A man by the name of Sheng Ding was a chief engineer on a deep sea fishing ship. When he was in Hong Kong, a friend invited him to consult a very famous fortune-teller skilled in the art of chinese divination known as Tad-Ban-Shen-Suan. This form of chinese divination requires the information of one's birthdate and time, right down to the exact minute of one's birth. If the information fits, the divination shall reveal the most accurate details of one's life. Sheng Ding felt that this art of divination that was first revealed by Shao Kang Jie in ancient China was indeed remarkably accurate.
The fortune-teller revealed Sheng Ding's destiny. He stated that his father was born in the year of the dragon and his mother was born in the year of the monkey. The information was correct. He also mentioned that Sheng Ding has three elder brothers and one younger sister. This tallied with the facts. The fortune-teller also revealed that Sheng Ding's mother passed away when he was ten years old. This astonished Sheng Ding because what he said was indeed true. His mother died of a certain illness when he was just ten.
The fortune-teller proceeded to describe Sheng Ding's destiny:
Sheng Ding's livelihood was connected with water (Sheng Ding sailed with the deep sea fishing ship). When he turned thirty, he met a friend by the surname Xie and lost his money(at age thirty, a friend with the surname Xie borrowed seven hundred thousand dollars in Taiwan currency and disappeared). The divination also revealed that Sheng Ding had a girl friend with the surname Chang and disclosed exactly how much he earned per month. This was most astonishing to Sheng Ding, leaving him dumbfounded.
Finally, the fortune-teller came to Sheng Ding's life span and felt silence. Sheng Ding was eager to know how long he was going to live.
"It is best that you didn't know."replied the fortune-teller.
"Long or short it matters not to me. I can take it."Sheng Ding said.
The fortune-teller insisted on keeping mum about his time on earth.
Sheng Ding exploded and said, "Look! I told you I didn't mind. People live and die. Long life short life so be it. Having a long life may not be a good thing. But I have to know how long I am going to live or I'll not going to step out of your place."
The fortune-teller was in a very difficult position.
But Sheng Ding demanded to know.
Finally, the fortune-teller picked up one of the books on divination, flipped to the respective page and showed Sheng Ding what was written on it. The respective sentence stated, "You shall die at age thirty seven."
"Thirty seven! Thirty seven!" Sheng Ding was shocked to learn of his life span.
Damn! Sheng Ding was thirty five and that meant another two years before he left the world for good. Judging from the accuracy of this fortune-teller, it seemed that his life would surely come to an end at that age. Sheng Ding claimed that he didn't mind. But his heart was pounding hard.
Sheng Ding asked, "Is there a way out?"
"Everything is destined by divine will. You can change your destiny through gathering good merits. I can't help you."
"Doing good deeds?"
"Yes."
"Just like the story of Liao Fan."Sheng Ding had read that story.
"Almost."said the fortune-teller.
"But is two years enough time to change my destiny?"said a worried Sheng Ding.
The fortune-teller smiled and refused to commend.
"Is there someone on earth who can help change my destiny?"
The fortune-teller said, "To my knowledge, this form of divination is extremely accurate. I am aware that one can change his destiny, but this is rarely possible. Perhaps you should look this person up and see if he can help you."
Which person?`
`Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu.`
`Can he really change my destiny?`
`Why not give it a try?`
* * *
When Sheng Ding came to me, he did not mention his consultation with the fortune-teller in Hong Kong. He only forwarded a note stating that he wanted to know how long he would have to live.
I said to him, `I never do readings to determine the length of one`s life.`
`Why not? Isn`t it possible that we can find out about our marriage, our wealth, our children, our state of prosperity, and certainly our life-span?`
`Well, you`re right in a way. But if I determine your life span and it turns out to be a short life, you`ll become frightened. To avoid unnecessary complications, I avoid going into it.`
`Can you make an exception?` Sheng Ding requested.
`No.` I replied.
`Alright. Any age is a two-digit number. Perhaps you can determine the last digit of the age rather than the first digit, how about that?`
I gave it some thought and felt that it was fair enough. The last digit would not give away the length of one`s life span, and was thus meaningless. But I was unclear why Sheng Ding requested to know the last digit of his age of death.
I consulted the divination and wrote down the number seven. Sheng Ding looked at the number and said, `Seven. That`s precisely the number!` Sheng Ding then revealed he had consulted a fortune-teller in Hong Kong who had told him that he would live to the age of thirty-seven. He wanted to know how he could reverse this cycle and if I could change his fate. I told him, `I can give it a try.` I went into deep meditation.
In my meditation, I saw a figure of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva dressed in a white robe, carrying a vial of elixir and a stalk of willow leaves in her hands. She appeared noble and at ease with herself. The Bodhisattva told me, `All you have to do is tell Sheng Ding to chant the Mantra of the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva twenty times per day, and there shall be deliverance. You don`t have to teach him how to recite it. He already knows how.`
I came out of my meditation and said to Sheng Ding, `You do know how to chant a mantra.`
`Nonsense!` Sheng Ding denied.
`But the Bodhisattva says you do.`
`The Bodhisattva must be joking! I have never chanted any mantra in my entire life.`
`The White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva told me that you know how to chant her mantra.`
`Ah!` Sheng Ding was taken aback. He then related this story to me.
It was ten years ago when Sheng Ding`s aunt passed away. Before she died, she gave him a painting of a portrait of the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva. The mantra of this Bodhisattva was written alongside the painting. His aunt had recited every word carefully to Sheng Ding and he had actually chanted the mantra correctly, with the right pronunciation. His aunt told him that the painting with the mantra has been kept and worshipped over a long period of time. The mantra was to be recited in the course of one`s lifetime, and should not be forgone. According to his aunt, the mantra was very magical.
Sheng Ding kept this painting properly and recited the Mantra of the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva for a short period. After his aunt`s passing, he put the painting away and it did not see the light of day. He had since stopped chanting the mantra.
I told Sheng Ding, `Hang up the piece of painting of the Bodhisattva immediately.`
`Yes.` Sheng Ding answered.
`Recite this Mantra of the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva twenty times a day.`
`Yes.`
`Do you need my coaching?`
`It`s OK. I still remember how to chant this mantra.`
Surprisingly, Sheng Ding was able to write down this mantra:
The Mantra of the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva
Homage to the All Compassionate and All Merciful Kuan Yin Bodhisattva (3 times).
Homage to the Buddhas.
Homage to the Dharma.
Homage to the Sangha.
Homage to Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, the Great Compassionate One.
Tadyata Om Garavata Garavata Gahavata Ragavata Ragavata Svaha.
Summon the Gods in Heaven,
Summon the Gods on Earth,
Deliver us from all disasters.
Remove us from all evils.
Reduce all disasters to nothingness.
Namo Maha-prajna-paramita
When Sheng Ding returned home, he hanged his painting of the Bodhisattva on the wall and worshipped it with much reverence. In preparation for his daily chanting, he would clean his hands, light incense and prostrate before the image of the Bodhisattva before chanting the mantra.
After completing his chanting, he would recite the dedication verses:
May karmic hindrance and anxiety be removed.
May wisdom and true realization be attained.
May all transgression be eradicated completely.
May I follow the path of Bodhisattva life after life.
Sheng Ding added, `Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, please protect me from any fatality and offer me longevity.`
At home, he could keep to the routine of his practice. But Sheng Ding was, after all, a traveling chief engineer with his deep-sea fishing ship. He spent most of his time away from home. Nonetheless, he taped a photo of the White Robed Bodhisattva at a corner of his cabin on board his ship. He continued his daily practice without fail.
His friends sneered at him and thought he was superstitious, crazy, and had lost his mind. But Sheng Ding ignored them.
Besides chanting the mantra, Sheng Ding would commit himself to charity work whenever possible.
* * *
When he was thirty-seven, Sheng Ding`s fishing ship anchored at Hawaii before sailing to Guam the following day. That very night, Sheng Ding had a bad stomachache and was in great pain.
When he was rushed to the emergency ward in the hospital, he was diagnosed with acute colitis and needed an operation right away. Under the circumstances, Sheng Ding had to stay behind at the Hawaii hospital.
However, the ship was scheduled to Guam and could not wait for him. So the ship sailed on without Sheng Ding and would arrange to meet with him again after his surgery.
Sadly, the ship sank on its journey to Guam when it encountered a heavy storm. None of the crew survived the tragedy. The ship with its load of crew sank without a trace. Despite rescue attempts from the shipping company to search the area with helicopters and other rescue ships, they could not locate the missing crew. It was as if they had all vanished into thin air.
Because his acute colitis required him to stay behind in Hawaii for surgery, Sheng Ding became the sole survivor of this tragedy.
Sheng Ding later returned to Hong Kong and met up with the fortune-teller.
He told the fortune-teller, `Your divination is off the mark!`
The fortune-teller was astonished and exclaimed, `What happened?`
`I chanted the Mantra of the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, that`s all!`
The fortune-teller marveled and said, `The mantra has such miraculous power. It is indeed rare. I would like to recite it too.`
Since then, Sheng Ding developed a deep faith in the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva, and knew that the compassionate Bodhisattva would certainly answer the cries of all. He knew he must trust the Bodhisattva completely and be sincere. Only then can a miracle be evoked. Sheng Ding later took refuge with the True Buddha School.
I taught Sheng Ding how to practice the Four Preliminary Practices and the Guru Yoga. Eventually, he was to regard the White Robed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva as his Principal Deity during his cultivation.
Sheng Ding felt sorry for the shipmates and crew who had perished in the ocean. He decided to chant the Mantra of the White Robed Bodhisattva one hundred twenty thousand times. He would then dedicate the merits of the mantra chanting to their Souls.
After the dedication of merits, Sheng Ding had a dream. he dreamt of sailing in the ocean and his ship being surrounded by about fifty white birds. The circling birds seemed to come to say their thank you to Sheng Ding, and one by one, they each flew away. When he woke up from his dream, he realized that the Souls of his friends had all been liberated by the White Robed Kuan Yin and left the sea of suffering.
And thus:
From dust to dawn he chants diligently.
The White Robed Kuan Yin enters his dream frequently.
The shipmates of the boat have been salvaged.
Bonded by old friendship of great affinity.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap1.shtml
Friday, June 11, 2010
Chapter 2: Grandfather Mala
In the past, whenever I read the Feng Shui of a person's home, I observed both the visible and the invisible worlds. The invisible world refers to the realm of spirits.
I will divulge a great secret:
I was once invited to do a Feng Shui reading for a certain prestigious household in Kaoshing, Taiwan. Once I entered the house, I saw many poverty ghosts occupying the place. These ghosts were the debtors of the owner. I instantly knew that this prestigious person would soon lose his wealth altogether. Indeed, soon afterwards, his business failed miserably.
On another occasion, I visited the home of a poor man in a village to read the Feng Shui of his house. His house was typical of a Chinese village courtyard. I saw lots of spirits, like an army of ants, carrying sacks of golden sand on their backs marching to his house. One by one they entered his house to deliver the golden sand. I knew right away that the family would soon possess great wealth. Eventually, his name became well known and he held a position in the government. His wealth increased astronomically and he became the country's wealthiest man.
These are my experiences of reading Feng Shui
If debtor ghosts demanding payment surround the individual, he is doomed to fail. If wealth deities surround the individual, he is destined to prosper. Thus, the invisible hand of spirits affects everything.
I once went to a night market in front of a temple for a midnight supper. In front of the temple was an empty lot with a small stall. The stall only sold four items, which were herbal soup, noodle, rice flour roll and green vegetables.
There were many tables around the stall and they were all occupied with customers who were eager to taste the food. It was much like ants after cookies. I opened my divine eye to examine the man running the stall, and what I witnessed was frightening. The open field was filled with more than a hundred patrons visiting the stall, and an equal number of spirits roaming the area. These spirits had swayed the customers to patronize this stall. When the spirits lure one in, one obeys.
The stall was famous for its herbal soup, and the taste was delicious. Every night, the traffic of customers flowed in and out like an ocean tide. His business was so prosperous that his wealth flowed like the running tap water. Someone said that the stall owner smiled while calculating his earnings at home. Another said that the stall owner owned a few apartments and his wealth was measured in the billions.
I paid close attention to the stall owner's facial features. I observed that his face was dark and gloomy, with a sunken nose, tiny mouth, small eyes and hardly any flesh on his face. He certainly did not look like he was a man of great wealth but instead resembled a homeless old man.
I felt there was nothing remarkable about this old man. But how do you explain his wealth? Besides being rich, he had so many spirits helping to lure customers to his stall. The spirits also attended to the customers and cleaned up their tables, and this was quite perplexing.
I suspected that the old man learned how to keep psychic entities to help him. But upon closer observation, though he looked unpleasant, he did not have any negative energy lingering around his body.
From a distance, I looked at the stall and the area of land it was on and observed some glowing beams of red light emerging from the ground, forming a red cloud over the area. This may have explained why the stall was so prosperous. Perhaps it was due to the auspicious Feng Shui of the place. The other stalls did not enjoy the same kind of customer traffic as that one stall did. They were barely surviving to make ends meet. This was indeed interesting.
One day, a certain individual came to seek my consultation. He wanted to find a name for his grandson, and when I looked at him, I realized he was the same old man who ran the stall.
I said to him, "Your business is doing very well!"
"It's just nothing. Nothing at all." The old man said modestly.
"What's the secret of your good business?" I asked curiously.
"Luck is on my side!" the old man grinned, exposing his two rows of black teeth.
"I believe there's more than just luck." I said.
"Why don't you read the divination for me?" He requested.
The old man wrote down his name, birth date and address.
I made a quick spiritual observation and sensed the sound of a mantra filling the atmosphere, accompanied by the scent of sandalwood. I also saw radiating circles of light, and within each circle stood a Fortune God. This was most astonishing.
"Do you know how to recite any mantras?" I asked.
"Nope!" Pan Ji, the old man replied.
"I heard the sounds of a mantra and smelled the scent of sandalwood. I saw the Fortune God by your side."
"Impossible!"
I have helped many in my consultations and have a good track record of accuracy. It was rare to hear someone remark "Impossible." Rather, it was impossible for my divine eye and ear to make a wrong observation. If there was ever any mistake in my observation, I was always able to pinpoint the cause of it.
"Does anyone at your home know how to chant a mantra?" I asked him.
"Neither my wife nor my kids know how to chant a mantra." Pan Ji replied.
"Do any of your other relatives know how to chant a mantra?" I asked.
"Do the deceased count?"
"Yes," I replied.
Pan Ji proceeded to tell me, "In my family, only my grandfather Pan Li knew how to chant a mantra. Once, a monk gave my grandfather a string of chanting beads and taught him how to chant the Earth God Mantra. My grandfather recited the mantra for his entire life using the mala[1] . He chanted on it so much that it eventually turned black and became shiny."
"Where is mala now?" I believed I had found my answer.
"My grandfather passed it down to my father, and my father gave it to me, but I don't know where I put it. I think I'll ask my wife to help me find it."
Pan Ji returned home and asked his wife about the mala. She told him, "The mala is tucked away inside a hidden crack at your stall. Nobody was aware of this."
Pan Ji searched and found the mala at the stall. He then took the darkened mala and showed it to me. He didn't know the value of the prayer beads.
I told Pan Ji, "Your grandfather, Pan Li, received protection from the Earth God. This is the result of reciting the Earth God Mantra, respecting the Earth God, visualizing the Earth God, and praising the Earth God."
The Earth God Mantra is as follows:
Namo san-man-doh, moo-toh-nam, om, doo-loo-doo-loo, dei-wei, soha.
The Earth God Mantra is usually chanted before reciting a sutra. This is to summon the Earth Gods from the four directions to guard over you while you recite the sutra.
Pan Li spent his entire life reciting this mantra. His sincerity attracted the Earth God to protect him. This mantra is neither from the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas nor the Vajra Protectors. It is not a major mantra, yet it should not be underestimated as it contains amazing power.
If anyone is troubled by spirit entities and recites this mantra, the spirits will retreat and give you their respect.
If anyone contracts illness and recites this mantra, the illness will leave. All pain will disappear and one's health will return.
In the past, I had taught people how to chant this mantra as it is especially helpful for curing several forms of dermatitis such as athlete's foot, chronic dermatitis, discoid eczema, etc. By chanting the mantra, those who have skin-related illnesses should be cured because the Earth God devours the bacteria on the skin.
If one recites this mantra diligently and upholds the Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds, then one will not fall in to the three lower realms and hell. In fact, one will be reborn in the heaven realm and enjoy utmost bliss and pleasure. The Earth God Mantra is also most effective in terms of accumulating wealth because the Earth Gods and their attendant ghosts will help those who recite the mantra to receive countless fortunes.
Pan Li devoted his life to chanting this mantra and achieved great results with it. The mala had been passed down from grandfather to father, and from father to son. Nonetheless, the blessings followed and were passed down as well. This was simply incredible.
Thus, I wrote a verse:
Filled with pleasure while reciting Buddha's epithet and mantra.
Now then, one has found the heritage in samsara.
Continue to recite sincerely and respectfully.
The blessing of Gods and Ghosts will be with one perpetually.
There is another story related to the Earth God Mantra.
There was a period when an epidemic swept over Taiwan, and many livestock were killed. I observed many plague ghosts roaming in the wild and biting the animals to death. Owners of many farms had approached me for help.
I studied the constellation of the stars and noted that the Five Plague Gods had descended from the southeastern area of the sky. This meant that an epidemic would sweep the world, resulting in the death of many chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep and pigs.
I was worried.
I approached Cheng Huang Bodhisattva , the City Patron Bodhisattva, for help and he said, "This is fate, it is not my demand!"
"Even if it is the will of the Heaven, I can not just watch people suffer."
"Don't interfere. People's hearts are too corrupted."
"How can I have peace in my mind? I have to save the poor souls!" I uttered.
Cheng Huang Bodhisattva said to me, "You, Sheng-yen Lu try to help people everyday, but their suffering is due to their wrong doing. They deserve it! If one day someone hurts you, I wonder if anyone will save you."
I answered, "If someone hurts me, that's my own karma--but looking at all these suffering souls, I really feel for them in my heart."
Cheng Huang Bodhisattva then taught me a method.
Take four sticks of bamboo and chip away the green outer layer. Each stick must be one foot six inches long. On the lunar calendar day, the Accomplishment Day, chop the bamboo sticks. On each stick, inscribe the letters of the Earth God Mantra in either Chinese or Sanskrit.
In the afternoon of the lunar Removal Day , consecrate the bamboo sticks. Recite the Earth God Mantra, 108 times for each stick. The more you recite, the merrier. On the lunar Stability Day, hammer the bamboo sticks on the four corners of the ground of the respective farm.
When this is completed, plague will not touch the respective farm. I taught this method to the farm owners and it worked! Each farm that was lined with the mantra-empowered bamboo sticks was protected from plague. Not even one livestock was killed.
However, many other farmers were unaware of this method and during that year when the epidemic occurred, many livestock died. There was hardly enough time to bury every dead chicken or cattle, and the carcasses piled up high like a hill.
One farm owner relayed this incident to me.
One night, he overheard some conversation that took place outside his farm. However, it was not human beings but plague ghosts who were speaking. A wave of them arrived outside the farm.
One ghost exclaimed, "The light of mantra emanates from this farm. We cannot enter."
"What mantra?" another asked.
"The Earth God Mantra."
"That mantra is no big deal. It cannot stop us. Let's go!"
"No way!"
"Why not?"
"The Earth God is after all a righteous god."
"We have our orders by the heavenly decree!" the ghost shouted.
"But this mantra is empowered by the Living Buddha, Lian Shen, Sheng-yen Lu himself."
"Really!"
The ghosts fell silent. One of them suggested, "Let's leave this place! We can feed ourselves elsewhere. Besides the small Earth God Mantra, there's also the Buddha's edict. It's better to leave it alone."
Thus, this bunch of ghosts left the farm.
Let me share this with you. Many wealthy men owe their riches to the help of spirits. Many disasters are the result of mischief from spirits. You see the hand of these entities at work in all of these incidents.
Confucius once said, "Respect the spirit world but keep your distance." This means that the spirit world does exist, but we hardly pay attention to it.
In the Bible, Jesus once expelled spirits and exorcised demons. In the Catholic's instruction for the Exorcistate[2], the 3rd of the Minor Orders , it outlines the rite of exorcism. The 75 year-old Father Amorth is himself a famous Catholic exorcism priest!
The invisible spirits are worthy of our attention!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnote
1. prayer beads
2. The Exorcistate--the 3rd of the Minor Orders is The Order of Exorcist, according to the Traditional Catholic Rite of Holy Orders.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap2.shtml
I will divulge a great secret:
I was once invited to do a Feng Shui reading for a certain prestigious household in Kaoshing, Taiwan. Once I entered the house, I saw many poverty ghosts occupying the place. These ghosts were the debtors of the owner. I instantly knew that this prestigious person would soon lose his wealth altogether. Indeed, soon afterwards, his business failed miserably.
On another occasion, I visited the home of a poor man in a village to read the Feng Shui of his house. His house was typical of a Chinese village courtyard. I saw lots of spirits, like an army of ants, carrying sacks of golden sand on their backs marching to his house. One by one they entered his house to deliver the golden sand. I knew right away that the family would soon possess great wealth. Eventually, his name became well known and he held a position in the government. His wealth increased astronomically and he became the country's wealthiest man.
