Monday, May 29, 2023

Kalachakra Tantra And Cosmology


The Kalacakra Tantra is divided into five chapters. The content of the five chapters is as follows:

  • The first chapter deals with what is called the "outer Kalacakra" (the world system, loka-dhatu), which provides a cosmology based on Vaibhasika Abhidharma, Samkhya, the Puranas and Jain cosmology. The Kalacakra calendar, the birth and death of universes, our solar system and the workings of the elements are expounded. The myth and prophecy of the kingdom of Shambhala is also discussed.
  • The second chapter deals with "inner Kalacakra," which concerns human gestation and birth, the functions within the human body, and the subtle body aspects, mainly the channels, winds, drops and so forth. Human experience is described by four mind states: waking, dream, deep sleep, and a fourth state which is available through the energies of sexual orgasm. The potentials (drops, bindus) which give rise to these states are described, together with the processes that flow from them.
  • The third chapter deals with the requirements and preparation for meditation, mainly, the initiations (abhiseka) of Kalacakra.
  • The fourth chapter explains the Sadhana and yoga (spiritual practices), both the meditation on the mandala and its deities in the generation stage, and the perfection stage practices of the "six yogas".
  • The fifth chapter describes the state of gnosis (jnana), which is the result or fruit of the practice.
The Kalachakra is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "Kālacakra" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practise lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.

What is the significance of Kalachakra?
This is a sacred event where key Buddhist teachings are passed on to devotees. The word Kalachakra actually means "wheel of time" in Vajrayana Buddhism. Kalacakra also refers both to a patron tantric deity or yidam in Vajrayana and to the philosophies and yogas of the Kalacakra tradition. 

It depicts a mythic reality whereby cosmic and socio-historical events correspond to processes in the bodies of individuals. These teachings are meant to lead to a transformation of one's body and mind into perfect Buddhahood through various yogic methods.

Who teaches Kalachakra?
The Kalachakra Path is fully integrated with the foundational practices of the sutra tradition of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but in order to practice Kalachakra, it is necessary to be formally invited, which is the primary purpose of taking an initiation. As is evident, receiving an invitation to this great path is based on causes and conditions of both the receiver and the giver – simply attending the ceremony does not guarantee that one will receive true initiation. 

So too, the ceremony may form a connection to the path yet it is not the path. One can liken Kalachakra initiation to receiving a seed for practice however it is the practitioner that plants, nurtures and cultivates the seed.
Cosmology
The Kalacakra Mandala depicts the teachings of the tantra in visual and symbolic form.

In the Kālacakratantra's cosmology, samsara (cyclic existence) is made up of innumerable Buddha fields and of the five elements or properties (characterised by origination, duration, and destruction). 

The whole cosmos arises due to the collective karma of sentient beings, which produces vital winds (vayu) that mold and dissolve the atomic particles that make up the various inanimate things of the world and the bodies of sentient beings.

A key element of the Kalacakratantra is the correspondence between macrocosmic processes and microcosmic processes. The Kalacakratantra maps the various features and developmental processes of the world system to the various features of the human body. 
The phrase "as it is outside, so it is within the body" (yatha bahye tatha dehe) is often found in the Kalacakratantra to emphasise the similarities and correspondence between human beings (inner Kalacakra) and the cosmos (outer Kalacakra), as well as with the enlightened Kalacakra mandala of deities (alternative Kalacakra).

This correspondence comes about because both the cosmos and the bodies of sentient beings come into existence due to the efficacy of the habitual propensities of their minds. In this sense, the cosmos is like a cosmic replica of a sentient being's body. Thus, one can say that the cosmos and the individual are nondual and mutually pervasive, even in terms of their conventional existence. They are interconnected, and they influence each other. 
In terms of ultimate reality, the cosmos and the individual are also of the same nature, the nature of gnosis (jnana), which manifests in the form of emptiness (sunyata-bimba). Those who are free of the afflictive and cognitive obscurations nondually perceive the world as the form of emptiness in a nondual manner; that is, they perceive the world as an inseparable unity of form and emptiness. 

On the other hand, ordinary sentient beings, whose perception is influenced by afflictive and cognitive obscurations, see the world in a dual fashion, as something other than themselves. They see the world as an ordinary place inhabited by ordinary sentient beings. But in reality, the entire cosmos, with Mount Meru in its center, is a cosmic body of the Jina, a cosmic image or reflection (pratima) of the Buddha, having the nature of form. 

