གཎ་ཌའ་མད 4

4

“Place it above the temple gate,
Or place it above the central gate.
As for its consecration,
It is the very stable⁸ Dharma body.

“It is unproduced, indestructible,
And primordially unborn virtue.
Having been consecrated as such,
The gaṇḍī’s eyes are opened.

“Next, having opened the gaṇḍī’s eyes,
One must strike it to increasingly produce sound⁹
Throughout the temple,
As if adorned by seven nāgas.¹⁰

“Thereafter, one should pay homage to the Three Jewels
And then strike the gaṇḍī.
One should then sound the cymbal¹¹ three times
And beat the Dharma drums.

“Cleansing the gaṇḍī with flower-petal water
At mealtime, sunrise, and sunset,
Strike it three times at the three intervals.
When it is time for bathing, let it resound twice.

“It should be struck consecutively without hesitation
To prevent sudden harm
And likewise quarrels, disputes,
Lightning, and great devastation.

“It should be struck to invite the elders
And to pacify plagues and famines.
It should be struck constantly at all times
By monks and novices.

“During monthly purification,
It should be struck by laypeople as well.
All its qualities being complete,
It should be adorned by seven nāgas.¹²

“O King, when throughout the land
That gaṇḍī resounds,
The year will be good there,
With splendor, fame, and all desirable things.

“There will be no fear of foreign armies,
And the crops will never fail.
With the wealth of the Buddha’s blessings,
Māras will be tamed there.

“The Dharma drum will thunder everywhere,
Right up to the summit of existence.
The worlds of hell and pretas
Will undoubtedly be destroyed.

“Everyone will have enduring conviction in the Buddha,
And everyone will be devoted to the Dharma.
There, the saṅgha will be disciplined,
And the wise will flourish as well.

“Lust, hate, and delusion
Will subside there.
The king will live long and uphold the Dharma,
And he will have every happiness.

“O King, in every temple,
When beating the Dharma drum,
Its sound will be renowned
In the pathways of peoples’ ears;

“Those who hear it four times a day
Will attain spiritual awakening.