Sutra of Golden Light

Another amazing sutra that one rarely will come across is The King of Glorious Sutras called “The Exalted Sublime Golden Light”.

Then the Tathagata, the Transcendent Victor, spoke these verses…

“As soon as he enters
That monastery or dwelling (where this sublime sutra is explained)
His negative deeds will fall away.
For those who are able to cross
Hundreds of leagues immured by pits of fire
And endure acute hardship to hear this sutra,
All bad dreams and evil signs,
Afflictions of planets and stars,
Dreadful spells and demons
Will immediately depart.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “The deva, Hamachiwa Pala, told Buddha that she will protect the bhikshu who recites this text and he will receive all that is needed: property, a stable mind and so forth. Whoever even tries to read or understand this text will experience the comfort and happiness of devas and humans for 100 billion eons; fame and perfect crops; and will become a buddha.”

Four Great Kings:

“Venerable Transcendent Victor, for this reason, we the four great kings are known by the name ‘world-protectors.’  Venerable Transcendent Victor, whatever region of this Jambudvipa is overrun by foreign armies, afflicted with famine and disease, and acutely oppressed by hundreds of different harms, thousands of harms and hundreds of thousands of harms, Venerable  Transcendent Victor, we the four kings will give support to the devout monks who keep the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light.”

Goddess Sarasvati:

“O, Venerable Transcendent Victor, I, the goddess Sarasvati, will also bestow eloquence in order to adorn the speech of the bhikshu who expounds the Dharma.  I will grant him dharani.  I will always invest in him the power of authoritative speech.  To the bhikshu who expounds the Dharma, I will give great illumination of knowledge.  If he loses or forgets a word or a letter from the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light, I will supply the bhikshu who expounds the Dharma with all the definite sounds, letters and words.”

Goddess Shri:

Then the great goddess Shri said this to the  Tathagata: “Venerable Transcendent Victor, I the great goddess Shri will also give delight and well-being to that bhikshu who expounds the Dharma.  I will offer garments, food, bedding, medicine to treat illness and many excellent articles to ensure that the bhikshu who expounds the Dharma has excellent resources, attains freedom from poverty, is sound in mind, has peace of mind day and night, retains various words and syllables of the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light, examines them and expresses them lucidly so that sentient beings may plant roots of virtue under hundreds of thousands of buddhas…”

Earth Goddess Drdha:

“O Venerable Transcendent Victor, wherever the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light is expounded well and at great length, whever the throne for the expounding bhikshu is set up, and wherever the expounding bhikshu takes that seat and perfectly teaches the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light, O Venerable Transcendent Victor, I Drdha the earth goddess will go to those very places.  Invisible, I will go to the underside of the Dharma throne.  With my most sublime head, I will support the expounding bhikshu by the soles of his feet.  I will listen to the Dharma too and satisfy myself with Dharma nectar.  I will fully honor him.  I will fully worship him.  I will become content.  I will complete deeds of honor.  Being pleased, I will greatly enrich the essential nutrients of the earth, from the mass of earth 68,000 leages in extent to the vajra base of the ground.  I will do homage and consummate it.  On the top too, I will moisten this earth sphere to the limits of the oceans with the essential oil of the earth.  I will make this great earth glow with radiant luster.”

Yaksha General Samjnaya:

“O Venerable Lord, now or in the future time, in villages, cities, towns, valleys, forests, retreats, hilly medicinal valleys, or palaces, wherever the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light exists, O Venerable Lord, I, Samjnaya, the great general of the yakshas, along with twenty-eight great generals of the yakshas, will go to those villages, cities, towns, valleys, forest retreats, hilly medicinal valleys, or palaces.  Making our bodies invisible, we will protect the bhikshu who expounds the Dharma.  We will give him protection, hold and nurture him, avert his retribution and make him peaceful and well.  We will completely protect men, women, boys or girls who listen to this Dharma.  We will completely protect those who listen to and remember a stanza or four lines or even a single word from the King of Glorious Sutras, the Sublime Golden Light.”

“The benefits of reading this sutra are immeasurable … reciting just a few lines of the Sutra of Golden Light creates more merit than making … immeasurable offerings to the Buddha.  Reciting this sutra directs one’s life towards enlightenment.  There is so much merit … one’s life becomes so easy, whatever one wishes for one receives … there is unbelievable purification … one liberates numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering and brings them to enlightenment.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche

To order: The Sutra of Golden Light

Download (in various languages): Sutra of Golden Light

Sutra of Golden Light – 29 chapter translation

The Sanghata Sutra

One of the most amazing sutras to come across is called the Sanghata Sutra.  Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “The Sanghata Sutra is considered a dharmakaya relic – the actual presence of the enlightened mind in the world.”

