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By Grand Master Lu
Translated [1] by Janny Chow
One of the Four Preliminary Practices of Vajrayana is the Vajrasattva
(Diamond-Heart) Practice. This practice is the most important
of the Four Preliminary Practices and is considered to be one of
the required courses in Tantric cultivation. The Vajrasattva Hundred
Syllable Mantra in this practice has to be recited at least one
hundred thousand times.
The Vajrasattva Practice is significant for the following two reasons:
- It can eradicate all transgressions and negative hindrances
from time immemorial.
- It can strengthen the resolutions and vows of the Tantric
practitioner to become as firm as the vajra (diamond).
Living Buddha Lian-sheng has said, "The origin of the Vajrasattva
is no small matter. Transformed from the union of the Five Dhyani
Buddhas, the Vajrasattva is a great, pure, white Light. There is
a profound and mysterious meaning in the manifestation of this greatest
envoy of Vajrayana. Some practitioners just concentrate on the Vajrasattva
Practice, taking the Vajrasattva as their Personal Deity, and are
able to attain the Great Heart of the Vajrasattva. The Great Heart
of the Vajrasattva is as firm and indestructible as the vajra."
Living Buddha Lian-sheng says, "In Mahayana, among the fifty-two
levels of the development of a Bodhisattva, the fifty-first level
is called Equal Awakening. This Awakening is equivalent to a Buddha,
and a Bodhisattva of this level has already surpassed the Tenth
Stage [Dharma Cloud Stage, the highest stage of Bodhisattva]. Thus
this Bodhisattva can be regarded as a Buddha and his name is Vajrasattva."
Living Buddha Lian-sheng regards Vajrapani as the second Patriarch
of Vajrayana, and Vajrapani is actually Vajrasattva. They are just
different names for the same Deity.
Many people look down upon the Four Preliminary Practices, considering
them to be minor practices. But I know that the Vajrasattva Practice
is a main practice. In fact, it is an unexcelled practice.
Quite a few American disciples who have taken refuge in Tibetan
tulkus have told me that they had been practicing Tantric Buddhism
for eight to ten years, and the highest level practice they had
reached was the Vajrasattva Practice.
One of my refuge students, Rinpoche Tharchin the Tenth, a Tibetan
Tulku of the Nyingma sect, told me that most beginning American
students are required to practice the Four Preliminary Practices,
among which the Vajrasattva Practice is the highest. Thus American
students of the Vajrayana all know how to recite the Vajrasattva
Hundred Syllable Mantra.
The True Buddha Vajrasattva Practice is as follows:
- Enter the tantric shrine and perform Great Homage.
- Sit down and recite, with both palms joined:
"Namo the Holy Red Crown Vajra Master Living Buddha
Lian-sheng." (Three times)
- Recite the Fourfold Refuge Mantra:
Namo Guru bei. Namo Buddha ye. Namo Dharma ye. Namo Sangha
ye. (Three times)
- Recite the Four Immeasurable Vows:
May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;this
is immeasurable loving kindness.
May all beings be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering;
this is immeasurable compassion
May all beings be free of suffering and always stay happy; this
is immeasurable joy.
May all beings be free of grasping and aversion towards others
and develop faith in the equality of all who live; this is immeasurable
equanimity.
- Recite the Bodhicitta Mantra:
Om, bo-dee-gee-da, be-dza, sa-ma-ya, ah-hum. (Three times)
-
Recite the Repentance Verse and Mantra:
 All
my transgressions committed since time immemorial,
which originate in beginningless greed, hatred, and ignorance,
-
And which are manifest through my body,
speech, and mind,
these I fully confess and repent of them altogether.
"Om, be-dza, sa-ma-ya, soo-deh-ah."
(recite at least 108 time. Read as much as possible.)
- At the end of the Repentance Mantra, one can dip one's fingers
into some Great Compassion Mantra Water [2] or Kundali Raja Mantra
Water and sprinkle the water to the four quarters of east, south,
west, and north. One then also takes a sip of the water to indicate
the purification of "East, South, West, North and Center."
(The Great Compassion Mantra water or Kundali Raja Mantra water
should be prepared ahead of time.)
- Form the Mudra: "The right hand holds a fist, with the
thumb over the index finger and the fist facing inward. The left
hand holds a fist, with the index finger over the thumb and facing
outward." Hold the mudra in front of the chest [3].
