Chapter 26

26.1At that time Blessed Śākyamuni, looking again at the realm of the Pure Abode, addressed Mañjuśrī, the divine youth:

“Listen, Mañjuśrī, to my short teaching on the painting procedure of One Syllable‍—the cakravartin of great power. This procedure was previously taught at length, but now only briefly. {26.1}

26.2“During this lowest eon beings have little diligence or wisdom, and are rather dull. They would be unable to successfully execute the painting in its extensive version. {26.2}

26.4“If one wants to perform the supreme sādhana, one should paint the Blessed One on an undamaged cloth with untrimmed fringes, shorn to remove loose fibers, using uncontaminated paints. [The Blessed One,] the Dharma king who turns the wheels of Dharma, the supreme lord of all worlds, the best of humans, the most eminent among two-legged beings, [F.206.b] [F.223.b] the jewel of a tathāgata, the supreme victor by the name Ratnaketu should be depicted teaching the Dharma with a halo of light surrounding him. {26.4}

26.5“Below [ Ratnaketu ] are Brahmā and Vajrapāṇi, and above, holding garlands, two gods. Below there is the practitioner. One should recite [One Syllable] in front of the painting at the three junctions of the day while burning agalloch incense, until one has completed one million repetitions. Afterward one may perform the following rites. {26.5}

26.6“The sādhana of the wheel.

“First, if one wants to perform this sādhana, one should construct a twelve-spoked wheel out of ‘flower-metal’ and, during the prātihāra bright fortnight, recite the mantra one million times before the Blessed One, while burning an incense of agalloch, at the three junctions of the day. At the final stage during the full moon, one should prepare many offerings and, holding them up in one’s hands, recite the mantra until the wheel blazes with light. By grasping it, one will become a monarch of vidyādharas. One will fly through space together with those of them who see him, or whom he himself sees. {26.6}

26.7“The sādhana of the parasol.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should commission a new, white, bright parasol marked with a golden wheel and adorned with hanging [strips of] silk. According to procedure, one should place the parasol above one’s head and recite the mantra. The vidyā will attend upon one of her own accord. One should recite the mantra in this manner one million times before the Blessed One, at the three junctions of the day, while burning agalloch incense. At the final stage during the full moon, one should prepare many offerings and, holding them up in one’s hands, recite the mantra until [the parasol] blazes with light. When taking hold of it, one will become a monarch of vidyādharas. Doing this during the full moon every month, one will succeed within five fortnights, during the prātihāra fortnight. Once this practice is accomplished, all phenomena will become apparent. One will attain all the [five] superknowledges. One will become a siddha praised by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and one will be able to adapt to every being. [F.207.a] [F.224.a] In the next world, too, one will become a monarch with a retinue of thousands. {26.7}

26.8“The sādhana of Uṣṇīṣa .

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should make a stick, one cubit long, out of gold, silver, copper, or precious stone. One should then recite the mantra until [the stick] emits light. When one takes hold of it, one will be able to go wherever one pleases and teach Dharma to sentient beings. One will live one great eon. {26.8}

26.9“The sādhana of the auspicious pot.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should make a pot out of gold; fill it completely with all types of seeds, jewels, and herbs; cover it with white cloth; and imbue it with magical power by means of the same [mantra]. If one starts in a prātihāra bright fortnight, one will accomplish the sādhana in the next prātihāra fortnight. If one places this pot in one’s hand, one will obtain whatever one wishes for. [The wealth] will be inexhaustible. {26.9}

26.10“The sādhana of the wish-fulfilling gem.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should fashion a jewel out of precious gems, crystal, or gold, with a golden handle, and attach to it [strips of] cloth. By this method one will succeed. One will accomplish anything one can think of. By taking hold of it, one will be free of impediments and will surpass in power gods and men. If one recites the mantra of the blessed [One Syllable] ten million times, one will be able to levitate. One will obtain the body of a god and will live for many great eons. {26.10}

26.11“There are also other chief [uṣṇīṣa kings], starting with Sitātapatra. By incanting [the wish-fulfilling gem] one million times with the mantra of this blessed lord, one will succeed in all the tasks that need to be performed. This inviolable tathāgata- uṣṇīṣa will thus accomplish, before long, whatever he is employed at, even if it involves the rites of other [religions].

