Wei Tuo

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Sutra & Mantra Retreat and Vajrapani Empowerment Ritual!

Published Nobyembre 4, 2015 by jptan2012

I have always believe in the power of chanting mantras and reciting / reading sutras. When people get in touch with me asking for the Vajrapani Ruel and because they can’t afford it or its not available at the time of request, I always tell them to chant some mantras or recite some sutras because these are very powerful tools or rituals that can help us surpass our problems. In fact, regular readers of this blog will see some personal testimonies of readers who simply chanted some mantras and were able to get their wishes.

That is why I’m very happy to announce that my Guru Lama is coming to the Philippines early next year to do a two – day Sutra and Mantra retreat and one day Vajrapani Empowerment Ritual. What’s even better is that the retreat and the Vajrapani Empowerment Ritual are going to be absolutely free!

I can’t clearly express as to what are the benefits of chanting a mantra and reciting a sutra because the wonderful blessings that one can get from them if properly done is simply enormous. It has the power to heal the sick, turn bad luck into good luck, create some wealth and financial luck. If these things are done for our recently departed relatives, it may give them a chance to be reborn with a good life.

The Sutra and Mantra retreat is going to be for 2 days from 6:30AM to 2:30AM straight! It seems quite tiring, but the truth is it’s not and if one is in the middle of it you’ll feel that 8 hours is simply nothing. Nevertheless, we’ll have 5 minutes bathroom break every hour or every hour ninety minutes, depending on the mantra and sutra being chanted or recited. On the first two days, which is the Sutra and Mantra retreat, we will be chanting and reciting different mantras and sutra for 8 hours each day straight! Well…almost straight!

On the third day, my Guru Lama is going to conduct a Vajrapani Empowerment Ritual or Puja.

What is an empowerment ritual or puja?

An empowerment ritual or puja is a ritual that is headed by a certified Lama that invokes the power of a Buddha or Bodhisattva or Deity. This is to request blessings and protection from the Buddha or Bodhisattva or Deity being invocated. This kind of ritual is rarely done in the Philippines and one needs a highly ordained monk or lama to be able to do this. For this particular empowerment ritual, we are invocating Vajrapani Bodhisattva, to get to know more about Vajrapani Bodhisattva please read my post called – THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL AMULET IN THE BUDDHIST PANTHEON CALLED VAJRAPANI RUEL.

Vajrapani Bodhisattva is primarily a protective bodhisattva but as you see in the various testimonials of people who has requested for the Vajrapani Ruel, a lot of these involve other things which is other than simply protection. For you to know more about these miracles you read some of the stories you can find below.

I will announce the exact date and time and location of the Sutra and Mantra Retreat and the Vajrapani Empowerment Ritual once we have finalized the details but this is confirmed and will happen soon after Chinese New Year of 2016.

As mentioned these events are absolutely free of charge. A reader who has experienced a Vajrapani Ruel miracle has committed to sponsor the vegetarian lunch (although it is going to be served after the retreat which is after 2:30pm). The vegetarian lunch is going to be cooked by Buddhist nun and volunteers of the host temple. Please note that although this is free we encourage you to bring some fruits as an offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We will also encourage you to give a Sangha Offering, which is customary for every Buddhist ritual. A Sangha Offering is done by giving you a red envelope and you can put any amount inside the envelope, which you will then offer on the altar. The money inside can be as low as twenty – five centavos and nobody will know the amount that you will put because it will be then passed on to the host temple without being opened. We do this because the host temple will have some expenses by hosting us that goes to electricity, water, incense, and manpower.

As early as now I will also like to say that during these events no late comers will be allowed to join, and we will start promptly using the Philippine Standard Time as our official time. Should you feel that the even is taxing and tedious we suggest you leave during one of the bathroom breaks, but once you leave you will not be allowed to enter again. This is because in events like this we have to be very conscious that you don’t disturb the presiding lama and the participant. Phones are also going to be collected for safekeeping. No phones and/or any gadgets are allowed inside the ceremony hall to preserve the solemnity of the hall and the retreat or ritual.

