English
A Detailed Exposition of the Vimalakirti Sutra
by Grandmaster Lu, Living Buddha Lian Sheng of the True Buddha School
Translated into English by the True Buddha School Vimalakirti Translation Team
Discourse 31, 4 September 2022 - Chapter One—Buddhaverse (Continued)
Chapter One—Buddhaverse
Proficient in all profundities of the supreme dharma, they were the guiding teachers of an ocean of dharma treasures. They knew full well the coming and going of sentient beings—their motives, minds, and actions. They nearly equaled the wisdom of self-mastery,[1] the ten powers,[2] [the four] fearlessnesses, and the eighteen uncommon characteristics[3] of the unequalled[4] buddhas.
Let’s now talk about the Vimalakirti Sutra.
Proficient in all profundities of the supreme dharma, they were the guiding teachers of an ocean of dharma treasures.
Sakyamuni Buddha is the great guiding teacher of buddhadharma, and so is the Great Master Vimalakirti. Guiding teachers are above ordinary dharma teachers; they embody buddhadharma, which is likened to an ocean of dharma treasures.
Buddhadharma is vast and deep, just like the great ocean. A true guru who understands the very profound dharma, marvelously sublime dharma, and vast dharma is called a guiding teacher.
Masters in Tantrayana are classified into four levels:
the great light-holding vajra master (vidyadhara vajra acarya),
the great vajra master (maha vajra acarya),
vajra master (vajra acarya),
and master (acarya).
A master at the highest level—the great light-holding vajra master—is a guiding teacher of the ocean-vast buddhadharma. Why are they called the great light-holding vajra master? Because above and beyond their understanding of the vast and deep buddhadharma, they can also see light, merge with it, and maintain a clear light radiance on their body. They can uphold the light; thus, they are called the great light-holding vajra master.
In addition, a master at this highest level has real spiritual experiences and has proven their spiritual capabilities. They can deliver their disciples to the purelands and guide them to attain buddhahood. Only at this level is one called a guiding teacher.
A guiding teacher should also be well-read and well-versed in all Buddhist knowledge. Grandmaster, too, has read a great many sutras. It is important that a guiding teacher not only comprehends the buddhadharma but can also apply, experience, and affirm it. Only then is one a true guiding teacher of buddhadharma, a great guiding teacher, a great light-holding vajra master!
At the least, you need to know about general Buddhist knowledge, such as the Tiantai School founded by the patriarch Hui Wen, with its second patriarch Hui Si and its third patriarch Zhi Zhe. What does the Tiantai School emphasize? Threefold Contemplation in a Single Mind. It was Master Zhi Zhe who completed the philosophy of the Tiantai School.
Hui Si was one of Grandmaster’s past lives. He stated that his future rebirth would be in Japan when he was nearing death. So when he was later reincarnated as Prince Shotoku in Japan, the young prince knew that he was a monk in China in his past life.
You should also know about the Dharmalaksana School or the East Asian Yogacara School of Master Xuan Zang, who went to Nalanda University in India to learn Yogacara. Maitreya Bodhisattva transmitted Yogacara to the two brothers, Asanga and Vasubandu and they left an abundance of Yogacara sutras—over ten of them. So you must understand that the Dharmalaksana School is about Yogacara, while the Tiantai school is about the Threefold Contemplation in a Single Mind.
In your Buddhist studies, you must acquaint yourself with various sects, such as the Avatamsaka School. Why is it called the Avatamsaka School? Because it originated from the Avatamsaka Sutra, and it teaches said sutra. It was mentioned in the sutra that twenty-five bodhisattvas descended to have a dialogue with Sakyamuni Buddha during his contemplation under the bodhi tree. The Fifty-Three Profound Understandings of the Shancai Youth (Sudhanakumara) also comes from the Avatamsaka Sutra.
We all know about the Pureland School, which is based on three sutras: the Amitabha Sutra,[5] the Sutra of Infinite Life,[6] the Amitayus Meditation Sutra,[7] and the Treatise on Rebirth in the Pureland. This school focuses on reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name to seek a rebirth in Sukhavati—the Western Pureland of Utmost Bliss.
How about Zen Buddhism? When Sakyamuni Buddha held a flower and Mahakasyapa smiled, a transmission of the lineage began right then and there, and ever since, it was known as Zen Buddhism.
Furthermore, what is the Vinaya School? It is the school that focuses on precepts and is based on Vinaya Pitaka, including the Four-Division Vinaya and the South Mountain Vinaya.
There is also the Three Treatise School that originated from Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and his disciple, Aryadeva. This school was established based on the Three Treatises of Nagarjuna:
The Treatise of the Twelve Gates (Dvadasanikaya Sastra)
The Treatise on Madyamaka (Mulamadyamakakarika)
The Treatise in One Hundred Verses (Satasastra)
To be a great guiding teacher of buddhadharma, you must be a master in all these. You must be knowledgeable and be able to explain their profundity and key essence. There is a plethora of sutras; some are broad, some are deep, and some are sublime. For example, Yogacara is broad, while Madyamaka is deep.
In addition, you must also understand Tantric Buddhism: Tibetan Tantrayana, Tang Tantrayana from the Tang dynasty, Chinese Tantrayana, which is popular in the central plains of China, Eastern Tantrayana in Japan, and Tai Tantrayana which is the Tantrayana of the Tiantai School.
