A Brief Introduction to the True Buddha School
Written by K.C. Ng, Janny Chow, and Kender Tomko, with footnotes and commentary by Kender Tomko
What is the "True Buddha School"? When was the "True Buddha School" founded?
The True Buddha School is a worldwide Buddhist school founded by the Living Buddha Lian-sheng - Grand Master1 Sheng-yen Lu. The goal of the school is to promote the true practice of Tantric Buddhism. As of this writing there are one and a half million registered students and more than two hundred local chapters worldwide. Originally called the Ling Shen (Spiritual Immortal) School in 1975, it was officially renamed the Ling Shen True Buddha School in 1984 and thereafter referred to as the True Buddha School.
Who Is Living Buddha Lian-sheng
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu was born in 1945 in Chiayi County, Taiwan. In his early years, the Living Buddha was a devout Christian and a Bible teacher. In 1969, at the age of twenty-five, through an extraordinary mystical experience, he encountered Taoism and Buddhism and embarked on a journey of spiritual cultivation in both disciplines. At around this same time, the Master began using his Taoist practices2 to help many people solve their problems. His first spiritual book, Encounters with the World of Spirits was published in Taiwan in 1975, and revealed his inner cultivation and spiritual experiences. The book had enormous impact and soon a continuous stream of spiritual seekers sought out Master Lu.
The Master continued to study and cultivate Taoist and Buddhist practices while writing spiritual books to share his unique experiences with the world. Prior to emigrating to the United States, the Master had successively sought out twenty one human gurus in the Taoist, Sutric3, and Tantric4 schools. Among these gurus was the Sixteenth Karmapa of the Tibetan Kagyu Sect5, from whom the Master received the Five Buddha Empowerment in January, 1981. This marked the beginning of the Master's profound Diamond Way6 practice.
After arriving in the United States in 1982, the Master led a semi-reclusive life, avoiding most social activities, and vigorously immersing himself in the practice of Vajrayana. Two years later, the Master attained Enlightenment by achieving the Rainbow Body7. After his realization, the Living Buddha then combined all his own experiences in Taoism, Scriptural Buddhism, and Buddhist Yoga to form the "True Buddha Tantric Dharma," which is particularly suitable for modern life. Furthermore, he continued to write and disclose the secrets of Tantric cultivation in many practice texts. As of 1993, the Living Buddha has written more than one hundred books.
In 1986, the Living Buddha became a monk to more effectively bring the Buddha Dharma to greater numbers of sentient beings. Currently, Living Buddha Lian-sheng is in the midst of his Dharma Propagation Period, travelling to many countries in the world to teach the True Buddha Tantric Dharma. In the last several years, Living Buddha Lian-sheng has visited nearly twenty countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North and South America, conducting empowerments and giving the methods of practice.
What Is The Goal of the True Buddha School?
The primary goals of the True Buddha School are to help sentient beings to attain Buddhahood in this life, by realizing the One Mind and Original Nature, and by developing mastery over the cycle of birth and death.
The Methods of Cultivation of the True Buddha School
The methods of cultivation of the True Buddha School are based on True Buddha Tantric practice as formulated by Living Buddha Lian-sheng. This integrates key teachings from Taoism, Scriptural Buddhism, and Buddhist Yoga with streamlined but powerful methods especially suitable for contemporary life. Starting with the Four Preliminary Practices8, one progresses to Guru Yoga9, Personal Deity Yoga10, Dharma Protector11 Practice, and the Highest Tantra Practice12. This leads cultivators step by step towards Enlightenment. The True Buddha Tantric Dharma also consists of many expedient practices.
The Expedient Practices of the True Buddha School
Inner yogic methods of integration and awareness development are the essence of this School. However, the Tantric method is based on integrating awareness and practice with all aspects of life. Thus it necessarily addresses the outer needs of people, and the problems they face. This is especially true in a time of accelerating social upheaval and environmental breakdown, of impoverishment and sickness.
Tantric tradition groups these expedient or supporting practices into five categories corresponding to the five Buddha Families13. These are: Vajra Family - purification of sickness and negativity; Jewel Family - enrichment and generosity, including material resources; Lotus Family - magnetization practices to draw people together and harmonize human relationships; Sword Family - subjugation of negative forces i.e. spiritual weapons and tactics. Buddha Family: developing inner spiritual guidance, i.e. establishing a connection with the teacher which is not limited by space or time.
The Activities of Purification, Enrichment, Magnetization, Subjugation, and Inner Guidance can all be accomplished through the Guru Yoga of Grand Master Lu. In each case a set of ritual correspondences are used at a certain time of day. The correspondence include a hand gesture, a color, a shrine set up in a certain simple geometric form, a direction of the compass, and a rosary of a specific crystal.
