Buddhism How Buddha Talks About Shabad (Divine Light And Sound)?
muddymick
SPNer
- Jan 17, 2011
- 96
- 107
The meditations I was practising at the time were prescribed by Lord Buddha so I think they will qualify for the reasons of the thread.
The meditations used were Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) and Vipassana (seeing clearly)
No mental gymnastics, mantras, prayers, convoluted visualisations of any sort was used. Just observation of the mind/body.
I was away from distractions and following a strict moral, and behavioural code at the time. Just the usual injunctions of no idle words, no lying, no stealing (taking anything that is not freely given) no sexual misconduct, no taking of any drugs including any intoxicants. No fancy adornments (simple clothes and no jewellery) no high or luxuriant beds. No food after 12.00 midday (no meat or dairy).
For the first 4 days I practised anapanasati concentrating on my breath (you can find the techniques online if you want detail) I was doing this at various sittings during the day from the first at about 6.00am to the last at about 9.00 to 9.30pm. In total I was attempting to meditate for about 8 hrs a day (this was a retreat, I would not normally give so much time to it due to my other commitments) although if one could commit enough one could sit in meditation for approx 13 hrs per day at this retreat.
On the Fourth day about half way through I swapped from anapanasati to vipassana. Very soon my experience deepened. How I had been observing the body with a mixture of feeling and thought (obviously with some mental images) seemed to alter in quality!
I am sorry for my clumsiness of language. My focal attention seemed to become super deep and super stable where I could follow a very small bodily or mental formation from its birth to its death.
Each stage was seamless and deepened an already 'trans-personal or numinous experience' the sounds of my body and those outside became thunderous roars if I concentrated on them, I could pinpoint and listen to another's breath or pulse across the room and follow it, or listen to a sparrows song outside with absolute sweet clarity. With the changing of focus I could listen rapt to minute detail or listen in awe to the symphony of life...it was the greatest sound/ sounds deeper, with more texture and more emotion than any sounds had ever evoked previously.
In tandem with the sound was light. The mental images became absolutely clear and amazingly vivid. Not only could I hear the minute details of my breath or heart etc but I could see them suffused by light. The mental formations and bodily functions where there to see in vivid colours. The quality of this light was the same as the sounds, it was deeper richer, more real than previous experiences. The light that constituted my body and mental formations was suffused with this light and they seemed constituted by this light. Although I could see and focus on phenomena with discernment. I could see and feel and hear not only myself, my body, my thoughts and my emotions, but the experience was more total than that, I could also hear, and taste and feel. There was an element of Synesthesia.
I was suffused by this light and sound (I was made of light and sound) that was perfect, the absolute rightness of creation.
The process deepened where the light and sound became so all consuming that I began to feel a calm, wondrous, awe like ecstasy of love and compassion. Because the light and sound suffused all phenomena outside and in as this experience deepened the edges of what and who I am and what is not me disintegrated. Or should I say they were still there, but irrelevant as I was part and parcel of a bigger, wider, deeper experience that was made from light and sound and feeling. For me I experienced creation directly not through the filter of self and other. An integrated experience!
The universe I could see was constituted of sound and light vibrating in harmony and changing, ever changing.
Suffice to say I was in this experience (I don't have a clue how long) I slowly by degree became aware of a more mundane experience, but still suffused by light and deeper including sounds. I got up from my meditation cushions and walked into the garden.....I realised tears must have been streaming down my face. I looked around listening to the wind in the trees, my heart beating, the birds singing and somewhere in the distance the traffic whizzing along. I looked with fresh eyes in wonderment and love for all I was seeing and drank in its beautiful expression through sound and light. I was no longer in a deep absorption. But colours and sound were perfect and real and an expression of profound rightness and love. That I was an intrinsic experiential part of. Then I ate an apple..................and it was very tasty.
The meditations used were Anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) and Vipassana (seeing clearly)
No mental gymnastics, mantras, prayers, convoluted visualisations of any sort was used. Just observation of the mind/body.
I was away from distractions and following a strict moral, and behavioural code at the time. Just the usual injunctions of no idle words, no lying, no stealing (taking anything that is not freely given) no sexual misconduct, no taking of any drugs including any intoxicants. No fancy adornments (simple clothes and no jewellery) no high or luxuriant beds. No food after 12.00 midday (no meat or dairy).
For the first 4 days I practised anapanasati concentrating on my breath (you can find the techniques online if you want detail) I was doing this at various sittings during the day from the first at about 6.00am to the last at about 9.00 to 9.30pm. In total I was attempting to meditate for about 8 hrs a day (this was a retreat, I would not normally give so much time to it due to my other commitments) although if one could commit enough one could sit in meditation for approx 13 hrs per day at this retreat.
