ACTUAL PRACTICE OF MIND
Therefore, to engage in the practice of the Mind, or Inner Study, is to practice the True Buddha Tantric Dharma. In my discourse of A Complete and Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma, I have explained that, after one succeeds and achieves realization in the external practice, one moves on to do the internal practice, the esoteric practice, and the inner-esoteric practice. The four corresponding levels of empowerments are: Personal Deity Yoga Empowerment, Internal (Energy) Yoga Empowerment, Highest Tantra Empowerment, and the Great Perfection Empowerment. These four levels of empowerments are very important. When one follows this graduated pathway of Tantric practice, one is practicing the Inner Study.
What methods employed by the Scriptural schools are related to Inner Study? I am cognizant of their methods. In the case of chanting, a momentary purity of mind is generated during the time one chants Namo Amitabha. In the event known as Ch’an Ch’I (a seven days event of sitting meditation), one seeks to enter into an empty state of mind or a realm of purity. All these are within the domain of “practice of mind.”
In Tantrayana, we first practice “the Four Preliminaries,” “Guru Yoga,” and “Personal Deity Yoga” – after receiving their corresponding empowerments which are known as first level empowerments. After receiving the second level empowerments, one then practices “Treasure Vase Breathing,” “opening of the middle channel,” and the “opening of the Five Chakras.” With the third level empowerment, one can practice the “Highest Tantra” to realize the “Samadhi of Bliss and Emptiness.” With the fourth level empowerment, one can practice the “Great Perfection” and enter completely into the Void or Emptiness. It is a system of Actual Practices. Our school today completely utilizes concrete methods of actual practices to show progression on the path. The methods employed by the Scriptural schools are relatively simple: one pure thought with the chanting of one epithet, meditating on emptiness, and entering into Emptiness. These are also the methods of the Zen school.
Regarding the rumors circulating about me, you are of course aware that my reputation on the outside, is not very good. Many students have written me to show their concern regarding the negative criticism. When I see the term “feng p’ing” (rumors) which literally means “review from the winds,” I really feel that these are just a lot of hot air! I really do not concern myself with these rumors but, since the students have shown their concern, I will spend some time on it. Some people claim that the Grand Master does not follow the precepts. People have criticized me because they feel that I do not abide by the precepts. Actually I do abide by the precepts. The discipline that I observe is even stricter than that followed by the ordained monks. You know that in the past the Tibetan Lamas have been labeled derogatorily as “True Scriptures False Monks.” What does this mean? True Scriptures refer to the Buddhist scriptures that were introduced into Tibet from India. The scriptures were translated first from Sanskrit into Pali, then from Pali into Tibetan. Since these are closely related languages, the Tibetan scriptures are considered true and are efficacious when one chants them. What does False Monks mean? This refers to the fact that the lamas consume meat, drink alcohol, and engage in the Consort Practice. Therefore the Tibetan lamas were considered to be false monks. This was the kind of criticism which was prevalent in the Buddhist circles in the past. Then what about the monks in Mainland China and Taiwan? They were known as the “False Scriptures True Monks.” Why? When the Buddhist scriptures were translated from Pali into Chinese, many ideas indigenous to the Chinese were integrated into the translation. The idea of vegetarianism and certain codified behaviors were integrated into the sutras. Such adulterated sutras are no longer effective when one chants them and are called false sutras. What does True Monks mean? The Chinese monks are vegetarians, non-drinkers, they follow the Five Precepts, and observe celibacy. Since many Tibetan lamas are married, they are considered False Monks. The monks in our True Buddha School are true monks. (laughter)
The outside rumors claim that I do not follow the precepts; actually I am a very good observer of the precepts! How unruly can one be in Seattle? Some people criticize me for going dancing. Actually I have not been dancing for a long time. (laughter and audience laughter) You claim that I sing Karaoki. Actually this is forced upon me. (audience laughter) When I am home, do I go and sing by myself? It is only when I am out and complying with the wishes of the students that I sing. Isn’t it true? It is with reluctance that I sing. I have heard that singing can generate a grassroot intimacy and power; therefore I sing for everyone. When have I ever sung or danced at home? That was why I became a monk. (audience applause) Why are you applauding this? (laughter and audience laughter) I am telling the truth; this is absolutely the truth. I abide by the Five Precepts. I have never killed, I don’t steal, and I don’t indulge in sexual misconduct. I follow the precept!
