with its many pleasures, the affection of a king, or the ability to commune with Noble Mañjuśrī himself. In short, he will grant whatever one may wish for. Or whatever one may ask for, that he will give. One may obtain all the power substances or be able to magically summon great beings. In short, he will do anything the way it is described to him. He may also purify one’s former transgressions. This was taught by Lord Śākyamuni. {11.157}

“Another practice procedure that constitutes the means of accomplishing medium rites will now be taught. To start, one should select a place in a clean area or a sandy bank of a river,872 distinguished by the necessary qualities, and do everything as before. One should position the painting to face west, with oneself facing east. Sitting on a bundle of kuśa grass, one should repeat in full the same procedure as before. One should recite the mantra at the three junctions of the day six hundred thousand times.873 At the end of the recitation, one should offer into the fire, prepared exactly as before, one hundred thousand blossoms of the bayur tree mixed with white sandalwood or saffron. {11.158}

“If the painting trembles violently at the conclusion of the homa ritual, it is a sign that one will become a minister. If the painting becomes luminous with light and rays of light issue forth from it, one will obtain a kingship. If the painting is completely enveloped in a halo of light, one will obtain the kingship over the realm of the four great kings. If the painting speaks,874 one will obtain the position of Śakra‍—dominion over the realm of the Thirty-Three. If the painting delivers Dharma instructions, one will attain lordship of the [first] three bodhisattva levels. If one touches one’s head and arms with the painting, one will obtain the five superknowledges, the seventh bodhisattva level, and the ten powers. One will certainly obtain them one after the other. {11.159} [F.161.a] [F.178.a]

“When one has accomplished the mantra taught by Lord Kāśyapa and achieved the goal of removing hunger and thirst, one should practice the teachings on the method for accomplishing the goal of mantra activity, strictly following the procedure and using the specified implements. Otherwise one will not succeed. {11.160}

“In brief, one should follow the mantra practice step by step in this way, and one will certainly succeed.875 One will definitely obtain all the power substances, special implements, and medicines, as well as jewels and gems as previously described. {11.161}

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

“Whatever rice dishes one has obtained through alms, or any other food that one is going to eat, one should eat it after incanting it with the above mantra.885 Having eaten and ritually rinsed one’s mouth, one should wash the whole body as before, in the direction toward the head, and then take rest. Having rested for three quarters of an hour, or half of a half of one night-watch,886 one should respectfully salute the painting and recite887 genuine Dharma texts taught by all the buddhas.888 {11.189}

“The texts to be recited are the noble Prajñāpāramitā, Candra­pradīpa­samādhi,889 Daśabhūmika,890 Suvarṇa­prabhāsottama,891 Mahā­māyūrī,892 or Ratna­ketu­dhāraṇī.893 One should recite them in turns,894 until the sun has risen one angular cubit above the horizon. Then, when one has finished reading and bowed down to one’s ability, one should put the books aside and cover them with a clean cloth. Having bowed to this work of Dharma, one should descend to a riverbank or a big pond in order to bathe. There, one should take some clay that is free of living organisms, incant it seven times [F.152.b] [F.179.b] with the following mantra, and throw it into the water. What mantra? {11.190}

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

“One should use this mantra to effect protection [for oneself], bind the directions, form a protective circle for one’s companions, bind the fire pit,896 and summon all the wicked and utterly wicked beings. With this mantra one can also arrest semen.897 One should roam everywhere with a cord tied around one’s waist and incanted seven times. One should recite this mantra one hundred thousand times in order to destroy or appease the evil obstacle makers, reciting both during recitation sessions and the time of ritual bathing. In this way one will be able to accomplish all activities. When performing any ritual, one should put on the great fivefold seal [of Mañjuśrī].898 One will be able to accomplish everything; it cannot be otherwise.899 {11.192}

