Maitreya is a transcendent bodhisattva，he will be the next Buddha in the Saha world. Maitreya means “loving kindness.” In Mahayana Buddhism, Maitreya is the embodiment of all-encompassing love. Maitreya, in Buddhist tradition, presently resides in Tushita heaven.
Maitreya Bodhisattva Statue in Hua Zang Si Temple San Francisco
Master Asanga was born with uniquely deep talent and wisdom from his past lifetimes. When studying sutras and commentaries, he was able to understand the meaning with a quick reading. Later, he practiced meditative concentration and became free of desires. He repeatedly thought about the “meaning of emptiness” but was unable to deeply understand and explain it. He was quite unhappy for that. An Arhat named Pindola-Bharadvaja heard about his difficulty and came to him to teach “the Small-Vehicle (Hinayana) School’s view of emptiness.” Then, he practiced contemplation according to the teaching and achieved a deep understanding. However, Master Asanga was still not satisfied after learning the Small-Vehicle School’s view of emptiness because he still did not have perfect answers for many doubts and questions he had.
At that time, the teaching of Mahayana Buddhism (the Large Vehicle) was available from Maitreya Bodhisattva. However, to receive Maitreya Bodhisattva’s teaching in person, one must successfully enter into the state of concentration. Due to his urge to quest for the dharma, Master Asanga longed for the opportunity to meet Maitreya Bodhisattva in person to be taught with the dharma. Therefore, he chose a mountain cave in a sparsely populated area and began practicing cessation and contemplation diligently.
As time was flowing away continuously, six years elapsed. Master Asanga still was unable to see Maitreya Bodhisattva while practicing concentration in the cave. A thought came up in his mind, “If it is impossible to see Maitreya Bodhisattva, I should just give up!” Thus, he decided to take a break from cultivating and practicing in the cave. He put on his regular clothing and walked out of the cave. On his way of coming down from the mountain, he saw a white-haired elder lady, who held an iron stick and was laboriously grinding it on a flab of stone. The scene caught Master Asanga’s attention.
“Elder lady. May I ask what you are doing?” Master Asanga asked.
“Oh, I am grinding this iron stick into a thin needle.”
“You are grinding it into a thin needle?” Master Asanga was very much astonished and also greatly moved. He thought, “This elder lady was willing to grind it day after day with a seemingly silly movement. In contrast, as a cultivator, I could not adhere to practicing true Buddha-dharma to pursue wisdom.” The arising of this extremely precious thought caused Master Asanga to introspect himself and generate humility in mind. Then, he returned to the cave to devote himself into the difficult and hard cultivation and practice once again.
During the next three years, Master Asanga still did not make any achievement. Another thought rose in his mind, “Why should I waste time? It is simply impossible to see Maitreya Bodhisattva!” So he again broke his practice in retreat and went down the mountain. This time, he met a person, who was using a feather to scrub an enormously big rock. Master Asanga asked that person what he was doing. That person said, “This big rock blocks sunlight. I am grinding it to make it smaller, so that sunlight can shine into my room.” Upon hearing that, Asanga was alerted and began to introspect himself, “This person can be so unyielding in doing such a ridiculous thing. Comparing to him, I am so ashamed. I receded from my determination just because of a small setback!” With regret he again returned to his retreat chamber in the mountain.
Thus, another three years passed. Master Asanga was still unable to see Maitreya Bodhisattva appearing. At last, he receded from his determination once more. With discouragement, he left the retreat chamber again. On the way of coming down from the mountain, he saw a dying old dog, whose body had already begun to rot. The wounds were totally covered by maggots that were diffusing an awful stench. Compassion rose in Master Asanga toward this dog. He cut off a piece of flesh from his own body to feed the dog and also intended to remove the many maggots from the dog’s wounds. At that time, Master Asanga thought, “These maggots have very tender and fragile bodies. If I use my coarse fingers to move them, they will definitely be harmed.” Therefore, he decided to use his tongue to carefully lick up the maggots to move them to an inhabitable place for them. However, those maggots really looked very terrible. Master Asanga had to kneel on the ground and close his eyes. He then lowered his body to lick the maggots with his tongue.
As he was lowering his body, Master Asanga actually felt that his tongue was touching the ground. He opened his eyes and saw that the dog was no longer there. The solemn and majestic Maitreya Bodhisattva was standing in front of him. After the moment of excitement, Master Asanga asked Maitreya Bodhisattva, “I wholeheartedly prayed and beseeched you, revered Bodhisattva, to manifest before me for the last twelve years. Why didn’t you?”
