USHNISHA SITATAPUTRA – A Protector Against All Danger, Better Known as The White Umbrella Goddess

Ushnisha Sitataputra, better known as the White Umbrella Goddess, is one of the female manifestations of Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. It should be noted that Ushnisha Sitataputra, although she has similar traits with Kuan Yin, is not Kuan Yin. Kuan Yin is literally Avalokitesvara as female Bodhisattva. To understand this better I suggest you read my earlier post entitled – UNDERSTANDING MERCY AND COMPASSION: THE TRANSFORMATION OF AVALOKITESVARA TO KUAN YIN.

However, Ushnisha Sitataputra is a female manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the difference is Kuan Yin has retained all the exact character traits of Avalokitesvara, while a Ushnisha Sitataputra or The While Umbrella Goddess serves a slightly different purpose.

Ushnisha Sitataputra directly translates as the ‘The Victorious Goddess of White Parasol’, and she does signify victory over all harm and danger, especially those of supernatural causes. According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, reciting the mantra of Ushnisha Sitataputra will help illnesses, bring auspicious luck, prevent harm from happening, and drive away evil and negative energies. The Tibetan Buddhists regard Ushnisha Sitataputra or The White Umbrella Goddess as one of the most powerful deity.

The famous image of Ushnisha Sitataputra is the one where has a thousand face, thousand arms, and a thousand legs. Each of the face has three eyes, and she also has one eye in each of the palm of her hands and sole of her feet. This is to represent that she watches and protects all sentient beings. Her body as in her central faces glows in white, her right faces are yellow, her rear faces are red, and green is the color of her faces on her left. At the top of her head is another tier of blue faces. Her right hands hold the Dharma chakra, while her left hands hold arrows. She also has a white parasol on her left, which symbolizes the blessing of protection. This particular image of The White Umbrella Goddess can be likened to the Thousand-Hand Kuan Yin or Thousand Hand Avalokitesvara.

Image of the Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara or Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara

This is similar to the Thousand-Hand Kuan Yin we have at home.

Another image of Ushnisha Sitataputra or The White Umbrella Goddess is the simpler and can be likened to the White Tara.

In this subdued image of Ushnisha Sitataputra, she has 7 eyes, very much like the White Tara. Also white in color, she has one face with three eyes, two hands with one eye each on each palm, and 2 legs with one eye each on each sole. Her right hand is in the mudra of supreme generosity and also holds a Dharma chakra, while on her left she holds the famous White Parasol or White Umbrella of protection. However, in this version, the parasol is adorned with various jewel and ornaments.

Clearing Out Negative Energies Caused By Violence

If you’ve experienced being robbed, you’d know how bad the feeling is. A friend who was robbed inside their gasoline station felt that she was physically violated. In fact, it took her awhile to get over the trauma. For a while, she was even unable to go out of her house or even look outside of their window.

If you happen to experience a really bad case of robbery or any kind of violence, I suggest that you immediately clear out the negative energy caused by the violent act. There are different ways of doing it. They can be a stand-alone ritual or you can do all three.

First, the Feng Shui Way…. Perfume Water with Salt…

Always make sure that you use rock or sea salt and never iodized or table salt.

Get a big bowl of water, put about a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of saffron or cinnamon into the water. Use the Perfume Water with Salt solution to clear the negative energies brought about by the robbery by using the solution to clean the doorways and windows of your home. Make sure that you have a little solution which you can put by your door, leave it there for three days. You also need to infuse a lot of Yang energy, do this by turning the lights on for 3 days.

Second, the Taoist Way… Kwan Kong, Incense, Flower, and Candle

The Taoist way of clearing out the negative energy brought about by any form of violence would require you to have an image of Kuan Kong, also known as Guan Gong, Kwan Kong.

In front of the image of Kuan Kong, light 2 pieces of red candle, offer some flowers (make sure that the flower doesn’t have thorns, so roses are not allowed), and light 9 pieces of incense sticks.

Call on Kuan Kong to help clear out the negative energies brought about by the violent incident. Leave 3 of the incense sticks in front of the image of Kuan Kong, put the other 3 by your door and go around the house with the other 3 lighted incense sticks. While going around the house or office continuously call on Kuan Kong to clean the place from negative energies brought about by the violent incident.

Third, the Buddhist Way… The Power of Mantra, Incense, and Salt

If you have a Buddhist altar, light some incense in front of your Buddhist images. Put bowl of salt on the altar. Say one mala each of the Medicine Buddha Mantra, Avalokitesvara or Kuan Yin Mantra, Kalachakra Mantra, Wish Fulfilling Mantra and Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra. Blow on the salt after each mantra.

Go around the house or office and throw some salt around each of the room. Start at where the violence happens.

While going around the house continuously recite the Protection, Environment Purifying and Immediate Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra – OM AH HUM.

Make sure to leave the lights open and leave an incense in each of the room.

The Mantra of the Medicine Buddha is TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA

The Mantra of Kuan Yin or Avalokitesvara is OM MANI PADME HUM

The Mantra of Kalachakra is OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAMALA VARAYA HUM PHAT

The Wish Fulfilling Mantra is OM PADMO USHNISHA VIMALE HUM PHAT

The Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra is OM HANU PHASHA BHARA HE YE SOHA

You can also do all three rituals. One day for each ritual and start with either the Taoist or Buddhist ritual or make sure the Feng Shui is done on the third day.

Personally, I prefer doing all three rituals.

Goddess Tara, The Mother of Swift Liberation

So far, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas I’ve written about here are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that are recognized both in Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism. However, now, allow me to introduce to you one of the most powerful Goddess in Tibetan Buddhism that is not highly recognized in Chinese Buddhism. I’m talking about Goddess Tara!

I don’t really know why is it when Buddhism was first brought to China; the belief in Tara was never really embraced. Theoretically speaking, Goddess Tara is older than Kuan Yin in the sense that Goddess Tara has existed in India and Tibet before Buddhism was introduced in China. Of course, to clarify, this is only true in the sense that Kuan Yin who in reality is Avalokitesvara really started in China. However, if you look at Kuan Yin as Avalokitesvara, which should be the case, then Kuan Yin is older than Goddess Tara. To understand better what I’m talking about here please read my earlier post called – UNDERSTANDING MERCY AND COMPASSION: THE TRANSFORMATION OF AVALOKITESVARA TO KUAN YIN.

Goddess Tara is a very powerful Goddess or Buddhist Deity. She is often called ‘The Swift Liberator’, ‘The Mother of Swift Liberation’, ‘The Goddess of Mercy and Action’, ‘The Goddess Who Saves’. This is because Goddess Tara has always been swift in liberating the people who ‘go’ to her in any kind of problems. She’s also called as ‘The Goddess Who Saves’ because she is sure to save people who are in trouble.

There are different manifestations of the Goddess Tara, which I’ll be writing about in the future.

Tara means ‘Star’ or ‘She who ferries’. This means Goddess Tara helps acts as a focal point that guides us in our lives to choose the ‘right direction’. If you’re unsure of what to do or if you have to choose from 2 different decisions, asking Goddess Tara’s help will direct you to the better path.

Goddess Tara is also called as the ‘Goddess Who Saves’ because in Buddhism it is said that Goddess Tara has committed us from the Eight Great Terrors. The 8 Great Terrors in modern times refers to any kind of spiritual and physical danger.

The Goddess Tara is also known as the Swift Liberator because it is said that if you need something that’s urgent, Goddess Tara is the one who can swiftly help us.

The other name for Goddess Tara is Green Tara because she is usually pictured as a green – colored Deity.

She is usually portrayed as a young woman; some say she is a 16-year-old woman, clad in silk. For me, Goddess Tara’s energy is very lively and she’s quick to response. Goddess Tara holds a blue lotus called an Uptula in her right hand, her hand is in the vitarka or teaching mudra. One of her legs is seen dangling, which signifies that she is quick to respond.

The story on how Goddess Tara came into being is in itself strong and powerful. It also accurately describes Goddess Tara. It is said that one day, Avalokitesvara, the original male form of Kuan Yin, was looking into the world with his infinite compassionate heart. He saw people suffering from old age. He saw the pain of those who are sick and those who are facing death. He saw the pain of those who are in need of material things and physical sustenance. He saw the hardship of people who wants to attain enlightenment. He saw the desire of the people to achieve happiness but instead because of ignorance gain more hardships and sufferings.

Avalokitesvara recognized his vast amount of energy to help this people, but he also saw that the number of people who are in need of his help is even greater. Because of this he was filled compassion and began to weep.

Out of his tears, a celestial lake was created, and from this lake arose Tara. She was created out of Avalokitesvara’s compassion and magical tears. She was created to help us.

Initially, I wanted to call this post – MY LIBERATOR, THE GODDESS TARA, because that’s how I truly feel about her. The first time I heard and came across Goddess Tara, I already felt an instant affinity towards her. I immediately have a deep reverence towards her. Nevertheless, I felt her infinite power at a time when I have to decide whether to continue work at the PR firm that I worked for or just to leave and join our family business.

Deep in my heart I really know that it’s time for me to leave the company that I’m working for. While I was trusted and given the liberty to run a business unit that is worth three million pesos a month, my boss is also making life hard for me. She is a very ‘envious’ woman. She gets jealous if we ran into clients, and because she don’t see them, they naturally would say ‘Hi’ to me first before acknowledging her. She would question me as to why the clients would greet me first and acknowledge her after. Furthermore, I also felt I was not properly being compensated. To makes things worst my nephew thought that I only go home on weekends! He had this impression because he doesn’t see me come home, and he doesn’t see me leave the house. I was so busy that I’d go home at around 11PM or 12MN and leave around 6AM. It felt like I was a boarder in our house. I also notice that slowly my family has stopped inviting me to dinner because they felt that I wouldn’t be able to make it anyway.

The worst is I don’t like my boss. I don’t like how she treats her employees, her clients, and even the media who really is the lifeline of her business. She feels that everybody can be bought with money or with designer bags or clothes or trips abroad! In fact, to this day I still have recordings for her saying nasty things against our clients and the media!

I love my job but I know I have to leave. But, what do I do after I leave? Will I be happy to if I join our family business? Reviewed by luck pillar for that year and showed something big is about to happen in about 2 months time…something good. But what is that? I also know that there is the holy trinity of luck – Heaven, Mankind, and Earth. The indication of the Heaven’s Luck is something big and good is about to happen but what if I make a mistake and ruined that luck.

