Secret teaching from Guru Padmasambava
about taking refuge asked by lady tsogyal
source : from the Book Dakini Teaching
There are eight trainings.
First there are the three special trainings :
1. Having taken refuge in the guru, you should not feel ill will toward him or even the intention to deride him.
2. Having taking refuge in the yidam, you should not interrupt the meditation of the yidam's form or its recitation.
3. Having taken refuge in the dakini, you should not break the periodical offering days.
The five general trainings are the following.
1.Consecrate as nectar,
the first part of whatever you eat or drink. Offer it visualizing the guru above your head. offer it visualizing the yidam in your heart center and the dakini in your navel center. You should train in partaking of food in this way.
2. In whichever direction you go, supplicate the guru, yidam, and dakini. Visualize the guru above your head, Visualize yourself as the yidam and visualize the dakini and the dharma protectors as your escorts. This training in walking.
3. Even the cost of your life or limb. You should train in regarding the guru to be as dear as your heart, the yidam as dear as your eyes, and the dakini as dear as your body.
4. No matter what happens, such as sickness, difficulty or ease, joy or sorrow, you should train in the supplicating the guru, making offering to the yidam. and giving feasts and torma to the dakini. Other than that, you should not pursue other means such as soothsaying and shamanistic rituals.
5. Recollecting the virtues of the guru, yidam and dakini, you should take refuge again and again, By taking refuge in the guru, obstacles are cleared away. By taking refuge in the yidam the body of mahamudra will be attained. By taking refuge in the dakini you will receive the siddhis.
Kamis, 03 Februari 2011
Minggu, 02 Januari 2011
The Protection Method and Boundary Method
Written by Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Translation Teams
When the Vajrayana practitioner engages in the cultivation of all ...Vajrayana practices, it is very important to practice the protection method the boundary method. If one does not set a boundary around one’s mandala shrine and perform Armor Protection, one is vulnerable to the attack of the Mara demon.
In the True Buddha School, we teach the practice of Armor Protection. During every practice session, the practitioner forms the Vajra Handclasp Mudra and chants the heart mantra of Vajrapani, and presses the mudra upon the forehead, followed by the throat, the heart, the left shoulder, and the right shoulder. This creates the Armor Protection.
The practitioner may also take threads of string weaved together by young children (or strings purified over fire). Recite the Vajra Mantra once and tie a knot. Complete twenty-one knots, and hang the string of knots around your neck or tie it around your arm. This can protect you from all evil spirits and demons. Thus, this is also a method of protection.
All protective strings and protective amulets have protection power. It is best to recite the mantra twenty-one times every two weeks and pray to the wrathful protectors to empower the strings and amulets. If you do this, they shall be effective.
When the practitioner sets a boundary in the mandala shrine, he may use a bottle of pure water or perfume, and offer it at the mandala shrine. He should recite the wrathful protector’s mantra one hundred and eight times or one thousand and eighty times. He should visualize the protector radiating lights to bless the pure water or perfume. He should take the perfume and sprinkle it in all ten directions around the shrine to set the boundary. Within the parameter of the sprinkled region, no evil spirits and demons would dare enter.
This boundary method is suitable for the mandala shrine, or for the house. You can even set a boundary around larger land areas with this method. But to achieve results you need to strengthen this boundary by practicing the method bi-monthly.
Some have used this protection method on the body of a patient, spraying the perfume onto the body and reciting the vajra protector’s mantra. The patient may react with a loud cry, and any illness due to the possession of evil spirits and demons shall be healed immediately.
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Translation Teams
When the Vajrayana practitioner engages in the cultivation of all ...Vajrayana practices, it is very important to practice the protection method the boundary method. If one does not set a boundary around one’s mandala shrine and perform Armor Protection, one is vulnerable to the attack of the Mara demon.
In the True Buddha School, we teach the practice of Armor Protection. During every practice session, the practitioner forms the Vajra Handclasp Mudra and chants the heart mantra of Vajrapani, and presses the mudra upon the forehead, followed by the throat, the heart, the left shoulder, and the right shoulder. This creates the Armor Protection.