These are my experiences of reading Feng Shui
If debtor ghosts demanding payment surround the individual, he is doomed to fail. If wealth deities surround the individual, he is destined to prosper. Thus, the invisible hand of spirits affects everything.
I once went to a night market in front of a temple for a midnight supper. In front of the temple was an empty lot with a small stall. The stall only sold four items, which were herbal soup, noodle, rice flour roll and green vegetables.
There were many tables around the stall and they were all occupied with customers who were eager to taste the food. It was much like ants after cookies. I opened my divine eye to examine the man running the stall, and what I witnessed was frightening. The open field was filled with more than a hundred patrons visiting the stall, and an equal number of spirits roaming the area. These spirits had swayed the customers to patronize this stall. When the spirits lure one in, one obeys.
The stall was famous for its herbal soup, and the taste was delicious. Every night, the traffic of customers flowed in and out like an ocean tide. His business was so prosperous that his wealth flowed like the running tap water. Someone said that the stall owner smiled while calculating his earnings at home. Another said that the stall owner owned a few apartments and his wealth was measured in the billions.
I paid close attention to the stall owner's facial features. I observed that his face was dark and gloomy, with a sunken nose, tiny mouth, small eyes and hardly any flesh on his face. He certainly did not look like he was a man of great wealth but instead resembled a homeless old man.
I felt there was nothing remarkable about this old man. But how do you explain his wealth? Besides being rich, he had so many spirits helping to lure customers to his stall. The spirits also attended to the customers and cleaned up their tables, and this was quite perplexing.
I suspected that the old man learned how to keep psychic entities to help him. But upon closer observation, though he looked unpleasant, he did not have any negative energy lingering around his body.
From a distance, I looked at the stall and the area of land it was on and observed some glowing beams of red light emerging from the ground, forming a red cloud over the area. This may have explained why the stall was so prosperous. Perhaps it was due to the auspicious Feng Shui of the place. The other stalls did not enjoy the same kind of customer traffic as that one stall did. They were barely surviving to make ends meet. This was indeed interesting.
One day, a certain individual came to seek my consultation. He wanted to find a name for his grandson, and when I looked at him, I realized he was the same old man who ran the stall.
I said to him, "Your business is doing very well!"
"It's just nothing. Nothing at all." The old man said modestly.
"What's the secret of your good business?" I asked curiously.
"Luck is on my side!" the old man grinned, exposing his two rows of black teeth.
"I believe there's more than just luck." I said.
"Why don't you read the divination for me?" He requested.
The old man wrote down his name, birth date and address.
I made a quick spiritual observation and sensed the sound of a mantra filling the atmosphere, accompanied by the scent of sandalwood. I also saw radiating circles of light, and within each circle stood a Fortune God. This was most astonishing.
"Do you know how to recite any mantras?" I asked.
"Nope!" Pan Ji, the old man replied.
"I heard the sounds of a mantra and smelled the scent of sandalwood. I saw the Fortune God by your side."
"Impossible!"
I have helped many in my consultations and have a good track record of accuracy. It was rare to hear someone remark "Impossible." Rather, it was impossible for my divine eye and ear to make a wrong observation. If there was ever any mistake in my observation, I was always able to pinpoint the cause of it.
"Does anyone at your home know how to chant a mantra?" I asked him.
"Neither my wife nor my kids know how to chant a mantra." Pan Ji replied.
"Do any of your other relatives know how to chant a mantra?" I asked.
"Do the deceased count?"
"Yes," I replied.
Pan Ji proceeded to tell me, "In my family, only my grandfather Pan Li knew how to chant a mantra. Once, a monk gave my grandfather a string of chanting beads and taught him how to chant the Earth God Mantra. My grandfather recited the mantra for his entire life using the mala[1] . He chanted on it so much that it eventually turned black and became shiny."
"Where is mala now?" I believed I had found my answer.
"My grandfather passed it down to my father, and my father gave it to me, but I don't know where I put it. I think I'll ask my wife to help me find it."
Pan Ji returned home and asked his wife about the mala. She told him, "The mala is tucked away inside a hidden crack at your stall. Nobody was aware of this."
Pan Ji searched and found the mala at the stall. He then took the darkened mala and showed it to me. He didn't know the value of the prayer beads.
I told Pan Ji, "Your grandfather, Pan Li, received protection from the Earth God. This is the result of reciting the Earth God Mantra, respecting the Earth God, visualizing the Earth God, and praising the Earth God."
The Earth God Mantra is as follows:
Namo san-man-doh, moo-toh-nam, om, doo-loo-doo-loo, dei-wei, soha.
The Earth God Mantra is usually chanted before reciting a sutra. This is to summon the Earth Gods from the four directions to guard over you while you recite the sutra.
Pan Li spent his entire life reciting this mantra. His sincerity attracted the Earth God to protect him. This mantra is neither from the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas nor the Vajra Protectors. It is not a major mantra, yet it should not be underestimated as it contains amazing power.
If anyone is troubled by spirit entities and recites this mantra, the spirits will retreat and give you their respect.
If anyone contracts illness and recites this mantra, the illness will leave. All pain will disappear and one's health will return.
In the past, I had taught people how to chant this mantra as it is especially helpful for curing several forms of dermatitis such as athlete's foot, chronic dermatitis, discoid eczema, etc. By chanting the mantra, those who have skin-related illnesses should be cured because the Earth God devours the bacteria on the skin.
If one recites this mantra diligently and upholds the Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds, then one will not fall in to the three lower realms and hell. In fact, one will be reborn in the heaven realm and enjoy utmost bliss and pleasure. The Earth God Mantra is also most effective in terms of accumulating wealth because the Earth Gods and their attendant ghosts will help those who recite the mantra to receive countless fortunes.
Pan Li devoted his life to chanting this mantra and achieved great results with it. The mala had been passed down from grandfather to father, and from father to son. Nonetheless, the blessings followed and were passed down as well. This was simply incredible.
Thus, I wrote a verse:
Filled with pleasure while reciting Buddha's epithet and mantra.
Now then, one has found the heritage in samsara.
Continue to recite sincerely and respectfully.
The blessing of Gods and Ghosts will be with one perpetually.
There is another story related to the Earth God Mantra.
There was a period when an epidemic swept over Taiwan, and many livestock were killed. I observed many plague ghosts roaming in the wild and biting the animals to death. Owners of many farms had approached me for help.
I studied the constellation of the stars and noted that the Five Plague Gods had descended from the southeastern area of the sky. This meant that an epidemic would sweep the world, resulting in the death of many chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep and pigs.
I was worried.
I approached Cheng Huang Bodhisattva , the City Patron Bodhisattva, for help and he said, "This is fate, it is not my demand!"
"Even if it is the will of the Heaven, I can not just watch people suffer."
"Don't interfere. People's hearts are too corrupted."
"How can I have peace in my mind? I have to save the poor souls!" I uttered.
Cheng Huang Bodhisattva said to me, "You, Sheng-yen Lu try to help people everyday, but their suffering is due to their wrong doing. They deserve it! If one day someone hurts you, I wonder if anyone will save you."
I answered, "If someone hurts me, that's my own karma--but looking at all these suffering souls, I really feel for them in my heart."
Cheng Huang Bodhisattva then taught me a method.
Take four sticks of bamboo and chip away the green outer layer. Each stick must be one foot six inches long. On the lunar calendar day, the Accomplishment Day, chop the bamboo sticks. On each stick, inscribe the letters of the Earth God Mantra in either Chinese or Sanskrit.
In the afternoon of the lunar Removal Day , consecrate the bamboo sticks. Recite the Earth God Mantra, 108 times for each stick. The more you recite, the merrier. On the lunar Stability Day, hammer the bamboo sticks on the four corners of the ground of the respective farm.
When this is completed, plague will not touch the respective farm. I taught this method to the farm owners and it worked! Each farm that was lined with the mantra-empowered bamboo sticks was protected from plague. Not even one livestock was killed.
However, many other farmers were unaware of this method and during that year when the epidemic occurred, many livestock died. There was hardly enough time to bury every dead chicken or cattle, and the carcasses piled up high like a hill.
One farm owner relayed this incident to me.
One night, he overheard some conversation that took place outside his farm. However, it was not human beings but plague ghosts who were speaking. A wave of them arrived outside the farm.
One ghost exclaimed, "The light of mantra emanates from this farm. We cannot enter."
"What mantra?" another asked.
"The Earth God Mantra."
"That mantra is no big deal. It cannot stop us. Let's go!"
"No way!"
"Why not?"
"The Earth God is after all a righteous god."
"We have our orders by the heavenly decree!" the ghost shouted.
"But this mantra is empowered by the Living Buddha, Lian Shen, Sheng-yen Lu himself."
"Really!"
The ghosts fell silent. One of them suggested, "Let's leave this place! We can feed ourselves elsewhere. Besides the small Earth God Mantra, there's also the Buddha's edict. It's better to leave it alone."
Thus, this bunch of ghosts left the farm.
Let me share this with you. Many wealthy men owe their riches to the help of spirits. Many disasters are the result of mischief from spirits. You see the hand of these entities at work in all of these incidents.
Confucius once said, "Respect the spirit world but keep your distance." This means that the spirit world does exist, but we hardly pay attention to it.
In the Bible, Jesus once expelled spirits and exorcised demons. In the Catholic's instruction for the Exorcistate[2], the 3rd of the Minor Orders , it outlines the rite of exorcism. The 75 year-old Father Amorth is himself a famous Catholic exorcism priest!
The invisible spirits are worthy of our attention!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnote
1. prayer beads
2. The Exorcistate--the 3rd of the Minor Orders is The Order of Exorcist, according to the Traditional Catholic Rite of Holy Orders.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap2.shtml
Chapter 3: The Vajra Teeth
When I was young, my mother Lu Yu-nue told me a story. Once upon a time, there was an old woman, she had lost all of her teeth due to her old age. It was very difficult for her to eat anything without her teeth. Thus, she could only eat liquid food, and refrained from eating anything that was hard or soft.
The old woman's daughter-in-law was very filial and caring. She served her mother-in-law with the greatest care and was sad to see how the old woman struggled with food. She didn't know what to do to help the situation.
The daughter-in-law gave birth to a boy one day, and she breast-fed the baby. Incidentally, her breast milk was very nutritious and filling. After feeding the baby, she continued to produce milk. The daughter-in-law thought of her mother-in-law and instinctively cuddled the old lady into her arms and breast-fed her. Her mother-in-law was old and her weight was light, so it felt like she was cradling a small child in her arms.
The old woman had no teeth and she could only suck. So she sucked her daughter-in-law's milk and had a full meal.
The baby grew well, and the old woman's state of mind and health was much improved after the breast-feeding. The baby's teeth began to come through, but the most amazing thing was the fact that the old woman's gums began to harden. Eventually new teeth grew, all thirty-eight of them! Now tell me, isn't this amazing"
When I first heard this story, I thought it was simply impossible. My mother had mentioned that:
Breast milk is more nutritious than any manufactured milk products.
Breast milk is rich in calcium.
The filial act of the daughter-in-law moved the heavens.
This was a rather familiar story. Later in life, a traditional Chinese doctor told me that human breast milk is very nutritious. Babies that feed on their mother's milk usually do not fall sick very easily, and they have a naturally strong immune system.
The doctor told me that breast milk was known as the Celestial Wine in traditional Chinese medicine.
Celestial Wine,
Celestial Wine,
Here on earth you shall ready to find.
My life was touched by spiritual realities, and thereafter I began my mission to help and to liberate sentient beings in every way possible. Throughout all of this, I have encountered the strangest things, and some of these encounters were simply magical and beyond comprehension. One of them was connected with teeth!
There was a Buddhist by the name of Jiang Wei who came to me for a consultation.
"What would you like to find out?"I asked.
He kept silent. Instead he opened his mouth to show me his teeth.
I noticed a missing front tooth on the upper front portion and it was obvious to anyone that he had lost a front tooth.
Jiang Wei said, "I lost this front tooth naturally after it loosened and dropped off. Now I am stuck with this gap. First of all, it looks ugly. Second, there's a lisp whenever I speak. Next, my saliva shoots out uncontrollably, and lastly, according to the book of face reading, having a broken tooth contributes to a loss of wealth."
"You want a..?"I asked.
"I wonder if I can ask you for a talisman which can help me grow a new tooth to replace the old one."
"Ha!"I laughed, "You need a dentist to help you with that!"
Jiang Wei said, "It is costly to consult a dentist. Without the root of the tooth, you need a fixed-bridge supported by the adjacent left and right teeth. Thus, it is best that I grow a new tooth.
"There is no such thing as growing a new tooth, you know. You are not a kid anymore."
"I heard you are able to solve any problem."
"Nonsense!"
"It's true. I am not pulling your leg here,"Jiang Wei said.
I told Jiang Wei, "What I have here are talismans to help an infant's teeth come through, to cure toothaches, and to treat inflammation of the gums as well as tooth decay. Your condition doesn't seem to fit into any of these."
"All I need is a talisman to grow a new tooth."
"No way."I said.
"Why?"
"That applies only to infants, and you're no baby."
Jiang Wei said, "I'd like to give it a try!"
"The efficacy of talismans depends on the sincerity of one's heart. There is no room for playing games."
"But my heart is sincere when I request a talisman that can help grow my tooth."
"That's for an infant."I repeated.
"Why don't you treat me as an infant baby then?"Jiang Wei insisted.
"If the talisman doesn't work, don't blame me."
"I won't."
I could not refuse Jiang Wei's repeated request. I drew a talisman that helped grow new teeth, which is meant for infants for his usage. It was clear that the talisman didn't and couldn't work on him.
Any infant whose teeth have not come through needs only this talisman to help push the teeth out. It works every time.
Jiang Wei was not about to give up so easily. He came to see me again.
"My friends told me you have the best solutions for everything and that you have great power,"Jiang Wei said.
"What is impossible miraculously becomes possible in your hands. I hope you can find me a miracle."
"To make an adult grow a new tooth" Aren't you stretching it a little too far?"I said.
"That would be a miracle. A true miracle."
I finally told Jiang Wei, "Alright! I do know that within the Tantric teachings, there is a Bodhisattva known as Vajrayaksa (Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva) I'll consult him and ask him how to help an adult grow a new tooth. Who knows, he may impart a solution for you."
Jiang Wei left happily.
To help Jiang Wei, I picked an auspicious time and date to construct a shrine for the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva. In the shrine I stationed a lotus throne for the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva, together with the offerings of flower, perfume, lamp, tea and fruit.
I chanted the Mantra of Purifying the Dharma Realms:
Om namo soha.
I formed the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva Mudra and visualized the Bodhisattva descending onto the shrine to receive my offerings.
"May this scent of fragrant flower permeate the Dharma realms throughout the ten directions. To all Buddhas and saints dwelling in the uncountable Pure Lands, please accept this offering and extend your help. Please deliver sentient beings from their suffering and help them attain enlightenment together."
Devas of earth, water, fire, and wind, I summon you to appear.
May the requested deities respond immediately to this summon.
I pray sincerely to invoke the presence of Vajrayaksa,
Transforming these offerings to offer to you.
I saw the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva descending from heaven, promptly seated on a precious lotus throne. His golden body emanated endless circles of light.
I went straight to the question, "Is there a method to help an adult grow new teeth?"
The Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva laughed and said, "Are you aware of my responsibilities as the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva?"
"I only know about the teeth, but I do not know what the teeth are used for."
"I, the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva am not here to help anyone grow new teeth. The Vajra Teeth symbolize the strength and toughness of teeth that grind away all demonic hindrances. The teeth also symbolize crushing all of the greed, anger and ignorance of men. I will bite all demons and ghosts into pieces should they dare approach me and thus, the teeth represent crushing all evil."
"I understand now," I said.
The Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva continued, "Ekajati (Single Braided Buddha Mother) also has single turf of hair, eye and tooth. Hayagriva ( Horse-headed Dharma Protector) has canine teeth as a symbol. Thus, together, we form the Trinity of Teeth."
"Is there a way to help an adult grow new teeth?" I asked.
"No."
"Who should I approach for help?"
"I don't know."
I saw the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva off and knew the fact that no Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions or any wise beings can offer a way to grow new teeth for an adult. Even the Trinity of Teeth cannot offer a method.
I thought I knew everything. I understood the ways of the heavens and earth, the ways of human beings, the Dharma, and the principles of things. Yet, in the end I realized how little I actually knew. I knew nothing and could do nothing. I was such an ignorant fool!
I thought of how the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas express their compassion. We need to help remove and transform the sufferings of all sentient beings and do it with the greatest joy. Besides purifying our own karma, we need to help others purify theirs.
When we help others resolve their karma, we need to enlighten them on the underlying reasons of the many causes and effects in our journey through life. We need to untie the knots of karma that bind us.
Only when karma is purified can the knots loosen. When all karma is resolved then the Buddha Nature surfaces. And when the Buddha Nature reveals itself through your cultivation, you are enlightened. Thus, helping our selves and others find enlightenment marks a truly compassionate Bodhisattva.
Having said this, I want to stress that to help save the world, you need to gain the ability, or attainment for the job. At least I am surrounded with Disciplinary Deities, Skanda Dharma Protector, Wrathful Protectors, Yamantaka, many righteous gods and the heavenly nagas.
I give an order and they would carry it out. We must have the ability to remove the sufferings of people so that we can lead them through the door of Buddhism. These are realistic issues and if you cannot help solve these matters, people are not going to have faith in you.
What I mean is that many embrace Buddhism because the Dharma answers their wishes.
Take the example of Jiang Wei. He had requested a new tooth. If he had no new tooth, he would not listen to you at all. If he had a new tooth, he would embrace Buddhism. That's how things are when you want to lead people to the Buddhist teachings.
Thus:
Few walk the path to the Western Paradise.
Just one recitation of Amitabha's epithet denotes the highest teaching.
To lead people to Buddhism, you need spiritual responses.
If one receives a response, one is most willing to cultivate.
That is why I was so eager to help Jiang Wei. But I realized I was at a loss in helping him. I simply did not know how.
Despite the fact that I know the ways of heaven and earth, I blamed myself for not being able to help him grow a new tooth. There are so many gods and Bodhisattvas and yet none of them can help out. How are they supposed to save the world?
Can the power of Buddha open Jiang Wei's mouth and implant a new tooth into his gum so that it may grow? Or does the Buddha simply utter a magic word and out comes a new tooth? If none of the magical powers work, how do you convince anyone of anything?
I was really depressed. When I next met up with Jiang Wei, I told him, "I doubt you can grow any new tooth."
"What? But they say you can solve everything!"
"It's just impossible." I was blushing.
"So much for magical power!" He was blaming me.
"OK!" I said to him, "I'll teach you a mantra. It's an effectively good mantra. All you need to do is to chant it one hundred thousand times and your wish will be fulfilled. If you chant it three hundred fifty thousand times, you shall attain all Siddhi, leave all illness and disasters. If you chant more, all demonic hindrances will be eradicated. If you complete chanting it eight million times, you will be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitahba."
Jiang Wei was moved.
"OK. I only want my wish fulfilled."
So I taught him the mantra:
Om Guru Lian Shen Siddhi Hum.
"What kind of mantra is this?"
"It's the Heart Mantra of Padmakumara, also known as the Teeth Growing Mantra," I said.
"Padmakumara or no Pakmakumara, I am not interested. What counts is that I get a new tooth."
So Jiang Wei began chanting the mantra and he was absolutely devoted. He would bathe and cleanse himself, light incense, sit properly with his hands clasped, clear his thoughts and image a Buddha appearing in the sky above him. The Buddha would radiate light on Jiang Wei and he would visualize a new tooth growing in his mouth.
And then he would chant: Om Guru Lian Shen Siddhi Hum.
After chanting one hundred thousand times, he dreamed of a Bodhisattva descending from heaven. The Bodhisattva asked him some interesting questions.
"Why do you hit the drum?"
"If I don't, it wouldn't sound." He replied.
"What brings you here?" The Bodhisattva asked.
"I have a missing tooth. How am I supposed to open my mouth?"
"Since you sounded the drum, I will fill the missing tooth in for you," the Bodhisattva answered.
The Bodhisattva placed his hand on Jiang Wei's head and gave him a blessing. He then proceeded to touch his face and pressed on the area around his mouth. Jiang Wei instantly felt a sense of relief and lightness. His gum seemed to harden, and a tooth appeared to be growing. Then, the strangest thing happened. Since that dream, Jiang Wei felt his gum was hardening. In between the gap where the old tooth was, a white spot was seen. As the white spot grew larger, it became evident that a new tooth had protruded.
Miracle! A miracle indeed!
This was simply incredible.
Jiang Wei came to inform me of the news and I said nothing. I only mentioned that once a 73 year-old lama from the Nyingma Sect had lost most of his teeth. The lama recited the Seven Syllable Heart Mantra from the Lotus Flower Division, Om-ah-lo-li-ge-soha countless times and his gums grew seven teeth. This incident was well known in Tibet and was told to me by a Tibetan Rinpoche.
I was happy for Jiang Wei. Actually when Jiang Wei's gum began to harden, I had my own interesting experience. My lower left wisdom tooth began aching.
I visited the dentist and he told me he could not diagnose the cause of my toothache. There was no decay in the wisdom tooth and no inflammation of the gum. The nerve was not infected and the wisdom tooth remained strong and firm. The dentist gave me an injection to relieve the pain. However, the pain returned when the effects of the drug withdrew.
