Apprentice Chef: Bodhi Tree

Showing posts with label Bodhi Tree. Show all posts

Friday, 29 October 2010

The Supreme Virtues And Merits Of Shurangama Mantra

Within Buddhism, there are many very important sutras. However, the most important is the Shurangama Sutra. If there are places which have the Shurangama Sutra, then the Proper Dharma dwells in the world. If there is no Shurangama Sutra, then the Dharma Ending Age appears. Therefore, we Buddhist disciples, each and every, must unite our strength, our blood, and our sweat to protect the Shurangama Sutra.

The Supreme Virtues And Mertis of SHURANGAMA MANTRA

At one time the Buddha dwelt in Shravasti in the sublime abode at the Jeta Grove. There was a gathering of great bhikshus, twelve hundred fifty in all.

Moreover unlimited number of pratyekas who were beyond study and those with initial resolution came to where the Buddha was, to join the bhikshus pravarana at the close of the summer retreat.Bodhisattvas from the ten direction who desired counsel in order to resolve the doubts in their minds were respectful and obedient to the Awesome but Compassionate One as they prepared to seek the secret meaning.

Then the Thatagata arranged His seat, sat quietly and peacefully, and for the sake of everyone in the assembly proclaimed the profound and mysterious. The pure assembly at the banquet of Dharma obtained what they had never obtained before.

The Immortal's kalavinka-sound pervaded the ten directions. And the Bodhisattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges gathered at the Bodhimanda with Manjushri as their leader.

Then King Prasenajit, for the sake of his father, the late king, arranged on the day of mourning a vegetarian feast and invited the Buddha to the side rooms of the palace. He welcomed the Tathagata in person with a vast array of superb delicacies of unsurpassed wonderful flavors and invited the great Bodhisattvas himself..

In the city there were also elders and laypeople who were also prepared to feed the Sangha at the same time, and they stood waiting for the Buddha to come and receive offerings.

The Buddha commanded Manjushri to assign the Bodhisattvas and Arhats to receive offerings from the various vegetarian hosts.

Only Ananda, who having accepted a special invitation earlier, had travelled far and had not yet returned; wa late for the apportioning of the Sangha.

No senior-seated one or acharya was with him, so he returned alone on the road.

On that day, he had received no offerings, and so at the appropriate time Ananda took up his begging bowl and, as he travelled through the city, begged in successive order.

Having crossed the city moat, he walked slowly through the outer gates, his manner stern and proper as he honored with propriety the method of obtaining food.

At that time, because Ananda was begging in sequential order, he passed by a house of prostitution where a family of a lovely daughter named Pochiti lived. She was as beautiful as a fairy.

Pochiti's mother Matangi, knows how extraordinary the power of the artifice of Brahma Heaven is. Pochiti fell madly in love with Ananda at first sight.

Pochiti immediately pleaded with her mother to get Ananda to be her life long companion.

Because of Matangi's love for her daughter, she had no choice but to use the Kapila religion, formerly of the Brahma Heaven's artifice, to cast a spell on Ananda to achieve her daughter's wishes.

Ananda fell under her spell, almost stupor and lost all sense of reasoning. He was not himself and behaved like he was dreaming.

Ananda followed Pochiti and she drew him onto impure mat. With her licentious body she stroked and caressed him and Ananda appeared to be in a drunker state, completely out of control.

Until he was on the verge of destroying the precept substance. The Thatagata, knowing ANANDA was being taken advantage of by the indecent artifice, finished the meal and immediately returned. The king, great officials, elders, and laypeople followed the Buddha, desiring to hear the essentials of Dharma.

At that time, a hundred brilliant rays sprang from the mound of the flesh on the crown of the World Honoured One's head. A thousand petaled precious lotus arose from admist those rays.

Upon the precious flower sat the Thus Come One's transformation. From the crown of its head, in turn he emitted ten beams, each composed of a hundred rays of precious light. Each glowing ray revealed throughout all of empty space, dharma-protecting Secret Vajra Spirit, as many as the sands of ten Ganges rivers, each holding aloft a mountain and wielding a pestle.

The great assembly, gazing upward, felt fearful admiration and sought the Buddha's kind protection. Single-mindedly they listened as the Thus Come One in the light at the invisible appearance on the crown of the Buddha's head proclaimed the spiritual Mantra:........

He commanded Manjushri to take the Mantra and to go and provide protection.

And, when the evil mantra was extinguished, to lend support, and to encourage Ananda and Matangi's daughter to return to where the Buddha was.

Ananda saw the Buddha, bowed and wept sorrowfully, regretting that from time without beginning he had been preoccupied with erudition, and not yet perfected his strength in the Way.

At that time, Bodhisattva as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, great Arhats, Pratyekas, and others from the ten directions, were also present. Pleased at the opportunity to listen, they withdrew silently to their seats to receive the sagely instruction.

In the midst of the great assembly, the World Honored One then extended his golden arm and rubbed Ananda's crown, and said to Ananda and the great assembly, "There is a samadhi called the King of the Foremost Shurangama at the Great Buddha's Summit Replete with Myriad Practices; it is a path wonderfully adorned and the single door through which the Tathagatas of the ten directions gained transcendence. You should now listen attentively."

Ananda bowed down to receive the compassionate instruction humbly. Later, the Buddha explained to them the way to cultivate the wonderful samadhi, procedures of liberation, stages of Bodhisatvas and also a complete explanation of the secrets of the universal and life, formation of the world, causes of the retributions of beings, ability to distinguish the truth from the evil,..etc.

The contents of the Sutra are complete. Indeed, the Sutra is very rare and can be said to be the essence of all the Buddhadharma.

Excerpts from Wikipedia:

The Shurangama Mantra is a dharani or long mantra of East Asian Mahayana and Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist origin that is popular in China, Japan, and Korea, although relatively unknown in modern Tibet, even though there are several Shurangama Mantra texts Sadhana, Shastra in the Tibetan Buddhist canon.

