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New Revelations from the Buddha King
- Book 120: New Revelations from the Buddha King
- Chapter 12:
His Holiness Ganden Tri Rinpoche
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated by Janny Chow
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Gifts from Ganden Tri Rinpoche
At 10:00 a.m., on September 5th, 1996, His Holiness Ganden Tri Rinpoche, the highest Tibetan rinpoche ranking second only to the Dalai Lama, paid a visit to the Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu.
H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche is the highest rinpoche in the Gelugpa order. He is the one hundredth successor to the seat that represents the Gelugpa lineage guru Tsongkhapa.
The three great Gelugpa monasteries of Tibet are Ganden Sokpa Monastery, Drepung Loseling Monastery, and Sera Monastery. As the abbot of the Ganden Sokpa Monastery, His Holiness`s position is only surpassed by that of the Dalai Lama.
H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche and I met at the True Buddha Tantric Quarter and he presented me with the following gifts:
1) a Dharma robe used by Tantric rinpoches
2) a vajra scepter used by rinpoches
3) a vajra bell used by rinpoches
4) a damaru drum used by rinpoches
5) nectar pills that have been empowered by mantras chanted by the Dalai Lama himself
6) three sacred objects handed down from past lineage gurus
7) valuable Tantric medicines
H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche told me, `This Dharma robe which I am giving you is to be worn only at the most important Dharma ceremonies. It is endowed with infinite Dharma power, as each single stitch sown has been empowered by mantras. When you, Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu, put on this Dharma robe, you are a high rinpoche.
`The scepter, bell, and damaru drum have been used by high rinpoches for many years, and they symbolize the flowing into you of the highest Gelugpa lineage power.
`These nectar pills have been empowered by mantras which were chanted all the way up to the point when they started multiplying - only then did the chanting stop. As for these most valuable Tantric medicines, protect them from sunlight. They should only be taken in a dim room before one meditates. They can enhance one`s power a hundredfold.`
Also, the three sacred objects handed down from Tantric lineage gurus are of a most secret nature.
Offering of Katas by the Rinpoche
H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche, accompanied by Lhading Rinpoche and Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, went to the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Redmond and Rainbow Villa in Northbend, Washington to offer katas to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas enshrined there.
His Holiness tossed out ten katas. All ten of them landed on the hands of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
Geshe Lobsang Tenzin said, `Generally, it would be considered normal if three out of ten katas tossed by His Holiness were to land on the hands of the statues. What has happened today, with ten out of ten katas landing on the Buddhas` hands, is a most unusual thing.`
H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche said, `The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at Ling Shen Ching Tze and the Rainbow Villa are indeed extraordinary. As soon as I tossed the first kata, I could feel them extending their hands to accept it. That is why all ten katas have inconceivably landed on their hands.`
His Holiness praised the Rainbow Villa highly. In his opinion, the land energy there is the best among the many spiritual places he has visited in the world. He said, `This is a treasure site for meditation.`
Dharma Teaching by His Holiness
At 1:00 p.m. on September 7th, 1996, H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche and I ascended to the teaching seats. I sat in the middle and His Holiness sat to my right. Below and in front of me sat Master Lian Shih, who was to conduct the Bardo Deliverance Ceremony, while His Holiness and I both would empower it.
His Holiness gave a Dharma teaching stressing some of the key points of Vajrayana cultivation:
1) Right Dharma - We have to practice and support the Right Dharma taught to us by Shakyamuni Buddha, be it exoteric or esoteric. A Vajrayana practitioner should not focus only on the short-cut path of Buddhahood in the Present Life and slight the Hinayana or Mahayana practices. We should regard scriptural school practices as foundation practices preparing us for Vajrayana practices. As long as it is the Right Dharma, we must rely on it.