The most commonly practiced of these expedient teachings are the methods of purification and enrichment.
1) Purification/Healing
Many of the difficult and complicated illnesses which are untreatable by conventional medicine are actually karmic illnesses. Living Buddha Lian-sheng can often use the Dharma Power of "transference" and "supersedence" to mitigate or cure the suffering of untreatable patients. On December 28th, 1991, during a Ceremony conducted in Hong Kong, attended by fifteen thousand people, Living Buddha performed the miracle of enabling a thirteen year old to talk and walk again. This child had been mute and confined to a wheelchair for six years.
2) Enrichment
In order to bring prosperity, the True Buddha School includes among its Eight Principal Deities the Yellow Jambhala, the wealthiest god in the spirit realm. There are, in addition, the Money Tree Practice14, the Wish-fulfilling Conch Practice, the Dragon King Treasure Vase Practice, and the Red Jambhala Practice. Also, through the blessing of Living Buddha Lian-sheng, many students have received great material fortune. For example, in 1988 Living Buddha Lian-sheng blessed one student from Singapore and she soon won the first prize lottery within a short period, not once but twice.
Footnotes
1 Diamond Master [Sanskrit: Vajracharya] refers to one who has fully mastered the Diamond Way teachings of esoteric Buddhist yoga, up to realization of the outer, subtle, and absolute dimensions of being. More commonly, the term refers to the teacher conducting an enpowerment or practice session, or to the teacher of other teachers. Thus, a Diamond Master is a lineage holder.
2 These practices include transmission received from Taoist masters and those received on an inner level. Grand Master Lu is renowned throughout the Chinese-speaking world as one of the very greatest Taoist masters of our time. In particular, he is known as a master of geomancy [Chinese: Feng Shui] and of healing charms.
3 "Sutric" - Scriptural, from the Sanskrit Sutra. This refers to the Buddhist psychology, philosophy and cosmology expounded in Buddhist Scriptures, primarily in the Second Period of Mahayana [Universalist] teaching, such as the Pure Land and Dhyana [Zen] schools. Here the central meditation practices are quiet contemplation and simple recitation. See "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", by Gampopa
4 "Tantric" - Integral, as in Yogic, from the Sanskrit Tantra. This refers to the Buddhist yogic practices taught primarily in the Third Period of teaching. These practices are the experiential side of Mahayana teaching, and are classified as ritual yoga, internal energy yoga and awareness yoga, See "Sky Dancer", by Keith Dowman.
5 The Karmapas are the incarnate lineage holders of the Karma Kagyu lineage which descends directly from Lord Gampopa, a principal disciple of Milarepa. This lineage began with the Indian Great Adepts Saraha and Tilopa, who emphasized Sahajiya, or "Buddhahood in the present body." See "The Great Kagyu Masters", by Konchog Gyaltson.
6 "Diamond Way" - from the Sanskrit Vajrayana, This is synonymous with Tantra. See "Open Secrets" by Walter Anderson and "The Dharma that Illuminates All Beings" by Kalu Rinpoche.
7 Rainbow Body: the complete purification and manifestation of the subtle internal energy body, a.k.a Body of Light. See "Crystal and the Way of Light" by Namkhai Nortu and "Heart Drops of Dharmakaya", by Tashi Gyaltsen.
8 These are a) Prostration, which removes coarse faults and obscurations. b) Refuge, which strengthens the lineage power from guru and the Three Treasures (Buddhas, Dharmas, and Sanghas). c) Mandala [Sacred Circle] Offering, which is a symbolic offering of personal resources and noble qualities to the Teacher. This generates merit. d) Vajrasattva 100-syllable Recitation. This purifies all obscurations in the subtle energy body.
9 Guru Yoga: this brings the wisdom-energy of the guru and lineage into oneself.
10 The Personal or Tutelary Deity is the symbolic embodiment of one's own purified awareness.
11 Dharma Protectors are wrathful aspects of the guru, tutelary deities or heroines. Their associated practices emphasize spiritual power in order to reverse psychic threats and to retain spiritual purity.
12 Highest Tantra Practice means "taking the Three Bodies as the Path", as in a) practice which simulates death, disembodied experience, and rebirth; b) ritual yoga, internal energy yoga, and awareness yoga; c) integration of the manifest, subtle, and absolute dimensions of being.
13 The Five Buddha Families are expertly explained in "Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism", by Anagarika Govinda.
14The Money Tree practice was transmitted from Guru Padmasambhava to Grand Master Lu.
