Empowerment using the Bell and Vajra
At this time one also may perform a ritual to benefit other sentient beings. Remember that the recitation earlier of the eight Principal Deities' mantras is also an invocation of the eight deities to empower one, so that any one of the four possible yogic intents purification, enhancement, magnetization, and subjugation] which one has may be realized. This requires the employment of the vajra and bell. Grand Master demonstrates.] Different maneuvering of the vajra and bell serve different purposes. If one learns the proper employment of the Vajra and bell, one may perform their various functions after the recitation of the eight principal heart mantras.
Tapping the bell with the vajra this way four times Grand Master demonstrates], while visualizing white lights shooting out in four directions of the compass points, is to set up a sacred boundary. The size of the sacred boundary depends on how far the white lights can travel. One listens to the sound of the vajra hitting the bell and visualizes the white light shooting out - the sacred space is thus established. For example, what I am ding now Grand Master demonstrates] is setting up a sacred space around the Rainbow Villa.
With this other employment of the vajra and bell Grand Master demonstrates], one has to visualize a parasol of white light soaring up to the sky above the Rainbow Villa, covering the whole area. This is setting the boundary using the Great White Parasol.
In this visualization, the white parasol soars from the vajra and the top of the bell up to the empty space above, covering the whole Rainbow Villa like a canopy. This is the formation of a sacred boundary around the Rainbow Villa. When one performs this step at one's Tantric shrine at home, one then forms a sacred boundary around one's own house. This is tantamount to performing an armor protection for one's house and keeping the demons away. By performing this ritual, the house is purified.
If one intends to bring benefit to others, then, at this point in the practice, one may maneuver the vajra and bell this way above the names of those people. These names should have been placed in position ahead of time. Grand Master demonstrates]. If one wants to enhance the sales of a certain business, one should visualize a yellow light shinning on that person and his store. One should visualize the person clearly and it is even better if a photograph is available. One may perform as karma yoga of enhancement right away for that person.
If there is a married couple who is always fighting and is heading toward divorce, one may help the couple by maneuvering the vajra and bell this way Grand Master demonstrates] and visualizing the red light shining over the photograph of the couple. [This is the karma yoga of magnetization].
If someone is sick, one may place his or her photograph before oneself, then maneuver the vajra and bell this way Grand Master demonstrates] and visualizes a white light shinning over the patient. This is the karma yoga purification.
How about the karma yoga subjugation? One turns over the vajra and bell like this Grand Master demonstrates] and emits a blue light over the person. This will bring about subjugation.
Just now I have performed a series of vajra and bell manipulations which included boundary formation (armor protection), purification, enhancement, magnetization, and subjugation. If one cannot learn to do all of them, one may simply do one of them. For example, maneuvering the vajra and bell like this, coupled with the visualization of red light, is for harmony and magnetization. Grand Master demonstrates] This is for purification, enhancement, and subjugation. Grand Master demonstrates] The vajra and bell can be employed for these four yogic intents at these times of practice, when one finishes chanting the eight principal Heart Mantras.
Actually the mudras or maneuvering of the vajra and bell are not that complicated: one just needs to employ them like this. Grand Master demonstrates]. One may learn to do them quite easily. There used to be this Taiwanese saying, "The tricks of the trade are not worth much if they are revealed, but it could take one three years to figure them out on one's own." [audience laughter]. This employment of the vajra and bell was transmitted directly to me by Vajrasattva when he took me to a spiritual realm, Many Tibetan tulkus do not know how to employ the vajra and bell for these four secret uses! Vajrasattva brought me up to meet with him and personally explained to me the details involved in their usage. Although the Tibetan tulkus also employ the vajra and bell, I have observed from the way they maneuver them that they have not figured out the secrets. The teachings from Vajrasattva are Ichiban! Japanese for number one] What you are learning from me today is tantamount to learning indirectly from Vajrasattva himself. [audience applause].
