True Buddha School
Forward
Ling Xian True Buddha School` appears in the era of the degeneration and extinction of the Buddha Dharma.
It inherits the spirit of Buddha, aiming to disseminate and spread the Right Dharma, succour all sentient beings from the cycle of birth and death, through the True Buddha School of Esoteric Dharma so that people are able to attain the realisation of their mind; and see its True Nature.
He achieves mastery through a comprehensive study of Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Esoteric doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism, in order to explain how people can attain Enlightenment and see its Original Self Nature.
Living Buddha Lian Shen himself has acquired the spirit of devotion from Christianity, internal practice method from Taoism, various doctrines from the Mahayana school of Buddhism and the pure essence of Tantric practice. He hopes everybody will cultivate, attain Enlightenment, and become a Buddha.
The Dharma of True Buddha School is itself very complete! beginning from the practice of Four Foundation Yoga, Guru Yoga, Deity Yoga, and Vajrayana practice, until the utmost profound Esoteric Dharma.
The Grandmaster of the School, Living Buddha Lian Shen, knows all the Dharma - therefore those who consistently cultivate the True Buddha Dharma will have spiritual responses, and be able to attain Buddhahood.
Now that Living Buddha Lian Shen has attained Realization through his own vigour and practice, in order to teach more sentient beings, he espouses the True Buddha Dharma, hoping that everybody will eradicate their karma, see their Self Nature, so that he or she can control his or her own life and death, and become a Buddha in no time.
Because Living Buddha Lian Shen has attained Realisation, he knows very well that by practising the True Buddha Dharma everybody can become a Buddha. Therefore he let it be known to the whole world, the undisclosed doctrines of Buddhism, hoping that everybody will take refuge in True Buddha School, and carry out the practice to attain Buddhahood.
The Origin and Lineage of True Buddha School
1. The Origin of Living Buddha Lian Shen`s Foundation
Mahavairocana Cundi Boddhisattva (Mother of All Buddhas) -Mahapadmakumara- Living Buddha Lian Shen
2. The Lineage of Living Buddha Lian Shen
Buddha Shakyamuni-Amitabha Buddha-Bodhisattva Maitreya - Guru master Padmasambhava - Living Buddha Lian Shen
3. The Lineage of Disciples Taken Refuge
Just write your religious name below that of Living Buddha [[Lian Shen[[. It will be a great merit and a magnificient causation indeed if you take refuge.
4. Living Buddha Lian Shen has personally witnessed:
The gathering of Buddhas at the Western Lotus Pond. He is the white saint of the 18 Lotus Youths (Padmakumara) of the Maha Double Lotus Pond coming to this world. He is also known as the Holy Red Crown Vajra guru, the secret master of Vajra Esoteric realm,
Ling Xian True Buddha School `Da Chi Ming` the First, Master Lu Sheng Yen, the Saint of Esoteric Practise.
5. Other Honorary Titles of Living Buddha Lian Shen
i. Taoism Green Castle Cect the Fifteenth Generation disciple Rev. Xuan He, Lu Sheng Yen the Genuine.
ii. Esoteric Holy Red Crown Vajra guru Lian Shen the Saint.
6. To date he has twenty one teachers altogether - among them:
i. Master Three-Peaks-Nine-States (reincarnation of an old Buddha)
ii. Taoism Green Castle Sect Rev. Qing Zhen.
iii. Dian Te Sect Master Xiao Chang Ming
iv. Mahayana school
Zong Chi Sect Guru Pu Fang Red Sect Guru master Padmasambhava (Amitabha Buddha Avalokitesvara Shakyamuni, the Vajra reincarnation of body, speech and mind)
White Sect Dharma King Da-Pao Da-Xi-Tu-Pa the Saint
Yellow Sect Guru Du-teng-da-ji
Flower sect Lama Sa-pa-zheng-kong etc.
7. The lineage is very important for the esoteric school of Buddhism. The guru has three types of lineage:
i. Long lineage from Vajra Buddha through the past masters and passed to the guru.
ii. Short lineage from the original statue of Buddha to the guru directly.
iii.Venerated lineage taught specially to the guru by earth, water,fire, air and space.
8. Because Living Buddha Lian Shen received the Long Lineage from the Yellow and White Sects, Short Lineage from the Flower Sect and the Venerated Lineage from the Red Sect, therefore True Buddha School has obtained a genuine lineage from all the true Esoteric dharma.
9. Religious experience that Living Buddha Lian Shen has:
i. Christianity
ii. Taoism
iii. Mahayana school of Buddhism
iv Esoteric school of Buddhism
10. All the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas from the ten directions in the past life, present life, and future life collectively certify that `Vajra Guru - Holy Red Crown Master Lu Sheng Yen Lian Shen the Saint` is a Vajra guru of Ten Virtues:
i. Understands the Mahayana and Esoteric doctrines.
ii. Possesses Three Kinds of Wisdom.
iii. Has attained Realisation and has attained Supreme Spiritual Powers.
iv. Has the perseverance to see things through.
v. Commits no mistake on the sequence of the dharma.
vi. Does everything for the benefit of sentient beings.
vii. Complies with all the doctrines of Buddhism.
viii. Has mastered all the Buddhist sutras.
viv. Has the most profound level of wisdom.
x. Has attained Realisation through practice.
Reasons for the Rise of True Buddha School
1. Living Buddha Lian Shen was entrusted by Amitabha Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings since time immemorial to be born in the secular world.
Because sentient beings do not know the importance of detachment they have to be reborn time and again. They are enslaved by their own klesa (trouble), have to suffer from the birth of four yoni (modes of birth womb-born, egg-born, spawn-born and born by transformation).
They are inflicted with the Three Poisons of:
Desire,
Anger and
Ignorance;
and have to alternate between the Six realms of Existence.
Entrusted by Buddha, Grandmaster Lu expounds and teaches the most profound dharma, using the Wisdom of the Five Buddhas, and tames all the sentient beings, salvaging all the beings from the sea of suffering to the Maha Double Lotus Pond in the Western Paradise.
2. Bodhisattva Maitreya instructed: ` In the future world, after the salvation's of Manjusri Samantabhadra, Avalokitesvara and Ksitigarbha, Mahapadmakumara will be reincarnated to do the salvation work.
He will not abandon Taoism, Mahayana, or the Esoteric way. He will use an expedient way to salvage missing no one.`
All those internal forms and external forms of the Esoteric way, that have not been revealed before will be disseminated to and for, the benefits of sentient beings.
Even the most profound Esoteric dharma, those that are not even known to the Arhats will be disseminated so that it will be circulated in this world. He will shoulder the greatest tasks of Buddha.
This is the biggest dharma causation.
There is no other religion that can match this. Paramita Bodhisattvas from the Nine Locations will support the widespread dharma of Mahapadmakumara. In this life of his, he will be able to
succour others, and attain Buddhahood as the central accomplished Buddha.`
3. Grand Master Padmasambhava showed himself in guru Lian Shen`s deep meditation and he prophesied by energising Vajra Guru Lian Shen`s head and said `Varja Guru Lian Shen, in the future you will attain Buddhahood at the Maha Double Lotus Pond in the Western Paradise, and many sentient beings will be succoured.`
The dignified look of guru Lian Shen is similar to the virtues of guru Padmasambhava.
His sermon not only will benefit himself and others, but also those practising Hinayana and those taking refuge in him. Guru Lian Shen will be beating the big Dharma Drum; and blowing the big Dharma Conch.
