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<strong>Three</strong> <strong>Methods</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Merit</strong> <strong>Accumulation</strong>By <strong>Khenpo</strong> SodargyeTranslated by the Wisdom and Compassion Translation CenterBodhi Institute <strong>of</strong> Compassion and Wisdom USA
Table <strong>of</strong> ContentsThe <strong>Merit</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Heart Mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva .............................................1The <strong>Merit</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Circumambulating Stupas ...........................................................................14The <strong>Merit</strong> <strong>of</strong> Buddha Name Recitation ..............................................................................27Translators' Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................38About the Author ...............................................................................................................39Credit..................................................................................................................................40Copyright ...........................................................................................................................41About the Publisher............................................................................................................42II
The <strong>Merit</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Heart Mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva(Om Mani Padme Hum)Bow to the feet <strong>of</strong> Master Buddha Shakyamuni!Bow to the feet <strong>of</strong> Bodhisattva Manjusri <strong>of</strong> brave and great wisdom!Bow to the feet <strong>of</strong> Masters <strong>of</strong> great kindness in lineage!Surprisingly the unsurpassed, deep-pr<strong>of</strong>ound, subtle, wonderful dharma,Yet in a hundred thousand million eons, is quite difficult to encounter,Now I am coming to receive and hold it, within my sight and hearing.I vow to fathom the Tathagata’s true and actual meaningsFor the enlightenment <strong>of</strong> all sentient beings, let’s generate a supreme andextraordinary Bodhicitta!Today I will give a lecture <strong>of</strong> the merits <strong>of</strong> the heart mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara.There is no other text book available this time, and I give this lecture only accordingto the teachings from some Mahayana sutras and sastras. Recently, I am quite busy, so Ihad no time to prepare specifically for this lecture. I planned to start the teaching <strong>of</strong> theWisdom Chapter after the Meditation Chapter, but I probably cannot make the lecture intime, so I will give the lecture <strong>of</strong> the merits <strong>of</strong> the heart mantra first.Personally, I have strong emotions and extreme belief towards the practice <strong>of</strong> theDharma <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. There are several reasons. For one reason, I wasborn in a Buddhist family, which is quite different from those in the cities. I had unusualbelief <strong>of</strong> Buddhism since I was young. From another point, which is more obvious, about99% <strong>of</strong> Tibetan families believe in Buddhism. Almost every family recite the heartmantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. I could still remember that when I was young, there weremany families in my neighbourhood who recited the heart mantra by counting beads intheir hands after the super. When I recall my childhood, even though the materialconditions were inferior and I did not live in big buildings, everyone was pure-hearted.Because I grew up in such environment, even when I was child cowherd <strong>of</strong> yak, I wasreciting the heart mantra everyday with my rosary. I cannot remember how many mantraI have finished, but at least millions <strong>of</strong> it. That’s why without good preparation <strong>of</strong> thelecture today, the practice <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara Dharma is still very familiar to me.Sometimes I think even if a person did not diligently practice Buddhism, but wasborn and grew up in Tibet, has confidence in Buddha and Dharma and can recite the heartmantra. Many masters state that the Tibetan people have a distinguished feature that thechild can recite the heart mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara without being taught. Maybe this isthe influence from the family or from their instinct or merits. When thinking about themerits <strong>of</strong> the heart mantra, even if one does not achieve in any pr<strong>of</strong>ound dharma, he isstill fortunate to have been born in Tibet, unlike some people in big cities who start to1
learn the mantra when they are sixty or seventy years old. They cannot remember themantra even after receiving the teaching several times. And this made them quite sad.When some people asked me to teach them the mantra, I felt sorrow: “What a pity! Theycannot even recite the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara at their age!” I taught him “Om ManiPedme Hum” while he repeated as “Oh Mama Mama”!For those who came to Tibet to learn Buddhism, they should be very clear that everyfamily here cannot be apart from Avalokiteshvara. All the prayer flags placed on themountain were printed with the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, some are hang on the tent,some hang over the house, some on the sacred hill, and some around temples……sowhen passing by foot or by car, it will always be seen everywhere you go. For everyvalley and river bank, there are collections <strong>of</strong> stones with the mantra scripts. When I wassix or seven years old, I started to carve mantra words on stones with a chisel. At thattime, I could not even write down a letter. There was a lama in my neighborhood namedLongzhuo, who wrote down the mantra on the stone board for me, and then I carvedthose letters <strong>of</strong> his writing. I did this every day. As a little kid, I <strong>of</strong>ten showed <strong>of</strong>f howmany mantra boards that I did in a day as my achievement to others during the lunchbreak. And then my parents and some senior practitioners <strong>of</strong> Buddhism in neighborhoodwould praise and reward my good deeds. Maybe it was because I enjoyed getting morerewards, so I carved a lot <strong>of</strong> the mantra at that time which continued throughout myjunior period.In Tibet, people cannot live without the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. During the harshperiod <strong>of</strong> Cultural Revolution, some cadres who received and were influenced by adifferent education had ever been opposed to the Buddhism. But after the recovering <strong>of</strong>political policies, in case they were still alive, all <strong>of</strong> them were practicing the mantraeither publicly or privately with prayer beads in their old ages. So, the Tibetan people arefamiliar with the mantra and know its merit. Even those who are not really clear <strong>of</strong> themerit will still keep on reciting <strong>of</strong> the mantra. There are a lot <strong>of</strong> people in Tibet whopractice this mantra very rigorously in great quantities. Like those senior people in myparents’ age, each <strong>of</strong> them have recited the mantra at least 100 million times, some havereached 300 million times, 600 million times, 700 million times, etc. There are manypeople who do the same. Although the young people in Tibet right now cannot becompared with their senior generation and have less respect for practicing dharma, thereare still certainly many more people in Tibet practicing the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvarathan those in other nations.Through the study <strong>of</strong> the merit <strong>of</strong> the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara this time, I wish thepeople <strong>of</strong> other races, especially the Chinese, generate an extraordinary faith to themantra. Before, it could be considered as an ordinary mantra without particular value, butfrom now on, people either in a temple or in a lay practitioner group must pay attention tothe practicing <strong>of</strong> this mantra. The main purpose <strong>of</strong> the teaching this time, on one hand, isto tell the merit <strong>of</strong> the mantra; on the other hand, I hope we can start reciting this mantrain our daily life.In Tibet, whenever we see that a sentient being is dying, we will recite the mantra atonce. For example, when we see a yak is being slaughtered, many people will keepreciting “Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Mani Padme Hum……” While some Buddhists in2
China or in some other countries may just show a smile without even uttering a word atthis moment or recite the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha for a little while, there are very few peoplewho practice the Mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara at this particular moment. Therefore, fromtoday, we should adopt the habit <strong>of</strong> reciting this mantra whenever we see any sentientbeing dying or will be killed.Why is the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara so important? The Lord Longchenpa describedthe merit <strong>of</strong> a sutra in Chapter 11 Hearing <strong>of</strong> the Dharma <strong>of</strong> The Precious Wish-FulfillingTreasure: A Commentary on the Pith Instructions <strong>of</strong> the Great Vehicle. This sutra is theDignified Mahayana Sutra <strong>of</strong> Treasured Kingdom, (this sutra was translated in the SongDynasty in China). In this sutra, it elaborates mainly on the merit <strong>of</strong> the name and themantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. The Lord Longchenpa said that: “even if one were to onlyhear the title <strong>of</strong> this sutra, one would not fall into the lower realms in his next life. Justlike the other honorable sutra, such as Nirvana Sutra and Samadhi Raja Sutra, the merit<strong>of</strong> this sutra is extraordinary, like the raging flames, which can burn down all <strong>of</strong> ourprevious sins from the time without beginning; like the clear spring, which can washaway our stains <strong>of</strong> bad karma; like the fierce wind, which can destroy all <strong>of</strong> ourde<strong>file</strong>ments <strong>of</strong> the body, <strong>of</strong> the word and <strong>of</strong> the mind……” With references in this sutra,you will generate a stronger faith to the mantra and the title <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. You maythink that the most important thing from now on is to devote yourself wholly to recite thismantra, and it doesn’t matter even if you cannot practice other mantras.I cannot remember the exact details in this sutra, but I can still give a generalintroduction: once upon a time, when the Buddha was in Sravasti, suddenly, there was animmense brilliant light. Nivaranaviskambin Bodhisattva asked for the reason <strong>of</strong> the greatlight. The Buddha told him that it was because the Avalokiteshvara was saving thosepitiable sentient beings from the three low realms. The Buddha also told many formidablepower and merits <strong>of</strong> the Avalokiteshvara, which surpassed even those <strong>of</strong> the Buddha.Nivaranaviskambin was confused why he could surpass the Buddha. Then the Buddhatold him that: “During the past kalpa <strong>of</strong> the birth <strong>of</strong> Buddha Vipasyin, I was aBodhisattva named Miao Xiang Kou( 妙 香 口 菩 萨 ), and the Buddha Vipasyin declaredthe immeasurable merit <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara to me; during the past kalpa <strong>of</strong> the birth <strong>of</strong> theBuddha Sikhim, I was a Bodhisattva named Yong Shi( 勇 施 菩 萨 ), and the BuddhaSikhim declared the immeasurable merit <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara to me; during the past kalpa<strong>of</strong> the birth <strong>of</strong> the Buddha Visvabhu, I was a Kshatyrichi( 忍 辱 仙 人 ) and the BuddhaVisvabhu declared the immeasurable merit <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara to me.” The Buddha alsotold that there lived one hundred Tathagata in a pore <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. SamantabhadraBodhisattva once investigated the size <strong>of</strong> one pore <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara and he could notfind the boundary in that pore within 12 years.Nivaranaviskambin asked why the merit <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara was so incredible. TheBuddha told that: “Because he has the six-syllable charm -- Om Mani Padme Hum.”Nivaranaviskambin asked again: “Where does the six-syllable charm comes from?” theBuddha told him that he was not clear about that. (Just with this sentence, there are someignorant people <strong>of</strong> Buddhism who spread a rumour: “If the Buddha is not clear <strong>of</strong> that,this sutra must be a fake one and the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara is also a fake.” This kind<strong>of</strong> person is really ignorant. They generate bad karma deliberately. We should definitely3
not behave like this. We should be aware <strong>of</strong> the fact that, with the purpose <strong>of</strong>emphasizing the merit <strong>of</strong> some Buddha or Bodhisattva, according to some sutras <strong>of</strong>Mahayana and Hinayana, the Buddha <strong>of</strong>ten said: “I don’t know this merit, so you shouldask that from the Buddha.” Or “I don’t know this merit, so you should ask from theBodhisattva.” From this point <strong>of</strong> view, there are people who don’t know the secretmeaning or the concealed intention by Buddha, and they may think the Buddha is notomniscient or the sutra is a fake one if the Buddha says “I don’t know”. Those peoplewho haven’t studied and reflected upon Buddha’s teachings may only know somesuperficial things from one point <strong>of</strong> view, which could generate bad karma by theirmisunderstandings towards the Buddhism. It is really a pity. So we should try our best todestroy their wrong views. Otherwise, they could use their perverted beliefs to persuadeothers to follow and that would make those people abandon the real Dharma.Nivaranaviskambin asked: “Why is the Buddha not clear <strong>of</strong> this question?” the Buddhasaid: “Because this is the subtle nature <strong>of</strong> the heart <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. His stage isinconceivable and even for a Buddha it is difficult to know.” And then, the Buddha toldmany other merits <strong>of</strong> the mantra. For example, the Buddha is capable <strong>of</strong> counting thenumbers <strong>of</strong> dust in this world, but he cannot account the merit <strong>of</strong> reciting “Om ManiPadme Hum” even once. And I will introduce those kinds <strong>of</strong> merits later.Finally, Nivaranaviskambin bodhisattva said: “Since this mantra has so much merit, Imust get this mantra. I would like to <strong>of</strong>fer seven kinds <strong>of</strong> treasures that could fill up thewhole world. If there are lack <strong>of</strong> paper and pen, I would rather pierce myself for theblood as ink, peel <strong>of</strong>f my skin as paper, draw <strong>of</strong>f bones from my body as the pen, andabandon my body without any regret and pity. When our great master Jigme Phuntsoktaught the lecture <strong>of</strong> Legend <strong>of</strong> Eight Bodhisattvas, he said: “How fortunate we are thatwe were born in Tibet, the snow region. Before, Nivaranaviskambin bodhisattva had tomake such an unbelievable promise <strong>of</strong> self-sacrifice in order to get the teaching <strong>of</strong> themantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. But now, we can get it so easily. It is really our big fortune!”Nivaranaviskambin asked the Buddha: “How did you get the teaching <strong>of</strong> themantra?” the Buddha told that: “In my past lives, I went through the worlds as manytimes as the number <strong>of</strong> dirt in the world, and I served and <strong>of</strong>fered sacrifices to hundreds,thousands, and millions <strong>of</strong> Buddha, but I could not get the teaching or even hear <strong>of</strong> thismantra. Until I met with Buddha Bao Shang( 宝 上 如 来 ), who did not teach me thismantra, but he introduced me to Buddha Lian Shang( 莲 上 如 来 ). Buddha Lian Shanglearned the mantra from Amitabha, who had blessed Avalokiteshvara to teach the mantrato Buddha Lian Shang. And then I got the teaching from Buddha Lian Shang.”(Obviously, it describes many merits <strong>of</strong> the mantra. I wish you could read that sutra inyour convenient time.)Then, Nivaranaviskambin asked for the teaching <strong>of</strong> the mantra. The Buddha said: “Ina place in India, Avalokiteshvara appeared as a Buddhist layman. From the outside, helooks very dirty, and he has a wife as well as children. But you should not generatewrong opinions towards him. On the contrary, you should ask for the teaching <strong>of</strong> theDharma with a heart <strong>of</strong> respect, sincerity, and purity. He will deliver the teaching to you.”Then, Nivaranaviskambin paid a formal visit to that layman with his 1200 retinues and heeventually got the teaching <strong>of</strong> the mantra.4