- First empty the mind. Visualize from the Empty Space the appearance
of Vajrasattva. His body is white, and he is adorned by a Five-Buddha
Crown and the bodhisattva ornaments, necklaces, etc. Sitting on
a Moon Disc supported by an eight-petalled lotus, the Vajrasattva
holds, against his heart a vajra scepter in his right hand (in
the Fierce Mudra) and, by his left thigh, a vajra bell in his
left hand (also in the Fierce Mudra). At the level of his heart
is a recitation wheel containing, around the circumference, the
Hundred Syllable Mantra. This wheel revolves and radiates brilliant
white light.
-
This great white light arcs over and down, pouring through
one's crown and flooding one's entire body. Thus one's whole
body also exhibits a great white light, and impurities and negative
karma are expelled as black smoke through all skin pores. One's
body thus becomes crystal clear, radiating light. One enters
into a state of joy in meditation.
Recite the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra twenty-one
times. (It is not necessary to hold the Mudra during recitation.)
"Om, be-dza-sah-do-sa-ma-ya, ma-nu-bah-la-ya, be-dza
sah-do deh-nu-bah-de h-cha, zhe-jo-mi-bah-wa, soo-do-ka-yu-mi-bah-wa,
soo-poo-ka-yu-mi-bah-wa, an-nu-la-do-mi-bah-wa, sa-er-wa, sid-di,
mi-bu-la-ya-cha, sa-er-wa, ka-er-ma, soo-cha-mi, ji-ta-moo,
see-li-yam, gu-ru-hum, ha ha ha ha hoh, bah-ga-wan, sa-er-wa,
da-ta-ga-ta, be-dza-ma-mee-mun-cha, be-ji-ba-wa, ma-ha-sa-ma-ya,
sah-do-ah, hum-pei."
After reciting the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra twenty-one
times, one can visualize Vajrasattva transform into a point
of white light which enters one's body through the crown of
one's head and rests on the heart. The body, speech, and mind
of Vajrasattva become the body, speech, and mind of the practitioner.
The two are completely merged and united into one. The practitioner
is transmuted into Vajrasattva.
- In this moment of utmost importance, if one can, indeed, let
one's body and mind turn completely into "Emptiness,"
then the Supreme Spiritual Consciousness will definitely enter
into oneself. In other words, there will be the total union of
the Supreme Consciousness of the Universe with the inner Light
of oneself. This kind of extremely subtle and great union (yoga)
is indescribable and beyond verbalization. This kind of unique
achievement can only be experienced directly. Only people who
succeed in this kind of union (yoga) will know what it is like
and attain the True Realization.
- Exit from Samadhi [deep meditation]. Make the following dedication:
Living Buddha Lian-sheng teaches the Great Tantric practice,
Transforming Vajrasattva into Vajra-Heart,
An authentic spiritual response when the two merge into one,
Eradicating negative hindrances to attain Purity.
-
Perform Great Homage.
-
Exit from the tantric shrine.
Today, I want to tell everyone honestly, if one can learn all of
the Four Preliminary Practices and receive responses in all of them,
one is already attaining the Fruition of the Equal Awakening stage
of the Bodhisattvas - this is the wonder of the True Buddha Tantric
Dharma. Although these Four Practices are preliminary practices
in Vajrayana, they are really the important foundation of all Tantras.
In my opinion, when one attains authentic response through the Four
Preliminary Practices, one becomes the Vajrasattva.
The True Buddha Vajrasattva Practice is the secret key to the eradication
of time immemorial transgressions and negative hindrances.
The True Buddha Vajrasattva Practice results in the attainment
of the Fruition of the Equal Awakening, which surpasses the Tenth
Stage [Dharma Cloud] of Bodhisattvas.
The True Buddha Vajrasattva Practice is not just a preliminary
practice; it is also a Personal Deity Yoga practice.
The key of the True Buddha Vajrasattva Practice is the visualization
of the entering of great white Light and the expulsion of black
smoke. The most important aspect is the unexcelled achievement of
the union of the Vajrasattva and oneself. Thus, I write the following
verse:
Within the Preliminary Practices is a wonderful vista,
Which alleviates hindrances as quick as a flying arrow;
The achievement of Union through Visualization of Emptiness is spectacular,
This is the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Practice.
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Footnotes
[1] Translated from the fourth chapter of True Buddha Dharma: The
Actual Practice, published in 1986.
[2] Water that is empowered by the Great Compassion Dharani, a long
Kuan Yin mantra.
[3] In public, Grand Master Lu taught to place the right fist before
one's chest and the left fist near one's left thigh.
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