I’m sure a lot of you will be asking as to what are the Sutras and Mantras that we are going to recite and chant. Please see the list below in no particular order.

For the Sutras:

  1. Medicine Buddha Sutra
  2. The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra
  3. The Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva (Ksitigarbha Sutra)
  4. The Universal Gateway of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva Sutra
  5. The Vows of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Samanthabadra) Sutra
  6. The Buddha Speaks of the 8 Realizations of Great Beings Sutra
  7. The Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra
  8. The Diamond Cutter Sutra

For the Mantras:

  1. Amitabha Mantra (Namo Amituofo & Om Ami Dewa Hrih)
  2. Sakyamuni Sutra (Namo Pen Shi Shi Chia Mo Ni Fo & Om Muni Muni Mahay Muni Yeh Soha)
  3. Medicine Buddha Mantra (Namo Xiao Tsai Yen Sho Yao Shi Lio Li Kuan Dru Lay & Tadyatha Om Bhekandzye Bhekandzye Maha Bhekandzye Radza Samugate Soha & Nán Mó Bó Qié Fá Di     Pì Shä Shè     Jù Lû Bì Liú Lí     Bó Là Pó Hê Là Shé Yê   Dân Tä Jiê Duō Yê     Ä Là Hë Dì     Sãn Mîâo Sân Pó Tuó Yë     Dân Zhî Tâ     Ân     Pí Shâ Shì     Pí Shâ Shì      Pí Shä Shè     Sân Mò Jiê Dì     Suō Hê)
  4. Kuan Yin Mantra (Namo Kuan Shi In Pusa & Om Mani Padme Hum & Tadyatha Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Soha)
  5. Ksitigarbha Mantra (Namo Di Zhang Wang Pusa & Om Ah Ksitigarbha Thaleng Hum & Om Pra Mani Dani Soha)
  6. Samantabhadra Mantra (Namo Ta Xing Pu Xian Pusa)
  7. Majushri Mantra (Namo Da Zhi Wun Shu Shi Li Pusa & Om A Ra Pa Cha Na Dhi)
  8. Kuan Kong Mantra (Namo Qie Lan Sheng Chong Pusa)
  9. Maitreya Buddha Mantra (Namo Dang Lay Xia Sheng Mi Lo Tsun Fo & Namo Maitri Mahay Maitri Maitreya Soha)
  10. Goddess Tara Mantra (Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha)
  11. Wei Tuo /Skanda Mantra (Namo Wei Tuo Pusa)
  12. Yellow Dzambhala Mantra (Om Dzambha Dzalin Draye Soha)
  13. White Dzambhala Mantra (Om Padmo Kroda Arya Dzambhala Dzalin Draye Soha)
  14. Wish Fulfilling and Karma Cleansing Mantra (Om Padmo Ushnisha Vimale Hum Phat & On Hanu Pasha Bhara Heye Soha)
  15. Short Negative Karma Cleansing Mantra (Om Ah Hum)
  16. Vasudhara Mantra (Om Hsri Vasudhara Ratna Ni Hadna Kashetri Soha)
  17. Namgyalma Mantra (Om Bhrum Soha Om Amarita Aryu Daday Soha)
  18. Guru Rinpoche Mantra (Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Sidhi Hum)
  19. Vajrasattva Manta (Om Vajrasattva Hum)
  20. Wealth Granting Tara Mantra (Om Tare Tuttare Ture Danam Medada Soha)
  21. Kalachakra Mantra (Om Ah Hum Ho Ham Kshamala Varaya Hum Phat)
  22. Vajrapani Mantra (Om Vajrapani Hum)

I know these seem a lot but we have a total of 16 hours to do all these.

I expect that a lot of people will want to join so this will be on simply by reservation basis. You have to register.