I prayed to Goddess Tara and she put everything in order. She gave me the courage and a reason to resign. That’s the easiest part. What about what should I do next? I resigned without being sure what to do next; I just trust that my Bazi is right, and that I’ll supplement everything with proper Earth Luck, which is Feng Shui.  But Goddess Tara again made sure that my ‘liberation’ would be perfect. I was already thinking of joining our family business, when I started getting calls from clients from my previous employers. They all basically said the same thing, they are resigning and terminating the contract with my previous employer and they hope that I can still work with them. I told them I’m planning to join my sister with our family business, and they all again more or less responded the same manner. They all said that whether I choose to work with them or not, they’ll be resigning their PR agency, my former employer. They also added that they hope they can still work with me, if not, can I recommend another PR for them.

I realized that this just might be the thing for me. Maybe this is my next stage! I did an oracle, both inquiring with Kuan Yin and Goddess Tara whether I should just put up my own marketing and PR consultancy company. Both oracles showed an affirmation.

Without looking for clients, I actually have 5 accounts already, and they’re all from my previous employer. But then I felt it was quite unethical for me to sign on the accounts from my previous company, but they all reiterated that whether I decide to continue to work with them or not, they’ll resign and terminate my previous employer. To bridge the desire to work with them and the guilty feeling of taking on these accounts barely 2 weeks after I’ve resigned, I told them that I would only be willing to consider once they’ve resigned and terminated the contract with my previous employer. They did just that!

It certainly feels like that everything is being laid out in front of me. I don’t really have to pursue anything. I just have to take on the opportunity or not!

Another thing that really helped me decide is when I found out that my former boss is bad mouthing me with the said clients. She even went as far as concocting an outrageous lie. But she further dig her own grave when one time she, thru sms, was bad mouthing me with a client saying that she was just on the phone with me and that I said this and that. Little did she know that at that time I was having a late lunch with a said client. The same time she said that I was just on the phone with her. If I was on the phone the client would have known and heard because I never left her side for about 2 hours.

When I found out what she was doing, I realized that while I should be forever grateful of all the things that I learned from her. But I should not feel bad about leaving her!

Goddess Tara made sure that my liberation will be swift and she provided me with an opportunity to do what I really love to do.

Feng Shui Tips to Activate Descendant Luck

One of the greatest aspirations of the Chinese is to ensure that they have good descendants, thus when looking for a spouse they consult Feng Shui experts to ensure that descendant’s luck of a couple is present. In fact, once the wife gets pregnant she is treated like a goddess, even the mother-in-law will definitely make sure that the pregnant daughter-in-law is taken care of properly to ensure a smooth pregnancy.

Also, in the old days much effort is given to ensuring that a boy is born, is to ensure the family’s lineage is well preserved. A girl is considered as a less important child because she is destined to be married off to another family, and thus considered as somebody else’s child. In fact, this practice or belief has become so bad that there are some Chinese families who don’t give names to their daughter because they’re destined to be known as the wife of so-so. Thus when addressing them in the household they’re simply called as First Daughter, Second Daughter, Big Sister, or Second Sister, or Third Sister. When addressed by somebody else other than their family they’re simply called as ‘First Daughter of Wong Family’ they’re simply defined by their family name and whether they’re the eldest daughter or the youngest, etc. When they get married they’re then simply defined by the husband’s family name. My own grandmother doesn’t even have her own name.

However, because I don’t believe that women are of a ‘lesser’ being compared to men, I will not write about Feng Shui tips in ensuring that the couple are to have a boy, rather, I’d like to share some Feng Shui tips to activate one’s Descendant Luck or Fertility Luck.

Several of the Feng Shui tips that I’m going to mention are things that I’ve recommended to friends and family.

RED KUAN YIN PENDANT.  Kuan Yin (also known as ‘Goddess of Mercy’, ‘Buddha of Compassion’) is a Bodhisattva revered both in Taoism and Buddhism. Kuan Yin grants the wish of having of babies. For this purpose a red Kuan Yin (also spelled as Kwan Yin, Quan Yin) is best to help you activate your Descendant’s Luck. It is highly recommended that both the husband and the wife wear a red Kuan Yin pendant. However, if this is not possible, then it is recommended that the woman wear the pendant. I have three different previous post about Kuan Yin. Get to know her by reading them. The first post is KUAN YIN: THE ONE WHO HEARS THE CRIES OF THE WORLD, the second post is UNDERSTANDING MERCY AND COMPASSION: THE TRANSFORMATION OF AVALOKITESVARA TO KUAN YIN, and the third post is PAYING HOMAGE TO KUAN YIN, THE BUDDHA OF COMPASSION.

RABBIT. A rabbit is a very powerful symbol of fertility. It’s believes that placing the image of a rabbit in the East section of the bedroom can increase the chances of fertility.

HAPPY FAT BUDDHA WITH CHILDREN. Having the image of the Happy Fat Buddha whose real name is Maitreya Buddha in your house helps increase your potential of having a good descendant luck. You can also know more about the Happy Fat Buddha by clicking here.

CARNELIAN BRACELET. Carnelian or Carnelian Agates or Orange Agates worn as bracelet is one of the best fertility charm. Carnelian is a stone or semi-precious stone that directly controls our sixth chakra – the sire where our reproductive organs are located. Wearing a carnelian as a bracelet will increase the wearer’s chance of being more fertile. This charm is also great for people who have found to have low sperm or egg count.

IMAGE OF KUAN YIN WITH A BABY. Placing an image of Kuan Yin with a Baby is another Feng Shui Descendant Luck enhancer. For this purpose, it’s best to place the image of Kuan Yin with a Baby on the west section of your house. If this is not possible you can also place the image of Kuan Yin with a Baby in the West corner of your living room.

A PAIR OF ELEPHANTS. This is one of the most effective Feng Shui cure and enhancer to activate one’s descendant luck. You should note that the trunk of the elephants should be down and not up. Place a pair of elephants with the trunks down on the west section of your room and if possible both couples should stroke the trunks of the elephant three times each night.

THREE PIECES OF CERAMIC OR PORCELAIN POMEGRANATE AND/OR PEACH. Both the pomegranate and the peach are powerful Feng Shui tools to enhance your descendant luck or fertility luck. In choosing a ceramic or porcelain pomegranate, choose the one that has a color of deep red. For ceramic or porcelain peach choose one that has a color of bright pink.

RECITE THE MANTRA OF GODDESS TARA. Goddess Tara or Green Tara is a Buddhist deity born out of Avalokitesvara or Kuan YIn’s tear drop. I’ll discuss more about Green Tara on a future post, however, allow me to say that calling on Goddess Tara by reciting her mantra is one way of activating one’s Descendant Luck. Furthermore, placing an image of the white manifestation of Goddess Tara called White Tara on the west section of your house also activates one’s descendant luck. Goddess Tara’s mantra is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA. Wearing her seed syllable TAM is also a powerful tool to activate one’s descendant luck. The seed syllable TAM is one of the featured symbolic syllable in the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT.

Paying Homage to Kuan Yin, the Buddha of Compassion!

I intentionally wrote 3 different posts about Kuan Yin (also spelled as Guan Yin, Quan Yin, Kwan Yin, Gwan Yin), because there is simply a lot to write about Kuan Yin. The first post is KUAN YIN: THE ONE WHO HEARS THE CRIES OF THE WORLD. The second post is UNDERSTANDING MERCY AND COMPASSION: THE TRANSFORMATION OF AVALOKITESVARA TO KUAN YIN.

Kuan Yin is also called ‘The Goddess of Mercy’, ‘Buddha of Compassion’, ‘Bodhisattva of Compassion’, ‘Guan Shi Yin’, ‘Kannon’ in Japan, ‘Avalokitesvara’ also spelled as Avalokiteshvara, ‘Chenrezig’, ‘Guanzizai’ are just some of the way she’s addressed.

However, allow me to share a few ways of paying homage to Kuan Yin. One way of paying homage to Kuan Yin is by inviting her into our house. It’s important that her image is placed on a ‘good’ spot. If possible, place her near the entrance, but do not put her in the kitchen, dining room, restroom and bedroom of married couples. Inviting her image to our home or office creates a lot of merit, and by simply having her image around us makes us closer to Kuan Yin.

You can also offer incense, clean water, flowers, fruits; lighted candles is also a very auspicious way of paying homage to the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

Wearing her image as pendant either in gold or a semi-precious stone like jade  is also a way of paying homage to Kuan Yin. It also gives us a visual representation of our ‘relationship’ to Kuan Yin that it helps us to become closer to the Bodhisattva.

My own Kuan Yin pendant has her sutra and other prayers written on the back. Any image of Kuan Yin will do, however, if you can get something that’s similar to my pendant the better. The bigger one has the shortest sutra in the world, the Heart Sutra that is largely associated with Kuan Yin. The smaller pendant has the White Robed Kuan Yin prayer. In Buddhism wearing or carrying sutras and prayers brings the same effect as if you saying it yourself. It has an effect of you continuously saying the sutra or prayer. You can also get a miniature Heart Sutra and carry it with your body, aside from being an homage to the Kuan Yin this serves as an instrument of your continues blessing from Kuan Yin.

Still another way of paying homage to Kuan Yin is by ‘sharing’ her with other people. Talking to people about Kuan Yin is one way of homage to Kuan Yin. You can do this orally or you can do this in written format. In the age of internet, this had become easier, because simply writing about her on your blog, or Facebook or Twitter account a lot of people get to know more about her. You can also buy several copies of the Heart Sutra or several of her images and share it to your friends and/or even strangers; it’s another way of paying homage to her.

There are many ways of paying homage to Kuan Yin, and you can come up with your own unique way of paying homage to her. However, I believe one best way of paying homage to Kuan Yin other than inviting her to our home or office and wearing her image as pendant is by chanting her mantra.

Reciting or chanting the mantra of Kuan Yin or Avalokitesvara is not only an act of homage, but it gives us a lot of merit from Kuan Yin. If you’re facing a big problem, recite her mantra and she will immediately come to your aid.

The Mantra of the Buddha of Compassion, Kuan Yin is OM MANI PADME HUM.

If you want to know more about Kuan Yin do read my first two posts about her. The first one is KUAN YIN: THE ONE WHO HEARS THE CRIES OF THE WORLD and the second one is UNDERSTANDING MERCY AND COMPASSION: THE TRANSFORMATION OF AVALOKITESVARA TO KUAN YIN.

Symbolic Script of the Mantra of the Buddha of Compassion

Understanding Mercy and Compassion: The Transformation of Avalokitesvara to Kuan Yin.

In my previous post I wrote about the Goddess of Mercy Kuan Yin (also spelled as Kwan Yin, Quan Yin, Gwan Yin, Guan Yin), who is also known as the Buddha of Compassion. Now, allow me to share with you a brief ‘history’ of Kuan Yin.