Maitreya Bodhisattva replied, “Starting from the first day when you entered the retreat and began to pray, I was with you and next to you at every moment. However, due to the obstruction by your karmic forces, you were never able to see me. Through your diligent cultivation and practice during these twelve years, most of the karmic hindrance has been purified. Additionally, you generated great compassion in the occasion that just passed. Now all your karmic hindrance has been removed. That is why you can see me now! If you do not believe what I said, you can carry me on your shoulder and walk around at the market to see if people can see me.”
Thus, Master Asanga carried Maitreya Bodhisattva on his shoulder and walked to the market. While walking, he yelled to people, “What do you see that is on my shoulder?” People all thought that he had mental problems. They laughed and said, “There is nothing!” Only one old lady said that he was carrying a dog with scabies. Thus, Master Asanga was totally convinced and free of any doubt. Uncommon respect and faith rose in him toward Maitreya Bodhisattva.
After meeting Maitreya Bodhisattva, Master Asanga politely sought teaching from the Bodhisattva. Maitreya Bodhisattva asked, “What do you want to learn?” Master Asanga said, “My wish is to propagate the Mahayana Dharma.” Maitreya Bodhisattva was delighted to hear that and brought him to the pure land within the Tusita Heaven. Maitreya Bodhisattva expounded to him the precious views of Mahayana Buddhism and the “Five Shastras (Commentaries) by Maitreya.” The teachings enlightened Master Asanga like pushing away clouds to see the Sun. Many doubts that he had had before were completely removed. Since then, he followed Maitreya Bodhisattva’s teaching to dedicate himself to study “the View of Emptiness of Mahayana Buddhism.” Maitreya Bodhisattva gave him a series of discourses and also explained the essence of the Mahayana sutras to him in detail. Master Asanga was enlightened from listening to the teachings and basically gained the understanding and proficiency in the sutras and shastras of Mahayana Buddhism. Later, Master Asanga also practiced the Dharma of Sunlight Samadhi. Through learning and practicing diligently, he eventually attained holy accomplishment. From then on, he was able to understand what he could not before and could forever remember all Buddhist scriptures he read. Later, he built a big lecture hall and dedicated himself to expound all Mahayana sutras to the great masses.
Master Asanga lived in the world for 150 years and made great contributions to the undertaking of widely propagating the teachings and dharmas of Mahayana Buddhism. He benefited countless living beings.
Buddhist Tales for Young and Old, volume 1, Prince Goodspeaker, Stories 1-50
Once upon a time, when King Magadha was ruling in the land, there was a young noble called, ‘Magha the Good’. He lived in a remote village of just 30 families. When he was young, his parents married him to a girl who had qualities of character similar to his own. They were very happy together, and she gave birth to several children.
The villagers came to respect Magha the Good because he always tried to help improve the village, for the good of all. Because they respected him, he was able to teach the five steps of training, to purify their thoughts, words and deeds.
Magha’s way of teaching was by doing. An example of this happened one day when the villagers gathered to do handicraft work. Magha the Good cleaned a place for himself to sit. Before he could sit down though, someone else sat there. So he patiently cleaned another place. Again a neighbor sat in his place. This happened over and over again, until he had patiently cleaned sitting places for all those present. Only then could he himself sit in the last place.
By using such examples of patience, Magha the Good taught his fellow villagers how to cooperate with each other, without quarrelling. Working together in this way, they constructed several buildings and made other improvements that benefitted the whole village.
Seeing the worthwhile results of patience and cooperation, based on following the gentle ways of the Five Training Steps, all in the village became calmer and more peaceful. A natural side effect was that former crimes and wrongdoing completely disappeared!
You would think this would make everybody happier. However, there was one man who did not like the new situation at all. He was the head of the village, the politician who cared only about his own position.
Formerly, when there were murders and thefts, he handed out punishments. This increased his position of authority, and caused the villagers to fear him. When husbands or wives had affairs with others, the head man collected fines. In the same way, when reputations were damaged by lies, or contracts were not lived up to, he also collected fines. He even got tax money from the profits of selling strong liquor. He did not mind that drunkenness led to many of the crimes.
It is easy to see why the head man was upset to lose so much respect and power and money, due to the people living peacefully together. So he went to the king and said, “My lord, some of the remote villages are being robbed and looted by bandits. We need your help.”