Employment of Dharma Implements
I would like to spend a little time here discussing the general employment of Dharma implements. This is the vajra. It is symbol for firmness, compassion, the uprooting of suffering, and that which is indestructible, imperturbable, and immovable. This is the bell. It is symbol for wisdom, joy, laughter, and the propagation of the Truth. When the vajra and bell are maneuvered together like this Grand Master demonstrates], it represents the dual employment of compassion and wisdom - a means to liberate the sentient beings from suffering.
Wisdom and compassion, joy and indestructibility - these are the qualities of the bell and vajra. When does one ring the bell? During the practice of the True Buddha Tantra, one may ring the bell at the end of each step to evoke joy in one's heart. One also rings the bell when one performs karma yoga. Nowadays many Dharma masters ring the bell whenever they feel like it without any specific reason. When the vajra is raised it represents stability. The bell represents wisdom. One now should know the vajra and bell are to be employed.
Regarding the mala, everyone knows that it is used for the recitation of mantras. How about the damaru drum? The drum should be held by the right hand like this, with three fingers below the drum and the two remaining fingers holding it up. The bell and drum can be used simultaneously. Grand Master demonstrates] The drum is swung to accompany the singing of praises. For example, one may swing the drum, and at the same time sing, "Kuan Yin Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, full of compassion! Manjusri Bodhisattva, full of wisdom! Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, full of great actions! Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, full of great vows!" This is how the Tibetan lamas and tulkus use the drum.
They swing the drum and sing praises to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The next time you come across a damaru drum, you can buy it to take home and use for singing praises to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Just make sure that it does not fall into the hands of children and get turn into a toy. [audience laughter] When the lamas sing praises to the compassion of the Boddhisattvas, they sing and say their bodied to the swinging of the drums - they are relaxed and having a good time! This kind of chatting of praises is excellent. When the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas hear the swinging sound of the damaru drum, they will descend in appreciation. So, it does have its own significance.
How about the single-point vajra? I have discussed before how this is used. Whether it is the single-point vajra Hayagriva or of any other Fierce Protector, it is used during certain rituals of karma yoga and can be used to pierce and anchor traingult plates enshrined on one's altar. The vajra is then regarded as a Fierce Protector and one pays homage and makes offerings to it. Students who have learned the Achala Yoga should pay homage and make offerings to Achala, as the Tibetan tulkus also make such offerings to Fierce Protectors during ordinary times. Therefore, Dharma implements are used for karma yogas, singing praises, and recitations.
The Level of Tulkus
As matter of fact, to my knowledge there are only a few people among the Chinese practitioners who can explain the Tantric practice in such completeness and detail; even among the Tibetans, few would know how to employ the vajra and bell in the manner I just demonstrated. Are there ant Tibetan tulkus who completely understand Tantric external practice? Of course they are. Many advanced Tibetan Lamas have a thorough knowledge and lucid understanding of the external practice, and they also engage in the practice of internal yoga and Highest Tantric Yoga. However, only a few of them can explain the external practice in such complete manner that others might gain full comprehension. As far as I know, very few of them actually have completely penetrated the Tantric practice.
The number of practitioners who started at the Generation Stage practice and have arrived at the Completion stage practice is fewer, because this requires a progression from external practice through internal practice, esoteric practice, and inner esoteric practice. Very few people have gone through the progression and reached the highest level. Very few people know of the formulae and secrets for these practices, as they are seldom written down in books. One should still be able to find teachings of the internal practice in books, but this is not so for teachings of the Highest Tantra Yoga. It is even harder to learn the formulae to the inner esoteric practice. But I do have a thorough and lucid understanding of the whole Tantric practice, including the proper employment of the implements. This is why I have decided to explain to everyone the complete liturgy of Tantric practice starting with the external practice.
Why did I say that even some of the Tibetan tulkus do not have a total knowledge and understanding of the complete Tantric practice? Because I know there are many different ranks of Tibetan tulkus, Do not exceedingly awed just because you have met a Tibetan tulku. Do not automatically assume that he has cultivated to the level of Great Perfection or Completion Stage practice. Upon meeting a Tibetan tulku, some people immediately prostrate themselves and empty their pockets to make offerings, so they might hear some profound teachings, but the tulku is usually gone before any profound teachings have been delivered.
