“Vighnas exhaust all merit, So that people do not succeed in mantra. Those freed from vighnas shine, Like the moon emerging from a cloud.

“Just as no fruit, flower, or sprout will grow from a vase Without soil and water, or out of season, Sprouts, leaves, stalks, flowers, and fruit Will grow when such conditions are present.

“When the rites are corrupted, vowels and syllables missing, Offerings are lacking, recitation is sloppy, Or when vowels and syllables are added, Mantras will not grant abundant siddhi.

“The rain clouds of summer, for example, Release rain favorably according to people’s fortune. So, too, it is in light of a person’s fortune That mantras bestow the desired siddhi.

“Seeing the proper time, place, and ritual steps, Seeing that evil is cleansed and merit gathered, Seeing proper respect and complete recitation, Mantras will then bestow their fruits.

“The extent to which mantrins are suffused with evil, The extent to which they do not gather merit and pure deeds, And the degree to which they recite without proper rites, To that degree they will not receive the siddhis.

“Should a rite be corrupted or interrupted, a different mantra recited, Recitation abandoned or dedicated to a different purpose, Then worship should be made fervently three times a day And another hundred thousand recitations completed.

“After ten, eight, seven, or four thousand recitations, They should perform a homa using ghee, Or perform a homa using a mixture of ghee And whole barley, black sesame, or mustard seeds.

“Locate fresh wood for the homa that is twelve finger-widths long. It can be rose apple, madu, plakṣa, palāśa, Uḍumbara, khadira, aśvattha, apamara, Arka, aśoka, rājārka, Nyagrodha, bilva, or amraśa. Smear them with yogurt, ghee, and honey, And continuously offer them into the fire as homa. Doing this, the siddhis are quickly attained.

“If it seems that a mantra Has been disrupted, restricted, or suppressed by another mantra, Make an effigy of it from clay And place it before my feet.

“The mantrin should use an essence mantra such as Kīlikīla, While washing the effigy with milk and ghee. After doing this for seven days the mantras will be freed From all restrictions and suppressions.

“If the rites of worship and so forth are complete, But the mantra still does not bear fruit, Anoint an effigy with poison and black mustard seed, And recite the Kīlikīla, Dramiḍa, or similar mantra.

“Using the mantra along with mustard oil and salt, Perform a homa three times a day for seven days. The mantra deity will then appear in a dream To reveal the corrupted rite, or the syllables added or omitted.

“I have already taught about upholding the way of mantra: Just as ocean tides never fail, Mantras should never be used to suppress another mantra, Nor to restrict or disrupt it.

“A loved one might tell a person, ‘You shouldn’t visit so-and-so’s house anymore, Even just to look,’ and present them with good reasons. That person, hearing what they have to say, Will not go there for conversation or even to look. So too mantrins should never Recite any mantra to suppress the mantra of another.

“They should not disrupt or restrict a mantra, Nor should they add or omit mantra syllables. They should not change the purpose of a rite And should never torment local beings.

“Mantrins should possess, Restrain, strike, and confuse, But not crush limbs nor bring a family to ruin. They should not banish nāgas, Nor grahas, nor other similar beings.

“They should not eradicate, banish, or kill, Nor fail to heal a child possessed by grahas. They should never use nets, traps, snares, or decoys To cause harm to any being.

“It is said there are ten requisites for siddhi: The mantrin, their mantra, an attendant, a ritual substance, Perseverance, a direction, a site, time, A deity with complete iconography, and mental fortitude.

“Others speak of the vidyādhara and assistant, Others specifically of the direction, perseverance, and time, Yet others say they are the ritual substance, site, deity, and mantra, And some say it is mental fortitude.

“Each explains the science of mantra according to their own understanding, Stating that success requires ten, eight, or five, Or that it requires four, three, or only one. But in the tantras, buddhahood is reached through two rites.

“Practitioners perfect their own qualities; They maintain the strongest perseverance, Feel no envy toward another’s gain, Desire nothing, and tolerate physical affliction.

“With a proper rite and clear mantra— With vowels, nasalizations, and punctuation complete and clear— Recitation in places frequented by buddhas and bodhisattvas Brings the most wondrous of siddhis.

