A
Complete and Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma
By Living Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Janny Chow
Empowerment using the Bell and Vajra
At this time one also may perform a ritual to benefit other sentient
beings. Remember that the recitation earlier of the eight Principal
Deities' mantras is also an invocation of the eight deities to empower
one, so that any one of the four possible yogic intents [purification,
enhancement, magnetization, and subjugation] which one has may be
realized. This requires the employment of the vajra and bell. [Grand
Master demonstrates.] Different maneuvering of the vajra and bell serve
different purposes. If one learns the proper employment of the Vajra and
bell, one may perform their various functions after the recitation of
the eight principal heart mantras.
Tapping the bell with the vajra this way four times
[Grand Master demonstrates], while visualizing white lights shooting out in four
directions of the compass points, is to set up a sacred boundary. The
size of the sacred boundary depends on how far the white lights can
travel. One listens to the sound of the vajra hitting the bell and
visualizes the white light shooting out - the sacred space is thus
established. For example, what I am ding now [Grand Master demonstrates]
is setting up a sacred space around the Rainbow Villa.
With this other employment of the vajra and bell
[Grand Master demonstrates], one has to visualize a parasol of white light soaring up
to the sky above the Rainbow Villa, covering the whole area. This is
setting the boundary using the Great White Parasol.
In this visualization, the white parasol soars from the vajra and the
top of the bell up to the empty space above, covering the whole Rainbow
Villa like a canopy. This is the formation of a sacred boundary around
the Rainbow Villa. When one performs this step at one's Tantric shrine
at home, one then forms a sacred boundary around one's own house. This
is tantamount to performing an armor protection for one's house and
keeping the demons away. By performing this ritual, the house is
purified.
If one intends to bring benefit to others, then, at this point in the
practice, one may maneuver the vajra and bell this way above the names
of those people. These names should have been placed in position ahead
of time. [Grand Master demonstrates]. If one wants to enhance the sales
of a certain business, one should visualize a yellow light shinning on
that person and his store. One should visualize the person clearly and
it is even better if a photograph is available. One may perform as karma
yoga of enhancement right away for that person.
If there is a married couple who is always fighting and is heading
toward divorce, one may help the couple by maneuvering the vajra and
bell this way [Grand Master demonstrates] and visualizing the red light
shining over the photograph of the couple. [This is the karma yoga of
magnetization].
If someone is sick, one may place his or her photograph before
oneself, then maneuver the vajra and bell this way [Grand Master
demonstrates] and visualizes a white light shinning over the patient.
This is the karma yoga purification.
How about the karma yoga subjugation? One turns over the vajra and
bell like this [Grand Master demonstrates] and emits a blue light over
the person. This will bring about subjugation.
Just now I have performed a series of vajra and bell manipulations
which included boundary formation (armor protection), purification,
enhancement, magnetization, and subjugation. If one cannot learn to do
all of them, one may simply do one of them. For example, maneuvering the
vajra and bell like this, coupled with the visualization of red light,
is for harmony and magnetization. [Grand Master demonstrates] This is
for purification, enhancement, and subjugation. [Grand Master
demonstrates] The vajra and bell can be employed for these four yogic
intents at these times of practice, when one finishes chanting the eight
principal Heart Mantras.
Actually the mudras or maneuvering of the vajra and bell are not that
complicated: one just needs to employ them like this. [Grand Master
demonstrates]. One may learn to do them quite easily. There used to be
this Taiwanese saying, "The tricks of the trade are not worth much
if they are revealed, but it could take one three years to figure them
out on one's own." [audience laughter]. This employment of the
vajra and bell was transmitted directly to me by Vajrasattva when he
took me to a spiritual realm, Many Tibetan tulkus do not know how to
employ the vajra and bell for these four secret uses! Vajrasattva
brought me up to meet with him and personally explained to me the
details involved in their usage. Although the Tibetan tulkus also employ
the vajra and bell, I have observed from the way they maneuver them that
they have not figured out the secrets. The teachings from Vajrasattva
are Ichiban! [Japanese for number one] What you are learning from me
today is tantamount to learning indirectly from Vajrasattva himself.