On the Fourth day about half way through I swapped from anapanasati to vipassana. Very soon my experience deepened. How I had been observing the body with a mixture of feeling and thought (obviously with some mental images) seemed to alter in quality!
I am sorry for my clumsiness of language. My focal attention seemed to become super deep and super stable where I could follow a very small bodily or mental formation from its birth to its death.
Each stage was seamless and deepened an already 'trans-personal or numinous experience' the sounds of my body and those outside became thunderous roars if I concentrated on them, I could pinpoint and listen to another's breath or pulse across the room and follow it, or listen to a sparrows song outside with absolute sweet clarity. With the changing of focus I could listen rapt to minute detail or listen in awe to the symphony of life...it was the greatest sound/ sounds deeper, with more texture and more emotion than any sounds had ever evoked previously.
In tandem with the sound was light. The mental images became absolutely clear and amazingly vivid. Not only could I hear the minute details of my breath or heart etc but I could see them suffused by light. The mental formations and bodily functions where there to see in vivid colours. The quality of this light was the same as the sounds, it was deeper richer, more real than previous experiences. The light that constituted my body and mental formations was suffused with this light and they seemed constituted by this light. Although I could see and focus on phenomena with discernment. I could see and feel and hear not only myself, my body, my thoughts and my emotions, but the experience was more total than that, I could also hear, and taste and feel. There was an element of Synesthesia.
I was suffused by this light and sound (I was made of light and sound) that was perfect, the absolute rightness of creation.
The process deepened where the light and sound became so all consuming that I began to feel a calm, wondrous, awe like ecstasy of love and compassion. Because the light and sound suffused all phenomena outside and in as this experience deepened the edges of what and who I am and what is not me disintegrated. Or should I say they were still there, but irrelevant as I was part and parcel of a bigger, wider, deeper experience that was made from light and sound and feeling. For me I experienced creation directly not through the filter of self and other. An integrated experience!
The universe I could see was constituted of sound and light vibrating in harmony and changing, ever changing.
Suffice to say I was in this experience (I don't have a clue how long) I slowly by degree became aware of a more mundane experience, but still suffused by light and deeper including sounds. I got up from my meditation cushions and walked into the garden.....I realised tears must have been streaming down my face. I looked around listening to the wind in the trees, my heart beating, the birds singing and somewhere in the distance the traffic whizzing along. I looked with fresh eyes in wonderment and love for all I was seeing and drank in its beautiful expression through sound and light. I was no longer in a deep absorption. But colours and sound were perfect and real and an expression of profound rightness and love. That I was an intrinsic experiential part of. Then I ate an apple..................and it was very tasty.
- Jan 31, 2011
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Mickji
You really are a strange one, you call yourself a Buddhist, yet you have chastised yourself according to a quote from the SGGS.
The truth of the matter is that I do see the snake, although my heart knows it to be a rope, please, there is no need for an apology, if I apologised everytime what I preached was not reflected in my actions, I could well be busy for some time.
muddymick
SPNer
- Jan 17, 2011
- 96
- 107
Harry Ji,
Thanks!
I have deep respect For the Guru Granth Sahib ji.
Buddhist is just a label and not one I really care about that much. I know numerous Buddhists who give me the screaming ab-dabs and some thoroughly nice Jews.
I don't think what people claim to believe in can make them good or bad, it's their actions that do that.
:happysingh:
Thanks!
I have deep respect For the Guru Granth Sahib ji.
Buddhist is just a label and not one I really care about that much. I know numerous Buddhists who give me the screaming ab-dabs and some thoroughly nice Jews.
I don't think what people claim to believe in can make them good or bad, it's their actions that do that.
:happysingh:
- Jan 3, 2010
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Salvation According to Buddhism
Buddhist scriptures have extensive details of the process of salvation. "The Path of Sudden Attainment"http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/file:...rewal (G.G.S.)/11. Sabd as Salvager.doc#_edn1 gives out the method, purpose and nature of Enlightenment by sudden apprehension. Its purpose is to reach a state where thought is absent. Its scope lies in not allowing oneself to be moved by any form of allurement. Its nature is stillness and its activating agent is wisdom. Buddha Wisdom is the Absolute Void and Stillness, Perfect and Unwavering Brilliance.
