Communicating with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Using a ‘Mo’

A few nights ago I had a big scare, I woke up in the middle of the night with a severe chest pain and slight difficulty in breathing. The first thing that occurred to me is that I might be having a heart attack. The fact that I know that I have the illness star at that time intensified this fear.

The first thing that I did was to say one full mala (108 times) of the Medicine Buddha Mantra – TADYATHA OM BHAKNADZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA. After reciting the full mala, I blew on my right hand and rubbed it on my chest while sincerely praying to the Medicine Buddha to heal me.

I immediately felt a little better after reciting the Medicine Buddha mantra. However, I need to assess whether I still need to rush myself to the hospital, knowing that heart attack may be deceiving and you might not feel anything at all. I don’t want to wake my siblings up and scare them.

Not sure whether I’m really having a heart attack or not, I decided to ask the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Kuan Yin. I did this by doing an oracle or MO using my mala.

A MO is a form of oracle, one use this to divine what the Buddhas or the Bodhisattvas are trying to communicate with us. This is usually done by asking a specific question that is answerable by YES or NO, or GOOD, NEUTRAL, or BAD.

As mentioned there are different kinds of MO but what I’m about to share with you right now is the easiest from of MO.

What I did is I got my mala, and called on the Buddha or Bodhisattva that I wanted to consult. In this case, I called on Kuan Yin. I first recited Kuan Yin’s name three times and told Her that I need to consult her about my health. I then stated my question, which in this case is – AM I HAVING AN HEART ATTACK?

After stating my question, I then recited one full mala of the mantra of Kuan Yin, which is OM MANI PADME HUM.

After reciting the mantra, I then re-stated my question and then said that for YES, I’ll have one bead left, then for NO, I’ll have two beads left. I then dropped the mala and used both of my hands to pick it up. You should randomly picked it up, using both hands, then from both ends, slowly move your fingers one bead at a time from each hand until there’s only one or two beads left.

In my case, when I did this, there were two beads left so the answer in NO, which means I’m not having a heart attack.

My second question is whether it is something really serious. I repeated the process but this time I opted for an answer that will say GOOD, NEUTRAL, or BAD. Again, the process is basically the same, only this time I’ll only stop when there’s only three, or two, or a single bead left. A single bead stands for GOOD, two beads means NEUTRAL, and three beads means it’s really BAD. This time I got an answer that it is neutral. So it was not clear with me whether I have to go to the hospital or not. I decided to ask a third question.

The third question is whether I need to rush to the hospital. I did the whole process again, and this time I opted for the YES or NO response. The answer is NO, which means I don’t need to rush to the hospital.

Just to be sure I decided to the MO again for the second time, this time I called on GODDESS TARA. I repeated the same three questions, and the answers are all the same.

Doing the MO saved me from scaring my siblings and rushing to the hospital for nothing. I use the MO a lot especially in making business decisions. The MO is nice because everybody can do that and you don’t need special skill, talent, or sixth sense to be able to do the MO. However, you need to believe and not do the MO just for fun.

A Hermit and A Monk: A Lesson on Reciting Your Mantra

Since I started writing about Mantras, I’ve received countless emails and sometimes phone calls asking me about the right intonation of a mantra. I know for people who have just been recently introduced to the power of Mantras, it may be a little daunting because some of the Mantras can be mouthful like the Medicine Buddha Mantra – TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA – or the Prajnaparamita Mantra – TADYATHA OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SOHA. The truth there are other mantras, such as the Cundi Avalokitesvara Mantra – NAMO SAKTANAM SAMYAKSAM BUDDHA KOTINAM TADYATHA OM CALE CULE CUNDI SOHA (I’ll write about Cundi Avalokitesvara soon), that are way longer than the mantras that I’ve talked about on this blog.

I realize that this might be causing a little worry to some of you thinking that your wish might not happen because you are not pronouncing it properly. Also, because you might be agonizing too much on the proper pronunciation that you tend to forget to concentrate on the intent why you’re saying the mantra.

‘A Hermit and A Monk’ is a story that was shared by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the most revered monks of high status.

Lama Zopa Rincpoche is considered as the one strongly propagates Buddhism to people who otherwise wouldn’t have heard of Buddhism. His work with Lillian Too also helped bridge the gap between Buddhism and Feng Shui, which was largely considered to be a Taoist practice. He is also task by the Dalai Lama to lead the Maitreya Project. A very ambitious project that hopes to build the largest Maitreya Buddha – the Future Buddha, in the world.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche first shared this story with the members of the ‘Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition’, it was since then shared with other groups like the Amitabha Buddhist Center (a sub-center of FPMT), and he also shared this with Lillian Too.