As such, it is similar to the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha. Therefore, according to this tantric system, one should attend to this cosmic image of the Buddha as one attends to the statue of the Buddha, created for the sake of worship.

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Friday, May 26, 2023

The Three Kalachakra Tantras - The Outer, Inner And Other Wheel of Time

The Kalachakra represents the finality of life and death and their endlessness. Seen as a symbol for creation and destruction, it is known as the wheel of time. The Kalachakra is important in understanding the measurements of time and dates in ancient India. This term is most commonly found in Vajrayana Buddhism.

The Three Kalachakra Tantra
The entire meaning of the subject matter of the Kalachakra tantra is included within the three Kalachakras, or Wheels of Time: the Outer Wheel of Time, the Inner Wheel of Time, and the Other Wheel of Time. 
  • The outer wheel of time is the external world of the environment, and it is also called "the procession of the external solar and lunar days.
  • The inner wheel of time is the human body, which is an inner jambudvipa, or earth surface. Likewise, the inner channels, elements, and movements of the winds are set forth as the Inner Wheels of Time. 
  • The Other Wheel of Time is the story of the initiations and paths of Shri Kalachakra, together with their results. It is "other" than the preceding two wheels of time. The guru ripens the disciple's psycho-physical continuum with the initiations, and the disciple meditates on the path that consists of the generation process and the completion process. In this way, the yogi actualizes the result—the Buddha body,whicht is the divine image of emptiness. This is the other wheel of time.
What is the benefit of the Kalachakra mantra?
The purpose of the mantra is to purify the mind, body, emotions, and speech of the person. Through meditation on the mantra and the painting, one gains deep knowledge and insight.
 
What is the significance of the Kalachakra mandala?
It is seen as a gift to Mother Earth, a means to re-energise the environment and the universe. More than a symbol, the ritual of the Kalachakra mandala is a living enactment of the Buddhist cycle of change and a demonstration of one of the most spiritually advanced of all Buddhist cultures.

The Buddha's teaching of the Kalachakra is described in the Paramadibuddha, the Kalachakra, Basic Tantra:
The Basic Tantra also says: "Then Vajrapani's emanation, King Suchandra from famous Shambhala, miraculously entered into the splendid sphere of phenomena. First he circumambulated to the right, then he worshipped the teacher's lotus feet with flowers made of jewels. Placing his hands together, Suchandra sat before the perfect Buddha. Suchandra requested the Buddha for the tantra, redacted it, and taught it too.
The Kalachakra was taught by our teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni. He showed the way of actualizing the highest perfect enlightenment underneath the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, India, at early dawn on the full moon of April or May. For one year, he taught the general Paramitayana. In particular, at Mount Vulture Heap, he turned the Dharma Wheel of the Perfection of Wisdom, the chief, ultimate Dharma Wheel of the Paramita system of the Mahayana.

On the full moon of March or April, the twelfth month counted from the time he obtained Buddhahood, the Buddha was teaching the Paramitayana at Mount Vulture Heap. At the same time, he manifested another form inside the great stupa of Shri Dhanyakataka, which is near Shri Parvata in south India, where he taught the Mantrayana.

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  
We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Monday, May 22, 2023

The Wheel of Time - Kalacakra

The Kalachakra is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "Kālacakra" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practise lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.

What is the significance of Kalachakra?
This is a sacred event where key Buddhist teachings are passed on to devotees. The word Kalachakra actually means "wheel of time" in Vajrayana Buddhism. Kalacakra also refers both to a patron tantric deity or yidam in Vajrayana and to the philosophies and yogas of the Kalacakra tradition. 

It depicts a mythic reality whereby cosmic and socio-historical events correspond to processes in the bodies of individuals. These teachings are meant to lead to a transformation of one's body and mind into perfect Buddhahood through various yogic methods.

Who teaches Kalachakra?
The Kalachakra Path is fully integrated with the foundational practices of the sutra tradition of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, but in order to practice Kalachakra, it is necessary to be formally invited, which is the primary purpose of taking an initiation. As is evident, receiving an invitation to this great path is based on causes and conditions of both the receiver and the giver – simply attending the ceremony does not guarantee that one will receive true initiation. 

