Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This ritual text, attributed to Jñānarāja, provides a detailed procedural guide for performing maṇḍala offerings based on the 'Web of Lotuses' Avalokiteśvara Tantra. The work functions as a technical manual for the practitioner, moving from preliminary purifications and the visualization of the internal body to the external construction and consecration of a complex deity maṇḍala. It commits the reader to a rigorous sequence of somatic and mental disciplines, including the use of specific mudrās, mantras, and ritual implements such as the vajra and bell. The text emphasizes the unification of the 'samaya-maṇḍala' (conventional) and 'wisdom-maṇḍala' (ultimate), culminating in the transmission of nine empowerments to disciples. By integrating physical offerings, such as tormas and arghya water, with high-level visualizations of Padmanātha Avalokiteśvara and Pāṇḍaravāsinī, the ritual aims to transform the practitioner's identity into that of a Vajra Master and facilitate the attainment of omniscience for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual for offering to the maṇḍala of the Blessed One through the lotus net sequence of Padma Avalokiteśvara, this work belongs to the classical Tibetan tradition. It is attributed to the Indian authors Jayaśrījñāna and Padmavajra. The text was translated into Tibetan by Sumanaśrībhadra and the monk Rin chen grub, and it is preserved in the Tengyur, volume ཤ, as part of the Other Wisdom Tantras collection. Spanning twenty-six pages in this edition, the work enacts a precise ritual procedure centered on the Noble Avalokiteśvara of the Lotus Net. It provides instructions for prostrations and circumambulations to the cardinal directions, as well as the proper seating and orientation of the practitioner toward the guru within the maṇḍala. The ritual involves the use of a depicted maṇḍala to facilitate the offering process. A scholar or serious reader consults this text today to examine the specific technical requirements of the maṇḍala offering, including the integration of physical posture and spatial orientation in the service of the deity.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Ritual of Maṇḍala Offerings to the Bhagavan According to the “Web of Lotuses” Avalokiteśvara Tantra” (Toh 1751), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1751
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as a representative example of the complex ritual technology found in the Avalokiteśvara tantras, illustrating the intersection of visualization, mantra, and empowerment. For the modern reader, it provides primary evidence of how Indo-Tibetan Buddhism operationalized the concept of the maṇḍala as both a cosmic map and a tool for spiritual initiation.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1-7
Preliminary Rites
Includes homage, prostrations, and initial visualizations of the heart center and the Three Jewels.
8-9
Internal Visualization and Body Mandala
Instructions for rendering the mind stainless and visualizing the vajra pavilion and syllables within the body.
10-20
External Mandala Construction and Consecration
Details on summoning deities, performing ritual dances, opening gates, and drawing the physical lines of the maṇḍala.
21-28
Offerings and Mantra Recitation
Specific mantras for the deities of the lotus petals and the presentation of tormas and intoxicants.
29-35
Empowerment and Conclusion
The process of conferring the nine empowerments upon disciples and the final dedication of merit.
Themes
Unification of Samaya and Wisdom Maṇḍalas (10, 22)
Somatic Ritualism (Mudrā and Mantra) (6, 9, 11, 13, 20)
Vajra Empowerment (Abhiṣeka) (29-33)
Compassion and Universal Benefit (4, 5, 35)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaA Ritual of Maṇḍala Offerings to the Bhagavan According to the “Web of Lotuses” Avalokiteśvara Tantra·
In the language of India: Padmāvalokiteśvarasya padmajālakrameṇa bhagavanmaṇḍalapūjāvidhiḥ. In the language of Tibet: The Ritual for Offering to the Maṇḍala of the Blessed One through the Lotus Net Sequence of Padma Avalokiteśvara. Homage to the Noble Avalokiteśvara of the Lotus Net.
May the Lord of the World be victorious, who, overcome by compassion, delivers the worlds wandering within the ocean of endless saṃsāra.
Even the Omniscient One does not fully know this; the ocean of the profound and vast is known through the compassion of the Lotus-Handed One. Homage to him who makes it firm.
Like benduka fruit, pomegranate, fine vermilion, and ruby; like the liquid of lac, a red seat, and golden lotus; having triumphed over appearance, the supreme red body through compassion—this Guru, the Lord of the World, is the most brilliant illuminator.
He who upholds all the perfect qualities of every sentient being, and who always dwells perfectly upon the head of the Lord of the World; the Chief of Sugatas who possesses the four faults such as attachment—homage to Amitābha, in whom many qualities perfectly reside.
Polished ruby, gold, and the light of the illuminator; a cluster of dripping coral, copper, and beautiful fine vermilion; Amitābha of vast qualities, whose light is as infinite as space—homage to the ornament upon the crown of the Blessed Protector of the World.
I shall describe the ritual for the offering to the maṇḍala, which is the very essence of the four bodies of my own skin-eyes, a conduct that even the Buddha Bhagavāns and all the Bodhisattvas do not know. Even if I am making a joke of myself, nevertheless, by the grace of that, the accumulations will dawn greatly for me. For those reasons, the excellent activities of the wealth deity—therefore, for the sake of benefiting others, although it is not exactly as it is, even a very small amount of well-exerted effort is beautiful. May this excellent path of the offering ritual be pleasing. I, who know even a little, shall describe the ritual for all activities. First, for a moment of Brahmā, the Vajrācārya should rise from his seat, put on his robes, and adopt the terminology of the gods, completely abandoning the familiarity of worldly common speech, or remaining silent, and properly rely on the external ground for the sake of purification. In that regard, facing east in the morning, facing south at midday, and facing west in the evening, one should sit and then rise; one should perform purification according to the sequence: one application to the genitals, three to the anus, ten to the left hand, and seven to both hands, desiring to be pure. Then, having rinsed the mouth again, one should slowly enter the maṇḍala house. Having entered, [one should say]: Oṃ sarvatathāgatānāṃ pādavandanaṃ karomi.
Oṃ namaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvebhyaḥ daśadik-lokadhātu-vyavasthitebhyaḥ saśrāvakapratyekabuddhebhyaḥ. With this, one should prostrate while circumambulating to the east, south, west, and north. Then, having sat properly upon a soft cushion, one should face west toward the eastern part of the maṇḍala where the guru is depicted. If there is no such depicted maṇḍala, then, as it is said: "The wise teacher, if facing east upon the ground, should make offerings to the wisdom deity," one should do so. In that regard, one should consecrate the water in the hollow of the palms with "Oṃ vajrodaka hūṃ" to clear away the defects of the water, and then sprinkle it three times upon the head. Then, with "Oṃ vajrodaka mamā śrī padma avalokiteśvara mune vara vara anuttano āna ādi śuddhaṃ guru svāhā," one should wash the hands and face. Then, having bound the mudrā of meditative concentration, one should praise the Blessed One, Padma Avalokiteśvara, with this praise:
Faultless and beautiful with qualities,
Adorned by the Victorious Amitābha,
Bestower of the auspicious crown—
To you, the embodiment of compassion, I bow.