Spiritual Experiences of Highest Bodhisattvas - The Surangama Sutra[ii] gives out experiences of highest Boddhisttvas. The description of attainment of salvation has been well described in the book[iii]:
‘The blessed Lord, sitting upon his throne in the midst of the Tathagatas and highest Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas from all the Buddha-lands, manifested his Transcendent Glory surpassing them all. From his hands and feet and body radiated supernal beams of light that rested upon the crowns of each Tathagata, Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, and Prince of the Dharma; in all the ten quarters of the universes, went forth rays of glorious brightness that converged upon the crown of the Lord Buddha and upon the crowns of all the Tathagatas, Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas and Arhats present in the assembly. At the same time all the trees of the Jeta Park, and all the waves lapping on the shores of its lakes, were singing with the music of the Dharma, and all the intersecting rays of brightness were like a net of splendor set with jewels and over-reaching them all. Such a marvelous sight had never been imagined and held them all in silence and awe. Unwittingly, they passed into the blissful peace of the Diamond Samadhi and upon them all, there fell like a gentle rain, the soft petals of many different colored lotus blossoms – blue, and crimson, yellow and white - all blending together and being reflected into the open space of heaven in all the tints of the spectrum. Moreover, all the differentiations of mountains and seas and rivers and forests of the Saha World blended into one another and faded away leaving only the flower - adorned unity of the Primal Cosmos, not dead and inert but alive with rhythmic life and light, vibrant with transcendental sound of songs and rhymes, melodiously rising and falling and merging, and then fading away into silence.
.........So it is with the six sense organs, which are fundamentally dependent upon one unifying and enlightening spirit, but which by ignorance have become divided into six semi-independent compositions and conformities. Should one organ become emancipated and return to its originality, so closely are they united in their fundamental originality, that all the organs would cease their activities also. And all worldly impurities will be purified by a single thought and you will attain to the wonderful purity of perfect Enlightenment. Should there remain some minute contamination of ignorance, you should practice the more earnestly until you attain to perfect Enlightenment, that is, to the Enlightenment of a Tathagata.
‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’[iv]has following on record: ‘O nobly-born, when thy body and mind were separating, thou must have experienced a glimpse of the Pure Truth, subtle, sparkling, bright, dazzling, glorious, and radiantly awesome, in appearance like a mirage moving across a landscape in springtime in one continuous stream of vibrations. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor awed. That is the radiance of yours own true nature. Recognize it. From the midst of that radiance, the natural sound of Reality, reverberating like a thousand thunders simultaneously sounding, will come. That is the natural sound of yours own real self. Be not daunted thereby, nor terrified, nor awed.
O nobly-born, five-colored radiances . . . vibrating and dazzling like colored threads, flashing, radiant, and transparent, glorious and awe-inspiring, will . . . strike against thy heart, so bright that the eye cannot bear to look upon them. . . . Be not afraid of that brilliant radiance of five colors, nor terrified; but know that Wisdom to be yours own.
Within those radiances, the natural sound of the Truth will reverberate like a thousand thunders. The sound will come with a rolling reverberation . . Fear not. Flee not. Be not
terrified. Know them (i.e., these sounds) to be (of) . ..thine own inner light.(Page 129)’
“My Experience in Meditation"[v] has the following record:‘...From this time I discontinued my old routine of meditation; this was from 1908 to 1914. When the European War broke out, I began to doubt Western theory and my own power to save the world with Buddhist teaching. I felt it was a sheer waste of time, if I did any more of what I had done. So I went to "Po-To" island, where I secluded myself in a monastery to develop further spiritual advancement.
After two or three months of seclusion, one night when I was meditating, my mind became calmer. I heard the sound of a bell from a neighboring temple. It seems that my chain of thoughts was broken by that sound and I sank into a state of something like a trance, without knowing anything until early next dawn, when I heard the sound of the matin bell and I regained my sense of knowing. At first, I only felt that a light melted into me. There was no distinction of self and other things and of what was inside and what was outside.
After this experience, I continued my life of reading sutras, writing books and meditating, for about one year, and after that one year, I chiefly engaged myself in studying the books of the VijnanaSchool. I especially paid attention to the Records on Wei Shi (Vijnana). Here I once more experienced another trance-like state. I was reading for several times repeatedly a certain paragraph of the said Records, explaining that both conditional things and the Truth are devoid of the substance of Self. I entered the trance-like meditation. This time it was different from the former two; I perceived in it that all things which exist on conditions had their deep and subtle order, minutely arranged without the slightest confusion. This kind of comprehension I can produce now whenever I desire.
The third experience showed me the truth of cause and effect, which appear to be so on account of our consciousness. It is true; the law of cause and effect has its natural way without disorder.
After each of these three experiences, there was some change physically and mentally, and I also happened to have some presage of divyachaksus (clarvoyance), divya-srota (clairaudience) and parachitta-gyana (thought reading).
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/file:...al (G.G.S.)/11. Sabd as Salvager.doc#_ednref1 A scripture of Mahayana Buddhism written by Hui Hai and translated by John Blofield, London.
[ii] A Buddhist Bible edited by Dwight Goddard, and published by E. P. Dutton & Co
[iii] ibid
[iv] Bardo Thodol, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, edited by Dr. W. Y. Evans-Wentz, London, 1957, P.104.