The practitioner may also take threads of string weaved together by young children (or strings purified over fire). Recite the Vajra Mantra once and tie a knot. Complete twenty-one knots, and hang the string of knots around your neck or tie it around your arm. This can protect you from all evil spirits and demons. Thus, this is also a method of protection.
All protective strings and protective amulets have protection power. It is best to recite the mantra twenty-one times every two weeks and pray to the wrathful protectors to empower the strings and amulets. If you do this, they shall be effective.
When the practitioner sets a boundary in the mandala shrine, he may use a bottle of pure water or perfume, and offer it at the mandala shrine. He should recite the wrathful protector’s mantra one hundred and eight times or one thousand and eighty times. He should visualize the protector radiating lights to bless the pure water or perfume. He should take the perfume and sprinkle it in all ten directions around the shrine to set the boundary. Within the parameter of the sprinkled region, no evil spirits and demons would dare enter.
This boundary method is suitable for the mandala shrine, or for the house. You can even set a boundary around larger land areas with this method. But to achieve results you need to strengthen this boundary by practicing the method bi-monthly.
Some have used this protection method on the body of a patient, spraying the perfume onto the body and reciting the vajra protector’s mantra. The patient may react with a loud cry, and any illness due to the possession of evil spirits and demons shall be healed immediately.
Jumat, 12 November 2010
A PROTECTIVE BOUNDARY FOR THE SHRINE
What do you mean by defining the protective boundary? How is the ritual performed?
When a protective boundary is defined for the sacred shrine, all evil spirits will not dare to enter the protected area, while the good ones will frequent the place and stay. The size of the boundary can vary from small to big. A big protective boundary can cover an entire planet, a continent or a country. (For the Benevolent King country protection ritual, the protected area is as big as a country). A small protective boundary can be defined for a ritual site, a place for precepts observation, a house, or a sacred shrine.
As understood by Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, the boundary ritual practiced by Vajrayana Buddhism is as follows:
1. Vajra-pillar- erect pillars on the ground.
2. Vajra-wall- a square wall.
3. Vajra-net- a net is hung in the air, with the four corners covering the whole Vajra shrine.
4. Maha-Samaya- using mudra to define the boundary outside the area of fire.
Today, I am going to introduce the ritual of Vajra-fire to you; a ritual which is a profound secret and seldom taught:
1. Clean yourself and enter the shrine. After invocation, perform the Fourfold Refuge, great Prostration, Great Offering, and the Four Immeasurables.
2. Form the vajra-net mudra: cross both hands, let the two last fingers and index fingers touching one another and facing upwards. The two thumbs must not touch each other, the back of your hands face upwards; this is the mudra.
3. Visualization: the sacred shrine is the focal point. A ray of white silk net is being emitted from the crown of the root-deity, which envelops the whole area. It is just like a fountain; spraying water into the sky, and falls down in the shape of an umbrella. This is the umbrella visualization. You may visualize it to be as big as you wish. This visualization is of utmost importance.
4. Vajra-fire mudra: both palms face upwards, the right palm on top of the left. Both thumbs contact and face upwards. This is the mudra.
5. Visualization: Visualize the Vajra-net is burning with fire, such is the visualization of the fire umbrella.
6. Chant the mantra:
OM NAMO SVAHA- chant 7 times (fire-net).
OM SILINMA- CHANT 21 TIMES (protection).
100 Syllable mantra- chant 3 times.
7. Next, enter the "true mind" of the fire court. Setting up the purest Vajra-fire in the air, and as if it is protected by the wheel of maha-will, immediately, all kinds of evil will not be able to penetrate. A practitioner who performs spiritual cultivation in the sacred shrine will gain enlightenment, his greed and hatred will be eradicated, and his cultivation perfect.
8. Rise from the meditation and do the dedication of merit.
The convergence of vajra-fire, all the evils spree
Through constant cultivation, tranquillity is achieved
And all major misfortunes disappear
Heavenly and earthly beings, in the sacred shrine they meet
The virtue is the same as a temple radiating its brilliance into all directions.
