Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra
By Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung, Edited by Dance Smith
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung, Edited by Dance Smith
This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 51st book, 無上密與大手印.
During a deep meditation, I found myself standing in front of Fanyin Cave (the Cave of Brahma Sound) at Mount Putuo.
The cave lies beneath a gorge sandwiched between two steep cliffs.
The sea water creates a tidal sound as it pours in and out of the cave, and therefore this cave of tidal sound is named Fanyin Cave.
This cave is one of the attractions of Mount Putuo.
There is a temple constructed in the vicinity of the cave.
I once read the book The Legends of Mount Putuo which describes how those who visit Mount Putuo pay homage at Fanyin Cave.
Visitors who have great affinity with the Buddha may see the appearance of Guan Yin Bodhisattva. Some see the youth Sudhana while others may see the dragon girl.
Some may witness the presence of the Taiping Bird belonging to Guan Ying Bodhisattva.
These beings appear according to the individual's past karmic affinity, and everyone sees a different manifestation.
During my deep meditation, I was surprised to find myself arriving at Mount Putuo, and I also paid my homage at Fanyin Cave.
While I was paying my homage, I saw an immortal appearing before me.
He was not Guan Yin, nor was he Sudhana or the dragon girl.
His left hand was holding a horsetail whisk, and his right hand was holding a staff with a crossed vajra.
He wore a celestial jeweled crown and a monk's robe.
The godly being showed himself, and together we ascended to the clouds.
`Lian-sheng, do you recognize who I am?`
`No, I don't.`
` I am Varsi.`
`I am sorry, but I really haven't heard this name.
Please enlighten me on our past connection.`
Then the immortal Varsi related his story, how he was once a practitioner in India who had been involved with the fire ritual as a Brahman.
Later, when he made the journey to Fanyin Cave in Mount Putuo, he felt that Fanyin Cave was a serene place, and decided to stay.
He lived in a straw hut within the cliffs around Fanyin Cave, and continued his cultivation.
He killed many wild animals and sacrificed them through the fire ritual as offerings to heaven.
Subsequently, his heavy karma of killing brought about his fall into the hell realm after his death, and he suffered its torments.
Once the Guan Yin Bodhisattva of Mount Putuo arrived in hell and saw that Varsi was in great suffering.
He learned that Varsi had at one time been practising in Fanyin Cave.
So Guan Yin taught him the Yoga of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity.
Varsi practiced these four virtues in hell, and gradually absorbed light into himself and left the suffering of the hell of extreme heat and cold.
Later, he focused on this cultivation and paid homage to the Triple Jewels with the greatest sincerity and faith, and finally attained oneness with space.
He became Guan Yin Bodhisattva`s attendant. That was his past affinity.
`Immortal Varsi, what exactly is the Yoga of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity?`
`Lian-sheng, do you know what shines?`
`Well, I know the sun shines, and so does the moon, the stars, lightning, lamps, fire, and candles and so forth.`
`Lian-sheng, are you aware of how to absorb light?`
`Yes. I can absorb all lights into the spiritual eye.`
`That's right. When you absorb light into the spiritual eye, you attain the third eye.
When you absorb light into the heart, you gain the spiritual power to discern the minds of others. When we observe the heart and it remains like a mirror reflecting light as we absorb it, this is the act of contemplating supreme wisdom`, Immortal Varsi said.
`How do we teach sentient beings the Yoga of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity?` I asked.
Immortal Varsi taught me this method:
Take a round mirror, the size does not matter, and let your guru bless it.
Hang the mirror in the central position of the mandala shrine.
While staying at home or going away, regardless of whether you return home early or late, you, as a Tantric practitioner, may employ the method of Breathing In and Storing All Energy, and gather all light energy within your heart.
This includes sunlight, moonlight, starlight, firelight, candlelight, and lightning.
When you return home to your mandala shrine, you release the light from your heart and let it dissolve into the light of the mirror.
Through your visualization, your every exhalation breathes light into the mirror.
Every light is captured and dissolves into the mirror.
Recite the Mantra of Absorbing Sunlight: ` OM VAJRA DHATU VAM`.
This mantra is the Mantra of Vairocana.
You may also recite other mantras or a sunlight mantra, such as the Light Mantra which reads:
OM AMOGHA VAIROCANA MAHAMUDRA MANI PADMA JVALA PRAVARTAYA HUM.