A HERMIT AND A MONK…

A monk visited a hermit, who lived alone on an island doing retreat. The hermit had given himself three years to complete chanting ten million of the powerful six-syllable mantra of the Compassionate Buddha. The hermit had been told that attaining this level of practice would awaken his yogic powers. The mantra was “OM MANI PADME HUM”.

The monk listened as the hermit did his mantra and, with the best intention in the world, leaned over to him and whispered:

“I think you have got the pronunciation wrong. This mantra should be chanted this way…” and he proceeded to demonstrate. The hermit listened attentively and then watched as the monk walked back to his boat to leave the island.

Ten minutes later when the boat was halfway across the river the monk heard his name being called, and looking around, he spied the hermit and heard him call:

“Listen to this, have I got it right now?” and the hermit proceeded to chant the same mantra but with the monk’s intonation. Astounded, the monk turned around and saw the hermit walking on the water next to his boat. In that instant he realized that the hermit’s faith and sincerity had given his mantra recitation far more power than he had realized.

As you will see, the story state that what counts more is the faith and sincerity in reciting the mantra. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive hard to do our best to recite them properly, but let’s not agonize about it. If you have faith and sincerity then it’s simply impossible for it not to work!

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.

A Calm Mind

The idea to write about this again came from a reader who a few weeks ago contacted me to request for the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT.

J mentioned in one of his emails that he’s just starting to understand more about the Buddha Dharma. A few days ago, he wrote another email inquiring as to whether there are mantras that he can recite for him to be calm and for him to have peace of mind.

A calm mind and peace of mind are two different things. The latter is usually achieved one’s we have come to terms with our past deeds and mistakes, it is also achieved one’s we have attained a calm mind. It’s a struggle. Having a calm mind is a precedent for a peaceful mind.

Since a calm mind precedes a peaceful mind, that it what I’m going to discuss now.

The first thing that you have to acknowledge is that it takes practice to have a calm mind. You work on it, it’s not something that you simply hope for and voila it happens right away. You have to constantly remind yourself that you want to be calm, that you NEED to be calm.

I, myself, had to struggle to achieve a calmness that I really need. I used to be a very hot headed person, not only that, since I was young my mind has always been hyperactive, I would constantly think about how things would go wrong, how people are doing me bad, I always think that all good things are done with malice and hidden motives. Because of this, I do get into trouble a lot of times. I was pretty violent and pretty harsh with my words and deeds; this kind of behavior is destructive not only to the people around me but also to myself.

There were a few times that I wanted to see a therapist to help me with my hyperactive and malicious mind. However, when I delve into Buddhism deeply, I found myself becoming calmer. I still do have those burst of emotions and hyperactivity, but I can honestly say that I’m now calmer and is able to control myself better. I also don’t really think a lot of negative thoughts and my being a worrier has subsided.

I won’t be able to pinpoint in on a single thing that helped me to be more calm, rather the change, which was gradual, is brought about different things that all worked together in helping me to have a calm mind.

First, understanding more about Buddhism has really helped. It helps that I understand that every action, every thought, every word has an effect. It creates karma, and whether that karma is good or bad depends on your deeds, words, and thoughts. The idea that reward and punishment is directly proportionate to your own deeds, thoughts, and words helped me to be more cautious and level headed.

Second, images of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Deities, Immortals also helped in constantly reminding me that I can always call on their assistance for me to achieve the calmness that I need. They had become a constant point of meditation for me.

Another very effective tool is reciting the mantras. All the mantras will definitely have a calming effect. However, to be specific in the purpose of the calmness of the mind the PRAJNAPARAMITA MANTRA, the MANTRA OF THE MASTER OF HEALING, more popularly known as the MEDICINE BUDDHA MANTRA are the two mantras that works well with trying to calm the mind. The Prajnaparamita Mantra is – TADYATHA OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SOHA. It really is just GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SOHA, however, when reciting it one needs to add TADYATHA OM. The Medicine Buddha Mantra is – TADYATHA OM BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE MAHA BHEKANDZYE BHEKANDZYE RADZA SAMUGATE SOHA.

