99. How can one gain a deeper understanding of heart esotericism?

Question: Teacher Qi, could one say that heart esotericism is not really Esoteric Buddhism, since from the standpoint of Esoteric Buddhism it is overly simple and easy?

Answer: It is called esoteric because it has one mantra and six mudrās. The Mind-Seal school of Chinese Buddhism is abbreviated as heart esotericism.

Question: I would like to write an article, “Is Heart Esotericism Esoteric Buddhism?” However, the origin of the expression “heart esotericism” still needs to be investigated.

Answer: There is no need to investigate its origin; it is already plainly there: heart—prajñā as its principle; esoteric—dhāraṇī as its method.

Question: Is it distinct from Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism?

Answer: No one now considers them to be the same esoteric Buddhist school.

Question: Teacher Chen has provided an article, “An Introduction to the Heart-of-Heart Dharma.” Please determine whether you wrote it.

Answer: I did not write this article.

Question: What materials and avenues are needed for an in-depth understanding of heart esotericism?

Answer: There is a link to the “Heart Esotericism Collection” on the forum. Look for it yourself.

100. Are there now any organizations that transmit the heart-esoteric Dharma?

Answer: No. Heart esotericism has no particular organizational structure and does not conduct organized activities; rather, one cultivates oneself and one's own mind. This was also how it was when the master was alive.

101. Which bodhisattva is the yidam of heart esotericism?

Answer: Great Wish-Fulfilling Bodhisattva is the yidam of the Heart-of-Heart Dharma. I heard this from other Dharma brothers only after I had begun transmitting the Dharma.

After hearing this, I asked the Elder: “Is Great Wish-Fulfilling Bodhisattva the yidam of the Heart-of-Heart Dharma?”

The Elder said: “Yes!”

I was very surprised and asked: “Why did you not tell me before?”

The Elder said: “You are troublesome enough as it is. If I had told you, would you not have become even more troublesome?”

102. Will having little knowledge of Buddhadharma affect one's study of heart esotericism?

Answer: That is precisely a good foundation—there is little extraneous furniture.

103. What kind of person is qualified to receive empowerment?

Answer: This is not a question of “qualification.” One must genuinely arouse the resolve in order to be receptive.

104. Must one first learn the full lotus position before studying the Heart-of-Heart Dharma?

Answer: Heart esotericism cultivates the mind, not the legs; it has no requirement concerning cross-legged sitting.

105. Taking refuge and receiving the precepts

(1) Can one study heart esotericism without having taken refuge?

Answer: If one's mind has not taken refuge, would one be willing to study Chan, Esoteric Buddhism, or Pure Land?

Question: Do you mean that even without formally taking refuge, one may study heart esotericism so long as one takes refuge in one's heart?

Answer: If your heart has truly taken refuge, why would you not take refuge formally?

Question: Is not “leaving home in one's heart” taking refuge?

Answer: If it is “leaving home in one's heart,” why reject taking refuge?

Questioner: I will take refuge. I am looking for a place to do so.

Answer: ^o^

(2) Receiving the precepts

Question: When studying heart esotericism, must one go to a temple for a precept-receiving ceremony?

Answer: It is not only heart esotericism. Do not the Chan school, Pure Land school, and all the other schools likewise go to temples for precept-receiving ceremonies?

Question: Oh, I had thought that, since ours is formless esoteric practice, it would be enough for us to keep the precepts ourselves according to the Vinaya. We need not care too much about whether to go to a temple for a precept-receiving ceremony, lest we become attached to appearances. Moreover, the precept we uphold is the mind-precept: “Do not turn with thoughts; do not move with circumstances.”

Answer: Although Chinese Buddhism has many schools, its precepts are uniform.

It is not that each school has its own precepts. Have you ever heard expressions such as “the precepts of the Chan school” or “the precepts of the Pure Land school”?

There is also the matter of taking refuge. Taking refuge is likewise uniform. One takes refuge in Buddhism, not in a particular school.

(3) Does a person who has taken refuge with an Esoteric Buddhist master violate precepts by subsequently studying heart esotericism?

Answer: Whether this violates esoteric precepts should be asked of the master who transmitted those precepts to you. In practicing the Dharma, it is best to enter deeply through one gate. Practicing two methods at once does not necessarily benefit one from both sides; most likely, one will miss both.

Question: When one receives the Heart-of-Heart Dharma, are precepts transmitted? If so, are they the “fourteen vajra downfalls”?

Answer: In those years, I specifically asked the Elder to confer upon me the Vajra samaya precepts. The Elder said: “You seek to receive precepts? Very well. Listen carefully: there is only one—whenever a thought arises or the mind stirs, you violate the precept!”

Question: Teacher, is it really that simple? But if no thought arises and the mind does not stir, would one not be dead?

Answer: It means not drifting along with deluded thoughts.

Question: I had intended to remain unmarried all my life, but I am my parents' only son and cannot disobey their wishes. I have been married for more than a year, and now they are pressing me to have a child. I have never really wanted children. How should I deal with this?

Answer: If things were as you say, the patriarchs of heart esotericism would not have transmitted the Heart-of-Heart Dharma to young lay practitioners.

106. Is it difficult to receive the heart-esoteric Dharma?

Question: Did Master Yuanyin ever speak of not establishing a fourth patriarch? How will the lineage of teachers be transmitted after the Heart-of-Heart Dharma?

Answer: In his later years, the Elder repeatedly emphasized that no fourth patriarch would be established! Have you not already seen the subsequent transmission? Is it not all being transmitted? I have yet to hear of anyone seeking this Dharma who could not obtain it.

Question: Practicing the Heart-of-Heart esoteric Dharma is not difficult; what is difficult is having the affinity to encounter and study this Dharma.

Answer: It is not difficult to encounter; people are simply unwilling. Worse still: “Upon hearing of the Tathāgata’s sudden-teaching gate, they resent not being able to destroy it and smash it into tiles!”

107. Do Not Slander Heart Esotericism

(1) Repentance

Question: Repentance! I once doubted whether heart esotericism was the true Dharma. This later student, burdened by deep karmic obstacles, ceased practicing heart esotericism after one year because of my own obstructions. Yet, arrogant and conceited, I became greatly afflicted when the teacher rebuked me. Rather than reflecting on my own poor faculties, I instead doubted the teacher and, further, doubted whether heart esotericism was the true Dharma. I then became unable to continue practicing heart esotericism.

