A Dharma Discourse at the Transmission of the Kalachakra Practice

Given by Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu at the Kalachakra Dharma Ceremonyin Hong Kong on August 27th, 2000

Masters, Fa-shi's, Dharma Teachers, teaching assistants, and fellow students, good afternoon! [audience applause]

First of all, let us bring our minds into focus and pay homage to Reverend Liao-ming, Guru Sakya Zheng-kong, the Sixteenth Karmapa, Guru Thubten Daerji, and the past lineage root gurus of the True Buddha School.

We have just finished listening to the teaching given by Master Lian-han on the Kalachakra Practice.Before my talk, I must bring up an incident from last night.Just as I was about to fall asleep, in front of my eyes many dots of light suddenly appeared, filling up the entire space before me.The Golden Mother of Jade Pond then manifested amidst these lights. [audience applause] I asked her what I should present for my talk at today's great Dharma Ceremony.The Golden Mother of Jade Pond replied in English, "This is the last talk.You can tell everything."[audience applause]

This is because the Kalachakra Practice belongs to the section of Unexcelled Yoga Tantra and is the highest practice.If I do not divulge all the essences of the practice, I will only be giving a half-hearted talk.But, indeed, some of the details cannot be divulged. So, should I divulge all of its secrets or just half of them?Or, should I not divulge any of them all?

Since the Golden Mother has responded in the affirmative, then I will just have to follow her advice.[audience applause]Just now Master Lian-han mentioned that the Kalachakra Practice, a great practice in the Unexcelled Highest Yoga section, represents "sun and moon" as well as "yin and yang."What he said about these representations is correct; however, what he did not mention is that the practice also represents "male and female."Do you know where the Buddhadharma is found?In the human world, everything is Buddhadharma, and all can lead one to awakening.So, if the Buddhadharma is found in our ordinary daily lives, then isn't human sexuality, which is a part of our ordinary daily lives, also Buddhadharma? [audience applause]

Yesterday, at Pu-zhao Tang, our local chapter in Yuan Long, Hong Kong, I spoke of someone who was there during my Dharma Talk who was not beautiful but very gentle.Later, after we came back, Master Lian-hsiang asked me if I was referring to her.[audience laughter]I thought to myself, "Do you think yourself to be very gentle?" [audience laughter]Actually, in my heart I wanted very much to say who this person was, but I dared not say it. [uproar of audience laughter]I did not say who this person was!She is just someone quite plain looking.But ultimately my definition for gentleness is that it represents a kind of power, a kind of purity, and a kind of spiritual awareness.

This is how I feel.Taiwanese people always say that if you marry a good wife, then you can go and marry several more.[uproar of audience laughter]If you marry…, well, I cannot say a bad wife, [audience laughter] let's just say a "certain kind" of wife, then just one is more than enough![audience laughter]I did not name any names!

I am remembering the day, at the Hong Kong Lei Tsang Temple, when I conducted a group wedding ceremony for several newlywed couples.After the ceremony, I spoke to the couples about how they should care for each other.Dharma sister Lee Zu-jia, who is from Taiwan, told me this interesting story.A newly married man went to the library to borrow a book.He had been looking for a book with the title— The Way to Happiness for a Married Couple.The librarian told him, "For this kind of book, you will have to look in the fantasy genre section.[uproar of audience laughter]If you want to look for Ways a Married Couple Can Get Along, then you have to go to the wuxia (martial arts) section." [uproar of audience laughter]This is quite interesting!

Among the newlyweds was someone with whom I was very familiar.He was Wu Zi-zai (literally "Dancing with Self-mastery" or "in Liberation"), a student who writes for the True Buddha News.He is famous for his essays, and he is very well read.He was marrying another student, Lianhua Xiao-xian and this was a happy occasion. Master Lian-jie told me that when he tried to give Wu Zi-zai a deadline for his next essay for the school's web-site, Wu Zi-zai replied, "I am sorry, but I am very busy at night."Master Lian-jie then said, "This is something that really needs to be done.Why are you so busy at night?"Now, let me ask Wu Zi-zai, "Are you dancing in liberation and with self-mastery at night?"[uproar of audience laughter]

In Tantrayana, a practitioner must learn and know how to attain self-mastery and liberation.Tantrayana considers everything we do in our ordinary lives to be Buddhadharma.Now, I do not care if you have self-mastery or not.Just hurry and ask me to teach you.