The Mantra was, according to the opening chapter (BTTS, Volume 1) of the Shurangama Sutra ^[1], historically transmitted by the Buddha Shakyamuni to Manjushri Bodhisattva to protect Bhikshu Ananda before he had become an Arhat. It was again spoken in the Shurangama Sutra,^[1] Volume 6) by Shakyamuni before an assembly of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, devas and others of the Eightfold Division of Dharmapalas.

Like the popular six-syllable mantra, and the Great Compassion Mantra (Nīlakantha dhāranī) it is a popular mantra synonymous the practice of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The Shurangama Mantra also extensively references Buddhist deities (ishtadevata) such as Bodhisattvas Manjushri, Mahakala, Great White Umbrella Vajrapani and the Five Dhyana Buddhas especially Medicine Buddha (Akshobhya or Vajradhara) in East Asia. It is often used for protection or purification for meditators and is considered to be part of Tantric Buddhism or Vajrayana or Shingon Buddhism in Japan.^[2

The Shurangama Mantra

(I)NA MWO SA DAN TWO
SU CHYE DWO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO SYE
NA MWO SA DAN TWO
FWO TOW JYUJR SHAI NI SHAN
NA MWO SA PE
MTO TWO MWO DI
SA DWO PI BI
NA MWO SA DWO DAN
SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO JYU JR NAN
SWO SHE LA PE JYA
SENG CHYE NAN
NA MWO LU JI E LWO HAN DWO NAN
NA MWO SU LU DWO BWO NWO NAN
NA MWO SWO JYE LI GTOW CHYE MI NAN
NA MWO LU JI SAN MYAU CHYE DWO NAN
SAN MYAU CHYE BE LA DI BWO DWO NWO NAN
NA MWO TI PE LI SHAI NAN
NA MWO SYI TWI YE
PI DI YE
TWO LA LI SHAI NAN
SHE PWO NU
JYE LA HE
SWO HE SWO LA MWO TWO NAN
NAN MWO BA LA HE MWO NI
NA MWO YIN TWO LA YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
LU TWO LA YE
WU MWO BWO DI
SWO SYI YE YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
NWO LA YE
NA YE
PAN JE MWO HE SAN MWO TWO LA
NA MWO SYU JYE LI DWO YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
MWO HE JYA LA YE
DI LI BWO LA NA
CHYE LA PI TWO LA
BWO NA JYA LA YE
E DI MU DI
SHR MWO SHE MWO NI
PE SYI NI
MOW DAN LI CHYE NA
NA MWO SYI JYE LI DWO YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
DWO TWO CHYE DWO JYU LA YE
NA MWO BE TOU MWO JYU LA YE
NA MWO BA SHE LA JYU LA YE
NA MWO MWO NI JYU LA YE
NA MWO CHYE SHE JYU LA YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
DI LI CHA
SHU LA SYI NA
BWO LA HE LA NA LA SHE YE
DWO TWO CHYE DWO YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
NA MO E MI DWO PE YE
DOW TWO CHYE DWO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MYAU PE CHYE PE DI
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
E CHU PI YE
DWO TWO CHYE DWO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
BI SHA SHE YE
JYU LU PE LA SHE YE
BWO LA PE LA SHE YE
DWO TWO CHYE DWO YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
SAN BU SHR BI DWO
SA LYAN NAI LA LA SHE YE
DWO TWO CHYE DWO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO YE
NA MWO PE CHYE PE DI
SHE JI YE MU NWO YE
DWO TWO CHYE DWO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO YE
NA NWO PE CHYE DWO YE
LA DAN NA JI DU LA SHE YE
DWO TWO CHYE DWO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO YE
DI PYAU
NA MWO SA JYE LI DWO
YI TAN PE CHYE PE DWO
SA DAN TWO CHYE DU SHAI NI SHAN
SA DAN DWO BWO DA LIAN
NA MWO E PE LA SHR DAN
BWO LA DI
YANG CHI LA
SA LA PE
BWO DWO JYE LA HE
NI JYE LA HE
JYE JYA ;A HE NI
BA LA BI DI YE
CHR TWO NI
E JYE LA
MI LI JU
BWO LI DAN LA YE
NING JYE LI
SA LA PE
PAN TWO NWO
MU CHA NI
SA LA PE
TU SHAI JYA
TU SYI FA
BWO NA NI
FA LA NI
JE DU LA
SHR DI NAN
JYE LA HE
SWO HE SA LA RAU SHE