Body of supreme lotus light,
Holding the supreme lotus,
Hand that is a treasury of lotus glory,
Seated upon a great lotus throne.
Wearing the sublime maṇḍala of matted locks,
Holding the source of omniscience,
Skilled in delivering sentient beings,
Hand that grants relief to sentient beings,
Compassionate toward the lowly and others.
To the one who brings sentient beings to maturity,
Who always abides for the sake of those beings,
To the Great Being, the self of praise,
To the essence of beings, the object of offering,
To the one who is without cause yet affectionate toward beings,
Who is equal to the King of Medicine,
Whose eyes are the sun, the moon, and fire,
The patron of utterly pure qualities,
Abiding in the state of utter purity,
Utterly pure and supreme in generosity,
The master of the treasury of the sublime Dharma,
Whose light is equal to the wish-fulfilling jewel,
Firmly established on the path to liberation,
Who utterly removes all various fears—
I praise you, the Protector of Qualities!
I bow to you, the Great Compassionate One!
I pay homage to Loving-kindness and Joy!
I pay homage to the six perfections!
At your feet, O Great Pervasive Lord,
I prostrate, falling upon the ground.
To the one who purifies the worlds upon the earth
And brings all faults to an end—
Just as space is without limit or end,
And just as the sun’s intense heat is peerless,
Just as the qualities of a Buddha are infinite,
So too is your great compassion infinite.
Abiding everywhere throughout the entirety of space,
You who constantly act for the sake of the six classes of beings,
You who desire to deliver them from all sides—
I prostrate to you until the end of existence!
To the lotus feet of you, the Noble One, the Teacher of the World,
Having offered all these acts of praise,
May the merit truly arising from this be attained,
And may beings always experience its emergence.
For the blind, the protectorless who have entered the pathless way,
Whose bodies are surely cast into the mass of worldly evils—
By this merit, may all faults without exception be purified.
May I be swiftly liberated, never to be born again. Having utterly abandoned suffering and dispelled the mass of darkness, through the collection of causes that abide in freedom from attachment and its near-afflictions, protect me as well—me who am endangered and have come into the presence of the fangs of the emanated objects that cause one to wander in saṃsāra. You who hold the supreme meaning that shows the path of the sublime, O Supreme Lord, quickly show me the way. You who hold the fierce realm where the waves of karma surge, the terrifying sign of the most violent and fearsome makara, O Blessed One, the helmsman who ferries one across the ocean of saṃsāra, quickly lead me, a father, to the other shore with your treasury of compassion. O Avalokiteśvara, the Lotus-Eyed Lord of Gods in the world-system, you who snatch away the entire mass of the sufferings of existence for all sentient beings without exception—O Great Being, you who snatch away the fears of myself and all beings, may I always behold you here without ever being parted. Having abandoned weariness and attachment, peerless, stainless, and possessing diligence, I have no doubt that I shall surely become like you, who delight in certain benefit for others. May I become exactly like you, O Supreme Lotus-Handed One, eternally enriched with vast qualities and liberated from the proliferation of faults. Thus one should offer praise. Then, one should meditate on the four immeasurables: love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Having meditated in that way, for the sake of protecting the maṇḍala of the mantra, one should expel obstructors in the cardinal and intermediate directions, starting with the east, by means of the threatening gesture and the snapping of the thumb and forefinger.
With the mantra: Oṃ amṛtakuṇḍali hana hana hūṃ phaṭ. Then, one should visualize a red lotus arising from the syllable paṃ at one’s own heart, upon which is a moon maṇḍala, and upon that, a white syllable hrīḥ. One should then clearly imagine all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Saṅgha of Śrāvakas appearing in the sky. One should also visualize the forms of one’s chosen deity, the maṇḍala circle, and the gurus appearing.
Oṃ sarvatathāgatādya-saṃvara-pratyekabuddha-bodhisattvātmakam anugrahāya gagana-tale āvirbhavantu hūṃ hūṃ hūṃ yuṣmabhyaṃ namaḥ svāhā. This is the mantra for making them appear.
Again, from that syllable hrīḥ, one should emanate the goddesses of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch, as well as the goddesses of the various external offerings such as flowers and so forth. Having perfectly made these offerings and presented them to them, one should join the palms and prostrate. Likewise, one should recite the mantra: Oṃ sarvatathāgata-puṣpa-pūjā-megha-samudra-spharaṇa-samaya-śriyaṃ hūṃ. Similarly, one should recite the mantras for incense and the other offerings. In this way, one should make offerings to the maṇḍala appearing in the sky.
Then, preceded by the confession of misdeeds, one should recite the verses for taking refuge in the Three Jewels:
*Homage to the Buddha, the Guru!
Homage to the Dharma, the Protector!
Homage to the great Saṅgha!*
I always pay homage to the Three. I take refuge in the Three Jewels. I confess each and every sin. I rejoice in the virtue of all beings. I hold the awakening of the Buddhas in my mind. In the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Supreme Assembly, I take refuge until I am awakened. In order to perfectly accomplish the welfare of myself and others, I shall generate the mind of awakening. May the supreme mind of awakening be generated. I invite all sentient beings as my guests. I shall practice the delightful and supreme conduct of awakening. May I become a Buddha for the benefit of all beings. I shall confess all sins, rejoice in merit, and perform or practice the noble eight-limbed poṣadha. Thus it is said.
Then, having again meditated on the four immeasurables, one should meditate on the meaning of the mantra: from the ultimate perspective, all phenomena are selfless, all conditioned things are momentary, and nirvāṇa is peace; the three realms are mind-only. Oṃ svabhāva śuddhāḥ sarva dharmāḥ svabhāva śuddho ’haṃ. Oṃ svabhāva śūnyeḥ sarva dharmāḥ svabhāva śūnyo ’haṃ. Oṃ śūnyatā jñāna vajra svabhāva ātmako ’haṃ.
Then, having visualized the mind residing within the hollow of the heart, completely surrounded by the darkness of inner ignorance, one should meditate on a hundredfold radiant sun and so forth upon the fully blossomed lotus of the heart, in order to reverse that ignorance which is the very nature of the darkness.