9. The auspicious ritual is complete and perfect.
Living Buddha Lian-Sheng always encourages the use of Great Compassion Mantra for empowering the water, for purification and definition of protective boundary. So, he has now disclosed the ritual and hopes that all True Buddha practitioners can now understand the way for setting up a sacred shrine, the consecration ritual, and how to define the protective boundary. And he hopes all the rituals can be carried out perfectly.
There is another ritual for defining the boundary known as Mahasamaya. It is the greatest ritual for defining the boundary, which must be taught personally by the Grandmaster, as it is no ordinary ritual. There are two sayings about this ritual:
"Those who are against the path will not be able to untie or ruin it. For it is regarded as something similar to the King of the Dharma Wheel, and the crown of the Buddha."
"All the saints will not be able to descend to the practioners’ sacred shrine within 500 yojana (measurement of distance), for this is the King of Wheel and crown of the Buddha, it is capable of destroying all the phenomena."
When a protective boundary is defined for the sacred shrine, all evil spirits will not dare to enter the protected area, while the good ones will frequent the place and stay. The size of the boundary can vary from small to big. A big protective boundary can cover an entire planet, a continent or a country. (For the Benevolent King country protection ritual, the protected area is as big as a country). A small protective boundary can be defined for a ritual site, a place for precepts observation, a house, or a sacred shrine.
As understood by Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, the boundary ritual practiced by Vajrayana Buddhism is as follows:
1. Vajra-pillar- erect pillars on the ground.
2. Vajra-wall- a square wall.
3. Vajra-net- a net is hung in the air, with the four corners covering the whole Vajra shrine.
4. Maha-Samaya- using mudra to define the boundary outside the area of fire.
Today, I am going to introduce the ritual of Vajra-fire to you; a ritual which is a profound secret and seldom taught:
1. Clean yourself and enter the shrine. After invocation, perform the Fourfold Refuge, great Prostration, Great Offering, and the Four Immeasurables.
2. Form the vajra-net mudra: cross both hands, let the two last fingers and index fingers touching one another and facing upwards. The two thumbs must not touch each other, the back of your hands face upwards; this is the mudra.
3. Visualization: the sacred shrine is the focal point. A ray of white silk net is being emitted from the crown of the root-deity, which envelops the whole area. It is just like a fountain; spraying water into the sky, and falls down in the shape of an umbrella. This is the umbrella visualization. You may visualize it to be as big as you wish. This visualization is of utmost importance.
4. Vajra-fire mudra: both palms face upwards, the right palm on top of the left. Both thumbs contact and face upwards. This is the mudra.
5. Visualization: Visualize the Vajra-net is burning with fire, such is the visualization of the fire umbrella.
6. Chant the mantra:
OM NAMO SVAHA- chant 7 times (fire-net).
OM SILINMA- CHANT 21 TIMES (protection).
100 Syllable mantra- chant 3 times.
7. Next, enter the "true mind" of the fire court. Setting up the purest Vajra-fire in the air, and as if it is protected by the wheel of maha-will, immediately, all kinds of evil will not be able to penetrate. A practitioner who performs spiritual cultivation in the sacred shrine will gain enlightenment, his greed and hatred will be eradicated, and his cultivation perfect.
8. Rise from the meditation and do the dedication of merit.
The convergence of vajra-fire, all the evils spree
Through constant cultivation, tranquillity is achieved
And all major misfortunes disappear
Heavenly and earthly beings, in the sacred shrine they meet
The virtue is the same as a temple radiating its brilliance into all directions.
9. The auspicious ritual is complete and perfect.
Living Buddha Lian-Sheng always encourages the use of Great Compassion Mantra for empowering the water, for purification and definition of protective boundary. So, he has now disclosed the ritual and hopes that all True Buddha practitioners can now understand the way for setting up a sacred shrine, the consecration ritual, and how to define the protective boundary. And he hopes all the rituals can be carried out perfectly.