PI DWO BENG SWO NA JYE LI
E SHAI JA BING SHE DI NAN
NA CHA CHA DAN LA RAU SHE
BWO LA SA TWO NA JYE LI
E SHAI JA NAN
MWO HE JYE LA HE RAU SHE
PI DWO BENG SA NA JYE LI
SA PE SHE DU LU
NI PE LA RAU SHE
HU LAN TU STI FA
NAN JE NA SHE NI
PE SHA SHE
SYI DAN LA
E JI NI
WU TWO JYA LA RAU SHE
E BWO LA SHR DWO JYU LA
MWO HE BWO LA JAN CHR
MWO HE DYE DWO
MWO HE DI SHE
MWO HE SHWEI DWO SHE PE LA
MWO HE BA LA PAN TWO LA
PE SYI NI
E LI YE DWO LA
PI LI JYU JR
SHR PE PI SHE YE
BA SHE LA MWO LI DI
PI SHE LU DWO
BWO TENG WANG JYA
BA SHE LA JR HE NWO E JE
MWO LA JR PE
BWO LA JR DWO
BA SHE LA SHAN CHR
PI SHE LA JE
SHAN DWO SHE PI TI PE BU SHR DWO
SU MWO LU BWO
MWO HE SHWEI DWO
E LI YE DWO LA
MWO HE PE LA E BWO LA
BA SHE LA SHANG JYE LA JR PE
BA SHE LA
JYU MWO LI
JYU LA TWO LI
BA SHE LA HE SA DWO JE
PI DI YE
CHYAN HE NWO
MWO LI JYA
KU SU MU PE
JYE LA DWO NWO
PI LU JE NA
JYU LI YE
YE LA TU
SHAI NI SHAN
PI JE LAN PE MWO NI JE
BE SHE LA JYA NA JYA BWO LA PE
LU SHE NA
BA SHE LA DWUN JR JE
SHWEI DWO JE
JYA MWO LA
CHA CHE SHR
BWO LA PE
YI DI YI DI
MU TWO LA
JYE NA
SWO PI LA CHAN
JYU FAN DU
YIN TU NA MWO MWO SYE
(II) WU SHUN
LI SHAI JYE NA
BWO LA SHE SYI DWO
SA DAN TWO
CHYE DU SHAI NI SHAN
HU SHUN DU LU YUNG
JAN PE NA
HU SHUN DU LU YUNG
SYI DAN PE NA
HU SHUN DU LU YUNG
BWO LA SHAI DI YE
SAN BWO CHA
NA JYE LA
HU SHUN DU LU YUNG
SA PE YAU CHA
HE LA CHA SWO
JYE LA HE RAU SHE
PI TENG BENG SA NA JYE LA
HU SYIN DU LU YUNG
JE DU LA
SHR DI NAN
JYE LA HE
SWO HE SA LA NAN PI TENG BENG SA NA LA
HU SHUN DU LU YUNG
LA CHA
PE CHYE FAN
SA DAN TWO
CHYE DU SHAI NI SHAN
BWO LA DYAN
SHE JI LI
MWO HE SWO HE SA LA
BWO SHU SWO HE SA LA
SHR LI SHA
JYU JR SWO HE SA NI
DI LI E BI TI SHR PE LI DWO
JA JA YING JYA
MWO HE BA SHE LU TWO LA
DI LI PU PE NA
MAN CHA LA
WU SHUN
SWO SYI DI
BWO PE DU
MWO MWO
YIN TWO NA MWO MWO SYE
(III) LA SHR PE YE
JU LA BE YE
E CHI NI PE YE
WU TWO JYA PE YE
PI SHA PE YE
SHE SA DWO LA PE YE
PE LA JAU JYE LA PE YE
TU SHAI CHA PE YE
E SHE NI PE YE
E JYA LA
MI LI JU PE YE
TWO LA NI BU MI JYAN
BWO CHYE BWO TWO PE YE
WU LA JYA PE DWO PE YE
LA SHE TAN CHA PE YE
NWO CHYE PE YE
PI TYAU TAN PE YE
SU BWO LA NA PE YE
YAU CHA JYE LA HE
LA CHA SZ JYE LA HE
BI LI DWO JYE LA HE
PI SHE JE JYE LA HE
BU DWO JYE LA HE
JYOU PAN CHA JYE LA HE
BU DAN NA JYE LA HE
JYA JA BU DAN NA JYE LA HE
SYI CHAN DU JYE LA HE
E BWO SYI MWO LA JYE LA HE
WU TAN MWO TWO JYE LA HE
CHE YE JYE LA HE
SYI LI PE DI JYE LA HE
SHE DWO HE LI NAN
JYE PE HE LI NAN
LU DI LA HE LI NAN
MANG SWO HE LI NAN
MI TWO HE LI NAN
MWO SHE HE LI NAN
SHW DWO HE LI NAN
SHR BI DWO HE LI NAN
PI DWO HE LI NAN
PE DWO HE LI NAN
E SHU JE HE LI NYU
JR DWO HE LI NYU
DI SHAN SA PI SHAN
SA PE JYE LA HE NAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
BWO LI BA LA JE JYA
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
CHAN YAN NI
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
MWO HE BWO SU BWO DAN YE
LU TWO LA
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YI MI
JI LA YE MI
NWO LA YE NAN
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHE TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
DAB TWO CHYE LU CHA SYI
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE ME
MWO HE JYA LA
MWO DAN LI CHYE NA
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
JYA BWO LI JYA
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
SHE YE JYE LA
MOW DU JYE LA
SA PE LA TWO SWO DA NA
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
JE DU LA
PE CHI NI
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
PI LI YANG CHI LI JR
NAN TWO JI SHA LA
CHYE NA BWO DI
SWO SYI YE
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