Reading the various SUTRAS are also very helpful in trying to achieve a calmness of the mind. This is not only because at the point of reading you try your best to concentrate on the teaching, but more importantly, the Sutras really has such an effect.

Wearing a PRAYER WHEEL is also a very powerful tool to help achieve a calmness of the mind that we all need. If you want to know more about the Prayer Wheel do read my post – THE POWER OF A PRAYER WHEEL.

In my pursuit to have a calmer mind, I also decided to never watch horror movies because I find that the chi in creating a horror movie and watching them is so bad that it disturbs a person. It doesn’t matter whether you get scared or not, just watching it is enough to affect you in some way.

Wearing the image of the Medicine Buddha or the symbolic script of the Medicine Buddha Mantra as pendant also has a calming effect. I’ve previously discussed in length about the Medicine Buddha and about the power of the mantra. If you want to know more about them please read my post entitled – MEDICINE BUDDHA: A HEALER, PROVIDER, AND PROTECTOR OF BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL REALM – and – MANTRA: THE INSTRUMENT TO TAP THE POWER OF SYMBOLIC SOUND, SCRIPT, AND THOUGHT – respectively.

The WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA'S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT has the image of the Medicine Buddha on the front and the Medicine Buddha Mantra symbolic script at the back.

These are just some of the tools that we can use to help us have a calmer mind. There are other ways to achieve a calm mind, however, this would require seeing one’s BAZI and Feng Shui of the house. Thus, I’m unable to discuss it here.

But more than anything, the first step to a calm mind is the decision to make it happen.

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.

Fulfill Your Wishes and Get Blessings from the Buddhas with the ‘Wish Fulfilling and Buddha’s Blessing Mantra Pendant’.

A few weeks ago I talked about a new pendant that I designed. At that time I called it the Full Mantra Pendant. After several weeks of back and forth with my jeweler that includes some revisions in the design, I finally got the first WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT.

The Front Side of the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT

Unlike the WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT which is designed primarily as protection from bad luck and the bad annual flying star, the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT is more of a luck enhancer.

Front side of the WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT.

Back side of the WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT.

The difference is that the first is more of a ‘cure’ and the wealth aspect is incidental because of Sun Wukong, the second pendant is more of a enhancer that is designed to tap into the blessings of the various Buddhas and Buddhist symbol. Furthermore, I’m really happy, because of the lesson learned from the first pendant, I had the foresight to make it smaller thus it is  a lot more affordable than my first pendant.

On the front you’ll see the …

Unfortunately, the photo that I took is not really clear. The front of the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT has the images of the Medicine Buddha, Kuan Kong, Yellow Dzambhala, Kalachakra Symbol, and the Symbolic Script OM AH HUM.

IMAGE OF MEDICINE BUDDHA, which showers us with the blessing of health luck. Furthermore, the Medicine Buddha is also a Buddha that bestows harmony. Read my post about the Medicine Buddha by clicking here.

IMAGE OF KWAN KONG (also called or spelled as Kwan Kong, Guan Gong, Kwan Ti, Guan Ti, Kwan Yu, Guan Yu), a Bodhisattva that bestows mentor’s luck to provide with people that will help us to pursue our goals. Kwan Kong also is bestows business luck. Furthermore, Kwan Kong is also a very powerful protection deity. You can read more about Kuan Kong by clicking here.

IMAGE OF YELLOW DZAMBHALA, a powerful Buddhist wealth deity that emanated from the Buddha of Compassion. Having his image constantly around us will bestow upon us wonderful wealth blessing. It also helps if you can recite his mantra – OM DZAMBHALA DZALIN DRAYE SOHA. To know more about Yellow Dzambhala you can read my post entitled INCREASE YOUR WEALTH BY PAYING HOMAGE TO YELLOW DZAMBHALA.

IMAGE OF KALACHAKRA, which is a very powerful protection, ten syllable mantra compressed into a powerful image. It bestows upon us the blessing of safety. The Mantra of Kalachakra is HO HAM KSHAMALA VARAYA HUM PHAT.

THE SYMBOLIC SCRIPT OF THE MANTRA OM AH HUM. I included this because the Kalachakra mantra is seldom recited without saying the OM AH HUM, making the complete Kalachakra Mantra – OM AH HUM HO HAM KSHAMALA VARAYA HUM PHAT. OM AH HUM also cleanses us from the immediate light negative karma that we acquired with our speech, thought and deeds. This negative karma may become hindrances for us to receive blessings. OM AH HUM is also known as the Protection, Environment Purifying and Immediate Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra.