The king said, “Bring all these criminals to me.”
The dishonest politician rounded up the heads of all 30 families and brought them as prisoners to the king. Without questioning them, the king ordered that they all be trampled to death by elephants.
All 30 were ordered to lie down in the palace courtyard and the elephants were brought in. They realized they were about to be trampled to death. Magha the Good said to them, “Remember and concentrate on the peacefulness and purity that come from following the Five Training Steps, so you may feel loving-kindness towards all. In this way, do not get angry at the unjust king, the lying head man, or the unfortunate elephants.”
The first elephant was brought in by his mahout. But when he tried to force him to trample the innocent villagers, the elephant refused. He trumpeted as he went away. Amazingly, this was repeated with each of the king’s elephants. None would step on them.
The mahouts complained to the king that this was not their fault. “It must be,” they said, “that these men have some drug that is confusing the elephants.”
The king had the villagers searched, but they found nothing. Then his advisers said, “These men must be magicians who have cast an evil spell on your mighty elephants!”
The villagers were asked, “Do you have such a spell?” Magha the Good said, “Yes we do.” This made the king very curious. So he himself asked Magha, “What is this spell and how does it work?”
Magha the Good replied, “My lord king, we do not cast the same kinds of spells that others cast. We cast the spell of loving-kindness with minds made pure by following the Five Training Steps.”
“What are these Five Training Steps?” asked the king. Magha the Good said, “All of us have given up the five unwholesome actions, which are: destroying life, taking what is not given, doing wrong in sexual ways, speaking falsely, and losing one’s mind from alcohol.”
“In this way we have become harmless, so that we can give the gift of fearlessness to all. Therefore, the elephants lost their fear of the mahouts, and did not wish to harm us. They departed, trumpeting triumphantly. This was our protection, which you have called a ‘spell’.”
Finally seeing the wholesomeness and wisdom of these people, the king questioned them and learned the truth. He decided to confiscate all the property of the dishonest village head man and divide it among them.
The villagers were then free to do even more good works for the benefit of the whole village. Soon they began to build a big roadside inn, right next to the highway crossroads.
This was the biggest project they had yet undertaken. The men were confident because they had learned so well how to cooperate with each other for a common goal. But they had not yet learned how to cooperate in this work with the women of the village. They seemed to think it was ‘man’s work’.
By this time Magha the Good had four wives. Their names were Good-doer, Beauty, Happy and Well-born. Of these, the first wife, Good-doer, was the wisest. She wanted to pave the way for the women to benefit from cooperating in doing good work. So she gradually became friendly with the boss in charge of the roadside inn project.
Because she wanted to contribute by helping in a big way, she gave a present to the boss. She asked him, “Can you think of a way that I may become the most important contributor to this good work?”
The boss replied, “I know just such a way!” Then he secretly constructed the most important part of the building, the roof beam that would hold the roof together. He wrapped it up and hid it with Good-doer, so it could dry for the time necessary to become rigid and strong.
Meanwhile, the men of the village continued happily in the building project. At last they got to the point of installing the roof beam. They began to make one, but the boss interrupted them. He said, “My friends, we cannot use fresh green wood to make the roof beam. It will bend and sag. We must have an aged dry roof beam. Go find one!”
When they searched in the village, they found that Good-doer just happened to have a perfect roof beam. It was even the right size! When they asked if they could buy it from her, she said, “It is not for sale at any price. I wish to contribute the roof beam for free, but only if you let me participate in building the inn.”
The men were afraid to change their successful ways. So they said, “Women have never been part of this project. This is impossible.”
Then they returned to the construction boss and told him what had happened. He said, “Why do you keep the women away? Women are part of everything in this world. Let us be generous and share the harmony and wholesomeness of this work with the women. Then the project and our village will be even more successful.”
So they accepted the roof beam from Good-doer, and she helped to finish the building of the inn. Then Beauty had a wonderful garden built next to the inn, which she donated. It had all kinds of flowers and fruit trees. So, too, Happy had a lovely pond dug, and planted beautiful lotuses in it. But Well-born, being the youngest and a little spoiled, did nothing for the inn.
In the evenings, Magha the Good held meetings in the roadside inn. He taught the people to assist their parents and elders, and to give up harsh words, accusing others behind their backs, and being stingy.
It is said that the lowest heaven world contains the gods of the four directions, North, East, South and West. Because he followed his own teachings, Magha the Good died with happiness in his heart. He was reborn as Sakka, king of the second lowest heaven world.