There is another ritual for defining the boundary known as Mahasamaya. It is the greatest ritual for defining the boundary, which must be taught personally by the Grandmaster, as it is no ordinary ritual. There are two sayings about this ritual:
"Those who are against the path will not be able to untie or ruin it. For it is regarded as something similar to the King of the Dharma Wheel, and the crown of the Buddha."
"All the saints will not be able to descend to the practioners’ sacred shrine within 500 yojana (measurement of distance), for this is the King of Wheel and crown of the Buddha, it is capable of destroying all the phenomena."
Kamis, 11 November 2010
What must we do after the sacred shrine is fully and properly decorated?
We must consecrate the images of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and define a protective boundary for the shrine. We must not overlook the important rituals of consecration and definition of the protective boundary. Consecration of the images is sometimes known as "opening the eyes" of the images. After the images are in place, we must choose an auspicious day to make offerings to them. The ritual originates from "the sutra of all enlightened ones on installing the images." As said in the sutra, "once the rite of offering is completed, we must open the eyes of the images so that light shall radiate." It is just by pointing to the eyes of the images, thereafter chant the eye-opening mantra twice. Before the ritual, the practitioner must prepare flowers, and other offerings to the Buddha, ever-lit lamps and the following:
- a piece of new cotton cloth
- a new Chinese brush
- a new round mirror
- a red cinnabar
1. The practitioner recites the purification mantra and invocation mantra and invites all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to descend to the sacred shrine.
2. The practitioner holds the cloth and goes through the motion of cleaning the images at a distance to signify purifying the images so that they are free of dust.
3. The practitioner uses the brush; first dips it into the red cinnabar, then points the brush at the images at a distance, with the right hand holding the brush and the left mirror, shines the reflection from the mirror onto the face of the image.
4. The practitioner then chants the mantra, at the same time pointing the brush at the image at a distance. Thus is the union of mirror, brush and mantra.
5. The eye-opening mantra is translated as follows:
The divine light of the heaven,
The divine light of the earth,
The divine lights of the sun and moon,
With this mantra your eyes shall open;
Please see this world with your eyes,
Please succor all sentient beings with your speech (mouth),
Please hear all requests with compassion with your ears,
Please shower sentient beings with loving kindness from your heart,
Please form the mudras with your hands,>
Please travel long distances with your legs,
Please radiate forth the brilliance from your body,
OM AH HUM SEH.
(Chant the mantra twice)
6. The practitioner presents his offerings.
7. The practitioner recites the sutra, hymns and prostrates.
8. Dedicate the merit.
The practitioner performs the consecration ritual
This is where the King of Mind abides
All the enlightened ones teach the Dharma
So that I shall achieve enlightenment and return to my true self.
The ritual is now considered as auspicious and complete. As long as the ritual is performed with solemnity, in accordance to the procedure, and with a devoted heart, there is no reason why the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would not descend to the sacred shrine.
If the practitioner is not very familiar with the consecration ritual or he is not confident to do it himself, what can he do?
He may invite any Guru of our sect or other venerables to do the ritual or write to the grandmaster in the U.S.A., inviting him to perform the consecration ritual for one’s sacred shrine. Although the Grandmaster is in the United States, in his True Buddha Sacred Shrine, he can still perform the ritual with a photograph of your shrine; thereafter the dakini (sky-goers) will descend to your sacred shrine as instructed by the Grandmaster, this is indeed an inconceivable act. Here are some of the experiences encountered by disciples:
-Holy water was found sprayed in the sacred shrine.
-Rice was found in the sacred shrine.
-Some disciples dreamt of the Grandmaster arriving personally to do the ritual.
-Heavenly music was heard in the sacred shrine.
- a piece of new cotton cloth
- a new Chinese brush
- a new round mirror
- a red cinnabar
1. The practitioner recites the purification mantra and invocation mantra and invites all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to descend to the sacred shrine.
2. The practitioner holds the cloth and goes through the motion of cleaning the images at a distance to signify purifying the images so that they are free of dust.
3. The practitioner uses the brush; first dips it into the red cinnabar, then points the brush at the images at a distance, with the right hand holding the brush and the left mirror, shines the reflection from the mirror onto the face of the image.