People who have read my earlier posts knows of my devotion to the ‘Great Sage, Equal of Heaven’ the Monkey God or Monkey King called Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong is a Taoist celestial being who became really wild whom the Buddha pacified. However, it was really Kuan Yin who paved the way for Sun Wukong to be a Buddha. She did this out of her extreme compassion for Sun Wukong who at that time was already condemned for an eternal imprisonment. Kuan Yin did this not just for Sun Wukong but also for other immortals. Westerners largely look at this story as some sort of fantasy, but to Taoist and Chinese Buddhist they have high regard for the said story and believe it actually happened in the celestial world. However, the point here is not whether the story is true or not, but it hopes to illustrate the depth of Kuan Yin’s mercy and compassion that she was able to subdue one of the most powerful Taoist Immortal/Deity. It should be noted that it was implied in the story mentioned above that should Kuan Yin had to ‘fight’ with Sun Wukong, her power would not have match that of Sun Wukong. However, her real power is not with her strength as a Bodhisattva, although, I must clarify, she is very powerful, but more than her physical and celestial strength, is the power of her mercy and compassion that is said to be infinite!

However, Kuan Yin or Kuan Shi Yin (Guan Shi Yin) which means ‘The One Who Hears the Cries of the World” has a very unique transformation. Kuan Yin is Avalokitesvara in India and Cherezig in Tibet. Nevertheless, Kuan Yin is the female transformation of the said Bodhisattva. I need not talk about who Avalokitesvara in detail now because Kuan Yin is Avalokitesvara (also spelled as Avalokiteshvara), Avalokitesvara is Chenrezig, Chenrezig is Kuan Yin, they may have different names, and in the case of Kuan Yin she may have a different image but they’re one and the same. All the attributes of Kuan Yin are that of Avalokitesvara and Chenrezig, all the attributes of Avalokitesvara and Chenrezig is that of Kuan Yin!

Image of Avalokitesvara (also spelled as Avalokiteshvara).

Nevertheless, allow me to state that Kuan Yin in the form of Avalokitesvara first started in India, the land where Buddhism really started. He/She is a Bodhisattva, which is traditionally considered a little less important compared to the Buddhas. However, Avalokitesvara gained reverence equal to that of Buddhas and to some extent, specially amongst Chinese Buddhist, exceeds that of the Buddhas because as the Historical Buddha Sakyamuni himself shared through various sutras, Avalokitesvara should have been a Buddha already, however, he refused Buddhahood and wished to remain a Bodhisattva for the welfare of all sentient beings.

The transformation of Avalokitesvara to Kuan Yin is in itself a very interesting story. There are various stories about how Avalokitesvara became Kuan Yin.

One story is that in relation to Tripitaka Monk Xuan Zang who traveled to India to get some Buddhist texts that he can share with his countrymen. When he wrote about his journey he always refers to the Bodhisattva of Compassion as a female Kuan Yin, some people believes that this is one of the first time that Avalokitesvara is addressed as Kuan Shi Yin, which later was shortened into Kuan Yin. In his account of the manifestations of Kuan Yin she always appear as a miraculous being and always under miraculous circumstances.

Another story is that of Princess Miao Shan. I’ll skip the story at the moment, and I’ll share her story as written in Wikipedia at the bottom of this post.

Still, another story about Avalokitesvara’s transformation to Kuan Yin is quite simple and not as popular because it lacks the theatrical and flair of the other stories.

When Buddhism was first introduced to China, the religion is largely Taoism, which has Immortals or Deities that are very powerful and ‘masculine’. The compassionate deities and immortals are mostly female deities. Because of this the Chinese had difficulty in fully comprehending the attributes of Avalokitesvara.

Buddhist monks prayed to Kuan Yin to ask for her guidance. Some text says that Kuan Yin spoke to some Buddhist monks through their dreams and instructed them to introduce him as Kuan Yin with a female form. Other text states that they were able to divine this through an Avalokitesvara/Kuan Yin oracle. Whether it was through a dream or through an oracle, it was clear that the Buddhist monks who brought Buddhism to China started the female manifestation of Avalokitesvara. As we know this image became popularly known as Kuan Yin.

This raises the question as to why when experiencing Avalokitesvara’s miracle or vision, people see her as Kuan Yin. According to the explanation of a Chinese Buddhist monk, this is because Avalokitesvara will always appear in the form that people will understand or easily relate to.

I personally believe that the last story is the real reason why Avalokitesvara became Kuan Yin. It is because they need to put an image of mercy and compassion, and because of this Avalokitesvara transformed into Kuan Yin.

Avalokitesvara as Kuan Yin became so popular that even Tibetan Buddhist who is extremely familiar with Avalokitesvara, as a male Bodhisattva would still mention Kuan Yin. In fact, the biggest image of Avalokitesvara in the world is that of Kuan Yin which is found China.

The biggest image of Kuan Yin in the world is in China.

This also answers why some images of Kuan Yin depicts her as a flat-chested handsome young prince.

One of the semi-masculine form of Kuan Yin.

You can read my other posts about Kuan Yin entitled KUAN YIN: THE ONE WHO HEARS THE CRIES OF THE WORLD and PAYING HOMAGE TO KUAN YIN, THE BUDDHA OF COMPASSION.

If you’re interested to know about the Legend of Princess Miao Shan please read on the following that was lifted from Wikipedia.

Another story from the Precious Scroll of Fragrant Mountain describes an incarnation of Guanyin as the daughter of a cruel king who wanted her to marry a wealthy but uncaring man. The story is usually ascribed to the research of the Buddhist monk Chiang Chih-ch’i during the 11th century CE. The story is likely to have a Taoist origin. Chiang Chih-ch’i, when he penned the work, believed that the Guanyin we know today was actually a Buddhist princess called Miaoshan (妙善), who had a religious following on Fragrant Mountain. Despite this there are many variants of the story in Chinese mythology.

According to the story, after the king asked his daughter Miao Shan to marry the wealthy man, she told him that she would obey his command, so long as the marriage eased three misfortunes.

The king asked his daughter what were the three misfortunes that the marriage should ease. Miaoshan explained that the first misfortune the marriage should ease was the suffering people endure as they age. The second misfortune it should ease was the suffering people endure when they fall ill. The third misfortune it should ease was the suffering caused by death. If the marriage could not ease any of the above, then she would rather retire to a life of religion forever.

When her father asked who could ease all the above, Miao Shan pointed out that a doctor was able to do all of these.

Her father grew angry as he wanted her to marry a person of power and wealth, not a healer. He forced her into hard labor and reduced her food and drink but this did not cause her to yield.

Every day she begged to be able to enter a temple and become a nun instead of marrying. Her father eventually allowed her to work in the temple, but asked the monks to give her the toughest chores in order to discourage her. The monks forced Miao Shan to work all day and all night, while others slept, in order to finish her work. However, she was such a good person that the animals living around the temple began to help her with her chores. Her father, seeing this, became so frustrated that he attempted to burn down the temple. Miao Shan put out the fire with her bare hands and suffered no burns. Now struck with fear, her father ordered her to be put to death.

In one version of this legend, when Guanyin was executed, a supernatural tiger took her to one of the more hell-like realms of the dead. However, instead of being punished by demons like the other inmates, Guanyin played music, and flowers blossomed around her. This completely surprised the head demon. The story says that Guanyin, by merely being in that hell, turned it into a paradise.

A variant of the legend says that Miao Shan allowed herself to die at the hand of the executioner. According to this legend, as the executioner tried to carry out her father’s orders, his axe shattered into a thousand pieces. He then tried a sword which likewise shattered. He tried to shoot Miao Shan down with arrows but they all veered off.

Finally in desperation he used his hands. Miao Shan, realising the fate that the executioner would meet at her father’s hand should she fail to let herself die, forgave the executioner for attempting to kill her. It is said that she voluntarily took on the massive karmic guilt the executioner generated for killing her, thus leaving him guiltless. It is because of this that she descended into the Hell-like realms. While there, she witnessed first-hand the suffering and horrors that the beings there must endure, and was overwhelmed with grief. Filled with compassion, she released all the good karma she had accumulated through her many lifetimes, thus freeing many suffering souls back into Heaven and Earth. In the process, that Hell-like realm became a paradise. It is said that Yanluo, King of Hell, sent her back to Earth to prevent the utter destruction of his realm, and that upon her return she appeared on Fragrant Mountain.

Another tale says that Miao Shan never died, but was in fact transported by a supernatural tiger, believed to be the Deity of the Place, to Fragrant Mountain.

The Legend of Miao Shan usually ends with Miao Chuang Yen, Miao Shan’s father, falling ill with jaundice. No physician was able to cure him. Then a monk appeared saying that the jaundice could be cured by making a medicine out of the arm and eye of one without anger. The monk further suggested that such a person could be found on Fragrant Mountain. When asked, Miao Shan willingly offered up her eyes and arms. Miao Chuang Yen was cured of his illness and went to the Fragrant Mountain to give thanks to the person. When he discovered that his own daughter had made the sacrifice, he begged for forgiveness. The story concludes with Miaoshan being transformed into the Thousand Armed Guanyin, and the king, queen and her two sisters building a temple on the mountain for her. She began her journey to heaven and was about to cross over into heaven when she heard a cry of suffering from the world below. She turned around and saw the massive suffering endured by the people of the world. Filled with compassion, she returned to Earth, vowing never to leave till such time as all suffering has ended.

After her return to Earth, Guanyin was said to have stayed for a few years on the island of Mount Putuo where she practised meditation and helped the sailors and fishermen who got stranded. Guanyin is frequently worshipped as patron of sailors and fishermen due to this. She is said to frequently becalm the sea when boats are threatened with rocks. After some decades Guanyin returned to Fragrant Mountain to continue her meditation.

Medicine Buddha: A Healer, Provider, and Protector of Both the Spiritual and Physical Realm

I’ve been debating whether I’m really ready to write about the Medicine Buddha, it feels like it’s such a heavy responsibility to write about the Medicine Buddha. Although I’ve been a devotee, worshiper, follower, and an indirect disciple of the Buddha of Medicine for many years now, I still discover new things about the Buddha of Medicine everyday! 

One reason I included the Medicine Buddha in the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT is because I know how powerful the Medicine Buddha is. In fact, it is said that simply seeing the image of the Buddha of Medicine and His Mantra showers us with blessings. On top of that simply hearing Medicine Buddha’s name will also have some healing effect on the people who heard his name.

The Buddha of Medicine’s formal name is Bhaisajyaguru Vaidurya Prabharaja, which means Master of Healing, Azure Radiance or Master of Medicine and King of Lapis Lazuli Light. He is commonly called by Tibetan Buddhist as Bhaisajyaguru, which means Medicine Buddha.

