Category: Buddhism Teaching

A Incredible Dharma Initiation of Tummo Concentration

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Gadu Rinpoche

A Incredible Dharma Initiation of Tummo Concentration

Tummo concentration, a very high level Buddha Dharma, has been known in Tibet for a long time. However, most of the descriptions on this subject are like a famous metaphor of a group of blind people touching different parts of an elephant. Each of them then gave a vivid description of what the elephant’s body was like based on where he touched. It is definitely not easy to see true manifestation of tummo. In Tibet and India, there are still many lamas who practice tummo concentration. However, when they walk out of the closed room at the end of the extended practice of three years and three months in seclusion, very few of them can actually raise the body temperature. The most that they were able to do is symbolically wear a wet blanket and walk around the temple. Anyone who attained the initial level of tummo is regarded as a holy one. This is just an indication that tantric dharmas are being lost from generation to generation.

Gadu Rinpoche, a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, had the opportunity to receive the holy inner tantric initiation of the state practice dharma from The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation. Below is the true account of what he experienced.

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One day, my Buddha Master instructed me to go to a place to meet a great holy virtuous one. Because this was a decision from my Buddha Master, the great holy virtuous one received me immediately (Because the great holy virtuous one does not permit me to reveal his identity, I can only address him as “the Great Holy Acharya” here). When I entered the mandala, I prostrated respectfully and then held my palms together to listen to the Great Holy Acharya’s decree and order. The Great Holy Acharya looked at me with benevolent eyes and said, “Buddha’s Disciple Gadu, I and dharma protectors have been observing you for quite a few years. Although your cultivation and conduct is not completely perfect and you still have a little violation, you have successfully attained the accomplishment of Niwan Daoguo. You can take a picture and you will see that. During the past several years, you carried out many Buddhist endeavors and accumulated a good amount of merit. I decided to conduct the initiation of the state practice dharma of the Body-Laying (Corpse-Pose) Tummo Concentration from The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation to transmit the Body-Laying (Corpse-Pose) Tummo Concentration Dharma to you. I hope that you can benefit more living beings after successfully practicing this dharma.” At that time, I couldn’t believe what I heard from my ears but it was true. It came from my countless times of incarnations to this Saha World since the many eons to save and transform living beings with my true bodhicitta of great compassion. I was able to receive this supreme profound great dharma also because of the correspondence of my three karmas of body, speech and mind to the Four Jewels of my Buddha Master, Buddhas, Dharma, and Sangha.

At the time of initiation, the Great Holy Acharya was far away from me and I was alone. I exposed my upper body and laid down on the green grass lawn. I formed the mudra with my hands and was chanting mantras and visualizing the seed figure of the Wind and Fire Wheel according to the steps of the dharma taught by the Great Holy Acharya. I concentrated my thinking on raising the temperature of tummo at the location of the tantric wheel. A short while after, the Wind and Fire Wheel started to rotate at the location of the tantric wheel. The fire of tummo began to rise. The temperature was rising very fast. I called out repeatedly, “The temperature is rising. It is scalding now. Scalding! Scalding! Scalding!” From inside to outside, the fire temperature of tummo was like that of a red-hot iron. Flame shot out from the tantric wheel. The scalding heat printed a seal of a dharma eye of the size of 1.5 cm on the skin around the tantric wheel. The Great Holy Acharya was about 10 meters away from me at that time. With a command of “Stop,” the temperature of tummo started to decrease immediately. At this moment, the dark karmas inside my body were let out by the temperature of tummo. My body instantly felt very cool and purified. I had a long-lasting feeling and lightness and easiness. The pain in my left shoulder disappeared immediately. The meridian channels within my whole body were relaxed all of a sudden. I felt that I became younger everywhere in me.

The Great Holy Acharya slowly walked closer to me. The Great Holy Acharya used dharma water to wash the spot of the tantric wheel on my body and at the same time examined the dharma eye formed by the ejection of tummo fire. The Great Holy Acharya benevolently spoke to me with a smile, “You have received the initiation and entered the true form of the Generation Stage.” Meanwhile, the Great Holy Acharya also reminded me a few things that I should pay attention to and then transmitted to me some important details for visualization in dharma practice and the secret mantra. In particular, I was instructed to follow the steps of putting concepts into practice, meditation practice, and concentration practice to practice the dharma expounded by H. H. Dorje Chang Buddha III that includes the Vast Sea Mind Essence Dharma of the Root Mater, the Xiaman Magnificent Vast Sea Mind Essence Dharma, and the Most Magnificent Bodhi Vast Sea Mind Essence Dharma of the Dakinis. These are not hollow statements of talking about attaining Buddha-hood in the current lifetime without the actual accomplishment. They are the very precious dharma for attaining supreme enlightenment and, needless to say, can lead to accomplishment in the current lifetime.

I was listening to the discourse by the Great Holy Acharya while looking towards the sky with my eyes open. Suddenly, the events from my past experience emerged one by one before my eyes, as if I was watching a movie. Some were good and some were bad. They made me realize that the law of cause and effect never errs! From whatever causes I had planted, I harvested all corresponding consequences. My goal for coming to this Saha World is to benefit living beings and help them to attain Buddha-hood. I will treasure the remaining time in my current life to spend it well on benefiting living beings. After ending the causes and affinities of this lifetime, I am determined to come to this Saha World again to save living beings who have their affinities with me. Just as my vow of “As long as living beings are there, I will continue to perform the act of saving them.” Whenever living beings need, I will appear at their side!

Then I dressed and put on my dharma robe. I walked into the mandala and kneeled before the Great Holy Acharya with my palms together to listen respectfully to the Great Holy Acharya’s teaching. The Great Holy Acharya stood in front of me and discoursed, “Your inner mandala has been opened. Now I am going to open up your outer mandala. With that, the initiation of the Body-Laying (Corpse-Pose) Tummo Concentration Dharma on you will be very perfect. However, to avoid leaving a large dharma eye on your forehead, I will use a mild fire.” I immediately moved forward to kneel by the side of the Great Holy Acharya, with my eyes staring at the Great Holy Acharya’s palms.

When the Great Holy Acharya was chanting mantras and forming mudra, I felt as if I was kneeling by the feet of a very tall and cloud-reaching Buddha. Upon raising my head and looking up, I saw that a pair of solemn but benevolent eyes was watching me. Suddenly, the Great Holy Acharya lightly pressed right-hand middle finger at a point above my eyebrows. At first, it wasn’t hot at all. However, very quickly, a beam of flame-like intense and scalding heat was released. I responded right away, “Scalding! Scalding! Scalding!” The temperature of tummo rose very fast. This strong and scalding heat flow was led from the eyebrow wheel into the heart wheel and connected the fire seed at the tantric wheel to the entire body. However, there was nothing noticeable at the finger of the Great Holy Acharya. During this initiation of tummo, my body first endured a period of scalding heat but this was followed by a feeling of extremely cool and purified that filled up my entire body. Then, the Great Holy Acharya examined the dharma eye that became red-swollen due to receiving the tummo empowerment. It was right at the middle of my eyebrows.

