Drizzle has been continuous throughout metropolitan Seattle region these days which enchanced the twilight hues of wintery ambience. On the evening of November 21 of year 2009, a regular Saturday weekend group cultivation was being held at Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple in metropolitan region of Seattle, U.S.A. The evening group cultivation was led by Acharya Master Lian-Ning ( 蓮寧上師) featuring ``White Padmakumara Principal Deity Dharma`` practice. The venue was presided over by Grand Master, the Living Buddha Lian-Sheng who imparted blessings and a Dharma exposition. Afar have come numerous fellow devotees from Indonesia, Hong Kong, U.S.A.,Italy, Panama, Canada, as well as other areas of the world; they suffused themselves with the radiance of the Buddhas and became blissful of Dharma. Before the group cultivation commenced, the 25th Session of Dharma Instructor Training Program Completion Ceremony for a class of newly trained and ordained Dharma Instructors was held; this group of 4 newly trained Dharma Instructors were conferred upon with certificates of completion. The ceremony was simple yet solemn
Words of encouragement was addressed to the four True Buddha jewels of monks and nuns that they shall bear the brunt of redeeming sentient beings extensively in the course of propagating the True Buddha Tantric Dharmas.

On commencing the after-cultivation Dharma talk, Dharma Instructor Lian-Yo elaborated on the subject of ``how to practice and cultivate empirically? `` Since there is difference between theory and practice, only by actually implementing the Buddha-Dharmas in one`s daily activities, can one eradicate ``greed``, ``anger`` and ``delusion.`` She also shared her experience and restrospection of Vajrayana practice as pertained to True Buddha Tantric Dharmas.

Next, Acharya Master Lian-Ning reflected on the recent missionary trip to Kalachakra Buddha Temple in Farmersville, Texas. He expressed heartfelt gratitude towards the Kalachakra Buddha Temple staff as to the wholehearted commitment by the two main administrative units and the hard work inputed by the Dharma volunteers at the temple, and the Boddhi-Heart motivated (monetary) contributions to the ``Sheng-Yen Lu Charity Fund Foundation`` which enabled the Dharma Assembly to conclude auspiciously and satisfactorily. Following that, he talked about the predicted ``doomsday`` or ``apocalypse`` in the year of 2012. Even though this prediction instills fear and panic in most people`s minds, it nevertheless is regarded as a ploy to spur everybody on to practice True Buddha Tantric Dharmas more diligently such that the destructive nature of the elements can be eradicated, namely, earth, water, fire, wind, space or void. Since life is impermanent, it can render people helpless more so than the catastrophic changes the universe undergoes, namely, formation, sustainment, destruction and emptiness (成、住、壞、空).

Next, Grand Master continued on with his discourse on ``The Altar Sutra as Spoken by the Sixth Patriarch``: ``Should they failed to enlighten themselves, they should ask the pious and learned Buddhists who understand the teaching of the Highest School to show them the right way. It is an exhalted position, the office of a pious and learned Buddhists who guided others to realize the Essence of Mind. Through this assistance one may be initiated into all meritorious Dharmas. The wisdom of the past, the present and the future Buddhas as well as the teachings of the twelve sections of the Canon are immanent in our mind; but in case we failed to enlighten ourselves, we have to seek the guidance of the pious and learned ones.`` Grand Master pointed out: if you failed to enlighten yourself, then you have to seek a knowledgeable adept for help; through the guidance of the knowledgeable adept, you can enlighten the mind and discern the Essence of Mind. But if the ``adept`` was not an enlightened person, then a blind teacher would only further misguide a blind disciple. Grand Master also pointed out: there are a few important key points to enlightenment: First, the aspirer must seek an enlightened and knowledgeable teacher by whom he or she shall be guided. Second, there should be a karmic affinity in meeting with the enlightened teacher. If they don`t know each other, then it`s futile. Third, the enlightened teacher should induce the aspirer to acquire enlightenment in the course of training. Fourth, the aspirer must listen to Dharma discourses presented by the enlightened teacher so as to bring forth the wisdom within.

An enlightened and knowledgeable teacher appears in your life by karmic affinity (as versus random chance). An enlightened and knowledgeable teacher will reveal everything to you; he shall show you the right way; he shall help unfold your wisdom. All the contents of the Tripitaka and 12 sections of the Canon are available within the Buddha-Nature of the Self. If one wants to enlighten the mind and discern the Essence of Mind, then one must have an enlightened teacher as a guide.

Grand Master encouraged all the devotees to practice diligently and complete every minute activity on a daily basis. According to Master Sri Padmasambhava: one must set his goal noble and practice cultivation from bottom up. He even gave an example: practice and produce one calligraphic painting daily. Being unremitting and persevere on a daily basis. He also counseled all devotees and disciples to be possessed of a renunciatory attitude in order to transcend the Six Divisions in the Wheel of Karma; one must call forth the Boddhi Heart from within and adopt the mentality of a Boddhisattva; always benefit others before one`s self and practice the Insight of the Middle Path and maintain the Correct View(中觀正見). Proceed the correctitude from human existence; conduct oneself by right thought is to practice truthfully per se.

Upon ending of the Dharma discourses, the compassionate Grand Master blessed the Great Compassion Dharani water and sanctified the resident Buddha statues and effigies in the midst of solemn incantation of Buddha`s epithet. Grand Master also bless empowered the kneeling devotees along two sides of a human aisle by palming their heads. We sighed in awe of such an Enlightened and Attained Master whom we have chanced upon in this lifetime; this opportunity was indeed the most auspiciously fortunate pastime the (attending) sentient beings ever had.

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