大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 5.16

5.16

The sūtra says: "Next, on the following day, having empowered oneself as Vajrasattva, one makes prostrations to the Bhagavat Vairocana." This refers to the day following the reception of the precepts, namely the dusk of the seventh day. When performing the various tasks of creating the maṇḍala, one should always empower oneself as Vajrasattva—that is, contemplating oneself as the Vajradhara. The upāyas therein are as explained in the sūtra text of the lower chapters and in the sequence of offerings. An ācārya who has seen the truth abides in the mind of Vajrasattva, which is the unequalled bodhicitta. Because of this secret adhiṣṭhāna, none among all undertakings can be ruined. Next, one should project the mind as before and make prostrations to Mahāvairocana Tathāgata, and then recite the Trailokyavijaya mantra to empower the pure vase; this is also the mantra for accomplishing all tasks. One should first take a pure vase made according to the rules, draw clean water and pour and strain it according to the rules, place the five jewels and five grains inside, and take various fragrant waters, inserting wonderful flowers and fruit-bearing branches into it with various adornments, tying its neck with fresh, clean silk cloth. In all cases one should, according to the sequence of offerings, dispel impediments, remove impurities, and purify it with the seed-syllable of the dharmadhātu-heart before empowering it. In general, the number of mantra recitations has no fixed limit; one should calculate it by the number of syllables, as explained in the Susiddhi. Furthermore, therein, whichever of the three families of maṇḍalas is being made, one empowers it respectively with the family-heart or family-mother mantra. Now in this sūtra, the all-purpose task-accomplishing mantra is generally used for empowerment, and the mantra also has both extensive and abbreviated forms, so the number of repetitions is not discussed in detail; one should determine it by judgment. For the greatest, recite up to a hundred times; for the medium, five hundred times; for the least, up to a thousand times. Having completed the empowerment, it should be placed outside the gate of the altar previously marked out with white sandalwood. Those who wish to enter the maṇḍala should first be sprinkled with this, causing their past obstructions to be purified and eliminated, so that they may then see the maṇḍala. Furthermore, mix fragrant water in a separate vessel using saffron, camphor, sandalwood, and various other wonderful fragrances, empower it with the mantra, and give it to them to drink a little. This is called 'vajra-water'. Because of the secret adhiṣṭhāna, even the heavy obstructions of the hells are completely eradicated; inside and outside are both purified, making them fit to be Dharma-vessels. The ācārya said: "This is called 'oath-water'. It also conforms to conventional truth, like the method of taking an alliance oath, causing them to swallow this fragrant water before all the noble ones and swear in their own minds, ensuring that they do not regress from the great vow of bodhi." Furthermore, blending the fragrance of the unobstructed precept with the clean, white heart-water of the syllable VA gateway, all who drink or touch it are certain to attain unexcelled saṃbodhi. Purifying their minds in this way, they are then fit to enter the secret maṇḍala.