大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 4.30

4.30

The sūtra says: "Lord of Secrets! In the locations explained as such, at whatever ground, prepare it to make it firm, take gomaya and gomūtra that have not touched the ground, mix and smear them, and next sprinkle it clean with the scented water mantra." As explained in the teachings, whenever constructing a maṇḍala, it must be finished within seven days. On the very first day, the ācārya should abide in the intrinsic nature of Mahāvairocana Tathāgata, and then alert the earth deity and adorn the body through upāya, all as explained in the sequence of offerings. Having alerted [the deity], he immediately uses the Acala mantra to protect it with adhiṣṭhāna, and then digs the earth to select and prepare it according to the rule. He should first dig one cubit at the center; having finished selecting, he fills it back in: if it overflows with an excess, it is superior ground; if it is as before, it is middling; if it does not fill, it is inferior. Having removed the various faults in this order, he finely prepares the excavated soil and fills it in little by little, moistens it with bovine liquid, and tamps it firm so that it is flat and level just like the palm of a hand. Next, he mixes gomaya and gomūtra to smear it. According to the shallow and brief explanation, these are cow dung and liquid, used to accord with the local custom of that region which regards them as pure. According to the secret explanation, *go* means practice; because of entering the syllable A gateway, all dharmas are devoid of practice. *Ma* means self, and *ya* means vehicle. Why are all dharmas devoid of practice? Because in all dharmas a self cannot be found. If there is no self, there is nothing to be conveyed and no conveyer; only then is it named the Great Vehicle. *Gomū* has the same meaning as previously explained; *tra* means tathatā free from dust and defilement, which is the dharmatā of the mind. If the practitioner can purify and prepare the mind-ground like this, it will be ultimately pure and free of all obstacles. Whenever having selected and leveled the ground, knowing its orientations, one pierces the center of the maṇḍala to a depth of about one cubit, and uses the mantra that accomplishes all matters to empower the five gems, five grains, and five medicines, and places them inside it; the removal of defilements, warding off, and so forth are all as explained in the ritual of offerings. According to the profound and secret explanation, this means establishing the jewels of the five wisdoms within the bodhicitta, which can sprout the five kinds of wholesome shoots and extinguish the five kinds of faults; hence they are called the five grains and five medicines. Having placed them like this, one smears it clean again to make it extremely flat and level; one should take the vase intended for consecration, fill it with pure water without letting it become completely full, insert various flowers and fruits, place the five gems, grains, and medicines inside, and set it at the place where the treasures are buried. After setting the vase on the third day, every day at the three times one should recite the mantra that accomplishes matters one hundred and eight times to empower this vase with adhiṣṭhāna, and then perform the remaining duties. On the evening of the fourth day, next empower the scented water with the scented water mantra, either one hundred and eight times or up to a thousand times, and then sprinkle it clean. That mantra says: