A DROP OF NOURISHMENT FOR PEOPLE and its commentary THE JEWEL ORNAMENT A Drop of Nourishment for People by Nagarjuna and its commentary The Jewel Ornament provides a very fascinating reading on the meanings of compassion, virtuous deeds and the law of Karma in the theory and practice of Buddhist philosophy. Through numerous fables and legends that are at once delightful and frightening, the text and its commentary reveals the impermanent nature of Sarnsara and prompts the reader towards the Buddhist ideals of Nirvana. Not only adults but children will also enjoy and benefit by reading A Drop of Nourishment and especially its commentary The Jewel Ornament which delves into the world of fables, fairy tales and legends to bring home the Buddhist message of love, compassion and kindliness to all sentient beings. Nagarjuna's a Drop of Nourishment for People and its commentary The Jewel Ornament c*£ 1 Translated by Dr. Stanley Frye Copyright ©1981 Library of Tibetan Works & Archives. Reprint 1985 Revised 1994 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photo-copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Contents Publisher's Note Translator's Note A Drop of Nourishment for People The Jewel Ornament: A Commentary Vll ix 1 21 ISBN: 81-85102-55-4 Published by the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives. Printed at the Indraprastha Press (CBT), New Delhi-110002. Publisher's Note We are happy to bring out this revised edition of The Drop of Nourishment for People by the great philosopher and metaphysician Nagarjuna and its commentary The Jewel Ornament, both taken from the Mongolian academician Damdinsureng's monumental "The Hundred Best Works of Mongolian Literature". Translated from the Mongolian by the professional linguist Dr. Stanley Frye, the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives is happy to publish it in the series of translations from Mongolian beginning with Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. We hope all the readers of Nagarjuna and Buddhism will benefit from it. Director Library of Tibetan Works & Archives September 1994 I Translator's Note The works of the great Indian-Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna (circa 200 A.D.) whom, Heinrich Zimmer in his "Philosophies of India" calls one of the subtlest metaphysicians the human race has yet produced, have now become partially available to Western scholars thanks to the research, scholarship and publications of Lamotte: Le Traite de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nagarjuna, Murti: The Central Philosophy of Buddhism, and Ramanan: Nagarjuna's Philosophy as Presented in the Maha-Prajnaparamita-Shastra. Nagarjuna's Middle Way which demonstrated the non-ultimacy of specific views and the non-substantiality of specific entitles and man's ultimate nature as being itself the Unconditioned Reality, the Undivided Being, has influenced Buddhist philosophical thought for almost two thousand years and may, conceivably, with the translation of his works, yet have an influence on Western thought. Nagarjuna's literary output was enormous. In addition to his great works on philosophy and metaphysics, Bu-ston in his chos-'byung (History of the doctrine in India and Tibet) lists twenty other works by the great philosopher dealing with commentaries, tantra, medicine, alchemistry, theory and practice of the Doctrine, conduct of monks and laymen, instructions for kings and ministers, and advice on worldly polity or conduct. The following translation, A Drop of Nourishment for People, Sanskrit: Nitishastrajantuposanabhindu, Tibetan: lugs kyi bstan bcos skye bo gos pa'i thigs pa, Mongolian: Arad-i tejigekui dusul kemeku shastir, belongs to the latter class of works and is a guide for the Buddhist layman in his every- day activities while living in the world. Its translation was from Mongolian which is, of course, a translation from Tibetan which in turn was translated from the original Sanskrit in which Nagarjuna wrote. Both The Drop of Nourishment and the commentary, The Jewel Ornament were taken from academician Damdinsureng's monumental Monggol uran jokiyal-un degeji jagun bilig orusibai (The Hundred Best Works of Mongolian Literature) published by the Institute of Language and Literature of the Committee of Sciences and Education of the People's Republic of Mongolia, Ulan Bator, 1959. The translator wishes to express here his appreciation of Professor Damdinsureng's labor of love in making these and many other valuable Buddhist texts available to readers of Mongol. Stanley Frye Nagarjuna's A Drop of Nourishment for People Homage to Manjushri, the source of all good, the splendor of all, He who with loving compassion is benign to all beings, The compassionate refuge, the benign splendid one, Homage to Manjushri, the supreme refuge of all beings. Although an ordinary man with no skill in poetry, I shall compose some verses, minute as a drop of water, Which will be like a lamp that shines in pitch darkness, And a help to benighted people of poor intellect. Do not needlessly talk about others' faults. If you begin by mentioning others' failings, Very soon you will be talked about in turn Like the silly woman and the fox. (1) In general, do not praise yourself. The man who habitually lauds himself Is usually of little account and poorly thought of, Like the Kalandaka that boasted and put on airs. (2) Never trust a crooked, evil friend. If you do, his faults will harm you Just as the lice in the yogin's robes Were destroyed because of the nasty flea. (3) Don't make suggestions to an ill-natured person. Your intentions may be good, but there'll be trouble, (1) Do not needlessly talk about others' faults. If you begin by mentioning others' failings, Very soon you will be talked about in turn Like the silly woman and the fox. .....Long ago, in eastern India there was a married woman who had made a date with another man. As she was going to meet him she was attacked by brigands who took her jewels and clothing and left her naked. Having no place to go to cover her shame, she crawled into a pile of leaves that had fallen from a dal tree that grew on the shore of a lake. Just then a fox came along with a piece of meat in its mouth. Seeing a fish splashing about in the waves, it dropped the meat and jumped into the water after the fish, but the fish disappeared. At that moment a crow flew down, seized the meat, and flew back up into the sky. When the fox returned and found himself empty-handed, the woman scornfully said: You tried to get the fish and dropped the meat! Your fish is now at the bottom of the sea! The meat you left in a safe place is in the sky! What are you staring at, wiggling your ears? The fox replied: At you, a silly, shameless woman! Who left her good husband for the man of the moment, Who had her clothes and jewels stolen by thieves, And has to cover her naked body with leaves. The moral: because it is certain that whatever you say about others will return to you, be careful about attacking people with poisonous words. 23 (2) In general, do not praise yourself. The man who habitually lauds himself Is usually of little account and poorly thought of, Like the Kalandaka that boasted and put on airs. ....There was once a brahmin-boy by the name of Kalandaka who learned the art of polishing jewels. Haughty because he had mastered this trade, he refused to study anything else. The other brahmin boys studied many sciences and arts and eventually came into positions of power and influence. 'Kalandaka' is also the name of a bird. Its story is as follows: An old man once set a trap for the birds and caught many, including a tiny kalandaka bird. When the net closed on it, it was terrified and tried to peck its way out with its beak. When the other birds struggled and fluttered in panic it was pressed against the sides of the trap, stepped on, and hurt. When the old man came to take the birds out the kalandaka was so tiny that he overlooked it and swept it together with the bird droppings into the compost heap. Three days later a man came and threw hot ashes into the heap, then a rooster came and scratched about in the ashes and the kalandaka said to it: "Oh you who are adorned with the turquoise-jewelled feet, with the lovely tail and the red and gold silken cloak, you who are supreme in wisdom, I like you!" This pleased the rooster who scratched the bird out and it flew away. The tiny bird then became arrogant, thinking that its verse had delivered it from the compost pile. A swallow flew down and said: "These abilities of yours: lying exhausted in a compost heap for three days, being prodded with a sharp-toothed rake, being caught in a bird net and trampled and squeezed, having your ear crushed and bruised—are not very outstanding. Since you're unable to do better than this, why don't you come and make your home in the old nest 24 that I have left? I am building another new nest." The tiny bird flew to a thornbush and said: "The gentle swaying of this thornbush—how can the shaking of the tall pine compare? My darting and flying—how can the wing flapping of the eagle compare? I don't recall having been in a net or a compost heap or having been bruised or hurt. Tomorrow I'll make a nest of your old one and the new one you are building I'll take away from you and give to my son/' As the tiny bird was babbling this nonsense, a hawk swooped down, seized him, and took him away. The moral: don't bray about your feeble abilities, nor insult or harm others. 25 (3) Never trust a crooked, evil friend. If you do, his faults will harm you Just as the lice in the yogin's robes Were destroyed because of the nasty flea. ....Seven lice once lived in the robe of a great yogin and interrupted his meditations by constantly biting him. The yogin told them: "During my meditation don't bite me. I don't object at other times and will not destroy you." A flea appeared and told the lice: "Friends, you have a good life here. I believe I'll join you." The lice agreed but told him not to bite the yogin during his meditation, that they and the yogin had an agreement. The flea said: "You may have an agreement, but I don't," and bit the yogin while he was meditating. The yogin, thinking that the lice had broken their word, stopped his meditation and removed his robe. The flea quickly ran away, and when the lice tried to explain what had happened, the yogin refused to believe them. He became angry, and threw them on the ground. The moral: if you're friends with an evil man, trouble is inevitable. 26 (4) Don't make suggestions to an ill-natured person. Your intentions may be good, but there'll be trouble, Just as long ago the cantankerous ape Destroyed the little kalandaka's nest. ....A tiny bird once built a nest in a tree in which an ape also slept. One night a terrible rain came and when the bird saw the ape soaked and shivering with the cold, said to him: "Friend, your hands are capable, you have great strength, and are intelligert. Why don't you build a snug nest like mine?" The ape, thinking that the bird was boasting of its nest, became enraged and roared: "Is the likes of you going to insult me?", tore the bird's nest down and destroyed it. The moral: don't make suggestions to a bad friend. 27 Just as long ago the cantankerous ape Destroyed the little kalandaka's nest. (4) In all you do, act with caution. Immediately renounce all careless behavior. Never, at any time, allow your acts To be like those of an uncontrolled elephant. o Whenever you talk to other people, Weigh and consider every word. If you prattle all kinds of nonsense, It is like the ravings of a madman. (5) Never use thoughtless words or empty talk. Think of what you're saying, and don't lie. Rash nonsense will harm both you and others, As when the panicky parrot told a lie. (6) 10 Don't deceive others for your own gain. When you begin to fool others with awful lies, Everyone will know that you are a liar, As in the story of the starving cat. (7) 11 Don't act with needless cunning or deception. When one follows the path of untruth and hypocrisy, No one will trust him or take him seriously, As in the story of the Nyaya brahmin's wife. (8) 12 Never follow the advice of a false, selfish friend. If you do what cunning, bad friends tell you, Sometime you will be badly deceived, As when the monkey deceived the turtle. (9) 13 Never believe soft, artful words. If you do, you will surely be deceived, As when Indra, king of all the gods, Fooled the asuras so badly. (10) 14 When an evil person talks to you—be on guard. If you accept what a good-for-nothing says, Trouble will most certainly come to you, As when the angry falcon deceived the fox. (11) 15 If you make friends with an evil man, Share his thoughts and agree with him, That friend will some day become a demon, Like the female demons on the island in the sea. (12) 16 Great wealth and property among fools, Never-failing courage among heroes, A sage who always gives the right answer— Rare indeed are these things in the world. 17 All knowledge should be diligently studied, Joyfully, as naturally as breathing. 103 Ba la bi di ye PARAVIDYA sarva- "Air paravidya- "knowledge contrary to the truth" is CChedanlm I ^-M^I^I-^&^erTldHj "Destroyed" 104 Chr tWO ni CChedanlm I t^cflpres^J^ therefore has clearly achieved this. This line then is not just an attractive phrase but contains meaning which may be extracted. Vajra Bhairava does indeed crush the three realms. The sixteen legs are said to symbolise the sixteegLpure emptinesses. As the primary suppressor of__ the afflictions is the wisdom comprehending emptiness, it makes perfect sense to talk ofthe legs crushing the afflictions ofthe three realms.______ With your threatening mudras raised to the sky, you constrain the great gods. Your tongue darting, your mighty teeth bared and smeared with blood, you are furiously mad. The world with its gods could be offered to your mouth._________________________________________________ The commentary states; 'by making the threatening mudra with the left and right hands, he tames all ofthe haughty great gods who hold themselves as great in the world. His tongue flickers like lightning, his wrathful faces devour human blood, grease, marrow, and fat, and he has the grace of being able to devour all ofthe gods together with the world'. There is a quality known as 'directionless'or 'focusless compassion' which you may encounter in different praises. This does not refer merely to ordinary compassion but has the connotation of_ comprehending emptiness. It refers to a compassion extended toallwhich is imbued withthe comprehension^ of emptiness. This is the nature ofthe mind ofVajra Bnaifava, who despite having this type of nature, displays the aspect of a being who eats flesh, grease, fat, and so forth. There are evil doers in this world who actually engage in such practices yet the mind of those beings and that of Vajra Bhairava, although having the aspect of engaging in similar actions are dissimilar. Vajra Bhairava's mind is ofthe nature of this 'focusless compassion'. His mind then is not the same, but in_order to tame evil doers who enaaae in such vile actions, he displays an aspect similar to them. •^ Adorned with the moist dripping skin of an elephant and a rosary of skulls, you are naked in the pose of a great terrifying lord.__________________________________________________ Vajra Bhairava hainy najfafl symbolisfisjftat he is cgmpletely without the veils of ignorance and the Ipther] obscurations.. Clothes and houses typically veil or obscure others from looking in and observing. Vajra Bhairava as with other Buddhas, is neither obscured by the [two types of] obscurations, nor is he obscured by houses and clothes. We might often act in secret; attempting to hide our actions but in fact we should never think we can hide our actions from the Buddhas. This should be taken as an exhortation tojtct properly. Having taken the Buddha as a witness, one cannot deceive them as they are free of all veils of ignorance and thus know if one tries to deceive them. The same can be said of karma and its effects. If you perform an action, you cannot deceive karma and its effects and avoid experiencing the effects of that action. If one then takes karma and its effects, as well as the Buddhas as one's witness, naturally the tendency to act properly will arise as neither can be deceived. 