大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 5.17

5.17

「爾時執金剛祕密主以偈問佛」以下，明造立漫荼羅支分。偈中，先讚歎佛。唯願一切智諸說法中最第一者，說彼時分也。此時分，即是初畫漫荼羅迄事竟以來時分限劑。次云「大眾於何時，普集現靈瑞」者，謂大悲胎藏中一切普門隨類身，於何時普集道場現前，神力加持示現威驗也。若弟子諸根淨利應度機深，或於此時即親覩無邊聖眾，如靈山會坐者同見三變淨土分身諸佛無有異也。當知爾時即是漫荼羅阿闍梨傳持誠諦之語、行如來事時，故云慇懃持真言也。說此偈已，爾時世尊告持金剛慧者言：「常當於此夜，而作漫荼羅。」謂於此第七夜中使法事都畢也。是中從日沒後，至明相出以來，總名為夜。初入夜分，即當圖畫諸位安置諸供養具，明相未出已前使發遣竟。若違此法則生障礙，乃至令所依住處亦不吉祥也。然深祕密釋中，正以道機嘉會為時，或以加持方便，促百劫為一夜、或演一夜為百劫，脩短在緣，無有定限也。若淺行阿闍梨則須具依於法則，於晝日分即當規畫界域，以白檀等草定諸尊形位分段。至日將夕，預備香花燈燭等，皆合素辦。瞿醯云「於漫荼羅北面一處，以白色規畫辦事真言僻除諸難，置諸供具也。」阿闍梨言：「若不能於一夜中遍畫諸尊者，從第五日受持地以後漸次作之，於理無妨。」又別有尊形印字三種方便，如下文所說也。

"Then the Vajradhara, Lord of Secrets, questioned the Buddha in verse" and so forth explains the constituent parts of constructing the maṇḍala. In the verses, he first praises the Buddha: "We only pray that the Omniscient One, the most supreme among all who expound the Dharma, will explain that time." This 'time' is the precise limit of the period from the initial drawing of the maṇḍala until the completion of the work. Next, it says: "At what time does the great assembly universally gather and manifest auspicious signs?" This means: at what time do all the universal-gateway bodies that accord with their types within the mahākaruṇāgarbha universally gather and appear before the bodhimanda, demonstrating awe-inspiring verification through the adhiṣṭhāna of supernatural powers? If the disciples' faculties are pure and sharp, and their capacity to be crossed over is profound, they may at this time directly behold the boundless noble assembly, just like those seated in the assembly on Vulture Peak who together saw the pure land transformed three times and the Buddhas of divided bodies, with no difference at all. One should know that that time is precisely when the maṇḍala ācārya transmits and upholds the true words and executes the Tathāgata's tasks; hence it says "diligently upholding the mantra". Having spoken these verses, the Bhagavat then addressed the Wise Vajradhara: "Always during this night one should make the maṇḍala." This means that within this seventh night, the Dharma rites must all be brought to completion. Herein, the entire period from sunset until the dawn light appears is called 'night'. Entering the first part of the night, one should immediately draw the various positions and set up the various offering implements, completing the dismissal before the dawn light appears. If one violates this rule, obstacles will arise, even causing the dwelling place on which one depends to become inauspicious. However, in the profound secret interpretation, the auspicious meeting of the capacity for the Way is precisely the 'time'; or through the upāya of adhiṣṭhāna, one may contract a hundred kalpas into a single night, or expand a single night into a hundred kalpas; length and brevity depend on conditions, without any fixed limit. If it is an ācārya of shallow practice, he must fully adhere to the rules: during the daytime, he should mark out the boundaries and, using white sandalwood and the like, draft and determine the shapes, positions, and divisions of the deities. As the day approaches dusk, he should prepare fragrant flowers, lamps, candles, and the like in advance, all of which must be arranged beforehand. The Guhyakā says: "In a single place on the north side of the maṇḍala, draw the task-accomplishing mantra in white to dispel all difficulties, and arrange the offering implements." The ācārya said: "If one cannot paint all the deities completely within a single night, it poses no hindrance in principle to do so gradually starting from the fifth day after receiving and upholding the ground." Furthermore, there are three other kinds of upāyas—the deity's form, the mudrā, and the syllable—as explained below.