In time, the heads of all the other families of the village, as well as Good-doer, Beauty and Happy, also died. They were reborn as gods under King Sakka. This was known as the “Heaven of 33″.
Mount Emei is one of the “Four Famous Buddhist Mountains” in China. It has steep terrain and striking beautiful scenery. “Emei” is a term used to describe a woman’s beautiful eyebrows in an ancient book titled The Book of Songs. The main peak, Golden Summit of Wanfoding, is 3,099 meters above sea level, it is the crown of all other famous mountains in China.
Mount Emei (Emeishan) is an area of exceptional cultural significance as it is the place where Buddhism first became established on Chinese territory and from where it spread widely through the East. The first Buddhist temple built on the summit of Mount Emei was in the 1st century CE. It became the Guangxiang Temple, receiving its present royal name of Huazang in 1614. The addition of more than 30 other temples including the Wannian Temple founded in the 4th century containing the 7.85m high Puxian bronze Buddha of the 10th century, and garden temples including the Qingyin Pavilion complex of pavilions, towers and platforms dating from the early 6th century; the early 17th century Baoguo Temple and the Ligou Garden (Fuhu Temple) turned the mountain into one of Buddhism’s holiest sites.
Mount Emei Jinding Massive Statue of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra
On Mount Emei, the importance of the link between the tangible and intangible, the natural and the cultural, is uppermost. Mount Emei is a place of historical significance as one of the four holy lands of Chinese Buddhism. Buddhism was introduced into China in the 1st century CE via the south Silk Road from India to Mount Emei. Mount Emei is traditionally regarded as the bodhimaṇḍa, or place of enlightenment, of the iconic bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian). In Buddhist sutra, it is recorded that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva rides a white elephant with six tusks. Therefore, the statues of Samantabhadra in the temples of Mount Emei mostly ride on white elephants. There is an Elephant Washing Pool in Mount Emei as well.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva is associated with Buddhist practice and action. In the Āvataṃsaka-sūtra, the Buddha states that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva made ten great vows in his path to full Buddhahood:
To make abundant offerings. (e.g. give generously)
To repent misdeeds and evil karmas.
To rejoice in others’ merits and virtues.
To request the Buddhas to continue teaching.
To request the Buddhas to remain in the world.
To follow the teachings of the Buddhas at all times.
To accommodate and benefit all living beings.
To transfer all merits and virtues to benefit all beings.
The ten vows have become a common practice in East Asian Buddhism, particularly the tenth vow, with many Buddhists traditionally dedicating their merit and good works to all beings during Buddhist liturgies.
From ancient times to the present, there have been many eminent monks and great virtues in Mount Emei. The thirteenth patriarch of Emei Master Pu Guan, and abbot of JiuLaoDong XianFeng temple Master Guo Zhang, were all disciples of H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III. They both received Great Dharma initiation from H.H.Dorje Chang Buddha III and reached liberation. At year 1998, Master Pu Guan passed away in the meditation posture having attained control over his life and death. Eight years after his passing, he still sits in a stupa in that meditation posture without having rotted at all. At year 2015, Master GuoZhang passed away at 108 years-old, at the Western Sichuan University Medical center. Doctor diagnosed the Master passed away. Unexpectedly, after a few hours, he was resurrected and opened his eyes, he then ordered his disciples to move him back to Jiewangting Temple to officially pass away. Eleven days after he passed away, local government officials visited Jiewangting Temple. They didn’t believe that the master was a profound practitioner. So he stabbed his body with needles, and blood spurted out.
Mount Emei is an area of striking scenic beauty. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful mountains in China.
Amazing Scenery of Sun rise over clouds at Golden Summit of Mount Emei
Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche is a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu. His last incarnation was in Tibet, he was one of the four most outstanding disciples of Atisha of the Kadampa Sect. In this lifetime, he was born in Taiwan. He learned the highest dharma essence of Shakyamuni Buddha—the practice of vajra meditation from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. He went into retreat during which he meditated for 27 days, 22 days of which he did not touch any water or food. All of the food and liquid sent in to him was returned untouched.
On April 10, 2005, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche came out of retreat. His face was placid. He had become thin, but his spirit was glowing. The first thing he did after he left the meditation cushion was prostrate before an image of his Vajra Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, in order to express his appreciation. He had finally learned the highest Buddha-dharma. He had finally attained true skills relating to the magnificent meditation Buddha-dharma that leads to enlightening one’s mind and seeing one’s original nature. He was happy for all living beings in that there truly exists such a wonderful and precious meditation dharma method that leads to enlightening one’s mind and seeing one’s original nature!