4. The practitioner then chants the mantra, at the same time pointing the brush at the image at a distance. Thus is the union of mirror, brush and mantra.
5. The eye-opening mantra is translated as follows:
The divine light of the heaven,
The divine light of the earth,
The divine lights of the sun and moon,
With this mantra your eyes shall open;
Please see this world with your eyes,
Please succor all sentient beings with your speech (mouth),
Please hear all requests with compassion with your ears,
Please shower sentient beings with loving kindness from your heart,
Please form the mudras with your hands,>
Please travel long distances with your legs,
Please radiate forth the brilliance from your body,
OM AH HUM SEH.
(Chant the mantra twice)
6. The practitioner presents his offerings.
7. The practitioner recites the sutra, hymns and prostrates.
8. Dedicate the merit.
The practitioner performs the consecration ritual
This is where the King of Mind abides
All the enlightened ones teach the Dharma
So that I shall achieve enlightenment and return to my true self.
The ritual is now considered as auspicious and complete. As long as the ritual is performed with solemnity, in accordance to the procedure, and with a devoted heart, there is no reason why the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas would not descend to the sacred shrine.
If the practitioner is not very familiar with the consecration ritual or he is not confident to do it himself, what can he do?
He may invite any Guru of our sect or other venerables to do the ritual or write to the grandmaster in the U.S.A., inviting him to perform the consecration ritual for one’s sacred shrine. Although the Grandmaster is in the United States, in his True Buddha Sacred Shrine, he can still perform the ritual with a photograph of your shrine; thereafter the dakini (sky-goers) will descend to your sacred shrine as instructed by the Grandmaster, this is indeed an inconceivable act. Here are some of the experiences encountered by disciples:
-Holy water was found sprayed in the sacred shrine.
-Rice was found in the sacred shrine.
-Some disciples dreamt of the Grandmaster arriving personally to do the ritual.
-Heavenly music was heard in the sacred shrine.
What Other Things Must We Do Before We Decorate the Sacred Shrine?
this question answering by MahaGuru Liensheng.
After the room has been chosen for the shrine, and before is its decorated, we must first purify the room. This is because the room may have been used as a bedroom, office, study or store before, low spirits may have been residing therin. That is why apart from cleaning the place, you need to purify the place too. The simplest way to do so is to choose an auspicious day and spray some holy water empowered with the Great Compassion Mantra (Ta Pei Cou) from within to without the room.
By using the holy water to purify the room, all evil spirits will be driven away, as they can no longer remain in the room. Thereafter, when the practitioner does his practice in the sacred shrine, he will not be frightened, and no evil will disturb the practitioner’s mind. For the room has been throughly purified. There are many ways of purifying the room. For a True Buddha practitioner, it is best to use the Great Compassion Mantra for empowering the holy water.
After the room has been chosen for the shrine, and before is its decorated, we must first purify the room. This is because the room may have been used as a bedroom, office, study or store before, low spirits may have been residing therin. That is why apart from cleaning the place, you need to purify the place too. The simplest way to do so is to choose an auspicious day and spray some holy water empowered with the Great Compassion Mantra (Ta Pei Cou) from within to without the room.
By using the holy water to purify the room, all evil spirits will be driven away, as they can no longer remain in the room. Thereafter, when the practitioner does his practice in the sacred shrine, he will not be frightened, and no evil will disturb the practitioner’s mind. For the room has been throughly purified. There are many ways of purifying the room. For a True Buddha practitioner, it is best to use the Great Compassion Mantra for empowering the holy water.
How Do We Go About Decorating the Sacred Shrine?
There are a lot of differences amongst the four types of Mandala. Described below is the arrangement of the sacred shrine at the True Buddha Tantric Quarter. At the center of the wall hangs a mandala picture of Buddha Shakyamuni, accompanied by the mandala of Bodhisattva Maitreya and Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara on both sides respectively.
Statues: the center icon is Amitabha Buddha (porcelain make), the right Jade Pond Golden-mother (wooden craft) and the left Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (wooden craft). Other statues include Guru Padmasambhava, Ksitigarbha, Achala, Four-Armed Kuan Yin, Cundi Mother-Buddha... these are placed below Amitabha Buddha, and arranged in order.