[v] My Experience in Meditation by Tai Hsu a Chinese Buddhist monk, translated by Bhikku Assaji
- Jan 3, 2010
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Power of the Word as scientifically tested
The power of the word is immense. Here we have an experiment recorded by a researcher Masaroo Emoto. “During the process of sampling and photographing different kinds of water, it seemed to me that the quality of the ice-crystals depended on more than just whether it was natural or tap water. I came up with a hypothesis: "Water shows different shapes of
ice crystals depending on the information it has received." I was certain that the difference in ice-crystal formation was not due solely to the presence or absence of chlorine but to the other information affecting it.To test this, I put the water into two glass bottles. On one bottle, I pasted a label typed, "Thank you," and on the other, "You fool," in such a way that water would be able to "read" them. The water in both bottles was the same. I then froze the water in each bottle.
The results were more than supportive of my theory; the water in the bottle with "Thank you" formed beautiful hexagonal crystals, while the one with "You fool" had only fragments of crystals.
If water collects information and its crystals reflect those characteristics, it means that the quality of water changes based on the information it receives. In other words, the information we give water changes its quality.
I was more motivated than ever to study water, and at the same time, I started to think about how people would be able to become happy with good water. As this experiment convinced me that my theory was correct, we then began to give water various information, freeze it, and photograph the crystals. The results were interesting.
We consistently found that water responded to positive words by forming beautiful crystals. As if it wanted to express its joyous feeling, the crystals opened up like a flower. In contrast, when the water was shown negative words, it did not form crystals.
For example, when we showed water the word "happiness," it formed crystals with well-balanced shapes like beautifully cut diamonds. On the other hand, water exposed to the word "unhappiness" resulted in broken and unbalanced crystals. That water seemed to have tried hard to form crystals, but it exhausted its strength and crashed, happiness slipping away from it.
We continued to show a pair of opposite words to the same water, "well done" versus "no good," "like" versus "dislike," "power" versus "powerlessness," "angel" versus "devil," and "peace" versus "war." Water formed crystals only when it was shown the positive words.
Interestingly, water responded to foreign words in a similar but not exact manner as it did to Japanese words. Water formed beautiful crystals to all the words expressing gratitude all over the world, such as thank you (English), duoxie (Chinese), merci (French), danke (German), grazie (Italian), and kamusamunida (Korean).
Water seems to correctly understand the essence of what it was shown -- in this case, the feeling of gratitude -- and take the information in. Water didn't recognize the word it saw as a simple design; rather it understood the meaning of it. When water realized that the word contained good information, it formed crystals. Perhaps water is also capable of sensing the heart of the person who wrote the word.
As we were exposing water to lots of words and taking photographs of the resulting crystals, my eyes were glued to one photo, more beautiful than any other water crystal pictures I had seen. I was fascinated by its beauty.
The crystal was opened up as strongly as if a fully blossoming flower. It was as if the water was stretching its hands fully expressing its joy. The words we had shown the water were, "love and gratitude." Since then we have talked to water with many kind words, showed it beautiful pictures, and played wonderful healing music, but we have never again been able to take water-crystal pictures as beautiful as the one that resulted from showing water the words, "love and gratitude." To water, the words "love and gratitude" must be the best information.
The power of words is related to the fundamental force commonly known as energy, shakti, chi etc. variedly. As the energy of the universe is unfathomable so is the power of the word which is beyond words.
S. Barber, Conscious Water: Power of Prayer Made Visible, Masaroo Emto, Spirit of Maat from (“Messages from Water” is a photo collection that was originally published in 1999), Aug 1, 2000
- Jan 19, 2014
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When the Buddhist sutras discuss light, I believe it to be a figurative reference to enlightenment. Where there was darkness (ignorance), now there is light (understanding). This understanding was imparted through experience, by which the Buddha came to "know" this understanding within his being.
Gurbani speaks of a similar thing in regards to the Shabadh Guru. This "sound" is what "tunes you in" to your not so unique place within the cosmos. It is an experience of Oneness. The sound is not something literally to be heard, nor is light something literally to be seen. You are that sound and light which you speak of. To be in a state of Sunniyeh (listening) is to be receptive, empty and quiet. To reverberate with your surroundings is to understand the message of the Shabadh Guru.
Guru = Gu + Ru
The Guru takes you from Gu (darkness) to Ru (light).
This Ru (light) is within you. It is used to refer to the soul (aatma), which is a part of the supreme soul (paramaatma).
- Jan 3, 2010
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The real state of salvation in Buddhism is described below as can be found from the spritual exeperiences
Spiritual experiences of Mahasattvas and great Arhatsa
Bodhisttva enquired from Mahasattvas and great Arhats:Which one of the spheres first became thoroughly enlightened, by means of which you attained the Samadhi?" …..
