The following are a series extracted from Guru's Book:-
A Complete & Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma
密教大光华
This sharing is for all those to build a sound foundation.
Without cultivating a sound foundation, no one can achieve or attain Buddhahood.
To those that have been chasing fortune & powerful yidams, please wake up.
Guru explains how you can get resources to cultivate well too.
This is a good read for all serious and sincere cultivators.
Repeat reading is very beneficial too! :) :) :)
Written by: Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
Translated into English by: Janny Chow
November, 1992
INTRODUCTION ( DAY ONE )
Masters, fellow cultivators, good afternoon. This gathering today is extremely auspicious and important. In a way, it marks the first formal use of Rainbow Villa, with many more regularly scheduled programs to come in the future.
A Complete & Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma
密教大光华
This sharing is for all those to build a sound foundation.
Without cultivating a sound foundation, no one can achieve or attain Buddhahood.
To those that have been chasing fortune & powerful yidams, please wake up.
Guru explains how you can get resources to cultivate well too.
This is a good read for all serious and sincere cultivators.
Repeat reading is very beneficial too! :) :) :)
Written by: Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
Translated into English by: Janny Chow
November, 1992
INTRODUCTION ( DAY ONE )
Masters, fellow cultivators, good afternoon. This gathering today is extremely auspicious and important. In a way, it marks the first formal use of Rainbow Villa, with many more regularly scheduled programs to come in the future.
The goal of this discourse is to give you a complete and detailed exposition on the practice of the True Buddha Tantric Dharma.
I will share with you, without holding anything back, the secrets as well as the skills which I have learned from doing this practice.
Through this sharing, I hope everyone will obtain a clear and thorough understanding of how to do the practice and follow in my footsteps.
There is a need to give this complete and detailed exposition on the Dharma, because we have now 1.2 million students in our school and this number is still growing.
When a Dharma is passed from one person to the next and then from the next to the third and so on, some of the elements will start changing, and the practice itself will become quite different from what it was originally.
It is my hope that all students can have a clear understanding of how to do the practice correctly and, by practicing it accordingly, everyone can arrive at a high level of achievement and experience an expansion of their awareness and perception and, eventually, attain Buddhahood.
This is the most important reason for giving this teaching.
Actually Tantric Dharma itself can be considered a Truth of the Universe.
Furthermore, if one has just had a heated argument with a family member, so that one's blood is still boiling and one's face is contorted in anger, it will be very difficult, under such circumstances, to achieve a quiet mind even if one goes to the Tantric shrine to attempt the practice.
There are also situations where, after hearing some bad news, one's mind is full of anxieties and worries.
If one chooses to do a practice at such a time, it will be very difficult to achieve a "spiritual response" or spiritual union with the Deity on which one is meditating.
Therefore, when one enters into the Tantric shrine, one's body should be clean and one's mind should be as calm as the mirror-like surface of a lake without ripples.
Such preliminary preparation predisposes one to achieve spiritual response during the practice.
If one's mind is agitated, angry, or full of complicated thoughts, achieving a spiritual response will be very difficult.
When one is both physically and mentally relaxed and not bothered by any business, one can then enter the Tantric shrine to do the practice.
HANDCLAPPING: "WAKE-UP CALL AND DISMISSAL"
In the past, when I sat down to do a practice, I first began by clapping my hands twice. In group practice, this step is omitted.
Clapping the hands twice has two functions.
At the beginning of meditation, it serves as a "wake-up call."
It signifies that one is about to do the practice and requests all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the shrine and the spirit realm to pay attention.
At the end of the practice, when one is ready to get up to leave the shrine, the clapping of hands twice serves as a signal of "dismissal."
It means that one has completed the practice and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can disengage and rest.
This is the meaning behind clapping the hands twice at the beginning and end of each practice session.
There are some practitioners who, after clapping their hands, employ an additional mudra by crossing their hands and snapping the thumb against the middle finger [Grand Master illustrates with a demonstration].
Actually this mudra serves exactly the same purpose as the clapping of hands.
In Tantra, many rites appear enigmatic.
For example, people may wonder why the clapping of hands is necessary for individual and not group practice.
This is due to the fact that, when a group of people gathers to do meditation, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas automatically become aware of their combined intent, whereas a single individual entering the shrine to do the practice might escape their notice.
So, to attract the Buddha's and Bodhisattva's attention, one claps one's hands to signify a kind of beginning or wake-up call.
The same gesture also serves as notice of completion at the end of the meditation practice. It is a ritual with esoteric meaning.