Medicine Buddha is a fully enlightened being that’s devoid of any form of biased against living beings. Like Avalokitesvara or Kuan Yin, the Medicine Buddha is a Buddha filled with unlimited compassion towards us. The Medicine Buddha protects all living beings from attachment; hatred; and ignorance, which Buddhists text indicates are the main cause of illness. But more than that, the Buddha of Medicine also protect us from danger and negative energies or beings.

There are some slight differences in how the Medicine Buddha is depicted in Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism, however, he is usually pictured as seated on top of a lotus wearing a traditional Buddha robe, his left hand holds a lapis lazuli colored jar of medicine nectar, while his right hand holds a stem of Arura (sometimes called Aruna – a special mystical plant that is said to bloom only once in every 3,000 years) while it’s resting on his knee.  In THE SUTRA OF THE MASTER OF HEALING or commonly called as the MEDICINE BUDDHA SUTRA He is also described as having a lapis lazuli-colored aura. It is because of this that he is also usually depicted in Tibetan Buddhism to be a blue or lapis lazuli-colored Buddha.

The Sutra of the Master of Healing also states that when the Medicine Buddha became a Bodhisattva, “he made Twelve Great Vows to grant all beings with whatever they pray for.”

In essence the 12 great vows indicates that Bhaisajyaguru or Medicine Buddha is a Buddha that heals us from physical, mental, and spiritual illness. Furthermore, it also indicates that the Medicine Buddha is a Buddha of Protection and Provider Buddha. In fact, the 3^rd Vow specifically indicates material wealth.

Furthermore, if one is to fervently say the Medicine Buddha mantra and do the Medicine Buddha rituals, one is to be saved from the nine violent deaths. Again, in essence, the nine violent deaths refer to any form of death that may bring about extreme hardship.

The Medicine Buddha’s short mantra is TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHAKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA.

Don’t be surprise to see or hear a slight variation of this mantra, which is TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA.

Saying the Medicine Buddha Mantra is a very powerful tool to open ourselves to the blessings of the Buddha of Medicine. However, it is better if you can say 5 full mala (108 times per full mala) in a day. It will be more ‘potent’ if you are able to say the Medicine Buddha’s long mantra.

The Medicine Buddha’s long mantra is: OM NAMO BHAGWATE BHEKANDZYE / GURU BEDURYA PRABHA RADZAYA TATAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA / TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE / MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE / RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA.

Image of Medicine Buddha with Mantra. Seeing the image and symbolic script of the Medicine Buddha has the power to bestow upon us blessings from the Buddha of Medicine.

Like any mantra, seeing the symbolic script of the Medicine Buddha’s mantra is enough to grant some blessings to us from the Buddha of Medicine.

Inviting the image of the Medicine Buddha inside our home will bestows upon us the blessings stated in His vows.

Wearing His image and the symbolic script of the Buddha of Medicine’s mantra is like paying homage to the Medicine Buddha and also constantly tapping into His blessing. This is the primary reason why I included both His image and symbolic script in the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT.

Remember though that while the Medicine Buddha’s image and mantra has the power to grant us so much blessing from Him. It will be more auspicious if one can read His sutra everyday.

This is another version of the image of the Buddha of Medicine. Notice while He is not pictured year as a lapiz lazuli-colored Buddha, He still has the Buddha robe, the jar, and the plant.

Allow me to briefly discuss what is a sutra. Sutras are mostly canonical Buddhist scriptures of which are mostly recorded oral teachings of the Historical Buddha Sakyamuni or Gautama Buddha. A Sutra is like the Christian Bible, but the difference is for Buddhist, they believe that simply carrying a copy of a Sutra bestows upon us the blessings of the Buddha referred in the specific Sutra. Furthermore, reading a Sutra is like praying to the Buddha.

I always make it a point to read the Medicine Buddha Sutra at least once a day. I have a copy of the Medicine Buddha Sutra in my bag, in my car, and in my bedroom.

You can read the Medicine Buddha Sutra in English, but do try to get a miniature copy of the Sutra and carry it with you everyday.

Writing about the Medicine Buddha, His miracles, what He stands for without sharing His sutra is unacceptable. So please do allow me to share with you the Medicine Buddha Sutra as translated during the Torng Dynasty by Tripitaka Master Yiun-Tzorng.

THE MEDICINE BUDDHA SUTRA

Also Called: THE SUTRA OF THE MASTER OF HEALING

Full Title: SUTRA OF THE MERIT AND VIRTUE OF THE PAST VOWS OF MEDICINE MASTER VAIDURYA LIGHT TATHAGATA

Thus I have heard. At one time the Bhagavan was travelling through various lands to teach living beings. He arrived at Vaisali ["City of Extensive Adornments"] and stayed beneath a tree from which music resounded. With him were eight thousand great Bhikshus and thirty-six thousand Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas; also kings, ministers, Brahmans, lay disciples; gods, dragons, and the rest of the eightfold division; beings both human and non-human. The immeasurable great multitude respectfully surrounded him, and he spoke Dharma for them.

At that time, the Dharma Prince Manjusri, receiving the awesome inspiration of the Buddha, rose from his seat, bared one of his shoulders, knelt on his right knee, and inclining his head and placing his palms together, said to the Bhagavan, “World Honored One! We wish you would speak about such Dharmas as the Buddhas’ names, the great vows they made in the past, and their supreme merit and virtue, so that those who hear them will be rid of their karmic hindrances. This request is also for the sake of bringing benefit and joy to sentient beings in the Dharma-Image Age.”

The Buddha then praised the Pure Youth Manjusri: “Good indeed! Good indeed, Manjusri. With great compassion you now request that I speak about the Buddhas’ names and the merit and virtue of their past vows, for the sake of rescuing sentient beings who are bound up by karmic obstacles, and for the purpose of bringing benefit, peace, and joy to beings who live in the Dharma-Image Age. Listen attentively to my words and reflect on them extremely well, for I will now answer you.”

Manjusri said, “Please do speak. We are glad to listen.”

The Buddha told Manjusri, “Passing from here to the east, beyond Buddhalands numerous as the sand grains in ten Ganges rivers, is a world called ‘Pure Vaidurya’. The Buddha there is named Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, Of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, Perfect in Understanding and Practice, Well Gone One, One who Understands the World, Supreme Lord, Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, Bhagavan. Manjusri, when that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, was practicing the Bodhisattva path in the past, he made twelve great vows that enable all sentient beings to obtain what they seek.

“The first great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life, when I attain anuttarasamyaksambodhi, my body will shine with dazzling light that will illumine measureless, countless, boundless worlds. My body will be adorned with the thirty-two heroic features and the eighty subsidiary characteristics, and I will enable all beings to become as I am.’

“The second great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, my body will be as bright and clear as vaidurya, flawlessly pure, vastly radiant, majestic with merit and virtue, abiding at ease, adorned with blazing nets brighter than the sun and the moon. Beings dwelling in darkness will be illuminated and will succeed in all their endeavors.’

“The third great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, will by means of limitless, unbounded wisdom and skill-in-means, enable all sentient beings to obtain an inexhaustible supply of material necessities so they are without the slightest want.’

“The fourth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall lead those sentient beings who practice deviant paths to reside in the Way of Bodhi and those who travel on the vehicles of the Hearer or Pratyekabuddha to abide in the Great Vehicle.’

“The fifth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi I shall enable limitless and boundless numbers of sentient beings who cultivate Brahma conduct within my Dharma to perfectly uphold the three clusters of precepts without exception. Should there be any violation, upon hearing my name, they will regain their purity and not fall into the evil destinies.’

“The sixth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, if there are sentient beings whose bodies are inferior and whose faculties are imperfect, who are ugly, dull, blind, deaf, mute, deformed, paralyzed, hunch-backed, or afflicted with skin disease, insanity or various other sicknesses and sufferings, upon hearing my name they shall all become endowed with upright features, keen intelligence, and perfect faculties, and they shall be free of sickness and suffering.’

“The seventh great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall cause sentient beings who are oppressed by many illnesses and who are without aid, without a place to turn, without a doctor, without medicine, without relatives, and without a family, who are poverty-stricken and filled with suffering to be cured of their sicknesses upon having my name pass by their ear, so they are peaceful and happy in body and mind. They will have a family and relatives, and acquire an abundance of property and wealth, and even realize unsurpassed Bodhi.’

“The eighth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, if there are women who give rise to a deep loathing for their female body and wish to renounce it because they are oppressed and disturbed by the myriad sufferings of being female, upon hearing my name, they will be able to turn from women into men who are replete with male features and ultimately realize unsurpassed Bodhi.’

“The ninth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I Shall liberate sentient beings from the nets of demons and the bonds of external sects. If they have fallen into the dense forests of evil views, I shall lead them to have proper views and to gradually cultivate the Practices of Bodhisattvas so they will quickly realize unsurpassed, proper and equal Bodhi.’

Medicine Buddha flanked by Chenrezig and Manjushri.

“The tenth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall cause sentient beings who fall into the hands of the law and are bound, interrogated, whipped, fettered, imprisoned, sentenced to execution, or subjected to endless disasters, hardships, abuse, and humiliation so that they are tom by grief and distress and suffering in body and mind, to obtain, upon hearing my name, liberation from all worry and suffering by means of my blessings, virtue, and awesome spiritual power.’

“The eleventh great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, I shall cause all sentient beings who are so plagued by hunger and thirst that they create all kinds of bad karma in their quest for food, upon hearing my name and single-mindedly accepting and maintaining it, to be filled with delicious food and drink and afterward, by means of the flavor of Dharma, to settle in ultimate peace and happiness.’

“The twelfth great vow: ‘I vow that in a future life when I attain Bodhi, if there are sentient beings who are poor and without clothes so that day and night they are troubled by mosquitoes and flies, and by cold and heat, upon hearing my name and single-mindedly accepting and maintaining it, they shall obtain all kinds of fine and wonderful garments that accord with their tastes, as well as a variety of precious adornments, flower garlands, fragrant balms, and the enjoyments of music and various kinds of talents, so that all their hearts, delights will be fulfilled.’

“Manjusri, these are the twelve sublime and wonderful vows that the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, One of Proper and Equal Enlightenment, made while cultivating the Bodhisattva Way.

“Moreover, Manjusri, if I were to speak for an eon or more about the great vows made by the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, when he practiced the Bodhisattva Way and about the merit, virtue, and adornments of his Buddhaland, I could not finish.

