English
Day-1 Discourse by H.H. Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu, New York, June 21st, 1997.
Translated by Janny Chow from the transcript published in the True Buddha News.
Masters, reverends, and fellow students, good afternoon. [audience applause]
Before we start, let us first pay homage to Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Manifestation Body Shakyamuni Buddha, and Namo Ucchusma Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha.
First, I would like to thank the students of the True Buddha Diamond Temple in New York for inviting me to such a large venue as Madison Square Garden, to conduct a major True Buddha School Dharma Ceremony. This Madison Square Garden is not just famous in New York, it is also quite well-known around the world.
In the United States, a Buddhist teaching is generally attended by only two to three hundred people, so most of the time, a small venue would do. It is a major event in the Buddhist community that we are able to have a teaching here today at Madison Square Garden. [audience applause]
However, after learning of the rental fee for this venue, my knees almost went weak. The cost is very high! I remember when I first immigrated to the United States in 1982, I brought a small sum of money with me and purchased a modest house in the Seattle area. The sum total of two days' rental for this venue exceeded what I brought with me from Taiwan to Seattle!
I thought to myself that the expenditure for today and tomorrow is equivalent to what I had owned during the first half of my life. Thus, psychologically, I feel that the burden on me for these two days is quite heavy. I am not here to fundraise for the True Buddha Diamond Temple, but I hope all of the students will lend some support to the temple, because the cost of this venue is, indeed, astonishing.
During lunch, someone raised two fingers, indicating two hundred thousand. Another person then asked if these were Indonesian rupiahs? Master Lian Ying, who is from Taiwan, asked if they were Taiwanese dollars. Let me tell you, this is New York; the cost is in U.S. dollars. Such expenditure for these two days is utterly amazing.
Originally, I was going to give this Dharma teaching by emulating Bodhidharma. One time, Bodhidharma was invited to ascend to the Dharma throne to give a teaching. The bell was rung, and all of the monks and nuns came. The whole valley was filled with ordained practitioners. Bodhidharma walked up to his seat and sat down, facing the thousands of practitioners sitting below. He looked at them, and they also looked at him. They looked at each other.
Perhaps Bodhidharma felt that the looking had gone on long enough, for he stood up and walked away from the teaching throne. So, after ascending to the Dharma throne, he gazed at the audience for a few moments, then stood up and left. I was going to do the same thing.
Bodhidharma did that because he was giving a ''Heart Transmission.'' Not a single word was exchanged during the whole transmission, signifying that at the ground of pure awareness, everything was too full to be communicated verbally.
But then I thought, the rent for this venue is so expensive that I had better remain seated. It is not easy to raise all that money! I cannot just let it go to waste.
Today I am transmitting to everyone the Ucchusma Diamond Protector Practice. This is my first public teaching of this major practice. The Ucchusma Diamond Protector Practice is one of the five major Vidyaraja [fierce manifestations of Vairocana] practices, a great supreme practice and great secret practice!
Someone has told me of a Dharma teacher in Los Angeles who is teaching the Ucchusma practice. The teaching is given in a private room on a one-to-one basis. He charges five hundred dollars for the Ucchusma Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha Mudra [Grand Master demonstrates], five hundred dollars for the mantra, and five hundred dollars for the visualization. These add up to fifteen hundred dollars. So, by coming here today to learn the Ucchusma Diamond Protector Practice, you have made a profit for yourself! [audience applause]
This is a practice rarely taught openly. Just the demonstration of its mudra is worth five hundred US dollars. The teacher even has a piece of cloth covering his hands when he shows the mudra, signifying its very secret nature, and the student only gets to have one look at the mudra. Today I am publicly teaching this major practice and, in a way, it is a reflection of the remarkable coming together of karmic causes and conditions. At first, I wondered if I should publicly teach this practice. But then I realized that all of the people who were able to come here today to listen to this teaching (which is attended by both humans and devas) must have their karmic affinities.
It is due to a kind of accumulative virtuous fruition over hundreds and thousands of lifetimes of cultivation that all of you were able to come here today to join in this grand occasion. How else would you be able to come here today, joining in this remarkable Dharma Ceremony that is attended by both men and heavenly beings? There must have been karmic reasons from spanning many lifetimes that brought you here today.
