The Root Manual of the Rites of Mañjuśrī
Chapter 7

Now Mañjuśrī, the divine youth, rose from his seat, circumambulated Lord Śākyamuni three times clockwise and, having prostrated at his feet, said this to the Blessed One:

“Good! It is good that you, the blessed one, the tathāgata, the worthy one, the perfectly awakened one, gave this Dharma discourse in such a clear way for the benefit, the welfare, and the happiness of all who observe their vidyā vows and in order to show your compassion for the world. You exemplified the bodhisattvas’ skill in means with this particular method that takes them higher than nirvāṇa622 [F.140.a] [F.157.a] and, with their continuous dedication to the goal of awakening,623 accomplishes their conduct consistent with all the goals of the mantras. This will promote the spread of this624 secret mantra among all people. {7.1}

“In the future, when the teachers of the world have entered nirvāṇa and the sun of the tathāgatas has set‍—when their lineages have ended and all the buddhafields are empty of all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, noble śrāvakas, and pratyeka­buddhas; when the inhabitants of the world have become blind with ignorance; when the noble eightfold path has been cut and the medicine of all the vidyā mantras that are like precious gems is lost; when the world spheres have gone dark, devoid of good people625‍—at that time, beings will be lazy because of lack of interest;626 they will lack faith, will be willfully destructive,627 and will not rely on spiritual friends. They will be deceitful and treacherous, and they will act like rogues. {7.2}

“Such people, when hearing this Dharma discourse, will become frightened. Indulging in idleness and apathy, they will lack faith. Seeking sensual enjoyments, they will lack conviction. Delighting in wrong views,628 they will generate a lot of negativity. Rejecting the true Dharma, they will move from one terrible state to one even worse, bound for Avīci Hell.629 For the sake of those suffering like this, to enthrall the unsubmissive and, once they are enthralled, to grant them fearlessness, please muster your skill in means, O Blessed One, and teach them the procedure of painting involving mantras if you think that the time is right.” {7.3}

Then Lord Śākyamuni applauded Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Good, Mañjuśrī! It is good that you ask the Tathāgata about this matter. There is, Mañjuśrī, your most secret and detailed teaching on another procedure of cloth painting, with its associated conduct and practice of the vidyā observances. It includes the supreme and most secret meaning of the mantras of the ultimate essence‍—the great meaning that is the foundation of all mantras. {7.4} [F.140.b] [F.157.b]

“These six six-syllable mantras of the ultimate essence will, at that time, lead to an accomplishment without a doubt. I too will now teach what was previously taught by seven hundred and sixty million buddhas in order to tame such beings, to help them develop the skill in means, to cause them to take up the practice of the mantra, and to invariably bring them to perfect awakening. Focusing on the people of the future, listen well and reflect on the meaning thoroughly. I will now tell you, so what are they?” {7.5}

Lord Śākyamuni then pronounced the mantras:

“These six mantras of yours, Mañjuśrī, each numbering six syllables, are of great power and equal in their great potency. They are the supreme heart mantras that bring the highest accomplishment, as if they originated from the Buddha himself. They have been proclaimed by every buddha for the benefit of all beings. They involve and activate the samaya635 and are suitable for all types of activity. They are signposts for the road to awakening and are the most important mantras of the Tathāgata family. They can be employed in all three levels of ritual, the highest, the medium, and the lowest. They bring the ripening of the fruit of virtuous karma. They will lead to accomplishment at the time when the Buddha’s teaching has disappeared. {7.7}

“For those who will have succeeded in finding, for the sake of protection, a true Dharma guide, these mantras will, even through only basic application, accomplish the goals of kingship, good fortune, and great powers.636 They will swiftly lead them to accomplishment at that time and juncture. Therefore, these supreme heart mantras should be accomplished even if it were only out of curiosity. In short, in whatever way they are employed, they will lead to corresponding accomplishments. The painting procedure involving these mantras will now be presented in brief.637 {7.8}

“At that time, during the terrible period of five degenerations, beings will have very little merit. They will be petty,638 with short lifespans and little happiness. Being weak in diligence,639 [F.141.a] [F.158.a] they will not even be able to begin the very elaborate rites for the painting procedures. It is for their benefit that I will teach a very short procedure. {7.9}

“First, one should purchase thread with due care, one pala or half a pala in weight, and commission a weaver to make a cloth one cubit long and half a cubit across, together with a fringe.640 Alternatively, one should obtain a different, new piece of cloth that is free from hairs,641 measuring‍—as one prefers‍—two, four, six, five, ten, or eight cubits from top to bottom,642 and very white,643 and one should have the painter do the painting according to one’s wish. {7.10}

“It should be painted using uncontaminated paints infused with sandalwood, camphor, and saffron. First one should mix together sandalwood, camphor, and saffron into a homogenous substance and blend this with water free of living organisms and impurities. One should soak the cloth in a vessel with this mixture, cover it well with a lid, and leave it for three days. Then, having performed the protection rite, in a clean place, having ritually purified oneself, during the bright fortnight, on the full moon day,644 one should sit on a bundle of kuśa grass in front of the vessel with the cloth in it and, facing the east, recite the words of the following mantra one hundred and eight times: {7.11}