Many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas attain enlightenment by the practice <strong>of</strong> “Om ManiPadme Hum”. It is really an extraordinary destiny that we can learn this Dharma in ourpresent life. Without the good karma <strong>of</strong> accumulating merits and purifying <strong>of</strong> sins duringour previous lives in the past millions <strong>of</strong> kalpas, it is impossible to encounter this mantra.Therefore, we must recite this mantra in our free time. Mipham Rinpoche said that:” inthe period <strong>of</strong> decline, the blessings from Avalokiteshvara and Tara are the most effective,and we can get the blessings most swiftly.” Either in Tibet or in China, there are manystories about receiving <strong>of</strong> blessings from Avalokiteshvara.The name <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara in Tibetan is Chenrezig, while in Chinese the name isGuan Shi Yin. Guan Shi Yin is a better name compared with Chenrezig. But the namewas changed to Guan Yin to avoid using the personal name <strong>of</strong> Chinese Emperor Li ShiMin. Actually, the name <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara was not given casually. It was conferred bythe Buddha personally. According to Lotus Sutra <strong>of</strong> Compassion, Avalokiteshvara was acrown prince <strong>of</strong> the king Cakkavattin, and his name was Bu Ju. When he made a vow toeliminate the sufferings by all sentient beings, Buddha Bao Zang therefore named himGuan Shi Yin. In the Surangama Sutra, a Tathagata named Guan Yin praisedAvalokiteshvara for his skillfulness in attaining enlightenment by observing sounds, andthe Tathagata also named him Guan Shi Yin.The practice on the Dharma <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara can generate great merits. Inprevious years in our monastery, when some hostile obstacles occurred, our great masterJigme Phuntsok Rinpoche would request us to recite the mantra or the name <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara together in class. After the group recitation, the obstacles woulddisappear at once. This is not a legend, but it really happened. In fact, there are numerouspro<strong>of</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the similar kind from Buddhist’s teachings. By observing the conducts <strong>of</strong> thegreat masters in lineage, it is true that the Dharma <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara is really suitable tous.The merit <strong>of</strong> reciting the name <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara is different from that <strong>of</strong> the otherBuddha or Bodhisattva. When I read the biography <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara and the merit <strong>of</strong>Universal Gate by Avalokiteshvara, I really feel that with only the practice <strong>of</strong> the Dharma<strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara is enough and the other practices are not so important. In the LotusSutra, the Buddha told Akchaya Bodhisattva that: “If one recites the names <strong>of</strong> theBodhisattvas as numerous as the sand grains <strong>of</strong> 6.2 billion <strong>of</strong> the Ganges River, and alsoprovides them with food, clothes, beddings and medicines during his whole life, thatmerit is the same as one recites the name <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, or even one shows theworship and <strong>of</strong>ferings to him for a while. The merit <strong>of</strong> that good karma could not beexhausted in eons. From this respect, to recite the name <strong>of</strong> the other Bodhisattvas cannotbe compared to the reciting <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. Therefore, when we walk or when we areon the way by bus, before dinner or after, we should recite the name or mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara as many times as we can. This is not difficult to do. But to those peoplelacking blessed rewards and don’t have a root <strong>of</strong> merits, they would not like to do this.That’s why I said just now that those people who are born in Tibet really had blessedrewards. If I cannot attain enlightenment this life, I would pray to the Buddha andBodhisattvas to make me reborn as a Tibetan for my next life. Because even a Tibetan isnot a good person, he can at least recite <strong>of</strong>ten the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. There is a5
sutra named “Holy Mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara with Eleven Faces”, in the sutra, it is said:“If one recites the name <strong>of</strong> ten thousand billions <strong>of</strong> Buddha, or one recites the name <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara, the merit <strong>of</strong> the two persons are equal without difference.» To recite thename <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara just for once is simple, while to recite the name <strong>of</strong> ten thousandbillions <strong>of</strong> Buddha could not be that easy. So we should read those sutras for a betterunderstanding <strong>of</strong> the merits <strong>of</strong> the Avalokiteshvara.As a Buddhist practitioner, we should rely on reciting Buddha and Bodhisattvas’names to cultivate our merits as well as to eliminate the klesha. But there are people withstubborn bad habits and perverted views. To them, they cannot have faith on the merit <strong>of</strong>the holy names. They do not care about it even after the explanation. This afternoon, aBuddhist living in Hainan Province gave me a phone call to vent his grievances. ActuallyI was quite busy at that moment, but he insisted on talking to me and said: “Please don’thang up the call. I have something very important to tell!” I asked what the matter was.He said: “I have a girlfriend in Sichuan Province. And since I knew her, it has driven mecrazy from the body to the soul. I am in pain and I have not a single moment <strong>of</strong> peacewhen I think about her. All my friends told that I was out <strong>of</strong> control. Because mygirlfriend is very beautiful, I am afraid that many people will chase her. And I cannotcontrol my desires. So could you please give me some suggestions?” (Generallyspeaking, it is a common phenomenon that women complain with tears, but his case isunique.) I told him that: “According to the Universal Gate Chapter <strong>of</strong> Lotus Sutra, torecite <strong>of</strong> the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara has great merits, so you`d better to practice that.”With the repetition <strong>of</strong> my suggestions two or three times, he just couldn’t obey, but keptasking “Do you have a way to help?” Eventually, I had no way to help.There is a great teaching in the Universal Gate Chapter illustrating that: “if there aresentient beings indulged in lust, they should be <strong>of</strong>ten mindful and show respect toAvalokiteshvara to get released from the lust; if there are some indulged in hatred, theyshould be <strong>of</strong>ten mindful and show respect to Avalokiteshvara to get released from thehatred; if there are some indulged in ignorance, they should be <strong>of</strong>ten mindful and showrespect to Avalokiteshvara to get released from the ignorance.” Even with my efforts <strong>of</strong>persuasion, he still could not change his mind and it seemed that he was suffering a lot.He said: “I have no freedom from the body to soul. I have no interests to do things in theday and cannot sleep at night. I am thinking about her every minute. And I lost so muchweight.” Also, he told me other interesting stories that I will not tell here. There are nosufferings or conflicting emotions that could not be solved by the blessing <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara. It has been declared by the true and diamond words <strong>of</strong> the Buddha.When we are trapped in covetousness, hatred, or ignorance, if we pray to Avalokiteshvarawith the whole mind, we will certainly get benefits from him.It is also written in the sutra that “the wonderful sound <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, the sound<strong>of</strong> contemplating <strong>of</strong> the world, the Sanskrit sound, the sound like the sea tide, the soundbeyond all worldly sounds. Therefore we shall always bear it in mind.” Among all thesounds in the world, the sound <strong>of</strong> reciting the name or the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara issupreme. It is the sound <strong>of</strong> the sea tide, and it is the most sublime sound. Many peoplelike different kinds <strong>of</strong> bizarre sounds by some super stars, although those sounds areactually inferior and fake ones. The truly beautiful sounds come from temples or from6
Buddhist groups when they are reciting <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. This kind <strong>of</strong>sounds surpasses all the sounds in the world.Those people with blessed rewards from their good karma can have a natural affinitywith Avalokiteshvara. While those people who lack blessed rewards will not respondeven we recite the holy names all around his ears. Sometimes, when I saw beggars on thestreet in mainland China, I asked them to recite Om Mani Padme Hum, but they simplywouldn’t do it. While in Tibet, from the king to the beggar, everyone recites Om ManiPadme Hum. I am not trying to brag how great our nation is. But this is the fact. ThoseBuddhists, who are looking for <strong>of</strong> the Dharma in Tibet, know it well that the Tibetanpeople obviously have deep faith to Avalokiteshvara, and it is proven by whicheverfamily that they visit.Of course, with a better understanding <strong>of</strong> the merits <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, I believe thatyou will pay attention to the practice <strong>of</strong> this Dharma. Mipham Rinpoche tells in his<strong>Merit</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Hundreds <strong>of</strong> Mantra: “Avalokiteshvara is the liberation upon seeing, theliberation upon hearing, the liberation upon thinking, and the liberation upon touching.”Anyone, who hears the name or the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, who recalls his imagesaccording to the picture <strong>of</strong> Tangka, has great fortune <strong>of</strong> good karma. The popular images<strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara in Tibet are the form <strong>of</strong> four arms, the form <strong>of</strong> two arms, and the form<strong>of</strong> thousand hands and thousand eyes. Also, there are 32 forms <strong>of</strong> images <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara in Chinese tradition according to the descriptions in Avatamsaka Sutraand Lotus Sutra. But anyway, with any form <strong>of</strong> images, we should <strong>of</strong>ten think about andvisualize Avalokiteshvara, therefore, our mind could be transformed and purified step bystep.There is a Tibetan book named Mani Collection, which was written by the KingSongtsen Gampo. It mainly describes the merits <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara and his mantra, aswell as the Tibetan history and his prediction. According to this book, the six syllables <strong>of</strong>Om Mani Padme Hum can destroy respectively the seeds <strong>of</strong> the six realms --- the heaven,the asura, the human being, the animal, the ghost, and the hell; they can overcome sixkinds <strong>of</strong> barriers which exist from the body, from the language, from the mind, from theknown, from the conflicting emotions and from the habit; they can make one free fromthe sufferings <strong>of</strong> desire, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, jealousy, and miserliness; and thento obtain spontaneously the merits and merits from the Buddha, from the Dharma, fromthe Sangha, from the Lama, from the Daka and from the Yidam. Also, they can cure fourhundred and four kinds <strong>of</strong> sickness. Om Mani Padme Hum is actually the seed <strong>of</strong> the fiveBuddha families. And it can cover all the mundane and supramundane merits andmerits…… Hence, any sentient being can be liberated from the sufferings by reliance onthis mantra.In the mainland <strong>of</strong> China, the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara should be spread also. Isthere anyone among you, young or old, who can make a promise to recite this mantra for100 million times? Perhaps many people are scared, because they are short <strong>of</strong>determinations. However, in our Tibet, it is kind <strong>of</strong> easygoing to make a decision to recitethe mantra for 100 million times. When the great master Jigme Phuntsok went toDuoKang and Anduo, he asked people there if they could practise the mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara for 100 million times. A lot <strong>of</strong> people raised the hands to show their7
determinations, although it may be kind <strong>of</strong> hard to do so with those long recitings such asthe name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha. But one or ten million <strong>of</strong> it should be no problem. On thecontrary, to those people from other nations, when they heard <strong>of</strong> reciting the mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara one million times, they might be very surprised: “One million? Whencould it be accomplished?!” While, in the case <strong>of</strong> making a bad karma, it would be aseasy as a piece <strong>of</strong> cake to them. For example, people can eat bravely bowls <strong>of</strong> worms ordishes <strong>of</strong> fish and shrimp, at which we even dare not look. That’s why it is said someonemust really have strong roots <strong>of</strong> bad habits and heavily conflicting emotions. It should becorrected. Anyone can attain the accomplishment, if he can fix his shortcomings. Therewas an old man <strong>of</strong> 80 years old in India, after his practice <strong>of</strong> the mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara for 100 million times, he attained the state <strong>of</strong> Vidyadhara <strong>of</strong> longevity.He lived in the world for 300 years and then went directly to the world <strong>of</strong> Amitabha.We should not be afraid <strong>of</strong> practicing this Dharma with certain quantity and we mustdo it. There are a lot <strong>of</strong> merits and merits for such reciting. But today, for the reason <strong>of</strong>the time, I cannot explain all in details. It is told in the Karandavyuha Sutra: “If one canrecite the Great Mantra <strong>of</strong> Six Syllables, he can be fulfilled with sufficient fortunes andmerits. At the time <strong>of</strong> reciting this mantra, Buddhas as many as the same quantity <strong>of</strong> thegrain <strong>of</strong> sand <strong>of</strong> 91 Ganges Rivers arrive, while countless Bodhisattvas arrive andcelestial beings, dragons, kumbhanda, the four deva-kings, and so on, arrive to protect.All the creatures in the body <strong>of</strong> the person who is reciting the mantra can attain nonreversalachievement as a Bodhisattva. If one carries with such mantra, he possesses thenthe body as a vajra body and also becomes a stupa. So, if there is someone who bows toyou and donates the <strong>of</strong>ferings to you, you should carry with the Great Mantra <strong>of</strong> SixSyllables to be ready. And then, you can accept the gifts. (People laughing)In mainland China, there are people who do not believe in Buddhism but they reallybelieve in Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. One day, I saw a picture <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvarahung in a taxi, but the taxi driver told me that: “I am not a Buddhist, but for the sake <strong>of</strong>getting blessed, I put up the picture <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara.” In fact, whether you believe inhim or not, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva will bless you all the time. So we should wear orcarry his picture or his heart mantra as much as possible. Some people like to wearsomething without significant meanings as necklace, especially these young people, wholike to wear the animal necklace representing the year <strong>of</strong> their birth. What’s the value <strong>of</strong>this kind <strong>of</strong> necklace? It should be replaced by the picture or mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara.Henceforth, one will not separate from the <strong>Three</strong> Jewels—Buddha, Dharma and Sanghafor all <strong>of</strong> his future lives. This kind <strong>of</strong> wearing has great merits and merits. If we want towear something, <strong>of</strong> course we should wear those with significant power <strong>of</strong> blessings forpresent and future lives. According to the sutra, if we wear this kind <strong>of</strong> blessingaccessory, and persuade other people to wear it also, it can destroy all kinds <strong>of</strong> opposingor hostile conditions and fulfill all wishes in this life and be with true Dharma in futurelives.As to the merits and merits <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and his mantra, even theBuddha cannot describe in full, so how could we ordinary people not have confidencetowards them? If we still do not believe in Avalokiteshvara, we are absolutely foolish.But there is still someone who does not believe without any reason. Even someone wrote8
on internet: “The mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara is a Tibetan mantra, which is practised onlyby Tibetan lamas, so I don’t believe it.” This person doesn’t have basic knowledge <strong>of</strong> thehistory <strong>of</strong> the mantra, and it is really a pity. The purpose that Buddha Shakyamuni gavethe teachings <strong>of</strong> the Treasure King Sutra in Sravasti was not only for Tibetans, but for allthe people! But there are some people who, with their very limited knowledge <strong>of</strong>Buddhism, blindly discriminate against other sects. Those people expose their wrongbelieving and ignorance thoroughly. That is equal to making a performance in nude.It should be clear that the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara can accumulate all the meritsand merits and dispel all hindrances <strong>of</strong> past bad karma. The worst downfalls according toSutrayana are five Anantarika karmas and five similar karmas, which can be purified bythe mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. In the Lotus Crown Sutra, the Buddha taught that “Onlyby reciting, thinking, or even touching the Om Mani Padme Hum once, one can purifythe sins caused by those five Anantarika karmas and the sins by five similar karmas.”Since time without beginning, we have committed so many terrible bad karmas. If thepractising <strong>of</strong> the mantra can dispel the sins <strong>of</strong> five Anantarika karmas and the sins <strong>of</strong> fivesimilar karmas, it can also obviously destroy the other minor sins that we havecommitted. So it can purify the sins from transgressing against religious precepts, the sinsfrom false words, the sins from steals, the sins stipulated by the Buddha, and the other 10kinds <strong>of</strong> sins defined by the nature out <strong>of</strong> the stipulation by the Buddha. That’s why many<strong>of</strong> our Tibetans keep rotating an Avalokiteshvara prayer wheel by right hand, reciting themantra by mouth, and accounting the number <strong>of</strong> reciting with a rosary by left hand. (Inoticed someone in our monastery holds the rosary by the right hand. It is not correct.According to the sutra, we should hold the rosary by the left hand and the prayer wheelby the right hand.)When we see an animal is going to be killed, if we are not able to save its life, weshould recite the mantra to its ears. By so doing, it will not fall into the lower realms butwill be born in the pure land <strong>of</strong> Amitabha. In the Ju Yi Suo Sutra (《 具 义 索 经 》), itsays: “If one person, who has heard the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, recites the mantra atthe ear <strong>of</strong> the animal, then the animal will be born in the pure land <strong>of</strong> Amitabha afterbeing liberated from the lower realms.” So when your good friends or close relatives aredying, crying and wailing are meaningless, but reciting the mantra beside <strong>of</strong> them cangenerate great benefits to the dead. The practising <strong>of</strong> Dharma is to benefit others as wellto the practitioners. If we do the practice according to the teachings in the sutraaccompanied with the faith, it must be a great help to others as well as to ourselves.In the southern part <strong>of</strong> mainland China, almost every family believes inAvalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, although they <strong>of</strong>ten regard him as a deity with the title <strong>of</strong>“Queen Guan Yin or “Mother Guan Yin”. Anyway, with a pure heart <strong>of</strong> respect to pray,the blessing and power by the Bodhisattva are incredible and the prayer will get benefits.In the past, there was an old saying as “Every family honours Amitabha and everyhousehold prays to Avalokiteshvara” in China, but it could be different right now. Manypeople do not believe in Avalokiteshvara, including our listeners <strong>of</strong> this lecture who maycome from those families. Does everyone’s family believe in Avalokiteshvara? Theanswer may be no. Someone’s parents may be against this belief. Therefore, it is9