96 Solitary Hero Vajra Bhairava Commentary Chenrezig Buddhist Studies Programme 2001 f Holding a khatvanga associated with mother tantra indicates that this deity possesses the profound path of the blazing and dripping tumo. The presence of tumo as indicated by this type of khatvanga is the third unique feature of Vajrabhairava. The Tibetan states merely; "which is not in father tantras" but this would obviously introduce a point for debate: "if the blazing and dripping tumo is not taught in father tantras, it follows that it is not taught in Vajrabhairava!" By the English addition of "other" in parenthesis this unwanted consequence is avoided. One could better state; "which is not in other tantras such as Guhyasamaja". Guhyasamaja is of course known as the king of tantras and possesses many different features, but because it is a father tantra and lacks this special featureVit does not have the teachings on the blazing and dripping of tumo. Je-rinpoche is then saying that there is a practice of tumo which may be done in dependence on Vajra Bhairava, and that furthermore, he has all the features of bliss and emptiness which are taught in the mother tantras such as Hevajra and Chakrasamvara. This third unique feature is that Vajra Bhairava possesses both. _____________________________________ The fourth unique feature. The person who is impaled on a stick shows the method of achieving enlightenment by forcefully enlightening someone who is extremely non-virtuous due to having committed the 10 non-virtuous actions, the five heinous crimes, abandonment of the dharma and so forth. This is the fourth unique feature._____________________________________________________________ The fifth unique feature Although in general the three (which are) Red (Yamari) Black (Yamari) and Bhairava are all equally angry Manjushris, for the first two, on the occasion of the causal vajra holder, he is in the aspect of the peaceful Manjushri, but on the occasion of the resultant vajraholder, there is no actual (manifest) face of the peaceful aspect of Manjushri. As Vajrabhairava has both in actuality, therefore having the special oral tradition to practise the combination of the peaceful and wrathful (aspects) is the fifth unique feature._______________________________ In brief then the five unique features are: 1. Vajra Bhairava is supreme in dispelling external and internal obstacles and hindrances which prevent us from consummating our practice of mantra and dharma. 2. Vajra Bhairava teaches both the illusory body and clear light, as indicated by the implements, the intestines and the brazier. 3. With the Vajra Bhairava tantra one can practice the blazing and dripping tumo which is not found in other father tantras such as Guhyasamaja. 4. Vajra Bhairava teaches a way by which evildoers who have engaged hi such heavy negativities as mentioned in the text can still be forcefully enlightened. 5. With Vajra Bhairava one may practise a combination of peace and wrath.______________^^^ The next section of the commentary deals with just how one 'practices this combination of peace and wrath'. Wisdom Mantra OM AH RA PA CHA NA Dffl The commentary now explains what one must contemplate when reciting [the peaceful mantra] Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Net Dhi. It says; The way to practise the combination of peace and wrath is as follows; The sun disc at the heart of oneself as the meditational deity should be changed into a moon disc and the Hum into a Dhi. V 116 Solitary Hero Vajra Bhairava Commentary Chenrezig Buddhist Studies Programme 2001 You are visualising yourself as the resultant vajra holder Vajra Bhairava, and as such, at your heart is a sun disc on top of which is the syllable Hum. For the recitation of this mantra one must transform the sun-disc into a moon-disc and the Hum into syllable Dhi. The commentary continues: 'Having done so, on the moon seat is a six spoked wheel. On the hub of this is an orange DHI and the letters Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na on the six spokes. These six syllables are individually visualized above the tips of each of the six spokes of the wheel. Light is emanated from the wheel and the six letters, filling the entire inside of one's body. All the downfalls and obstacles that have been accumulated from beginningless [time] are eliminated and all the darkness cleared away like sunlight shining into a dark corner. Think that this light of wisdom has increased without any obstruction, to [illuminate] all the uncommon points of knowledge. Do this peaceful recitation [Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhi] as much as possible'. Think that as these light rays fill one's entire body, all one's negativities, obscurations, harms due to illnesses, and so forth are completely purified. Pay special attention to developing the attitude that in particular, the delusions of not knowing are completely eliminated.______________________ When one has finished the number of recitations of Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhi which one had set oneself to do, the commentary states one should; 'imagine that an orange Dhi in the nature of the wisdom ofManjushri is lying on top of one's tongue with its head towards the back. It emanates light and all the omniscient wisdom of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions is gathered back in the aspect of orange light. Think that this dissolves into the Dhi. Recite one hundred and eight Dhi's in one breath. With the syllable Dhi laying on one's tongue as described, recite one hundred and eight Dhi's with one breath. If you recite Dhi four times for each bead on the mala then after twenty seven beads you will have completed these one hundred and eight Dhi's. Start by reciting Om Ah Ra Pa Tsa Na and then repeat, Dhi-Dhi-Dhi-Dhi, Dhi-Dhi-Dhi-Dhi, Dhi- Dhi-Dhi-Dhi, Dhi-Dhi-Dhi-Dhi, Dhi-Dhi-Dhi-Dhi, and so on, until you have recited twenty-seven sets of these four Dhi's. Reciting them this way is easier than reciting the syllables individually in which there would be a danger of one's breath not lasting. Together with soundlessly swallowing saliva think that this letter Dhi enters the body and dissolves into the Dhi at the heart. Having completed the one hundred and eight recitations of Dhi, without making a sound, swallow one's saliva as indicated, and imagine the Dhi descending through one's throat to dissolve into the Dhi at one's heart. You don't need to make a big production of this swallowing. Think that one has received the special power of retention. Thing that as this dissolves into the Dhi at ones heart one obtains this special power of 'retention without forgetting'. If one is reciting this sadhana in assembly with others, one of course conforms to whatever the group does, but, when alone one has the opportunity to include additional items such as the last four lines of the praise to Manjushri which in the past we have recited at the beginning of BSP sessions: With the brilliance of your wisdom, Oh compassionate one, illuminate the darkness enclosing my mind, enlighten my intelligence and wisdom, so that I may gain insight into Buddha's words and the texts that explain them'._____________ There is a special explanation of ways of visualizing while repeating this peaceful mantra of Manjushri in which one thinks that one has received 'great wisdom', 'clear wisdom', 'quick wisdom' and 'profound wisdom',. One does this after having performed a practice whereby one cuts all ignorance of not knowing, and washes or cleanses oneself of impurities and so forth. It is said that this should be taught as an addition to the text so I will leave this for another day. _ Just to recap, the primary focus of your attention while doing this recitation is that light-rays emanate from the [wheel and] syllables at one's heart and fill the inside of one's body. One thinks that this purifies negativities and obscurations and that one thereby receives the special blessing of the power of retention._____________________________________________________________ 117 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA and Dharma Friendship Foundation in Seattle for supporting me while I worked on it. My deepest gratitude goes to Zopa Rinpoche for his kindness in giving these teachings and for having the confidence in us that we are capable of practicing them. All errors in this book are my own. Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron Seattle, Washington, USA 30 May 1999 ONE MOTIVATION At this time you have received a precious human life, which is extremely rare. Meeting a virtuous friend who shows the complete path to enlightenment without omitting anything is also extremely rare. At this time you have met not just one virtuous friend but many. Similarly, encountering the Buddhadharma, especially the Mahayana teaching, which explains the complete path to full enlightenment, happens infrequently. But this, too, you have encountered. In addition, you have met the secret mantra, or Vajrayana, teachings. Of these, you have encountered not just the lower tantras, but Highest Yoga Tantra, which contains the perfect methods of ceasing all mistakes of mind and completely realizing all good qualities in one brief lifetime of this degenerate era. Given that you have this opportunity, simply aiming to avoid rebirth in the lower realms and attain a god or human body in the next life is insufficient. You must aim for liberation from all samsaric suffering and its cause—karma and disturbing thoughts. But that alone is not sufficient either. You must aim for full enlightenment. No matter how long it takes or how difficult it is, you must work for this in order to free all sentient beings from all suffering and lead them to full enlightenment. From your own side, even if you have to A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA be born in the hell realms for eons equal to the number of atoms in this earth in order to attain enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings, you should be extremely happy to do so—as delighted as a swan is to dive into a pond; as happy as somebody going to the beach to relax after a hard day's work; as eager to do this as somebody is to plunge into a swimming pool on a hot day or as a prisoner is to go back home after doing many years' hard time. From your side, you should be extremely happy to go through whatever you need to in order to attain enlightenment for the benefit of sentient beings. But from the side of the sentient beings, you should feel that even one sentient being suffering in samsara for one second is totally unbearable for you. Because countless sentient beings are experiencing the suffering of samsara at this very moment, think, "I must liberate them from all their suffering and lead them to enlightenment as quickly as possible. This is the purpose of my life. The longer I take to attain enlightenment, the longer will all sentient beings remain in samsara. Since they are depending on me to help them meet the Dharma, actualize the path, and attain enlightenment, I must attain enlightenment as quickly as possible. Since death is definite and can happen any moment, I must not waste time following my attachment and distractions. Before death arrives, I must try to attain enlightenment or at least put as many Dharma imprints on my mind-stream as possible. For this purpose, I am going to listen to the holy Dharma— specifically, how to practice the yoga of Yamantaka." 10 TWO INTRODUCTION THE MEANING OF MANTRA In English, we say "tantra," but Tibetans use the term "secret mantra." The word tantra, or gyud, is used in Tibetan texts, but people do not say, "I'm practicing gyiid." They say, "I'm practicing sang-ngag"— secret mantra. This does not mean that all they do is recite mantras. Mantra does not just refer to some words you recite. It refers to the generation and completion stages, the whole tantric path to enlightenment. The word "mantra" means to protect the mind. In general, the entire lam-rim—beginning with how to rely on a spiritual master through to the completion stage of tantra, including the three principal aspects of the path—protects the mind. Guru devotion protects your mind from the mistaken thoughts that are obstacles to realizing the path to enlightenment and completing the work for self and others. Guru devotion is unbelievable protection against mistaken thoughts regarding your virtuous friends, including those thoughts that consider them to be ordinary people. Renunciation protects your mind from attachment, clinging to samsara, and thus protects you from the cause of samsara and the oceans of suffering in the six realms that result from it. The realization 11 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA of bodhicitta protects you from the myriad obstacles that come from self-pre-occupation. It overcomes the obstacles to attaining all realizations of the Mahayana path and thus to offering infinite benefit to sentient beings. The wisdom realizing emptiness protects you from the root of suffering, ignorance, and thus all delusions, karma, and suffering. Guru devotion and the three principal aspects of the path are preliminaries to tantra. The fundamental practice unique to secret mantra is clear appearance and divine identity, which protect the mind from ordinary appearance and ordinary concept. This is similar in all four classes of tantra, but in addition, the practice of the Highest Yoga Tantra protects you from ordinary death, ordinary intermediate state, and ordinary birth. The completion stage protects you from the ordinary, impure, extremely subtle wind and mind, which, according to Highest Yoga Tantra, create samsara. On the completion stage, you practice methods to cease this extremely subtle wind and mind and to actualize the meaning clear light, the transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss and emptiness, that extremely subtle wisdom, the simultaneously-born bliss understanding emptiness. This is like an atomic bomb in ceasing the dualistic view and all defilements because it is the quickest way to cease the ordinary, impure, extremely subtle wind and mind. In this way, completion stage realizations are great protection. Only by having them can you become enlightened, and only then can the continuation of your consciousness become dharmakaya. Dharmakaya is not gross or even subtle mind. It is the extremely subtle mind free from the two obscurations. Only your extremely subtle mind-wind can continue on to that. The ordinary body and mind, the gross wind and mind, cannot become the dharmakaya; in fact, they are obstacles 12 INTRODUCTION to it. When the subtle wisdom, the simultaneously-born bliss non-dual with emptiness, arises, it purifies these. Thus, since mantra means to protect the mind, it includes the entire path to enlightenment. Specifically, it refers to the tantric path, which is actualized on the basis of the preliminary realizations, the three principal aspects of the path—renunciation, bodhicitta and right view. If you research its meaning, every mantra contains the whole path to enlightenment, including the entire lam-rim. TAKING DEATH, BARDO, AND REBIRTH INTO THE PATH TO THE THREE KAYAS This teaching describes the protection wheel in the Yamantaka practice. However, first it is important to understand and meditate on taking the dharmakaya into the path. The practice of taking the three kayas into the path—taking death as the path to the dharmakaya, bardo as the path to the sambhogakaya, and rebirth as the path to the nir-manakaya—is the heart of the sadhana. To understand this, you have to know what are the base to be purified, the purifying path, and the purified result for each of these three. This meditation technique can be done by human beings born in Dzambuling, the Southern Continent. In the text, Dzambuling seems to refer to only India, not the whole world. That could be because in ancient times the Buddhadharma, especially tantra, did not exist in other place. However, that has now changed. In the case of taking death as the path to the dharmakaya, the basis to be purified is the ordinary death experienced by human beings who have a body that has the six elements and was born from 13 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA a womb in Dzambuling. As they die, these human beings experience twenty-five absorptions, which occur over eight phases. During this time, certain external and internal signs occur. The eight phases are: 1. The earth elements absorbs into water. 2. The water element absorbs into fire. 3. The fire element absorbs into wind. 4. The wind element absorbs into consciousness. 5. The winds that are the vehicle, or mount, of the eighty superstitious thoughts absorb and the internal vision of white appearance occurs, like a clear sky pervaded by moonlight. 6. The internal vision of radiant red increase occurs, like a clear sky pervaded by sunlight. 7. The internal vision of the black near-attainment occurs, like a clear sky that is completely dark. 8. The clear light occurs, like a clear sky at dawn that is free from the three shortcomings—white appearance, red increase, and black near-attainment. Such an ordinary death is the basis to be purified. The purifying path is the example clear light and the meaning clear light of the completion stage. These are the actual purifying path, but you prepare by fabricating them with your imagination on the generation stage. The purified result is the dharmakaya. In practicing the various meditations on the completion stage, such as the tum-mo meditation of the Six Yogas of Naropa, the meditator concentrates on the central channel of the vajra body and draw the winds into the heart chakra. When this happens, the eight signs 14 occur as they do for ordinary people during the gradual process of death at the time of the base. All the signs from earth absorbing into the water down to black near-attainment and clear light happen. During the all-empty clear light, the meditator generates simultaneously-born great bliss. After the clear light, due to the movement of the winds of the superstitious thoughts, the mind moves out of the clear light, and the meditator gradually experiences the eight signs in reverse order, beginning with near-attainment, red increase, white appearance and so forth. At the time of actualizing the resultant dharmakaya, the clear light of no-more learning, the meditator again experiences the eight signs serially, in a way similar to the time of the base and the time of the path, from earth absorbing into water down to black near-attainment. At the time of experiencing the clear light, the meditator actualizes the transcendental wisdom of the dharmakaya. At that time, all the winds that make superstitious thoughts function are completely ceased. Because of that, it is impossible to move away from the clear light, which is the resultant clear light, the dharmakaya. In taking bardo into the path, the basis to be purified is ordinary bardo, or intermediate state, which is under the influence of delusion and karma. The actual purifying path is the impure and pure illusory bodies on the completion stage. You prepare for these on the generation stage, by visualizing yourself manifesting as either a syllable or implements, although here in the Yamantaka practice, you visualize yourself as the causal vajra-holder, Manjushri. The purified result is the sambhogakaya, the enjoyment body of a Buddha. In taking rebirth into the path, the basis to be purified is ordinary 15 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA rebirth under the influence of delusion and karma. The actual purifying path is the illusory body assuming a gross emanation body. You prepare for this on the generation stage by imagining yourself as the full Yamantaka. The purified result is the nirmanakaya, the emanation body of a Buddha. By understanding this analogous process in which death, bardo, and rebirth are transformed into the three kayas, you will appreciate the skillful methods of the Vajrayana. This will inspire you to learn and meditate on this path. 16 THREE THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES An ordinary person who wants to be born as a human, god, or powerful being must create the good karma that brings about such results. Similarly, a practitioner who wants to meditate and experience the path three kayas and the resultant three kayas must create the merit that bring those about. Tri Gyaltsen Senge's commentary on Yamantaka practice, The Profound Path of the Great Secret,1 which is regarded as the best commentary on the Solitary Hero Yamantaka, says, "The preliminary accumulation of physical merit in this way is much more important for beginners than the actual practice." That is, if you do not pay attention to and practice the preliminaries, such as collecting merit and so forth, you will not succeed in your practice of the actual meditation. Thus, the sadhana contains the practice of guru yoga, followed by meditation on the four immeasurable thoughts, which are a powerful means of collecting extensive merit. For this reason, the four immeasurables are found in almost every sadhana, either at the beginning of the practice or just before taking death as the path to dharmakaya. May all sentient beings have happiness (bliss). May all sentient beings be free from all suffering. 17 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAK/ May all sentient beings never be parted from happiness (bliss). May all sentient beings be placed in a state of equanimity unperturbed by preconceptions of apprehender and apprehended or by the eight worldly concerns. The first is immeasurable love; the second, immeasurable compassion; the third, immeasurable joy; and the fourth, immeasurable equanimity. THE EIGHT WORLDLY CONCERNS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES In the fourth immeasurable, you aspire for sentient beings to abide in equanimity unmoved by the eight worldly dharmas or by the superstitious thoughts of apprehender, which means the perceiving mind, and apprehended, which means the perceived object. For example, when I look at a flower, the flower is the object perceived and my consciousness is the perceiving mind perceiving it. The fourth line could also be translated as, "May all sentient beings be placed in a state of equanimity unperturbed by preconceptions of grasping consciousness and the objects it grasps, or by the eight worldly feelings," or, "May all sentient beings be placed in a state of equanimity unperturbed by dualistic preconceptions of object and consciousness." Don't think that only Westerners have preconceptions. Tibetans do too! For example, the first Tibetan translator who came to Vajrapani Institute did not have a clear idea of what Vajrapani was. It seems that nobody had explained it to him before he came. At that time, Vajrapani had no electricity and he was very surprised. He must have visualized that there would be additional things and he did not like staying here. He wanted to live in the city. But the lamas like 18 THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES Vajrapani Institute so much. Even though he came only once, Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche enjoyed staying here very much and even wrote a one-stanza praise of the center. The eight worldly concerns are—attachment to having material possessions and aversion to not; attachment to praise and aversion to criticism; attachment to good reputation and aversion to bad; and attachment to sense pleasures and aversion to their absence. In the fourth immeasurable, you aspire to cause sentient beings to be free from these biased attitudes. The eight worldly concerns can be equalized by applying the antidotes, such as meditating on impermanence and death, contemplating the shortcomings of desirable objects (material possessions, praise, good reputation, and sense pleasures), or reflecting on the disadvantages of superstitious thoughts, especially attachment, that regard these objects. By deeply understanding any of these, you can not only stop the emotional problems of this life but also prevent creating the causes for lower rebirth or for suffering in the upper realms in future lives. When you diminish attachment to these desirable objects by contemplating their shortcomings, meditating on impermanence and death, and so forth, you are able to control your attachment and eventually free your mind from it. When your mind is free from attachment and craving for these objects no longer arises, you are able to equalize the four desirable and the four undesirable objects in your mind. For practitioners who have equalized the eight worldly concerns, being praised or criticized is totally unimportant to their mind. They do not care if their reputation or image in society is good or bad. In the view of these practitioners, all such things are childish. Receiving or not receiving material goods, being comfortable or uncomfortable, 19 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA and being liked or disliked are insignificant because they realize that death can come at any moment, so what's the point? People who have realized impermanence and death see no point in caring about these things; there is no place for such thoughts to arise in their mind. They see such things as nonsensical, childish, and silly, like a child's attachment to a sandcastle he has built and thinks to be very important. Because of his attachment, the child gets angry and upset if his castle is destroyed by another person or a wave; the stronger his attachment, the angrier he gets. When you have realized impermanence and death, you have no attachment for these four desirable objects, so if somebody disturbs them, you do not get angry. You have no attachment to these things, therefore, there is no reason for you to get angry. Thus, you do not engage in negative actions, which create the cause for suffering in the lower realms and in samsara in general. Sentient beings are filled with problems and suffer greatly because of attachment to these four desirable objects. The eight worldly concerns and attachment clinging to this life make them miserable, full of dissatisfaction and anger. When somebody disturbs their objects of attachment, emotional thoughts such as anger, jealousy, and vengeance arise in their minds. Constantly, they engage in many negative actions in everyday life. Constantly, they create the cause for samsara in general and for the lower realms in particular. In addition, the eight worldly concerns and the karma created by them obscure their minds from realizing emptiness. As you understand the deeper implications of the eight worldly dharmas in our life and lives, you will see that wishing to lead all sentient beings to the equanimity of the eight worldly concerns is very profound and meaningful. 20 THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES Meditation on the antidotes mentioned above stops attachment to the happiness of this life and the eight worldly concerns. Another antidote is meditation on emptiness. If you realize emptiness, there is no question that you will be able to stop these eight. The king of superstitious thoughts is the conception of inherent existence. While phenomena—I, action, object, and all other phenomena—do not have even the slightest atom of inherent existence, are completely devoid of inherent existence, the concept of inherent existence grasps them in exactly the opposite way. Due to the negative imprints left on your mind by the power of previous ignorance, you project inherent existence onto all these merely labeled phenomena. Your mind projects the appearance of inherent existence on all these phenomena that are, in fact, empty. After that, your mind apprehends this appearance as being one hundred percent true. At that moment, you make your own mind superstitious and ignorant. The concept of inherent existence is called a superstition because there is no such thing as inherent existence; the object does not exist in the way that your mind apprehends it to exist. You live totally in superstition, twenty-four hours a day. First, you believe that there is a real I in this body. Then you believe that all the people and objects around you are real ones, appearing from there. You live in superstition with every phenomenon you contact every moment of every day. As long as you do not practice mindfulness of emptiness—the very nature of phenomena—and mindfulness of dependent arising, then the more objects your senses contact, the more superstition arises. But the more phenomena that practitioners who are mindful of emptiness or dependent arising see, the more meditation they do and 21 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA the closer to liberation they get. This mindfulness is the remedy to samsara and to the disturbing attitudes and emotions that are the main enemy preventing liberation. Without mindfulness of emptiness and dependent arising, you create more causes for suffering and samsara. With it, you destroy the root of samsara—the ignorance that grasps at an inherently existent person and inherently existent aggregates. Meditating on impermanence and death enables you to equalize the eight worldly concerns to a certain extent, but mindfulness of emptiness enables you to equalize them in a more profound way by seeing them as empty. Then you do not cling because both praise and blame are empty. You are not attached to reputation because both good reputation and bad are empty. Whatever happens—whether you have sense pleasure or not, whether you get material things and money or not—does not disturb your mind. Seeing these things as unimportant, your mind rests in equanimity. This is one way to understand bringing sentient beings to the equanimity of the eight worldly concerns. In addition, there is another way to understand the eight worldly dharmas—inherently existent production and cessation, permanence and annihilation, coming and going, difference and sameness.2 PRECONCEPTIONS OF APPREHENDER AND APPREHENDED All phenomena are contained within "apprehender and apprehended." Holding the apprehenders, the minds that perceive objects, and the apprehended, the phenomena perceived, as inherently existent causes attachment and anger to arise. Being under the control of these 22 THE FOUR IMMEASURABLE^ emotional thoughts, sentient beings' minds become unbalanced and partial, the opposite of equanimity. The evolution is that first you grasp everything as inherently existent. This causes attachment, anger, and other disturbing attitudes to arise. These, in turn, make the mind partial, prejudiced, and unequal. These mistakes of the mind make sentient beings create samsara and suffer in it. Seeing this, generate the thought to bring sentient beings into 1) the equanimity of the eight worldly dharmas and 2) the equanimity unmoved by either the superstitious thoughts of attachment, anger, and so forth or their root, the ignorance holding all phenomena—the apprehenders and the apprehended—as inherently existent. One equanimity is that of equalizing the eight worldly dharmas; another, which is deeper, is that of equalizing apprehender and apprehended by realizing that both are empty of inherent existence. In emptiness there is no this or that, no bad or good. In the sphere of emptiness, all existents are of one taste. Because sentient beings suffer through not realizing this, generate the strong determination to lead them to this ultimate equanimity, in which everything is of one taste in emptiness, the sphere of Dharma. When practicing each of the four immeasurable thoughts, generate it towards each sentient being without exception. Without omitting any sentient being, think, "May every one have happiness; may every one be free from suffering," and so forth. Since the number of sentient beings is immeasurable, you create immeasurable merit, like the sky, with each of these thoughts. Even though I am unable to put the four immeasurables into practice and just recite the words, I like them very much. Also, if you think about the "merit business," these four thoughts are most profitable! 23 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA People often come to me for practices to do and mantras to recite because they are sick. If I were to simply give them a mantra to recite for healing, they could recite it millions of times without a single recitation becoming Dharma. If your motivation is attachment to this life, even if you recite a mantra every day of your life, it does not become Dharma. Therefore, when I give people mantras to recite for healing, I always combine it with the four immeasurables, bodhicitta motivation, and a glance lam-rim prayer. Since they have to follow the whole set of prayers, my hope is that when they get to the mantra recitation, their motivation will be positive. 24 . FOUR MEDITATION ON THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES Before we generate ourselves as Yamantaka, we will meditate on the four immeasurables to create merit. May all sentient beings have happiness (bliss). Think of every being in hell, those who experience the heavy suffering of heat and cold, the heaviest suffering in samsara. Wish them to have happiness, especially the happiness of enlightenment. [Meditation.] Think of all the countless pretas suffering greatly from hunger and thirst. Wish them to have happiness, especially that of enlightenment. [Meditation.] "May each of the countless animals have happiness." Think not just of the animals on this planet, but of those in each of the numberless universes. They suffer principally from stupidity and from being eaten by other animals. They also suffer from being overworked or killed for food by human beings. "May all these animals, my mother sentient beings, have happiness, especially that of enlightenment." [Meditation.] Think of the sufferings of your kind mother sentient beings who are human. There are five types of suffering of birth,3 five types of suffering of aging,4 five types of suffering of illness,5 and five types of 25 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA r suffering of death.6 Lama Tsong Khapa outlined these sufferings in the lam-rim so that it would be easy to meditate on them and get the broad view. Contemplating each of the five points of each suffering gives you an in-depth understanding. In addition to these, human beings suffer from meeting the undesirable, from not finding what they desire, and, even when they find what they want, from feeling dissatisfied and disillusioned. Some lam-rim texts explain six types of samsaric suffering; Lama Tsong Khapa's explains eight. All of these can be subsumed into three—-suffering of pain, suffering of change, and pervasive compounded suffering. Suffering of pain is the physical and mental pain that everybody recognizes as suffering. Suffering of change includes all the temporary samsaric pleasures because they are only suffering in nature. Pervasive compounded suffering refers to having taken these aggregates that are under the control of karma and delusion and therefore pervaded by suffering. They are the container of all problems; therefore, this body-mind experiences all the other sufferings. In addition, these aggregates are contaminated by the seed of disturbing thoughts, thus they compound, or are the foundation of, future sam-sara. This is how your kind mother sentient beings, the human beings, are suffering. Now think, "May they have all happiness, especially the highest happiness of full enlightenment." Generating love for them comes easily if you first think clearly about their suffering, according to the brief explanation above. When you feel that very strongly, the wish for them to be happy will arise firmly and easily. [Meditation.] Then think of the suffering of the demigods and gods, including those in the form and formless realms. They experience the general 26 MEDITATION ON THE FOUR IMMEASURABLE suffering of samsara and, in addition, the particular sufferings of their realms. The formless realm goes to the peak of samsara and the beings born in it are not free from pervasive compounded suffering. The formless realm gods do not have problems such as aging and illness like human beings do, but their aggregates are still under the influence of delusion and karma, and the contaminated seed of disturbing thoughts in their mind-stream becomes the basis for and compounds future suffering. Thus, they are not free from pervasive compounded suffering. The demigods suffer tremendously from painful jealousy for the wealth of the gods. The gods take away the wives of the demigods, so they fight and kill each other. Each level of gods in the god realm suffers from being controlled by other, more powerful gods, who kick them out and take their things. The specific sufferings of the gods include the five major and the five minor signs of death. During their lives, the gods have incredible comforts and sense enjoyments that are millions of times greater than those of the richest and most powerful human beings. But when they are dying, although their bodies are surrounded by beauty and enjoyments, for their minds, it is as if they are in hell. Due to karma, they see their next life and know they will be reborn in lower states with great suffering. They feel excruciating worry and fear because they can see both their present environment and the horrible suffering that they are about to be born into. While the desire realm gods possess perfect sense enjoyments, all their actions enjoying those sense pleasures become the cause of lower rebirths. The base on which they are experiencing all this pleasure is, in fact, suffering in nature. Their ignorant minds hallucinate that it is pleasure, and they believe all those sufferings to be pleasure. That hallucination—regarding those sufferings as pleasure, believing them to 27 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA be pleasure, and being attached to them—is a fundamental, major suffering. Enjoying all this pleasure with attachment becomes only a cause of samsara as well as a cause to be reborn as a hell being, hungry ghost, or animal and to experience suffering in those realms. All the gods' actions are non-virtuous, even though they have perfect comfort and pleasure. Although all their enjoyments in reality are suffering in nature, since the gods regard and experience them with attachment, their actions of enjoying them become only non-virtue. Even though they do not understand that this is the case, this is what happens. Therefore, the gods' lives are spent totally in suffering. Generate immeasurable loving-kindness towards them. Think, "May my kind mother sentient beings—desire realm gods, and form and formless realm gods—have all happiness, especially the highest happiness of full enlightenment." [Meditation.] May all sentient beings be free from all suffering. "May all my kind mother sentient beings be free from all suffering" is immeasurable compassion. Do as above, starting with the sentient beings in the hell realm. "May the countless hell realm beings, my kind mother sentient beings, be free from all suffering." [Meditation.] Think in a similar way towards the hungry ghosts. "May all my kind mother sentient beings, the hungry ghosts, be free from all suffering." Remember not just their suffering of hunger and thirst, which is the particular suffering of hungry ghosts, but think of them experiencing all the sufferings of samsara, including the suffering of pain, the suffering of change, and especially pervasive compounded suffering. [Meditation.] MEDITATION ON THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES "May all my kind mother sentient beings, the animals, be free from all suffering." I won't repeat the instructions each time. They are the same as above. [Meditation.] "May all my kind mother sentient beings, the human beings, be free from all suffering." [Meditation.] "May all my kind mother sentient beings, the demigods and gods, including the desire realm, form and formless realm gods, be free from all suffering." [Meditation.] "May all my kind mother sentient beings, those in the intermediate state, be free from all suffering." [Meditation.] May all sentient beings never be parted from happiness (bliss). This is immeasurable joy. First think of the beings born in the lower realms—the hell beings, hungry ghosts and animals. "May those beings lacking temporal happiness never be separated from temporal happiness." Then focus on those beings in the upper realms, who lack ultimate happiness—the cessation of suffering and its cause. "May those beings who are devoid of liberation never be parted from this happiness." Think of those who are devoid of the great liberation, enlightenment. "May those beings never be parted from the everlasting happiness of full enlightenment." In this way, reflect on the various levels of happiness—temporal happiness, liberation from samsara, and the peerless happiness of full enlightenment—and wish all beings never to be separated from these. [Meditation.] May all sentient beings be placed in a state of equanimity unperturbed by preconceptions of apprehender and apprehended 28 29 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA or by the eight worldly concerns. Remember the meaning of this as described above. Think, "I will lead all my kind mother sentient beings to equanimity of the eight worldly concerns. Not just that, but I wish them to abide in the equanimity that all phenomena are of one taste in emptiness, of one taste in the sphere of Dharma." In emptiness, there is no bad, no good, no enemy, no friend. There's no I, no you. "I will cause sentient beings to abide in this equanimity unmoved by the thought of the eight worldly concerns and the king of the superstitions, self-grasping ignorance,7 which holds subject (apprehender, the perceiving mind) and object (the apprehended, the objects it perceives) as inherently existent. May they then be unperturbed by the other emotional minds—anger, attachment, jealousy, arrogance, and so forth—that arise from this ignorance." Generate this thought of equanimity gradually and fully, beginning with the hell beings and spreading to those in all realms. "I will bring them into equanimity." [Meditation.] 30 FIVE DISSOLVING INTO EMPTINESS Having meditated on the four immeasurables, you are ready to meditate on taking the three kayas into the path. Remember that you are clarified as Yamantaka and think, "For the benefit of my kind mother sentient beings, I am going to actualize the clear light of dharmakaya and then arise in the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya forms to benefit others." No matter which Highest Yoga Tantra sadhana you do— Yamantaka, Heruka, Guhyasamaja, and so forth—motivate like this before meditating on taking the three kayas into the path. OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM OM SUNYATA JNANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO HAM Because I myself, the deities, the field of merit, and all other phenomena are dependent designations, everything becomes empty, having the true nature of selflessness, and is parted from the four extremes of eternalism, nihilism, and so forth. Although the verse follows the mantras in the sadhana, His Holiness advises reciting the verse on emptiness first and the mantras afterwards. When you meditate and know the meaning of the mantras, you see that reciting them after the verse is more suitable. 31 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA I, the deities of the merit field, and all other phenomena are merely labeled in dependence on their base. Therefore, all these phenomena are devoid of eternalism, nihilism,8 and so forth—the four extremes— and everything is the nature of emptiness, the absence of inherent existence. What are the four extremes? The first is eternalism, or inherent existence. Whereas all phenomena exist by being merely labeled by mind, the mind apprehends them as existing from their own side without being merely labeled by mind. Apprehending things that are merely labeled by mind as if they were not merely labeled by mind is the view of eternalism. Thus, phenomena are free from eternalism because they do not exist inherently; they do not exist from their own side. The second extreme is nihilism, or total non-existence. Existing means merely labeled by the mind in dependence upon the base. While phenomena exist in mere name, by being merely labeled by mind, thinking that they do not exist at all is the view of nihilism. "Not existing from its own side" is not the meaning of nihilism. Why? It is true that things do not exist from their own side, because they exist by being merely labeled by mind. Nihilism involves believing that they are simply non-existent. It does not specify that what is non-existent is a particular part of the appearance—inherent existence. It does not specify that the part of your perception that is hallucination is non-existent. Here, in the four extremes, "non-existent" means phenomena being totally non-existent—not existing even nominally. Thus, phenomena are free from being totally non-existent. The third extreme is both eternalism and nihilism. Clearly, if phenomena are free from externalism and free from nihilism, they are free from both. These three extremes are relatively easy to understand. 32 DISSOLVING INTO EMPTINESS But with the fourth, if you do not think well, you can get confused.9 If you say that the fourth is neither eternalism nor nihilism, then you cannot say that phenomena do not exist that way, for in fact they are neither inherently existent nor totally non-existent. The first two points say that all phenomena are not eternalism and are not nihilism. So why bring it up again? We already said phenomena are not either of them. And it is true that all phenomena are neither eternalism nor nihilism. The third extreme says all phenomena are not both eternalism and nihilism. So the fourth one should be that all phenomena are not non-eternalism and non-nihilism. But that is incorrect because all phenomena are non-eternalism and all phenomena are non-nihilism (that is, all phenomena are non-inherently existent and not totally non-existent). Therefore saying all phenomena are not non-eternalism and non-nihilism is incorrect. If you say this, you fall into nihilism again. Saying that all phenomena are not non-eternalism and non-nihilism is saying that they are both. If you say two negatives, it becomes a positive. I think they add all these negatives in debate in order to train the mind, to practice awareness and mindfulness. Here, if you are not careful, it is easy to make a mistake if you say all phenomena are not non-eternalism and non-nihilism—which means they are both—when you have already said in the third point that they are not both! Why is it wrong to say that all phenomena are not non-eternalism and non-nihilism? Because all phenomena are both non-eternalism and non-nihilism. So what is the fourth extreme? Non-eternalism and non-nihilism existing from their own side. The fourth extreme is some truly existent state that is not eternalism and not nihilism. That does not 33 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA exist. That is what is being negated here. Phenomena are free from that. For example, when you think you do not have money, you think no money existing from its own side. When you say, "I do not have a job," you think there is no job existing from its own side. You think of an inherently existent "no job" or an inherently existent "no money." The fourth extreme is similar—something that is non-eternalism and non-nihilism existing from its own side. All phenomena are devoid of that extreme. OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM OM SUNYATA JNANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO HAM The meaning of the mantra is this: SVABHAVA is nature, SHUDDHA is pure, SARVA DHARMA is all phenomena, SHUDDHO again is pure. Ho HAM10 means this is me. The first SVABHAVA SHUDDHA indicates the emptiness of the object. It is repeated again towards the end of the mantra to indicate the emptiness of the mind, the cognizer, or appre-hender, or that which is cognizing the object. In this way, the mantra indicates the emptiness of both subject—mind—and object. All phenomena can be included within these two. The way of meditating with this mantra is as follows. What are all objects apprehended by the mind? What they are is what is merely labeled by mind. They exist by being merely labeled by mind. They are not non-existent. They exist, but exist in mere name. While they exist, they are empty. They exist only nominally, so they are totally empty of existing from their own side. This is how all phenomena exist. The ignorance grasping inherent existence projects inherent existence onto these merely labeled objects that are in fact empty. When 34 DISSOLVING INTO EMPTINESS you do not analyze, when you have not realized emptiness and are not practicing mindfulness on how things are empty, they appear inherently existent to you, and your mind holds that appearance to be true. In fact, the very nature of phenomena does not have inherent existence; their very nature is not inherently existent. Because it is unstained by inherent existence, the very nature of phenomena is pure. The first SVABHAVA SHUDDHA or "pure nature" indicates that all objects are not inherently existent, even though, when you do not analyze or meditate, they appear inherently existent, and your mind believes that to be true. The very nature of phenomena is that they are empty of existing from their own side, empty of any inherently existent nature. For example, a cloth is clean, or pure, because it does not contain dirt; gold is pure because it is not mixed with brass or other materials—all phenomena are pure because they are unstained by inherent existence. When you recite the first SVABHAVA SHUDDHA, meditate on the emptiness of objects. Look at them as empty, as pure of inherent existence. The second SVABHAVA SHUDDHO, refers to the emptiness of the subject, the mind, that which apprehends objects. What is the mind? It is nothing except that which is merely labeled by mind, designated by thought, in dependence on the base. The mind is a phenomenon % that is formless, colorless, and without shape. Its nature is clear and able to perceive objects. In dependence on that base, thought makes up the label "mind." That is all the mind is. Even the mind does not exist from its own side. Even the mind is totally empty of inherent existence. Since the very nature of the mind is emptiness, the mind too is pure and unstained by inherent existence. As you meditate on the meaning of the mantra, you and all 35 A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA phenomena evaporate into emptiness. All phenomena are empty like space. Emptiness is not space, but it is like space. Everything is empty of existing from its own side. Your wisdom seeing emptiness is infinite bliss in nature. This great bliss perceives emptiness and is non-dual with it. In the view of that wisdom, there is no differentiation between object, emptiness, and subject, wisdom. They are of one taste, one taste in emptiness. [Meditation.] Think, "This is my future resultant holy mind of Yamantaka, the dharmakaya." The last two syllables in the mantra are HO HAM, which means "this is me." Meditate now on the meaning of HO HAM—"I am the resultant holy mind of Yamantaka, the dharmakaya." [Meditation.] The syllable OM in the mantra means the same as it does in other mantras. That is, through this meditation you purify ordinary appearance of your body, speech, and mind and transform them into the completely pure vajra body, speech, and mind of Yamantaka. This is signified by OM, which is made of three sounds: AH, O, and M, which represent the deity's holy body, speech, and mind that we wish to attain. OM has ten benefits—sublimity, wealth, treasure, auspicious-ness, and so forth—and has great meaning. OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHA SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM is recited many times during every sadhana; for example, when you bless the offerings. This is how to meditate on it. In the case of blessing the inner offering, your transcendental wisdom of non-dual bliss and emptiness—the dharmakaya—manifests as nectar. Here, when you do the self-generation, it takes the form of the deity's body— wrathful or peaceful—with certain colors and a particular number of faces, arms, and legs, holding various implements. Depending on all 36 DISSOLVING INTO EMPTINESS this, it is labeled as this or that deity. The second mantra recited while dissolving into emptiness is OM SUNYATA JNANA VAJRA SVABHAVA ATMAKO HAM. The meaning of OM is as above. SUNYATA means emptiness, JNANA is exalted wisdom, VAJRA means indestructible or inseparable, SVABHAVA is nature, ATMAKO means entity, and HO HAM11 is I am. Together it means, "I have the mind whose nature is inseparable blissful exalted wisdom (subject) and emptiness (object)." 