Then Maha-Kasyapa with Bhikshuni Suvarna and other nuns of his spiritual family, rose from their seats and bowed down to the Lord Buddha saying: “Blessed Lord! In previous Kalpas when Buddha Kandrasuryapradipa was living, I served him faithfully and listened to his teaching and practiced it faithfully. After he passed into Nirvana, I continued to make offerings to his sacred relics and kept his image freshly gilded, so that his teaching, like a lamp, continued to illumine my life by its brightness. By my faithful reverence for his relics and his image, my mind was illumined by a purple-golden brightness that reflected itself in all my following lives and became a permanent purple-golden brightness with my body.”
Next rose Sariputra from his seat. Bowing down before the Lord Buddha he said: “Blessed Lord! Since many Kalpas, as many as the sands of the Ganges, my mind has continued its purity and because of it, there have been many pure rebirths. As soon as my eyes perceived the differences in the ever-flowing process of changes, both in the world and in the Way of Emancipation, my mind immediately understood them and, because of it, I acquired the attainment of perfect freedom. When I was on the road one day, I met the brother Kasyapa who kindly explained the principle of the Lord's teaching that everything rose from causes and conditions and, therefore, was empty and transitory, and I realized the infinitude of Pure Mind Essence. From that time, I followed my Lord and my perception of mental sight became transcendental and perfectly enlightened, so that I instantly acquired an attainment of great fearlessness and confidence. Because of it I attained to the degree of Arhat and became, in fact, the first Prince of my Lord Buddha, begotten by the Lord's true words and nourished and transformed by his intrinsic Dharma. In reply to my Lord's enquiry as to our first experience of attainment, I would answer that my first thorough accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through the sense-organs, was by reason of the transcendent brightness within my own mind whose shining beams illuminated my intelligence and reached as far as my insight could penetrate. . . .”
Then rose Samantabhadra from his seat and bowing down to the Lord, said: “I became a Prince of my Lord's Dharma many long Kalpas ago, and all of the innumerable Tathagatas of the ten quarters of the Universe, taught their disciples, who had the qualifications for becoming Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, to practice the devotion of Samantabhadra's unceasing compassion for all sentient beings for his name's sake. The transcendental and intrinsic hearing of my Essential Mind became very pure and transparent, so that I could use it to discriminate the understanding and ideas of all sentient beings. Should there be any sentient beings in whatever quarter of the Universe - past, present or future - to develop the devotion of Samantabhadra unceasing compassion within his mind, I would become aware of its vibrations through the transcendental sensitiveness of my hearing and I would thereupon ride to them on the mysterious elephant of six tusks, in a hundred thousand different manifestations of my likeness, at the same time, to attend upon them each in his own place. Whatever might be his hindrances, however deep or serious, able to appreciate my presence or not, I would be near him to lay my hand upon his head, to give him encouragement and support, peacefulness and comfort, so that he might accomplish his supreme attainment. As my Lord has enquired of us as to our first attainment of accommodating our eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with sense-objects through our sense organs, I would say that in my case it was through the intrinsic hearing of my Essential Mind and its spontaneous understanding and response.”
Then Purna Metaluniputra rose from his seat and bowed down to the feet of the Lord Buddha, saying: “Blessed Lord! For an infinity of Kalpas, I have had great freedom in preaching the Dharmas of emptiness and suffering and because of it have realized my own Essence of Mind. In the course of my preaching, I have interpreted profoundly and wonderfully the many Dharma Doors, with great confidence and with no feeling of fear, everywhere, and before great assemblies. Because of my eloquence, my Lord has encouraged me to make use of it in propagating the Dharma by means of the wheel of my voice. Since these ancient days, since the Lord has been among us, I have offered my services in turning the Dharma wheel, and have lately attained to the degree of Arhat by means of the development of my hearing, by reason of which I am conscious of the Transcendental Sound of the Dharma reverberating like the roar of a lion. Consequently, my Lord has honored me by regarding me as the greatest preacher of his Mysterious Dharma. As my Lord has enquired of us which was our earliest accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through sense organs, I would answer that my first thorough accommodation of mentation was the subjugation of my internal attachment and enemies and the extermination of all intoxicants by means of the Intrinsic Sound of the Mysterious Dharma.”