When you can apply the practice of Tantrayana to any activity in which you engage, you will be in a state of self-mastery and liberation, as well as a state of complete purity.[audience applause]

A Tantrayana guru has to be a strong vajra yogi, a firm vajra yogi, as well as a "non-leakage" vajra yogi.In Tantrayana, one can enter into the consciousness of the Buddhas while simultaneously performing the practical tasks of daily life.For example, I have been able to become the Lotus Light Self-Mastery Buddha in this incarnation.If you want to attain true self-mastery, then the Kalachakra Practice is the only Great Practice to Self-Mastery.

Now, let me explain what is "yu-le-ding.""Yu" is desire; "le" is bliss, and "ding" is stability achieved in meditation.The Yab-yum (sexual union) form of Kalachakra and his consort symbolizes the manifestation of the Great Bliss Vajra.

How is the phenomenon of great bliss engendered?This great bliss is absolutely not the conventional kind of pleasure.Ordinary pleasure lasts only a few seconds or minutes.The authentic great bliss is very long in duration.It is continual and never-ending.This kind of bliss is called Non-leakage Great Bliss.Kalachakra is the Time-Wheel Personal Deity of the Non-leakage Great Bliss.[audience applause]

To engender "yu-le-ding," the union of desire, bliss, and stabilization, you must visualize the manifestation of the Yab-yum form of Kalachakra on a lotus above your crown.From this lotus, a stalk extends downward into your central channel.This is how Kalachakra gives you the Empowerment.When the Buddha Father and Buddha Mother of Kalachakra enter into sexual union, their esoteric fluid flows through the lotus stalk into your central channel, filling your whole body. This causative Great Bliss gives rise to a consequential Great Bliss.

Now let me elaborate on the visualization for "yu-le-ding."The most important image to visualize is the following:when the esoteric fluid flows down the central channel, it starts to burn upon meeting the inner fire (kundalini fire) being kindled inside you.This is a phenomenon wherein the esoteric fluid-light drops burn with the inner fire inside your body.At this time, the chi practices you have been training with during your ordinary practices will enable your chi to open up the central channel.The friction of chi running through the central channel will generate a buoyant and blissful sensation.This sensation is "yu-le-ding." [audience applause]

As I have mentioned before, in ordinary sexual exchanges between men and women the physical discharge of light drops from the male generates a friction against the channel, giving rise to a brief moment of pleasure.This is known as conjugal bliss.But, in the "yu-le-ding" produced under the condition of Tantrayana Buddhist practices, there exists the presence of moving chi, ascending inner fire, or descending light drops inside the central channel.The friction produced along the channel engenders a prolonged bliss. This kind of bliss is greater and longer lasting than ordinary conjugal bliss and can be extended to ceaseless bliss.This is called Dharma Bliss.[audience applause]

As I have mentioned elsewhere, when light drops descend from the brow point, they generate the so-called four ecstasies: ecstasy, initial ecstasy, supreme ecstasy, and inherent ecstasy.When ecstasy reaches the crown, one uses Tantrayana methods to bring it down and transform it into the four voids.A reverse order movement then takes place. Bliss generated by this kind of circulation is also "yu-le-ding."

Kalachakra Practice prescribes that this form of meditation be accompanied by specific postures.For example:

Hold Fists---Hold both hands in fists with the thumbs being held inside the palms.

Sun and Moon Facing Sky ---The right and left eyes look at the sun and moon respectively.Both eyes looking upward are the "sun and moon facing sky."

Root Returning --- Place the tongue against the upper palate, then allow shang-xing chi (which covers the area from the tip of one's nose to the throat and on to one's heart) to be completely exhaled.Then press one's chin downward against the Adam's apple.

Pressing against Adam's Apple --- Pressing the head downward against the Adam's apple.As explained before, this is like placing a straw in water.When the straw is lifted up with a finger pressing against the opening of the straw, water inside the straw will not fall out.If the finger is removed, the water will drop.

Pressing Abdomen against Back --- Inhaling, press the abdomen against the back.At this moment, light drops will be lifted.

Clench the Buttocks ---This is the final step.In this step, light drops that are about to leak will be stopped there.

These Sakya Six Transformational Postures must be accomplished in one instant. [audience applause]

I am telling you these secrets now.During your daily chi practice, start with the Treasure Vase Breathing.After the Treasure Vase Breathing, lift the light drops. Then (with both hands reaching up to the sky) cry out the sound "Hum."This will elevate the light drops to the position of the dan-tian.Only through this method will you be able to succeed in kindling the inner fire.

