Summary of Living Buddha Lian-sheng's Dharma Discourse on Kalachakra Practice時輪金剛法」的要義Grand Master Lu's Dharma Talk at Houston's at Mi-yi Lei-Zang Temple on July 29, 2006
Today, I must summarize the important aspects of the Kalachakra practice again. I had previously given a mass Kalachakra empowerment initiation in Hong Kong. In Tibet, mass Kalachakra empowerments are generally held in great open field and the explanation of the precepts, meanings of the practice and various aspects of the sadhana will take at least one week; sometimes it might take a month. The meaning of this Time Wheel (Kalachakra) is none other than the great wheel of time. In this Universe, only this wheel of time is rotating. Everything is in this giant wheel of time. From this giant wheel of time, we can attain dharma essence. This dharma essence is namely Kalachakra. Originally, when Shakyamuni Buddha was giving the teaching at the Avatamsaka Realm, he emanated a body into the Shambhala kingdom and transformed into the giant wheel of time, Kalachakra. He explained how you can break through all the bondages and obstructions, achieve transcendence, and enter into the Pure Land of Time in this giant wheel of time. Strictly speaking, this is the explanation of Kalachakra. In reality, the human life-span is very short and limited. From our human perspective, we observe that there are some creatures that are born in the morning and dead at night (the life-span of a human day). Another example would be the lightning bug. Its life-span is about seven days. In the same way, if we examine human-life span from the perspective of the universe, it can also be said that we are born in the morning and dead by nightfall. In Daoism, there is a saying: "a day in heaven is a hundred years on earth." So, from the perspective of celestial gods, men are born in the morning and dead by night. Time is boundless and limitless; it is infinite. However, the human life-span is limited, very limited. In this short-span of time, we can only accomplish one task. This is none-other-than the great task of life that is referred to by Shakyamuni Buddha. In general, when people speak of the biggest undertaking in their lives, they are speaking of marriage. Yet, what Shakyamuni Buddha referred to as the great task of life is cultivation. He was speaking of the great affinity we all have for this great solemn task. He speaks of using this limited span of our human life, using this flesh body to empirically validate the boundlessness of time and merge with it. In an instant, in the blink of the eyes, this is transcendence. This is surpassing the mundane; it is sudden awakening; this is entering into the Shambhala Pure Land. This is the Kalachakra practice. The Wheel of Time is divided into three wheels. The first wheel is the inner wheel. The wheel inside of your body is called the inner time wheel. The infinite time of this universe that is outside of your body is the outer time wheel. When you can unify the inner and outer wheel as one, when the two merge into one, this transforms into the practice of infinite life, which is the other time wheel. The Kalachakra practice is essentially these three wheels. Let's first discuss the inner time wheel. Earlier, right after I ascended to the dharma throne, I immediately closed my eyes and meditated. You all saw that when I was meditating, sometimes I was active and sometimes I was motionless. I remained motionless for a quite a bit of time - maybe I fell asleep. (Crowd bursts into laughter). This dharma flavor meditation lasted about one and a half hours. Yet, in my mind, all this occurred in an instant. It was when you were all about to form the Kalachakra mudra and recite the Kalachakra mantra that I emerged from my meditation. This is utilizing the inner time wheel. Earlier, Vajra Master Lian-yuan talked about doing push-ups, saying he would do sixty-two at a time. Every time I do push-ups, I do them in sets of twenty. I would rest for a bit and then do another set of twenty. One night, I did a total of one hundred twenty push-ups, but of course there were pauses in between and time for rest. The fact that he can do sixty-two push-ups at a time shows that he is still physically strong. Yet, we must understand, this so-called "inner time wheel" is a form of practice that utilizes prana (qi), channels, and drops. The three treasures that we talk about in Vajrayana are prana, channels, and drops. In Daoist terminologies, the three treasures are jing, qi and shen. In exoteric Buddhism, the three treasures are Emptiness, Buddha, and the Dharmakaya. Qi cultivators have to be able to guide the qi to various parts of the body, hold it there, and then circulate it throughout the entire body. If the qi is guided towards the ear, the qi will be at the ear. If it is guided to the eyes, the eyes will radiate light. This morning, I saw the eyes of "the Four Faced Buddha" (a name for the Great Brahma Deva) radiate light, because "the Four Faced Buddha" moved qi into his eyes. If the qi is guided to the palm, the palm will naturally vibrate (applause). Earlier, when I was doing the time-wheel practice, I guided my qi to my face. This qi unified my face and the time-wheel as one. I guided qi to my face, my lower lip covered my upper lip, and my eyes stared outward, displaying the wrathful face of a Vidyaraja. This year, Grandmaster Lu is sixty-two years old. Even when I am writing, I don't wear glasses. I just guide my qi to my eyes, and then I can see even fine print very clearly. I have never worn eye-glasses while writing. Why is that? This is because I guide my qi to my eyes and rotate it there. It rotates with the time-wheel. I also rotate the qi in my ears with the time wheel. This is