TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)These are the qualities that come from holding the Mal,li in the mind:
... The Mtshan rab yongs su bstan pa 'i mdo says, If one holds
the heart-syllables in the mind, the five boundless sins, the five
near sins, all one's sinful deeds will be purified, and one will
never be reborn in hell, or as a preta or animal. One will not
have sufferings of the body, speech and mind. One will be free
of all fears from wild animals, srin-po, humans, demi-humans
and diseases. One will understand the meaning of the
dharmakiiya and see the face of the nirmiil)akiiya,
Mahakariil,lika. One will have all good works and good thingsHence, cast aside the worries which will not gain you any significant
thoughts, and if you hold Mal)is and Mahakariil)ika in your mind at all times,
you will renounce your own and others' suffering and gain bliss and loving-
kindness.These are the qualities that come from touching the Mal)i: The 'Khor ba dong
sprugs rgyud says,
It is fitting for anyone to touch the seven heart-syllables with one's
body and with whatever limb. If one drinks the water (touched with the
MaiJ.i) with which one has washed, one will certainly be born in par-
adise. It is the same even for earth, wind and fire ...... Hence, if one asks blessings from all Mal)is, be they natural, carved in relief
or drawn, and one touches them or drinks the water that has washed a statue,
there is great benefit for so little toil, and the result is that one will be born in
paradise.
These are the qualities that come from writing the Mal)i: The Za ma tog says,In causing the Mal)i to be writ, one causes to be written 84,000 gates of
the dharma. The immediate virtues resulting from causing to be made in
gold the many forms of ... the Buddhas ... whose number equals that of
motes of dust, and causing them to be preserved every day, are exceeded
by the immediate results of the qualities gained from writing a single syl-
lable of the seven-syllable mantra. This is especially exhalted and beyond
comprehension. Further, one will become as a king who governs
samsara, exercising power over the four continents, a heroic son, coura-
geous, with perfect limbs, a complete victor over enemies.... Hence, if you write the seven syllables-best in gold, next, in copper or ver-
million, finally, in white or red eart},-you will attain such great qualities.