“The practitioner should take some powder consisting of dried clay and cow dung and do the ritual ablutions as he pleases. He should bathe in water that is free of living organisms. In all the rites, one should always use only water that is free of living organisms. Having bathed, one should smear oneself with a paste of clay and cow dung, or other fragrant unguents that are especially helpful.900 One must not release into the water any phlegm,901 urine, or feces. One should not splash in the water or engage in play. One should compassionately reflect on oneself and others and on the absence of self, emptiness, and the pain of experiencing pervasive suffering, which is like the pain experienced by someone separated from their mother.902 A mantra adept should thus imagine himself to be a being without a practice to follow, one subject to ruin, fall, decay, and destruction, all of which are attended by suffering. He should think of himself as sinking deep into the ocean of saṃsāra, [F.163.a] [F.180.a] without a place to rest, protection, or refuge, and miserable. He should thus meditate, focusing his mind one-pointedly, while standing right there surrounded by water, submerged up to his neck or his waist. {11.193}

“First one should visualize a huge lotus stalk supporting a big lotus flower. It is adorned with big petals and made of beautiful-looking jewels. Its pericarp is of beryl, its petals of emerald, and its stamens of crystal.903 It has one thousand petals and is in full bloom. It is adorned with flowers made of crystal and ruby.904 On this lotus there is a lotus throne made of precious stone, adorned with many gems, and shaded by a pair of cloth canopies. On the throne, one should visualize Lord Buddha expounding the Dharma. He is of pure golden color, surrounded by bright light, and adorned with a halo one fathom wide. He is large in size, appearing as if painted in the sky, and sitting in a cross-legged posture. {11.194}

“To his right, on a lotus seat, one should visualize Noble Mañjuśrī, adorned with all the superb ornaments. He is not sitting but standing,905 and holding, in his extended hand, a yak-tail whisk to fan the Blessed One. He is of light red hue or the color of ground saffron. To the left of the Blessed One, there is the noble Avalokiteśvara, the color of a full autumn moon, with a yak-tail whisk in his hand. Similarly, the eight bodhisattvas906‍—the noble Maitreya, Samantabhadra, Kṣitigarbha, Gaganagañja, Sarva­nīvaraṇa­viṣkambhin, Apāyajaha, the noble Vajrapāṇi, and Sudhana‍—should be visualized. These are the ten907 bodhisattvas. {11.195}

“To the right,908 one should visualize the eight pratyeka­buddhas‍—Candana, Gandhamādana, Ketu, Suketu, Sitaketu, Riṣṭa, Upāriṣṭa, and Nemi. [F.163.b] [F.180.b] In the same place909 there are also the eight great śrāvakas‍—the noble Mahā­maudgalyāyana, Śāriputra, Gavāmpati, Piṇḍola­bhara­dvāja, Pilindavatsa, the noble Rāhula, Mahākāśyapa, and the noble Ānanda. {11.196}

“Next to these eight great śrāvakas, one should visualize an infinite assembly of monks; next to the pratyeka­buddhas, an infinite numbers of other pratyeka­buddhas; and in the eight places of the eight great bodhisattvas, infinite assemblies of other bodhisattvas. In this auspicious way should one visualize the canopy of the sky filled with this great assembly. {11.197}

“Still standing in water reaching up to one’s navel, one should perform a big pūjā, offering flowers of many types, earthly and celestial, including māndarava and great māndarava, lotuses and great lotuses, or, according to season, blue lotuses910‍—different flowers of great size, baskets with flowers, and flowers piled as high as a mountain. Also, one should perform a pūjā, pleasing to the mind, for all the śrāvakas, pratyeka­buddhas, and bodhisattvas, offering fragrant powders, parasols, flags, and banners‍—both earthly and celestial, in great numbers‍—including thousands of millions of billions of bright lamps. One should offer, in the same manner, requisites and articles used for a bali offering, such as incense and food. {11.198}

“One should then visualize oneself and everything illumined by the light issuing forth from the tuft of hair between Lord Śākyamuni’s eyebrows. Immediately entering samādhi while reciting the mantra, one will obtain fruits of the accumulated great merit and will certainly become destined for awakening. {11.199}