necessary that we spread the mantra and the name <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara. We should letmore people know his merits and merits.Especially at the moment <strong>of</strong> death <strong>of</strong> sentient beings, they can get the most powerfulhelp from Amitabha and Avalokiteshvara. In the Karandavyuha Sutra, it is told that “Theone, who can hear the Great Mantra <strong>of</strong> Six Syllables: Om Mani Padme Hum, will be ledto the pure land <strong>of</strong> Amitabha by 12 Buddhas and the 8 great Bodhisattvas at the moment<strong>of</strong> death.” According to some sutras about Amitabha, there are also the descriptions as:“If one can pray to Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva at themoment before death, the three honourable Buddha and Bodhisattvas will come to leadthe one to the pure world <strong>of</strong> Amitabha.” In Han Buddhism, it is highly emphasized torecite the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha. However, the recitation should also include the name <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara. There are some bizarre rules existing in some particular temples <strong>of</strong> thesect <strong>of</strong> Pure Land that “The reciting <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha is permitted but it is notallowed to recite the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara!” I feel this kind <strong>of</strong> restriction is notnecessary.Following Om Mani Padme Hum, we can add a word “Sei”. By the teaching from hisesteemed Longchenpa, it is Om Mani Padme Hum Sei. So, Om Mani Padme Hum iscorrect and Om Mani Padme Hum Sei is correct too. To the respect <strong>of</strong> the pronunciation,in Tibet, there are differences between the DuoKang district and Lassa. Also in myhometown, some senior may say Om Meni Padme Hum while some senior maypronounce Om Marni Padme Hum. So, which one is correct? Actually, as long as there issincerity and faith in Avalokiteshvara, it is not obligatory to standardize thepronunciation. For the people from the northeast and the people from the southwest,when they recite Om Mani Padme Hum, there must be differences in theirpronunciations. Also, there are differences <strong>of</strong> the Tibetan language from Lassa and thatfrom Sichuan. But with our faith, there is no big difference regarding the merits andmerits.There is a story in mainland China: there was a senior monk passing by a hill, hefound a red light that shone over the hill and concluded that there must be a practitioner<strong>of</strong> Dharma living there. So he went there to visit the practitioner. Finally, he only foundan old woman. She told him that she had recited the mantra – “Om Mani Padme Niu”every day for ten years. Then, the senior monk kindly told her that it was wrong with thepronunciation. It should be Om Mani Padme Hum. The old woman was very sad forbeing wrong with her practice for ten years. She was so regretful and corrected thereciting at once. When the senior monk descended the hill and he looked back to theplace where he found the red light, he saw that the light disappeared. So he ran back in ahurry to tell the old woman: “You are right. Your reciting <strong>of</strong> the mantra -- Om ManiPadme Niu is correct. I was joking just now.” Then, the old woman became happy andchanged back to his practicing as before. And the red light appeared again. So, with apure heart, even if we recite it incorrectly, there are still merits and merits. When werecite the mantra, we should behave according to the teachings <strong>of</strong> Yulin Master ( 玉 琳 国师 ) “To those who are reciting, the position <strong>of</strong> the body should be upright and solemnwithout slacking; the words that we pronounce should be smooth, complete and coherent;the mind should be concentrated without distraction.” The body, the language, and the10
mind should be focus on the object that we are practising with. This kind <strong>of</strong> practicingcan generate great merits and merits.Hereupon, I sincerely ask for the spreading <strong>of</strong> the Dharma <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara withthe cooperation with all the great virtuous and devoted Buddhist laymen. Although thereare a lot <strong>of</strong> great honoured people in China who are promoting it with efforts, the scope<strong>of</strong> the promotion is limited. For the dharma that can benefit the sentient beings, everyonehas the responsibility to promote and spread it. I know that some great virtuous people,like Monk Hai Tao, try to persuade many people in practicing the mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara. This is great. Meanwhile, if there is someone who considers the mantraonly belongs to Vajrayana, this is totally wrong. It is a Buddhist mantra that is nodifferent from the nature <strong>of</strong> Surangama mantra. I heard that there was a temple in thenortheast China, where reciting this mantra was forbidden. It is not reasonable. As aBuddhist, if one cannot do beneficial things to sentient beings, at least he should not doharmful things.Another thing that deserves to be mentioned here is the promotion <strong>of</strong> the prayerwheel with scripts <strong>of</strong> the six-words-great-enlightening-dharani. We should let the otherspractice this wheel. Sometime before, I gave a lecture on its merits and merits. Somemonks in China helped to promote and to spread the prayer wheel at that time. But thereare still some people who oppose the prayer wheel with the faulty idea that the wheelonly exists in Tibetan Buddhism.Actually, in Han region, there is also a tradition <strong>of</strong> the prayer wheel. As the first time<strong>of</strong> using the prayer wheel in China, it was called “wheel Tripitaka”. It was told that Fu DaShi in the Liang period <strong>of</strong> Southern and Northern Dynasties invented that wheel. It iswritten in Orthodox <strong>of</strong> Shakyamuni Dharma: “In the beginning <strong>of</strong> Liang period, a personnamed Shan Hui felt sympathy for these people who had faith in the Dharma but couldnot read it due to the reasons <strong>of</strong> illiteracy or being short <strong>of</strong> time. So, as a convenientmethod for those people, he invented a Wheel Tripitaka, which was to install an axle onthe book shelves where stored all the scriptures <strong>of</strong> Tripitaka. A devout believer may pusharound the wheel. The merit <strong>of</strong> one turn around the wheel is equal to that <strong>of</strong> reading onetime all the scriptures that stored on the shelf.” Later, Fu Da Shi and his two sons becamemonks and his Buddhist name was Shan Hui. Until Tang Dynasty, the Wheel Tripitakahas been decorated with niches for Buddha, colourful books, mirrors, etc. the appearance<strong>of</strong> the wheel was refined. There is a similar story in the Biographies <strong>of</strong> Great Monks 1 ,also with the statement that: “Those who have generated Bodhicitta, by pushing and1It is written in Volume 10 <strong>of</strong> Biographies <strong>of</strong> Great Monks: “in the earlier time, Fu Da Shi in the Liangperiod <strong>of</strong> Southern and Northern Dynasty, for the sake to those people who cannot read so many sutra inthe daily life, built a big and tall wheel with different floors on the hill. It looks like a column with eightsides. It can be turn around with the Buddhist scriptures stored inside without obstacles. It is called asthe wheel <strong>of</strong> great scriptures. He made a promise that those who entered into the gate <strong>of</strong> the wheelwould not lose the chance as a human being for their future lives. And he persuades <strong>of</strong> other people toturn around the wheel accompanying with a pure mind <strong>of</strong> Bodhicitta. That merit is equivalent <strong>of</strong> readingall the scriptures stored inside <strong>of</strong> the wheel. From then on, all the buildings <strong>of</strong> wheel with scriptures aredecorated with the portrait <strong>of</strong> Fu Da Shi. That is the provenance.11
turning around the Wheel Tripitaka, can gain the same merits as reading and reciting thescriptures <strong>of</strong> the Tripitaka.”Today, the Wheel Tripitaka can be found in many Chinese temples stretching fromnorthern to southern areas. There is no big difference with big prayer wheels in Tibet.Since the Wheel Tripitaka can be turned around, why not the prayer wheel in hand?According to the tradition from Han Buddhist sects, the merits are the same. Don’t thinkthat “The prayer wheel by hand is not rationale because it is only for the TibetanBuddhists, and therefore it is not allowed in our temple”. I wish you would not say suchshameful things. Things that have no grounds in the Buddhist principles and may beharmful to the sentient beings should be forbidden. It is the same as in our TibetanBuddhism. If something is harmful to the heart <strong>of</strong> the sentient beings and has negativeeffect to Buddhism, we will stop it even it might sound good by false broadcasting. But,as to those really beneficial deeds to sentient beings, we can accept whatever the conceptscome from Han Buddhism, Indian Buddhism, or other nations. As the same, I wish wecan accept the practicing <strong>of</strong> the mantra and prayer wheel which can bring us so manybenefits.After the lecture today on the merits <strong>of</strong> the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, you’d betterhave a look to Sutra <strong>of</strong> the Mantra by Avalokiteshvara with Eleven Faces, KarandavyuhaSutra, Buddha Speaks Mahayana Sublime Treasure King Sutra and some otherMahayana sutras. We should get to know more about the blessing power and merit <strong>of</strong> themantra. According to some sutra, for the purpose <strong>of</strong> saving sentient beings in the lowerrealms, Avalokiteshvara was ever embodied as a bee, who makes the sounds <strong>of</strong>“wooooo…….”,which sound represents the meaning <strong>of</strong> the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvaraand taking refuge with the <strong>Three</strong> Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha). When thosesentient beings hear the sounds, they imitate to recite the same. Eventually, in this way,they were released from sufferings. Obviously, the powerful lights by the mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara reach everywhere in the six realms <strong>of</strong> samsara, and the embodiment byAvalokiteshvara can be anything that is out <strong>of</strong> our imagination. We cannot tell that who isthe real embodiment <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara and who is not. So we should possess a puremind in our daily life. With a pure mind as a foundation <strong>of</strong> our practice, we should recitethe mantra as many times as possible.My request to you for this time is not so demanding. It is my hope that all the peoplewho learn this teaching, either by TV, CD, or attending the class in person, need to recitethe mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara at least 100,000 times. The time limit is 3 months from thedate <strong>of</strong> hearing this lecture. Otherwise, one may lose momentum <strong>of</strong> practice. It would bea shame if one cannot even accomplish 100,000 times <strong>of</strong> recitations. With suchtremendous merits from this mantra, we must plant a seed <strong>of</strong> liberation in our mind and tomake a wish <strong>of</strong> never being separated from this mantra for our future lives. SinceAvalokiteshvara possesses the power surpassing <strong>of</strong> all Buddhas, why don’t we depend onhim? We cannot meet with this great dharma by chance, so why not practice it? Thus, weshould devote our efforts to practice!Next, I will impart the mantra <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara by reciting:“Om Mani Padme Hum……”12
“Your honoured vajra body, with the followers, longevity, pure land, sublimeappearance and other merits by the past Tathagata, I hope I can achieve those.”“If one has not yet generated the precious Bodhicitta, it should be brought forth; ifone has not possessed it, it should be cultivated and strengthened.”Okay, that is it so far for the course today.It is for attaining Manjushri's vigorous sagacity and for practicing Samantabhadra'sintellectual beneficences that I now dedicate all my cultivated good roots to adhere totheir ideals by incessant toil.As those great and most supreme Aspirations are being extolled by all Buddhas <strong>of</strong><strong>Three</strong>-Yugas, I dedicate all my cultivated good roots for the accomplishment <strong>of</strong>Samantabhadra's Beneficence activities.Questions1. In which Sutra does the Buddha declare the merits <strong>of</strong> the Heart Mantra <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara? What is the main content in general? What do you think about this?2. Someone may think in this way: as it was said in some sutra, the Buddha did not evenknow the answers for certain questions. So, could we say that the Buddha was notomniscient, or such sutra was a fraud? What’s your opinion?3. Please enlist the merits <strong>of</strong> the heart mantra and the merits <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva with the pro<strong>of</strong>s from Buddhist teachings. Among thesepro<strong>of</strong>s, which one is the most heart-moved to you? And why?4. When we recite Om Mani Padme Hum, if the pronunciation is not correct, could it <strong>of</strong>any effect? And why?5. Please show concrete examples to prove that the prayer wheels also exist in Chinesetradition. With this knowledge, how could you persuade people who resist using prayerwheel?6. What new knowledge have you learned from this lesson? How do you plan to practiseand spread the heart mantra?13
The <strong>Merit</strong>s <strong>of</strong> Circumambulating StupasThe unsurpassed, deep, pr<strong>of</strong>ound, subtle, wonderful DharmaIn hundreds <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> millions <strong>of</strong> eons, is difficult to encounter,I now see and hear it, receive and uphold it,And I vow to fathom the Tathagata's true and actual meaning.To benefit all sentient beings, please resolve on attaining the precious and supremeBodhicitta.Today, I will take advantage <strong>of</strong> this class to introduce the benefit <strong>of</strong>circumambulating the Buddhist stupas. Most Buddhists are aware <strong>of</strong> the great benefitgenerated from circumambulating a stupa. However, some people may remain ignoranton this respect if certain details are not introduced. So today I will briefly talk to you onthis subject.The stupa represents the holy mind <strong>of</strong> all Buddhas. Historically, stupas exist beforeBuddha Sakyamuni -- in The Hundred Actions Sutra, there was a king called Chakpa. Inhis previous life, he built a sharira stupa (a stupa in which a relic <strong>of</strong> Buddha abides)following the nirvana <strong>of</strong> Krakucchanda Buddha. In the time <strong>of</strong> Kassapa Buddha, therewas a King Zhizhi who also built many stupas. When Buddha Sakyamuni renounced thesecular life and became a monk, he did so in front <strong>of</strong> the stupa <strong>of</strong> Brahma Tathagataya.The Swayambhunath Stupa 2 in Nepal also existed before the appearance <strong>of</strong> severalBuddhas. In this respect, the history <strong>of</strong> stupas differs from that <strong>of</strong> Buddhist statues andsutras.In India, after the nirvana <strong>of</strong> Buddha Sakyamuni, King Aśoka built 84,000 stupasaround the world; Nagarjuna also built a sharira stupa; there is also a Buddhist stupa atBodh Gaya in India. There are many Mahayana and Theravada stupas in India. Whenstupa was introduced to Tibet, King Trisong Detsen built many stupas including theSamye Stupa in Ü-Tsang, and the stupa later was spread to the Amdo and Kham regionsand gradually, the entirety <strong>of</strong> Tibet. The Qiyun Stupa at the White Horse Temple inLuoyang is one <strong>of</strong> the earliest stupas in the Han region. It was built in the Han Dynasties.However, some people claim that the Putong Pagoda dates earlier than it 3 . In any case,after the Buddha’s nirvana, stupas spread all over Jambudvipa (or the southern continentin the Buddhist cosmology), and many faithful ones presented <strong>of</strong>ferings and prostrated tothese stupas. The sharira stupas built by King Aśoka is especially a great field <strong>of</strong> merit23The Swayambhunath Stupa is the oldest Buddhist stupa in the world. According to historicaldocumentations, when human lifespan was 10,000 years, a crystal stupa <strong>of</strong> a foot tall is formed naturallyfrom the wisdom <strong>of</strong> Buddhas; in the time <strong>of</strong> Krakucchanda Buddha, the entire Nepal was an ocean, thisstupa rose from the ocean; at the time <strong>of</strong> Kanakamuni Buddha, this stupa was called the stupa <strong>of</strong>unimpeded speech <strong>of</strong> the realm <strong>of</strong> reality; at the time <strong>of</strong> Kassapa Buddha, Master Jide expanded theexternal form <strong>of</strong> this stupa in order to protect it, until today, this stupa still stands.According to historical documentation, the construction <strong>of</strong> the Putong stupa <strong>of</strong> Hebei Province beganin Emperor Ming Yongping Year 12 <strong>of</strong> the Eastern Han Dynasty (69 AD), and was finished on January15 th <strong>of</strong> Yongping Year 15, two years earlier than the stupa <strong>of</strong> Baima Monastery <strong>of</strong> Luoyang.14