For the Vajrapani Empowerment Ritual, it will be open to all people who has the Vajrapani Ruel and their friends and family. Again reservation is required. You will be ask to bring your Vajrapani Ruel so that my Guru Lama can further empower it. This is also a great opportunity for those who requested the Vajrapani Ruel to meet other readers who requested it also.

On top of it, according to my Guru Lama everybody who attends will be given a Four Dharmakaya Relic Mantra or Lama Atisha Amulet. You can also bring your Buddhist pendants or amulets for additional blessings of Guru Lama.

You can also read the following posts about the Vajrapani Ruel:

For questions, comments and suggestions please email sanaakosirickylee@gmail.com

Namo Sangharama Bodhisattva: A Bodhisattva that Protects, Grants Wealth Blessings, Protects Marital Relationships and is Better Known as Kuan Kong

Published Nobyembre 18, 2014 by jptan2012

kuan kong 3The first time I wrote about Kuan Kong was last February 15, 2012. Since then I have not written much about him except for a few mention in some blog articles and about the boy who is believed to have been saved by Kuan Kong from his death when Typhoon Yolanda (with international name Haiyan) hit the Philippines.

After almost 2 years, I am once again writing about Him because I feel that not to write about Him more is a great injustice to Kuan Kong (also called or spelled as Guan Gong, Guan Yu, Kuan Yu, Kwan Kong, Kwan Ti, Kuan Ti, Guan Ti, or Guan Sheng Di Jun).

Guan Yu as he is known as a person died in 220, but his date of birth is unknown. He actually served as a general with Liu Bei, as Eastern Han Dynasty warlord. It must be noted that although they’re called warlords it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re evil; we have to understand that during those time it is the norm.

Guan Yu is one of the best-known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia that has slowly taken on the world. As mentioned in my last post about Guan Yu or Kuan Kong, the web is a treasure trove of stories about his life. However, I don’t think anyone alive now can actually say for certain what are the most accurate facts and what are the embellishments because people by nature loves to romanticized a person they admire or idolized. However, please be assured that in the bits and pieces of his life that I will share here in this post I will share with you what are the stories that historically proven and accepted. In the absence of that ‘confirmation’, it doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, but it only means that it may be not very accurate or that it is widely accepted but may be argued by some historians. kuan kong 2

What is not arguable here is Guan Yu is so much loved and so much respected that he is the only person who became a deity or Bodhisattva in three of the major oldest religion in China. Although there has been a lot of crossovers between Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, like Kuan Yin being a high goddess in Taoism, and giving rise to the unofficial religion called Chinese Buddhism, Guan Yu or Kuan Kong or Guan Gong, is the only historically human being who became a significant deity or lord in Taoism, a significant Bodhisattva in Buddhism, and a significant god in Confucianism.  Not to mention that he is also a prominent figure in Chinese folk religion.