>>> more to be posted....time to go to bed now :-) <<<
Written by K.C. Ng, Janny Chow, and Kender Tomko, with footnotes and commentary by Kender Tomko
What is the "True Buddha School"? When was the "True Buddha School" founded?
The True Buddha School is a worldwide Buddhist school founded by the Living Buddha Lian-sheng - Grand Master1 Sheng-yen Lu. The goal of the school is to promote the true practice of Tantric Buddhism. As of this writing there are one and a half million registered students and more than two hundred local chapters worldwide. Originally called the Ling Shen (Spiritual Immortal) School in 1975, it was officially renamed the Ling Shen True Buddha School in 1984 and thereafter referred to as the True Buddha School.
Who Is Living Buddha Lian-sheng
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu was born in 1945 in Chiayi County, Taiwan. In his early years, the Living Buddha was a devout Christian and a Bible teacher. In 1969, at the age of twenty-five, through an extraordinary mystical experience, he encountered Taoism and Buddhism and embarked on a journey of spiritual cultivation in both disciplines. At around this same time, the Master began using his Taoist practices2 to help many people solve their problems. His first spiritual book, Encounters with the World of Spirits was published in Taiwan in 1975, and revealed his inner cultivation and spiritual experiences. The book had enormous impact and soon a continuous stream of spiritual seekers sought out Master Lu.
The Master continued to study and cultivate Taoist and Buddhist practices while writing spiritual books to share his unique experiences with the world. Prior to emigrating to the United States, the Master had successively sought out twenty one human gurus in the Taoist, Sutric3, and Tantric4 schools. Among these gurus was the Sixteenth Karmapa of the Tibetan Kagyu Sect5, from whom the Master received the Five Buddha Empowerment in January, 1981. This marked the beginning of the Master's profound Diamond Way6 practice.
After arriving in the United States in 1982, the Master led a semi-reclusive life, avoiding most social activities, and vigorously immersing himself in the practice of Vajrayana. Two years later, the Master attained Enlightenment by achieving the Rainbow Body7. After his realization, the Living Buddha then combined all his own experiences in Taoism, Scriptural Buddhism, and Buddhist Yoga to form the "True Buddha Tantric Dharma," which is particularly suitable for modern life. Furthermore, he continued to write and disclose the secrets of Tantric cultivation in many practice texts. As of 1993, the Living Buddha has written more than one hundred books.
In 1986, the Living Buddha became a monk to more effectively bring the Buddha Dharma to greater numbers of sentient beings. Currently, Living Buddha Lian-sheng is in the midst of his Dharma Propagation Period, travelling to many countries in the world to teach the True Buddha Tantric Dharma. In the last several years, Living Buddha Lian-sheng has visited nearly twenty countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North and South America, conducting empowerments and giving the methods of practice.
What Is The Goal of the True Buddha School?
The primary goals of the True Buddha School are to help sentient beings to attain Buddhahood in this life, by realizing the One Mind and Original Nature, and by developing mastery over the cycle of birth and death.
The Methods of Cultivation of the True Buddha School
The methods of cultivation of the True Buddha School are based on True Buddha Tantric practice as formulated by Living Buddha Lian-sheng. This integrates key teachings from Taoism, Scriptural Buddhism, and Buddhist Yoga with streamlined but powerful methods especially suitable for contemporary life. Starting with the Four Preliminary Practices8, one progresses to Guru Yoga9, Personal Deity Yoga10, Dharma Protector11 Practice, and the Highest Tantra Practice12. This leads cultivators step by step towards Enlightenment. The True Buddha Tantric Dharma also consists of many expedient practices.
The Expedient Practices of the True Buddha School
Inner yogic methods of integration and awareness development are the essence of this School. However, the Tantric method is based on integrating awareness and practice with all aspects of life. Thus it necessarily addresses the outer needs of people, and the problems they face. This is especially true in a time of accelerating social upheaval and environmental breakdown, of impoverishment and sickness.
Tantric tradition groups these expedient or supporting practices into five categories corresponding to the five Buddha Families13. These are: Vajra Family - purification of sickness and negativity; Jewel Family - enrichment and generosity, including material resources; Lotus Family - magnetization practices to draw people together and harmonize human relationships; Sword Family - subjugation of negative forces i.e. spiritual weapons and tactics. Buddha Family: developing inner spiritual guidance, i.e. establishing a connection with the teacher which is not limited by space or time.
The Activities of Purification, Enrichment, Magnetization, Subjugation, and Inner Guidance can all be accomplished through the Guru Yoga of Grand Master Lu. In each case a set of ritual correspondences are used at a certain time of day. The correspondence include a hand gesture, a color, a shrine set up in a certain simple geometric form, a direction of the compass, and a rosary of a specific crystal.
