Vajra bell

21 posts · started by jessie on 08/09/02 at 18:51:36 · last post 09/01/02 at 14:15:35

jessie08/09/02 at 18:51:36#1

i have already received empowerment for Humo.

i am now wondering: does Humo empowerment already encompass the empowerment to use the vajra bell and vajra staff?

Last edited 08/12/02 at 16:59:04 by Buddhafly

Buddhafly08/12/02 at 17:07:34#2Re: Vajra bell

I asked a Master your question. Her reply was:
Try to do the Humo and always start with the Padmakumara Practice.
You can use the bell and dorje only when you need to use it at the end of practices.
You will not be able to use it for Subdugation, clearing...etc
without empowerment.

Please make sure all your tantric implements are blessed by a Master before using.

Something I just learned is that to do our practices one must have all the tantric impliments.

Jessie. Master Lian-Zhi should be in Singapore today. It is best if you need any empowerments or any implements blessed that you find out which temple she will be visiting and bring them and yourself there. As far as I know she will be there less then 10 days.

Last edited 08/12/02 at 17:12:10 by Buddhafly

jessie08/12/02 at 19:58:19#3Re: Vajra bell

thanks brenda.

i called up the temple aleady -- they didn't even know MAster is arriving today...

also, must chanting beads be blessed too? It is part of the tantric implements, issit?

will probably bring my things to the ceremony on friday...as for empowerment, i guess i will have to look out for master...

Buddhafly08/12/02 at 21:13:55#4Re: Vajra bell

Jessie.
I believe the mala's have to be blessed too as it would be
considered a tantric impliment as well. Please let me know if you find out otherwise.
I have seen people put theirs over incence
smoke perhaps to cleanse them.

jessie08/17/02 at 03:45:16#5Re: Vajra bell

{Buddhafly}: Something I just learned is that to do our practices one must have all the tantric impliments.

Brenda, what are all the tantric implements that a TBS disciple must have?

Lyciss08/18/02 at 01:50:23#6Re: Vajra bell

However i disagree with the requirement to have all the tantric impliments... one doesnt even need or be required to have a shrine in ones home to do daily cultivation... and with that thought if you do happen to lack any impliment you can simply visualize it being there and you using it after all its the same anyway... the reason you can visualize, because not everyone can afford lets say the vajra and perhaps where they are living it is rare or difficult to find one... so how could they be required? i think the only impliment that is required and you must have is a heart of right intention to do culitivation practices... perhaps some upper level practices require the use of certain objects to be effective so in that sense i would be wrong with this thought... and if you wish to have them then its ok and im not trying to talk anyone out of getting them... there is quite a long list of impliments that can or are used in our tantric cultivation practices... you can even say incense is a required impliment...

water
soapy water
3 flowers red/white usually red
3 unlit incense
lit incense (in odd numbers only)
sensor or candle (in odd numbers)
-color important for paticular culitivations
food or rice
wine (for Dharma Protectors)
conch shell

are all impliments but they are also offerings and not completely required... there is a paticular order and place for each of them to be located too... no offering is required or should be labeled as required that would remove all of our pure intentions and make them become chores... this defeats the purpose of making offerings... also if you are going to have each of these to be there as offerings i should also mention that they be replaced daily, except for the conch shell it doesnt need to be replaced daily but you can do it when you feel it necessary, once a month, year, ect

vajra indestructable/protection/purity
vajra bell to awaken to right mind/purity
of wisdom/requesting the
Buddhas to arrive...ect
rosary counting beads/mediation beads
shrine for paticular practices
Personal Deity/Grandmaster/other Deities
-depending on your practice

there are more however it might not be fair or reasonable to get into them... if anyone wants to know any of these impliments meanings ill be glad to share their purpose and meaning... also you are not required to actually bring each of these impliments to a master... some people feel more confident if they do... however there is another way... you can make your shrine and add all the impliments and after you are happy with it, take a photo of it and send it or bring it to a Master to have it blessed... they will be much happier than seeing you walk up with your hands full of impliments desiring them to be blessed... how do i know all this, Grandmaster has mentioned it on a few occasions...

if you have or decide to have deities on your shrine and dont have access to any close temple... there is a ceremony called "Eye opening" that you can request for... take a picture of your Deities on your shrine and send it in requesting the ceremony... you will be sent back any instructions or changes that need to be made... this blesses your shrine and it becomes suitable for the deities to decend during your cultivation...

om mani padme hum

Last edited 08/18/02 at 02:10:59 by Lyciss

jessie08/18/02 at 05:19:55#7Re: Vajra bell

thanks for the info! ;D

lyciss, can i visualise Grandmaster emitting light onto the implement? Is it considered blessing, such that i dun need to bring it to a master?