37 Previously published by the LAMA YESHE WISDOM ARCHIVE Becoming Your Own Therapist, by Lama Yeshe Advice for Monks and Nuns, by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche Virtue and Reality, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche Make Your Mind an Ocean, by Lama Yeshe Teachings from the Vajrasattva Retreat, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche For initiates only: A Chat about Heruka, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche Forthcoming in 2000 Making Life Meaningful, by Lama Zopa Rinpoche The Essence of Tibetan Buddhism: The Three Principal Aspects of the Path and An Introduction to Tantra, by Lama Yeshe (Contact us for information) May whoever sees, touches, reads, remembers, or talks or thinks about these publications never be reborn in unfortunate circumstances, receive only rebirths in situations conducive to the perfect practice ofDharma, meet only perfectly qualified spiritual guides, quickly develop bodhicitta and immediately attain htenmentfor the sake of all sentient beings. LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE A CHAT ABOUT YAMANTAKA Edited by Thubten Chodron LAMA YESHE WISDOM ARCHIVE • BOSTON www.LamaYeshe.com A non-profit charitable organization for the benefit of all sentient beings and a section of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition www.fpmt.org Chenrezig Institute Buddhist Studies Programme - Lam Rim Chen Mo 2004 - chart prepared by TT and KV BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI Taught the three mothers - the perfection of wisdom surras - which teach the profound view (wisdom) explicitly and implicitly teach the extensive deeds (method). MAITREYA BUDDHA Although a deity he appeared as a bodhisattva at the time of Buddha and the lineage of the extensive deeds was transmitted through him 1 ASANGA After many years of practice met Maitreya directly, Went with him to Tushita heaven where he received 5 great teachings, one of which is The Ornament of Clear Realisation which explicitly teaches the extensive deeds Survarnadvipi Serlingpa) MANJUSHRI Although a deity, he appeared as a bodhisattva at the time of Buddha and the lineage of the profound view was transmitted through him. NAGARJUNA Prophesied by the Buddha and through the blessing of Manjushri he clarified the meaning of the Buddha's teachings on the profound view in the teachings on madhyamaka Vidyakokila the younger (Avadhutipa) LAMA ATISHA (982 - 1054) Invited to Tibet by Janchub-6 in order the revive the dharma. He had many auspicious visions and received the blessings of Buddha and deities, and in writing The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, he combined the teachings of the two lineages (and also the lineage of the wave of conduct which passed from Manjushri to Shantideva). He clarified how all the teachings of the Buddha are not contradictory, especially in relation to sutra and tantra. 1 After lama Atisha came many highly realised teachers including Dromtonpa. The lineages split into three again and it was with the coming of LAMA TSONG KHAPA (1357 - 1419) that they were brought together again, clarifying the Buddha's intent where it had been lost or misunderstood. Lama Tsong Khapa received The Three Principles of the Path directly from Manjusjri and combined this with a commentary on Atisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment when he wrote The Lam Rim Chen Mo - The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. This tradition has been passed down through various highly realised teachers, including Pabongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche to our own teachers. rnandala Mafiju£ri (Bodhisattva) Mandala is a Sanskrit word that literally means circle. In Buddhism it usually refers to geometric patterns or images, usually containing circular motifs, that are used for meditation. The two most common types are drawn or painted scrolls and those drawn on the ground, usually with colored pigments. They are used extensively in esoteric Buddhism. Mandalas might well be said to be the visual counterpart of mantras. cosmogram Vajradhatu mandala (see plate 29) D Q ID Garbhadhatu mandala (see plate 30) Bodhisattva ManJusrT (see plate 31) Manjusn is the eldest of the great Bodhisattvas and is foremost in wisdom. "Manjusrl, a Sanskrit word, is interpreted as 'wonderful virtue' or 'wonderfully auspicious.' Of the Bodhisattvas, Manjusrl has the greatest wisdom, and so he is known as 'The Greatly Wise Bodhisattva Manjusn.' Among the Bodhisattvas he holds the highest rank, and so he is listed first, before the Bodhisattva Who Observes the Sounds of the World. There are four great Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattva Manjusrl, Bodhisattva Who Observes the Sounds of the World [icrAvalokitesvara], Bodhisattva Universal Worthy [i=r SAMANTABHADRA] , and Bodhisattva RTEARTH STORE [Ksitigarbha]. "Bodhisattva Manjusrl dwells in China on Wutai Mountain, where his bodhi-manda [«=TWAY-PLACE] is located. His efficacious responses are marvelous beyond all reckoning. He became a Buddha long ago and was called Buddha of the Race of Honored Dragon Kings. After becoming a Buddha, he 'hid away the great and iiituuicaicu uic MUciju, in uiuci LU practice the Bodhisattva Way, teach and transform living beings, and help the Buddha [Sakyamuni] propagate the Dharma. His spiritual penetrations and miraculous functions are inconceivable." (DPS II 144-145) "Bodhisattva Manjusrl.. .is a very special Bodhisattva. When he was born, ten kinds of extraordinary events occurred, which show that he was different from other Bodhisattvas. Manjusn is known for his great wisdom. '"But the Venerable KT SARIPUTRA is also known for his wisdom,' you may ask. 'What is the difference between the two types of wisdom?' "The wisdom of Sariputra is provisional wisdom, and the wisdom of Manjusn is real wisdom. The wisdom of Sariputra is the Hinayana wisdom; the wisdom of Manjusn is the Mahayana wisdom [«=r MAHAYANA AND HINAYANA COMPARED]. "What were the ten auspicious signs which manifested at Manjusri's birth? "l) The room was filled with bright light, brighter than the light which could be made by any number of light bulbs. The bright light represented the Bodhisattva's great wisdom. "2) The vessels were filled with sweet dew. Sweet dew is miraculous; drinking it will cure all the sicknesses in the world. Then, instead of having to undergo birth, old age, sickness, and death, you'll only have birth, old age, and death to deal with. "3) The seven precious things came forth from the earth. The seven precious things are gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, mother-of-pearl, red pearls, and carnelian. Why did these treasures appear? Manjusrl had cultivated the Six Perfections [KTSIX PARAMITAS] and the i en i nousana rractices to such a high degree of perfection that in response, wherever he goes, precious gems appear. "4) The gods opened the treasuries. Manjusrl Bodhisattva's great spiritual powers caused the earth to open up and expose the many treasuries it contains. This differs from the third, in which the seven precious things well up out of the earth. Here the treasuries were exposed when the earth opened up. "5) Chickens gave birth to phoenixes. Even more unusual than the gods opening the treasuries was the fact that chickens gave birth to phoenixes. Basically, of course, chickens only give birth to chickens. But because Manjusri's birth was such a special occasion, they gave birth to phoenixes. "6) Pigs gave birth to dragons. This is even more unusual than chickens giving birth to phoenixes__ "7) Horses gave birth to unicorns__ "8) Cows gave birth to white tsai. The white tsai is an extremely rare and auspicious animal—It looks like a horse but has the hooves of an ox. It is in a special category all of its own. "9) The grain in the granaries turned to gold. Do you think that is strange? Some of you probably think it is so strange that you don't even believe it. If you don't believe it, it's because you don't understand it. If you don't understand it, it's no doubt be- Bodhisattva , Manjusn cause you ve never (Seepiate32) _o "O o £0 rt s encountered such a thing before. And so how could you possibly believe it? However, the world is a very big place and what we have seen and heard is extremely limited. Therefore, it is not strange that there are unusual phenomena which we have not seen or heard. When the grain turned to gold, it could no longer be used as food, but then just a few grains could be exchanged for a lot of food.... "10) Elephants with six tusks appeared. As we know, elephants usually only have two tusks. At the time of Manjusrl's birth, however, they appeared with six. Is that strange or not? "Those ten special signs appeared at the time of Manjusrl's birth and represent Manjusrl's rare eloquence in speaking all Dharmas— "When he speaks the Dharma, Mafijusri does not discriminate among the dharmas. Although he does not discriminate among the dharmas, he, nevertheless, does not not distinguish all dharmas. The wonder lies right at this point, and that is why he is known as 'wonderful virtue'— Mafijus'ri.... "The six tusks stand for the Six Perfections («=r six PARAMITAS) and the elephants stand for the Ten Thousand Conducts...." (DPS II 144-149) ^T Bodhisattva mantra /£, Mantras are phrases of sound whose primary meaning or meanings is not N cognitive, but on a spiritual level that tran-< scends ordinary linguistic understanding. Cj "Dharma Master Gushan said, 'The se-Q cret mantras in sutras, as a rule, should § not be translated. In the past Dharma Masters held various opinions about this, but the KTTIANTAI SCHOOL compiled them into four: "l) A mantra contains the names of kings of ghosts and spirits. When you say the king's name, the subjects all obey, due to their respect for their lord. They dare not cause trouble. This is a fortunate benefit for the world. "2) The saying of a mantra is like the secret password of the military. If the reply is correct, there's no further question. If the reply is incorrect, one is punished. This is of benefit to humankind. "3) A mantra is a secret way to stop evil without anybody knowing it. [This is] like a lowly person who goes to another country and passes himself off as a prince. He marries the princess of that country, but he is bad-tempered and hard to attend to. Then somebody comes along who knows him and reveals his disguise. He uses a verse to expose him, which quietly puts him in his place." (SM I 37-38, commentary omitted) "The verse goes: Lacking virtue, you went to another country, And cheated all the people there. Originally you were a poor, unfortunate man. What right do you have to get so angry?" (SM I 38) "This has the benefit of correcting situations and stopping evil. "4) The mantra is the secret language of all Buddhas, and only the sages know about it. For example, when the king gives the order for saindhava, which is really one name for four things: salt, water, a vessel, and a horse, the multitude does not know what he wants. Only the wise officials know. A single phrase of the mantra is filled with many different powers: curing an illness, eradicating offenses, producing good, according with the Way, and entering into the primary truth. Mantras have these four benefits. . . [which correspond to the four meanings above]." (SM I 38-40, commentary omitted) Among the better known Buddhist mantras are 1) om mani padme hum (KTVBS #11 29-31), 2) the Great Compassion Mantra, and 3) the Surangama Mantra. formula, spell, charm, words with super natural power Great Compassion Mantra, Surangama Mantra, dharani, Five Types of Buddhist Study and Practice — Esoteric demons meditation A rather vague word in English, meditation is used in the context of Buddhist teachings to indicate the controlling and directing of one's mind inward in the quest for enlightenment. Many different kinds of meditational methods have been taught by the Buddhas and Patriarchs, and meditational practices are found in almost all Buddhist schools. Although meditation can be done while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, usually emphasis is placed on sitting meditation. The er CHAN SCHOOL is most well-known for its single-minded emphasis on direct meditational inquiry. Preliminary meditational practices are usually concerned with the calming and purification of mind and body. Formal stages of meditation prior to enlightenment are discussed in the entries ISTFOUR DHYANAS and H3TFOUR FORMLESS RFALMS. Three Prerequisites for Sitting in Meditation Patience "What must you be patient with? You must learn to bear the pain in your back and the pain in your legs. When you first begin to sit in Chan meditation, you will experience pain in your back and legs because you are unaccustomed to sitting that way. In the beginning this pain may be hard to bear, so you will have to be patient. No Greed "Those who cultivate Chan inquiry should not hope for enlightenment. If you think about how you want to become enlightened, then even if you were meant to get enlightened, that single thought will cover over your enlightenment and prevent it from happening. "Further, you should not, because of greed, seek speed in your practice. You cannot expect to sit today and get enlightened 00 en Q D tomorrow. So many of today's young people are turned upside down, and although they want to do Chan inquiry and study the Buddhadharma, they take drugs, which they say is a way of bringing them enlightenment fast. That is a grave mistake. Not only will such people not get enlightened, the more they study in this way, the more crazy and depraved they become.... "Therefore, I want to stress this: don't try to get off cheap. Don't try to do it fast. Don't think that without putting out any effort you can cash in on welfare. There is nothing of value obtained without doing some work for it. Perseverance "You must be constant in your practice of Chan. The best way is to sit in full lotus. This posture is achieved by placing your left ankle onto your right thigh, and then lifting your right ankle onto your left thigh. This posture can quiet your mind. It is your foundation for sitting in Chan. You should train yourself to sit that way. Some of you protest, 'My legs are stiff and I can't sit that way.' Well, then try sitting in 'half-lotus,' which is when your left ankle is on your right thigh. 