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Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death
- Book 163: Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death
- Chapter 13:
The Tantric Path to Attaining Buddhahood in this Very Body
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated and edited by True Buddha Foundation
- Translation Team (Cheng Yew Chung, Satch)
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I understand that if the head splitting syndrome occurs in physical reality, I would definitely die from it. What I am now, as an old and weakened physical being, is really nothing more than an illusory shell. How is this shell illusory? It is simply because what I was in my childhood, my adolescence, my youth, and my adulthood is far different from what I am today. When a person is sick, he ages very quickly. This is just how life is, for time itself is a magician who can perform every trick. What was once a healthy body is being deformed by the torment of old age and sickness.
When the eight-petalled lotus blossoms (the splitting headache), the Buddha is found within. In space there exists a luminous and perfectly clear light which is known as the Mother Light of the Vairocana Ocean of Ultimate Nature, or simply known as the Dharma Nature. The Buddha within each of us is thus a Child Light, a spark of the Mother Light.
The True Self is real and unchanging, for its primal essence is pure and untainted. Being the original state of nature, there is no change, nothing is different, nothing is born, nothing dies, nothing increases, nothing decreases, nothing is pure and nothing is stained, for the Tathagata store is itself the Absolute Reality, the Perfect True Nature.
The Child Light is the True Self, which is transformed to the Rainbow Light. The Mother Light is also the True Self, which is the Great Ocean of the Light of Vairocana. When these two merge, it is what is known in Tantric Buddhism as the attainment of Buddhahood in this very body.
In the cultivation of Tantrayana, we are already complete with the Three Secrets of the Dharmakaya Buddha. It is only because of our delusions that we cannot attain them. Therefore, sentient beings are given the opportunity to attain equanimity with the Three Secrets of the Buddha out of the great compassion of the Buddha. The forming of mudra is the secret of the body, the recitation of mantra is the secret of speech, and the visualization of seed syllable, or the Buddha`s Samadhi form, or the form of the principal deity, is the secret of the mind. Once we practice these Three Secrets, we are blessed by the Three Secrets of body, speech, and mind of the Tathagata. The three karmas of sentient beings are fused with the Three Secrets of the Tathagata, merged as one indivisible reality which is known as the union of Three Secrets. And with the union of Three Secrets comes the accomplishment of all siddhis.
Why am I able to cultivate and attain the True Self? It is because:
The True Reality is that I AM
The Buddhadharma is that I AM
Encased within layers of secrets
Simply multi-dimensional, wonderful and profound.
The secret dharma gate of Tantric Buddhism is the Dharani Mantra. The doctrine as expounded by all Tathagatas, the cultivation dharma gate of the very wisdom attained from Self-Realization, expressed in all Tantric dharma, is rarely heard of in the dharma realms. Since you are able to receive this teaching today, you must be grateful for this opportunity and refrain from slandering. This doctrine is attained by the inner realization of the Dharmakaya Tathagata, seen as the mantra of supernatural transformation and miraculous benediction, which is beyond even the knowledge of a Bodhisattva who has attained the Buddha Enlightenment stage. Only the Buddhas are able to know it in its entirety.
Besides the Tantric path to attaining Buddhahood in this very body, there is the attainment of Buddhahood in the Sambhogakaya (bliss body).
In Exoteric Buddhism, the practice of the Pure Land School includes a method known as the Recitation Gate. Every morning, after brushing his teeth and washing his face, the practitioner will wear clean clothing or a monastic robe, face the west or the shrine, and bring the palms together. The practitioner then recites the epithet `Amitabha Buddha` continuously, and completes one recitation in each breath. Thus, in ten breaths, ten recitations are completed. There is no rule on the number of times the epithet is to be recited (within the ten breaths), but one should strive to achieve the oneness of recitation and breath.
Sustain the breath and keep the recitation going
Stop only at the extreme of breath
Keep the mind calm and the heart pure
Keep the breath and mind in perfect harmony
The main goal is to keep the mind focused on diligently reciting the Buddha`s name. This is one of the recitation approaches of the Pure Land teachings to control the mind and breath.
