Chapter 26 - The Root Guru Response Method

At present, there are more than 4000 students in Taiwan who have formally taken refuge in me. Abroad, there are a thousand of them who have taken refuge. (including Americans and Europeans) The number of my students have been increasing. This is happening when I have not openly announced that I will take students. I always accept students only when they have generated the aspiration for Bodhi themselves. I have never sedulously asked anybody to take refuge in me. The number of students does not matter to me. They may come and go as they like, since it is all decided by conditions. If they meet better masters alter, they can take refuge in that master as well.

I have a Dharma photo, with the five-Buddha crown on my head, dressed in the Three Robes, prayer beads hanging, the vajra scepter in my right hand and the vajra bell in my left. Now I live in the States; students in Taiwan would like to make a porcelain statue modeled on the photo. They asked for my opinion and my reply was "yes."

Some people held, however, that since Sheng-Yen Lu is still alive, it is self-importance to have one's own statue worshipped by other people, and that it is inappropriate to put one's own statue along side those of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. If that should be done, there will be a lot of gossip, which will defeat the original purpose. Other people said that a living person who accepts others' worship will have years of life taken off or misfortune will fall upon him. This is because among people prostrating to the Buddhas there are high-ranking priests and revered monks, and Sheng-Yen Lu cannot very well stand their prostration to him. In their opinion, I should not have my statue made.

In fact, when I say it is all right, my explanation is as follows. When the Vajra Master wears a five-Buddha crown, it means that the Buddhas from the five directions are staying on his head. The five Buddhas are: Vairocana in the center, Aksobhya in the East, Ratnasambhava in the South, Amitabha in the West, and Amoghasiddhi in the North. These are the Lord Teachers in the five directions. When they are on the head, it means that the five Buddhas are pouring water of wisdom into the Vajra Master. In this way, the Vajra Master becomes solidified, has supernatural powers equal to those of the five Buddhas, together with their wisdom, virtue, eloquence, and works for the benefits of all sentient beings.

When salient beings prostrate to a Master who wears a five-Buddha crown, it is equal in merit to prostrate to the Five Buddhas. So there is a verse that goes:

The dignity and power of the Buddhas in the five directions,
Subdue demons everywhere in the world.
When Vairocana Buddha appears on the crown,
Salute and prostration bring forth the Truth.

People tend to think that they are prostrating to Sheng-Yen Lu, in fact, they are not, they are prostrating to the Five Buddhas on my head. Among the five, any one Buddha is important enough to stand and accept the worship by sentient beings, including high ranking priests and revered monks, let alone Five Buddhas plus a fully realized master (one who has realized the Great Perfect Mirror-Wisdom). Considering all these aspects, sentient beings can of course worship my statue; it will not take away my happiness, instead those who worship me will be blessed. I can emit light to empower the worshipper. This is what is called "one person that has realized transforms into a hundred others."

Now I explain how to worship one's guru master: The photo in the crown are all the most revered, so their photos or statues may be placed high above. Light up the incense and pray. Offerings include: flower, incense, lamp, tea, fruit, rice, fresh water.

Recite the four-fold refuge:

Namo Guru bei,
Namo Buddha ye,
Namo Dharma ye,
Namo Sangha ye.

Recite:

"I take refuge in the Ling Xian Sect and all the patriarchs in the past, and wish that all sentient beings will get peace and pleasure. I take refuge in the Five Buddhas and the Shrine, and wish that all sentient beings will get away from suffering. I take refuge in all Buddhas in the ten directions of the three times, and wish that sentient beings in the six forms of existence suddenly attain supreme enlightenment, and then take refuge in the Lotus Buddha Land."

Cupping his hands, the cultivator will visualize: "Master Sheng-Yen Lu, dressed in a black robe, with an outer brown robe, 108 prayer beads hanging in front of the chest, the vajra scepter in my right hand and the vajra bell in my left hand, a perfect countenance, slightly dignified. I am wearing a five-Buddha crown, a red crown, five Buddhas embroidered, with two ribbons hanging down bearing the six-syllable mantra of wisdom: Om Mani Padme Hum. Master Lu, sits on a lotus eat, you sit opposite."

"Visualize that at the brow-point of the Guru Master, a ray of white light comes out to shine on your own brow-point. This is the Great Perfect Mirror-Light, which will reduce your five aggregates and the eight consciousness to absolutely nothing. Then, visualize that the throat area of the root Guru sends out a ray of strong red light, shining directly onto your throat, which reduces your greed and lust to nothing and great wisdom appears. Finally, visualize that the Master's heart area lets out strong blue light, which directly shines on your own heart, conquering your ignorance and reducing it to nothing."

At this moment, Master Sheng-Yen Lu in your visualization is no longer Sheng-Yen Lu, but Mahapadmakumara in the Lotus Land. Wearing a five-Buddha crown, Mahapadmakumara sits on a pure Lotus seat. He uses both compassion and wisdom to save sentient beings and to bring them benefit.

Recite in your heart, not audibly, the root mantra of Master Sheng-Yen Lu and Mahapadmakumara, 108 times:

"Om, ah, hum-guru bei, ah-ho-sa-sa-ma-ha-Lian Shen, siddhi hum."

After reciting this mantra 108 times, sit quietly for a meditation session.

After the sitting session, prostrate to the Buddhas.

The root mantra can be interpreted like this:

"Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin's compassionate heart mudra is my true vajra master. All sentient beings, from Heavenly beings to hungry ghosts, will get the vajra Dharma and will all go to Mahapadmakumara's Buddha Land."

In practicing "worshipping the root guru," one's mind must concentrate on the root guru.

Let no unhealthy thought arise. Visualize the Dharma appearance of the root guru.

Realize the "middle way" contemplation (all objects are both empty and non-empty, illusionary and non-illusionary).

Practitioners of this method will receive the light from Master Lu and Mahapadmakumara. They will be purified. Their self-nature light will ascend to merge with the light of the Dharma Realm. All their bad karma will be eradicated. They will attain great Dharma wisdom and all the supernatural powers, turn consciousness into intelligence, and realize the supreme perfect enlightenment.

In the United States, I have a woman student by the name of Karin D. Sreenway. She practices "root guru response method" and got realized very quickly. She saw her own Buddha nature and the great perfect mirror light of the root guru. Extremely pleased she wrote a poem and a letter to me to show the realization.

The essential points in practicing this method:

1. Worship a picture or photo or a porcelain statue of the root guru.

2. In visualization, keep your thought on his dignified bearing of the Dharma accountenance and request empowerment by light from the root guru.

3. All mantras must be recited silently (vajra recitation).

4. Visualize first, and then recite the mantras.

5. Offerings and prostration must be done according to the rituals. Prostrate to the Dharma body of the guru, with the five Buddhas on his head. This notion and its meaning are very important. The "root guru response method" is very important. Practitioners of this method all have had great responses.

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