'But I can't even do that,' some may say. Well, then you'll have to sit in a cross-legged position—in whatever way is possible for you. But you should be working to get into half lotus and eventually into full lotus. Full lotus is the foundation for sitting in meditation. Since it is fundamental, you should work to master it. If you try to build a house on bare ground, the first big rain that comes along will wash it away. The first big wind will blow it down. The same is true for meditation without a foundation. Full lotus is the foun-dation of Buddhahood. If you want to be-come a Buddha, first master full lotus. "Once your legs are in full lotus, you should hold your body erect. Sit up straight and do not lean forward or backward. Keep your spine absolutely straight. Curl your tongue back against the roof of your mouth. If you secrete saliva, you can swallow it. Also people who cultivate Chan should not smoke cigarettes or take drugs; they make your saliva bitter— "Your eyes are not necessarily open and not necessarily closed. If you leave your eyes open while meditating, it is very easy to have false thinking about what you see. If you completely close your eyes while sitting, it is very easy to fall asleep. And so keeping your eyes half open and half closed is a good way to counteract both problems— "As to your mind—don't think of anything. Don't have any polluted thoughts. Don't think about what state you are experiencing or hope to experience, and don't think about how you want to get enlightened. The affairs of this world are not that simple. A thief who steals others' money ends up with wealth that is not his own. If you work and earn money, then the wealth you accumulate is your own. The same principle applies to meditation. Don't be greedy for speed, hoping to become enlightened fast. Don't be greedy to get a bargain. If in your cultivation you are greedy for small benefits, then you will never get the big ones." (LY II 90-93) "Meditation, like all cultivation, must be practiced daily without interruption." (LYII 152) "When you sit in Chan (meditation), you should not be greedy for the flavor of Chan.... What is the flavor of Chan? It refers to the bliss of the dhydnas (KT FOUR DHYANAs). When you have been sitting just about long enough, you start to experience a feeling of comfort and freedom. When that happens, you may feel kind of indolent—like you don't want to move; you want to just sit there. You become greedy for that feeling of comfort and ease. That's the flavor of Chan. If you become greedy for a state, it is not easy for you to go on and make progress, because you will want to linger there and will get attached to that flavor of Chan. You will keep trying to get back into that state. You will think, 'When am I going to have that kind of state again? In that state there was no self, no others, no living beings, and no life span; no afflictions—no hassles. It was very blissful, very, very comfortable and free. I wonder when I will ever have that experience again.' And you will just sit there waiting for that flavorful experience to recur. And what happens while you wait? You forget all about applying effort—you are no longer able to do the work. "But people who sit in meditation and want to make progress need to be free of any obstructions or hangups. They can't be seeking anything or be greedy for anything. You can't get excessively happy, or depressed, and you shouldn't have any fear or terror. You should see your body as being the same as empty space and the Dharma Realm. You don't need to be attached to anything. As soon as you become greedy and seek, you fall into a secondary meaning__" (TT 104) K^sT Chan School, Four Dhyanas, Four Formless Realms, Six Paramitas—Meditational Concentration, cultivation, enlightenment, lotus posture, mindfulness, samadhi merit/merit and virtue $]%&________ "Wholesome merit and virtue are derived from upholding the Five Precepts and doing the Ten Good Deeds [CTFIVE MORAL PRECEPTS, TEN WHOLESOME DEEDS]. Virtue refers to what is inside, to constantly fortifying oneself with wisdom." (TT 43) The Sixth Patriarch «=r HUINENG makes the following distinction between the higher practice of merit and virtue and their practice on a lower, worldly level of understanding. He calls the latter 'cultivation of blessings': Seeing your own nature is merit, and equanimity is virtue. To be unobstructed in every thought, constantly seeing the true, real, wonderful function of your original nature is called "merit and virtue." Inner humility is merit and the outer practice of reverence is virtue. Your own nature establishing the ten thousand dharmas is merit and the mind-substance separate from thought is virtue. Not being separate from one's own nature is merit, and the correct use of one's own undefiled (nature) is virtue. If you seek the merit and virtue of the Dharma body, simply act according to these principles, for this is true merit and virtue. Those who cultivate merit and virtue in their thoughts do not slight others, but always respect them. Those who slight others and do not cut off the 'me' and 'mine' are without merit. One's own inherent nature, vain and unreal, is without virtue, because of the 'me and mine,' because of the greatness of'self,' and because of the constant slighting of others. Good Knowing Advisors, continuity of thought is merit, and the mind practicing equality and directness is virtue. Self-cultivation of one's nature is merit, and self-cultivation of the body is virtue. Good Knowing Advisors, merit and virtue should be seen within one's own nature, not sought through giving and making offerings. That is the difference between blessings and merit and virtue.... (PS 133-137) ^T meritorious action, virtue, meritorious qualities iCJr blessings, good roots, karma, transference of -o c M Middle Way ti The Buddha said: "Those who follow the Way are like pieces of wood in the water which are borne on the current, not touching either shore, and which are not picked up by people, not intercepted by ghosts or spirits, not caught up in whirlpools, and which do not rot. I guarantee that these pieces of wood will certainly reach the sea. I guarantee that students of the Way who are not deluded by emotional desire, nor bothered by myriad devious things, but who are vigorous in their cultivation of the unconditioned, will certainly attain theWay."(S4255) These two extremes, monks, should not be followed by one who has gone forth from the life of a householder to the life of a mendicant. Which two? That which is, among sense-pleasures, addiction to attractive sense-pleasure, low, of the common, of the average man, un-Aryan, not connected with the goal, and that which is addiction to self-torment, ill, un-Aryan, not connected with the goal. Now monks, without adopting either of these two extremes, there is a middle course, fully awakened to by die Tathagata, making for a vision, making for knowledge, which conduces to calming (of passion), to super-knowledge (of the Four Truths), to awakening, to nirvana... .And what, monks, is this middle course? It is the Aryan eightfold way itself, that is to say: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right mode of living, right endeavor, right mindfulness, right concentration. {The Book of the Discipline, pt. 4, 15; quoted by Jaini in "Sramana Conflict") of the Middle Way? "'Ultimate' means final, 'meaning' means what is fitting, 'middle' means not going to extremes, and 'Way' means practice. One who abides by the Middle does not go too far, nor does he fail to go far enough. When he goes too far he should bring about a lessening, and when he falls short, he should increase. In either case he should avoid falling into «cr EMPTINESS, or grasping at existence. This is what is meant by the Middle Way, the true substance of the principle of True Emptiness. It is also called the Reality-Mark, True Suchness, One's Own Nature, and the «=r BUDDHA-NATURE. "To put it quite clearly once again, it is like the figure zero which is the sole ancestor of heaven and earth, the father of all Buddhas, the mother of all things, and the source of the most subtle of wonders. Everything in life and death comes from it, and there isn't anything which does not return to it. This is what is meant by the phrase 'True Emptiness is not empty; Wonderful Existence is not existence.' One who understands this can be called a 'person of the Way who is without a mind,' one who has overstepped all categories, who has been released forever from the suffering of the wheel, who roams freely at leisure, and who has ended birth and death—a living dead person." (WM 49-50) <^=f Way/Path of the Center iCT Four Holy Truths mindfulness fe The ifT-FLOWER ADORNMENT SUTRA speaks of these ten aspects of mindfulness: mindfulness that is pure, mindfulness that is not turbid, mindfulness that is bright and penetrating, mindfulness that is apart from defilement, mindfulness that is apart from various defilements, mindfulness that is apart from filth, mindfulness that is bright and dazzling, mindfulness that is pleasing, and mindfulness that is free from obstacles. "When the Bodhisattvas dwell in these aspects of mindfulness, nothing in the world can disturb or unsettle them. No strange theories can move them. Their good roots from past lives are made pure and they are not defiled by or attached to any dharma in the world. The multitudes of demons and those of external ways cannot destroy them. They can undergo rebirth and receive different bodies without any lapse in memory. They proclaim the Dharma endlessly throughout the past, present, and future." (FAS Ch22 129) v^T Four Applications of Mindfulness, recitation of the Buddha's name, meditation, Pure Land School moral precepts ___________ The jeweled precepts with the brilliance of vajra are the original source of all Buddhas, the original source of all Bodhisattvas, and the seed of the Buddha-nature. (BNS I 54) "The world today is filled with terror. People of all races are in a perpetual state of fear, so that they don't feel safe when they walk about; they can't taste the food they eat; and they can't sleep peacefully. w IIO.L 10 tii^ piiii^ijjic uciuuu LUIS: w jay lias such a state appeared? Those who believe in Buddhism should pay particular attention to the principle governing this phenomenon. It is because the evil offenses and evil karma that people are creating are filling up the heavens. Each person keeps creating more KT KARMA and never makes an attempt to eradicate the karma that they have amassed. Everyone has committed the karma of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, taking intoxicants, and lying. It is simply because people do not maintain and uphold the precepts which govern these five actions that slowly, bit by bit, the karma accumulates. When the karma from killing living beings becomes great enough, the energy of animosity will completely fill up a great »=r WORLD SYSTEM of a billion worlds." (TT 58) The Buddha said: "My disciples may be several thousand miles away from me, but if they remember my precepts, they will certainly obtain the fruits of the Way. "If those who are by my side do not follow my precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they will not obtain the Way." (S42 74) Now it is not thus [by the display of various heavenly offerings], Ananda, that the Tathagata is rightly honored, reverenced, venerated, held sacred or revered. But the brother or sister, the devout man or woman, who continually fulfills all the greater and lesser duties, who is correct in life, walking according to the precepts—it is he who rightly honors, reverences, venerates, holds sacred, and reveres the Tathagata with the worthiest homage. Therefore, O Ananda, be ye constant in the fulfillment of the greater and of the lesser duties, and be ye correct in life, walking according to the precepts; and thus N E I Q Q 13 Ananda, should it be taught. (Rhys Davids, tr. Dialogues of the Buddha II 150-151) '"Precepts' refer to rules and regulations. Their purpose is to help us: Stop evil and avoid misdeeds; Not do any evil, But offer up all good conduct. Precepts include: The Precept Dharma The Precept Substance The Precept Mark The Precept Dharma includes: The Five Precepts (for lay people) The Eight Precepts (for lay people) The Ten Precepts (for novices) The Ten Major and Forty-eight Minor Bodhisattva Precepts (for both left-home and lay people) The 250 Bhikshu Precepts The 348 Bhikshuni Precepts "All of those precepts are to tell you not to do any evil but to offer up all good conduct. You should hold the precepts purely and not go against them." (FAS Chl6 33-34) The Analogy of the Brahma Net Before the god Brahma, lord of the Brahma Heaven of the pure world of form (CTTHREE WORLDS), a circular net curtain is suspended as an adornment. In each hole of the curtain a pearl is found. Each pearl both reflects all other pearls and shines its light on all the other pearls. The result is an incredible display of infinite interreflected light. The net curtain can be understood analogically. It stands for one's own body and mind. Each hole in the netting represents a particular outflow of one's vital energy. Each pearl represents a moral precept. To the extent that one keeps the moral precepts, the pearls emit light and illuminate one's own body and mind and also those of all other living beings. Just before the Buddha entered nirvana he said to the Venerable icr ANANDA: It may be, Ananda, that in some of you the thought might arise, "The word of the master is ended, we have no teacher more!" But it is not thus, Ananda, that you should regard it. The Truths, and the Rules of the Order, which I have set forth and laid down for you all, let them, after I am gone, be teacher for you. (Dialogues of theBuddhallYJl] precepts, moral regulations Five Moral Precepts, faith Nagarjuna ( Bodhisattva } Nagarjuna was the Fourteenth Patriarch of the KTCHAN SCHOOL in India and founder of the Emptiness (Madhyamika) School of Mahayana Buddhism. He probably lived during the second century c.E. He also is included in the patriarchal lineage of other Buddhist schools. "The Venerable Une was rrom India. When the Thirteenth Patriarch, in the course of his traveling and teaching, reached the part of India where Nagarjuna was cultivating, the Venerable Nagarjuna went out to greet him with these words: The deep mountains are so quiet and solitary, the abode of dragons and pythons. How is it that you, who are so virtuous, have strayed so far to come here? What brings you here?' The Patriarch said, 'I am not venerable. I have come to see you, Worthy One.' Nagarjuna thought to himself, 'The Thirteenth Patriarch is lying when he denies he is venerable.' The Patriarch knew what he was thinking, and Nagarjuna regretted it, apologizing for being so stupid. The Patriarch immediately transmitted the great Mind-to-Mind Seal to him, and Nagarjuna and the five hundred who were cultivating the Way with him all received the complete precepts. "After obtaining the Dharma, the Venerable Nagarjuna traveled and taught. When he reached southern India, he found the people there preoccupied with the quest for rewards of heavenly blessings and unaware of how to seek the Buddhadharma. The Patriarch told them the meaning of the «=r BUDDHA-NATURE, and how their own natures were endowed with limitless meritorious qualities and blessed rewards. When the multitudes heard that Dharma, they all stopped seeking blessings and turned away from the small to go towards the great. Right where he was sitting, the Patriarch made his body look like the orb of the full moon. The Fifteenth Patriarch-to-be, Kanadeva, was in the crowd and remarked, The Venerable One is showing us the substance and characteristics of the Buddha-nature.' Nagarjuna thereupon transmitted the Dharma to Kanadeva and entered the Moon's Orb Samadhi, extensively displaying spiritual transformations. Immediately afterwards, he entered cessation. "His eulogy reads: The Buddha-nature in its meaning neither exists nor non-exists. He made appear Samadhi's Orb, a coral moon on high. An elder brother in the household, he fell not to biases. Eyebrows both raised and lowered, from one mallet dual sounds..." (VBS f 100 (Sept. 1978)2) This is a summary of the philosophical underpinnings of Nagarjuna's teachings. [What follows is] "...a synthetic survey (samksepa) of Nagarjuna's chief religious and philosophical persuasions. "The best starting point for such an exposition is the theory of two truths (satyadvaya): a relative or conventional truth (samvrtisatya) that serves as the means for obtaining the absolute or ultimate truth (paramarthasatya). "The ultimate goal of all endeavors is the highest good of oneself and of others: abolition of rebirth, or nirvana [i.e., enlightenment]. It implies the attainment of Buddhahood, or a twofold body (kayadvaya). This may be considered from four perspectives: 1) Ontologically: All phenomena (dharma) are empty (sunya) since they lack own-being (svabhdva), inasmuch as empirically and logically they only occur in mutual dependence (pratltyasamutpanna). 2) Epistemol-ogically: The ultimate truth (tattva) is the object of a cognition without an object (advayajndna), and thus only an object Q a metaphorically speaking (upaaaya prajnaptt). 3) Psychologically: It is the abolition of all the passions (klesa), primarily desire (raga), hatred (dvesa) and delusion (moha). 4) Ethically: It implies freedom from the bonds of karma but subjection to the altruistic imperatives of compassion (karuna). "The conventional Buddhist means (\sam\vyavahdra) devised for the fulfillment of this objective may be classified variously, but fit most briefly and comprehensively under the heading of the two accumulations for enlightenment (bodhi-sambhdra): 1) "Accumulation of merit (punyasambhdra). This comprises four perfections (paramita): Liberality (ddna) and good morals (stla), which are mainly for the benefit of others, and patience (ksdntt) and energy (viryd), which are for one's own good. Their practice presupposes faith (sraddha) in the 'law' of karma and results in the attainment of the physical body (rupakaya) of a Buddha. Along with the pursuit of meditation (dhydna), the fifth paramita, this constitutes temporal happiness (abhyudaya). 2) "Accumulation of cognition (jndnasambhdra). This consists in ecstatic meditation (dhydna) surpassed by insight into the emptiness (sunyatd) of all phenomena (dharma), or wisdom (prajnd). This is the neplus ultra or ultimate good (naihsreyasa) of all living beings. It amounts to the at-tainment of a 'spiritual body' (dharmakdya). "In other words, cognition of emptiness and display of acts of compassion are—to the chosen few—the two means of realizing enlightenment." (Lindtner, Chr. Master of Wisdom: Writings of the Buddhist Master Ndgdrjuna, xx-xxi). "^ emptiness, Bodhisattva namo A grammatical form of the Sanskrit word namas, meaning 'bow,' obeisance,' 'reverential salutation,' and often interpreted as meaning 'homage to,' 'devotion to,' or 'take refuge with.' nirvana > ...the primal pure substance of beginningless bodhi nirvana. It is the primal essence of consciousness that can bring forth all conditions. (SS 1180) The meaning of nirvana is the very Dharma-nature of all Buddhas. (NS Ch3 Pt4) Nirvana [nirvana] is a Sanskrit term [now treated as an English word] that is interpreted in various ways: 1) cessation, or extinction, referring to the elimination of the afflictions at the time of enlightenment or to the ceasing to be of the skandhas (KTFIVE SKANDHAS) when an enlightened person at death chooses to be reborn no longer; 2) freedom from desire; and 3) no longer either coming into being or ceasing to be. In addition to the above references to enlightenment, in later times the term nirvana came to be used as a polite way of speaking of the death of a monk (Bhikshu) regardless of whether or not he was enlightened and truly entering nirvana. The most common analogy for nirvana in the Theravada tradition is the going out of a lamp because of its wick and oil being used up: "But if someone should ask you, Vaccha: 'This fire in front of you that is extinguished, in what direction has that fire gone from here, east, west, north or south?' What would you answer to such a question?" 