建立曼荼羅及揀擇地法 1.37

1.37

The purpose of digging the ground is the fear that there may be defilements in the earth, such as the aforementioned ashes, charcoal, skulls, insect nests, tree roots, stinging vermin, and the like, or ancient graves and hidden corpses. If there are too many bad objects, it is unsuitable for establishment; one should abandon it and seek another, better place. If there are no such faults, one merely digs down one cubit, two cubits, or three cubits deep, carries out the soil, crushes it fine, and sifts it. If one digs down to the bedrock where it has never been excavated before, knowing that the ground is surely pure and having no doubt in mind, regardless of the depth, one does not need to dig further. If the color of the earth is mixed and inconsistent, it must also be removed and replaced with pure soil taken from a riverbank, filled and treated according to the ritual. Each time a layer of soil is filled in, it is sprinkled once with consecrated scented water, and one proceeds in this manner until it is completely filled. When the filling of the earth is complete, tamp it so that it is firm and level as a mirror.