Also, you have to do the practice of "Long Hum" and "Short Hum.""Long Hum" is twice letting out the long sound of hum, first while turning your head from right to the left, and second from left to right."Short Hum" is letting out the short sound of hum ten times, while raising and lowering the chin.This is the method that will elevate light drops from the coccyx all the way up to the thousand-petal-lotus at the brow-point chakra.This is the most remarkable thing about Tantrayana. Tantrayana gurus or practitioners differ from ordinary practitioners in that any activity they engage in is transformational.Ordinary sexuality can also be transformed into a form of practice.[audience applause]

Ordinary people do not know that all secrets are contained in self-mastery.If you want to dance in self-mastery, you have to carefully learn and practice the Sakya Six TransformationalPostures.Work attentively with the chi practice, and you will obtain the eternal and true Great Bliss.You will become strong, firm, and have no leakages.[audience applause]

When you obtain "yu-le-ding," you will enter into the Realm of Desire.The Realm of Heavens is divided into the Realm of Desire, Realm of Form, and Realm of Formlessness.At this time, with your accomplishment of "yu-le-ding," you become a strong yogi, a firm yogi, and a non-leakage yogi.This is tantamount to arriving at the heavens in the Realm of Desire in the "Alternate Time-Cycle."

Let me tell everyone, I am a cultivator who engages in actual practice.I transform every activity of my daily life into the transcendent. [audience applause]

In general, newlywed couples cannot wait to go into their nuptial chambers on their wedding nights.When Master Lian-jie asked Wu Zi-zai to go to the computer to write a news article, Wu Zi-zai then said, "I won't be available tonight."Almost all the newlywed couples were not available that night! [audience laughter]

But, in Tantrayana, when husband and wife are together, they should first visualize the bed transforming into a lotus.This is also Buddhadharma!While in bed, the male practitioner visualizes himself as the Personal Deity with arms crossed, holding a vajra scepter in his right hand and a bell in his left hand.The female practitioner also visualizes herself as the Personal Deity.At this time both husband and wife are sitting on the lotus.Next, they should visualize their red-colored central channels joining both above and below to form a circle.This is the condition of Yab-yum.The next step is to visualize one's lotus, their Personal Deity, and the Buddha-Mother soaring into empty space. At this time, offer one's bliss to the Personal Deity, guardian deities in the four directions, dakinis in the eight directions, goddesses in the twenty heavens, and dakas and dakinis in the whole domain of the Realm of Desire, so that they all obtain this great bliss. [audience applause]

Next visualize the red "Hum" seed syllable in one's heart and one's partner's red "Hum" seed syllable circulating inside the circle formed by the joined red central channels.Use an inhaled breath to send the red Hum through the procreative chakra to the partner's red Hum.The two red Hum's merge.This establishes a continual circulation of the Hum, while both parties' chi and channels are connected.At this time, a bliss will be generated.Both partners are in a state of non-leakage.They also abide in a pure realm of consciousness.

According to Tantrayana teachings, the continual circulation of Hum not only brings pleasure and bliss, it will also ultimately transform into Rainbow Light.[audience applause]

In this practice, the continual "union of bliss and stabilization" engendered by the circulation of chi through the two partners lasts longer than the ordinary kind of conjugal bliss.Additionally, there is no leakage.[audience applause]

Although this type of "consort practice" exists in Tantrayana, it is prohibited in the True Buddha School.Here I will make a special exception for married couples who are household practitioners and have already succeeded in the "internal practices" of Energy Yogas.Monks and nuns who have taken their ordination vows are prohibited from doing this type of "consort practice."They can only do individual practices.[audience applause]

I would like to tell everyone that, in this human world, everything is Buddhadharma and can lead one to Enlightenment.If you know how to transform the mind and consciousness, then everything is Buddhadharma.If you do not know how to transform the mind, then everything can also be the root to transmigration.

Take a look at the human desire for money, sex, fame, food, and sleep.In Tantrayana, there are wealth god practices to transform the desire for money, consort practices to transform the desire for sex, wish-fulfilling practices to transform the desire for fame, deliverance and offering practices to transform the activity of eating, and sleep light practices to transform the activity of sleeping.

Non-cultivators do not know how to transform and expand their consciousness as they carry out their daily activities.People who understand Tantrayana and put it to practice will transform every act into a means of reaching Enlightenment.

