The Four Preliminary Practices of the True Buddha Dharma

by Living Buddha Lian-Shen (Grand Master Sheng-yen Lu)

Translated from Chinese by The Purple Lotus Society, August 16, 1991

1: The True Buddha Practice of Great Homage

The four preliminaries practices in Vajrayana are: the Great Homage, the Fourfold Refuge, the Mandala Offering, and the Vajrasattva Practice. These four practices are the foundation, the cornerstone of all the practices. They are the beginning, just as in building a house, one starts first by building the foundation.

In Tibet, all novices of the Vajrayana have to study the four preliminary practices. Each preliminary practice must be repeated one hundred thousand times before any other Tantric practice is taught. Without such complete practice, various obstacles may arise and it would be easy for the practitioner to branch off onto a wrong path.

Many Vajrayana students have a disdain for the four preliminary practices, thinking that they are just minor practices. They do not realize that these four preliminary practices are, in fact, the foundation for all major Tantric meditational practices and are extremely effective in eliminating karmic hindrances and in accumulating blessing and wisdom. Therefore, they must not be slighted as unimportant.

Many people have asked, should one practice the four preliminary practices together of separately? My reply is: it depends totally on the available time each individual has. There is no fixed rule. If one has more time, one can practice the four preliminary practices at one sitting. If one does have sufficient time, one may practice just one practice at a time.

The Great Homage of the True Buddha School differs slightly from that of the other traditional Vajrayana schools. I have categorized the Great Homage into three kinds: the Complete Prostration Great Homage, the Partial Prostration Great Homage, and the Visualized Great Homage.

There are four mudras employed in the Great Homage:

The Buddha Shrine Mudra - The first homage is paid to the Buddhas of the ten directions, using the Shrine Mudra. Join both hands with the fingertips and the base of the palms of both hands touching, leaving an empty space between the palms, like a shrine.

The Lotus Mudra - The second homage is paid to all bodhisattvas (of the Lotus Family). The Mudra is formed with the thumbs and small fingers of both hands touching while the remaining three fingers of each hand are extended like the bloom of a lotus.

The Diamond (Vajra) Handclasp Mudra - The third homage is paid to all the deities of the Vajra Family (the Dharma Protectors). This mudra is formed by interlacing the fingers of each hand while the base of the palms are touching, like a vajra trident.

The Samada Mudra - The fourth homage is paid equally to all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajra Protectors, and Devas. The mudra is formed by extending the index fingers vertically with their tips touching while the thumbs are held horizontally with their tips touching, and the other three fingers from each hand are interlaced horizontally. A half bow is performed while the mudra is held.

The Complete Prostration Great Homage is a Tibetan style of prostration. The practitioner whole body is prostrated on the floor. With this kind of prostration it is usual to place a pad or straw mat on the floor to prevent injury.

With any kind of Great Homage, one should first visualise the Guru and the Triple Gem in the Empty Space. The practitioner (with his family present or visualised beside him) then starts the Great Homage. First place the mudra on the crown and visualise a beam of white light shining on the crown (purification of all body karmic hindrances). Next place the mudra at the throat and visualise a red beam of light hitting the throat (purification of all speech karmic hindrances). Then place the mudra in front of the heart and visualise a beam of blue light hitting the heart (purification of all mind karmic hindrances). When the body, speech, and mind are purified, bring the mudra to the crown and release it. Nest lower the body, extend and push both arms out front, and prostrate the whole body on top of the worshipping mat. After prostrating and touching the mat, immediately stand up. Do not lie on the floor for too long. This is the Complete Prostration Great Homage.

The Partial Prostration Great Homage is the Chinese style of prostration. Only the knees and hands (with palms facing upward) touch the floor. The four mudras are also employed. This only differs from the Tibetan style in that the whole body is not in prostration. The Partial Prostration may be employed when one travels or visits a temple where there is no available pad or mat. Injury to the palms, forehead, or body can easily occur if one always performs the Complete Prostration.

The Visualised Great Homage was originated by Living Buddha Lian-shen of the True Buddha School. During group cultivations, when the meditation hall is not large enough for the whole group of practitioners to rise up and perform the Great Homage physically, the group can remain seated and perform the Great Homage by visualisation. After bringing the mudra to touch upon the crown, the throat, and the heart, immediately visualise oneself prostrating completely in front of the Buddhas, then return the mudra to the crown and release it. This visualisation makes the practice of Great Homage easy during group practice.