At the back of the pendant are…

The back side of the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT has the images of the Victory Banner, Lung-Ta or Windhorse, the seed syllable of the Goddess Tara – TAM, and the symbolic script of the MEDICINE BUDDHA MANTRA, WISH FULFILLING MANTRA, and the NEGATIVE KARMA CLEANSING MANTRA.

THE SYMBOLIC SCRIPT OF THE MANTRA MEDICINE BUDDHA that I made sure is included here because I believe health is the best luck we can receive.

Also included are two of the most powerful mantras the WISH FULFILLING MANTRA and the NEGATIVE KARMA CLEANSING MANTRA.

THE SYMBOLIC SCRIPT OF THE WISH FULFILLING MANTRA OM PADMO USHNISHA VIMALE HUM PHAT which is a very powerful mantra that has the ability to bestow upon us all the good things, material or otherwise, that we wish to receive.

THE SYMBOLIC SCRIPT OF THE NEGATIVE KARMA CLEANSING MANTRA OM HANU PHASA BHARA HE YE SOHA a powerful mantra that cleanses us from the blockages we get out of the grave sins we did and/or negative karma from previous lives.

THE IMAGE OF VICTORY BANNER a powerful Buddhism and Feng Shui symbol that bestows upon the blessing of success in all our endeavors. You can read more about the Victory Banner in one my earlier posts called THE VICTORY BANNER: A POWERFUL FENG SHUI TOOL FOR CAREER SUCCESS.

THE SEED SYLLABLE OF THE GODDESS TARA – TAM. A seed syllable is used if putting or reciting the whole mantra of the Buddha or Bodhisattva is impossible. Goddess Tara or Green Tara is called the Swift Liberator, it is said Green Tara bestows the blessings of liberation from worldly hardship. She also bestows children to childless couples, romance luck for single people. Goddess Tara’s mantra is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA.

THE IMAGE OF LUNG-TA OR WINDHORSE, which is a symbol of good fortune and well-being. The Lung-Ta also carries the ‘Wish Fulfilling Jewel of Enlightenment’ that bestows upon us the blessing of success through wisdom and knowledge, which in turn bestows the blessing of career and professional advancement. It is also a powerful symbol to have a very successful business life. All entrepreneurs, businessmen will greatly benefit from the image of Lung-Ta.

If you wish to know more about MANTRA or SYMBOLIC SCRIPT you can read my previous post MANTRA: THE INSTRUMENT TO TAP THE POWER OF SYMBOLIC SOUND, SCRIPT AND THOUGHT.

Please read about a reader’s experience or personal testimony about the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT by clicking here.

2012 Year of the Water Dragon Feng Shui Flying Star Forecast

The past few posts I talked about the 2012 Feng Shui Chinese Zodiac Forecast for the 12 Animal Signs – RAT, OX, TIGER, RABBIT, DRAGON, SNAKE, HORSE, SHEEP / GOAT, MONKEY, ROOSTER, DOG, PIG / BOAR. However, it is important to know that your luck for the year is not solely determined by your animal sign because it is equally important to look at the place where you live and where you work. Your luck is also determined by the Flying Stars of your house/office.

First, what are Flying Stars? Flying Stars or Xuan Kong is basically a discipline or branch of Feng Shui that studies the annual movement ‘stars’ or chi of a location that may affect your profession, health, career, finance/wealth, physical energy, psychological energy, spiritual energy. In Feng Shui the energy of your house and of your workplace is as important as your animal sign. The truth is Flying Star is also applied to the village, town, barangay, municipal, city, country and for the really good ones they can actually foretell the ‘fortune’ of the country by applying the Flying Stars concept in the world map.

The founder of Flying Stars assigned a specific number to each of this energy, and succeeding generation assigned a name depending on the effects of this energy. The name may vary a little from one Feng Shui consultant to another but they’re basically the same. It is also important to understand that the Tai Sui (Tai Suey) God and the 3 Killings are not part of the Flying Star concept. However, in discussing and determining the Flying Star of the house we include both the Tai Suey and the Three Killings in the equation because they also occupy the one of the nine squares in the Lo Shu Square.

The nine Lo Shu Square are – EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH, SOUTHEAST, SOUTHWEST, NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST, CENTER.

To understand more about the Flying Star, I suggest check out Wikipedia. The offer a brief but clear explanation of the Flying Star. They’re also a lot of books that solely deal with Flying Stars Feng Shui.

