『壇城』的原理：明覺心的境

　　2009年12月的訪談(Ruby Wang恭譯)

　　從金剛乘修行的角度來說，『壇城』是居于非常重要的份上。這壇城的象度即是你心量的境界。你可以把它變成如芥子般的渺小，或者放寬至無限大。這全取決于你。

　　從整體文化層面來談『壇城』時，它是指柔軟性與彈性度的藝術─依據你的觀點而使它擴大或縮小。在此，我們談的是，你如何從中反應出你大乘的見解。

　　從另一個面向來看，它亦是我們偉大上師們的明覺心的境界。它隨著衆生的需求、時間、環境而因應。以那樣的柔軟性，與那樣的彈性度，它可以是在這兒，也可以在任何其它的地方。也可以是現在，以及每一件事上，然而卻都如此地精准、切中要點，而且具有絕對的仁慈、優雅與簡潔。

　　因此，你要訓練心量以及心的象度來令之具有彈性度。當然，這樣的訓練包含各式各樣的金剛乘的方法。譬如說，視所有的現象與念頭乃自心一般，視其爲內在與外在的壇城，或是這兩者的雙運等等。它絕非以犧牲他人的需求而可達到的，而是了悟到它終究是我們的根本覺性，以這種了悟來達成的。這種境界即是壇城原理的精要。

　　Mandala Principle: The Sphere of Awareness

　　Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche An interview in Dec. 2009

　　Mandala is a very crucial point, from the perspective of vajrayana practice. The dimensions of a mandala are the sphere of your mind. You can make it as small as a mustard seed or let it expand limitlessly. It”s all up to you.

　　The whole cultural aspect of working with mandala is the art of suppleness and flexibility-and making it vast or small, in response to your view. And in this case, we”re talking about how the mahayana view would require you to respond.

　　One way to look at it would be to look at the sphere of mind of our great gurus. It just shifts according to the needs of sentient beings, and time and environment. With such suppleness, such flexibility, it can be here and everywhere. It can be now and everything, and yet so precise and to the point-all with absolute grace and elegance and simplicity.

　　So you are training the mind and the dimensions of mind to really be flexible. And of course, this training would include the various vajrayana methods: for example, seeing all phenomena and thoughts as your mind; seeing the inner and outer mandalas, and the union of both, and so on. And it would not be done with a sense of sacrificing to the needs of others, but with the understanding that ultimately this is your basic awareness. This sphere is the main essence of the mandala principle.