Then the great Maudgalyana rose from his seat and bowed to the Lord Buddha, saying: “Blessed Lord! When I was begging on the road, I met the three Kasyapa brothers who taught me the Lord Tathagata's profound principle of causes and conditions. I was greatly influenced by the teaching and very soon acquired and realized particularly clear intelligence. My Lord was so kind as to bestow on me the true robe for my true body, my beard and head were shaved and I became a follower of my Lord. Since then my transcendental powers have become wonderfully developed, I have made visits to all the ten quarters of the Universe, without hindrance by space, passing instantly from one Buddha-land to another without being conscious of how it was done. I thus attained the degree of Arhat and was accounted by all and by my Lord Tathagata as being highest among the disciples in perfect enlightenment, great purity of mind, spontaneity and fearlessness in manifestation of transcendental powers. As my Lord has inquired of us which was our most perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through the sense organs, I would answer that my first perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation was my mind becoming abstracted in tranquil reflection that mysteriously developed its enlightening brightness, as if my mind that had been a muddy stream had suddenly become clear and transparent like a crystal ball.”
Then the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Akshobya rose from his seat and bowed to the feet of the Lord Buddha, saying: “Blessed Lord! My Lord Tathagata and I had already acquired a transcendental body of infinitude at the time, long ago during the advent of the Buddha Camatha-prabasha. At that time, I had in possession four precious pearls having the transcendental penetrating power of the Element of Fire, by reason of which everything was luminously clear to my intuitive insight, even to the farthermost Buddha-lands of the most remote Universe. In the light of these magic pearls everything became as empty and transparent as Pure Space. Moreover, within my mind, there manifested a great mirror that was marvelously self illuminating that radiated ten kinds of wonderful, glorious, far-reaching rays as the infinitude of all-embracing space. In this marvelous mirror were reflected all the royal continents of the Blessed, and like the mingling of different-colored lights, merged with my body into pure brightness and clarity of infinite space, there being no hindrance to their entrance or passing. By this magical power, I was able to enter into all the Buddha-lands and engage in all their Buddha-services of adoration with great ease and perfect accommodation. This transcendental power was due to my deep intuitive insight into the source of the Four Great Elements, by reason of which I was able to see that they were nothing but the appearing and disappearing of false imaginations, which were intrinsically as empty as pure space and with no more differentiation as pure space. And I realized that all the innumerable Buddha-lands within and without the mind were of the same inconceivable purity. From this intuitive insight I consequently acquired the Samadhi of perseverance of non-rebirth. As my Lord has enquired of us which was our most thorough accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through the sense organs, I would answer that in my case it was through my perfect intuitive insight into the infinity of open space as illumined by the Element of Fire, and by that power I attained to the highest Samadhi and the transcendental power of Samapatti.”
Then the Prince of the Lord's Dharma, Vejuria rose from his seat and bowed down to the feet of the Lord Buddha and said: “Blessed Lord! I recall that many, many Kalpas ago there appeared in the world a Buddha called Amitayus, teaching all Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas the intuitive and essential nature of the wonderful Essence of Mind, and urging them to concentrate their minds on the essential sameness of Samsara World, and all sentient beings in it, that they were all alike manifestations of the Element of Wind (or Ether) and its rhythmic-vibrations revealing and manifesting all else. In my practice of Dhyana, I concentrated on this and reflected on how the great world was upheld in space, on how the great world was kept in perpetual motion, on how my body was kept in motion, moving and standing, on the rhythmic vibration of its life established and maintained by breathing, upon the movement of the mind, thoughts rising and passing. I reflected upon these various things and marvelled at their great sameness without any difference save in the rate of vibration. I realized that the nature of these vibrations had neither any source for their coming nor destination for their going, and that all sentient beings, as numerous as the infinitesimal particles of dust in the vast spaces, were each in his own way topsy-turvy balanced vibrations, and that each and every one was obsessed with the illusion that he was a unique creation. All sentient beings, in all the three thousand Great Chillicosms are obsessed with this hallucination. They are like innumerable mosquitos shut up in a vessel and buzzing about in wildest confusion. Sometimes, they are roused to madness and pandemonium by the narrow limits of their confinement. After meeting my Lord Buddha, I attained to a state of intuitive realization and non-rebirth perseverance, whereupon my mind became enlightened and I was able to view the Buddha-land of Immovability in the Eastern Heavens, which is the Pure Landof Buddha Amitayus. I was acknowledged as a Prince of the Lord's Dharma and vowed to serve all Buddhas everywhere, and because of my enlightenment and great vow my body and mind became perfectly rhythmic and alive and sparkling, mingling with all other vibrations without hindrance to its perfect freedom. As my Lord has enquired of us as to which was our first thoroughly perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through the sense-organs, I will say that in my case it was through my intuitive insight into the nature of the Element of Ether, and how by its balanced and rhythmic vibrations everything was embraced in perfect purity in the Enlightening Mind, and how concentrating my mind upon it I attained Samadhi and in that Samadhi I realized the perfect oneness of all the Buddhas in the purity of the Wonderful Mind Essence, that is the Bliss-body of Buddhahood . . .”