I felt uncomfortable. I knew how to draw a talisman to stop toothaches and hence I drew one with great sincerity; burned it and drank the talisman ashes with water. Normally, this talisman was very effective but it did not work on me. Despite several repeated attempts to take the talisman as a pain-killer, the pain remained.
I finally realized the saying, "A toothache is not an illness, but its pain can kill you."
I returned to the dentist and he said, "Anyway, you need to extract your wisdom tooth when you reach a certain age, and it's long overdue for you. I suggest you get rid of it once and for all." "OK," I said. Once the tooth was gone, the pain left with it. On the very day my tooth was removed, Jiang Wei's new tooth came through.
Someone asked me, "Master Lu, are you taking on Jiang Wei's karma?" I laughed. Was it substitution of karma or simply coincidence? I did not have the answer.
I felt that it was kind of a waste to chant a mantra merely to grow a tooth. The Mantra of Padmakumara can deliver one to the Buddha Land and the very Siddhi that I have personally attained and verified. I do not lie. If you chant the mantra of Padmakumara, you become Padmakumara himself.
It was good to know that Jiang Wei did not stop his chanting and has since gained greater faith in this mantra. He told people, "This mantra brings great results and it's simply amazing."
Here is a verse:
Don't hesitate to chant mantra.
Its power can eradicate all karmic hindrance.
Behold! The world of samsara is just a prison.
Fame and fortune is but a candle melting in flame.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death run in a natural cycle.
All ties of love and relationships come and go.
Thus, engage yourself in cultivation through chanting.
When the time comes, you will find Paradise within reach.
This verse is a wake-up call.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap3.shtml
The old woman's daughter-in-law was very filial and caring. She served her mother-in-law with the greatest care and was sad to see how the old woman struggled with food. She didn't know what to do to help the situation.
The daughter-in-law gave birth to a boy one day, and she breast-fed the baby. Incidentally, her breast milk was very nutritious and filling. After feeding the baby, she continued to produce milk. The daughter-in-law thought of her mother-in-law and instinctively cuddled the old lady into her arms and breast-fed her. Her mother-in-law was old and her weight was light, so it felt like she was cradling a small child in her arms.
The old woman had no teeth and she could only suck. So she sucked her daughter-in-law's milk and had a full meal.
The baby grew well, and the old woman's state of mind and health was much improved after the breast-feeding. The baby's teeth began to come through, but the most amazing thing was the fact that the old woman's gums began to harden. Eventually new teeth grew, all thirty-eight of them! Now tell me, isn't this amazing"
When I first heard this story, I thought it was simply impossible. My mother had mentioned that:
Breast milk is more nutritious than any manufactured milk products.
Breast milk is rich in calcium.
The filial act of the daughter-in-law moved the heavens.
This was a rather familiar story. Later in life, a traditional Chinese doctor told me that human breast milk is very nutritious. Babies that feed on their mother's milk usually do not fall sick very easily, and they have a naturally strong immune system.
The doctor told me that breast milk was known as the Celestial Wine in traditional Chinese medicine.
Celestial Wine,
Celestial Wine,
Here on earth you shall ready to find.
My life was touched by spiritual realities, and thereafter I began my mission to help and to liberate sentient beings in every way possible. Throughout all of this, I have encountered the strangest things, and some of these encounters were simply magical and beyond comprehension. One of them was connected with teeth!
There was a Buddhist by the name of Jiang Wei who came to me for a consultation.
"What would you like to find out?"I asked.
He kept silent. Instead he opened his mouth to show me his teeth.
I noticed a missing front tooth on the upper front portion and it was obvious to anyone that he had lost a front tooth.
Jiang Wei said, "I lost this front tooth naturally after it loosened and dropped off. Now I am stuck with this gap. First of all, it looks ugly. Second, there's a lisp whenever I speak. Next, my saliva shoots out uncontrollably, and lastly, according to the book of face reading, having a broken tooth contributes to a loss of wealth."
"You want a..?"I asked.
"I wonder if I can ask you for a talisman which can help me grow a new tooth to replace the old one."
"Ha!"I laughed, "You need a dentist to help you with that!"
Jiang Wei said, "It is costly to consult a dentist. Without the root of the tooth, you need a fixed-bridge supported by the adjacent left and right teeth. Thus, it is best that I grow a new tooth.
"There is no such thing as growing a new tooth, you know. You are not a kid anymore."
"I heard you are able to solve any problem."
"Nonsense!"
"It's true. I am not pulling your leg here,"Jiang Wei said.
I told Jiang Wei, "What I have here are talismans to help an infant's teeth come through, to cure toothaches, and to treat inflammation of the gums as well as tooth decay. Your condition doesn't seem to fit into any of these."
"All I need is a talisman to grow a new tooth."
"No way."I said.
"Why?"
"That applies only to infants, and you're no baby."
Jiang Wei said, "I'd like to give it a try!"
"The efficacy of talismans depends on the sincerity of one's heart. There is no room for playing games."
"But my heart is sincere when I request a talisman that can help grow my tooth."
"That's for an infant."I repeated.
"Why don't you treat me as an infant baby then?"Jiang Wei insisted.
"If the talisman doesn't work, don't blame me."
"I won't."
I could not refuse Jiang Wei's repeated request. I drew a talisman that helped grow new teeth, which is meant for infants for his usage. It was clear that the talisman didn't and couldn't work on him.
Any infant whose teeth have not come through needs only this talisman to help push the teeth out. It works every time.
Jiang Wei was not about to give up so easily. He came to see me again.
"My friends told me you have the best solutions for everything and that you have great power,"Jiang Wei said.
"What is impossible miraculously becomes possible in your hands. I hope you can find me a miracle."
"To make an adult grow a new tooth" Aren't you stretching it a little too far?"I said.
"That would be a miracle. A true miracle."
I finally told Jiang Wei, "Alright! I do know that within the Tantric teachings, there is a Bodhisattva known as Vajrayaksa (Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva) I'll consult him and ask him how to help an adult grow a new tooth. Who knows, he may impart a solution for you."
Jiang Wei left happily.
To help Jiang Wei, I picked an auspicious time and date to construct a shrine for the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva. In the shrine I stationed a lotus throne for the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva, together with the offerings of flower, perfume, lamp, tea and fruit.
I chanted the Mantra of Purifying the Dharma Realms:
Om namo soha.
I formed the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva Mudra and visualized the Bodhisattva descending onto the shrine to receive my offerings.
"May this scent of fragrant flower permeate the Dharma realms throughout the ten directions. To all Buddhas and saints dwelling in the uncountable Pure Lands, please accept this offering and extend your help. Please deliver sentient beings from their suffering and help them attain enlightenment together."
Devas of earth, water, fire, and wind, I summon you to appear.
May the requested deities respond immediately to this summon.
I pray sincerely to invoke the presence of Vajrayaksa,
Transforming these offerings to offer to you.
I saw the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva descending from heaven, promptly seated on a precious lotus throne. His golden body emanated endless circles of light.
I went straight to the question, "Is there a method to help an adult grow new teeth?"
The Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva laughed and said, "Are you aware of my responsibilities as the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva?"
"I only know about the teeth, but I do not know what the teeth are used for."
"I, the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva am not here to help anyone grow new teeth. The Vajra Teeth symbolize the strength and toughness of teeth that grind away all demonic hindrances. The teeth also symbolize crushing all of the greed, anger and ignorance of men. I will bite all demons and ghosts into pieces should they dare approach me and thus, the teeth represent crushing all evil."
"I understand now," I said.
The Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva continued, "Ekajati (Single Braided Buddha Mother) also has single turf of hair, eye and tooth. Hayagriva ( Horse-headed Dharma Protector) has canine teeth as a symbol. Thus, together, we form the Trinity of Teeth."
"Is there a way to help an adult grow new teeth?" I asked.
"No."
"Who should I approach for help?"
"I don't know."
I saw the Vajra Teeth Bodhisattva off and knew the fact that no Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions or any wise beings can offer a way to grow new teeth for an adult. Even the Trinity of Teeth cannot offer a method.
I thought I knew everything. I understood the ways of the heavens and earth, the ways of human beings, the Dharma, and the principles of things. Yet, in the end I realized how little I actually knew. I knew nothing and could do nothing. I was such an ignorant fool!
I thought of how the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas express their compassion. We need to help remove and transform the sufferings of all sentient beings and do it with the greatest joy. Besides purifying our own karma, we need to help others purify theirs.
When we help others resolve their karma, we need to enlighten them on the underlying reasons of the many causes and effects in our journey through life. We need to untie the knots of karma that bind us.
Only when karma is purified can the knots loosen. When all karma is resolved then the Buddha Nature surfaces. And when the Buddha Nature reveals itself through your cultivation, you are enlightened. Thus, helping our selves and others find enlightenment marks a truly compassionate Bodhisattva.
Having said this, I want to stress that to help save the world, you need to gain the ability, or attainment for the job. At least I am surrounded with Disciplinary Deities, Skanda Dharma Protector, Wrathful Protectors, Yamantaka, many righteous gods and the heavenly nagas.
I give an order and they would carry it out. We must have the ability to remove the sufferings of people so that we can lead them through the door of Buddhism. These are realistic issues and if you cannot help solve these matters, people are not going to have faith in you.
What I mean is that many embrace Buddhism because the Dharma answers their wishes.
Take the example of Jiang Wei. He had requested a new tooth. If he had no new tooth, he would not listen to you at all. If he had a new tooth, he would embrace Buddhism. That's how things are when you want to lead people to the Buddhist teachings.
Thus:
Few walk the path to the Western Paradise.
Just one recitation of Amitabha's epithet denotes the highest teaching.
To lead people to Buddhism, you need spiritual responses.
If one receives a response, one is most willing to cultivate.
That is why I was so eager to help Jiang Wei. But I realized I was at a loss in helping him. I simply did not know how.
Despite the fact that I know the ways of heaven and earth, I blamed myself for not being able to help him grow a new tooth. There are so many gods and Bodhisattvas and yet none of them can help out. How are they supposed to save the world?
Can the power of Buddha open Jiang Wei's mouth and implant a new tooth into his gum so that it may grow? Or does the Buddha simply utter a magic word and out comes a new tooth? If none of the magical powers work, how do you convince anyone of anything?
I was really depressed. When I next met up with Jiang Wei, I told him, "I doubt you can grow any new tooth."
"What? But they say you can solve everything!"
"It's just impossible." I was blushing.
"So much for magical power!" He was blaming me.
"OK!" I said to him, "I'll teach you a mantra. It's an effectively good mantra. All you need to do is to chant it one hundred thousand times and your wish will be fulfilled. If you chant it three hundred fifty thousand times, you shall attain all Siddhi, leave all illness and disasters. If you chant more, all demonic hindrances will be eradicated. If you complete chanting it eight million times, you will be reborn in the Pure Land of Amitahba."
Jiang Wei was moved.
"OK. I only want my wish fulfilled."
So I taught him the mantra:
Om Guru Lian Shen Siddhi Hum.
"What kind of mantra is this?"
"It's the Heart Mantra of Padmakumara, also known as the Teeth Growing Mantra," I said.
"Padmakumara or no Pakmakumara, I am not interested. What counts is that I get a new tooth."
So Jiang Wei began chanting the mantra and he was absolutely devoted. He would bathe and cleanse himself, light incense, sit properly with his hands clasped, clear his thoughts and image a Buddha appearing in the sky above him. The Buddha would radiate light on Jiang Wei and he would visualize a new tooth growing in his mouth.
And then he would chant: Om Guru Lian Shen Siddhi Hum.
After chanting one hundred thousand times, he dreamed of a Bodhisattva descending from heaven. The Bodhisattva asked him some interesting questions.
"Why do you hit the drum?"
"If I don't, it wouldn't sound." He replied.
"What brings you here?" The Bodhisattva asked.
"I have a missing tooth. How am I supposed to open my mouth?"
"Since you sounded the drum, I will fill the missing tooth in for you," the Bodhisattva answered.
The Bodhisattva placed his hand on Jiang Wei's head and gave him a blessing. He then proceeded to touch his face and pressed on the area around his mouth. Jiang Wei instantly felt a sense of relief and lightness. His gum seemed to harden, and a tooth appeared to be growing. Then, the strangest thing happened. Since that dream, Jiang Wei felt his gum was hardening. In between the gap where the old tooth was, a white spot was seen. As the white spot grew larger, it became evident that a new tooth had protruded.
Miracle! A miracle indeed!
This was simply incredible.
Jiang Wei came to inform me of the news and I said nothing. I only mentioned that once a 73 year-old lama from the Nyingma Sect had lost most of his teeth. The lama recited the Seven Syllable Heart Mantra from the Lotus Flower Division, Om-ah-lo-li-ge-soha countless times and his gums grew seven teeth. This incident was well known in Tibet and was told to me by a Tibetan Rinpoche.
I was happy for Jiang Wei. Actually when Jiang Wei's gum began to harden, I had my own interesting experience. My lower left wisdom tooth began aching.
I visited the dentist and he told me he could not diagnose the cause of my toothache. There was no decay in the wisdom tooth and no inflammation of the gum. The nerve was not infected and the wisdom tooth remained strong and firm. The dentist gave me an injection to relieve the pain. However, the pain returned when the effects of the drug withdrew.
I felt uncomfortable. I knew how to draw a talisman to stop toothaches and hence I drew one with great sincerity; burned it and drank the talisman ashes with water. Normally, this talisman was very effective but it did not work on me. Despite several repeated attempts to take the talisman as a pain-killer, the pain remained.
I finally realized the saying, "A toothache is not an illness, but its pain can kill you."
I returned to the dentist and he said, "Anyway, you need to extract your wisdom tooth when you reach a certain age, and it's long overdue for you. I suggest you get rid of it once and for all." "OK," I said. Once the tooth was gone, the pain left with it. On the very day my tooth was removed, Jiang Wei's new tooth came through.
Someone asked me, "Master Lu, are you taking on Jiang Wei's karma?" I laughed. Was it substitution of karma or simply coincidence? I did not have the answer.
I felt that it was kind of a waste to chant a mantra merely to grow a tooth. The Mantra of Padmakumara can deliver one to the Buddha Land and the very Siddhi that I have personally attained and verified. I do not lie. If you chant the mantra of Padmakumara, you become Padmakumara himself.
It was good to know that Jiang Wei did not stop his chanting and has since gained greater faith in this mantra. He told people, "This mantra brings great results and it's simply amazing."
Here is a verse:
Don't hesitate to chant mantra.
Its power can eradicate all karmic hindrance.
Behold! The world of samsara is just a prison.
Fame and fortune is but a candle melting in flame.
Birth, aging, sickness, and death run in a natural cycle.
All ties of love and relationships come and go.
Thus, engage yourself in cultivation through chanting.
When the time comes, you will find Paradise within reach.
This verse is a wake-up call.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap3.shtml
Chapter 4: Avoiding a Land and Mud Slide
I once had a discussion on Buddhism with Venerable Zhou Ying.
"Master Lu, you claim that you're enlightened. May I ask what the enlightenment is?"
I replied, "This is beyond words."
"How does one know?"
"You know what you experience, whether it is warm or cold."
"Even a three-year-old can say that!" Venerable Zhou Ying said.
"Yes, indeed. But you need to ask yourself if you're truly free within, or not."
"Does the Tao have a form?"
"As it is, the Tao is formless."
"If the Tao is formless, how does it seek its balance?" Venerable Zhou Ying asked.
"It does it naturally."
Having been practicing Zen for the past twenty years, Venerable Zhou Ying thought he could shut me up once and for all by discussing the Buddhadharma with me. All it would take is one flaw in my speech and he would go for the kill.
I smiled, remaining firm in my verbal defense.
"Master Lu, you are neither preaching Buddhism nor Taoism. People talk about you!" ?
"Let me ask you this: is the highest peak connected with the deepest sea?"
The Venerable Zhou Ying said, "Why do you have to include the spirits?"
"As mighty as the universe may be, it is nothing more than a bubble." I uttered.
Venerable Zhou Ying could no longer question me any further.
This time, he asked, " Master Lu. You claim you have supernatural power. Can you offer me some proof?"
"I wish to save your life!" I uttered. ?
"Save my life?" unconvinced, Venerable Zhou Ying sneered at me and said, "I can liberate myself. I don't need your help."
"Whether you are liberated or not is of no concern here. You have a pending disaster coming your way."
"Rubbish! This is just one of those fortune-teller's tricks."
"Believe it or not, it's up to you."
"Alright then, go ahead and tell me about it!"
"There are four men in black who are near you, and they want to take your life!"
"How do I protect myself?"
"Chant the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra."
I spoke in no uncertain terms to the monk, "Chant the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra: Om Marici-yee So Ha."
I added, "When you chant the mantra, you must also recite the following:
Protect me against troubles from any ruler.
Protect me from thieves.
Protect me in my travels.
Protect me from disasters of fire and water.
Protect me from harm in a war.
Protect me from psychic attack.
Protect me from being poisoned.
Protect me from wild beasts, poisonous insects and all enemies.
Protect me in all places and at all times."
Venerable Zhou Ying said, "You saw four men in black around me and I see nothing. You want me to recite the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra. I can do this. You say that I will encounter a disaster. If nothing happens to me, I will expose you as a fraud, and your so-called enlightenment will be reduced to nothing more than just plain mental knowledge."
I told him, "It's really up to you."
The Venerable Zhou Ying clasped his palms and left.
Actually, when the monk first approached me, I already sensed that he would face a disaster. That was because he had four men in black, who were spirit officials waiting for him.
These four spirit officials were ahead of the monk, and they wanted to rush into my house. I stopped them before they could enter and they had to linger around the vicinity as they were waiting for him.
This is how I secretly save many sentient beings. Many face calamities and they do not necessarily know about them. I would not let them know. I help them resolve their situations without their knowledge.
Actually, there is bound to be some degree of calamity in our lives. Shakyamuni Buddha foresaw this when he said, "The human life is one of uncertainty."
Thus:
The Three Realms of Existence are engulfed in one scorching flame.
Even the ordained are not ensured safety
Impermanence awaits one nevertheless.
Calm your thoughts and prepare yourself for the final journey.
I am aware that people are afraid of calamity and disaster. Thus, I cultivate myself daily and secretly help many go through their hard times. I chanted the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra, and I dedicated the merits to Venerable Zhou Ying. With my help, Venerable Zhou Ying would be saved.
Venerable Zhou Ying lived alone in a small hut, deep within the Bagua Mountain in Changhua, Taiwan. He practiced Zen meditation and sat cross-legged in yoga posture.
The monk was once a student studying abroad in Japan. However, while in Japan, he developed a strong interest in Buddhism and was ordained as a monk in a famous Zen monastery of the Soto Sect in Kyoto. His lineage thus comes from Japan.
I learned that the Patriarchal lineage of the Zen School had stopped with the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng, due to a dispute over the Fifth Patriarch's Dharma robe. It has since blossomed into the five sects of Zen Buddhism, which are the Lin Ji Sect (Rinzai Sect), T'sao Tung Sect (Soto Sect), Wei Yang Sect, Yun Men Sect and Fa Yen Sect. Zen Buddhism is known as the teaching of the heart. The name of Zen was adopted for this school during the beginning of the T'ang Dynasty. Zen means cultivation of one's thoughts, which is the process of contemplating on truth itself. This is a practice of serenity and concentration.
The First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, a Southern Indian, arrived in China during the Liang Dynasty to transmit the School of Buddha Mind teachings. His method emphasizes the importance of serene meditation and silent recital, expressing the Buddha Mind and focusing on the practice of concentration and purification. In so doing, the method gives the impression of sitting in meditation; hence it is known as the Zen School.
The Zen School stresses the following:
Omission of the written language,
Direct revelation of the mind,
Attaining Buddhahood through Enlightenment, and
Active discussion on Prajna, or wisdom
One stormy night, Venerable Zhou Ying was meditating alone in his hut. The rain had been pouring for three consecutive days and nights. Venerable Zhou Ying was aware that the market place at the foot of the mountain was swamped. If the rain persisted, a flood would be inevitable.
Suddenly, the cry of a child was heard outside the hut, and the sound intermingled with the pouring rain.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
Venerable Zhou Ying raised his head and listened:
"Mommy! Mommy!" The words kept repeating and it was definitely a child's cry.
As he listened closely, it became: "Marici! Marici! Marici!"
He recited a line of the Mantra, "Om Marici-yee So Ha."
In the mist of the heavy downpour, Venerable Zhou Ying quickly got up and put on his raincoat and rain boots. Holding a torch in his hands, he hurried out of his hut to search for the crying child
"Mommy! Marici!"
Was it Mommy or Marici? He could not tell the difference. The cry was swinging from the front to the back area, and switched from the left to the right. It was as if someone was playing hide-and-seek with him. He walked for an hour in the storm.
Suddenly, the cry disappeared. He waited for a long time and listened. There was not a faint noise in range, and he quickly realized there was nobody living within the parameter of the vicinity. If there were no family living in this mountainous area, what would be the chances of finding any child crying? Venerable Zhou Ying rushed back to his hut, only to find that it was gone. A mudslide had buried the hut under a pile of rocks and mud, forming a molehill. Rocks and mud kept sliding downwards from the mountaintop, and he found himself in extreme danger. Frightened, Venerable Zhou Ying fled the area where he had spent two years meditating. His life was spared, but his hut, together with all his possession were gone.