Last edited 08/18/02 at 05:23:52 by jessie_loh

Buddhafly08/18/02 at 15:06:57#8Re: Vajra bell

Jessie.
This came up when I asked Master Lian-Zhi if a person needed a mala to do the Thousand Round Mantra Practice.
She said to do our practices one needs all the tantric implements.
This year I read an article concerning broken statues, and I remembered I had a few statues that were chipped and one that had been repaired. I brought all my implements back to the temple and asked that the statues be taken care of properly, and donated the rest. We decided to start from the beginning and rebuild.
Since then I have been just visualizing a shrine until we can afford to rebuild again.

Before I mearly sent a picture of my shrine to Grand Master Lu and ask for him to bless it and concecrate it.

Master Lian-Zhi gave a talk here recently about the importance of having all implements blessed by a Master. Perhaps a picture sent to Seattle would suffice but I do not know now.

If you have a chance to meet up with her there please ask for me.

Thank you.
Brenda

Lyciss08/18/02 at 17:05:30#9Re: Vajra bell

Jessie
that visualization method is not a bad idea and i cant tell you if it is effective or not but my thoughts are it should be... because when we visualize Grandmaster, depending on our indivdual Dharma power, he will actually occupy the void during our practice purifying it...
my question is, if you wholeheartedly recite the True Buddha Sutra on the proper day and it says that for one who does this practice will have any wishes granted... so why cant your wish be to purify all your tantric impliments or a blessing for your shrine to purify it so your cultivation can progress? to me this would be the best kind of wish verses wishing for a nicer car or what ever...

om mani padme hum

Lyciss08/18/02 at 18:03:44#10Re: Vajra bell

Jessie,
i see it the other way around... it wasnt blocked by GM's picture!! i say it has been double blessed!!! as the blessing was heading out towards your dorje it got inhanced when pasing through GM's picture!! very auspecious if i say so...

om mani padme hum

jessie08/18/02 at 18:09:15#11Re: Vajra bell

lyciss, you are right! (Sorry i deleted my easrlier posting cos' i thought it was inappropriate ...heehee)

Lyciss08/18/02 at 18:13:45#12Re: Vajra bell

i didnt think it inappropriate...
perhaps someone else could get ease thoughts by reading that post...

om mani padme hum

Buddhafly08/25/02 at 21:41:21#13Re: Vajra bell

Jessie.
I asked Master Lian-Zhi today about the blessing of Tantric Impliments and she said that a picture sent to Seattle, even of a mala, would suffice.

jessie08/29/02 at 04:13:11#14Re: Vajra bell

ok.

Thanx, Brenda!

mimosa08/29/02 at 09:36:28#15Re: Vajra bell

The problem is that Seattle takes forever to reply you. I sent an email to Seattle and asked for empowerment, and it has been 3 months.... Brenda can share the same experience.

I tend to agree with Lyciss, just to recite mantra and sutra and invoke Deity to bless your own implements. But, then you may feel that your own power is not good enough.

If I were you, I would do both
#1 do what lyciss said
#2 take a picture of your implements, scan it, and e-mail it to Lyciss :-) No kidding, Lyciss and Dance go to Seattle temple often. Ask them to put the pictures on the shrine for you. Know the day in advance and pray GM to bless your implements. Master in charge that day will also bless your implements. When you go to your local temple next time, donate some nominal fee. (just say in your heart what the money is for) Dont ever take things free..especially blessing.

Last but not least, give Lyciss or Dance a hug for doing you such a big favor :-)

Mimosa

Lyciss08/29/02 at 12:44:37#16Re: Vajra bell

Very good idea Mimosa... and i am completely willing to do that for anyone... except i cant print out in color even tho i have a color printer... i just havent had the time or made the time to figure out why it wont print in color... so if you would like other methods like say, snail mailing things to me that is completely up to you too... just contact me through my email and ill write you back my mailing address...

om mani padme hum

mimosa08/29/02 at 13:49:05#17Re: Vajra bell

I really dont think that the color matters

as you often say, it is all illusion :-)

but, one must put complete info such as name, address.

Mimosa

Lyciss08/29/02 at 22:18:49#18Re: Vajra bell

Yea Mimosa,
all is illusion and my printer thinks color is illusion also so it refuses to print it... only black will print... you cant imagine what a print out would look like until it actually comes out... take all the colors that you see and toss them all out until only you have black... the rest shows up as white paper... lol

om mani padme hum

lian hua dance09/01/02 at 09:32:16#19Re: Vajra bell

:)
Mimosa is our agent. Please accept the offer she made for us! I you need to fax instead of e-mail the photo, send me a separate e-mail.

If you have things blessed in black and white, you may have to recite all your mantras in black and white as well!

lian hua dance

mimosa09/01/02 at 11:00:50#20Re: Vajra bell

##If you have things blessed in black and white, you may have to recite all your mantras in black and white as well!

hahaha, you have an intelligent way to illustrate a point!
hahha

Mimosa

lian hua dance09/01/02 at 14:15:35#21Re: Vajra bell

:)
Yeah, whatever the point may have been!