The number of people salvaged by him will be surpassed by no one else.
4. In his previous lives, Padmakamura had made a big vow. The Maha Double Lotus of the Western Paradise was transformed by the Mother of All Buddhas, Cundi Boddhisattva.
The Lotus Youth, Padmakamura, living inside it, was also an embodiment of the Mother. The Mother is herself a reincarnated body of Mahavairocana and Buddha Shakyamuni.
His Real Title is `All Buddha eye Vajra fortune all the mothers of Buddha `. His Secret Title is `Specially Magnificient`, better known for his merits.
The reincarnated body of Lotus Youth - Padmakamura, Lu Sheng Yen the Living Buddha has vowed that `Until all the sentient beings have achieved Buddhahood, I will not want to be a Buddha myself. I will risk my life to salvage all of them, even if my bones are shattered to smithereens.`
5. Because Padmakamura has made a great vow, starting from Christianity, guru Lian Shen went through Taoism, then Mahayana, and finally Esoteric Buddhism.
In accordance with his previous life`s cause and effect, he carried out spiritual practice step by step. In view of his vigour, he has accomplished in his practice and has the ability to recall his previous lives.
Because of his great vow previously, he has attained Buddhahood, able to return to his own True Self - the Lotus Youth, Padmakamura.
That is why he is able to give impromptu speeches on the Buddha Dharma.
Why True Buddha School Was Formed
1. Living Buddha Lian Shen was foretold by Shakyamuni, entrusted by Amitabha, crowned by Bodhisattva Maitreya, and taught the Esoteric dharma by guru Padmasambhava.
Because of the prophesy, the entrustment, the wearing of Red Crown and the teaching of all the Esoteric Dharma, he had to come to this Samsaric world and evoke the True Buddha School.
2. The aim of forming a new School is not to disassociate itself with other sects. It is to espouse the Buddhist doctrines, performing all the good deeds, to accept the other religions,and not to abandon the other dharmas.
It is using an expedient method to establish the correct doctrines, that True Buddha School has the causation of having assistance from Buddhism, Taoism and all other religions.
3. Positive Purposes
i. Forming a School benefits all sentient beings. Once there is a School, efforts can be concentrated, there will be a common aim; there will be a focal point.
ii. The disciples will then experience spiritual response. Through group practice and its collective strength, one can fortify one`s level of practice.
iii.It is to form a relation between a new sect and group practice, so that in the future, the disciples can guide and support one another, just like going to the Maha Double Lotus Pond together.
iv. It is an expedient method. The aim is to instill faith, so that the path of practice can be found.
v. It will arouse the Will to Protect the Dharma. To eradicate evil and to continue doing good deeds. Merit will be accumulated, once the School has been vindicated wholeheartedly. It is a very important vow for the sake of spreading the Dharma.
The Benevolence of Living Buddha Lian Shen
1. Living Buddha Lian Shen: `Since time immemorial the secret of the Tantric Buddhism has never been made public, so that it can maintain utmost secrecy. And because of this, it has become the patent right of a few Living Buddhas.
And now, I realise that all humans are born equal. It is time for the Esoteric dharma to be spread to the commoners.
The right to practice and cultivate is no longer the sole right of lamas and monks.
It should be an integral part of everybody. I wish everyone can walk the Boddhi path and practice the dharma, so that lives will be even more meaningful.
As human beings in this world, we should not have ignored such important task as carrying out the cultivation.`
2. The True Buddha Dharma does not deviate from other people`s religious beliefs. In fact everyone can take refuge and cultivate irrespective of whether he is a monk, or a layman, whether he is in good health or is a cripple, whatever social strata he is from, whether he is a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, he can carry out the practice if he so wishes. This is the reason why True Buddha Dharma is so magnificient and expedient.
3. The secret meaning of Mahapadmakumara is `Great Fortune Vajra`.
After practising the dharma, one will not only obtain spiritual response with the guru, but also accumulate the greatest merit. Celestially speaking, one will have the accomplishment equal to that of a Lotus Bodhisattva. Secularly speaking, one will be able to have a perfect accomplishment in life.
The guru and all the Buddhas in the dharma realm are one and the same. He has embodied the body,speech,and mind of the Buddhas of Ten Directions and Three Lives, the Past, Present and Future; and the 84,000 dharma doorways.
All the disciples of Ling Xian True Buddha School are in fact taking refuge in a guru that has lineage, origin, and great virtue. The disciples are indeed very fortunate.
4. Living Buddha Lian Shen is an enlightened and realised being. For the benefits of others,he eradicates misfortunes, and prays for better fortune on their behalf. This is not done for his own good, he is really a benevolent saint.
i. Practise `purgatorial dharma` using the inconceivable strength of the great seal of Mahamudra together with the power of secret Mantra, he makes the holy ghost manifest itself, so that all strange sicknesses can be cured.
ii. Preach `fortune gathering dharma` Beyond the material world, he displays his power of the Six Spiritual Penetrations in order to fulfill the wish of those praying for better fortune. They will be happy if their wishes are granted.
iii.In the main temple `Lei Zhang Tze` of True Buddha School in Seattle, USA, stupa lights are lit at both sides of the main altars, so that those disciples and believers can make offerings.
Living Buddha Lian Shen will personally use his power of the Six Spiritual Penetrations and compassion to energise those making offerings so that they and their relations will be able to eradicate their karma; avoid all misfortune, accumulate good merit and live a healthy and meaningful life.
iv. Living Buddha Lian Shen is very compassionate. For those disciples who are poor, they may make any amount of offering as they can afford,and Living Buddha will still personally gather merit and perform purgatiorial service for their ancestor`s souls on their behalf.
v. Teaching the dharma through dreams
Some of the disciples are very eager to learn the dharma and a lot of mail is received daily. To reply in time is therefore a real problem. If they do the necessary mental preparation, Living Buddha Lian Shen will be able to assimilate himself into cosmic energy in his deep meditation and reach the disciples in their meditation or deep sleep. This way of teaching the dharma by putting what he wants to do into cosmic energy and transmitting it to the disciples dreams is known as `teaching the dharma through dreams`.
vi. The Vows of Living Buddha Lian Shen
``I vow that to benefit all sentient beings,
I shall not become a Buddha until all of them attain Buddhahood.
I also vow that I would rather be in the hell sustaining all their sufferings, and being ground into ashes for their sake.
Just like the great vow of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha
`I shall not be a Buddha, unless and until the hell is empty`.
Now that I have leaked out all the secrets of the future,
I have broken the precepts, for the sake of all mankind and not for myself.
Even if I have to suffer as a result,
I will sacrifice my life to succour more people so that my life will be more meaningful.``
`I am still willing to do so even if everybody ascends to the heavenly realm and I am the only one in hell.`
Special Features of True Buddha School
1. The difference between the Mahayana and Esoteric Buddhism:
For the convenience of practice, we use the end to become the mean .Though you are not a Buddha yet, while you are practising, you visualise yourself to be your deity .
You cease all the illusions, and all the thoughts. Likewise you view the body, bliss and behaviour etc the same way. Act like a Buddha.
Behave like a Buddha. Eventually, you will be entering the stage of Enlightenment and become a real Buddha.
Moreover, the Esoteric Buddhism emphasises taking refuge in Guru, Buddha, the Dharma and Sangha. Guru`s lineage and energised power of blessing are greatly valued.
