“Furthermore, Subhuti! If any person at any place teaches even only the four-line verse of this sutra, then all the worldly, celestial, human, and asura beings will make offerings to the place in the same way as to the buddhas, stupas, and temples—especially if the person can completely uphold and recite it.
“Subhuti! Know that this is the first and foremost, unexcelled, and rare dharma to allow one to reach attainment. Where there is this sutra, there is a buddha, and also respectful disciples.”
We respect the embodiment of the buddhas’ body
in images: statues, paintings, symbols, and more.
We respect the buddhas’ speech
as the dharma teachings recorded in the sutras.
And we respect the buddhas’ mind
as represented by the sariras inside stupas.
We should respect all deities and sentient beings alike:
the buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, humans, and even ghosts.
November 14, 2021
Now let us move on to chapter twelve—Revering the Right Teaching. This chapter is very easy to explain. Do you know that I respect all the images of the buddhas and bodhisattvas? Whether they are paintings, images, or statues made of wood, clay, ceramics, or metals, I join my palms, pay homage, and greet them.
I enshrine numerous images of the buddhas and bodhisattvas at home and at the Tantric Quarters. Sometimes, when there are too many deities on the altar, I call upon the main deity at the center. When I see Guru Rinpoche—Dorje Drolo—I pay homage to Dorje Drolo and all the deities at this altar! Then I pay homage to High King Avalokitesvara and surrounding deities! Homage to Golden Mother and all deities! Homage to all the lineage gurus! Homage to all the Kumaras! Homage to Amitabha Buddha! Whenever I am near them, I pay homage.
On my headboard I have the Tiger Head Vajra and Golden Mother. Every morning when I wake up, I say, “Good morning, Golden Mother! Good morning, Tiger Head Vajra!” Then I turn around and greet Yeshe Tsogyal, “Good morning!” Then I say to [another] Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond, “Good morning!” On another altar, there is Guru Rinpoche at the top, Acala at the bottom, Amitabha on the right, Vajrasattva in the middle, Yamantaka on the left, and all the earth gods underneath. As I walk past them, I greet them all.
Occasionally they talk to me. At such times, I stand still and listen attentively to what they say. Sometimes I join my palms in paying homage to the deities, visualizing my palms multiplying into thousands and then paying homage and bowing to all of them collectively. In response, they sometimes talk to me and give me spiritual responses. This keeps me very busy!
This chapter talks about respect and reverence. See Mahabala? [Grandmaster motions to the huge Mahabala statue at the homa hall.] This statue was from Master Changren1His complete dharma name is Lianhua Changren, but for short, we call him Master Changren. The dharma names are written with two words: Lian Sheng, Lianhua Changren, Lian Yin, Cheng Yen, Liao Ming, Dajian Huineng, Nanyue Huisi, Sakya Zhengkong, etc. of the Ten Directional Chapter in Hong Kong (Dzogchen Center Ltd.). When I saw this statue being placed next to the bathroom, I thought of taking it home. I liked this statue very much and told Master Lian Yin that if he kept it there, I would take it home—how could you place Mahabala next to the bathroom?! Upon hearing that, he immediately moved it up here onto the altar. [laughs] He made me look at Mahabala and pay homage every time I ascend to the altar. Have you ever seen me ascending to the dharma throne without paying homage to him first? Never! I always pay homage to him. I really like this deity; I like him very much—too much, in fact!
I revere the right teaching, as stated in this chapter’s title. I respect them all, whether the images are in a painting, wood carving, metal statue, or any other form, as they all represent the buddhas! I also respect the dharma instruments and the sutras, particularly the Vajra Sutra! I especially revere the Vajra Sutra!
