Chapter 11 - Maṇḍala of the Feast-Offerings

Then the Tathāgata, the Great Joyous One, became equipoised in the contemplation called "the king or transformation of the Magical Net", and then uttered this meaningful expression. [1]

The single basis and the manner of seed-syllables.
The blessing and the direct perception:
Through (these) four kinds of excellent realisation.
All things are the great king, manifestly perfect. [2]

The limbs, sense-organs, and consciousness.
All are to be known on maturation as the syllable OṂ.
One meditates on them as the nature
Of the perfect maṇḍala.
Alternatively, one meditates on these
As the maṇḍala of wrathful deities. [3]

Forms, sounds, scents, savours, contacts and so forth
Are to be known on maturation as the syllable MŪṂ.
One meditates on them as the maṇḍala of female consorts.
Alternatively, one meditates on them
As the maṇḍala of female wrathful deities. [4]

The raiment, ornaments, food and drink, songs.
Verses, dance steps and gesticulations.
And the cloud-mass of feast-offerings
Are known as the syllable HŪṂ.
So when these have been well enjoyed,
It is pleasing to the maṇḍala of wondrous source. [5]

Discriminating between Devīs, Nāginīs,
And female (mudrās) of Inferior species.
Or else without discrimination, [6]
There are ritual service, further ritual service.
Rites of attainment, and rites of great attainment. [7]

In the maṇḍala of the lotus of the female consort.
The maṇḍala of blissful Buddha-mind is emanated.
And through the offerings of supreme joy and equanimity.
Made to all maṇḍalas of buddhas, without exception,
(The deities) dissolve. [8]

Those essences of attainment, sun and moon-fluids.
Are drawn by the tongue-like vajra into the maṇḍala. [9]

One will become a skyfarer, radiant and blazing forth.
With longevity, etc.
And a master of the Wish-fulfilling Clouds. [10]

Those who have become fields (of compassion).
Belonging to supreme and less supreme (realms), [11]
Are placed by the learned (yogin)
Upon solar and lunar disks.
With pride, he meditates on that hand-made (effigy):
Transformed into the syllable HŪṂ, and so purified.
This dissolves into the expanse,
And then blazing forth as the symbolic seal.
It becomes the buddha-body.
Brilliant through the proliferation
Of its rays of light.
Then he meditates that (the evil one) has become triumphant
On the crown of the head. [12]

This is the wondrous skillful means.
Which releases beings from evil existences. [13]

The primordial uncreated real nature
Appears as a magical apparition.
In the manner of an optical illusion.
Although all rites of sexual union and "liberation” have been performed.
They have not been performed, even to the extent of an atomic particle. [14]

The world, its contents, and the mind-stream
Are realised to be pure.
Through the two samenesses
And the two superior samenesses
The maṇḍala is the field of Samantabhadra. [15]

Conduct is transformed through the two great provisions.
And then the yogin who has not degenerated
In the branches (of mantra).
Who posseses the requisites.
And completely knows the rituals.
Will, by means of the maṇḍala of feast offerings,
Certainly accomplish his excellent purpose. [16]

One should meditate on the form
Of the deities of the five clusters.
Arrayed five in union with five.
And on the ten wrathful male deities.
And the ten wrathful female deities.
In the manner of a circle. [17]

One should meditate on the deities of the three clusters.
Of Buddha-body, speech and mind.
Namely those of the enlightened family of the Tathāgata.
Of the enlightened family of Indestructible reality.
And of the enlightened family of the lotus;
Which have a host of wrathful deities. [18]

One should meditate on the deities of a single cluster,
Namely the enlightened family among enlightened families.
Where the central deity of the enlightened families
Is the mind of buddha-mind, the supreme Buddha-mind;
And which has a host of wrathful deities. [19]

Through the assembled hosts which include
The great assembly of male wrathful deities
And female wrathful deities.
With those of their intermediaries,
Retainers, attendants, and other servants.
The rites and accomplishment are perfected. [20]

The Yogin or Mantrin, [21] in terms of accomplishment.
Abides in a disposition of spontaneous sameness and perfection;
And through conduct, unimpeded in all respects,
All things are primordial and indivisible.
All maṇḍalas are within the enlightened family
Of Indestructible reality.
The Yogin should excellently meditate
That they emanate light and blaze forth.
And this should be dissolved without attachment.
Transformed, without duality.
That one obtains the great seal. [22]

Alternatively, the Yogin (should attain) the nature
Of Buddha-body, speech and mind—
All (Buddhas) without exception
Are Buddha-body, speech and mind.
In contemplation, they emanate rays of light
Which radiate and blaze forth,
And which are dissolved in the disposition
Of the non-dual expanse.
Then the supreme accomplishment of
The awareness-holder will be obtained.
All maṇḍalas without exception will blaze forth.
The suffering of conflicting emotions will be dispelled,
And (beings) will be born into the enlightened family
Of indestructible reality. [23]

For genuine accomplishment, the Mantrin
Should meditate without attachment
On skillful means and discriminative awareness,
And by all means upon the five maṇḍalas
And the row of wrathful deities.
These should be dissolved without dichotomy.
And the nucleus of supreme accomplishment will be achieved. [24]

The yogin, by means of skillful means
And discriminative awareness,
Should meditate on the Tathāgatas
And their female consorts;
And he should meditate on the nature of
The male and female spiritual warriors.
These emanate a multitude of light-rays. [25]

Their respective mantras, seals
And contemplations radiate
Genuinely and differently. [26]

One who is well endowed
With the locations and enjoyments,
Whichever are pleasing,
And an intellect without degeneration,
Should firstly act as if taking a vow.
And when propitiation has been performed,
Without laziness and langour,
And without hesitation.
That (Yogin) will accomplish all maṇḍalas,
And obtain the supreme, genuine,
Secret of indestructible reality. [27]

The days and dates for attainment
Are explained according to
Their description in the tantras. [28]

—Such were his words of indestructible reality. With these words, the Tathāgata held meaningful discourse with the Tathāgata himself. This completes the eleventh chapter from the Secret Nucleus Definitive with respect to the Real, entitled the Maṇḍala of the Feast Offerings. [29]