Upon reflection, Venerable Zhou Ying realized that he had to go through this calamity. He remembered that this was prophesied by Living Buddha Lian-shen, Sheng-yen Lu. The four spirit officials in black clothing were waiting to arrest him. It was the suggestion of Living Buddha Lian-shen that he chant the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra, while placing more emphasis on it as his protection mantra.
Although Venerable Zhou Ying practices Zen, he was exposed to the teachings of other schools in his life. He chanted the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra in his younger days, and was now able to continue chanting the mantra upon my suggestion.
As the saying goes:
If you burn the incense, you shall be protected.
If you consume food, you shall be energized.
Mommy!
Marici!
They sound alike.
After leaving Bagua Mountain, Venerable Zhou Ying took shelter with various temples and monasteries all over Taiwan. He was used to living the life of a hermit and cultivating alone in his little hut, indulging in almost ascetic-like practices. After experiencing the calamity, he switched from being a hermit to living among others. This was a new experience for him.
He met many fellow cultivators and heard many mentions of Living Buddha Lian-shen, Sheng-yen Lu. Generally speaking, most would choose to criticize me as negative news, and such consciousness spreads its influence. Thus, most practitioners tend to reject me and only a handful chooses to reserve their comments. This is the state of affairs in the religious circle.
Venerable Zhou Ying listened but kept his views to himself. When others called me a Mara or a heresy, he sat in silence, knowing the truth about what had happened. He wanted to clear my name but being outnumbered, he would not stand a chance against the mass. He decided to save his breath and remained silent throughout the conversation.
Venerable Zhou Ying visited me and mentioned what he had heard.
He said, "Why don't you change your approach to liberate sentient beings and use a new and different way altogether? You can start building a new foundation through it."
I replied, "People's minds are set about me. It may seem easy to start all over again, but it would take a lot of work and time to change things."
"You must at least have some hope!"
"Once people make up their mind about you, it's going stay that way forever. I'm used to this and it doesn't matter."
"You think it is unnecessary?" Venerable Zhou Ying asked.
"Yes. I take slander and criticism for the better. I take it as my own spiritual discipline!"
"But your reputation suffers!"
"Reputation is immaterial in the light of one's spiritual discipline. The experience is much needed for anyone to attain Buddhahood." Venerable Zhou Ying nodded.
I told Venerable Zhou Ying, "When I was about to leave my master, Venerable Liao Ming and descend from the mountain, my Master told me that a person like me has only three options. The first option is to enter Nirvana immediately. The second option is to take seclusion in the deep mountains, never to appear again. Or take the last option, which is to act as a fool among people."
"Oh!"
I smiled and continued, "I am happy and contented within myself and I don't care what others say about me."
"Do you have regrets?" Venerable Zhou Ying asked.
"No!"
"Are you hurt?"
"No!"
"What about praise and ridicule, misery and honor?"
"They mean nothing to me! Life is but a game to me, and I merely experience it to the fullest."
Venerable Zhou Ying invited me to ascend to my teaching seat with the greatest respect, and he prostrated before me three times, in all sincerity.
"Why such prostration?"
"To thank you for saving my life!"
"I didn't save you. You saved yourself!"
"That's because you instructed me on what to do!"
I remained silent.
Venerable Zhou Ying told me this before leaving my place: "I feel like leaving this human world of suffering."
I told him, "It's all in your heart. If your heart is free, then that is truly leaving this world behind."
"You mean I should adjust and adapt to this world?"
"Nope! There is no human world to begin with." I said.
Venerable Zhou Ying contemplated on this for a while, and finally nodded his head. He realized what I meant and said; "I understand this in principle. But putting it into practice and eventually mastering this art constitutes a True Buddha!"
Here's a verse:
One two three four five six seven,
Still the mind and ascend to the Western Heaven.
It seems so easy when the words of Buddha are spoken,
Yet one stumbles, plunging into mud too often.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap4.shtml
"Master Lu, you claim that you're enlightened. May I ask what the enlightenment is?"
I replied, "This is beyond words."
"How does one know?"
"You know what you experience, whether it is warm or cold."
"Even a three-year-old can say that!" Venerable Zhou Ying said.
"Yes, indeed. But you need to ask yourself if you're truly free within, or not."
"Does the Tao have a form?"
"As it is, the Tao is formless."
"If the Tao is formless, how does it seek its balance?" Venerable Zhou Ying asked.
"It does it naturally."
Having been practicing Zen for the past twenty years, Venerable Zhou Ying thought he could shut me up once and for all by discussing the Buddhadharma with me. All it would take is one flaw in my speech and he would go for the kill.
I smiled, remaining firm in my verbal defense.
"Master Lu, you are neither preaching Buddhism nor Taoism. People talk about you!" ?
"Let me ask you this: is the highest peak connected with the deepest sea?"
The Venerable Zhou Ying said, "Why do you have to include the spirits?"
"As mighty as the universe may be, it is nothing more than a bubble." I uttered.
Venerable Zhou Ying could no longer question me any further.
This time, he asked, " Master Lu. You claim you have supernatural power. Can you offer me some proof?"
"I wish to save your life!" I uttered. ?
"Save my life?" unconvinced, Venerable Zhou Ying sneered at me and said, "I can liberate myself. I don't need your help."
"Whether you are liberated or not is of no concern here. You have a pending disaster coming your way."
"Rubbish! This is just one of those fortune-teller's tricks."
"Believe it or not, it's up to you."
"Alright then, go ahead and tell me about it!"
"There are four men in black who are near you, and they want to take your life!"
"How do I protect myself?"
"Chant the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra."
I spoke in no uncertain terms to the monk, "Chant the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra: Om Marici-yee So Ha."
I added, "When you chant the mantra, you must also recite the following:
Protect me against troubles from any ruler.
Protect me from thieves.
Protect me in my travels.
Protect me from disasters of fire and water.
Protect me from harm in a war.
Protect me from psychic attack.
Protect me from being poisoned.
Protect me from wild beasts, poisonous insects and all enemies.
Protect me in all places and at all times."
Venerable Zhou Ying said, "You saw four men in black around me and I see nothing. You want me to recite the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra. I can do this. You say that I will encounter a disaster. If nothing happens to me, I will expose you as a fraud, and your so-called enlightenment will be reduced to nothing more than just plain mental knowledge."
I told him, "It's really up to you."
The Venerable Zhou Ying clasped his palms and left.
Actually, when the monk first approached me, I already sensed that he would face a disaster. That was because he had four men in black, who were spirit officials waiting for him.
These four spirit officials were ahead of the monk, and they wanted to rush into my house. I stopped them before they could enter and they had to linger around the vicinity as they were waiting for him.
This is how I secretly save many sentient beings. Many face calamities and they do not necessarily know about them. I would not let them know. I help them resolve their situations without their knowledge.
Actually, there is bound to be some degree of calamity in our lives. Shakyamuni Buddha foresaw this when he said, "The human life is one of uncertainty."
Thus:
The Three Realms of Existence are engulfed in one scorching flame.
Even the ordained are not ensured safety
Impermanence awaits one nevertheless.
Calm your thoughts and prepare yourself for the final journey.
I am aware that people are afraid of calamity and disaster. Thus, I cultivate myself daily and secretly help many go through their hard times. I chanted the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra, and I dedicated the merits to Venerable Zhou Ying. With my help, Venerable Zhou Ying would be saved.
Venerable Zhou Ying lived alone in a small hut, deep within the Bagua Mountain in Changhua, Taiwan. He practiced Zen meditation and sat cross-legged in yoga posture.
The monk was once a student studying abroad in Japan. However, while in Japan, he developed a strong interest in Buddhism and was ordained as a monk in a famous Zen monastery of the Soto Sect in Kyoto. His lineage thus comes from Japan.
I learned that the Patriarchal lineage of the Zen School had stopped with the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng, due to a dispute over the Fifth Patriarch's Dharma robe. It has since blossomed into the five sects of Zen Buddhism, which are the Lin Ji Sect (Rinzai Sect), T'sao Tung Sect (Soto Sect), Wei Yang Sect, Yun Men Sect and Fa Yen Sect. Zen Buddhism is known as the teaching of the heart. The name of Zen was adopted for this school during the beginning of the T'ang Dynasty. Zen means cultivation of one's thoughts, which is the process of contemplating on truth itself. This is a practice of serenity and concentration.
The First Patriarch, Bodhidharma, a Southern Indian, arrived in China during the Liang Dynasty to transmit the School of Buddha Mind teachings. His method emphasizes the importance of serene meditation and silent recital, expressing the Buddha Mind and focusing on the practice of concentration and purification. In so doing, the method gives the impression of sitting in meditation; hence it is known as the Zen School.
The Zen School stresses the following:
Omission of the written language,
Direct revelation of the mind,
Attaining Buddhahood through Enlightenment, and
Active discussion on Prajna, or wisdom
One stormy night, Venerable Zhou Ying was meditating alone in his hut. The rain had been pouring for three consecutive days and nights. Venerable Zhou Ying was aware that the market place at the foot of the mountain was swamped. If the rain persisted, a flood would be inevitable.
Suddenly, the cry of a child was heard outside the hut, and the sound intermingled with the pouring rain.
"Mommy! Mommy!"
Venerable Zhou Ying raised his head and listened:
"Mommy! Mommy!" The words kept repeating and it was definitely a child's cry.
As he listened closely, it became: "Marici! Marici! Marici!"
He recited a line of the Mantra, "Om Marici-yee So Ha."
In the mist of the heavy downpour, Venerable Zhou Ying quickly got up and put on his raincoat and rain boots. Holding a torch in his hands, he hurried out of his hut to search for the crying child
"Mommy! Marici!"
Was it Mommy or Marici? He could not tell the difference. The cry was swinging from the front to the back area, and switched from the left to the right. It was as if someone was playing hide-and-seek with him. He walked for an hour in the storm.
Suddenly, the cry disappeared. He waited for a long time and listened. There was not a faint noise in range, and he quickly realized there was nobody living within the parameter of the vicinity. If there were no family living in this mountainous area, what would be the chances of finding any child crying? Venerable Zhou Ying rushed back to his hut, only to find that it was gone. A mudslide had buried the hut under a pile of rocks and mud, forming a molehill. Rocks and mud kept sliding downwards from the mountaintop, and he found himself in extreme danger. Frightened, Venerable Zhou Ying fled the area where he had spent two years meditating. His life was spared, but his hut, together with all his possession were gone.
Upon reflection, Venerable Zhou Ying realized that he had to go through this calamity. He remembered that this was prophesied by Living Buddha Lian-shen, Sheng-yen Lu. The four spirit officials in black clothing were waiting to arrest him. It was the suggestion of Living Buddha Lian-shen that he chant the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra, while placing more emphasis on it as his protection mantra.
Although Venerable Zhou Ying practices Zen, he was exposed to the teachings of other schools in his life. He chanted the Marici Bodhisattva Mantra in his younger days, and was now able to continue chanting the mantra upon my suggestion.
As the saying goes:
If you burn the incense, you shall be protected.
If you consume food, you shall be energized.
Mommy!
Marici!
They sound alike.
After leaving Bagua Mountain, Venerable Zhou Ying took shelter with various temples and monasteries all over Taiwan. He was used to living the life of a hermit and cultivating alone in his little hut, indulging in almost ascetic-like practices. After experiencing the calamity, he switched from being a hermit to living among others. This was a new experience for him.
He met many fellow cultivators and heard many mentions of Living Buddha Lian-shen, Sheng-yen Lu. Generally speaking, most would choose to criticize me as negative news, and such consciousness spreads its influence. Thus, most practitioners tend to reject me and only a handful chooses to reserve their comments. This is the state of affairs in the religious circle.
Venerable Zhou Ying listened but kept his views to himself. When others called me a Mara or a heresy, he sat in silence, knowing the truth about what had happened. He wanted to clear my name but being outnumbered, he would not stand a chance against the mass. He decided to save his breath and remained silent throughout the conversation.
Venerable Zhou Ying visited me and mentioned what he had heard.
He said, "Why don't you change your approach to liberate sentient beings and use a new and different way altogether? You can start building a new foundation through it."
I replied, "People's minds are set about me. It may seem easy to start all over again, but it would take a lot of work and time to change things."
"You must at least have some hope!"
"Once people make up their mind about you, it's going stay that way forever. I'm used to this and it doesn't matter."
"You think it is unnecessary?" Venerable Zhou Ying asked.
"Yes. I take slander and criticism for the better. I take it as my own spiritual discipline!"
"But your reputation suffers!"
"Reputation is immaterial in the light of one's spiritual discipline. The experience is much needed for anyone to attain Buddhahood." Venerable Zhou Ying nodded.
I told Venerable Zhou Ying, "When I was about to leave my master, Venerable Liao Ming and descend from the mountain, my Master told me that a person like me has only three options. The first option is to enter Nirvana immediately. The second option is to take seclusion in the deep mountains, never to appear again. Or take the last option, which is to act as a fool among people."
"Oh!"
I smiled and continued, "I am happy and contented within myself and I don't care what others say about me."
"Do you have regrets?" Venerable Zhou Ying asked.
"No!"
"Are you hurt?"
"No!"
"What about praise and ridicule, misery and honor?"
"They mean nothing to me! Life is but a game to me, and I merely experience it to the fullest."
Venerable Zhou Ying invited me to ascend to my teaching seat with the greatest respect, and he prostrated before me three times, in all sincerity.
"Why such prostration?"
"To thank you for saving my life!"
"I didn't save you. You saved yourself!"
"That's because you instructed me on what to do!"
I remained silent.
Venerable Zhou Ying told me this before leaving my place: "I feel like leaving this human world of suffering."
I told him, "It's all in your heart. If your heart is free, then that is truly leaving this world behind."
"You mean I should adjust and adapt to this world?"
"Nope! There is no human world to begin with." I said.
Venerable Zhou Ying contemplated on this for a while, and finally nodded his head. He realized what I meant and said; "I understand this in principle. But putting it into practice and eventually mastering this art constitutes a True Buddha!"
Here's a verse:
One two three four five six seven,
Still the mind and ascend to the Western Heaven.
It seems so easy when the words of Buddha are spoken,
Yet one stumbles, plunging into mud too often.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap4.shtml
Chapter 5 - Revoking One's Dharma Power
Once, I had a rather strange dream. I found myself flying through mountains and ridges. While ascending to the highest peak, I saw a Tibetan Rinpoche sitting on a flat platform with two lamas beside him. One of them was hoisting a banner while the other was blowing a trumpet. I simply floated into the space above and soared freely above the Tibetan Rinpoche.
This Rinpoche asked the lamas beside him, "Who is that Chinese man?" One lama replied, "He is Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu." The other lama added, "Sheng-yen Lu is very famous and possesses great Dharma power. He has been to the Drepung Loseling Monastery to give a discourse on the Buddhadharma."
The Tibetan Living Buddha paused for a while and then said, "I want to recall his Dharma power."
After having this dream, I had another dream involving the same Tibetan Rinpoche.
The Rinpoche and I were standing on the bank of a mighty river. Turbulent rolling waters characterized this river to the point where its depth was simply beyond measure. The buoyancy of this river was considerably poor. I saw a leaf fall into the river, and it could not stay afloat. It disappeared into the whirling water in no time. This mighty river is like a 'mythical cosmic sea of low-buoyancy,' such that even a goose feather is unable to remain afloat in it.
The Tibetan Living Buddha said to me, "Sheng-yen Lu, you shall demonstrate your Dharma power and cross this river first. You are not to fly across but actually walk on the water." This was a test of my skill and power. First, I visualized my lineage gurus above my head. Then, I formed the 'Heavenly Water Mudra' with my hands and recited the 'Water Resistance Formula':
This ocean of no mercy
Through millenniums carried no living.
Now I shall walk across.
The massive sea is transformed into a mulberry field.
Execute this order at once. Execute this order at once. Execute this order at once.
I stepped into the water and just as I thought, the water felt like solid ground. Very soon, I reached the other shore of the river with no problem along the way at all. Now it was the Tibetan Rinpoche's turn. He hesitated for a moment before taking the bold steps, then finally attempted to walk on the water. Then came a sound, "Splash!" and he fell right into the water. Drenched all over, he was a total mess. Just as the Tibetan Rinpoche was about to drown and lose his life, the Dharma Protector of the Rinpoche, a gigantic Golden-Winged Garuda came to his rescue. It caught hold of him by his collar, and lifted him and released him onto land. The Tibetan Rinpoche felt very embarrassed. He turned towards me and said, "I will revoke your Dharma power."
These two dreams were very unusual. During that period of time, many Tibetan Rinpoches took refuge with me. I conducted a Dharma ceremony together with His Holiness Ganden Tripa, the head of the Gelugpa Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. I had a meeting with the Dalai Lama. I ascended the Dharma throne and expounded the Buddhadharma at the three largest Tibetan monasteries, and I was the only ethnic Chinese to be given this honor.
My reputation spreads far and wide throughout India and Tibet. Many Tibetan Rinpoches took refuge in me. One of them is Jigme Lhundup Rinpoche, who was formerly the chairman of the Sixth Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies of the Tibetan Government in Exile. My photo is enshrined in the Ganden Shartse Sockpa Khangtsen Monastery, Drepung Tsawa Khangtsen Monastery, and others.
I figure this will certainly establish a deep affinity with Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. This is naturally a good thing because my lineage transmission had come from Tibet, through Guru Norras, Monk Liao Ming, Thubten Nima, Thubten Dali, Guru Thubten Taerchi, the 16th Great Karmapa, Master Sakya Chenkon and others. But likewise, there are some drawbacks to this. Because my Dharma power and my reputation are too widespread, this results in attracting much resentment.
Of course, even Rinpoches can be disgruntled by it. I felt that the Rinpoche in my two dreams was discontented as he had repeatedly said that he wanted to recall my Dharma power. These two dreams came as a wake-up call, and appeared inauspicious.
Thus:
Without first realizing one's Tathagata nature
Playing the role of Dharma King is but a worthless pursuit
Unenlightened, yet in this place one dwells
How could anyone ever realize True Nature
By scrambling to be the best and most powerful?
I have been cultivating Tantric Buddhism, setting up the Tantric shrine, reciting mantras, achieving yogic response by body, speech and mind, eradicating negative karma, increasing wisdom, and transforming from mortality into immortality. Such merits and spiritual powers are inconceivable.
I have received the very heart teaching that flows from the heart of Maha Vairocana Buddha as he transcends the past, the present and the future, and imparts the inner secret doctrine to Vajrasattva Bodhisattva, among others, at the Most Victorious Dharmadhatu Palace of the Akanistha Heaven.
After receiving the empowerments from many masters and acquiring the secrets of the Dharma, I expounded the Tantric teachings, founded the True Buddha School and established the mandala. Only the Buddhas can measure my achievement.
I know the great merits I have cultivated are literally unheard of in this world. As such, I am True Nature Itself.
Thus:
The four levels of secret I expound
Are very intricate and deeply profound.
The three karmas of body, speech and mind
Are transformed through the ways of Tantrayana.
How mysterious and esoteric they are.
These two dreams were clear and vividly real. As my consciousness is one and the same as the Buddha Nature itself-complete, undifferentiated in nature and creating no illusion or karma, such dreams are naturally different from those of the ordinary person.
Besides dreaming, my meditation revealed an interesting vision. I found myself walking in the nether world. There was no lamp to help navigate my direction. An inner light radiating from within my heart lit the way. In addition, three golden lamps floated above my head. These are the lights of my lineage transmissions.
Suddenly, a giant Garuda came soaring in the sky above. It dived and snatched away the three golden lamps with its beak. Fierce beasts were roaring around me and sounded extremely horrifying. Blood-curdling screams and cries were heard from many evil ghosts. What a frightening world it was.
I saw a mighty Dharma Protector, riding on a horse and wearing a straw hat. He was none other than Dorje Shugden. I was surprised. These visions came as a flash and disappeared, leaving me puzzled and confused.
Soon after, a certain Sonam Lama visited me from India and secretly told me, "There is trouble, Living Buddha Lian Sheng."
"What trouble?"
"A Khenpo, an abbot by the name of Chod Khang Rinpoche who possesses great Dharma power and holds a high position in cultivation is going to perform a rite to recall your Dharma power."
"Chod Khang Rinpoche?" I thought for a moment and said, "I don't know this person."
"You don't know him. But he knows you." Sonam Lama said.
"Why does he want to recall my Dharma power?" I was perplexed.
"Because you are too famous."
"It's not my wish to be famous."
"Chod Khang Rinpoche feels that you have stepped onto his turf."
"I hold no territory myself."
"When you went to India, you did not pay him a visit!"
"At which monastery was he residing?"
"You visited Drepung Monastery and then Ganden Monastery, but you did not visit Sera Monastery. Chod Khang Rinpoche is outraged. He will surely teach you a good lesson!"
"Is not visiting him a crime?"
"Yes."
"How powerful is this Chod Khang Rinpoche?" I asked.
Sonam Lama said, "Chod Khang Rinpoche became famous at an early age as a sorcerer in the Tibetan regions. He established his fame early on and had defeated many sorcerers. Should he cast his spell, his opponent would either die immediately from vomiting blood, or suffer from a tormenting illness. Others had fallen from their horse rides and suffered great injuries. Still others had fallen off cliffs and died, and so on."
"That's quite powerful!" I exclaimed.
Sonam Lama said, "To my knowledge, Chod Khang Rinpoche has two major Dharma Protectors. One of them is the most famous Dorje Shugden and the other is the Great Golden-Winged Garuda. These two great Dharma Protectors render him unrivalled."
