|
New Revelations from the Buddha King
- Book 120: New Revelations from the Buddha King
- Chapter 07:
The Magical Transformation of Personal Deity Yoga
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated by Janny Chow
|
The Realm of Spirits
Through observations I made with my divine sight, I came to sense that, within this Cosmos, the visible world is somehow controlled and directed by the entire invisible world. This situation is analogous to a game of chess played by High Beings in the spiritual realm, while we human beings are only chess pieces on the board.
Earth is a chess board with its chess pieces from the Sky,
Man is a creation of Yin and Yang;
Behind life`s vicissitudes and magical permutations,
Are the Immortal Beings pulling strings.
These High Beings behind the scene are the true chess players and winners. I also learned that there is a wide range of spectrums of consciousness embraced by these beings in the background: Buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, solitary-buddhas, devas, gods, asuras, hell beings, ghosts, and animals. The first four classes constitute the Four Holy Realms while the latter six constitute the Six Ordinary Realms. Altogether these form the ten Dharma Realms in the Cosmos.
I discovered that, while beings behind some cultivators are from very high ranks and play important roles within the spiritual hierarchy, others are not.
On the other hand, spiritual beings behind ordinary people are from lower ranks and do not carry a lot of weight. While some are possessed by spirits of animals, some are possessed by ghosts and demons. In some cases, people may develop into psychic mediums or they may become afflicted with mental disorders.
It is my understanding that if one wants to know how high the spiritual level of a cultivator is and how much power he or she has developed through cultivation, one only has to take a look at the spiritual being behind the person. This is because the being behind one is often the Personal Deity one has achieved communion with through one`s cultivation.
The ability to make observations into the subtler worlds is a pre-requisite to developing the kind of understanding I have today. However, being an incarnation of Amitabha, having the enpowerment of the Five Buddhas and Four Bodhisattvas from the central court of the Garbhadhatu Mandala, together with being taught and guided by the Golden Mother of the Jade Pond have helped me to finally attain a total understanding of the nature of Personal Deities.
The Importance of Personal Deity Yoga
In this lifetime, I am teaching men of the world to practice the True Buddha Tantric Dharma. One of the practices, the Personal Deity Yoga, is particularly important. The following transformation occurred to me when I succeeded in the practice:
In a flash, I became Amitabha.
On the right was the attendant Kuan Yin and on the left was the attendant Mahasthamaprapta.
Great brillant lights poured out of my body.
All around me were circles of Dharma protectors, dakinis, and various devas forming an extremely majestic and magnificent vision.
This kind of extraordinary accomplishment in the subtle realm is a magical transformation produced by the practice of Personal Deity Yoga.
Among the many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Dharma Protectors, a Tantric practitioner selects one particular deity with whom one feels a strong affinity. This deity becomes one`s Personal Deity. The goal of practicing the Personal Deity Yoga is to eventually reach the state wherein one is transformed into the Personal Deity.
For example, I, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, as an incarnation of Amitabha, have also selected Amitabha to be my Personal Deity. After practicing the Amitabha Yoga, I have finally transformed into Amitabha and returned to my original root source. This root source is the original place from whence I have come.
The Great Sun Sutra says, `One body, two bodies, up to an infinite number of bodies, all merging into the Original Body.` This is the principle of the Personal Deity Yoga.
In the book, Mi Chiao T`ung Kuan, it says, `The three secrets [body, speech, and mind] of all Buddhas and the three secrets of a cultivator pervade all Dharma realms and are equal. Therefore, the identifying of Buddhas with mantras, and the identifying of practitioners with Buddhas are also equal and the same. As these identifications are equal, one is able to bring the Buddhas into one`s body. As the Buddhas have entered one`s body, their merits also have become one`s own.`
This is the principle of the transformation that takes place in the Tantric practice of `deity entering into one` and `one entering into the deity.`
The `visualization of the merging of Personal Deity and oneself` in the Personal Deity Yoga is extremely significant:
1) Visualize the Personal Deity appearing right across from one in the empty space above. The Personal Deity emits three beams of light [white, red, blue] to bless the practitioner, enabling him or her to rest in an immovable state.
2) Visualize the Personal Deity moving to right above one`s head and emitting brilliant lights. Elixir flows down from the light to enter into the practitioner`s body. With all karmic hindrances purified from one`s body, one enters into a state of great liberation.
3) Visualize the Personal Deity contracting to the size of a pearl and, after travelling through the crown of the practitioner to enter the central channel, the Personal Deity sits upon the open lotus in one`s heart.
4) Visualize the Personal Deity expanding to become the same size as one. In a flash, the two merge together. The practitioner and Personal Deity become one and inseparable.
(Chant the Personal Deity Mantra 108 times with each visualization.)
This is the gist of the magical transformation of the Personal Deity Yoga.
It is my belief that, as long as one succeeds in the practice of the Personal Deity Yoga, one will undoubtedly be able to be reborn in the Buddha`s Land. In the scriptural school, the practice of chanting the Buddha`s name is the most expedient method. In the Tantric Personal Deity Yoga practice, a more subtle level of mind is engaged through the Tantric visualization and chanting methods.
However, I have found that, although some masters or reverends have not necessarily learned how to do Personal Deity Yoga themselves, High Beings have come to lend them a helping hand. I believe this has to do with existing karmic causes and affinities.