“Similarly, one will be able to accomplish anything with one million repetitions of the mantra of the blessed uṣṇīṣa [king] Cakravartin , the lord of all the vidyā mantras. {26.11}

26.12“The sādhana of the vajra.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should make [F.207.b] [F.224.b] a one-pointed vajra from red sandalwood or ‘flower-metal’ and wipe it with the five products of the cow. Then, on the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight, one should lay out before the painting many offerings, light butter lamps, and rinse the vajra with scented water. One will thus enthrall the yakṣa s. {26.12}

26.13“Commending oneself to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, one should perform the protection rite for oneself and also for one’s assistants within the confines of the maṇḍala, using the mantra of Uṣṇīṣarāja with his retinue, or of Tejorāśi or Sitātapatra. One should take the vajra with one’s right hand and, starting when the first watch of the night has passed and the second set in, recite the mantra with a one-pointed mind until the vajra emits light. As the result, all the vidyādharas, gods, nāga s, and yakṣa s will arrive together. All the vidyādhara kings will arrive too. Praised by them, one will ascend to the abode of vidyādharas and will become their emperor. With the body like that of Vajrapāṇi and a power equal to his, one will be able to ascend, within an instant or a brief moment, to the realm of the Akaniṣṭha gods. Remaining [there] for one great eon, one will behold the noble Lord Maitreya and hear the Dharma. After death, one will be born wherever one wishes to. If so wishing, one will arrive in the presence of Vajrapāṇi. {26.13}

26.14“The sādhana of the sword.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should take a sword without any defect and, having fasted for one day and one night, offer worship with many offerings to the Blessed One. One should recite the mantra until the sword blazes with light. Having accomplished that, one will fly through space with one’s retinue. With curly hair and the form of a sixteen-year-old, never discommoding‍—or discommoded by‍—any vidyādhara, one will live among them for one intermediate eon. {26.14}

26.15“The sādhana of red arsenic.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should purchase some red arsenic in an honorable transaction, fast [F.208.a] [F.225.a] for three nights when the moon is in the asterism of Puṣya, offer food to the members of the saṅgha, and request their permission. When this has been granted, one should commence the sādhana. One should give many offerings and light one thousand butter lamps. Having fasted for three nights while giving rise to loving kindness for all beings and commending oneself to the buddhas, one should take hold of the arsenic and recite the mantra until one has attained the threefold accomplishment, namely that the arsenic emits heat, smoke, and flames. Whatever one has previously thought of will be accomplished. {26.15}

26.16“If, without losing this accomplishment, one places a bindi on one’s forehead while the arsenic is emitting heat, all the gods, nāga s, yakṣa s, bhūtas, piśācas, and so forth, and all the beings dwelling in Jambūdvīpa, will become one’s servants attentive to orders. One will live one thousand years. {26.16}

26.17“If one places the bindi while the arsenic is emitting smoke, one will become invisible. If one wants, one will be invisible even to gods. One can reappear and again disappear in a single instant. One will become the king of all invisible beings and will live for three thousand years. {26.17}

26.18“[If one places the bindi while the arsenic] is emitting flames, one will become a vidyādhara and will be able to fly surrounded by a retinue. One will become the king of vidyādharas. One will obtain the body of a celestial youth that can’t be harmed even by gods, let alone vidyādharas. One will live for an eon, and when one dies, one will be reborn among the Tuṣita gods. {26.18}

26.19“The sādhana of the trident.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should make a trident from ‘flower-metal’ and recite the mantra for one year. One should then build from sand a caitya the size of one cubit and worship it with many offerings, including a large bali. Holding the trident in one’s right hand, one should recite the mantra while sitting in a cross-legged posture [F.208.b] [F.225.b] until the trident starts sparkling, emitting thousands of light rays. Subsequently the gods will arrive, headed by Maheśvara. All the vidyādharas will rain flowers. Then, surrounded by them, one will fly up together with all those whom one sees and those that see oneself. Having three eyes, one will become like a second Maheśvara, will be saluted by all the vidyādharas, and will live for one great eon. One will destroy evil-minded beings merely by looking at them. No one in the world will be able to harm one, not even in the realm of gods, let alone among the vidyādharas. When one dies, one will be reborn in Sukhāvatī. {26.19}

26.20“The sādhana of the vetāla.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should procure an uninjured human corpse, secure its chest with four stakes of khadira wood and, sitting on it, offer into the fire powdered jewels. A wish fulfilling gem will then appear at the tip of the corpse’s tongue. If one seizes it, one will become a monarch of the vidyādharas. Whatever weapons one thinks of, they will materialize by the power of mind alone. One will radiate light for a distance of one hundred leagues and will be able to choose the time of one’s death and to go wherever one pleases. Also, in another world, one will be a monarch of the vidyādharas. When one dies, one will be reborn in the Vimala world. {26.20}

26.21“The second sādhana of the vetāla.