Then Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Maitreya rose from his seat and bowing down to the Lord Buddha, said: “Blessed Lord! I recall that many, many Kalpas ago there was a Buddha appeared in this world called Chandra-suryapradipa-prabasha whom I followed as his disciple. At the time I was inclined to the worldly life and liked to associate with the nobility. The Lord Buddha, noticing it, instructed me to practice meditation, concentrating my mind on its consciousness. I followed his instructions and attained Samadhi. Since then I have served numberless other Buddhas using this same method, and by it have now discarded all desire for worldly pleasures. By the time Buddha Dipankara appeared in the world, gradually I had attained to the supreme, wonderful, perfect Samadhi or Transcendental Consciousness. By this highest Samadhi I was conscious of infinite space, and realized that all of the Tathagata-lands whether pure or impure, existent or non-existent were nothing but the manifestation of my own mind. My Lord! because of my perfect realization that all such skillful devices of the Tathagatas were nothing but evolvements of my own mental consciousness, the essential nature of my consciousness flowed out in innumerable manifestations of Tathagatas, and I came to be selected as the next Coming Buddha, after my Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. As my Lord has enquired of us as to our first perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through the sense organs, I answer that my first perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation was by my perfect realization that all the ten quarters of the Universes were nothing but activities of my own consciousness. It was by that that my consciousness became perfectly enlightened and that the limits of my mind dissolved until it embraced all Reality forsaking all prejudices of conditional and unconditional assertions and denials, I acquired perfect non-birth perseverance.”
Then Maha-sthama-prapta, Prince of the Lord's Dharma, rose from his seat and bowed down to the feet of the Lord Buddha, together with the fifty-two members of his Brotherhood of Bodhisattva-Mahasattvas, and said: “Blessed Lord! I recall that in a past Kalpa long ago, as many Kalpas ago as there are grains of sand in the river Ganges, there appeared in this world a Buddha, called Amitabha-prabhasa Buddha, whose Buddha-land was in the Eastern Heavens. In that Kalpa there were twelve Tathagatas following each other in close succession, the last one being called Buddha-Chandra-surya-gomin, who taught me to practice meditation upon the name of Amitabha, saying: Namo Amitabha-Buddhaya. The value of this practice lay in this: so long as one practices his own method and other practices a different method, they balance of each other and meeting, it is just the same as not meeting. If two persons practice the same method, their mindfulness would become deeper and deeper and they would remember each other and develop affinities for each other life after life. It is the same with those who practice concentration on the name of Amitabha - they develop within their minds Amitabha's spirit of compassion toward all sentient life. Moreover, whoever recites the name of Amitabha Buddha, whether in the present time or in the future time, will surely see the Buddha Amitabha and never become separated from him. By reason of that association, just as one associating with a maker of perfumes became permeated with the same perfumes, so he will become perfumed by Amitabha's compassion, and will become enlightened without any other expedient means.
Blessed Lord! My devotion to reciting the name of Amitabha had no other purpose than to return to my original nature of purity and by it I attained to the state of non-rebirth perseverance. Now in this life, I have vowed to teach my disciples to concentrate their minds by means of reciting the name of Amitabha (Namo-Amitabha-Buddhaya) and also I teach them to wish to be born in his Land of Purityand to make that their only Refuge.
As my Lord has asked us which is our first perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through sense organs, I answer that my first perfect accommodation of the eighteen spheres of mentation was that I recognized no separation or differences among my six senses, but merged them into one transcendental sense from which arises the purity of Transcendental Wisdom, by reason of which I attained highest Samadhi and the graces of Samapatti.”
Then the Bodhisattva-Mahasattva Avalokiteshvara rose from his seat and bowing down to the Lord Buddha said: “Blessed Lord! I recall that ages ago, as numerous as the sands of the river Ganges, that there was present in the world a Buddha, called Avalokiteshvara, by whose instruction I was encouraged to begin seeking enlightenment. I was taught to begin practicing by concentrating my mind on the true nature of Transcendental Hearing, and by that practice I attained Samadhi. As soon as I had advanced to the stage of Entering the Stream, I determined to discard all thoughts discriminating as to where I was or had been. Later I discarded the conception of advancing altogether, and the thought of either activity or quietness in this connection did not again arise in my mind. Continuing my practice, I gradually advanced until all discrimination of the hearing nature of my self-hood and of the Intrinsic Transcendental Hearing was discarded. As there ceased to be any grasping in my mind for the attainment of Intrinsic Hearing, the conception of enlightenment and enlightened nature were all absent from my mind. When this state of perfect Emptiness of Mind was attained, all arbitrary conceptions of attaining to Emptiness of Mind and of enlightened nature, were discarded. As soon as all arbitrary conceptions of rising and disappearing of thoughts were completely discarded, the state of Nirvana was clearly realized. Then all of a sudden, my mind became transcendental to both celestial and terrestrial world, and there was nothing in all the ten quarters but empty space, and in that state I acquired two wonderful transcendencies. The first was a "Transcendental Consciousness" that my mind was in perfect conformity with the Essential, Mysterious Enlightening Mind, of all the Buddhas in all the ten quarters, and also it was in like perfect conformity with the Great Heart of Compassion of all the Buddhas. The second transcendency was that my mind was in perfect conformity with the minds of all sentient beings of the six Realms and felt with them the same earnestness and longing for deliverance.