for all human and non-human, paying reverence and presenting <strong>of</strong>ferings to it to grantgreat merits.When it comes to the categorization <strong>of</strong> stupas, there are the eight great stupas inIndia, Tibet, and Kalachakra stupas, which are more commonly worshipped. Accordingto the rituals <strong>of</strong> the esoteric school <strong>of</strong> Buddhism, there are many different types <strong>of</strong> stupas.There are some stupas in Padmasambhava’s terms that are used for practicing theDharma. According to the Mahayana texts such as the Nirvana Sutra, Buddhist stupasdiffer to those <strong>of</strong> Sravaka and Pratyekabuddha in terms <strong>of</strong> shape and its divine power.The stupa embodies the mind <strong>of</strong> the Buddha, according to Guhyasamâja Vajra: “A stupais a palace where the Buddhas abide.” Therefore one must consider the stupas as thepalaces <strong>of</strong> all Buddhas. In Explanation <strong>of</strong> the Root Precepts <strong>of</strong> Theravada Buddhism, it iswritten that “The Stupa is the Dharmakaya”. In this respect, according to the Sutra <strong>of</strong> theGreat <strong>Accumulation</strong> <strong>of</strong> Treasures (aka the Maharatnakuta Sutra), “There is no differencebetween the merit <strong>of</strong> those who make <strong>of</strong>ferings while I am alive and those who make<strong>of</strong>ferings to a stupa after my nirvana. And wherefore? For the Buddha is the puremanifestation <strong>of</strong> the Dharmakaya, and not Nirmanakaya or the physical body.” Therefore,the stupa is a symbol <strong>of</strong> the three jewels: it is a quintessential representation <strong>of</strong> Buddha’sDharmakaya, and embodies the mind <strong>of</strong> Lord Buddha.There are many stupas where Buddhism prevails. Take Thailand for example,whether you go to the mountains or the cities, you can see many stupas along the way.Likewise, in Tibet, one can see white stupas everywhere. The stupas in Thailand aregilded with gold and therefore have golden color, but perhaps due to the fact that weTibetans are poorer and cannot afford gold, white stupas are more common over here. Ihave heard the story <strong>of</strong> a chief government <strong>of</strong>ficer who came here to make an inspection,and said very discontentedly: “Why are there so many white stupas? I am not comfortableabout it!” (This is probably a manifestation <strong>of</strong> his negative karma. In normalcircumstances, a person should be joyous at the sight <strong>of</strong> so many stupas.) We Tibetanshave a tradition – when a Tibetan sees a stupa, a monastery, or a monk, he will get <strong>of</strong>f thehorse, take <strong>of</strong>f his hat and join his palms. If he’s in a hurry, and cannot approach toprostrate, then he will join palms inside the car, on the horse or on the road from afar.Such an action grants great merits.The specific benefits <strong>of</strong> building stupas have been explained in detail in The Benefits<strong>of</strong> Constructing Stupas Sutra. The Avadana Sutra enumerated 10 merits 4 <strong>of</strong> building astupa, such as those who build stupas will not be reborn in remote places, nor will theysuffer from extreme poverty, nor will they hold erroneous views against Buddhism, etc.The Sutra <strong>of</strong> Constructing Stupas and Prolonging Lives also elaborated upon the sevenbenefits 5 such as those who build a stupa will not die suddenly and violently. Therefore,45The Avadana Sutra cited ten karmic rewards <strong>of</strong> building stupas: 1.One will not be born in borderlands; 2. One does not suffer from poverty; 3. One does not receive the body <strong>of</strong> ignorance and erroneousviews; 4. One receives the throne <strong>of</strong> 16 great kingdoms; 5. One’s life is long; 6. One obtains the VajraIndestructible Power; 7. One obtains immeasurably vast and grand blessedness and merits; 8. Onereceives the compassion <strong>of</strong> all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; 9. One has complete three kinds <strong>of</strong>supernormal awareness, 10. One will be reborn in the pure land.According to The <strong>Merit</strong> <strong>of</strong> Building Stupas to Prolong Life and Accumulate <strong>Merit</strong>s, when one buildsstupa with a pure mind, the merits that one accumulates are as such: 1. One will not be poisoned in this15
according to the Mahayana texts, we should build stupas if conditions allow and we havethe capability. In Tibet, many people from the monasteries or villages resolved to buildstupas. One year, HH Jigme Phuntsok called forth all his disciples to build stupasextensively, which was responded extensively and resulted in constructing over 10,000stupas. (I have forgotten the exact number, but it is a very big number anyhow.)In comparison, nowadays in the Han region, people are building fewer stupas. If youhave the capability in the future, you should build a stupa somewhere, so that those whosee it, circumambulate it, or prostrate to it will attain enlightenment eventually. LordBuddha has taught us the multitude <strong>of</strong> benefits <strong>of</strong> building stupas in the Vimala SuddhaPrabhasa Mahadharani Sutra and said that “Those who have committed the five acts <strong>of</strong>evil leading to the avici hell, should he pass in the shade <strong>of</strong> a stupa, or catch sight <strong>of</strong> astupa from afar, or hear the chimes <strong>of</strong> the bells <strong>of</strong> a stupa, or hear <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> a stupa,will be purified <strong>of</strong> the five heinous crimes, or any other hindrance <strong>of</strong> karma.” Therefore,the benefits <strong>of</strong> building stupas are inconceivable.Of course, a rather strict standard is applied to the construction <strong>of</strong> stupa. If it isbeyond one’s capability, then it is also advisable to buy a small stupa, which is relativelyeasy. The Buddha spoke about many types <strong>of</strong> stupas in The Benefits <strong>of</strong> ConstructingStupas Sutra and told us that even if a stupa is the size <strong>of</strong> a jujube leaf, or as thin as aneedle, it is still able to bring vast merits. Such small stupas are sold in many Buddhistshops. (Is our shop going to make a fortune? Do you sell stupas? No? Too bad…forgetit.) Normally relics or religious objects are inserted into stupas, if you don’t have themantras to put inside the stupa, you can put the four verses 6 from the Sutra in the stupa,which also counts as a form <strong>of</strong> relic. Then put it on the altar, and it becomes anembodiment <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Three</strong> Jewels. If a person really does not have the capability to build astupa, then <strong>of</strong>fer other people miniature stupa made <strong>of</strong> gold, silver, wood, stone or glass,insert relics, and form a karmic link with him. Such an action also has great benefitsThe stupas with standard measurements, even those built by children when they areplaying games can bring enormous merits. It is said in Lotus Sutra, “The little childrenwho piled up here and there heaps <strong>of</strong> sand into stupas, those who have done such actionshave all reached enlightenment.” Sometimes when little children play, if they have someroots <strong>of</strong> beneficence, they will form a good connection with statues or stupas <strong>of</strong> Buddhas,6life, one’s life will be long, one will not die a sudden death, and eventually obtain the incorruptiblebody. All ghosts and gods dare not approach, all foes will disperse; 2. One will be free <strong>of</strong> all diseases;all sentient beings will be joyful upon seeing one; 3. The tainted precepts <strong>of</strong> one will be purified, theones who are not submissive will become tamed, the unclean ones will become purified, the abstinentialrules ones broke will be mended; 4. The four great prohibitions and the five kinds <strong>of</strong> evil acts leading toavici hell that one has <strong>of</strong>fended will be canceled. All karmic hindrances accumulated through theimmeasurable past Kalpas will be purified; 5. If one wishes to give birth to a male <strong>of</strong>fspring, he will beblessed with merit and health; 6. One will be constantly protected by the four celestial kings; 7. Even ifthe stupa is destroyed and becomes mote, and the mote is carried by wind across forests, mountains,rivers and oceans, all sentient beings that touch this mote will never be reborn with impure bodies andwill always be able to see the Buddha.Abstain from all unwholesome deeds, perform wholesome acts, purify one’s own minds--this is theteaching <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas.” Or “All phenomena arise from causal factors, and the Buddha says it is thecause;these phenomena end as the causal factors are gone, and this is the saying <strong>of</strong> the great shaman.”Both verses are fine, but the latter is more widely used.16
which will become the cause <strong>of</strong> their eventual enlightenment. This reminds me <strong>of</strong> myown childhood, in which I think I had rather good karma. When I was playing with somechildren from the neighborhood, and though we lived in a valley where there was nosand, we <strong>of</strong>ten pretended some sharp stones were stupas, and scattered flowers in front <strong>of</strong>them. Sometimes I found little white bones, some <strong>of</strong> which had pointed tips, some round,and I pretended they were stupas or statues, and prostrated and made <strong>of</strong>ferings to them. Ihadn’t read The Lotus Sutra then, but I had many similar experiences like this. I thinkthey can gradually become the cause <strong>of</strong> enlightenment.Mending stupas brings forth great merit as well,as it was written on Mahasanghavinaya,“Alms giving with thousands <strong>of</strong> kilos <strong>of</strong> real gold with a distracted mind is not asmuch merit as mending a stupa with a ball <strong>of</strong> mud.” The merit accumulated fromdonating thousands <strong>of</strong> kilos <strong>of</strong> pure gold to poor people is not as vast as the merit <strong>of</strong>taking a ball <strong>of</strong> mud and patching it to the cleft on a stupa. So last year several fellowBuddhists and I mended the stupas by the gate <strong>of</strong> the Institute. We were all aware <strong>of</strong> thegreat benefits it brings.While building stupas, it is preferable to follow the guidelines. However, there is stillgreat merit even if one does not follow them. At the time <strong>of</strong> the Buddha, the HonoredSumanas built and prayed to a stupa at a remote place, and in the stupa he inserted somehair and nails <strong>of</strong> Lord Buddha. At that time, five hundred Arhats resided there, and tookthe stupa as the true Buddha, and circumambulated it and prostrated to it in mornings andevenings. In this mountain there also lived 500 rhesus monkeys, who, after watching thedevout rites <strong>of</strong> the Arhats every day, fashioned a stupa out <strong>of</strong> mud and prostrated to it inmornings and evenings as well. Later, the mountain was flooded, the monkeys could notescape and were all drowned. The rhesus monkeys reincarnated into five hundred devasin the heavenly realm, who saw with their divine sights that the cause <strong>of</strong> their celestialbirth was due to the building and worshiping <strong>of</strong> the stupa made <strong>of</strong> mud in their previouslives. Out <strong>of</strong> gratitude, they descended to the human realm and circumambulated seventimes around the remains <strong>of</strong> the rhesus monkeys, scattered flowers on them and made<strong>of</strong>ferings. They later heard the Dharma from Lord Buddha and attained holy fruit.Generally, a statue or a stupa must be constructed according to universal guidelines.However, as stupas are holy objects, even building a non-standardstupa can be a source<strong>of</strong> immaculate merit. Try to imagine, the stupas built by the children in the Lotus Sutraare definitely non-standard, and have all kinds <strong>of</strong> irregular shapes; the rhesus monkeysthat we have just mentioned, no matter how skilled they are, the stupas they have builtcannot be comparable to those built by humans. Furthermore, children have a playfulspirit and rhesus monkeys only intended to imitate. While doing so, they did not intend togain the liberation nor did they revere it as a holy object. However, due to the fact that theobject <strong>of</strong> their action was a stupa, great merits were attained anyway. Therefore weshould not depreciate carelessly such a pr<strong>of</strong>ound doctrine <strong>of</strong> cause and effect.Once the stupa was built, what are the benefits <strong>of</strong> circumambulating it? According toChaitya Pradakchina Gatha, “All the devas and dragons, yakshas and ghosts, willapproach and make <strong>of</strong>ferings, if you circle around the stupa clockwise.” All devas anddragons, yakshas and ghosts will come close to you and make <strong>of</strong>ferings to you, and they17
will not harm you intentionally. Many other benefits <strong>of</strong> circumambulating the stupa ismentioned in the sutra: please read it if you have some spare time.You must pay attention when you circumambulate a stupa, and you must do so in aclockwise direction. Avatamsaka Sutra or the Flower Garland Sutra also says,“Circumambulate three times in a clockwise direction”. It is obligatory tocircumambulate clockwise, if you do it counter-clockwise, not only will you not begaining any merit, but you will be generating negative karma by doing so. When we wentto Mount Wutai, we circumambulated the white stupa all day long. At that time we sawmany Buddhist practitioners and even some monks who were circumambulating counterclockwise.Among us was a lama called Yangyi. His task every day was to prevent themfrom doing so. Once he held a young girl by the hand and told her not to circumambulatethis way, but he did not speak Chinese, so he just tugged her hand and scared the girl,who kept shouting “stop dragging me, stop dragging me!” As a matter <strong>of</strong> fact, this lamahad a very pure intention – he had built many stupas in the area <strong>of</strong> Da<strong>of</strong>u, and <strong>of</strong>tenprinted prayer flags. He was in his 60s or 70s at that time and was not familiar with thelay Chinese customs: he merely stood there and asked people not to circumambulate inthe wrong way. Hence, stupas must be circumambulated clockwise, otherwise theconsequence is terrible, and this point is also specified in Chinese Buddhist sutras.Great merits result from circumambulating clockwise. It is written in a Buddhistscripture, that once upon a time, there was a group <strong>of</strong> merchants who set <strong>of</strong>f for a questfor treasures by sea, and on their way came across a whale. When they were about to beswallowed, they called the Buddha’s name loudly. The whale shut its mouth and died.This whale later was reborn as a human, with the name Shariputra, who came to amonastery and became a monk when he was very young and eventually achieved thefruition <strong>of</strong> Arhat. What was the cause <strong>of</strong> his attainment <strong>of</strong> the holy fruition? As it turnsout, he was a fly in his previous life, and was attracted by the smell <strong>of</strong> cow dung near astupa. Fortunately, the fly flew around the stupa in a circle. Another saying has it that thefly stopped on the cow dung, which was flooded and floated around the stupa. With themerit <strong>of</strong> this act, he achieved the holy fruition at the time <strong>of</strong> Buddha Sakyamuni.Therefore, please do not underestimate the merit <strong>of</strong> making one singlecircumambulation or even making only one prostration to a stupa, because the stupa is aholy object <strong>of</strong> immeasurable power, and even a small good deed can purify our sins andaccumulate merits. In the Casket <strong>of</strong> Secret Relics Sutra it is written that “Those whoshould be punished to Avici Hell, if they make one prostration to this Stupa or walkaround this Stupa once in clockwise direction, will reach enlightenment.” Therefore,when you come across a stupa, you must circumambulate it, do not just take a picture andthen leave right away.In case you cannot find a stupa, some monasteries have the reliquaries <strong>of</strong> masters <strong>of</strong>Dharma, if this master is a true accomplished monk <strong>of</strong> great merit, then you mustcircumambulate his reliquary as well. (After HH Jigme Phuntsok entered nirvana, noreliquaries were built, but a stupa was constructed at the place where His Holiness wasborn, and every time we went there, we prostrated to it.) In case there isn’t any reliquary<strong>of</strong> an eminent master, then you can circumambulate the statues <strong>of</strong> Buddha in monasteries.In Tibetan monasteries, the statue <strong>of</strong> Buddha is usually attached to the back wall, which18
