Introduction 1.4: The preparation of the Offerings

[Full title: Introduction (1): Drawing the Maṇḍala and its Beneficial Attributes—(D). A Teaching on the preparation of the Offerings and their Beneficial Attributes]

[The fourth subdivision (see p. 756) concerns the preparation of the offerings and a teaching on their beneficial attributes.]

This has three parts: The first is the preparation of the offerings, Including outer and inner offerings, ornaments and clothing, cymbals and other such musical instruments. These should be adorned with an abundance of edibles.

The second is the consecration (rab-gnas): The maṇḍala is visually created in an immediate manner and the being of pristine cognition (jñānasattva) penetrates it, whereupon one meditates on it as an image stabilised by the esssential tokens or the three seed-syllables. The Flash of Splendour (T. 830) accordingly says:

Whatever object has been constructed, including maṇḍalas.
If it lacks consecration and pristine cognition.
Its provisions and drawings will be Impotent.

The third concerns the beneficial attributes: The merits of drawing such a maṇḍala of coloured powders are inestimable.

It says in the Extensive Pristine Cognition (ye-shes rgyas-pa):

Those who draw the supreme maṇḍala of the conquerors
With lines and coloured dyes
Have an immeasurable mass of meritorious deeds,
Granting the seven precious things^[1]
To all the Buddha-fields of the ten directions.
Their deeds will be accomplished,
And, intended by the conquerors.
They will obtain unthinkable maṇḍalas.

Also, in the White Lotus of the Genuine Doctrine (T. 113, Cf. Kern, p. 50):

Whoever construct a stūpa from stone,
Whoever construct a stūpa of aloes-wood, and sandalwood,
Or whoever construct one of medicinal wood,
And those who make one of wood or other materials.
And who build a joyous field of conquerors’ stūpas
With clay, bricks and so forth.
And who similarly construct them from mounds of dust
In deserted wildernesses.
And those who construct stūpas dedicated to the conquerors
In a mound made of sand
During random childhood play.
And others, too, who commission representative images
Will all obtain enlightenment.
Those who have made images of the Sugatas
From the seven precious things
And those who have similarly made them
From copper and bell-metal.
All will obtain enlightenment.
Those who have made images of the Sugatas
From lead, iron or clay
Or have made them of mud, beautiful to behold.
Will all obtain enlightenment.
Those who have made line drawings of images
On the surfaces of walls
And the buddha-bodies complete with extensive merits and attributes.
Whether they have themselves drawn or commissioned them.
All will obtain enlightenment.
Those, old or young,
Who, during their studies
Or in play and in private
Have drawn images with fingernail or a piece of wood
All will obtain enlightenment.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The seven precious things or offerings (rin-cen bdun) are the precious wheel ('khor-lo rin-po-che), the precious jewel (nor-bu rin-po-che), the precious queen (btsun-mo rin-po-che), the precious minister (blon-po rin-po-che), the precious elephant (glang-po rin-po-che), the precious supreme horse (rta-mchog rin-po-che), and the precious general (dmag-dpon rin-po-che).