Regarding “false speeches,” you can see that I only tell the truth! I talk about everything and, in my books, I write about everything. This is true speech. I have quit drinking, so am I not abiding by the Five Precepts? I do abide by the precepts, so as to set an example for you! (laughter and audience applause) You have to follow and abide by the Five Precepts. There are terrible outside rumors, accusing me of swindling people out of money by fixing prices on Initiation Empowerment, by charging people for registering for certain ceremonies, and by demanding monthly offerings from each student! There is no such thing. I have made it very clear from beginning that all offerings are voluntary. Have I ever stipulated how much a student has to offer to me? Come and tell me, and I will pay you back a hundred times! My guru told me this, “In the future, when you leave the mountain to go into the world, you must let others pay you on a voluntary basis.” I follow this precept of my guru’s. Every Buddhist service is always paid for by the students on a voluntary basis. This precludes business transactions. In a business deal, there is a certain asking price for a certain commodity. But in temple services, such as registering for Bardo Deliverance, Purification and Blessing Ceremonies, Offerings, Taking Refuge, Installment of a plaque for ancestors or a lamp at the lamp pagoda, there is no set fee; the amount of the offering is voluntary. People have tried to swindle me instead of the other way around. You have to remember that I am the almsgiver, I am the one who is giving away the money. What you have given me are droplets while what I am returning to you is a downpour. So, where is the swindling of money? We know that all those rumors which are circulated are all lies.
Next there is the rumor of sexual harassment. You know that swindlers usually swindle people out of money and sex. These are the two things a swindler is always after. What else can there be! Talking about sexual harassment, let me think if it ever took place. (audience laughter) It happened once, (audience laughter) but it was her trying to take advantage of me and not the other way around! (audience laughter) Someone tried to make a pass at me but she failed! How can it be otherwise? Isn’t is true? You know the aesthetic standard of yogis is pretty high? (audience laughter) It is embarrassing to talk like this! (laughter and audience laughter) Anyway, if one gives this matter some thought, one will come to the right conclusion!
To become an adept, a cultivator must practice “chi.” When a yogi who engages in the Internal Practice of “chi, channels, and light drops” (Energy Yoga) attains a true internal realization, a certain power will be generated. He does not have to coerce others into sexual relationship with him. In fact others will try to pursue a sexual liaison with him! Therefore this rumor that I took sexual advantage of others is absolutely untrue; in fact, it was the other way around. (audience applause) Mrs. Lu made the remark, “Grand Master, if one day you were to announce that you wanted some girl friends, there would immediately be a long line formed, like the line outside a lady’s powder room.” (audience laughter) This was what Mrs. Lu said. I did not say that! (audience laughter) I would not dare to make such a bold statement! (audience laughter) Mrs. Lu said that if I publicly announced that I wanted a mate, people would flock to me! (laughter and audience laughter) This is because a realized yogi or yogini will radiate a certain invisible light and power, and many people, both male and female, find him or her irresistible and want to get close to him.
It is also inevitable that, out of a devotion for the guru, a feeling of adoration arises. Along the path of cultivation, when one attains certain realizations, such phenomena will occur. For example, when Buddha Shakyamuni was meditating under the papal tree, women such as Sundari and Cinca-manavika found him attractive and were drawn to him. They made excuses to get close to him. The Buddha had not tried to take advantage of them, it was they who wanted to take advantage of the Buddha. That is why a cultivator must maintain stability and not succumb to the seductions of money and sex.
Through actual practice, one will generate a stability and emit a radiance. One will also obtain the Clear Light. In the Scriptural school, actual practice is chanting. A single chanting is associated with a single moment of pure consciousness. In the Tantric school, actual practice is entering into Samadhi through the unbroken integration of mantra, mudra, and visualization (the purification of speech, body, and mind).
Amituofo
Lotuschef
Pure Karma
True Buddha School
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