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.