It is impossible to attain the twofold purity of Buddhahood or to realize fully the truth of emptiness without completing the two accumulations of merit and wisdom.
The Conqueror, in his great compassion and with all his skill in means, taught innumerable methods by which the two accumulations can be performed. The best of all these methods is the offering of the mandala.
Take the rimmed base of the mandala and rub it clean with your hand. Holding it in your left hand, pick up a handful of [offering, such as rice] and place it in the centre. Each grain of rice serves as a base of imagination of one of the enlightenment beings.
This [centre] heap represents Vairochana surrounded by his retinue of many deities of the Buddha lineage.
Place a second heap in front of the first [the east] to represent Akshobhya and his retinue of deities in the Vajra lineage.
To the right [the south] of Vairochana place a third pile of rice representing Ratnasambhava surrounded by deities of the Jewel lineage.
A fourth [offering] behind Vairochana to symbolize Amitabha and his retinue of the Lotus lineage.
A fifth on Vairochana’s left to represent Amoghasiddhi with his retinue of the Karma lineage.
