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Book: An Overview
of The Buddhadharma
- Book: An Overview of The Buddhadharma
- Title: Actual Practice of Mind
- Written by: Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated by: Janny Chow
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ACTUAL PRACTICE OF MIND
Therefore, to engage in the practice of the Mind, or Inner Study,
is to practice the True Buddha Tantric Dharma. In my discourse of
A Complete and Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma,
I have explained that, after one succeeds and achieves realization
in the external practice, one moves on to do the internal practice,
the esoteric practice, and the inner-esoteric practice. The four
corresponding levels of empowerments are: Personal Deity Yoga Empowerment,
Internal (Energy) Yoga Empowerment, Highest Tantra Empowerment,
and the Great Perfection Empowerment. These four levels of empowerments
are very important. When one follows this graduated pathway of Tantric
practice, one is practicing the Inner Study.
What methods employed by the Scriptural schools are related to
Inner Study? I am cognizant of their methods. In the case of chanting,
a momentary purity of mind is generated during the time one chants
Namo Amitabha. In the event known as Ch'an Ch'I (a seven days event
of sitting meditation), one seeks to enter into an empty state of
mind or a realm of purity. All these are within the domain of "practice
of mind."
In Tantrayana, we first practice "the Four Preliminaries," "Guru
Yoga," and "Personal Deity Yoga" - after receiving their corresponding
empowerments which are known as first level empowerments. After
receiving the second level empowerments, one then practices "Treasure
Vase Breathing," "opening of the middle channel," and the "opening
of the Five Chakras." With the third level empowerment, one can
practice the "Highest Tantra" to realize the "Samadhi of Bliss and
Emptiness." With the fourth level empowerment, one can practice
the "Great Perfection" and enter completely into the Void or Emptiness.
It is a system of Actual Practices. Our school today completely
utilizes concrete methods of actual practices to show progression
on the path. The methods employed by the Scriptural schools are
relatively simple: one pure thought with the chanting of one epithet,
meditating on emptiness, and entering into Emptiness. These are
also the methods of the Zen school.
Regarding the rumors circulating about me, you are of course aware
that my reputation on the outside, is not very good. Many students
have written me to show their concern regarding the negative criticism.
When I see the term "feng p'ing" (rumors) which literally means
"review from the winds," I really feel that these are just a lot
of hot air! I really do not concern myself with these rumors but,
since the students have shown their concern, I will spend some time
on it. Some people claim that the Grand Master does not follow the
precepts. People have criticized me because they feel that I do
not abide by the precepts. Actually I do abide by the precepts.
The discipline that I observe is even stricter than that followed
by the ordained monks. You know that in the past the Tibetan Lamas
have been labeled derogatorily as "True Scriptures False Monks."
What does this mean? True Scriptures refer to the Buddhist scriptures
that were introduced into Tibet from India. The scriptures were
translated first from Sanskrit into Pali, then from Pali into Tibetan.
Since these are closely related languages, the Tibetan scriptures
are considered true and are efficacious when one chants them. What
does False Monks mean? This refers to the fact that the lamas consume
meat, drink alcohol, and engage in the Consort Practice. Therefore
the Tibetan lamas were considered to be false monks. This was the
kind of criticism which was prevalent in the Buddhist circles in
the past. Then what about the monks in Mainland China and Taiwan?
They were known as the "False Scriptures True Monks." Why? When
the Buddhist scriptures were translated from Pali into Chinese,
many ideas indigenous to the Chinese were integrated into the translation.
The idea of vegetarianism and certain codified behaviors were integrated
into the sutras. Such adulterated sutras are no longer effective
when one chants them and are called false sutras. What does True
Monks mean? The Chinese monks are vegetarians, non-drinkers, they
follow the Five Precepts, and observe celibacy. Since many Tibetan
lamas are married, they are considered False Monks. The monks in
our True Buddha School are true monks. (laughter)
The outside rumors claim that I do not follow the precepts; actually
I am a very good observer of the precepts! How unruly can one be
in Seattle? Some people criticize me for going dancing. Actually
I have not been dancing for a long time. (laughter and audience
laughter) You claim that I sing Karaoki. Actually this is forced
upon me. (audience laughter) When I am home, do I go and sing by
myself? It is only when I am out and complying with the wishes of
the students that I sing. Isn't it true? It is with reluctance that
I sing. I have heard that singing can generate a grassroot intimacy
and power; therefore I sing for everyone. When have I ever sung
or danced at home? That was why I became a monk. (audience applause)
Why are you applauding this? (laughter and audience laughter) I
am telling the truth; this is absolutely the truth. I abide by the
Five Precepts. I have never killed, I don't steal, and I don't indulge
in sexual misconduct. I follow the precept!