“One should procure an uninjured corpse, nail it down with stakes of jujube wood, and offer into its mouth a homa of iron filings. The corpse’s tongue will move out. If one cuts it off, one will fly up surrounded by a retinue of one hundred. One will live for one intermediate eon, [F.209.a] [F.226.a] playing and enjoying oneself on the top of Mount Sumeru. After death, one will become a king of a province. {26.21}

26.22“The sādhana of the goad.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should make a goad out of kuśa grass, rinse it with the five products of a cow, and fast for one night. The handle of the goad should be one cubit long. One should make bountiful offerings to Vajrapāṇi and light one hundred butter lamps. One should also make a vajra. In this way one will be protected by Sitātapatra. Tejorāśi should be employed in creating the maṇḍala enclosure on the ground. One should incant the stakes seven times and drive them into the ground on the four sides. Then one should secure the location and build a fence. {26.22}

26.23“Then, during the second watch, one should sit cross-legged and, with a focused mind, offer perfume, flowers, and incense to the goad‍—this is the rite of protection. Having bowed to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, one should take the goad into one’s hand and recite the mantra until, as the result, the pain of the hell beings and the gods is pacified. If one then bows to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, one will fly up as a king of vidyādharas with a goad in one’s hand and without being obstructed. All the gods, nāga s, yakṣa s, and so forth, seeing one from afar, will bow. One will remain in this condition for one eon, and when one dies, one will be reborn in the Vajra realm. One will behold Vajrapāṇi there. {26.23}

26.24“If one uses the painting as the object of the sādhana, one will become a vidyādhara once the painting emits light. Whatever rite one wants to accomplish, one should recite the mantra of this rite one hundred thousand times, including in the mantra the target’s name. In the end, after one night’s fast, one should offer a large pūjā, light a fire with sticks of the crown flower plant, and offer into it one thousand and eight oblations of sesame seeds smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. [F.219.b] [F.226.b] At the end of the homa, [the target] will arrive and give whatever wealth one may desire. He will remain enthralled and attentive to orders. {26.24}

26.25“The sādhana of Maheśvara.

“If one wants to enthrall Maheśvara, one should worship him in his benevolent (dakṣiṇa) form with bountiful offerings. One should light a fire with sticks of the crown flower plant and offer into it one thousand and eight homas. The sound ‘ha ha’ will be heard; one should not be afraid. Maheśvara will arrive and ask, ‘What should I do?’ One should reply, ‘May all the vidyā s of Maheśvara be accomplished by me.’ Maheśvara will grant whatever boon one may wish for. Saying, ‘May it be so,’ he will disappear. {26.25}

26.26“Similarly, one can summon Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and so forth. Whatever boon one wishes for, one should perform the rite accordingly. This should be done by someone who has performed the protection rite. {26.26}

26.27“The sādhana of the yakṣiṇī.

“If one wants to summon a yakṣiṇī, one should offer, while saying her name, oblations of aśoka flowers for seven days. She will arrive and grant a boon. She will certainly arrive on the seventh day. According to one’s wish, she will become one’s mother, sister, or wife. If she subsequently fails to arrive, her head will split. If one wants to summon a nāginī instead, one should follow exactly the same procedure, but use, [instead of aśoka], flowers of cobra’s saffron. {26.27}

26.28“The sādhana of the yakṣa .

“If one wants to summon a yakṣa , one should offer a homa of curds and cooked rice for three months. At the end of this period, one should fast for one night and then offer a large pūjā to the Blessed One, and also make a bali offering of rice porridge to the yakṣa s. In one’s mind, one should resolve, ‘I am going to summon the yakṣa s,’ and offer into the fire one thousand and eight sticks of the banyan tree smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. Subsequently, the yakṣa s, including Kubera, will arrive. {26.28}

26.29“One should welcome them with an offering of red flowers. They will say, ‘What can we do for you?’ and should be told in reply, [F.210.a] [F.227.a] ‘Send me a different yakṣa every single day who will carry out my orders.’ They will then provide the yakṣa s, one at a time. One should issue orders to them. They can procure a woman, even if she is one hundred leagues away. In the morning, they will take her back to the place where she belongs. They will provide refreshments also for one’s retinue of one hundred. One can travel wherever one wants, mounted on the back [of a yakṣa ]. One will be brought back [in the same manner]. They will give one an elixir of long life. They will do whatever they are commanded. {26.29}