2. There is a slight difference between True Buddha School and other Esoteric sects:
The True Buddha Sect has a special profound dharma in `Mahapadmakumara Vajra Telepathic Method`. Its siddhi (final emancipation) is at the Maha Double Lotus Pond in the Western Paradise. It`s also the siddhi of the Cundi Boddhisattva.
The practitioners will all be able to reach the inconceivable Buddha land. Since practising different dharma, all the different Esoteric sects will have different siddhis.
3. True Buddha Dharma has a complete set of procedures for practice. There are altogether eight types of deity. Depending on whom one’s deity is, and the vow, the disciple may choose and accomplish different levels of achievement based on his or her foundation.
i. The phases of practice:
Four foundation －－ the Root Guru Yoga －－ Deity Yoga - Vajrayana Yoga - utmost profound Esoteric Yoga.
ii. Eight types of deity are:
d. Mother of All Buddhas, Boddhisattva Cundi
e. Grandmaster Padmasambhava
f. Champara (Yellow Fortune God)
h. Padmakumara
4. Those who are practising the Mahayana Buddhism can also follow the path of the True Buddha Dharma. There will not be any conflict. In fact they will know the Western Paradise even better and find it easier to be reborn there. And the rebirth will be held at a higher level of achievement.
5. The Truths in True Buddha School
To succour all sentient beings from the samsaric cycle. Living Buddha Lian Shen makes a big vow `Unless and until the hell is empty, I will not be a Buddha.` He will risk his life, break his limbs and bones to achieve this end.
ii. Truth in recording
In his prolific writings, he gives a detailed account of how he first learned Taoism until finally taking up Buddhism.
iii.Truth in what he has learned
The experiences gained by Living Buddha Lian Shen are published, and made known to everybody. Nothing is held back.
iv. Truth in spiritual penetration
In developing his true self, Living Buddha Lian Shen has done many miraculous acts. He has the wisdom of all Buddhas and their power of spiritual penetration superpowers.
Living Buddha Lian Shen has subdued many Maras, dragons, heresies and evil gods.
Living Buddha Lian Shen can propagate the True Buddha Esoteric dharma, so that sentient beings can attain Buddhahood within a lifetime.
6. The True Buddha School and True Buddha dharma are seen to have a magnificent causation in that they have the lineage, vow achievement, compassion and expedient methods of Living Buddha Lian Shen.
Clarification
1. In many of the books written by him, Living Buddha Lian Shen has used an affirmative and straight forward approach.Time and again he vindicates himself with absolute sincerity. This is done merely to instill faith into the readers, as they have not attained Buddhahood; and thus will not be able to verify such experience as telepathic spiritual response. Faith is the only way to encourage them to carry on with the spiritual practice. Without faith, no accomplishment can be attained.
2. When Buddha Shakyamuni founded Buddhism, his innovative approach had resulted in slanders from the different religious sects which existed then. And now, True Buddha School exhibits creativity for the ease of practice by all sentient beings. The number of people studying the True Buddha Dharma is increasing rapidly. Amongst them are monks from the Mahayana school of Buddhism. Even Living Buddhas from Tibet have taken refuge. It is a very special phenomena which is also very widespread.
Under such circumstances, its formation is bound to invite attacks from various factions, as these people are yet to comprehend what Living Buddha Lian-Shen is doing; and the truth he is espousing.
Each and every one of the books written by Living Buddha Lian Shen can be considered a treasured guide for one to conduct oneself in society. Everybody is urged to do good deeds and shy away from evil behaviour; to accumulate merit and avoid misfortune. Some of the contents are simple doctrines of Buddhism, others - the utmost profound dharma on how to attain Buddhahood.
Living Buddha Lian-Shen is a saint in the secular world; and a Living Bodhisattva in the celestial world. He will salvage many people in the time to come.
3. The main temple of Ling-Xian True Buddha School is situated in Seattle in the USA. The significance is lofty and glorious. The dharma must be sown in the land where Buddhism has little influence on the people , to conform to the Buddha’s wish and －－ to succour sentient beings from all ten directions. Moreover, in the future, the dharma will be spread to the whole world, and becomes a beacon guiding human beings away from darkness.
4. There is no hard and fast rule that one must be a vegetarian in order to practise True Buddha dharma. It all boils down to your causation, contigent on your frame of mind. To practise Buddhism one has to eradicate attachment, for attachment is a great hindrance. To salvage more people, the True Buddha School advocates that being a vegetarian or non-vegetarian depends on your causation. Non vegetarians must chant Amitabha`s or Manjusri`s rebirth mantra, and perform purgatorial service on the food, before eating it. By doing so, your undertakings will proceed smoothly and great accomplishment awaits you.
Means of Salvation
1. The Natural Path
Although a strong foundation has been laid in previous lives, he still sets good example by carrying out the necessary practices in logical steps so that his disciples can emulate. Like Buddha Shakyamuni who descended onto this world previously, he uses the natural method, going through the hardship of ordination, practice and realisation.
2. The Path of Compassion
In a series of books on the truth, he sincerely and incessantly repeats the truth, just like a caring mother appearing in the form of a Bodhisattva, personally preaching and explaining until his disciples attain enlightenment; the path is not dissimilar to the Mahayana school way of liberation.
3. The Path of Vajrayana
He never discards those stubborn and difficult ones. He will appear to be in great wrath just to salvage them. They may be fierce and brutal; if necessary he will be even more so. This kind of dharma designed to liberate the sentient being is called the Path of Vajrayana method.
The Importance of Taking Refuge and Empowerment
1. There are many people who advocate that as long as we uphold good thought, believe in Buddhism, chant the mantra and do postration to the Buddhas, it is not necessary to take refuge with a guru .What they do not realise is that the dharma is only a visible external form of practice. To really practise Buddhism, one must practise the internal form as well. It is a kind of long term training; and must be under the guidance of a guru. Only a true guru has the experience of unification of the mind and the universe. This kind of experience can never be described in full by words; and only those who have taken refuge can receive the `mental dharmaand learn to experience it likewise.
2. To the Esoteric school of Tantric Buddhism, empowerment has great merits. After receiving the empowerment, a lay person can be uplifted to be a child of the Buddha. His or her body, speech and mind will be like that of the Buddha. Although he or she is not a de facto Buddha yet, theoritically they are; at least they can be considered for becoming latent Buddhas.
3. Taking refuge is just like getting registered. After which, the guru can then impart the dharma to you. In Esoteric school of Tantric Buddhism, lineage is highly valued. So are the guru`s lineage and energised power. Without these, there will be no spiritual response. It is even laid down as a rule that without taking refuge in the guru, one should not practise the Esoteric dharma, for the practice will be useless. The practitioner will be considered a dharma thief, as they will have broken the Samaya commandments (sacred committment) one of the most serious offences. A disciple must have full faith and trust in the guru by taking refuge, in order to achieve direct lineage and empowerment, to achieve a positive spiritual response. Only when refuge has been taken, will they be considered to be a True Buddha School disciple, both by the school itself, and by the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas. After taking refuge, one will be considered to be a son or daughter of the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, and will be looked after by them accordingly.
4. After taking refuge, a disciple of True Buddha School must not follow any other guru other than Living Buddha Lian Shen - unless they have left the School altogether. The reason is simple. To follow any other guru one will lose the lineage and the trust between the student and the master - which will result in an unsuccessful empowerment and guidance for the student. Although Living Buddha Lian Shen advocates that one can leave True Buddha School if they do not find the School suitable to their requirements, he states that as long as one remains a student, and is a disciple of his, one must, and should not, follow any other guru during the time he is one`s master. Otherwise, it will be breaking another Samaya commandment another serious offence.