Thus I feel greatly relieved, and I shall explain this practice in all its detail.
The origin of this great practice may be traced to the Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha. At that time, at Kushinagara, the Buddha was lying down, about to enter into nirvana. Generally, when a Buddha is about to enter nirvana, all devas, whether they have affinities with the Buddha or not, descend to the world to bid farewell.
During this grand occasion, all devas, with the exception of one, appeared in front of the Buddha. All were crying sadly. The only missing member was a deva called the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva who was from the Great Brahman Heaven. At that time, not only did this Brahmadeva decide to remain in his heaven, he also threw a party and was having fun with the celestial maidens.
All the devas, including the other Brahmadevas, knew that everyone was present except the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva. This Brahmadeva was very arrogant and felt that he was superior to Shakyamuni Buddha. Therefore, he did not want to come, even on the occasion of the Buddha entering nirvana. At that time, it occurred to many devas that this Conch Topknot Brahmadeva was behaving badly and that he should be brought down to Kushinagara to say farewell to the Buddha.
Behavior, such as that of the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva, reflects pride as well as a kind of contemptuous attitude for Dharma teachings. For example, I am giving a teaching now. Although most of the True Buddha students in New York have come to hear the teaching, some also have thought to themselves, ''I am so busy that I won't be able to go.'' Or, they might have said, ''There is a very rare showing of a movie this afternoon that I need to go to.'' The choice of not coming to this Dharma teaching shows a ''disdain'' for the Dharma or a disdain for this particular teaching.
If I am teaching in New York, students living in New York should come and attend the talk. If I were teaching in San Francisco, students living in San Francisco should attend the teaching. If I were teaching in Taiwan, the students in Taiwan should attend the talk there, since the distance one has to travel to hear the Dharma is not that great. Also, one should set aside the time, to the best of one's ability, to attend the Grand Master's teachings. This way there is less chance for the ''belittling of the Dharma.''
Therefore, as Shakyamuni Buddha was about to enter nirvana, all devas had come to say farewell, except this one Brahmadeva who had shown his disdain for the Buddha.
Many devas surrounding the Buddha decided that they would fly to the Brahma Heaven to invite this Brahmadeva to descend. However, although many of these devas flew to the Brahma Heaven, not one of them came back. It turned out that the Conch Topknot Deva was quite formidable. He had built a wall around himself and set up all kinds of traps. One of these traps was a maze called the Yellow River with Nine Bends.
All around his palace were traps filled with the filthiest things in the world. As soon as a deva flew over those traps, he would be so overwhelmed by the stench that he would fall off the clouds and drop into the maze, where he was caught and tied up. Not a single deva was able to escape from the traps.
Amid the devas were also thousands of ''mantra devas'' who practiced mantra chanting. They also had gone to the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva, hoping to change his mind. Yet, as soon as they flew there and smelt the odor, they also succumbed and became trapped. Many other deva-kings also went there and failed to return.
After seven days, when all attempts by the devas to apprehend the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva had failed, the assembly of devas and humans chanted together some verses. In these verses, they expressed their sadness for the parting of Shakyamuni Buddha but, what grieved them more was the fact that, as the Fundamental Teacher was entering into nirvana, there would be someone from their own rank who was showing such disdain for the Buddha.
The Buddha was highly revered. During his forty-nine years of teaching, in addition to teaching humans, he also travelled to the deva realms as well as the dragons' palaces to teach. Who would have thought that, after delivering a boundless Dharma and attaining the Supreme Perfect Enlightenment, the Buddha would still have to face contempt from a member of the deva rank?
When Shakyamuni Buddha learned what was happening, his left heart started spinning quickly, transforming into an indestructible Diamond Protector.
In an instant, the Ucchusma Diamond Protector soared to the Empty Space, displaying great miraculous powers and causing the six great tremors. These tremors were so powerful that abodes in the deva realms, dragon realms, and ghost realms were demolished. One could see what a great power was possessed by the Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha. When Ucchusma arrived at the palace of the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva, he pointed a finger at the traps. Just by doing this, the traps immediately became purified and all of the piles of filth turned into blooming flowers.
