The Art Of Meditation 

By Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated and published by Lei Zang Si Singapore

This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 45th book, 坐禪通明法.

CHAPTER 19 - Tantric Practice of Meditation (5)

In this world, some people are born with wonderful root of goodness while others are poor in meritorious root. Take intelligence for example, some people learn things very quickly while some other people don't remember a thing after a hundred repetitions. Some people can read quickly while some others read very slowly or feel dizzy. Wisdom is partly innate. The most intelligent practitioners can quickly achieve enlightenment whereas the slow ones have to understand things bit by bit.

Do not think, however, that this is unfair. Indeed, this is all determined by one's karma. Karmic retribution is fair and just, entirely based on what one has done--nothing is added; nothing is discounted.

In the present life, there are people who use various methods to cultivate wisdom. To my mind, the best way to enhance one's wisdom is to cultivate Bodhisattva Manjushri's secret method.

Bodhisattva Manjushri has a serious-looking image of a child, with a treasure crown, and precious stones all over. The right hand holds a sword to show that his wisdom is as sharp as a sword, and the left hand forms this mudra: the thumb presses on the middle and ring fingers, with the index and the little fingers pointing up. Bodhisattva Manjushri is partly yellow and partly red, one head on two shoulders, sitting in a full-lotus posture. He is Number One Bodhisattva representing wisdom in Buddhism. His title is "Great Wisdom Dharma Prince Manjushri."

I record the ritual of practice as follows:

First recite the four-fold refuge: "Homage to the Guru. Homage to the Buddhas. Homage to the Dharma. homage to the Sangha." Then recite "Dhi" three times, which sends out strong light, to request the arrival of Bodhisattvas Manjushri. At this point the mudra to use is the Vajra Samadhi Mudra: the index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand are put on top of those fingers of the left hand palm to palm. The thumb of the left hand is put on the little finger of the right hand and the thumb of the right hand is put on the little finger of the left hand.

Using the Samadhi Mudra, the practitioner recites the verse and the mantra to generate the Bodhi-mind: "All sentient beings and I take refuge in the Buddhas, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Let us generate a mind of compassion, kindness, joy and non-possession, and realize the three secret practices of my Guru. Om, puo-dee-chi-da, bie-cha, sa-ma-ya, ya-hum."

In your visualization, you see a mountain which is the Bodhimanda in the Tien Tai Mountains for Bodhisattva Manjushri. At the top of the Mountain sits a Bodhisattva, dressed in yellow and red. Holding a sword of wisdom, pointing to the sky, he sits on an eight-petalled lotus flower at the mountain peak. he looks like a beautiful child, ornamented with precious stones from head to toe.

When you see this image, you recite the mantra: "Om bie-cha,-sa-may-ya, cha." Bodhisattva Manjushri changes into a ball of yellow and red lights, goes into the practitioner by the crown point and then reaches his heart chakra and sits on the heart Lotus Seat. Then Bodhisattva Manjushri gradually grows bigger and bigger until his body fills up the body of the practitioner.

At this moment, Bodhisattva Manjushri is you and you are Bodhisattva Manjushri. The mudra to use now is that of the Dharma Prince Manjushri: the right hand holding the sword of wisdom and the left hand with the thumb upon the middle and ring fingers and the index and little fingers pointing to the sky. The head turns slightly downward to look at the sentient beings to give them the light of wisdom.

The practitioner recites: "Hum! Hum! Hum!" His whole body radiates yellow and red lights.

Now, with the greatest respect and sincerity, you recite the Heart Mantra of Bodhisattva Manjushri: "Om, ah-la-ba-ja-ma-dhe," one thousand and eighty times.

After the recitation of mantras, one can go on to offering procedures. The verse for transferring merit goes: "May my wisdom increase to the amount of Bodhisattva Manjushri. I will spare no effort to deliver the sentient beings from misery and get them born into the Pure Land."

According to the Sutra, those who practice Bodhisattva Manjushri's rituals and recite his mantras whole-heartedly can let out light of great wisdom and after a month's cultivation, they can have their mind purified, and can hear mystic music and their looks will become the most handsome. They are also spared from the cyclic existence for a thousand Kalpa (aeons). Those who bear the heart mantra will finally get to know the past and the future, transcend life and death, and acquire the knowledge of all former existence of self, and others. After a hundred thousand sessions of cultivation, you acquire great wisdom; with two hundred thousand, you achieve Bodhisattvahood with wisdom deep-rooted and a full understanding of Dharani; with three hundred thousand, you can visit Manjushri's Buddha Land, listen to his lectures on the Dharma, and become the second incarnation of Bodhisattva Manjushri.