At the beginning of the practice, one recites the Purification Mantras to purify one's speech, body, and mind:
"Om, syo-lee, syo-lee, ma-ha syo-lee, syo-syo-lee, so-ha," (purify one's speech)
"Om, syo-do-lee, syo-do-lee, syo-mo-lee, syo-mo-lee, so-ha," (purify one's body)
"Om, fo ri la dam, ho ho hum." (purify one's mind)
One also recites the Local Earth Spirit Mantra to invite all earth spirits to come and guard and support one during the practice.
"Namo sam-man-do, moo-toh-nam, om, do-lo do-lo de-wei, so-ha" (Local Earth Spirit Mantra)
Question has been raised as to whether these mantras need to be accompanied by mudras and visualizations.
Actually in Tantric rituals, mantras are, indeed, often recited simultaneously with mudras and visualizations.
This is referred to as the Unification of the Three Secrets.
In our school, the recitation of the Purification Mantras, is done without any mudras or visualizations because, prior to the chanting of the Purification Mantras, one already has purified the body, mind, and speech.
By taking ablution and consuming only a simple meal, one has already purified the body.
By rinsing one's mouth and brushing one's teeth, one has already purified the speech.
By leaving worries, wrath, and turbulent thoughts at the door of the Tantric shrine, one has already prepared and purified one's mind.
Therefore, when one actually enters the Tantric shrine, the body and mind are completely relaxed, and the mind does not harbor any thoughts.
At the end of each complete step (the recitation of the Purification Mantras is considered as one complete step), one may ring the bell to signify its completion.
Basics [1]. More to come.....
There is a need to give this complete and detailed exposition on the Dharma, because we have now 1.2 million students in our school and this number is still growing.
When a Dharma is passed from one person to the next and then from the next to the third and so on, some of the elements will start changing, and the practice itself will become quite different from what it was originally.
It is my hope that all students can have a clear understanding of how to do the practice correctly and, by practicing it accordingly, everyone can arrive at a high level of achievement and experience an expansion of their awareness and perception and, eventually, attain Buddhahood.
This is the most important reason for giving this teaching.
Actually Tantric Dharma itself can be considered a Truth of the Universe.
When one practices the authentic Tantric Dharma, one will definitely attain the Supreme Wisdom.
There are many key elements to the practice, and omission of any of them will not do.
There are many key elements to the practice, and omission of any of them will not do.
In the past I have, of course, attempted to explain these quite thoroughly in my books, but some of the details were not easy to explain in written form.
It is possible that, with all of the students who practice according to my books, some might derive a different interpretation from the written texts and thus miss the mark.
Therefore, the main goal of this discourse over the next several days is to provide you with a complete and detailed exposition on the authentic Tantric Dharma.
PRELIMINARIES TO FORMAL PRACTICE
Each time before doing the practice, one must first "purify the body."
What does this mean?
It is a kind of preliminary preparation for the actual practice itself, and many people know that it refers to "taking ablution and avoiding eating excessive and unnecessary food."
"Taking ablution" means washing the body, and "avoiding eating excessive and unnecessary food" means eating a pure and simple meal.
One's stomach should not be too full or too empty.
If one does meditation right after a meal, the stomach will be so distended that it can cause the same kind of distraction as does a growling, empty stomach. So meditation should be done at a time when one is neither too full nor too hungry.
One should at least rinse the mouth, brush the teeth, and wash the hands.
It is best, of course, to take a shower or bath.
By cleansing the body and consuming only a simple meal, one is preparing oneself physically, emotionally, and mentally for the practice.
It is possible that, with all of the students who practice according to my books, some might derive a different interpretation from the written texts and thus miss the mark.
Therefore, the main goal of this discourse over the next several days is to provide you with a complete and detailed exposition on the authentic Tantric Dharma.
PRELIMINARIES TO FORMAL PRACTICE
Each time before doing the practice, one must first "purify the body."
What does this mean?
It is a kind of preliminary preparation for the actual practice itself, and many people know that it refers to "taking ablution and avoiding eating excessive and unnecessary food."
"Taking ablution" means washing the body, and "avoiding eating excessive and unnecessary food" means eating a pure and simple meal.
One's stomach should not be too full or too empty.
If one does meditation right after a meal, the stomach will be so distended that it can cause the same kind of distraction as does a growling, empty stomach. So meditation should be done at a time when one is neither too full nor too hungry.
One should at least rinse the mouth, brush the teeth, and wash the hands.
It is best, of course, to take a shower or bath.
By cleansing the body and consuming only a simple meal, one is preparing oneself physically, emotionally, and mentally for the practice.