Then Ucchusma spoke to the Conch Topknot Brahmadeva, ''You are indeed foolish. The Tathagata is about to enter into nirvana, why didn't you go to him?'' Pointing his vajra indestructible finger at the Brahmadeva, Ucchusma had the Brahmadeva tied up and, like a hawk carrying its prey, he brought him to see Shakyamuni Buddha.
Having sprung originally from the Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, Ucchusma is an emanation of the Buddha. Only Shakyamuni Buddha would have such great, miraculous powers, causing the six kinds of great tremors and the transformation of filth into blooming flowers. By pointing his finger, he freed all the entrapped mantra devas and other devas from the maze. This is the origin of Ucchusma the Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha. We may say that Shakyamuni Buddha is the origin of Ucchusma.
One can see that the transcendental powers of the Buddha are extraordinary. For example, while the Buddha was teaching at the Spiritual Vulture Peak, he was at the same time delivering the Kalachakra teaching in Shambhala. He is able to manifest into billions of division bodies, simultaneously teaching the Dharma at many places. Therefore, apart from the Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, there is also a Namo Manifestation Body Shakyamuni Buddha. Ucchusma the Diamond Protector, who eradicates all filth, is a Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha emanated by the Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha.
Before doing this practice, one must chant ten times, ''Namo Ben- shi Shi- jia-mou-ni Fo, Namo Hua-shen Shi-jia-mou-ni Fo, Namo Hui-ji Jin-gang Da-chuan Shen-wang Fo.'' [Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Manifestation Body Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Ucchusma Diamond Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha.] For this practice to be efficacious, it is necessary to acknowledge the origin of Ucchusma by chanting the epithets together ten times. This chanting of epithets prior to the practice is a secret key! The chanting of the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra during ordinary times is very good; however, if you do not chant the ''Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Manifestation Body Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Ucchusma Diamond Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha'' first, you are not making a direct connection with the origin of Ucchusma. This is a secret. You must first chant ten times, ''Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Manifestation Body Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Ucchusma Diamond Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha or Namo Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha.'' [audience applause]
Ucchusma has such great transcendental powers that he is not afraid of any kind of filth. I, along with several masters and reverends, made a trip to visit the eight sacred sites of the Buddha. The facilities in India are quite undeveloped. Several of the sacred sites were without any public restrooms. As it took at least seven or eight hours to travel from one site to the next, our tour bus would make rest stops along the way.
As soon as the tour bus stopped, the men would run to the right and the ladies would run to the left - the farther the better - into the woods, where they would not be seen by anyone. Some of our monks said, ''Actually our lama outfits serve us well, since the skirts are so wide. Under the circumstances, the women have to carry umbrellas with them.'' But, you have to know that to this day, the ground in India is still ''laid with gold.'' After getting out of the bus, we would gaze at the white clouds in the sky and start reminiscing about when the Buddha was teaching in such a beautiful land, not paying any attention to the gold that was strewn on the ground.
That was what happened with Master Liang Tzi, who is in charge of the True Buddha News and the Lotus Light Charity. She was so preoccupied with the white clouds flying over the bright sky in India that she was quite oblivious to what she was stepping on. Then suddenly, she almost slipped. The ''gold'' she had stepped on was still soft and hot, and quite fresh, as described by a fellow student accompanying her.
This did happen. There was a wall in the middle of the field, so they thought it would be safe. To their surprise, the ground behind the wall was full of ''landmines.'' Thinking that her shoes still had some value, Master Liang Tzi wanted to get back onto our tour bus with her shoes on. Right away, everyone protested.
You know, her shoes were all covered with that stuff, how could she bring them back in? Finally she accepted our suggestion. She tossed out those shoes and put on another pair.
Although excrement is filthy, filth does not necessarily mean only excrement. Afterall, excrement is something we all have. Someone asked me what kind of transcendental power I have. I told him that, by consuming something fragrant, I am able to convert it in a little while to something very foul! This is also a process of transmigration, a kind of recycling.
India was, indeed, quite filthy. Along the road in the cities were ditches filled with dirty water, and flies and mosquitoes were everywhere. Of the eighteen people in our group, seventeen became ill, all except me. [audience applause] This is absolutely not a fabrication. All seventeen of them had diarrhea, and I was the only one who was in good health from beginning to end.