In addition to all such knowledge, a master also needs to understand the liturgy. An acarya—the first level of tantric master—must be familiar with the practice procedures (sadhanas) of all tantric practices: the mantras, mudras, and visualizations, and should be able to guide fellow disciples on these practices. They must have real knowledge, either broadly covering many practices or deeply in one or few practices. An acarya is also known as a sadhana teacher or a sadhana-upholding teacher.
Asking to be a master and getting an acarya empowerment from Grandmaster is easy. But do you really know the sadhanas? If you don’t know, how can you be a master? You cannot just pretend and get by with it. For example, take the Yamantaka mantra. You need to know it: Om ya-man-da-ka hum-pei, om chu-li ka-la-lu-pa hum-kan so-ha. How about the Mahamayuri mantra? Om mo-yi-li ge-la-di so-ha. You need to know a lot of mantras, mudras, visualizations, and understand all the sadhanas to qualify as an ordinary acarya.
Nonetheless, at this level, an acarya without unborn endurance has the possibility of regressing. Only after they reach the Immovable Ground and never regress are they called a vajra acarya, a level above acarya. As a vajra acarya, they are non-regressing and will never abandon their commitment. Vajra means non-regressing, so only when they have mastered unborn endurance and reached the Immovable Ground are they called a vajra master.
Conversely, a regular acarya may still violate their vows and abandon their commitment. A few True Buddha School masters have turned their backs on their vows, got married, and had children. They have regressed, but a true vajra master would never regress.
What is a maha vajra acarya? A great vajra master has reached above the level of Immovable Ground. And when one’s fruitions and attainments have been affirmed at the state of awaiting the perfect realization of buddhahood; when a bodhisattva is a buddha-in-waiting—very close to being a buddha—then one can be called a great light-holding vajra master or vidyadhara vajra acarya.
You must understand this principle: To be a tantric master, you must first have a wealth of buddhadharma knowledge and deeply penetrate some of the practices. An acarya needs to be a master of the practices. A vajra acarya is a non-regressing acarya who has gained fruition from their practice. And a maha vajra acarya reaches beyond the Immovable Ground, and at the highest level, a vidyadhara vajra acarya is a near-buddhahood great bodhisattva who upholds clear light radiance.
I remember there was a monk named Dao Xuan, a master of the Vinaya school, who once said, “Where there is a woman, there is hell.” It may not be appropriate for me to reiterate this, but the fact is, there have been masters who could not resist the temptation of a woman and even bore children. But true vajra masters, great vajra masters, and great light-holding vajra masters have transcended this. If one is a qualified vajra master, great vajra master, or great light-holding vajra master, they will bear sariras instead of children.
As a tantric master, you must comprehend all the sadhanas—mantras, mudras, visualizations, pith-instructions, and how to practice them. Even then, you are only a sadhana teacher/master, and that is an ordinary acarya.
You will only be called a guiding teacher when you have accumulated an ocean of dharma treasures and can guide your disciples to attain fruition. If you comprehend all the treasures of tantric practices—mantras, mudras, visualizations of both the development and perfection stages, then you are a tantric guiding teacher or an acarya—a tantric master who can accept disciples.
Otherwise, you are not qualified to be an acarya. If all you care about is a title, “I want to become a master, I want to become a master, I want to become a master,” but you have not accumulated an ocean of dharma treasures, then you are not a guiding teacher. You are not a real acarya; you are a fake one! Even if you become a master, you will still be undermined by people.
I have stated it very clearly: If you want to become an acarya, you must first master an ocean of dharma treasures and understand all spiritual practices. Or, focus and penetrate deeply into one practice, attain fruition, and never regress. What use is it to be a master if you are still tempted by women, money, and fame? People will laugh at you! You are a fake acarya!
This is the real meaning of this phrase: A guiding teacher of an ocean of dharma treasures is a true vajra master whose attainments have been proven.
Grandmaster has explained this very clearly, and this explanation is atypical compared to others.
Om mani padme hum.
[1] Isvara 自在in Buddhism refers to the transcendence of birth and dealth and the liberation from afflictions and transmigration. In various context, it has also been translated as “self-mastery,” “unhindered,” “no hindrance,” “at ease” and similar phrases. 自在 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 (wikipedia.org) In Hinduism, Isvara or Ishvara also refers to Mahesvara, or the lord, king, supreme self, and more.
[2] daśa-balāni refers to the ten powers of wisdom uniquely belonging to the buddhas.
[3] aṣṭādaś-āveṇika-buddha-dharma refers to the eighteen uncommon merits/characteristics unique to a buddha.
[4] “Equal to the Unequalled One” is used to translate Asamasama 舞等等. It is another epithet for a buddha and is sometimes used to refer to the Buddhist path. It means a buddha is unequalled, and can only be known and understood by another buddha.
[5] The Amitabha Sutra 阿彌陀經 is The Shorter Sukhavativyuha Sutra.
[6] The Sutra of Infinite Life 無量壽經is The Sukhavativyuha Sutra, also referred to as The Greater Amitabha Sutra 大阿彌陀經.
[7] The Amitayus Meditation Sutra 觀無量壽經 is The Amitayurdhyana Sutra.
Next discourse on the Vimalakirti Sutra: Discourse 32, 10 September 2022 - Chapter One—Buddhaverse (Continued)
Previous discourse on the Vimalakirti Sutra: Discourse 30, 3 September 2022 - Chapter One—Buddhaverse (Continued)
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