“That Buddhaland has always been completely pure; there are no women, no evil destinies, and no sounds of suffering. The ground is made of vaidurya, with golden cords lining the roads. The city walls, towers, palace pavilions, studios, windows, and latticework are all made of the seven treasures. The merit, virtue, and adornments of this land are identical to those of the Western Land of Ultimate miss.

“Residing in that land are two Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas; the first is called Universally Radiant Sunlight, and the second, Universally Radiant Moonlight. They are the leaders among the immeasurable, uncountable hosts of Bodhisattvas in that land and will be the successors to that Buddha. They are able to maintain the precious treasury of the proper Dharma of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. Therefore, Manjusri, all good men and women who have faith should vow to be born in that Buddha’s land.”

At that time, the World Honored One again spoke to the Pure Youth Manjusri saying, “Manjusri, there are living beings who don’t distinguish good from evil, who indulge in greed and stinginess, and who know nothing of giving or its rewards. They are stupid, ignorant, and lack the foundation of faith. They accumulate much wealth and many treasures and ardently guard them. When they see a beggar coming, they feel displeased. When they have to practice an act of charity that does not benefit themselves, they feel as though they were cutting a piece of flesh from their body, and they suffer deep and painful regret.

“There are other innumerable avaricious and miserly living beings who hoard money and necessities that they don’t use even for themselves, how much less for their parents, wives, or servants, or for beggars! At the end of heir lives, such beings will be reborn among the hungry ghosts or animals. If they heard the name of that Buddha, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, in their former human existence, and they recall that Tathagata’s name for the briefest moment while they are in the evil destinies, they will immediately be reborn in the human realm. Moreover, they will remember their past lives and will dread the sufferings of the evil destinies. They will not delight in worldly pleasures, but will rejoice in giving and praise others who give. They will not begrudge giving whatever they have. Gradually, to those who come to beg, they will be able to give away their own head, eyes, hands, feet, and even their entire body, to say nothing of their money and property!

“Moreover, Manjusri, there are beings who, although they study under the Tathagata, nonetheless violate the sila. Others, although they do not violate the sila, nonetheless transgress the rules and regulations. Others, although they do not violate the sila or rules and regulations, nonetheless destroy their own proper views. Others, although they do not destroy their own proper views, nonetheless neglect learning, so they are unable to understand the profound meaning of the sutras that the Buddha speaks. Others, although they are learned, nonetheless give rise to overweening pride, Shadowed by overweening pride, they justify themselves and disparage others, slander the proper Dharma, and join the retinue of demons.

“Such fools act on their misguided views and further, a cause immeasurable minions of beings to fall into pits of great danger. These beings will drift endlessly in the realms of the hells, the animals, and the ghosts. But if they hear the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they will be able to renounce their evil practices and cultivate wholesome Dharma, and thereby avoid falling into the evil destinies. If those who have fallen into the evil destinies because they could not renounce their evil practices and cultivate wholesome Dharmas, by the awesome power of the past vows of that Tathagata, get to hear his name for only a moment, then after they pass out of that existence, they will be reborn again as human beings. They will hold proper views and will be ever vigorous. Their minds will be well regulated and joyful, enabling them to renounce their families and leave the householder’s life-They will take up and maintain study of the Tathagatas, Dharma without any violation. They will have proper views and erudition; they will understand profound meanings and yet be free from overweening pride. They will not slander the proper Dharma and will never join the ranks of demons. They will progressively cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas and will soon bring them to perfection.

“Moreover, Manjusri, if there are sentient beings who harbor stinginess, greed, and jealousy who praise them- selves and disparage others, they will fallinto the three evil destinies for countless thousands of years where they will undergo intense suffering. After undergoing intense suffering, at the end of their lives they will be born in the world as oxen, horses, camels, and donkeys that are constantly beaten, afflicted by thirst and hunger, and made to carry heavy burdens along the roads. Or they may be reborn among lowly people, as slaves or servants who are always ordered around by others and who never for a moment feel at ease.

“If such beings, in their former lives as humans, heard the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, and by this good cause are able to remember it and sincerely take refuge with that Buddha, then, by means of the Buddha’s spiritual power, they will be liberated from all sufferings. They will be endowed with keen faculties, and they will be wise and erudite. They will always seek the supreme Dharmas and encounter good friends. They will eternally sever the nets of demons and smash the shell of ignorance. They will dry up the river of afflictions and be liberated from birth, old age, sickness, death, anxiety, grief, suffering, and vexation.

“Moreover, Manjusri, there may be beings who delight in perversity and engage in legal disputes, bringing trouble to others as well as themselves. In their actions, speech, and thought, they create ever-increasing amounts of evil karma. Never willing to benefit and forgive others, they scheme to harm one another instead. They pray to the spirits of the mountain forests, trees, and graves. They kill living beings in order to make sacrifices of blood and flesh to the yaksa and raksasa ghosts. They write down the names of their enemies and make images of them, and then they hex those names and images with evil mantras. They summon paralysis ghosts, cast hexes, or command corpse-raising ghosts to kill or injure their enemies.

“However, if the victims hear the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, then all those evil things will lose their power to do harm. The evildoers will become kind to one another. They will attain benefit, peace, and happiness and no longer cherish thoughts of malice, affliction, or enmity. Everyone will rejoice and feel content with what they have. Instead of encroaching upon each other, they will seek to benefit one another.

“Moreover, Manjusri, there may be those among the fourfold assembly of Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas and Upasikas, as well as other good men and women of pure faith, who accept and uphold the eight precepts either for one year or for three months, practicing and studying them. with these good roots, they may vow to be born in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss where the Buddha of limitless Life dwells, to hear the Proper Dharma, but their resolve may not be firm. However, if they hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, then as the end of their lives draws near, before them will appear eight great Bodhisattvas, whose names are: Manjusri Bodhisattva, The Bodhisattva Who Observes the Sounds of the World, Great Strength Bodhisattva, Inexhaustible Intention Bodhisattva, Jewelled Udumbara Flower Bodhisattva, Medicine King Bodhisattva, Medicine Superior Bodhisattva, and Maitreya Bodhisattva. Those eight great Bodhisattvas will appear in space to show them the way, and they will naturally be born by transformation in that land, amid precious flowers of a myriad colors.

“Or they may be born in the heavens due to this cause. Although reborn in the heavens, their original good roots will not be exhausted and so they will not fall into the evildestinies again. when their life in the heavens ends, they will be born among people again. They may be wheel-turning kings, reigning over the four continents with awesome virtue and ease, bringing uncountable hundreds of thousands of living beings to abide in the practice of the ten good deeds. Or they may be born as Ksatriyas, Brahmans, laymen, or sons of honorable families. They will be wealthy, with storehouses filled to overflowing. Handsome in appearance, they will be surrounded by a great retinue of relatives. They will be intelligent and wise, courageous and valiant, like great and awesome knights. If a woman hears the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, and sincerely cherishes it, in the future she will never again be born as a female.

“Moreover, Manjusri, when Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata attained Bodhi, by the power of his past vows he contemplated all the sentient beings who were undergoing various kinds of sicknesses and sufferings. Some suffered from diseases such as emaciation, atrophy, severe thirst, or yellow fever; others were harmed by paralysis ghosts or by poisonous hexes; some died naturally when young, while others experienced untimely deaths. He wished to dispel all their sicknesses and sufferings, and to fulfill their wishes.”

At that time, the World Honored One entered a samadhi called “extinguishing the suffering and distress of all beings.” After he entered this samadhi, a great light came forth from his flesh-cowl. From amid that light he proclaimed this magnificent dharani

Namo Bhagavate bhaisajya guru vaidurya prabha rajaya
Tathagataya
Arhate
samyaksambuddhaya
tadyatha
Om bhaisajye bhaisajye bhaisajya samudgate Svaha

After he had spoken that mantra from amid the light, the earth trembled and emitted great light. All beings, sicknesses and sufferings were cast off, and they felt peaceful and happy.

“Manjusri, if you see a man (or a woman) who is ill you should single-mindedly and frequently clean and bathe him and rinse his mouth-Provide him with food, medicine, or water that is free of insects, over any of which the dharani has been recited 108 times. After the sick person has taken it, all his sicknesses and sufferings will be gone. I f this person has a wish, he should recite this mantra with utmost sincerity. Then he will obtain whatever he wished for, and his life will be prolonged and free from illness-At the end of his life, he will be reborn in that Buddha’s land. He will become irreversible and will ultimately attain Bodhi. Therefore, Manjusri, if there are men and women who, with utmost sincerity, diligently worship and make offerings to Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they should always recite this mantra and never forget it.

“Moreover, Manjusri, men or women of pure faith, who have heard all the names of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, One of proper and Equal Enlightenment should recite and uphold them. In the early morning, after brushing their teeth and bathing, they should make offerings of fragrant flowers, incense, perfumed balms, and various kinds of music before an image of that Buddha. They should personally write out this Sutra or ask others to do so, and they should single- mindedly and constantly recite it. If they listen to explanations of its meaning from a Dharma Master, they should make offerings to him of all necessities, so that he is without the slightest want. In this way, they will receive the mindful protection of the Buddhas. All of their wishes will be fulfilled, and they will ultimately attain Bodhi.”

At that time, the Pure youth Manjusri said to the Buddha, ‘World Honored One, I vow that in the Dharma- Image Age, using various expedient means, I shall enable good men and women of pure faith to hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. Even during their sleep, I will awaken them with this Buddha’s name.

“World Honored One, there may be those who accept and uphold this Sutra, read and recite it, explain its meanings for others, write it out themselves, or tell others to write it out. They may revere it by making offerings of various flowers, paste incense, powdered incense, stick incense, flower garlands, necklaces, banners, canopies, and music. They may make bags of five-colored thread in which to keep the Sutra. They may sweep clean a place and arrange a high altar on which to place this Sutra. At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings with their retinues and other innumerable hundreds of thousands of gods will come to that place to worship and protect it.

“World Honored One, it should be known that if, in the places where this precious Sutra circulates, people can accept and uphold it, then due to the merit and virtue of the past vows of that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, because they have heard his name, none of those people will meet with untimely death. In addition, none of them will be robbed of his vital energy by evil ghosts and spirits. Those people whose vital energies have already been robbed will have their health restored, and they will be happy and at peace in body and mind.”

The Buddha told Manjusri, “So it is, so it is! It is exactly as you say. Manjusri, if there are good men and women of pure faith who wish to make offerings to that world Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, they should first make an image of that Buddha and arrange a pure and clean dais on which to place the image. Then they should strew all kinds of flowers, burn various incenses, and adorn the place with a variety of banners and streamers. For seven days and seven nights they should hold the eight precepts and eat pure food. Having bathed until clean and fragrant, they should put on clean clothes. Their minds should be undefiled, without thoughts of anger and malice. Toward all sentient beings, they should cherish thoughts of benevolence, peace, kindness, compassion, joy, giving, and equanimity.