You should then make a vow and dedicate you merits. Here is the passage which I quote with much reverence:
I, disciple Lian-sheng (replace with your name here), take refuge with Amitabha Buddha of Sukhavati with all my heart. Please radiate your light on me, and draw me towards you with your compassionate vows. I will properly recite the name of the Buddha, and complete the ten strings of recitation for the purpose of partaking in the path of bodhi, and seek rebirth in the Pure Land.
The vow of Amitabha Buddha states: sentient beings who sincerely and joyfully entrust themselves to me, desire to be born in my Pure Land, and call my Name, even ten times, if they are not born there, then may I not attain perfect Enlightenment. Excluded, however, are those who commit the five gravest offenses and those who abuse the right dharma.
In retrospection, I have been born into this life, and I have refrained from committing any grave offenses and have refrained from abusing the right dharma. I therefore wish that my ten recitations of the Buddha`s name would gain me entry into the great ocean of vows of the Tathagata, riding on the compassion of the Buddha, so that my karmic transgression will be eliminated, thus increasing the pure causation. And upon the time of my death, I will be aware of my passing, and will not suffer from any illness. I will be detached from all worldly matters, and my mind will remain sharp and focused as in the state of meditation. The Buddha and the assembly of sages will receive me with the golden lotus throne, and with the end of my thought, I will be reborn in Sukhavati. With the blossom of the lotus, I will meet the Buddha and be enlightened with the Buddha wisdom, and will deliver sentient beings and complete the vows of bodhi.
If you feel that this prayer of vow and dedication is too long, you may follow my version:
May all who uphold the name of Amitabha Buddha, be reborn together in the Pure Land of His Western Paradise.
Repaying the Fourfold Generosity from above and aiding those who suffer in the Three Paths below.
Upon seeing the Buddha, may I be liberated from the cycle of birth and death; and may I develop the qualities of the Buddha and thus help free all who suffer.
The Surangama Sutra states, `If a man focuses his mind on someone else while the latter always forgets him, both may meet and see the other, but they won`t recognize each other` (this is not ideal).
The sutra continues, `However, if both enthusiastically think of each other, their enthusiasm will grow from one incarnation to another until they become inseparable like a body and its shadow` (this is ideal).
The sutra then states, `the Tathagatas of the Ten Directions have compassion for all living beings and always think of them, like a mother who never ceases thinking of her son. If the son runs away, her thoughts of him will be of no use. But if he also thinks of her with the same fervor, they will not be separated in spite of the passing of transmigration. If sentient beings remember and think of the Buddha, they are bound to meet him in their present or future incarnations.`
An individual of fine spiritual capacity: The mind is with the Buddha, and could spontaneously and naturally block off all negative thoughts.
An individual of average spiritual capacity: There is an urge to do negative deeds, but as he thinks of the Buddha, his misdeeds cannot be realized.
An individual of low spiritual capacity: Even though his actions are often subjected to his negative thoughts and his will is weak, if his body emits a fragrance, his foul smell will naturally leave him.
When these individuals recite the Buddha`s name and cultivate to reach the Pure Land, Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva and the assembly of holy sages will appear upon their death to welcome them to Amitabha Buddha`s Pure Land.
Someone once asked me, `What if the Mara manifests itself as the Buddha to receive us?`
My reply to him was, `Recite the mantra OM GURU LIAN-SHENG SIDDHI HUM three times.` If the Buddha is real, his lights would grow brighter. If the Buddha is a manifestation of the Mara, he would disappear.
The liberation gained through the personal reception of Amitabha Buddha is known as the attainment of entering into the Pure Land of the Sambhogakaya. According to Buddhist writings, in the late stage of the bardo, the deceased may see the appearance of a heavenly deva in his form body or the appearance of a dharma protector in his form body to receive him. Thus, the liberation obtained at the late stage of the bardo is of the Nirmanakaya or transformation body.
Thus, liberation is classified at the levels of Dharmakaya (Truth body), Sambhogakaya (Bliss body) and Nirmanakaya (Transformation body), which constitute the three paths of liberation.
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