Chapter 18 - Tantric Practice of Meditation (4)

Today, I have many students in Taiwan, a few of whom are "practicing the way to relieve the world." They use my teachings to help people out when they have misfortune, fatal disease, big changes in family, great loss of money, or no children. In their work to relieve people of their sufferings, I want them to adhere to one principle: the rich pay more, the poor pay less, the poorest get aid instead of paying. leave everything to the willingness of those you help. Don't impose anything on them, otherwise, it would not be "practicing the way to relieve the world," but "profit-making." Making a profit out of it would give other people a handle against yourself, and would be considered as doing a karmic deed.

People like Zhang Huang-ming, Chen Zhang-xung, Liao Yu-cuen, Su Ar-lan, You Yin-shou, Zheng Yu-xin, Chen Fan-kun, Su Ji-jun are all my students and are "practicing the way to relieve people." Such people, however, must cultivate themselves every day. One day's negligence results in one day's karmic hindrance; ten day's negligence produces ten day's karmic hindrance; a year's negligence is a year's hindrances. They must not treat this lightly. They should know that to practice the way to help the world without knowing the Dharma or without cultivation is a grave sin in itself--it does not earn you any merit, nor does it help other people for you haven't got the necessary power. In that case, you are a charlatan, who will go to Hell after death. I tell my students to cultivate every day if they want to help other people. If they forget to cultivate on a certain day, they simply don't try to help others on that day, for it would be a sure seed for going to Hell if they did.

Besides, the thing that I hate most is "blackmail." Most charlatans like to frighten people out of their wits first, so that they can ask for a lot of money from them. This is like a trick in "repairing a pot"--make the hole bigger first and the repair it. If I get to know that any of my students is playing this trick, I shall have it exposed upon evidence without any consideration for their feelings. I am impartial and incorruptible. I encourage those who do good and whip those who go wrong. If they don't want to be my students any more, they can send back their refuge certificate and I will not be bothered by what they do. If they go to Hell after death, that is their business, and I won't be encumbered. As for now, I have to keep an eye on them.

In using talismans to cure illnesses, there is an incantation which must be chanted by those who "practice the way to relieve the world." The incantation goes like:

"From the primeval state of the Universe, when Earth was about to be distinguished from Heaven, our ancestors like Huang Di tasted many herbs for medicine. The human body is first attacked from inside by the seven emotions and the six desires and then from outside by external factors. There are a hundred and one diseases, some of which we are conscious of and some not at all. With the sincerest respect, I request the speedy arrival of our ancient sages who will examine the symptoms in and out, and cure the patient with quick effect. I sincerely request the sages to bless men with peace. This is at the order of the Primeval Compassionate Reverend. Carry it out now, please!"

The practitioner should recite this incantation forty-nine times a day, and after the recitation, inhale one breath from the East, one from the south, one from the West, one from the North, and before exhaling it, drink the water with "the Incantation of the Heavenly Doctor." After practicing this every morning for one year, one can cure illnesses by reciting:

"The contact be established. Heavenly Doctor! Your love for sentient beings is as great as Heaven! All illnesses are driven away as soon as the breathing comes. This is the order of the Holy Heavenly Doctor! Carry it out now!"

After the recitation, blow one breath out into the water, which the patient drinks and gets recovered then and there. The practitioner must observe strictly the morality of cultivators. If he violates it, he will not be tolerated by Heaven or Earth, and will have to report in writing to the gods in Heaven and Earth. Please bear this in mind by all means. Should anything go wrong, the practitioner will be struck by thunder and will definitely go to Hell.

I advise all my students who are "practicing the way to aid the suffering beings" to cultivate the secret methods of the Medicine Tathagata. Here I make a special point of writing out the sequence of the Secret Practice of the Medicine Tathagata. The cultivation will help in the treatment of diseases:

First, recite three times the invocation mantra:

"Om, bie-cha-ma-ye, cha! I request the presence of the Medicine King Buddha of Light from the Eastern Vaidurya World."

Sit quietly for three minutes.

