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New Revelations from the Buddha King
- Book 120: New Revelations from the Buddha King
- Chapter 06 (A):
Divine Eyes
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated by Janny Chow
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Five Kinds of Eyes
First, let me list the five kinds of eyes:
1) physical eyes - a faculty of physical beings.
2) divine eyes - a faculty of devas in the Realm of Form that perceives both far and near, inside and outside, as well as day and night.
3) wisdom eyes - a faculty of arhats and solitary-buddhas that perceives true Emptiness and formlessness.
4) Dharma eyes - a faculty of bodhisattvas that perceives all kinds of methods to help sentient beings.
5) Buddha Eyes - a faculty of Buddhas that perceives perfect knowledge of all things in their every aspect and relationship past, present, and future, and also embraces the previously mentioned four kinds of eyes.
Out of the five kind of eyes, why have I singled out `divine eyes` for discussion? During my first spiritual encounter at the age of twenty-five, the Golden Mother of the Jade Pond helped me to open up my `divine eyes.` That same night, equipped with this new faculty of `divine sight,` I was able to perceive in my travel the many realms of heaven. Later, I found out there are two ways for one to acquire the faculty of `divine eyes` (as discussed in the Mahaprajna-paramitasastra by Nagarjuna):
1) A ripening of seed sown in previous lives.
2) A result of cultivation in one`s current life.
In my case, this initial acquisition of `divine eyes` was a result of a seed sown in previous lives and not from any effort in cultivation up to that point in this life. Later, after succeeding in the yogic cultivation of `Clear Light` and integrating it with the divine sight, I was able to transform the `divine eyes` to perceive the complete universal knowledge. My divine sight sees everything clearly and is indestructible and unsurpassable.
Of course, many Dharma masters are suspicious of my claim of `divine sight.` In fact, not only people outside of our school, some students of the True Buddha School also harbor such doubts. Their doubts are understandable.
For example, some have wondered why there is such a heterogeneity, a mingling of good and bad, among the students of the True Buddha School. Doesn`t Grand Master Lu make an evaluation first before accepting someone as a student? Among the masters of True Buddha School, some harbor evil intentions, so why did the Grand Master give them the Acharya Empowerment? If Grand Master Lu had divine eyes, shouldn`t he have known in advance that someone harbored ill intent towards him? Among the group of masters of the True Buddha School, some have lost their will to pursue Enlightenment and some have formed factions on their own. Wouldn`t Grand Master have foreseen this if he had divine eyes?
These are legitimate questions, and my reply is as follows:
I have vowed that I would not forsake any single sentient being. Therefore, even murderers, rapists, robbers, thieves, prostitutes, swindlers, the homeless, and drunkards may become my students.
Among True Buddha masters, there are indeed some who harbor ill intentions. I was well aware of it, but I told myself that an Acharya could well use this chance afforded to redeem himself or herself. At the time of Empowerment, I emphasized to them, `Today, after receiving the Empowerment of Acharya, if you do not attain Buddhahood in this life, you will descend to the Vajra Hell. Do you still want to become an Acharya?`
`Yes,` he or she still replied affirmatively, albeit reluctantly. Since they wanted to give it a try, I was then moved by compassion to give them a chance!
People have tried to set me up, so why did I not prevent this from happening? Frankly, I was well aware of the situation and had already taken precautions to minimize the harm done. During each such attempt, the other party ended up not able to carry out the full plan. (Karmic reasons are also involved in these incidents, and I was aware of these beforehand.)
Among our group of masters, some have left the path, and some have established faction groups on their own. Did I not know in advance that this would happen? Of course, I was aware of it. But, such are karmic affinities! Karmic affinities exist in different degrees: some deep, some shallow, some long, some short, some have good beginnings with bad endings, some have bad beginnings with good endings. That is just the way things are.
I am a person who advocates `letting things run their natural courses.` I only want to teach the `True Buddha Tantric Dharma` with my whole heart the best way I can. So, if groups of masters and students give up on their cultivation or set up groups on their own, that is just the way our karmic affinities turn out to be.