At the height of summer 2004, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche, out of great compassion, decided to endure hardship for the sake of other living beings. He vowed to prostrate around the island of Taiwan, which is a more than 1,100 kilometer journey (i.e. more than 684 miles). More than half a year later, he had completed half the journey. Along the way, his great compassion and piety moved Kuan Yin Bodhisattva to appear in the sky, empower him, and expound the dharma to him. This event caused a sensation throughout the island of Taiwan and beyond. Many people within Buddhism expressed their great admiration over such an event.
The great compassion and sincerity of the rinpoche moved the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to empower him. At February 2005, when he had prostrated as far as Kaohsiung, he suddenly received a notice from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas telling him to open immediately the secret, small bag made of brocade that H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu gave him and told him to wear on his chest. Inside the brocade bag was a piece of paper telling him the mantra he would intone during his meditation retreat. That brocade bag is no ordinary thing.
In the summer of year 2004, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche vowed to prostrate around the island of Taiwan so as to suffer on behalf of other living beings. This vow moved H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu to transmit dharma to him and confer an initiation upon him. He and two other famous Dharma Masters were initiated together. They received the highest esoteric dharma. It is the essential dharma that leads to enlightening one’s mind and seeing one’s original nature. Shakyamuni Buddha practiced that dharma under the bodhi tree when he became enlightened. This dharma is called the Vajra Samadhi Buddha Great Enlightenment Meditation. Later, Guru Padmasambhava taught this dharma in Tibet. In the Supreme Secret-Tantric Division of Tibetan esoteric Buddhism, this dharma is called “Great Perfection Whispered (i.e. transmitted from mouth to ear) Profound Essence Vajra Meditation.” It is also called “Three Disciples Meditation.”
Besides the rinpoche, two other eminent monastics were transmitted the dharma that day. During the time His Holiness performed the initiation and transmitted dharma, suddenly, all three of them saw that the altar area, the building they were in, and everything else completely disappeared. They could only perceive the voice of His Holiness, which was loud and clear. Various kinds of startling special phenomena appeared. It was extremely wonderful. After transmitting the dharma, His Holiness blessed that small brocade bag and gave it to Rinpoche Henghsing Gyatso.
However, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III told him that he must wait until the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas instruct him to open it.
Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche continued his prostrations around the island of Taiwan. When he reached Kaohsiung, he received notice from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to open the brocade bag. The paper in the bag told him that he should enter into retreat to practice the dharma since the karmic conditions had matured.
Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche prostrated around the island of Taiwan
The First Retreat Was Not Carried Out in Accordance With the Dharma; Demons Entered the Retreat Room and Almost Killed the Lama
On February 27, 2005, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche returned to his retreat room in Jiayi. There he began his first retreat. He entered into meditation and stopped eating for four days. However, the people whose responsibility was to guard the retreat room during the retreat did not follow the dharma rules. They did not seal the windows and doors with a certain type of paper according to the dharma rules. They saw real demons make their way into the room to interfere with the rinpoche’s dharma practice. The situation was very dangerous. At this critical time, the people who were guarding the retreat room received a phone call from the Dharma Matters Department of His Holiness. The person who called said, “A problem has arisen in the retreat room. Demons have entered the room. Quickly call your master out of meditation by hitting the metal bowl (the metal bowl is a Buddhist instrument). Following the instructions they were given, the guards used the metal bowl to call out the rinpoche, who, in his meditation, was in the midst of battling with those demons.
On March 15, 2005 at noon in Jiayi, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche entered into retreat for a second time. This time, learning their lesson from the first retreat, the guards arranged the retreat room according to the dharma rules. The dharma stipulates that ten people must guard the outside of a retreat room in which someone practices this vajra meditation. The disciples of Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche selected ten people to be guards. Their names are Shi Zong Guan, Shi Fa Yun, Wang Jin-Rong, Chi Hai-Ao, Ao Jing-Zhong, Xue Xiu-Fen, Cai Chun-Tao, He Yan-Yan, Cai Yu-Nu, and Lu Ke-Yun. With the addition of the cook, Liu Ming-Hui, there were all together eleven people. The ten guards cleared the retreat room, even removing the Buddhist altar. Downstairs from the retreat room is the area where the guards stayed. The entire retreat room was cleared of everything except dharma instruments and one rush cushion used for meditation.