Blessed Lord! Because of my adoration for that Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, he taught me how to attain the Diamond Samadhi by the single method of concentrating my mind upon Transcendental Hearing. And, moreover, he helped me to attain the same compassionate capacity that all the Tathagatas had, by reason of which I attained the thirty-two kinds of transformations that are instantaneously available in response to the prayer for deliverance from any part of the world at any time.
These transformations have all been attained and exercised with perfect freedom and spontaneity in the mysterious Diamond Samadhi which I attained by concentrating my mind in the practice of Dhyana on the nature of Transcendental Hearing.
Blessed Lord! I have also, because of the mysterious powers that accompany the Diamond Samadhi, and because of my being in perfect conformity and with the same earnestness and longing for deliverance with all sentient beings, in the Six Realms of all the ten quarters of all the universes, past, present and future, been able to bestow upon all sentient beings the same Fourteen kinds of Fearlessness, which animate my own mind . .
As my attainment to the original nature of perfect accommodations is wonderfully developed from the hearing organ to include all the sense-organs and discriminating mind, my body and mind profoundly and mysteriously embrace all the phenomenal world, so that if any disciple should recite my name, his blessing and merit would be like and equal to that of any Prince of the Lord's Dharma, whether he uses the same name or some other name. Blessed Lord! The reason why their merit is like and equal for one to recite my name, and for another to recite some other name, is because of my practice of Dhyana by which I acquired the True and Perfect accommodation.
Blessed Lord! this is what is meant by the Fourteen kinds of Fearlessness of Powers of Deliverance which bring blessing to all sentient beings. But in addition to the acquirement of perfect accommodation by means of my attainment of Supreme Enlightenment, I have also acquired another Four kinds of inconceivable, wonderful Transcendencies of Spontaneity.
The First is as it is, because when I first attained to my Transcendental Hearing, my mind became abstracted into its essential nature, and all the natural powers of hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, touching and understanding attained to a state of pure, glorious, enlightenment of perfect mutuality and accommodation in one perfect unity of Awareness. Because of this, I have acquired this great Transcendental Freedom, so that when I give deliverance to sentient beings, I can transform myself into wonderful appearances . . .
Sometimes I appear in a form of kindness, or in a form of justice, or in a state of concentration, or in a state of intelligence. But in all I do it for the sake of deliverance and protecting of sentient beings so that they might acquire a like Great Freedom.
The Second inconceivable, wonderful Transcendency of Spontaneity is as it is because of my emancipation of hearing and thinking from the contaminations of the six sense-objects. It is as if sound were passing through walls without any hindrance. Thus I can skillfully transform into different kinds of appearances and recite different Dharanis, and can transform these appearances and recitation of Dharanis, to give the Transcendental Power of Fearlessness to sentient beings. Thus in all the countries of the ten quarters, I am known as the Giver of Transcendental Power of Fearlessness.
The Third inconceivable, wonderful Transcendency of Spontaneity is as it is, because of my practice upon the pure, original Essence of perfect accommodation, so that wherever I go, I lead sentient beings to willingness to sacrifice their lives and valuable possessions in order to pray for my compassion and mercy.
The Fourth inconceivable, wonderful Transcendency of Spontaneity is as it is, because of my acquirement of the Buddha's Intrinsic Mind and because of my attainment of the supremacy so that I can give all different kinds of offerings to all of the Tathagatas of all the ten quarters of the universes.
As my Lord has enquired of us as to what was our first perfect accommodation, of the eighteen spheres of mentation in contact with objects through the sense-organs, I answer that my first perfect accommodation was, when I attained to the state of perfectly accommodating reflection of Samadhi by means of my Intrinsic Hearing and Transcendental Mental Freedom from objective contaminations, so that my mind became abstracted and absorbed into the Divine Stream, and thus acquired the Diamond Samadhi and attained Enlightenment.
Blessed Lord! in those far off days, my Lord, the Buddha Avalokiteshvara, praised me for my skillful acquirement of the all-accommodating Door of Dharma, and in one of his great Assemblies, he announced that I, too, should be called Avalokiteshvara, "The hearer and answerer of Prayer," the Bodhisattva of Tenderest Compassion. As such, my Transcendental Hearing reaches to the ten quarters of all the universes, and the name of Avalokiteshvara prevails over all the extremes of human suffering and danger.
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