26.30“The sādhana of Vajrapāṇi.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should do the preliminary practice either four or seven times. One should then offer a complete worship with bountiful offerings during the prātihāra bright fortnight right until the full moon. When the full moon pūjā is thus completed, one should feed the monks and all those categorized as saṅgha. To propitiate the noble Vajradhara , one should offer another big pūjā and, when the first watch of the night has passed and the second has set in, one should sit in a cross-legged position and, focused one-pointedly, resolve in one’s mind, ‘I will now behold Vajradhara .’ One should then offer into the fire [oblations of] bdellium pills, the size of kernels of the jujube fruit, throughout one watch of the night. At that time the garlands and chaplets of the Blessed One will move, the earth will shake, and thunder will roll through the clouds. All the vidyādharas will rain flowers. While [all this is happening,] Blessed Vajrapāṇi will arrive surrounded by all the vidyā s, headed by the most prominent [among them]; by the vidyādhara kings; and by all the gods, nāga s, yakṣa s, gandharvas, kinnaras, and bodhisattvas. {26.30}

26.31“At that moment, the acute suffering of hell beings will cease. One should welcome Vajrapāṇi with scented water [for the feet], prostrate to him, and stand up. Vajradhara will then ask, ‘What boon shall I give you?’ [F.210.b] [F.227.b] One can obtain from the Blessed One whatever one wishes for‍—a universal supremacy over the vidyādharas, the ability to find and enter the passages leading into the subterranean paradises, a kingdom, or the ability to disappear at will. If one wishes, one may become a monarch of the vidyādharas with a vajra body similar to Vajrapāṇi’s. One may procure any article by merely thinking of it. One will remain for one great eon, and when one dies, one will be reborn in the Vajra realm. {26.31}

26.32“In short, the same procedure may also be used for other vidyādharas. The rites that are found in the ritual lore of Vajrapāṇi or Avalokiteśvara, those that have been taught by the Blessed One, those found in the ritual lore of Brahmā or Maheśvara‍—in short, the sādhanas given previously‍—will succeed in all the mundane and supramundane rites. The great mantras, if they are not thus made effective, will not succeed. If, however, they are recited as part of this procedure, [the vidyādhara] will make his appearance within seven nights. If he does not, he will perish. If one recites the mantra before the gods headed by Maheśvara, [the vidyādhara] will make his appearance within seven nights. If he does not, his head will split into twenty-one parts. {26.32}

26.33“[The sādhana of substances, etc.]

“Ghee, sweet flag, collyrium, sacrificial grass, a wooden staff, the sacred thread, yellow or red arsenic, and so forth can be magically empowered during a lunar or solar eclipse. If one wants to perform the sādhana of the substances, one should take some red arsenic, grind it with human milk, and prepare five pills. One should place them in a box containing agalloch and imbue them with power (sādhayet) during a lunar or solar eclipse by adding white mustard seeds. One should then offer a bali. When the mustard seeds make a hissing sound, the first accomplishment has been obtained. [F.211.a] [F.228.a] With it, one can enthrall all people and accomplish all worldly aims. The [pills’ spirit] will do whatever it is ordered to. If the pills emit smoke, one will become the king of all those able to disappear at will and will live for one intermediate eon. If the pills emit light, one will obtain the youthful body of a god and the splendor of a newly risen sun. One will become the king of vidyārāja s and will live for one great eon. This is the way to perform the sādhana of bezoar, yellow arsenic, and other substances. {26.33}

26.34“The sādhana of collyrium.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should blend together antimony-based collyrium, blue lotuses, costus root, and sandalwood, and place the mixture in a copper vessel. Then, during a lunar eclipse, one should recite the mantra until the mixture emits smoke. One whose eyes are anointed with this preparation will become invisible. One will become the king of all those able to disappear at will, oneself being able to assume any form. {26.34}

26.35“The sādhana of the sword.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should take an undamaged sword, and lay out before the painting bountiful offerings during the eighth or the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight. One should offer bali according to procedure and, having performed the protection, should grasp the sword with the right hand and recite the mantra until the sword sparkles. If it does, one will become a sole vidyādhara. If, however, it flashes with light, one will become the king of all vidyādharas, with invincible power and valor, and will fly up together with all those whom one sees and those that see oneself. {26.35}