The practitioner then visualizes that the Medicine Buddha is sitting, in full lotus posture, on the moon disk of an eight-petal lotus flower, dressed in white, with hands holding an alms bowl or a pagoda. The Medicine Buddha is blue all over, bright and transparent like colored glaze. Visualize that the heart of the Medicine Buddha emits a beam of strong blue light which goes right into the heart of the practitioner. The practitioner then recites in his heart:

"Homage to the Guru. I take refuge in Grand Master Lian Sheng, master of lineage. Homage to the Buddhas. Homage to the Dharma. Homage to the Sangha. Disciple so-and-so take refuge in the Medicine King Buddha of Light. My sole wish is that you accept me as your disciple, and that my karma and illnesses be removed, and there will be blessing and long life, peace and harmony in the family, peace in the world, security and happiness for all sentient beings, devils and demons eradicated, and the Dharma is realized. Not only I myself but all sentient beings enjoy comfort and happiness both in body and in mind."

Now the practitioner visualizes that the blue light from the heart of the Medicine Buddha shines not only on himself, but on all sentient beings behind him. Due to the blue light, the sentient beings also have their diseases removed and enjoy comfort and happiness. All those who accept the blessing will enjoy good health forever.

Then the practitioner recites the heart mantra of the Medicine King Buddha:

"Die-ya-ta, om, bie-ka-zi-ye, bie-ka-zi-ya, ma-ha-bie-ka-zi-ye, la-cha-sa-muo-ka-dee-hei, sahe," 108 times.

Then the practitioner chants the heart mantra of the Medicine King Mother:

"Om, da-lie, du-da-lie, du-lie, sha-er-wa, zhuo-la, sha-er-wa-du-ka, bu-la-sha-ma-na-ye, saha," twenty-one times.

After that, visualize that you yourself are the same as the Medicine Buddha and facing all sentient beings in the world, your alms bowl or pagoda emits strong blue light, which, like nectar, rains upon all sentient beings who benefit from the nectar and jump with joy. You yourself, like the Medicine Buddha, have come to relieve the sentient beings of their illnesses.

This completes the visualization and you stand up.

Now recite:

"Homage to the Buddha of the Ten Directions. Homage to the Dharmas of the Ten Directions. Homage to the Sangha of the Ten Directions. Homage to all Buddhas of the past, the present, and the future of the Ten Directions. Homage to my Personal Deity the Medicine Buddha," three times with one prostration after each recitation.

Verse for Transferring Merit:

"Disciple so-and-so, having taken teachings from the Holy Red Crown Vajra Master Sheng-Yen Lu, I now plead the Medicine Buddha to empower me so that I may realize as quickly as possible. Then all sentient beings and I will have diseases removed, enjoy comfort and happiness, and have increased blessing and wisdom. In whatever I do, I will be as effective as the Medicine Buddha and reach the perfection of self-mastery with soul and mind purified."

Those who practice the secret method of the Medicine Buddha should also observe the morality principle. Those who awaken to self-nature will become celestial beings or Buddhas. However, there is always a seamy side in human beings and there are scums among Buddhist and Taoist practitioners. Among the disciples in our Ling Xian School there must be degenerates hidden somewhere. I should not always talk about the bright side while covering up the dark side. Those degenerates not only stain the lofty image of our school, but also tarnish the reputation of the Grand Master. I will never tolerate any disciple who goes against our precepts.

The practitioner must have perseverance in cultivating the Blowing Incantation of the heavenly Doctor or the Secret Method of the Medicine Buddha. This perseverance is a very ordinary kind of determination; however, if it is made to play its part, it generates some profound, ever-lasting truth - perseverance is the King in any cultivation, without which nothing can be realized.

Money-seeking is what charlatans are after. A great compassionate mind without thought of self is a realized state of mind which benefits both oneself and others. This is the basis for cultivation. Among those who "practice the way to help the sentient beings," anyone who conforms to it is in the right; anyone who goes against it is heretic. My students should consider carefully whether they are doing the right thing or not.

Practicing the correct belief, one may suffer a little but, but finally will attain Buddhahood.

Practicing heresy, one may enjoy himself for a while, but finally will go to Hell.

That is where the difference lies!

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