Regarding "false speeches," you can see that I only tell the truth!
I talk about everything and, in my books, I write about everything.
This is true speech. I have quit drinking, so am I not abiding by
the Five Precepts? I do abide by the precepts, so as to set an example
for you! (laughter and audience applause) You have to follow and
abide by the Five Precepts. There are terrible outside rumors, accusing
me of swindling people out of money by fixing prices on Initiation
Empowerment, by charging people for registering for certain ceremonies,
and by demanding monthly offerings from each student! There is no
such thing. I have made it very clear from beginning that all offerings
are voluntary. Have I ever stipulated how much a student has to
offer to me? Come and tell me, and I will pay you back a hundred
times! My guru told me this, "In the future, when you leave the
mountain to go into the world, you must let others pay you on a
voluntary basis." I follow this precept of my guru's. Every Buddhist
service is always paid for by the students on a voluntary basis.
This precludes business transactions. In a business deal, there
is a certain asking price for a certain commodity. But in temple
services, such as registering for Bardo Deliverance, Purification
and Blessing Ceremonies, Offerings, Taking Refuge, Installment of
a plaque for ancestors or a lamp at the lamp pagoda, there is no
set fee; the amount of the offering is voluntary. People have tried
to swindle me instead of the other way around. You have to remember
that I am the almsgiver, I am the one who is giving away the money.
What you have given me are droplets while what I am returning to
you is a downpour. So, where is the swindling of money? We know
that all those rumors which are circulated are all lies.
Next there is the rumor of sexual harassment. You know that swindlers
usually swindle people out of money and sex. These are the two things
a swindler is always after. What else can there be! Talking about
sexual harassment, let me think if it ever took place. (audience
laughter) It happened once, (audience laughter) but it was her trying
to take advantage of me and not the other way around! (audience
laughter) Someone tried to make a pass at me but she failed! How
can it be otherwise? Isn't is true? You know the aesthetic standard
of yogis is pretty high? (audience laughter) It is embarrassing
to talk like this! (laughter and audience laughter) Anyway, if one
gives this matter some thought, one will come to the right conclusion!
To become an adept, a cultivator must practice "chi." When a yogi
who engages in the Internal Practice of "chi, channels, and light
drops" (Energy Yoga) attains a true internal realization, a certain
power will be generated. He does not have to coerce others into
sexual relationship with him. In fact others will try to pursue
a sexual liaison with him! Therefore this rumor that I took sexual
advantage of others is absolutely untrue; in fact, it was the other
way around. (audience applause) Mrs. Lu made the remark, "Grand
Master, if one day you were to announce that you wanted some girl
friends, there would immediately be a long line formed, like the
line outside a lady's powder room." (audience laughter) This was
what Mrs. Lu said. I did not say that! (audience laughter) I would
not dare to make such a bold statement! (audience laughter) Mrs.
Lu said that if I publicly announced that I wanted a mate, people
would flock to me! (laughter and audience laughter) This is because
a realized yogi or yogini will radiate a certain invisible light
and power, and many people, both male and female, find him or her
irresistible and want to get close to him.
It is also inevitable that, out of a devotion for the guru, a feeling
of adoration arises. Along the path of cultivation, when one attains
certain realizations, such phenomena will occur. For example, when
Buddha Shakyamuni was meditating under the papal tree, women such
as Sundari and Cinca-manavika found him attractive and were drawn
to him. They made excuses to get close to him. The Buddha had not
tried to take advantage of them, it was they who wanted to take
advantage of the Buddha. That is why a cultivator must maintain
stability and not succumb to the seductions of money and sex.
Through actual practice, one will generate a stability and emit
a radiance. One will also obtain the Clear Light. In the Scriptural
school, actual practice is chanting. A single chanting is associated
with a single moment of pure consciousness. In the Tantric school,
actual practice is entering into Samadhi through the unbroken integration
of mantra, mudra, and visualization (the purification of speech,
body, and mind).
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