The Aura of Wisdom 

By Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by True Buddha Foundation Translation Team (Cheng Yew Chung, Victor Hazen, Dance Smith)

This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 154th book, 智慧的光環.

CHAPTER 1 - Spiritual Conviction

This article is written for disciples who have just taken refuge and have begun their initial practice of the True Buddha teachings.

Let me say this to you in all honesty. As an enlightened adept, I have truly visited the Maha Twin Lotus Ponds and have seen my identity in my past life as Padmakumara himself.

The cultivation of the True Buddha teachings does indeed bring results. Besides helping one to gain better health and longevity, attracting good fortune and fostering the growth of blessings and wisdom, it allows one to spontaneously activate the Four Bodies, express the Five Wisdoms, manifest the Rainbow Light Body and attain Supreme Bodhicitta.

As a novice, it is important that you have faith in the Root Guru, trusting the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. This is the very heart of your spiritual conviction.

Needless to say, it takes considerable practice in the cultivation of the True Buddha teachings before one can attain fruition. Do not give up upon meeting slight setbacks. The True Buddha Doctrine is aimed at freeing the individual from his or her defilements, so as to allow one to gain mastery over birth and death and become enlightened.To attain these goals, one must remain firm in one`s spiritual conviction.

In this world, there is one person whose spiritual conviction is always firm, and that person is myself, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu. I shall never lose my spiritual conviction.

I have faced mountains of disasters in my life. Anyone else in my shoes would have long given up their practice due to these setbacks. The obstacles placed before me have seemed endless, one following after another, and yet my spiritual will has become tempered and sure instead of fading. If I am not a Tathagata, then who is? I have long taken on the role of the Thus Come One.

Let me say this to you: If I have not given up despite all the obstacles I`ve experienced, how could you give up so easily? Let us put our spiritual conviction to the test and see who shall emerge the strongest!

I want to share this with all True Buddha practitioners, so that we may encourage each other.

Next ]

Up
01 - Spiritual Conviction
02 - Vanity
03 - Adopting a Monistic Life
04 - Manifestations
05 - Spiritual Response
06 - Purification of One's Mind
07 - Right View
08 - The True Acharya
09 - Self Importance
10 - The Four Levels of Empowerment
11 - Making Offerings
12 - Making Offerings (2)
13 - Spiritual Authentication
14 - Keeping the Codes and Precepts
15 - The Spirit of Upholding the Precepts
16 - The True Buddha School
17 - True Practice
18 - Respect the Guru
19 - The Most Comprehensive System of Buddhist Practice
20 - Do Not Slander the Tantric Teachings
21 - Ignorance
22 - Liberal Authentication
23 - The Sutra and Tantra Traditions
24 - Dharma Epithet
25 - The Secret Referred to in the Secret Teachings
26 - Mahabodhicitta, the Mind of Perfect Enlightenment
27 - Perfect Penetration of the Sutra and Tantra Teachings
28 - The Mandala
29 - Attaining Budddhahood in this Very Body
30 - Refrain from Killing
31 - Taking Meat or Vegetarian Meals
32 - Offering Wine and Meat to the Buddha
33 - Why Practice Buddhism and Do Cultivation?
34 - The Guru's Power of Blessing
35 - The Precious Teachings of Tantric Buddhism
36 - The Jambhala or Wealth Deity Practice
37 - The Wrathful Guardian Deities
38 - Yab-Yum, the Consort Practice
39 - Fundamental Rationale of Tantric Buddhism
40 - The Heart Essence and the Orally Transmitted Secrets
41 - Cultivating with Contemplation and Visualization
42 - Aijikan, the Visualization of the Seed Syllable AH
43 - Choosing One`s Principal Deity (Yidam)
44 - The Fourfold and Sixfold Refuge
45 - Radiating Light Blessing
46 - Radiating Light Invocation
47 - The Importance of the Four Preliminaries
48 - The Secret of Contemplating on Emptiness
49 - Elucidation on the Three Powers
50 - Reverence for the High King Sutra
51 - A Buddha Manifestation of Great Authority
52 - Merging as One
53 - The Key Instructions of Entering, Abiding and Absorbing
54 - Seen in the Context of Heresy
55 - The Importance of Cultivating Chi