NA JYE NA SHE LA PE NA
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
E LWO NAN
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
PI DWO LA CHYE
CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
BA SHE LA BWO NI
JYU SYI YE JYU SYI YE
JYA DI BWO DI CHI LI DAN
PI TWO YE SHE
CHEN TWO YE MI
JI LA YE MI
LA CHA WNG
PE CHYE FAN
YIN TU NA MWO MWO SYE
(IV) PE CHYE FAN
SA DAN DWO BWO DA LA
NA MWO TSWEI DU DI
E SYI DWO NA LA LA JYA
BWO LA PE SYI PU JA
PI JYA SA DAN DWO BE DE LI
SHR FWO LA SHR FWO LA
TWO LA TWO LA
PIN TWO LA PIN TWO LA
CHEN TWO CHEN TWO
HU SHUN HU SHUN
PAN JA PAN JA PAN JA PAN JA PAN JA
SWO HE
SYI SYI PAN
E MU JYA YE PAN
E BWO LA TI HE DWO PAN
PE LA BWO LA TWO PAN
E SU LA
PI TWO LA
BWO JYA PAN
SA PE TI PI BI PAN
SA PE NA CHYE BI PAN
SA PE YAU CHA BI PAN
SA PE CHYAN TA PE BI PAN
SA PE BU DAN NA BI PAN
JYA JA BU DAN NA BI PAN
SA PE TU LANG JR DI BI PAN
SA PE TU SZ BI LI
CHI SHAI DI BI PAN
SA PE SHR PE LI BI PAN
SA PE E BWO SYI MWO LI BI PAN
SA PE CHE LA PE NA BI PAN
SA PE DI DI JI BI PAN
SA PE DAN MWO TWO JI BI PAN
SA PE PI TWO YE
LA SHR JE LI BI PAN
SHE YE JYE LA
MWO DU JYE LA
SA PE LA TWO SWO TWO JI BI PAN
PI DI YE
JE LI BI PAN
JE DU LA
FU CHI NI BI PAN
BA SHE LA
JYU MWO LI
PI TWO YE
LA SHR BI PAN
MWO HE BWO LA DING YANG YI
CHI LI BI PAN
BA SHE LA SHANG JYE LA YE
BWO LA JANG CHI LA SHE YE PAN
MWO HE JWA LA YE
MWO HE MWO DAN LI JYA NA
NA MWO SWO JYE LI DWO YE PAN
BI SHAI NA BEI YE PAN
BWO LA HE MWO NI YE PAN
E CHI NI YE PAN
MWO HE JYE LI YE PAN
JYA LA TAN CHR YE PAN
MYE DAN LI YE PAN
LAU DAN LI YE PAN
JE WEN CHA YE PAN
JYE LWO LA DAN LI YE PAN
JYA BWO LI YE PAN
E DI MU JR DWO
JYA SHR MWO SHE NWO
PE SZ NI YE PAN
YAN JI JR
SA TWO PE SYE
MWO MWO YIN TU NA MWO MWO SYE
(V) TU SHAI JA JR DWO
E MWO DAN LI JR DWO
WE SHE HE LA
CHYE PE HE LA
LU DI LA HE LA
PE SWO HE LA
MWO SHE HE LA
SHE DWO HE LA
SHR BI DWO HE LA
BA LYAU YE HE LA
CHYAN TWO HE LA
BU SHR BWO HE LA
PWO LA HE LA
PE SYE HE LA
BE BWO JR DWO
TU SHAI JA JR DWO
LAU TWO LA JR DWO
YAU CHAN JYE LA HE
LA CHA SWO JYE LA SHE
BI LI DWO JYE LA HE
PI SHE JE JYE LA HE
BU DWO JYE LA HE
JYOU PAN CHA JYE LA HE
SYI CHYAN TWO JYE LA HE
WU DAN MWO TWO JYE LA HE
CHE YE JYE LA HE
E BWO SA MWO LA JYE LA HE
JAI CHYWE GE
CHA CHI NI JYE LA HE
LI FWO DI JYE LA HE
SHE MI JYA JYE LA HE
SHE JYU NI JYE LA HE
MU TWO LA
NA DI JYA JYE LA HE
E LAN PE JYE LA HE
CHYAN DU BWO NI JYE LA HE
SHR FWO LA
YIN JYA SYI JYA
JYWE DI YAU JYA
DAN LI DI YAU JYA
JE TU TWO JYA
NI TI DHR FA LA
BI SHAN MWO SHR FA LA
BWO DI JYA BI DI JYA
SHR LI SHAI MI JYA
SWO NI BWO DI JYA
SA OE SHR FA LA
SHR LU JI DI
MWO TWO PI DA LU JR CHYAN
E CHI LU CHYAN
MU CHYWE LE CHYAN
JYE LI TU LU CHYAN
JYA LA HE
JYE LAN JYE NA SHU LAN
DAN DWO SHU LAN
CHI LI YE SHU LAN
MWO MWO SHU LAN
BA LI SHR PE SHU LAN
BI LI SHAI JA SHU LAN
WU TWO LA SHU LAN
JYE JR SHU LAN
BA SYI DI SHU LAN
WU LU SHU LAN
CHANG CHYE SHU LAN
HE SYI DWO SHU LAN
BA TWO SHU LAN
SWI FANG ANG CHYE
BWO LA JANG CHYE SHU LAN
BU DWO BI DWO CHA
CHA CHI NI
SHR PE LA
TWO TU LU JYA
JYAN DU LU JI JR
PE LU DWO PI SA BWO LU
HE LING CHYE
SHU SHA DAN LA
SWO NA JYE LA
PI SHA YU JYA
E CHI NI
WU TWO JYA
MWO LA PI LA
JYAN DWO LA
E JYA LA
MI DI DU
DA LYAN BU JYA
DI LI LA JA
BI LI SHAI JR JYA
SA PE NA JYU LA
SZ YIN CHYE BI
JYE LA LI YAU CHA
DAN LA CHU
MWO LA SHR
FE DI SHAN
SWO PI SHAN
SYI DAN DWO BWO DA LA
MWO HE BA SHE LU SHAI NI SHAN
MWO HE BWO LAI JANG CHI LAN
YE BWO TU TWO
SHE YU SHE NWO
BYAN DA LI NA
PI TWO YE
PAN TAN JYA LU MI
DI SHU
PAN TAN JYA LU MI
BWO LA PI TWO
PAN TAN JYA LU MI
DWO JR TWO
NAN
E NA LI
PI SHE TI
PI LA BA SHE LA
TWO LI
PAN TWO PAN TWO NI
BA SHE LA BANG NI PAN
HU SHUN DU LU YUNG PAN
SWO PE HE