Chapter Ten - True Buddha School: An Expedient Doctrine
1. Among those who have taken refuge are ordained reverends, pastors and fathers from different religions. Even Living Buddhas from Tibet were initiated, Living Buddha Da-Chen Que-Ke-Duo-Ge, Sa-Jia-Ge-Ma, Ben-La, Xia-Ke-Te-Ge, and Jia-Shi.
They are from Red sect (Nyingma), Yellow sect (Gurupa), White sect (Kagyud) and Flower sect (Sakya). This is really a great dharma causation. Living Buddha Lian Shen while in samadhi, purifying his vision, obtained perfect wisdom. He knows everything. He understands everything. This is the so-called `great and perfect enlightenment`. He embodies all achievements, the nature of omnipotence and has been able to assimilate everything. Therefore the sentient beings succoured by him will be unlimited.
2. Those wishing to take refuge in True Buddha School must first understand their guru, in order to have mind certification. At seven o`clock sharp on the first or fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, facing the east they should bow three times and call out the name of the guru. Thereafter write down their names, addresses, ages and return postage together with any amount of offering and post the letter to the permanent corresponding address in the USA. Upon receiving the letter, the guru will send the certificate of initiation to them. On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar calendar, a remote empowerment will be held. And this will be witnessed by all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Vajrasattvas and space travelling goddesses. The guru will throw the holy water that is specially prepared for initation into the air. The space travelling goddesses will catch the drops of water and fly to those who have written in to take refuge and pour the holy water onto their heads. The initiation process is then considered to be both auspicious and perfect.
3. Those Vajra gurus who are able to perform the ritual of remote empowerment must have three types of accomplishments, namely he must be:
i. Able to travel through the void.
ii. Able to assimilate and hide his physical form.
iii.Able to receive the illuminous fruit from his own tantric deity.
4. Remote empowerment is a true dharma. It is also an expedient method. It is one of the major dharma used to liberate sentient beings .This is the method used by the most compassionate Living Buddha Lian Shen.
5. At this moment Living Buddha Lian Shen is turning the dharma wheel. He will be followed by many gurus. Those disciples who practise `Lotus Youth Padmakamura`s Vajra Telepathic Method` will have accumulated many great merits:
i. They practise the right dharma with due respect, and believe that there is a Maha Double Lotus Pond in the Western Paradise. They make offerings to the guru, respect the right dharma, for these good deeds, they will be reborn in the world of Maha Double Lotus.
ii. They will be protected by Vajra-Yaksa, his five hundred relations and all the Bodhisattvas.
iii. They will be eloquent and be protected by not only the heavenly beings, goddess of fortune and her relations, but also all the gods from the earth , fruits and parks, trees, and rivers....
iv. They will be protected even by the ghosts. The ghosts will not cause harm to the practitioners but will instead ensure that the practitioners will avoid calamities.
v. The prestige and virtue are just like the rising sun. The practitioners will always feel that they are encircled by brightness, just like there is a rising sun shining onto them. At the same time, in the Maha Double Lotus Pond in the Western Paradise, the sun is glittering and all the lotus flowers are in full blossom.
vi. All the gurus and disciples who have taken refuge must realise that by practising the dharma long enough they can develop other methods for the benefit of self and others. The virtue of this dharma is unlimited. It can absolve one from the consequence of karma, and get rid of all the bad dreams. All evil cults will not come near. It`s effect is the speediest in this would; and it will be spread far and wide in time to come.
The [Basic Theory for the Practising of the Esoteric School of Buddhism]]
1. The Esoteric school of Tantric Buddhism carries out practices by means of three mystic ways:
iii. Mind - visualisation (Yantra)
2. The practice is as follows:
The hands form the mudra, the mouth chants the mantra, and the mind visualises the Buddha. If the practitioner can reach the stage of samadhi in his deep meditation, he will be able to attain enlightenment and become a Buddha.
3. The three mystic ways are:
i. visualising the Buddha, Bodhisattva and deities
ii. chanting the mantra, so that one can communicate with the heart Mantras of the Buddha and Bodhisattva
iii. forming the mudra, like that of Buddha and Bodhisattva
If you can tune your frame of mind to that of Buddha, you will be able to become one in no time. It sounds simple but most of the effort must come from the practitioner himself.
i. The greatest theory of Esoteric school of Buddhism: `You are the personal tantric deity.` `You are the Buddha.`
ii. The greatest secrets of Esoteric school of Buddhism:
First, gather all the distracting thoughts into one thought.
Second, change the only thought to thoughtlessness.
Third, transform thoughtlessness into emptiness.
In fact , once the stage of emptiness is reached, it is not hopeless, neither it is a vacuum, nor it is an obstinacy. In the stage of emptiness, the true nature will manifest itself, so does the Buddha nature. This is the ultimate aim of life to verify the Buddha nature and the inherent quality of the universe. Everything will appear in its own true nature. It is sacred, it is a true emanicipation. It is eternal,holy and surpasses all the secular affairs. It is a true delight that no words or language can be used to describe it.
The True Meanings of Practising the Three Mystics of Esoteric Buddhism
1. Tangible
i. Secret of the body The hands form the Mudra. There are all kinds of Mudras for moving, living, sitting and sleeping.
ii. Secret of speech The mouth chants the Mantra. There are Mantras for everything you do in your daily life.
iii. Secret of the mind The mind visualises the personal deity. Your behaviour must be llike that of the personal deity.
2. Intangible the most thorough and complete
i. Secret of the body (metamorphosic merit)
The practitioner must not commit any karma of the body. He must practise the five-wisdoms, until all the veins in his body, his internal organs are free from karmas of killing, stealing, and wallowing in sexual pleasures committed in his previous lives. Then he can have a purified body.
ii. Secret of speech (reward merit)
The practitioner must not commit the karma of the mouth. He must purify his tongue, not to utter ill words, licentious words, double-tongued speech, or lies, until his language, windpipe, and all the breath in his body are all purified.
iii. Secret of the mind (spiritual merit)
The practitioner must not commit the karma of thought. He must practise Buddha-wisdom and visualisation to eradicate the three poisons, so that the portal to the mind will have light manifested inside it naturally.
3. The three mystics must be united into one, then you are considered to have achieved the intangibles
The body and the mind are naturally unmoved. Being wholly noumenal (non-phenomenal), and become a Buddha.
ii. Secret of speech
Having spiritual responses with all the Buddhas and turning the dharma wheel. Being empowered and becoming a Buddha.
iii. Secret of the mind
Receiving empowerment and achieve internal realisation. Through self realisation, and manifest to be a Buddha.
4. Step by step, you will reach the highest level, and the three mystics will naturally be united into one.
5. To practise Esoteric Buddhism, so as to attain enlightenment within one`s life time, there are six essentials:
i. Practise the three mystics, offer alms to the personal deity; the same as Mahayana`s Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Actions.
ii. Practise visualisation, so as to unify with the personal deity; the same as Mahayana`s impurity doctrine.
iii. He (Buddha) in me and I in him, entering the assembly of the Buddhas; the same as Mahayana`s no ego doctrine.
iv. Reaching the telepathic level like the moon and flower reflecting in the water; the same as Mahayana`s concept on emptiness of the five aggregates.
v. The mind unifies with the dharma stream; the same as Mahayana`s myriad things but one mind.(All things as noumenal)
vi. No rebirth, no dharma; the same as Mahayana`s concepts on Nirvana and tranquil extinction.