During the Second Retreat, the Ten Guards Did Not Leave Their Posts
All of the doors and windows of the retreat room must be nailed shut with iron nails. Furthermore, the Buddha-dharma stipulates that each guard must sign a yellow paper that has dharma power and use it to seal the seams of those doors and windows. This is to prevent demons from intruding into the retreat room and causing havoc. It also prevents anyone from opening those doors and windows. There were fifteen places to be sealed in the retreat room. Ten yellow pieces of paper, each containing the signature of one guard, was pasted over each of those fifteen places. Thus, all together 150 yellow pieces of paper were pasted over the various seams.
Even the only door of the retreat room through which meals were sent was also sealed with one yellow paper containing the signatures of all ten guards. When they sent meals into the retreat room, the ten guards chanted a mantra and practiced dharma together. They had to together tear off the yellow paper sealing the door in order to open the door. After they delivered a meal, they together locked the door and sealed the door with paper again.
Those ten guards kept watch outside the door of the retreat room and did not leave their posts at any time. Even if some of them needed to use the restroom, there were at least seven of them guarding the door all day and night. It can be said that not even a bird, mosquito, or fly could enter. Only through these measures did they prevent the dangerous situation that occurred during the first retreat when the demons entered the retreat room and engaged in battle with the rinpoche.
At the beginning, the rinpoche ate on a normal basis. After three days, on March 18th, the amount of food he consumed dropped dramatically. On March 19th, the rinpoche rang a bell and beat a drum morning, noon, and evening. He drank only one cup of rice tea that whole day. Starting from March 20th, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche did not consume any more food or water. The food and water sent in were not touched. No sound could be heard coming from inside the retreat room. On March 23rd, the Dharma Matters Department of H.H. Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu, which is located in the United States, made a phone call to Taiwan to show their concern about how the rinpoche ’s practice was going. On March 25th, the rinpoche had stopped eating for five days. There was no sound at all coming from inside the retreat room. Even the sound of the toilet flushing, which happened three day earlier, could not be heard anymore. Hence, some of the guards started to worry, fearing that something had happened.
Then, that evening at 7:00, from the retreat room came the sounds of the striking of a metal bowl, the ringing of a bell, and the beating of a drum. The guards became excited. They immediately felt relieved. Then, the retreat room returned to total silence.
A few days later, the food that was delivered into the retreat room every day was taken out without having been touched. Upon seeing this situation, those guards became very worried over the rinpoche ’s situation in the retreat room.
On April 1st at 11:50 a.m., the sounds of the ringing of a bell and the beating of a drum again emanated from the room. The rhythm was clear and vigorous. Those disciples who were guarding the room became ecstatic. Although the rinpoche had stopped eating for twelve days, he was still able to ring a bell and beat a drum. The meditation practice of this great rinpoche is indeed extraordinary!
On April 8th at noon, the rinpoche had entered meditation and fasted for twenty days. The clear and vigorous sounds of a bell ringing and a drum being struck again arose from inside the retreat room. The disciples outside were very moved. They continually praised the magnificence of the Buddha-dharma. Their master was truly amazing. He had attained the goal of his retreat and was able to abide in vajra mediation for twenty days.
On April 9th, the rinpoche had entered into meditation and practiced the dharma for twenty-one days. He was not consuming any food or water. At 9:00 that day, a loud beating of a drum suddenly was heard. The disciples then knew that their master had attained the goal of his retreat and was about to come out of retreat. Before he went into retreat, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche announced to his disciples that when they hear the loud beating of a drum it means that he has attained the goal of his retreat and realized dharma skills. His disciples understood that their master had entered into a holy state. Thus, they notified the news media. They did not sleep day or night, keeping strict watch over the retreat room so that no mistakes would be made at that critical moment.
During His Meditation, He Heard the Teachings of the Buddha; He Realized That the Dharma of His Master Was Most Revered
On April 10th at 11:00, while chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha, the ten guards together with other disciples from all over the island of Taiwan respectfully invited Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche to come out of his retreat. When the yellow paper that sealed the entrance to the retreat room was torn off and the door opened, members of the news media, carrying cameras and tripods, followed the disciples into the room. Those reporters and the guards saw Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche sitting cross-legged on a rush cushion. His eyes were almost completely closed. His face was placid. Clearly, he was still in a state of concentration.