leaves no room for walking around it inside the temple hall. But in most <strong>of</strong> the Chinesetemples, a space is left for people to pass by behind the statue. Walking around the statue<strong>of</strong> the Buddha enables the cultivation <strong>of</strong> tremendous merits. In the Sutra <strong>of</strong> the BuddhaLecturing King Prasenajit, it is said that “If it is with a pure mind that a personcircumambulates a stupa or an image <strong>of</strong> the Buddha, then in the next life, even theenemies will respect this person, and this person will possess merits and virtues andbecome a Mahayana Dharma vessel.” If one circumambulates a stupa or an image <strong>of</strong> theBuddha, then the demons, heretics, obstacles, or enemies that hinder one’s path <strong>of</strong>practicing the Dharma will disappear, and one will possess all merits and virtues, therebybecoming a Mahayana Dharma vessel.Seen from the surface, one circle around a stupa does not seem like a big deal, but infact, the merit is very big. In the past, when people visited Patrul Rinpoche, he used tosay all the time: “Just my luck! You won’t let an old man have rest. Why don’t you goand circumambulate the relic stupa <strong>of</strong> my Lama Jigme Gyalwai Nyugu? What good is itfor you to hang around with my corpse? ” In The Words <strong>of</strong> My Perfect Teacher, PatrulRinpoche talked about the former lives <strong>of</strong> Almsgiver Huajie and Tibet’s first sevenmonks 7 . When Almsgiver Huajie became a monk at the age <strong>of</strong> 100, many Arhats did notknow that he was in possession <strong>of</strong> the seed for immediate enlightenment. Only theBuddha himself knew. In fact, at the time <strong>of</strong> Kassapa Buddha, he was a pig who ranaround a stupa when he was chased by a dog. With this seed <strong>of</strong> goodness, he obtained theholy fruit <strong>of</strong> nirvana eventually. The seven monks were seven worms on the tree, who fellin the water, in which there was an old stupa. The worms were carried away by thecurrent and circumambulated the stupa clockwise seven times, and this became their seed<strong>of</strong> enlightenment.So if you have the opportunity, you should let your parents circumambulate a statue<strong>of</strong> the Buddha or a stupa, those who tie an auspicious bond in the teaching <strong>of</strong> BuddhaSakyamuni will be enlightened in the teaching <strong>of</strong> Buddha Maitreya. If they don’t believein Buddhism, you can trick them into walking around the stupa. If it’s a child, then enticehim by <strong>of</strong>fering him a candy and asking him to follow you around the stupa. If they areyour parents, you can say, “Do you want to go on a tour? I know a good place.” Thenslowly take them to circumambulate a stupa – “Alright, end <strong>of</strong> the tour!”In the surface, circumambulating once around a stupa doesn’t seem like a great deal,but in fact only the Buddha knows its merits. In The Sutra <strong>of</strong> Wisdom and Foolishness(Damamukl Nidana Sutra), it is written, “Do not think small virtuous things are not worthyour attention. Even small drops <strong>of</strong> water can accumulate and fill a big vessel.” As an oldsaying goes: a tower is built up with sand, a mountain is piled up with dust, the ocean ismerged from rivers, and merit is accumulated from good deeds. <strong>Merit</strong> needs to beaccumulated little by little; it is impossible to instantly gain all provisions required for7The 7 trial monks: the first group <strong>of</strong> Buddhist monks in the history <strong>of</strong> Tibet. At that time, TrisongDetsen wanted to observe whether Tibetans could uphold the precepts, so he ordained seven people tobecome monks as a trial, following Shantarakshita who used precepts <strong>of</strong> Sarvastivada. And they are: BaSelnang, Ba Trizhi, Pagor Vairocana, Ngenlam Gyelwa Choyang, Kohnlui Wangpo Sungwa, MaRinchen Chog and Lasum Gyalwa Jangchub. In historical documentations <strong>of</strong> Tibetan Buddhism, thereare many different sayings regarding the names <strong>of</strong> these seven monks.19
ecoming Buddha. Even learning starts at kindergarten, and slowly progresses tosupervisor for doctoral students. It is rather difficult to obtain a doctor’s degree withouteven finishing kindergarten. Though we must believe in our Tathagata, we mustn’t be tooarrogant, and the little virtuous acts still need to be done. Liu Bei from the period <strong>of</strong><strong>Three</strong> Kingdoms said to his son Liu Chan at his deathbed, “Do not forsake an act <strong>of</strong>kindness for its humble scale, nor commit an act <strong>of</strong> evil for its humble scale.”Therefore, no matter where you see a Buddhist temple or a monastery, an image <strong>of</strong>the Buddha or a stupa, at least circumambulate thrice if you don’t have much energy ortime to do more. Sometimes there are some survey groups or working groups who visitthe Institution. Among these people, those who have virtuous roots suggests that theyshould not only look at the Web <strong>of</strong> Grand Illusion Mandala, but also walk around it andsee how it feels. Then they take photos here and there, and unintentionallycircumambulating the stupa. If even the non-religious people are like this, as Buddhistswe should attach more importance to it all the more. When we have time, we shouldchant some mantras, prostrate or circumambulate a statue <strong>of</strong> the Buddha or a temple. Ifthere isn’t any, then we should consider the stupas that we have acquired as a purifiedobject, and circumambulate it.Such circumambulation was considered highly important by many Indian masters.When Master Atisha arrived in Tibet, Dromtonpa and his other disciples asked him,“Why do you attach such great importance to circumambulating stupas in contrast withall other virtuous acts?” Master Atisha told them, “Among all relatively virtuous acts,there is none that brings about more merits than circumambulating stupas, because it isthe amassment <strong>of</strong> good karma <strong>of</strong> the body, the mind and the soul. In India, there werepeople who attained enlightenment by circumambulating cities or holy temples, and therewere some who recuperated from sickness or attained enlightenment bycircumambulating the holy image <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara… Therefore, everybody shouldcircumambulate with diligence!” After this, Lama Dromtonpa did as he was told andcircumambulated every day. When his legs were not so nimble anymore in his later years,it is said that he circumambulated with the help <strong>of</strong> a carriage (probably similar to awheelchair). He persisted on circumambulating thrice until the day he passed away.When Master Atisha was circumambulating the stupa in Bodh Gaya, sometimes hereceived oracles from the Tara, sometimes he received oracles from other Dakinis. Fromthese stories we can tell that Atisha attached much importance to circumambulation. The<strong>Three</strong> Noble Brothers <strong>of</strong> the Kadampa lineage circumambulated stupas or scripture hallsas well. According to certain biographies, the great masters Patrul Rinpoche, MiphamRinpoche and Master Tsongkhapa also spared no efforts in circumambulation.In Tibet, circumambulating a stupa is a very joyous act. In this respect, Tibetanpeople have more advantages compared to other ethnic groups. Take the great whitestupa <strong>of</strong> Mount Wutai for example, it is a divine stupa <strong>of</strong> the Han region, so normallyHan people should be the majority there, but it is said that nowadays most <strong>of</strong> the peoplecircumambulating the stupa are Tibetans. When China was not opened up yet, there wereonly Tibetan people in front <strong>of</strong> the great Boudhanath Stupa (Jyarung Khasyor Stupa) <strong>of</strong>Nepal, besides Tibetans, very few Nepalese, Indians or any other nationalities werecircling the stupa. A similar situation can be found at Bodh Gaya as well. Especially in20
Thailand, many people do not know about circumambulating stupas at all, some peopleeven circumambulate counter-clockwise. At that time I really couldn’t bear the fact thateven these merits documented in Buddhist scriptures are ignored in a place whereBuddhism is so prosperous. I even wrote it down in my travel journals.I hope that by merit <strong>of</strong> this lesson, whenever you see a Buddhist stupa you will notonly look at it, but also circumambulate it for at least three times, no matter how busyyour schedule will be. When HH Jigme Phuntsok was circumambulating holy mountains,no matter how tight the schedule was, he would at least make three rounds. When youdrive by a stupa in a car, you should also drive around it once. On my way to Barkam,there was a stupa near Jinchuan that was consecrated by HH Jigme Phuntsok. Every timeI was passing by it I would drive around it once. I hope that whenever you see a stupa,you will make it a habit to circumambulate it. If you are making a pilgrimage to aBuddhist stupa, you should circumambulate diligently.In fact, the Han region also has a history <strong>of</strong> circumambulating stupas. In TangDynasty, there was a senior monk called Master Zilin, when he wanted to renounce thesecular life he encountered heavy obstacles. His parents strongly objected to it, so he hadto flee to Guang’ai Monastery <strong>of</strong> the Eastern Capital where he became a monk. Manyyears later, he went back to his hometown only to find out his mother already passedaway and his father was blind. In a state <strong>of</strong> grief, he went to the Yue Temple to recite theLotus Sutra in order to find out in which realm his mother was reborn. That night, theLord <strong>of</strong> the Eastern Peak said to him in his dream that his mother was reborn with a baddestiny, but if he made a pilgrimage to the sharira stupa <strong>of</strong> King Asoka Monastery, hismother would have a chance at emancipation. He then set <strong>of</strong>f right away on hispilgrimage and prostrated there in tears and grief, and when he prostrated for fortythousand times, he saw his mother in the sky with his own eyes, telling him that she hadalready left the bad realm for the heavenly realm.Furthermore, in Qing dynasty, there was a “head-touching monk” <strong>of</strong> BaotongMonastery in Wuchang, who was able to heal any big or small disease with the lighttouch <strong>of</strong> his hand. Why does his hand have such miraculous healing power? It is said thatthere was a pagoda in this monastery in which he circumambulated daily, touching thebricks <strong>of</strong> the pagoda with his hand, reciting in silence The Mantra <strong>of</strong> the GreatCompassion. Because he ceaselessly circumambulated for ten years, and never stoppedfor a single day, his hand obtained such miraculous power.Be it Tang Dynasty or Qing Dynasty, there were many cases <strong>of</strong> great masterscircumambulating Buddhist stupas. Now we should also advocate this, especially to thelay Buddhist practitioners. They should circumambulate Buddhist statues or stupas in themonastery more <strong>of</strong>ten. Nowadays in monasteries, there are many people prostrating orburning incense, but very few <strong>of</strong> them circumambulate. One day we went to pay homageto the physical body <strong>of</strong> the Sixth Patriarch. At that time we circumambulated many times,but there were still many people who did not come and circumambulate. I had no otheridea but to call out: “Come and circumambulate with me!” So they followed me, andcircumambulated for a few times. Then many <strong>of</strong> them wanted to stop, not because theythought that no merits can result from this act, but many <strong>of</strong> them were not aware <strong>of</strong> theimmensity <strong>of</strong> the merits that they can acquire. In fact many Han Buddhist masters21
attached great importance to this. Senior monk Benhuan was 100 years old last year, theother day I went to pay him a visit, after the meal he said, “Let’s go circumambulate thestatue <strong>of</strong> Buddha!” He walked very fast; sometimes we could not keep up with his pace.Therefore, Han people should attach more importance in popularizing circumambulation,otherwise many people will have an inadequate notion in this aspect.When circumambulating, what should we recite? When HH Jigme Phuntsok took usto circumambulate the great stupa in Bodh Gaya, we recited a verse from The Practicesand Vows <strong>of</strong> Samantabhadra Bodhisattva – "The power to purify all acts <strong>of</strong> benevolence,the power to destroy all afflictions, the power to subdue all evil influence <strong>of</strong> Mara, andthe power to consummate all Samantabhadra's Beneficent activities". HH Jigme Phuntsoktaught us about many great merits <strong>of</strong> reciting this verse, and said that if we can perfectthese four powers, the practice <strong>of</strong> any Dharma will succeed. Therefore, when youcircumambulate in the future, unless you have your own special way <strong>of</strong>circumambulating which is quite fine, it is advisable to recite this verse from ThePractices and Vows <strong>of</strong> Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.The merit <strong>of</strong> circumambulating stupas is immense, if you have the time, you shouldgo and circumambulate a stupa. There are stupas all over our Institute, among which theMandala stupa 8 is the most special one. When it was being built, HH Jigme Phuntsok hid100 extremely beneficial Termas <strong>of</strong> Buddhist statues and ancient Indian statues inside.Also buried inside were holy articles <strong>of</strong> immeasurable values that grant salvation uponseeing, upon hearing, upon touching, such as the relic <strong>of</strong> Namchos Migyur Dorje 9 , whichwere blessed by himself and many other great Lamas. Nothing but seeing the Mandalaalone is greatly beneficial. In Esoteric Buddhism there are many doctrinal evidencesregarding this, Vajrapani said, “those who saw the Mandala will be purified <strong>of</strong> elevenkinds <strong>of</strong> fundamental samayas and 25 kinds <strong>of</strong> branch samayas, and attain the incrediblebody, speech, mind, merit and activities <strong>of</strong> the Tathagata.” In Tantra <strong>of</strong> Salvation UponHearing, it is said that “those who see the Mandala will achieve enlightenment within 7rebirths.” It is also written in The Tantra <strong>of</strong> Peace and Wrath that “Those who haven’tseen the Mandala personally but have heard the name <strong>of</strong> Mandala <strong>of</strong> the Main Deity willavoid rebirth in hell.” Therefore, when the time allows, I hope everyone can visit andcircumambulate the Web <strong>of</strong> Grand Illusion Mandala personally blessed by HH JigmePhuntsok himself. (Many <strong>of</strong> the male and female practitioners go there <strong>of</strong>ten, but it’s sowindy up there that they have almost become Africans.)When circumambulating, you can recite the name <strong>of</strong> Ratnaketu Tathagata, or recitethe circumambulation mantra, which can multiply the merit by one thousand times 10 . Thecircumambulation mantra is:8910The Grand Illusion Web Mandala is also a stupa. It is classified as a Mandala stupa.The Namchos Migyur Dorje is the Tibetan name. He vowed to cure diseases with his remains.“Namchos” means the Heavenly Dharma sect that belongs to the Nyingma White Jade sect.According to Gongtang Danbi Zhunmei, the author <strong>of</strong> The Maxim <strong>of</strong> Water and Wood, the merit can bemagnified by 1000 times. However there are also sayings that it can magnify merits by 10000 times.22
ON NAMO BHAGAWATE RATNA KITU RATZAYA TATHAGATAYAARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA TAYATA OM RATNE RATNE MAHARATNE RATNE VIZAYA SOHA 11(Remember as best as you can, if not then it cannot be helped! When we werechanting The Warrior Songs <strong>of</strong> King Gesar, at the end <strong>of</strong> every song it was written,“Remember as much as you can, if you didn’t, then it’s impossible to be repeated.”)According to related teachings, there are many merits in circumambulating theMandala <strong>of</strong> the peaceful and wrathful Yidams. It is written in The Tantra <strong>of</strong> StainlessConfession that “Whoever prostrates to the Yidam <strong>of</strong> the peaceful or wrathful Mandala <strong>of</strong>the Web <strong>of</strong> Grand Illusion, all broken vows can be purified, all negative karmas that leadto unremitting hell can be cleared.” HH Jigme Phuntsok <strong>of</strong>ten quoted this doctrinalevidence. In fact, this doctrine can be found not only in The Tantra <strong>of</strong> StainlessConfession, but also in many ritual procedures <strong>of</strong> Termas. If we prostrate the peaceful orwrathful Mandalas with reverence, the fundamental and secondary samayas can bepurified, and even the most terrifying five sins leading to unremitting hells can bepurified as well. The practitioners here in present are so close to the Mandala <strong>of</strong> the Web<strong>of</strong> Grand Illusion, it would be a pity if you never circumambulate it after a long stay inthe Institute, much like an old lady who is born in Lhasa but dies without ever havingseen the statue <strong>of</strong> Jowo Buddha.There are some people who think that circumambulating stupas, reciting mantras,chanting the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha or turning the prayer wheels are for people with lessercapacity or foolish people, or good deeds meant for old people. What we need to do is tostudy the Five Major Shastras, and we don’t need these kinds <strong>of</strong> practices. Such way <strong>of</strong>thinking is unreasonable. In Ten Ground Sutra, it is written, “even Bodhisattvas from thefirst to the ninth ground must make <strong>of</strong>ferings and pay reverence to the image <strong>of</strong> Buddhas<strong>of</strong> <strong>Three</strong>-Yugas”. Let alone ninth level, we have not even reached the path <strong>of</strong>accumulation or the path <strong>of</strong> preliminary practices, therefore should not easily destroy thebeneficent roots <strong>of</strong> worldly actions. Bodhisattva Ground Shastra taught many principleson how Bodhisattvas must honor and make <strong>of</strong>ferings to the Tathagata. Even the greatBodhisattvas must act this way: we who have not yet entered the path <strong>of</strong> the Mahayanashould not underestimate any good deeds by all means.Perhaps certain people think they are great Bodhisattvas, but that needs someobservation. There used to be an old Lama named Kerang. Once HH Jigme Phuntsok wasteaching us about the merit <strong>of</strong> Bodhicitta and said, “You have all obtained the sanctifiedprecepts <strong>of</strong> the Bodhisattvas, therefore from now on you can be called greatBodhisattvas.” So he called himself “great Bodhisattva” every day. Once someone wasscrupulous about his words, so Lama Kerang said in all seriousness, “Are you saying thata great Bodhisattva like me will tell lies? Impossible!” Someone else asked, “Are youreally a great Bodhisattva?” “Of course! Didn’t HH Jigme Phuntsok tell us already? I ama great Bodhisattva.” I wonder if you all think that you are great bodhisattvas. In fact realgreat bodhisattvas are those who have reached the eighth ground or higher, and then theycan be called great Bodhisattvas.11There are other ways <strong>of</strong> chanting this circumambulation mantra.23