Basic Concepts on Practising the True Buddha Esoteric school of Buddhism
1. In practice, first think of yourself as having defilement and impermanence, being made up of the four elements(earth, water, wind and fire); then visualise yourself in the state of voidness and personalise yourself as the Buddha.
This is a manifestation of internal brilliance, the unification of outer and inner lights will result in a greater bond.
2. The Secret of Mudra
i. When a mudra is formed, it represents the body of the personal deity and facilitates the direction of visualisation.
ii. Sometimes the Mudra is an edict, a direction, a propelling force. Through close coordination with visualisation, mudra can create power.
iii. Sometimes it is an antenna, the source of transmitting and receiving. Through which, the cosmic power can be received and our energy transmitted.
3. The Secret of Mantra
i. Mantra is the changes of `symbol of the Boddhi heart``. Once Buddhas, Bodhisattvas have achieved enlightenment, they will promulgate their individual heart Mantra.
ii. Mantra is the true treasure that the Buddha personally experienced, it is the main beacon guiding all the esoteric practitioners.
Mantra is the voice, Mantra is the frequency, it is the key to the universe. It is the sound wave to summon the Buddha and Bodhisattva. Since the Esoteric school of Buddhism uses Mantra in their practice , it is also known as the `Mantra Sect`.
iii. If Mantra can not uplift one`s mind, it is of no use. The mantra that leads to the achievement of spiritual response is the result of mixing self-purification with mind manifestation.
iv. In order to feel the effect of the Mantra, one must chant whole-heartedly. Out of the mouth, into the ear and imprint onto the heart, until the seed of Mantra blossoms and reaches the centre of the universe. Use the most sincere and earnest way to summon the Buddha and Bodhisattva, and they will descend to your sacred altar, as the mantra enters into your true-self, there must be spiritual response.
v. The most prohibitive ways of chanting:
a. inattentive
b. mechanistic
vi. There are five ways to chant the Mantra
a. Lotus chanting - the voice uttered is as soft as the passing breeze.
b. Vajra chanting - the mouth is closed, no voice is uttered, although the tongue is moving.
c. Samadhi chanting - first observe your heart, and visualise a moon disc within the heart region with mantra written on it. Without uttering a word, use your mind to urge the mantra word by word. In other words your mind thinks of the sound of the mantra.
d. Conch-induced chanting - First visualise a lotus flower in your heart, then think of the mouth of a white conch, uttering the melodious mantra.
e. Brightness chanting - visualise your mouth, emitting countless rays of bright lights, with the mantra words flowing out one after another.
vii. You may chant it loudly, so that there is concentration, but it may be harmful to your qi(air). Without uttering, it may be too stuffy. That is why, it is advocated that while chanting, the first few sentences should be uttered. Then lower the voice, and finally chanting without any voice. This is a good way. Most importantly, it should suit your individual physiology and the chanting should be comfortable.
viii. The secret of the mantra lies in the way of breathing. After chanting for a while, the breathing will follow a set routine and circulation. The Mantra and breathing frequency will amass certain energy and hide in the joints of the bones, and the qi (air) will move around the arteries and veins. This is a major revelation by Living Buddha Lian Shen after his enlightenment.
ix. When the sound of Mantra in a person and that of the universe can be resonant, there is unification,resulting in samadhi. The greatest secret of the sound of Mantra is to unite; and the greatest secret of Mantra to vibrate and resound.
4. The Secret of Visualisation (Yantra)
i. The Esoteric school of Buddhism regards visualisation, thought, and will power to be the utmost secret. All dharma cannot be devoid of visualisation. Will power itself is a wave. Through sheer concentration, the will power can form a wavy point, and later into light. This is one of the essences found in practice, and a major one.
ii. Visualization is a form of training for the senses. Its main aim is to use the cause, to concentrate until one’s thought, mood, and senses to calm down, and reach a stage of purification. Without any distracting thoughts, your mind will enter a stage of tranquility, brightness and relaxation that was never experienced before. A sense of bliss grows in the process.
iii. To reach tranquility after full concentration appears to be very cagey to many people. All the esoteric practitioners in fact use symbolic visualisation to achieve `using thought to cease the thought`, and visualisation is regarded as the most expedient way. Lay persons like us are unable to get rid of distracting thought quickly, and cannot hold even a few moments without thought. Therefore they must visualise. in order to stop the thinking process.
iv. An esoteric practitioner can replace worry with a better form of visualisation. (Worry is, after all, only a form of imagination, or visualization.) Better still if he or she could see through worry, and create the power of self-confidence, and eventually progress to reach profound meditation.
v. There are many types of visualization in esoteric school of Buddhism:
d. Causual ground visualization
e. Resulting Buddhahood visualization
vi.The Esoteric school of Buddhism depends on thought to reach enlightenment. And the utmost secrecy is visualisation. This encompasses all the secrets. It is even more secretive than Mantra and Mudra. Mantra and Mudra can also be merged into one`s visualisation.
5. An esoteric practitioner, because of his purified thought, will have a balanced growth and be able to maintain adequate qi (air) in his body. All parts of his body can function easily and actively. Lightness and nimbleness are the result of practising the Esoteric school of Buddhism. At the same time, because there is righteous qi (air) in his body, he can repel the invading force of any evil spirit, as a result they dare not attack him, that is why it is `fearless`.
6. A true practitioner must eradicate greed, hatred and delusion. He just become enlightened himself, so that he can help others to become enlightened. If he can accomplish perfection in his behaviour, he then can be considered a compassionate and benevolent Bodhisattva. He must give alms, observe precepts, be patient, practice conscientiously, meditate and gain wisdom. He must practise all virtues, in order to walk the Bodhi path. Then this is considered real practice.
i. Un-thorough enlightenment. The way of practice stresses surpassing everything, the aloofness is lofty and pure, more of a unique nature.
ii. A true enlightenment. The heart is purified and unconventional. He does not dislike commoners. He is eager to help and propagate dharma. He is celestial as well as secular; inclining and centifugal at the same time.
8. Personal practice is of the utmost importance when learning the esoteric dharma. Find a real vajra guru, and take refuge in him, offer alms to him sincerely, practise incessantly, and progressively. Even if you do not have spiritual response this life, you will not regret it when you die, as human beings can end his life at any moment. If you practise incessantly, even without any accomplishment this life, you will have results in your next life.
9. Practice is like a growing tree. You don`t see its growth, but it is growing daily. If you practise daily, you will improve daily.
10. All the Buddhism dharma must be practised in your daily life. It is then your profound knowledge. Knowing and doing must be stressed equally.
11. Practicing dharma without cultivating your mind, you will follow your own habits. Your greed will intensify and become insatible. If you are really learning Buddhism, you must find the right path and return to the `voidness`. Using the son-light you emitted to meet the mother-light of the universe, you will be enlightened. Otherwise, you are only worshipping outwardly.
12. There are three reasons why a person falls sick.
i. Physiology - imbalance of the four elements, and five internal organs.
ii. Psychology - sickness created by formless ghosts and gods.
iii. Karma - karmic sickness from the unwholesome deeds of previous lives.
Physiological sickness must be cured by doctor. Psychological sickness can be cured by asking a venerable monk to chant and do ritual to eradicate calamities and invite fortune. Karmic sickness can be cured by accumulating merit, doing good deeds, donating and repenting.