26.36“The sādhana of the vajra.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should make a vajra from ‘flower-metal,’ three-pointed at either end and sixteen fingers long, and wipe it with red sandalwood. Then, starting on the prātihāra bright fortnight, one should lay out before the painting many offerings and recite the mantra daily. One should also give food to the monks to nourish them. In the final stage, one should fast for three nights, [F.211.b] [F.228.b] place the painting in a caitya containing relics, offer a large pūjā, and light one hundred butter lamps. Sitting on a bundle of kuśa grass, one should grasp the vajra with both hands and recite the mantra until the vajra emits light. When one holds this vajra, one will fly up surrounded by a retinue of seven and become the monarch of vidyādharas with power and valor equal to Vajrapāṇi’s. One will live for one great eon. At the time of physical demise, one will ascend to Vajrapāṇi’s realm. {26.36}

26.37“Similarly, one can magically empower all weapons, such as spears, discuses, arrows, javelins, and so forth, as well as cloth shoes, wooden staffs, and sacred threads, following other procedures. For each of them the accomplishment is threefold. {26.37}

26.38“The rite of pacifying a pestilence.

“If one wants to perform the rite of pacifying, one should construct a lotus-shaped altar, light a fire using sticks suitable for sacrifice, and, using the small sacrificial ladle, offer one thousand and eight oblations of sweet rice pudding mixed with curds, honey, and ghee. Within three nights, the pestilence will be pacified for oneself or for one other person. Within seven nights, it will be pacified for the entire village or town. In the event of a pestilence with high mortality, one should offer oblations of sticks of the śamī tree smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. In the event of drought, one should offer oblations of sticks of the udumbara tree smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. If one offers the three sweet things, it will completely pacify any pestilence. In the event of famine, one should recite the mantra three million times. {26.38}

26.39“[Rites for obtaining longevity.]

“On the night of the full moon of a prātihāra bright fortnight, during a lunar eclipse, having fasted for three nights, one should incant milk of a black cow one hundred and eight times and drink it, as it has now become an elixir of long life endowed with many qualities.

One should offer, over a period of ten nights, one thousand and eight oblations of panic grass sprouts smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. This will prevent untimely death and ensure long life. {26.39}

26.40“Various rites.

“One should incant a banner, a conch, or another such item. The mere sight or [F.212.a] [F.229.a] sound of it will paralyze an enemy army. One should prepare a new jar, completely filled with rice and scented water, and incant it one hundred and eight times. If one sprinkles with the contents someone attacked by vināyakas and then washes them, the person thus consecrated will acquire great fortune and will be free from all their nonvirtue. One can also perform maṇḍala rites and the rites [to control] grahas. {26.40}

26.41“One can remove all poisons with a peacock’s feather incanted one hundred thousand times. Using the same feather, one can cure fever, pain in the eyes, and other diseases. Using [an incanted] thread, one can cure all fevers. By using the mantra in combination with the mudrā, one can smash the magical diagrams of the asuras. {26.41}

26.42“If one descends to a river that flows toward the ocean and sets adrift one hundred thousand lotuses smeared with red sandalwood paste, one will obtain a treasure trove equal to the heap of lotuses that one has offered. When given away, the treasure will remain undiminished.

“If one offers one thousand and eight oblations of bilva fruit smeared with curds, honey, and ghee, one will obtain enjoyments. {26.42}

26.43“Rites of enthrallment.

“If one wants to enthrall gods, one should offer one thousand and eight oblations of agalloch sticks smeared with curds, honey, and ghee at the three junctions of the day for twenty-one days. If one offers oblations of rice grains mixed with curds, honey, and ghee, one’s store of food will never diminish. {26.43}

26.44“When enthralling yakṣa s, one should offer oblations of bdellium pills smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. For yakṣiṇīs, one should use sticks of the aśoka tree; for nāga s, flowers of cobra’s saffron. For the noble Vajrapāṇi, one should use agalloch sticks; for vidyādharas, damanaka twigs; for gandharvas, sticks of agalloch smeared with olibanum oil. To enthrall pretas, one should offer oblations of frankincense; for kinnaras, oblations of pine resin; [F.212.b] [F.229.b] for vināyakas, oblations of sarja resin. For each of these classes of beings one should offer one hundred and eight oblations for seven days.