The Great Holy Acharya discoursed with a smile, “The initiation of the Body-Laying (Corpse Pose) Tummo Holy Inner Tantric State Practice Dharma in The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation  includes two steps. The first step is having the vajra acharya who possesses the master’s qualification at the upper level of enlightenment perform initiation for the disciple at a distance of between 10 to 16 meters (32.8-52.5 feet) away. This is for receiving the recognition by the yidam of that dharma to plant the seed of affinity. This step is for obtaining the power of the accumulation of good fortune. Then, within 15 days after that, the vajra acharya who possesses the master’s qualification at the upper level of enlightenment will perform tummo initiation and teach the dharma directly to the disciple at a close distance. This step belongs to obtaining the power of the accumulation of wisdom. Therefore, now both your inner mandala and outer mandala from the initiation of the Body-Laying (Corpse Pose) Tummo Concentration have been completed perfectly. You can go out and inform the rinpoches and dharma masters who are caring about and waiting for you outside about the happiness and joy that will come to living beings in the future.”

With limitless gratefulness in my mind, after prostrating to the Great Holy Acharya, I exited the mandala to report to the rinpoches and dharma masters who were waiting the successful completion of my initiation of the Body-Laying (Corpse Pose) Tummo Concentration. Fellow brothers were all very happy for me. All I heard was the continuous congratulations one after the other. At this time, I felt that I was even more insignificant. My fellow brothers not only did not have any jealousy on my receiving the initiation of the supreme profound Body-Laying (Corpse Pose) Tummo Concentration, they were as happy for me as they had received the initiation of this great dharma themselves. Wasn’t such spirit a manifestation of the holy love from the “exchange between self and others bodhicitta” from the bodhicitta of great compassion? I have limitless admiration for them!

Photo by Hernan Pauccara on Pexels.com

My endless gratefulness cannot repay the blessing and empowerment from the Great Holy Acharya, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and Holy dharma protectors. I must cultivate and practice even more diligently to save and transform more sentient beings. Only that can requite a small portion of the initiation I received! The first thing I need to do is to study and cultivate according to the three dharmas of Mind Essences from The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation taught by the utmost supreme holiest Tathagata, my great Buddha Master!

A Incredible Dharma Initiation of Tummo Concentration

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/11/11/a-incredible-dharma-initiation-of-tummo-concentration/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII # HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII  #HolyManifestation#Gadu Rinpoche #Tummo Concentration#T#SupremeBuddhaDharma #TheSupremeandUnsurpassableMahamudraofLiberation #Cultivation#GreatHolyAcharya#Innertantricinitiation

Source: https://xuanfa.net/bibliography/free-books-to-download/cultivating-honesty/?hilite=gadu

Legends of One thousand-armed and one thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva

linda chang1 Comment

Legends of One thousand-armed and one thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva　

　

GuanShiYin (Avalokiteshvara) Bodhisattva is a well-known Buddhism figure in China and southeastern Asian. There are many different kinds of status and portraits of Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva in the world. The most legendary one is one thousand-armed and one thousand-eyed form.

The Bodhisattva is personified as the symbol of compassion, and is frequently mentioned as the god of mercy who will help anybody who finds himself in trouble mentally or physically. He can infallibly eradicate all mundale sufferings. In order to achieve his ends, he can assume various forms, According to the text Karandavyuha Sutra he manifests all possible forms of life for the sake of ignorant and to bring liberation to living. It says: “As different people belonged to different faiths, this compassionate Bodhisattva was obliged to assume the shape of all gods of all faiths.”

Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, in front of Buddha Amitabha made to commitment to intentionally manifest into the three realms of Samsara in order to harrow the depths; that is to say, in order to stir from depths and completely liberate all sentient beings from samsara, and to be their supreme guide. Thus in the presence of Buddha Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara made this promise. Also he vowed that if by chance his compassion and his courageous mind of mercy for sentient beings were to decrease, then may his head and his body just completely crack and fall into one thousand pieces.

When Buddha was residing at the Veluvana garden he was surrounded by Arahats. There were five different divine rays coming out of his circle of hair between the eyebrows in the middle of the forehead and gradually it formed itself into a rainbow. Thereafter it went to the north in the direction of the Himalaya country of Tibet. At that time Buddha looked and smiled, then immediately Bodhisattva Sarvanivarana Viskambhi asked Buddha, What is the reason of your smiling, Lord? Buddha answered, “Noble boy! In the future there will be a pure Dharma through which one can be delivered to the path of liberation in the barbarian country of Tibet where there has never been a single Buddha for three junctions of time and there are uncountable demons and ghosts yet to time. “Therefore, Avalokiteshvara will tame those wild men, because once upon a time when he was a Bodhisattva he prayed to One thousand Buddhas Saying,” May all the transcendent bless me to be able to time those beings who are into barbarian country. May you bless that barbarian country through my taming, May you bless me to become the parent of those ghosts and demons;. May you bless me to free all those beings.

Once Amitabha Buddha placed his hand on the head of Avalokiteshvara and commanded that noble son, “Now you be the one who can tame the animated beings of the barbarian snow land whereas not a singly Buddha of the Three times has been there. This is the fruit of your sincere prayer for the purpose you have wished. Those suffering beings will be emancipated from the three lower realms as soon as they see your young holy body and hear the sound of the six mystic syllables, Om mani padme Hum. May your Bodhimind be manifested to the minds of ghosts, demons, evil spirits and hobgoblins and may they be striving with their minds for the benefit of others like Bodhisattvas, instead, of harming others. May all carnivorous animals-such as tigers, leopards, bears and snow bears abandon the mind of eating others and turn into the love of parents for each other, seeing your holy body and hearing the sound of the six syllables.

After making such commitments and blessings from Buddha Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara went by way of international manifestations into the three realms of samsara to be the supreme guide for all sentient beings.

Thereby he went to Hell and emancipated them from both the hot and cold hells by teaching the On mani padme hum. Then he went to ghost realms and emancipated from hunger and thirst after giving a discourse on the same. After that he went to the animal realms and emancipated them from hardship in labour. Then he came to the human realms and emancipated them from the intense suffering of birth, old age, sickness and death by a discourse on the same, Thus he also went to Asura realm and Deva realm to free them from their respective sufferings. 

　

So Avalokiteshvara went into of these realms of Samsara, and he absolutely emptied the ocean of sufferings. Following which he went back to Buddha Amitabha and he declared that the liberation had been affected.

Buddha Amitabha said to him,” You should look back again into world!” And as he did, there he saw that once again sentient beings were in samsara and in sorrow, he became so discouraged as he saw that his “awakening mind (Bodhicitta) decreased in the moment he lost his courage. When he became discouraged, in that moment, the promise that he had made earlier declined.

The three realms of Samsara are Kamadhatu, the desire realm, the Rupa dhatu, the Form realm and the Arupya dhaty, the formless realm,. These three reams are so vast and so are the different types of suffering that sentient beings must experience in these realms. When Avalokiteshvara beheld that still sentient beings were in this type of suffering condition in these three realms respectively, he become overcome with sorrow, he become discouraged in the very presence of Buddha Amitabha. He felt how could the time come to ever liberate all sentient beings from this type of promise that he had made before, his head and body just cracked and fell apart into one thousand prices, and he fainted.

