If I no longer am attached to self,
then being attached to reward
in the Pure Land of Bliss
through Buddha Recitation
is the working of the Dharma.
Homage to Amida Buddha!
For the Pure Land arose
because of Dharmakara's Vows,
and his promised rebirth
as Amida is fulfilled
by all sentient beings
who remember his Name.
Homage to Amitayus Buddha!
Homage to Infinite Light and Life!
Homage to the Light of Great Wisdom,
Homage to Amida Buddha!
Homage to the Life of Great Compassion,
Homage to Kuan Erh Yin!
Homage to the Great Meditation,
Homage to Mahasthamaprapta!
Showing posts with label Avalokiteshvara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Avalokiteshvara. Show all posts
20130301
Four Popular Bodhisattvas of Compassion
In Buddhism, the devoted practitioner develops the Bodhi Mind on hearing the Dharma.
The Bodhi Mind consist of the determination to achieve Buddhahood and the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings.
Arising from the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings is the concept of the bodhisattva.
According to certain schools of Buddhism, the four most popular bodhisattvas are Avalokiteshvara, the Taras, Manjusri, and Ksitigarbha.
Avalokiteshvara is the most popular bodhisattva, being the symbol of compassion. In his female form, popular in China, she is called Kuan-yin; and in Japan, as Kwannon or Kannon. She is known as the spiritual mother of all sentient beings.
In Tibetan Buddha, Avalokiteshvara is the essence of the speech of all the buddhas and the incarnation of their compassion.
The Taras are most popular in Tibet. They range from two (the white Tara, which is represented by the white lotus symbolizing day, and the green Tara, which is represented by the blue lotus symbolizing night) to as many as 21 Taras.
In all of her many forms, Tara represents compassion and enlightened activity.
One form of White Tara in Tibetan Buddha is White Tara Wishfulfilling Wheel. She is associated with longevity and one of the three deities of long life.
Green Tara is the popular form of Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. She represents protection of the disciple by the Buddhas.
Overall, Tara presents prosperity.
Today, Tara practice has been introduced to the New Age religions in the West.
It is said that in ancient Tibet that every virtuous and pious woman is the incarnation of Tara.
Manjusri is another popular bodhisattva in Buddhism. He represents wisdom, intelligence and willpower. In Buddhism, Manjusri is the spiritual father and mother of bodhisattvas.
Known as the King of all tantras in Tibetan Buddhism, Chanting the Names of Manjushri is a famous praise of the bodhisattva.
Adoration of Manjusri empowers his devotee with divine wisdom, mastery of the Dharma, an infallible memory, mental perfection, and eloquence.
Ksitigarbha is known as the bodhisattva of hell. He consoles the beings in hell.
Motivated by compassion, he delayed becoming a buddha so that he could help the beings destined through their karma to rebirth in hell.
References:
Bodhisattvas of Compassion: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_fbodi.htm
Avalokiteshvara: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Avalokiteshvara
White Tara Wishfulfilling Wheel: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=White_Tara_Wishfulfilling_Wheel
Tara: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Tara
Chanting the Names of Manjusri: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Chanting_the_Names_of_Manjushri
The Bodhi Mind consist of the determination to achieve Buddhahood and the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings.
Arising from the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings is the concept of the bodhisattva.
According to certain schools of Buddhism, the four most popular bodhisattvas are Avalokiteshvara, the Taras, Manjusri, and Ksitigarbha.
Avalokiteshvara is the most popular bodhisattva, being the symbol of compassion. In his female form, popular in China, she is called Kuan-yin; and in Japan, as Kwannon or Kannon. She is known as the spiritual mother of all sentient beings.
In Tibetan Buddha, Avalokiteshvara is the essence of the speech of all the buddhas and the incarnation of their compassion.
The Taras are most popular in Tibet. They range from two (the white Tara, which is represented by the white lotus symbolizing day, and the green Tara, which is represented by the blue lotus symbolizing night) to as many as 21 Taras.
In all of her many forms, Tara represents compassion and enlightened activity.
One form of White Tara in Tibetan Buddha is White Tara Wishfulfilling Wheel. She is associated with longevity and one of the three deities of long life.