So too, the ceremony may form a connection to the path yet it is not the path. One can liken Kalachakra initiation to receiving a seed for practice however it is the practitioner that plants, nurtures and cultivates the seed.

The Buddha's teaching of the Kalachakra is described in the Paramadibuddha, the Kalachakra, Basic Tantra:
As the teacher demonstrated the Dharma on Vulture Heap according to the Perfection of Wisdom system, he also taught the mantra system at Shri Dhanyakataka. What teacher taught what tantra, when and where was he dwelling? What was the place, who was the worldly entourage, and what was the purpose?

"He taught the unexcelled Mahayana, the system of the Perfection of Wisdom, to the Bodhisattva on Mount Vulture Heap. Then at the same time the Tathagata dwelt together with Bodhisattvas and others in the great stupa, in the mandala of the sphere of phenomena. He dwelt in the house of universal vajra, in space, immaterial and very lucid, unpartitioned and radiant. He taught the tantra in the beautiful sphere of phenomena, for the merit and gnosis of human beings.
The initiation and empowerment required to practice
Qualified teachers for giving the Kalachakra initiation should have completed extensive practice (retreat) of the generation and completion stage practices. It is not enough simply to receive the initiation and then pass it on to others.

The Kalacakra tradition holds that Kalacakra teachings were taught in India by Gautama Buddha himself. According to modern Buddhist studies, the original Sanskrit texts of the Kalacakra tradition "originated during the early decades of the 11th century CE, and we know with certainty that the Sri Kalacakra and the Vimalaprabhā commentary were completed between 1025 and 1040 CE. 

Kalacakra remains an active tradition of Buddhist tantra in Tibetan Buddhism, and its teachings and initiations have been offered to large public audiences, most famously by the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

What are the three types of Kalachakra?
Overview of the Kalachakra Tantra Teachings and Practice
Kalachakra means The Wheel of Time. The root text, the Kalachakra Tantra, includes three levels of teachings: External Kalachakra, Internal Kalachakra and Alternative Kalachakra.
What is Kalachakra practice?
The Kalachakra system offers profound methods for transforming one's impure perceptions and experiences, and unveiling our deepest reality. Within the context of Buddhist Tantra, there are many systems which provide methods for attaining enlightenment.

What is Kalachakra meditation?
In the practice of Kalachakra , and any other anuttarayoga tantra , there is a special way of meditating on voidness ( emptiness ) in which we meditate not just on the actual meaning of voidness , but also we try to simulate doing this with a clear light mind .
What is kalacakra tantra?
Kalacakra-tantra, (Sanskrit: “Wheel of Time Tantra”) a chief text of divergent, syncretistic, and astrologically oriented a school of Tantric Buddhism, or Vajrayana, that arose in India in the 10th century.

What does Kalachakra symbol protect?
Kalachakra Symbol Protection. It is also believed to protect you from sickness, hunger, natural disaster, and inauspicious dates while traveling or while doing a business, including untimely death. The present Dalai Lama gives emphasis to Kalachakra Mandala for world peace.
Donations for our Buddhist research and development
Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.











Sunday, May 7, 2023

Dzogchen Lineages

 
The original Dzogchen lineage was transmitted from Dharmakaya Buddha Samantabhadra to Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajrasattva to Nirmanakaya Buddha Shakyamuni. In 626 B.C.E. our supreme Dharma teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni, was born southern Nepal, which in ancient times was northern India. At the age of thirty-five, Shakyamuni attained Buddhahood in Bodhgaya, India and began to teach the dharma in this world. 

For the next forty-seven years the Buddha's teachings flourished throughout the universe and as a result many sentient being attained enlightenment. At the age of eighty-two, Buddha Shakyamuni passed into nirvana. Thereafter, the Buddha Shakyamuni manifested in two wisdom emanations.

Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig Lineage
In 90 A.B.B. (After Buddha's Birth), eight years after Buddha's Parirnirvana, the first emanation of the Buddha, Padmasambhava, came into this world and received the complete teaching from many enlightened masters. Padmasambhava taught the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig to numerous beings in India's eight great sacred places and China, and introduced and spread Buddhism throughout Tibet.

His main disciple, the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, also taught the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig to many practitioners who achieved the enlightenment of Buddha. This tradition was handed down through the ages and later passed from Longchen Rabjam through to Dzogchen Padma Rigdzin.