Avalokiteshvara, thus fainted, and Buddha Amitabha said to his “My son, where has your courage, your mental strength gone? He picked up all the pieces of his head and the body. At the same time he said,” this happened because of your prayer. You deserve the praise of all Buddhas since your prayer was efficacious. However, Noble son Don’t worry! Thereby he blessed his broken head into eleven faces and he sat upon those heads, and his broken body into one thousand hands like one thousand petals. Thereafter he said,” I bow to you because your one thousand hands are the hands of the thousand universal emperors and those eyes in each of the hand palms are eyes of one thousand Buddhas who will appear in this fortunate aeon.  

Legends of One thousand-armed and one thousand-eyed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva

Link: 　https://peacelilysite.com/2022/11/03/legends-of-one-thousand-armed-and-one-thousand-eyed-avalokiteshvara-bodhisattva/

#GuanShiYinBodhisattva#Buddhism#Buddha#BuddhaAmitabha#Onethousand-armedandone thousand-eyed#legend#Samsara#Mercy#Compassion

(Saddharmapundarika Sutra)

Source: https://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-BH/bh117498.htm Min Bahadur ShakyaBuddhist Himalaya: A Journal of Nagarjuna Institute of Exact MethodsVol. No. I & II  (1989) Copyright 1989 by Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods

20 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Buddha

linda chang1 Comment

20 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Buddha

There are so many beautiful, powerful and life changing lessons you can learn from studying Buddhism and from reading many of Buddha’s quotes.

Here are 20 Life Changing Lessons from Buddha:

1. Love heals all things.
“Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule.”

2. It’s not what you say but what you do that defines you.
“A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.”

“A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.”

3. The secret of good health is to live fully in the NOW.
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

4. Words have the power to both hurt and heal.
“Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.”

5. Let it go and it will be yours forever.
“You only lose what you cling to.”

6. No one can walk your path for you.
“No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

7. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

8. Be kind to all.
“Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these.”

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.”

9. Don’t believe everything you are told to believe.
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

10. As you THINK so shall you be
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts. If a man speak or act with an evil thought, suffering follows him as the wheel follows the hoof of the beast that draws the wagon…. If a man speak or act with a good thought, happiness follows him like a shadow that never leaves him.”



11. Let go of fear.
“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed.”

12. The truth has a way of always leaking out.
“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”

13. Control your mind or it will control you.
“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one’s family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one’s own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him.”

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

14. Doubt separates. Trust unites.
“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.”

15. Nobody is more deserving of your love than you yourself are.
“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

16. Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”

17. Let go of attachment.
“To live a pure unselfish life, one must count nothing as one’s own in the midst of abundance.”

18. Choose your friends wisely.
“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”

19. There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.
“There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path.”

20. Love. Live. Let go.
“In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?”

20 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Buddha

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/10/28/20-life-changing-lessons-to-learn-from-buddha/

#Buddhism#Buddha#LifeChanging#LearnfromBuddha#Morallessons#Culture#CultureExchange

Source: https://www.beinghappybuddha.com/blogs/insights/20-life-changing-lessons-to-learn-from-buddha

From Monkey King in “Journey to the West” to A Fast-flying Buddhist Nun

linda chang1 Comment

From Monkey King in “Journey to the West” to A Fast-Flying Buddhist Nun

The monkey king in Journey to the West was such a thrilling, fascinating, and happy memory in my childhood. I have read the books, comic booklets, and watched the cartoon movies about it many times. The one I liked the most is “The Monkey King makes an Uproar in Heaven”. It ignited my imagination. I wished I could fly on the clouds just like the Monkey King.

The Monkey King is born on Flower Fruit Mountain from a stone egg that forms from an ancient rock created by the coupling of Heaven and Earth. He first distinguishes himself by bravely entering the  Water Curtain Cave on the mountain; for this feat, his monkey tribe gives him the title of “Handsome Monkey King (美猴王).” After seeing a fellow monkey die because of old age, he decides to travel around the world to seek the Tao, and find a way to be able to live forever. He eventually found the “Grand Master of Bodhi (菩提祖師),” who taught him the 72 heavenly methods of transformation and a “sumersault cloud” which allows him to travel 108,000 chinese kilometer, almost instantaneously. The Grand Master also give him a name Sun Wukong. Sun is the Sir name, Wukong means “Awakened to Emptiness”.

After angering several gods and coming to the attention of the Jade Emperor, he is given a minor position in heaven as the Keeper of Horses (弼馬溫) so they can keep an eye on him. When Sun realizes that he was given the lowest position in heaven and is not considered a full-fledged god, he becomes very angry. Upon returning to his mountain, he puts up a flag and declares himself the “Great Sage Equal to Heaven (齊天大聖).” The Jade Emperor dispatches celestial soldiers to arrest Sun Wukong, but none succeed.

The Jade Emperor has no choice but to appoint him to be the guardian of the heavenly peach garden. The different varieties of peach trees in the garden bear fruit every 3,000, 6,000, and 9,000 years, and eating their flesh will bestow immortality and other gifts, so Sun Wukong eats nearly all of the ripe peaches. Later, after fairies who come to collect peaches for Xi Wangmu‘s heavenly peach banquet inform Sun Wukong he is not invited and make fun of him, he once again begins to cause trouble in Heaven, stealing heavenly wine from the peach banquet and eating Laozi‘s pills of immortality. He defeats an army of 100,000 celestial troops, led by the Four Heavenly Kings, Erlang Shen, and Nezha. 

Eventually, the Jade Emperor appeals to the Buddha, who seals Wukong under a mountain called Five Elements Mountain after the latter loses a bet regarding whether he can leap out of the Buddha’s hand in a single somersault. Sun Wukong is kept under the mountain for 500 years and cannot escape because of a seal that was placed on the mountain. He is later set free when Tang Sanzang comes upon him during his pilgrimage and accepts him as a disciple.

When I grew up, I started my own journey in searching the truth and meaning of life and universe. I dabbled in different religions. Finally I became a buddhist. There were many supernormal manifestations in buddhist Sutras. Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and holy venerable ones, demonstrated much much more powers than the monkey king. Such as stories of Shariputra’s action power by wisdom, Mahamaudgalyayana’s supernatural power of going a long distance in a shot time, Master Mi Hong’s trip from Shigatse to ChengDu, etc…. In Buddhism teaching, every disciple who has received initiation has the potential to quickly obtain supernormal dharma powers through practice. One has the potential to easily assume an infinite variety of forms and obtain good worldly fortune.

In the dharma discourse Learning from Buddha, imparted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. I learned there is a Buddha Dharma called “Fine Horse Traversing the Sky Stepping on Clouds”. When a qualified disciple practice this Dharma, he can fly in the sky. Here is the true account of a fast-flying buddhist nun.

(Reported from Los Angeles) In September 2013, an event of supernatural phenomenon occurred in Los Angeles. Scientists have not been able to explain it. This was about a 49-year old Buddhist  nun  named Jian Hui, a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, flying at a speed of 700 km per hour.