why those people who cultivate qi practice can maintain good eyesight and hearing. I will demonstrate. (Applause -- Grandmaster Lu demonstrated forcing the prana downward and then guiding it upward). This qi can be forced downwards and become as hard as rock. Then, move it upward. So, you can cultivate and form the anasrava (uncontaminated or "non-leakage") body. This uncontaminated body refers to cultivating your body and mind inside of your body. Then, you can transform your body into indestructible diamond. This is the inner time wheel inside your body. So, Vajrayana teaches "Treasure Vase" practice. Padmasambhava Mahasattva said that all of the merits come from Treasure Vase qi. You breathe in a deep breath, and then move it down and contract the pelvic floor muscle. This qi should be held in the dantian area. When you cannot hold it any more, the qi will gradually enter into the middle channel. From the middle channel the qi will spread to the rest of the body. Then, your body will naturally form an inner time wheel. When you have formed the inner time wheel, you can use Buddha-dharma [Note: This refers tantric meditation utilizing prana, channel, and drop.] to gradually dissolve away the material flesh-body and transform into the body of emptiness. This so-called body of emptiness refers to gradually eliminating the form body of the flesh, and then the luminosity of your heart will gradually reveal itself. Simply speaking, this is gradually purifying the material nature of your body. Continue to use the Kalachakra practice, use the drops and channel to gradually purify the material nature of your flesh body. When the material nature has been completely purified through this gradual process, what remains is your original luminous heart. At that time, you have validated the giant wheel of time, completely crushed away your afflictions and obstacles. We each have a flesh body that has many obstacles, and much defilement; you must use Buddha-dharma to purify it. Use your prana, channel, and drop to purify it. Enable your body to reveal the luminosity of the nature of emptiness. This primordial luminosity of the nature of emptiness is none-other-than Buddha-nature. Use this Buddha-nature to validate the eternal giant wheel of time of this universe and crush away all of your afflictions and obstacles. This is the practice of Kalachakra. (Applause) Does everyone understand my explanation? The human body has many obstacles and many diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, excessively low or high cholesterol, blood vessel hardening, and is subjected to being infected by various forms of microbes and viruses. Thus, you must cultivate. In Vajrayana, you have to strengthen your body; you must perform vajra fist exercises; you must stay active and utilize your physical body, and you must cultivate your prana; this is practicing in accordance with Treasure Vase qi. The qi will enter your middle channel and will reach all of your skin pores, your blood vessels, and to all parts of your body. It will nourish your internal organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, etc.) and all the skin pores. So first you receive the Kalachakra practice empowerment, and later Kalachakra gives you blessings. He will enter you and purify your body. When you and Kalachakra completely unite as one being, this is what we call the "three-wheel realize emptiness." (Note: The three-wheel term commonly refer to giver, receiver, and offering). When you succeed in this practice, when you've purified yourself, in the blink of an eye, the Kalachakra inside of you will become you. Vajrayana sadhana instruct us to chant the Kalachakra scripture passages, praying for Kalachakra to descend to your shrine. This will take several days. He will emerge from emptiness and descend onto your shrine. Then, through the shrine, he will give you empowerment blessing. This is his blessing. He will enter your heart of luminosity. From your heart of luminosity, he transforms into the time wheel, and your body transforms into the time wheel. As long as you are as one with Kalachakra at all times, then that is "xiang yin", that is yoga. In the future, when your flesh body disintegrates, this "one breath" of yours will naturally be reborn into the Pure Land of Kalachakra. (Applause) So, what exactly are we cultivating for in Vajrayana? This is precisely what we are cultivating for. If you don't have an acharya to give you empowerment, if you don't have the blessing of Kalachakra, if you don't have Kalachakra abiding in your luminous heart, if you cannot purify your own heart, how can you achieve accomplishment? I will tell everyone, cultivation is a very serious matter. You can't be careless with the slightest detail. So, at the beginning of cultivation, you must accumulate merits, the resources of cultivation. You must have sufficient blessing, then you can be reborn into the Western Pure Land of the Ultimate Bliss. (Applause) If you don't have any blessing, you cannot be reborn [into the Pure Land]. This blessing is not referring to money. This is referring to purifying the defilements of your body and revealing the heart of luminosity. Then, what are these defilements of the body? Tangibly speaking, it is namely this flesh body (form body); it is the filth inside your body. Intangibly speaking, it is greed. We as cultivators must guard against greed. Grandmaster Lu has spent his entire life assisting others. If they give some money offering for my assistance, that's okay. If they don't have money to provide offering, that is okay as well. Everything is up to the individual. (Applause) The wealthy and the poor are treated equally. (Applause) All sentient beings are treated equally. (Applause) This