October 27, 2019, Rainbow Temple, Maha Cundi BodhisattvaHoma Ceremony
TBS News

Lamdre Exposition by Dharma King Lian-sheng

Summary of Dharma Talk

On October 27, 2019, at Seattle Rainbow Temple, our Root Guru Living Buddha-Lian-sheng presided over the Maha Cundi Bodhisattva homa ceremony. In the past, the Dharma King had established the affinity with Cundi Bodhisattva via his master, Vajra Acharya Pufang.

Vajra Acharya Pufang had built the Zongchi Temple (Dharani Temple) at New Taipei’s Shezidao to pay homage to Maha Cundi Bodhisattva. Vajra Acharya Pufang had also bestowed the dharma name, “Yuan Chi” (Perfection Pond) upon the Dharma King. The word, “Chi” (Pond) is coincidentally aligned to the background of the Dharma King, whose siddhi is the Maha Twin Lotus Pond. The Cundi Bodhisattva Dharma is one of Vajrayana’s supreme dharmas.

The Bodhisattva is known as Supreme Victorious (Zuisheng) Vajra and Subjugation (Xiangfu) Vajra. The dharma can be said to be most supreme, and it is nothing short of auspiciousness. The Dharma can subjugate all Heavenly Maras and the unorthodox evil-doers. The dharma is limitless in its powers, the merit of which can enable a cultivator to develop perfect brilliance.

The Dharma King told the audience that every night, he practices the spiritual union with his yidam before entering Samadhi. The experiences of body, speech and mind are all those of the yidam’s. There is no differentiation. There is the “dual execution of emptiness and existence” in which emptiness and non-emptiness are experienced. When one is spiritually united with the yidam, one has already become the yidam. One lives in a majestic palace. One consumes dharma joy as food and wears marvelous heavenly clothes; one’s body is also a non-destructible vajra. The mantra is dharma speech and the brilliance represents the mind. Wherever one thinks of going, one can arrive instantly. Thus, spiritual union involves great bliss, light, and emptiness. The yidam’s majesty, capabilities and powers are all manifested then.

Someone asked, “What is the merit of such spiritual union?” When one merges with the yidam, one can cure illness and benefit sentient beings; such is the merit.

The Dharma King illustrated the powers of Amitabha with an example of the UK’s recent case of Vietnamese illegal immigrants frozen to death in a cargo truck. Through the spiritual union with the Amitabha, the Dharma King succored the spirits of the dead. “I do not care if they are good or bad. As long as I hear about it [the case], view it and find that the situation needs my help, I will perform the bardo. When I unified with the Amitabha spiritually, I became the ‘Fetching Buddha’ -- I plucked the spirits up, so that they could go to the Pureland of the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. This is the merit of the spiritual union with Amitabha.”

Vajrayana teaches disciples not just to unite with the yidam spiritually, but also with the root guru as well. The Dharma King instructed everyone on Vajrayana’s three methods on pleasing one’s root guru. The techniques are:
1) Adhere to Samaya, and to diligently cultivate practices that root guru imparted;
2) Be pure in body, speech and mind. Provide benefits to sentient beings, and to give the greatest offerings to them. Offer these [acts] to the root guru;
3) Give one’s most favorite things to the root guru.

The Dharma King continued with the exposition of the Lamdre. In the text, the “dual execution of light [existence] and emptiness” is mentioned. The Dharma King explained in detail the essence of the concept. In meditation, the brilliance that emanates works together with emptiness; hence there is no transgression. Just like when one is in spiritual union with one’s yidam, the experience in meditation is not against emptiness.

“What are the hindrances that prevent one’s spiritual union with the yidam? It is samaric hindrances.” Our Buddha-nature is inherently pure and unchanging. However, “samsaric dirt” can cover one’s Buddha-nature. Desire can create hindrances to one’s Buddha-nature. The Dharma King told everyone, in learning Buddhism, one must be pure and uncomplicated. To purify oneself, one does not taint oneself by purposely causing new complications.

After the exposition, the Dharma King bestowed the congregation with Cundi Bodhisattva Dharma empowerment. The ceremony ended in auspiciousness and purity.

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