CULTIVATING ONE SADHANA

[Part 1 of 2] Source: Dharma talk by Liansheng Dharmaraja, 1997-11-06 Translated from Chinese to Bahasa Indonesia by Lotus Shian. Translated from Bahasa Indonesia to English by Lotus Nino.

Today, lets talk about Cultivating One Sadhana. Tantric sadhanas, literatures, and Buddha Dharma are actually limitless. By recognising such fact, we may infer that although we are using all of our life to learn the Dharma, the time wont suffice. Shakyamuni Buddha himself disseminated the Dharma for 49 years. In this context alone, we can reckon that our time wont be enough to learn all the complete dharmas. There is a Chinese proverb which goes like this: Many steep roads lie in the mountain, and therein the goat dies. A man who cultivates many methods shall not be able to accomplish all of them when death arrives. With so many paths in the mountain, the goat who roams thither will die before it can even escape from the mountain. It therefore symbolises that a sadhaka who cultivates too many practices will be doomed the same that he shall eventually pass away before gaining realisation. Accordingly, many patriarchs in Tantrayana have been telling us to seriously cultivate just one sadhana. In the progress of your Dharma cultivation, you may seek vast knowledge in the time of life when you are young. However, when reaching the middle age, you need to consider concentrating in just one sadhana. Later, in your old age, you have to cultivate the method to be reborn in the pure land. Those are the way to cultivate Buddha Dharma. Formerly, I was so fond of mountaineering. One day, I entered into a mountain in Wufeng and I thought that the mountain in Wufeng had a path leading to the mountain in Dakeng, since according to the map, in Taichong, both of the mountains are interconnected. So I thought I could just keep on walking from Shengyihui to Dakeng. I had climbed those mountains in my younger time and I climbed them again that time and kept on walking, but somehow it felt so puzzling and I got lost in the maze and panicked. Despite the healthy benefit you can get from climbing mountain, as it is considered as a kind of sport, it poses a problem when youre lost in it. So, how did I manage to get out from the mountain? It was very astonishing! I met the Mountain God and I could exit from the labyrinth with His help. I indeed saw

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someone under the tree and he told me how to get out from the labyrinth. Just as I walked and turned my head afterwards, the man had gone and couldnt be seen any longer. That was a wonderful experience, meaning that in a very dangerous situation, he came to provide help by giving the instruction on how to escape. Even climbing a mountain in the daylight could still present a problem like this, let alone a higher and bigger mountain. This story tells you to just stick with one path and therefore you shall acquire accomplishment. In fact, you can find out that many tantric Acharyas only master one sutra, one mantra and one personal deity as it will be easy to reach the other shore. On the other hand, when you choose many paths and then meet with a junction, it will be difficult for you to get back. In True Buddha School, it is hoped that in the progress of cultivation, everyone can take a look at and listen to many teachings. However, when you have reached your middle age, its advised that there is only one sutra, one mantra, one personal deity for you to cultivate since practising many methods wont be beneficial. Grand Master Lu only concentrates in one Great Sadhana of Amitabha Buddha and shall not cease in this cultivation, but of course I have also cultivated other methods, yet they are just supplementary. Amitabha Buddha Great Sadhana is still the one that I have particularly been cultivating for the rest of my life. In addition to the said sadhana, I cultivate the Prajna Manjushri as well, since during the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, His Holiness taught the Prajna wisdom and I have acquired the Prajna lineage as well - hence the cultivation of this sadhana but, still, this is just the supplementary sadhana that I practise. In terms of Dharma Protector, I cultivate the Sadhana of Yamantaka Vajra. So hereby I in particular continuously recite three mantras namely Om Amidiewa Xie, Om A La Ba Zha Na Di and Om Chuli Galaluba Hum Gan Suoha. We will stop here today. Om Mani Padme Hum

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CULTIVATING ONE SADHANA

[Part 2 of 2]