In exoteric Buddhist schools, activities deemed as undesirable are uniformly denied and forbidden.Without exception, desire for money, sex, fame, food, and sleep are to be suppressed. Tantrayana instead advocates methods of channeling these desires into a more transcendent goal.[audience applause]Bliss is transformed into Emptiness, and Emptiness is again transformed into Bliss until there is no separation between Bliss and Emptiness.All that exists is the state of total Union of Bliss and Emptiness.

Earlier Master Lian-han discussed the state of bliss.However, you should not become too attached to this state.You must allow the Light in your heart to manifest.Once this Light in the heart manifests, you enter the Realm of Form.This is tantamount to arriving at the heavens in the Realm of Form in the "Alternate Time-Cycle."

How is this Realm of Form manifested?I will tell you.When the esoteric fluid from the Yab-yum form of Kalachakra above the lotus flows into your central channel, filling up your heart with this nectar, all karmic hindrances will slowly flow downward and be expelled.The ground will crack open and swallow the black karmic hindrances drained from you.Your entire body fills with this nectar which then transforms into Kalachakra's transparent nectar.At this time, you raise the inner fire to melt the light drops.

This rising inner fire will reach the thousand-petal-lotus at the brow-point chakra.The lotus, filled with sariras and "ying-luo" (gem-like particles strung together), will open.You then maneuver the Treasure Vase Chi to transport these sariras and "ying-luo" through and beyond the crown chakra to the entire universe.Offer these sariras and "ying-luo" to all Buddhas, Dharmas, and Sanghas in all ten directions, all Bodhisattvas, Vajra Dharma Protectors, Dakas and Dakinis, and all Devas.When the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas receive your offering of sariras and "ying-luo," they will emit and shine light on you.Gather all these lights and bring them into your heart.Your heart chakra is now being empowered by lights from these Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vajra Dharma Protectors.In the presence of the rising inner fire, the Light in your heart will manifest very quickly.This is a very unique and important secret.[audience applause]

I would like to offer an explanation for a unique phenomenon.When sitting under the bodhi tree,Shakyamuni Buddha saw a bright star to the east.This eastern star shone its light on the heart chakra of Shakyamuni.He could feel that it was a very special light.

When Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon School of Japanese Buddhism, was chanting the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva Mantra, he saw a star fly into his mouth.Do you know what this star was?It was the empowering light from the sun, moon, and stars.The light of all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vajra Dharma Protectors entered his heart.

Let me ask you this, why did a great star appear in the sky above Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth?The light was shining into the heart of baby Jesus.Why did these religious founders experience this kind of phenomenon?

I am telling everyone today how important it is to supplicate to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vajra Dharma Protectors and invite them to shine light upon one.The High King Avalokitesvara Sutra contains the collective names of all Buddhas, Dharmas, and Sanghas in all ten directions.Each time you chant the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra, you are, in effect, having lights from all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vajra Dharma Protectors shine upon you.[audience applause]

I will share this secret with you.When a solar or lunar eclipse appears, set up a flower mandala at your residence. Place a pan of pure water in the center and light several candles.After doing the Kalachakra Practice one hundred thousand times and offering your own sariras and "ying-luo" to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Vajra Dharma Protectors, invite them to fill the entire empty space with Kalachakras and shine all of their lights into the water at the moment the solar or lunar eclipse appears.At the time of the eclipse, again chant the Kalachakra Mantra, form the Kalachakra Mudra, make the supplication, and drink the water.At this time, Light will manifest from the mantra syllable within your heart (the mantra syllable of Kalachakra).This is a very important formula for entering into yogic response.[audience applause]

When making your offering, you can visualize every deity transform into a huge Hum syllable emanating light on you.Because they have received your offering, they will radiate light upon you.Each Hum then transforms into a Kalachakra, and the whole empty space is filled with Kalachakras.At this moment, gather up all Hum seed syllables and bring them into your heart to merge with the Hum syllable there.Maneuver your inner fire and light drops, which have intense heat and melting properties, to open your heart chakra and set the Hum syllable free.At this moment, you enter into the Deva Realm of Form.The meditative stability you attain at this moment is the Luminosity Stability.[audience applause]

How does one arrive at the Stability of Four Formlessness?When Light manifests in your heart, you also will be able, in that one instant, to transform into Kalachakra. At this moment, you again transform into the seed syllable of Kalachakra (Hum).To arrive at the Stability of Four Formlessness, you must use your inner heat to slowly melt and dissolve the seed syllable from the bottom up.Begin with the curly tail, then slowly move upward until you reach the horizontal stroke, moon disc, sun disc, and the one remaining dot.Then continue with the melting until everything completely dissolves and vanishes.When nothing is left, not even the existence of the seed syllable, one exists in the "no-fabrication" condition of Stability of Four Formlessness. [audience applause]

So far, I have discussed "yu-le-ding" (the union of bliss and stability), Luminosity Stability, and the Stability of Four Formlessness.The Realm of Formlessness has four levels: Boundless Emptiness, Boundless Consciousness, Non-Existing, and Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought.The highest state of stability within the Stability of Four Formlessness is Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought.After entering into the Stability of Four Formlessness, because you have the bodhicitta, the Buddha Nature manifests at this time.