Why was I immune from the traveller's disease? Because I chanted the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra and was not afraid of filth. Today I am disclosing my secret to you. When you blow a breath of the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra over filthy things, they are purified. Although the ground is dirty, the blowing of air over it can turn it into blooming flowers. Such are the great transcendental powers of Ucchusma the Diamond Protector.
That was why the filth in India could not do anything to me. [audience applause]
After learning this mantra, Master Liang Tzi can transform all the ''gold'' in India into blooming flowers. When that happens, there will be the appearance of a lotus in every step that she takes.
Ucchusma indeed has such great transcendental powers. In Taoism, it is believed that many things produced and harbored in our bodies are unclean, such as certain ''marrow'' found in the brain, gum in the eyes, ear wax, nasal mucus, and perspiration. While a lady's perspiration is often euphemistically referred to as being fragrant, the smell of a sweating man is often considered to be offensive [in the Chinese language].
It is considered particularly awful if the odor exudes from the underarms. One time I had to take a bus to a house show called ''The Dream House.'' Unfortunately, I happened to be standing right under a man twice my height whose arm was raised to hold onto the ring. As soon as the odor hit me, I immediately had to transform myself into Ucchusma the Diamond Protector; otherwise the previous night's dinner would have come back up again!
Nasal discharge, saliva, perspiration, feces, and urine are all manufactured by our bodies, and are all foul smelling. On the outside, a lady may appear to be very beautiful but, if you were able to see the viscera inside, you would find the stench intolerable.
Filth is not an easy subject about which to speak. However, Ucchusma is not afraid of filth. He can transform all bad and filthy elements into good and pure ones. This also reminds me of a phrase found in Buddhist scriptures, ''neither dirty nor clean.''
What is dirty? What is clean? To an adept, filthy is clean, while clean is still clean. In a realm where everything is neither filthy nor clean, one rests in the spiritual state of non-duality. This is the kind of indestructible Diamond power manifested and expressed by Ucchusma.
Ucchusma then told Shakyamuni Buddha that he had a great divine mantra. As long as one chants this mantra one hundred thousand times, Ucchusma the Diamond Protector will appear to help fulfill the wish of the chanter. When one finishes chanting the mantra four hundred thousand times, one will have the ability to heal many sicknesses which others have.
Ucchusma the Diamond Protector has a great power to fulfill the wishes of all beings. Therefore, when he returned from his mission, Ucchusma announced to all the devas and the powerful ghosts and spirits which were present, ''I have a great power, a great mantra, that can purify all objects and bring all beings' wishes to fulfillment!''
Therefore, it is wonderful that you are here today, as I am going to teach you a mudra which is quite complicated. The practitioner needs to first chant ten times the epithets of ''Namo Fundamental Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Manifestation Body Shakyamuni Buddha, Namo Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha.'' One then forms the Ucchusma Diamond Mudra. After the mudra is formed, one chants the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra. After one recites this mantra one hundred thousand times, Ucchusma will use his great transcendental powers to make the practitioner's wishes come true.
As you can tell from the demonstration of this mudra, it is quite complicated. After learning it themselves, the masters and venerables will teach all of the students here who have listened to this teaching and received the empowerment.
Let me first teach the masters this mudra, then the masters can show the venerables, and the venerables can show the students. In a while, at the end of this ceremony, you may ask the ones who have learned it to show you. This way, you learn from each other and, by the time you walk out, you will know how to form this mudra. [audience laughter and applause]
In the past, the instruction for the Ucchusma Mudra was given with this precaution: direct the release of the mudra to the ground and away from people since the light emitted by it may hurt others. But this should not cause any alarm to the True Buddha students. Why? Because the practitioners have already put on the Armor Protection.
In Japan, the Shingon practitioners form such mudras inside their sleeves because they are afraid the light emitted by the mudras (at the time of release) can hurt other people. Whether they are forming the mudra or not is hard to tell as their hands are hidden from view. In any case, True Buddha students do not need to worry. Since we previously performed the Armor Protection, we may form the mudra later as we walk out of this venue. [audience applause]
When the chanting of this Ucchusma Great Sovereign Divine King Mantra is repeated one hundred thousand times, while the mudra is maintained, Ucchusma will manifest to help you bring your wishes to fulfillment. When four hundred thousand recitations are reached, the practitioner may also help other people by, for example, healing their sicknesses.