Green Tara is the popular form of Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. She represents protection of the disciple by the Buddhas.
Overall, Tara presents prosperity.
Today, Tara practice has been introduced to the New Age religions in the West.
It is said that in ancient Tibet that every virtuous and pious woman is the incarnation of Tara.
Manjusri is another popular bodhisattva in Buddhism. He represents wisdom, intelligence and willpower. In Buddhism, Manjusri is the spiritual father and mother of bodhisattvas.
Known as the King of all tantras in Tibetan Buddhism, Chanting the Names of Manjushri is a famous praise of the bodhisattva.
Adoration of Manjusri empowers his devotee with divine wisdom, mastery of the Dharma, an infallible memory, mental perfection, and eloquence.
Ksitigarbha is known as the bodhisattva of hell. He consoles the beings in hell.
Motivated by compassion, he delayed becoming a buddha so that he could help the beings destined through their karma to rebirth in hell.
References:
Bodhisattvas of Compassion: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_fbodi.htm
Avalokiteshvara: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Avalokiteshvara
White Tara Wishfulfilling Wheel: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=White_Tara_Wishfulfilling_Wheel
Tara: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Tara
Chanting the Names of Manjusri: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Chanting_the_Names_of_Manjushri
20130213
Healing the Broken Heart Through Faith and Belief (poem)
I give thanks to the Buddha, for his role in helping us.
I give thanks to the Dharma for dependent arising explains the Four Noble Truths to us.
I give thanks to the Sangha who wrote the sutras that guide us.
When it feels like your heart has broken
free of your mind's gentle embrace,
make them whole again with breath meditation,
mantrayana and devotion to the Buddha.
May the comprehensive love of Amida tame the mind.
May the great compassion of Avalokiteshvara heal the heart.
May the active security of Mahasthamaprapta protect
one's Buddha Recitation and be mindful of Amida.
For the heart-mind, being the Bodhi Mind,
may only be formed from feelings and reason
being acted upon by one's sincere belief
that all sentient beings are our mothers!
Namu Amida Butsu
I give thanks to the Dharma for dependent arising explains the Four Noble Truths to us.
I give thanks to the Sangha who wrote the sutras that guide us.
When it feels like your heart has broken
free of your mind's gentle embrace,
make them whole again with breath meditation,
mantrayana and devotion to the Buddha.
May the comprehensive love of Amida tame the mind.
May the great compassion of Avalokiteshvara heal the heart.
May the active security of Mahasthamaprapta protect
one's Buddha Recitation and be mindful of Amida.
For the heart-mind, being the Bodhi Mind,
may only be formed from feelings and reason
being acted upon by one's sincere belief
that all sentient beings are our mothers!
Namu Amida Butsu
20130210
The Primordial Buddha is not a God or a Creator
"...The tantric tradition is the only one which explains the Dharmakaya in terms of Inherent clear light, the essential nature of the mind; this would seem imply that all phenomena, samsara and nirvana, arise from this clear and luminous source. Even the New School of Translation came to the conclusion that the "state of rest" of a practitioner of the Great Yoga--Great Yoga implies here the state of the practitioner who has reached a stage in meditation where the most subtle experience of clear light has been realized--that for as long as the practitioner remains in this ultimate sphere he or she remains totally free of any sort of veil obscuring the mind, and is immersed in a state of great bliss.
"We can say, therefore, that this ultimate source, clear light, is close to the notion of a Creator, since all phenomena, whether they belong to samsara or nirvana, originate therein. But we must be careful in speaking of this source, we must not be led into error. I do not mean chat there exists somewhere, there, a sort of collective clear light, analogous to the non-Buddhist concept of Brahma as a substratum. We must not be inclined to deify this luminous space. We must understand that when we speak of ultimate or inherent clear light, we are speaking on an individual level." — His Holines the Dalai Lama
What the Dharmakaya Is
Dhamrakaya is Inherent clear light and the essential nature of the mind.
All phenomena experienced in samsara and nirvana, arise from "this clear and luminous source".