Someone has asked me, `Why would you accept them in the first place if you knew it would turn out that way?`
I replied, `This heart of compassion of mine is limitless. There will come a day when they will realize it and return to take refuge in the True Buddha again!`
`Some people have taken refuge, left, come back, then left again. What are you going to do about these people?`
`I will wait for them,` I answered.
`What if they don`t come back?`
`I will wait until the next life.`
`What if they don`t come back in the next life?`
`I shall wait for them for a billion lives!` I said.
With my divine sight observations, I am aware of the state of mind of the students and the affinities between them and me, but what can I say to them? I prefer to let things be; I do not like to force anything. I am just trying my best to disseminate the Buddhadharma. Although I embrace all spectrums of consciousness, and everything is tacitly understood, I can only respond with a smile to these kinds of happenings.
The Tantric Black Sect
Since I am teaching the True Buddha Tantric Dharma, oftentimes when I bring up the subject of Tantric Dharma, people mention Lin Yun of the Black Sect. Because of this, Lin Yun became the first person who came under my criticism.
First, I did some studies on the Black Sect. The Black Sect, also known as Bon, was the primitive religion of the Tibetans before the introduction of Buddhist Tantra. The Bon religion believed in animism and employed magic incantations and practices. An example of this type of practice was to fashion a painted image of a person, using a mixture of mustard seeds and various poisonous materials. One would then chant magic incantations to cause harm, such as burns, to the victim.
Bon was not an esoteric religion. Later, after engaging in a power struggle with the Tantric religion, it was finally absorbed into the Tibetan Tantra. With the conversion of the Bon believers to Tantric Buddhism, the original primitive religion of Tibet became extinct.
I made a special observation of Lin Yun. He talked about `chi,` `feng-shui,` `ling-tzu,` `other-worldly solutions,` `this-worldly solutions,` and the receiving of his Black Sect lineage from certain lamas.... However, I found out that he had developed his system of art practices from books he had read. The feng-shui he teaches, however, is absolutely different from that taught by ancient feng-shui masters. His `ling-tzu` doctrine is akin to the belief of animism, while his teachings on `other-worldly solutions` and `this-worldly solutions` totally distort the Buddhadharma. Although he claims to have received the transmission of his lineage and claims to have been initiated into Tantric practice at the age of six, no corroboration has been forthcoming.
Truthfully, it was out of curiosity that I first took heed of Lin Yun. Then I actually became quite impressed by his cleverness. He could seize something white and turned it into black, or vice versa. The Tantric practices of the Twenty-one Taras have become, in his words, a major practice of his Black Sect. The copy of simplified Black Sect Practices he edited was a result of lifting teachings from here and there and adding some of his own.
The strange thing is, Lin Yun has many followers who flock to him and address him dearly as `Erh Ke` [Second Brother]. When I used my divine eyes to observe his chi, I found out the reason for his appeal. There is, indeed, a stream of special `chi` in Lin Yun, but it is not produced by his own effort in cultivation. It is instead a stream of extraneous chi attached to him.
Lin Yun himself may not necessarily know that this special stream of energy is affixed on him. He probably thinks that it has arisen from his practice of breathing in the solar energy. Because of help from this special stream of chi attached to him, Lin Yun has been able to attract many people to him. Many famous people such as movie stars, professors, scholars, and politicians are being drawn in and held tightly by this stream of chi.
What is this stream of energy doing? By attaching itself to Lin Yun`s body, it is able to suck in the light and energy of the people surrounding him. In other words, it is feeding, through Lin Yun, on his students. Like waves, one after another, Lin Yun`s followers come and leave in throngs. As long as this stream of chi on Lin Yun is pulling the throng of followers, they are totally enamored and do not want to go away. Only when this chi decides to let go, will they wake up from the dream!
It is, indeed, a powerful stream of chi. In observing it, I realized that one day, when this `chi` does not want him any more, Lin Yun is going to suffer terribly. He will all of sudden become emaciated and depleted of energy, as if all the air has been let out of a balloon. When that happens, many illnesses will appear and he will then realize the time for karmic retribution has arrived.