“Playing musical instruments and singing praises, they should circumambulate to the right of the Buddha’s image. Moreover, they should recall the merit and virtue of that Tathagata’s past vows. They should read and recite this Sutra, ponder its meaning, and lecture on and explain it. Then they will obtain whatever they seek: Those who seek long life will attain longevity; those who seek wealth will gain wealth; those who seek an official position will obtain it; and those who seek a son or a daughter will have one.

“Moreover, if a person who suddenly has nightmare, sees ill omens, notices strange birds flocking together, or perceives many uncanny events in his dwelling can worship and make offerings of many fine things to that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, then the nightmares, ill omens, and inauspicious things will disappear and will no longer trouble him.

“When a person is endangered by water, fire, knives, or poison; or finds himself on a steep cliff or in a dangerous place; or faces fierce elephants, lions, tigers, wolves, bears, poisonous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, mosquitoes, gnats, or other frightful things, if he can single-mindedly recollect, worship, and make offerings to that Buddha, he will be liberated from all those frightful things. When other countries invade or when there are thieves or riots, if a person can recollect and worship that Tathagata, then he will be free of all of these as well.

“Moreover, Manjusri, there may be good men and women of pure faith who, all their lives, do not worship other gods, but single-mindedly take refuge with the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. They accept and uphold precepts, such as the five precepts, the ten precepts, the four hundred precepts of a Bodhisattva, the two hundred and fifty precepts of a Bhikshu, or the five hundred precepts of a Bhikshuni. Perhaps they have violated some of the precepts they received and are afraid of falling into the evil destinies. If they concentrate on reciting that Buddha’s name and worship and make offerings to him, they definitely will not be reborn in the three evil destinies.

“If there is a woman about to give birth who suffers great pain, if she sincerely recites his name and worships, praises, venerates, and makes offerings to that Tathagata, her sufferings will be dispelled. The newborn child will be sound and healthy, and will have upright features. Seeing him will make people happy. He will be keen and intelligent, peaceful and secure, and with few ailments, and no evil spirit will come to rob him of his vitality.

At that time the World Honored One said to Ananda, “The merit and virtue of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, which I have just extolled, is the extremely profound practice of all Buddhas. It is difficult to fathom and to comprehend. Do you believe it or not?

Ananda said, “Greatly virtuous World Honored One, I have absolutely no doubts regarding the Sutras spoken by the Tathagata. why? Because all Buddhas’ karmas of body, speech, and mind are pure-World Honored One, the sun and moon could fall, wonderfully High, the king of mountains, could be toppled or shaken, but the words of the Buddhas never change.

“World Honored One, there are sentient beings deficient in faith who hear about the extremely profound practices of all Buddhas and think to themselves,’ How could one obtain such supreme merit and benefit merely by reciting the name of a single Buddha, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata? ‘Due to this lack of faith, they give rise to slander. During the long night they lose great benefit and joy and fall into the evil destinies, where they wander ceaselessly.”

The Buddha told Ananda, “If these sentient beings hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, and sincerely accept and uphold it without any doubts, they cannot possibly fall into the evil destinies.

“Ananda, this is the extremely profound practice of all Buddhas which is difficult to believe and to understand! you should know that your ability to accept this comes from the awesome power of the Tathagata Ananda, alI Hearers, Solitarily Enlightened Ones, and the Bodhisattvas who have not yet ascended to the Grounds are incapable of believing and understanding this Dharma as it really is. Only the Bodhisattvas who are destined in one life to attain Buddhahood are capable of understanding.

“Ananda, it is difficult to obtain a human body. It is also difficult to have faith in and to revere the Triple Jewel. It is even more difficult to be able to hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. Ananda, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata possesses boundless Bodhisattva practices, limitless skillful expedients, and immeasurably vast, great vows. If I were to speak extensively of those for an eon or more, the eon would soon end, but that Buddha’s practices, vows, and skillful expedients have no end!”

At that time within the assembly, a Bodhisattva Mahasattva named One who Rescues and liberates arose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, leaned forward with his palms joined together, and said to the Buddha, “Greatly virtuous World Honored One! During the Dharma Image Age, there will be living beings afflicted with various diseases, emaciated front chronic illnesses, unable to eat or drink, their throats parched and their lips dry. Such a being sees darkness gathering all around him as the signs of death appear. While lying in bed, surrounded by his weeping parents, relatives, and friends, he sees the messengers of Yama leading his spirit before that king of justice. Every sentient being has spirits that stay with him throughout his life. They record his every deed, both good and evil, to present to Yama, the king of justice. At that time, King Yama interrogates this person in order to tally his karma and mete out judgement according to his good and evil deeds.

“At that time, if the sick person’s relatives and friends, on his behalf, can take refuge with the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, and request members of the Sangha to recite this Sutra, to light seven layers of lamp, and to hang up the five colored banners for prolonging life, then it is possible for his spirit to return. As if in a dream, the person will see everything very clearly himself.

“If his spirit returns after seven, twenty-one, thirty five, or forty-nine days, he will feel as if awakened from a dream and will remember the retributions that he underwent for his good and bad karma. Having personally witnessed the retributions of his own karma, he will never again do any evil, even if his very life is endangered. Therefore, good men and women of pure faith should accept and uphold the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata and, according to their capability, worship and make offerings to him.”

At that time, Ananda asked the Bodhisattva who Rescues and liberates, Good man, how should we worship and make offerings to the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata? And how should we make the banners and lamps that prolong life?”

The Bodhisattva who Rescues and Liberates said, “Greatly Virtuous One, if there is a sick person who wishes to be freed from sickness and suffering, for his sake one should accept and uphold the eight precepts for seven days and seven nights, and make offerings to the Bhikshu Sangha of as many items of food, drink, and other necessities as are in his power to give.

“During the six periods of the day and night one should worship, practice the Way, and make offerings to the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. Read and recite this Sutra forty-nine times, light forty-nine lamps, and make seven images of that Tathagata. In front of each image place seven lamps, each as large as a cartwheel. These lamps must be kept burning continuously for forty-nine days. Hang up five- colored banners that are forty-nine spans long. Liberate a variety of living creatures, as many as forty-nine species. Then the sick one will be able to surmount the danger and will not suffer an untimely death or be held by evil ghosts.

“Furthermore, Ananda, in the case of ksatriya princes who are due to be anointed on the crowns of their heads, at a time when calamity arises, such as pestilence among the population, invasion by foreign countries, rebellion within their territories, unusual changes in the stars, a solar or lunar eclipse, unseasonal winds and rains, or prolonged drought, those ksatriya princes should bring forth an attitude of kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings and grant amnesty to all prisoners. They should follow the above-mentioned methods to make offerings to that World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. Due to these good roots and the power of that Tathagata’s past vows, the country will be safe and peaceful, the winds and rains will be timely, the crops will ripen, and all sentient beings will be blissful and free of disease. Within this country there will be no violence, nor any yaksas or other spirits that harms sentient beings, and all evil omens will vanish.

“The ksatriya princes who are due to be anointed on the crowns of their heads will enjoy longer lives and good health, and they will be at ease and free from illness. Ananda, if the queens, the princes, the ministers or court counselors, the ladies of the palace, the provincial officials or the common people suffer from diseases or other difficulties, they should also hang up five-colored spiritual banners, light lamps and keep them burning, liberate living creatures, strew flowers of various colors, and burn precious incense. Then those people will be cured of their diseases and relieved of their difficulties.

Then Ananda asked the Bodhisattva who Rescues and Liberates, “Good man, how can a life that has come to an end be prolonged?”

The Bodhisattva who Rescues and Liberates answered, “Greatly Virtuous One, did you not hear the Tathagata say that there are nine kinds of untimely death? That is why people are exhorted to make life-prolonging banners and lamps and to cultivate all kinds of blessings. Through such cultivation of blessings, they will be freed from suffering and adversity for the rest of their lives.

Ananda asked, “What are the nine kinds of untimely death?”

The Bodhisattva who Rescues and liberates said, “There may be living beings who, although not seriously ill have neither medicine nor a doctor to treat them, or else they meet a doctor who gives them the wrong medicine; consequently, they meet with an untimely death. Some of them believe in worldly cults, whose deviant teachers frighten them with false prophecies. Unable to set their minds at ease, they consult oracles to find out what calamities are in store for them. In order to propitiate the spirits, they kill various creatures. They pray to wang liang ghosts for aid and protection. Although they wish to prolong their lives, their efforts are to no avail. They deludedly hold to wrong beliefs and perverse views. Thus they meet with an untimely death and fall into the hells, never to come out. This is the first kind of untimely death.

“The second kind of untimely death is to be executed at the hands of the law. The third kind is to hunt for sport, to indulge in drinking and lust, or to become excessively dissipated, and then to be waylaid by non-human beings that rob one’s essence and energy. The fourth is to be burned to death; the fifth is to drown; the sixth is to be devoured by wild beasts; the seventh is to fall from a steep cliff; the eighth is to be harmed by poison, voodoo, evil mantras, or corpse-raising ghosts; the ninth is to die from hunger and thirst. These are the nine kinds of untimely deaths generally spoken of by the Tathagata. There are also innumerable other kinds which cannot all be spoken of here.

“Moreover, Ananda, King Yama keeps track of the karmic records of all the inhabitants of the world. If there are beings who are not filial to their parents, who commit the Five Rebellious Acts, who revile the Triple Jewel, who destroy the laws of the country, or who violate the precept of truthfulness, then Yama, the king of justice, examines and punishes them according to the severity of their offenses. Therefore, I encourage people to light lamps and make banners, to liberate beings and cultivate blessings so that they can overcome suffering and peril and forestall all disasters.

At that time, twelve great yaksa generals were present in the assembly. They were: General Kimbhiro, General Vajra, General Mekhilo, General Antilo, General Anilo, General Santhilo, General Indalo, General Payilo, General Mahalo, General Cidalo, General Caundhulo, and General Vikalo.

These twelve great Yaksa generals, each with a retinue of seven thousand yaksas, simultaneously raised their voices and addressed the Buddha, “World Honored One! Today, by relying on the Buddha’s awesome power, we are able to hear the name of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata. As a result, we are no longer afraid of the evil destinies. All of us are of one mind to take refuge with the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha to the end of our lives. We vow to support all living beings and to benefit them, so that they may live in peace and happiness. In whatever cities, villages, countries, or secluded forests this Sutra circulates, or wherever people accept and uphold the name of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata and venerate and make offerings to him, we, together with our retinues, will guard and protect them, deliver them from all distress, and fulfill all their wishes. If a person wishes to dispel illnesses and difficulties, he should read or recite this Sutra and tie a five-colored thread into knots, forming the letters of our names. He should untie the knots when his wishes have been fulfilled.