After passing through the Realm of Desire and Realm of Form, you arrive at the Realm of Formlessness.Your bodhicitta will enable the Buddha Nature to manifest, and you will attain Buddhahood.[audience applause]

I have previously explained the meditative states associated with the Four Formless Heavens.Doing cultivation is not an easy task.Listening to my description, you might think it is relative easy.Suddenly, one is at the Realm of Desire.Then, suddenly, one arrives at the Realm of Form.Then, one enters into the Realm of Formlessness.Let me tell everyone, I did not accomplish all of these in a short time.It takes at least five years of practice.Luminosity Stability itself takes three to five years to accomplish.My accomplishment of Luminosity Stability can be attributed to the constant emanation of lights from all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra, which thereby facilitated the burning and dripping of inner heat and light drops.Each time I chanted the High King Sutra, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas shone their light on me.At the edge of the Four Formless Heavens, I was unable to find any higher practice or further ladders to climb. What did I do?I came across this statement: all phenomena are inherently empty.Then, finally, my guru transmitted to me this practice of making the "transformed seed syllable light" vanish.Even the light is eliminated and sent off into the Void.This is the method to attain the Stability of Four Formlessness.Do nothing and abide in the Truth that all phenomena are inherently empty.At this moment, the existing bodhicitta and Buddha Nature will manifest.

In the Realm of Desire, there exists the greatest kinds of reward and happiness.In the Realm of Form and Light, there exists the greatest kind of pure awareness. In the Realm of Four Formlessness or Emptiness, you will experience authentic nirvana and extinction.

Three kinds of yogic responses can be realized in Kalachakra practice.These are rarely spoken of.I have not heard this discussed in the many Kalachakra Ceremonies previously given.Earlier, in this ceremony, Master Lian-han discussed them.Here I am only supplementing what he missed.Let us review the points covered so far: sexual union of Kalachakra and his consort, the procreation chakra, empowerment of nectar into the body, black vapor draining into ground, chi, inner fire, light drops, and the Dharma Bliss and Great Bliss generated from the opening of channels --- this is the realization of "yu-le-ding."At this time, the inner fire will rise all the way up to the thousand-petal-lotus at the brow-point chakra.The sariras and ying-luo inside the thousand-petal-lotus should be offered to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajra Dharma Protectors, Dakas and Dakinins, and all Devas.They will then emit light to empower the Hum in your heart chakra, causing it to manifest light and enter into union with them.After completing the Kalachakra Practice one hundred thousand times, set up a flower shrine at a mountain peak or the roof of a house.At the time of a solar or lunar eclipse, when the sun or moon is at the closest distance to earth, tap into their lights to open your heart chakra and release yourself from all forms of bondage.At such a time, the Light in your heart will manifest, and you will enter into the Realm of Form.At this time, all Buddhas and Bodhsattvas in the ten directions will transform into Kalachakra and emit light on you.All Buddhas and Bodhiattvas will transform into the seed syllable Hum and enter through the central channel into your heart.You then merge into oneness with Kalachakra and transform into a huge Hum syllable.This huge Hum syllable then dissolves from the bottom up, until the moon disc, sun disc, and dot disappear into the void.At this time, you enter into the Stability of Four Formlessness.All phenomena are inherently empty.[audience applause]

Next, I would like to discuss the Buddha Land Shambhala, since we are transmitting the Practice of Kalachakra.Shambhala is the Pure Land of Kalachakra.How did Shambhala turn into Shangrila?This change occurred because the dialect spoken by the people in the Di-qing area of Yunan, China turned Shambhala into Shangrila.