Guan Yu is known for being a very good general. In fact, he won most of his wars with as little bloodshed as possible. He doesn’t believe in killing all the enemies. When he wins a war he will not take unnecessary prisoners, so the prisoners that he takes are only the high officials and he would always treat them with utmost humanity. Those soldiers who yield to him are given the choice to join his troops or leave and go home to their family. His wars always has a cause and he will only resort to go to war only if he is absolutely sure in his heart that the war will in the end will serve greater good and is only the last resort. This kind of attitude runs akin to the Buddhist teaching that states one cannot judge the means but one can only judge what’s inside the heart of a person. I hope this will not be taken out – of – context, but in a simplistic point of view, what it means is that at the end some means might be seemingly evil or bad but in the end it is the deepest intent of the heart of the person whether the act is really evil or not. I would like to expound on this teaching a little further and leave Guan Yu’s story for a while in the next paragraph.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama once shared a story. A guy went on a trip via a ship. While he was onboard the ship he came across a plot by two men to plant a bomb on the ship and kill all the people onboard as an act of terrorism. The man went to inform the captain, but after some reluctant investigation, for they didn’t believe him, it was said that there was no plot at all. Still he did his best to make people believe him, however, nobody believed him. He was totally left in despair as to how to save the people on board. As the time of doom arrives he decided to confront the two terrorists, his first approach was to talk them out of what they plan to do, but because the terrorists perceived that he is a threat to what they have set out to do they manhandled him, brought him to their cabin to either bound him there or kill him. All throughout the man never feared for his life but he feared for the life of the hundreds of people onboard the ship. He knows that he has to do something otherwise all the people on the ship will perish, but he also knows that it is not only the people onboard the ship that will perish but their family will also grieve for them. He was left with no choice and although he knows what he needs to do is wrong, in the end he was left with no choice but to fight the two terrorists and hurt them enough to restrain them. In the process, he accidentally killed both terrorists. There is another version of the story that says he also died with them, an act of suicide that also killed the other terrorist. Whatever the version of the ending the message is quite clear. Killing and suicide are both considered graved sin one that causes eons of negative karma, but the man was reborn as a high lama that is because according to the Dalai Lama, while the act itself alone is pure evil, the deepest intent, meaning deep in his heart, it was not simply to kill the two men, but to save hundreds of live and prevent several more the pain of grief. Superficially speaking this is a Buddhist concept that can be easily abused. But let us always remember that in the end it is not our fellowmen’s judgment that we must be wary of but our own deep conscience and that of karma.

kuan kong 4Going back to Guan Yu, one of the most famous verified story about him was when he took a hit from an arrow. It was a poisoned arrow and the doctor needs to clean his wound right to the bone. He wants to administer a strong alcohol (medicinal wine) to Guan Yu so that he won’t feel the pain, or at the very least he will be able to tolerate the pain as he would open and clean it down to the bone. Guan Yu refused to take the alcohol because he believes taking the alcohol will totally cloud his mind. Please note that at this point he is already showing some signs that his belief are leaning towards Buddhism. For if he were purely Taoist, it would have been fine for him to drink the medicinal wine even if it clouds his mind. For Buddhism, medicinal wine are allowed as long as it doesn’t cloud your mind so much that you are unable to control it. What happen next are two different versions of the story. One version states that he didn’t take the wine but instead went into deep meditation by concentrating on a single matter and in his case he choose to play Chinese chess with himself, and that he totally didn’t feel any pain, even if the doctor was scraping his wound down to the bone to make sure there are no poison left. The other version is that he felt the pain but still bravely faces it rather than cloud his mind with the effects of medicinal wine. Personally, I’m unable to make a decision, which is true, because if he is a practicing Taoist or Buddhist, and if his practice is really deep already, being ‘operated’ without pain relievers, in his case medicinal wine is not impossible. But the point of importance here, is that he already showed signs of refusing wine for the reason that he doesn’t want to cloud his mind, which is a Buddhist teaching. I raise this point because it is later on very important part of his life for him to be accepted as a Bodhisattva in Buddhism. This is important because historians are not clear as to what his religious belief was.

Guan Yu is a celebrated war general, and he always wins a war until towards the end of his life. He was part of the ruling dynasty, but towards the end he notice that his leader is becoming selfish and goes to war not because it is the last resort but he simply wants to conquer more lands and wealth. He decided to break away and vowed to protect the weak. He became a minority, and it is said that in the last war he went to he already knew that he and his troops are going to be betrayed and that he will die, he figured this out when an oracle was done, something that is usually done during his time. They usually consult either a Taoist oracle or a Buddhist oracle to determine whether they should go to war. The oracle showed that he will lose the war and that he will die, but he has to go to this war for a long term good. So he went to war and true enough he and his family and closest friends were betrayed and they were captured.

His ‘archenemy’ who used to be his leader has great respect for him that he refused to kill Guan Yu, something that was totally unacceptable during those times. Not killing Guan Yu is a sign of great weakness and will render him a coward and a lame leader. To avoid killing Guan Yu and simply make him a prisoner for life he has show the people is of poor moral and a scum that needs to suffer imprisonment for the rest of his life.