In many cases, the most one learns are the Four Preliminary Practices! Sometimes, after a sincere offering is made, the tulku might give a high level empowerment such as Kalachakra empowerment. Well, after the Kalachakra initiation, does one know how to visualize the Kalachakra or chant the mantra. The visualization of Kalachakra is very complicated. It involves visualizing ten different colors in the formation of a mantra syllable. This kind of practice is very difficult and not every Tibetan tulku has this kind of knowledge.
It is my understanding that among the Tibetan tulkus, leaders who are both spiritual as well as temporal, such as the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas are of the highest rank. Designated rulers who hold temporal power in the absence of a Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama are of the second rank. The third ranks of tulkus are the abbots of the three great Tibetan monasteries. The fourth rank of tulkus includes Dharma Leader at the three monasteries, as well as lineage holders of the four Tibetan Buddhist schools, such as the Karmapa of the Kagyu School, and the leaders of the Sakya, Nyingmapa, and Gelugpa School.
What about the fifth rank tulkus? These include abbots other that those of the three great monasteries. The sixth rank of tulkus is teachers of Tantric practices under the abbots of the monasteries, and the move around freely. There are also tulkus of the seventh rank. In the past, these were people who had been lamas for a long time without earning the title of tulkus. However, they were quite well off and able to trade some of their lands, or yaks and goats, for money. They offered the money to the Tibetan government in exchange for a tulku title. This type of tulku is called "tulku by donation".
So there are at least seven ranks of tulkus. Not every tulku has the power to recharge one's body with the life force, no matter how much one prostrates or make offerings. [audience laughter] Some tulkus have earned their title by donation; others have strived for a long time and slowly risen from a lama to become an abbot. The Tibetan term "mKan-po" refers to "abbots". This is how the system of tulkus works. Of note is the Gelugpa School which does have a relatively well established system.
Once someone asked the Dalai Lama, "I have met this tulku who gave this teaching to me. I wonder if it is correct and whether he is authentic tulku?" The Dalai Lama asked for the tulku's name and then remarked that he did not recognize the name. When the inquirer showed his surprise at the Dalai Lama's answer, he offered this explanation, "There are so many tulkus that it has gotten to the point that it is impossible to have an accurate number, or to know who is authentic, as every one of these tulkus calls himself the Rinpoche". A rinpoche is a tulku. How many of these tulkus really know the authentic Tantric practice? How many of them practice the Dharma at a deep level consciousness? One should pay at attention to these questions. A tulku in title should at least know the complete liturgy of the external Tantric practice and have engaged in the actual practice himself. A true tulku is someone who has also practices in the internal Tantra and has achieved Liberation and Enlightenment.
How many of the Tibetan tulkus nowadays have attained Liberation and Enlightenment? Not that many. Therefore, if one wants to seek authentic teachings from a tulku, one should first ascertain if this tulku indeed knows Tantric practices! If he is able to explain the different levels of practices from the Generation Stage to the Completion Stage, he is quite accomplished. He at least can be a teacher, although he might not have engaged in all these practices himself. He can explain to one how a certain practice is done and tell how far along one has advanced on the path. These are qualifications of a true guru. Therefore, one may sometimes judge if a Tibetan tulku is a true tulku or not by his knowledge and understanding of the Generation Stage and Completion Stage practices.
Intoning the Buddhas
Having explained how the implements are used and how they can be used to help actualize certain intents, I would next like to explain why we have this step of intoning the Buddhas. It is my hope that our students will not be reproachful of the practice of the Sutric (Scriptural) schools. I would like to integrate Taoism, Sutric, and Tantric Buddhism in our practice. Although some of you are only interested in doing the Tantric practice, you should still do the intonation of the Buddha's name. Actually, intonation of Buddhas' name has the same merit as the intonation of mantras, despite the opinion that intonation of Buddhas' names is at level of form, while the intonation of mantras is at the level of the inner consciousness. In my opinion, intoning of the Buddha's names is also excellent; one has at least invoked in form, even if one might have failed to achieve a yogic response in the inner level.