Some people are not even close to the path <strong>of</strong> accumulation, but already figure theyno longer need to recite any more mantras or chant the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha, nor do theyneed circumambulation, for these are the acts <strong>of</strong> people with low capacity. Such thoughtsare unreasonable. Whatever we do, we must measure our actions with the speech <strong>of</strong>Buddha, if Buddha said it is meritorious in Mahayana doctrines, then there will beabsolutely no doubt or deception about it, we must believe it 100% and do as Buddha hadtaught us. It is written in The Sutra <strong>of</strong> Samadhi King, “Even if the sky and the starsplummet from the sky, and the land and the sea, the cities and towns have collapsed, thevoid is indifferent but the heart changes, and the Tathagata never utters an untruthfulword.(The Tibetan translation differs slightly to the Chinese version.)" This means, evenif stars, the sun and the moon fall from the sky, the sea dries out and the land falls apart,Tathagata will never tell a lie. Therefore, with sanctified belief, we must trust allBuddha's Vajra speech; we have no reason to doubt what the Buddha said. If at somepoint we are confused, this is only due to our own ignorance that we cannot understand.If we can truly understand, the words <strong>of</strong> the Buddha cannot be untruthful. It is with thiskind <strong>of</strong> reverence that we should circumambulate Buddhist stupas.As <strong>of</strong> what to visualize while circumambulating, it is written in the teachings <strong>of</strong>Songtsen Gampo. For example, when we are circumambulating the statue <strong>of</strong>Avalokiteshvara, we should imagine that, "exterior" wise, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas areall merged into the statue <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara; "interior" wise, all Lamas <strong>of</strong> the lineageteaching are all merged into the statue <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara; and “exoteric” wise, Dakinisand the Yidams are all merged into the statue <strong>of</strong> Avalokiteshvara, and then chant “OMMANI PADME HUM” while circumambulating. During circumambulation, the lightilluminated from Avalokiteshvara merges into ourselves, all sins committed throughbody, speech and mind are purified. Many people <strong>of</strong> great merit have said that one cancertainly broaden his scope <strong>of</strong> contemplation, but if not possible, at least visualize thispart. For example, if you circumambulate a stupa today, then visualize that this stupa isthe aggregation <strong>of</strong> the blessing from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas <strong>of</strong> all ten directions.While circumambulating, the light radiated from it sanctifies all the bad karma committedduring immeasurable past Kalpas. It is recommended to recite the mantra <strong>of</strong>circumambulation. If you can’t, then chant OM MANI PADME HUM or the hundredsyllable mantra, or the mantra <strong>of</strong> Vajrasattva. When I circumambulated, I generallyrecited the Vajrasattva mantra, because I have committed too many karmic hindrances inthe past immeasurable kalpas and the current life, and therefore should rely on such amandala <strong>of</strong> the holy honored one to purify our sins. Each time we visualize the lightradiated from the mandala, the sins committed by our body, speech and mind can be allpurified.As to the number <strong>of</strong> times <strong>of</strong> circumambulation, HH Jigme Phuntsok used to say, thesuperior ones should circumambulate more than 10,000 times, the intermediary onesmore than 1000 times, the and inferior ones more than 100 times. The seventh DalaiLama Kelzang Gyatso said, "The number <strong>of</strong> times <strong>of</strong> circumambulation should be likethe 500,000 applied practices, so 100,000 is the best number." As ordinary people, themore we circumambulate the better. Do not just circumambulate three times, and bealready out <strong>of</strong> breath, and say, “I can’t do it anymore, I'll just go home!" Some people24
don’t feel breathless at all when committing bad karmic hindrances, but when it comes tothe good deeds, their bodies cannot take it anymore or they start to getting into a badmood.Buddhist statues and stupas are true wish-granting jewels; they have great benefitand blessing for the current and the next lives. If we can have solid understandings <strong>of</strong>this, then relying on it, we can surely get rid <strong>of</strong> karmic hindrances, broaden the scope <strong>of</strong>our wisdom prolong lifespan, and have all <strong>of</strong> our wishes come true. This is theunimaginable blessing power <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Three</strong> Jewels. We have doctrinal evidence andtheoretical evidence; therefore, the accomplished ones <strong>of</strong> the past attach great importanceto circumambulating stupas and statues <strong>of</strong> the Buddha.I hope that in the future, when you circumambulate, your heart remains pure, andconsider the stupa as the stupa <strong>of</strong> treasure, which is the accumulation <strong>of</strong> the merits <strong>of</strong> theBuddha's body, speech and mind. The other day when I was on a trip to Qinghai, therewas a Buddhist stupa inside which was the hair <strong>of</strong> King Tri Ralpachen. We thought it wasa great opportunity for circumambulation, and had an extraordinary feeling about this.When I was circumambulating, tears quietly streamed down, because King Tri Ralpachenwas a King who revered Buddhism very much. Whenever he saw a monk, he spread hishair on the floor, and let the monk walk on it. Hidden in this Stupa was his precious hair,I am very blessed to have seen such a stupa in this life.In fact, supreme objects such as stupas are everywhere; it's just that we are tooignorant to know their value. Now that we have understood more about it, we should doas such - firstly circumambulate as many times as we can when we see a stupa, and if thetime allows, circumambulate day and night. When I was studying in Garze NormalSchool, there was a Kyabje palace hall (meaning the hall <strong>of</strong> the protector). Icircumambulated every morning, during the day and in the evening. So we must not stopat one or two circles but circumambulate as much as we can. Secondly, as was written inBuddhist Scriptures, we must circumambulate clockwise, this is aimed at certain fewBuddhist practitioners. We must remember these two points. After circumambulation, weshould chant some simple or extensive dedication texts, devoting merits to theenlightenment <strong>of</strong> all sentient beings.Of course, making <strong>of</strong>ferings in front <strong>of</strong>, prostrating to and even cleaning stupasbrings much merit as well, but due to the lack <strong>of</strong> time, I won't talk about it hereextensively. In short, the merit <strong>of</strong> circumambulating stupas is immeasurable. We mustdevelop unswerving faith!For practicing the Samantabhadra's acts <strong>of</strong> wisdom;I now dedicate all my cultivated beneficent rootsTo adhere to them by diligent studies.Extolled by all Buddhas <strong>of</strong> <strong>Three</strong>-Yugas,Such are the most magnificent Aspirations;I now dedicate all my cultivated beneficent rootsTo obtain the supreme acts <strong>of</strong> Samantabhadra.Questions25
1. What does the Buddhist stupa represent? What are the merits <strong>of</strong> building, mending andcircumambulating a stupa? Please demonstrate with specific doctrinal evidences.2. Is there merit if one builds a stupa or circumambulates it with a scattered mind? Why?3. If you don’t have a stupa in your surrounding, how should you do to accumulate meritin this respect? How can you help your parents and friends to accumulate this kind <strong>of</strong>merit?4. From ancient times till today, what kind <strong>of</strong> attitude did the great Buddhist masters heldtowards circumambulation? How do you feel about this?5. What should you recite when circumambulating? How should you meditate? Afterknowing the extraordinary merits that can generate from a stupa, what two activities willyou do?6. What kind <strong>of</strong> Buddhist stupa have you seen? What were you doing at that time? Afterstudying this lesson, what will you do in the future? How can you tell more people aboutthe merit <strong>of</strong> circumambulating stupas clockwise?26
The <strong>Merit</strong> <strong>of</strong> Buddha Name RecitationHomage to Fundamental Teacher Buddha Sakyamuni!Homage to the wisdom warrior Manjusri!Homage to all the lineage masters <strong>of</strong> great goodness!The unsurpassed, deep, pr<strong>of</strong>ound, subtle, wonderful DharmaIn hundreds <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> millions <strong>of</strong> eons, is difficult to encounter,I now see and hear it, receive and uphold it,And I vow to fathom the Tathagata's true and actual meaning.In order to liberate all sentient beings, please generate the unsurpassable supremeBodhicitta!After having generated the supreme Bodhicitta, please listen attentively with thecorrect conduct <strong>of</strong> listening to the Dharma. Today, I will give a teaching on the merit <strong>of</strong>the names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Mipham Rinpoche expounded these merits withmuch clarity in the books that he had compiled, therefore I will not reiterate here.However, the reason that I am addressing this topic today is due to a recent causation ---the completion <strong>of</strong> the translation <strong>of</strong> A Collection <strong>of</strong> Buddha and Bodhisattva Names.After the completion <strong>of</strong> the translation, I requested that secular and non-secularpractitioners from all over the country carry out a Buddha Recitation Festival in order torecite the names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas and Bodhisattvas together.There are many reasons for my request. First <strong>of</strong> all, the worldly gatherings <strong>of</strong> variouskinds have very little meaning and value for the most part, and are nothing more thanmere wastes <strong>of</strong> time and money. Even though there are certain Buddhist practitionerswho gather just to perform Tsok-<strong>of</strong>ferings, fire pujas, and burnt-food <strong>of</strong>fering, which arewholesome acts, and deserve to be rejoiced at, there are still some problems that need tobe scrutinized.You should know that the practices and rituals <strong>of</strong> Tantric Buddhism areextraordinary practices, but there are extremely rigorous requirements for the GuruAcharya—the one who confers oral transmission—and his disciples. After acceptingsomeone as our spiritual mentor, the practitioner cannot practice the Dharma in a randommanner. To practice Tantric Buddhism, one must receive a Mantrayana empowermentfirst, then start the preliminary practice, recite the mantras, and, having reached a certainlevel <strong>of</strong> cultivation, one must practice the generation stage and the completion stagebefore commencing the main practice. There are many requirements on how to perform aTsok-<strong>of</strong>fering according to the canons <strong>of</strong> Tantric Buddhism. It is not as simple as a gettogether <strong>of</strong> several fellow practitioners supplied with biscuits and liquor, eating anddrinking as they chat loudly. There must be an actual significance to performing a burntfood<strong>of</strong>fering. Of course, the practice <strong>of</strong> Esoteric Buddhism is very good for certainpractitioners with superior natural capacities who have received unbroken lineagetransmission and empowerment. There is no doubt in this regard. But to require all27
practitioners—the Chinese practitioners in particular—to reach such a state is perhaps anunrealistic demand.Therefore, for quite a while, I have been giving thoughts to a practice that is suitablefor old and young practitioners so that everyone can benefit from it. When I later saw thetremendous benefits mentioned in Mipham Rinpoche’s Name Collection <strong>of</strong> Buddhas andBodhisattvas, I decided to promote the practice <strong>of</strong> Buddha Recitation. Ever since 2008, Ihave demanded the fourfold assembly <strong>of</strong> the Bodhi Association, including laypractitioners, monks and nuns in all places, to participate in this Buddha RecitationFestival.The power <strong>of</strong> group practice is enormous, just as Patrul Rinpoche said, grouppractice is like raging fire, whereas solitary practice is like a spark. Therefore, during theauspicious days <strong>of</strong> each year such as the month when Buddha Sakyamuni performedmiracles, the day Buddha started to turn the wheel <strong>of</strong> Dharma, the day he descended fromthe godly realm <strong>of</strong> Tushita to Jambudvipa, the birthday <strong>of</strong> the Buddha, the day <strong>of</strong>Nirvana, everybody in each class or study group should gather in recitation <strong>of</strong> theseBuddhas’ names. Such a group practice is bound to be extremely beneficial.Of course, as a person who has shallow wisdom and limited knowledge, I do not daretalk about how meritorious such practice <strong>of</strong> chanting is without any reference. However,Mipham Rinpoche cited various Mahayana canons as doctrinal evidences, introducing themerit <strong>of</strong> each Buddha’s name. After reading this, you will immediately understand thetremendous merit <strong>of</strong> Buddha Recitation and resolve to participate in this group chantingpractice.Fellow practitioners <strong>of</strong> the Institute, if you have time, you should attend grouppractice during the holy days <strong>of</strong> every month. As for the fourfold assembly in China andabroad, including the practitioners <strong>of</strong> Vajra Bodhimandas, monasteries, Buddhist centersand each group <strong>of</strong> the Bodhi Association, we must attach importance to this. For each one<strong>of</strong> you, in your rare and precious human life, this is an extremely important matter. Itappears that gathering together to chant the names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas for one hour is not toodifficult, and the benefit and merit accumulated from this act is unfathomable. This iswhy I am here talking about the causal origination, so that everyone should regard thispractice highly. From now on, all local groups should organize a group chanting practiceas a part <strong>of</strong> our collective chanting festival.Then how do we apprehend the multitude <strong>of</strong> merits <strong>of</strong> chanting these Buddhas’names? I will make a brief introduction to everybody based on the sutras and sastras <strong>of</strong>Buddhas and BodhisattvasThe Nirvana Sutra said that “Even if one were to open the great treasury/ And givealms to the people during one month/ The merit gained is inferior to/ That <strong>of</strong> a personreciting the Buddha’s name once/ Its merit surpasses the former/ By immeasurableamount”. This means that Buddha told the great king that if he opened the treasury <strong>of</strong> hiscountry and gave away all his gold, silver and other treasures to all sentient beings, themerit is unfathomable. But it is far inferior to the merit <strong>of</strong> a single Buddha Recitation.Some people might think that making financial <strong>of</strong>fering to the lama or purchasingseveral bags <strong>of</strong> powdered milk for alms-giving generates great merit. But in fact, themerit <strong>of</strong> reciting the Buddha’s name single-mindedly far surpasses the previous actions.28