As a ploy he decided to put Guan Yu in a cell full of women. Unverified stories states that Guan Yu was put amongst the wives and daughter of his friends. But Guan Yun didn’t give in to carnal desires instead he made sure that he became protector of said women. Seeing that this ploy didn’t worked. Guan Yu was then transferred to a better prison and he was imprisoned with naked virgin courtesans and was given permission to deflower them, still Guan Yu didn’t give in to carnal desire, instead he took time out too teach them to read. At the end, he was reluctantly sent to his death. kuna kong

Verified reports states that several weeks before his death, his consciousness would always appear to a monk. And he would ask him to read different sutras so that he will reach enlightenment. This is an important factor in the story and is largely the reason why he became a Bodhisattva. The question is whether his Bodhisattvahood was largely due to a testimony of a single monk? The answer is no, because while the testimony of this monk was the one that is largely popular, there are other numerous both verified and unverified reports that says that before his death his consciousness would appear to different monks to ask for a sutra reading. Also, all these monks so a vision that Guan Yu received enlightenment. In fact, some of these testimonies where not found out until the death of some the monks who saw these visions, for they were never shared but written in their testimonies or orally shared to their students or disciples.

In my last post, I already made mention of the fact that Kuan Kong or Sangharama Bodhisattva is a wealth god and a protector, however, what most people don’t know is, and I myself has temporarily forgotten about this is that he is also a Bodhisattva that helps safeguard marital relationships. This is because in his lifetime, Guan Yu, exhibited extreme loyalty and faithfulness to his wife. He never took on a concubine, or visited courtesan houses, although it was a norm during his time.

kuan kong pendantTo honor and pay homage to Sangharama Bodhisattva, it is highly recommended for you to get his image. Please choose the one that has a beautiful fierce face. Wearing a pendant of his image is also highly recommended. I myself decided to get more Kuan Kong pendant, and of course, Kuan Kong or Sangharama Bodhisattva is one of the Bodhisattva that I featured in my Wish Fulfilling and Buddha’s Blessing Mantra Pendant.

 

For your comments, suggestions or questions please email sanaakosirickylee@gmail.com

Kuan Kong

Published Pebrero 15, 2012 by jptan2012

Readers of my blog must now be superficially familiar with Kuan Kong (also called or spelled as Guan Gong, Guan Yu, Kuan Yu, Kwan Kong, Kwan Ti, Kuan Ti, Guan Ti, or Guan Sheng Di Jun).

Kuan Kong is the Chinese god of war. He protects and defends the oppressed and fights against all those who wish to take advantage of others. He is one of the Chinese gods of wealth as well, helping people pull in wealth and prosperity to their lives and homes.

This god of war is the ‘Saint Police Chief’, the god who commands all those who fight evil. Kuan Kong is the keeper of all good people and the fighter of those who intend to hurt them or cause them a problem of any kind. He protects people from being robbed, assaulted and from all kinds of crimes in general. This way, if you wish to feel more secure while being away from home, you can wear an image of Kuan Kong as a lucky charm and receive its protection wherever you go.

Kuan Kong is also the guardian of all business owners, politicians and leaders in general. Therefore, if you belong to one of these groups and have leadership responsibilities, you should have a Kuan Kong on your desk or at your workplace in order for it to guide and protect you from bad forces.

Unlike, Kuan Yin, Sun Wukong, and other famous Buddhas or Bodhisattvas or Taoist Deities, Guan Gong is a historical figure that became a Bodhisattva (for the Buddhist) or a Deity (for the Taoist). He is also revered in Confucianism.

Kuan Kong may be one of the most popular Chinese historical figures. He was a very famous general during the era of the Three Kingdoms in China, and is largely responsible for the collapse of the Han Dynasty.

The web is such a treasure trove of the historical background of Kuan Kong so I will not talk about his life here. I would like to focus more on his relevance and importance in Feng Shui, Buddhism, and Taoism.