is true equanimity. If you as a cultivator have any trace of greed, your affinity is with the blessing of this mundane world. This is not the blessing of the Pure Land. The blessing of the Pure Land is equanimity. Qi cultivators are prone to thoughts of loathing, and this generates anger and hatred. If this is the case, how can he be reborn in the Pure Land? Cultivators must guard against enmity and anger. You must seek out great virtuous men, listen to the Buddha-dharma, and purify your heart. Some people believe that they have great knowledge and hold themselves in high-esteem - this generates arrogance. Satan was the Christian God's angel. It was because of his arrogance that he became the devil. Arrogance is mara! Buddhist cultivators must have humility, must be polite, humble, and pay respect to lineage masters, and seek out wise teachers to learn Buddhism. Whenever I write letters to my masters, I always write humbly yours, Sheng-yen Lu, your humble disciple. You have to be humble, and then your teacher will transmit teachings to you, and then he would teach you the Kalachakra practice! (Applause) Everybody thinks that Grandmaster Lu has transmitted all of the dharma that he knows. So, this Sheng-yen Lu is really nothing now. He is really just a small ant. I will be able to crush him with my pinky finger. Guess what? I have not yet transmitted the genuine essence of the dharma. What is enlightened heart? What is seeing Buddha-nature? How can you realize the heart of the Tathagata? I have not yet revealed them! How do you see the genuine Buddha-nature? How can you be certain that you will be reborn into the Pure Land? Do you know them? Aye, you only just started your cultivation in the "path of accumulation." What is the path of accumulation? Upholding the Five Precepts and performing the Ten Virtuous deeds, these are the path of accumulation. Members of the Tzu Chi Foundation are performing the practice of the path of accumulation. Doing good deeds to increase your blessing is the path of accumulation. If you uphold the precepts and do good deeds, that is practicing the path of accumulation. Then, practicing homa, offerings, great homage, repentance, chanting mantra, chanting dharani, these are all the "path of initial application." You may have completed the path of initial application, but have you attained the enlightened heart of the great virtuous wise teacher? Has he transmitted the genuine essence of the dharma to you? Has he entrusted the dharma to you? What is this "enlightened heart?" What is this "seeing Buddha nature"? If at this time, you realize what is called enlightened heart, and what is seeing Buddha nature, then this is precisely perfectly completing the "path of seeing" [the ultimate truth]. You have seen the ultimate truth, have seen the genuine Buddha, have seen the genuine heart of the Tathagata, and then this is perfectly completing the "path of seeing." Subsequently, you have to cultivate the path. Since you understand the heart of the Tathagata, have seen the path, then you must have bodhicitta aspiration, to become a genuine Buddhist disciple. To start on this path of cultivation, you must reach realization and help others reach realization. When you have completed the process of awakening, then you have progressed from the "path of seeing" to the "path of cultivation," perfect completion of the cultivation. When you have attained realization and helped others to attain realization, when you have perfectly completed this great task of awakening sentient beings, this task of the Tathagata, when your bodhicitta is perfected, you have genuinely validated the path; validate Buddhahood, Tathagata, the great dharma of the one vehicle of life and death. This path is called "validation of the path." At this time, this can be called the samyak-sambodhi, nan-mo san-man-duo mu-tuo-nan wa-ri-la da-mo-xie. This is precisely the correct awakening; this is precisely validation of the path. Then, you have arrived at the state that is called perfect enlightenment, ultimate enlightenment, which is none-other-than Buddhahood, the perfect Buddha, perfectly validating the path. Do you know how I sought out dharma teachings from my masters? One of my masters wrote a book to rebuke me. He rebuked me for five years. Yet, I knew that he possessed the dharma jewel, that he's a great wise teacher. It didn't matter how he rebuked and rejected me, I still earnestly sought his teaching. (Applause) All fellow members of the school, I am being very serious about this. I'll tell everyone, this is the secret to "validation of the path." Acharya Sakya Zheng-kong entrusted the Kalachakra practice to me. Acharya Thubten Dargye entrusted the Kalachakra practice to me. Hence, you must humbly request teachings. You must uphold the Buddhist precepts, and you must not crave worldly wealth. In the eyes of the Buddha, those worldly wealth are poisonous snakes. You only need sufficient wealth to meet your needs, and that is enough. That which you should receive, you can receive it. That which is not supposed to be yours, you cannot take it. A gentleman might desire wealth, but he must obtain it in a proper way. You are a cultivator, a seeker of the ultimate truth. You cannot set ethics aside and put selfish, personal interests in the forefront. Everyone should carefully think over what I have just said. The five precepts must be upheld, and the Ten Virtuous deeds must all be performed - this is the path of accumulation. In Vajrayana practice we chant dharani, which is chanting mantras; we conduct homas, perform great offerings, the great homage, the fourfold refuge, and then practice true repentance. When you are doing the foundational practices, you are cultivating