I. Letter from Master Yuanyin to lay practitioner Qi Wenjin of Jiayu County, Hunan, March 5, 1991:

“With regard to the transmission and practice of Esoteric Buddhism, empowerment is generally required; the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra is no exception.

However, out of the master's deep compassion, and taking skillful means as ultimate, certain well-known esoteric practices that are simple to perform and unlikely to lead to deviations after practice—such as the Great Amitābha Practice, the Green and White Tārā Practices, the Avalokiteśvara Deliverance Practice, and the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra—may be transmitted openly and practiced without empowerment. This applies especially to those who live far away or are unable to travel because of illness. So long as one makes sincere and reverent offerings and pays homage to the yidam, one may practice them. Should questions arise, write to a virtuous teacher whom you know and consult with them; then you will not stray onto a mistaken path and may safely reach the other shore.”

II. Teachings given by Master Yuanyin while conferring empowerment and transmitting the Dharma in the United States in 1997: “Procedures for Practicing the Heart-of-Heart Dharma” (transcribed from an audio recording):

…The lotus mudrā signifies that our minds are like lotus flowers. This mudrā is very simple, yet exceptionally sublime and highly efficacious. It may be used to dispel calamities, remove obstacles, cure illness, accomplish undertakings, and so forth. With the protection of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, we can all attain accomplishment. Four-Armed Avalokiteśvara is Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva with four arms.

The mantra is also important. It has six syllables: oṃ, ma, ṇi, pad, me, hūṃ. In practicing this Dharma, begin meditation with half an hour, then gradually increase it to one hour, one and a half hours, and two hours. To practice the Heart-of-Heart Dharma, one must sit for at least two hours. Many people cannot manage this at first, so they may first practice the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra.

There are two reasons for covering the mudrā with a yellow cloth while forming it:

First, Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and spiritual beings may pass through the air. Buddhas will not bow to us, but when bodhisattvas and spiritual beings see the mudrā, they may regard it as a Buddha and bow to us. Yet when we have only just begun the practice, we are still ordinary beings, not Buddhas or bodhisattvas, and cannot accept their homage. Therefore, we cover the mudrā with a yellow cloth. When passing spiritual beings see that we have covered the mudrā while practicing, they will not bow.

Second, if others see us forming this mudrā, they may imitate it and steal the Buddhadharma, which would not be good. If we practice with it covered by a yellow cloth, others cannot see it and will not imitate the mudrā, thereby avoiding the creation of wrongdoing.

There are several prohibitions to observe while meditating:

1. While seated, avoid thinking things over or racking your brains. Thoughts that ordinarily do not come to mind all arise as soon as you sit down: “Oh! How should I handle this matter? And how should I handle that one?” This is not good. Meditating in this way is of no use.

When we sit down to meditate, we must settle our minds as though we were dead. What affairs could a dead person still attend to? Do not concern yourself with family matters or work matters. When deluded thoughts arise during meditation, bring up the mantra and use it to transform your thoughts.

This does not mean suppressing thoughts. When thoughts arise, do not suppress or stop them; let them come. Simply do not heed or attend to them, and they will naturally dissolve into emptiness. This is transformation. It is not repression. Repression means pressing thoughts to death, pressing them into stagnant water, so that not a single thought arises and one remains dead there. Dead water does not harbor dragons. In that way, one cannot awaken. Our realization of the Way is to become living Buddhas and give rise to wondrous functioning. Do not suppress thoughts. Let thoughts come as they will; simply do not heed them.

2. Do not seek spiritual powers—not in the least! Seeking spiritual powers will not only prevent you from becoming a Buddha; it will instead make you liable to become a demon. For whenever the mind seeks something, it is attached, and attachment is a factor in becoming a demon. When our minds are empty and pure, as clean as if washed, without the slightest clinging, attachment, or seeking, only then can we truly become Buddhas: one's own mind is Buddha, and one's own nature becomes Buddha.

Only when the mind is empty and pure can one become a Buddha; if the mind is not empty and pure, one cannot become a Buddha. Thus Buddhahood lies in the mind, not in spiritual powers. Non-Buddhist paths also possess spiritual powers; why, then, do their followers become adherents of non-Buddhist paths, even demon kings? It is because they are too attached and their minds are not empty and pure. When the mind is truly empty and pure, nothing can be obtained: not establishing a single dharma, utterly bare, unstained by a single speck of dust. Only then can one become a Buddha. Therefore, one becomes a Buddha by opening wisdom, not by developing spiritual powers. Do not be attached to spiritual powers. This is extremely important.

3. Do not sit to meditate immediately after a full meal. It is harmful to the stomach. Wait one to one and a half hours before meditating.

4. Do not meditate when you are unhappy or afflicted. Suppressing the qi of the liver so that it cannot circulate may cause illness. When you are unhappy, you may go out for a walk and work through those feelings before returning to meditate.

5. One should be especially attentive to sexual relations between husband and wife. Such relations are very taxing on the body. After meditating, do not have sexual relations immediately; wait five to six hours. Likewise, after sexual relations, do not meditate immediately. Rest for five to six hours before meditating again. If you meditate at once, you may easily fall ill.

6. Menstruation is not a problem; women may meditate, but they should not sit in the full lotus posture, as it may easily create a risk of severe bleeding. Therefore, take care during menstruation. During pregnancy, one may continue meditating, but after four months one should not sit cross-legged; one may practice lying down. When eight or nine months pregnant and close to delivery, do not practice meditation; one may lie in bed and recite the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra. With the blessing of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, this poses no obstacle to practice.

(Editor’s note: According to teachings in Master Yinguang’s “Essay Urging Compatriots Throughout the World to Recite the Sacred Name of Avalokiteśvara Together,” when women suffer unbearable pain in childbirth, they may audibly recite the sacred name or heart mantra of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva; silent recitation is not advisable.)

Question: Must there be an image of the Buddha in the place where one practices? Which direction is best to face when meditating?

Answer: Not necessarily. It does not matter if there is no Buddha image at home, and the direction does not matter either, because Buddhas are present in every direction; Buddhas are not necessarily all in the West.

Question: What time is best for meditation?

Answer: Each person may arrange the time according to their own circumstances. Morning is best. After sleeping through the night, your physical strength is restored, and you will be alert when you sit. If you sit in the evening, you may be tired after a day of work and easily become drowsy. Therefore, morning meditation is best.

Question: Is it all right to pay homage to the Buddha first and then meditate?

Answer: That is very good! First pay homage to the Buddha, refresh your spirit, and settle the mind into purity; then meditate. This is very good.

Question: When one no longer wishes to recite the mantra, should one stop reciting it?

Answer: No. If you do not wish to recite it, deluded thoughts are still present! Recite until you are unable to recite, until the mantra can no longer be brought forth. Then recitation will naturally cease.

Question: Should one still meditate when the body is unwell?

Answer: If the discomfort is minor, you may still meditate. If you are seriously ill and cannot sit in meditation, you may practice lying down. Elderly people who cannot sit may also practice lying down.

Question: May one recite the mantra while urinating or defecating? Would that not be irreverent?

Answer: You may recite the mantra while urinating or defecating, but do not recite it aloud; then it will not be irreverent.