Later, this humble student changed to the Gelug teachings and studied under widely recognized spiritual friends. Only afterward did I realize that my doubts about heart esotericism were indeed a grave offense. Today, I specially use this precious forum to post this letter of repentance. I further vow to recite the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra seven times and perform prostrations to the Thirty-Five Buddhas for one hundred days, in repentance for my karmic offenses.

This sinner kneels and implores the patriarchs and great worthies of heart esotericism throughout the generations to accept this disciple’s repentant heart. I vow that, even at the cost of my life, I will never again commit this fault. I further wish that I may continue studying heart esotericism in the future, widely propagate the true Dharma, and ultimately realize bodhi. All the evil karma I have created in the past arises from beginningless greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt, produced through body, speech, and mind; of all these, I now repent completely!

Answer: With utmost sincerity, I pay homage to and praise a genuine Gelug practitioner.

Homage to all the Gelug patriarchs!

(2) Alas for the Dharma-ending age, this evil time

Question: He merely cited Candrakīrti Bodhisattva’s words, “There is no fault in refuting other schools” (referring to what a self-proclaimed lama said in attacking heart esotericism), but this involves many theoretical issues in Esoteric Buddhism. It is worth consideration by the great worthies of the Heart-of-Heart tradition.

Answer: I know little about Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. When I first studied the Heart-of-Heart Dharma, I did not examine it through Tibetan esoteric theories, nor did the Elder tell me that it was Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. I know only that the name “Heart-of-Heart” comes from the root tantra of heart esotericism, The Buddha-Heart Sutra. I learned only after studying heart esotericism that this name duplicates that of the “Great Perfection Heart-of-Heart” in Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism.

Just as the Chinese Buddhist canon is vast as an ocean, so too are the scriptures of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. Just as the Chinese character kong, “emptiness,” has many meanings, does “Heart-of-Heart” in Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism represent only one method? This question can be known only through a comprehensive study of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism.

Because my learning is shallow, because I do not understand Tibetan, and because the Elder never instructed me to examine Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism through the theories of the Heart-of-Heart Dharma, I do not know whether, apart from the Heart-of-Heart of six mudrās and one mantra and the Great Perfection Heart-of-Heart, there are other Heart-of-Heart methods.

He cites Candrakīrti Bodhisattva’s words: “Discriminating the meanings of the scriptures is not for the sake of personal purity; it is to reveal the truth for liberation. If one explains the true meaning, there is no fault in refuting other schools.” I too cite a verse from Chan Master Yongjia’s Song of Enlightenment: “Alas for the Dharma-ending age, this evil time: sentient beings’ blessings are meager, and they are hard to tame. Far removed from the sages, their erroneous views are deep; māras are strong, the Dharma weak, and resentments and harm are many.

“Upon hearing of the Tathāgata’s sudden-teaching gate, they resent not being able to destroy it and smash it into tiles.” Whether his purpose in citing Candrakīrti Bodhisattva’s verse was directed at anyone or not, my purpose in citing Chan Master Yongjia’s verse was certainly not directed at him. Rather, it is meant to explain that identical outward appearances do not necessarily indicate identical essences. Both speak of “refuting other schools”; both speak of “resenting not being able to destroy it and smash it into tiles.” Yet one is for the sake of explaining the true meaning, while the other arises from “deep erroneous views.” Their substance is utterly different!

I have not thought that his views—referring only to his views attacking other schools—would be accepted by the great worthies of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. Nor have I thought that he could represent Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. I merely wish to hear him explain the true meaning. For only when the true meaning is explained is “refuting other schools” without fault. If one does not explain the true meaning and merely refutes other schools, that is probably not Candrakīrti Bodhisattva’s original intent.

(3) The Eye for Discerning the Dharma

Question: Regarding a post containing a handwritten note (photograph), someone has signed it as having been written by Master Yuanyin. Could you please see whether it is really the Master's handwriting?

Answer: How could this possibly resemble the Master's handwriting?

Even granting that someone had imitated his handwriting so closely as to pass off the false as genuine, the meaning of the Dharma is not judged by handwriting. There are now many of the Master's writings available; one need only compare them, and would it not then be obvious?

Question: I merely did not dare dismiss it rashly after seeing the image. I would like to post a pinned clarification.

Answer: If one does not make a fuss over the strange, its strangeness will collapse of itself. If everyone lacked an eye for discerning the Dharma, would heart esotericism not have disappeared long ago?

Question: Yes. Apart from the compassionate protection of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, the flourishing of heart esotericism owes, first, to the realization and virtue of the patriarchs;

Answer: Indeed. Even among the disciples of the World-Honored One there was Devadatta—how much more so in this latter age!

Question: Second, it owes to the Heart-of-Heart Dharma's style of actual practice and actual realization;

Answer: Apart from actual practice and actual realization, heart esotericism has no other advantage.

Question: Third, it owes to the students' correct views.

Answer: Indeed. Things of a kind gather together, and people sort themselves into groups.

Question: This is why you repeatedly emphasize that when practice arises, conceptual understanding ceases.

Answer: Look again at those for whom conceptual understanding arises while practice ceases—they are both laughable and lamentable!

Question: Ha-ha, there really is such a thing as conceptual understanding arising while practice ceases, and it is everywhere. Heh-heh! This, too, is due to the causes and conditions of having planted wholesome roots together before countless Buddhas!

Answer: “Heh-heh! This, too, is due to the causes and conditions of having planted wholesome roots together before countless Buddhas!” Yes, indeed! Thus liberation is not difficult; it is only that people are unwilling. The Buddhadharma is originally a path of liberation, but nowadays one more often sees a path of contention—“the firm persistence of contention,” indeed!

Question: In the Sahā world, what is hard to endure must nevertheless be endured.

Answer: This is precisely the Buddhadharma of Śākyamuni, the World-Honored One—lotuses growing amid fire.

Question: Exactly. That is why it is so precious.

Answer: Lotuses growing in a lotus pond—an easy path of practice. Lotuses growing amid fire—a swift path of practice.

Question: Yet some people insist on following the path to Avīci—slandering the Buddha and slandering the Dharma.

Answer: Even if you exhort them, they will not listen. The Buddha entrusted sentient beings to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva precisely for the sake of beings of this kind. The Buddha also entrusted sentient beings to Maitreya Bodhisattva, precisely for the sake of those who genuinely practice.

Question: Such people are not worth exhorting, much less pitying.

Answer: In fact, they are the ones most deserving of pity.

Question: One should make the vow that, when the opportunity arises in the future, they will be the first to be liberated.

Answer: That is precisely Kṣitigarbha's vow. Homage to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, King of Great Vows!

108. Mind-Seal: Chan as Its Essence, Esoteric Buddhism as Its Function, and Pure Land as Its Ultimate Destination

Question: Does the Heart-of-Heart Dharma use the ritual procedure of practice to attain one-pointedness of mind without distraction?

Answer: Put simply: the aim of practicing heart esotericism is realizing the mind and seeing one’s true nature; its method is six mudrās and one mantra; and its ultimate destination is rebirth in the Pure Land. This is “prajñā as its principle, dhāraṇī as its method, and the Pure Land as its ultimate destination.”

(1) Chan as Its Essence

Question: Is there any difference between the Chan school and heart esotericism?

Answer: There is no difference in their aim—both seek to open up the original nature and realize the mind and see one’s true nature. Their methods differ—the Chan school mainly investigates the huatou; heart esotericism employs contemplation in accordance with the Dharma and seated meditation.

Question: Why is it easier to awaken through the Heart-of-Heart Dharma than through investigating the huatou?

Answer: In fact, one awakens easily through a dharma gate suited to one's capacity. When someone says that the Heart-of-Heart Dharma makes awakening easier than other dharma gates, it is because this Dharma is suited to that person's capacity.

Question: Can the Heart-of-Heart Dharma of Dharma Master Dayu enable one to attain Buddhahood in this very life?

Answer: Even to speak of “attaining Buddhahood in this very body” is already an expedient means. Better simply to say, “Originally, one is a Buddha.”

What is it like when the seventeen hundred koans are threaded through in a single string?

A Brief Biography of Master Yuanyin, Third Patriarch of the Mind-Seal School: “My grandteacher, Acharya Dayu, often posed difficult questions to test us fellow disciples, in order to urge us toward ever-higher advancement. For example, he would ask: ‘What is it like when the seventeen hundred koans are threaded through in a single string?’ One fellow disciple answered, ‘Suffering!’ My grandteacher pressed him: ‘Who suffers?’ The disciple could not answer. I covered my ears and walked away from the side. My grandteacher said, ‘Someone has rescued you.’”

(What follows is Teacher Qi's response, given in sections.—Editor's note)

Question: Master Dayu asked, “What is it like when the seventeen hundred koans are threaded through in a single string?” What does “threaded through in a single string” mean?

Answer: It means “thoroughly penetrated.”

Question: That sounds very troublesome.

Answer: Ha-ha! If it is troublesome, then they have not yet been threaded through.

Question: Someone answered, “Suffering!”

Answer: Ha-ha! Here comes someone daring enough to scratch a tiger’s head.

Question: Master Dayu pressed him: “Who suffers?”

Answer: Master Dayu was no ordinary fellow; he already knew the measure of the one who had come.

Question: Seeing that he could not answer, the master “covered his ears and walked away”—was it because even asking “Who suffers?” was considered superfluous, so he simply covered his ears and left? (Is there another interpretation?)

Answer: Ha-ha! The interpretation you have just given is already another interpretation.

Question: Does covering his ears indicate not being moved by adventitious defilements, while walking away signifies natural and unimpeded functioning?

Answer: See? That is plainly another interpretation.

Question: Then please give the correct interpretation. In any case, I do not know it.

Answer: Suffering!

Question: Master Dayu said, “Someone has rescued you.”

Answer: Why not say to Master Dayu, “Thank you, sir, for rescuing me!”

Question: I had intended to answer, “You, too, have been rescued,” but then realized that this would trap me as well.

Answer: Ha-ha! So it turns out that you do not dare to throw yourself across the tiger’s jaws.

Question: Of course I do not dare. Otherwise—if I chipped the tiger’s teeth, would you compensate me?

Answer: Ha-ha! This is not Chan, but entanglement.

(2) Esoteric Buddhism as Its Function

Question: One often sees the term “Chan and Esoteric Buddhism,” but in what ways do Chan and Esoteric Buddhism differ?

Answer: The Chan school directly points to the mind; seeing one’s true nature, one attains Buddhahood. It is inherently the swiftest method of practice and is called the orthodox tradition of Buddhism. Yet after the Song dynasty, people's capacities gradually declined, and those who saw their true nature upon hearing a word became few indeed. Therefore, Dahui Zonggao advocated investigating the huatou: concentrating the mind on one point and pressing oneself to the point of seeing one’s true nature.

By recent times, most people could not even arouse a sense of doubt through investigating the huatou. This gave rise to what is called “Chan and Esoteric Buddhism.”

Acharya Dayu, the founding patriarch of the Mind-Seal school of Buddhism—that is, the Heart-of-Heart Dharma—wrote in a verse: “How is the flower held up transmitted? Why not both Esoteric and Chan...” He thus clearly set forth the purpose of realizing “flower-holding” through Esoteric Buddhism—that is, Chan awakening as the purpose.

Acharya Renzhi, our grandteacher (Master Wang Xianglu), further proposed “prajñā as its principle, dhāraṇī as its method, and the Pure Land as its ultimate destination,” thereby clearly establishing the purpose of Chan as its essence, Esoteric Buddhism as its function, and Pure Land as its ultimate destination. Of Esoteric Buddhism, the Chinese Tang Esoteric tradition had nearly died out by the beginning of the Ming dynasty. The two branches now having the greatest influence are Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism and Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. They begin with form-based practice and then proceed to the formless. Upon reaching the formless—the highest class—they converge with the Chan school.

The principal difference between Chan and Esoteric Buddhism lies in this: Chan has no stages and directly realizes the original nature; Esoteric Buddhism has stages and gradually enters the original nature.

Heart esotericism (the Buddhist Heart-of-Heart Dharma) uses the empowering force of six mudrās and one mantra to directly realize the original nature. It has characteristics of both Chan and Esoteric Buddhism, and so some call it “Chan and Esoteric Buddhism.” But because the qigong world has a practice called “Chan-Esoteric Qigong,” it is better not to use the term “Chan and Esoteric Buddhism,” lest the two be confused.

Question: Six mudrās and one mantra includes the method of forming the mudrās. Is it appropriate to post that here?

Answer: There is no need to post it here. If other websites make it public, there is nothing we can do to prevent them.

(3) Pure Land as Its Ultimate Destination

Question: May disciples of heart esotericism recite the Buddha’s name?

Answer: Heart esotericism has its own method of Buddha-recitation for rebirth in the Pure Land. (See the Maitreya Mantra and the Extensive Rebirth Mantra.—Editor's note)

Question: Why did Master Wang Xianglu consider the Pure Land dharma gate actually very difficult?