Today, the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig lineage lives in the heart of the Vajra master at Dzogchen monastery. Our master, the Great Natural Perfection Yogi Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, is the twenty-fourth holder of the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig lineage.
Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Lineage
In 110 A.B.B., twenty-eight years after Buddha's Parinirvana, the second emanation of the Buddha, Prahevajra (Garab Dorje), came into this world and received teachings directly from Sambhogakaya Buddha Vajrasattva.

Pahevajra taught the Dzogchen Nyingthig to various beings for many years in India and in seventy-five sacred places of the Dakinis. His main disciple was Manjushrimitra. Manjushrimitra's main disciple was the Great Dzogchen master Shri Singha, who still lives in an enlightened state in the Holy Dzogchen Valley.

Hri Singha was born in Shokyam, northwest Asia, approximately 2,300 years ago (299 B.C.E.). Starting at the age of fifteen, he practiced and prayed for three years. Later, while traveling by camel toward the City of Golden Island, he had a pure vision of a compassionate deity who gave him guidance and made a prophecy. 

Inspired, he then traveled to the sacred Five-Peaked Mountain (Wu Tai Shan, Shanxi Province in China) and meditated for many years in order to attain ultimate wisdom. He prayed and prostrated there day after day, until a vision of an awe-inspiring deity appeared before him. Feeling tremendous devotion and respect, he recognized that this deity would guide him along the Path.
The deity was actually the compassionate Avalokiteshvara. He told the young sage, "If you really wish to become enlightened, go to Sosadvipa, Uddiyana, in northwest India, to meet Manjushrimitra, for you have a strong karmic connection with him from previous lives." Then Avalokiteshvara disappeared.

The young sage was filled with the aspiration to meet the Dzogchen master Manjushrimitra. After struggling over the difficulty of leaving his family, friends, and country, he departed for Uddiyana. On the long journey, through the miraculous power of the Dakinis, he overcame obstacles created by humans and non-humans alike.

Finally, he reached the holy place of Uddiyana. There, he met face-to-face with his mother-like master, Manjushrimitra, who gave him the Sanskrit Dharma name Shri Singha; Shri means glorious and Singha means lion.

For twenty-five years, Shri Singha studied and practiced the Dharma in India with Manjushrimitra and eventually became a great Siddha. From his guru, he received the transmission of the six million Dzogchen Tantras, the essence of the Buddhadharma that enables one to accomplish Buddhahood in one lifetime. Shri Singha became the sixth holder of the Dzogchen Nyingthig Lineage.
Before passing into nirvana, Manjushrimitra told Shri Singha to go to the Siltrom Snow Mountain of Rudam Canyon (now called the Holy Dzogchen Area located in Kham, eastern Tibet), as well as to the Five-Peaked Mountain to practice and propagate the Dzogchen Nyingthig teachings for the benefit of countless beings. Upon attaining nirvana, Manjushrimitra vanished from the top of the Sosadvipa Stupa in India.

Shri Singha uttered a deep, heartfelt prayer calling on his master, and suddenly Manjushrimitra reappeared in front of him. He gave Shri Singha a small treasure box containing the essential points of the Tantras, Gomnyam Drugpa (The Six Experiences of Dzogchen Meditation).

Following his master's instructions, Shri Singha then went to the Rudam Canyon. There, Shri Singha transmitted the Dzogchen teachings to numerous beings from many worlds and pure lands. His main disciples were Jnanasutra and Vimalamitra.

After many years of benefiting beings, Shri Singha transformed into a Rainbow Body and disappeared into the radiant Dharmata. His secret transmission, Dzir Bu Dunpa (The Seven Dzogchen Nails), was passed into the hands of Jnanasutra. Jnanasutra in turn gave the Dzogchen teachings to Vimalamitra, who then taught them in Tibet for many years. Hundreds of practitioners attained enlightenment of Rainbow Body. His main disciple was Tendzin Zangpo also taught the Dzogchen teachings to many practitioners.

Later, this Dzogchen lineage passed from Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa through to the Vajra masters of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University. Today, our master, the Great Natural Space Yogi Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, is the thirty-third holder of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig lineage.
Donations for our Buddhist research and development
Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.




















Monday, April 17, 2023

Wrathful Manifestation of Avalokiteshvara - Hayagriva 馬頭明王

 
Whoever, including even the insects, has heard the name and mantra of Hayagriva only one time will never again fall into the lower paths. ” — The sutra of Forming Hayagriva, the Supreme Mantra of Hayagriva chanted.