1 hat does not apply, dear _ There are two sutras having this title, one Mahayana and one Hinayana. Both have the same complete title: Mahdparinirvdna Sutra. Both sutras recount the events which took place and the teachings of the Buddha which he bestowed immediately prior to his entering nirvana. The perspective and scope of the two works is, of course, radically different. As to length, the Hinayana text is chapter length, while the Mahayana sutra is three volumes in English translation. no outflows j& >Mi outflows Introduction How to Use This Book List of Introductory Readings Technical Notes _. Abbreviations of BTTS and Cited Non-BTTS Publications ^ - O Index of Entries: A to Z u Illustrations Buddhism A to Z Entries Q D Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism A to Z Copyright © 2003 by Buddhist Text Translation Society, Dharma Realm Buddhist University, Dharma Realm Buddhist Association. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Buddhist Text Translation Society, 1777 Murchison Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010-4504. First edition. 07 06 05 04 10 987654321 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Epstein, Ronald B. Buddhist Text Translation Society's Buddhism a to z / compiled by Ronald B. Epstein in collaboration with the Editorial Committee of the Buddhist Text Translation Society. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-88139-353-3 1. Buddhism—Dictionaries. I. Epstein, Ronald B. II. Buddhist Text Translation Society. Editorial Committee. III. Title. BQ130 .E67 2003 294.3'03—dc21 2002001964 Cover and interior design by Buddhist Text Translation Society Printed in Taiwan A Additional Reference Material for Entries 224 Appendices B The Buddhist Text Translation Society 238 C Comparative Tables of Romanization: Pinyin/Wade-Giles/Yale 240 D Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide 245 E The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua Brings the Dharma to the West 246 F On Translating Buddhist Texts and Speaking the Dharma 257 G The Eighteen Great Vows of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua 265 Bibliography of BTTS Publications in English Bibliography of Cited Non-BTTS Publications 267 270 Index of Sanskrit Terms Index of Pali Terms Index of Chinese Terms (Pinyin) DRBA Branch Monasteries 273 277 279 283 5. Manjushri's Propagating and Transmitting Assembly A. Dharma Realm is Only the Mind tu shai ja jr dwo e mwo dan II j'r dwo wu she he la Evil-hearted ghosts Vicious ghosts Ghosts that eat (reproductive) essence chye pe he la Ghosts that eat foetuses lu di la he la Ghosts that eat blood pe swo he la Ghosts that eat oil mwo she he la Ghosts that eat afterbirth she dwo he la Ghosts that eat f lesh shrt>i dwo he la Ghosts that eat the lifeforce ba lyau ye he la Ghosts that eat sacrificial offerings chyan two he la Ghosts that eat incense (fragrances) bu shr bwo he la Ghosts that eat flowers pwolahela Ghosts that eat fruit pe sye he la Ghosts that eat seeds be bwo j'r dwo Evil-looking ghosts tu shai ja jr dwo Evil-eyed ghosts lau two la jr dwo Huge-headed ghosts B. Strange Beings and Beings that are Like Others yau cha jye la he Ghosts that swallow fire la cha swo jye la he Ghosts that swallow water bi li dwo jye la he Ghosts with clasped hands pi she je jye ia he Ghosts with crossed feet bu dwo jye la he Ghosts with twisted bodies jyou pan cha jye la he Ghosts that splinter thejr shapes syi chyan two jye la he Ghosts that spit smoke wu dan mwo two jye la he Ghosts that spit fire cheyejyela he e bwo sa mwo la jye la he Ghosts with shadowy shapes Angry sheep-headed ghosts jai chywe ge Fox ghosts that take human form cha chi ni jye la he Female ghosts that possess foxes li fwo di jye la he Ghosts, with female formsand faces, that disturb children she mi jya jye la he Ghosts that are like crows she jyu ni jye la he Ghosts that are like birds mu two la nadi jya jye la he Ghosts that are like cats e Ian pe jye la he Ghosts that are like snakes chyan du bwo ni jye la he Ghosts that are like fowl C. Flowing Forth from the Source of the Five Divisions shr fwo la Ghosts that cause high fevers yin jya syi jya Ghosts that cause daily intermittent fevers jwei di yau jya Ghosts that cause intermittent fevers every other day dan li di yau jya Ghosts that cause intermittent fevers every three days je tu two jya Ghosts that cause intermittent fevers every five days nf ti shr fa la Ghosts that cause perpetual fever bTstran mwo shr fa la Ghosts that cause chills bwo di jya Ghosts that cause illnesses involving wind bi di jya Ghosts that cause jaundice shr li shai mi jya Ghosts that cause plagues __,. swo ni bwo di jya swu i» uwu ui jya________ D. The Beginnings of Four Pevas sa pe shr fa la shr iu ji di Ghosts that cause dysentery Ghosts that cause head ailments mwo two pi da Iu jr jyan Ghosts that prevent others from eating ft /y<3 /?EXi A e chi lu chyan Ghosts that cause diseases of the mouth rriu chywe iu chyan Ghosts that cause teeth ailments jye litulu chyan Ghosts that cause diseases of the lips E. The .Continuation of Three Categories jya ia he All categories of ghosts and spirits jye Ian jye na shu Ian Ghosts that cause physical illnesses dan dwo shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the jaws chi li ye shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the heart mwo mwo shu Ian Ghosts that cause headaches ba li shr pe shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the shoulders —• bi li shai ja shu Ian Ghosts that cause backaches —~ wu two la shu Ian Ghosts that cause stomachaches jye jr shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the waist ba syi di shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the ankles wu Iu shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the tegs chang chye shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the wrists he syi dwo shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the hands ba two shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the four limbs' joints swo fang ang chye bwo la jang chye shu Ian Ghosts that cause pain in the upper arms F. Various Vehicles for Revealing the Truth bu dwo bi dwo cha Ghosts in chamal fields ' : - jrf cha chi ni Mei ghosts (that possess/other creatures) shrpe la two tu lu jya Ghosts that cause all kinds of ulcers jyan du lu ji jr * • . • Ghosts that cause sores from spiders . • " * pe lu dwo pi Ghosts that cause boils ' sa bwo lu Ghosts that cause venereal diseases , ' he ling chye Ghosts that cause open sores ~~Tr"~ "f shu sha dan la • • - • • «t _ , Ghosts that cause sores on children , • ' -* swo najye la Ghosts that cause rage and madness pi sha yu jya Ghosts that cause scabies — e chi ni Ghosts that cause poisoning^f rom fire <• — wu two jya Ghosts that cause poisoning from wat£r , » mwo la pi la jyan dwo la Ghosts of f emabs who have died * — e jya la A rt A L A ^ r' mi li du /^£/ryv/ Q "^ ^ *-[ Ghosts that cause accidental deaths — da lyan bu jya Ghosts that cause poisoning from medicines # or herbs di li la ja bi ii shai jr jya Ghosts that cause poisoning from larvae sa pe na jyu la • - — -^ Ghosts that cause poisoning from snakes G. Five Realms Mantras Complete - - . sz yin chye bi Ghosts that cause poisoning from tigers jye la li yau cha Ghosts that cause poisioning from lions . -f » dan la chu Ghosts that cause all sorts't'f evil poisoning £•' mwo la shr Ghosts that can stop poisoning ^feidishan *^ swo pi shan Used to command all these kinds of evil ghosts v-=5Ss^ . ._.^Jthata|.be^con^ frightened and subdfced ^^**e^ syi dan dwo bwo da la • & Splendid canopy mwohebashelu shai ni shan bwo he bwo lai jang chi Ian Calls on the flaming va jra treasury kings ye bwb tu twa •she yu she nqw byandaJina Alerting the multitudes of power-knights . * -^ *. ' " ' -. * ' • '"".'- • ' __': H. Three DivisloVe Certification in Principle " pi two ye The great bright heart mantra in the cluster of , . light at the B-uddha's crown pan tan jya lu mi No1;hing.can enter the boundaries 1 have tied up * di shu pan tan j'ya lu mi For an area of 12 yojanas all evil is prohibited. No deviant demons, or evil ghost and spirit kings can enter here, or disturb or hann anything bwo la pi two pan tan jya lu mi This mantra can bind up all evil ghosts and spirits da jr two nan e na li pi she ti pi la Fa she la two li pan two pan two ni ba she la bang ni pan hu syin du lu yung pan swo pe he It goes like this Introduction (ghosts and spirits join palms) vertical infinitude horizontal infinitude Buddha Pivision . Vajra Pivision Pharma PiVision Tying up the boundaries solid maintaining opening and penetrating completion it ii Om Y'c tJsV»r>lsHcv SKlCex^cv- "Om Namo Rama Trayaya! Namo Ai>a Ksiiigarbha Malm t'ranidhana Rajaya Bodliisalua Maliasaliv a Malta Pninulliuna Kaytt Sm-va Ahliaya Arliaic Anuliara SaiuyaksainlKidlii Tadyam Auiu Boillii>a hwlln; BoiUiaya bwilhaya MaitrcTi Saiiiiid^nO Svalia!" ebhyah sarvabhaye-bhyah phat I sarvadose-bhyah phat sarvaclosebhyah phat om strau bandha 2 dustan raksa 2 mam sarvasattvanam svaha ^> -gt eFST ^ STST T8fT 3 3TT Section V ye kecin mama sarva-sattvanam ca 435, dusta dusta-citta raudra raudra-Citta papah papa-cittah kupitah (get artgery - ku-bad, and pitta) kupita-citta amitra amitra-cittii I ete mama sarva-sattvanarh ca raksarh kurvantu jlvantu varsa (years)-Satarh (100) pasyantu (seeing) Saradam (autumns, years) Satam (100) Tel" TO ^ I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 29 of 52 O m TO. -Oin NMIIO Rama Trayaya! Nairn. Ai5a Ksiligarbta Miilui Pramtaia Rajaya Bodliixama Mallasallvi, Main Pramillima Kaya Simii MMia»a Muni! Amui:ir.i Samy.iksamlMlln Tadyala Aiiin Boilliiya bodlnya BoJIiaya hodlia\n Mailrei'.l SaiiludtjlH! Svalia!" ye kecid (even if)-yaksa-grahah, vrata-harah, 438. garbha-harah, rudhira-harah, bamsa(vasa)-harah, rnamsa-harah, rneda-harah, majja-harah, jata-harah, jlvita-harah, valya-harah, malya-harah, gandha-harah, puspa-harah, dhupa-harah, phala-harah, ahutya-harah, vitta-harah, citta-harah, puja-harah, mudra-harah, slesma-harah, kheta-harah, sirhghanaka-harah (mucous of nose), vata-harah, virikta-harah, asucya-harah, spandani-ka-harah I cHcrcHI^, 449 452 . papa-cittah, dusta-cittah, raudra-cittah, deva-grahah, naga-grahah, 12 yaksa-grahah, i53.raksas-agrahah, ganciharva-grahah, asura-grahah, garuda-grahah, kinnara-grahah, mahoraga-grahah, rnanusya-grahah, amanusya-grahah, maruta-grahah (wind beings) 455. pisacagrahah, ISA. bhutagrahah, 457 kumbhandagrahah, putana-grahah, kataputana-grahah, 458 skanda-grahah, 459 unmada-grahah, 460. chayagrahah, *6i. apasmara-grahah, osta-daka-grahah, dakinl-grahah, 464. revatl-grahah, samika-grahah, ja(ya)maka-grahah, 466. sakuni-grahah, matr-nandi-grahah, kambukaminl-grahah, alambana-grahah, kata-dakini-grahah, kamta-kamalini-grahah, sarva-grahah 471). I I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 30 of 52 : II 0m Y'tv ^Z^CLC Vxvacxt: cv Usf>ni$Hci~ SKtzrcL-Cot pcctTT'cv "Om Namo Raliiii Trayaya! Naino Aiyi Ksiligarbha Millia Priumjliana Rajayy Boilhisama Mahasathii Mali a Pramdliana Kaya Sarva Alihayji ArliaK- .-\IHIH arn Sainyiiksiiijihodlii Tadyatii Auin Bodliiya hidluj EitKlliaya bodliay.i Mailrcya Siitiiud£,a!c Svalia!" 47 1. jvara eka-hikah (one-cause fever), dvaitiyakah (two causes fever), traitiyakah (three causes fever), Ca.tU.rthlka.il (four causes - vata-pitta-kapha-blood [rakta] fever), Sapta-hikah (seven dhatu causes fever), ard.dha-masikall (every fortnight - [literally half-monthj fever), masikah (monthly fever [menstrual]), dvai-masikah (bi-monthly fever [every two months]), niatlhurttlkah (at a regular time everyday fever), nitya-jvarah (non-stop fever), Visama-jvarah (variable, tidal, malerial fever), preta-jvarah, pisaca-jvarah, manusa-jvarah (human-caused fever), amariUSa-jvarah (uon-human-bemgs caused fever), 178. Vcltikah (vata-caused fever), 479. paittikah (pitta-caused fever), 480. slaisiTlikah (sleshma [oily kapha] fever), 481. Sannipatikah (tridoshic-caused fever), '482. sarvajvarah (all types of fever) 483. SirO-Vartim (head-situated) -apanayailttl (healing, tarring, hiking away, destroying, atoning for [atonement, repentance]) mama sarva-sattvanarii ca arddhava -bheda-kam, arOCa-kam (lost: sense of taste) -<185. aksi-rOgaih (eye diseases) nasa-rogarh (nose diseases) 486. mukha-rogam (mouth diseases) kantha-rogarh (throat diseases) 187. hrd-rOgaitl (heart diseases) 471 jvara O-CKI eka TTcfTf - hikah \\-, (one-cause fever), dvaitlyakah ^d^^^l:, (two causes fever), traitiyakah ^dH^chl:, (three causes fever), Caturthikah 'EITcjfSicfn':, (four causes - vata-pitta-kapha-blood [rakta] fever), Sapta ;FHT - hikah f^cfTT:, (seven dhatu causes fever), I eternally lake refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisaitvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 31 of .52 Orr> NJocmo SVn4. iroLrtQci.mot tQ UsV»r»isHM.prstha-sulam 195. udara-sillam w. vasti-sulam 2llda-SQlam yOni-Stllam pradaia-SUlam (leuocorrhea, rending, tearing, crack ) 498. urusulam 494. janghasiilam sixi. hasta-sulaiii 501, pada-sulam anga-pratyahga-sulam mama (my) ca-panayantu (healing, curing, taking away, destroying, atoning for [atonement, repentance]) I 1 eternally take refuge in Ihe Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Budclhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 32 of 5 2 [: II Om t T^ccc VKXOCL.C'CV Us1">r>ist-Kx. SHlzrcuc«n, "Om Nmm> R;niia IYa>aya! Namu Ana k^ugarbiui Millia Praiiiilliana Rajaya 8ia kaya Siirvii Aliliaya Arliali- AniHUira SiiiiiyakyaintHHllii Tadyala Auin Bodhi Bixlhi.yii iKxlliaya Mailrcya S.uaudi'alO Svalia!" 489. karna-sulam 490. danta-siilam 491. urah-sulam wi. hrdaya-sularh 492, rnanna-sulam 494. prstha-stilam 195. udara-sulam 497, vasti-sularh guda-sulam yoni-sularh pradara-sulam (leuocorrhca, rending, tearing, crack ) 498, UrUSCllaril 499, jaflghasulain 500. haSta-SUlaih 501. pada-siilam anga-pratyanga-stilarii mama (my) ca-panayantu (healing, curing, taking away, destroying, atoning for [atonement, repentance]) I o'cRT :, nyar Nnnio Aiyii K^iiigurMui Malta Pnumlliiina Rajaya E!fKlliisall\a Mahasallva Malia Pnmulliaiia Kaya Siirvii Ablmy.i Ariiim; . f Ft ^ 3 om vajrapase bandha 2 vajrapasam ca sarva-dusta-vighna-vinayakan hum phat 2 raksa 2 mam sarvasattvaiiisca svaha I ^ TST R art ya imam sarva - tathagatosnisa - sitatapatra - ntlma - parajita -pratyangiramaha - vidya - rajnirh likhitva bhurjapatre vastre va valkale va kayagatam va kanthagatam va krtva dharayisyati vacisyati asuddhakarh na ksamisyati I en - ^ err ~ "Om Namu Ratna Trayaya! Namo Aiya Ksiligarblui Malm Praiiidliana Rajaya Bodhi saliva Maliasiillvii Malia Prmiidtuma Kaya Sai-vn Ahliiiy;) Arliaii; ,'UuiH;ir;i SaiuyaksaiiibotUii Tadyaia Amu Botttiiya hodhiya B(xlliay;i hodliayn Mailrtya Sainuclgiiu- Svaha!" mana-apaS-Catura-Slti-kalpa-kotl (koIJH - crore, extremity, end, point) -sahasrani jatau jatau jatismaro bhavisyati catura-siti-vajra-kula-koti-niyuta-sata-sahasrani vidya-devata nityarh satata-samitam tasya raksa-varana-guptim karisyanti I catura-siti-vajra-dutl kimkara nityam pari-palayisyanti tesam-api priyo bhavisyati I r^ MKMIcHKl^Pd c^IcH^' ftl^ft mana-apasca na kadacid-yaksatvam na raksasatvarh na bhutatvarh na pisacatvarh na putanatvarh na kataputanatvarh na manusya-daridryarh(broke, penniless) praty-anu-bhavisyati I gahga-nadi(river)-baluka(gramsofsaiui)-samkhyeyaprarneyanarh(iimefabie immeasurable number) buddhanarh bhagavatam punya-skandhena saman-vagato bhavisyati I 3T3TcTcTT I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 38 of 52 II 5: Om NJcvmo "Om Namo Rama Tniyayat Nanui Aiyi Ksitigarblia Miiha Pnuiidhiina Rajaya BotUiisatua Mahasallva Malm Prraiulli:uia Kaya S;irva Ablmya ArliLilc Aiuiuara SainyaksainhtuQii Tadyaia Auiu Bodhiya Ixxtlnya Bodhayst bodhaya Maiircj'.i Sainad.iiiiu; Svaha!" imam ca sarva-tathagatosnisa-sitata-patranamaparajitam pratyangiram maha-vidyarajmm dharaya-mana abrahma-carl brahma-carl bhavisyati I arw^rarfr (blabber-mouth) mauill (quiet) bhavisyati (becomes) aSUCih SUCir-bhavisyati (dirty person becomes clean) Upa-vasI bhavisyati(a hypoglycemic one can now enjoy fasting) yo'pi pancanantarya-kari syat so'pi nirdhuta-papo bhavisyati purva-karmavaranam niravasesarh pariksayam gacchati Q6 Quick certification to non-production. Sutra: "Ananda, if living beings who have never repented and reformed any of the obstructive offenses, either heavy or light, that they have committed throughout countless kalpas past, up to and including those of this very life, can nevertheless read, recite, copy, or write out this mantra or wear it on their bodies or place it in their homes or in their garden houses, then all that I eternally take refuge in the Sea- Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 39 of 52 n aft: it Om ^ ~Oin Natmi Rama rrayaya! Namo Ary.. Ksiligarbha Malm Praiiicihana Kajaya Boilliisama Mahasauva Malia Pmunllumo Kaya Survn Abhaya Araalc Amntara Sainyaksanilx.dlii Tadyaui Aiaa Bodliiya hoilluya Bddliiiya bodhaya Majlrdy.i Sainudi-jiK; Svalia!" accumulated karma will melt away like snow in hot water. Before long they will obtain awakening to patience with the non-production of dharmas. Commentary: "Ananda, if living beings who have never repented and reformed any of the obstructive offenses, either heavy or light, that they have committed throughout countless kalpas past, up to and including those of this very life": they have never had an opportunity to repent of them and reform. "Repent" means to be sorry about one's former offenses. "Reform" means to change so one does not commit the errors again. "They can nevertheless read the Shurangama Mantra, or recite it, copy it out, or write it out," Reciting of the Mantra must be done over a long term. The Buddha isn't talking about reciting it once or twice. He means over and over for a very long time. "Or they wear it on their bodies. When you Volume One - The Spiritual Mantra 144 carry the Mantra on your body, you want to wear it above your heart, not below. To wear it above your heart represents respect; if you carry it on the lower part of your body, you are not showing proper respect for the Mantra. Not only is there no merit in that, you are actually committing offenses. If you are not respectful to the Mantra itself, then the efficacy of the Mantra is depleted with regard to you. "Or they place it in their homes or in their garden houses. Then all that accumulated karma from the offenses committed in life after life, as mentioned above, will melt away like snow in hot water." The offenses will disappear just that quickly. "Before long they will attain awakening to patience with the non-production of dharmas." yah kascit matr-grame tathagatosmsa-sitata-patra-nama-parajita maha-pratyarigira maha-vidya-rajnirh dharaya-manah (if you hold this in mind, bear this in mind) putrarthl (child is wanted, desire kids) plltram (son) prati-labhate (you win get) I tv tv OcL.tr hcwpvtrcc UsKrjtsfw SKltrourot. pa-r-ra, Su,tr-ro SKvt r^cLnocL- ^xc^C Kcvocc^ -. "Oiu NaiiH) RatiKi Tra>aya! Nanio Ar\u K.