Tag: Learning from Buddha

Your Yidam

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The Yidam plays a crucial role in the daily practice of Buddhist disciples, especially for practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism. This article explains how you acquire a yidam and how your relationship with your yidam can develop.

The Buddha Master, H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III, tells us that “your Yidam is the holy being presiding over the particular Dharma you decide to practice in order to attain accomplishment.” The Buddha Master also tells us we have to face our Yidam and the Dharma protectors of our Yidam. And you cannot hide from either your Yidam or the Dharma Protectors. You may wonder how you know who your Yidam is. As you advance in your practice, you may receive a particular Dharma of Selection and be told who your Yidam is. As I understand it, this is probably a being that you have already achieved some accomplishments with in past lives and you are already familiar with the Dharma associated with that Yidam. You do not practice more than one Yidam Dharma at a time. Many of us start this practice with Kuan Yin Bodhisattva as our Yidam and follow the “Vajra Yoga Perfection Dharma” that you can find in True Stories about a Holy Monk. You may be fortunate to receive other Yidam practices from authentic Dharma masters and rinpoches.  You would only do one yidam practice at a time, but you may also follow different Yidams throughout your spiritual career. I was told that if you cannot receive a Dharma of Selection, you may select the Yidam for whom you have the greatest affinity. In fact, you do not pick the Yidam, the Yidam actually picks you. You must keep your precepts and not hold any of the “128 Evil and Erroneous Views” in the Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation.

Painting of Green Tara by Zhaxi Zhuoma
Painting of Green Tara by Zhaxi Zhuoma.

Do not be frustrated if something is not clear. If you are not progressing in your Yidam practice, go back and reflect on your cultivation. You should be doing this three times per day anyhow. If you are not keeping the precepts or developing your bodhichitta, you cannot progress. If your cultivation is good, your Yidam may come and teach you what you need to know. I have had that happen as have several of my students.

Once I was not clear on how to visualize a particular mantra and my Yidam showed me how to do it. I have a student who does not live near California and who is unable to visit either the Buddha Master or me very often. He is a serious, sincere, and compassionate cultivator and does, however, have a very good relationship with his Yidam. She has helped him on many matters. I recently received an email from him telling me how much he had gained from his last trip to the Holy Vajrasana Temple and being able to study Expounding the Absolute Truth through the Heart Sutra. Even though he was only able to study this Dharma a short time this trip, he gained realizations which he didn’t get in all the previous years he had studied here. He said, “It made a deep impact on my life and I am very grateful that I was able to read even this little bit of it. Since then I was reflecting even more on how our daily lives relate to achieving accomplishment in the Dharma, how cultivation and Dharma practice need to go together. I often compared it with breathing, like inhaling and exhaling following one another and both are necessary to keep [your] life working. This morning I received an instruction from [my Yidam] on this topic while I was doing my Dharma practice which I would like to share with you.”

He went on to explain that his Yidam told him that he should see that cultivation is like collecting firewood. Doing a Dharma practice is like igniting a fire. If we have not collected enough wood (or any at all) the fire of wisdom cannot burn. So even a kind thought is like a dry twig which will fuel the fire. So, cultivating ourselves seriously and not slipping in any moment is like piling up a huge amount of firewood which will cause the fire to burn strongly and result in accomplishments.I was delighted. He said I could share the teaching as an example of how our Yidams do teach us, but we must do the practice and cultivate our behavior. The Buddha Master tells us in Learning from Buddha that if you learn one of the Mind Essences from the Supreme and Unsurpassable Mahamudra of Liberation “. . .to the point of proficiency and put it into practice, you need not worry about not being able to learn Buddha Dharma. Even if I, your Master, do not teach you, the Yidam will teach you.”

By Zhaxi Zhouma Rinpoche

Link:https://peacelilysite.com/2025/04/03/your-yidam/

Source: https://www.zhaxizhuoma.org/your-yidam/

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

What is pure land? Can I rebirth in the pure land after I die?

linda chang2 Comments

What is pure land? Can I rebirth in the pure land after I die?

Ever since I heard that Namo H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva, entered parinirvana, I felt my dreamy plan shattered. For many years I have thought: I will definitely die before Buddha enters parinirvana, and Buddha will kindly deliver me to the Pure Land — West paradise. Now that Buddha has entered parinirvana, what should I do with the matter of my own death? This woke me up, and I asked myself what Dharma I have learned that can help me on this. I remembered I haven’t listened to the Dharma discourses for a while, and have not touched the Dharma books lying on the altar for several months.

