大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 3.48

3.48

Next, the verse says:
'Or in a river's place,
Adorned with geese and the like;
There, with intuitive understanding, one should make
The maṇḍala born of compassion':
If one cannot obtain a renowned mountain, spring waters are next best—namely, places where various rivers flow unceasingly, where birds of sweet sounds and fine plumage gather and soar in song, dignified, clean, and far removed from clamour and vexation; there an altar may be made. 'Wild goose' is not the exact translation: the Sanskrit text says sārasa bird, shaped like a mandarin duck but larger, and its call is exceedingly clear and elegant. As it does not exist in this region, the sense was rendered by paraphrase. Although it is a conventional-truth maṇḍala, it still requires a person of intuitive understanding who upholds mantras to be able to establish it; hence it says 'with intuitive understanding, one should make the maṇḍala born of compassion'. Furthermore, water has the meaning of flowing and not halting: when one's mind does not stagnate and is ever able to advance superiorly, it is named 'water'. The river of merit flowing without interruption is named 'water'. Because people who are first able to rest their minds in the real truth are naturally rare to find, if one merely flows forth from the originally pure and already heads directly into it, one may then exercise unimpeded wisdom to establish the maṇḍala born of compassion for them. Adornment with birds of sweet sounds signifies the ability to proclaim wholesome dharmas. It also means constantly being mindful of benefiting others, so that sentient beings take refuge in them, all obtaining joy, praising their kindness and virtue, and holding them in great renown.