“Having recited this mantra, one should go to sleep right then. While asleep, one will receive a sign whether the procedure will be successful or not. Upon awakening, one should commission the painting without delay if one’s dreams indicated success. If the dreams conveyed no sign of success, one should take the cloth out of the vessel and dry it in the sun. When dry, one should again place it in a different new vessel. One should keep it well hidden, and also do the protection rite over it. Then, choosing whichever among the six-syllable heart mantras given previously one wishes, recite its syllables one hundred thousand times. One will then be able to swiftly646 accomplish the cloth-painting procedure. {7.13}

“To begin, one should take this cloth, [F.141.b] [F.158.b] and, during the prātihāra fortnight, or any day during the bright fortnight when the stars are auspicious, and during an auspicious lunar asterism, on a night augured as favorable by the cries of auspicious birds, at midnight, one should have the painter do the painting. This should be done in a clean place, by a painter who is observing the ritual fast and burning an incense of camphor.647 {7.14}

“The painter should first648 paint Noble Mañjuśrī with the form of a young boy, his hair in five locks, and dressed with all the adornments of a boy. Golden in color, he wears short trousers and a shirt of blue silk. He expounds the Dharma while sitting on a lion throne in the cross-legged posture with his right foot placed on a jeweled footstool and his left649 on the seat of the lion throne. Adorned with all types of jewelry, he is of charming appearance.650 Smiling slightly, he is directing his gaze at the practitioner. {7.15}

“On his right side should be painted the noble Samantabhadra, waving a white yak-tail whisk. He is of the dark blue color of the beautyberry flower. In his left hand he holds a wish-fulfilling gem. He is beautiful in every limb and adorned with all types of jewelry. He wears short trousers of blue silk and is invested with the sacred thread made of a garland of pearls. He should be painted standing on a white lotus. {7.16}

“The noble Avalokiteśvara, white as the autumn moon and wearing short trousers of blue silk, should be painted to left side of Noble Mañjuśrī. Beautiful in his every limb and adorned with all types of jewelry, he is invested with the sacred thread made of a garland of pearls. He holds a white lotus in his left hand, and with his right he holds a white yak-tail whisk with a golden handle, which he waves. Peaceful in form, he, just like the noble Samantabhadra, directs his gaze at Noble Mañjuśrī. Both of them should be painted standing on white lotuses.651 {7.17}

“Next, three lotuses spring from a single stalk. On the pericarp of the middle, primary lotus is the lion throne of Noble Mañjuśrī and his jeweled footstool. On the second lotus the noble Samantabhadra stands on a white652 lotus seat. On the third lotus is the noble Avalokiteśvara. The beautiful, emerald-like stalk [F.142.a] [F.159.a] rises from Anavatapta Lake, which is covered in lotus buds with leaves, half-opened lotuses, and lotuses in full bloom. This lotus stalk is supported by two nāga kings, Nanda and Upananda. {7.18}

“These two nāga kings should be painted as white, each of them adorned with seven hoods. Their bodies, adorned with all types of jewelry, are half human, and the other half is distinguished by the coils of a snake. With their [lower] bodies submerged in water, they direct their gaze at Noble Mañjuśrī. They are shaded with parasols decorated with jewels. {7.19}

“In the right corner of the cloth, on the margins below the great lake, the practitioner should be painted looking at the orb of Noble Mañjuśrī’s face. He holds an incense holder in his hand and inclines his head toward his knee. He should be depicted with all the respective details of dress and colors.653 {7.20}

“Above Noble Mañjuśrī, in the two corners at the edge of the cloth, two divine sons wearing garlands654 and holding garlands of flowers should be painted. They float nestled within clouds and release a great flood of flowers. Both are very beautiful. Blossoms of the ironwood tree and so forth should be painted strewn all around the cloth. One may create this painting, presided over by the three forms,655 however one desires.656 {7.21}

“They may be painted as the practitioner pleases, but these three figures must be included‍—the noble Mañjuśrī expounding the Dharma and the noble Samantabhadra and Avalokiteśvara, both of whom are painted with yak-tail whisks in their hands. Optionally, other forms may be added as desired, arranged according to their respective places. Whatever forms the practitioner finds agreeable, these forms may be painted. {7.22}

“Noble Mañjuśrī should always be painted in the middle, with the noble Avalokiteśvara and Samantabhadra on either side. The other forms, however, can be painted as preferred.657 One can also use any piece of cloth as available, which could be one vitasti or one cubit in size and either do the painting oneself or have it done by any painter whether he observes the fast or not, has faith or not, is pure or impure, or of good or bad morals. [F.142.b] [F.159.b] If, however, the practitioner does the painting himself, he must certainly first complete the preparatory rites, have faith, and have given rise to bodhicitta. {7.23}