2) Right View - A spiritual cultivator must have the right view, a part of the eightfold path, whereby one departs from all deviations and differentiations and dwells on the ultimate nature of all phenomena. The Sraddhotpada Sastra says, `If the mind becomes distracted, reel it back in to dwell on the right view.` In Kuan-ching-shu (A Commentary on the Amitayus Sutra) written by Hui-yuan, `To dwell on the right view is to abandon all individuality and abide in the ultimate nature of existence.`
3) Bodhicitta - One has to aspire to the path of truth and the mind of Perfect Enlightenment. A practitioner has to have the intention and wish to attain liberation for the sake of all beings, and have the vision of the true nature of phenomena. Finally, a practitioner has to practice meditation (samadhi) in order to bring his wish into actualization.
4) The Root Guru is basic to Enlightenment - H. H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche greatly emphasized the importance of the role of a root guru. Lineage transmission and the root guru are extremely important in Tantra. Teachings from one`s root guru are the source of one`s Enlightenment; therefore, Guru Yoga is a most important root practice. Without the root guru, one is without lineage transmission and empowerment; without lineage transmission and empowerment, one will not be able to attain Enlightenment.
5) Personal Deity Yoga - The Personal Deity, besides being an archetypal deity, is also the most victorious and most revered deity in the realm of manifestation for a cultivator. In Tantric practice, one selects the deity that has the greatest affinity with oneself as one`s Wisdom Personal Deity.
H.H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche recognized the great importance of Personal Deity Yoga. A Tantric cultivator has to attain yogic response in Personal Deity Yoga. One eventually becomes the Personal Deity and returns to the Pure Land of one`s Personal Deity.
Dharma Teaching by Living Buddha Lian-sheng
In my speech regarding the Personal Deity Yoga, I stressed the importance of the Self-Power Personal Deity.
First of all, one must cultivate to the point when one can see the giving off of clear light by the fivefold color heart meridian in the heart.
1) The cultivator has to be able to discern, within the clear light emitted by the fivefold color heart meridian, the appearance of extremely fine fivefold color light drops (these resemble the emerald and rainbow eyes of peacock feathers), fivefold color ripples (such as those formed by tossing a stone into a pond), or pony tail shaped strands of quickly flashing pearls. This is what may be seen at the first stage.
2) The extremely fine fivefold color light drops gradually assemble themselves into both horizontal and vertical patterns, which may appear from time to time as any of the following: half necklace, lotus, Indra`s net of luminous pearls, or treasure stupa. Over time, these patterns increase in size to appear like a bowl, a shield, or vajra chains. The vajra chains are the most important of the images seen by the Tantrika at the second stage.
The formation of the vajra chains is most critical. The Golden Pearl Sutra says, `If one desires to understand the secret meanings of the Buddhas, one has to observe the vajra chains. If one desires to obtain merits of the Buddhas, one must not depart from the vajra chains. If one desires to know the sum total as well as the individual parts of all phenomena, one should observe the vajra chains. If one desires to understand all inner wisdom, one should view the light of the vajra chains.`
3) The vajra chains move rapidly like meteors. Amid the spiralling pattern manifests an assembly of half-body Buddha-deities. The emergence of the Buddha-deities is the third stage.
4) At the fourth stage, there is the emergence of whole body Buddha-deities and Buddha-deities in union with their consorts. The `clear brightness of the light drops` keep on expanding until they fill up all Dharma Realms and all Empty Space. Light from the hearts of all of these Buddhas completely melt into the fivefold color heart meridian of the Tantrika.
At such a moment, the Tantrika can see the forty-two peaceful Personal Deities and the fifty-eight fierce Personal Deities.
5) All manifestations outside are retrieved and returned to the fivefold color heart meridian. Amid the fivefold color rainbow rays, the Self-Power Personal Deity manifests.
This is a great accomplishment.
When H.H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche heard my descriptions, he knew they came from the experience of a very high achievement.
By presenting me with the ceremonial robe worn by high rinpoches, H.H. Ganden Tri Rinpoche has given me a kind of extremely precious authentication. Besides having been authenticated by the Buddhas, I also now have an authentication from a high rinpoche in the human world.
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