Answer: Oh? Do you consider it very easy?

Question: I think it is quite difficult. Entering it is very convenient, but going deeply into it is not easy.

Answer: The method of Buddha-recitation is very easy, but persisting in Buddha-recitation is very difficult.

Question: If one used the Heart-of-Heart Dharma’s ritual procedure to practice Buddha-recitation for three years, the results should be quite considerable. And one should strive upward, directly toward the highest grade.

Answer: Ha-ha! Heart esotericism itself takes the Pure Land as its ultimate destination.

Question: Since perfect penetration through the ear faculty is best suited to our world, why is the Buddha-recitation dharma gate nevertheless supreme in this world? Have we gotten something wrong?

Answer: The Buddha-recitation dharma gate is itself perfect penetration through the ear faculty.

Question: In July 1994, at the Master’s residence in Shanghai, a fellow practitioner asked about a certain practice and also about rebirth. The Master laughed heartily, then sighed and said: “Ah! The Heart-of-Heart Dharma is the unsurpassed great Dharma. It directly realizes true reality, enabling you to accomplish the great Way in this very life and be liberated from birth and death.”

“You do not understand. You have squandered the Heart-of-Heart Dharma—it is like holding a golden rice bowl while begging for food. Is that not a pity?! If you do not realize the mind and see your true nature, you will still have to cultivate after rebirth. Some people do not practice the Dharma wholeheartedly. When they sit in meditation, they neither keep the mind on the mantra nor listen with the ears, but indulge in deluded thoughts. After they leave the seat, they do not contemplate either. When they encounter circumstances, they cannot see through them; their afflictions continue without cease. Then they turn around and doubt the Dharma, saying things they ought not to say. Therefore, I often advise them: recite the Buddha’s name well, and in the future be reborn in the Western Pure Land.”

Answer: These words of the Elder have the same subtle purport as Elder Xia’s verse:

“When they encounter circumstances, they cannot see through them; their afflictions continue without cease. Then they turn around and doubt the Dharma, saying things they ought not to say.”

—Call back Practitioner Lu; pull back old Bodhidharma.

“Therefore, I often advise them: recite the Buddha’s name well, and in the future be reborn in the Western Pure Land.”

—Join palms with them and recite Amitābha together.

Question: Should one vow to be reborn in the Inner Court of Tuṣita or in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss?

Answer: The sūtras say that after being born in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, one may see Maitreya Bodhisattva. Maitreya Bodhisattva says, “Whoever is born in my Inner Court and wishes to go to the West, I will send them there.” You wish to be born in a Pure Land, yet cannot decide which Pure Land to choose. Then why not draw lots before the Buddha?

109. Resolving Doubts in The Collected Works of Heart Esotericism

(1) “Quiescence Illuminates; Illumination Returns to Quiescence”

Question: What does “quiescence illuminates; illumination returns to quiescence” mean?

Answer: Quiescence is the essence; illumination is wondrous functioning. “Quiescence illuminates” means “One should abide nowhere and give rise to that mind.” “Illumination returns to quiescence” means “One should give rise to a mind that abides nowhere.”

Question: Could you make that clearer?

Answer: Saying more will not make it “clearer”; I fear it would distort it beyond recognition.

Question: Patriarch Dayu’s words, “Quiescence illuminates; illumination returns to quiescence. Above all, avoid exertion. To become a Buddha or a patriarch, there is no other secret,” are truly essential words for cultivation and study. Please explain them in detail, Teacher.

Answer: Since you know that they are essential words for cultivation and study, simply follow them in practice. If you turn receiving, upholding, and practicing them into theoretical study, you will have failed the Great Patriarch.

Question: “Both illumination and awareness are called obstacles; therefore bodhisattvas constantly awaken without abiding.” Does this refer to a different stage from “Quiescence illuminates; illumination returns to quiescence. Above all, avoid exertion. To become a Buddha or a patriarch, there is no other secret”?

Answer: Is not “constantly awaken without abiding” precisely “quiescence illuminates; illumination returns to quiescence—above all, avoid exertion”?

Question: Then I have misunderstood “quiescence illuminates; illumination returns to quiescence.” I understood it literally as meaning that the latter still contains an “illumination.”

Answer: Ha ha! If the sūtra passage were translated as, “Both illumination and awareness are called obstacles; therefore bodhisattvas constantly illuminate without abiding,” would you have the same misunderstanding about “awareness”?

(2) The Complete Works of Lay Practitioner Wang Xianglu

Question: Could you send me a copy of One Hundred Examples of Applying Realization?

Answer: Practitioners of heart esotericism may read the essay One Hundred Examples only after completing more than one hundred meditation sessions.

Question: In one of Master Wang Xianglu’s works, there is a description of contemplation: emptiness of objects, emptiness of mind, emptiness of dharmas, and emptiness of emptiness. What does this “emptiness of dharmas” mean?

Answer: Do not think about such things just now! That is precisely what it means.

(3) Essential Instructions for Buddhist Practice and Realization

[A Brief Discussion of Realizing the Mind and Seeing One’s True Nature]

Question: I am from the younger generation and would like to understand Master Yuanyin’s teachings. Which book contains their essence?

Answer: A Brief Discussion of Realizing the Mind and Seeing One’s True Nature.

[A Simple Explanation of Mahāmudrā]

Question: Could a fellow practitioner explain when and by whom the original work on which Venerable Master Yuanyin’s teaching on Ganges Mahāmudrā was based was transmitted?

Answer: If what I say is incomplete or mistaken, I ask the fellow practitioners to supplement or correct it.

The highest practice of the White School of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism is Ganges Mahāmudrā. At this point it converges with the Chan school, directly pointing to seeing the fundamental principle—that is, seeing one’s true nature in the Chan school—and there are no further mudrās to form. The root tantras of Ganges Mahāmudrā are not limited to one text; among them is The Three Essential Points of the Mallet Strike. A mallet is a club, and striking produces sound; “mallet strike” carries the sense of blows and shouts. The three essential points are view, meditative stability, and conduct.

Master Gongga gave a penetrating exposition of The Three Essential Points of the Mallet Strike. This teaching was collected into a book entitled An Excellent Explanation of the Supreme Dharma of The Three Essential Points of the Mallet Strike. It expounds the essential meaning of Ganges Mahāmudrā to the fullest, and some have called it “the ultimate expression of Ganges Mahāmudrā.”