Sunday, 9 August 2009

The Legend Of Miao Shan

Today is Kuan Yin's birthday. Three days in a year devout Kuan Yin devotees celebrate the three festivals which are attributed to the life of Princess Miao Shan, the Chinese emanation of Kuan Yin. The three auspicious day in the Lunar year calendar are:

2nd Lunar Month 19th day - which marks the Day She was born
6th Lunar Month 19th day - marks the Day She entered the Nunnery

9th Lunar Month 19th day - which marks the Day She attained Enlightenment.

The legend of Kuan Yin's emanation as the sweet and virtuous Miao Shan has caught the hearts of many Chinese people that she outshines all other deities in the land, be they of Buddhist, Taoist or any other origins. To them it is common knowledge that Kuan Yin is the enlightened form of their beloved princess and therefore Kuan Yin, the Godness of Mercy, is always manifested in a female form reaching out to them.

The legend of Miao Shan goes like this:

Towards the end of the Chow Dynasty (around 3rd BC), in the Kingdom of Hsing Lin, there lived a king called Miao Chung. He had 3 daughters and they were Miao Ching, Miao Yin and Miao Shan is the youngest daughter. Before the birth of Miao Shan, Queen Po Ta had a strange dream in which she saw a heavenly pearl transforming into a fiery sun which then tumbled down and settled at her feet. When told of it, the king, in his wisdom, considered that as a celestial sign to be an excellent omen and he looked forward to having a male heir to his throne. However, to his great disappointment, a girl was born to to him. This was on the 19th day of the 2nd moon and she was named Miao Shan.

Miao Shan grew up to be a religious and virtuous girl unaffected by the attractions of worldly matters. What she yearned for was to have a quite retreat in the mountains where she could practice the perfection of her virtues. She longed to be able to bring relief to all the miserable beings on earth.

When his daughters were of marriageable age, the King found suitable husbands for them. While her sister accepted their marriages, Miao Shan steadfastly refused to marry and infuriated the father by choosing to retire to a nunnery called the White Sparrow.

Her father made several attempts to make temple-life unbearable to his fragile daughter so as to pursuade her to return to her palace.However, all his attempts failed for the little suffering was not going to deter one whose mind was set on cultivating the Buddha's path. In his anger, the King ordered that the nunnery be set on fire for such an infilial daughter deserved to be put to death. However, the fire was instandlty put out by an inundating shower which saved the lives of the princess and the few hundred nuns. The enraged King then decreed that Miao Shan be executed but the executor's sword, upon contacting the princess's neck, broke into smithereens! This so angered the King that he next order that his infilial daughter be strangled to death with a silken cord. As she was being strangled, the tutelery god appeared in the form of a great tiger, dispersed the crowd, and carried the inaniminate body into the forest.

Miao Shan's spirit descended into hell, but her sweetness and her purity of her prayers soon converted it from a place of great suffering to paradise. This alarmed the Registrar of the Living and the Dead who then hastily petitioned Yen Lo, the King of the Underworld, to order her removal declaring, "since it has been decreed that, in justice, there must be a heaven and hell, if Princess Miao Shan's soul is not sent back to the upper world, there will be no hell left, but only a heaven."

Her soul was then quickly transported back to her body which was lying under a pine tree. Upon returning to life, Buddha Amitabha appeared, and directed the princess to continue her practice of the perfection in a cave called Hsuan Ai, in the island of Pu-to.

For nine years she devoted herself to performing acts of merits and meditational practices and attained Buddhahood. It was in Pu-to Island that she acquired her two acolytes better known as Golden Youth and Jade Maiden.

In the meantime, King Miao Chung, who had displeasured the Jade Emperor, Supreme Ruler of Heaven, by his heinous crimes of burning a nunnery which nearly caused the loss of so many lives and the killing of so virtuous a maiden as Miao Shan, that the received the punishment of incurable disease, the only cure being an ointment made from the hands and eyes of a "Pu Tien Jen" or "One Who Is Never Angry". Aware of her father's plight due to her acquired spirited powers and out of compassion, Miao Shan freely despatched the healing parts of her body, which effected the recovery. In gratitude the King then sent a delegation whith his miniter to thant the kind donor only to find, to his great shock, that those precious gifts came from none other than the daughter that he killed. He was so overcome with remorce that he renounced his throne and accepted the Buddhist faith. Thus ended the legend of the "infilial" daughter who became the savour to her father, and to all mankind.

Friday, 5 December 2008

A Smiley Faced Moon

I was half way into my dinner on the first night of Dec08 when I received a call from a friend who asked me to take a look of the moon then as it looked extraordinary. As the saying goes, curiosity could kill a cat.. I walked out from the house instantly gazing at the west and east of the sky but then there was no sight of this extraordinary moon at all. Flushed in anxiety and excitements, I decided to drive out to the nearby field hunting for the moon like a treasure to unveil the mystery.

Smile..and the world will smile back at you

Hey! There you are.. a smiley faced moon. It was such a quirky phenomenon as it has never occurred to me that the moon actually smiling at the world.

Coincidentally two stars were hanging above the moon made the face looked even more comical-it looked exactly like the emotioncon-Smiley. Yet, the gentle and soft glows emitted by the moon and stars filled the air with auspicious mood and blissful energy. It was such a wondrous experience having had a chance to witness this heart-warming scene. It was indeed a celestial sign in a time of gloom and doom and when there's a lot of fear and strife in the world.

Immediately I feel like telling the whole world to catch a glimpse of this smiley faced moon. I rushed home in lightning speed to fetch my family members. However, when I returned to the field in less than 10 minutes, sadly, there was no sign of the smiley face anymore. Thick cloud has covered the moon and stars. This reminds me of the Chipsmore commercial-"now you see it, now you are not!"

That was indeed a manifestation on the theory of impermanence. Somehow we couldn't deny the fact that everything comes into beings through causes and conditions and it illusorily exists. Nothing stays forever and there is nothing that we could hold on to perpetually. Be it an object or feeling and no matter how precious it is towards us. I immediately realised that it was this feeling of disappointment that I must learn to let go of.

Impermanence is taken place every moment. It is always arising, growing and dying. The whole episode of searching for the moon, seeing the moon and seeing the moon disappeared is the manifestations on the process of impermanence. Same goes with the feelings. It was invoked and it is dying off. There was actually nothing to hold on to, be it excitement, joy, sadness or disappointment. Our ordinary eyes can't notice the process of arising and dying. But it is happening every moment. Just like our body cells, it grows, multiplies and turns into dead cells every now and then. So there is really no past or future. The most important moment is always now. Live now and be mindful to watch our speech, action and mind in order not create any unfavorable causes that warrant the unfavorable consequences.