*iiigarhha Malia F'nmidhaiia Rajaya Bodhisallva Mahasailva Muha Pnmitlhma Kaya Siu-va A Botlhaya Ixxiluya Mailrcya Saiimd.cjiii: Svaha!" perfection. The same is true for those who seek something regarding their bodies, their lives, their appearance, or their strength. "Those who recite the Shurangama Mantra and seek long life will obtain long life. They will get that reward. Those who seek to quickly perfect their reward, whatever good reward it might be they want, will quickly gain perfection." For instance, if a woman hopes to have a good husband in the future, that's a kind of good reward. And she can attain it. The same applies to men. The meaning is that whatever you seek you can have. It's said, Those who seek wealth and honor, get wealth and honor. Those who seek long life, obtain long life. Those who seek sons, get sons; Those who seek daughters, get daughters. No matter what it is, you can have your wishes fulfilled and have everything be as you would like it. "The same is true for those who seek something regarding their bodies, their lives, their appearances, or their strength." Whatever they seek on behalf of Volume One - The Spiritual Mantra 146 these things, they will obtain it, in the same way one seeks and obtains long life, and the like. itascyutva sukha-vatyarh loka-dhatav-upa-padyate •Sutra: "At the end of their lives, they will gain the rebirth they hope for in whichever of the countries of the ten directions they wish. They certainly will not be born in poorly endowed places, or as inferior people; even less will they be reborn in some odd form. Commentary: "At the end of their lives, they will gain the rebirth they hope for in whichever of the countries of the ten directions they I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 42 of 5 2 II 5ft: II Om SJcvmo SV*vt^roLnao "Oin Namo Riitna Trayaya! Nanui Ar>ji Ksitigarhha Miilia FYamdliana Raiaya BodJiisiilKa MahasalKa M;iha Pninultwma Kaya Siirva AMiaya Arliati; Amiuara Samyaksambotliii Tadyala Auni Bodhiya bodhiya Boiihaya bocthuya Maiiriy:] Smimilgaii! Svaha!" wish." If you want to be reborn in the East and come before Akshobhya Buddha, or in the West and meet Amitabha Buddha, or in the North, or in the South - it's up to you you can be reborn in the country of whichever Buddha you would like to draw near to. "They certainly will not be born in poorly endowed places, or as inferior people." "poorly endowed" refers to places where the land is not rich and the people are not educated. If one can recite the Shurangama Mantra, one will not be born in such places; "Even less will they be reborn in some odd form." As a person, you will not have an inferior rebirth; even less will you be reborn as an animal. Sa Ca raga (desire, greed)- dvesa (anger)- moha (ignorance)- mana (conceit)-darpa(arrogance/ pride) - vigatO (dispelled) bhavisyati (becomes) I sa 3T ca ^ raga TFT (desire, greed) - dvesa ® (anger) - moha (ignorance) - mana a Ksiligarbha M;l!ia F'riuiidiiiina Rajaya Etodlii.siitUil Mahasatlva Malia Pnuiidhaua Kaya Siirva AMiay.i Arhaic Amman! Saiuyak.saiiihtdlii Tadyala AUDI B.iilhiya E BoiUlaya h*«i!i:iya MailrLya Sanmilyiic Svalia!" yah ^- kascinmanusya cf^paR^iszf - mare pasumare tT3J3Tft gomare M SaiimdyiK- M-alia!" cTT tl^fr cTT ^uiii-iieic} cJT ^d-ilcH^KlQdl Uc*jfsdKi O2 Apparent universal benefit to the land. P1 All difficulties disappear. Sutra: "Ananda, if there is famine or plague in a country, province, or village, or if perhaps there are armed troops, brigands, invasions, war, or any other kind of local threat or danger, one can write out this spiritual mantra and place it on the four city gates, or on a chaitya or on a dhvaja, and instruct all the people of the country to gaze upon the mantra, to make obeisance to it, to revere it, and to single-mindedly make offerings to it; one can instruct all the citizens to wear it on their bodies or to place it in The Spiritual Mantra 147 their homes; and then all such disasters and calamities will completely disappear. Commentary: "Ananda, if there is famine or plague in a country, province, or village" - this means any country at all, whether as large as an. entire continent, or as small as a local area or village. In time of famine, there may have been drought, so that nothing will grow, or at the other extreme there may have been a torrential rain which drowns the crops. When a plague strikes, a violent contagious disease spreads among the population and is fatal if contracted. "Or if perhaps there are armed troops, brigands, invasions, war, or any other kind of local threat or danger - in any of these places where there are such difficulties - one can write out this spiritual mantra and place it on the four city gates, or on a chaitya." They can place it on the archway above the gates. "Chaitya" is a Sanskrit word for pagoda, a place which houses the relics of a Buddha or Sage. "Or, they can place it on a dhvaja." "Dhvaja" is a Sanskrit word for "banner." Perhaps the Mantra is written on a flag and flown high above the city from a watchtower or flagpole. "And one instructs all the people of the country to gaze upon the Mantra, to make obeisance to it, to revere it, and to single-mindedly make offerings to it. One can instruct all the citizens of the country to wear it on their bodies or to place it in their homes." People can carry the Mantra on their person or put a copy of it in the places where they live, "and then all such disasters and calamities will completely disappear." All these I eternally take refuge in the Sea- Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 45 of 52 Orr> NCUTTJO "Om Namo Rauia Trayaya! Namo Arya hUiligarhha Miilia F'rimidliaua Rajaya BtxiUisalKa Mahasallva Malia Pranulliaiia Kaya Sarva Abliaya Arhalc Amman] SamyaksHmtxxIlli Tailyala Amu tiudhiya hotlliiya Bodliaya hodhaya Maiiriya Saimid^llc Svalia!" misfortunes and evil events will be done away with. The merit and virtue of the Shurangama Mantra is inconceivable. You can't imagine it or think about it; that's where the wonder of it lies. Some people think that cultivation can consist of nothing but meditation, and so they don't study the Sutras. But that is a mistake. Others may think merely reciting mantras and studying the Sutras will work and that they don't need to meditate. That's also not the right way. Some may hear how efficacious and powerful mantras Volume One - The Spiritual Mantra 148 are, so they merely recite mantras and do not cultivate in other ways. This is also behavior that is too extreme. In cultivation, no matter what Dharma you cultivate, you must find the Middle Way. Don't get carried away. On the other hand, don't fail to go far enough. Too much is the same as not enough. True enough, mantras are efficacious, but you must also develop your samadhi power. This Sutra stresses that the Mantra is efficacious, but the most essential point as far as cultivation is concerned is its teaching of the Dharma door of turning the hearing back to hear the self-nature - the Dharma door of the perfect penetration of the organ of the ear. So even when you recite mantras, you should be turning the hearing back to hear the self nature. You should return the light and illumine within. When you recite the Mantra, the Mantra is one's mind and one's mind is the Mantra. The two cannot be separated. The mind and the Mantra are two and yet not two. Although they are two, they become one. If you can become like that, then whatever you want will be as you wish. You will certainly be able to accomplish what you set out to do. If the Mantra and your mind unite as one, then you will obtain the samadhi of Ch'an. This is something that everyone should be aware of. pravesi ta u3f$TcT - matrena 3n%T prasanti SRrcT - krto bhavisyatil I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 46 of 5 2 II $ft: II Om UsV»r»tsf»ou sarve'pyupadravopasargopayasah paracakrani prasamyanti sarve'pyu FS^ - padravo ^T^c - pasargo payasah MMI^I: para i}T - cakrani prasam-yanti ananto nagaraja sankliapalo nagaraja mahakrsno nagaraja nandyupanamdau nagarajanau anye ca sarve te nagarajanah kale ca kalarh varsayisyanti kalena kalam autsukyamapatsyate I ananto JT^rft naga STRT - raja TToTT saiikha QT^3" - palo naga STRT - raja TToTT maha 3R^T - krsno tgw\\ naga ^TRT - raja nandyu ?F^ - panarhdau M«Hc;1 naga ?TRT - rajanau aya! Nanio Ai>a Kxitigarbhu Maha I'numlhiiiui Rajaya Eiodliisiitiva Mahaiaitva Malia Pnimdhuia Kaya Sai-va Ahliaya Arhait; Anutiara SainyaksamlxnUii Tadyaia Auiu Builhiya hcidlnyn Bcitlliaya hxllinya Maiircy.i Siimuilf.aic Svalia!" kalenacf)iel Ft sT^1?! ^ ^<5KMx 1ST 3 3TT om hum strorh bandha 2 dustan raksa 2 mam sarvasattvamsca vajraptine hum phat svaha I hurii strorh bandha 51^1 2^ dustan raksa TST 2 ^ marh 3TT sarva ^ - sattvarhsca V Vl/ vajrapane cJ^cfM hum^ phat11^ svaha 3TT om sarva-tathagatosnisa avalokita-murdhni tejo-rasi om 5 sarva TT" - tathagatosnisa avalokita STcTcTtcFxT - murdhni lPf tejo Tot -rasi om jvala 2 dhak 2 khada 2 dara 2 viciara 2 chinte (chinda) 2 bhinda 2 hum 2 phat 3 raksa 2 mam sarvasattvamsca svaha I om & jvala ^cfoT 2 3 dhak ^ 2 3 khada I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangatna Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 49 of 52 Orr> No-mo SVvu.-rc».r>qcL.*r>cv CT)t*-rrC TCL -Om Niiini, Riinui Tra>aya! Namo Ajya Ksiltgarblia Millia Pniiiidliimu Raiaya Biiclllisama MriUKMM Millia Praiiiiil.ailil Kaya Siirvii Ahhaya Arliau: Anuitia Munyaksanilxiillii Tadyala Auiu Bojhiya toclliiya Bnlhaya hxl]i:iya Mmlrt'i'.i SamiltU^iK' Svaha!" dara^T 2^ vidara fcR[T 2^ chinte (chinda) ffe^ (fe^) 2 ^ bhinda fa^F^ 2 ? hum fj 2 ^ phat ^33 raksa T$T 2 ^ mam sarva TT^" - sattvamsca ^TrcIT^r svaha 3TT om sarva-tathagatosmsa-sitata-patre hum phat sarva " - tathagatosmsa \. ^*^ patreT? hurii^ phat - sitata om raksa 2 maiii sarvasattvamsca hum phat svaha om 3*> raksa TST 2 ? marh 3TT sarva F" - sattvamsca hum | phat^ svaha I T5T ^ ?TT I eternally lake refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 50 of 52 II 2ft: II LJsVmlsfxv SKlzrcu-rroL cutr^rcc Su-f f'cx- "Oiu Namo Rama Trayaya! Namo Ai>a JCsiligarblw M;ih;i Prcuiiclhana Rajaya ElodiiisalUa Mahasalha Mnha Pnmulliami Kaya Sarvu Abhaya Arliau; Amiitara SainyaksanibtHlhi Tadyaiii Auin Bodhiya hodliiya 8»Klliaya bodlisiyti Maiirc^t SanmiKync Svaha!" 543. tadvatha- 54-l Om M6. aiiale (analena •• bv the fire) 2 acare 2 khasame (aashani J \ / \ - white flower) 2 Vire 2 Saumye (saoiB^a - biand, likable, lovely, mild, gentle, agreeable, placid) 2 sarvabuddh-adhisthanadhisthite sarva-tathagatosrusa-sitata-patre sarva-dusta (dushhia wicked; dushhia adj, wretched; dushh'Ta adj. spoiled; dushhTaH rascal, rogue, miscreant; dustara adj, insurmountable; dushhTataa rogery, villainy; dushhlaashaya adj. wicked-minded) -cittan hum phat svaha I 543. tadyatha- 544. om 546. anale 2 acare 2 khasame 2 vlre 2 saumye 2 sarva-b uddh-adhi sthanadhisthite sarva-tathagatosnisa-sitata-patre sarva-dusta-cittan hum phat svaha I 543 tadyatha cTCTSJT - 544. om 3 546. anale 3TST" 2 acare 3fcft 2 9 khasame WH$ 2 ^ vire saumye *ft3Rf 2 ? sarva ^ - buddh-adhisthanadhisthite sarva ^TcT - tathagatosmsa cT^lldldVull - sitata ^hHdi - patre sarva ?T^" - dusta ^ET - cittan Rlrll^ hum ^ phat 1^ svaha buddha ^ - yogena ^1 SVH4. -rounaot.mcx UsV»r»isV>ct~ SHttr carat "Oin Nairn. Riiuia I rayaya! Nairn) Ai>n UligarMia Malia Pnmiilhann Raiaya BoOliisalmi Manasiiltva Main Pniniillulin Kiiy.l Sarva AWiaya Aillait Ani Bintiiaya Nxlhava Mailrey.i SLiiiiut bhagavato bhasitama ^iT^lcldH - bhyanan - danniti I deva arya-sarva-tathagatosmsa-sitata-patra-nama-aparajita pratyangira-maha-vidya-rajnl samapta I I arya 3TT^" - sarva TT^" - tathagatosnisa sitata f^TcTT - patra cTO^T - pratyangira nama ?TT?T - aparajita maha 5T^T - vidya fcT?U - rajrn TUft samapta fmR}dld^^ I eternally take refuge in the Sea-Vast Shurangama Assembly ol' Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and in the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra. Page 52 of 52 In Tibet many monks and lay people were put in prison for many years. So many of them made their life so rich in prison, rich with realizations; their life became very meaningful. Actually, for them, being in prison was exactly the same as living in a hermitage and being in retreat. Lama Zopa Rinpoche 4 sitatayatm Umlrelk Deity) The Umbrella Deity, a Buddha for Foundation for the Preservation of the hiahayana Tradition Education Services ihe o f (white umkelk Deity) II 3ft: II aci. SeuiVxvncv Nanio Sliurangiinia Manlni 1 Na Mwo Sa Dan Two, 2 Su Chye Dwo Ye, 3 E La He Di, 4 San Myau San Pu Two Sye Namo Fancha Buddha Kula: 104ChrTwoNi, 105 E JyaLa. 106 Mi Li Ju, 107 Bwo Li Dan La Ye. 108 Ming Jye Li 104Chrtwoni 105Ejyela 106Miliju 1 07 Bwo li dan la ye 108 Ning jye li 544 Da jr two 545 Nan 546Enali 547Pisheti 548 Pi la 549 Ba she la 550Twoli 551 Pan two pan two ni 552 Ba she la bang ni pan 553 Hu syin du lu ying pan 554Swopehe 52. Na mwo Ba she la Jyulaye STOT (cH^-ij| Kulasyal 104. Chrtwoni 105. Ejyela 106. Mill ju 107. Bwo li dan la ye 108. Ning jye li sarva- paravidya-cchedanlm I ?Tc)'-M, MM, JSSM^ usnisaM usnrsa II, usniSa-siraskata ]M-biJllSlfllt5;J> uSniSa-sirSa (wu fo ding E m ID [ding] the crown of the head; top; carry on the head; gore; butt; go against; push from below or behind; push up; prop up; retort; turn down; cope with; stand up to; take the place of; substitute; replace; equal; be equivalent to; very; most; extremely. "Reverently bow to the jeweled flower upon the Great Buddha's Summit, To the banners and canopies and to the host of other adornments. Flying, swimming, walking, growing creatures from wombs, moisture, or magic All enter the Lotus Land in the fields often thousand Buddhas." (Hua - VBS 9-1989) [py] foding [wg] fo-ting [hg] MS [me] buljeong [mr] puljong [kk] ~? V ^~ 3 ^ [hb] butcho [qn] phat dlnh , [Basic Meaning:] buddha-peak Senses; • [Soothill] "Sakyamuni in the third court of the Garbhadhatu is represented as the ffiMH (fo ding zun ^ M If) in meditation as Universal Wise Sovereign. The SffiBI (wu fo ding 5E ^ M) q.v. Five Buddhas are on his left representing his Wisdom. The three "^31 (f6 ding) on his right are called JUAffiM (guang dS f6 ding) Page 40 Primary Source: Shri Guhya Samaja Atmotpatti Yoga of Vajra Akshobhya (Tibetan Mitrugpa, ^-Bii Si D6ng ft F6) The Glorious Mystic Communion Self-Creation Yoga From original Tibetan of Tashi Lhunpo version arranged by Tsong Khapa, translated by Robert Tenzin Thurman 1978-1986 Secondary Source: Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary, by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua, printed in "Vajra Bodhi Sea", www.BTTSonline.org For latest version, visit www.Shurangama-Mantra.com or www.Avurveda-Institute.org