Dharma Discourse at Hong Kong Xinfa Chapter

Master Chen Jueyuan and I arrived in Hong Kong in mid-July 1984. We were traveling on transit visas that required us to exit Hong Kong within 48 hours.

In Hong Kong, there were thousands of True Buddha School disciples and a Xinfa Chapter. Given the 48-hour transit period, the chairman of the chapter wasn’t able to do much, such as publicizing my arrival. Therefore, only the chairman and a few others close to him picked me up at the airport. The chairman specifically explained to me that it had been truly impossible for him to arrange a Dharma discourse or a ceremony within the 48 hours.  

I would like to extend my apologies to my Hong Kong disciples who had been anticipating my arrival. Unfortunately, due to my hectic schedule, I didn’t have time to secure a regular visa. As I only had a US permanent resident passport (white card) and had only been issued a Hong Kong transit visa, my stay in Hong Kong was limited to two days. After some time for sleeping, I only had a few hours remaining for disciples. Although my stay in Hong Kong was brief, two Chinese disciples flew in to see me. Their names were Mr. Chen Zhengxiong and Mr. Xu Qingjun.

I had a very important task to complete during my short stay in Hong Kong. I was planning on bestowing Vajra Acharya empowerment on a disciple, Master Liu Yirong, Chairman of Xinfa Chapter. Master Liu Yirong had an innate aptitude for the Dharma and strictly followed the precepts. He was conscientious, hardworking, and disciplined in Dharma cultivation. He was humble and had profound accomplishment in visualizing emptiness and merging, that is to say, he was able to merge and enter Samadhi. Since he had had the experience of merging, I specially transmitted a secret dharma to him that helped him attain personal validation of merging. Therefore, upon my arrival in Hong Kong with Master Chen Jueyuan, I bestowed Vajra Acharya empowerment on him at the chapter.

At Xinfa Chapter, I delivered this impromptu Dharma discourse: “Suffering is the undercurrent of human life. Fame, riches, social standing, and power are dreamlike and transitory. The crucial issues are birth and death. Impermanence indicates that death is rapidly approaching. As a Vajrayana practitioner, one must be diligent and cultivate step by step, taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, and then relying on the principle deity practice to develop inner meditation. Ultimately, one’s mind is liberated and one’s body is always at ease. One sees as a buddha sees. One has stability and is totally unperturbed. As one abides in tranquility with vigilant observation, everything becomes buddha-nature.

In Vajrayana Buddhism, it is essential to incorporate cultivation into one’s daily routine of eating, dressing, standing, walking, bathing, and sleeping. As one goes about one’s affairs, one must be mindful and practice. Even when sleeping, one must closely guard one's mind. When the time is ripe, one will attain great liberation. 

I discoursed to my disciples that the most effective practice is incorporating practice into daily routines such as eating, dressing, standing, sitting, bathing, and sleeping. 

Vajrayana has practices for bliss, wrath, wealth, power, subjugation, longevity, curing illnesses, and making offerings. These are worldly expedient practices for instilling faith and saving sentient beings. 

As a master, one knows that one’s body is the body of a buddha and one’s heart is the heart of a buddha. If insulted by worldly persons, one should understand that the phenomena of one insulting others comes from the worldly mind. One therefore should not be perturbed, but should pity and save the person. These individuals, slandering for the purpose of benefiting themselves, are actually digging themselves into misery, and end up in misery. One must see it as not seeing it, hear it as not hearing it, and save them instead.

Buddhist teachings are meant to benefit all sentient beings and are given in accordance with a person’s affinity for the Dharma. The Buddha’s image is presented to attract those of lesser capacity. The Buddha gives Sutrayana teachings and discourses on compassion, the Five Precepts, the Ten Virtuous Deeds and the Six Paramitas to those of medium capacity. To those of highest capacity, the Buddha teaches the supreme secret tantra. The Buddha manifests in wrathful Vajra form to subdue those who are vile and evil, while appearing in majestic bodhisattva form to those who are good and kind-hearted. The Buddha manifests all kinds of forms for the purpose of saving sentient beings.

Cultivating light drops and inner fire is crucial. The secret is to find the Dharma within one’s body. In meditation, we aim to develop light drops and inner fire. We specially cultivate red light drops which transform into inner fire, and ultimately, into light. As light exits through the practitioner’s crown, the child light merges with the mother light, and one enters the Ocean of Vairocana and samadhi. At this moment, one’s state is like a wheel representing perfect fruition.

In daily life, one should perceive one’s mind as buddha’s mind and one’s body as buddha’s body. In this way, buddha and oneself are non-dual. This is the secret to attaining Buddhahood.

At Xinfa Chapter in Hong Kong, I performed the Wish-fulfilling Youth [Pingala] Dharma to fulfill the wishes of all the disciples on-site. Every disciple made a wish, which I blessed and empowered to come true.

At this time, I looked up at the sky and saw five lotuses: a green lotus in the east, a golden lotus in the west, a red lotus in the south, a white lotus in the north, and a yellow lotus in the center. The lotuses were abiding in tranquility and shining brightly. They appeared like a rainbow emitting light of five colors. The sound of Sanskrit hymns resounded through the heavens.

A youth was sitting atop the center yellow lotus. Looking closely, I saw that it was Wish-fulfilling Youth, Goddess Hariti’s youngest son, who had vowed to help his mother protect and bestow wealth on sentient beings. It turned out I had invoked Wish-fulfilling Youth when 100,000 red flowers emerged from my heart as offerings to him in the celestial realm.

Wish-fulfilling Youth has a perfect appearance and sits majestically on a lotus seat. His hair styled in three buns, and various jeweled necklaces adorn his body. He holds an auspicious fruit in his left hand while his right palm is held downward forming the Wish-fulfilling Mudra. I was delighted to see him. 

I bowed to Wish-fulfilling Youth and bestowed empowerment on my disciples with the empowerment vase. With my right hand, I blessed everyone and granted their wishes. At this moment, Golden Mother of the Jade Pond appeared in the sky and emitted a powerful spiritual light. Auspicious blossoms rained from the sky and, one after another, sentient beings were illuminated with spiritual light.

At this moment, all the disciples were deeply moved, bursting into tears and weeping. These were tears of joy mixed with tears of sorrow, genuine emotions flowing from the heart. As Jade Pond Golden Mother descended, Xinfa Chapter was immersed in magnificent spiritual light. It was an auspicious meeting of humans and gods, humans and buddhas, and, last but not least, teacher and students. As a result, everyone was greatly moved and brought to tears.

I composed this verse as a remembrance:

100,000 crimson flowers as heartfelt offerings;

Wish-fulfilling Youth is open to bestow

Great auspicious blessings for the poor

Great shocking recovery from illness

Golden Mother descending in Xinfa Chapter;

Spiritual light transforms into amazing lotus radiance. 

Note: Hong Kong Xinfa Chapter has been renamed Hong Kong Temple (Buddhism H.K. Lui Tsang Szu Ltd.) 

Address: 31/F, New Treasure Centre, No. 10 Ng Fong Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Telephone: 23888987

Translated by TBTTs

Translator: Lynn Ang

Editor: Henry Wolf and DJ Chang