Once, I used this sutra to save a ghost. The God of Thunder2Nine Heavens Yingyuan Puhua Tianzun is the formal name for the God of Thunder. was trying to capture a ghost. As I was writing my book, I heard a sequence of thunderous booms above my house. It was very loud, and I wondered what was happening. To my surprise, I discovered a stunningly beautiful female ghost hiding under my desk. I asked her, “What is going on?” She pleaded, “Sorry, Grandmaster, please let me hide here for a while.” I said, “Not a good idea. The God of Thunder is striking around my house. What if he damages it?” I know the God of Thunder, and he knows this is Grandmaster Lu’s house, yet he was still striking around my house. The ghost begged, “Grandmaster, please save me!” I took a copy of the Vajra Sutra from the bookshelf behind me and placed it on her head. The thunder and lightning continued for another thirty to forty times. They took down a tree at my property so they could report back [to their commander that they had completed their task]. I had never seen such a beautiful ghost before, and her beauty compelled me to save her.
On Earth, there are generally three types of beauty: the pretty, the dazzling, and the bewitching. This ghost was the bewitching type, much like a [Chinese] fox spirit. I saved and kept her by my side as my attendant, so she could no longer do bad things. She used to do many horrible things; that’s why the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning tried to strike her to death. I saved her with the Vajra Sutra.
Chapter Twelve—Revering the Right Teaching
Today I talked about reverence—I respect all the buddhas, bodhisattvas, gods, and ghosts. Do I respect ghosts too? Yes, I respect ghosts, especially if they are not evil. In fact, I also respect evil ghosts. I do not kill—not even ghosts. Acala and Mahabala did the killing. When I sleep, there is a net of spiritual light protecting me. One night, the ghosts were outside the net shouting and demanding, “Sheng-Yen Lu, we are here to take you to San Francisco to see our master!” I said, “Who the heck are you, daring to shout at me like that?!” Immediately, Mahabala darted out from my mouth, and Acala’s sword multiplied and propelled like electric fans. They spun and beheaded all the thousands of invading ghosts. I didn’t do anything as I was lying still on my bed. However, what happened that night was real.
Honestly, I am respectful toward ghosts. I am even more respectful toward the gods. Most importantly, I have respect for all the right teachings! It’s true! Before I make friends with anyone, I ask the Golden Mother of the Primordial Pond, “May I befriend this person?” Only when she agrees do I dare to do so. I always ask first, and I am never disrespectful. Otherwise, it might be a bad affinity. So this is also reverence toward the right teaching, which is the title of chapter twelve. We only discussed the title today.
Om mani padme hum.
In Tantric Buddhism,
we purify our body, speech, and mind
to revere the buddhas’ body, speech, and mind.
November 20, 2021
Let us continue to discuss chapter twelve—Revering the Right Teaching. So what is the right teaching? It is the four-line verse stated in the Vajra Sutra. The four-line verse is as follows:
no phenomena of self,
no phenomena of others,
no phenomena of sentient beings,
and no phenomena of lifespan.
This is the right teaching of the Buddha, which you must respect.
“Where there is this sutra, there is a buddha, and also respectful disciples.”
Many people asked me what “respect”3The word 尊重 is ambiguous in the Chinese text—it can mean to respect, respecting, respected, or respectful. refers to in this text. Does it mean that we should respect disciples? No, it refers to disciples who are respectful toward the right teaching. It’s that simple. Everybody has recited the Vajra Sutra, right? It’s often chanted during bardo deliverances, joyous occasions, and even funerals. You read chapter after chapter, yet you don’t understand these few words. It states that you should revere the right teaching of the Buddha, such as the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. By respecting the right teaching, you become a respectful disciple. Now do you understand?
At the place where the four-line verse of this sutra is taught, all beings—worldly, celestial, human, and asura—should make offerings. Celestial beings reside in the heavenly realms of desire, form, and formlessness. The realm of the asuras is part of the heavenly realms and still belongs in the rebirth cycle. These beings should make offerings to the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan, as they do to the buddhas, stupas, and temples. It’s like when people bring offerings to the temples. That is called making offerings.
In Tantric Buddhism, to whom do we present such offerings? To the buddhas’ body, speech, and mind. You need to make offerings to the body, speech, and mind of the buddhas.