[audience applause].
Employment of Dharma Implements
I would like to spend a little time here discussing the general
employment of Dharma implements. This is the vajra. It is symbol for
firmness, compassion, the uprooting of suffering, and that which is
indestructible, imperturbable, and immovable. This is the bell. It is
symbol for wisdom, joy, laughter, and the propagation of the Truth. When
the vajra and bell are maneuvered together like this [Grand Master
demonstrates], it represents the dual employment of compassion and
wisdom - a means to liberate the sentient beings from suffering.
Wisdom and compassion, joy and indestructibility - these are the
qualities of the bell and vajra. When does one ring the bell? During the
practice of the True Buddha Tantra, one may ring the bell at the end of
each step to evoke joy in one's heart. One also rings the bell when one
performs karma yoga. Nowadays many Dharma masters ring the bell whenever
they feel like it without any specific reason. When the vajra is raised
it represents stability. The bell represents wisdom. One now should know
the vajra and bell are to be employed.
Regarding the mala, everyone knows that it is used for the recitation
of mantras. How about the damaru drum? The drum should be held by the
right hand like this, with three fingers below the drum and the two
remaining fingers holding it up. The bell and drum can be used
simultaneously. [Grand Master demonstrates] The drum is swung to
accompany the singing of praises. For example, one may swing the drum,
and at the same time sing, "Kuan Yin Bodhisattva [Avalokitesvara],
full of compassion! Manjusri Bodhisattva, full of wisdom! Samantabhadra
Bodhisattva, full of great actions! Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, full of
great vows!" This is how the Tibetan lamas and tulkus use the drum.
They swing the drum and sing praises to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
The next time you come across a damaru drum, you can buy it to take home
and use for singing praises to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Just make
sure that it does not fall into the hands of children and get turn into
a toy. [audience laughter] When the lamas sing praises to the compassion
of the Boddhisattvas, they sing and say their bodied to the swinging of
the drums - they are relaxed and having a good time! This kind of
chatting of praises is excellent. When the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas hear
the swinging sound of the damaru drum, they will descend in
appreciation. So, it does have its own significance.
How about the
single-point vajra? I have discussed before how this is used. Whether it
is the single-point vajra Hayagriva or of any other Fierce Protector, it
is used during certain rituals of karma yoga and can be used to pierce
and anchor traingult plates enshrined on one's altar. The vajra is then
regarded as a Fierce Protector and one pays homage and makes offerings
to it. Students who have learned the Achala Yoga should pay homage and
make offerings to Achala, as the Tibetan tulkus also make such offerings
to Fierce Protectors during ordinary times. Therefore, Dharma implements
are used for karma yogas, singing praises, and recitations.
The Level of Tulkus
As matter of fact, to my knowledge there are only a few people among
the Chinese practitioners who can explain the Tantric practice in such
completeness and detail; even among the Tibetans, few would know how to
employ the vajra and bell in the manner I just demonstrated. Are there
ant Tibetan tulkus who completely understand Tantric external practice?
Of course they are. Many advanced Tibetan Lamas have a thorough
knowledge and lucid understanding of the external practice, and they
also engage in the practice of internal yoga and Highest Tantric Yoga.
However, only a few of them can explain the external practice in such
complete manner that others might gain full comprehension. As far as I
know, very few of them actually have completely penetrated the Tantric
practice. The number of practitioners who started at the Generation
Stage practice and have arrived at the Completion stage practice is
fewer, because this requires a progression from external practice
through internal practice, esoteric practice, and inner esoteric
practice. Very few people have gone through the progression and reached
the highest level. Very few people know of the formulae and secrets for
these practices, as they are seldom written down in books. One should
still be able to find teachings of the internal practice in books, but
this is not so for teachings of the Highest Tantra Yoga. It is even
harder to learn the formulae to the inner esoteric practice. But I do
have a thorough and lucid understanding of the whole Tantric practice,
including the proper employment of the implements. This is why I have
decided to explain to everyone the complete liturgy of Tantric practice
starting with the external practice.