This is how I feel about mantra recitation: during the chanting, the practitioner must rest in a state wherein mind, speech, and hearing are all unified. It is best if one does the chanting in front of the shrine.
In general, regardless of the type of practice, it is essential to set up a shrine. The Ucchusma Practice is unique in that its shrine setup is very simple. One only needs to enshrine an Ucchusma vajra scepter (a symbol for Ucchusma) in some rice, and that will do.
It is fine if one wants to set up a special altar for Ucchusma. However, the simple setup of placing an Ucchusma vajra scepter in a heap of rice will suffice. Incense and flowers may be used as offerings. One should practice the mantra recitation first, and do the Ucchusma practice later.
Ucchusma the Diamond Protector told Shakyamuni Buddha that, ''If one is often harassed by wicked ghosts and spirits, the chanting of this mantra can put a stop to it.'' There is proof for this. There was a monk from Fuzhou who wrote a book called Ucchusma the Diamond Protector. In the book, the monk says that when one forms the Ucchusma Diamond Mudra and chants the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra seven times, the wicked ghosts surrounding one will not be able to harm one. For example, if among our students, some of you have spirits attached to you, or if your houses are frequently intruded upon by unclean spirits, this practice may help. As long as you form the mudra and chant seven times the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra, all these harmful ghosts will either turn into bloody water or their heads will split up, and they will become extinct.
Shakyamuni Buddha also said this, ''If a good man or good woman wants to treat illnesses in others, he or she should first chant this divine mantra four hundred thousand times. After accomplishing this, he or she will be able to treat others' illness, clean or unclean. Upon beckoning, Ucchusma will come to fulfill all wishes.'' Ucchusma is quite formidable in healing illnesses.
After all this talking, why have I shown you just the mudra and not yet told you the mantra? This is because the mantra as taught in the past is very long. Today I am going to transmit to you a very short mantra! [audience applause]
It will take you no time to finish one hundred thousand times. [audience applause] Very few people know this mantra. The asking price won't be very high, five hundred dollars will do! [audience laughter] Other people charge five hundred dollars to teach the long version. I will sell you this short version which will enable you to finish one hundred thousand recitations in a very short time.
Pay attention to this mantra: ''Om, Ju-lu, Du-lan, Hum, Re.'' It is just this simple.
The original Ucchusma Diamond Mantra is very long and also very difficult to chant. Today you have gained a way to the heart of Ucchusma, who has great powers. The monk from Fujian Province said that by just holding the Ucchusma Diamond Mudra and chanting the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra, he was able to live very peacefully during the twenty years of his ordained life. During all those years he did not encounter anything unpleasant to cause him any worries. In other words, nothing of any disturbing or violent nature happened to him at all.
Give this some consideration. If you are ill, quickly generate the vow to chant the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra, form the Ucchusma Diamond Mudra, make offerings to Ucchusma, the Ucchusma vajra scepter and his image.
How does one visualize Ucchusma? First visualize Shakyamuni Buddha and then, from his crown, visualize the manifestation of Ucchusma. Ucchusma has three faces and eight arms, each holding an implement. If you do not have a picture of Ucchusma, go to a True Buddha Lei Tsang temple or local chapter to obtain a picture.
The True Buddha School has two very special Dharma Protectors. One is Achala and the other one is Ucchusma. [audience applause]
There is a great secret behind this. Ucchusma has appeared in my dreams. There was also one time when I saw Ucchusma during my meditation. Ucchusma has told me that he will support and protect all of the students in our True Buddha School. [audience applause]
If you are a practicing student of the True Buddha School, then there is a very strong affinity between you and Ucchusma. You will definitely achieve success when you do the Ucchusma Practice. [audience applause]
Whenever I travel, no matter how far or which direction I go, there are always attendants following me. You might think, ''Of course there are attendants following the Grand Master, such as Master Lian Hsiang, Master Lian Ning, Master Lian Lian, and some of the monks such as Rev. Hsuan Jen, Rev. Lian Ke, and Rev. Lian Jing. And then there are the nuns such as Rev. Pi Yan, Rev. Pi Chen, Rev. Lian Chi, and Rev. Lily. They have all attended to the Grand Master.''
Let me tell you, apart from the visible attendants, there are also invisible attendants from the realm of devas and spirits. When you become adept at practicing the Ucchusma Diamond Practice, you can send these invisible attendants on errands. These are described very clearly in the scripture.