Later, someone compiled the essential passages from this exposition into a booklet entitled Essential Instructions for Settling the Mind. Venerable Master Yuanyin explained this booklet, Essential Instructions for Settling the Mind, in detail; this is the book now named Ganges Mahāmudrā by his disciples. Although this title is not exact, it is not without reason, for the book already encompasses the essentials of Ganges Mahāmudrā. If the book is reprinted, it is suggested that its title be changed to A Simple Explanation of Mahāmudrā, since that title appears in some of the Master’s other books.

Question: I have read Master Yuanyin’s commentary on Ganges Mahāmudrā and find it exceptionally wonderful. What is the origin of this book, Ganges Mahāmudrā?

Answer: Master Gongga wrote An Excellent Explanation of the Three Essential Points of the Mallet Strike. Someone condensed its essentials into Essential Instructions for Settling the Mind, and the Elder’s A Simple Explanation of Mahāmudrā is an exposition of Essential Instructions for Settling the Mind.

[Essential Instructions for Buddhist Practice and Realization]

Question: Is the capacity that can hear and listen the essence, while hearing and listening are wondrous functioning?

Answer: If one speaks of the original essence, it is the capacity and object, and freedom from both capacity and object.

Question: Master Yuanyin once compared the eighth consciousness to the electrical energy of the human body. On this basis, and in conjunction with physical phenomena and the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon, I have developed some speculations—for example, that certain forms of light energy may be absorbed and bound by matter. Is this understanding correct?

Answer: I, too, frequently had such speculations in those days. The Elder never evaluated whether they were right or wrong; he always swept them away at their root.

110. Patriarchs of Heart Esotericism

(1) Brief Biographies of the Three Generations of Patriarchs of Heart Esotericism

(From the editor’s preface to Secrets of the Heart Sūtra)

With reverence, we say:

On the ground of ultimate reality, there are no names such as Buddha or sentient being; only within the gate of cultivation are there distinctions between ordinary beings and sages. The nature of mind is originally pure, yet because of grasping, afflictions and delusions arise in profusion. Deluded appearances are originally empty, yet through awakening and illumination, true constancy is free from all relativity. Unchanging while according with conditions, the rise and fall of the ten realms differ vastly; according with conditions while remaining unchanged, the essence and function of the one mind are not different. Although this mind and this principle are inherently possessed by all living beings, thorough awakening and direct realization belong only to the awakened. The multitude of sentient beings remain unenlightened through attachment and delusion, and thus wander through the six realms for kalpa after kalpa, suffering beyond endurance.

Śākyamuni, the World-Honored One, Tamer of Beings in the Central Land, had already attained perfect awakening kalpas ago, as numerous as motes of dust. Having dissolved the three divisions of time, he abides in the Land of Eternal Quiescent Light and constantly enjoys the four virtues. Out of compassion for the nine realms, he manifested birth and repeatedly displayed the eight phases. In accordance with the one hundred and eight kinds of mental dispositions in the nine realms, he expounded the wondrous Dharma of the three piṭakas and twelve divisions of the canon.

For those of great capacity, he directly revealed the One True Dharma Realm, enabling them to give rise to the mind without abiding and ultimately to cut off delusions and realize truth. For those of lesser faculties, he explained in detail the cause and effect of the three times, leading them to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, thereby providing expedient means for entering the Way. The sages of the Lesser Vehicle have eliminated their former karma, established pure conduct, completed what was to be done, and abide in the city of nirvāṇa without undergoing further existence. Mahāyāna bodhisattvas have deep, unwavering faith, earnest vows that do not retreat, and unceasing diligent practice; they cross the ocean of birth and death in order to liberate sentient beings extensively.

When the blessings and causes in the Eastern Land had matured and its conditions for liberation were ripe, the great teaching gradually spread eastward and the patriarchs came from the west. The fifth fascicle of Stopping and Contemplation says: “In primordial antiquity, when chaos still prevailed, it was not yet suitable for the Buddha to appear in the world. The capacities of those in the border regions could not evoke the Buddha’s advent. I sent three sages to transform that land of Zhendan. First, rites and righteousness were established; only afterward could the sūtras of the Great and Lesser Vehicles be trusted. Since this was so in Zhendan, it was so also in the ten directions.”

The Sūtra of Pure Dharma Practice says: “Moonlight Bodhisattva was called Yan Hui there; Bright-Purity Bodhisattva was called Zhongni there; Kāśyapa Bodhisattva was called Laozi there.” Zhongni cherished the ideal of fulfilling one’s human relationships and duties, while Laozi attacked worldly cleverness. The bodhisattvas vow to liberate all sentient beings, while the Tathāgata purifies their minds. First, moral and cultural foundations were cultivated, opening up the spirit of the Mahāyāna; afterward, beings were gathered into the ocean of great perfect enlightenment, so that all might suddenly realize the unborn. The World-Honored One taught all under heaven through immeasurable skillful means, with utmost mastery; again, through immeasurable skillful means, he transmitted and entrusted the teaching, bringing accomplishment to the multitudes of beings in the latter age.

Great Patriarch Acharya Dayu manifested in the Li family of Wuhan during the late Qing dynasty. His mind-ground was endowed with deep, innate wisdom. He once read widely in the works of sages and worthies, and, rich in talent, had formerly inquired into political affairs. But when he witnessed the inhumanity of the warlords and the resulting devastation of living beings, he was deeply pained and indignantly left home to become a monastic.

At Donglin on Mount Lu, he cultivated the Pure Land Dharma gate and rigorously practiced the pratyutpanna samādhi, risking his life to break through the illusory realm of delusion within illusion. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva appeared to him in samādhi, transmitted six mudrās and one mantra, and conferred empowerment for the esoteric Heart-of-Heart practice. Following the Bodhisattva’s instructions, he searched the Buddhist canon and indeed found the root tantra of heart esotericism. He practiced the esoteric Dharma rigorously, directly realized it after seven years, and founded the Mind-Seal Dharma gate.

To gather in sentient beings suited to the teaching, he briefly displayed spiritual powers; yet, by pointing directly to the nature of suchness, he thoroughly swept away all mysterious marvels. His heart was vast: the great void drank in the light and dissolved all estrangement. His Dharma gate was profound: echoes in a secluded valley spoke amid the evening haze. Later he left behind a poem and withdrew into seclusion; to this day, no one knows where he ended.