Why did I say that even some of the Tibetan tulkus do not have a
total knowledge and understanding of the complete Tantric practice?
Because I know there are many different ranks of Tibetan tulkus, Do not
exceedingly awed just because you have met a Tibetan tulku. Do not
automatically assume that he has cultivated to the level of Great
Perfection or Completion Stage practice. Upon meeting a Tibetan tulku,
some people immediately prostrate themselves and empty their pockets to
make offerings, so they might hear some profound teachings, but the
tulku is usually gone before any profound teachings have been delivered.
In many cases, the most one learns are the Four Preliminary Practices!
Sometimes, after a sincere offering is made, the tulku might give a high
level empowerment such as Kalachakra empowerment. Well, after the
Kalachakra initiation, does one know how to visualize the Kalachakra or
chant the mantra. The visualization of Kalachakra is very complicated.
It involves visualizing ten different colors in the formation of a
mantra syllable. This kind of practice is very difficult and not every
Tibetan tulku has this kind of knowledge.
It is my understanding that among the Tibetan
tulkus, leaders who are
both spiritual as well as temporal, such as the Dalai Lamas and Panchen
Lamas are of the highest rank. Designated rulers who hold temporal power
in the absence of a Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama are of the second rank.
The third ranks of tulkus are the abbots of the three great Tibetan
monasteries. The fourth rank of tulkus includes Dharma Leader at the
three monasteries, as well as lineage holders of the four [Tibetan
Buddhist] schools, such as the Karmapa of the Kagyu School, and the
leaders of the Sakya, Nyingmapa, and Gelugpa School.
What about the fifth rank tulkus? These include abbots other that
those of the three great monasteries. The sixth rank of tulkus is
teachers of Tantric practices under the abbots of the monasteries, and
the move around freely. There are also tulkus of the seventh rank. In
the past, these were people who had been lamas for a long time without
earning the title of tulkus. However, they were quite well off and able
to trade some of their lands, or yaks and goats, for money. They offered
the money to the Tibetan government in exchange for a tulku title. This
type of tulku is called "tulku by donation".
So there are at least seven ranks of
tulkus. Not every tulku has the
power to recharge one's body with the life force, no matter how much one
prostrates or make offerings. [audience laughter] Some tulkus have
earned their title by donation; others have strived for a long time and
slowly risen from a lama to become an abbot. The Tibetan term "mKan-po"
refers to "abbots". This is how the system of tulkus works. Of
note is the Gelugpa School which does have a relatively well established
system.
Once someone asked the Dalai Lama, "I have met this tulku who
gave this teaching to me. I wonder if it is correct and whether he is
authentic tulku?" The Dalai Lama asked for the tulku's name and
then remarked that he did not recognize the name. When the inquirer
showed his surprise at the Dalai Lama's answer, he offered this
explanation, "There are so many tulkus that it has gotten to the
point that it is impossible to have an accurate number, or to know who
is authentic, as every one of these tulkus calls himself the
Rinpoche". A rinpoche is a tulku. How many of these tulkus really
know the authentic Tantric practice? How many of them practice the
Dharma at a deep level consciousness? One should pay at attention to
these questions. A tulku in title should at least know the complete
liturgy of the external Tantric practice and have engaged in the actual
practice himself. A true tulku is someone who has also practices in the
internal Tantra and has achieved Liberation and Enlightenment.
How many of the Tibetan tulkus nowadays have attained Liberation and
Enlightenment? Not that many. Therefore, if one wants to seek authentic
teachings from a tulku, one should first ascertain if this tulku indeed
knows Tantric practices! If he is able to explain the different levels
of practices from the Generation Stage to the Completion Stage, he is
quite accomplished. He at least can be a teacher, although he might not
have engaged in all these practices himself. He can explain to one how a
certain practice is done and tell how far along one has advanced on the
path. These are qualifications of a true guru. Therefore, one may
sometimes judge if a Tibetan tulku is a true tulku or not by his
knowledge and understanding of the Generation Stage and Completion Stage
practices.
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