One should visualize the mind as having been rendered stainless. Within that mind, the syllable HŪṂ transforms according to the sequence to be explained, forming the stages of the vajra pavilion and so forth. For example, first one should meditate on the mudrā of the source of phenomena (dharmodaya), white, triangular, with its apex pointing downward and its wide opening facing upward. In its center is a multicolored lotus and a crossed vajra. Below that is a black wind maṇḍala arising from YAṂ. Above that is a red triangular fire maṇḍala arising from RAṂ. Above that is a white circular water maṇḍala arising from VAṂ. Above that is a yellow square great earth maṇḍala arising from LAṂ. Above that is Mount Meru arising from SUṂ, together with the seven mountain ranges and the continents, as described in the Abhidharmakośa regarding the arrangement of the world system. Above that is a moon arising from the transformation of A. Above that is a multicolored lotus arising from the transformation of a yellow PAṂ. Above that is a crossed vajra arising from the transformation of VAṂ. At its hub is a wheel arising from BHŪṂ. In the center of that wheel, one should visualize the stūpa of wisdom, the very essence of Vairocana, in the form of a multi-storied palace. This is the certainty of all tantras. Regarding that very palace, one should visualize it all according to the sequence to be explained in the maṇḍala rituals as being square with four doors, and then offer it as the substance of the offering itself.
OṂ SARVA-TATHĀGATA-PŪJA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. Then, at the head, upon a white twelve-spoked wheel, is a white syllable OṂ. OṂ SARVA-TATHĀGATA-KĀYA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. Following that, at the throat, is a white eight-petalled lotus, upon which is a red syllable ĀḤ. OṂ SARVA-TATHĀGATA-VĀK-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. Following that, at the heart, upon a black vajra, is a black syllable HŪṂ. OṂ SARVA-TATHĀGATA-CITTA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ. SARVA-TATHĀGATA-KĀYA-VĀK-CITTA-VAJRA-SVABHĀVA-ĀTMAKO ’HAṂ. Having visualized this, then place the vessels for the foot-bath and the offering water to the right and in front. With OṂ VAJRA-ARGHAṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ, one consecrates the three seeds of the sense faculties of the body and so forth. Then, one should sprinkle that foot-bath water over the other offering substances. OṂ ARGHAṂ PRATĪCCHA VAJRA-PĀDYAṂ PRATĪCCHA VAJRA-PUṢPE ĀḤ HŪṂ, VAJRA-DHŪPE ĀḤ HŪṂ, and so forth; one should present these with their respective mudrās. Then, by means of the ritual for one’s own benefit, one should summon the wisdom-being (jñānasattva) into the maṇḍala not yet drawn, and cause it to enter within by means of the sequence of the vajra hook and so forth.
Once again, having emanated [the deities] everywhere and caused them to act for the benefit of sentient beings, one should unify the samaya-maṇḍala and the wisdom-maṇḍala. Then, the maṇḍala and the deities of the maṇḍala should be offered to with their respective essence mantras, and one should perform recitation and praise, finally requesting them to depart. This is the concise ritual for one's own benefit, which is free from the maṇḍala; whereas the extensive version is for the benefit of others and concerns the maṇḍala. First, the preliminary practice is the practitioner's own benefit, the dharmakāya. Then, the ritual of the maṇḍala should be described in detail through the ritual of the supreme king of maṇḍalas.
In that regard, first of all, one should offer a torma to the local guardian of the site with the mantra: ākāro mukhaṃ sarvadharmāṇām ādyanutpannatvāt. On the ground suitable for the maṇḍala, one should smear it with the five products of a cow. For that, the mantra is: oṃ samantadhara śuddhe dhara dhara hūṃ and oṃ nirmala śuddhe hūṃ. Then, to ward off obstacles from that very ground, one should perform a peaceful fire offering. Having prepared the site for the maṇḍala, holding an incense burner in the right hand and a bell in the left, one should recite this invitation to the deities:
"Now, Vajrasattva, in your own essence,
You who draw the supreme maṇḍala,
For the sake of accomplishing the deities for me,
Please quickly grant your presence."
Thus, one should make this supplication.
Then, the master should visualize himself in the form of Vajrasattva, holding a bell in his left hand and a khaṭvāṅga topped with a five-pronged vajra in his right. Having formed the mudrā identical to that [deity], he should establish the other disciples in the eastern and other directions as the bodies of the four Tathāgatas, such as Vairocana. With those [disciples], they should make offerings to the guru upon the site of the maṇḍala using mantras.
Then, ringing their vajras and bells, they should perform a dance in the east with the four steps, such as the even step and the following step, and then settle in their respective places. Having established them as Vairocana and the others, each with their own color and mudrā, the guru himself should remain seated facing east, just as he was positioned.
Then, those disciples, who are the very essence of Vajrasattva, should make the thirteen offerings of vajra flowers and so forth to the guru. The mantras for these are:
OṂ VAJRA PUṢPE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA DHŪPE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA GANDHE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA NAIVEDYE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA ŚABDA ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA LĀSYE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA MĀLE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA GĪTE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA NR̥TYE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ RĀSA VAJRA ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ SPARŚE JĀTE ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA ARGHAṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ
These thirteen should be offered with their respective mudrās. Then, the ground should be purified with:
OṂ VAJRA BHŪMI ĀḤ HŪṂ
OṂ VAJRA REKHE ĀḤ HŪṂ.
Then, those disciples should once again perform a dance with the four steps, holding vajras and bells, and offer [the mandala] while reciting: idam te guru maṇḍalakam nirjayāmi. This is to be done by the four disciples in succession. If they are not present, the master alone should perform it all. Then, the master, who is the very essence of Vajrasattva, together with the vajra and bell, performs the lotus-circling gesture with his hands in a dancing manner. Following the four steps, he circumambulates with the "subsequent step" and so forth, and while reciting oṃ sarvatathāgatapādavandanaṃ karomi, he brandishes the vajra and holds the bell to the left, facing upward. Reciting hūṃ hūṃ, he should expel obstructing spirits. Again, reciting rakṣa rakṣa hūṃ, he should gaze while circling counter-clockwise starting from the northeast. Again, he should gaze while circling clockwise starting from the northeast. Then, he should meditate on the vajra-canopy with these mantras:
oṃ vajrameḍinī vajrībhava bandha hūṃ phaṭ
oṃ vajrapañjara hūṃ vaṃ hūṃ phaṭ
oṃ vajraprākāra hūṃ paṃ hūṃ phaṭ
oṃ vajraśarajāla trāṃ saṃ trāṃ phaṭ
oṃ vajrācchanagṛhe hūṃ phaṭ
oṃ vajravidāraṇa hūṃ vaṃ hūṃ phaṭ
oṃ vajrasukhāsana hūṃ phaṭ
With these, he should meditate on the vajra-canopy. Then, having placed the two middle fingers of the Vajrasattva samaya-mudrā on the ground, he should lift it into the sky with oṃ vajrottiṣṭha and raise the maṇḍala.
Then, having performed the four stages beginning with the feet, one should stamp the feet and, by uttering "HŪṂ," emanate the wrathful deities. Reciting "OṂ VAJRODGHAṬAYA SAMAYA PRAVEŚAYA HŪṂ," one should sequentially open the door panels of the four gates. Then, with the threatening mudrā and the kīla mudrā, reciting "OṂ VAJRA MAṆḌALA HŪṂ JAḤ," one should summon the wisdom maṇḍala. The samaya maṇḍala and the wisdom maṇḍala should be made into one.
