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"The Vajrāvalī by Abhayākaragupta is referred to as a maṇḍalopāyikā, meaning a guide to the methods (upāyika) involved in the understanding and construction of maṇḍalas, which form the essential foundation of Buddhist tantra. In addition to maṇḍala-related systems and procedures, the text addresses various other aspects of Tantric Buddhist worship and rituals, including the recruitment of disciples, the preparation and purification of ritual grounds, proper sitting postures, rules for the purification of ritual implements, and guidelines for the consecration of images, monasteries, and other sacred structures. The Vajrāvalī also discusses the generation of the mind of awakening (bodhicittotpāda) and the observance of the corresponding vow (Caryāvrata), both of which are central to Tantric Buddhist practice. (D.C. Bhattacarya, New Materials for the study of Buddhist iconograpy in Journal of Asiatic Society of Bombay, 95–96)
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