“A swift and powerful means to overcome the negative forces and obstacles. Prayers to Hayagriva are especially beneficial in these degenerate times when sufferings and illnesses are rampant due to the strong delusions of sentient beings.

Hayagriva — Chief among the Wrathful
As the Heruka of Amitabha’s Lotus Family, he is Chief among the Wrathful emanations, representing Dharma and Speech in its ferocious form — signified by the screaming (neighing) horse head bursting out of his fiery red hair.

Hayagriva is a wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara embodies the compassion of all the Buddhas and connects to the enlightened mind. In the Hayagriva manifestation, he represents the enlightened speech of all Buddhas. He is the Heruka of the Lotus (Padma) Buddha Family. Referred to as “Lotus-like Speech”, he is usually depicted as red in color with a dark-green horse head with a blazing red mane emerging from his fiery red crown.
Hayagriva (Enlightened speech)
Hayagriva is a wrathful manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. Generally, Avalokiteshvara embodies the compassion of all the Buddhas, and so he is connected with the enlightened mind, but in his manifestation, as Hayagriva, he represents enlightened speech.

*Benefits of Practice of Yoga of Hayagriva.
*Footnote: Requires full initiation and permission of a lineage teacher were stated in The Manifestation of the Superb Victorious Wrathful Great Horse Tantra. 
To the superb Initiation of the Fierce Hayagriva
And the victorious Tantra of great value! If one surely beholds the initiation and has a fancy for it, he will be emancipated from fear and all diseases. Those who practice the Yoga of Hayagriva, their patron Buddha, will be immune for seven hundred births from falling into the lower path and hell. Those who have the faith and the pure realization constantly, will in their future life be born in the Pure Land.
If one recites each word of mantra 100,000 times,
Right in this life, he shall see the face of Hayagriva.
Even in offering a part of the offerings to the Lord,
He will influence his surroundings and his neighbors.
Those who merely recite the mantra frequently
Will be free from the afflictions caused by evil spirits.
What is the benefit of Hayagriva mantra?
Praying to Most Secret Hayagriva is a swift and powerful means to overcome the negative forces and obstacles, including those caused by spirit harms. Prayers to the deity are especially beneficial in these degenerate times when sufferings and illnesses are rampant, arising from the strong delusions of sentient beings.
Hayagriva — the Heruka of Speech
Symbolism is crucial in Vajrayana visualized meditations. Even so, many wonder why Hayagriva appears to have a green horse head bursting out of his wrathful fiery hair — the horse screaming with mouth wide open. A horse roar, the challenge of the stallion protecting his herd, is a terrible sound, piercing intensity, carrying for miles in all directions.

In Tibet
In Tibet, Hayagriva was promoted especially by Buddhist teacher Atisa and appeared as a worldly Dharmapala (Protector). His special ability is to cure diseases, especially skin diseases even as serious as leprosy, which is said to be caused by nagas (dragons).
Buddhist iconography
In his simplest form Hayagriva is depicted with one face, two arms and two legs, and a horse head above his head. Everything about him is wrathful - a scowling face with three glaring eyes, a roaring mouth with protruding fangs, a pose of the warrior’s aggressiveness, a broad belly bulging with inner energy, a sword raised threateningly in his right hand (poised to cut through delusion), his left hand raised in a threatening gesture and snake ornaments.

This terrifying aspect expresses compassion’s fierce determination to help us overcome inner egotism and outer obstructions. In other representations, Hayagriva has six hands, four or eight legs and three large eyes. In these versions, on the top of Hayagriva’s head are three small green horse heads. The legs stand on two corpses, symbolizing the mundane attachments that should be destroyed.

* Footnote 
For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.
 
Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.
 
Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development
Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?
 
We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidised or funded support from people in general.
 
Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.
 
Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.
 
Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease.
But increase further and further.
 
Dedication of Merit
By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience?
Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings
May we liberate migrants from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.
 
*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios
The picture(s) is or are intended for editorial use only.











Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Vajra Krodha Mahabala Ucchusma - 穢跡金剛

 
A Wisdom King (Sanskrit: Vidyaraja, Chinese: 明王) is a type of wrathful deity. Whereas the Sanskrit name is translated literally as "wisdom / knowledge king(s)," the term vidyā in Vajrayana Buddhism is also specifically used to denote mantras and the term may thus also be rendered "mantra king(s).