The intonation at this step is also unique. "Homage to the three hundred Amitabha Buddhas". This way of intonation, a creation of mine, can generate the highest merit. In the scriptural schools, one generally chants like this: Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha… It takes a whole for one to chant juts eight times. Without exposure to the Tantric Dharma, one might not understand the secret power of its practice! "Homage to the three hundred sixty trillion!" [audience laughter] Just one such intonation is equivalent to one whole lifetime of chanting. In fact, one can't even reach this number in one lifetime! Therefore, the True Buddha Tantra is indeed a supreme Dharma! [audience applause].
During each practice, we chant three times, "Homage to the three hundred sixty trillion one hundred nineteen thousand five hundred Amitabha Buddha." It will take a scriptural school practitioner three lifetimes to match this. One is really foolish if one does not appreciate such wonderful practices which will enable one to attain Liberation in this present life instead of three lifetimes hence. Intoning the Buddhas three times this way reinforces the intimacy between oneself and the Buddhas. There is no separation between the two. The Buddhas and one are united.
Dedication
Next is the dedication. Here one joins one's palms and chants, "May all who uphold the name of the Amitabha Buddha, Be born together in the Pure Land of His Western Paradise, Repaying the Fourfold Generosity from above, and aiding those who suffer in the Three Path below. Upon seeing the Buddha, May I be liberated from the cycle of birth and death; and May I develop the qualities of Buddhahood, and thus free all who suffer." These verses refer to "Liberation by Guidance" and not Instantaneous Liberation because it describes how one may be liberated from the cycle of birth and death upon seeing the Buddha. It is apparent that one is not yet a Buddha. If one has achieved "Buddhahood in this present body," one would chant instead, "With the opening of the lotus, I become the Buddha." Therefore, this dedication is from the Scriptural schools. Through these verses, one expresses one's wish to be reborn to Sukhavati along with others who chant Amitabha's name. Besides attaining Liberations upon seeing the Buddha, one also vows to teach others to attain Liberation just as the Buddhas have. These are very wonderful verses and, because of my fondness for them, I have decided to include them in the True Buddha Tantra.
Is there any visualization to go with these dedications? Yes, there is. As soon as one recites "May all who uphold the name of Amitabha," one transforms and multiplies by billion one's Personal Deity until there are three hundred sixty trillion of them, filling up the whole Universe. When one chants, "Be born together in the Pure Land of His Western Paradise," one sees tens thousands of lotuses blossoming everywhere. While reciting, "Repaying the Fourfold Generosity from above," one has to visualize the Fourfold Generosity. What is the Fourfold Generosity? On the top is the firstfold consisting of the Triple Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) in a white light. Below the Triple Jewels is the secondfold generosity, one's parents who give nourishment and provide one with a body; this appears in red light. The thirdfold generosity is one's teacher, the guru who teaches the practices, and he or she appears in yellow. The fourthfold generosity appears in blue, and it includes the country in which one resides, along with its ruler and all its citizens.
What about the Three Paths below? Immediately after chanting this verse, the realms of the hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals appear. If one does not know what the hell being look like, one may consult a Buddhist chart of the six realms of beings. The hungry ghosts have huge heads and bellies but narrow necks and, as a result, they can never satisfy their hunger. Of course one is able to visualize the animal such as cows, horses, goats, and pigs. These three realms may be visualized in black. At this point, one's heart chakra emits a white light that shines on three lower paths. This represents one's determination to help beings in the three lower paths.
The chanting of the Fourfold Generosity and Three Paths Below is accompanied by visualization because it signifies one's commitment to the Buddhist vows. One should remember to repay the Fourfold Generosity and to help the beings in the three lower paths.
There is no visualization with the three remaining verses: "May I be liberated from the cycle of birth and death; And may I develop this qualities of Buddhahood, And thus free all who suffer".
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