At that time, the World Honored One praised the great yaksa generals, saying, “Good indeed, good indeed, mighty yaksa generals! All of you who want to repay the kindness of the World Honored One, Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata, should always benefit beings and bring peace and happiness to them in this way.

Then Ananda said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, what should we call this teaching? How should we uphold it?”

The Buddha told Ananda, “This teaching is called, ‘The Merit and Virtue of the Past Vows of Medicine Master Vaidurya Light Tathagata.’ It is also called ‘Twelve Spiritual Generals’ Vows to Use Spiritual Mantras to Benefit Living Beings.’ It is also called ‘Eradicating All Karmic Obstacles.’ You should uphold it in this way.

When the Bhagavan had finished speaking, all the Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, great Hearers, kings, minister, Brahmans, laypeople, gods, dragons, yaksas, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kinnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-human beings, and all the great assembly, on hearing what the Buddha had said, were greatly delighted. They received it with faith and respectfully practiced it.

(End of translation)
(Translated into English by B.T.T.S.)

Receive Showers of Blessings by Tapping Two of the Most Powerful Mantras!

A little over a month ago, I wrote about the power of mantras in a post entitled MANTRA: THE INSTRUMENT TO TAP THE POWER OF SYMBOLIC SCRIPT, SOUND, AND THOUGHT. In that particular post I discussed what is mantra and how it works.

Today, I would like to share with you on how you can receive showers of blessings by tapping two of the most powerful mantras. I’ve mentioned about these mantras in that particular post but I want to talk about it again and share with you some stories about people who had benefitted from these mantras.

The symbolic Script of the Wish Fulfilling Mantra

The mantra I’m talking about are the WISH-GRANTING WHEEL MANTRA more popularly known as the WISH FULFILLING MANTRA – OM PADMO USHNISHA VIMALE HUM PHAT and the NEGATIVE KARMA CLEANSING MANTRA – OM HANU PHASHA (sometimes spelled as PASHA) BHARA HE YE SO HA.

Symbolic Script of the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra - OM HANU PASHA BHARA HE YE SOHA

The Wish Fulfilling Mantra and the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra are two of the most powerful mantras given to us by the Buddhas themselves. They are equally as powerful as the Mantra of the Buddha of Compassion, Kuan Yin or Avalokitesvara – OM MANI PADME HUM, or the Mantra of the Medicine Buddha – TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA.

Let me discuss first the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra OM HANU PASHA BHARA HE YE SOHA. Sometimes, you’ll find that some of the things that we long for are always ‘within reach’ but some thing will always happen that will prevent us from getting it. For example, wealth loss through a business project gone bad, or career advancement with higher pay that went to somebody else, or wealth that was swindled away from us, etc. The truth is sometimes this is cause by our negative karma who may be blocking some of the positive chi. Reciting the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra will help unblock these blockages and make us more open to receiving luck or blessings.

A friend’s father has been working really hard for the biggest project of his career life. By closing the said deal would be akin to winning the lottery and after about a year, he did close the deal and a few more months after he got the money, but after about 2 weeks he had a stroke! The prognosis of the doctor is really bad and they were told that his father would not be able to walk or move on his own again. Clearly, he won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of his hard work.

My friend called me to ask me whether his father’s BAZI or Paht Chee analysis will be able to shed some light as to why this happened. I worked on his father’s BAZI and saw that he is in a particular stage of his life wherein he would have enjoyed financial wealth, however, it also indicated that he is at a critical stage of his life. The BAZI as I read it didn’t indicate death, neither did it indicate health problem; all I can discern with the analysis is that he is at this critical stage. Naturally, because of what he is going through, I would have to just assume that the ‘critical’ stage refers to his medical condition. This means also that it could only be because of a strong karmic influence. Whether past life or not I’m not sure.

I explained this to my friend and he requested whether Feng Shui could do anything to help the condition of his father. I told him to use some Feng Shui cures but told him that since this may be karmic, it may be beyond ‘traditional’ Feng Shui, this should be inner or spiritual Feng Shui. His family is Catholic but out of desperation they were willing to try Spiritual Feng Shui.

Told him to recite for his father one full mala of the MEDICINE BUDDHA MANTRA. He should do it aloud so his father can hear him and he should do this five times a day. But more than, I explained, since there is a strong indication that whatever happened to his father is karmic he should also recite the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra five times a day. Preferably, he should do this after he has finished reciting the Medicine Buddha Mantra and like the Medicine Buddha Mantra he should recite the mantra loud enough for his father to hear him.

After about 3 weeks of reciting the Medicine Buddha Mantra and the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra his father started recovering from his stroke. A few more weeks after he was already strong enough to recite the mantras on his own.

At present, his father is again almost back to his old self and in fact has been working again. To this day he continues to recite both mantras and although he didn’t convert to Buddhism he has invited the image of the Medicine Buddha into his home.

The reason that it was also important for him to recite the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra is because obviously his bad karma prevented him from enjoying a wealth luck that is clearly present as indicated by his BAZI analysis. While reciting the Medicine Buddha Mantra will definitely aid him on his recovery, some of the Medicine Buddha’s blessing earned by the merit of the symbolic sound created by reciting his mantra, it may not be as quick because his own negative karma may block these blessings as it has blocked him from enjoying the wealth luck that he received.

The other mantra mentioned earlier is the Wish-Granting Wheel Mantra or, as I said, more popularly called as the Wish Fulfilling Mantra.

The Wish Fulfilling Mantra is a very powerful mantra, which grants us the blessing of receiving the things that we wish for. In fact, the mantra itself is so powerful that simply knowing it is already a blessing.

A Singaporean friend whose cousin greatly benefitted from the Wish Fulfilling Mantra shared this story that I’m about to share with you. For the purpose of this blog, lets just call her M. M is a 28 years old, Singaporean Chinese, who works as a junior marketing officer of an international company in Singapore. She has been with her company for barely a year when their mother company in London had an opening for a higher position with international scope and naturally with a higher pay. M has always dreamed of migrating to US or UK, that’s precisely why she joined this particular company. However, she also knows that she is still considered as ‘neophyte’ in the said company, she’s just a Junior Marketing Officer, and Sing told her cousin that there’s a Senior Marketing Officer, then a Junior Marketing Manager, then a Senior Marketing Manager, then the Sales and Marketing Director. Apparently, the search for the new position in London is not just in Singapore but also in other countries where the company is present, and they are present in all South East Asian countries, the Asia Pacific region, and also in America, as well as some parts of Europe! The competition is tough! Furthermore, junior and senior marketing officers are not even considered for the position.

M felt and knew that she doesn’t stand a chance and shared this with her mom who in turned shared this with a Tibetan Buddhist monk. The Tibetan Buddhist monk told M’s mom to let M try reciting the Wish Fulfilling Mantra. The instruction is for M to recite 7 full mala of the mantra for 3 days. On the fourth day she can try and send her application with her letter of intent. After which she is to recite 3 full mala for the mantra everyday. M felt that there’s nothing to lose in trying so she heeded the monk’s advice.

To make the long story short M is now in London not for the position that was vacated but when they saw her application they saw another position that fits her. They weren’t really just looking for a ‘local’ to fill in the position but somehow they were impressed with M’s resume that the company for the first time in its history hired an Asian for the said position!

Isn’t that wonderful? From a simple wish with zero possibility to a wish fulfilled!

There are other stories that was shared to me or that I personally experienced about these 2 powerful mantras, but I suggest that the best testimonial would be your own experience.

How does one tap into the blessings of these 2 powerful mantras? Why do they usually go together?

The Wish Fulfilling Mantra always goes with the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra because their effects may be complimentary. As shared with you earlier regarding my friend’s father, the Medicine Buddha mantra might not be as effective if his own negative karma is blocking the said blessing, in the same manner, while tapping into the power of the Wish Fulfilling Mantra it is better to make sure that we continuously cleanse ourselves by the negative karma that we accumulate by also tapping into the blessing of the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra and we do this by reciting the mantra.

I usually say 1 full mala of the Wish Fulfilling Mantra followed by another full mala of the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra once a week. If I have a specific wish I recite them more than once a week.

Furthermore, you can also say the Wish Fulfilling Mantra 7 times and blow on some incense. Once the incense is lighted, its smoke will bring blessing to other beings ‘touched’ by the smoke of the incense. Say the Wish Fulfilling Mantra 7 times and blow on your clothes it blesses you.

If you put the symbolic script of the Wish Fulfilling Mantra and the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra above doorways or your door will bless and cleanse all the people who passes underneath them. That’s how powerful these two mantras are.

According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who perhaps the most famous Tibetan Buddhist monk next to the His Holiness The Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Karmapa, simply seeing the symbolic script of these 2 mantras will greatly benefit us even if you’re not conscious of it.  To know more about symbolic scripts you can read my previous post called MANTRA: THE INSTRUMENT TO TAP THE POWER OF SYMBOLIC SCRIPT, SOUND, AND THOUGHT.

Also according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche wearing the symbolic script of the WISH FULFILLING MANTRA and NEGATIVE KARMA CLEANSING MANTRA as a sacred jewelry will enable us to continuously tap into the blessings of the said mantras. This is precisely why I’ve decided and made sure that both mantras are included in the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT.

I’ve just written about the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT yesterday and I’ve already received 7 requests from people from 4 countries who want to get the pendant for themselves. I’ve made this pendant more affordable by making it smaller. Its diameter is only about ¾ of an inch. Unfortunately, I’m not taking any ‘special orders’ right now because I’m still waiting for the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT of my family, relatives, and friends. Please understand that selling Feng Shui charms such as the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT and the WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT are only incidental and is not a means of living. Nevertheless, please feel free to email me if you’re interested to get the pendant, no promises, but I’ll try to request my jeweler to make one for you after all the other orders has been served. You can also just copy the design and have your jeweler make one for you.

If you want you can also get the Mantra Ring design by Lillian Too. It has the Wish Fulfilling Mantra and the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra, but it does not have the Medicine Buddha Mantra, Seed Syllable of Green Tara – Tam (a short version of the mantra OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA), image of Kuan Kong, Medicine Buddha, and Yellow Dzambhala. However, you can get them separately.

