< H.H. Dharma King Lian-sheng Dharma Discourse on Debut Transmission of Golden-faced Golden Mother Lineage Practice at Golden Mother and Two Holy Mothers Water Offering Ceremony Held at Emperor Temple on March 4, 2018>

Today's ceremony features the Golden-faced Golden Mother Grand Water Offering along with a fortune god invitation ceremony. Grandmaster wishes everyone an increase in meritorious rewards. On your way home, I hope that the fortune god will return to your home with you. In the year of the Dog, may everyone enjoy tremendous prosperity together - ''旺丶旺丶旺'' [wang, wang, wang]. Furthermore, we also hope that Taiwan will enjoy an economic boom and prosperity.

Firstly, allow me to discourse on Jade Pond Golden Mother. As Jade Pond Golden Mother opened my deva eye at the Jade Emperor Temple, on that very evening, she took me on a visit to all the realms beyond this world. On this trip, Golden Mother showed me my former life. What came into view was bright, glittery light that was filled with auspicious energy. It was Padmakumara, but without form. Jade Pond Golden Mother then told me, ''You were Padmakumara in your past life.''

In fact, on a separate occasion, Golden Mother took me to the celestial palace of the Jade Pond. While seated on a dharma throne, she told me, ''The Golden-faced Golden Mother is the primary form of Golden Mother.'' At that moment, I stood in front of Golden-faced Golden Mother and was presented with a plate. On the plate were three pills; a black pill, a red pill and a white pill. Golden Mother then said to me, ''Choose one'' to which I replied, ''I would love to have all three of them.'' She refused my request and insisted that I could only take one.

The black pill seemed dull and unattractive, while the white pill looked bland and pale. The red pill appeared more festive so that's the one I chose. Golden Mother said, ''Very well, in the future, your mission will be the universal deliverance of sentient beings.'' I asked Golden Mother, ''What about the black pill?'' Golden Mother replied, ''The black pill represents deliverance of beings in the netherworld whereas the red pill represents deliverance of sentient beings both in the netherworld and the human world, in a universal sense.'' I then asked Golden Mother, ''What about the white pill?'' Golden Mother replied, ''With the white pill, one will be required to go into spiritual retreat in the mountains. One will practice diligently and gain spiritual attainments based on one's efforts.''

I think I have made the right decision to have picked the red pill. When Jade Pond Golden Mother touched my brow point with her finger to open my deva eye, my whole body felt numb and my deva eye was opened instantaneously. Jade Pond Golden Mother is my greatest guru and teacher. I couldn't feel myself when she touched my brow point. Right after that, I could perform meditation including the Seven-featured Vairocana Posture and the Nine-point meditation Posture. From that point on, I could see Amitabha Buddha, Jade Pond Golden Mother, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Jade Emperor etc. In particular, the celestial palace of Jade Pond is a celestial realm that no words can describe.

There's no doubt I have learned the Nine-point Meditation Posture. Does everyone know what the Seven-featured Vairocana Posture is? I bet you do! In meditation, five points of the body are required to face upwards (five points facing heaven). Firstly, one's crown needs to face upwards. Then, one either forms the Amitabha Meditation Mudra with palms facing up, or one may also rest one's hands on one's knees. Next, with both legs crossed and soles facing up, one sits in a full lotus position. Together, this posture is known as the five points facing heaven posture; the soles, the hands and the crown all face the sky. One also needs to straighten the spine with one's eyes in 45 degrees looking at the ground in front. Press the Adam's apple by tucking the chin. Press the tongue against the upper palate. Focus the gaze and the mind on the brow point. One then constricts the rectum. This is how to begin meditation.

Jade Pond Golden Mother mentioned to me to teach everyone some concepts of yoga. What is yoga? It means spiritual union. This is very important. The concept of spiritual union refers to the unification between heaven and mankind. When one unifies with heaven, this is spiritual union and is precisely what yoga means.

Someone asked, ''What is the greatest thing in the world?'' to which Sakyamuni replied, ''The one who is in unification with Dao is the greatest.'' One is the greatest if one is in unification with Dao. Moreover, this magnificence is vast and boundless. When one is in unification with Dao, one's spiritual power is infinite, boundless and limitless.

Vajrayana emphasizes spiritual union, which is known as yoga. Having said that, what I am going to talk about today will be slightly different from my usual dharma discourse on this topic. The first and most important point about yoga is to have no concept of ''self.'' In other words, one has to maintain the concept of ''no-self.''

Firstly, inhale and contemplate the concept that the one who is taking in the breath is not the self. In actual fact, this is known as ''selflessness.'' As one exhales, one must also bear in mind the concept that it is not self that is exhaling. This method of exhaling without thinking about oneself leads to a quiescent mind. One need to have no concept of ''self'' as one inhales and one maintains a quiescent mind as one exhales. This is the first key point to cultivate meditation. To attain spiritual union with one's personal deity, one has to maintain a no-self concept in addition to a quiescent mind.

