October 26, 2019, Seattle LSTT, Amitabha Buddha Group Cultivation
[TBS News]

Lamdre Exposition by Dharma King Lian-sheng
Summary of Dharma Talk

On October 26, 2019, the Group Cultivation was that of Amitabha. Although the weather was cold, many disciples from all over the world came to attend the cultivation session.

Before the start of the session, the 35th Graduation Ceremony of the Sangha Studies Class took place. The graduates in attendance were: Venerables Lian Shei, Lian Li, Lian Wu, Lian Liang, Lian Tian, Lian Qing, Lian He, Lian Yuan, and Lian Wei. A total of nine venerables were awarded the Certificate of Completion by Grandmaster. They also took a group photo with Grandmaster. Congratulations to the graduates of the Sangha Studies Class. We hope they will propagate the Dharma as taught by Grandmaster, so as to benefit themselves and others.

Inthe dharma talk, Grandmaster shared with everyone about a recent miraculous event that took place involving an Indonesian dharma sister. The disciple had discovered a tumor on her neck below her ear and had consulted a doctor. It was found to be a one-centimeter sized tumor requiring surgery. She was worried as her family has a history of lymphatic cancer. Hence, she came to Seattle to seek the Dharma King’s help.

On October 20, she made it to the Kalachakra homa ceremony in time. After lunch before the ceremony, the Dharma King blessed her on the crown. She could feel a stream of warm current flowing through her body, and when she touched the tumor later, she was astonished to find that it had disappeared. She even asked the accompanying dharma-lecturer to have a look and he verified that the tumor had miraculously disappeared.

Grandmaster explained this is the result of the spiritual union of the Dharma King with the yidam, and Golden Mother’s powers in blessing the disciple. In the spiritual union by a cultivator with the yidam, the merger of the two effected the manifestation of the powers of the yidam [to perform miracles]. The ability of the receiving party to benefit from the miraculous curing effect depends on affinity or karma. The dharma sister has chanted sutras and cultivated for three hours daily; she had chanted sutras such as High King Avalokitesavara Sutra, True Buddha Sutra, Ksitigarbha Sutra for tens of thousands of times. In fact, many people have benefited from the blessing and curing powers during the spiritual reunion of Grandmaster with his yidam. Vajrayana is very special. Using the powers of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas via spiritual union with the cultivator, the cultivator can cure illnesses, achieve brilliance and succor sentient beings.

Next, Grandmaster continued with the exposition of Lamdre. Grandmaster explained that there are different divisions of emptiness, namely: emptiness, big emptiness, true emptiness, and empty emptiness. There are also different divisions of existence [form]. There are also different kinds of manifestations of thoughts; this means there are different manifestations of existence as well. In the “Dual Execution of Existence and Emptiness,” the thoughts that appear and emptiness stand in opposing sides to one another. Sometimes, you have thoughts, sometimes you have emptiness. This is called, “Dual Execution of Existence and Emptiness.” There is “non-separation and non-reunion” in “Dual Execution of Existence and Emptiness,” hence there is no transgression. There is no separation from thoughts [existence] nor is there separation from emptiness.

People asked, if there is existence, surely you will have separation from emptiness (that is, if you are totally existential, then you would be not in emptiness)? If you have emptiness, surely you would transgress upon existentialism? The answer no, there is no transgression.

The Dharma King explained further. When one is in meditation, one starts with a singular affinity: one faces the mirror, or look at or visualize a vajra scepter. Hence, the causation (affinity) and effect (appearance or existence). When the brain is full of the scepter (existence), visualize the vajra scepter disappearing. Emptiness results. So, now you have vajra scepter (existence) and emptiness – is there existence or emptiness? Lamdre says there is no contradiction or transgression. In meditation, the mind must first visualize something, for example, focus on the vajra scepter. When the vajra scepter suddenly disappears, then you would enter emptiness. Sometimes both instances appear again. Is this transgression? There is emptiness, there is vajra scepter. The Lamdre states that this is neither contradiction nor transgression. This is the process of learning meditation.

In the past, the Dharma King would [practice meditation] by lighting up a joss stick. The whole room would be in total darkness save for the red dot of the lighted joss. He would visualize this red dot expanding to encompass the whole room with red light. Suddenly, the red light would disappear, and emptiness would ensue. This is a process.

When Grandmaster talked about using the vajra scepter as a singular affinity, the clarity [of the object] means there is no separation or reunion. So, if you focus on the vajra scepter, all the unbridled thoughts become empty. This is because one now only has the vajra scepter in one’s mind. One therefore doesn’t leave emptiness nor leave existence.

Grandmaster told everyone of the method of deep meditation. When one is focused on that little red dot in the joss just like Grandmaster has done before, one empties oneself of other thoughts. This is the state of emptiness. One also never leaves emptiness. One never leaves the red dot too. The red dot (existence) and the emptiness have merged into one, because the mind is focused on the red dot. All the thoughts cannot come in, hence emptiness. There is existentialism as well. Therefore, we call this the “Dual Execution of Existence and Emptiness.”

In Grandmaster’s jokes, one can understand the dharma within. Today, the talk was about existence and emptiness. Once one has something in mind, one then can eradicate all other bad thoughts from oneself. And because all these thoughts are removed, one is empty of them. The mind is focused on one thing, and all misleading thoughts have disappeared. One would have experienced emptiness and entered emptiness.

After the ceremony, Grandmaster bestowed the refuge-taking initiation on the new disciples. He also blessed the compassionate water and performed the consecration ritual on the Buddha statues and images. Before leaving the temple, Grandmaster touched the crown of every disciple, blessing each person to fulfil his or her wishes.

Grandmaster has a complete perfect understanding of Tantric Dharma, and hence he is able to give a precise exposition of the Lamdre and its essence. Even though the text may be difficult to comprehend, Grandmaster is able to teach disciples in an easy-to-understand manner. With respect, we pay homage to our Lineage Root Guru.

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