When you can draw the invisible attendants to you, you will become very formidable. If you want something done, you only need to dispatch your attendants and it will be taken care of.
In my case, wherever I go, there are always attendants around me. It is a power generated when one succeeds in the practice, and it gives one a kind of invisible support and protection.
When a student comes to ask me for blessing, I only put my hand on his head momentarily before moving on to the next person. The student probably thinks to himself, ''The Grand Master only touched my head for an instant; how long will this blessing last? I have all these problems in my heart, throat, head, and kidneys. He only patted my head for a moment, and the red envelope was immediately gone. [audience laughter] He didn't even recognize me or know who I am. How could he do that? Why didn't he leave his hand on my head a little longer? Why didn't he press my head down a little harder, to give me more blessings?''
Let me tell you, such tasks are to be carried out by the invisible attendants. When I lightly rest my hand on your head, I am visualizing the area where you have illness. When the visualization is finished, I remove my hand, and the attendant by my side will take over the order.
He will enter into your body and help you cure your illness. This is done very rapidly in a moment's time and your body is swept clean. Take Ucchusma, for example, he will immediately help to eradicate the harmful bacteria in your body.
We recently had this happening in our community in Seattle. It concerned an American student Lian Tsu [Demi Charlotte Hunt] whose husband is Lian Kuang. They used to live in New York before moving to Seattle. When Lian Tsu went for a routine physical check-up, it was discovered that she had a tumor, the size of a lemon, in her body. The doctors told her that they needed to operate on her right away. So she came to see me.
I had just finished a videotaping session and was about to go upstairs when I saw her kneeling there. I patted her head and asked her what was the matter? She told me that she had to have surgery right away and would like me to bless her. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she had cancer. I put my hand on her head and blessed her and then went upstairs. When she went into the hospital, a pre-operative examination showed that the lemon-sized tumor was gone. [audience applause]
She has also given a testimony of this incident in the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in Redmond. She was so moved by the experience that she cried while relating it. Truthfully, such a large-sized tumor was frightening to her. To be honest, if I were to discover a hard lump during my bath, I would also start crying!
How can one be not afraid! That is why I also examine myself during showers. I have heard that the earlier the cancer is discovered and treated, the higher the chance of cure. Therefore, if it gets to the size of a lemon, it is terrible! So, the sudden discovery of tumor in one's body is a terrifying thing.
What happens during my healing of someone is that, when I touch that person's head, an invisible attendant will immediately lend his help. If one is able to summon Ucchusma the Diamond Protector, he will immediately remove all the unclean things in one's body and the person will be cured. This is absolutely true. [audience applause]
There is a major secret ritual involved in this! To summon ghosts and spirits to come to one, the cultivator forms a mudra known as the Collective Summon Mudra. This is no ordinary mudra. The ring finger of each hand is bent towards the center of each palm while being pressed by each thumb. Bring palms up vertically with the small finger and middle finger of both hands touching each other. This is how it looks. [Grand Master demonstrates] A space is formed between the small and middle fingers. What kind of shape is this? It is kind of hard to describe. In any case, this is called the Collective Summon Mudra.
This is the ritual. Take ten seven-inch pieces of peach wood, and boil them in water. When the water is boiling, remove the peach wood and add three kinds of incense: burning incense, anointed incense, and an-hsi incense. This will make the water fragrant. If an-hsi incense is unavailable, substitute with chen-hsiang, mo-hsiang, and anointed incense. Then, holding the Collective Summon Mudra over the pot of water, chants 108 times the mantra, ''Om, Ju-lu, Du-lan, Hum, Re.'' Performing this ritual summons all the devas and spirits to come to one.
After the arrival of the devas and spirits, if one sees a protector in a dream or during meditation or samadhi, one may form an alliance with him. One should say this, ''Be my attendant and start following me now. When I reach Enlightenment, I will also help you reach Enlightenment.'' Thus, the protector will stay by one's side and learn the Buddhadharma from one. He will also help and support one's cultivation. In this alliance, he is one's attendant, but one also teaches him the practice of Buddhism. This is the origin of one's close attendants.