When one enters into the Tantric shrine, one's mind should be solemn, respectful, and restful.
In other words, both the mind and body should be relatively relaxed.
It is very important to be relaxed, but one should not be so relaxed that one is ready to take a nap at the shrine!
On the other hand, if one comes directly from jogging or running and one's heart is still racing, when one sits down at the Tantric shrine to do meditation, it will be very hard for the mind to become quieted.
In other words, both the mind and body should be relatively relaxed.
It is very important to be relaxed, but one should not be so relaxed that one is ready to take a nap at the shrine!
On the other hand, if one comes directly from jogging or running and one's heart is still racing, when one sits down at the Tantric shrine to do meditation, it will be very hard for the mind to become quieted.
Furthermore, if one has just had a heated argument with a family member, so that one's blood is still boiling and one's face is contorted in anger, it will be very difficult, under such circumstances, to achieve a quiet mind even if one goes to the Tantric shrine to attempt the practice.
There are also situations where, after hearing some bad news, one's mind is full of anxieties and worries.
If one chooses to do a practice at such a time, it will be very difficult to achieve a "spiritual response" or spiritual union with the Deity on which one is meditating.
Therefore, when one enters into the Tantric shrine, one's body should be clean and one's mind should be as calm as the mirror-like surface of a lake without ripples.
Such preliminary preparation predisposes one to achieve spiritual response during the practice.
If one's mind is agitated, angry, or full of complicated thoughts, achieving a spiritual response will be very difficult.
When one is both physically and mentally relaxed and not bothered by any business, one can then enter the Tantric shrine to do the practice.
HANDCLAPPING: "WAKE-UP CALL AND DISMISSAL"
In the past, when I sat down to do a practice, I first began by clapping my hands twice. In group practice, this step is omitted.
Clapping the hands twice has two functions.
At the beginning of meditation, it serves as a "wake-up call."
It signifies that one is about to do the practice and requests all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the shrine and the spirit realm to pay attention.
At the end of the practice, when one is ready to get up to leave the shrine, the clapping of hands twice serves as a signal of "dismissal."
It means that one has completed the practice and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can disengage and rest.
This is the meaning behind clapping the hands twice at the beginning and end of each practice session.
There are some practitioners who, after clapping their hands, employ an additional mudra by crossing their hands and snapping the thumb against the middle finger [Grand Master illustrates with a demonstration].
Actually this mudra serves exactly the same purpose as the clapping of hands.
In Tantra, many rites appear enigmatic.
For example, people may wonder why the clapping of hands is necessary for individual and not group practice.
This is due to the fact that, when a group of people gathers to do meditation, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas automatically become aware of their combined intent, whereas a single individual entering the shrine to do the practice might escape their notice.
So, to attract the Buddha's and Bodhisattva's attention, one claps one's hands to signify a kind of beginning or wake-up call.
The same gesture also serves as notice of completion at the end of the meditation practice. It is a ritual with esoteric meaning.
RECITING
THE PURIFICATION MANTRAS
At the beginning of the practice, one recites the Purification Mantras to purify one's speech, body, and mind:
"Om, syo-lee, syo-lee, ma-ha syo-lee, syo-syo-lee, so-ha," (purify one's speech)
"Om, syo-do-lee, syo-do-lee, syo-mo-lee, syo-mo-lee, so-ha," (purify one's body)
"Om, fo ri la dam, ho ho hum." (purify one's mind)
One also recites the Local Earth Spirit Mantra to invite all earth spirits to come and guard and support one during the practice.
"Namo sam-man-do, moo-toh-nam, om, do-lo do-lo de-wei, so-ha" (Local Earth Spirit Mantra)
Question has been raised as to whether these mantras need to be accompanied by mudras and visualizations.
Actually in Tantric rituals, mantras are, indeed, often recited simultaneously with mudras and visualizations.
This is referred to as the Unification of the Three Secrets.
In our school, the recitation of the Purification Mantras, is done without any mudras or visualizations because, prior to the chanting of the Purification Mantras, one already has purified the body, mind, and speech.
By taking ablution and consuming only a simple meal, one has already purified the body.
By rinsing one's mouth and brushing one's teeth, one has already purified the speech.
By leaving worries, wrath, and turbulent thoughts at the door of the Tantric shrine, one has already prepared and purified one's mind.
Therefore, when one actually enters the Tantric shrine, the body and mind are completely relaxed, and the mind does not harbor any thoughts.
At the end of each complete step (the recitation of the Purification Mantras is considered as one complete step), one may ring the bell to signify its completion.
Basics [1]. More to come.....
Readers can write to purekarmaservices@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
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