NOTE: I’m now able to serve request of readers to avail of the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT. You can also read a reader’s personal testimony about the pendant by clicking here. She had her wish fulfilled right after she wore the pendant.

Increase Your Wealth By Paying Homage to Yellow Dzambhala!

A few blogs ago I mentioned about how Christians look at money as the root of evil.  Although no one wants to be poor, in a very strict Christian perspective, poverty is almost welcomed.  In fact, it is thought that a suffering, problems that includes poverty is actually a test from God. Please be assured though that I’m not anti-Christianity and neither am I criticizing the religion. I’m simply stating a fact and it’s not necessarily bad, it’s just that I don’t really understand this.

However, I believe poverty is an obstacle to understanding and learning the Dharma (Buddhist teachings). How can one have the time and strength to practice the Dharma if one needs to work really hard for money, if you have nothing to eat, if you need to survive, if you need to think about the survival of your family?

I’m not saying is that wealth is the only thing that can keep a person from pursuing the Dharma or for Christians the word of God. There are a lot of other factors most basic of which is desire.

The desire to gain wealth is different from being worldly. The truth is there are worldly people who are not even rich and there are rich people who are really very unworldly. There is nothing wrong with wishing to be wealthy, what is wrong is how you handle wealth. In Buddhism, one is safeguarded from being too greedy by its basic teaching of karma. Buddhist people knows that what they do now will have repercussions either in the immediate future or in their next life.

Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism all have Wealth Gods, and this greatly shows that they are confident with wealth and that this is not necessarily evil.

Allow me to ‘introduce’ you to one of the most revered wealth deity in Buddhism – Yellow Dzambhala.

In truth is there are different kinds of Dzambhala (also spelled as Jambala, Jambhala, Dzambala, Zambhala, Zambala), but the most famous one is Yellow Dzambhala, some say that he is the most powerful one. Yellow Dzambhala is pictured as a rotund or plump male bodhisattva. He usually has ornaments typical to that of the Bodhisattvas. His Buddhist practice, rituals, and mantras are said and done specifically for the purpose of gaining wealth.

All Dzambhalas are said to be the wealth giving form of Avalokitesvara, this means they originally emanated from Avalokitesvara or the Compassionate Buddha. Avalokitesvara is also known as Kuan Yin.

It’s considered auspicious to invite the image of the Yellow Dzambhala in your home or office. Every morning, you can also pour some fresh water on top of the head of Yellow Dzambhala with your right hand, while you chant his mantra 7 or 21 times.

You can also chant the mantra of Yellow Dzambhala 108 times a day; this is to tap into his blessing. When I was just starting my business, I would always chant his mantra everyday, and because of it, clients started coming in.

The mantra of Yellow Dzambhala is OM DZAMBHALA DZALIN DRAYE SOHA.

You can also wear the Yellow Dzambhala’s image as a pendant. Like I always say, fashioning an image of a Buddha or Bodhisattva or Deity or Immortal into a sacred jewelry is like paying homage to them. On top of that by wearing their image you’ll also able to continuously tap into their blessing.

I was lucky to get an image of Yellow Dzambhala made from a semi-precious stone – Smoky Citrine.

This is from my private collection and is made of Smoky Citrine. I was just lucky to get this on 'bargain'. This is about an 2inx1 1/2in.

However, I also recently was able to request my jeweler to fashion for me a sacred jewelry that has an image of the Yellow Dzambhala, but other than the Yellow Dzambhala it also has the image of the Medicine Buddha, Kuan Kong, Kalachakra Symbol, and the short mantra OM AH HUM on the front.

At the back are the mantra or sacred syllable of the Medicine Buddha, which is TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA, it also has the Wish Fulfilling Mantra – OM PADMO USHNISHA VIMALE HUM PHAT, and the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra – OM HANU PHASHA BHARA HE YE SOHA.  Furthermore, it also has the seed syllable of Goddess Green Tara – TAM whose full mantra is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA, the Victory Banner which is a powerful symbol for you to achieve success and overcome obstacle, and the Lung-Ta or Windhorse which is a powerful tool to achieve success through wisdom. For those who career, business, and financial advancement, the Windhorse is powerful tool.

I’ve talked about this pendant in a previous post, and was thinking of calling it FULL MANTRA PENDANT then, however, in hindsight it’s not an appropriate name. I would also have wanted to include the Yellow Dzambhala mantra, however, considering its small, it would be too crowded, and so I made the decision to take out the mantra of Yellow Dzambhala.

This is the second pendant that I’ve designed. The first is WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT, while it’s a great wealth enhancer; it’s really more of a protection pendant from negative energies and also from the effects of the Bad Flying Star. The second pendant that is called WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT is more of enhancing wealth, good health, business luck, and career luck. Furthermore, it has the Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra that also helps enhance your chi for you to be more receptive to the blessings of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas.

The Happy Fat Buddha: A Representation of Maitreya Buddha’s Blessings

Happy Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha

Happy Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha, as he is famously called by non-Buddhists, is undoubtedly one of the most famous and recognized image of a Buddha. The Happy Fat Buddha is in reality not a Buddha, at least, not yet. He is currently a Bodhisattva and a future Buddha who’ll replace the existing Historical Buddha which is Gautama Buddha or Sakyamuni (also spelled as Shakyamuni) Buddha. The Happy Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha is in reality known as the Maitreya Buddha.

Buddhist scriptures states that we are currently under the ‘era’ of Sakyamuni Buddha, which is the fourth Buddha to have appeared on earth, there have been 3 others before him. It is said that his arrival will be at the time of the low point of human existence. He will come at a time where in mankind has forgotten about the Dharma (Buddhist teachings). This is not totally impossible because as shown in what is happening in Tibet, under the rule of China, the original Dharma is being purged and destroyed, albeit with extreme resistance from Tibetans and other Buddhists, but unfortunately, still with a lot of success. This answers why even after several recitations of Mantras it is still bound to happen, because it was prophesied in the Buddhist scriptures. In China, Buddhism has really taken a lot of different interpretations that are watered down. Buddhism, as any other religion in China, is closely monitored and censored by the government. Same thing is currently happening in other parts of Asia, such as Myanmar.

Going back to Maitreya Buddha or Happy Fat Buddha as he is normally called, is said to come when mankind is in need to be reminded of the Dharma. At present Maitreya Buddha is at present said to be living in Tusita Heaven, a celestial place where celestial Bodhisattvas are said to reside. In Tusita Heaven, it is said in the Buddhist scriptures, Maitreya Buddha constantly recites mantras and sutras for us. He also continuously gets lessons in preparation for his coming to earth where he’ll achieve enlightenment within 7 days and become a Buddha so that he can impart to us the Dharma.

Typically pictured seated on a throne either cross legged or feet flat on the floor, signifying that he’s waiting for his time, Maitreya is originally pictured as a slim, handsome prince. He is also usually dressed as a Indian royalty (India being the origin of Buddhism). As representation of him being a Bodhisattva, it is not uncommon to see that he is also adorned with jewels. A Khata is usually tied around his waist much like a belt.

Maitreya Buddha pictured in his original image.

Another representation of Maitreya Budda.

The idea of him pictured as a Happy Fat Buddha came about of what he represents. The Maitreya Buddha represents wealth, health, love, happiness or joy, success, peace, and harmony. In short, he represents what each person aspire for.

There are several stories as to why the image of Maitreya Buddha became that of the Happy Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha. In fact, Maitreya is derived from Maitri which means Loving Kindness.

One of the story states that the image of the Happy Fat Buddha came about because of the Chinese buddhist monk Budai. Budai either claimed or people saw in him the qualities of Maitreya Buddha (the written history about this are not clear) that when he passed away people started using his image as the image of Maitreya Buddha.

Another story claims that Maitreya one day visited earth to share the sutras, however, all the women are unable to absorb his teachings because all they can see is a very handsome young prince and they fell in-love with him. Seeing that his image causes women to be distracted he transformed himself to a fat bald man.

Still another story is quite simple. When Buddhism was introduced in China, they’re unable to comprehend some aspect of the teachings of Buddhism. For example, Kuan Yin is a female representation of Avalokitesvara, the ‘Male’ Buddha of Compassion. However, Chinese are unable to comprehend the idea of a very loving, gentle, compassionate MALE being,  to make it easier for the people to understand the character and teachings of Avalokitesvara, they decided to represent her with a female image called Kuan Yin or Kwan Sheer Yin (He or She who hears the cries of the world). Allow me to briefly share here that it is said that it is Avalokitesvara himself who instructed some Indian and Tibetan monks through a vision to represent him as Kuan Yin. This is not totally veering away from reality, because in truth, celestial Buddhist gods are androgynous, they are neither male or female, or it can be said they are both male and female. Since at that time Chinese always associates wealth and health with plumpness, and happiness, love, harmony with a happy face, these characteristics became the representation of Maitreya Buddha in China.

Personally, I believe that the 3rd story is the most plausible explanation.

When I come across a big image of the Maitreya Buddha as a the Happy Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha, or when I pray to him, I usually rub his stomach to signify the asking of blessing. It's an affectionate gesture. However, never touch the head of a Buddha, because in Buddhism it is only monks, your elders or superiors who can touch the head of a person who is 'beneath' them.

Aside from ‘Happy Fat Buddha’, ‘Laughing Buddha’, Maitreya Buddha is also called ‘Metteya’, ‘Puy Lok Yah’ (Fookien term for The Happy Fat Father), ‘Mi Lo Fu’ in Chinese, ‘Mile (pronounced as Mee-Lay) Pusa’ also in Chinese, Miroku Bosatsu in Japanese, Mireuk Bosal in Korean, Phra Sri Araya Metrai in Thai.

Most of the images of the Happy Fat Buddha depicts him on a relax mode. There's another image of him on his legs. Either of the two images are considered very auspicious.

Placing the image of Maitreya Buddha, either as the handsome young prince or as the Happy Fat Buddha or Laughing Buddha helps generate his blessings of happiness, harmony, love, peace, wealth, good health, etc. However, in the Philippines it is easier to get his image as the Laughing Buddha. Also this particular image also gives a psychological effect for all those who see it. It reminds us to be happy, it reminds us to become positive, and at the very least, because of how he looks as the Happy Fat Buddha, it creates an atmosphere of happiness and harmony.

You can place his image either on your altar, or any parts of your house except in the bedroom (for married couples) and or in the rest room.

This is from my personal collection. I wear this pendant everyday. In choosing an image of the Happy Fat Buddha to be worn as a pendant, always look for the face. Make sure that it has happy jolly face.

Wearing an image of the Maitreya Buddha as a pendant is also very auspicious and serves as an homage to him. In return, you get to tap into his blessings.