“To enthrall a king, one should offer, at the three junctions of the day for seven days, one hundred and eight oblations of ‘royal’ mustard seeds smeared with sesame oil.

“If one recites the mantra 100,000 times while facing the sun, one will be free from all one’s nonvirtue. {26.44}

26.45“Propitiation of vidyā s.

“One desiring to propitiate any vidyā should fashion, while living on a diet of barley and cow urine, an effigy of her out of an uśīra root. One should worship it with white flowers, offer one hundred and eight oblations of milk, wash the effigy in milk, and offer incense of agalloch incanted one hundred and eight times. The vidyā goddess will be propitiated. With a single utterance of her vidyā , one’s own protection will be effected; with a double utterance, the protection of other beings; with a triple utterance, the protection of substances. {26.45}

26.46“One desiring to help a vidyā [goddess] who has been broken, crushed, and destroyed by being nailed down with stakes should fashion her effigy out of uśīra root and worship it with white flowers. One should then offer, before the painting of the same Uṣṇīṣarāja, one thousand and eight oblations of ‘royal’ mustard smeared with curds, honey, and ghee. As for the vidyā , she will be freed from the stakes. {26.46}

26.47“If one knows that the vidyā [formula] has been corrupted by bad people, one should write it on birchbark with bezoar [ink] and incant it one hundred and eight times with one’s own mantra. Then, one should offer a large pūjā to the Blessed One and recite [the vidyā ] together with the Blessed One one thousand and eight times. If one goes to sleep right at the place of recitation on a bed of kuśa grass, the vidyā goddess will arrive in one’s dream and tell the missing or superfluous [parts of the vidyā formula]. {26.47}

26.48“The sādhana of the lotus.

“If one wants to perform this sādhana, one should fashion a lotus flower out of red sandalwood and offer a large pūjā. After three nights’ fast, one should take the flower with one’s right hand and recite the mantra until the flower emits light. One will then fly up surrounded by a retinue of twenty and become a monarch of vidyādharas. [F.213.a] [F.230.a] One’s movement will not be obstructed. When one dies, one will ascend to Sukhāvatī. {26.48}

26.49“The sādhana of the one-pronged vajra.

“If one wants to perform the sādhana of the vajra, one should make a vajra from clay from an anthill, mixed with sand. Living on alms, observing silence, and acting in a non-threatening manner, one should take hold of this vajra and recite the mantra three hundred thousand times. The vajra thus used must be one-pronged. One should place this vajra nearby among white mustard seeds and keep it there while reciting the mantra until the mustard makes a hissing sound, which indicates that the vajra is now successfully empowered. While holding it, one can accomplish any activity, such as pulverizing mountains; drying up nāga ponds; reversing the flow of rivers; putting the nāga s to flight; removing poison; paralyzing, confusing, or bringing ruin upon any being; destroying magical devices; or arresting the movement of carts and so forth, or turning them to dust. One can perform all this and any other activity. {26.49}

26.50“Nobody can possibly create obstacles for someone doing the practice of the uṣṇīṣa [king] Cakravartin , as one becomes Mūrdhaṭaka in person, if the right procedure is followed, but not without it. During the recitation session, one should always recite the mantra of Buddhalocanā at the beginning and at the end. In this way one will invoke gentle benevolence. One’s accomplishment will become apparent. {26.50}

26.51“[The sādhana of Śrī (Lakṣmī).]

“One should descend to a river that flows into the ocean and set afloat as an offering one hundred thousand lotuses. [The goddess] Śrī will arrive and grant a boon; she will grant a kingdom. If one then offers three hundred thousand lotuses, one will become the king of all the land, as well as the supreme monarch of Jambūdvīpa. If one erects the painting before a hole in the ground and recites the mantra three hundred thousand times, all the magical devices [that block the entrance] will fall. One should enter without fear. Inside, one should extract the elixir of longevity. One should remain there. [F.213.b] [F.230.b] There will be no danger from Viṣṇu’s discus. Even if the discus makes it inside, it will be turned to ashes by the mere recollection of the mantra. It can be revived by a mere wish. It will never enter again. {26.51}

26.52“[Various rites.]