This event happened at a Buddhist assembly for beseeching auspiciousness, favorable weather, eliminating disasters, and increasing good fortune. The more than 50 attendees are all famous Buddhist figures. At the time, the ceremonial process required chanting a sutra and burning a letter of petition every 10 minutes. When the fifth letter of petition was to be burned, it was discovered that this letter of petition had been lost by this nun named Jian Hui. She was very sad and could not keep her from crying. Because the assembly could not be stopped and the steps of chanting sutras and burning letters of petition must be followed in the predefined order, it was decided that Jian Hui was to go to Hua Zang Si’s Southern-California satellite monastery located in Monterey Park to get this letter of petition. Some time had passed since Jian Hui left. People became very anxious and they called the satellite monastery to ask when the letter of petition can be brought back. The nuns at that monastery passed the phone to Jian Hui. Jian Hui was quite angry on the phone and said, “Don’t make a fuss! I will be back as soon as possible!” Sure enough, within three minutes after putting down the phone, Jian Hui returned to the site of the ceremony from the monastery that is 12 kilometers away. People at the site were all stunned. A nun at the site named Zheng Hui was very surprised and called the monastery to inquire the whereabouts of Jian Hui. The reply from the monastery was that Jian Hui left just three minutes ago. Further verification later also revealed that, after the phone conversation, Jian Hui also spent time to teach people chanting mantras before leaving for the site of the assembly. Based on the calculation that subtracted the time of delay, Jian Hui traveled this distance of 12 kilometers within at most one minute.

Zheng Hui planned to write this event in a book. To verify the facts, she went to the monastery to talk to the nuns there. They all confirmed, “When you called and said that she had returned to your place, it was just a very short while after she had left.” Zheng Hui then asked Zheng Xue, the nun who handed the phone to Jian Hui, where she was at the time. Zheng Xue took this question as distrusting her and was very upset. She kneeled down in front of the statue of Amitabha Buddha and took an oath against heavy consequences to swear that she received the phone call at the monastery and handed the phone to Jian Hui in person inside the Buddha hall of the monastery. If she told a lie, she is willing to descend into the hell realm. Zheng Hui also took an oath against heavy consequences to swear that, within three minutes after her phone conversation with Jian Hui, Jian Hui returned to the site of the assembly. She is also willing to descend into the hell realm if what she said is untrue. Moreover, eminent Buddhist monks including Gar Tongstan IV Ciren Gyatso, Kaichu, Akou Lamo, Shi Miao Kong, Shi Long Hui, Shi Jue Hui, Shi Kui Zhi and others also completely confirmed from their respective personal presences and witnesses at the two locations that the above event was completely true.

From Monkey King in “Journey to the West” to A Fast-Flying Buddhist Nun

Link：https://peacelilysite.com/2022/10/28/from-monkey-king-in-journey-to-the-west-to-a-fast-flying-buddhist-nun/

#SunWukong#MonkeyKing#JourneyTotheWest#buddhaDharma#Buddhist#Buddhism##HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #DorjeChangBuddhaIII #DorjeChangBuddha

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_the_West

Dharma King Gar Tongstan Dem-onstrated World Astounding Mastery over Birth and Death by Practicing the Supreme Buddha-Dharma

linda chang1 Comment

Dharma King Gar Tongstan Demonstrated World-Astounding Mastery over Birth and Death by Practicing the Supreme Buddha-Dharma


Buddhism from Sakyamuni Buddha has been propagating in the world for more than 2,000 years and has evolved into various sects and schools that emphasize different principles and customs. Patriarchs, eminent monastics, and great virtuous ones all state that they themselves possess the best teachings and dharmas. Each flaunts the ability to teach people to eventually attain accomplishment and liberation. The freedom from birth and death in Buddhism that entails one’s ability to control one’s birth and death freely has always been a legend.

Then, what are the results? Facts showed that, in the process of seeking liberation, very few people actually become accomplished in history. On the contrary, very many people did not attain accomplishment through practicing their dharmas. Examples of those who attained prominently well-known accomplishments include Bodhidharma, Hui Neng, Hanshan, and others. In more recent times, there were Xu Yun, Hui Ming, Sheng Qing, and other elderly dharma masters. Of course, there were also Guru Padmasambhava, Master Tsongkhapa, Master Karmapa, Venerable Atisa, Venerable Suchandra, and others. However, the fact is that such accomplished holy virtuous ones are so rare. Especially during the last 100 years or so, the curernt dharma-ending era becomes more penetrating and more deeply rooted. Ture dharma of the Tathagata has almost become lost from the lineages. Even leading figures of eminent monastics and great virtuous ones of the modern time with worldwide reputations had to pass away amid sufferings at the end of one’s life, unable to end the cycle of birth and death and with no accomplishment to speak of.

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III brought the great dharmas of Tathagatas to the human world and has restored the original teachings and dharmas of SaKyamuni Buddha. His Holiness the Buddha continues the lifeline of the wisdom of Buddhas and also leads people to the Buddhist principles and ways that deepen and facilitate cultivators’ accomplishment. Examples are The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation, holy inner-tantric initiations of dharmas of state practice, incomparable rules and systematic ways of cultivation, and supreme and expedient dharmas leading to accomplishment. Such teachings and dharmas are unprecedented by any holy ones in history and cannot be exhaustively mentioned or described.

The accomplishments of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III at the pinnacles of the five vidyas and the holy realization of His Holiness the Buddha have all been widely known as real facts in the world. However, what is intimately relevant to us is the abilities of the Buddha in teaching people to become accomplished. Only this is the utmost important matter! Facts from actual practices show that people taught by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III attained prominent accomplishments.

At year 2018, a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, Dharma King Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso who was the chairman of the World Buddhism Association Headquarters, demonstrated the world-astounding record of becoming free from birth and death!

Dharma King Gar Tongstan paid respect to and learned from many famous figures of Buddhism. Since he paid homage to and became a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in 1995, his experience was like having found the most precious and rarest treasure. It was exactly like what Geshe Luosang Zhenzhou, who was the sole Larampa Geshe among the Han Chinese people, said in an interview with news media that his earlier experience of learning Buddhism for sixty years could not compare to what he learned from H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III in one day. Can you imagine what these words entail!

After having learned the cultivation and dharmas transmitted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III,  Dharma King Gar Tongstan gave up all the dharmas that he had learned before and did not get effects from and dedicated himself to practicing the profound Buddha-dharma transmitted by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. His realization advanced by leaps and bounds and he attained perfect good fortune and wisdom. In 2004, he demonstrated the Vajra power of a champion of majestic strength and lifted before a crowd of people the Buddha-bathing lotus tub weighing more than 4,000 pounds to fetch water at a holy Buddha-bathing dharma assembly (CLICK for article. The Dharma King was known as layman Ciren Jiacuo Gyatso then)  for article. In 2009, he performed a dharma publicly to cause his spiritual consciousness to exit his body to take a Vajra pill placed at a distance away into his hand. Eventually he enlightened his mind and saw his original nature to realize his dharma body. His undertaking was recorded into the Dharma Discourses in Silver Box that have been widely distributed in the world.