A similar category of fierce deities known as Herukas are found in Tibetan Buddhism.The female counterparts of Wisdom Kings are known as Wisdom Queens (Sanskrit : Vidyarajni)

Vidyarajas, as their name suggests, are originally conceived of as the guardians and personifications of esoteric wisdom (vidyā), namely mantras and dharanis. They were seen as embodying the mystic power contained in these sacred utterances.

During the early stages of esoteric (Vajrayana) Buddhism, many of the deities that would become known as vidyarajas (a term that only came into use around the late 7th-early 8th century) were mainly seen as attendants of Bodhisattvas who were invoked for specific ends such as the removal of misfortune and obstacles to enlightenment.
*Vajra Krodha Mahabala Ucchusma - 穢跡金剛
Vidyaraja is a Wisdom King (Sanskrit: Vidyaraja, Chinese: 明王) is a type of wrathful deity. Whereas the Sanskrit name is translated literally as "wisdom / knowledge king(s)," the term vidyā in Vajrayana Buddhism is also specifically used to denote mantras and the term may thus also be rendered "mantra king(s).

He is also known by various other names such as Burning Impurity Kongo, Jusoku Kongo (受触金剛) and Kazu Kongo (火頭金剛). A similar category of fierce deities known as Herukas are found in Tibetan Buddhism.The female counterparts of Wisdom Kings are known as Wisdom Queens (Sanskrit : Vidyarajni)
Ucchusma is a Vidyaraja in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Ucchuṣma's full name in Sanskrit sources is Vajra Krodha Mahābala Ucchuṣma (Great Strength Furious Diamond Ucchuṣma). In Chinese, this is translated as 大力威怒金刚烏芻使摩 (穢跡金剛) from the Chinese version of the Sutra of Mahabala and the Tibetan version of the Arya-Mahabalanama Mahayana Sutra.

In Japan, Ucchuṣma is a guardian of the bathroom, where his effigy is often present. He is known to the general public for his powers of purification of the unclean, in particular in respect to sexual diseases.Ucchuṣma was also thought to be able to change a female fetus into a male one.

His method to attain the enlightenment
According to the Shurangama Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha asked the Bodhisattvas and arahants to present their methods to understand the ultimate truth, the eighteenth to present his character was Ucchusma.
The Surangama Sutra states:
"Ucchushma came before the Buddha, put his palms together, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and said to the Buddha, I can still remember how many kalpas ago I was filled with excessive greed and desire.

There was a Buddha in the world named King of Emptiness. He said that people with too much desire turn into a raging mass of fire. He taught me to contemplate the coolness and warmth throughout my entire body.

A spiritual light coalesced inside and transformed my thoughts of excessive lust into the fire of wisdom. After that, when any of the Buddhas summoned me, they used the name 'fire-head.' From the strength of the fire-light Samadhi, I accomplished Arhatship.

I made a great vow that when each of the Buddhas accomplishes the way, I will be a powerful knight and in person subdue the demons' hatred. The Buddha asks about perfect penetration.

I used attentive contemplation of the effects of heat in my body and mind, until it became unobstructed and penetrating and all my outflows were consumed. I produced a blazing brilliance and ascended to enlightenment. This is the foremost method."
Ucchusma Vajrapala Sutra 
The Ucchuṣma Vajrapala Sūtra asserts that Ucchuṣma is actually the Vajra manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha. Legend has it that when Shakyamuni Buddha was about to enter into Nirvana, all heavenly beings, with the exception of the ‘Spiral Hair-knot Brahma King’, came to pay their respect to Buddha. The Brahma King was in fact enjoying himself with the heavenly maidens in his own celestial palace.

The heavenly gods, being unhappy with the arrogance of the Brahma King, went to his abode and try to persuade him to attend the Dharma assembly. Upon reaching his palace however, the gods found themselves trapped in the defiled energy cast by the supernatural powers of the king. Even some of the Vajra Deities (金剛神) who were later sent to apprehend the Brahma King were imprisoned by the foul forces as well.
When Shakyamuni Buddha came to learn of this, He employed His Original Wisdom (本智), and the Light of Perpetual Joy and Pliancy was emitted from His heart. Ucchuṣma Vajrapāla (穢跡金剛) soon appeared amidst the revolving radiance of the Buddha’s heart, and ascended to the celestial palace of the Brahma King.