The visualised Great Homage also has many other advantages. For example, when we are travelling in airplanes or cars and want to practice but have no room to perform the physical Great Homage, we can remain seated in the vehicle and employ the visualization method. First visualize the Buddha appearing in the Empty Space and emitting light, then visualise oneself forming the mudra to touch the crown, throat, and heart. Next visualize oneself prostrating to the Buddhas and, finally, releasing the mudra at the crown. Furthermore, women practitioners who are pregnant (and thus unable to perform Complete Great Homage or Partial Great Homage) can still practice by employing the Visualized Great Homage.

Among the students of the True Buddha School there are some who were born deformed and some whose fingers have been amputated by machinery. According to traditional Vajrayana rules, these people cannot form mudras and their sitting postures are considered unbecoming; therefore they are not qualified to practice Vajrayana due to their heavy karmic hindrances. But Living Buddha Lian-shen is eliminating this objectionable practice that discriminates against handicapped and crippled people. In my opinion, anyone can practice Vajrayana. Mudras can be visualized; the practice of Great Homage can also be visualized.
The great homage of the True Buddha School therefore includes the Complete Great Homage, the Partial Great Homage, and the Visualized Great Homage.

In general, during the practice of one meditation session, there are four mudras to accompany the Great Homage. The procedures for the first three mudras are similar, while the last mudra is performed with a half bow.

Some practitioners concentrate on the practice of the Great Homage. They make twenty one, forty nine, one hundred eight, or several hundred prostrations continuously. With this practice, one can use the Buddha shrine mudra the whole time, while treating all the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all Deities as Buddhas. This way one can continue prostrating without interruption ?the more the better!

Many students have asked me how one can engender affinity with Buddhas in family members who do not believe in Buddhism? I like to give them the following answer: Visualize each of your family members who does not believe in Buddhism coming to your side; visualize the Light from the Buddhas shining on them. Then, together with your visualized family members, perform the Great Prostrations.

The above is also a kind of Visualized Great Homage. By visualizing a non-believer participating in the Great Homage, gradually, within the heart of this non- believer, a seedling of the Buddha will be planted and affinity with the Buddhas will automatically be generated.

The key to the Great Homage is still visualization. When the mudra touches the crown, visualize the Deities emitting a white Light (to purify the body karmic hindrances); when the mudra touches the throat, visualize the Deities emitting a red Light (to purify the speech karmic hindrances); when the mudra touches the heart, visualize the Deities emitting a blue Light (to purify the mind karmic hindrances). When the mudra is released at the crown, immediately perform the prostration.
The most important purpose of the Great Homage is to remove karmic hindrances. The emitting of Light from the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Deities upon one is to remove the obstacles one has accumulated throughout one many lifetimes. When the accumulated hindrances are reduced or removed, then cultivation becomes purified and one body emits light. When one body emits Light, then there is hope of becoming a Buddha.

The Great Homage can also stop one pride, which I think is very important. To prostrate and worship is to learn humility and reverence. Its intention is to eradicate the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance. One should know that too often cultivators, generally, after accomplishing a small degree of success, become too easily proud of themselves, allowing arrogance and self-compacency to emerge. When they see others at a higher level than themselves, they become jealous and want to compete arbitrarily with others. Therefore a student in Buddhism needs to first prostrate to the Buddhas to learn reverence. To bow and prostrate is to stop haughtiness and arrogance.

The Great Homage is also a kind of physical exercise that can strengthen the body. In a profound way, the coordination of the limbs becomes a yogic exercise in breathing. It is actually understandable how exercising continuously, practicing the Great Homage until one is perspiring, can even cure illness. This is why, since ancient times in Tibet, the Great Homage has been considered a worshipping method to subdue the self and harden the body into suppleness.

The Great Homage can eradicate obstacles, generate affinity with the Buddhas, stop greed, anger and ignorance, and generate reverence. It is, as well, a physical yogic exercise that strengthens the body. I hope the students of the True Buddha School will not underestimate the practice of the Great Homage. I am explaining it in clear and simple words. Actual practice of the Great Homage will yield great results.

The Buddha Dharma is expansive, profound, and subtle. One needs to walk on its path step by step before one reaches the Highest realm. Though the Great Homage is not a transcendental method, it is still a precise and exquisite practice.

To write a verse to commemorate it:

To be dazzled by the outer world is to remain in the mundane:
Upon introspection, realization is freedom from guilt.
The Great Homage Practice brings the mind into the right focus,
It generates devotion and removes hindrances.