..續本文上一頁 as they do, and it is marked by feverish anxiety and woe. When dissatisfaction has been discerned and misidentifications dissevered, purity naturally unfolds in the mind of a noble practitioner. Then his or her environment becomes the manifestation of a pure landscape in which there are no discursive thoughts nor mental distortions - a sanctified world that embeds values of worth. These values are truly experienced by a sincere practitioner.

　　The Surrounding of the Pure Palace – dKyil –khor-”khor-lo7

　　The first outer circle of the mandala is a wall of fire and is usually painted in the five primary colours. The mandala we are discussing, though, only has a red ring of fire, which symbolizes the transmutation of anger. A mandala with a multi-coloured outer ring depicts the transmutation of all five mental emotions into the finest wisdoms of jnana.8

　　The next concentric wall of the mandala is a ring of vajras that represent transmutation of ignorance, ignorance being uncertainty brought on by a mistaken apprehension of the way things are and the way things appear. Vajras, on the other hand, are representations of enduring, changeless, and immutable truths.9

　　Next, there are eight cemeteries encircled by the vajra ring. The eight funeral grounds represent transmutation of desire and attachment. We saw that desire means being driven by wanting, which leads to never-ending pursuits. The eight funeral grounds symbolize the inner state of being free from wanting as such.10

　　There are seamless offerings of many kinds within the ring of the cemeteries. What does this mean

　　 Dissatisfied with what we have and not content with anything done, frustration burns inside, and the feeling that nothing is right and that there isn”t enough arises, which is an expression of attachment and desire to have more and more. When desire is transmuted, there is the experience of abundance, and a practitioner is in a state of perfect contentment. When the mind is richly adorned with content and ease, then anything a practitioner wishes, whether material or spiritual goals, appears automatically. An entire field of most beautiful offerings is an expression of such a peaceful mind.

　　Questions

　　Student: What is the meaning of the eight cemeteries

　　Thrangu Rinpoche: They represent the overall transmutation of attachment and desire. In the meditation instructions, there is the practice called “the eight gates to purify desire,” so there are eight cemeteries.

　　Student: I didn”t understand the symbolism of the offerings.

　　Rinpoche: In our present state of impurity, we always want more and never have enough. In a state of purity, one always has enough and therefore needs are automatically fulfilled. Jetsun Milarepa sang a song to explain this: “When you do not want anything, then you are naturally happy.”11 The offerings symbolize happiness, i.e., freedom from all wants and needs. They represent the sparkling wealth of pure apprehension in the minds of those who have transcended needs, in the minds of those practitioners who are never again afflicted by a feeling of scarcity. Therefore the offerings are the most beautiful objects that can be imagined. It is not a matter of being dead-set on short-lived things, rather the beautiful offerings symbolize freedom from craving and wanting things that cannot possibly ever be better than those offered during mandala practice.

　　Student: What are the jnanas of the rings you described

　　Rinpoche: The outer ring of fire symbolizes the transmutation of anger and corresponds to mirror-like wisdom. The circle of vajras symbolizes the transmutation of ignorance and corresponds to dharmadhatu wisdom. The eight cemeteries symbolize the transmutation of desire and correspond to discriminating wisdom.12

　　Student: Would you …

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