I have mentioned before that, among the students of the True Buddha School, there is someone who has been a king in Shambhala.This student is currently one of the vajra masters of the True Buddha School.[audience applause]

The first king of Shambhala to receive the Kalachakra transmission was King Suchandra.The second king was King Yashu.I will tell you who King Yashu was.It was Jesus.[audience applause]Look at their names!Yashu, Jesus.The second king of Shambhala was later born into the human world as Jesus.The fourth Shamabhala king has incarnated into the human world as well.He is Master Lian-hai. [audience applause]

How many doors are there in Shambhala?Shambhala actually does not have any doors.Let me tell you, you will not find a single door leading into the Buddha Land Shambhala. How are you going to get in then?There is only one way.Don't bother to look for it, and it will come looking for you.[audience applause]

A rainbow will appear across the void.When you do the Kalachakra Practice, your middle channel is red in color, and the left and right channels are yellow or blue.These three lights will join and form a little rainbow.The large rainbow in the void will draw the little rainbow up to it.The two will merge into one and fly off to the Buddha Land Shambhala.Kalachakra will emit light to draw you up and fly you there.When you are let down from the opening at the top, you will descend and find yourself in Shambhala! [audience laughter and applause]

Let me tell you, during your practice, when you see the manifestation of Kalachakra opening his mouth, grabbing you, and turning you into a sacrificial item, offer yourself to him.You must often dwell on this thought: May I offer my body, speech, and mind to Kalachakra and the Root Guru.When you offer yourself to Kalachakra, he can feast on you.[audience laughter]He will swallow your hands, your body….While being consumed, you will experience a great sense of well-being and engender a great bliss.Afterwards, you will be reborn and emerge from his procreative chakra.Born again of light drops, you will become completely pure.[audience applause]This is totally beyond your imagination of yogic response!When you are eaten by Kalachakra and re-emerge from his procreative chakra, you truly become a pure cultivator.

Shambhala Buddha Land also has its own mudra.I am probably the only person in the world who knows it.[audience applause]This mudra is called the Pyramid Mudra. [The thumbs touch, the ring fingers are horizontal and one on top of the other, the small, index, and middle fingers are raised and touch each other.]

Shambhala Buddha Land also has its own mantra: "Om Ah Hum, Bu Lone, Ah Bu Lone."

Perhaps someone will ask me, "When the Buddha Father and Buddha Mother of Kalachakra sit on a lotus, with the stalk of the lotus inserted down the central channel of the practitioner, will the practitioner generate a heart of bliss as the esoteric fluid flows into his heart chakra?"I feel that there would be a tactile kind of bliss.The generation of happiness is very subtle.When you visualize the Buddha Father and Mother in sexual union, you will also start to feel a bliss.Because the blissful Dharma Flow has entered down into your heart, you will also engender this kind of bliss when you truly come into contact with it.

Let me give you an analogy.When I was small, my girlfriend [uproar of audience laughter] at that time… [uproar of audience laughter] [The camera showing a close-up of Master Lian-hsiang, Grand Master's wife, has caused the audience to burst out in an unstoppable uproar of laughter.]Did I say something wrong?[uproar of audience laughter]When I was in elementary school, [the Grand Master could not see the television screen and he was perplexed as to why his teaching was interrupted by continual outbursts of laughter] my family was living in the employee dormitory of the Taiwan Kaohsiung Electric Company.My girlfriend was living not too far from our backyard.At that time, we made a date to see a movie.We were still children, and the Electric Company had provided movie shows for us.

One night, we had to take a pedicab to the open stadium owned by the electric company.My girlfriend also went that time, and she was sitting right next to me.It was very crowded. Since I was the last one to get onto the cab, everyone squeezed together to make room for me.As I sat down in that well-packed cab, I immediately felt a kind of tactile sensation.My girlfriend and I were very well behaved, and we had never even touched hands.[uproar of audience laughter]I was still very small, and I had heard that if a boy touched the hand of a girl, the girl would have a baby. [uproar of audience laughter]So, we dared not touch each other's hands.Usually when we went to the movies, I always walked in the front, and she would walk behind.We also made sure no one was outside watching before we dared to walk out of the house.But, that night, there was nothing I could do.The cab was just too crowded.Even today, I still relish that memory.[audience laughter]I am already fifty-six years old.Do you know how many years have gone by since that incident?That night, my girlfriend was sitting right next to me, her leg touching my leg, and it had made all the difference.To this day, I still cherish that memory.[audience laughter]That entire night, I didn't even know what was being shown on the screen.I had been in a daze.[audience laughter]When I got home, I was still in a daze while lying in bed.[audience laughter]The next day, I even lost interest in food and drink.For several days, I dwelled on that experience and on touching that patch of skin.Among the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, touch is the most formidable.