I am so grateful to the smiley faced moon coz it was there to remind me to continue with the path of cultivation.

Metta to all...

Friday, 17 October 2008

Universal Protection Mantra

Today is Kuan Yin Pu Sa(Goddess of Mercy /Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva)'s Renunciation Day, the day that marks her entering into the nunnery. Early in the morning, there are already many devotees crowed the temples to pay homage and appeal to this Great Lord, who is the Bodhisattva of great compassion, mercy and love who wons the hearts of countless people.

By virtue of Kuan Yin's infinite power, he is capable of regarding the cries of the people whether these represent either desire or suffering, delivering them through the wisdom of skillful means, and appearing in the form suitable to those to be saved. This noble Lord is thus the "savior" who may assume the form of a Buddha, Bodhisattva, god or any other forms, either male or female, in order to fulfill his task of mercy.

One of Kuan Yin's most famous and compassionate forms is that of the "thousand-arms-thousand-eyes". In this form, Kuan Yin has eleven heads and a thousand hands, with extra eyes on the palms of each hands. Legend has it that he was contemplating the task of working for the safety and happiness of all sentient beings when his head split into a thousand pieces upon realizing the enormity of such an undertaking. Amitabha Buddha, who is Kuan Yin's spiritual father, quickly came to the rescue and restored Kuan Yin to life and also gave him this form. Thousand eyes thus symbolize the all-seeing nature of Kuan Yin's compassion while thousand arms represent the ever-present and all-compassing nature of his help.

In the Lotus Sutra (one of the most famous sutra for Mahayana Buddhist), the Buddha said that anyone who calls upon Kuan Yin will be delivered instantly from all his sufferings. By virtue of his supernatural power, he is able to save all living beings from all kinds of danger, give them what they want and preach freely by appearing in whatever form that suits the nature of the faithful. To call for Kuan Yin's help, one needs only to humbly and sincerely recite her name continuously or one may reitce her mantra of Universal Protection:
"OM MANI PADME HUM"

This is a powerful mantra. If someone with grave problems or even demonic obstructions recites the above mantra, the problem will disappear or the demon will run away. Kuan Yin's response can be instant or slightly delayed, it all depends on one's karmic influence at that moment of prayer and the intensity of faith in the calling.

Miracles of Kuan Yin answering the fervent prayers of those who called upon her name is countless. Here is the true account of happenings of which were my personal testimonial of the above mantra and Kuan Yin's mystical power:

My son was admitted to hospital 2 years ago. For convenient sake, we have requested for a single room. It was merely few minutes past 11pm. My hubby took leave after my son has fallen asleep while I stayed back to observe my son's condition over that night. As it was a private ward, the hospital had prepared another bed for the comfort of the caregiver. I wasn't quite remember if that was the ordinary hospital bed or a sofa bed. Recalling some of the creepy encounters which my friends used to talk about when sleeping on a hospital bed, ie haunted by an unwanted visitor who loves to left its weight on their chest, I have decided not to sleep flat on the bed. Instead, I have chosen to rest on my side with my head facing my son who was sleeping at another bed next to me.

I switched off the bedside lamps and left the light at the dressing table on so that I would be able to take glimpses of my son while he was asleep. Right as I was about to fall asleep, I got a sensation of a pair of hands coming from my back. Apparently, someone was giving me a rear bear hug!! The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I forced open my eyes. I knew instantly that it wasn't a dream as I was able to see my son who was sleeping at the other bed. I was also able to hear the sounds made by the nurses outside. For it was private room, the nurse station was in fact just a few steps away from the room.

Soon I realized that I couldn't move my body and head. I yelled and yanked but no sound was heard. The more I tried to struggle, the arms that grabbed around my chest got tighter and I was frantic panicked sensing that I have difficulty in breathing! In that trying moment, I recalled of Kuan Yin's great mercy and focus my mind to recite the mantra. As soon as I mentally uttered "Om Mani Padme Hum", the tight sensation around my chest snapped out almost instantly!

After this incidence, I have applied the same technique, i.e reciting this mantra in a few subsequent accounts of sleep paralysis attack and it has never failed to give me instant calmness. Since then, I have even stronger faith towards this Bodhisattva and His miraculous mantra.

It was believed that if you chant this mantra continuously and sincerely for 1,000 times, any beings surrounding you will also get the blessing and will be liberated from their present lower realm and obtain a human body. This is the benevolent selfishness, a trait that all Buddhist must practice to develop a deeper compassion from within. As we live not just for the purpose to liberate ourselves but also wellness of all beings for them to be free from this deep sea of sufferings too.

Om Mani Padme Hum!

Sunday, 31 August 2008

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (Ti Tsang P'usa)

Today is the last day of the 7th Lunar Month or popularly known amongst the Chinese society as the "Ghost Month". But many do not know that Ti Tsang P'usa's birthday also falls on the last day of this month. The Sanskrit name of Ti Tsang P'usa is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva or famously known as "P'usa" in Mandarin is a name common to all Bodhisattvas. Among the countless Bodhisattvas in the universe, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and 3 others have firmly captured the hearts of the Mahayanists. These 4 main P'usas are depicted in the Chinese Buddhist Pantheon and they represent 4 basic great qualities:

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (Kuan Shih Yin) - as Great Compassion
Manjusri Bodhisattva (Wen Shu) - as Great Wisdom
Samantavhadra Bodhisattva (Pu Hsien) - as Great Love and Perfect Activity
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (Ti Tsang) - as Great Vow to help and deliver all living beings

A Bodhisattva must have 3 principle characteristics. Firstly, to have enough wisdom to understand the real facts of the universe. Secondly, to have enough wisdom to enlighten others and thirdly, to have enough wisdom to endeavor to attain perfect Buddhahood as well as to work perseveringly to relieve the world out of its sufferings. People who have persevering energy to purify themselves as well as to lead the world to Salvation through the Noble Teachings of Lord Buddha are entitled to be called Bodhisattvas.