My master’s teacher, Acharya Renzhi, surnamed Wang, was named Zaiji and styled Xianglu. He was born into a scholarly family in Haiyan and was deeply benevolent at heart. He ranged widely through the sea of moral philosophy and literature and devoutly believed in the Buddhist vehicle. At first, he broadly sought the essential teachings of the various schools, practiced Buddha-recitation and investigated Chan, yet did not dare claim that he had found the essential handle. Later, he followed Patriarch Dayu, cultivated the Heart-of-Heart Dharma, and suddenly opened up, realizing the mind.

He received the patriarch’s marrow of mind and deeply accorded with the unsurpassed esoteric intent. He founded Mind-Seal Vihara, guiding receptive sentient beings. He fused Chan, Pure Land, and Esoteric Buddhism into one furnace, sweeping away the narrow and inferior views that divide them into separate schools; he united the traditions, teachings, and precepts into a single whole, revealing the tathāgata-garbha mind inherently possessed by sentient beings. He established the Mind-Seal school’s guiding principles: prajñā as its principle, dhāraṇī as its method, and the Pure Land as its ultimate destination. When the conditions for his teaching activity in this life were complete, the eyes of humans and devas were extinguished, and the boat of prajñā sank: he entered parinirvāṇa in the 1950s.

My revered teacher, Acharya Yuanyin, was named Zhongding. He was born into the Li family of Hefei, Anhui, at the beginning of this century. As a child, he studied the legacy teachings of Confucius and Mencius, yet when investigating birth and death, he felt at a loss. In his youth, he attended a modern school; when he read prajñā teachings, they seemed strangely familiar. On hearing the sound of a bell struck at Jiayou Chan Monastery, the clamor of the world suddenly vanished; upon receiving a blow on a wooden fish from an awakened eminent monk, arising and ceasing disappeared with it.

Having aroused the resolve to study Buddhism, he did not marry. Because he had to support his aged mother, he was unable to leave home. He paid homage to Venerable Xingci and studied Tiantai, continuously maintaining the sacred name of Amitābha Buddha; he followed lay practitioner Gu Nong in studying Consciousness-Only, conducting an in-depth study of the Tiantai teachings and their essential principles.

He drew near to the virtuous elder Yingci, studying the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and investigating Chan. Suddenly, he felt that his human body had vanished and that luminosity shone brilliantly. He followed Master Renzhi in practicing seated meditation in the Heart-of-Heart Dharma and suddenly realized that empty space had shattered and the great earth had sunk level. Receiving the protective mindfulness of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, he repeatedly experienced auspicious signs. He investigated Patriarch Dayu’s questions and answers, whose marvelous sayings flowed in an unbroken stream. He received empowerment from a Vajra Acharya and was honored with a place among the teachers; at the earnest requests of students from many regions, he expounded the Buddhist vehicle.

Even in his nineties, the revered teacher vigorously advocated realizing the mind and seeing one’s true nature. His footsteps reached every part of the country: Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning in the east; Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan in the west; Hunan, Guangdong, and Fujian in the south; and Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai in the north. Many overseas students from the United States, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, and elsewhere also came to him in admiration.

Untiringly, he proclaimed and transformed on the Buddha’s behalf, forgetting himself in propagating the Dharma. How could he shrink from criticism and suspicion? Forgetting his own body for the sake of the Dharma, he wrote works equal to his height. When A Brief Discussion of Realizing the Mind and Seeing One’s True Nature appeared, it awakened the Buddhist world to the fact that awakening and realization are fundamental, startling the deaf and enlightening the blind. When Essential Teachings for the Practice and Realization of Buddhadharma was published, it showed students the great path of genuine cultivation, leaving an indelible impression.

Prajñā is the eye of cultivation; all twelve divisions of the Buddhist canon are contained within it. The Heart Sūtra is the essence of prajñā; an entire treasury of six hundred scrolls is fully encompassed within it. Bodhisattvas throughout the ten directions use it to unfold and propagate the fundamental great teaching; all Buddhas of the three times use it to expound the unsurpassed Dharma wheel. The Prajñāpāramitā Heart Sūtra is the core of the Buddhist scriptures; hence it is called the “Heart Sūtra.”

At earnest request, the revered teacher expounded the meaning of the sūtra. Some listeners aroused the resolve and recorded it on tape; students listened to the recordings and transcribed them, after which the revered teacher reviewed them and they were compiled into a book. This is how the present book, Uncovering the Hidden Meaning of the Heart Sūtra, came to be.

Respectfully written after washing his hands by the later student-disciple Qi Zhijun, in the year 1997, the Dingchou year of the sexagenary cycle

(2) Acharya Dayu

Question: I became confused after seeing on an online forum Master Taixu’s evaluation of Dharma Master Dayu!

Answer: Please read Master Taixu’s statement:

Dayu is pure in faith, expansive in vows, vigorous in resolve, outstanding in capacity, clear in principle and phenomena, and diligent in precepts and samādhi; these are qualities I have long known in him. At first, he specialized in cultivating the Buddha-recitation samādhi, awaiting the practices and vows of Samantabhadra. Of the Heart-of-Heart Dharma that he now transmits, it is said that in the winter fifteen years ago, he sensed Samantabhadra transmitting it to him; he nevertheless continued to rely on the sacred teachings preserved in the canon. Upon examination, it has quite well grasped the essentials of Esoteric Buddhism, Pure Land, and Chan. That he transmits it to those with affinity is in itself beyond reproach.

However, outside accounts place excessive emphasis on his predictions of current events, his discussions of people’s past destinies, and astonishing others through spiritual powers. I have therefore repeatedly written to caution him, so that wandering diviners and magicians may not exploit this to delude people.

I do not know who, out of misplaced zeal, took these letters and disseminated them in the newspapers. Thereupon certain persons known as “Juexian” and “Xiangwen” actually used them as a pretext for self-promotion and brazen persuasion. As for Xiangwen, he merely maintains the Cundī Mantra; among those in our country who constantly recite it, how could there be fewer than thousands among monastics and laity? There are also monks who have traveled in India, Southeast Asia, Kham, and Tibet; such people are found everywhere. Why make a sensation on that basis? Yet common people fail to examine the matter and are actually deceived by them. This is truly lamentable.

I therefore make this statement especially to put an end to falsehood and deception.

—See Master Taixu’s notice in Hai magazine, vol. 10, no. 9, p. 1121—

Question: Teacher Qi, the elder said that Patriarch Dayu was in the Zhongnan Mountains. Does anyone know of a teacher who has seen him?

Answer: I went into the mountains to look for him, but did not see him.