Nowadays, there are some successful businessmen and great alms-givers who seem tothink that donating tens <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> Yuan generates immeasurable merit. Althoughthere are merits in such actions as stated very clearly in sutras, the merit <strong>of</strong> reciting theBuddhas’ names surpasses far beyond that <strong>of</strong> donation.As a Buddhist practitioner, we must choose a practice that brings great merit. GreatMaster Shandao (the 2nd Patriarch <strong>of</strong> the Lotus Sect) <strong>of</strong> Chinese Buddhism has oncesaid, “All the other good actions/ Though virtuous/ When compared to BuddhaRecitation/ Are not comparable at all.” Other practices such as alms-giving and keepingvows are very virtuous as well, but far less meritorious compared to reciting theBuddhas’ names. This can be compared to lighting a candle in a dark room; although itbrings light, it can hardly be compared to the light emanated from the sun.Maybe you have read Sutra <strong>of</strong> Lauding All the Buddhas' <strong>Merit</strong>s and Virtues. In thissutra, Buddha Sakyamuni said that he had heard <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> Vajra-PramardinTathagataya from Buddha Dipamkara. With the merit <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> this Buddha, thesins <strong>of</strong> life and death accumulated through over ten millions nayuta kalpas had beenovercome and Buddhahood had been attained sooner. Had he not heard <strong>of</strong> this name, hewould still not have attained the Buddhahood <strong>of</strong> Tathagata by now.Therefore, to have heard <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> the Lord Buddha in this life means that wehave accumulated tremendous positive karma. Previously, while I was translating ACollection <strong>of</strong> Buddha and Bodhisattva Names, I kept thinking that my current levels <strong>of</strong>self-awareness and cultivation are quite low, and I am not very adept in many aspects <strong>of</strong>cultivation. Sometimes I feel ashamed thinking about it (these are words <strong>of</strong> truth and notmere words <strong>of</strong> phony humbleness). But having encountered these Buddhas’ names,whether it is by reading them with my eyes or reciting them with my mouth, or listeningto others reciting them, these are all results <strong>of</strong> good karma. If I had been reborn in a land<strong>of</strong> darkness where Buddha Dharma does not thrive, I wouldn’t have encountered this text;if I had been reborn in a world where one cannot hear the name <strong>of</strong> the Buddha, I couldnot have learned such extraordinary names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas. Therefore, I feel from thebottom <strong>of</strong> my heart that I did not come to this world as a human being in vain, that thereis still a great significance. Then I am filled with more conviction in myself.I guess the fellow practitioners present here today must have such feelings too. A fewdays ago, I asked you to finish reading the text. But today, by show <strong>of</strong> hands, it appearsthat only about two thirds <strong>of</strong> you have read it, with still some who haven’t finishedreading. The reasons for not finishing your readings are still under investigation (theaudience laughs). But you should really read attentively. First, read about these meritstaught by Mipham Rinpoche. The teachings about these merits are based on varioussutras, and are not irresponsible and casual words.Whether it is reciting the Buddha’s name, chanting mantras or holding prayerfestival, how the merits <strong>of</strong> such practices should be like should be based on sufficientevidence. A while ago, there were rumors going around saying that chanting a certainnumber <strong>of</strong> times <strong>of</strong> The Great Cloud <strong>of</strong> Prayers and Blessings is equivalent to all themerit <strong>of</strong> “Vidyadharas Prayer Festival” currently held by the Institute; reciting 108 times<strong>of</strong> the Heart Sutra can eliminate such and such disasters <strong>of</strong> this year; reciting 100,000times the mantra <strong>of</strong> Padmasambhava can bring the Olympic Games <strong>of</strong> 2008 to a29
successful close…... Many lamas have sent various kinds <strong>of</strong> text messages around, and sohave the secular devotees. A while ago, I asked some people, “What are the sources <strong>of</strong>this kind <strong>of</strong> information?” Because when H.H. Jigme Phuntsok was around, many peopledid not dare to misbehave, and His Holiness himself paid much attention to these merits.Without trustworthy reference, he wouldn’t have said chanting which mantra can preventwhich calamity from happening in 2008. There can’t possibly be anything written in thesutras about disasters <strong>of</strong> 2008, or how the 2008 Olympic Games would proceed, but it ispossibly for the personal purpose <strong>of</strong> some lamas and devotees. I don’t agree with some <strong>of</strong>their behaviors, and criticized some people a while ago.Of course, if you do have extra-sensory abilities, or some clairvoyance, and areomniscient <strong>of</strong> everything in the future, the present and the past, I wouldn’t deny what yousaid. But if people without such clairvoyance just speak as one pleases, then the meritsmentioned in the sutras lose their true meanings.So we must be careful! Even the great Buddhist scholar and enlightened master suchas Mipham Rinpoche cited records from sutras throughout his Name Collection <strong>of</strong>Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and not just saying that “I think you should chant such andsuch names, and by doing so you will receive such and such merits.” So both fellowpractitioners seated here and the devotees outside <strong>of</strong> the Institute should be careful <strong>of</strong>what they say. Nowadays, information technology is rather developed; if a good thing issent out, the whole world will know; but if a bad thing is sent out, many people will alsoknow. Some Buddhist practitioners especially are very easily fooled. Maybe because theyare particularly devoted, so as soon as the words “Lama” or “Rinpoche” is brought up,they will regard them as fallen from the heaven and are absolutely worthy <strong>of</strong> acceptance.In fact the realities sometimes are not necessarily as they appear. I think <strong>of</strong> it this way:when you send text messages in the future, if you think that it’s very reliable, that it isbeneficial to Buddhism, and that it is based on evidential references, then you can send it.Reciting mantras and names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas generates tremendous merits, but to say thatthese particular merits can keep a particular disaster from happening, you need to checkwhether it has any referential support. The lamas who teach Buddhism should payattention in this respect as well. They should not say whatever they want and mislead thepractitioners. As a Buddhist, we should act responsibly towards Buddhism.In general, reciting the names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas in an assembly accrues pr<strong>of</strong>oundmerits. Such merits are expounded by great masters <strong>of</strong> Buddhism such as MiphamRinpoche, which is based on scriptural authority and cannot be rebutted by anyone.Therefore, we should have absolute faith and must recite the names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas.Some people may think that historically, the doctrine <strong>of</strong> chanting the Buddha’s namehas been preva lent in the Han region <strong>of</strong> China, and that it is sufficient to just invoke thename <strong>of</strong> Amitabha. What’s the use <strong>of</strong> invoking the names <strong>of</strong> so many Buddhas? Such away <strong>of</strong> thinking is mistaken. Like I’ve said before, reciting only one Buddha’s name andreading one sutra is extremely beneficial for people <strong>of</strong> certain innate capacity (forexample, some illiterate elderly people do not know how to practice Buddhism, but arevery devoted anyhow). For these people, a “Namo Amitabha Buddha” is veryextraordinary, and it is being popularized at the moment by many eminent monks inChina and abroad. Still, we should not repudiate other Buddhas’ names in order to adhere30
to one invariable practice. Because sentient beings that Buddha Sakyamuni tried tosubdue have different natural capacities and volitions, some sentient beings benefit fromreciting the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha Buddha, some others need to rely on reciting anotherBuddha’s name, and yet some need to recite the names <strong>of</strong> many Buddhas…there arevarious kinds <strong>of</strong> situations. Therefore, different names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas have differentmerits and virtues.The Bodhisattva Kishitigarbha Vow Sutra mentioned: “Even reciting the name <strong>of</strong>one Buddha brings immeasurable merits, let alone the names <strong>of</strong> many Buddhas?” Thistells us that the doctrine <strong>of</strong> Buddha name recitation is not limited by just the name <strong>of</strong>Amitabha Buddha. It was immediately written in the text that, whether the person is aliveor dead, if people can recite the names <strong>of</strong> multiple Buddhas, it could avert them fromdisasters and sufferings, preventing them from falling into evil realms. When a familymember dies or falls ill, even if there is only one person reciting the name <strong>of</strong> the Buddhaonce, all negative karmic conditions can be purified with the exception <strong>of</strong> the fivecardinal sins. Therefore, when a family member is sick or has passed away, if there is aperson who can do supportive recitation for him, it is bound to be helpful, as said in theBodhisattva Kishitigarbha Vow Sutra. Not only will it benefit others, its benefits tooneself are beyond measure, as it is written in the Sutra, “Those who recite or mindBuddhas’ names can attain limitless merits and eradicate countless <strong>of</strong>fenses”.In the Jeweled Repentance with Ten Thousand Buddhas’ Names <strong>of</strong> the Chinesetradition, there are ten thousand names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas. In this text, there is no mention thatone should only recite the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha Buddha. In Chinese Lineage, sutras such asThe Sutra <strong>of</strong> the Names <strong>of</strong> the Thousand Buddhas <strong>of</strong> the Past Kalpa <strong>of</strong> Glory, The Sutra<strong>of</strong> the Names <strong>of</strong> the Thousand Buddhas <strong>of</strong> the Present Kalpa <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merit</strong> or The Sutra <strong>of</strong> theNames <strong>of</strong> the Thousand Buddhas <strong>of</strong> the Future Kalpa <strong>of</strong> Constellations have documentednumerous names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Three</strong> Times. Recorded in many sutras such as theSutra <strong>of</strong> the Increase Towards Great Liberation and the Sutra <strong>of</strong> the Jewel Mound are thenames <strong>of</strong> many Buddhas <strong>of</strong> the ten directions. Therefore, some great masters disseminatethe Pure Land Doctrine, which is very suitable for certain people and deserves ourappreciation. However, if they do not allow people, young or old, to recite otherBuddhas’ names except for the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha Buddha, this kind <strong>of</strong> attitude is notvery reasonable. After all, sentient beings differ in their natural capacity, volitions, vows,and karmic conditions. Also, chanting different Buddha names generates differentbenefits. Therefore, when people recite Buddhas’ names, they should get rid <strong>of</strong> themistaken idea <strong>of</strong> “only reciting one Buddha’s name and none <strong>of</strong> the others”. This isproblematic.Another point that needs to be mentioned here is that there are ten epithets <strong>of</strong> theBuddha such as the Tathagata, Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened, etc. Usually, only thename “Tathagata” appears in most Buddhist scriptures, the others rarely appear.However, if you can recite all ten names, the merit is colossal. The Questions <strong>of</strong> ManjusriSutra <strong>of</strong> the Chinese Buddhist lineage says: “If we recite single-mindedly the ten epithets<strong>of</strong> the Buddha, the Buddha will <strong>of</strong>ten accompany us; we will be able to listen to theBuddha's teachings in the future, and meet the fourfold assembly <strong>of</strong> Buddha.” Suchpractice can also “prolong our lifespan, and avert us from diseases”, etc. The Sutra31
ecorded a multitude <strong>of</strong> merits. Therefore, it is very necessary to pray to the Buddha inthis manner.As documented in classical texts as well as in the Questions <strong>of</strong> Manjusri Sutra,during the recitation, it is best to put “I prostrate to, take refuge in, and make <strong>of</strong>ferings to”before the name <strong>of</strong> each Buddha. I hope you can read it at your own convenience. If youreally cannot recite in this manner, you may also directly recite the names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas,such as “Prostration to the Immeasurable Light Buddha”, “Prostration to the TreasureBun Buddha” or the like. There’s nothing wrong about that. Especially for some oldpeople, or your relatives and friends at home who are elderly and oblivious, it is difficultfor them to remember so many names, so you can just teach them one name at a time. Forexample, you can teach him to recite 'Namo Amitabha' first. Once he has learned that,you can teach them to recite 'Namo Original Teacher Buddha Sakyamuni', then 'NamoTreasure Bun Buddha'...Teaching a simple name <strong>of</strong> the Buddha thus can bring wondrousmerits.Teaching others to recite the Buddha's name brings incredible merits that won’t beexhausted until the attainment <strong>of</strong> Bodhi-fruit, while the merit <strong>of</strong> visualizing the Buddhaor to recite the name <strong>of</strong> the Buddha while contemplating the image <strong>of</strong> the Buddha is alsoinconceivable, and will not be exhausted until the attainment <strong>of</strong> nirvana. The GreatCompassion Sutra says: “Reciting Buddha's name once/ Creates good roots that/ Untilentering the realm <strong>of</strong> Nirvana/ Will never be exhausted.” Therefore, whether you read orlisten to the name <strong>of</strong> Buddha with good intention or absentmindedness, this kind <strong>of</strong> meritwill not be exhausted until the attainment <strong>of</strong> Bodhi-fruit, just as the money that youdeposit in the bank will not be exhausted until you withdraw it all. Such merit istremendous.There is no need for too many pointless and mundane words. We should put ourminds into Buddha Recitation, reciting as diligently as our time allows. At present, PureLand Buddhism has done very well in this regard – many masters <strong>of</strong> Dharma advocatepractitioners to recite the Buddha’s name single-mindedly without distracting themselvesby various types <strong>of</strong> practices. Of course, to recite multiple Buddhas' names is not adistracting practice <strong>of</strong> lesser importance, neither are meditation and other wholesomedeeds. You should not have any doubts in this regard. The so-called distracting practice isto teach various practices to a person <strong>of</strong> lesser capacity, who should practice nothing butrecitation <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> Amitabha Buddha. However, most other Buddhists should learnfrom the great masters <strong>of</strong> Tibetan Buddhism such as Chagmey Rinpoche or some notedmonks <strong>of</strong> Chinese Buddhism, who not only practiced meditation, but also recited theBuddha's name and thoroughly studied the sutras and sastras. From their biographies ortheir endeavors <strong>of</strong> spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings, we can tell thattrue distracting practice that affect us are stray and unwholesome thoughts, and they arebound to be harmful to the attainment <strong>of</strong> enlightenment.Therefore, we should put aside all irrelevant activities and concentrate in BuddhaRecitation. There is a lyric that goes like this: 'Say one less sentence, recite once moreBuddha's name, you will not be lost in the vast ocean <strong>of</strong> desires.' Whether you are a monkor a lay practitioner, life is very short and a human being's body is difficult to obtain.Thus you shouldn't idle your life away in seeking mundane pleasures and gossiping all32
day. Many <strong>of</strong> the lay practitioners enjoy talking about the same topic everyday—Haveyou bought a house? Have you bought a car? Have you got married? Have you got achild? Have your children attended school? If he is in school, what grade is he in...?Discussing these things does not have much significance. What is truly meaningful is torecite more Buddhas’ names in daily life.Reciting the Buddha's name is not only tremendously helpful to the attainment <strong>of</strong>Buddhahood, but is also <strong>of</strong> great help to our temporary well-beings. People who fearearthquakes, blizzards, tsunamis and so on can recite the name <strong>of</strong> "Nagaraja Tathagata".By reciting his name, all kinds <strong>of</strong> diseases, disasters, epidemics and so on can beeliminated. If you recite the name <strong>of</strong> 'Sun Moon Lamp Tathagata', you will not beafflicted with the evil spirits and heretic doctrines. Some people particularly fear the evilspirits and dare not go to latrines at night alone. Then you can recite 'Namo Sun MoonLamp Tathagata'. When you have the sun, the moon and lamps, no evil spirits will beable to harm you. Moreover, the merit <strong>of</strong> this Buddha's name is so immense that it isworth obtaining by <strong>of</strong>fering enough pearls and treasures to fill the entire world a millionfold.If you recite the name <strong>of</strong> 'Moon Lamp Tathagata', the person who recites it or hearsit will be the object <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fering from humans and gods, and there will be no differencebetween your body and a stupa. If someone prostrates to you, you can recite 'Namo SunMoon Lamp Tathagata, Namo Sun Moon Lamp Tathagata—OK. You can startprostrating to me. I can accept it." There are some people who are partial to appearingbeautiful, and wish to have elegant appearances. These people can recite 'Namo LotusSteps Tathagata'. In short, there are manifold merits <strong>of</strong> Buddhas' names in terms <strong>of</strong>temporary benefits.In fact, nowadays quite a lot <strong>of</strong> people merely seek temporary benefits. CertainDharma teachers and practitioners seem to be only after worldly merits, their practicebecame the practice <strong>of</strong> Vehicle for Gods and Men (Deva-manu-sya-yana). The vehiclesin Buddhism begin with Deva-manu-sya-yana, then it’s Hinayana Buddhism, thenMahayana Buddhism. In the Vehicle for Gods and Men, practitioners seek well-beings inthis life, beautiful appearance, and good business. It is for this reason that many peoplepractice Buddhism. If your goal is to obtain worldly or godly merits, then it is enough tojust recite these Buddha names. If you want to obtain eternal benefits, you should makeextraordinary vows, like the great vows made by the Seven Medicine Buddhas: i.e. eightgreat vows made by Buddha Suparakirtita Namashri, or the four great vows <strong>of</strong> BuddhaSuvarnabhadra Vimala, or the twelve great vows <strong>of</strong> Buddha with Lapis Light. BuddhaSakyamuni also made five hundred great vows, and attained enlightenment eventuallywith the power <strong>of</strong> these vows. Furthermore, after having read these vows, we can knowthat having encountered these Buddhas’ names shows the fact that we have accumulatedincredible merits. Mipham Rinpoche quoted the textual reference from The Sutra <strong>of</strong> theSeal <strong>of</strong> Entering into Certainty and Uncertainty that if one fills the entire billion-folduniverse with gold and jewelry and worldly treasures to <strong>of</strong>fer to the Solitary Realizer,such an action accrues inconceivable merits, but if one utters the words “Buddha”, “theOmniscient One” or “the Protector <strong>of</strong> the World”, or merely perceives these names bysound, the merits accumulated from the latter surpass far beyond that <strong>of</strong> the former.Besides mute people, anyone can say the word “Buddha”, and even little children can.33