I recognize this stream of chi on Lin Yun. It is Mahesvara`s eldest son, a being who is dark with a large, long nose, like a human with the trunk of an elephant. The eldest son of Mahesvara adores females, so naturally many female students have a special fondness for this stream of chi.
Actually, as Lin Yun likes to discuss `chi,` he should know that the chi of yogis who have cultivated on their own is very steady and can be maneuvered by one`s will. If the stream of chi is unsteady, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, sometimes hot, sometimes cold, going up and down and in and out all the time, then this chi is not one`s own cultivated chi and there is something wrong about it.
With Ganapati, the eldest son of Mahesvara, attached to him, Lin Yun will definitely find himself in possession of some psychic power. However, whether this psychic ability works when applied to great and important events cannot be guaranteed. Also, when Ganapati no longer wants Lin Yun, Lin Yun will suddenly lose everything, including all his psychic abilities.
Furthermore, Ganapati has a great appetite. I do not know if Lin Yun has a great appetite but, based on the principle of extraneous chi exerting influence on one, Lin Yun must have a great love for food. Ganapati enjoys art and entertainment and is himself a gifted artist and entertainer. He is a composite of half-good and half-evil.
Why has the Mahesvara attached to Lin Yun? Mahesvara is the Lord of the present universe whose abode is at the apex of the Realm of Form, so it is quite a powerful connection to be backed by the Mahesvara. As the Buddhism taught by Lin Yun is neither orthodox Buddhism nor orthodox Tantric Buddhism, it is quite logical that the source of his power has come from a Deity outside orthodox Buddhism.
Mahesvara has three eyes, eight arms, and rides a white bull. The Tantric schools consider Mahesvara a manifestation of the Great Sun Buddha. In other words, the Great Sun Buddha is the source of Mahesvara. Lin Yun advocates the practice of breathing in the chi of the Great Sun, but, instead of breathing in the Great Sun Buddha, he has beckoned the eldest son of Mahesvara to come to him.
Tantric practices devoted to Mahesvara also exist: e.g., the Great Holy Joyful Deva and Consort Vinaya Practice, the Great Holy Joyful Deva and Consort Fame and Fortune Practice, and the Great Holy Joyful Deva and Consort Mahesvara Practice.
From a positive aspect, when the eldest son of Mahesvara attaches to one, one will enjoy great blessings in growth of fame and fortune. The negative side is that, if the person who has enjoyed great fame and fortune is not an adept with self-engendered power, once the eldest son of Mahesvara goes away, misfortune will descend immediately. When that happens, there will be a great reversal of fortune, which no amount of anguished cries will help.
As far as `stealing of chi` is concerned, cultivators should be aware that beings throughout the various levels in the deva realm feed on `chi.` `Chi stealing` is a special skill of Ganapati. I can see that it is Ganapati attached to Lin Yun, rather than Lin Yun himself, who is sucking light and energy from group after group of his students.
Lin Yun of the Black School will one day expire because of this drainage of energy from him. If I were he, I would practice the Great Yamantaka Vajra Fire Offering to invoke Yamantaka`s protection. The Great Ferocious Deity Yamantaka has sixteen feet, with the right ones stepping on a human, buffalo, yellow bull, donkey, camel, dog, sheep, and gourd, and the left ones stepping on a vulture, owl, crow, parrot, eagle, roc, chicken, and crane. The assembly of Yamantaka includes the Brahmadeva, Indradeva, Side-Inner Deva, Mahesvara, Six Face Kumara-Deva, Deflected Deva, Moon Deva, and Sun Deva.
All devas are under the domain ruled by Yamantaka. When Yamantaka comes to guard one, Ganapati, the eldest son of Mahesvara, has no choice but to leave. Once Ganapati leaves, Lin Yun should practice the `Five Tiers of Boundary Protection` of `vajra foundation,` `vajra stake,` `vajra wall,` `vajra fire,` and `vajra net.` With the area around him transformed into a sacred space, Ganapati will not return for further attachment and draining of energy. Afterwards, Lin Yun should start immediately to do practices to strengthen and safeguard his own chi. This way, his energy will not dry up and be depleted.