(3) Acharya Wang Xianglu

A letter:

Dear younger brother Hairong,

1. I have received the letter forwarded by Wu Zhong, which greatly relieved my lingering concern. Knowing that, because of your circumstances, you often lack interest, I have again been unable to put you out of my mind. You should understand that everything in your circumstances serves only to refine you; everywhere are causes and conditions that aid the Way. Whether hostile or friendly, all are our good spiritual friends. To receive instruction from them is rare and precious; you should think of repaying their kindness. This is how the mind of great compassion arises.

2. For us as we live in the world, everything lies simply in making the mind-ground settled. To live in the world, one must engage with it, but even while engaging with it, one must not oppose it. Whatever displeases the eye is opposition; greedily clinging to pleasure is also opposition; numb indifference is also opposition. One should clearly know these things without being moved by them. One must realize the twofold emptiness of self and phenomena; in emptiness, the mind naturally becomes settled. If the power of emptiness is insufficient, all kinds of discriminations and afflictions arise.

You must know that the Sahā world is called the five turbidities and is also called an evil world. If one enters a latrine and seeks fragrance, whose fault is that? Bodhisattvas clearly know this, yet do not spare themselves hardship in order to liberate others. Do as much as one can, one part at a time; do not calculate success or failure, gain or loss. On the one hand, give one’s whole heart; on the other, train the mind. Even when utterly unbearable matters press before one’s eyes, having already reckoned that this is simply how things are, why should one be hurt?

3. Speaking now of saving the world, there is no need to exert too much effort at the level of results; it is arduous and wins no appreciation. One need only work much harder at the level of causes and become one who knows and awakens before others. At present, it is not yet the time for people such as us to act freely and fully; everything awaits the proper causes, conditions, and time. We should simply enrich and equip ourselves more fully.

4. With your talent and fine qualities, you will surely be of great use in the future. At present, this is an excellent time to train your vital energy. Such circumstances are blessings, not suffering; everything depends on them to refine you. In your recent practice, you should concentrate on the two words “without obstruction.” Examine everything: is there, in the end, any obstruction? Obstruction and nonobstruction are both fabricated by our illusory minds. Thinking there is obstruction, we give rise to distorted views on our own; this is self-binding, not samādhi. You should open your mind and regard everything as it fundamentally is. Though the sun and moon pass, I do not pass away. Is my work confined to this one lifetime?

5. When the wise live in the world, they see every place as a place of practice, understanding that everything in the world is illusory and impermanent. At first one thinks there is hope, but when one hears the outcome, disappointment is not absent. You must know that this is simply how things are; it is precisely because of our hopes that such disappointment arises. You have fully tasted hardship and received no small amount of instruction. Do not fail this environment. With one turn, it is bodhi—is this not a joyful thing? Living away from home, you should take good care of your health. Let the body labor, but do not let the mind labor; let the mind labor, but do not let the spirit labor. This body and mind have much great work yet to do. I earnestly urge and hope this of you.

A hasty reply. I offer my respectful wishes for

your continued well-being.

Xianglu, with palms joined

(4) Acharya Yuanyin

[The Elder’s Lineage]

Question: Was Master Yuanyin’s Mahāmudrā of the Ganges transmitted through Master Gongga?

Answer: As for the elder’s own lineage, while he was alive he said that he had studied Dharma with many masters, virtuous elders, and good spiritual friends from various traditions. In the end, he still decided to inherit the Heart-of-Heart Dharma.

(Master Yuanyin’s Questions and Answers records: “I myself took refuge with several masters. My first master was the old Dharma Master Xingci of the Tiantai school. Later, I took refuge with a Chan master. There was also the old Dharma Master Yingci, patriarch of the Avataṃsaka school. After studying Esoteric Buddhism, I took Mr. Wang Xianglu, Master Gongga, and lay practitioner Fan Gunong of the Dharma Characteristics School as my masters.”—Editor’s note)

Question: Did Master Yuanyin not also practice the Heart-of-Heart Dharma only after having had Vajrayāna masters?

Answer: No. According to what the master said, he studied other esoteric practices only after receiving permission from Master Wang Xianglu.

[The Elder’s Books]

Question: If Master Yuanyin’s writings could be openly distributed in bookstores throughout the country, that would truly be a great blessing for sentient beings!

Answer: Today, I saw a set of the elder’s writings, Essential Teachings for the Practice and Realization of Buddhadharma. Published and distributed by: Religious Culture Press

Book number: ISBN 7-80123-619-X/B.22

List price: 88.00 yuan (five volumes)

Question: Religious Culture Press? It has been openly distributed?!

Answer: Yes, it has been openly distributed. The set I saw today was placed on the shelves of Xinhua Bookstore; it was not for internal circulation. The publisher invited eminent members of the national Buddhist association to examine it; this time, five were invited.

[Remembering the Elder]

Question: When I first went to Weinan Road to see the elder in 1994, the master spoke to us about practice. The general meaning was that Wang Yangming was always able to practice: even when riding a horse, his gaze did not extend beyond one zhang. When I heard this, my wild mind suddenly came to rest. You should know that I went there burdened with so many questions.

Answer: The elder was utterly ordinary; one could not tell that he possessed any attainment, yet his power of blessing was extremely strong. “My wild mind suddenly came to rest when I heard this”—that was precisely due to the power of blessing.

[When Emotion Arises, Wisdom Is Obscured]

Question: May I ask what your deepest impression of the elder is?

Answer: A very ordinary, very ordinary old man. Just as the saying goes: “Ordinary mind is the Way.”

Question: Teacher, did you ever wish to spend more time close to the Elder?

Answer: The Elder said, “When feelings arise, wisdom is obstructed.”

Question: Teacher, whether by telephone or online, staying in touch is still different from meeting in person.

Answer: Feelings arise, indeed!

Question: Ha ha! Teacher, I have always felt that being at your side and receiving your subtle influence would be more direct than keeping in touch online.

Answer: Once, a lay practitioner from Shandong saw the Elder off and wept. The Elder said, “Look! Look! Feelings as deep as the sea!”

Question: Is Master Yuanyin an emanation of Maitreya?

Answer: Maitreya Buddha has countless emanation bodies. If your body, speech, and mind are all in accord with Maitreya Buddha, then you too may be called an emanation of Maitreya Buddha.

Question: Teacher, was Master Yuanyin reborn in Tuṣita Heaven?

Answer: The Elder is in our hearts.

Question: I am grateful for your guidance. I wish you—though it does not seem quite fitting to wish you anything—so let me pray that you remain in this world for a long time. Amitābha Buddha!