The tactile sensation from the Buddha Father and Buddha Mother will send a little ripple down your central channel causing inconceivable and unimaginable bliss.If you don't believe me, then let me tell you, just go and find any white-skinned pig and place it right next to your leg.[audience laughter]See how you would feel![audience laughter]A white-skinned pig is also white and tender and soft.[audience laughter]Yet why are you not able to feel that kind of bliss?[audience laughter]This is a matter of thought.If a practitioner knows how to use thoughts, he or she will be a superb practitioner.

The entire goal of Tantrayana practice is to transform the myriad facets of existence in our daily lives.I still have to tell you one more secret, a secret of my heart.[audience laughter]Over the last seven days, I have been visiting every local chapter here.Seeing the Grand Master coming, many students have asked me to bless and touch their heads.During one of these blessings, I experienced a great shock. This student turned out to be that girlfriend of mine when I was small.[audience laughter and applause] This is a sign of yogic response from Kalachakra!Anyway, I can't tell you who she is, [audience laughter] and I can't ask her to stand up. I don't know which country she is living in now, and I don't know anything about her. [audience laughter]But, after I touched and blessed her head, she told me who she was.My whole heart almost melted. [audience laughter]But we could not talk too long.So, you see, since I would not call you, and you would not call me, it would have been better if we didn't meet each other this time.[audience laughter]Besides, my shape has changed.This Sheng-yen Lu is no longer the former Sheng-yen Lu.[audience laughter]You also have changed shape. You are no longer as young and beautiful as before. [audience laughter]Time has brought us unpredictable changes. Human existence is an illusory dream. Everything in the world, from the perspective of a true Tantrayana practitioner, is pure.There is no so-called filth.It is all pure because every phenomenon in this world is just a momentary illusion, a momentary manifestation.Everything fades away and ultimately is empty in existence. [audience applause]What is considered not pure?Give this some thought. Mi-jiao-li-qu-jing (a Tantrayana classic) states this very clearly—everything is ultimately empty and pure.If you can intuit this nature of emptiness and transform all activities in our daily lives pertaining to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, as well as money, sex, fame, food, and sleep, into emptiness, then everything is just pure awareness.Where is filth then?[audience applause]

Therefore Mi-jiao-li-qu-jing says: form is nothing other than emptiness, emptiness is nothing other than form; form does not differ from emptiness, and emptiness does not differ from form.All five aggregates are empty—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness are all inherently empty.With this understanding, you will overcome all fears and be able to live your life in fearlessness.You will realize things are not what they seem to be, and you will definitely attain Buddhahood.[audience applause]What I have said is the essential teaching of Tantrayana.

If you can practice the Kalachakra Practice to attain a yogic response and offer your whole being to Kalachakra, then, regardless of what you have done, whether right or wrong, good or bad, you will be able to undergo transformation and be reborn from his procreative chakra, becoming completely free of karma.[audience applause]

Today as I am giving this Dharma teaching, I have above my crown my root gurus: Guru Thubten Daerje, Rev. Liao-ming, Guru Sakya Zheng-kong, and Karmapa.This headpiece I am now wearing was given to me by Guru Thubten Daerje for this occasion.He told me it was a Milarepa Hat, [audience applause] not because it had been worn by Milarepa, but because there are three pieces of string on this hat.One string represents one hundred years; and that, from Milarepa until now, only I can wear this hat.

Kalachakra is a Bliss Body manifestation and, since he wears one hundred and eight golden vajras upon his body, Guru Thubten Daerje has given me one hundred and eight golden vajra scepters to wear.They are quite heavy and long, so I have only put on forty-nine vajra scepters today.He has also given forty-nine vajra scepters each to Master Lian-han and Master Lian-hsiang.Guru Thubten Daerje also gave me a five colored diamond ring to wear. I have temporarily put it away because it is too eye-catching.

To do a Vajra Practice such as Kalachakra's, you must offer your body, mind, and speech to the root guru who transmits to you the practice, as well as to Kalachakra.[audience applause]Earlier Master Lian-han made an offering of body, mind, and speech.This is a statue of the Dakini Vajraharai, representing "body."He also offered a Dharma Wheel, representing "speech."Speech can be used to sing praises and to turn the Dharma Wheel (to disseminate the Dharma).The offering of "mind" is usually represented by an offering of sariras.But, nowadays, where can one find authentic sariras?It is quite hard.There are many fake sariras out there, and there is no way to prove if they are real or fake.