After everyone crowded into the almost twenty-four square foot room, the guards beat the metal bowl three times next to his ear. Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche then slowly opened his eyes. He saw that the room was filled with people and there were cameras all around. He appeared slightly surprised. He immediately put his palms together and said, “First of all, I am very grateful to my most magnificent and most honored Buddha Master, H.H. Vajradhara Great Dharma King Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu.” He then stood up and prostrated before a small gawu (kau) box hanging over his rush cushion that had in it an image of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu. The rinpoche ’s body was limber, and he had obviously lost weight. Still, he was in high spirits and radiated vitality.
In a sonorous voice, he spoke to his disciples. His first sentence was, “I finally obtained the highest Buddha-dharma.” We asked him to explain this. He said that during this period of meditation he saw a great many supernatural phenomena. He did not elaborate upon this other than to describe the most wonderful experience of all.
He said, “I finally saw the most magnificent world-honored one, Shakyamuni Buddha. I beseeched the Buddha to kindly bestow upon me the highest Buddha-dharma initiation. The Buddha stretched out his arm, touched the top of my head, and said, “If you had not learned the highest Buddha-dharma, how could you have seen me?” Beseeching the Buddha’s instruction again, I asked, “In this world, where can one still find the highest Buddha-dharma?” The Buddha gave me the following teaching: “During the past few thousand years, many great Masters and great Bodhisattvas have appeared in human history. Which one of them attained perfect mastery over the Five Sciences (Vidyas)and was able to create Yun Sculpture, a great wisdom form of art that has no equal in the human world? Which great Master was able to create Yun Sculpture frames, which are the most beautiful in the human world? Those who are smart will immediately know upon thinking about it who possesses truly most magnificent Buddha-dharma!” The rinpoche then said to everyone, “I will not say anything more.”
Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche shortly after he came out of vajra meditation retreat
He Did Not Consume Any Food or Water for Twenty-Two Days; He Lost About Six Pounds
In today’s world, whether one practices exoteric dharma, esoteric dharma, or the dharma of the various sects within Hinayana Buddhism, the dharma one learns is basically superficial, empty, and without substance. Such dharma lacks very much real usefulness, not to mention the ability to lead the practitioner to enlightening his mind, seeing his original nature, and entering vajra samadhi (deep concentration). The meditational attainment of the Buddha whereby he was able to “use meditation as food” has long since vanished from this world. This has caused many people to think that the Buddha-dharma is just empty formalities or legends.
The most eminent monk of the Chan (Zen) School in modern times, elder monk Xu Yun, practiced vajra meditation in Yunnan Province. He meditated for twenty-one days without eating or drinking. He thereby earned the great admiration of a local warlord by the name of Tang Ji-Yao, who built for the elder monk a temple on Mount Jizu. It would be an amazing attainment for one who has true meditation skills to meditate for ten days without eating or drinking. Throughout all these years, we have hardly heard of anyone else besides elder monk Xu Yun who was able to abstain from food and liquid for twenty-one days. Through Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche, we have finally seen again vajra meditation skills based on the authentic and magnificent Buddha-dharma. This proves that the genuine Buddha-dharma relating to meditation has again appeared in this world!
After he came out of retreat, Henghsing Gyatso Rinpoche stated that he would fulfill his vow and complete his journey around the island of Taiwan. During that journey, he prostrates after every step in order to endure hardship on behalf of other living beings.
The healing vidya is one of the five vidyas of Buddhism. Holy beings should possesses the ability to heal the diseases of humans, so they can save people from physical pain and allow them to live happy and healthy lives. Buddha and Bodhisattva always try their best to decrease the obstacles on people’s Dharma practicing path. Hence the healing vidya is very important in this regard.
H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III showed his extraordinary healing power when he was very young. Back in the 1970’s, he was a well known doctor in his hometown. Everyday many people came to his place for help. At times, he saw three hundred patients in one day. He collected herb medicine by himself, and all his care and medicine were free to all the patients. There are many testimonies that attest to his prowess in medicine, some of which are officially published in his biography Master Yi Yun Gao. Besides regular Chinese medicine, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III also held the most incredible healing Dharma: the Vajra Needle.
In applying this vajra needle that eliminates illness, Kuan Yin Bodhisattva is used as the yidam (object of veneration), and the Horse Head Vajra Deity (a transformation body of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva) manifests awesome power. That is why the Han-Chinese people call it “Galloping Horse Wonderful Needle.” It is a healing technique specially used to cure people’s illnesses. Currently, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata is the only one who possesses this dharma.