In September 2018, Dharma King Gar Tongstan beseeched His beneficent Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, to perform a session of grand offering of holy fire mandala. He said, “This highest and greatest dharma will prove whether those figures who put up the signs of lineages of schools and sects in society are mundane or holy and whether they are novices of Buddhism who have lost the lineages of true Buddha-dharma or not. Those who carry evil views are making big efforts on the internet and in social-media communities to undermine and slander the cultivation and Buddha-dharma from my beneficent Master H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III. Only by doing this, can we remove the evils and manifest true Buddha-dharma!”

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III said, “You are wrong. One should not cause others to feel bad for one’s own sake. I am not able to perform this dharma. Even if I am to perform it, I can only chant according to the ritual.”

Dharma King Gar Tongstan beseeched again, “Even if the dharma is not to be performed for proving my beneficent Buddha Master, the dharma still needs to be performed for stopping disasters and praying for good fortune for living beings in the entire western world and also for me, Disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso, to beseech true Buddha-dharma and perfect resources of cultivation!”

H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III then said, “Since this is for the karmic conditions about the great event of true Buddha-dharma in the entire Western world to pray for good fortune to benefit sentient beings, you can take it easy. This dharma assembly has to be performed. Even if I do not do that, there will be a tremendously great holy virtuous one to perform the dharma.”

On September 17, a specialist of metallic manufacturing led a team of people to have a brass mandala stove made in time. On September 18, Sister Xuan Hui was brought the sandalwood pieces and charcoals to be used for burning homas during the fire offering. On September 19, the “Grand  Dharma  Assembly of Holy Fire Offering” was formally held with the grand opening of the mandala at the Holy Miracles Temple in the United States of America.

Grand Hall in Holy Miracles Temple

The “Dharma of Holy Fire Offering” is regarded as the king of dharmas for halting disasters and increasing good fortune. Such dharma was performed successfully only by Master Phapongka and Kangsa Rinpoche in Tibet about 80 years ago. Since then, the so-called fire-offering dharmas in both Tibet and regions of Han Chinese are only described as holy dharma practices in books and verbal words without the actual manifestation of any holy state. All is based on chanting the ritual and explicit practices of worldly ways.

On the contrary, during the Grand Dharma Assembly of Holy Fire Offering presided by a tremendously great holy virtuous one at the Holy Miracles Temple in America, Vajra Female Mahasattva arrived in person in the empty sky, emitting light throughout Her tall and huge blue-colored body. In an article published on the internet, someone said that with the pointing of a finger, Vajra Female Mahasattva ejected a ray of flashing light and flame began to burn inside the mandala stove.

They saw that Vajra Female Mahasattva manifested in the empty sky and She was very tall and extremely solemn and majestic. She acted with changing bodily movements and postures. There was a net of electric fire circling around Her body. As soon as the fire-igniting guard of the dharma assembly finished the beseeching prayer, a flash was emitted from between the eyebrows of Vajra Female Mahasattva into the mandala stove. A big blazing fire started to burn instantly! At that time, there were only five pieces of sandalwood chips inside the mandala stove. What caused such a big blazing fire immediately?

Next, the demons captured inside the Vajra demon-subduing bowl tried as much as they could to push up the bowl to escape. At the moment when the bowl was shaken, a light of fire was again emitted from between the eyebrows of Vajra Female Mahasattva toward the demon-subduing bowl. With a sound of “hong,” golden flame came from the demon-subduing bowl, turning the demons and the dark karmas of cultivators into crushed powders. Vajra Female Mahasattva then brought the souls of the demons to the Buddha-land to teach and transform them! The nearly 100 cultivators attending the dharma  assembly were greatly astonished and all bowed continuously on their kneels to pay respect!

At the dharma assembly, the tremendously great holy virtuous one announced to cultivators that since this dharma assembly had been performed, Dharma King Gar Tongstan would very soon pass away in a perfectly liberated state.

This dharma assembly was exactly the last dharma assembly that Dharma King Gar Tongstan was waiting for. Next day, after taking a bath and changing His garment, He entered His dharma practice. Then, a writing desk with pen, ink, paper, and white-out fluid placed on it was put in front of His dharma seat. He wrote a letter of respectful farewell to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and then immediately sat down to pass away in a perfectly liberated state. When monastics from different temples arrived, they found that right after putting down the pen, the dharma king passed away in a perfectly liberated state with complete ease and without any hesitation. At that time, it suddenly dawned on everyone that the verse of respectful farewell that Dharma King Gar Tongstan wrote was to point out where the true dharma of the Tathagata is for living beings, which is upheld and controlled by H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and is the same as the Buddha-dharma of Sakyamuni Buddha that only belongs to Buddhism without any sectarian affiliation!

Dharma King Gar Tongstan passed away in a perfectly liberated state

Verses of Respectful Farewell

The following is the verse of respectful farewell written by Dharma King Gar Tongstan.

Dharma King Gar Tongstan’s Last Letter to Dorje Chang Buddha III

” Verse of Respectful Farewell“

”To my beneficent Master Namo Dorje Chang Buddha III,“

“I, Disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso, decided to pass away in a perfectly liberated state.”

“Human life accumulates sufferings through the years and months. I went to various places to seek enlightenment through learning from Buddha. I followed and stayed with many masters to learn from them, including Guang Qin, Xuan Hua, Ka Lu, and Dharma King Dilgo Khyentse. I practiced diligently and worked hard on the unshared dharma of Path-Fruit of the Sakya Sect without effect. I gratefully thank my Buddha Master for the Mahamudra of Liberation that is supreme and unsurpassed. The holy dharma that I received from secretly transmitted initiation enabled me to achieve freedom from birth and death, with true realization attained on the spot. I now pen down my words and will then leave the world, passing away in a state of perfect accomplishment before the ink dries.”

Verses of Respectful Farewell

Namo beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III

Disciple Gar Tongstan Ciren Gyatso has decided to leave this world.

As life is filled with suffering,

I rushed about learning Buddhism and seeking enlightenment.

I have followed many masters:

Guang Qin, Xuan Hua, Kalu,

And Dharma King Dilgo Khyentse,

Diligently practicing their dharmas and the Sakya unshared LamDre Dharma,

All to no avail.

Thankfully, I met my Buddha Master.

Through the Mahamudra of Liberation that is supreme and unsurpassed,

And the secret initiations and transmissions of holy dharma from my Buddha Master,

I achieved control over my own birth and death.

My direct realization is reality.

I now put down my brush and leave this world,

Entering into the state of liberation before the ink dries.

Namo my beneficent Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III!

Disciple Tongstan respectfully bids farewell.

September 20, 2018

“Namo my beneficent Master Dorje Chang Buddha III!”*

“I, Disciple Tongstan, hereby bid respectful farewell.”

“September 20, 2018”

Dharma King Gar Tongstan Demonstrated World-Astounding Mastery over Birth and Death by Practicing the Supreme Buddha-Dharma

Link： https://peacelilysite.com/2022/10/24/dharma-king-gar-tongstan-dem-onstrated-world-astounding-mastery-over-birth-and-death-by-practicing-the-supreme-buddha-dharma/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII # HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #HuaZangSi #HolyManifestation#FireOffering #DharmaKingGarTongstan#World-AstoundingMasteryoverBirthandDeath#SupremeBuddhaDharma #TheSupremeandUnsurpassableMahamudraofLiberation

How Much Land Does a Man Need?