13. The Theory of Emancipation
i. The law of karma is that a cause will have an effect. Good deeds will not eradicate bad deeds. That is why Bodhisattva is afraid of the cause,and the lay person the effect.
ii. Although cause and effect cannot be eradicated, it may be lessened by other means
a. By the law of Substitution, and using the Grand Master`s power, he can suffer the effect on behalf of the disciples, and thus the calamity is eradicated.
b. By the law of Transference, and using the Grand Master`s power, he can transfer the effect into the earth, and thus the calamity is eradicated. These two methods can only be carried out by an enlightened vajra guru, or carried out by the descending Boddhisattvas on the devotees behalf, secretly.
c. Equal karmic forces can be changed by guru`s blessing, while karmic calamity is difficult to change. Unless the practitioner can use dharma power to emancipate (himself), it will not be eradicated. To emancipate your own unwholesome karma, the best method is to practise dharma yourself. Those non-practitioners will find it virtually impossible to be emancipated from the hindrance.
d. Believers and practitioners can use eight methods to sustitute and transfer:
(1) Chant the sutra of High King Avalokitesvara one thousand times.
(2) Recite root-guru`s Heart Mantra one million times.
(3) Practise repentance rituals 200 occasions.
(4) Pay homage, offer alms, print sutras, erect temples, stupa, and Buddhist statues.
(5) Recite the name of Buddha, Bodhisattva until there is spiritual response.
(6) Meditate to obtain the power of precept, meditation and wisdom.
(7) Root guru performs ritual to empower, substitute and transfer.
(8) Voidness changes the karma to nothingness.
Living Buddha Lian Shen says the first seven methods namely, power of Sutra, power of Mantra, power of ritual, power of giving alms, power of Buddha, power of meditation, power of root guru are nothing but substitution and transference. Only the last power of voidness can really absolve one from the consequence of karma.
14. Mantra is not used for eradication of human calamities. It is used to lead human beings from the dark whirlpool to bright emancipation.
15. Human beings may blame practice for causing aberration, when actually it is no fault of practising. Without having the right thought at the outset, one will never achieve enlightenment. To probe further, it is caused by our untrue heart; not because of practising dharma. Meanwhile, if you know how to treat all the phenomena seen in your practice as fictitious, you should not be happy or sad, but alway maintain a middle path, and you will not go astray. It is important that all practitioners must maintain such attitudes.
16. The Importance of Breathing Control
i. Correct method of breathing controls the energy of one`s life, which in turn controls the mind. This is interconnected. After proper training in breathing control, the human mind will be able to reach the stage of samadhi which is the state of clear light and bliss.
ii. To enter into the root source, you must not be bound by the five aggregates. You must consider true breathing the most important of all. Mind cultivating is a refined breathing control. It is slow, deep, rythymic. It eradicates karmic hindrance, and all evil thoughts. Greed will dissolve into something clear and bright; and the mind will be nimble and bright.
iii. Concentrate and inhale a bright stream of light and exhale black smoke. Continuously breathing in and breathing out, the cosmic power will be approaching you, and you will float into the centre of the universe and be oblivious to matters around you. You look, but see nothing, you listen, but hear nothing. Your concentration on breathing control will lead you into deep meditation. When the cosmic power fills your body, and your force unites with that of the universe, there will be spiritual response.
17. Living Buddha Lian Shen concedes there are five main essentials to achieve great accomplishment and be enlightened:
i. Taking refuge in a true guru, the starting point towards attaining enlightenment.
ii. Making a vow - using dharma to succour all sentient beings - the birth of Bodhi heart.
iii. Repenting - all unwholesome karma are caused by our mind our thought and behaviour.
iv. Making offerings to the guru - By making offering to guru you are also making offerings to triple gems of Buddha, dharma, and sangha. Virtuous guru is sum total of the triple gems.
v. Obtaining guru`s lineage power - the Guru will distribute the cosmic power he obtains to all the disciples. This is the lineage power. By practising the guru yoga, and having spiritual response you will receive the lineage power.
Basic Concepts of the Daily Practice
1. Setting Up an Altar To practise the True Buddha Dharma
You must set up an altar. Living Buddha Lian Shen knows that this may pose problems to some of the disciples. As some of them are financially incapable, and some situations do not allow this. If that is the case, you need only a statue, or just a photograph of the guru; this is the most simplified way. After the practice, just keep the statue or photograph in a clean place. If you can’t even burn the incense, you can set up an altar in your mind.
First chant this Mantra to purify the dharma realm. `Om, namo sua ha.` seven times, to cleanse the surrounding areas. Then visualise that the surrounding becoming empty and bright, the bed or your seat changing into a lotus flower. Your personal deity or guru appears in the air, then you begin your practice. You can do this any time and at any place.
2. The First View on your Personal Deity
Your personal deity is real; the altar is unreal. The altar is a reincarnation of the guru. Without the guru, everything will be just like a mirage, nothing will be accomplished.
Living Buddha Lian Shen says that after doing the Armour Protection yoga, a Vajra protector will come from the universe to protect the practitioner of the Esoteric Buddhism, or whatever things he is doing. The Vajra protector will appear if you ask him to do so. If you do not ask him to appear often enough, he will just leave for good. The practitioner must perform the yoga whenever he does his practice, he sleeps, he attends weddings or funerals, social functions, he enters a temple, visits a sick friend, meets a friend, or visits a hospital. Better still if he can do the same before he leaves his house.
The protector will leave for three reasons:
i. You do not practise vigourously; and are slackening in your effort.
ii. You lose the right thought, have deviated, and full of crooked ideas and behaving abnormally.
iii. You lose the lineage`s energised power.
If you practise the True Buddha, vindicate True Buddha School, you will not lose the lineage’s energised power. In fact, with the right thought, and right effort, you will have great achievement.
i. Generally there are three ways to offer alms to the guru:
a. Offer monetary instruments or wealth as alms to the guru so that he can further his religious affairs.
b. Offer body, speech, and mind to serve the guru.
c. Practise what the guru has preached.
ii. In principle, respecting your guru is the first step to correct practice. This is because the guru is not different from the body, speech and mind of all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions.
If you have a strong faith in your guru, you will accumulate all the merits, and your practice will be fulfilled and perfected.
iii. Offering the alms is an antedote to greed. You will receive blessing from the guru. It is one of the ways to accumulate merit.
iv. You must constantly think of Living Buddha Lian Shen, practise the Mahapadmakumara, chant the Maha Padmakumara Mantra, at the same time visualise light radiating from Living Buddha Lian Shen, offering alms to him (use rice, fruits or vegetarian food to visualise), whenever you are free, visualise the head of Living Buddha Lian Shen radiating light onto you. If and until all these activities become a habit, you would have set up a communication channel, and you will have the Buddha in your heart,and very soon you will receive the lineage`s energised power from Living Buddha Lian Shen. Your true delight in nature will grow and evidenced in your spiritual practice. You will get spiritual response with Living Buddha Lian Shen`s spiritual body and make progress.
5. Heart Mantra
i. `Om, Guru, Lian Shen Siddhi Hum` is the common Mantra for all 18 Lotus Youths (Padmakumaras).
ii. `Om, Ah Hom, Guru Beh, Ah Ho Sa Sah Ma Ha Lian Shen Siddhi Hum` is the heart Mantra of Living Buddha Lian Shen. This Mantra is the extension of the short version, and it includes that of the Six Realms of Existence. The meaning is the same. The merits of both Mantras are similar, you may chant either one as you please.
iii. Those taken refuge must chant the heart Mantra for 200,000 times or even more - say one million times, so as to build a good foundation for the spiritual practice.