Then, having placed the five kīlas of acacia wood upon the five grains and uttered "OṂ," one should remove them and place the unburnt bricks in the northeast and other directions. Reciting "OṂ VAJRA KĪLI KĪLAYA SARVA VIGHNĀN BANDHA HŪṂ PHAṬ" one hundred and eight times, one should drive the kīlas into the directions starting with the northeast. Reciting "OṂ GHA GHA GHĀTAYA GHĀTAYA SARVA DUṢṬĀN KĪLAYA KĪLAYA SARVA PĀPAṂ VIGHNĀN VAJRA KĪLAYA VAJRA DHARA ĀJÑĀPAYATI SVĀHĀ," one should strike the kīlas with a vajra hammer. One should drive a kīla into the eastern gate to frighten those who would dig into the heart of the maṇḍala; this means that the obstructors are to be pinned with kīlas.
Then, having prepared a white vase with the mantra of Amṛtakuṇḍalī, wrapped it with a red cloth, and provided it with the five grains and so forth, along with the offering water and the ritual signs, one should place a lotus upon it, and upon the lotus, a moon or a sun.
Upon that, one should visualize a lotus with a hook, or Vighnantaka, or Amṛtakuṇḍalī. Having summoned the wisdom beings into the center of that by means of the sequence of the vajra-hook, one should place it to the left of the maṇḍala house or the door for the purpose of rinsing the mouth and for purification. Alternatively, the master himself or the disciple should perform a concise ritual of the peaceful fire offering with one hand.
In that regard, within the maṇḍala house, one should offer three vessels of torma for the ten worldly protectors such as Indra, the asuras and so forth, the pretas and so forth, and the nāgas. The sequence for that is as follows: having taken the seven grains—barley, wheat, millet, rice, masha beans, mung beans, and large white peas—and liquor, meat, fish, and so forth, one should divide them into the three vessels, place them inside, and perform the consecration, blessing them also with mantras.
OṂ INDRĀYA | AGNAYE | YAMĀYA | NAIRṚTYAI | VARUṆĀYA | VĀYAVE | KUBERĀYA | ĪŚĀNĀYA | ŪRDHVA-BAHMAṆE | CANDRA-SŪRYĀBHYĀṂ | ARTHĀYA PṚTHIVYAI SVĀHĀ | NĀGEBHYAḤ | ASUREBHYAḤ | DEVA-YAKṢA-GANDHARVA-ASURA-GARUḌA-KINNARA-MAHORAGA-MĀNUṢYA-AMĀNUṢYEBHYAḤ SAPARIVĀREBHYAḤ SVĀHĀ | OṂ GUṂ GUṂ SVĀHĀ | OṂ GUṂKARE GUṂKARE SVĀHĀ.
One should give the torma for the purpose of averting obstructors:
OṂ, to Brahmā and all the asuras,
To Indra and the guardians of the world,
To the nāgas, gandharvas, and yakṣas.
"May they be satisfied by this torma," it is said. Reciting "Oṃ akāro mukhaṃ sarvadharmāṇām ādyanutpannatvāt," and having presented the drinking water, flowers, and so forth, one should recite "Oṃ vajra muḥ" and request them to depart with the sound of music; this is the torma for the directions.
Then, the master rinses his mouth with the vessel of rinsing water, washes his face, and sits down nearby. He should recite the praises and so forth. As before, having performed the torma ritual for oneself or others with both hands, one should remain silent. Then, while requesting the empowerment, one should thoroughly examine and summon [the deities] endowed with the twenty-five marks.
When the disciple has arrived, he prostrates to the guru, holds flowers with his palms, and examines the ground, reciting "Oṃ vajra bhūmi āḥ" and "Oṃ vajra rekhe āḥ." Having made offerings to the maṇḍala and praised the guru, he should make a supplication for the sake of the empowerment. Regarding that, he recites the verse:
"By the grace of the radiating light rays of whom, my own darkness is utterly destroyed; he who clarifies the very nature of reality, the Victorious One himself, peerless and stainless in his lofty vision—to that clarifying guru, I prostrate."
Thus he speaks. The guru should then perform the ritual of the deity's presence; that is the reality. Reciting "Oṃ vajra gandhe, vajra puṣpe, vajra dhūpe, vajra āloke," he should apply the scent to the heart, the incense to the mouth, the flowers to the left hand, and the lamp to the eyes. Then, [using] an aśvattha tree or...
One should give the student a twelve-finger-width udumbara tooth-stick (dantakāṣṭha) with a flower at its tip. The student should then touch it with their teeth and cast it onto a surface smeared with cow dung to the size of a cow hide. According to the tradition explained in all the tantras, one should analyze the virtue and non-virtue of the fall; it is said that the siddhi is attained according to how it falls, like a vajra. "Oṃ padmanetro hrīḥ" is the mantra for casting the tooth-stick. Then, holding twenty-one kuśa grass blades at the right and twelve at the left, one should give them to the two sides with "Oṃ padmavajriṇī hrīḥ." Then, having taken a cord of the proper measure in both hands and twisted it into a three-strand braid, one should tie a vajra knot and, having consecrated it with "Oṃ padma aṅkuśa hūṃ phaṭ," bind it upon the hands. The same applies to the gold-containing pill. One should protect the area continuously while it is bound with the mantra of Vighnantakṛt. One should snap the fingers with the mantra "Buddhamaitrīvajra" preceded by the previous [syllables]. With "Oṃ vajroṣṇīṣa," one should bind the crown protuberance (uṣṇīṣa) of the student. One should have the student go to sleep, saying, "Tomorrow the Dharma will be taught." One should then explain, saying, "I shall relate the dreams of virtue and non-virtue." Then, the master, holding the vajra and bell and ringing them, and holding incense over the vajra, should say: "According to the ritual and according to the sequence, tomorrow I shall draw the maṇḍala, together with the gods and goddesses."
It is appropriate to remain present. Having prostrated with the words: "Oṃ sarvatathāgatānāṃ pādavandanaṃ karomi," and having recited the praise to the Blessed One as previously mentioned, one should offer the drinking water and so forth. Having made the deity and one's own name the essence [of the mantra], one should sound musical instruments, present the torma, and recite "Vajra muḥ." Then, the guru himself should sleep in one corner of the northeast.
Rising at dawn, one should perform the purification and so forth as before. The disciples should report their dreams, whether virtuous or non-virtuous. For those that are non-virtuous, one should protect them from obstacles and the like, and perform pacifying fire rituals and so forth to provide protection. Then, the ritual for drawing the maṇḍala should be explained.