I highly recommend this practice because it can develop great wisdom. Those who want to propagate the Dharma must follow Manjushri's secret practice. The mantras must be recited silently; visualization comes before recitation of mantras. The main purpose of visualization is "concentration," that is, channeling the mind into one situation, which can easily lead to "direction observation" and finally to nothingness.

Recently a Belgian reader wrote to ask me about the lineage of my Tantric sect and for a photo of Grand Master Lu's Dharma body. My answer is: in the history of the Esoteric School, the patriarchs are different in different sects. For the Red Sect, the first patriarch was Buddha Ardarma. The second was Buddha Vairocana. The third included the five Vajras in the five directions. The fourth was Buddha Shakyamuni. The fifth was Vajrapani. The sixth was Vajra Genaibudar. The seventh was Vajra Xiersonhar. The eighth was Master Padmasambhava. Now it is the thirty-second and the thirty-third. In my own Tantric meditation, I got empowerment and instructions from Master Padmasambhava who appeared in my meditation. This is the most secret training of a Vajra master. Then I also cultivated in the White Sect. In Tibet, there is the Karmajachu Sect and its first patriarch was Deroanlichian. Now it is the twelfth patriarch Tai Situpa with the Dharma name Barmadunyue Rinchewanpo. I developed a relationship with the 16th Karmapa and got blessings from him. Besides, I also got to know Master Li Ting-guang from the Yellow Sect. I even had contact with the Dharani Sect. As a result, my lineage has a variety of characteristics, from the Red, White, Yellow, and Dharani Sects and others. Master Padmasambhava from the Red Sect is my Dharani Vajra teacher who conferred me the Holy Red Crown and the Dharma name "the Holy Red Crown Vajra Master Lian Sheng."

I wear the five-Buddha crown: Buddha Vairocana in the center, Buddha Akobhya in the East, Buddha Ratnasambhava in the South, Amitabha in the West, Buddha Amogasidhi in the North; the Center is the Buddha Department; the East is the Vajra Department; the south is the Treasure Department; the West is the Lotus Department; and the North is the Karma Department. Two dragons offering peaches are embroidered on my Red Crown, which represents the Buddha of Longevity. On the two ribbons are embroidered the Six Syllable Mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum." My underclothing is black, symbolizing that my inner consciousness I know the ultimate reality; my robe outside is of coffee color which represents the precepts. My right hand holds a three-pointed vajra scepter, the upper-half of which symbolizes all Buddhas of the three periods (past, present, and future) and the lower-half of which symbolizes sentient beings of the three realms. My left hand holds a vajra bell which symbolizes sweet sound, wondrous possession and non-possession. Hanging over the chest is a string of 108 prayer beads, which is a sacred number in Buddhism.

I attach a lot of importance to the six-syllable mantra because it is Bodhisattva-Kuan-Yin's wonderful heart mantra, and has inconceivable merit which is applauded by Buddhas of the Ten Directions. This mantra is a treasure in the Three Divisions of the Buddhist scriptures (the teachings, the precepts, and the commentions) and has the merit of the six Paramitas (charity, observing precepts, perseverance, energy, meditation, and wisdom)

Being crowned has the following ten advantages according to the Bkabhgre (a Tibetan collection of sutras): 1. remove any harm by devils and demons; 2. remove any illness from heat, cold, wind or inflammation; 3. deliver people from sufferings caused by war, floods, and fire; 4. enjoy benefit for the present life such as blessing, fortune, and long life; 5. eradicate worries caused by greed, anger, and ignorance; 6. remove your sins in violating the precepts; 7. remove your karma and help you to reach the ten stages of spiritual cultivation; 8. close the doors to the three lower forms of existence; 9. liberate the sentient beings in the six forms of existence; 10. help you to gain Buddhahood if you chant the mantra thousands of times.

Five-Buddha Crown -- purified Self-Nature Dharma-robe -- purification of body. 108 prayer beads -- purification of speech. Scepter in the right hand -- the three periods and three realms. Bell in the left hand -- non-possession but wondrous possession.

For my Dharma-characteristic, Guru Padmasambhava gave me the name "the Holy Red Crown Vajra Guru Lian Sheng, the saint." I am now the secret ruler of the Vajra Mantra Realm, born into the earthly world, but immovable by slanders from the eight directions.

Source: http://www.padmakumara.org  

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