"Dorje Shugden ," I remarked, "Isn't there an order banning this cultivation?"
Sonam Lama replied, "Tibetan Buddhism has split into two factions over this controversy. One faction bans this cultivation while the other allows it. However, the practice of Dorje Shugden enables one to have great Dharma power in a relatively short time. Thus, more and more people are drawn to cultivating Dorje Shugden practice. This crisis is threatening to split up the community of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism."
I was greatly shaken by these words from Sonam Lama, but I felt no fear because I reckoned that "A clear conscience has no room for evil."
Sonam Lama said, "You must take precaution!"
"But how?"
"By summoning one Dharma Protector to fight against another Dharma Protector!" Sonam Lama said.
After giving me this warning, Sonam Lama left in a hurry. I took this warning from Sonam Lama very seriously because it somehow tied in with the two recent dreams I had. However, when faced with such a pressing issue, you can only stay alert and remain still and unmoved in the eye of the storm.
As expected, Dorje Shugden descended from the heaven, and this is how he appeared:
While the four hoofs of his horse step magnificently,
Unperturbed, he supports the heaven with his straw hat.
He roams freely without barriers,
Riding his horse impressively up the highest clouds.
Dorje Shugden hit the top of my head with a Vajra. If I were just an ordinary cultivator, a hit from Dorje Shugden would have crushed my head fatally, sending me to report to the Lord Yama.
However, I do keep up my practice of Dharma protection, thus Yamantaka is always by my side. Naturally, Yamantaka will appear above my head and shield me in all directions. Yamantaka appears in a wrathful form with many heads, arms and legs.
I observed the situation and realized if I had to summon Yamantaka to fight Dorje Shugden, there would be nothing wrong with it. But why let it come to this stage?
I instructed Yamantaka to step back immediately.
I willed my skull to break open into eight petals. A cracking sound was heard and my skull unfolded like a lotus in full bloom. Sitting in meditation on the lotus was Amitabha Buddha himself, manifesting all of his thirty-two major and eighty minor physical marks.
Thus:
Just as the lotus pond that reflects the moon mirrors only Emptiness
And the bamboo forest seems to sing as the wind blows across it
How many cultivators living on Earth
Have mistakenly thought Amitabha resides on another mountain peak?
When Dorje Shugden realized it was none other than the Amitabha Tathagatha himself in all his compassion and radiance, blossoming like a single lotus in the lotus kingdom, he quickly withdrew his Vajra, held his palms together in respect and left.
Thus, a battle was averted.
At first, I assumed that when Dorje Shugden left, this matter would close. Yet, there was more to it that met the eyes.
Normally, whenever I cultivated and chanted the Invocation Mantra:
"Om Sobawa Suda Sarva Dharma Sobawa Sudo Han."
And added,
"Om Ah Hum Soha"
The deities that I invoked would manifest themselves. Now, they were nowhere to be found. There was not a trace of wind or shadow, nothing. I felt very strange. It seemed that my mantra power had disappeared.
So, I summoned the presence of the most fundamental - the Earth Gods of the four directions:
"Namo san-man-doh, moo-toh-nam, om, doo-loo doo-loo, dei-wei, soha."
I formed a mudra with my hands and stamped my foot on the ground. Usually, the Earth Gods of the four directions would immediately appear. Yet, this time they did not show up. It seemed that my chanting had fell on deaf ears and was not working at all. It was as good as not reciting the mantra at all. I was really worried. My Dharma power had disappeared. Feeling like a punctured leather ball, I could not effectively express my power.
Usually, as I made my offering and recited the Elixir (or Nectar) Mantra:
"Namo Surupaya Tathagataya Tadyatha Om Suru Suru Prasuru Prasuru Svaha."
As I would sprinkle the nectar, spiritual beings would gather to receive the offering. Yet none came. The water was simply water and not the elixir it should have been.
Now this was serious! The Food Transformation Mantra that I had recited was also ineffective. My attempts to summon any deity were futile. Chanting and empowering the Great Compassion Dharani Water did not work. No matter what mantra I chanted, none of them worked. I had indeed lost all my power. Losing all the power of mantra meant that I was no better than an ordinary mortal being. That was scary.I thought about my ability of seeking divination through my fingers, as I wanted to find the cause of this predicament. I extended my hand and prayed to the gods who were passing by to give me some directions. How strange! My fingers did not dance and quiver. Without the spiritual current, I cannot get a divination, as this type of divination requires that the fingers bend automatically. If they don't, then I cannot predict!
I looked up at the sky above. The sky being the sky was all empty. Then it occurred to me that the three golden lamps above my head were nowhere to be seen. These three golden lamps are the symbolic manifestation of my lineage transmission empowerment. How could they have disappeared?Then it occurred to me that while I was facing Dorje Shugden, the Great Golden Winged Garuda secretly stole away the lamps. This occurrence tied in with my dreams. I realized that once the power of lineage transmission was gone, no mantra could ever work.
The book, Doctrinal Essentials of Tantrayana states:
"The Tantric School arises from divine wisdom realized by the Buddha and transmitted directly to the mortals of this Saha or human world. Tantric cultivators receive a surge in spiritual strength and gain inconceivable power. However, Tantrayana emphasizes heavily on the lineage transmission power and anyone who wishes to cultivate must enter into the Great Mandala and receive the empowerment from a Vajra Master. Only then he shall have the power of the lineage transmission. Without this power of lineage transmission, all mantras will be void, rendering all practices as acts of embezzlement."
It also says:
"The lineage transmission power is the single most important fundamental in Tantric practice. It comes from the cosmic universe and awakens the very wisdom that lies within the heart. This is the root wisdom of the Tantric lineage transmission."
In order to regain my Dharma power, I realized I had to get back my three golden lamps. This meant I had to face Chod Khang Rinpoche. I felt that this Chod Khang Rinpoche was really powerful, and my character is such that I do not really want to reveal my Personal Deity to demand the return of my three golden lamps.Fortunately, I am a Tantric lineage holder and I am well aware of secrets beyond all secrets. Even though the three golden lamps had been stolen, I would still be able to light up the three golden lamps again. I can simply manifest immeasurable numbers of these three golden lamps.
The Dharani Sutra of the Great Wheel (Mahachakra) Vajra says:
"Recite this mantra twenty one times and you shall achieve success in all mantra cultivation. All virtuous deeds shall find accomplishment swiftly. This mantra also helps complete the attainment of all mudra practices. In all mandala practices, one enters the great mandala shrine without the need of an actual shrine."
The Sutra of Collection of Dharani states:
"Recite this mantra for twenty one times, and one shall gain entrance into any mandala and attain all accomplishments. Body mudra, among other mudra exercises, may accompany mantra recitation. If a hand mudra is formed while reciting a mantra, it would be easier to obtain results. If one has not entered the shrine of empowerment, one cannot form any hand mudra. However, when one recites this mantra, it is equivalent to entering the Tantric shrine. Forming a mudra for practice would not be viewed as an embezzlement of the Dharma."
The Great Tibetan Essential Tantra states:
"According to the Dharma, all mantras and mudras must be transmitted by the guru. Prior to entering the empowerment shrine, forming any mudra for any practice constitutes as an act of Dharma embezzlement. All of one's practice will yield no results. However, if one recites this mantra twenty one times before the statue of Tathagata, it would be as good as seeing the Buddha himself and entering into all mandalas. All Dharma requested for practice will gain success and attainment."
I immediately reviewed the Great Wheel Vajra Mantra and visualized all my lineage transmission masters above me transforming into the three golden lamps.
I recited the Great Wheel Vajra Mantra:
"Namo Sitriya Tivikanam Tathagatanam Om Viraji Viraji Mahachakra Vajri Sada Sada Sarati Sarati Dariyi Dariyi Vidamani Sambajani Tramati Siddha Griya Deram Svaha"
I recited this mantra twenty one times. I looked up and saw not only three, but many uncountable glittering golden lamps, forming a string of vajra chain. The current was reconnected, and I unleashed the highest force of Dharma power.
The golden lamps above emit a thousand rays.
From the light, lotus upon lotus springs and hovers.
All Dharma power is filled and complete,
Sparkling like pearls, shining as exquisite as jade.
It was said that Chod Khang Rinpoche found that the three golden lamps he stole from me through the Great Golden-Winged Garuda suddenly hovered into the sky and vanished.
Chod Khang Rinpoche invoked Dorje Shugden, but Dorje Shugden ignored him and refused to be summoned.Chod Khang Rinpoche's face turned black; his vital energy weakened. As a result, he fell sick three times and had to struggle with lingering illnesses ever since. He became a wretched old man. Chod Khang Rinpoche told people, "You can challenge any sorcerer except Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu. His Dharma power is simply inconceivable. After losing his three golden lamps, he was able to manifest thousands of golden lamps."
What I really want to say is that I did not cast any spell on Chod Khang Rinpoche. I actually did nothing at all.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap5.shtml
This Rinpoche asked the lamas beside him, "Who is that Chinese man?" One lama replied, "He is Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu." The other lama added, "Sheng-yen Lu is very famous and possesses great Dharma power. He has been to the Drepung Loseling Monastery to give a discourse on the Buddhadharma."
The Tibetan Living Buddha paused for a while and then said, "I want to recall his Dharma power."
After having this dream, I had another dream involving the same Tibetan Rinpoche.
The Rinpoche and I were standing on the bank of a mighty river. Turbulent rolling waters characterized this river to the point where its depth was simply beyond measure. The buoyancy of this river was considerably poor. I saw a leaf fall into the river, and it could not stay afloat. It disappeared into the whirling water in no time. This mighty river is like a 'mythical cosmic sea of low-buoyancy,' such that even a goose feather is unable to remain afloat in it.
The Tibetan Living Buddha said to me, "Sheng-yen Lu, you shall demonstrate your Dharma power and cross this river first. You are not to fly across but actually walk on the water." This was a test of my skill and power. First, I visualized my lineage gurus above my head. Then, I formed the 'Heavenly Water Mudra' with my hands and recited the 'Water Resistance Formula':
This ocean of no mercy
Through millenniums carried no living.
Now I shall walk across.
The massive sea is transformed into a mulberry field.
Execute this order at once. Execute this order at once. Execute this order at once.
I stepped into the water and just as I thought, the water felt like solid ground. Very soon, I reached the other shore of the river with no problem along the way at all. Now it was the Tibetan Rinpoche's turn. He hesitated for a moment before taking the bold steps, then finally attempted to walk on the water. Then came a sound, "Splash!" and he fell right into the water. Drenched all over, he was a total mess. Just as the Tibetan Rinpoche was about to drown and lose his life, the Dharma Protector of the Rinpoche, a gigantic Golden-Winged Garuda came to his rescue. It caught hold of him by his collar, and lifted him and released him onto land. The Tibetan Rinpoche felt very embarrassed. He turned towards me and said, "I will revoke your Dharma power."
These two dreams were very unusual. During that period of time, many Tibetan Rinpoches took refuge with me. I conducted a Dharma ceremony together with His Holiness Ganden Tripa, the head of the Gelugpa Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. I had a meeting with the Dalai Lama. I ascended the Dharma throne and expounded the Buddhadharma at the three largest Tibetan monasteries, and I was the only ethnic Chinese to be given this honor.
My reputation spreads far and wide throughout India and Tibet. Many Tibetan Rinpoches took refuge in me. One of them is Jigme Lhundup Rinpoche, who was formerly the chairman of the Sixth Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies of the Tibetan Government in Exile. My photo is enshrined in the Ganden Shartse Sockpa Khangtsen Monastery, Drepung Tsawa Khangtsen Monastery, and others.
I figure this will certainly establish a deep affinity with Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. This is naturally a good thing because my lineage transmission had come from Tibet, through Guru Norras, Monk Liao Ming, Thubten Nima, Thubten Dali, Guru Thubten Taerchi, the 16th Great Karmapa, Master Sakya Chenkon and others. But likewise, there are some drawbacks to this. Because my Dharma power and my reputation are too widespread, this results in attracting much resentment.
Of course, even Rinpoches can be disgruntled by it. I felt that the Rinpoche in my two dreams was discontented as he had repeatedly said that he wanted to recall my Dharma power. These two dreams came as a wake-up call, and appeared inauspicious.
Thus:
Without first realizing one's Tathagata nature
Playing the role of Dharma King is but a worthless pursuit
Unenlightened, yet in this place one dwells
How could anyone ever realize True Nature
By scrambling to be the best and most powerful?
I have been cultivating Tantric Buddhism, setting up the Tantric shrine, reciting mantras, achieving yogic response by body, speech and mind, eradicating negative karma, increasing wisdom, and transforming from mortality into immortality. Such merits and spiritual powers are inconceivable.
I have received the very heart teaching that flows from the heart of Maha Vairocana Buddha as he transcends the past, the present and the future, and imparts the inner secret doctrine to Vajrasattva Bodhisattva, among others, at the Most Victorious Dharmadhatu Palace of the Akanistha Heaven.
After receiving the empowerments from many masters and acquiring the secrets of the Dharma, I expounded the Tantric teachings, founded the True Buddha School and established the mandala. Only the Buddhas can measure my achievement.
I know the great merits I have cultivated are literally unheard of in this world. As such, I am True Nature Itself.
Thus:
The four levels of secret I expound
Are very intricate and deeply profound.
The three karmas of body, speech and mind
Are transformed through the ways of Tantrayana.
How mysterious and esoteric they are.
These two dreams were clear and vividly real. As my consciousness is one and the same as the Buddha Nature itself-complete, undifferentiated in nature and creating no illusion or karma, such dreams are naturally different from those of the ordinary person.
Besides dreaming, my meditation revealed an interesting vision. I found myself walking in the nether world. There was no lamp to help navigate my direction. An inner light radiating from within my heart lit the way. In addition, three golden lamps floated above my head. These are the lights of my lineage transmissions.
Suddenly, a giant Garuda came soaring in the sky above. It dived and snatched away the three golden lamps with its beak. Fierce beasts were roaring around me and sounded extremely horrifying. Blood-curdling screams and cries were heard from many evil ghosts. What a frightening world it was.
I saw a mighty Dharma Protector, riding on a horse and wearing a straw hat. He was none other than Dorje Shugden. I was surprised. These visions came as a flash and disappeared, leaving me puzzled and confused.
Soon after, a certain Sonam Lama visited me from India and secretly told me, "There is trouble, Living Buddha Lian Sheng."
"What trouble?"
"A Khenpo, an abbot by the name of Chod Khang Rinpoche who possesses great Dharma power and holds a high position in cultivation is going to perform a rite to recall your Dharma power."
"Chod Khang Rinpoche?" I thought for a moment and said, "I don't know this person."
"You don't know him. But he knows you." Sonam Lama said.
"Why does he want to recall my Dharma power?" I was perplexed.
"Because you are too famous."
"It's not my wish to be famous."
"Chod Khang Rinpoche feels that you have stepped onto his turf."
"I hold no territory myself."
"When you went to India, you did not pay him a visit!"
"At which monastery was he residing?"
"You visited Drepung Monastery and then Ganden Monastery, but you did not visit Sera Monastery. Chod Khang Rinpoche is outraged. He will surely teach you a good lesson!"
"Is not visiting him a crime?"
"Yes."
"How powerful is this Chod Khang Rinpoche?" I asked.
Sonam Lama said, "Chod Khang Rinpoche became famous at an early age as a sorcerer in the Tibetan regions. He established his fame early on and had defeated many sorcerers. Should he cast his spell, his opponent would either die immediately from vomiting blood, or suffer from a tormenting illness. Others had fallen from their horse rides and suffered great injuries. Still others had fallen off cliffs and died, and so on."
"That's quite powerful!" I exclaimed.
Sonam Lama said, "To my knowledge, Chod Khang Rinpoche has two major Dharma Protectors. One of them is the most famous Dorje Shugden and the other is the Great Golden-Winged Garuda. These two great Dharma Protectors render him unrivalled."
"Dorje Shugden ," I remarked, "Isn't there an order banning this cultivation?"
Sonam Lama replied, "Tibetan Buddhism has split into two factions over this controversy. One faction bans this cultivation while the other allows it. However, the practice of Dorje Shugden enables one to have great Dharma power in a relatively short time. Thus, more and more people are drawn to cultivating Dorje Shugden practice. This crisis is threatening to split up the community of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism."
I was greatly shaken by these words from Sonam Lama, but I felt no fear because I reckoned that "A clear conscience has no room for evil."
Sonam Lama said, "You must take precaution!"
"But how?"
"By summoning one Dharma Protector to fight against another Dharma Protector!" Sonam Lama said.
After giving me this warning, Sonam Lama left in a hurry. I took this warning from Sonam Lama very seriously because it somehow tied in with the two recent dreams I had. However, when faced with such a pressing issue, you can only stay alert and remain still and unmoved in the eye of the storm.
As expected, Dorje Shugden descended from the heaven, and this is how he appeared:
While the four hoofs of his horse step magnificently,
Unperturbed, he supports the heaven with his straw hat.
He roams freely without barriers,
Riding his horse impressively up the highest clouds.
Dorje Shugden hit the top of my head with a Vajra. If I were just an ordinary cultivator, a hit from Dorje Shugden would have crushed my head fatally, sending me to report to the Lord Yama.
However, I do keep up my practice of Dharma protection, thus Yamantaka is always by my side. Naturally, Yamantaka will appear above my head and shield me in all directions. Yamantaka appears in a wrathful form with many heads, arms and legs.
I observed the situation and realized if I had to summon Yamantaka to fight Dorje Shugden, there would be nothing wrong with it. But why let it come to this stage?
I instructed Yamantaka to step back immediately.
I willed my skull to break open into eight petals. A cracking sound was heard and my skull unfolded like a lotus in full bloom. Sitting in meditation on the lotus was Amitabha Buddha himself, manifesting all of his thirty-two major and eighty minor physical marks.
Thus:
Just as the lotus pond that reflects the moon mirrors only Emptiness
And the bamboo forest seems to sing as the wind blows across it
How many cultivators living on Earth
Have mistakenly thought Amitabha resides on another mountain peak?
When Dorje Shugden realized it was none other than the Amitabha Tathagatha himself in all his compassion and radiance, blossoming like a single lotus in the lotus kingdom, he quickly withdrew his Vajra, held his palms together in respect and left.
Thus, a battle was averted.
At first, I assumed that when Dorje Shugden left, this matter would close. Yet, there was more to it that met the eyes.
Normally, whenever I cultivated and chanted the Invocation Mantra:
"Om Sobawa Suda Sarva Dharma Sobawa Sudo Han."
And added,
"Om Ah Hum Soha"
The deities that I invoked would manifest themselves. Now, they were nowhere to be found. There was not a trace of wind or shadow, nothing. I felt very strange. It seemed that my mantra power had disappeared.
So, I summoned the presence of the most fundamental - the Earth Gods of the four directions:
"Namo san-man-doh, moo-toh-nam, om, doo-loo doo-loo, dei-wei, soha."
I formed a mudra with my hands and stamped my foot on the ground. Usually, the Earth Gods of the four directions would immediately appear. Yet, this time they did not show up. It seemed that my chanting had fell on deaf ears and was not working at all. It was as good as not reciting the mantra at all. I was really worried. My Dharma power had disappeared. Feeling like a punctured leather ball, I could not effectively express my power.
Usually, as I made my offering and recited the Elixir (or Nectar) Mantra:
"Namo Surupaya Tathagataya Tadyatha Om Suru Suru Prasuru Prasuru Svaha."
As I would sprinkle the nectar, spiritual beings would gather to receive the offering. Yet none came. The water was simply water and not the elixir it should have been.
Now this was serious! The Food Transformation Mantra that I had recited was also ineffective. My attempts to summon any deity were futile. Chanting and empowering the Great Compassion Dharani Water did not work. No matter what mantra I chanted, none of them worked. I had indeed lost all my power. Losing all the power of mantra meant that I was no better than an ordinary mortal being. That was scary.I thought about my ability of seeking divination through my fingers, as I wanted to find the cause of this predicament. I extended my hand and prayed to the gods who were passing by to give me some directions. How strange! My fingers did not dance and quiver. Without the spiritual current, I cannot get a divination, as this type of divination requires that the fingers bend automatically. If they don't, then I cannot predict!
I looked up at the sky above. The sky being the sky was all empty. Then it occurred to me that the three golden lamps above my head were nowhere to be seen. These three golden lamps are the symbolic manifestation of my lineage transmission empowerment. How could they have disappeared?Then it occurred to me that while I was facing Dorje Shugden, the Great Golden Winged Garuda secretly stole away the lamps. This occurrence tied in with my dreams. I realized that once the power of lineage transmission was gone, no mantra could ever work.
The book, Doctrinal Essentials of Tantrayana states:
"The Tantric School arises from divine wisdom realized by the Buddha and transmitted directly to the mortals of this Saha or human world. Tantric cultivators receive a surge in spiritual strength and gain inconceivable power. However, Tantrayana emphasizes heavily on the lineage transmission power and anyone who wishes to cultivate must enter into the Great Mandala and receive the empowerment from a Vajra Master. Only then he shall have the power of the lineage transmission. Without this power of lineage transmission, all mantras will be void, rendering all practices as acts of embezzlement."
It also says:
"The lineage transmission power is the single most important fundamental in Tantric practice. It comes from the cosmic universe and awakens the very wisdom that lies within the heart. This is the root wisdom of the Tantric lineage transmission."