Regarding its size: the supreme is measured in yojanas; the middling is a krośa; and the small is measured in cubits. Furthermore, for a universal monarch, it is one hundred cubits; for a sovereign of the earth, half of that; for a great minister, half of that; and for the empowerment of a disciple, half of that. The master should determine the size of the maṇḍala for the purpose of pleasing his chosen deity. In the absence of a specific measurement, for the "all-encompassing" [maṇḍala], it is four cubits.
In this maṇḍala of the Blessed One, the glorious Padma Avalokiteśvara, the sequence of four cubits and so forth is such that everything is sixteen cubits. From the center to the directions, it becomes two cubits. Those two cubits are divided into two parts; in the inner part, one of those is further divided into three to form three tiers of lotuses. Inside, there are eight petals.
One-third of that is the pericarp. Outside of that are twelve petals, and outside of that are sixteen petals; thus, there are three tiers on a single stalk. On the first of the two parts is the bodhisattva ledge. In the middle are five fine lines, and on the outermost are five thick lines. The sequence of these lines is as follows: white, yellow, blue, black, and red in the center of them all, because red is the lord of the family. This is a square with four doors, adorned with four archways, and decorated with lattices, half-lattices, flower garlands, mirrors, and so forth. It is perfectly endowed with the moon, the sun, and the like, and is accompanied by vases.
Once the maṇḍala is thus complete, in its center, upon a red lotus symbol, one should place a moon symbol the size of a go-yu fruit. At the time of applying the colors, one should draw back the yak-tail fans and place the containers of the five colors: the red color in the center, white in the east, yellow in the south, blue in the west, and black in the north. Having written the syllables Hrīḥ, Oṃ, Trāṃ, Āḥ, and Hūṃ upon them, and having protected them with "Oṃ padma oṃ kaśa hūṃ phaṭ," one recites "Svabhāva śuddhāḥ sarvadharmāḥ" and gazes into the sky. Then, with "Jaḥ hūṃ baṃ hoḥ," one invites the wisdom beings and places the five seed syllables individually with "Hrīḥ hrīḥ hrīḥ hrīḥ hrīḥ." Within those containers, one should emanate light rays from the inner colors with "Oṃ vajra jvālānalarka hūṃ."
Having recited "Oṃ vajra vega," one should summon the wisdom lines and draw the five lines of the five colors in sequence, starting from the northeast and so forth, while also performing the universal protection. Then, in the center; then, in all directions in sequence. Likewise, outside this maṇḍala, there is a red lotus garland; outside of that, the various-colored charnel grounds; and outside of that, a garland of flames—all of these should be made. The detailed explanation is stated in the Tattvasaṃgraha. Likewise, from four cubits up to eight cubits, it is exactly in that sequence. Once the maṇḍala is complete, the torma offering should be given. Then, the master should rise and sit near the eastern side of the maṇḍala. Having sat down, he should perform the praises and so forth according to the sequence previously described. Following that, he should meditate on the purity of the maṇḍala according to the sequence described in the sādhana. Then, having presented all the supreme offering materials, he should bind the meditation mudrā and, with an unwavering mind, emanate light rays from the syllable Hrīḥ. He should visualize that those light rays cause the Tathāgatas residing in all directions to enter into his own heart. Having visualized this, he should emanate them once more, cause them to benefit those sentient beings, and then cause them to enter back in. Following that, the water for the feet is placed to the right and left.
Likewise, having offered the mantra and the two vessels of the arghya water, one should consecrate them with the three-pronged vajra mudrā and perform the adhivāsana (preliminary consecration) with "Oṃ Āḥ Hūṃ." With the mantra and the left-hand arghya vessel filled with the five nectars and so forth, one should perform the sprinkling (prokṣaṇa) of the samaya offering substances. Then, one should meditate on the placement of the five families.
According to the ritual:
"A white syllable Bhrūṃ at the head,
A Hrīḥ like the sun at the face,
A black syllable Hūṃ at the heart,
A golden-colored Āḥ at the navel,
And a green Khaṃ in the secret place—
One should contemplate these."
Having said this, one should worship oneself with the mantra of one's own deity and make the request for empowerment: "Oṃ abhiṣiñcatu māṃ sarvatathāgata."
Reciting "Oṃ vajra arghaṃ āḥ hūṃ," "Oṃ vajra puṣpe āḥ hūṃ," and "Oṃ vajra arghaṃ pratīccha pādyaṃ pratīccha," one should consecrate the samaya offering substances. Then, having consecrated the vajra with "Oṃ vajra rāja hūṃ" and the bell with "Oṃ vajra gaṇḍe āḥ," one should recite the verse of invitation:
"Oṃ āḥ yāhi bhagavān padma avalokiteśvara svabhāva prajñāpāṇḍaravāsinī alīgat kandhara prapādāṃ ca dāyāṃ ca kuru pujaṃ gṛhṇa iha sannihito bhava adhiṣṭhānaṃ kuru me svāhā."
Then: "Oṃ vajrasattva samayam anupālaya vajrasattvas tvam anupatiṣṭha dṛḍho me bhava sutoṣyo me bhava anurakto me bhava."
Supoṣyo me bhava | sarvasiddhiṃ me prayaccha sarvakarma sucame cittaṃ śriyaḥ kuru hūṃ | ha ha ha ha hoḥ | bhagavān sarvatathāgata vajra mā me muñca vajrī bhava mahāsamayasattva āḥ | oṃ vajraghaṇṭe raṇita praraṇita saṃpraraṇita sarvabuddhakṣetra pracalite prajñāpāramitānāda svabhāva vajradharma hṛdayasaṃtoṣaṇi kare oṃ āḥ hūṃ phaṭ—thus one should ring the bell and play musical instruments.
Then, having correctly summoned the wisdom wheel residing in the Buddha-field of Sukhāvatī and visualized it entering the maṇḍala, one should mentally perform outer offerings such as flowers and so forth, as well as secret offerings. The same applies to prostrations and so on. Sarvadevatā devatīnāṃ pada vandanaṃ karomi—thus it is said.
Then, one should recite the Blessed One’s garland mantra: Namo bhagavati padmāvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahāsattvāya mahākāruṇikāya caturmukhāya dvādaśanetrāya vajrapadmāṅkuśapāśakapāla-khaṭvāṅga-ratnapāṇaye svabhā-prabhā-paṇḍara-nāsini ālaṅgita-kaṇṭhadharāya vāmicaturthabhujadevistambhavarasana ratāya viśa añja śaśimadhyasthāya daha sarvamārān madha madha bhūta-vaitāla-kumbhāṇḍa-yakṣa-rākṣasāṃ vajreṇa ceṣāṃ hṛdayāni bhiṃja bhiṃja | maṃ mano rathaṃ paripūraya sarvabhūmiśvaratubhyam | hrīḥ—with this, one should ring the vajra and bell. Then: Padmāṅkuśa āḥ karṣaya jaḥ.