THE FLYING STARS OF THE 2012 YEAR OF THE WATER DRAGON IS AS FOLLOWS:

1. AUSPICIOUS STARS

Flying Star 4 aka Romance and Scholastic Star flies to the EAST

Effects: Romance luck is heightened if your room is on this side of the house. For single people, you might have the possibility of finding love. For partnered people, you might find your love getting more ‘fragrant’. However, for married couple the effect might be too fold – First, you might find yourself loving each other more deeply, but, there might be the possibility of a third party getting involve also. It is also called the Scholastic Star because it also has a good effect on Scholastic pursuits of a person. Meaning, students may become more studious, and professionals might find themselves understanding documents better.

Feng Shui Enhancer: For single persons you can put a Rose Quartz Mandarin Ducks on your bedside. For married couple, you can  hang the character of the Double Happiness on your headboard. To safeguard yourself from a third party, tie an Amethyst Geode with Red String on the foot of your bed.

Rose Quartz Mandarin Ducks

Feng Shui Tip: Do not put too much water features on this side of the house this year because it might cause sexual scandals or promiscuity.

Flying Star 1 aka White Victory Star flies to the SOUTH

Effects: This star or chi or energy brings luck to all your endeavors.

Feng Shui Enhancers: Victory Banner / Horse.

The Victory Banner is considered as one of the 8 Auspicious Object in Buddhism.

Flying Star 6 aka Heaven’s Blessing or Mentor Luck Star flies to the CENTER

Effects: It sets the ‘tone’ for the year. Meaning, if you continuously to do good the more blessed you’re going to be. This also means even if you’re Animal Zodiac luck is not so good like the Dog, you will continuously have help from Heaven (Buddhas, Deities, Bodhisattva or Saints). This also means that you’ll be lucky enough to have people who will help you to achieve your goal.

Feng Shui Enhancers: Crystal Balls / 6 White Jade tied with a Red String

Flying Star 8 aka Wealth Star flies to the West

Effects: It gives you abundance and ‘bottomless’ pocket. This star is not just about money wealth but this is also about abundance.

Feng Shui Enhancers: Faux Gold Coins or Bars or Ingots, Wealth Deity (Maitreya Buddha or Kuan Kong or Sun Wukong)

Sun Wukong aka Monkey God aka Pilgrim aka ‘Great Sage, Equal to Heaven’ is a very powerful wealth and protector god. He is one of the few deities worshipped both in Taoism (also spelled as Daoism) and Buddhism.

NOTE: To know more about the Monkey God Sun Wukong, read my post about ‘The Great Sage, Equal to Heaven’.

Flying Star 9 aka Future Prosperity or Multiplying Star flies to the NorthEast

Effects: This is neither a good or bad star. It only means that whatever you ‘sow’ so shall you ‘reap’. This basically multiplies whatever karma you accumulate. If you do more good things you’ll have more good luck in the future, but if you continue to do a lot of bad things, you multiply your negative karma as well.

Using the Feng Shui tools mentioned above you can enhance the auspicious stars but all Feng Shui consultants/experts will stress that it’s more important to subdue the negative stars/chi/energy of the Flying Stars. If you’re on a tight budget, you need to subdue the negative stars first before you enhanced the auspicious ones.

2. THE NEGATIVE STARS

Flying Star 7 aka Violent Star flies to the NorthWest

Effects: This star brings hostility and loss through robbery, theft, or even manipulation. This star also directly affects the Patriarchs which means it affects the leaders as well. This means they may face danger with metal arms or face violent death.

Feng Shui Protector: (Only one of the following items will do.) Image of Sun Wukong [Monkey God], Image of Kuan Kong [also spelled as Guan Gong], Mantra Plaque, Elephant with Rhinoceros Image. For people whose room is in the NorthWest and for Patriarchs (which includes leaders, head of the family, entrepreneurs, businessman, CEO) it is advisable to wear an image of Sun Wukong, Kuan Kong or a Mantra Pendant. The WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT is also advisable.

Kuan Kong / Guan Gong / Guan Ti / Guan Yu / Guan Sheng Ti Jun

Front side of WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT. This is an image of Sun Wukong.

The other side of the WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION has the words ‘Great Sage, Equal to Heaven’ in Chinese characters at the top, followed by the 3 Celestial Guardians (Pi Yao – good for Tai Sui, Chilin, Fu Dog), then at the bottom are the image of the Ksitigarbha Fireball and the 5-Element Pagoda. Currently, I’m also looking into making a JADE WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT, that is because Chinese loves jade.

