Peripheral analysis of "Mark's World" (Buddhist terminology 1) Mandala diagram

"Marco's World" introduced the concept of mandala diagrams for the first time in episode 13: "I will get you the Heart Sutra and some mandala diagrams later, and you can study them when you get home. , the more you can memorize those pictures, the better. I will teach you how to use them later..."

Of course, I evolved this realistic pattern into a kind of consciousness energy body of Marco, for example. It's an inappropriate metaphor, a bit like the spider webs ejected by Spider-Man. Of course, in the world of consciousness, it is much more powerful than a spider web and can transform into various forms. So it appears often in the following text.

So let’s talk about the origin of this word.

Mandala (Sanskrit: ?, ma?ala; Pali: ma?ala; Tibetan: dkyil 'khor), the original meaning is circle, free translation: mandala, Mandala, dojo, also transliterated as Mandala Mandala, Mandala, Mandala, Manchaluo, Mannaluo, Mandala, Mandala, Mandala, etc., meaning "altar", " "Holy circle", "center", "round and full", "gathering of saints";

The Tibetan translation is dkyil 'khor, transliterated as "Ji Kuo", which means "middle surround". The mandala was originally a small earthen platform built to meet the needs of yoga practice. Later, it was also made by drawing, which is a kind of disguised form in Buddhist art. This tradition was absorbed into Tantra, resulting in many different forms of mandalas.

It is the center of spiritual energy of the Tantric tradition. According to the various meanings of mandala, it is a "sleep and orderly arrangement of all things" made by various religions in order to describe or represent the universe model of their religion, or to show the reality of the universe seen by their religion. , used to express the reality of the universe, "all things are in the forest, integrating the Zen circle of introjection". The Sanskrit word mandala means "essence" plus "having" or "containment" and also means "circle circumference" or "completion".

According to the Mahavairocana Sutra and the Vajra Crown Sutra, in terms of the layout of the meeting place of the deities and the order of religious achievements, the Mahavala Suntra has the Mandala of the Womb Realm and the Vajra Crown Sutra. There are two mandalas in the Vajra Realm Mandala, which respectively show that "every religious talent who is originally a disciple of the Buddha is under the protection and cultivation of the guru, ancestral Buddha" and "the supreme religious achievement of Vajra Immortality requires the disciples to The meaning of “learning people to be self-reliant and self-reliant”.

Among the teachings and rituals that can "instantly become a Buddha", there are four types: the Great Mandala, the Samaya Mandala, the Dharma Mandala, and the Karma Mandala. The five secrets of Esoteric Buddhism, including "the wisdom of the great round mirror, the wisdom of equality, the wisdom of wonderful observation, the wisdom of accomplishment, and the wisdom of the nature of the Dharma Realm" and the three secrets of "body secret, mouth secret, and mind secret" are hidden in these mandalas in the form of symbols. Luo Zhong.

The Buddha statues in the Eight Leaves Courtyard at the center of the Mandala of the Womb Realm, starting from the top and going clockwise, are Baozhuang Tathagata, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Kaishi Huawang Tathagata, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Amitabha. Tathagata, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Sky Drum and Thunder Sound Tathagata, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Great Sun Tathagata in the center. The "Mandala of Two Realms", a colored silk scroll drawn in the 9th century during the early Heian period, is a national treasure of Japan and is now in the collection of Toji Temple in Kyoto, Japan.

The two-part mandala, also known as the two-realm mandala, is an Eastern Tantric term. It is the form of the five Buddhas in the Womb Realm and King Ming in the Vajra Realm. There are 414 forms including the core. The Vajra Realm represents the Buddha's unchangeable cosmic principles, and the Womb Realm demonstrates the Buddha's activities in the world. Mandalas therefore express the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and Vajrayana, and two mandalas often appear in Shingon temples in Japan. The two developed separately in India, and may have first appeared in China during the Huiguo era

The womb realm mandala. The center of the central square is the early Vairocana Buddha; surrounded by eight Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (in clockwise order from the top: Baozhuan Tathagata, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Kaishi Huawang Tathagata, Manjushri Bodhisattva) , Infinite Life Tathagata, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Sky Drum Thunder Sound Tathagata, Maitreya Bodhisattva)

The world of womb treasure is based on the three sentences of "Bodhicitta as the cause, great compassion as the foundation, convenience as the ultimate". as fundamental. It is believed that everyone possesses the Buddha-nature of the Tathagata, which is the pure bodhicitta inherent in all living beings.

The purpose of practicing Mantra Tantra is to develop this pure bodhicitta and make oneself one with the Great Sun Tathagata.

The Tantra of the Womb Realm may have originated from the Tathagatagarbha School in South India, slightly earlier than the Vajra Realm inheritance, and later spread throughout India with Nalanda Temple as the center. Because when Xuanzang and Yijing were studying, the esoteric teachings of the Embryo Realm had not yet been introduced to Nalanda Temple, so its rise can be estimated to be between Wu Zhou and Kaiyuan.

After the rise of the Vajra Realm inheritance, it absorbed the Womb Realm Realm and became part of it. Most Tang Tantric practitioners will practice both at the same time, with the Vajra Realm inheritance being the main one.

The Vajra Realm Mandala, that is, the nine-association mandala, consists of the attainment association in the middle, the samaya association below it, the subtle association rotating clockwise, the offering association, the four seal association, and the one assembly. Yin Hui, Li Qu Hui, Jian San Jia Ma Hui, Jian San Jian Samaya Hui. The first six chapters are taken from the six mandalas of the first chapter of the eighteen chapters, and the seventh chapter is the mandala of the sixth chapter of the eighteen chapters. The eighth and ninth chapters are the first and second mandalas among the ten mandalas of the second grade of the first chapter of the eighteen chapters.

The Vajra Realm Tantra may have originated from the Tathagatagarbha School in South India, slightly later than the Womb Realm Tradition, but it appeared almost at the same time. It, like the womb realm, is centered on Nalanda Temple and spreads throughout India. Because when Xuanzang and Yijing went to India to study, these two esoteric teachings had not yet been introduced to Nalanda Temple, so its rise time can be estimated to be between Wu Zhou and Kaiyuan.

Of course, this mandala picture also has a lot of aesthetic value.

That’s it for now. Best wishes. See you back in "Marco's World".