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- Book 60 - The Inner World of the Lake
- By Grand Master Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated by Janny Chow and Kender Tomko,
Revised May 24, 1991
- Copyright Purple Lotus Society
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Appendix A.7. The Training Of Dhyana Contemplation
Before I discuss the main theme of this chapter, I would like to
print the following letter:
| Dear
Master Lu,
My daughter, Hsiu-hsiu,
is twelve years old. Two months ago she learned from me the
practice of the Thailand Hinayana Dhyana sitting meditation
(the Self-Viewing Cessation and Contemplation Method), which
is similar to the Kuan-yin meditation method. As I recall,
on the first night of her lessons and just as she was about
to start meditating, my daughter saw an image of Leomg Phor-hon,
a deceased, eminent monk, smiling at her. After that, my daughter
was able to sit quietly in meditation for about thirty-five
minutes. When she came out of mediation, upon my inquiry,
she told me that a sphere of light she had visualized appeared
first between her eye brows, then went into her left eye before
moving to the rear part of the brain. After that, the light
moved to the throat and travelled vertically downward, passing
the esophagus until it reached the naval and rested at the
place two finger widths below the naval.
My daughter kept
on reciting a mantra, "San-ma-ah-la-cha" and the
light became brighter and brighter. Since then, she has practiced
meditation for thirty minutes every night. About a week after
the first meditation, that sphere of light split into two:
one large and one small. The larger one formed an outer sphere
which encircled the smaller one. When the spheres of light
grew bigger and bigger, the shape of a human appeared inside.
The human shape was quite small during the early meditations
but, over time, it expanded and, when it reached a certain
size, my daughter could see herself appearing inside the spheres,
sitting on a lotus surrounded by extremely bright light.
Starting three
weeks ago, every time after meditation, Hsiu-hsiu enjoyed
looking at the statue of Kuan-yin. And every time before meditation,
she would recite three times the epithet of Namo Shakyamuni
Buddha, and recite five times both the Namo Maha Kuan-yin
Bodhisattva and the Six Syllables Mantra (Om-Mani-Padme-Hum).
She had also become an adept in the Self-Viewing Cessation
and Contemplation Method. As soon as she closed her eyes,
she could immediately enter into Meditation. This could happen
anywhere or anytime, whether she was sitting up or lying down.
Ten nights ago,
while she was asleep, my daughter saw Kuan-yin and her dragon
maiden riding on lotus seats to come to see her. At first
Kuan-yin spoke to my daughter about some moral principles
and instructed her to keep on practicing meditation daily,
without fail. Next Kuan-yin wanted to take my daughter away
to visit some place, but my daughter refused to go. Then Kuan-yin
waved her hand and immediately a beautiful landscape appeared.
Among the mountains in the landscape was a temple with many
monks inside, dressed in yellow and chanting a sutra which
sounded to my daughter like the Diamond Sutra. Anyway, my
daughter wanted to go on sleeping, so she ignored them. Kuan-yin
could do nothing but leave. Before departing, she told my
daughter not to tell anyone about their visit and said that
they would come back the next day.
After that night,
my daughter felt that Kuan-yin was following her everywhere.
She could even see Kuan-yin at school, which really bothered
her. I brought up this matter with your student Lian-chung
and he suggested that the next time that Kuan-yin appeared,
Hsiu-hsiu should urgently recite the name of Namo Amitabha.
After this, during
meditation, Kuan-yin Bodhisattva would always appear on a
lotus opposite my daughter, but my daughter would ignore it.
I again discussed the problem with Lian-chung. He taught us
to perform the following before each meditation: Reciting
seven times "Om, bo-ru-lan-zhi-li," followed by
forming the Diamond Handclasp Mudra and touching the mudra
to the brow point, throat, heart, left shoulder and right
shoulder.
Then visualizing
the Dharma Protector Skanda standing guard behind and a circle
of vajra fire surrounding the place of meditation. Also when
going to sleep, he instructed us to recite the mantra "Om,
bo-ru-lan-zhi-li" toward each of the four quarters of
the bed, using the Sprinkling Mudra and visualizing vajra
fire encircling the bed. After all this, Kuan-yin stopped
appearing during my daughter's meditation and sleep.
However, one night,
when my daughter got up to go to the bathroom, she ran into
Kuan-yin and the dragon maiden in the kitchen. My daughter
immediately recited "Namo Amitabha" and she could
see the light of Kuan-yin and the dragon maiden, as well as
the lotus seats, vanishing. However, my daughter could feel
the hand of the dragon maiden grasping tightly onto her and
she had to struggle to set herself free.
