English
On Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, 3:00pm, at Rainbow Temple, True Buddha School Dharma King Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu will preside over a Zhongyuan Festival Ksitigarbha Homa Ceremony, discourse Vimalakirti Sutra, and bestow empowerment for Ksitigarbha Principal Deity Practice. (Live Webcast Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLl20r-KQlapX_5fT-N3cOw )
【Ksitigarbha Mudra :】
Interlace all the fingers inward and straighten both middle fingers without touching them together. (Place the mudra in front of the chest)
【Ksitigarbha Seed Syllable :】
【Ksitigarbha Heart Mantra :】
「Om。ha-ha-ha。wei-sam-mo-yeh。so-ha。」
【Ksitigarbha Mantra to Remove Fixed Karma:】
「Om, pun-lah-moh, lin-toh-lin, so-ha. 」
【Ksitigarbha Dharmalaksana Brief Introduction】
Ksitigarbha wears a Five-Buddha crown and kasaya robes. His body is white and holds a bright precious pearl with both hands while sitting upon a lotus seat.【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma talk - Ksitigarbha Background and Key Cultivation Formula】
Ksitigarbha is one of Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu's principal deities. "Ksitigarbha" is his Sanskrit name. His Tantric name is "Compassionate Vajra" or "Wish-fulfilling Vajra". Ksitigarbha is one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas in Buddhism. He receives the same veneration as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra. Because his vow is extremely deep and profound, he is referred to as the Great Vow Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
In the Ksitigarbha Ten Wheel Scripture, Ksitigarbha manifested as a buddha, a bodhisattva, a Sravaka, Brahma, Mahesvara and even as Lord Yama. He appears wherever prayers are made. His position in the Vajrayana Garbhadhatu mandala is in the Ksitigarbha Court. In the Vajradhatu mandala he is the Vajra Banner Bodhisattva of South Ratnasambhava.
Ksitigarbha manifests many different appearances, but generally, Ksitigarbha wears a Five-buddha Crown and a cassock, and he holds a bright pearl with both hands while sitting on a lotus seat. He may also be holding a staff. By roadsides in Japan, one will see statues of Ksitigarbha in the form of a monk standing upright. On rural roadsides in Japan, this bodhisattva is widespread and popular. Ksitigarbha is also known as Earth Treasure Bodhisattva, Earth Holding Bodhisattva, Wonderful Banner Bodhisattva, and Boundless Heart Bodhisattva.
Ksitigarbha's other names are: "Vajra Vow Ksitigarbha, Vajra Treasure Ksitigarbha, Vajra Compassion Ksitigarbha, Vajra Banner Ksitigarbha, Radiant Light Ksitigarbha, Sky Holding Ksitigarbha, Protecting and Praise Ksitigarbha, Life Extending Ksitigarbha, Mani Ksitigarbha, Praise Dragon Ksitigarbha, Victorious Ksitigarbha, and Never Resting Ksitigarbha." Each hand holds a different dharma device.
In the Trayastrimsa Heaven, Shakyamuni Buddha entrusted the great compassionate bodhisattva Ksitigarbha with the mission of preaching the Dharma to sentient beings in the six realms.
The name "Earth Treasure" of Ksitigarbha is derived from:
Tranquil and immoveable as the great "earth"
Calmly contemplating the profound Tantras as the secret "treasure"
There are also six Ksitigarbhas:
- Vajra Vow Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a banner with skulls while the right hand forms the Nectar Mudra. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Hell Realm.
- Vajra Treasure Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a precious pearl while the right hand forms the Nectar Mudra. This deity's main focus is to save sentient beings in the Hungry Ghost Realm.
- Vajra Compassionate Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a staff while the right hand forms the Escort Mudra. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Animal Realm.
- Vajra Banner Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a Vajra Banner while the right hand forms the Mudra of Bestowing Fearlessly. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Asura Realm.
- Radiant Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a staff while the right hand forms the Mudra of Wish-fulfillment. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Human World.
- Sky Holding Ksitigarbha: His left hand holds a wish-granting pearl while the right hand forms the Dharma Discourse Mudra. His main focus is to save sentient beings in the Heaven Realm.