In order to regain my Dharma power, I realized I had to get back my three golden lamps. This meant I had to face Chod Khang Rinpoche. I felt that this Chod Khang Rinpoche was really powerful, and my character is such that I do not really want to reveal my Personal Deity to demand the return of my three golden lamps.Fortunately, I am a Tantric lineage holder and I am well aware of secrets beyond all secrets. Even though the three golden lamps had been stolen, I would still be able to light up the three golden lamps again. I can simply manifest immeasurable numbers of these three golden lamps.
The Dharani Sutra of the Great Wheel (Mahachakra) Vajra says:
"Recite this mantra twenty one times and you shall achieve success in all mantra cultivation. All virtuous deeds shall find accomplishment swiftly. This mantra also helps complete the attainment of all mudra practices. In all mandala practices, one enters the great mandala shrine without the need of an actual shrine."
The Sutra of Collection of Dharani states:
"Recite this mantra for twenty one times, and one shall gain entrance into any mandala and attain all accomplishments. Body mudra, among other mudra exercises, may accompany mantra recitation. If a hand mudra is formed while reciting a mantra, it would be easier to obtain results. If one has not entered the shrine of empowerment, one cannot form any hand mudra. However, when one recites this mantra, it is equivalent to entering the Tantric shrine. Forming a mudra for practice would not be viewed as an embezzlement of the Dharma."
The Great Tibetan Essential Tantra states:
"According to the Dharma, all mantras and mudras must be transmitted by the guru. Prior to entering the empowerment shrine, forming any mudra for any practice constitutes as an act of Dharma embezzlement. All of one's practice will yield no results. However, if one recites this mantra twenty one times before the statue of Tathagata, it would be as good as seeing the Buddha himself and entering into all mandalas. All Dharma requested for practice will gain success and attainment."
I immediately reviewed the Great Wheel Vajra Mantra and visualized all my lineage transmission masters above me transforming into the three golden lamps.
I recited the Great Wheel Vajra Mantra:
"Namo Sitriya Tivikanam Tathagatanam Om Viraji Viraji Mahachakra Vajri Sada Sada Sarati Sarati Dariyi Dariyi Vidamani Sambajani Tramati Siddha Griya Deram Svaha"
I recited this mantra twenty one times. I looked up and saw not only three, but many uncountable glittering golden lamps, forming a string of vajra chain. The current was reconnected, and I unleashed the highest force of Dharma power.
The golden lamps above emit a thousand rays.
From the light, lotus upon lotus springs and hovers.
All Dharma power is filled and complete,
Sparkling like pearls, shining as exquisite as jade.
It was said that Chod Khang Rinpoche found that the three golden lamps he stole from me through the Great Golden-Winged Garuda suddenly hovered into the sky and vanished.
Chod Khang Rinpoche invoked Dorje Shugden, but Dorje Shugden ignored him and refused to be summoned.Chod Khang Rinpoche's face turned black; his vital energy weakened. As a result, he fell sick three times and had to struggle with lingering illnesses ever since. He became a wretched old man. Chod Khang Rinpoche told people, "You can challenge any sorcerer except Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu. His Dharma power is simply inconceivable. After losing his three golden lamps, he was able to manifest thousands of golden lamps."
What I really want to say is that I did not cast any spell on Chod Khang Rinpoche. I actually did nothing at all.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap5.shtml
Chapter 6 - When Spring Comes to a Swimming Pool
Ever since young, I love swimming. I swam in small streams, big rivers, paddy channels, swimming pools and oceans through the growing up years. I began swimming in the dog crawl stroke at first before moving on to freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, sidestroke and finally the butterfly stroke and synchronized swimming.
When I was in Taiwan going on day trips surveying Feng Shui, I would jump into any stream spotted in the mountain and yelled in joy upon finding a lake as the weather was unbearably hot.
Also in Mexico, I had learnt to dive into the deep ocean with oxygen tank on my back, strapping a belt of lead around my hips, wearing a full-sized face mask and putting on fins on my feet. I even knew underwater communication with hand signals.
I simply love water. It is in my blood.
One day, I went to a health centre for a swim in its swimming pool. It was evening and not a holiday. There was not one soul in the pool. I took a shower, then changed into my swimming wear and cap. As I dipped into the water, I was hit with the cold and shuddered. I did not think much of it because the water was unusually icy cold. I swam in breaststroke style with my head above water, without having to surface and submerge to exchange breath. It was a light and relaxing swim.
Then, I sensed that the water in the pool was rippling weirdly. It was as though a wind had blown across the water and ripples began to roll. A fog appeared in front of me and things seemed unreal. It seemed like a person was swimming towards me. Yet, this individual ignored my presence, swam straight at me, then into me and out through my body. I felt I was getting an electricity shock.
Most people would not feel a thing when they encounter a ghost. Upon returning home they will usually experience a bout of cold and hot fever. They would need to engage someone who can perform a rite to calm the patient's spirit and dispel the negative vibration. This is typical of a psychic interference. Psychic interference can lead to nightmares, and in some serious cases can cause depression, insomnia, and eventually mental problems.
I am no ordinary person. I can expel any negative vibration and ghost energy lingering in my body with the inner fire of kundalini and everything will be fine. There is no cause for concern. I had no intention to meddle with this ghostly affair but I realized many people visit this swimming pool. However, if anyone should encounter a psychic interference the person is bound to become very sick. Out of compassion, I could not possibly walk away from this and not do something about it.
I climbed up the side of the swimming pool and opened my heavenly eyes to observe. Immediately, I saw a girl in swimming suit. She looked graceful and enchanting, captivating with a body streamlined in beautiful curves and features. Her fair complexion and enrapturing facial features with a pair of big eyes marked a true beauty.
She was swimming not too far from me. I called out to greet her, "Hi!"
"You can see me? I thought no one can see me!" She was surprised.
"I am Sheng-yen Lu. Of course I can see you."
"I heard of you."
"What's your name?"
"Everybody calls me Xiao Cui"
"Why are you here?"
"I died a sudden death."
"Why don't you leave?"
"I am attached here and couldn't leave. Should I leave this place, there is the Sun Deva (Aditya), Moon Deva (Candra), Day Patrol, Night Patrol and all other godly beings. A small fly like me can't roam freely!" Xiao Chui said.
"How did you die?"
"When the swimming pool was just completed, I went for a swim. My legs got cramped. Three or four minutes later, I'm gone."
"Didn't your family deliver you?"
"My parents had passed away. Only some offerings were made for me at the pool side." Xiao Cui said.
I said, "I could do a deliverance for you and lead you out of your suffering. I have great Dharma power."
When Xiao Cui heard this, she was overjoyed and kept saying, "Thank you! Thank you!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As cultivators, we develop bodhicitta or compassion and this can be expressed through our homage to the Three Jewels and our deliverance of the four lower forms of birth. So back home at my shrine, I set up another smaller shrine. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is being erected within the little shrine. Incense, flower, light, tea and fruits are arranged according to needs and offered wholeheartedly. In front of the statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I set up a tablet for Xiao Cui.
I entered into the shrine and sat in meditation.
"Om Ram Svaha."
"Om."
I recited,
May this fragrant flower-cloud,
Fully pervade the realms of Ten Directions.
May this offering be made to all the Buddhas
As well as deities, Dharma, and all sages
Through boundless Pure Lands.
May you receive this offering and perform thy Buddha's deeds,
Permeating fragrance to bless all sentient beings,
Attaining the Perfect Enlightenment together.
Countless offerings appeared automatically in the sky. I recited the Ksitigarbha Sutra for three days. When I performed this rite, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva would descend onto the mandala without fail. He would hold his pilgrim staff and arrive on lotus flowers beneath his feet. Xiao Cui's Soul would be led to the shrine to receive the light emitted from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and then being delivered.
Much to my surprise, despite performing the procedure properly and carefully without missing any step, Xiao Cui's Soul did not arrive. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva himself did not turn up. I did not offend Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, so it was hard to imagine that he would not show up at all. They had no reason to be absent. My shrine may be small and my offerings humbling, but the Dharma power is nonetheless at full force and its invoking power could reach Dharma Realms of Ten Directions. My Dharma Ceremony has always been effective. Failures are rare.
Unable to invoke the presence of Xiao Cui's Soul and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, could it be that my Dharma power and mantra chanting have lost their effectiveness? The fact remains that my Dharma power still works its magic. I must get to the bottom of this blunder.
I looked up my sworn brother, Cheng Huang Bodhisattva (also known as Patron God of the City). His sole responsibility is managing lost Souls and wondering spirits.
I wanted to know why the Dharma Ceremony did not work?
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva told me, "Don't stick your nose in Xiao Cui's affair!"
"What? Don't meddle?"
"Yap! Just mind your own business."
"I simply love to mind any unfair business under the sun!"
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva chuckled and said, "You're doing this because she's a beauty right?"
"Nonsense! I am not horny!" I disputed.
"If you encounter a filthy homeless ghost, would you still perform a Bardo Deliverance?"
I was dumbfounded. Remaining persistent, I said, "The Soul of a pretty lady and that of a filthy wondering spirit is of equal standing and appears no difference within Bodhicitta."
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva told me, "Don't be fooled by outer appearance!"
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva then revealed, "The usual kind of Dharma Ceremony would not be able to invoke the wondering Soul of Xiao Cui. What appears to be the case of a beautiful girl swimming and later drowned from a cramp in the water is in fact a fatal hit by the Five Thunders. These Five Thunders are not confined to just lightning and thunder. Being buried in a slide, being drowned, being burnt, meeting a car accident and being struck by the elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth constitute the Five Thunders."
"Why was she struck by the Five Thunders?"
"Xiao Cui has her karma. She had committed killing in her past life!"
"We can certainly deliver the person being killed!"
"Not just one!"
"How many?"
"Above a hundred people!"
"What! That many!" I was stunned.
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva said, "In one banquet, she poisoned the soup out of rage from a trivial matter. More than a hundred Souls died instantly from the poisoning! Because of this karma, she must suffer drowning in water for a hundred times. Besides, she must go through the agony of drowning on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month as it shall be reenacted."
"Her heart is as venomous as the snake and scorpion. As a consequence, she must be prepared to taste her own medicine, and suffer." I could not help but sigh over Xiao Cui.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I returned to the swimming pool to swim. I pretended nothing had happened. While swimming, interesting phenomenon happened. The water in the swimming pool would become chilling cold as ice and this sent a chill up in my spine.
The water in the swimming pool would suddenly turn turbulent like the waves in the ocean. Yet, outside the pool, the wind was mild. I was the only person swimming and there was no reason why the ripples should be so wavy. I swallowed a mouthful of water and choked badly.
My swimming stroke has always been excellent. I can kick well with the breaststroke. When I was swimming forward, I suddenly felt that someone was pulling my leg. My leg was held so that I could not kick. Moreover, I was being pulled downward. When I turned my head to check, my leg was freed. When I resumed my head position, my leg was pulled again. It was very taxing on me to swim with such exchange of forces.
I dived into the water. Moving forward, it seemed like I was stopped by an invisible net and was unable to go forward. I turned around and bumped into another invisible net, finding no way to retreat. Turning towards the left, I found no outlet. Turning towards the right, I was unable to break out. I realized this was like a fisherman casting his net and I was trapped within. Despite my attempts to manoeuvre left and right I could not free myself. I was fast losing my breath.
While I was in the water, I chanted one mantra syllable, "Hum."
A ray of green light pulsated. The net was breached and I dashed out of the water and grasped a mouthful of air. I did not want to play games anymore. I walked towards the shower cubicle in the changing room. When I opened the door of the shower cubicle, I got a shock! Xiao Chui was standing in the cubicle; her face appeared pale.
I said, "I want to bathe."
"I can scrub your back." Xiao Chui said gently.
"I always shower by myself."
"Will you make an exception?"
"Didn't you just have enough fun earlier?" I was getting a little angry.
"I was only kidding. No hard feelings." Xiao Chui said.
"You don't joke around with the 'Solidifying Surrounding Space Method'. You could have gotten someone killed. Glad it was I. If it had been somebody else, he would have suffocated."
"I was testing your Dharma power!"
I looked at Xiao Chui. Her fragile countenance with such tender and fair complexion, coupled with a beautiful bodyline would have every man fancy after her. How could such a woman be so viscous and venomous?
I asked Xiao Chui, "Do you want deliverance?"
"Of course."
"But why did you kill this one hundred people?"
"I lost my mind."
"Have you repented?"
"I have regretted over my impulsive act!"
"Because a hundred lives were killed, I'm afraid I can't deliver you."
"Didn't you promise you can deliver me? You have great Dharma power!"
I thought about this. I was quick to promise Xiao Chui that I would deliver her from her suffering, telling her that I had great Dharma power without first finding out about the causes of the matter. Cheng-huang Bodhisattva was right on target. If the ghost were not Xiao Chui but a homeless filthy spirit, would I have taken such initiative to help?"
Actually, there are many attractive and enchanting female ghosts whose earthy lives were anything but kind.
They talked nonsense, spilling and weaving all kinds of lies, being jealous, envious, narrow-minded, good at scheming, cruel, unscrupulous and malicious.
When some of these women schemed, they were more polished than men.
When you think of these women, you know they can be adorable. Yet they can be the most terrible and horrifying humans. Consider history. How many great men and heroes had succumbed to the fate of being destroyed by women?
I wondered if I should save Xiao Chui? I was confused.
In the end, perhaps it was fate that did it, I decided to save her. I had promised to help her right from the beginning and I could not go back on my words. I went ahead to erect the shrine. The Dharma process was as scheduled. However, I visualized this shrine in my mind multiplying into tens, hundreds and thousands. I recited the "Thousand Turn Mantra"
"Om Vajra Guherya Gapa Samaya Hum." (seven times)
This Bardo Deliverance would have delivered only one person. Yet in an instance, this had become a Bardo Deliverance for a thousand people. Xiao Chui's negative karma only involved no more than a hundred Souls! Then came a flash and roar of a single thunderclap! I pointed a hand mudra towards the heaven! A hundred Souls ascended to heaven.
This ascent to heaven illustrates:
Liberating all equally with one mantra one heart,
One makes no distinction whether a person is eminent or lowly, able or foolish.
If one's bad karma should be uprooted completely,
Apply the great Dharma and all shall be well.
I saw Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva leading Xiao Chui to my shrine. Xiao Chui's Soul was entangled with stripes of dark strain-like energy. I shouted, "The one hundred victims that you killed have been delivered and ascended to the heavens. Why aren't you ascending towards the heavenly realm?"
Xiao Chui said, "Those being liberated are indeed the one hundred victims. Yet I remained tied up." Upon hearing this, I said no further. From the top of my head arose a red Sanskrit syllable "Ram" which turned into a red fiery triangular chakra. This triangular chakra sprouted a gigantic flame towards Xiao Chui, scotching her into a heap of ashes.
(Even if Xiao Chui had the five deadly sins, this syllable would have burned and eliminated her body of all such karma.)
That Xiao Chui was burned into ashes meant that all her negative karma had been destroyed. I saw a ray of bright light which was as crystal clear as the Mani Pearl itself, through which rays of pure light flow and illuminate all Dharma Realms. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was holding this Mani Pearl as he ascended towards the heaven.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said, "Lian-sheng, you're really something. Your use of mantra is excellent!"
I closed my palms in respect and said, "Thank you Bodhisattva for your presence."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the chapter, I have taught everybody a Tantric Sadhana. This major technique is among the most secret.
The cultivator sits upright in meditation posture and calm his mind, allowing the body and mind to be free from all thoughts of the past, the present and the future.
This is the Samadhi of the Dharma Realm.
Visualize on top of your head, a Sanskrit word "Ram". It illuminates bright light, shining like a full moon. Then, visualize it being transformed into a triangle, which sprouts fire around it. This triangular flame engulfs your body and mind.
Recite the mantra "Ram" for 21 times. This practice can burn away all negative karma of the cultivator!
In addition:
The cultivator first holds the mala or prayer beads on the right hand. Rolls it around the left hand. And then transfer the mala back to the right hand. Form the Lotus Mudra with the praying beads and position the hand to the front of one's head.
Recite:
"Om Ram Svaha(All is purified)."
"Om Vairocana Mala Svaha (The mala is cleansed)."
"Om Vajra Guherya Gapa Samaya Hum (7X) (The Thousand Turn Mantra)."
One single recitation is equivalent to a thousand recitation. This is a secret Dharma. This is also the Thousand Wheel Turning Technique, the Thousand Turn Shrine Method.
According to Cheng-huang Bodhisattva, as a consequence of saving and delivering Xiao Chui, I need to answer this karmic link and return to the human world one more time.
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva tissed me for being nosy. To intervene too often is to incarnate too often. But I did not bother, as my main concern remains saving lives. I have made a great vow to deliver and liberate sentient beings life after life. There is nothing of concern except this. I teach people to recite the Buddha's name, chant the mantra and practise the Dharma so that they may be liberated from their suffering. Sentient beings are drowning in the sea of sorrow and are unaware of it. I shall work till my last breath to help all beings!
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap6.shtml
When I was in Taiwan going on day trips surveying Feng Shui, I would jump into any stream spotted in the mountain and yelled in joy upon finding a lake as the weather was unbearably hot.
Also in Mexico, I had learnt to dive into the deep ocean with oxygen tank on my back, strapping a belt of lead around my hips, wearing a full-sized face mask and putting on fins on my feet. I even knew underwater communication with hand signals.
I simply love water. It is in my blood.
One day, I went to a health centre for a swim in its swimming pool. It was evening and not a holiday. There was not one soul in the pool. I took a shower, then changed into my swimming wear and cap. As I dipped into the water, I was hit with the cold and shuddered. I did not think much of it because the water was unusually icy cold. I swam in breaststroke style with my head above water, without having to surface and submerge to exchange breath. It was a light and relaxing swim.
Then, I sensed that the water in the pool was rippling weirdly. It was as though a wind had blown across the water and ripples began to roll. A fog appeared in front of me and things seemed unreal. It seemed like a person was swimming towards me. Yet, this individual ignored my presence, swam straight at me, then into me and out through my body. I felt I was getting an electricity shock.
Most people would not feel a thing when they encounter a ghost. Upon returning home they will usually experience a bout of cold and hot fever. They would need to engage someone who can perform a rite to calm the patient's spirit and dispel the negative vibration. This is typical of a psychic interference. Psychic interference can lead to nightmares, and in some serious cases can cause depression, insomnia, and eventually mental problems.
I am no ordinary person. I can expel any negative vibration and ghost energy lingering in my body with the inner fire of kundalini and everything will be fine. There is no cause for concern. I had no intention to meddle with this ghostly affair but I realized many people visit this swimming pool. However, if anyone should encounter a psychic interference the person is bound to become very sick. Out of compassion, I could not possibly walk away from this and not do something about it.
I climbed up the side of the swimming pool and opened my heavenly eyes to observe. Immediately, I saw a girl in swimming suit. She looked graceful and enchanting, captivating with a body streamlined in beautiful curves and features. Her fair complexion and enrapturing facial features with a pair of big eyes marked a true beauty.
She was swimming not too far from me. I called out to greet her, "Hi!"
"You can see me? I thought no one can see me!" She was surprised.
"I am Sheng-yen Lu. Of course I can see you."
"I heard of you."
"What's your name?"
"Everybody calls me Xiao Cui"
"Why are you here?"
"I died a sudden death."
"Why don't you leave?"
"I am attached here and couldn't leave. Should I leave this place, there is the Sun Deva (Aditya), Moon Deva (Candra), Day Patrol, Night Patrol and all other godly beings. A small fly like me can't roam freely!" Xiao Chui said.
"How did you die?"
"When the swimming pool was just completed, I went for a swim. My legs got cramped. Three or four minutes later, I'm gone."
"Didn't your family deliver you?"
"My parents had passed away. Only some offerings were made for me at the pool side." Xiao Cui said.
I said, "I could do a deliverance for you and lead you out of your suffering. I have great Dharma power."
When Xiao Cui heard this, she was overjoyed and kept saying, "Thank you! Thank you!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As cultivators, we develop bodhicitta or compassion and this can be expressed through our homage to the Three Jewels and our deliverance of the four lower forms of birth. So back home at my shrine, I set up another smaller shrine. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is being erected within the little shrine. Incense, flower, light, tea and fruits are arranged according to needs and offered wholeheartedly. In front of the statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I set up a tablet for Xiao Cui.
I entered into the shrine and sat in meditation.
"Om Ram Svaha."
"Om."
I recited,
May this fragrant flower-cloud,
Fully pervade the realms of Ten Directions.
May this offering be made to all the Buddhas
As well as deities, Dharma, and all sages
Through boundless Pure Lands.
May you receive this offering and perform thy Buddha's deeds,
Permeating fragrance to bless all sentient beings,
Attaining the Perfect Enlightenment together.
Countless offerings appeared automatically in the sky. I recited the Ksitigarbha Sutra for three days. When I performed this rite, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva would descend onto the mandala without fail. He would hold his pilgrim staff and arrive on lotus flowers beneath his feet. Xiao Cui's Soul would be led to the shrine to receive the light emitted from Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and then being delivered.
Much to my surprise, despite performing the procedure properly and carefully without missing any step, Xiao Cui's Soul did not arrive. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva himself did not turn up. I did not offend Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, so it was hard to imagine that he would not show up at all. They had no reason to be absent. My shrine may be small and my offerings humbling, but the Dharma power is nonetheless at full force and its invoking power could reach Dharma Realms of Ten Directions. My Dharma Ceremony has always been effective. Failures are rare.
