『坛城』的原理：明觉心的境

2009年12月的访谈(Ruby Wang恭译)
 
　　从金刚乘修行的角度来说，『坛城』是居于非常重要的份上。这坛城的象度即是你心量的境界。你可以把它变成如芥子般的渺小，或者放宽至无限大。这全取决于你。
　　从整体文化层面来谈『坛城』时，它是指柔软性与弹性度的艺术─依据你的观点而使它扩大或缩小。在此，我们谈的是，你如何从中反应出你大乘的见解。
　　从另一个面向来看，它亦是我们伟大上师们的明觉心的境界。它随着众生的需求、时间、环境而因应。以那样的柔软性，与那样的弹性度，它可以是在这儿，也可以在任何其它的地方。也可以是现在，以及每一件事上，然而却都如此地精准、切中要点，而且具有绝对的仁慈、优雅与简洁。
　　因此，你要训练心量以及心的象度来令之具有弹性度。当然，这样的训练包含各式各样的金刚乘的方法。譬如说，视所有的现象与念头乃自心一般，视其为内在与外在的坛城，或是这两者的双运等等。它绝非以牺牲他人的需求而可达到的，而是了悟到它终究是我们的根本觉性，以这种了悟来达成的。这种境界即是坛城原理的精要。

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.