After you exhale light into the mirror, recite the mantra once.
You must continue to cultivate until the day when you look into the mirror and see the mirror radiating a light which is different from the normal light we see.
The luminosity is formed from the precious five-colored rays.
This is the manifestation of the display of ` true heart and true mirror`.
From this time onwards, every time you enter into a visualization, you shall find all your being dissolved into the spiritual realm of great brilliance.
This realm is the world of ` Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity`.
This yoga combines the light of oneself, the light of the mirror and the light of the heart into one unified light.
The world of light emitted from within the mirror is a complete state of calm and stillness, for the world of light in the mirror is ` neither emptiness nor existence, nor is it non-emptiness or non-existence. Words fail to describe such a spiritual state, and this is the state of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity as attracted by the light from the realm of desire.`
`What is great about this spiritual realm?` I asked Immortal Varsi.
`This realm is actually a hidden world. You can avoid harm caused by the evil curses and black arts cast by evil men. None of these spells can even come close to you, and thus will have no effect on you. This spiritual state is said to be an illusory model of Nirvana, or a resemblance of the state of Nirvana. Hence it is a world of complete tranquility. The individual who practices this method finds his or her body radiating infinite light. However, when one gains true realization, one should not abide in this realm of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity, and stop there. One should take the next step.`
`Why so?`
`This is because attaining the realm of ` Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity` is merely a selfish approach which allows one to be happy and worry-free, but stops short of liberating sentient beings. Thus, the highest it can take you is to become a self-liberated being.
The reason we are cultivating and gaining realization is not for the benefit of ourselves, but for the sake of benefiting others. It is done to allow all sentient beings to benefit from our practice. Hence the practitioner of the Mahamudra of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity must cultivate this along with other practices to succor sentient beings.`
`Thank you, Immortal Varsi, for your kind instructions.` I expressed my gratitude sincerely.
Immortal Varsi disappeared, and I returned to Seattle in America and came out of my meditation.
I thought about the Mahamudra of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity and saw it as a Hinayana practice.
When one gains accomplishment with it, one reaches the spiritual realm of an arhat.
It is little wonder why many bodhisattvas who have aspired to liberate sentient beings may have already attained buddhahood and received the so-called perfect enlightenment of Nirvana, yet none of them abide in the state of complete calm and stillness.
Instead, they choose to return to deliver sentient beings by their vows. They appear as either a bodhisattva, a great teacher, or as a master.
These great bodhisattvas, through every age, have made their vows to deliver all sentient beings including those who may be dwelling as micro organisms on earth and those who are suffering in the three evil paths, right up to the celestial beings in the heavens, and lead them to the path of enlightenment.
They vow never to enter into buddhahood, into Nirvana, and abide in complete tranquility so long as one single sentient being remains suffering.
The practitioners of Hinayana Buddhism, upon reaching self realization, often find their cultivation has come to an end and see no reason to continue.
However, the teaching of Mahayana Buddhism does not encourage abiding in the state of Nirvana, but rather speaks of the fact that once the individual enters into Nirvana, he or she actually re-emerges and continues to evolve from that point without cessation.
It does not regard Nirvana as the final resting stop.
He who practices the Yoga of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity must understand that the inner state of mind is the source of all spiritual power.
It is the ages of karma and our total lust for the material world that have blinded us from the discovery of our own inner light.
Individuals who have little awareness of the light within the heart are attracted to the lures of money, fame and fortune.
For this, they continue life after life in cyclic existence.
Today, readers who come across the books written by Master Lian-sheng are finally realizing that there exists a light within one's heart, and that they shall certainly gain liberation through the practice of the Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra.
This is definitely attributed to the reader's good karmic affinity in the past.
Once you read this book and seek guidance from the master, you shall know that you have within yourself an endless treasury and you are entitled to gain this priceless jewel of light.
Therefore, you shall sincerely and diligently learn the dharma and be removed from all the disturbances of the material world.
Then you shall find the spiritual realm of Nirvana within reach.
It is easy to attain the state of Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity.
Those who practice truthfully shall gain it.
Here`s a verse:
As Immortal Varsi attains Nirvana,
He finds the light within: Eternity, Bliss, True Self and Purity.
Free from worries, he remains pure,
Yet he must leave this state and vow to return later
Amituofo
Lotuschef
Pure Karma
True Buddha School
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