The second point about yoga is that as one inhales, one visualises one's heart chakra opening with a seed syllable ''ah'' within it. Then as one exhale, visualize ''ah'' exiting through the nostrils while chanting ''ah'' either with sound or without, making one's entire body vibrates. Note that ''ah'' is depicted as a Sanskrit character. The mantra, ''om'' means the whole universe (the ultimate); ''ah'' means one's personal deity; ''hum'' means all sentient beings. One needs to exhale ''ah'' seven times and release it to the void. Why is this so? This is because by doing so, one is invoking one's personal deity to unify with oneself. Therefore, one needs to repeat the exhaling of ''ah'' seven times.

The final point about yoga actually does not require the practitioner to do anything in particular. One however needs to be in a tranquil state of mind and sit in the Seven-featured Vairocana Posture and Nine-point Meditation Posture, raise the head slightly and focus on the brow point. This is single-minded yoga. The final point is also important. When one has learned all the three points, one accomplishes yoga.

Next I will teach you the Nine Cycle Breathing Exercise. I'm sure you are all familiar with that. I will also teach you the Vajra Recitation, and finally the Vase Breathing Exercise. As one practices meditation according to my teachings, one will firstly attain non-self, and be in a state of no-mind that is free of distracted thoughts. The universal dharma flow, the supreme consciousness, and one's personal deity will naturally enter one's body. One's mind is purified when one is free of distracted thoughts. One's speech is purified when one focuses on the recitation of the mantra of one's personal deity. Also, one's body is purified when one forms the mudra. With completely purified body, speech and mind, one attains a meditative state of non-self and quiescent mind. One is then able to unify with one's personal deity. This yoga practice is what Jade Pond Golden Mother wishes to teach everyone today.

The True Buddha Sutra says, ''The key to realizing the Buddha Jewel Sambodhi is a quiescent mind.'' Why is this so? This is because when one is in a meditative state of quiescent mind, one will naturally be self-less. When one is free of distracted thoughts, how can one think of anything? Not to mention oneself? One's mind will be free of self, sentient beings, the mountains, rivers, and seas. When one's mind is completely free of everything, one will be in unification with one's personal deity. Human will merge with heaven. At this moment, one will be in unification with the supreme of the universe.

This constitutes true and authentic dharma cultivation. In the past, I have advised everyone that one should look for a quiet and peaceful place if one wishes to do cultivation. On a daily basis, monks and nuns can cultivate four practices, spending around 20 minutes on each practice. One will gradually attain spiritual union with one's personal deity. On the other hand, laymen or monastic practitioners with mundane duties can cultivate two practices daily. If that is still not possible, the least one could do to not let oneself down is to cultivate one practice a day. Those of you who are not involved in daily mundane duties should do four practices while those with mundane duties should do two. So the minimum one should do is one practice a day in order to not let oneself down. Also, how can one be considered practicing cultivation if one does not practice meditation? One is simply cultivating money.

Today's ceremony is held to welcome the fortune god. This is none other than cultivating monetary gains. Let me share this with you! One of my masters, Reverend Liaoming once instructed me, ''In the future when you are propagating the dharma, you must not ask others for money nor should you specify the amount of donation. Allow people to make donations in any amount as they wish. This was my master's advice. One will therefore never come across an occasion where Grandmaster asks for money.

As Taiwanese, we are quite sentimental in nature. Let me emphasize that the cultivation just taught by Jade Pond Golden Mother is of utmost importance. Having said that, we still have to take into account worldly interests and needs of people. We need to make the people in Taiwan financially sound and secured, and provide Taiwan with sound conditions for an economic boom. Wealth should be shared and everyone should be financially secure.

To practitioners including Vajrayana practitioners, dharma cultivation is transcendental by nature. Nevertheless, Kuomintang Party Chairman, Wu Denyih once said, ''One needs to attend to buddhas as well as one's 'badu' (Taiwanese: meaning stomach).'' This is actually very true. Today's ceremony features a fortune god invitation ceremony and the Golden-faced Golden Mother ceremony. Golden-faced Golden Mother is the first of all Golden Mothers. She will bless disciples with the ability to ''attend to buddhas as well as one's 'badu.'''

Everyone is familiar will the mudra of Jade Pond Golden Mother. Form her mudra to purify one's body and recite her mantra to purity one's speech, ''Om, jin-mu, su-da-li, she-na, shi-dhi, hum.'' One may visualize Jade Pond Golden Mother as having a golden face, wearing a phoenix crown, and holding a celestial dust-whisk in her right while her left hand holds a celestial peach or Ruyi. Today I would like to bless the celestial peaches and share the peaches with everyone. I hope that by eating them, people will be blessed by Jade Pond Golden Mother and enjoy fulfilled wishes, peace and prosperity. I hope everyone will receive whatever they ask for. Everyone please remember this: When one merges with the supreme consciousness, when there is unification of heaven and oneself, one becomes supreme. One is then a buddha, a bodhisattva, a dharma protector, a daka, a dakini or a heavenly being. May we all attain accomplishments in our spiritual cultivation together. Om mani padme hum.

Translated by True Buddha Translation Team (This translation only includes content pertaining to Golden-faced Golden Mother Practice)
Translator: Lynn Ang
Editors: David Harris and DJ Chang