The most miraculous happening is when Ksitigarbha manifests as Lord Yama and salvages the most evil beings that are undergoing intense suffering in hell.The six envoys are:
- Yama Envoy (saving hell)
- Treasure Holding Lad (saving hungry ghost)
- Great Strength Envoy (saving animal)
- Great Compassionate Goddess (saving asura)
- Precious Treasure Goddess (saving human)
- Summoning Heaven Envoy (saving heaven)
When Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching the Dharma to his mother, Mahamaya, in the Trayastrimsa Heaven, he entrusted the six realms to Ksitigarbha. Ksitigarbha is one of the Eight Great Bodhisattvas. His vow is extremely profound, "Until hell is empty, I vow not to become a buddha."
Ksitigarbha is magnificent, especially his noble vow, which is the greatest amongst all bodhisattvas’. Shakyamuni Buddha once in the Trayastrimsa Heaven instructed Ksitigarbha to be the guiding teacher of heavens and humanity, as the protector of all sentient beings and the heavens, after Shakyamuni Buddha parted and entered the nirvana.
Ksitigarbha saves sentient beings by acting as a shepherd. As a shepherd he will guide all his sheep to the other shore before he himself becomes a buddha. He wants all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood before he does. This is the deepest compassionate mind. He is the bodhisattva with the greatest vow.
Why did Shakyamuni Buddha entrust the heavenly and human realms to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and not others? It is because among the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, only Ksitigarbha has the appearance of a "monk". Shakyamuni Buddha hoped that in the future, Buddhism would be administered by "monks" with "lay people" as their supporters.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu's vow is "Until hell is empty, I promise not to become a Buddha and I will smash my body and splinter my bones to save sentient beings". "Until hell is empty, I vow not to become a buddha" is Ksitigarbha's great vow. By this, you can see that Ksitigarbha's teaching is deeply rooted in Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu's mind. In cultivation, the key point of Ksitigarbha Personal Deity Practice is: "nondiscriminating mind."
Ksitigarbha is also Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu's "brother." Mount Jiuhua, one of the four major Bodhimandas of mainland China, is Ksitigarbha's Bodhimanda. This Bodhimanda was built by "Jin Qiaojue" and is an extremely spiritual Bodhimanda. "Jin Qiaojue" is the "Golden Padmakumara."
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu once asked Ksitigarbha, "What pure lands does Ksitigarbha have?"
Ksitigarbha replied, "This pure land is not known to worldly humans. In this world, the only one who knows the name of this pure land is Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu."
"What is the name of this pure land? Can it be the Jiuhua Pure Land?"
"No, the full name of this pure land is Ksitigarbha Cuiwei Southern Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."
Therefore, cultivators who practice "Ksitigarbha Personal Deity Yoga" have a buddha pure land for rebirth. This pure land is the "Ksitigarbha Cuiwei Southern Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."
Ksitigarbha originally had six envoys in attendance. Dali [Great Strength] Envoy, one of the six, has been commanded by Ksitigarbha to accompany Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu everywhere he goes and to follow his orders at all times. That is why the mark of Dali Envoy is on Grand Master Lu's right thumb.
Ksitigarbha Personal Deity Practice
!!Please be aware that before engaging in any True Buddha Vajrayana practices, one must first take refuge and receive the respective empowerment.!!
⓪Please check the True Buddha School website regularly for the latest news about Living Buddha Lian-sheng and "be with Buddha" always.
Welcome to download the user-friendly True Buddha Video App from Appstore or Google Play. With the app you can see more of Grandmaster's marvelous videos and live webcasts. It is the speediest vehicle to "keep you synchronized and be with the Buddha!"
Official True Buddha School Net (TBSN):
Home page: http://tbsn.org/
Indonesia Home Page: http://tbsn.org/indonesia/
Official Facebook Pages:
Chinese: https://www.facebook.com/syltbsn
English: https://www.facebook.com/syltbsnenglish
Indonesia: https://www.facebook.com/syltbsnindonesia
⓪Welcome fans (Vajra Dharma Protectors) of the Official English True Buddha Facebook site to invite their friends to join the Fan Club. Better yet, click "Like" and "Share". Let us together spread the name of Dharma King Living Buddha Lian-sheng to every corner of the world!!