What is the buddha’s body? It is symbolized by statues, tangkas, paintings, pictures, symbols, and more. We have statues of the Seven Buddhas above us at the Seattle Leizang Temple (Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple). Whenever we see them, we join our palms, bow our heads, and say, “With palms folded, I bow and take refuge in the Susiddhi (precepts).”
Whenever I enter the Seattle temple cafeteria, I join my palms and greet Pindola and Sakyamuni Buddha. With joined palms I say, “Namo Sakyamuni Buddha, the Fundamental Teacher.” The Venerable Pindola is there in his statue, while the tangka of Sakyamuni Buddha hangs behind him. As I walk past them after meals, I join my palms again. This is called revering the buddhas’ body because these images symbolize the body of the buddhas. You must respect the Seven Buddhas seated at the top and all the deities and protectors below them [at the altar of the Seattle temple]. Joining your palms to show respect to the buddhas is considered an offering to the buddhas’ body.
You also need to revere the buddhas’ speech and make offerings to it. What is the buddhas’ speech? It is represented by the sutras—the buddhadharma. You must respect all teachings of the buddhas, which are encapsulated in the sutras, and you must especially respect the Vajra Sutra.
What is a stupa? A stupa houses sariras of the buddhas, which represent the mind of the buddhas. In India there are many stupas, and inside each stupa are sariras of Sakyamuni Buddha. In the sutras, it is mentioned that a stupa is equivalent to the presence of a buddha inside it. Both the stupas and sariras represent the mind of the buddhas.
We respect the body of the buddhas, the speech of the buddhas, and the mind of the buddhas. The body of the buddhas is represented as images such as statues. The speech of the buddhas is recorded in the sutras—referred to as dharma. And the mind of the buddhas is symbolized by the stupas. It is mentioned here in this chapter: in the same way as to the buddhas, stupas, or temples. Inside temples there are buddha images, sutras, and stupas.
“…especially if the person can completely uphold and recite it.”
We should not only revere the sutra but also uphold and recite it. Upholding the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan are the first and foremost, unexcelled, and rare dharma to allow one to reach attainment. The four non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan are the first and foremost, unexcelled, and rare dharma. Thus the Vajra Sutra is also revered as the first and foremost, unexcelled, and rare sutra.
Wherever there is a Vajra Sutra, there is a buddha. Wherever there is a sutra, there is a buddha and disciples who respect the right teaching. Many people recite the Vajra Sutra, but whenever I ask what the phrase respectful disciples means, nobody can answer it [due to the cryptic Chinese wording, but the English translation is clear]. They ask, “Why do we have to respect disciples?” No, it’s not that. The phrase refers to disciples who are respectful toward the buddhas’ body, speech, and mind, the Vajra Sutra, and the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan. Now you are very clear about this part.
As Buddhists, we join our palms whenever we see a stupa, big or small. I once visited a Buddhist stupa on Palgong Mountain in Korea. Around it, many people had made tiny stupas by stacking rocks—larger stones at the lower layers, medium ones in the middle, and smaller ones on top. When we go there, we join our palms in respect. Why do they build these miniature stupas? Because they are respectful toward Buddhist stupas. Where there is a stupa, there is a buddha.
The buddhas’ images are the body of the buddhas, the sutras are the speech of the buddhas, and the stupas are the mind of the buddhas. Thus, when we see an image or statue of the buddhas, a stupa, or a place where a sutra is, we join our palms, bow, and pay homage. We should highly respect the buddhas’ body, speech, and mind.
After my explanation today, you should understand this excerpt. We should respect the right teaching. As we revere the buddhas’ body, speech, and mind, we are all considered respectful disciples. In Tantric Buddhism we frequently mention the body, speech, and mind, which we purify through spiritual cultivation. Then we offer our purified body, speech, and mind in reverence to the buddhas’ body, speech, and mind. If you can be respectful in this way, you have attained the first and foremost, unexcelled, and rare dharma—the dharma of the non-phenomena of self, others, sentient beings, and lifespan.
Om mani padme hum.