It was time for me to earnestly read the Buddha’s Dharma books and listen to the Buddha’s discourses.
A small booklet, “Learning from Buddha”, I have read many times. We even had a group study on it. And Buddha required every disciple to study it, and to always bring it whenever we have the chance to see Buddha. I thought I completely understood the book, and that I always followed Buddha’s teaching in my daily cultivation. But I was so wrong, for until now I realize that I didn’t even understand what is pure land. In the book, Buddha clearly told us: a member of any of the Buddha-land worlds does not have the slightest dark karma or impure karma in his conduct. That is why those worlds are called Buddha-land worlds of pure karma. For example, the pure land of Amitabha Buddha is the Western World of Ultimate Bliss , which is also called the Pure Land. The Eastern World of Lapis Lazuli is called a Pure Land of Peace and Bliss. It is also a pure land.

There are as many as ten trillion such worlds, which are called the rigorously pure Buddha-lands. What is called “rigorously pure Buddha-lands” means that they are rigorously governed, and pure karma is mandatory. There is not an iota of contamination; only absolutely pure karma. Dark karma is forbidden. The pureness is due to good karma and merit. The pureness is due to the state of holy beings there who have ended cyclic birth and death. Those are called the pure lands.

I felt I was so foolish and ignorant. I had dreamed that Buddha will kindly deliver me to the pure land after I die on this earth. I did not ponder to myself if I was really qualified to be a member of pure land. Do I still have a mind of selfish thoughts, a mind of differentiation, hatred, greed, jealousy, presumptuousness, arrogance, or shamelessness, a mind that considers oneself always in the right, or a mind that deceives others? If evil or bad people carrying impure karma could ascend to a pure land, there would long ago have been nobody left in this world. Everybody would have gone to the World of Ultimate Bliss. The World-Honored One also would not have taught people to practice the Ten Wholesome Behaviors and the Four Limitless States of Mind. The Buddha would simply have come to receive people, sending both the good and the bad ones to a pure land.

I felt ashamed that I have read this book many times before, but failed to introspect and examine myself; I always falsely considered myself as truly following Buddha’s teaching. Yet, indeed I did not. Today I searched deeply for the reason why. It is because I still didn’t attain a state of mind that truly fears impermanence, thus I could not establish a firm mind that gives rise to thoughts of leaving the cycle of reincarnation. I still naively and selfishly wish to rely upon Buddha’s great compassion to re-birth in the pure land, to live a grand, wonderful, blissful life. In pure land I can learn from Buddha and all the holy beings without any worries, struggling, sufferings… only well-being and happiness. I deeply and sincerely repent that I treated Buddha’s teaching so lightly, and didn’t use my mind and heart to think carefully about Buddha’s teachings, let alone to practice Buddha’s teachings correctly.

After this several days continually study the book, I finally understood if I want to go to pure land, I must completely cleanse my own dark karma by being patient under humiliation and adversity and cultivating myself, practicing the Ten Wholesome Courses of Action, practicing the Four Limitless States of Mind and Six Paramitas, and arousing bodhicitta. Following the simple and easy guidance from Buddha in daily life: “Before I went to sleep at night, did I think of anything unbeneficial to living beings? Did I think about doing those things? Did I think of doing something not good to others for the sake of myself, my children, or my relatives? Did I think of doing something not good to my fellow brothers and sisters? Did I crave credit or merit for myself? If I did, I must repent at once, I must correct myself!” By doing that every day, I will naturally and gradually become purified and will become a great holy person.

I have no excuse for not doing “the three daily introspections”, because I want to leave the death and birth cycle. I want to go to the pure land, and when I become a holy being, I will come back to this Saha world to help other people and living beings to reach the liberation. I deeply feel the great compassion of the Buddha. He never tires of repeating the Dharma for us –foolish beings. He never tires of helping us to reach the enlightenment and liberation.

Great compassionate Buddha and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva! Thank you boundlessly for using your life to sound the alarm of impermanence for me. And thank you boundlessly for using your life to bring Buddhist disciples the extraordinary cause and condition to study the Tathagata Dharma. I vow to use my own real actions to wash away my sins, and benefit all beings with compassion and pure goodness in order to repay Buddha’s grace!

Great compassionate Buddha and Fomu, Holy Mother the Great Mahasattva! I, a disciple, still want to hold on to a glimmer of hope and beg you all to return to the Saha world and give us foolish beings another chance!

What is pure land? Can I rebirth in the pure land after I die?

Learning From Buddha : https: //www.wbahq.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Learning_From_Buddha_English_Translation_Published_20200924.pdf

What is Cultivation: https://peacelilysite.com/2021/11/30/the-dharma-of-cultivation-transmitted-by-h-h-dorje-chang-buddha-iii/

Link: https://peacelilysite.com/2022/03/25/what-is-pure-land-can-i-rebirth-in-the-pure-land-after-i-die/

#DorjeChangBuddhaIII #HHDorjeChangBuddhaIII#FomuHolyMother#GreatMahasattva#LearningfromBuddha#FourlimitlessStateofMind#Sixparamitas#Parinirvana#PureLand#WesternParadise