Padma pāśa praveśaya hūṃ | Padma sphoṭa bandhaya vaṃ | Padma āveśa toṣaya hoḥ | Having recited this, the samaya maṇḍala and the wisdom maṇḍala should be made to merge into one, like milk. Then, following the sādhana, one should visualize the forms, hand gestures, colors, and so forth of the deities of the maṇḍala. Having offered arghaṃ pratīccha, one should present the offerings of flowers and so forth, each according to its respective name. In that regard, one should imagine that one is being honored by the goddesses with songs as appropriate, and that the outer goddesses, such as Vīṇā and the others, are completely pleasing them with dance. Having recited the mantra of the Blessed Lady in its proper sequence, one should make the offerings. In this context, whereas the sequence was not mentioned in the sādhana previously, it is recited here in order. Oṃ pāṃ parṇaśavari vāsini hrīḥ | Oṃ pāṃ hrīṃ | Oṃ hrīṃ | Padma avalokiteśvara mahāsukha | Padmo āḥ hūṃ hrīṃ | Oṃ hrīḥ hūṃ hraṃ | These are the root and heart mantras of the Blessed One and the Blessed Lady, respectively. Oṃ padmalocanī hrīṃ | Oṃ ratnapadma hrīṃ | Oṃ padmavajrī hrīṃ | Oṃ padmatāre hrīṃ | These are for the directions, starting with the east. Oṃ padmavāsini hūṃ | Oṃ padmajāle hrīṃ | Oṃ padmabhṛkuṭī hrīṃ | Oṃ padmaśekhare hrīṃ | These are for the intermediate directions, starting with the southeast; these are for the eight petals of the first [circle]. Oṃ padma ulke hrīṃ |
OṂ PADMA YAYE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA KṢEMEŚVARĪ HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA VĀTI HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA NIBHYA HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA CAṆḌEŚVARĪ HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA GUHYE HRĪṂ. OṂ MAHĀPADME HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA CAṆḌE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA ĀBHE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA GAURĪ HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA KOṢE HRĪṂ. These are for the second [circle], the twelve petals.
OṂ PADMEŚVARĪ HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA MUKHE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA CAṆḌE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA VIDHYOME HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA SĀGĀRIṆĪ HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA PABHAKARI HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA CINTĀMAṆI HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA KĀME HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA RI HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA AMBHIRĒ HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA LEKHI HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA KĀLI HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA SUKHE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA NETRA HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA NIDHE HRĪṂ. OṂ PADMA YOGEŚVARĒ HRĪṂ. These are for the sixteen petals.
OṂ PADMA AṄKUŚA JAḤ HŪṂ PHAṬ. OṂ HŪṂ PADMA PĀŚA HŪṂ PHAṬ. OṂ BAṂ PADMA SPHOṬA HŪṂ PHAṬ. OṂ HOḤ PADMA ĀVEŚA HŪṂ PHAṬ. These are for the gates.
OṂ VETĀLI HŪṂ PHAṬ. OṂ GHORA GHORA ṢE HŪṂ PHAṬ. OṂ VAJRA DAṂṢṬRI HŪṂ PHAṬ. OṂ MAHĀVALE HŪṂ PHAṬ. These are for the corners.
Thus, the forty-six deities of the maṇḍala and the maṇḍala itself should be worshipped in the sequence of east, south, and so forth, and likewise in the sequence of fire and so forth, in the natural order. The master [should perform this] by circling to the left, while the maṇḍala is circumambulated to the right.
The colors, hands, and hand-symbols of these deities should be understood by following the sādhana. In that regard, for the three tiers of gods and goddesses, the color is white. Having correctly worshipped the maṇḍala circle with the mantras described in the sādhana for the ḍākinīs who guard the gates, one should again offer praise with the previously mentioned praises. If one becomes weary of the praise, one should perform the recitation.
Then, with yaṃ raṃ āḥ oṃ, the five nectars are consecrated in the vessel of offering water situated on the left. With khaṃ trāṃ oṃ hrīṃ hūṃ, both [substances] are melted and caused to fall. With hūṃ āḥ oṃ in reverse order, one blesses oneself. Then, with oṃ śodhaya śodhaya maṃ hūṃ oṃ rakṣa rakṣa hūṃ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā, oṃ pañca amṛta madana hūṃ, oṃ sarva tathāgata pañca amṛta madana paramarasāyanaṃ bhava hūṃ, oṃ sarva tathāgata pañca amṛta madana maṃ padma avalokiteśvara muniparisarūpaṃ samagra devī vṛndasahite abhiṣiñca hūṃ, oṃ vajra medinī hūṃ, oṃ bhūṃ hūṃ, oṃ trailokya vīra hūṃ, oṃ caṇḍa vajrapāṇaye hūṃ, oṃ vajra amṛta udaka hūṃ, and oṃ sarva tathāgata vajra amṛta udaka sarva preta pitṛtṛptiṇa santarpaya hūṃ, one should completely satisfy [the deities] with the water of the five nectars. Then, one should sprinkle with the vases situated around the perimeter of the maṇḍala.
In that regard, according to their respective determinations, the deities of the maṇḍala together with the lord of the maṇḍala become forty-four. Since the lord of the maṇḍala is Padmanātha Avalokiteśvara and the goddess is Pāṇḍaravāsinī, there are forty-six. Therefore, one should place the vases, which are to be visualized as being equal to the deities. The vase of Vighnāntaka, the performer of all activities, is additional on top of those. Alternatively, there are ten; or, in their absence, five—this is the certainty of all tantras. Regarding this, some say that because there is no distinction between the Blessed One and the Blessed Lady, only a single vase should be consecrated.
These are the white vases situated around the perimeter, their necks wrapped in white cloth and endowed with the five grains and so forth. Having placed them, one should properly worship them with the water for the guest and flowers and so forth, and also sprinkle them with the five nectars previously mentioned. Having performed the maṇḍala worship according to one's means, the goddess should praise the principal deity of the maṇḍala:
Homage, homage, Great Vajra!
Homage, homage, Great Bliss!
Homage, homage, Great Lotus!
Homage, homage, Great Joy!
Homage, homage, Great Activity!
Homage, homage, Great Pervasive Lord!
From you come Vajra and Sattva;
From you comes the stainless, beautiful Lotus;
From you comes the Great Goddess Ratna;
The Viśvavajra is likewise.
From you come the Buddhas, the Great Heroes.
"Again and again they arise. From you come the Dharma and the Saṅgha; from you come the collection of the perfections. From you come the Bodhisattvas, the great beings; from you comes the maṇḍala of dhāraṇīs; from you come the mantras and mudrās, and once again the host of wrathful kings." With such words, one should offer praise. Then, one should again perform the recitation and ring the bell. One should make this aspiration:
"May I not be born as a woman, nor as a slave; may I not be deluded, nor born in wretched lands. May I not be born among those with wrong views. In birth after birth, may I have devotion for the Buddha. Whether already born or being born, even while dwelling in the womb, may I never be born into a lineage where the Buddha is not a deity.