Ti Tsang, meaning the "Earth-Store" is a direct translation of Ksitigarbha's name from Sanskrit. First the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is compared to earth. Earth is the only place where all living beings as well as plants are born or planted. Consequently, the earth is most useful to the world.

Ti Tsang P'usa, or the Great Vow Bodhisattva has Infinite Loving Kindness and determination. His famous vow which is weightiest is: "If I do not got to the hell to help the suffering souls there, who else will go?... If the hells are not empty of sinners, I vow not to become a Buddha."

As such, he has remained in this world through different transformation and in different lives, especially in the Hell striving to relieve all sinners out of sufferings and to lead them to real liberation. This Ksitigarbha Bodhisatva is reliable to all living beings as if the earth is reliable both to the living and non-living beings. This Bodhisatva has immeasurable principles for advising people to purify themselves, both mentally and physically , as well as showing them the way of attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, this Bodhisattva is very helpful to people as if he is a safe composing of various treasures. As this Bodhisattva always remains in the Hell to convert sinners to lead a righteous llife, he is called the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. In order to promote filial love towards parents, he made various strong vows in his past lives. The stories of his past lives and his various great vows was described in the Sutra of The Past Vows Of The Earth Store Bodhisattva. This is one of the most popular Buddhist Sutras, with the tales of the great filial piety which the Bodhisattva practised that led to his illimitable vows to save all living beings. This Sutra was spoken by Sakyamuni Buddha at the end of HIS life to the beings of the Trayastrimsa Heaven as a mark of gratitude and remembrance for his beloved mother.

In this Sutra, the Buddha revealed Ksitigarbha's previous past lives when he manifested to the people of this world the virtues of a filial life through various transformation in the distant past aeons when:-

1) Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was the son of a rich man

During that time there was a Buddha with extraordinary magnificent features. The boy admired him very much and he asked the Buddha how he managed to obtain such a rare appearance. He was told that such features were the result of his endeavoring efforts in relieving the sufferings of others to lead happy lives by means of the Ethical Teachings. Upon hearing this, the son of the rich man made a strong vow that he would sacrifice himself to relieve all the sufferings of people and to fully enlighten them before he himself would attain Buddhahood.

2) When he was the daughter of a Brahman

At that time, there was a Buddha by the name of "Flower of Meditation and Enlightenment", whose mind is completely free from all delusion. During the same period, there was a girl who was the daughter of a Brahman. This lady possessed splendid graciousness that eventually she was admired and respected by everyone who came across her. Even deities were willing to be her guardians. But her evil-minded mother had a false belief in wrong conceptions. She always spoke of evil about others as well as to ridicule the Triple Jewels. Triple Jewels herewith refers to The Buddha, Dharma and Sangha which are shelter and guiding ideal of all Buddhist. Although the mother has been persuaded by her daughter to reform herself, she was very stubborn and stuck to her misconceptions. When she died, she was cast to the Hell of Relentless Suffering in which punishments continues without ceasing. Her daughter knew quite well that her mother, who did not believe in the theory of Cause and Effect, would certainly be one of the sub-humans in Hell as a result of all the sins that she had committed. In order to save her mother from the great torture of Hell, she did a lot of charitable benevolences including offering to the poor and needy. She prepared some offerings and pay respect to the above Buddha of her time. She made fervent prayers that her mother be spared of all pains of Hell and requested the Buddha for help. In order to show deep gratitude to the above Buddha, she made a strong vow that she would never become a Buddha until she could successfully reform the sinful minds of all sinners through the Ethical Teaching of the Exalted Buddha.

3) When he was a king of a small kingdom

Before the Buddha of Perfect Wisdom renounced the world, he was a king of a small country. He was a great friend of the king of his neighbourhood. Both of them practised the ten principles of righteousness. Unfortunately, the citizens of his neighbouring country always committed evil deeds. The first king made a strong vow that he would try his best to be enlightened as soon as he could so that he would be able to enlighten his citizens and lead them to Salvation. The second king made a vow that he would never become a Buddha unless he would successfully cultivate the moral progress of those sinful citizens till they could attain enlightenment This second king who vowed to bring all erring beings to Enlightenment or else he would not become a Buddha is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

4) When he was a girl by the name of "Bright-Eyes"

During this life, there was an Arhat who tried to spread the Noble Teaching of Lord Buddha. There was a girl by the name of "Bright-eyes" who made offerings to the Arhat and was asked what her wish was. Bright-eyes replied, "I did some good work on the day of my mother's death in order to relieve her out of her sufferings. I longed to know in what state my mother is now present." She told the Arhat that when her mother was alive she had committed the sin of killing lives, especially to eat roasted fried eggs of fish or tortoise and therefore had killed countless lives for food. "Compassionate One, kindly let me know how to relieve my mother," she begged the Arhat. The Arhat, out of great compassion, meditated and came to know that her mother had been casted into the Hell. The girl was advised by the Arhat to pay full respect and chant the name of the the Buddha of that time-"Buddha of the Pure Lotus Eyes" and to have an image of the Buddha to be enshrined in her home.

The girl, in her great anxiety to relieve her mother, sold her precious belongings and with money she purchased an image of the Exalted Buddha. She worshiped it with full respect. One night, she saw the Buddha and was informed that her mother would be reborn as a son by one of her servants. On accounts of all the evils that her mother had committed, that new born son would live up to the age of only 13 and would be casted into the Hell once more for further punishment. Upon hearing this, the girl was in deep sorrow as it seemed like all that she has done for her mother were still insufficient to save her from the suffering of the Hell. Upon hearing this, the girl wept bitterly again and made a strong vow in front of the image of the Buddha of Pure Lotus Eyes - that if her mother be relieved forever out of all her sufferings of the Hell, she would endeavor to relieve all sufferings sinners from the Hell before she would become a Buddha herself.