Despite the defiled energy hurled at Him by the Brahma King, Ucchuṣma was unharmed as he immediately turned these forces of contamination into ordinary soil. In no time, the Brahma King was subdued and brought to the feet of Shakyamuni Buddha. For this reason, Ucchuṣma is also known as the "Filth-Eliminating Vajrapala.

According to the Ucchuṣma Vidyaraja Dharaṇi, the mantra provided should be recited forty thousand times by any good man or good woman who is besieged with ailments inflicted by evil spirits. On the tenth day of purification, it should be recited one thousand eight times resulting in the removal of myriad afflictions.

* Footnote 
For those who had received the empowerment of this Tantric practice, you are reminded not intentionally or unintentionally to disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practice, and by disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors. 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practice! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practice, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain and sure that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods which, if they are practiced in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have the pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practice is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power and self-interests.
Donations for our Buddhist research and development
Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.


























Wednesday, April 5, 2023

A Wisdom King - Vajrayaksa 金剛夜叉明王

 
A Wisdom King (Sanskrit: Vidyaraja, Chinese: 明王) is a type of wrathful deity. Whereas the Sanskrit name is translated literally as "wisdom / knowledge king(s)," the term vidyā in Vajrayana Buddhism is also specifically used to denote mantras and the term may thus also be rendered "mantra king(s).

A similar category of fierce deities known as Herukas are found in Tibetan Buddhism.The female counterparts of Wisdom Kings are known as Wisdom Queens (Sanskrit : Vidyarajni)

Vidyarajas, as their name suggests, are originally conceived of as the guardians and personifications of esoteric wisdom (vidyā), namely mantras and dharanis. They were seen as embodying the mystic power contained in these sacred utterances.

During the early stages of esoteric (Vajrayana) Buddhism, many of the deities that would become known as vidyarajas (a term that only came into use around the late 7th-early 8th century) were mainly seen as attendants of Bodhisattvas who were invoked for specific ends such as the removal of misfortune and obstacles to enlightenment.
*A Wisdom King - Vajrayaksa 金剛夜叉明王 
Vajrayaksa is one of the Five Wisdom Kings. He is a manifestation of Amoghasiddhi. He goes by many names including Kongō-Yasha, Vajrayaksa, or Jingang Yecha Mingwang.

Vajrayaksa is one of the sixteen samadhi deities appearing in the Vajradhatu-mahamandala, according to the Namamantrarthavalokini. The Namamantrarthavalokini (literally, ‘an explanation of the nāma-mantras’) is a commentary (ṭīkā) on the 8th century Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti.

Vajrayakṣa is a name of Mañjuśrī (the embodiment of non-dual knowledge) and, together with other names, forms the core essence of the Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti. The Nāmamantrārthāvalokinī provides the practitioner a sādhana (‘meditative practice’) to turn these names into mantras. These mantras are chanted for the benefit of all beings, and then placed and contemplated in the Vajradhātu-mahāmaṇḍala, which is an extended version of the Vajradhātu-maṇḍala.
Vajrayakṣa  is another name for Ṭikkarāja: one of the ten deities of the quarters (Dikpāla) presiding over the Agni corner, commonly depicted in Buddhist Iconography, and mentioned in the 11th-century Niṣpannayogāvalī of Mahāpaṇḍita Abhayākara. —His Colour is blue; He has three faces and six arms. —Ṭakkirāja as the guardian of the Agni corner is very frequently referred to in the Niṣpannayogāvalī.—In the vajrahūṃkāra-maṇḍala his name is Vajrayakṣa. In the dharmadhātuvagīśvara-maṇḍala he is Vajrajvālānalārka.

He is both a destroyer of human desires and represents strength. His sadhana is said to bestow success in subduing demons and enemies and winning the love and respect of others. 
* Footnote 
For those who had received the empowerment of this Tantric practice, you are reminded not intentionally or unintentionally to disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practice, and by disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors. 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practice! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practice, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain and sure that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods which, if they are practiced in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have the pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practice is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power and self-interests.
Donations for our Buddhist research and development
Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 14 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta
For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen
May it arise and not decrease
But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit
By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

*Note
I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.