I realized that
the problem was getting worse. At that time I had to travel
abroad but, under such circumstances, I really felt uncomfortable
leaving my daughter. So, through the introduction of Lian-chung,
I went with my daughter to see the director of Yuan Zheng
Tang, a local chapter of the True Buddha School in Singapore.
Under the enthusiastic help of the director, Lian-hsuan, my
daughter was able to disengage herself from the visions of
Kuan-yin and the dragon maiden. Lian-hsuan told my daughter
to stop the practice of meditation for the next one or two
months.
Now I hope that
Master Lu will take my daughter as a student, so she can take
refuge in you and learn the practice of Dharma from you. With
Master's lineage power, blessing, and protection, I would
not have to worry about disembodied spirits transforming into
images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to bother her.
Sincerely, your
student,
Lien-ching
May 27th, 1985. |
Regarding the above letter, I have the following explanations
1) While the letter is real, the names in this letter are fictitious.
2) The Self-Viewing Cessation and Contemplation Method is a practice
of Thailand Hinayana Buddhism. This practice also employs the visualization
of light and the viewing of oneself inside the sphere of light.
With the increase in intensity of the light, one becomes a Buddha.
Generally, dhyana contemplation always consists of the visualization
of one's own transformation.
3) In general, when meditating, whenever one sees the appearance
of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, Demons, monasteries, or landscapes,
the most important thing is to pay no attention to them and do not
become obsessed with them. In other words when seeing any image
in meditation, one should neither attach nor reproach, and view
those images as non-images.
4) Many evil spirits, demons, and marks transform themselves into
the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to annoy and disturb practitioners.
They often employ some very clever Dharma words to ruin the correct
views of the practitioners. The differences between them and the
real Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are sometimes very subtle. In general,
true Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are very reasonable and do not use
any force. Any situation that involves force and oppression is improper.
One has to be especially careful in these situations.
5) Whenever any irregular situation arises, one should consult
accomplished masters or experienced practitioners who can help solve
the problems. The path of dhyana contemplation is full of side tracks.
This is why there is a saying that "nine out of ten Zen practitioners
might get lost." This path of cultivation is not a smooth one.
Examples of deviations are: one's physical health worsens as one
continues practicing, causing one to have hallucinations and suffer
mental deterioration; one receives instructions to act unreasonably,
such as to stay in retreat for seven days without food or sleep,
to keep secrets from others, to avoid seeing outsiders, and to keep
practicing without any interruption.
6) Whenever one finds that one has lost control over any situation,
one should stop meditation.
7) Holy-Red-Crown-Vajra-Master would like to tell everyone that,
in true dhyana contemplation meditation, one has to be in control
in all situations. If one loses control over one's body and mind,
and experiences uncontrollable auditory and visual hallucinations,
then it is abnormal. That is why I often remind students that, while
self-control is normal, control by others [spirits] is spiritual
imbalance.
8) Many people believe that instructions from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
are genuine. It is true that one can benefit from the instructions
of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but what if the apparent Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas are transformations of Maras instead?
It is extremely important that one is able to make these distinctions.
If one cannot tell the difference, then it is of utmost importance
to ignore these visions, or ask help from accomplished masters or
experienced practitioners.
9)Before practicing or meditating, one must perform the Armor Protection.
This is to evoke the Diamond Protectors to descend to one's tantric
shrine to protect oneself during meditation.
One has to set a "boundary" around one's tantric shrine.
To set a boundary is to set a prohibition so that demons and evil
spirits cannot enter into the tantric shrine to annoy and disturb
the practitioners. The setting of the boundary is the evoking of
Diamond Protectors to guard over the Tantric shrine.
10) A Dharma practitioner must take refuge in genuine Vajra masters.
Because of the lineage empowerment from the genuine Vajra masters,
the practitioner will receive protection from Dakinis and Diamond
Protectors so that no demon can spiritually invade the practitioner.
This is very important.
11) In general, the appearance of demons is due to one's own vain
and wishful thoughts. When one dwells on improper thoughts, the
demons are attracted to them. Thus it is very important that one
must purify one's own thoughts first. A practitioner should start
with the basic practices (the Four Preliminary Practices and Guru
Yoga), which are the foundation. When one receives response in the
basic practices, one proceeds to the Personal Deity Yoga, then to
the main practices and, finally, the practice of the Highest Tantra
Yoga.
As long as one receives response in the Guru Yoga, there is no
need to fear entering the realm of marks.
Currently, there are many students who begin their practice with
the main practices or the Highest Tantra Yoga.
They look down on the basic practices. These students are most
likely to be inadvertently controlled by mark.
Beware of such problems!
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