The Awakening of Mahāvairocana 1.17

1.17

「祕密主！彼揀擇地，除去礫石碎瓦破器、髑髏毛髮、糠糟灰炭、刺骨朽木等，及蟲蟻蜣蜋毒螫之類，離如是諸過。遇良日晨、定日、時分、宿直、諸執皆悉相應，於食前時值吉祥相，先當為一切如來作禮，以如是偈警發地神：

He should draw a maṇḍala in order to bring benefit to the disciple.

“Lord of Mysteries, having selected a site, he clears away pebbles, broken earthenware, potsherds, skulls, hair, chaff, ashes, cinders, thorns, bones, rotten wood, and so on, as well as insects, ants, dung beetles, and poisonous or stinging kinds [of creatures].

“Once such flaws have been removed, on the morning of a propitious day, having determined a day on which the time, lunar mansion, and planets are all in harmony, and at a time before the [morning] meal with an auspicious sign, he should first make obeisance to all the Tathāgatas and arouse the Earth God[dess] (Pṛthivī) with these verses:

You, O Goddess, are witness to how the buddhas, guiding teachers,

Performed special practices and purified the [ten] stages and

pāramitās.

Just like the Lion of the Śākyas, savior of the world, who defeated

the hosts of Māra’s army,

I too will vanquish Māra, and [then] I shall draw a maṇḍala.

“He should kneel down with his [right] hand stretched out upon the

ground and chant this verse repeatedly. He should [also] make offerings of

unguent, flowers, and so on, and after having made offerings, the mantrin

should again take refuge in all the Tathāgatas. Then he prepares the site in

accordance with [ritual] procedures so that it possesses many virtues.”

Then the vajradhara Lord of Mysteries bowed down at the feet of the

World-honored One and spoke these verses:

“The Buddha’s Dharma is free from all characteristics, and the

Dharma abides in the station of the Dharma;

What you have explained is incomparable, without characteristics,

and unconditioned.

Yet why, O Great Energetic One, do you teach this which has

characteristics,

As well as mantra practices? This does not conform with the way

of Dharma-thusness!”

Then the Bhagavān, the Buddha Vairocana,

Addressed Vajrapāṇi: “Listen carefully to the characteristics of the

Dharma!

The Dharma is free from differentiation and all false conceptions.

If one eliminates false conceptions and the workings of the mind

and thought,

The supreme and perfect awakening that I attained is ultimately

like empty space,

But unknown to ordinary foolish beings, who are wrongly attached

to the objective realm.

That they hanker after [auspicious] times, directions, signs, and so on

is because they are enveloped by ignorance,

And it is in order to liberate them that these are taught in conformity

with them as an expedient.

But in reality there is no time or direction, nothing done, and no doer;

All dharmas simply abide in the real character [of things].

Furthermore, Lord of Mysteries, in future ages