In Buddhism, Kuan Kong is called Qielan Pusa or Sangharama, which means Protector of the Buddhist Dharma. His image is usually placed at the far left side of the altar. On the other side is Wei Tuo or Skanda (I’ll write about Wei Tuo soon). In the middle, is usually the image of Kuan Yin.

Kuan Kong is on the left side, and on the right is Wei Tuo. In the middle is Kuan Yin. Picture is lifted from Google Images and is taken by Ridoneko.

In Taoism, Kuan Kong is considered as one of the most important deity. Some Taoist sect believes that the Jade Emperor – Lord of Heaven has, in fact, taken a ‘retirement’ and that Kuan Kong is now the new Ti Kong or Lord of Heaven. People usually visit Kuan Kong’s temple or pray to his image to ask for protection and wealth. This is largely due to the fact that Kuan Kong is a famous general and strategist. The honorable title Guan Sheng Di Jun or Saintly Emperor Guan is largely used in Taoism.

Picture taken inside a Kuan Kong (Guan Gong) temple in Chinatown in Binondo, Manila. The temple is called Philippine Chinese Buddhist Temple, however, given that the fact that they have an altar for the Jade Emperor and Pia Be Kong, or the Horse Lord, indicates that they're really aTaoist temple. This is very common among overseas Chinese, the distinction whether they're into Taoism or Buddhism is vague. This is largely due to the fact that their respect for other religions is so deep that they tend to mix it.

In Feng Shui, the image of Kuan Kong is used as a symbol of protection and of wealth. His image if perhaps one of the most powerful Feng Shui tool available to protect us from harm.

Allow me to share a story about a Malaysian Chinese guy that I met in Singapore who is extremely devoted to Kuan Kong.

Lim Way is a retail business owner in Malaysia; his store is about 45 minutes away from where he lives, which is in the ‘outskirts’ of the city.

One time, on his way home, he didn’t notice that unidentified men were following him. When his house help opened the gate for him, the unidentified men in masks went inside with him. They aimed a gun at him and told him to get off the car.

He said he still have the chance to escape. However, he knows that his children are inside, and fearing for their life, he got off the car and went inside with the unidentified men behind him.

His Kuan Kong is placed beside their main door. When he entered, he immediately noticed it and had the courage to push the door close. Unfortunately, one of the unidentified men was able to go inside the house with him. He saw the masked man looked at the Kuan Kong and for some reason; the guy went out of the house and all of them fled.

To this day he still believes that it was the image of Kuan Kong that saved him and his family from the unidentified men. To honor Kuan Kong from saving them from harm, and to continuously tap into Kuan Kong’s power and blessing, he and his family has also started wearing a Kuan Kong pendant.

This is just one story amongst the numerous testimonials I’ve heard from people who profess that Kuan Kong saved them from harm or danger.

To truly benefit from Kuan Kong it is best the one wears his image. It doesn’t matter whether its big or small, but do look  for an ‘angry’ looking Kuan Kong. At home, Kuan Kong is usually place on the altar, or facing the main door, in this way, it is said that he protects the house from negative energies such as bad spirits and also from bad people.

Kuan Kong is usually depicted as red-faced guy with long beard in green outfit. His outfit also has the image of 9 dragons. He is the only Taoist Deity and Buddhist Bodhisattva that have the image of nine dragons on his clothes. He usually carries a nine-ring sword.

Kuan Kong is one of the featured images in the WISH FULFILLING AND BUDDHA’S BLESSING MANTRA PENDANT.

You can also read Kuan Kong as a Bodhisattva in a post called – NAMO SANGHARAMA BODHISATTVA: A BODHISATTVA THAT PROTECTS, GRANTS WEALTH BLESSINGS, PROTECTS MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS AND IS BETTER KNOWN AS KUAN KONG.

If you wish to know more about the historical aspect of Kuan Kong, you can click on the following links:

Guan Yu – Wikipedia , Guan Gong Culture – Chinatownology , Tao Living Guan Gong , Guan Yun – The Chinese God of War.

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