“Just as the king of beasts, when hungry, Uses its great might to slay an elephant, And likewise can swiftly kill wolves, As well as pigs, deer, and jackals,

“So a mantrin, in a leonine way, Has great perseverance And draws upon the highest effort, In activities high, middling, and low.

“The sound of clay drums, conches, and other drums; The fearful sounds that humans make; Peals of laughter, whistled tunes, sounds of song and dance; Flutes, vīnās, and large clay drums as well;

“Chirping flocks of different birds, the sound of water, And the tinkling sound of women’s jewelry; And the harms of biting insects, heat, cold, and wind— These distract and agitate a person’s mind.

“Recitation should be neither quick nor slow It should be neither loud nor too soft. It should not be done while conversing or distracted, And the vowels, nasalizations, and punctuation should be correct.

“Just as the water of a river flows Continuously, all day and all night, So the merit of embodied beings increases Through reverence, recitation, and observances.

“A lazy, desirous, nonvirtuous mind, Distractedly wandering here and there, Is swiftly reined in from wherever it was To prepare an offering of the mantra’s syllables.

“One focuses on the tip of the nose and gives up thoughts. Even when there is movement, one remain undistracted. One has then reached stability on the object, Certain that the mind is now poised and ready.

“A person with a focused mind Experiences joy arising in the mind, A joy that brings about a pliant body, A pliant body that brings a wealth of happiness.

“Through physical ease, a focused mind, and samādhi Recitation becomes unhindered. Completing the recitation entirely purifies Any evil done in previous lives.

“Once recitation has purified all evil, The mind, now clear, will attain siddhis. This why the blessed Lord of Victors said, ‘The mind is the root of all these phenomena.’

“The clear mind gains happiness both human and divine, As well as of the heavens and the liberation of awakening. The faults of mind bring birth among animals, Among the hells, or among the ugly and destitute.

“A person whose mind has cleared Avoids all harm, in the middle and end, From earth, water, fire, aging, sickness, death, and the rest, And attains the happiness and peace of liberation.

“The mantra siddhis that are common to all— Which bring limited happiness and myriad sufferings, And are fleeting and rife with toxic afflictions— Are obtained with a clear mind.

“Beings do not arise at random, not from time, Nor do they arise from prakṛti or a powerful god. They do not arise without cause nor are they made by a person. Beings arise from karma and the afflictive emotions.

“Matter consists of the four major elements, But it is not the self, and the self is not matter. There is no self in matter, and no matter in the self. Matter is empty—know this about the other four aggregates as well.

“Matter is like foam; Sensations are impermanent, like bubbles. To see them this way is said to be an excellent view; To regard them otherwise is said to be a poor view.

“As the time of mantra recitation draws near, One will see the following at night, in dreams: A mansion, a tree, a banner, a lion, or a horse, A mountain, a chariot, a thundercloud, or a nāga.

“One may dream of joyfully riding A tiger, rhinoceros, elephant, or bull, Or of flower garlands, clothing, fragrances, Meat, alcohol, fish, fruit, or books.

“One may dream of a divine form or a red utpala, Of a milk-cow and calf, a loaded chariot, A white parasol, fly whisk, shoes, or a sword, A fan of gold and turquoise, or a mālā.

“One may dream of jewels, pearls, mother-of-pearl, conch, or silver, Of a beautiful woman or a lovely young girl, Of an ornament bedecked with a variety of jewels, Or of discovering a white bedspread.

“At the break of dawn one may dream of a river or stream, Of a waterfall, ocean, or pond, Of drinking from or swimming in a pool, Or of bathing one’s body in blood.

“One may dream of an image of the Victor in a shrine or caitya, Of a sublime bodhisattva or a pratyekabuddha, Of the undefiled community of monks, nuns, and laypeople, Or of the deities who rule the area.

“One may dream of a pleasant brahmin man, worthy of worship, Or of fire, an eminent person, or a young man wealthy and prosperous, Or of one’s parent, friends, kin, or a yakṣa, Or of a powerful deity or a gathering of youths.

“One may dream one is eating the sun and moon, Moving within the earth, drinking a seed, Walking on fire, eating meat, Or that a fire burns within one’s body.

“Those who have these excellent dreams Will reach attainment before too long; In a month, half a month, one day, Or a single moment, ever do they draw nearer.”

This was the fifth chapter of the noble “Subāhu’s Questions.”