Unable to invoke the presence of Xiao Cui's Soul and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, could it be that my Dharma power and mantra chanting have lost their effectiveness? The fact remains that my Dharma power still works its magic. I must get to the bottom of this blunder.
I looked up my sworn brother, Cheng Huang Bodhisattva (also known as Patron God of the City). His sole responsibility is managing lost Souls and wondering spirits.
I wanted to know why the Dharma Ceremony did not work?
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva told me, "Don't stick your nose in Xiao Cui's affair!"
"What? Don't meddle?"
"Yap! Just mind your own business."
"I simply love to mind any unfair business under the sun!"
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva chuckled and said, "You're doing this because she's a beauty right?"
"Nonsense! I am not horny!" I disputed.
"If you encounter a filthy homeless ghost, would you still perform a Bardo Deliverance?"
I was dumbfounded. Remaining persistent, I said, "The Soul of a pretty lady and that of a filthy wondering spirit is of equal standing and appears no difference within Bodhicitta."
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva told me, "Don't be fooled by outer appearance!"
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva then revealed, "The usual kind of Dharma Ceremony would not be able to invoke the wondering Soul of Xiao Cui. What appears to be the case of a beautiful girl swimming and later drowned from a cramp in the water is in fact a fatal hit by the Five Thunders. These Five Thunders are not confined to just lightning and thunder. Being buried in a slide, being drowned, being burnt, meeting a car accident and being struck by the elements of metal, wood, water, fire and earth constitute the Five Thunders."
"Why was she struck by the Five Thunders?"
"Xiao Cui has her karma. She had committed killing in her past life!"
"We can certainly deliver the person being killed!"
"Not just one!"
"How many?"
"Above a hundred people!"
"What! That many!" I was stunned.
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva said, "In one banquet, she poisoned the soup out of rage from a trivial matter. More than a hundred Souls died instantly from the poisoning! Because of this karma, she must suffer drowning in water for a hundred times. Besides, she must go through the agony of drowning on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month as it shall be reenacted."
"Her heart is as venomous as the snake and scorpion. As a consequence, she must be prepared to taste her own medicine, and suffer." I could not help but sigh over Xiao Cui.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I returned to the swimming pool to swim. I pretended nothing had happened. While swimming, interesting phenomenon happened. The water in the swimming pool would become chilling cold as ice and this sent a chill up in my spine.
The water in the swimming pool would suddenly turn turbulent like the waves in the ocean. Yet, outside the pool, the wind was mild. I was the only person swimming and there was no reason why the ripples should be so wavy. I swallowed a mouthful of water and choked badly.
My swimming stroke has always been excellent. I can kick well with the breaststroke. When I was swimming forward, I suddenly felt that someone was pulling my leg. My leg was held so that I could not kick. Moreover, I was being pulled downward. When I turned my head to check, my leg was freed. When I resumed my head position, my leg was pulled again. It was very taxing on me to swim with such exchange of forces.
I dived into the water. Moving forward, it seemed like I was stopped by an invisible net and was unable to go forward. I turned around and bumped into another invisible net, finding no way to retreat. Turning towards the left, I found no outlet. Turning towards the right, I was unable to break out. I realized this was like a fisherman casting his net and I was trapped within. Despite my attempts to manoeuvre left and right I could not free myself. I was fast losing my breath.
While I was in the water, I chanted one mantra syllable, "Hum."
A ray of green light pulsated. The net was breached and I dashed out of the water and grasped a mouthful of air. I did not want to play games anymore. I walked towards the shower cubicle in the changing room. When I opened the door of the shower cubicle, I got a shock! Xiao Chui was standing in the cubicle; her face appeared pale.
I said, "I want to bathe."
"I can scrub your back." Xiao Chui said gently.
"I always shower by myself."
"Will you make an exception?"
"Didn't you just have enough fun earlier?" I was getting a little angry.
"I was only kidding. No hard feelings." Xiao Chui said.
"You don't joke around with the 'Solidifying Surrounding Space Method'. You could have gotten someone killed. Glad it was I. If it had been somebody else, he would have suffocated."
"I was testing your Dharma power!"
I looked at Xiao Chui. Her fragile countenance with such tender and fair complexion, coupled with a beautiful bodyline would have every man fancy after her. How could such a woman be so viscous and venomous?
I asked Xiao Chui, "Do you want deliverance?"
"Of course."
"But why did you kill this one hundred people?"
"I lost my mind."
"Have you repented?"
"I have regretted over my impulsive act!"
"Because a hundred lives were killed, I'm afraid I can't deliver you."
"Didn't you promise you can deliver me? You have great Dharma power!"
I thought about this. I was quick to promise Xiao Chui that I would deliver her from her suffering, telling her that I had great Dharma power without first finding out about the causes of the matter. Cheng-huang Bodhisattva was right on target. If the ghost were not Xiao Chui but a homeless filthy spirit, would I have taken such initiative to help?"
Actually, there are many attractive and enchanting female ghosts whose earthy lives were anything but kind.
They talked nonsense, spilling and weaving all kinds of lies, being jealous, envious, narrow-minded, good at scheming, cruel, unscrupulous and malicious.
When some of these women schemed, they were more polished than men.
When you think of these women, you know they can be adorable. Yet they can be the most terrible and horrifying humans. Consider history. How many great men and heroes had succumbed to the fate of being destroyed by women?
I wondered if I should save Xiao Chui? I was confused.
In the end, perhaps it was fate that did it, I decided to save her. I had promised to help her right from the beginning and I could not go back on my words. I went ahead to erect the shrine. The Dharma process was as scheduled. However, I visualized this shrine in my mind multiplying into tens, hundreds and thousands. I recited the "Thousand Turn Mantra"
"Om Vajra Guherya Gapa Samaya Hum." (seven times)
This Bardo Deliverance would have delivered only one person. Yet in an instance, this had become a Bardo Deliverance for a thousand people. Xiao Chui's negative karma only involved no more than a hundred Souls! Then came a flash and roar of a single thunderclap! I pointed a hand mudra towards the heaven! A hundred Souls ascended to heaven.
This ascent to heaven illustrates:
Liberating all equally with one mantra one heart,
One makes no distinction whether a person is eminent or lowly, able or foolish.
If one's bad karma should be uprooted completely,
Apply the great Dharma and all shall be well.
I saw Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva leading Xiao Chui to my shrine. Xiao Chui's Soul was entangled with stripes of dark strain-like energy. I shouted, "The one hundred victims that you killed have been delivered and ascended to the heavens. Why aren't you ascending towards the heavenly realm?"
Xiao Chui said, "Those being liberated are indeed the one hundred victims. Yet I remained tied up." Upon hearing this, I said no further. From the top of my head arose a red Sanskrit syllable "Ram" which turned into a red fiery triangular chakra. This triangular chakra sprouted a gigantic flame towards Xiao Chui, scotching her into a heap of ashes.
(Even if Xiao Chui had the five deadly sins, this syllable would have burned and eliminated her body of all such karma.)
That Xiao Chui was burned into ashes meant that all her negative karma had been destroyed. I saw a ray of bright light which was as crystal clear as the Mani Pearl itself, through which rays of pure light flow and illuminate all Dharma Realms. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was holding this Mani Pearl as he ascended towards the heaven.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva said, "Lian-sheng, you're really something. Your use of mantra is excellent!"
I closed my palms in respect and said, "Thank you Bodhisattva for your presence."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the chapter, I have taught everybody a Tantric Sadhana. This major technique is among the most secret.
The cultivator sits upright in meditation posture and calm his mind, allowing the body and mind to be free from all thoughts of the past, the present and the future.
This is the Samadhi of the Dharma Realm.
Visualize on top of your head, a Sanskrit word "Ram". It illuminates bright light, shining like a full moon. Then, visualize it being transformed into a triangle, which sprouts fire around it. This triangular flame engulfs your body and mind.
Recite the mantra "Ram" for 21 times. This practice can burn away all negative karma of the cultivator!
In addition:
The cultivator first holds the mala or prayer beads on the right hand. Rolls it around the left hand. And then transfer the mala back to the right hand. Form the Lotus Mudra with the praying beads and position the hand to the front of one's head.
Recite:
"Om Ram Svaha(All is purified)."
"Om Vairocana Mala Svaha (The mala is cleansed)."
"Om Vajra Guherya Gapa Samaya Hum (7X) (The Thousand Turn Mantra)."
One single recitation is equivalent to a thousand recitation. This is a secret Dharma. This is also the Thousand Wheel Turning Technique, the Thousand Turn Shrine Method.
According to Cheng-huang Bodhisattva, as a consequence of saving and delivering Xiao Chui, I need to answer this karmic link and return to the human world one more time.
Cheng-huang Bodhisattva tissed me for being nosy. To intervene too often is to incarnate too often. But I did not bother, as my main concern remains saving lives. I have made a great vow to deliver and liberate sentient beings life after life. There is nothing of concern except this. I teach people to recite the Buddha's name, chant the mantra and practise the Dharma so that they may be liberated from their suffering. Sentient beings are drowning in the sea of sorrow and are unaware of it. I shall work till my last breath to help all beings!
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap6.shtml
Chapter 7 - The Dog Spirit
Once, I attended a dinner at a friend's invitation. The host, Mr Cao Chung, introduced me to everyone and said, "This is Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu. It is not easy to see him in person as he is simply too famous and too busy. He is known for his spiritual ability and he can solve every difficult situation and problem. Living Buddha Lian-sheng has the Divine Eye!"
Everyone looked at me, and remained silent. During dinner, the host Cao Chung asked, "Living Buddha, can you do a reading and tell us if we're doing fine?"
I scanned the group. Everyone remained quiet, waiting to hear what I had to say. I smiled and said, "Most of you are OK." The host picked on my words and said, "You say most of us are OK, which means some of us are not. Who are you referring to?"
I said, "Can I reveal? Anyone minds?"
"Of course we don't mind." Everyone agreed.
I said, "This Mr Pan, Pan Ching, has a little..."
"A little what?"
"There's a strange ambience around him."
"Can you be more specific about this ambience? Is it one of a sissy, kind of feminine, or one that which simply attracts women..." Everyone was teasing Pan Ching.
Pan Ching then said to me, "What ambience? Can you please state clearly. I don't really mind!"
I responded in no uncertainly terms, "It's the spirit of a dog on your body."
Everyone was stunned. Pan Ching said, "I don't feel anything!"
The host Cao Chung said to me, "Living Buddha, could you have mistaken?"
I said, "I am sure. This dog spirit only recently attached itself to him. It is not making any move now, but it might in the future."
Pan Ching said, "We'll continue with our meals. After which, I shall have a private word with Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu. I don't want this to affect everybody."
After the dinner, Pan Ching invited me to another room. He was all serious when he said, "You're right on target!" Pan Ching then said, "I kept a German Shepherd Dog (Alsation or K9) at home. He was usually very loyal and adorable. But during the past few months the dog kept barking for no reasons. He barked in the day and barked at night. It disturbed us and our neighbours. Our neighbours could not stand it and grumbled. Despite our attempts to discipline him, he simply ignored us. We spanked him and still he kept barking. We were at our wits' end and finally we felt that the K9 must have gone mad. If we gave him away, who would want to keep a mad dog? If we let him go, we felt we're being irresponsible. Finally, I decided to mix an insecticide called Parathion with dog food and silenced him."
I nodded my head after listening to his story. Pan Ching asked me, "Now that the dog spirit is attached to me, what would it do?"
"I'm not sure myself."
"Will it stay for while and then leave?"
"It's possible."
"I wish this is the case." Pan Ching said.
"This is most ideal!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faced with a dog spirit that attached itself to a person, I would not offer to help out if Pan Ching did not ask me to exorcise the dog spirit. Moreover, Pan Ching was fine and showed no signs of abnormality. He was not particularly worried and I said no more.
Three months had passed before Cao Chung came to me and said, "Pan Ching is dead."
"How did he die?" I was astonished.
"Acute Hepatitis. We sent him to the hospital but he didn't make it."
"Ah! So fast so soon!"
Cao Chung told me, "After Pang Ching died, strange phenomenon began to happen in his house. Pan Ching's family was terrified and now they would like to request Living Buddha to help them."
"What is the strange phenomenon all about?"
Cao Chung said, "Mrs Pan Ching is having recurring dreams of Pan Ching telling her to seek Living Buddha Lu's help. If not, everyone will be in danger. The strange phenomenon involves a pungent smell in the house which is unbearable. It smells like a stray dog that has not had a good bath for a long time. The lingering smell simply wouldn't disperse. One after another, the family members fall ill. Mrs Pan Ching's body is swelling all over, and her skin dries up and cracks. Pan Jing, the younger daughter has been suffering from headache. The elder son Pan Ming is even weirder, as his eyes have turned completely reddish, just like the rabid dog's eye. This occurs after Pan Ching's death. Pan Ming's behaviour also goes through a transformation. He becomes irritable and depressed, always pacing the house and appears very sad. The most interesting thing is that objects in the house seem to move about. Clothing placed on the east is found at the west. Shower cap in the bathroom appears at the sofa mysteriously. Books on the shelf fall onto the floor all at once, not just one or two at a time. Rubbish collected is scattered all over the place. The kitchen is unoccupied, yet the forks and knifes, pots and pans rattle. At night, when everyone goes to sleep, you hear noises in the house, as if someone is walking around. And not just sound of walking, but sound of knocking on walls as well."
Cao Chung finished his talk in one go. I said, "Let's go over to the house!"
Pan Ching had lived in a luxury residence, a villa in the suburban area. The entrance led to a small fountain decorated with a concrete mountain and an artificial garden. The living room was spacious and the floor was laid with marble. The windows were adorned with decorative artwork and the furniture was exquisite and tasteful.
When Pan Ching was alive, he was responsible for the business of a major trading venture. Hence, he enjoyed a good life. Mrs Pan and the two kids were present and I examined Pan Ming. Pan Ming's eyes were reddish and despite taking the doctor's prescription, the condition Conjunctivitis, or Pink Eye simply wouldn't go away. This was because the dog spirit was attached to Pan Ming's body.
I said, "The dog spirit is on Pan Ming."
Pan Ming said nothing, stood up and stared fiercely at me. The family was horrified. I said, "Don't worry. I can deal with this."
Pan Ming then said, " I have an urge to charge forward and bite Living Buddha Lu, except that I am suppressing it."
"Don't worry. I can handle it."
"Living Buddha, you must drive out this spirit!" Mrs Pan said.
"There's no need for exorcism!" I said, "All I need is to sit in meditation much like the Buddha in yoga posture on the marble floor of the living area, forming the Dharma Realm Stability Mudra with the spine straightened and shoulders spread. I shall then nod and bend the neck downward to press on the Adam's apple with my tongue touching the upper jaw and my eyes still and focussed. Seated in stillness, I cleared my thoughts and balanced my body and mind.
I chanted:
"Om Sobawa Suda Sarva Dharma Sobawa Sudo Ham (3 times, Emptiness Visualization Mantra)."
With the power of blessing from the Buddha, from the Dharma Realm, and my own cultivation power combined, I was transformed into emptiness.
The dog spirit could not see me. I silently chant:
"Namo Sarva Tathagata Valokite Om Sambala Sambala Hum (3 times, Food Transformation Mantra)."
I was transformed into a pile of bones. Having been transformed into a pile of finger licking bones, the dog spirit would certainly be most enticed when he saw me. The dog spirit jumped and bit the bones, and thus entered my body. With this, the dog spirit left Pan Ming's body, and attached itself to me.
I stood up and announced to Pan Ching's family, "The dog spirit is on my body. I am bringing him away. From now onwards, your household will be peaceful and everything shall be fine." This was what I said, and the life of Pan's family indeed returned to normal. When I left Pan's house, the strange smell also disappeared. A stray dog that has not taken a bath, whose skin rots at the same time, produces an extremely pungent smell. When I left the place, the smell disappeared.
Mrs Pan's swollen body and dry skin texture recovered from that day onwards. She went through much urination and the swell subsided completely. The dry and cracking skin of hers also improved greatly, and within three days, all illness was cured. Mrs Pan found it a miracle, as she recovered without taking any medication.
Pan Ching's daughter headache lifted, as if someone had carried away a rock on her head, and thus felt much relieved. Pan Ming's reddened and inflamed eyes, much like that of the rabid dog, were healed. His behaviour showed a marked recovery and appeared much healthy and fine.
The strange phenomenon in the house also disappeared. There was no automatic movement of things, and no strange noises. The Pan family was very grateful for my help.
The issue now was not Pan's family. Rather, it became mine to deal with. I realized this Alsation's spirit had a great deal of spiritual power. It was dashing all over my body, wanting to break out. I was not ready to release him. My body was much like an iron cage, locking it within me. There was no escape. Having lost its freedom, it would not be able to harm anyone.
The dog spirit told me, "I will bite your liver!" I knew Pan Ching was bitten to death this way. I said, "Go ahead and bite!" The dog bit and broke his K9 teeth, as I had transformed my liver into a Vajra.
"I will bite your heart!" The dog proceeded, yet I transformed my heart into stainless steel.
"I will bite your intestine!" And the dog bit me. My intestine had been turned into a piece of granite. The dog barked and said, "Your heart is stone cold!" I laughed out loud.
Alhough this dog spirit could do no harm to me, its filthy energy affected my being. My physical body was polluted.
I chanted the Pure Water Mantra:
The Genuine Water of the Infinite.
Its liquid crystal clear.
Purify Soul and let wisdom grow.
Nurturing all living so they may flourish.
Cleansing and purifying everything far and near.
Through cultivation one advances towards the Jade Capital.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Wu Ji Zhen Shui/Ye Ti Xian Ming/ Jing Xi Ling Tai Zhi Hui Sheng/ Wan Wu Zi Run Rong/ Xia Er Cheng Qing/ Xiu Dao Shang Yu Jing
I chanted the Heart Purification Mantra:
My spirit is genuine as I cultivate purely.
My mind is genuine as I cultivate purely.
My Chi is genuine as I cultivate purely.
My five organs are genuinely purified.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Shen Cheng Jing Xiu/ Yi Cheng Jing Xiu/ Qi Cheng Jing Xiu/ Wu Zang Cheng Jing
I recited the Speech Purification Mantra:
My throat is cleansed as I cultivate purely.
My tongue is cleansed as I cultivate purely.
My teeth is cleansed as I cultivate purely.
My three karma is cleansed and purified.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Hou Qing Jing Xiu/ She Qing Jing Xiu/ Ci Qing Jing Xiu/ San Ye Qing Jing
I chanted the Body Purification Mantra:
My body is clean as I cultivate purely.
I am cleansed as I cultivate purely.
I am neat as I cultivate purely.
My heart is clean and pure.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Ti Jie Jing Xiu/ Qing Jie Jing Xiu/ Zheng Jie Jing Xiu/ Yi Xin Jie Jing
I recited the Three Karma Purification Mantra:
The realms that exist within one's body,
All thirty-six thousand spirits,
Fulfill your duties within the organs.
From past to future,
May I enjoy good health,
May I always dwell in the Three Treasures.
When met with destruction,
My body shall remain forever,
As I recite this True Scripture,
The karma of body, speech and mind is purified.
Execute this order at once.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Shen Zhong Zu Nei Jing/ San Wan Liu Qian Shen/ Dong Zuo Fu Xing Zang/ Qian Jie Bing Hou Ye/ Yuan Wo Shen Zi Zai/ Chang Zhu San Bao Zhong/ Dang Yu Jie Huai Shi/ Wo Shen Chang Bu Mie/ Song Ci Zhen Wen Shi/ Sheng Xin Kuo Jie Qing Jing/ Ji Ji Ru Liu Ling
When I finished my recitation, my body and mind became purified of the filthy energy. And remarkably, the dog spirit became purified in its body and mind upon listening to my mantra recitation. It listened quietly. I was happy that the karma of the dog spirit was cleansed at the end of my chanting.
Finally, I chanted the Heaven and Earth Purification Mantra:
Heaven and earth is balanced with nature.
All pollution shall disperse.
The mystical wonders within the Heavenly Zone.
The illuminating Supreme Origin, Tai Yuan.
The powerful gods of the eight directions.
Let me become one with nature.
Talisman Mandate of the Numinous Treasure, Ling Bao
Announcing to the Nine Heavens.
Qian Lou Da Na.
Energy Wind from the Heavenly Zone of Supreme Mystery,
Sever demons and bind evils.
Kill tens of thousands of ghosts.
This Central Mountain Magical Mantra.
The Jade Scripture of the Primeval, Yuan Shi.
Recite this once,
Curing all sickness and prolonging life.
Circulate this order in the Five Mountains,
Throughout all Eight Seas it shall be known.
The Demon King shall be defeated.
Guard me in my resident.
All filth and pollution shall be eliminated.
The Tao Chi shall always prosper.