Take for example the case of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. By learning to recite the Shurangama Sutra himself and teaching others to chant and recite the Shurangama Sutra, he has drawn the Shurangama King Bodhisattva to him.
External and Internal Tantra
In my opinion, the entirety of Tantra can be found in the practice of Personal Deity Yoga. Tantra is separated into `external` and `internal` Tantra. External Tantra is what I have discussed earlier in this chapter:
1) The Buddha is in the empty space.
2) The Buddha moves to sit upon one`s crown.
3) The Buddha enters into one`s heart.
4) The union of the Buddha and oneself.
Internal Tantra is the cultivation of `chi, channels, and light drops`:
1) Chi fans the psychic heat.
2) Psychic heat tempers the light drops.
3) Light drops transform into spiritual-consciousness.
4) Spiritual-consciousness transforms into the Personal Deity.
I have listed above the key points of the practices of external and internal Tantra. In the final stage of external Tantra, the union of Personal Deity and practitioner occurs. In the final stage of internal Tantra, either the spiritual-consciousness transformed from light drops is transported to the Pure Land of the Personal Deity or it directly transmutes into the Personal Deity. Thus, it all has to do with Personal Deity Yoga, whether one is doing the external or internal practice.
Thousands upon thousands of Tantric practices are in existence because of the existence of all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Ferocious Deities, Devas, Dharma Protectors, Dakas and Dakinis in the ten directions within the Tantric mandalas. Yet, I maintain that no matter what practice one engages in, it still does not deviate from the internal and external Tantra, and its success is dependent upon empowerment from one`s Personal Deity, Guru, and Dharma Protector.
A special kind of spiritual phenomenon is happening to me. An accomplished spiritual cultivator (apart from being in continual union with one`s Personal Deity) also has in his company the whole retinue of his Personal Deity. In addition, the Personal Deity`s Dharma Protectors follow him. In other words, everything belonging to the Personal Deity would also become connected with the Tantric practitioner.
For example:
My Personal Deity is Amitabha.
The manifestation of Amitabha as Himself is known as the Self-Nature Chakra-Body (in the form of a Buddha.)
The manifestation of Amitabha as Manjushri is known as the Correct-Dharma Chakra-Body (in the compassionate form of a Bodhisattva.)
The manifestation of Amitabha as Yamantaka is known as the Commander Chakra-Body (in the wrathful form of a Ferocious Deity.)
I had always thought that Achala was my Dharma Protector until one day Yamantaka came to me without any bidding and made it known to me that he was my true Dharma Protector.
There was this one time, while practicing the Vajra Fist Exercise, I had released both body and mind into the state of Emptiness. All of a sudden, in a flash, a great Deity emerged from the spiritual realm - it was Yamantaka. Suddenly I found myself stepping ferociously with sixteen feet, my hands started to form the Yamantaka Vajra Mudra, my mouth started to chant the Yamantaka Vajra Mantra, and my two arms transformed into Yamantaka`s thirty-four arms.
As Yamantaka, I sank myself into a great ocean and emanated the most powerful Yamantaka Light. When the poisonous serpants in the ocean saw the light, they all fled. Overturning rivers and seas, I summoned up the greatest spiritual powers. When that happened, the dragon kings were terror-stricken and trembled with fear, the dragons` children and grandchildren were scared out of their wits, and all sea creatures went into hiding....
Yamantaka was indeed tremendously powerful. Right away, I formed an alliance with him and entered into a Samaya Pledge with him. Yamantaka has ever since become my greatest Dharma Protector.
Yamantaka had come on his own without any bidding because Amitabha is my Personal Deity. All these are connected in some way!
Making Offerings to Personal Deity and Dharma Protectors
After transforming into the Personal Deity through Personal Deity Yoga practice, all of one`s actions become the actions of the Personal Deity. Whatever activity one engages in, be it eating, dressing, sitting, commuting, educating, or entertaining, it becomes an act of offering to the Personal Deity.
To partake food oneself is to make offering to the Personal Deity.
To clothe oneself is to offer adornments to the Personal Deity.
To sit down is to offer meditation to the Personal Deity.
To commute is to offer deva-foot ubiquity to the Personal Deity.
To educate is to offer wisdom to the Personal Deity.
To entertain is to offer energy and vigor to the Personal Deity.
Everything I have also belongs to the Personal Deity.
Then I made another wonderful discovery. Each time I make offering to the Dharma Protector, I definitely feel him coming to accept my offerings.
However, if it happens even once that one`s Dharma Protector fails to come to receive one`s offerings, one must take note. His absence or the fact that he has abandoned one is a harbinger of undesirable events to come. According to my knowledge, if a Tantric Dharma Protector who has formed a Samaya Pledge with one turns away, it signifies that disasters are imminent. Perhaps the day for one to depart from this world has arrived.
I also would like to tell everyone, a cultivator who succeeds in the Personal Deity Yoga will absolutely be able to be reborn to the Pure Land. I can assure everyone of this. In fact, when one succeeds in the Personal Deity Yoga, one will develop certain psychic abilities and powers to assure oneself of one`s rebirth to the Pure Land.
I, Amitabha, assure you of such a rebirth. The Five Buddhas and Four Bodhisattvas assure you of it. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in all ten directions assure you of it.
|
|