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How Much Land Does a Man Need?

My son once shared a story about greed from his middle school textbook, by Leo Tolstoy. It was quite frightening, to realize the power that greed exerts over us all. Sometimes, it can even blind us to the threat of death itself.

The protagonist of the story is a peasant named Pahom, who overhears his wife and sister-in-law argue over the merits of town and peasant farm life. He thinks to himself “if I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the Devil himself!”. Unbeknown to him, Satan is listening.

However, Pahom then becomes very possessive of his land, and this causes arguments with his neighbors. “Threats to burn his building began to be uttered.” Later, he moves to a larger area of land at another Commune. Here, he can grow even more crops and amass a small fortune, but he has to grow the crops on rented land, which irritates him. Finally, after buying and selling a lot of fertile and good land, he is introduced to the Bashkirs, and is told that they are simple-minded people who own a huge amount of land. Pahom goes to them to buy as much of their land for as low a price as he can negotiate. Their offer is very unusual: for a sum of one thousand rubles, Pahom can walk around as large an area as he wants, starting at daybreak, marking his route with a spade along the way. If he returns to his starting point by sunset that day, all the land his route encloses will be his, but if he does not reach his starting point, he will lose his money and receive no land. He is delighted, as he believes that he can cover a great distance and has chanced upon the bargain of a lifetime. That night, Pahom experiences a surreal dream in which he sees himself lying dead by the feet of the Devil, who is laughing.

He stays out as late as possible, marking out land until just before the sun sets. Toward the end, he realizes he is far from the starting point and runs back as fast as he can to the waiting Bashkirs. He finally arrives at the starting point just as the sun sets. The Bashkirs cheer his good fortune, but exhausted from the run, Pahom drops dead. His servant buries him in an ordinary grave only six feet long, thus answering the question posed in the title of the story.

After reading the story, I have come to truly understand why greed is the first of the three poisons in Buddhist teachings. Out of all these vices (greed, hatred, and delusion), it is perhaps the most seductive.

The contemporary Buddha H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III teaches Buddhist disciples that greed can break one’s cultivation. True to his word, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III never takes any offerings from his students, no matter how big or small they are. His Holiness has set a great example for all his disciples. The videos below are the testimonies.

(Revised) Revealing the Deeply Hidden Secret of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III 

How Much Land Does a Man Need?

Link：https://peacelilysite.com/2022/10/21/how-much-land-does-a-man-need/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII # HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #HuaZangSi #HolyManifestation#Greed

Once a Thousand year Phenomenal – The Power of Tummo Concentration

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Photo by Maris Rhamdani on Pexels.com

Once a Thousand year Phenomenal – The Power of Tummo Concentration

Recently I have gotten a special pill from a Dharma Assembly at Hua Zang Si Temple in San Francisco. The pill was made through Buddha-dharma, and is capable of curing illnesses. And I was even more fortunate that I had a opportunity to watch a video about how these pills were made. The whole process was so incredible and astonishing.

There are two types of the healing pills. The one is made from conducting a dharma with the Medicine Buddha as the yidam and using the practice of tummo as the cause, it is called the Daba Buqiong Pill. Another kind made from a dharma with the Kuan Si Yin Bodhisattva, one of the five great Buddha Mothers, as the yidam is named the Kazhuo Ande  Pill (also called the Black Jewel Medicine Pill). These pills are made by two types of methods, the highest or most magnificent way or worldly ways. In today’s Buddhism world, worldly ways are commonly used. The process is basically mixing all and only the required ingredients of medicine that are blessed by chanting the mantra of the dharma and then rubbing the mixture into pills. The magnificent inner tantric way of making these pills is completely different. The practice of tummo concentration must be used as the affinity of the dharma. The ingredients of the medicine are exactly the same. The blessing power of the pills is supreme and most magnificent. However, because of the loss of Buddha -dharma, the process of making these pills with the most magnificent (non-worldly) methods has almost become extinct.

The pills of Daba Buqiong and Kazhuo Ande  made from the magnificent method are rare and hard to obtain. The first difficulty is that it is hard to find a true great virtuous one to conduct tummo concentration.

Many people have heard about the dharma of tummo concentration but it is extremely difficult to see a true manifestation of tummo power. Today, in Tibet, India and other places, there are still many lamas who practice tummo concentration. However, when they walk out of the closed room at the end of the extended practice in seclusion, very few of them can actually raise their body temperature. The most they were able to do is symbolically wear a wet blanket while walking around the temple. Those who attained such initial level are now called holy and venerable ones. This is just an indication that tantric dharmas are being lost from generation to generation.

Tummo concentration is a high-class Buddha-dharma of meditation. It is a rare holy dharma indispensable for cultivating the life power of the body, mind-wind and bright spot, and the accomplishment of a rainbow-light body. Regardless of what illness or disease one has, practicing tummo can eliminate it completely. Therefore, this dharma is the dead enemy of the demon of illness. Tummo concentration is a great dharma in the division of supreme yoga. The perfect accomplishment in the practice of this dharma combined with Vajra Body Substitution Meditation can lead to the accomplishment of becoming a Bodhisattva at the twelfth stage or higher.

There are two types of practices of tummo concentration. One is Yoga Tummo from Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. The other is the Corpse-Laying Tummo regarded as “the King of Tummo.” When practicing tummo, the higher the body temperature can be raised to, the higher the realization power of the practitioner. The normal body temperature of humans is between 98.6°F and 99.5°F (37°C and 37.5°C). When the body temperature reaches a level between 104°F and 105.8°F (40°C and 41°C), one is regarded as having a high fever. A temperature above 41°C (about 106°F) can cause danger to one’s life. However, practitioners of tummo concentration can attain much higher temperatures than that.

The realization power from tummo concentration is defined by four steps. The first step is called the Initial Warmth Step. At this step, body temperature can be raised to between 115°F and 130°F but the ability of curing illnesses is not strong yet. The second step is the Joy of Heat from Meditation  Step, with the body temperature raised to between 130°F and 150°F. The heat of tummo can be released at certain locations of the body to provide a relatively strong ability of curing illnesses. However, there are five illnesses that cannot be cured by this ability. Anyway, one will rarely become ill with the accomplishment at this step. The third step is the Step of Emptiness and Existence at High Temperature. The body temperature can be raised to between 150°F and 200°F. The heat of tummo can be distributed to any part of the body to heal illness by oneself, with the exception of two illnesses. The practitioner can collect the dark karma generated daily due to ignorance and burn it away with tummo. One can also move the heat of tummo outside of his body to cure illness and eliminate hindrance for other people or to subdue demons and evil spirits. The fourth step is the magnificent Delight at Extreme Temperature. The temperature will exceed 200°F and the heat of tummo will spread to the entire body. Master Milerapa used his realization power of this step to ignite his own body to attain the accomplishment of sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya.

Although the true realization power of tummo is hard to find through the history of over one thousand years, fortunately Mozhi Rinpoches, a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, is a great yoga master. He is the first-place master of tummo concentration in Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism.  His body weight was reduced from 241.4 pounds (109.5 kg) to 124.6 pounds (56.5 kg) by practicing tummo concentration. He once practiced tummo concentration for seven months and three days, without eating and drinking. After that, all illnesses were eliminated.