“Starting from the first day of a bright fortnight, one should strike, thrice a day, the big toe of the Blessed One’s foot with jasmine flowers incanted one time until light radiates from the toe and enters one’s own body. At this very moment one’s straight hair will become curly, and one will fly up surrounded by a retinue. One will become the king of vidyādharas and will live for one eon. {26.52}

26.53“One should erect on the ocean shore the painting facing west, light a fire using sticks of cobra’s saffron, and offer into it one hundred thousand oblations of flowers of cobra’s saffron, dedicating them to the ocean. Waves will arise there. One should not fear such signs of success; they will continue to appear until Samudra himself appears in the guise of a brahmin and says, ‘What can I do for you?’ One should reply, ‘Surrender to my control.’ He will then do whatever one asks for. {26.53}

26.54“One should draw a thousand-petaled lotus on the ground, sit upon it, and recite the mantra one hundred thousand times. A [real] lotus will grow out of the earth. Being thus lifted up, one will fly up surrounded by a retinue of one thousand. One will become the king of vidyādharas with a lifespan of one great eon. One’s halo will radiate within a five-league radius without causing any alarm [to anyone]. {26.54}

26.55“One should offer, during the prātihāra bright fortnight, one hundred thousand jasmine flowers above the uṣṇīṣa of the Blessed One, reciting the mantra over each and every flower, until a light radiates from the uṣṇīṣa and enters one’s own body. At that very moment one will acquire [F.214.a] [F.231.a] the five superknowledges. When one has thus incanted and offered one million flowers, if one then recites whatever vidyā one wants to employ along with the mantra of the Blessed One, she will definitely arrive in person while being recited. If she fails to arrive, she will burst at the head and wither away. {26.55}

26.56“This One Syllable is indeed the cakravartin Uṣṇīṣa , a tathāgata in person. Who else could be the tathāgata king of all the mantras and vidyā s in this world with its gods? The most prominent uṣṇīṣa kings in his retinue are Sitātapatra and Tejorāśi. One should employ the same complete sādhana procedure of each of the uṣṇīṣa kings. All the uṣṇīṣa kings can be accomplished by means of this [sādhana alone]. If one desires the supreme accomplishment, one must not employ [him] in the wrong place or time. If one does, the supreme accomplishment will not come. In short, all the gods can be summoned with this [One Syllable]. {26.56}

26.57“[With One Syllable,] one can also unveil a treasure trove. One should go to where the trove is, take a white jar, smear it with ‘all fragrances,’ fill it with water infused with white sandalwood, incant it with the mantra one thousand and eight times, and deposit it where the trove [is supposed to be]. If the trove is there, the earth will burst open. If it is at the depth of a human height, one should sprinkle the area with water‍—one will be able to grasp it after digging one cubit deep. {26.57}

26.58“If one wants to perform the sādhana of a lion, one should make its effigy from the clay of an anthill, smear it with bovine bezoar, place it on a pedestal, and offer a large pūjā. One should recite the mantra until the lion moves; once it does, the practitioner has accomplished the rite. His hair forming curls like earrings, he will fly up surrounded by a retinue of four, mounted on [the lion’s] back. [F.214.b] [F.231.b] He will live as long as Brahmā‍—ninety thousand years‍—without being interfered with by any of the vidyādharas. The sādhanas of elephants, horses, and buffaloes can be accomplished in the same way. Whenever he utters a lion’s roar, the gods will fall off their seats. {26.58}

26.59“If one goes to a lotus pond and offers one hundred thousand lotuses, one will obtain an entire kingdom. Should one offer one hundred thousand buds of red oleander flowers, one will obtain a king’s daughter. If one offers one hundred thousand jasmine flowers into a river that empties into the ocean, one will obtain whatever girl one desires and will accomplish the highest practices. {26.59}

26.60“Through this mantra of the cakravartin Uṣṇīṣa , wherever one goes, even Indra himself will vacate and offer his seat. All the gods, seeing one at a distance, will become awed and afraid. One will reduce the radius of the gods’ halos to just one fathom, while radiating one’s own for one hundred leagues. {26.60}

26.61“He, One Syllable, is the tathāgata-cakravartin in this world with its gods. All the other blessed uṣṇīṣa cakravartins taught in this manual remain in his thrall. All the other mantra systems along with their respective detailed manuals are subordinate to him.” {26.61}

26.62So spoke Blessed lion Śākyamuni, the lion and the most eminent among men.

26.63This concludes the detailed twenty-sixth chapter, with instructions on the ritual procedures of the rites of the cakravartin One Syllable and his painting, from “The Root Manual of Noble Mañjuśrī,” an extensive Mahāyāna sūtra that forms a garland-like basket of bodhisattva teachings.