Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This ritual manual provides technical instructions for the physical preparation and geometric layout of a maṇḍala. The text focuses on the prerequisite physical state of the environment, requiring that the ground be leveled and firm to ensure the integrity of the design. It prescribes the precise application of the eight great lines, specifically mentioning the Brahma lines, and emphasizes the necessity of diligence and perfect symmetry in their execution. By detailing the initial spatial organization and the directional orientation of these lines, the text commits the practitioner to a rigorous standard of geometric accuracy. The work functions as a practical guide to the foundational stage of maṇḍala construction, where the physical mapping of the sacred space must be flawlessly established before further ritual elements are added.
Provenance
About this text
A ritual manual for the physical preparation and geometric layout of a maṇḍala, the dkyil 'khor gyi thig gi cho ga belongs to the Yoga Tantra Treatises. The work is attributed to the Indian author Mahācārya Dharmakīrti. Preserved in the classical Tibetan tradition, the text appears in volume རི of the Tengyur. The ritual enacts the foundational stage of maṇḍala construction, beginning with the requirement that the ground be leveled and made firm. It prescribes the diligent and symmetrical application of the eight great lines, including the Brahma lines, and provides technical specifications for the creation of twenty-four squares in each direction for the half-portion of the maṇḍala. A scholar or serious reader consults this two-page guide today to understand the rigorous standards of geometric accuracy and spatial organization required to map a sacred space. By detailing the precise measurements and the prerequisite state of the environment, the text serves as a practical instrument for ensuring the integrity of the maṇḍala's design before further ritual elements are added.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “A Ritual for the Lines of a Maṇḍala” (Toh 2508), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh2508
Summary & commentary
Significance
The text is significant for illustrating the intersection of ritual practice and precise geometry in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. It demonstrates that the efficacy of a maṇḍala depends upon a disciplined adherence to spatial proportions and physical preparation.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
The Ritual for Laying the Lines of the Maṇḍala
Instructions on ground preparation and the symmetrical layout of the eight great lines.
Themes
Geometric precision and symmetry (1)
Physical preparation of ritual space (1)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
The Ritual for Laying the Lines of the Maṇḍala
For laying the lines of any maṇḍala, the ground should be leveled and made firm. Then, the eight great lines, such as the great Brahma lines and so forth, should be laid with great diligence and in perfect symmetry.
In each direction, for the half-portion of the maṇḍala, one should create twenty-four squares. The first [square] should be two finger-widths (aṅgula) in measure. The second is the door-enclosure (dvāra-koṣṭha), two finger-widths in measure. The third should be four finger-widths in measure. The fourth is the side of the door (dvāra-pārśva), four finger-widths in measure. The fifth is the space (ākāśa), two finger-widths. The sixth is the pillar (stambha), two finger-widths. The seventh and eighth are the deity’s ledge (deva-śilā), which should be made eight finger-widths in measure. The ninth is the side of the door, two finger-widths. The tenth is the dancer (nartaka), four finger-widths. The two finger-widths of the eleventh become the door-jamb (dvāra-khaṇḍa) and the frieze (paṭṭikā). The twelfth is the half-lattice (ardha-jāla), four finger-widths. The two finger-widths of the thirteenth are for the arrow-head (kīlaka) and the frieze. The four finger-widths of the fourteenth are the empty space (ākāśa-śūnya). The fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and likewise the twentieth, should each be made two finger-widths in measure; these are held to be one-fourth of a part. One is the Karma-śīrṣa (Karma-peak), and one is the lotus (padma) portion. The twenty-first is eight finger-widths in measure, to be made as the wheel (cakra) and the parasol (chattra). The twenty-second, twenty-third, and likewise the twenty-fourth, are held to be four finger-widths each in measure. One is held to be the variegated lotus (viśva-padma), the vajra-fence (vajra-prākāra), and the fire-light (agni-jvālā).
The Ritual for Laying the Lines composed by the master Dharmakīrti 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.