Since its merit is so great, we should all regard the practice <strong>of</strong> Buddha Recitation highlyfrom this moment on.The method <strong>of</strong> Buddha Recitation that I am advocating is slightly different from themethod <strong>of</strong> the Pure Land Doctrine. In the Pure Land Doctrine, the practitioners are taughtto recite only the name <strong>of</strong> Buddha Amitabha without much emphasis on other Buddhas’names. Here, I require everyone to recite the name <strong>of</strong> various Buddhas’ names. If we canpersevere in this practice, the direct and indirect merits are tremendous.The Lotus Sutra says, “If with scattered mind/ A person enters a stupa or a temple/Or recites 'Namo Buddha' once/ He has already entered Buddhahood.” This means thatone can eventually attain Buddhahood by even chanting “Namo Buddha” once withscattered mind. This means that one can eventually attain Buddhahood by even chanting“Namo Buddha” once with scattered mind. There is a story related to this: at the time <strong>of</strong>Buddha Sakyamuni, an old man saw that the group <strong>of</strong> Bhiksus had dignified manners,and that their comportment were pure and unrestrained, which he admired so much thathe begged to become a Buddhist monk (there are some old lay practitioners here who arethe same: when they see that monks are living rather comfortably, they are alsodetermined to have their heads shaved). At that time, many Arahats observed with theirclairvoyance that this man had not performed any wholesome deed in 80,000 kalpas(unlike us, after observing a person for three or four months, our administrative monksigns a piece <strong>of</strong> paper and this person can be ordained a monk), therefore he was in nokarmic conditions to receive ordination. This man was so sad that he kept on sobbing.Later, with the power <strong>of</strong> his clairvoyance that surpasses that <strong>of</strong> the Arahats, Buddhahimself perceived that this man used to be a woodsman at a time even earlier than 80,000kalpas ago, and one time when he was hunting in the forest, he ran into a tiger. When thetiger was about to devour him, he hurried up a tree and accidentally cried: 'NamoBuddha'. Thanks to this cry, his positive karmic root ripened that day, and Buddhagranted him to take the monastic vows, after which, he attained Arhatship.When we are in monasteries or at home, it is a very simple practice to recite NamoBuddha Amitabha or "I prostrate to, take refuge in, and make <strong>of</strong>ferings to the Tathagata,the Perfectly Enlightened Buddha Sakyamuni", but its merit is unfathomable. In theWhite Lotus Sutra, it is said, "Buddha is unfathomable, Dharma is unfathomable, faith isunfathomable, its karmic maturation is unfathomable.” We must have accumulatedtremendous merits to have encountered Buddha and Dharma, and if we bestow faith in,make <strong>of</strong>ferings to, prostrate to, and take refuge in Buddha and Dharma, the karmic result<strong>of</strong> such actions are also unfathomable. In this regard, no philosopher, writer ortheoretician can obtain such merit, no matter how much they ponder upon it and try toobserve through their judgment.Without articulating the word "Buddha", the mere utterance <strong>of</strong> the word “Namo”alone brings merit. As documented in Agama Sutra, due to his hostility against BuddhaSakyamuni, Devadatta committed three cardinal sins which causes rebirth in the Hell <strong>of</strong>Uninterrupted Suffering, and was extremely scared when his life was coming to an endand that he was about to fall into hell. At that time, many <strong>of</strong> his kinsmen persuaded himto take refuge in the Buddha. But due to his intense jealousy towards the Buddha, hewould not say the word "Buddha". But he did manage to utter "Namo". With this merit,34
Buddha predicted that he would become Namo Pratyekabuddha Buddha. This isdocumented slightly differently in Mula-sarvastivada-vinaa, though the contents aregenerally the same.Therefore, reciting the Buddha's name brings great merits indeed, but I have onlymade a brief introduction today. And after this lecture I hope everyone could consultrelevant texts. Mipham Rinpoche had once cited The Sutra <strong>of</strong> the Jeweled Mound, inwhich it is said, “'Prostration to all Buddhas' is like a great gleaming torch which is boundto destroy all mental afflictions”. He also cited textual reference from Avatamsaka Sutra,which said that reciting the Buddhas’ names is like “having consumed Vajra-Dhatu, evenin small quantity, the Vajra-Dhatu cannot be dissolved”. Therefore, it is very rare toencounter Buddha Dharma in this present life. Such merit that is associated with theBuddha can never be exhausted throughout future rebirths.Mipham Rinpoche made clarifications in the small prints at the end <strong>of</strong> the text that,because <strong>of</strong> Dharma Cinta Mani, we can hear <strong>of</strong> such precious and honorable names <strong>of</strong>Buddha. Were it not for Buddha Dharma, we would not have been able to encounter it inthousands <strong>of</strong> millions <strong>of</strong> Kalpas. So we must cherish this opportunity we have now. Thewise ones should try to recite the names <strong>of</strong> Buddhas. When we see someone dying orsuffering, we should teach them this practice by their ears. Some <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas’ namesare commonly used, such as Treasure Bun Buddha, Medicine Buddha, and Precious FireTathagata etc. H.H. Jigme Phuntsok used to say that if we <strong>of</strong>fer the treasures <strong>of</strong> the entireworld to the Buddhas, the merit acquired is tremendous. However, we will gain muchmore merits if we recite the name <strong>of</strong> 'Namo Precious Fire Tathagata'. His Holiness alsoimparted its oral transmission to us. He used to emphasize <strong>of</strong>ten the merits <strong>of</strong> BuddhaRecitation.You should carefully read Mipham Rinpoche's words at the end <strong>of</strong> the text. It is alsowritten that it is very difficult to repay the kindness <strong>of</strong> your parents, relatives and friends.But if you can guide them to recite the names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas, even if they don’t recite it<strong>of</strong>ten, the occasional recitation will benefit them greatly, and this is also a way to returntheir kindness.Therefore, I have a requirement for all members <strong>of</strong> the Bodhi Association: if youwere to persuade their family members to participate in Dharma studies and practice, theyare perhaps in no karmic condition for this. However, they might agree to participate inan occasional group chanting practice that lasts for a little longer than an hour, whichthey should attend as a favor to you. If they are really unwilling to attend, force them to,even if it resorts to dragging them by the hair. Voluntarily or not, it will benefit themtremendously in all future rebirths only by listening to the names <strong>of</strong> so many Tathagatas.Therefore, at the end <strong>of</strong> the text, Mipham Rinpoche joined his palms together withearnest intention and advised us with motivating words to chant the names <strong>of</strong> Buddhasand Bodhisattvas. We should not be lazy in this practice. If we don't attach importance towhat a great achiever like Mipham Rinpoche had seriously requested with joined palms,then we are heartless creatures.Reciting these Buddhas’ names will benefit people whether they are old, young,powerful, rich, yellow or white. Anybody can benefit. Even for animals that areagonizing before dying, if you read the Buddha’s name by their ears, it can be35
tremendously helpful to them as well. In the future, if there is a Vajra brother or sisterwho has left this world or is about to, several fellow practitioners should gather andperform supportive Buddha recitation to him or her. From today on, the Institute willrequire everyone to practice in this way. For people from outside <strong>of</strong> the Bodhi Institute,when you see a dying person, giving him or her 100 Yuan does not help. Rather, youshould chant some names <strong>of</strong> the Buddhas to this person. After all, when one enters thestate <strong>of</strong> Bardo, money is useless. Chinese Yuan is useless even in America, let alone inBardo.A while ago, my mother’s sister was diagnosed <strong>of</strong> cancer, and was going to die soon.My mother gave her 1000 Yuan, so I said, what’s the use <strong>of</strong> giving her 1000 Yuan?You’d much better recite some Buddhas’ names to her. Therefore, when family membersor friends die, do not give them money; it is useless to give them money. If you are reallygenerous, you should give them money when he’s not sick or dying. When he’s dying,you should read him Buddhas’ names. This is a truly beneficial action for him.In the future, we should popularize this chanting festival, and everyone shouldpersuade at least ten people to recite the Buddha’s name. We will print as many <strong>of</strong> ACollection <strong>of</strong> Buddha and Bodhisattva Names as possible, and give a copy to whomeverpromises to read it more than ten times. We will continue the supply <strong>of</strong> this book, so youshould also try to be <strong>of</strong> help.Of course, if some people are particularly slow-witted, or when some people are tooold to read so many Buddhas' names, Mipham Rinpoche said that it is all right to readjust one, two or three Buddhas’ names. One should do his best. Some people haveparticularly strong karmic hindrances as a result <strong>of</strong> taking the lives <strong>of</strong> many sentientbeings. If those people cry in front <strong>of</strong> you and ask for forgiveness and want to repent theirwrong-doings, then ask them to recite these Buddhas’ names. If they can recite well, theywill absolutely go to the Pure Realm. You should use the expression “absolutely”. Why?Because many scriptures were very clear about the fact that reciting the Buddhas’ nameswill guide you away from evil rebirths and lead you to the Pure Land, so you would notbe lying if you tell this to them. Of course, if there isn’t enough basis and doctrinalevidence, you can’t just speak lightly.I am personally very happy that many people created an auspicious bond with thispractice. Mipham Rinpoche’s aspirations and merits are quite faultless, so if people recitethese Buddhas’ names, it is definitely beneficial to sentient beings. Also, knowing themerits <strong>of</strong> these Buddhas’ names is quite convenient. For example, when we are releasinglives, we need to recite the names <strong>of</strong> the Seven Medicine Buddhas, in which we should befluent by now. Anybody should be delighted when he or she sees the merit <strong>of</strong> thispractice, and a sentiment <strong>of</strong> joy will grow within. Maybe today I have been quitegarrulous. In brief, we should all recite these Buddhas’ names as much as we can withdevout faith.Of course, as to the method <strong>of</strong> recitation, I have mentioned it at the beginning <strong>of</strong> ACollection <strong>of</strong> Buddha and Bodhisattva Names. When you are gathered together, youshould first clean the venue, and then place a Buddha’s statue, some Buddhist scripturesand a Buddhist stupa on the altar so that people attending the prayer festival can prostrateto it. You can prostrate 21 times, 7 times or 3 times. After the prostration, perform the36
Seven Limb <strong>of</strong>fering first, and then start reciting the Buddhas’ names. After therecitation, dedicate the merit by reading the Vows <strong>of</strong> Bodhisattva Samanthabhadra. If youcan practice in the ways indicated above, it can truly accrue inconceivable merits.Nowadays, people are very busy with pr<strong>of</strong>essional and personal lives, and theirmental states are <strong>of</strong>ten chaotic. So if you ask them to spare one hour, they might beintimidated by the idea and flinch. But if they can give the merits <strong>of</strong> such a practice athought, all these worries and concerns will be dispelled. After all, if the grave problem<strong>of</strong> life and death can be solved in one hour, who wouldn’t do it? Who wouldn’t desire it?Therefore, you should first read the merits that Mipham Rinpoche had talked about,and then do your best to attend this Buddha Recitation Festival. People <strong>of</strong> any kind <strong>of</strong>natural capacities can attend it, and it is easy to promulgate, so I hope you can try yourbest to promulgate it extensively![1] Mipam Rinpoche(1846-1912), one <strong>of</strong> the most extraordinary figures <strong>of</strong> the Nyingmatradition and one <strong>of</strong> the greatest scholars <strong>of</strong> his time.[2]Patrul Rinpoche(1808-1889), spiritual teacher <strong>of</strong> Mipam Rinpoche, is considered asone <strong>of</strong> the most eminent lineage masters <strong>of</strong> the Nyingma tradition. His works include thefamous Words <strong>of</strong> my Perfect Teacher.[3] A celestial realm in which Bodhisattva Maitreya is believed to reside[4] Jambudvipa is a continent where humans live. In Buddhist cosmology, it is believedto be located south <strong>of</strong> Mount Sumeru,[5] A nayuta is equal to a hundred thousand millions.[6] Born in the 17th century, Chagmey Rinpoche is a prolific master and lineage holder<strong>of</strong> both the Kagyu and the Nyingma lineage.[7] The period <strong>of</strong> time between creation and recreation <strong>of</strong> a world or universe[8] An indestructible substance[9] A wish-fulfilling jewel[10] An intermediate state <strong>of</strong> being that occurs between the death <strong>of</strong> a person and hisnext rebirth.37
Translators' AcknowledgmentsMost members <strong>of</strong> the Wisdom and Compassion Translation Center are disciples <strong>of</strong><strong>Khenpo</strong> Sodargye Rinpoche. We would like to thank our master <strong>Khenpo</strong> SodargyeRinpoche and all the teachers <strong>of</strong> the lineage for their teachings. Only with theseteachings, were we able to gain understanding in the pr<strong>of</strong>ound meanings <strong>of</strong> Shantideva'streatise which serves the ground <strong>of</strong> our translation task.We would also like to thank Megan Lung for taking her time to pro<strong>of</strong>read this book.38
About the Author<strong>Khenpo</strong> Sodargye Rinpoche was born in Drakgo in Kham Tibet in 1962. He wasordained as a monk in 1985 and relies on H.H. Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche <strong>of</strong> Larung GarFive Sciences Buddhist Academy, Sichuan Province, China, as his root guru.Kheno Rinpoche was entrusted by Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche to take lead responsibilityfor teaching the Dharma to Han Chinese disciples. Endeavoring day and night over thepast quarter century, he has been translating volumes <strong>of</strong> sacred Tibetan texts into Chineseand expounding their meanings through numerous teachings, including teaching theMiddle Way in 100 lectures and The Way <strong>of</strong> the Bodhisattva in 200 plus classes. He alsohas transmitted his mastery and realization in the Great Perfection, the Great Illusory Netand Trilogy <strong>of</strong> Finding Comfort and Ease, etc., benefiting countless sentient beings andproducing many highly qualified Buddhist teachers. The quintessence <strong>of</strong> Rinpoche’steaching to his students is that, with the bodhichitta mind <strong>of</strong> Mahayana as the foundation,one should apply equal importance to the listening, contemplation and meditation <strong>of</strong> theDharma, and try to benefit sentient beings as much as possible.As early as the ’90s, <strong>Khenpo</strong> Sodargye Rinpoche accompanied H.H. Jigme PhuntsokRinpoche to give Dharma teachings in more than a dozen countries throughout Europe,America, and Southeast Asia. In recent years, he has been invited to many universities—Tsinghua University, Peking University, The Hong Kong University <strong>of</strong> Science andTechnology, University <strong>of</strong> Hong Kong, etc.—to speak with scores <strong>of</strong> intellectuals.Recently, he has been invited to give talks at George Washington University,Georgetown University, Max Planck Institute, Harvard University, Columbia University,University <strong>of</strong> Colorado, and so on, in his oversea teaching tour.<strong>Khenpo</strong> Sodargye Rinpoche also initiated a movement called “Promoting a LovingHeart,” encouraging Buddhist practitioners to cultivate loving-kindness and compassionin daily life and to stop ignoring the needy. While encouraging people to manifest ourinnate kindness in different ways, he stresses that compassion is not to be limited tohumans only, but rather encompasses all other sentient beings such as animals.<strong>Khenpo</strong> Sodargye Rinpoche <strong>of</strong>ten advises his students: “As long as we can benefitsentient beings, even if only one person generates one virtuous thought through ourefforts, we should be willing to serve that person for millions and millions <strong>of</strong> eons.” And:“I don't know how long I’ll live, but as long as I have breath in me, even if there wereonly one listener, I would try my best to benefit that person with the sacred Dharma.”39
CreditCover Design: Chang Hui40
Copyright<strong>Three</strong> <strong>Methods</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Merit</strong> <strong>Accumulation</strong>. Copyright © 2013 by the Wisdom andCompassion Translation Center. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment <strong>of</strong> the required fees, you have beengranted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text <strong>of</strong> this e-book on-screen. No part <strong>of</strong> this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded,decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storageand retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical,now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission <strong>of</strong> the BodhiInstitute <strong>of</strong> Compassion and Wisdom USA.41
About the PublisherBodhi Institute <strong>of</strong> Compassion and Wisdom USA (BICW USA)Website: http://www.buddhistweb.org/index.php/bodhi-institute/bodhi-institute-<strong>of</strong>compassion-and-wisdom-usaE-mail: publishing.bicwusa@gmail.com42