Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This technical manual provides precise geometric and ritual instructions for the construction of a square maṇḍala. The text functions as a prescriptive guide for the practitioner, focusing on the initial phase of drawing the foundational lines. It commits the reader to a rigorous system of measurement, utilizing specific units such as the mahā-aṃśa (large unit) and aṇvaṃśa (minor unit) to ensure mathematical symmetry. By detailing the placement of corner and directional lines and the specific exclusion of the seventh line, the work emphasizes the necessity of exactitude in the spatial layout. The text frames these technical requirements as a practice of austerity, suggesting that the physical act of precise measurement is an integral component of the ritual process, requiring both mental discipline and technical proficiency to correctly establish the sacred space.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual guide for the precise construction of a square maṇḍala, the thig gdab pa'i cho ga dka' ba spyod pa belongs to the Yoga Tantra Treatises. The work is attributed to the Indian author Śuddhiprabha. Preserved within the Tengyur, volume རི, the text appears in the classical Tibetan tradition, though the record does not name the translators responsible for its passage into the language. The work enacts a rigorous system of spatial measurement, providing technical instructions for laying corner and directional lines using specific units known as mahā-aṃśa and aṇvaṃśa. By detailing the division of these units and the specific exclusion of the seventh line, the ritual frames the act of geometric exactitude as a practice of austerity. A scholar or serious reader consults this single-page treatise today to understand the mathematical symmetry and prescriptive discipline required to establish a sacred space. The text emphasizes that the physical layout of the maṇḍala is not merely a technical task but a ritual process requiring mental discipline and proficiency in measurement.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “Performing the Difficult Parts of the Ritual of Drawing the Lines of a Maṇḍala” (Toh 2507), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2507
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant for its insight into the intersection of geometry and ritual in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. It demonstrates how mathematical precision is employed to manifest a metaphysical environment. For the modern reader, it provides primary evidence of the specific measurement systems used in traditional maṇḍala construction.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
The Ritual for Laying the Lines
Instructions on the measurement and layout of a square maṇḍala using large and minor units.
Themes
Geometric precision (1)
Ritual austerity (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaPerforming the Difficult Parts of the Ritual of Drawing the Lines of a Maṇḍala·
The Ritual for Laying the Lines: The Practice of Austerity
Homage to Mañjuvajra.
For a maṇḍala made square, lay the corner and directional lines equally. It should be measured in twenty large units (mahā-aṃśa). The seventh line is to be left aside. Then, for the division of the minor units (aṇvaṃśa): divide the first large unit on both sides of the Brahmā line into halves. Divide the outer large unit in the same way. Divide the second large unit into halves; likewise, divide the inner part into halves. For the fifth large unit, lay a line for each of the outer and inner parts, and leave the two middle parts aside. Divide the sixth large unit into halves. Then, for the drawing of the circles: draw from the half of the tenth large unit. Draw from the ends of both the ninth and the eighth large units. From the end of the third large unit, draw from one minor unit. Other inner and outer circles are according to the texts of the tantras. For those with two doors and so forth, the minor units are to be subtracted or added according to the distinctions in the tantric texts. Having obtained the pith instructions, the wise should lay the lines for whichever maṇḍala is intended, whether outer or inner, as previously described.
The sequence for laying the lines, titled "The Practice of Austerity," composed by the master Śuddhiprabha, is complete.
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.