འཕགས་པ་འཇམ་དཔལ་གྱ་རྩ་བའ་རྒྱད 174

174

One should always draw
Only flowers of the species as described.¹⁰³⁸

“One should make offerings pleasing to the Teacher
In order to worship him.¹⁰³⁹
Following the previously described procedure
In regard to the superior painting, or the others,

“And having ensured that the skein, the weaver,
And the painter are as desired,
One should do the painting during the prātihāra fortnight,
On an especially auspicious day.

“When such a time has arrived
One should do the prescribed mantra recitation.
One should execute everything, in every detail,¹⁰⁴⁰
Just as previously explained.

“One should paint the complete figure of the Teacher
Using paints of bright and vivid colors.
He should be fully endowed with his many aspects,
Equal in splendor to the karnikara flower.

“One should paint this sage, born into the Jewel family,
In golden color,
With the same hue as the champak flowers
And possessing all the features as described.

“He is the highly illustrious¹⁰⁴¹ Ratnaketu,
The most eminent and best of sages.
One should paint this jewel among buddhas
Who has control over all phenomena.

“He sits on a jewel mountain,
Adorned with jewel caves,
In a cross-legged posture,
Delivering a Dharma discourse.

“With a gentle smile on his face,
This hero’s mind is steeped in concentration.
One should also paint whatever is
On the outside of his cave, below, and around it.

“In the corner at the end of the canvas one should paint
The practitioner, kneeling down.
In his extended hand he holds incense,
And his body is slightly bent forward.

“One should paint him as wearing an upper garment
And other clothes just as in real life,
Above the great ocean that is
To the lower right of the Blessed One.

“One should draw him—the practitioner of mantra who aspires for perfection—
Wholly applying oneself to the task.
This is the procedure of doing the painting,
As has been taught by those venerated by the world;
Now will be taught
The maṇḍala of the deity.¹⁰⁴²

“The mantra practitioner should really understand
The mantra at the time of employing it
And always use it to do the preliminary practice,
Training thus for success in recitation.¹⁰⁴³

“For this reason he should be initiated into the mantra
From this manual, so beautifully¹⁰⁴⁴ taught—
The mantra that is associated with the maṇḍala conduct
And always requires initiation.¹⁰⁴⁵