The most commonly practiced of these expedient teachings are the methods of purification and enrichment.
1) Purification/Healing
Many of the difficult and complicated illnesses which are untreatable by conventional medicine are actually karmic illnesses. Living Buddha Lian-sheng can often use the Dharma Power of "transference" and "supersedence" to mitigate or cure the suffering of untreatable patients. On December 28th, 1991, during a Ceremony conducted in Hong Kong, attended by fifteen thousand people, Living Buddha performed the miracle of enabling a thirteen year old to talk and walk again. This child had been mute and confined to a wheelchair for six years.
2) Enrichment
In order to bring prosperity, the True Buddha School includes among its Eight Principal Deities the Yellow Jambhala, the wealthiest god in the spirit realm. There are, in addition, the Money Tree Practice14, the Wish-fulfilling Conch Practice, the Dragon King Treasure Vase Practice, and the Red Jambhala Practice. Also, through the blessing of Living Buddha Lian-sheng, many students have received great material fortune. For example, in 1988 Living Buddha Lian-sheng blessed one student from Singapore and she soon won the first prize lottery within a short period, not once but twice.
Footnotes
1 Diamond Master [Sanskrit: Vajracharya] refers to one who has fully mastered the Diamond Way teachings of esoteric Buddhist yoga, up to realization of the outer, subtle, and absolute dimensions of being. More commonly, the term refers to the teacher conducting an enpowerment or practice session, or to the teacher of other teachers. Thus, a Diamond Master is a lineage holder.
2 These practices include transmission received from Taoist masters and those received on an inner level. Grand Master Lu is renowned throughout the Chinese-speaking world as one of the very greatest Taoist masters of our time. In particular, he is known as a master of geomancy [Chinese: Feng Shui] and of healing charms.
3 "Sutric" - Scriptural, from the Sanskrit Sutra. This refers to the Buddhist psychology, philosophy and cosmology expounded in Buddhist Scriptures, primarily in the Second Period of Mahayana [Universalist] teaching, such as the Pure Land and Dhyana [Zen] schools. Here the central meditation practices are quiet contemplation and simple recitation. See "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation", by Gampopa
4 "Tantric" - Integral, as in Yogic, from the Sanskrit Tantra. This refers to the Buddhist yogic practices taught primarily in the Third Period of teaching. These practices are the experiential side of Mahayana teaching, and are classified as ritual yoga, internal energy yoga and awareness yoga, See "Sky Dancer", by Keith Dowman.
5 The Karmapas are the incarnate lineage holders of the Karma Kagyu lineage which descends directly from Lord Gampopa, a principal disciple of Milarepa. This lineage began with the Indian Great Adepts Saraha and Tilopa, who emphasized Sahajiya, or "Buddhahood in the present body." See "The Great Kagyu Masters", by Konchog Gyaltson.
6 "Diamond Way" - from the Sanskrit Vajrayana, This is synonymous with Tantra. See "Open Secrets" by Walter Anderson and "The Dharma that Illuminates All Beings" by Kalu Rinpoche.
7 Rainbow Body: the complete purification and manifestation of the subtle internal energy body, a.k.a Body of Light. See "Crystal and the Way of Light" by Namkhai Nortu and "Heart Drops of Dharmakaya", by Tashi Gyaltsen.
8 These are a) Prostration, which removes coarse faults and obscurations. b) Refuge, which strengthens the lineage power from guru and the Three Treasures (Buddhas, Dharmas, and Sanghas). c) Mandala [Sacred Circle] Offering, which is a symbolic offering of personal resources and noble qualities to the Teacher. This generates merit. d) Vajrasattva 100-syllable Recitation. This purifies all obscurations in the subtle energy body.
9 Guru Yoga: this brings the wisdom-energy of the guru and lineage into oneself.
10 The Personal or Tutelary Deity is the symbolic embodiment of one's own purified awareness.
11 Dharma Protectors are wrathful aspects of the guru, tutelary deities or heroines. Their associated practices emphasize spiritual power in order to reverse psychic threats and to retain spiritual purity.
12 Highest Tantra Practice means "taking the Three Bodies as the Path", as in a) practice which simulates death, disembodied experience, and rebirth; b) ritual yoga, internal energy yoga, and awareness yoga; c) integration of the manifest, subtle, and absolute dimensions of being.
13 The Five Buddha Families are expertly explained in "Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism", by Anagarika Govinda.
14The Money Tree practice was transmitted from Guru Padmasambhava to Grand Master Lu.
>>> more to be posted....time to go to bed now :-) <<<
Last edited 12/12/02 at 07:47:41 by mimosa