Let me ask Master Lian-han if these diamonds are real.He says they are.[audience applause] This one in the middle is very big, almost three to four carats.How many carats is it?Three point something.My judgment is not bad.Remember to wrap it up for me later.[audience laughter]Are you really going to offer them to me?So it is for real![audience applause]This time many students have given me presents.They are very sincere, but their presents are quite heavy!They have all given me very heavy inkstones.There is no need to trouble yourself with something so heavy.Something small will do![audience laughter]These little stones are not bad.They are light and easy to store and carry around.If you paid close attention to me, you probably saw me looking at the pearls and gemstones inside the mandala vase. My mother has taught me that pearls can be tested for authenticity for rubbing them against one's teeth.Fake pearls are very slippery.If the pearls are real, they will feel rough against the teeth.Earlier I gave them a try.They all turned out to be real.

When you offer authentic items to the guru, the guru will transmit to you the authentic Dharma.If you offer me fake stuff, well then ... [uproar of audience laughter].Anyway, I will still transmit the authentic practices to you because I regard everything to be the same without any discrimination.

This is our Kalachakra Mantra:"Om, Ha, Ka-ma-la, Wa-la-ya, So-ha."There are people who either chant it as "Om, Cha, Ka-la-wa, So-ha" or "Om-cha, Ka-wa-la, So-ha."If that is how some people chant this mantra, we don't have to pay attention to them.[audience laughter]We chant our own version!

Your root guru has already attained true accomplishment in "yu-le-ding" [audience applause] and in Luminosity Stability.If some of you have doubts, use your camera to take a picture of the space above us and of the root guru.You will develop pictures with rainbow spheres encircling many colorful lights.During the Kalachakra Practice earlier, many rainbow spheres appeared flying around this venue.[audience applause]Both auditoriums on this floor and the seventh floor are filled with participants for this ceremony.There are also many people packed outside the auditoriums.These lights are the Prajna Paramita Light, Prajna Light, and Wisdom Light.They are the convergence of lights emitted by the root guru and all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajra Dharma Protectors, Dakas and Dakinis, and Devas here for the ceremony.[audience applause]What accomplishment is this?It is the Accomplishment of Luminosity Stability.

After these two kinds of stability, there is then the Four Formlessness Stability which is actually the condition of non-fabrication.When you no longer hold any mudra, chant any mantra, or perform any visualization, and proceed to dissolve the luminous syllable in your heart to turn everything into the Void, you enter directly into the Four Formlessness Stability.At that time, there is only emptiness.Under such a condition of non-fabrication, if a thought arises, it becomes visualization; if a word is spoken, it becomes mantra; if the body makes a motion, it becomes mudra.Such a samadhi can be described as Great Samadhi, Great Yoga, or Samadhi Bodhi.In Voidness, the arising of a mantra or mudra becomes the Buddhadharma, the Buddha.This is Non-fabrication Great Perfection.Your thoughts have gone to the realms of Boundless Emptiness, Boundless Consciousness, Non-Existing, and Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought.As long as you remain in the condition where all phenomena are empty, you can arrive at the realm of Four Formlessness Stability.I have also arrived at this realm.[audience applause]

The integration of the greatest kinds of blessing, bliss, purity, luminosity, and wisdom becomes the Bright Self-Mastery and Lotus Light Self-Mastery Buddha.[audience applause]To be very honest with you, the Buddhahood I have ascertained is the total realization and integration of the Realm of Desire, Realm of Form, Realm of Formlessness, and Bodhicitta.This is Enlightenment.[audience applause]I hope you will carefully contemplate this discourse and understand what I have taught today.Tantrayana practices may be categorized into many levels, starting with the Four Preliminary Practices, and continuing on to the Guru Yoga, Personal Deity Yoga, Treasure Vase Chi, Inner Fire, Light Drops, Non-leakage, Vajra Practices, Unexcelled Yoga Tantra, and Great Perfection.The integration of all these practices constitutes the Unexcelled Yoga Tantra of Kalachakra.[audience applause]Of course, you have to gather all the practices you have learned and work on them step by step, level by level.I hope all of you will attain realization in the future and continue on to the highest realm of Great Perfection.[audience applause]

I would like to say some words of gratitude now, but they have all been said by Master Lian-han.His thankfulness and gratitude are also my thankfulness and gratitude.[audience applause]Thank you very much.

Om Mani Padme Hum.

Translated by Janny Chow from the transcript published in issue 289 of the True Buddha News.

Source: http://www.purplelotus.org/temple/en/plpub/Journal/vol15/kalachakra-edited.html 

Last edited June 11, 2009