6. The grand master also teaches the disciples to incorporate practice into their daily lives. To restrain yourself and not be self-indulgent, to maintain the brightness of self-nature, and not to be polluted. This is the so-called `cultivation`.
7. The practice is not necessarily only when you are seated in your sacred altar. Whenever you are free, just close your eyes, with a few seconds of concentration. Visualise the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas radiating lights onto you and your self-nature becoming bright and clean. Then you can open your eyes and chant the heart Mantra of the Buddha or Bodhisattva. This is also cultivation.
8. (missing para in original Chinese text)
9. Your body is Buddha`s body; and your heart is Buddha`s heart. If you can view them as such in your daily life, then your true nature and that of the Buddha will be one and the same. This is one of the top secrets of becoming a Buddha.
i. Externally you must not ask for merit; just transfer the merit to all sentient beings.
ii. Internally, you must eradicate all the distracting thoughts. There is a white spot in your true-nature that slowly turns into a moon. All the brightness of the dharma streams from all the ten Buddha lands reverse their flows, harmonising and merging into one and turning the dharma realm into brightness.
10. The Stage of Illumination
The essence of Esoteric dharma lies in the purity of the true nature. Your true nature can be only a dot, and can change into a light that brightens everywhere. You know that there is an invisible real power in between. All the troubles and evil craft can never disturb it. This is the stage of illumination. To attain the thoughtless thought is what the karma method seeks to achieve. If you can use the three mystics when you do things, you are achieving the most profound yoga.
11. If you do not practise to eradicate your desire for materialism, so that you can purify your internal self, then no matter how hard you practise the way, how hard you seek the way, how hard you learn the dharma, you will never be able to find the truth.
12. Personal Practice
The most profound dharma in the whole universe is both formless and shapeless. So do not indulge yourself in seeking the contrary. Personal practice in Buddhist doctrines is an internal way, a condition beyond disturbance in the universe with form or without form.
Respecting the Guru, Valuing the Dharma and Personal Cultivation
The above-mentioned are an integral part of True Buddha School. Only those practitioners who are able to respect the guru, value the dharma, and practise personally will learn the True Buddha Esoteric dharma.
1. Respecting the Guru
i. Respecting the guru
a. With due respect to the guru, there will be progress in one`s frame of mind.
b. Venerate the guru in body, speech and mind. Have faith in the guru, then one will be able to unite with the guru. The practice can then be perfect and accomplished.
ii. Giving alms to the guru
a. Depending on one`s ability, one must give alms to the guru so that he can carry on with his religious work, to espouse the dharma. This is one of the ways a disciple can accumulate merit.
b. Not seeking fame and reward: the merit of giving alms lies not in the quantity or the value of the things offered. It lies on the intention of not seeking fame and reward.
iii. Understanding your personal deity
a. Esoteric school of Buddhism stresses very much on the personal deity in which you have taken refuge. If you pay no respect to him. You slander him, and all the dharma you have learned will have nothing to rely upon and be rendered useless. Slandering the guru is equal to slandering all the Buddhas. One will face numerous difficulties, in deep trouble and taste the fruit of retribution.
b. All the disciples that have taken refuge must really understand their personal deity, and establish a mental communication with him. If you have no faith in him, or regret taking refuge in him, or do not practise the Guru Yoga at all, then your spiritual nature will never be upgraded.
2. Valuing the Dharma
i. The most important dharma in True Buddha School is the `Guru Yoga`
a. It is the most spectacular dharma, and closely associated with Living Buddha Lian Shen. The dharma is also known as `Mahapadmakumara Telepathic method`. You will not only be in union with the guru, but you will also accumulate great merit. This is because the secret meaning of Mahapadmakumara Vajra Merit` means that celestially speaking, you will accomplish what Bodhisattva Maha Padmakumara has achieved. Secularly speaking, you will excel in whatever thing you do; and in perfection too.
b. You must hold the view that the guru and all the Buddhas in the dharma realm are unified into one. The guru embodies the body, speech and mind of all the Buddhas in past, present and future lives; and has 84,000 origins.
ii. All the disciples of True Buddha School are taking refuge in a guru that has lineage, origin and virtues, taking refuge in all the Buddhas in the past, present and future lives, taking refuge in all the Bodhisattvas, the most profound dharma, and all the protectors and deities.
iii. To have a guru that experienced spiritual response, in future when you practise, you will be able to get spiritual response and receive energising spiritual power from him. This is a very rare and precious treasure placed right in front of you. It all depends on you whether you know how to treasure it and how to appreciate it, permanently.
iv. As Guru`s photograph represents Buddhas of the Five Directions
Mother of Buddha (Cundi Boddhisattva), Mahapadmakumara, Living Buddha Lian Shen, therefore every disciple should have one.
v. You must practise a dharma in depth, and without interruption. All the practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism know that two types of dharma must not be abandoned:
a. Guru Yoga
Abandoning the former, you would have abandoned everything there would not be any empowerment from the lineage, you are no longer considered the personal deity`s disciple, there would not be any accomplishment. Abandoning the latter, the you have nobody to fall back upon, you will very soon be walking on Mara`s path.
ii. You must read books written by the guru and his sermon widely. And always accept his instructions, and follow the Eightfold Noble Path.
iii. You must always study the Sutras in order to gain a greater wisdom to realise the Buddhist doctrines.
3. Practise Personally
i. You must understand the sequence of practice in the True Buddha dharma, then there will be realisation in the practice.
a. From the basic dharma, first, getting rid of all the bad karma, accumulate merit, so as to eradicate all the Mara hindrances. After you have experienced spiritual response, then you can practise more advanced dharma.
b. Sometimes Living Buddha Lian Shen wants the disciple to begin with the `Guru Yoga`, this is because the disciple concerned has very good foundation; and can do so after all the dharma of prostration, taking refuge in the Four Gems and great Mandala offering have also been included in the guru yoga.
c. When learning certain True Buddha Dharma such as Four Foundation, Guru Yoga, Personal Deity Yoga, and Repentance Yoga, the disciples can receive remote empowerment. However, such dharma as Vajra raja and utmost profound Esoteric because of the gamut of oral transmissions and special way of visualisation involved require the disciples to learn the dharma and receive empowerment from the guru personally.
When practising the Guru Yoga, guru`s Mantra should be the main concern. After experiencing spiritual response, you may proceed to practise
`Personal deity` and chant the Mantra of the Buddha concerned. You must only chant those that are related and not otherwise. While chanting the Mantra, you should specialise in one type, if you can concentrate you can enter a state of deep meditation, then the Mantra will be effective, and you will be able to reach the level of Samadhi. The Mantra of your guru must not be abandoned in your lifetime.
e. Root Buddha is to be practised in your lifetime. In fact, once you attain realisation, you will be the root Buddha, that is why you must only concentrate on one root Buddha.
f. Karma method is supplemental, you should not abandon `Lotus Vajra Telepathic method` for its sake.
ii. Depending on your own convenience, you may carry out the spiritual practice once or twice a day.
a. You have to treat the practice as a daily chore, just like having a bath daily.
b. You must lead a normal life, you should not have an abnormal behaviour because of your practice.
c. Use your wisdom to carry out the practice flexibly.
iii. Under special circumstances, or if it`s inconvenient to carry out the practice, you may just chant `The true sutra of the High King Sutra` or `The sutra of true dharma causing calamities to cease, merit to accumulate` or `The true Mantra` you do not have to chant it aloud; silent chanting will do. It all depends on the circumstances you have to face.
iv. You must know the law of karma is a natural phenomena. There is no point in forcing an issue. Living Buddha Lian Shen concedes that you can carry out the practice under any circumstances.
v. While you are alive, you may give lectures on sutras, do good deeds, give alms, build temples, recite sutras, but you never personally practiced to try to attain realisation. Do you think you will be able to reach the level of a Buddha, or a Bodhisattva?