Hsing Yun the King of Mountains
The second person I am going to discuss is Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Actually, Hsing Yun should have been mentioned before Lin Yun, as the Buddhist organization established by him is much larger than that of Lin Yun, especially since Lin Yun`s influence is declining. While Lin Yun is being engulfed by a stream of black vapor, Hsing Yun`s power is still at its zenith. Why then have I placed my discussion of Lin Yun ahead of Hsing Yun?
The order of appearance of the personalities in this series of discussions is based on the order of my noticing them. Lin Yun was the first one who caught my attention, although my focus later went to Hsing Yun. The order of appearance is thus not based on their accomplishments but rather on the order in which I have observed them by using my divine sight faculty.
The elderly monk I mentioned in the earlier chapter told me, `The Helper Guide behind Ven. Master Hsing Yun is the Palatial Lord of Tai Yin Mountain.`
Now, I can affirm this: Ven. Master Hsing Yun is the incarnation of a mountain deva.
According to Ven. Master Hsing Yun himself, his face at birth looked like a painted mask of a Peking Opera performer, with blotches of red, green, and white on it. When the neighbors found out, they started the rumor that Hsing Yun`s mother had given birth to a monster. This rumor spread far and created quite a stir. The strange facial colors of Hsing Yun did not disappear right away; they took several years to fade away completely. During those first years of his life, Hsing Yun was kept indoors by his family, so as not to cause alarm to other people. In Hsing Yun`s own description, the birth mark was a `born sign` that he would grow up to become an eminent monk.
After beckoning Hsing Yun`s `spirit body` to me, I took a look with my divine eyes and saw a being whose face was large and multi-colored, with bright and shiny eyes, a thick and coarse scalp, a large mouth with a long tongue, a wide and thick body with a huge and protruding stomach, flame-red sideburns and a yellow needle-like beard. Ven. Master Hsing Yun was clearly a monk, so why had his spirit body the appearance of a rough fellow with sideburns and beard?
As soon as I saw such a form, I realized, `Of course, it was a mountain deva!` In the past, I have seen many mountain devas. Although mountain devas appear in different forms, they do share one thing in common: they love to decorate their faces in colorful patches, like the way a native American Indian chief would paint his face. In Taiwan, all the mountain devas I saw had tattoos on their faces.
The first time I saw Ven. Master Hsing Yun`s spirit body, I was startled because it was undoubtedly the form of a mountain deva. Later, when I read his biography and learned of his facial birth mark, I was able to confirm my own observation that he is an incarnation of a mountain deva.
Perhaps the readers would ask, `There is still quite some distance between mountain devas and the devas in the realm of heavens. If Hsing Yun is just a mountain deva, why was he able to build such a large Buddhist organization?`
The purpose behind my writing this article today is to clarify this point. In terms of wealth, the four Deva Kings are the wealthiest devas in the realm of heavens, the Dragon Kings are the wealthiest in the oceans, and the mountain devas are the richest on land. As Hsing Yun is an incarnation of a mountain deva and has as his Helper Guide the Palatial Lord of Tai Yin Mountain, the king of all mountains, how can he not be a rich man?
In the human world, if one has help from an earth deva, one will be rich. The greater the number of earth devas helping one, the richer one will be. While one helping earth deva will bring one a little wealth, ten helping earth devas will bring moderate wealth, a hundred helping earth devas will bring one great wealth, and thousands of helping earth devas will bring one supreme wealth.
In the spiritual hierarchy of rankings, mountain devas are higher than earth devas. Since the Palatial Lord of Tai Yin Mountain is the chief of all mountain devas, any order issued by him is reverberated throughout all mountains. With this kind of support, Hsing Yun would absolutely become rich!
After Hsing Yun picked the land at Fokuangshan [in Taiwan] to start building there, his Buddhist organization took off like a volcanic eruption and spread very rapidly throughout the world.
The following is my assessment of the achievements attained by Hsing Yun:
1) success in setting up publications and other media projects
2) success in expanding a Buddhist monastery`s function to include tourism
3) success in setting up a religious movement of his own
4) organization skills
5) business management skills
6) involvement in politics
7) success in establishing many other social enterprises
8) success as a spiritual leader
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