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Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death
- Book 163: Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death
- Chapter 19:
The Tantric Teachings on Distinguishing the Form Aggregate
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated and edited by True Buddha Foundation
- Translation Team (Cheng Yew Chung, Satch)
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According to the Tantric teachings on distinguishing the Form Aggregate, it is vital that the practitioner clearly remembers the differences of the various shades and colors of light when he experiences the phenomenon of the bardo state. Let me first remind everyone that the dull lights of the six realms of Samsara are dangerous paths, and should never be entered:
1. The light of the deva or heavenly realm is a dull white light.
2. The light of the human realm is a dull yellow light.
3. The light of the asura realm is a dull green light.
4. The light of the hell realm is a dull smoke-colored light.
5. The light of the hungry ghost realm is a dull red light.
6. The light of the animal realm is a dull blue light.
Remember, \`dull\` is \`poisonous.\` Therefore do not be lured into entering these respective paths, for entering them marks the entry into an endless drift in the Samsaric Ocean.
You must merge with these following lights:
1. The blue, transparent and dazzling light of the Wisdom of Ultimate Reality of Vairocana Buddha.
2. The white transparent light of Vajrasattva, radiating the light of wisdom and compassion.
3. The dazzlingly yellow light of the Wisdom of Equanimity as emitted by Ratnasambhava Buddha, Akasagarbha Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva or other holy sages.
4. The shining and transparent red light of the Wisdom of Discriminatory Awareness of Amitabha Buddha.
5. The transparent radiant green light of the Wisdom of All-Accomplishment of Amoghasiddhi Buddha.
The five colored lights, born of the purified habitual patterns of the Inherent Wisdom, are emitted from the hearts of the five Dhyani Buddhas. The lights are transparent, dazzling and radiant.
To differentiate the form aggregate of light, I personally feel that:
* We must remember the keys to making this distinction, and must not misjudge them. Commit to memory the subtle secrets involved and do not forget them.
* If you see the Buddha light that you need to merge into, you must firmly trust in this light, pray to it, and visualize yourself entering into it.
* You must not fall for the lights that arise from the six realms, for they can be tempting. Thus, you must not be moved by such radiance, for they are nothing more than the formation of karma and habitual patterns. These habitual patterns are: Craving, stupidity, ignorance, anger, wrath, vanity, arrogance, attachment, greed, jealousy and others.
Besides mundane mortals, those who fall into the six realms of reincarnation include cultivators. I can tell most of them are not sincere in their practice, and their behavior is unrefined. Some of them are lazy, and have completely ignored the need for cultivation. They lack the right view, being skeptical and suspicious of the dharma, and they even look down upon their own root guru. They doubt their root guru, and have no respect for his teachings. They mix their beliefs with other paths, combining different doctrines into a mess of thoughts. Thus, they have all fallen from grace.
This is the reason why the Eightfold Path is so important:
1. Right View: Having the correct knowledge and understanding.
2. Right Thoughts: Having the correct mode of thinking.
3. Right Speech: Speak ethically at all times.
4. Right Action: Performing ethical deeds.
5. Right Livelihood: Having a proper and ethical career.
6. Right Effort: Having the wholesome drive.
7. Right Mindfulness: Having the correct awareness and cognition.
8. Right Concentration: Having the wholesome meditation.
My spiritual eye was open while I was performing the Yoga of Feeding the Flaming Mouths of the Hungry Ghosts, the Mountain Meng Ritual of Bestowing Food, and the Pure Land Practice of Contemplation Throughout the Day. Even as I was entering the Four Meditations and Eight Concentrations (four on the form-realms and four on the formless realms, namely the first to fourth dhyana regions, the Heaven of Boundless Emptiness, the Heaven of Boundless Consciousness, the Non-Existing Heaven, the Heaven of Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought) I could spiritually discern that:
* An overwhelming number of people were: foolish, lazy, unbelieving, clouded in their thinking, restless, shameless, without conscience, wrathful, behaving capriciously, stingy, jealous, vexed, being harmful, being spiteful, flattering, full of lies, haughty, having rambling thoughts and investigations, sleepy, misbehaving, evil, greedy, resentful, arrogant, vain, doubtful.
* People are fond of fame, fortune, praise and enjoyment, and they agonize over their downfall, destruction, ridicule, and hardship.
I have observed many great masters, abbots, monks, and cultivators, and scholars who were articulate in expounding the buddhadharma. They were well-versed with the principles of Buddhism, and could explain the doctrines clearly, giving many talks on the teachings of Buddhism. They were certainly dynamic and active in their propagation of the dharma.
Yet, these teachings were done for the purposes of acquiring worldly fame and gathering a fortune from offerings. What these great masters, abbots, monks, and cultivators lacked was true cultivation. They had not cultivated the Stage of Accumulation, the Stage of Preliminary Practices, the Stage of the Path of Vision, the Stage of the Path of Cultivation and Practice, and the Stage of Perfection. These people understood the fifty-two stages of a bodhisattva, as established in Mahayana Buddhism to illustrate the process of cultivation, from the mundane level to the level of buddhahood (these stages include the Ten Faiths, Ten Dwellings, Ten Behavioral Activities, Ten Dedications, Ten Stages, Absolute Universal Enlightenment and Wonderful Enlightenment). However, these people did not put those principles into actual practice (true cultivation).
They busily engaged themselves in establishing mundane and worldly teachings that are nevertheless defiled approaches for all sentient beings. They concentrated their minds on raising funds to build big temples, and focused their attention on fame and social position. They were deluded by the four currents of illusion: the current of seeing things as they seem, not as they really are; the current of desire; the current of existence; and the current of ignorance.
These so-called great cultivators spoke of the buddhadharma, yet they did not practice what they preached. They had little knowledge of the state of bardo, and thus could not commit to heart the very skills needed to deal with it. Occasionally, they would also slander Tantric Buddhism, so when they came to the bardo state and saw all the illusory visions, they were frightened. Without actually practicing meditation, they lacked the meditative stability to sustain themselves, and being in a dream-like state, they eventually drifted into the planes of great miseries.
Therefore, it is better to be good at true cultivation than to be good at expounding the dharma, explaining the theories, building temples and building relationships. I personally feel that being good in expounding the dharma, explaining the theories, building temples and making friends are nevertheless excellent and encouraging. However, heavy emphasis should be placed on true cultivation, for those who are good in actual practice will become Mahasiddhis, the great adepts.
When these great cultivators attain spiritual accomplishment, they will spontaneously gain union with the True Reality, the True Mind, and become realized. They do not need to experience the bardo. They are the ones who will attain buddhahood in this very body, and enter into the blissful Pure Land, gaining and displaying endless auspicious signs!
The cloudless sky will emit great radiant light, and massive rainbows will appear. Celestial music will flow, accompanied by special fragrance that permeates the space. Auspicious rays radiate in all directions, and hundreds of flowers will bloom. After the cremation of a great cultivator, one finds many relics (sariras) of various types, like tooth relics and relic clusters.
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