Introduction 1.3: The drawing of the Maṇḍala

[Full title: Introduction (1): Drawing the Maṇḍala and its Beneficial Attributes—(C). The drawing (of the maṇḍala) and the arrangement of its ornaments]

[The third subdivision (see p. 756) concerns the drawing (of the maṇḍala) and the arrangement of its ornaments.]

This has two parts of which the former concerns the drawing of the lines: After the spatial line of pristine cognition (ye-shes-kyi gnam-thig) has been raised up, it is brought down (to earth) and then pitched.

The ritual for drawing (the lines) is then described in the following words (from the above text, 72-4.4):

When mighty ones endowed with appropriate implements
Pitch the lines (of the maṇḍala),
First the site is circumambulated from the north-east^[1]
And then those of powerful presence should draw it.
Engaged in contemplation and the hand-seals
Of "indetsructibyle palms" or "fist".
And endowed with their respective seed-syllables.

So it is in accordance with a lineage-holder who discerns the Brahma lines (tshangs-thig), the diagonal lines (zur-thig), and so forth, that (the lines) are pitched to represent the double gates and walls.^[2]

There are also esoteric instructions which, to some extent, analyse (the drawing of these lines):^[3]

(The lines of the maṇḍala) form sixteen large bands.
Among them are three interior bands
Which should be bisected, making six.
Among (these six), the first is divided in two.
And its outer half is further divided.
The second should be divided into four.
The third and fourth are left unmarked.
The fifth is marked by two outer lines,
But not in its middle section.
The sixth is divided in two.
And its outer half is further divided.
This all represents the inner gates.
The fourth large band represents the outer courtyard.
The fifth is marked by two outer lines,
But not in its middle section.
The sixth is divided in two.
And its outer half is further divided.
The seventh should be divided into four,
And the eighth is marked by two outer lines.
But not in its middle section.

The hole, marked by the Awesome Kīla ('gying-phur), is filled with coloured powders representing the five pristine cognitions, and then the colours are gradually applied.^[4]

It says accordingly in the Magical Net of Vairocana (NGB. Vol. 19, T. 466):

The coloured dyes should be applied from the inside.
The coloured dyes should not be applied from the outside.
Starting first from the north-east
The master himself should Initially apply the paint.
And then, as Indicated, the student should do so.

And in the Awakening of Vairocana (T. 494):

The coloured dyes should be applied from the inside.
They should not be applied from the outside.
White should initially be applied.
And subsequently red.
Then yellow should be applied.
And subsequently green is applied.
Inside all of these there is black.
The ritual associated with the coloured dyes
Is explained in that manner.

Now, in the case of a large (maṇḍala), at the central point in the middle of the area demarcated by the double gates and walls there is a four-spoked circle. in the middle of that and (on the four spokes), i.e. in five locations, there are four-spoked circles with their own perimeters. These (are painted) in order, corresponding to the colours of the deities. Then the areas covered by the four inner and outer rightangled corners are painted.

Thereafter, the five walls are successively coloured from the inside—blue, green, red, yellow, and white. in general, (maṇḍalas have) a wall with two layers, representing the layers of pristine cognition and buddha-body. in this (Secret Nucleus), however, the inner wall (of the maṇḍala) is the layer of pristine cognition and the outer wall is the layer of buddha-body. The latter is (coloured) from the Inside in the order of blue, white, yellow, red and green.

The courtyard is green, and the tiered pediments are ornately coloured, while appropriately ornate colours should also be applied to the other areas. There are some who hold that these (other areas) refer to the four spoked-circles at the base of the tiered pediments, but the majority hold them to indicate the four half-vajras (rdo-rje ra-ba) because (colours) are applied to them in harmony with those others. Whichever view is held, there is indeed no contradiction.^[5]

(The maṇḍala) of intermediate dimension is similar to the one which immediately follows. The condensed (maṇḍala) is claimed to have four right-angled corners and embrasured gates without an inner courtyard.

Symbols are then arrayed in these locations of (the maṇḍala): In the case of a constructed (maṇḍala), they form an appropriate array of the Images of buddha-body, seed-syllables, and symbolic hand-emblems; and if unconstructed, one should just employ symbolism. Indicating the body-colours (of the deities) with heaps of coloured powders.

The Flash of Splendour (T. 830) says:

The central deity is perfectly drawn in form.
The retinues should be indicated by their hand-emblems.
And the ordinary (deities) by their seed-syllables.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

"north-east" (Tibetan dbang-ldan phyogs).

[2]:

For an illustration of the Brahmā and diagonal lines, see D.L. Snellgrove, The Nine Ways of Bon: also F. Lessing & A. Wayman, Mkhas Grub Rje's Fundamentals of the Buddhist Tantras. p. 284, note. See also the drawing of the Guhyagarbha maṇḍala in fig. 6, immediately above, which is reproduced from Bhutanese archives and kindly provided by dKon-mchog bsTan-'dzin. Fig. 7 depicts the finished maṇḍala of the zhi-khro ngan-song sbyong-ba from the klong-chen snying-thig-gi gtor-ma'i dpe'u-ris.

[3]:

The description given in this passage corresponds for the most part to fig. 6. Note that each side of the square in the Illustration has eighteen rather than sixteen large bands (cha-chen), among which the verses omit the eighth on each side, renaming the ninth as the eighth.

[4]:

On the 'gying-phur which makes a cavity at the centre of the maṇḍala, see below, p. 837.

[5]:

The four half-vajras indicate the shape of the crossed-vajra (rdo-rje rgya-gram, Sanskrit viśvavajra) formed around the four tiered pediments.