After making such a firm declaration, the Buddha of the Pure Lotus Eyes then told the girl, "You are such a filial daughter to make such a strong vow for the benefit of your mother. May your mother be born as a Brahmacarin after she passed away from this life and hence to live for hundred years and she will finally achieved Buddhahood to save many livings beings.

The young maiden has since then became an accomplished Bodhisattva through her great acts of merits and is now known as the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva/Ti Tsang P'usa.

Many people tend to relate Ti Tsang P'usa as the Mogallana who was disciple of Sakyamuni Buddha, because he too had a similar experience of descending to the Hell Realm to seek and save his mother. The stories may sound similar but they happened at different times and adopted quit different methods to save their mother. Mogallana was the one who urged people to make offerings to Buddha and Sangha on the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month to repay the kindness of their parents. This is the origin of the Ullambana Festival which was customary to all Chinese who has mistaken that as the "Ghost Festival". In fact, the seventh month is not a Ghost Month but a month of Filial Piety. Everyone are encouraged to make prayers and chanting to their present parents and parents of the past lives.

Friday, 13 June 2008

Offerings Made Out Of Faith-Kathina Day

Devotees throng temples to make merit

By LIM CHIA YING, The Star, Nov 12, 2005

THE Kathina Day is one of the most auspicious and significant occasions in the Theravada Buddhist calendar.

On this day, devotees will congregate at the temples (also known as Vihara) bearing robes and other items to be offered to the monks.

Lord Buddha once said the Kathina offering ceremony was one of the highest meritorious deeds that devotees could perform. According to his teachings, this practice of offering robes helps reduce selfishness and cravings and encourages generosity (dana) in the devotees.

And, giving generously, without being tainted by craving and pride, is a condition for the attainment of the highest spiritual goal - Nibbana, or the cessation of all sufferings.

“A temple can only hold the Kathina Day once a year. It is held after the Sangha community (a group of more than four monks together) has completed its observance of the rainy retreat (vassa).

“The rainy retreat is observed for three months, usually from July to September, during which the rainy period falls. Monks are expected to stay permanently in one Vihara to practise self-reflection and mental cultivation.

“We can go out to perform prayers, but must be back in the temple within seven days. Otherwise, we cannot be considered as observing the retreat,” said Reverend Suchinnn of the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields.

According to him, the Kathina ceremony dates back more than 2,500 years to Buddha’s time.

“Monks in those early days were poor and often did not have enough robes to clothe themselves, so they collected cloth from cemeteries as well as other unwanted material to make the robes.

“Buddha saw their plight and hence allowed for a day for people to donate cloth to these monks. The practice continues to this day, but the majority of people now offer ready-made robes, although there are still some devotees who offer cloth and sew it afterwards for the monks on Kathina Day itself.

”As for the rainy retreat, it is meant for monks not to go here and there. This time is to also to enable more people to receive merit and gain spirituality as the monks would preach and meditate in the Vihara,” said Revd Suchinnn, who hails from Sri Lanka.

He said the ceremony was held on a grander scale back in his home country.

“In Sri Lanka, people would go around villages at about 3am or 4am, holding the robes for the villagers to touch the cloth and get blessings. By dawn, the devotees would have to be the temple to offer the cloth to the monks.”

Deputy chief monk Reverend K. Dhamma Ratana said during Buddha’s time, monks had to walk for miles after heavy rains to pay their respects. It was during this time that worms would start coming out from the ground and the monks tended to step on them.

“Therefore, Buddha set aside three months for monks to observe the retreat.

“On Kathina Day itself, there’s a special Kathina robe (called Kathina Cheevera) which is offered to the most suitable monk who has observed vassa. The monk must then take it along everywhere with him for three months.

“The seniority of monks is not based on age, but on how many vassa he has observed,” said Revd Dhamma Ratana.

A typical Kathina Day, he said, would start with a procession, followed by offerings by devotees, prayers, sharing of merits with chief monk Venerable Dr K. Sri Dhammananda, and then vegetarian lunch prepared by volunteers.

Blessing service would be conducted in the evening and monks would then gather at the Sima Malaka hall to decide on whom the Kathina Cheevera should be given.

Offerings made out of faith

THE Kathina procession is usually held on Kathina eve, according to Subang Jaya Buddhist Association's Reverend U Nyanaramsi.

“A temple can choose any day within one month of the end of vassa to have its Kathina ceremony.

“Devotees should give their offerings out of faith and confidence, and monks should never ask devotees to offer them robes.

“Before giving, the devotee should feel glad at heart; in giving, the devotee’s heart should feel satisfied; and the heart should be uplifted once the dana has been performed,” said Revd U Nyanaramsi, who has observed more than 11 vassa.

The recent Kathina Day at the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association began with the taking of precepts, which touch on the five moral conducts in Buddhism, before the Sangha.

Devotees then gave their offerings - while some gave robes, others donated hampers containing necessities, like toothpaste, to the monks. The offerings were made in batches, with each batch encompassing 25 devotees who knelt down in a line before the 25 seated monks to whom they made the offerings.

It is during this time monks also cultivate closer relationship with fellow devotees.

Devotee Koay Teng Sin, who teaches Sunday classes at the association and goes to the Brickfields Buddhist Maha Vihara on Fridays to enrich his understanding of Buddhism, said his teacher, chief reverend Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, had taught him that making offerings once in a lifetime was sufficient.

“Monks need only four types of offerings: robes, food, shelter and medical aid. Robes are basically to protect them from the weather and insects.

“It may be holy making these offerings, but people must understand that the most important thing is to continuously uphold and practise the Buddhist teachings,” said Koay, who took his wife and six-year-old son to the ceremony.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You go to the below link for full write-up on Kathina

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/kathina.pdf