In Living Buddha Lian Shen`s view, you are only slightly better off than the commoners. You will be ascended to the Heavenly realm to enjoy your fruit only. You cannot be considered to have attained realisation, without thorough personal practice and cultivation.
vi. You must take part in the group practice at the nearby chapel. With group concentration, the invitation strength will be even greater, and you will be able to receive the energised power from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. At the same time, you may fortify your conviction through group practice session.
vii. No matter what dharma and what personal deity you are practising, you must revert the light to shine at yourself first i.e. to light the fire on the seed. The fire after seven chakras will change into light, and convert your heart into a platform of lotus flowers.
And your personal deity will enter your body through the portal of your head and sit on the platform of the lotus flowers. Then the Buddha will enlarge himself into your full size, until there is no gap between the Buddha and you. You are then the personal deity and the personal deity is you. There is no difference between you - this is realisation through practice.
viii. Motion and motionless forms of exercises must be coordinated so that they are complementary to each other. If you meditate too hard and sit motionless until your body is in bad shape, you will be sick and spiritless. Your body is aching all over then you are suffering from the sickness of meditation. Exercises involving movement such as kungfu, seven chakra exercise, jogging etc can be beneficial, you should choose those that are suitable for you.
ix. Grandmaster Padmasambhava taught the techniques of `Changing commonsense to wisdom`:
A person`s practice will be hampered by his karmic hindrances and will be unable to have a breakthrough in his right meditation. He must think `Since time immemorial, I must have been transmigrating in the Six Realms of Existence for many lives.
It is very sad that I have so much karmic hindrances. And now, I am still unable to understand the cause and effect, I have not realised the true stage of the Buddha Dharma. In my course of practice, I face so many predicaments, people antagonize me, harm me, disturb me, I will see these as the karmaic hindrances from previous lives, not to be disturbed by them, not to be bothered by them.
I will see them as some form of assisting causation, so that I will strive even harder, and pay no attention to the disturbances.
If that can be done, I will be able to eradicate my karmic hindrances, reaching the higher level of meditation, and my true self will shine, I will attain realisation and become a Buddha.` If you frequently think this way, you will be able to eradicate your karmic hindrances.
x. Disciples of the True Buddha Sect, you must not waste your time by procrastination. In your life time, it is very difficult to find a true Vajra guru.
Today, you are lucky to learn the dharma embodying the elements of Taoism, Mahayana and Esoteric Buddhisms. This is unprecedented.
Since life is very precious, you must treasure the practice. Living Buddha Lian Shen has made a great vow to divulge the greatest secret on earth - True Buddha Esoteric Dharma - so that people will know how to get rid of defilement. Living Buddha Lian Shen induces people to do good deeds, to understand the law of cause and effect.
He points out the true nature of human beings and succours all of them from suffering from the transmigration in the six realms of existence. Since you have heard the dharma, practised the dharma, you must be bent on seeking the path.
Work hard, never give up seeking enlightenment because of setbacks, circumstances and other factors.
If you can clear all these hurdles, you will be able to make progress. Speed up your personal practice and you will be reborn in the kingdom of Maha Double Lotus Pond in the Western Paradise.
Appendix
In order to practise the True Buddha dharma, you must know:
1. [[Sutra for realisation on voidness and the Middle Path]].
ii. Perfect Enlightenment Sutra
iii. Surangama Sutra
vii. Sutra on Prajna Paramita Sutra
2. Grand Master`s books on practice (major ones)
i. Utmost profound Esoteric and the Maha Mudra
ii. Guide to the Maha Mudra
iii. The Art of Meditation
iv. The Most Profound Esoteric method of True Buddha School
v. The Most Profound Dharma of True Buddha School
vii. Between the Buddha and Mara
viii.Karma method of Esoteric Buddhism
3. Grand Master`s books on geomancy (self protection and accumulate merit)
ii. The Secret of Residence in After Life and Geomancy
iii. A Brief on the Secret of Residence in this Life and Geomancy
iv. The Secret of Residence in this World
4. The precepts you must observe while practising (protected by the Vajra god)
i. Five precepts and ten wholesome actions
ii. Fourteen major precepts of Esoteric Buddhism
iii. Fifty stanzas of guru devotion
iv. Eight prohibitory fasting commandments
v. The precepts of Bodhisattva
Note: The precepts to be observed vary from person to person. You should try your best. However, fourteen major precepts of Esoteric Buddhism and the fifty stanzas of guru devotion must be observed in full.
5. Vindicatiion of the School (Grandmaster will energise, to attain an early enlightenment)
i. Offering alms to the grandmaster by means of body, speech and mind
ii. Observing the precepts, practising the dharma, and dignifing the shrine
iii. Sponsoring the printing of books and magazines for the School
6. The Six Perfections of Bodhisattva Path
i. Charity
ii. Good conduct
iii. Patience
iv. Effort
v. Meditation
vi. Wisdom
7. Reference Books on Cause and Effect
i. Difference in Karmic Retribution Sutra
ii. The Sutra of Ksitigarba`s vows
iii. The Theory and Method to Change One`s Fate
8. Vow to be reborn in the Maha Double Lotus Pond
Die without any illness, as if he is in meditation. Welcome by the grand master, reincarnate into a lotus flower.
There are two ways to obtain the lineage of True Buddha School and to take refuge in Living Buddha Lian Shen:
1. Taking refuge in person －－ Make a prior appointment and fly to True Buddha Sacred Shrine (Redmond, Seattle, USA). The initiation and empowerment ceremony will be personally conducted by Living Buddha Lian Shen]]. After that, Living Buddha Lian Shen will issue the certificate of initiation, root guru yoga, and practising text. This is how the initiated gets the lineage.
2. Writing in to take refuge - It would be very difficult for all to come and take refuge personally since they are residing all over the world. Therefore, those wishing to take refuge can face East at seven o`clock sharp on the first or fifteenth day of the Lunar Calendar; and chant the obeisance Mantra in taking refuge: `
Namo Guru Beh, Namo Buddha Ye, Namo Dharma Ye, Namo Sangha Ye, with the guidance of Living Buddha Lian Shen, I take refuge in True Buddha.` 3 times.
Chant 3 times and prostrate 3 times.(either on the first or fifteenth day, once is enough)
Living Buddha Lian Shen will hold a remote empowerment at the True Buddha sacred shrine on those two days for those who are unable to be physically present.
Those disciples who have done the necessary ceremony will only have to write in to the True Buddha Tantric Shrine in the USA, stating their true names, addresses, ages, and enclosing any amount of offering for the Buddha, highlighting that the letter is for taking refuge and empowerment.
After receiving the letter, Living Buddha Lian Shen will post to them the certificates of initiation, guru’s photographs and the instructions on which dharma to begin with. This is the way to obtain the lineage of Living Buddha Lian Shen.
The address of True Buddha Tantric Headquarters:
Sheng-Yen Lu
17102 NE 40th CT
Redmond.W.A. 98052
U.S.A.