A stupa is placed on the right side of the altar, within which are two vajra relics and four other relics.
A rice mandala and some scriptures are placed on the left.
In front of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas are the Five-Offerings, which could otherwise be Eight-Offerings, or Thirty-Seven-Offerings.
The Five-Offerings are flower, incense, lamp, tea, and fruit; the lamp may be replaced by a candle.
The Eight-Offerings, from right to left are conch, fruit, fragrance (incense powder), candle, unlit incense (three sticks), and plain water. The offerings must be contained in clean vessels or bowls. The eight items of offerings in the True Buddha Sacred Shrine are arranged into two rows:
the upper row is offered to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the lower row the root-deity. The significance of the Eight-Offerings are as follows:
Two types of water: Merit water
Incense: Observing the precepts
Fruit: Meditation
Conch: Wish-fulfilling
Flower: Offering
Candle: Endurance
Fragrance: Diligence
Ever-lit lamps must be installed in the sacred shrine. In front of the altar is a table, on top of which are the incensory and implements. This is roughly how the True Buddha Sacred Shrine is decorated. Apart from this, colorful banners, canopies and hattha are also used for decoration to increase the solemnity of the shrine.
Which should be the main image of worship in a sacred shrine?
The main image is the one which is placed in the center of the sacred shrine. This varies, based on individuals. In the opinion of Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, it is best that you place your root-deity in the center, whom you emulate daily (the one closest to your heart). There are two reasons for this: our personal cultivation aims to achieve enlightenment and transformation into our root-deity one day. The root-deity is placed in the center in order to facilitate our visualization.
In addition, it is better to have an odd number of images, e.g. one, three, five, seven etc.; for an odd number will give rise naturally to a central image. Another explanation is that odd signifies positivity, and even negativity. Moreover, odd numbers give a better presentation than an even number of images. (Note: "images" do not include pictures).
The order of arrangement should be from high to low in terms of the level of enlightenment: from Buddha to Bodhisattva, to Vajra and god. The main image will always occupy the central position, the next important images of the right, and the less on the left. If there are too many images, they could be arranged into two tiers, three tiers, or even five.
Are there other types of Mandala?
In fact there are many other types of Mandala. These are mainly offshoot Mandalas. For example, the three saints of the Western Pure Land and the sixteen contemplations of the Western Pure Land are known as the Pure Land Mandala. A common mandala, depicting Buddha Shakyamuni’s preaching at the Spiritual Vulture Peak, is known as the "Dharma-flower Mandala."
A Mandala with the drawing of the sun, moon and five planets, together with Rahu (the demon who seizes the sun and moon and thus causes eclipses, according to legend) and Ketu (the name of two constellations to the left and right of Aquila), is known as the "Nine Illuminaries Mandala."
In fact many others can originate from the families of Buddha, Lotus, Vajra, and Karma. As long as the Three Mystics are complete, a Mandala is considered perfect. Mandala is the substance element in the three great fundamentals in the awakening of faith, i.e. substance, characteristics and function.
Should the decoration of a sacred shrine be elaborate or simple?
If you are well-to-do, it should be elaborate, otherwise, be simple. There is no right or wrong way of decoration. The most important point is that it must be solemn, and the implements used must be complete, otherwise this will be considered improper in the context of Dharma. The essential implements are the bell, vajra, and rosary.
Is the choice of location for a sacred shrine important?
In my view, it is of utmost importance. Some of the venerables may think that as long as we are devoted, the location does not matter because they do not understand the significance of geomancy. If the sacred shrine is placed under a beam, or its rear is facing a big window, or a walkway, or facing the toilet door....not to mention the art of geomancy, one is already affected by the unconducive ambience.
Geomancy is a study of the invisible environment. Once a clean room is converted into a sacred shrine, it will be an assembly place for the enlightened ones, which is why we cannot overlook the choice of location. In the view of Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, when converting a room into a sacred shrine, the following must be observed:
The room must be clean and quiet.
