August 22, 2026 Highlights of Cundi Buddha Mother Principal Deity Group Practice
By TBSN
Dharma Teaching by HH Living Buddha Liansheng
Throughout the entire six‑realm cycle of rebirth, everything is actually operating within cause and effect. The Shurangama Sutra states that there must be a supramundane cause in order to attain a supramundane fruition. If all causes are worldly, it is impossible to attain supramundane fruition. Only a supramundane cause can lead to a supramundane fruition.
Doing good deeds is certainly beneficial and creates causes for rebirth in the heavenly realms, but this is not yet a supramundane cause. Doing good deeds without keeping what one has done in mind is a supramundane cause. One should do good without attachment to doing good; this is a supramundane cause. Acting with attachment is a worldly cause. This is the difference.
His Holiness said that he advocates four qualities: compassion, equality, tolerance, and purity. One should still do what needs to be done, but without keeping everything one has done in mind. This is acting without attachment. However, attaining such a state is not easy because people naturally have discriminating minds. What people perceive through their eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind differs, and discrimination naturally arises.
It is only natural to treat one’s family members better and strangers less favorably. People tend to want to approach those who are attractive but not those who are unattractive. This is why cultivating an impartial mind is difficult. There is much for practitioners to learn, and developing a broad and magnanimous mind is also not easy. Cultivation requires long-term refinement, and whether one can properly respond to these challenges depends on one’s own wisdom.
Having compassion for all sentient beings is easy, but treating everyone equally is not.
Q&A
Question from Disciple Lianyue (Hong Kong)
During the Vairocana Buddha Homa Ceremony at Rainbow Temple in the United States on July 24, 2016, the disciple heard Grandmaster teach that Vairocana Buddha’s Vajradhatu Mantra could be recited as “Om, bie-zha-da-du, fan” or “Om, bie-zha-da-du, han,” and that both versions were the same. However, the latter version, “Om, bie-zha-da-du, han,” was removed from the written record.
Being ignorant, the disciple became puzzled because the mantra of Acala, an emanation body of Vairocana Buddha, contains the syllable “han,” which is also his seed syllable. The disciple respectfully asks Grandmaster: Can Vairocana Buddha’s Vajradhatu Mantra be recited as “Om, bie-zha-da-du, han,” with “han” as the seed syllable for cultivation?
The disciple heard Grandmaster teach at the Fa’chuang Cultivation Association in California on August 1, 2009, that the mantra of Acala is “Na-mo san-man-duo, mu-tuo-nan, wa-ri-la, lan, han,” and that “mu-tuo-nan” represents praise, so reciting it with or without this phrase is acceptable.
The disciple respectfully asks Grandmaster: If the disciple recites only “Na-mo san-man-duo, wa-ri-la, lan, han,” can it still be practiced correctly according to the Dharma?
The disciple read the “Constant Bliss Self Stillness” Mahamudra practice taught by Grandmaster in Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra, Book 51. A mirror is placed in the center of the altar. Through inhalation, one visualizes gathering sunlight, moonlight, starlight, firelight, candlelight, electric light, and all other forms of light into the heart, then exhales the light into the mirror. The mantra for breathing in and out the light is the Vairocana Mantra. Ultimately, one attains the manifestation of luminosity of the “true mind, true mirror” and enters the state of “Constant Bliss Self Stillness.”
Being dull-witted, the disciple has the following questions:
If one instead gathers the light into the three dantians or five chakras, would that be acceptable?
If one only inhales the light into the body without exhaling it into the mirror, can the practice still be performed according to the Dharma?
The disciple respectfully asks Grandmaster for compassionate guidance.
His Holiness’s Answers
His Holiness answered that “Om, bie-zha-da-du, fan” and “Om, bie-zha-da-du, han” are actually the same; the difference is merely in the written characters.
Regarding the second question, His Holiness explained that the pronunciation of the Acala Mantra in question is the pronunciation used in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Whether the three characters are omitted is not something one needs to be concerned about. Practitioners should simply recite it as taught by His Holiness. They should follow exactly how their Root Guru teaches them to recite the mantra.
Regarding the third question, this Mirror Gazing Yoga is a way of cultivating the unity of the principal deity, oneself, and one’s reflection in the mirror. One gathers all the light by inhaling it into one’s body and then exhales it toward one’s reflection in the mirror. When the reflection in the mirror radiates light, one also radiates light. One may also visualize one’s body transforming into light, which is more direct. The visualization in the Three-Stage Generation is the same. Ultimately, one visualizes oneself transforming into the principal deity. If practitioners have sufficient spiritual attainment, they may also transform themselves into the principal deity. However, this requires sufficient spiritual attainment. If their attainment is insufficient, they should honestly continue practicing the Three-Stage Generation.
His Holiness said that Maha White Padmakumara remains in the Western Pure Land even now, while Sheng-yen Lu in the Saha World is merely a representative. The physical body in the Saha World is fundamentally only a shell; there is no such thing as coming, going, or death. If there were no karmic causes and effects and no karma, one could return to one’s original place in the time it takes to snap one’s fingers. It is precisely because karma remains that one continues to undergo reincarnation.
His Holiness once again reminded everyone: Practitioners should strive to embody compassion, equality, tolerance, and purity. Purity of body, speech, and mind is what is meant by purity of the six faculties. Purification of the six faculties leads to the attainment of the bodhisattva fruition. Mudras, mantra recitation, and visualization correspond to the purification of body, speech, and mind.
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