The powerful effects of this needle are miraculous. Various effects are produced according to the particular mudra and mantra H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III applies. This needle is able to open all of the body’s joints and acupuncture points. People who receive this treatment experience power moving through their body. No matter how strong a patient’s power of resistance may be, as soon as H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III increases the power of the mudra, the patient will immediately feel as if his internal organs were on fire and will fall to the ground screaming in pain. It is clear that people do not have the power to offer resistance to the effects of this needle.
This needle can easily cure yin deficiency and yang excess relating to the liver, gall, kidneys, spleen, and lungs; qi (vital energy)-blood disharmony; harm done to the internal organs; and other strange illnesses resulting from the six meridians or imbalance among the four great elements. After Zigong Zhuang personally experienced the Galloping Horse Wonderful Needle treatment, he wrote the following words in the book Master Yi Yungao (Master Yi Yungao is H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III):
“Galloping Horse Wonderful Needle is a unique healing technique of Buddhism requiring special powers, and it is used to cure people of their illnesses. It is said that common people cannot master this technique. In order to apply this technique, one must have reached a very high state of training in the Vajra Fist Dharma of esoteric Buddhism. One must also have entered the phase that transcends the generation and completion phases. Through special skills, one produces a power that adjusts the “external four great elements.” (earth, water, fire, and wind) One then uses one’s concentration powers to bring about needle treatment reactions that course through the body like a galloping horse. Additionally, one must use thought to guide the “internal four great elements” of the patient’s body so that his body undergoes acute changes in an instant. Using the energy channels and acupuncture points, the obstructions of illness are expelled one after another. Why does that treatment produce such amazing effects? It has to do with the ultimate truths of the universe.”
Zigong Zhuang, the author of Biography ofMaster Yi Yun Gao, in the book he described his personal experience when H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III Wan Ko Yeshe Norbu Holiest Tathagata treated him with the Galloping Horse Wonderful Needle: “I saw the Master1 take out a thin, long silver needle. He sat facing me about two meters away. He then tossed the needle, which entered the acupuncture point on my left leg called yang ling quan. At that time, there was no unusual feeling in my body. I just felt the needle shaking continuously. As the Master’s mudras changed, so did my reactions. He shouted “swell!” and my entire body generated a swelling feeling. He shouted “tingle!” and my entire body instantly produced tingling sensations. He shouted “cold!” and the inside of my body at once felt as if I had entered an ice cellar.
“The Master then uttered something unintelligible, and I heard a loud boom in my head. It seemed as if my body had quickly swelled. The inside of my body felt like a sudden violent storm accompanied by thunder, lightening, and surging rivers and seas. It was an astonishing and shocking experience. Then, it seemed as if wind and fire were fast approaching before my eyes. The wind was helping the strength of the fire, and the fire was adding to the power of the wind. In an instant, I was being tormented by internal and external forces. I perspired profusely and was almost destroyed. Right when I was flustered and confused, I heard “leave!” Everything then vanished and became peaceful. I forgot about both my body and mind. There was just an expanse of tranquility and emptiness.
“After a short while, strangely enough, it seemed as if that needle was “galloping” on its own. It would shake and sensations would course up my leg and enter acupuncture points in the proper sequence of those points. At that time, my entire body felt open and unblocked. My qi-blood circulation was as free flowing as a spring stream or floating clouds. I can’t say whether it was normal consciousness or hallucination, but I felt that my whole body and mind were immersed in happiness and pleasure. “I finally experienced the miraculous effects of the Galloping Horse Wonderful Needle. Although I am well known for always sleeping very soundly, that night I could not fall asleep. While in a state of drowsiness the next morning, I suddenly became clear-headed. I wiped my eyes and realized my illness had disappeared. The blue sky and green earth spread before my window. Full of energy, I threw myself into the new day.”
A disciple by the name of Kion Yat beseeched H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III to treat him with needles. When H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III lightly applied one needle, disciple Yat did not at first feel anything. But when His Holiness began to recite a mantra and apply a mudra, disciple Yat became cold. Even ice formed on his eyebrows. His illness was immediately cured. This vajra needle is truly the king of all needles that only a Buddha possesses. Great Bodhisattva Tangtong Gyalpo Rinpoche XVI said that he personally saw the limitless power of the Galloping Horse Wonderful Needle and the incredibly high realization of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
Peace LiLy 