Surrounding me are many attendants. When I go shopping at Safeway, I invite all of the attendants to come along. I usually go to the supermarket late at night because that is when I have some free time. ''Come with me, I am giving a party. Take and eat anything you like. I am making an offering to you all.'' There are so many of them that it is impossible to count them. They have such a good time filling themselves that everything in the supermarket is eaten.
One time, it was late at night when I came out through the automatic doors of the 24 hour supermarket. As I walked to my car, I turned back and saw the door opening and closing repeatedly on its own. Master Lian Xiang also saw it. I said to her, ''Look, it seems like there are people going in and out of the market, but you do not see anyone at all!'' In fact, it was my attendants going in and out of the supermarket.
I also have talked about another incident. There was a student who greatly looked down on me, and his disrespect was quite evident when he came to see me. So, one time I asked my Dharma Protector, ''What is the matter with this student? Why is he so disrespectful of me?'' I was not thinking of punishing him, I just wondered why he was acting the way he was. If I asked him to come to hear a teaching, he would deliberately excuse himself with pretenses that he was busy in the bathroom, or that he had abdominal pain or headache, or that he had to look at something in the temple. It was very strange.
So one time I decided to bring the matter up with my Dharma Protector. However, the Dharma Protector hesitated for a moment, not responding right away. I knew he must have a reason. Finally, I asked him, ''What kind of background does this person have? Why is it that he treats me with such disrespect?'' In the end the Dharma Protector told me, ''This person was your son in your last life.'' Since he had been my son, I let the matter go. Why? Because my current son is also behaving about the same way towards me! [audience laughter]
Such comparisons may be made. When one's son or daughter is slighting one, what is there to say? After all, learning the Buddhadharma is to learn about patience and tolerance, isn't it?
When a practitioner finishes chanting the mantra 100,000 or 400,000 times, one is ready to do the practice. It is best to perform the practice on a full moon day. On such a day, Ucchusma will manifest and the vajra scepter enshrined will undergo transformation and change into many different shapes.
Practice according to the liturgies outlined in our True Buddha Tantric Dharma. One may perform the practice for various reasons. For example, if someone owes one money and refuses to pay, one may write the name of the debtor on a piece of paper. After transforming into Ucchusma, one steps on the name and calls out, ''Pay back the money, pay back the money!'' Remember, if possible, to be tolerant and make things easier for others.
If one is in love with a lady, one may write her name on a piece of paper and insert the paper into the mudra. When empowering one's wish this way, the lady will come to one or go away as one wishes. It is the same if a lady is in love with a man, she can write his name and put it inside the Ucchusma Mudra. Put the paper with the name of a man in the left hand and the name of a woman in the right hand. Then when one chants the Ucchusma Mantra, that person will be summoned to come.
Yet, a practitioner must be very cautious in doing such a practice. One needs to consider if such an act is fair, reasonable, and ethical before doing it. To seek payment of a debt, put the name under one's foot. Do not get the two mixed up, or one will have one's girlfriend get trampled.
For harmony and magnetization, the name goes to the hand. For subjugation, the name goes under one's foot. One can transform oneself into Ucchusma and then step on one's debtor or grab him with one's hand. Or one may place the debtor in Ucchusma's hand or under his foot.
One may put this practice to many other uses. One may perform it for healing, magnetization, purification, and enhancement. One can chant the mantra, summon one's boss and request a raise. One's boss will then give one a raise. But, a practitioner should analyze the situation from various angles and decide if the request is something reasonable. One also should ask if one's abilities and performance deserve a raise.
Ucchusma the Great Sovereign Divine King Buddha has great authority. As long as one chants his mantra, forms his mudra, does his practice, enshrines his image and vajra scepter, he will manifest himself.
Because it is a difficult mudra, learn it well before one leaves. You see, the Ucchusma Diamond Practice is very formidable. Right away it causes the six kinds of great tremors! I have experienced his great power.
When I was in India, I chanted the Ucchusma Diamond Mantra. Of the eighteen people in our group, I was the only one who did not get ill at all. [audience applause]
There are also some other secrets inherent to this practice, which I will go into after tomorrow's Fire Offering.
Well, time is up.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
!!Please be aware that before anyone can practice the above uncommon practice, it is advised and recommended that they take refuge and the respective empowerment; alternatively one must face inherent resulting cause and effect!!