Answer: While my guru was alive, I vowed to go with him, and he gave me a sound scolding. ^o^

[In Gratitude to the Elder]

Question: I am not saying that we must look for faults in Master Yuanyin; I am saying that we should not revere him to such an extent that it becomes superstition!

Answer: Would this statement count as superstition? “I would rather have this body ground into fine dust than fail to repay even one ten-thousandth of the profound kindness of my revered teacher, Master Yuanyin!”

Question: Is it because the Elder told you, “Originally there are no afflictions”?

Answer: It is not because the Elder told me so, but because of the results of putting into practice the method he taught. Let me give an analogy: your ability to write articles was not actually given to you by your teacher; rather, it came from your own practice and exploration in accordance with your teacher’s instruction. If simply being told by him meant that you knew it—if it were such a simple matter—that would amount merely to hearing the teaching, and it might not necessarily inspire such gratitude.

111. Dharma-Transmission Teacher

[Empowerment and Dharma Transmission]

Question: Should I address you as Teacher or Master?

Answer: Before I confer empowerment on anyone here, I first invoke the Elder, Master Yuanyin, and explain that it is the Elder who is conferring the empowerment upon you. I also explain that our root guru is Master Yuanyin and that we are Dharma brothers and sisters.

Moreover, I can understand how you feel, but you may not understand how I feel—if you did, you would not raise these questions. There is another way that would suit both sides: I am not the only Dharma-transmission teacher of the Mind-Seal school. Other teachers may not be like this. You may certainly ask clearly whether a teacher accepts disciples personally, and then receive empowerment from that teacher.

But why do I not accept disciples myself? Let me explain the reason clearly. While the Elder was alive, he explicitly said, “I will take responsibility for you all to the very end.” That is to say, so long as one has faith in the Elder, relying on him ensures liberation. Can relying on me ensure liberation? I should know that better than anyone.

I too have practiced for many years; at the very least, I cannot deceive people with false speech. To tell you the truth, I know that I do not yet have the foundation to make such a claim. Moreover, after the Elder passed away, his blessing power became even stronger. Therefore, whenever people come to me for empowerment, we all rely on the Elder, truly for the sake of ensuring the liberation of students.

Some people are not quite able to accept this way of speaking, so I explain to them that it has nothing to do with my being modest or hypocritical. The main reason is that, after the Elder passed away, his blessing power became even stronger. This is not empty theory or a pretext; once you enter actual practice, you will be able to experience it directly.

[Mind-Seal Forum Administration]

Person A: Regarding the criticism of **that scoundrel. lvm, however, without distinguishing right from wrong, says, “There is no way to verify it online; what use is there in arguing? The more one argues, the more trouble there will be ...” You neither distinguish right from wrong nor discern it properly. With views such as these, how are you any different from that scoundrel in the Buddhist community?

Answer: Since you cannot stop arguing, say whatever you like.

Question: Whatever you do, do not become a teacher; and of all kinds of teachers, do not become a Dharma-transmission teacher of the Mind-Seal school. Sailing a boat across the desert—how difficult it is!

Answer: Since I have taken it on, I do not think of anything else.

Question: When poor, cultivate oneself alone; when successful, benefit the world as well.

Answer: When there is affinity, propagate the Dharma; when there is no affinity, attend to one’s own liberation.

Question: Sometimes you speak bluntly, and some people cannot bear it and say that you are cold. If I were you, I would have withdrawn into seclusion long ago. These people do not even understand how to serve a teacher; what right do they have to speak?

Answer: Since a straightforward mind is the place of practice, there is no need to concern oneself with being called warm or cold.

Question: Teacher, please take good care of yourself. If it truly becomes impossible, you might as well follow the example of the First Patriarch. This is what is truly in my heart; never mind propagating the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings.

Answer: When there is affinity, propagate the Dharma; when there is no affinity, attend to one’s own liberation.

Propagating the Dharma is not an affair—Buddha-work is dreamlike, and the place of practice is like the moon reflected in water.

Attending to one’s own liberation is not being without affairs—plant grain, cotton, and oil crops, and have no worries about food and daily necessities.

Question: Having known you for a long time, I have no doubt at all about your plain and honest character. You certainly did not delete my post at that time. It must have been some well-intentioned Dharma brothers and sisters. To this day, you have never deleted my posts or blocked my IP address. That would be impossible on any other forum. In the eyes of some Dharma brothers and sisters, your forbearance has allowed me to push my luck. But I think it is precisely your forbearance that enables Mind-Seal practitioners to receive the formative influence of the Buddha’s teachings, rather than amusing themselves with mere verbal repartee or even misleading beginners.

Answer: Oh! The principles for deleting posts are these: violating the ten rules or insulting the patriarchs.

Question: Other people’s posts receive replies. Why is this question not answered? Does it not need an answer?

Answer: Oh! This is how it is:

There are many good spiritual friends online, and my own views are not necessarily all correct. If someone else answers, I too can compare and learn. Therefore, unless a question is specifically addressed to me, I generally do not interject. Like the person asking the question, I am also waiting for someone to answer, so that I may learn and improve.

112. Mind-Seal Disciples

Question: Are those who practice the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra called Mind-Seal disciples?

Answer: Only those who have received Mind-Seal empowerment are Mind-Seal disciples.

Question: What are the characteristics of a Mind-Seal disciple?

Answer: Once one becomes a Mind-Seal disciple, one should begin by learning formlessness.

A: The Mind-Seal family is growing day by day. How joyful and worthy of celebration!

Answer: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva told Acharya Dayu that this Dharma is suited to the present recipients.

Question: On the Mind-Seal forum, people always like to say, “Are you a Mind-Seal disciple? Are you a disciple of Master Yuanyin?” Was not every Dharma gate taught by the World-Honored One in accordance with the capacities of beings? Teacher, is it necessary to say such things?

Answer: Mind-Seal disciples are disciples of the Buddha. Mind-Seal disciples should become examples for the broad community of Buddhist disciples.

Question: Do not make anything of [Destroyer of the Mind-Seal School] (the username of an internet user—editor’s note)! Who is he, to destroy the Mind-Seal school? The only people capable of destroying the Mind-Seal school are Mind-Seal practitioners. They cannot slander the Mind-Seal school; it is Mind-Seal practitioners’ failure to practice in accordance with the Dharma that truly slanders the Mind-Seal school!

Answer: A maxim! A maxim! The only people capable of destroying the Mind-Seal school are Mind-Seal practitioners.