Were discussing about concentrating in one sadhana. Ive told you that Grand Master Lu has actually been cultivating just one sadhana Great Sadhana of Amitabha Buddha. There goes that Manjushri Bodhisattva is the manifestation of Amitabha Buddha and Yamantaka Vajra that of Amitabha Buddha and Manjushri Bodhisattva as well. Above Yamantaka seats Manjushri Bodhisattva, and above the latter is Amitabha Buddha these are the integration of three deities. I cultivate one sadhana of Amitabha Buddha and those three sadhanas are basically One Sadhana. A Lineage Master once said: Numerous are actually one, and one pervades all. In other words, you dont need to take many things since taking all of them shall waste your time. If you take just one accomplishing just one sadhana, then you shall get accomplishment in whatever sadhana you want to accomplish. In the past, there was one Lineage Master who cultivated the sadhana of Lord Avalokiteshvara, but he wanted Lord Manjushri to appear before him, so he thought to himself: Im cultivating the method of great compassion, putting the whole of me into Lord Avalokiteshvara, will Lord Manjushri appear before me? In fact, during his cultivation, Manjushri Bodhisattva did indeed appear before him and he asked the Bodhisattva: Im cultivating the sadhana of Arya Avalokiteshvara, but why could Arya Manjushri come into presence? The Bodhisattva replied: Eventually, the great compassion is no different than prajna wisdom. Both of them are the same. This explains that prajna wisdom is the substance (the essence or quality), while great compassion acts as the function (or to benefit). Prajna wisdom is inward, but when applied outwardly, it manifests into great compassion. Furthermore it becomes that Avalokiteshvara appears as the external quality and Manjushri the internal one. So it concludes that Buddha Dharma is actually one, not two or many. Thereby, with one sadhana, you shall accomplish all sadhanas. Let me give you an example. Tubten Lama, Tubten Dali, Tubten Nimo and Tubten Nima, they are the gurus of Tubten Dhargye, my teacher. Tubten Lama had also cultivated one sadhana The sadhana of Kurukulle Buddha Mother. As for me, Im cultivating the greatest sadhana of Amitabha Buddha. So, during the group practice, do you cultivate a certain other sadhana? If today I cultivate a certain sadhana and tomorrow the other sadhana, it means that everyday

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I guide you to cultivate certain other sadhana. However, in years of my cultivation, during the group practice with all of you, have you ever seen me cultivating other sadhana? Its only the Mahasadhana of Amitabha Buddha. This, again, is to say that by getting a response in one sadhana, then you shall be able to master all sadhanas. You have seen that Grand Master has lately been circumambulating the Vajragarbha temple along with reciting Buddhas name and mantra for one hour. This means that Ive been cultivating the sadhana to be reborn in the pure land (Grand Master laughs). Its very important to be reborn in the Buddhas pure land. Im reciting the name of Amitabha. So who said that I didnt recite Buddhas name? Despite my tantric cultivation, I also recite the name of Amitabha Buddha and that practice also exists in Tantrayana. However, please remember that the lineage gurus have taught us several pith instructions: not to be a person who cultivates a certain sadhana today and cultivates another tomorrow. After cultivating for the whole day then no benefits are there to gain. Still there is one who cultivates Zen but only studies it superficially. There is also one who chants Buddhas name without perseverance. He stops after some time and doesnt continue it again for the rest of his life. This is similar to the analogy that Amitabha Buddha is trying to pick you up, but since youve only recited His name the half way, He thence turns back and returns to His pure land. The fact that you only recite His name the half way means that He consequently comes the half way too. It is the same with the tantric cultivation that you practise. It is only the head that appears but the tail is nowhere to be seen. Every sadhana that you practise has its head but lacks its tail (Note: an analogy describing that you can only start but stop in the middle of the track). Upon cultivating the method from Vinaya (discipline) sect, youre only abiding in the precepts for three days and stop on the fourth day. Now you say that you want to save the tiger, but who are you for real? You arent a lion. Youre just a mountain goat! In lieu of saving the tiger, you shall be his meal! There was someone who came for consultation, asking me: Will it be any good if I continue my (academic) education? I asked him: How old are you? He replied: 40 years old. I told him: No need (in Taiwanese dialect)! Now just go earn your living. And still many who asked: I am 60 years old now, do I still have any fortune left?

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I replied: You just need to retire. If one has reached 60 years old and has not been successful, then the opportunity is indeed very little. Moreover, when one has reached 40 years old and still doesnt pass his academic learning, I personally think that he doesnt need to continue his education anymore. The same goes with your cultivation. You should consider your age upon doing certain things. As with the focus, the Americans are nowadays putting an importance on the word focus. Just like when you want to study law, the faculty divides the major into several detailed foci. There are administrative law, trade law, penal law, immigration law, and even trademark law. So this isnt the way in America for a lawyer to master all kinds of law since there are many detailed foci. Therefrom, you need to focus on just one thing, the same way in cultivating the Buddha dharma. Just like me who concentrates on the Great Sadhana of Amitabha Buddha, you, too, shall be born in the pure land if you follow my step. However, I dont advise all of you to cultivate the said sadhana since there are so many sadhanas that you can choose. Just pick and focus on one. Should you be an Acharya, then you surely need to know various sadhanas and methods, but you still have to focus on one sadhana. So we can infer that by accomplishing Amitabha, you shall be able to accomplish the Five Dhyani Buddhas, and from the latter, you can accomplish The Adi Buddha; whereas below the Five Dhyani Buddhas you shall accomplish Vajrattva, and from Vajrasattva you can accomplish all Bodhisattvas. In conclusion, if you have attained yukta union with one sadhana, then you shall accomplish all sadhanas. Om Mani Padme Hum.

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