Protect me, O Protector of the World, from those who are unvirtuous—those who have broken the samaya in a hundred ways, those with weak devotion, poor clothing, bodies stained by filth, and those of a merciless and sinful nature; those who are terrifying with the frowns of Yama, afflicted by disease, and who have attained extreme suffering.
You alone are my mother; you alone are my father. You alone are my kinsman; you alone are my guru. You alone are knowledge; you alone are the substance. You alone are the lotus, the power, and all that exists. You provide refuge for all who have attained; you provide a dwelling for all at all times. Blessed One, you bring all to perfection. O Protector of the World, protect me! You avert poverty and the many sufferings of death; you grant the complete fulfillment of all intended purposes."
"These five, beginning with the Protector of the World, the Glorious One, are the conquerors; other hundreds of syllables are largely fruitless for the common person." Having made this aspiration, one should offer the torma. In that regard, having completely filled [the vessel] with intoxicants, meat, and the seven grains and water, and having sprinkled it with the water of the five nectars, one should bless oneself with OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ and also bless the torma. Then, having caused the wisdom beings to enter the torma, one should bless the gods, asuras, pretas, piśācas, and gandharvas. Then, having blessed it with the mantra, one should make offerings of drinking water, flowers, incense, lamps, and so forth. Regarding the mantra for that:
OṂ NAMO BHAGAVATE ĀRYĀVALOKITEŚVARĀYA BODHISATTVĀYA MAHĀSATTVĀYA MAHĀKĀRUṆIKĀYA | TADYATHĀ | DEVA ASURA GARUḌA GANDHARVA MANUṢYA AMANUṢYA PRETĀSA-PARIVĀRA | TRAI-DHĀTUKĪ-STHITĀ | YE 'NYE CA | JÑĀTĀJÑĀTĀḤ KUŚALĀ AKUŚALĀḤ | TRIPTĀ ATRIPTĀḤ | PĀPĀ APĀPĀḤ | KRUDDHĀ AKRUDDHĀḤ | SAUMYĀ ASAUMYĀḤ | ŚĀNTĀ AŚĀNTĀḤ | MATTĀ AMATTĀḤ | HRĪṢṬĀ AHRĪṢṬĀḤ | SASANTĀNĀ ASANTĀNĀ | SARIDDHIKĀ ARIDDHIKĀ | SAPRABHĀVAḤ APRABHĀVAḤ | SVASVASTHĀNANIVĀSANĀTVE | SARVE PARASPARĀBHIRODHIN | IMAṂ BALIM ARYAMĀṂSA-ĀDISAHITAṂ BHUÑJANTU JIGHRANTU | PIBANTU SAMAYAṂ RAKṢANTU MAMĀTIKRAMANTU SANTUṢṬĀḤ | PARIPŪRAṆĀUDĀRA-BHAVAṂTU |
Anyonya kālinā sarvayāvasukhaṃ prābhavantu kukṣipūrayantu añjayaṃ antapana upala bandhuya thā viprābhasukhaṃ prāsya sokanānāṃ gacchantu svāhā.
Oṃ akāro mukhaṃ sarvadharmāṇām ādyanutpannatvāt oṃ āḥ hūṃ phaṭ svāhā.
With these, the main torma is offered. Furthermore:
Oṃ hārītyai yakṣiṇyai imaṃ piṇḍaṃ prayaccha va svāhā. Oṃ priyaṅkārāya svāhā. Oṃ vajrayakṣāya svāhā.
With these, the torma together with the changbu (finger-food) should be given. Then, one should once again perform the perfect offerings. After that, the tormas may either be dismissed or not dismissed. One should then begin the initiation of the disciples.
Following that, the disciples, having been adorned and holding flower garlands, should kneel with their knees on the ground. Some who desire merit enter this maṇḍala through the very method of the mantra:
"Relying upon the next world,
Having cultivated great faith,
The wise should enter this maṇḍala;
They should not seek its [worldly] results."
Having given this instruction, they should be visualized in the form of a Buddha. Then, they should be made to supplicate the Guru:
"Just as the great offering was bestowed
Upon the Buddha Vajrabodhi,
For the sake of protecting me as well,
O Vajra of Space, please grant it today!"
Having thus supplicated, the disciples bow down, and [the master] visualizes them in the form of Akṣobhya.
Visualizing one’s own consort as the Vajra-holder and meditating intensely upon her as Vajrasattva, one should sprinkle her with the water from the eight peripheral vases. Then, taking the vase water with the vajra-fist, one should confer the empowerment upon the disciple, who is like a universal monarch, while reciting:
"The great vajra empowerment,
Venerated by those of the three realms,
Arisen from the source of the three secrets,
Is bestowed by all the Buddhas.
OṂ VAJRA-UDAKA-ABHIṢIÑCA HŪṂ."
This is the ritual of the water empowerment, the mirror-like wisdom. Then, following the sequence just explained, one should place a crown made of gold or cloth upon the disciple’s head. Through the application of Ratnasambhava, one should visualize all the Tathāgatas reaching the expanse of space in the form of the Lord of the Family, abiding solely within the crown. Reciting:
"OṂ AḤ VAJRA-MUKUṬA-ABHIṢIÑCA HŪṂ SURATA STVAṂ AHAṂ,"
one should view the crown. Furthermore, at the site of the crown, recite: "OṂ VAJRA-DHĀTVĪŚVARĪ-ABHIṢIÑCA HŪṂ; OṂ SATVA-VAJRĪ, RATNA-VAJRĪ, DHARMA-VAJRĪ, KARMA-VAJRĪ, ABHIṢIÑCA HŪṂ." By this, one should understand that the goddesses residing in the directions of the inner eight-petaled lotus and the Pāṇḍaravāsinī in the center are Vajradhātvīśvarī. This is the crown empowerment, the wisdom of equality. Then, placing a great five-pronged vajra at the heart and other locations, one should hand it to the disciple with the right hand.
The disciple should be visualized in the form of Vajrasattva, the Lord of the World. Reciting: "The buddhas confer the vajra empowerment; today, you shall receive it. In order to perfectly accomplish all the buddhas, you must hold this vajra," the vajra is to be placed in the disciple's right hand. This is the vajra empowerment of the wisdom of discerning awareness.
Then, appearing in the form of Amoghasiddhi, the bell is placed in the left hand. Reciting: "Oṃ vajrādhipati tvaṃ abhiṣiñcāmi tiṣṭha samayas tvaṃ," the bell empowerment ritual is performed in the left hand; this is the wisdom of all-accomplishing action.
Then, having blessed the disciple as Vairocana, the vajra and bell are placed upon the head. Reciting: "Oṃ vajrasattva tvaṃ abhiṣiñcāmi vajranāmābhiṣekataḥ. O Glorious Mohavajra! O Glorious Dveṣavajra!" and so forth, the name empowerment is conferred according to the appropriate family. This is the wisdom of the utterly pure dharmadhātu.