The video I watched was the recording of The dharma assembly of making the pills of Kazhuo Ande. It was held at Los Angeles at year 2009. In the dharma assembly, Mozhi JiaoZun was the chief master to produce the heat of tummo. Other rinpoches would be his dharma-protecting assistants. He stated that the purpose of his coming here was not to compare his realization power with others and was not for making Kazhuo Ande pills. It was a coincidence that he met this cause. He regards it as his duty to do something for living beings.

A porcelain pot for frying the medicine was laid on his belly

At the dharma assembly, Mozhi Rinpoche lay on the dharma board and had his head covered up so people would not know who was practicing tummo concentration. This great holy virtuous one with true realization of power and abilities never wanted to boast or praise himself. Everyone attending the dharma assembly was greatly moved and felt ashamed by such holy and pure style of humble self-cultivation.

When the great holy virtuous one was conducting the dharma, a porcelain pot for frying the medicine was laid on his belly. The high-temperature heat of tummo was strong and vicious and directly penetrated the thick porcelain pot.  Rinpoches who used a finger to test the temperature were all scalded badly. They had to throw the medicine powder into the pot and get away quickly to protect their fingers from getting injured.

At the dharma assembly of making pills with the magnificent method, the heat from the Body-Laying (Corpse Pose) Tummo Concentration scalded rinpoches’ fingers so that they were red and swollen. Some had frowning eyebrows and were sweating all over their heads. Some had blisters form on their fingers. Some had the color of the swollen finger turned into white or black colors. Some had their whole finger scalded red and unable to bend. Some even had their face scorched red by the high heat of tummo.

Rinpoches used a finger to test the temperature
Rinpoches showing their burning fingers by the high temperature of tummo

I could not help from making a heart-felt praise: the true power of Corpse-Laying Tummo Concentration from The Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberationis truly amazing!

Once a Thousand year Phenomenal – The Power of Tummo Concentration

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/10/20/once-a-thousand-year-phenomenal-the-power-of-tummo-concentration/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII # HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #HuaZangSi #HolyManifestation #Tummo Concentration#Tripitaka#BuddhaDharma#MoZhiRinpoche#TheSupremeandUnsurpassableMahamudraof Liberationis #BlackJewelMedicinePill

Two Fruits for A Meal

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Photo by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto on Pexels.com

Two Fruits for A Meal

A young monk asked the master for advice: “What are human desires?” The old monk told the young monk to come back tomorrow, but do not eat or drink until then. When the little monk came back the next day, he was very hungry and thirsty, and felt that he could eat a whole loaf of bread.

The old master monk asked him to go to the orchard to pick some fruits, but asked him to bring them back to the temple to eat.

After a while, the young monk returned to the temple with a basket full of fruits. The old monk told him to eat as much as he could. The young monk felt full after just eating two and could not eat any more.

The master asked him, “What’s the use of these fruits that you brought back after all your hard work, but you didn’t eat them? They’re just useless burdens.”

“Now you may understand, for each of us, what we really need is only two fruits that are enough to satisfy our hunger, and the rest is our desire.”

Photo by Nilina on Pexels.com

Every day we are driven by our own desires to keep running and toiling. We believe that if our desires are satisfied, we will be happy. But that happiness is very short-lived. Think about when you got new beautiful clothes, a pair of fancy shoes, luxury jewelries, or an expensive car — how long does that pleasure last? It may be a year, a month, or just several days, and then we want more to replace these fleeting pleasures. Our desires are endless, they keep on growing until they wrap us completely like a cocoon. Our desires lead us to focus on the various commodities of the outside world, and squeeze out all of our time and energy. Thus, our desires can actually make us feel enslaved and unhappy, and cause suffering.

In Buddhism teachings, the origins of suffering and unhappiness come from craving, desire and attachment. The way to end suffering is letting go of these cravings, and finding your true self. Of course Shakyamuni Buddha had taught many ways in the Buddhist Sutra to reach the eternal happiness and find our true selves. The contemporary Buddha H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III has expounded many Buddha Dharmas to help us as well, such as What is cultivation? , Learning from Buddha, and several thousand audio-recorded Dharma discourses. By practicing the Buddha Dharma, one can break through the cocoon of life and death, and reach libration.

Hope you can find your own way to be free, happy and healthy.

Two Fruits for A Meal

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/10/02/two-fruits-for-a-meal/

#HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #DorjeChangBuddhaIII #DorjeChangBuddha #ShakyamuniBuddha #Buddhism#BuddhismTeaching#desire#craving#attchment

Gaomin Temple One of The Greatest Zen temples In China

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https://hk.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/yangzhou/gaominsi-81756/

Gaomin Temple One of The Greatest Zen temples In China

Gaomin Temple (Chinese: 高旻寺; pinyin: Gāomín Sì) is a Buddhist Temple in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province of China. The temple is situated in a semi-rural setting about 7 km south of downtown Yangzhou, on the western shore of the Old Channel of the Grand Canal of China, just south of its junction with the Yizheng-Yangzhou Canal.

Gaomin temple was first built in the Sui dynasty, and achieved its largest area in the Qing dynasty, when it was expanded twice. In 1651, Tianzhong Tower was built, as well as a temple next to it called the Tower Temple. During the Kangxi Emperor‘s (r. 1661–1722) stay in the temple in his fourth southern tour, he climbed on TianZhong Tower, overlooking the scenery, which was very beautiful and vast. Then named the temple for Gaomin Temple. At that time, Gaomin Temple, Zhenjiang’s Jinshan Temple, Chengdu’s Geyuan Temple and Xindu’s Baoguang Temple were known as the greatest four Zen temples.

Buddha Tower and TianZhong Tower By Jimmy Nov 2019

Water Pavilion and Zen Meditation Hall By Lisa Su Feb 2016

In ancient times, a great number of people in the temple became accomplished through the practice of zen. At the Gaomin Monastery in Yangzhou, basically every seven days one person would awaken to zen, becoming enlightened and accomplished. Last century, there were several Holy monks reached enlightenment from Gaomin Temple Zen seven-day retreat, such as XuYun ( 虚云), YiZhao( 意昭) and BenHuan (本焕).

Gaomin Temple’s zen practice was truly inexplicable but unfathomably profound. Gaomin Temple was famous for its strict precepts and Zen style. There were very strict and even cruel rules for monks participating in Zen seven-day retreat.

First of all, in ancient times when someone entered the Gaomin Monastery to practice zen, that person would first have to sign an agreement. That agreement was very simple. To put it bluntly, they agreed that they could be beaten to death with impunity. The one who beat them to death would not have to lose his own life. Additionally, they agreed to voluntarily carry out the dharma rules of the monastery. After they entered the monastery, they had to give up all of the dharmas that they previously learned. As soon as one arrived at Gaomin Monastery and entered the zen hall, one could not apply any previously learned dharmas.