the path of initial application, and you should properly complete this process. In the future when Grandmaster entrusts the dharma to you, when your heart becomes enlightened, then, all afflictions will be gone. When you see Buddha nature, then you genuinely will not have this "false ego" anymore. Not only will all afflictions be gone, the obstructions for perfect knowledge will also be gone. The only thing that remains is Buddha nature. At this time, the luminosity of your heart will be revealed. Your inner time wheel will also form. When the inner time wheel, the luminosity of your heart is revealed, you then proceed to realize your heart of the Tathagata with deeds. This is precisely cultivation. When you have completed the path of seeing, the next step is the path of cultivation. You must urgently develop bodhicitta aspiration, validate Buddha-dharma, and achieve Buddhahood. Then, you have attained the Tenth Level bodhisattvahood, Perfect Enlightenment, and Ultimate Enlightenment. When your cultivation and realization has been perfectly completed, what you have achieved is none-other-than Sambodhi. You are a Buddha. You are none-other-than nature itself. Now, everyone knows what the time wheel is. Gradually dissolve your material body, gradually eliminate your defilement, and reveal the luminosity of your heart. You and the Buddhas and bodhisattvas will mutually validate each other's achievement. You will be as one your guru and the principle deity, and mutually authenticate each other. Authenticate the true perfection. In the blink of an eye, you and your guru and your principle deity will be together at every moment, never apart for an instant. Achieve this perfectly at all time and you will achieve the highest and ultimate righteous awakening. (Applause) Now, what I still owe everyone is that I still have not revealed what is the enlightened heart, what is seeing Buddha nature. My master did entrust these teachings to me. What is enlightened heart? What is seeing Buddha nature? You should try to uncover them yourself from reading my writings. This is because what you realize through your own diligence is truly yours. It was after I had realization that my master validated with me what is enlightened heart and what is seeing Buddha nature. First, we learn how to remove all the afflictions and obstacles, eliminate the three poisons. So, first you have to perfectly complete this task. When your master observes that you have perfectly completed the entire path, he will entrust the dharma to you. Then, you become a great master of the path of validation. Then, what is your life like at this level? Life is the state of luminosity; it is very happy; it is the Buddha of the human world. We have completed the Buddha-dharma of the human world, so then we are genuine practitioners; practitioners who propagate the dharma to deliver sentient beings to the shore of liberation. Here I want to encourage everyone to unite your inner time wheel with the endless, eternal outer time wheel, to form the other time wheel. When you have eliminated all the material contaminants, when you become the Tathagata of the nature of emptiness, when you reached the Pure Land of permanence, you are Kalachakra. All sentient beings are equal. All sentient beings have buddha nature. Those with greed can achieve buddhahood, those with hatred can achieve buddhahood, and those with ignorance can achieve Buddhahood. Therefore, we must not underestimate anybody. Grandmaster Lu wants to alert everyone that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature. Even if they temporarily lose their way, you should not underestimate them. Furthermore, you should not insult them. That is because they are also Buddhas. You must focus on their Buddha nature. One of these days, they will also achieve Buddhahood. This is because in the Kalachakra practice, as long as you have received the empowerment, you will attain buddhahood in seven lifetimes, even if you don't practice the Kalachakra sadhana. (Applause) Why is that? This is because when the Buddhas and bodhisattvas shine their luminosity upon you, you will accept their luminosity, eliminating defilements in your body. Suddenly, you will put down the butcher's cleaver, so you will ultimately achieve buddhahood. (Applause) So, these people who are most greedy, most hateful, most deluded, most ignorant, and most arrogant, we must see them as equal. All sentient beings are equal, so we must provide deliverance equally. One of these days, they will achieve buddhahood, will attained accomplishment; one of these lifetimes, they will wake up - hence, Grandmaster Lu's vow is not to forsake any sentient being. We must treat them equally, and we must be compassionate. This is the way of the dharmadhatu. This is because right now they are not yet awakened, so we must go and awaken them. It doesn't matter what they do, you must treasure them, and you must have compassion for them. You must practice the six paramita; you must awaken them, and you must endure insults. This is what the Buddha taught us, compassion and bodhicitta aspiration. I want to make this point. The characteristics that were just pointed out - greed, hatred, delusion, ignorance, and arrogance - all sentient beings share these traits. Everybody should realize that. Also, Vajra Masters can conduct a Kalachakra dharma ceremony when Grandmaster Lu is presiding and giving blessing. If Grandmaster Lu is not present, then only those Vajra Masters, who have become as one with Kalachakra through practice, may conduct the ceremony. Om Mani Padme Hum.
Chinese Transcription by Lianhua Juanjuan Source: http://www.tbtts.org/translation_work/DT/DT.06.07.29.ENG.html |
|
|
|
Last edited June 11, 2009 |
