Part 3d.2a - The perfect place

2.a.i) The essence First:

The place is luminosity, the field of Gandavyuha.
It is abundant^[1] with brilliantly shining five colored light,
Like radiant rainbows that completely fill the sky,
Pervading space above, below, and in all directions.

The beautiful palace has four gates with four pediments.
And corniced five-colored walls, with jeweled garlands and pendants,
The beautiful eaves, are adorned with balustrades and rain-spouts.
These are the adornments of the sacred hall.

Self-experience of the pure field of bliss, luminous Gandavyuha, appears at the time of the self-luminous wisdom of the fundamental ground with the five lights in the heart center. In the whole of space, above,

below, and in the cardinal and intermediate directions, are auspiciously presented radiant spheres of light, the appearances of the vajra^[2]fence and tent, their translucent colors brilliant with the five lights, like the sun shining in a mirror.

In the center, under the precious wisdom-palace, is the fundamental wheel of wisdom. Above the wheel, filling the whole of space, looking like a cube roofed by a round vase is the shrine hall.

The multi-storied roof is adorned by a brilliant upper roof of precious substances ornamented with a half vajra. The tops of the five colored walls join precious yellow cornices. ??? Hanging outside the eaves, on the beam-ends, are jewel and pearl garlands and pendants with sun and moon tips that hang down on the outside. Above the eaves is a balustrade of beautiful white stupas. The four gates and gateways, in the four directions, adorn four protrusions. The four-stage pediments and the ledges are adorned with a fence of five colors. The Secret Essence says: #1053.6

In the place of Akanishta, without center or limit, in the groundless measureless luminous sphere of wisdom, is the brilliantly blazing precious wisdom-palace, uninterrupted in the vastness of the ten directions.

Because it blossoms with immeasurable good qualities, it is square. It is beautified by precious rises of excellent wisdom. The pinnacle is all the mandalas of all the buddhas of the ten directions and four times. This single essence without individuation includes the whole of wisdom within it.

2.a.ii) The ornaments

Ornamenting the palace, of silk with precious substances there are
Ribbons, parasols, yak tails, along with garlands of bells,
Canopies, victory banners, such ornaments filling space.
Offering goddesses of the desirable qualities
Emanate clouds of offerings, gathered into light rays
They pervade the outside, inside and everywhere.

With colors of the center and the four directions,
There are corresponding ornaments and those of various colors
With size that is uncertain, they appear as one looks at them.
Their number transcends all measure, pervading the whole of space,
Like that from opening a pod of sesame seeds.

Ornamenting the palace are ribbons of precious brocade,^[3] parasols, canopies, victory banners and so forth, filling and adorning the whole of space. Offering goddesses pile up clouds of desirable things of the senses. They arise by themselves and fill the ten directions. Dark blue in the center of the palace, and so forth, with the colors of the wisdoms of the directions, they clearly appear. Many in number, as many as the seeds from an opened sesame pod, they pervade all the limits of space.

the measure is uncertain as “this much.” When someone looks on it, it appears only so big, and yet its limits cannot be seen. With swirling light rays like a magical display, its appearance is natureless. The Secret Essence says:

The various precious wisdom garlands, tassels, ornaments of the palace, and its various forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and touchables, pile up by themselves in the ten directions. Space is filled by inconceivable non-obscuring luminous ornaments.

2.a.iii) What is inside.

As for the palace,

Everywhere inside are lions, elephants, horses,
peacocks, shang shang, suns and moons, and lotuses.^[4]

These seats and thrones appear because they are symbols representing many kinds of good qualities. The same text says:

Fearlessness is the lion thrones.
Power is the elephant thrones.
Miracle is the horse thrones.
Empowerment is the peacock thrones.
Non-obstruction is the thrones floating in the air.
The moon and sun mandalas are natural luminosity.
Non-obscuration is the lotus and jewel seats.