Through these five empowerments, the disciple is authorized to listen to, explain, and practice the mantras and tantras. These five empowerments are called the "empowerments of knowledge" (vidyā-abhiṣeka) because they are all performed by the knowledge-consorts (vidyā), such as Locanā and the others.
Immediately following that, for the disciple who possesses the aspiration for training, the guru should confer the master empowerment (ācārya-abhiṣeka). How so?
"By your grace, may I become capable of accomplishing the welfare of both myself and others. O Treasure of Compassion, please bestow upon me the empowerment of the Vajra Master."
Having thus made this supplication, the disciple is adorned with all ornaments and decorated above with parasols, victory banners, canopies, and so forth. Seated upon a lion throne at the eastern gate, the disciple is visualized in the form of Vajrasattva atop an eight-petaled multicolored lotus. Visualizing a vajra born from the syllable HŪṂ, one should grasp it with suchness, reciting:
"The being without beginning or end,
Vajrasattva, the Great Bliss,
Samantabhadra, the self of all,
I am the lord of Vajragarva.
You are the primordial being of supreme glory."
Following that, a bell born from the syllable ĀḤ is given into the left hand, reciting:
"This is explained as the melody of insight
Of all the Buddhas.
You too must always hold it;
The Victors intend it for supreme enlightenment."
After that, reciting:
"In order to stabilize the mental body,
The samaya of the mudrā is proclaimed.
Because it stabilizes the entire body,
It is renowned as the 'mudrā'."
With these words, one should embrace the Mahāmudrā, the internal nature of one's own chosen deity, who is firmly established in the form of that deity.
Following that, one should visualize the host of deities dwelling in space, emerging from the seed syllable at the master's own heart, conferring the empowerment. Then recite:
"The great vajra empowerment,
Venerated by the three realms..."
"Arising perfectly from the abode of the three secrets, it bestows [the state of] all Buddhas." Thus, the empowerment should be conferred. As it is said: "Embracing with the hands a wisdom-consort who has reached sixteen years, through the union of the vajra and bell, you shall become a master." Thus, the empowerment of the master is intended. For that purpose, the empowerment of the master is bestowed.
The suchness of the maṇḍala and the purity of the maṇḍala shall be explained in brief: "How is the maṇḍala called 'lotus'? The maṇḍala of the mind shall be explained: the 'pavilion' is wisdom, the 'staircase' of the mind is perfectly erected. By the nature of the five aggregates, they are renowned as the five Buddhas." Therefore, the permission should be granted to the disciple who visualizes himself in the form of Vairocana: "For the sake of benefiting all accomplishments in all worlds, turn the wheel of Dharma in whatever way is necessary to discipline [beings]." In the place of "Dharma," the permission should be granted with verses that unify the terms for Vajra, Ratna, Karma, and Krodha. Following that, the vajra-vow, the prophecy, and the encouragement should be bestowed, as is followed in all tantras. Thus, by the empowerment of the master, the vajra should be purified.
Through the empowerment of the three secrets, the vajra of speech is also to be thoroughly purified. By such a sequence, according to the ritual described in all the tantras, liberation is to be bestowed through the nine empowerments. Regarding that sequence:
"Water, crown, vajra, bell, and so forth, the name,
The three families, the samaya, the fortunate, the master,
The supreme secret, and so on—by the peerless merit
Of these nine types of empowerment, which purify existence
And cause one to enter [the path], I prostrate to that assembly of gurus."
Having thus prostrated and received all the empowerments, the disciple should then offer whatever appropriate gifts, such as their body and so forth. The guru, having accepted them with a mind free of attachment, should then recite auspicious verses:
"By the auspiciousness of the Blessed Buddha,
The auspiciousness of the Dharma and the Sangha,
And by all this very merit,
May there be auspiciousness for the disciples.
Possessing excellence like a mountain of gold,
Protector of the three worlds, who has abandoned the three stains,
Buddha, with eyes like the petals of a blooming lotus—
May that auspiciousness bring peace to you.
The supreme, immovable teaching revealed by him,
Renowned throughout the three worlds and honored by gods and men,
The sublime Dharma that brings peace to all beings—
That is the second auspiciousness for you in this world.
The sublime Sangha, rich in the auspiciousness of hearing the Dharma,
The object of worship for humans, gods, and asuras,
The supreme assembly, the foundation of modesty and glory—
"This is the third auspiciousness for you in this world." Thus, one should bestow the auspiciousness upon the disciples. After praising them, the disciples should then be made to depart, each one bowing in turn. Then the guru should once again perform all the rites, such as making offerings and reciting praises. Furthermore, having performed the ritual explained as the method for meditating on the yoga of the drops (bindu) and so forth, one should offer the torma cakes—one, five, seven, fifty, or up to one hundred and eight—and make offerings. Then, saying "May the maṇḍala and the deities who are the lords of the maṇḍala grant your forbearance! Grant your forbearance!" one should circumambulate the maṇḍala and the torma as well.
Sitting down once more and offering perfect praise, one should recite "Oṃ vajra muḥ" and request the torma deities to depart with the sound of music. Having recited "Vajra muḥ" to dissolve the maṇḍala and the essential nature of the wisdom beings (jñānasattva) of the wisdom maṇḍala, one should say:
"You have accomplished all the benefit of sentient beings;
Please bestow the appropriate accomplishments.
Having departed to the realm of the Buddhas,
Please return once again."
With "Oṃ vajra muḥ," one should request the wisdom beings to depart. The samaya maṇḍala should be dissolved into the seed-syllable at one's own heart. The colored powders of the maṇḍala should be disposed of in a river or a suitable location. Furthermore, it is certain that the tantras state that on the second day, one should offer torma cakes to Vaiśravaṇa and the others.
[This is the chapter on] Padmapāṇi Avalokiteśvara.
The ritual for the offering to the maṇḍala, composed by the glorious Jñānarāja for the benefit of the world—by the merit of this, may all living beings always possess happiness. By this merit, may I too attain the state of omniscience. Thus concludes the ritual for the offering to the maṇḍala of the Blessed One, according to the stages of the Lotus Net of Padma Avalokiteśvara. This work, composed by the Victor, the glorious Jñānarāja, also known as Padma Vajra, is complete. It was translated, edited, and finalized by the great Kashmiri Paṇḍita Sumanaśrībhadra and the Tibetan translator, the monk Rinchen Drub.
Translation status: Not among 84000's published translations, and not in progress there. Translations published elsewhere have not been searched for, so one may exist. (source: 84000 catalogue + registry; checked 2026-11-10).
Set in Newsreader and EB Garamond; Tibetan in Noto Serif Tibetan; Chinese in Noto Serif SC.