Thus, the inherent clear light == the clear and luminous source == Dharmakaya
Description of the practitioner of Great Yoga
"The state of rest" of a practitioner is "the state of the practitioner who has reached a stage in meditation where the most subtle experience of clear light has been realized".
Thus the state of rest refers to the mind at rest in the samadhi called "Great Yoga"
The Stage of the Ultimate Sphere
By implication the stage of ultimate sphere is a level of meditative experience.
This stage is known as "The ultimate sphere".
Two things happen to the practitioner who remains in the ultimate sphere. He or she
The Dalai Lama's answer on a Creator and Creation: http://hhdl.dharmakara.net/hhdlquotes22.html
Seven Virtues: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_virtues
"We can say, therefore, that this ultimate source, clear light, is close to the notion of a Creator, since all phenomena, whether they belong to samsara or nirvana, originate therein. But we must be careful in speaking of this source, we must not be led into error. I do not mean chat there exists somewhere, there, a sort of collective clear light, analogous to the non-Buddhist concept of Brahma as a substratum. We must not be inclined to deify this luminous space. We must understand that when we speak of ultimate or inherent clear light, we are speaking on an individual level." — His Holines the Dalai Lama
What the Dharmakaya Is
Dhamrakaya is Inherent clear light and the essential nature of the mind.
All phenomena experienced in samsara and nirvana, arise from "this clear and luminous source".
Thus, the inherent clear light == the clear and luminous source == Dharmakaya
Description of the practitioner of Great Yoga
"The state of rest" of a practitioner is "the state of the practitioner who has reached a stage in meditation where the most subtle experience of clear light has been realized".
Thus the state of rest refers to the mind at rest in the samadhi called "Great Yoga"
The Stage of the Ultimate Sphere
By implication the stage of ultimate sphere is a level of meditative experience.
This stage is known as "The ultimate sphere".
Two things happen to the practitioner who remains in the ultimate sphere. He or she
- "remains totally free of any sort of veil obscuring the mind", and
- "is immerse in a state of great bliss".
The Dalai Lama's answer on a Creator and Creation: http://hhdl.dharmakara.net/hhdlquotes22.html
Seven Virtues: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_virtues
20100801
Guanyin
Guanyin, Guanyin, Guanshiyin - the Chinese name for Kwannon and a feminine archetype, the consort of Avalokitesvara.
Reference:
Kuanyin, Kuanyin, Kuanshiyin: http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BTTStexts/Guanyin.htm
Reference:
Kuanyin, Kuanyin, Kuanshiyin: http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BTTStexts/Guanyin.htm
20100725
Notes on Om Mani Padme Hum
This note is a study aid. See reference for details.
Six syllables give praise to the bodhisattva of compassion,
Avalokiteshvara who is also known in Tibetan Buddhism as Chenrezig, and as Guanyin in Chinese Buddhism. According to Tsangsar Tulku Rinpoche's Chenrezig Sudhana, these syllables are:
Om represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Generosity
• Purifies:
∘ Pride / Ego
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Devas
• Color:
∘ White
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Wisdom
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Perfect Realm of Potala
Ma represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Ethics
• Purifies:
∘ Jealousy / Lust for entertainment
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Asuras
• Color:
∘ Green
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Compassion
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Perfect Realm of Potala
Ni represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Patience
• Purifies:
∘ Passion / desire
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Humans
• Color:
∘ Yellow
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Body, speech, mind quality and activity
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Dewachen
Pad represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Diligence
• Purifies:
∘ Ignorance / prejudice
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Animals
• Color:
∘ Blue
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Equanimity
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ the presence of Protector (Chenrezig)
Me represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Renunciation
• Purifies:
∘ Poverty / possessiveness
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Pretas (hungry ghosts)
• Color:
∘ Red
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Bliss
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Perfect Realm of Potala
Hum represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Wisdom
• Purifies:
∘ Aggression / hatred
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Naraka
• Color:
∘ Black
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Quality of Compassion
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ the presence of the Lotus Throne (of Chenrezig)
According to HH the 14th Dalai Lama,
Om symbolizes:
• the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind
• the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha
Mani (jewel) symbolizes:
• the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love
Padme (lotus) symbolizes:
• wisdom
Hum symbolizes:
• indivisibility
• purity achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hum
Six syllables give praise to the bodhisattva of compassion,
Avalokiteshvara who is also known in Tibetan Buddhism as Chenrezig, and as Guanyin in Chinese Buddhism. According to Tsangsar Tulku Rinpoche's Chenrezig Sudhana, these syllables are:
Om represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Generosity
• Purifies:
∘ Pride / Ego
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Devas
• Color:
∘ White
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Wisdom
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Perfect Realm of Potala
Ma represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Ethics
• Purifies:
∘ Jealousy / Lust for entertainment
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Asuras
• Color:
∘ Green
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Compassion
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Perfect Realm of Potala
Ni represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Patience
• Purifies:
∘ Passion / desire
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Humans
• Color:
∘ Yellow
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Body, speech, mind quality and activity
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Dewachen
Pad represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Diligence
• Purifies:
∘ Ignorance / prejudice
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Animals
• Color:
∘ Blue
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Equanimity
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ the presence of Protector (Chenrezig)
Me represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Renunciation
• Purifies:
∘ Poverty / possessiveness
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Pretas (hungry ghosts)
• Color:
∘ Red
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Bliss
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ Perfect Realm of Potala
Hum represents:
• Six Pāramitās:
∘ Wisdom
• Purifies:
∘ Aggression / hatred
• Samsaric realm:
∘ Naraka
• Color:
∘ Black
• The symbol of the Deity:
∘ Quality of Compassion
• (Wish them) to be born in:
∘ the presence of the Lotus Throne (of Chenrezig)
According to HH the 14th Dalai Lama,
Om symbolizes:
• the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind
• the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha
Mani (jewel) symbolizes:
• the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love
Padme (lotus) symbolizes:
• wisdom
Hum symbolizes:
• indivisibility
• purity achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hum
20051116
Shurangama Sutra
The Shurangama Sutra chronicles the path of Enlightenment which the Buddha's cousin Ananda tread.
In it too is mentioned the Bodhisattva of Buddha Recitation, Mahasthamaprapta.
He represents the power of spiritual wisdom.
In Jodo Shinshu tradition, he appears in the trinity consisting of Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta.
In it too is mentioned the Bodhisattva of Buddha Recitation, Mahasthamaprapta.
He represents the power of spiritual wisdom.
In Jodo Shinshu tradition, he appears in the trinity consisting of Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta.
20040520
Buddha Nature as Pure Mind Meditation
Buddha Nature as Pure Mind is the foremost refuge - there is no other.
For Pure Mind results from spiritual (right) action which help purify the human mind, just as motherly compassion washes away childish ignorance with the milk of lovingkindness.
Indeed, the purified mind sees one's original nature as Buddha Nature, and the self grounded in basic goodness.
This compassion is symbolized by Kuan Yin, the feminine aspect of Avalokitesvara.
The way to purify the mind is simple: meditation, chanting of Buddhist sutras, reading books written by Buddhist monks and nuns, and reading the Dhammapada are helpful at home.
As well, other forms of purifying the mind include speaking well of people, helping other people, and being thankful for the help of people.
One famous example of compassion is the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc in 1963. As a result, the Diem regime in South Vietnam was overthrown, and public opinion shifted from opposition to US military intervention in Vietnam.
For Pure Mind results from spiritual (right) action which help purify the human mind, just as motherly compassion washes away childish ignorance with the milk of lovingkindness.
Indeed, the purified mind sees one's original nature as Buddha Nature, and the self grounded in basic goodness.
This compassion is symbolized by Kuan Yin, the feminine aspect of Avalokitesvara.
The way to purify the mind is simple: meditation, chanting of Buddhist sutras, reading books written by Buddhist monks and nuns, and reading the Dhammapada are helpful at home.
As well, other forms of purifying the mind include speaking well of people, helping other people, and being thankful for the help of people.
One famous example of compassion is the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc in 1963. As a result, the Diem regime in South Vietnam was overthrown, and public opinion shifted from opposition to US military intervention in Vietnam.
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