. the mandala as metropolis 725
the right, left, and bottom of the compound. The two topmost gates
lead into the Hall of Śākyamuni and the Hall of Universal Knowl-
edge, where buddha-mothers give birth to the bodhisattvas of wisdom
and compassion in the Diamond and Lotus Halls to the right and left,
respectively. Three other gates pierce the three remaining outer walls
of the palace edifice. Likewise, five main gates placed at identical loca-
tions characterized the sihe yuan courtyard dwelling (figure 3), and
its similarly situated rooms functioned analogously to those of the
mandala.
Figure 3. Sihe yuan courtyard dwelling. Rotated to match the orientation of
the Womb World (adapted from Guo 2002, 29r, 74r).