The room must be able to captivate the wind energy.
The direction of the room must be in harmony with the practitioner’s inner vibration.
The direction of the room must be against the flow of water (wind).
The wall behind the sacred shrine must be solid; without open space on any side.
The room must have adequate lighting.
It would be best if all these conditions are met; otherwise you may ask a geomancer to help in addressing any shortcomings. The geomancy of the sacred shrine is a profound knowledge. The sacred shrine must be of utmost solemnity, the room must be clean and make one feel comfortable. During our practice, if we make offering to the Three Jewels and strive to relieve the suffering of those born under the four forms of rebirth, we will definitely generate abundant merit, and achieve great accomplishment. Such is the union of Buddha, sacred shrine and Man. Such is the union of the Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Although Living Buddha Lian-Sheng has explained the geomancy aspect of the sacred shrine clearly, I am still not quite clear about it, what should I do?
You do not have to worry about the direction of the flow of water nor your inner vibration. As long as the room is clean, quiet, and the back of the sacred shrine is solid, it should be OK. If you are still doubtful, then consult a geomancer. Since the sacred shrine will be used life long, and not just for a short spell of one year or two, it is advisable for one to consult an expert. In the future, when I travel around the world, I may be able to inspect the sacred shrines of disciples, to ensure that things are done correctly
A Mandala with the drawing of the sun, moon and five planets, together with Rahu (the demon who seizes the sun and moon and thus causes eclipses, according to legend) and Ketu (the name of two constellations to the left and right of Aquila), is known as the "Nine Illuminaries Mandala."
In fact many others can originate from the families of Buddha, Lotus, Vajra, and Karma. As long as the Three Mystics are complete, a Mandala is considered perfect. Mandala is the substance element in the three great fundamentals in the awakening of faith, i.e. substance, characteristics and function.
Should the decoration of a sacred shrine be elaborate or simple?
If you are well-to-do, it should be elaborate, otherwise, be simple. There is no right or wrong way of decoration. The most important point is that it must be solemn, and the implements used must be complete, otherwise this will be considered improper in the context of Dharma. The essential implements are the bell, vajra, and rosary.
Is the choice of location for a sacred shrine important?
In my view, it is of utmost importance. Some of the venerables may think that as long as we are devoted, the location does not matter because they do not understand the significance of geomancy. If the sacred shrine is placed under a beam, or its rear is facing a big window, or a walkway, or facing the toilet door....not to mention the art of geomancy, one is already affected by the unconducive ambience.
Geomancy is a study of the invisible environment. Once a clean room is converted into a sacred shrine, it will be an assembly place for the enlightened ones, which is why we cannot overlook the choice of location. In the view of Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, when converting a room into a sacred shrine, the following must be observed:
The room must be clean and quiet.
The room must be able to captivate the wind energy.
The direction of the room must be in harmony with the practitioner’s inner vibration.
The direction of the room must be against the flow of water (wind).
The wall behind the sacred shrine must be solid; without open space on any side.
The room must have adequate lighting.
It would be best if all these conditions are met; otherwise you may ask a geomancer to help in addressing any shortcomings. The geomancy of the sacred shrine is a profound knowledge. The sacred shrine must be of utmost solemnity, the room must be clean and make one feel comfortable. During our practice, if we make offering to the Three Jewels and strive to relieve the suffering of those born under the four forms of rebirth, we will definitely generate abundant merit, and achieve great accomplishment. Such is the union of Buddha, sacred shrine and Man. Such is the union of the Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Although Living Buddha Lian-Sheng has explained the geomancy aspect of the sacred shrine clearly, I am still not quite clear about it, what should I do?
You do not have to worry about the direction of the flow of water nor your inner vibration. As long as the room is clean, quiet, and the back of the sacred shrine is solid, it should be OK. If you are still doubtful, then consult a geomancer. Since the sacred shrine will be used life long, and not just for a short spell of one year or two, it is advisable for one to consult an expert. In the future, when I travel around the world, I may be able to inspect the sacred shrines of disciples, to ensure that things are done correctly
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