Flying Star 3 aka Argumentative Star flies to the SouthWest

Effects: May cause relationship problems, numerous bickering, litigation, quarrels and problems/conflicts with authority. Matriarchs are also affected by this star regardless of whether they stay in the SouthWest or not.

Feng Shui Protector: Ksitigarbha Fireball (place this is the SouthWest section of the house or room). For Matriarchs and/or if yur room is in this section of the house you can wear or carry the Ksitigarbha Fireball pendant/key chain. It will also be nice if you can wear a Maitreya (Happy Fat) Buddha pendant.

Ksitigarbha Fireball is a good Feng Shui tool to counter the effects of the Argumentative Star.

Flying Star 2 aka Illness Star flies to the North

Effects: As the name implies, this star causes illness and to some extent it can be fatal or terminal. Also affected by the star regardless of whether they stay in the North section of the house are the middle son and people under the year of the Rat.

Feng Shui Protector: Wulou or Holy Gourd or Image of the Medicine Buddha. For people who stays in this section of the house or office, and for the middles sons and people born under the sign of the Rat it is advisable for them to wear a Jade Wu Lou pendant and/or a Medicine Buddha pendant [preferably with Mantra].

The Wu Lou or Holy Gourd is one of the best tool to fight the effects of the Illness Star. As much as possible try to get something that can be opened and hollow inside. You can then place the following items inside-3 tablespoon of Rock/Sea Salt, 1 tablespoon of incense ash from a Taoist or Buddhist temple, small unburned incense, Medicine Buddha mantra, and an paper amulet from a Sun Wukong or Kuan Yin or Kuan Kong temple. After putting everything inside seal it and tie a red ribbon around the Wulou. If this is not possible an ordinary Wu Lou works as well, the addtional ‘ingredients’ is just to make it more potent.

Flying Star 5 aka Five Yellow Star flies to the SouthEast (Furthermore, the Tai Sui God is also in the SouthEast corner.)

Effects: The 5-Yellow Star is the worst of all the negative stars. It brings 5 different kinds of misfortunes and to make things worst, the Tai Suey is also in the SouthEast section.

Feng Shui Protector: AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE MOVE OUT FROM THIS SECTION. Five Yellow Pagoda, Image of the Goddess of the North Star [Dou Mu Yuan Jun] which has been blessed in a Taoist Temple [available by request], Image of Piyao. For people who stays in this section of the house or building, as mentioned, please move out. You also need the following Feng Shui tools-FIVE ELEMENT PAGODA PENDANT, PIYAO PENDANT or DOU MU YUAN JUN [GODDESS OF THE NORTH STAR] PENDANT. The WEALTH AND MASTER PROTECTION PENDANT is also a good Feng Shui tool.

Five Element Pagoda

Dou Mu Yuan Jun (Goddess of the North Star)

Feng Shui Tip: Keep the SouthEast as quiet as possible – no watching of TV, no renovations, keep the lights to a minimum, no playing in this section, no crystals, no digging, no burning of anything, no cutting. If your main door is in the SouthEast, try to use another door, if this is not possible please make sure you put plants flanking your main door and hang a 5-Element Pagoda on your door. Also put an image of a Piyao or Dou Mu Yuan Jun on top of the door.

The 3 Killings flies to the South.

Effects: If you notice the Flying Star 1 or White Victory Star is also in the South. This only means that whatever success the White Victory Star brings ‘may be’ negated by the 3 Killings. However, despite of the name, it is quite easy to deal with the Three Killings and as long as you put the Feng Shui tool to protect you from the 3 Killings you’ll be safe from this energy. .

Feng Shui Protector: Three Celestial Guardians (Place in the South section of the house, room or office). For people who stays in the South section you can also wear the image of the 3-Celestial Guardians or carry their image as a key chain.

The Three Celestial Guardians are mystical celestial beings.

Please note that the official date of the Year of the Water Dragon is on Jan. 23, 2012, thus this will take effect on that day. There is another school of thought that regardless of the date of the Chinese New Year the Flying Stars moves to their new section on Feb. 4 every year of the Western calendar. I personally don’t believe this. I think this is just a tool for Feng Shui experts to make everything easier. It doesn’t make sense that everything else in base on the Lunar Calendar except the movement of the stars.