Five people carried cudgels. Those five were called “the five great cudgel carriers.” Their specific task was to beat people. The practitioners had periods of running zen, each of which lasted the time it took for a stick of incense to burn from top to bottom. The stick of incense was not long. The practitioners had to jog. In the zen hall, many practitioners formed a circle and jogged. As they jogged, one of the cudgel carriers would strike his cudgel against something, which made a loud noise. As soon as he struck his cudgel against something, that loud noise sounded. When the jogging practitioners heard the striking sound from the cudgel, they had to immediately stop jogging. They were not allowed to jog even one more step. When the striking sound of the cudgel sounded again, they had to immediately resume their jogging.

Photo by Klub Boks on Pexels.com

As soon as the striking sound from his cudgel sounded, if you were still jogging, you would be taken aside and beaten to death. If you were not beaten to death, you were at the very least maimed. Thus, the minds of those practitioners were of course extremely focused. They were always focused on the sound of the cudgel. They were always fearful that they would be taken aside and severely beaten for continuing to jog after the striking of the cudgel sounded, or, if they had stopped jogging, for not immediately resuming their jogging after the striking of the cudgel sounded.

There were sitting periods as well, which lasted as long as it took for a stick of incense to burn from top to bottom. As soon as they sat down, the cudgel carriers in back of them would keep an eye on them. While sitting, the practitioners were not allowed to move in any way. The practitioners were absolutely forbidden to move. They were not permitted to recite the name of any Buddha or chant any mantra. If one was seen moving a bit, he was taken aside and severely beaten, to the extent of possible death. Therefore, after they sat down in a settled posture, as soon as the striking sound of the cudgel carrier’s cudgel could be heard, they did not dare move. They had to remain stiff for as long as the incense stick burned. They did not dare move in the slightest. The focus of their minds increased a hundredfold because they feared that they would inadvertently move, be taken aside, and be beaten, resulting in injury, deformity, or death.

There was also a rule of drinking water. The practitioners had to go to the east side to draw water and then carry the water with both hands to the west side. Only then could they drink the water. Additionally, the cup of water had to be completely filled. If a drop of water spilled to the ground as they were carrying the cup with both hands, they were taken aside and severely beaten.

Thus, the consciousness of those who practiced zen there did not wander. They did not think of other things. They did not rest. When they ate, they were not even allowed to make the sound of chopsticks hitting the bowl. As a result, their consciousness was forced to naturally not dare think of other things. Therefore, it is only natural that after our consciousness is united, we will not think things over and will not be distracted. Everyone fears being beaten to death. When you fear being beaten to death and death is used to force you, then you have no other choice. You must seriously deal with the matter. That is why in such circumstances it is very easy to cut off mistaken thinking. Through force, your thoughts are cut off. When your thoughts are cut off through force, you original nature emerges. As soon as your original nature emerges, you have broken through in your zen practice.

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Therefore, by and large, at each seven-day retreat someone broke through in his zen practice at that monastery. Basically, there would be one breakthrough every seven days. How did they know someone broke through? The day someone broke through, he was ordered to write a verse for others to hear, enabling the abbot of the zen hall and the zen master to recognize him. That practitioner was later tested again to see whether he truly awakened to the truth through the practice of zen, whether he understood his mind and saw his nature.

I have great admiration for those monks who were willing to give up their lives in pursuit of the true Buddha Dharma.

Gaomin Temple One of The Greatest Zen temples In China

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2022/09/21/gaomin-temple-one-of-the-greatest-zen-temples-in-china/

#Buddhism#ZenBuddhism#ZenTemple#ChineseTemple#GaominTemple#ZenPractice#ZenSevendayRetreat#XuYun#Meditation#ZEnMaster#Monastery

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaomin_Temple, https://learntruebuddhism.com/the-great-dharma-of-zen-expounded-by-h-h-dorje-chang-buddha-iii/

I Was Truly Blessed by Guan Yin Bodhisattva

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I Was Truly Blessed by Guan Yin Bodhisattva

My dharma name is Hua Yong. I am very grateful for having the good fortune to attend the Guan Yin Bodhisattva of Great Compassion Empowerment Dharma Assembly led by Dharma Master Ruo Hui.  Dharma Master Ruo Hui is Abbess of Hua Zang Si at San Francisco.

We started off by diligently reciting the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra. After a dozen of recitations, tears kept emerging as I kept reciting the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra. I did not know why I had tears, but it felt comforting and soothing. Minutes later, a bright white light shone towards my face, the light then transformed into a rainbow colored beam of light and eventually formed into a very large lotus flower of clouds. Immediately, I felt energy surging from the floor where I stood up through my entire body. My eyes were shut and I stood still as I felt my body very heavy. Sounds of a lion’s roar and footsteps were coming from the hallway People behind me started to pat their own bodies. Sister Hua Rui walked passed me while singing out loud. Qinbu Rinpoche joined in shortly after. Eventually, I started to recite “Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva.” Every syllable was dragged out loudly.

Suddenly, Sister Hua Rui began to deliver Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva’s message out loudly in Cantonese, “We are all destined to be here today. You have acted sinfully in your past lives. You must repent your actions!” I thought to myself, “Of course, of course.” I felt a moment of despair as I began to cry while reciting “Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva.” Moments later, all I could see was a red circle in the middle of darkness. This could possibly be the symbol of my karma, I thought. I immediately requested a blessing from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to clear my karma, be diligent in my practice as well as bring my husband and daughter to practice Buddhism! After requesting this blessing, I began to sing even louder and more passionately. My arms naturally began to swing from side to side, however, both of my feet remained still.

Meanwhile, while Qinbu Rinpoche was singing, she came behind me and started to slap my shoulder all the way to my lower back. It felt very painful as I felt that Qinbu Rinpoche’s palms were very large, however, I continued to stay still and recite “Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva” out loudly and prolongly. Sounds of people crying, falling to the ground, slapping, people reciting the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra and “Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva” were being heard everywhere in the hall. Shortly after, I heard the master say “Stop”, but I kept going on. I did not know when, then Qinbu Rinpoche came behind me and slapped from my shoulder to my lower back again very intensely and I could not stop singing in a high pitch.   It was until the master came to me and tapped my head that I stopped.

It felt as if time flew by really quickly as if the Dharma assembly ended really quickly. However, I am sure I received an extraordinary amount of empowerment and blessings even though my body still felt heavy. After the Dharma assembly ended, a lot of sisters and brothers went up on stage to share their personal experiences. I also went up to the front, knelt on my floor with my palms together, and from the bottom of my heart, I shared my experience and expressed my utmost gratitude to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva, and all other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Returning home, I found out that 10 years of pain and failed treatment on my right shoulder and spine has disappeared! Back then, because of my right shoulder pain, turning my head to the right was not possible. But now, I can do that without any problems! 10 years of pain has disappeared!

My most sincere and grateful thoughts to H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III!

My most sincere and grateful thoughts to Namo Guan Shi Yin Bodhisattva!

My most sincere and grateful thoughts to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas!

Buddhist Disciple Hua Yong (Yong Chiu Chen)

I Was Truly Blessed by Guan Yin Bodhisattva

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/09/15/i-was-truly-blessed-by-guan-yin-bodhisattva/

#HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII #DorjeChangBuddhaIII #DorjeChangBuddha#GuanYinBodhisattvaof GreatCompassionEmpowermentDharmaAssembly#GuanYinBodhisattva#GreatCompassion