Execute this order at once.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Tian Di Zi Ran/ Hui Qi Fen San/ Dong Zhong Xuan Xu/ Huang Lang Tai Yuan/Ba Fang Wei Shen/ Shi Wo Zi Ran/Ling Bao Fu Ming/ Pu Gao Jiu Tian/Qian Luo Da Na/ Dong Gang Tai Xuan/ Zhan Yao Fu Xie/ Sa Gui Wan Qian/ Zhong Shan Shen Zhou/ Yuan Shi Yu Wen/ Chi Song Yi Bian/ Qu Bing Yan Nian/ An Xing Wu Yue/ Ba Hai Zhi Wen/ Mo Wang Shu Shou/ Shi Wei Wo Xuan/ Xiong Hui Dang Jin/ Dao Qi Chang Cun/Ji Ji Ru Liu Ling
(Translator's note: Similar to the Sanskrit mantras, most Taoist spells call upon the names of the supreme deities. Instead of translating only the sound, I have decided to approach the translation of the Taoist spells by translating the meaning of the words in Chinese. They should convey the same power when chanted in the English, when the readers can understand what they mean.)
Upon reciting this mantra, the dog spirit shrunk to half its size and became immobilized. It was being tied up. The dog spirit yelled, "Stop chanting. Stop Chanting. I am willing to take refuge."
"You want to take refuge. That's good." I said.
This dog spirit was rather clever. If it did not take refuge with the Buddha, all I needed was to chant the Heaven and Earth Purification Mantra three times and its spirit would shrink to an even smaller size, or disintegrate in a loud thunderclap.
"Let me go and I will take refuge!" The dog spirit screamed. Of course I would let it out. Since the dog spirit was attached to me, the fact that it would be taking refuge meant that I would be taking refuge as well. As I emptied my body and mind, the dog spirit found its release. At the moment of release, the cunning dog spirit wanted to escape right away. Its request to take refuge was only a bluff.
Dog spirit or animal entity usually has minor psychic power. As it leaped into the sky to escape, a god appeared and whacked the dog. It fell to the ground. Then it attempted to disappear underground but was stopped by another god. It dashed towards the left and there stood one god. It dashed towards the right and there stood another god. The dog spirit cried out, "That's it! That's it! The web of heaven and earth is laid and I can't escape. I must really take refuge with you." The dog spirit laid on the ground, and expressed its desire to take refuge. I laughed heartily and said, "You dog demon. You must be taught a good lesson before you learn to be good. I am well aware of this. Thus, I have secretly chanted the Earth God Mantra:
Under the guardianship of the Primeval Lord,
Notify all spirits,
Genuine sovereigns of the mountains and rivers,
Land and Area Gods,
Earth and Grain Gods in the altars,
Do not create disturbances.
Return to the right path,
Be purified inwardly and outwardly,
And station in one's rightful place,
Be prepared to guard over the shrine.
The Supreme One issues an edict
To capture the demons.
The godly Dharma Protectors,
Guard over one's sutra recitation.
Take refuge in the Tao,
And all shall prosper and well.
Execute this order at once.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Yuan Shi An Zhen/ Pu Gao Wan Ling/ Yue Du Zhen Guan/ Tu Di Zhi Shen/ Zuo She You Ji/ Bu De Wan Jing/ Hui Xiang Zheng Dao/ Nei Wai Cheng Qing/ Ge An Fang Wei/ Bei Shou Tan Ting/ Tai Shang You Ming/ Sou Pu Xie Jing/ Hu Fa Shen Wang/ Bao Wei Song Jing/ Gui Yi Da Dao/ Yuan Heng Li Zhen/ Ji Ji Ru Lu Ling
The dog spirit remained still, not daring to make a move. I gave the dog spirit the
Four Refuge.
I take refuge in the Vajra Guru. Namo Guru Bei.
I take refuge in the Buddha. Namo Buddhaya.
I take refuge in the Dharma. Namo Dharmaya.
I take refuge in the Sangha. Namo Sanghaya.
I recited the Four Refuge Mantra. This mantra can turn a polluted ground into Pure Land. (Om Pu Kam)
The dog spirit willingly accepted. I had planned to send the dog spirit to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhavati). But it had killed Pan Ching and remained cunning and shrewd. If I sent it to Sukhavati immediately, I felt it was all too easy for this dog. It would be difficult to imagine the victim still remaining in the netherworld while the dog spirit ascended to the Western Paradise, confounding right and wrong. That would certainly be unfair.
What about sending the dog to hell? That was not a good thing too. For some reason this dog spirit had come upon a Vajra Guru who gave it the Four Refuge. With the deliverance of the Four Refuge and mantra, the dog spirit gained an affinity with the Buddha. If it was sent to hell, I was afraid it would not find its way back to heaven. And hell is certainly not a place for cultivation. I found myself in a dilemma.
Then came an Earth God, leashed the dog and said, "Don't worry, Living Buddha. I'll take care of this!"
I was overjoyed and said, "This is great! You bring this dog to guard the temple. This dog can indeed watch over the temple altar!"
The Earth God waved and said, "Everything is taken care of."
Here's a verse:
Throughout heaven and earth lies the law.
The Buddhas in all compassion transmit the Heart Teachings.
If one takes refuge and obtains the mantra,
One shall return to find purity in the other shore.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap7.shtml
Everyone looked at me, and remained silent. During dinner, the host Cao Chung asked, "Living Buddha, can you do a reading and tell us if we're doing fine?"
I scanned the group. Everyone remained quiet, waiting to hear what I had to say. I smiled and said, "Most of you are OK." The host picked on my words and said, "You say most of us are OK, which means some of us are not. Who are you referring to?"
I said, "Can I reveal? Anyone minds?"
"Of course we don't mind." Everyone agreed.
I said, "This Mr Pan, Pan Ching, has a little..."
"A little what?"
"There's a strange ambience around him."
"Can you be more specific about this ambience? Is it one of a sissy, kind of feminine, or one that which simply attracts women..." Everyone was teasing Pan Ching.
Pan Ching then said to me, "What ambience? Can you please state clearly. I don't really mind!"
I responded in no uncertainly terms, "It's the spirit of a dog on your body."
Everyone was stunned. Pan Ching said, "I don't feel anything!"
The host Cao Chung said to me, "Living Buddha, could you have mistaken?"
I said, "I am sure. This dog spirit only recently attached itself to him. It is not making any move now, but it might in the future."
Pan Ching said, "We'll continue with our meals. After which, I shall have a private word with Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu. I don't want this to affect everybody."
After the dinner, Pan Ching invited me to another room. He was all serious when he said, "You're right on target!" Pan Ching then said, "I kept a German Shepherd Dog (Alsation or K9) at home. He was usually very loyal and adorable. But during the past few months the dog kept barking for no reasons. He barked in the day and barked at night. It disturbed us and our neighbours. Our neighbours could not stand it and grumbled. Despite our attempts to discipline him, he simply ignored us. We spanked him and still he kept barking. We were at our wits' end and finally we felt that the K9 must have gone mad. If we gave him away, who would want to keep a mad dog? If we let him go, we felt we're being irresponsible. Finally, I decided to mix an insecticide called Parathion with dog food and silenced him."
I nodded my head after listening to his story. Pan Ching asked me, "Now that the dog spirit is attached to me, what would it do?"
"I'm not sure myself."
"Will it stay for while and then leave?"
"It's possible."
"I wish this is the case." Pan Ching said.
"This is most ideal!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Faced with a dog spirit that attached itself to a person, I would not offer to help out if Pan Ching did not ask me to exorcise the dog spirit. Moreover, Pan Ching was fine and showed no signs of abnormality. He was not particularly worried and I said no more.
Three months had passed before Cao Chung came to me and said, "Pan Ching is dead."
"How did he die?" I was astonished.
"Acute Hepatitis. We sent him to the hospital but he didn't make it."
"Ah! So fast so soon!"
Cao Chung told me, "After Pang Ching died, strange phenomenon began to happen in his house. Pan Ching's family was terrified and now they would like to request Living Buddha to help them."
"What is the strange phenomenon all about?"
Cao Chung said, "Mrs Pan Ching is having recurring dreams of Pan Ching telling her to seek Living Buddha Lu's help. If not, everyone will be in danger. The strange phenomenon involves a pungent smell in the house which is unbearable. It smells like a stray dog that has not had a good bath for a long time. The lingering smell simply wouldn't disperse. One after another, the family members fall ill. Mrs Pan Ching's body is swelling all over, and her skin dries up and cracks. Pan Jing, the younger daughter has been suffering from headache. The elder son Pan Ming is even weirder, as his eyes have turned completely reddish, just like the rabid dog's eye. This occurs after Pan Ching's death. Pan Ming's behaviour also goes through a transformation. He becomes irritable and depressed, always pacing the house and appears very sad. The most interesting thing is that objects in the house seem to move about. Clothing placed on the east is found at the west. Shower cap in the bathroom appears at the sofa mysteriously. Books on the shelf fall onto the floor all at once, not just one or two at a time. Rubbish collected is scattered all over the place. The kitchen is unoccupied, yet the forks and knifes, pots and pans rattle. At night, when everyone goes to sleep, you hear noises in the house, as if someone is walking around. And not just sound of walking, but sound of knocking on walls as well."
Cao Chung finished his talk in one go. I said, "Let's go over to the house!"
Pan Ching had lived in a luxury residence, a villa in the suburban area. The entrance led to a small fountain decorated with a concrete mountain and an artificial garden. The living room was spacious and the floor was laid with marble. The windows were adorned with decorative artwork and the furniture was exquisite and tasteful.
When Pan Ching was alive, he was responsible for the business of a major trading venture. Hence, he enjoyed a good life. Mrs Pan and the two kids were present and I examined Pan Ming. Pan Ming's eyes were reddish and despite taking the doctor's prescription, the condition Conjunctivitis, or Pink Eye simply wouldn't go away. This was because the dog spirit was attached to Pan Ming's body.
I said, "The dog spirit is on Pan Ming."
Pan Ming said nothing, stood up and stared fiercely at me. The family was horrified. I said, "Don't worry. I can deal with this."
Pan Ming then said, " I have an urge to charge forward and bite Living Buddha Lu, except that I am suppressing it."
"Don't worry. I can handle it."
"Living Buddha, you must drive out this spirit!" Mrs Pan said.
"There's no need for exorcism!" I said, "All I need is to sit in meditation much like the Buddha in yoga posture on the marble floor of the living area, forming the Dharma Realm Stability Mudra with the spine straightened and shoulders spread. I shall then nod and bend the neck downward to press on the Adam's apple with my tongue touching the upper jaw and my eyes still and focussed. Seated in stillness, I cleared my thoughts and balanced my body and mind.
I chanted:
"Om Sobawa Suda Sarva Dharma Sobawa Sudo Ham (3 times, Emptiness Visualization Mantra)."
With the power of blessing from the Buddha, from the Dharma Realm, and my own cultivation power combined, I was transformed into emptiness.
The dog spirit could not see me. I silently chant:
"Namo Sarva Tathagata Valokite Om Sambala Sambala Hum (3 times, Food Transformation Mantra)."
I was transformed into a pile of bones. Having been transformed into a pile of finger licking bones, the dog spirit would certainly be most enticed when he saw me. The dog spirit jumped and bit the bones, and thus entered my body. With this, the dog spirit left Pan Ming's body, and attached itself to me.
I stood up and announced to Pan Ching's family, "The dog spirit is on my body. I am bringing him away. From now onwards, your household will be peaceful and everything shall be fine." This was what I said, and the life of Pan's family indeed returned to normal. When I left Pan's house, the strange smell also disappeared. A stray dog that has not taken a bath, whose skin rots at the same time, produces an extremely pungent smell. When I left the place, the smell disappeared.
Mrs Pan's swollen body and dry skin texture recovered from that day onwards. She went through much urination and the swell subsided completely. The dry and cracking skin of hers also improved greatly, and within three days, all illness was cured. Mrs Pan found it a miracle, as she recovered without taking any medication.
Pan Ching's daughter headache lifted, as if someone had carried away a rock on her head, and thus felt much relieved. Pan Ming's reddened and inflamed eyes, much like that of the rabid dog, were healed. His behaviour showed a marked recovery and appeared much healthy and fine.
The strange phenomenon in the house also disappeared. There was no automatic movement of things, and no strange noises. The Pan family was very grateful for my help.
The issue now was not Pan's family. Rather, it became mine to deal with. I realized this Alsation's spirit had a great deal of spiritual power. It was dashing all over my body, wanting to break out. I was not ready to release him. My body was much like an iron cage, locking it within me. There was no escape. Having lost its freedom, it would not be able to harm anyone.
The dog spirit told me, "I will bite your liver!" I knew Pan Ching was bitten to death this way. I said, "Go ahead and bite!" The dog bit and broke his K9 teeth, as I had transformed my liver into a Vajra.
"I will bite your heart!" The dog proceeded, yet I transformed my heart into stainless steel.
"I will bite your intestine!" And the dog bit me. My intestine had been turned into a piece of granite. The dog barked and said, "Your heart is stone cold!" I laughed out loud.
Alhough this dog spirit could do no harm to me, its filthy energy affected my being. My physical body was polluted.
I chanted the Pure Water Mantra:
The Genuine Water of the Infinite.
Its liquid crystal clear.
Purify Soul and let wisdom grow.
Nurturing all living so they may flourish.
Cleansing and purifying everything far and near.
Through cultivation one advances towards the Jade Capital.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Wu Ji Zhen Shui/Ye Ti Xian Ming/ Jing Xi Ling Tai Zhi Hui Sheng/ Wan Wu Zi Run Rong/ Xia Er Cheng Qing/ Xiu Dao Shang Yu Jing
I chanted the Heart Purification Mantra:
My spirit is genuine as I cultivate purely.
My mind is genuine as I cultivate purely.
My Chi is genuine as I cultivate purely.
My five organs are genuinely purified.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Shen Cheng Jing Xiu/ Yi Cheng Jing Xiu/ Qi Cheng Jing Xiu/ Wu Zang Cheng Jing
I recited the Speech Purification Mantra:
My throat is cleansed as I cultivate purely.
My tongue is cleansed as I cultivate purely.
My teeth is cleansed as I cultivate purely.
My three karma is cleansed and purified.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Hou Qing Jing Xiu/ She Qing Jing Xiu/ Ci Qing Jing Xiu/ San Ye Qing Jing
I chanted the Body Purification Mantra:
My body is clean as I cultivate purely.
I am cleansed as I cultivate purely.
I am neat as I cultivate purely.
My heart is clean and pure.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Ti Jie Jing Xiu/ Qing Jie Jing Xiu/ Zheng Jie Jing Xiu/ Yi Xin Jie Jing
I recited the Three Karma Purification Mantra:
The realms that exist within one's body,
All thirty-six thousand spirits,
Fulfill your duties within the organs.
From past to future,
May I enjoy good health,
May I always dwell in the Three Treasures.
When met with destruction,
My body shall remain forever,
As I recite this True Scripture,
The karma of body, speech and mind is purified.
Execute this order at once.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Shen Zhong Zu Nei Jing/ San Wan Liu Qian Shen/ Dong Zuo Fu Xing Zang/ Qian Jie Bing Hou Ye/ Yuan Wo Shen Zi Zai/ Chang Zhu San Bao Zhong/ Dang Yu Jie Huai Shi/ Wo Shen Chang Bu Mie/ Song Ci Zhen Wen Shi/ Sheng Xin Kuo Jie Qing Jing/ Ji Ji Ru Liu Ling
When I finished my recitation, my body and mind became purified of the filthy energy. And remarkably, the dog spirit became purified in its body and mind upon listening to my mantra recitation. It listened quietly. I was happy that the karma of the dog spirit was cleansed at the end of my chanting.
Finally, I chanted the Heaven and Earth Purification Mantra:
Heaven and earth is balanced with nature.
All pollution shall disperse.
The mystical wonders within the Heavenly Zone.
The illuminating Supreme Origin, Tai Yuan.
The powerful gods of the eight directions.
Let me become one with nature.
Talisman Mandate of the Numinous Treasure, Ling Bao
Announcing to the Nine Heavens.
Qian Lou Da Na.
Energy Wind from the Heavenly Zone of Supreme Mystery,
Sever demons and bind evils.
Kill tens of thousands of ghosts.
This Central Mountain Magical Mantra.
The Jade Scripture of the Primeval, Yuan Shi.
Recite this once,
Curing all sickness and prolonging life.
Circulate this order in the Five Mountains,
Throughout all Eight Seas it shall be known.
The Demon King shall be defeated.
Guard me in my resident.
All filth and pollution shall be eliminated.
The Tao Chi shall always prosper.
Execute this order at once.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Tian Di Zi Ran/ Hui Qi Fen San/ Dong Zhong Xuan Xu/ Huang Lang Tai Yuan/Ba Fang Wei Shen/ Shi Wo Zi Ran/Ling Bao Fu Ming/ Pu Gao Jiu Tian/Qian Luo Da Na/ Dong Gang Tai Xuan/ Zhan Yao Fu Xie/ Sa Gui Wan Qian/ Zhong Shan Shen Zhou/ Yuan Shi Yu Wen/ Chi Song Yi Bian/ Qu Bing Yan Nian/ An Xing Wu Yue/ Ba Hai Zhi Wen/ Mo Wang Shu Shou/ Shi Wei Wo Xuan/ Xiong Hui Dang Jin/ Dao Qi Chang Cun/Ji Ji Ru Liu Ling
(Translator's note: Similar to the Sanskrit mantras, most Taoist spells call upon the names of the supreme deities. Instead of translating only the sound, I have decided to approach the translation of the Taoist spells by translating the meaning of the words in Chinese. They should convey the same power when chanted in the English, when the readers can understand what they mean.)
Upon reciting this mantra, the dog spirit shrunk to half its size and became immobilized. It was being tied up. The dog spirit yelled, "Stop chanting. Stop Chanting. I am willing to take refuge."
"You want to take refuge. That's good." I said.
This dog spirit was rather clever. If it did not take refuge with the Buddha, all I needed was to chant the Heaven and Earth Purification Mantra three times and its spirit would shrink to an even smaller size, or disintegrate in a loud thunderclap.
"Let me go and I will take refuge!" The dog spirit screamed. Of course I would let it out. Since the dog spirit was attached to me, the fact that it would be taking refuge meant that I would be taking refuge as well. As I emptied my body and mind, the dog spirit found its release. At the moment of release, the cunning dog spirit wanted to escape right away. Its request to take refuge was only a bluff.
Dog spirit or animal entity usually has minor psychic power. As it leaped into the sky to escape, a god appeared and whacked the dog. It fell to the ground. Then it attempted to disappear underground but was stopped by another god. It dashed towards the left and there stood one god. It dashed towards the right and there stood another god. The dog spirit cried out, "That's it! That's it! The web of heaven and earth is laid and I can't escape. I must really take refuge with you." The dog spirit laid on the ground, and expressed its desire to take refuge. I laughed heartily and said, "You dog demon. You must be taught a good lesson before you learn to be good. I am well aware of this. Thus, I have secretly chanted the Earth God Mantra:
Under the guardianship of the Primeval Lord,
Notify all spirits,
Genuine sovereigns of the mountains and rivers,
Land and Area Gods,
Earth and Grain Gods in the altars,
Do not create disturbances.
Return to the right path,
Be purified inwardly and outwardly,
And station in one's rightful place,
Be prepared to guard over the shrine.
The Supreme One issues an edict
To capture the demons.
The godly Dharma Protectors,
Guard over one's sutra recitation.
Take refuge in the Tao,
And all shall prosper and well.
Execute this order at once.
Pronunciation of Original Text: Yuan Shi An Zhen/ Pu Gao Wan Ling/ Yue Du Zhen Guan/ Tu Di Zhi Shen/ Zuo She You Ji/ Bu De Wan Jing/ Hui Xiang Zheng Dao/ Nei Wai Cheng Qing/ Ge An Fang Wei/ Bei Shou Tan Ting/ Tai Shang You Ming/ Sou Pu Xie Jing/ Hu Fa Shen Wang/ Bao Wei Song Jing/ Gui Yi Da Dao/ Yuan Heng Li Zhen/ Ji Ji Ru Lu Ling
The dog spirit remained still, not daring to make a move. I gave the dog spirit the
Four Refuge.
I take refuge in the Vajra Guru. Namo Guru Bei.
I take refuge in the Buddha. Namo Buddhaya.
I take refuge in the Dharma. Namo Dharmaya.
I take refuge in the Sangha. Namo Sanghaya.
I recited the Four Refuge Mantra. This mantra can turn a polluted ground into Pure Land. (Om Pu Kam)
The dog spirit willingly accepted. I had planned to send the dog spirit to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhavati). But it had killed Pan Ching and remained cunning and shrewd. If I sent it to Sukhavati immediately, I felt it was all too easy for this dog. It would be difficult to imagine the victim still remaining in the netherworld while the dog spirit ascended to the Western Paradise, confounding right and wrong. That would certainly be unfair.
What about sending the dog to hell? That was not a good thing too. For some reason this dog spirit had come upon a Vajra Guru who gave it the Four Refuge. With the deliverance of the Four Refuge and mantra, the dog spirit gained an affinity with the Buddha. If it was sent to hell, I was afraid it would not find its way back to heaven. And hell is certainly not a place for cultivation. I found myself in a dilemma.
Then came an Earth God, leashed the dog and said, "Don't worry, Living Buddha. I'll take care of this!"
I was overjoyed and said, "This is great! You bring this dog to guard the temple. This dog can indeed watch over the temple altar!"
The Earth God waved and said, "Everything is taken care of."
Here's a verse:
Throughout heaven and earth lies the law.
The Buddhas in all compassion transmit the Heart Teachings.
If one takes refuge and obtains the mantra,
One shall return to find purity in the other shore.
Source:
http://www.padmakumara.org/books/book148/chap7.shtml
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