The Cult of Tara

174 MAGIC AND RITUAL IN TIBET
there is no place like that, it should be performed in a pleasant,
clean-surfaced place." 241
On the altar there is set out a consecrated image of the Holy Lady,
if one has it, and also, as available, objects representing the Conqueror's
body, speech, and mind (an image, a book, and a small stupa).
The arrangement of the rest of the altar may be seen in plate 2. As
Ts'ewang norbu says:
Arrange four mandalas with seven "piles" on each and draw
about each of the four a double fence, a round circle of fragrant
flowers. Surround each of them also with the five offerings of
butter lamps, food, incense, water, and perfume. Set out flowers
in a good vessel, to be scattered at the time of praying, and all the
other utensils that will be necessary later on: the offering tormas,
the bathing water, and so on.
The place, too, should be made beautiful by an array of decorations
on the ceiling and walls: umbrellas or canopies, banners
adorned with yak tails, pendants, curtains, and so on, whatever is
available. If that much is unavailable, it is sufficient to use just
some of the really important things, the mandalas and so on.
In general, the more offerings there are the better it is; but otherwise
it is all right if they are created by profound contemplation.
Later on in the text, when the ritual reaches the torma offering,
he adds that four "round white tormas"—also called "gift tormas"
—should be set out in separate vessels in front of the larger offering
tormas mentioned above; these gift tormas are those presented to
the four classes of "guests" at the end of the ritual. Thus, by referring
to plate 2, we can see what he calls the "three rows of tormas,
arranged according to size": on the top row are the four offering
tormas for the goddess, on the next row the subsidiary food tormas,
offering torma food torma gift torma
Fig. 21. The tormas for the Four Mandala ritual.