The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī
Chapter 4

Homage to the Buddha and all buddhas and bodhisattvas!527

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.528 {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} [F.129.b] [F.146.b]

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.529 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 master530 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:

“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.532 She should be physically unimpaired533 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,534 having bathed the previously described girl, the maṇḍala master should dress her nicely in clean clothes [F.130.a] [F.147.a] and perform the protection ritual employing the mantra as given next along with the great mudrā.535 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,536 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.537 Having blended white sandalwood, saffron, and camphor together,538 the master should offer it himself or have the practitioner do this.539 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 imagined540‍—will at that time spontaneously say the following:

“ ‘Victory is accomplished! Take the offering that has been offered! This is glorious and fruitful, with an opulence matching that of Śakra!’541 {4.11}

“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 holder542 know [F.130.b] [F.147.b] 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.543 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.544 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.545546The best would be of sixteen units.547 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.548 A mantra adept should use this scheme in all rites according to his ability.549 {4.16}

“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. [F.131.b] [F.148.b] 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;560 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.561 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 region562‍—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}

“Therefore, only a well-trained painter skilled in sādhana,568 or oneself if able to, should do the painting using uncontaminated paints. [F.133.a] [F.150.a] 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.569 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. [F.133.b] [F.150.b] 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 lotus570 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 line571 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 [F.134.a] [F.151.a] 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 moon572 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 hand573 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 trousers574 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 appearance575 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, [F.134.b] [F.151.b] 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,576 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.577 It has the shape of a mountain entirely covered with precious stones.578 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.579 {4.78}

“Tathāgata Śālendra­rāja580 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.581 [F.135.a] [F.152.a] 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}

“Beneath582 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,583 Upariṣṭa, Śveta, Sita, Ketu,584 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 [F.135.b] [F.152.b] 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 staff585 in his left. He knits his brow and looks at Noble Mañjuśrī, awaiting orders. He has a ‘wolf’s belly’586 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.587 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 mountains588 rising from a lotus lake, as previously described.589 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.590 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.591 {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. [F.136.a] [F.153.a] 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.592 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 toward593 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}