Hearing four lines:

He says: “Be quiet, be quiet. Oh, child of the lineage, I will describe the merit of a four-lined verse, therefore listen. Child of the lineage, it is as follows: To make an analogy, even compared to the mass of merit of as many Tathagatas, Arhats, perfectly completed Buddhas as the number of grains of sand in 13 Ganges rivers, it produces a much greater mass of merit than that. Compared to one who worships as many Tathagatas, Arhats, perfectly completed Buddhas as the number of grains of sand in 13 Ganges rivers, if one who hears just a four-lined verse of this Sanghata dharma-paryaya also produces a much greater mass of merit than that, what need is there to mention someone who hears it completely to the end?” ~ The Sanghata sutra

The merits:

“If the mass of merit produced by one whose mind becomes inspired with trust towards one Tathagata, and one who makes their mind inspired with trust towards a million world-systems completely full of Tathagatas, and one who hears this Sanghata dharma-paryaya would produce a much greater mass of merit than that, then, Sarvashura, what need is there to mention whoever writes this Sanghata dharma-paryaya down, or memorizes it or recites or understands it!” ~ The Sanghata sutra

Evil Karma pacified instantly:

He said, “By hearing the Sanghata dharma-paryaya. From among the sentient beings who have gathered here, all those who had faith upon hearing this dharma-paryaya are predicted to unsurpassed, perfectly completed awakening. Those persons who have committed the five uninterrupted actions, if they even just hear this dharma-paryaya called `Sanghata,´ they will entirely exhaust their karma of the five uninterrupted actions in an instant, and purify them completely.” ~ The Sanghata sutra

The five uninterrupted actions are negative karmas so heavy that they ripen immediately as a rebirth in the hell realm upon the exhaustion of the karma of this life.

The five uninterrupted karmas are: killing one’s mother, killing one’s father, drawing the blood of a Buddha, killing an arhat and causing disunity among the Sangha.

Making prostrations to this sutra:

“Sarvashura, anyone who makes heartfelt prostrations to the Sanghata sutra with a mind of faith will remember their past lives for 99 aeons. That person will become a wheel-turning king for 60 aeons. Even in that lifetime, everyone will like that person. Sarvashura, that person’s death will not be brought about by weapons. That person’s death will not be brought about by poison. That person will not be harmed by black magic. At the time of death, too, that person will see 99 million Buddhas directly, and, Sarvashura, those Buddhas, those Blessed Ones, will say to that person: `Holy being, because the great Sanghata sutra dharma-paryaya, explained in detail, has been heard by you, therefore this mass of merit has arisen.´ And those 99 million Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, will also predict the place of enlightenment.” ~ The Sanghata sutra

Merits of a 10th Level Bodhisattva compared to this sutra:

The Blessed One spoke as follows: “Sons of the lineage, listen to the measure of the mass of merit of one Buddha. It is as follows: To make an analogy, as many drops of water as there are in the great ocean, and particles of dust on the planet, and grains of sand in the Ganges river, that is equal to the mass of merit of a bodhisattva abiding on the tenth level. The mass of merit of a Buddha is much greater than that.

As for those sentient beings who hear this Sanghata dharma-paryaya, the mass of merit they will produce is much greater even than that. It is not possible to realize the limit of that mass of merit by counting. Sarvashura, at that time, at that moment, those who are greatly inspired upon hearing these words will produce an immeasurable mass of merit.” ~ The Sanghata sutra

Shakyamuni awakened upon hearing this sutra:

“Bhaishajyasena, many are the Dharmas I have taught. Bhaishajyasena, I engaged in arduous practices for many hundreds of thousands of countless aeons, not for the sake of enjoying sovereignty, not for the sake of the enjoyment of a way of life, nor for the sake of enjoying power. I engaged in arduous practices, Bhaishajyasena, for the purpose of understanding the nature of reality. And I did not actualize the unsurpassed, perfectly completed enlightenment until I heard this dharma-paryaya.

Bhaishajyasena, at the very moment I heard this Sanghata dharma-paryaya, on that very day I awakened into unsurpassed, perfectly completed enlightenment. Bhaishajyasena, profound is this dharma-paryaya. Bhaishajyasena, hearing this dharma-paryaya is rare even within hundreds of thousands of countless aeons.” ~ The Sanghata sutra

To order: The Sanghata Sutra

To download (in various languages): Sanghata sutra

To listen to the sutra (part 1 of 18): Arya Sanghata Sutra

To make offerings to the Sanghata sutra: Offering of Gold

Saga Dawa day

Today is a full moon.  It is a traditional Buddhist holiday.  We call it Saga Dawa: This means “Month of Saga” which is the fourth month of the lunar calendar.  On the full moon day of this month, Buddha Shakyamuni showed his deed of taking birth, attaining enlightenment, and going into Parinirvana.

Sutra of the Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dharani
Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty
by The Tripitaka Master Divakara

Looking at Good Stay, the Buddha said, “You can stop crying now because I have a Dharma Door named the Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dharani Mantra. Those who keep reciting this Mantra can be liberated from their sufferings. Good Stay, this Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dharani Mantra of mine is pronounced by hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands of kotis of Buddhas. This Dharani which I will soon pronounce can be compared to all the Buddha-crowns and is most dignified and most victorious. It can annihilate all karma-hindrances, bringing purity; pull sentient beings out of life-journeys in hell, as animals, and in Yama’s dominion; and eradicate the afflictions of life and death for all sentient beings.”

The Buddha then told the god-king, “If, among good men, good women, bhiksus, and bhiksunis, there are those who can uphold this Pure Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dharani Mantra, reading it or reciting it, this virtue can totally obliterate their karma of the ten evil deeds and the five rebellious acts committed in hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of kalpas and ready them to attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. They will have past-life knowledge without changing their present bodies, and they will be reborn in one Buddha Land after another. They will constantly encounter Bodhisattvas Samantabhadra, Mañjusri, Avokitesvara, and Great Might Arrived, who will rub their heads and proffer them a guiding hand, recognizing them as Bodhisattvas. They will constantly hear and uphold the true Dharma in a bodhimanda and obtain sarvajña.

Their life spans will be lengthened, and they will not die accidental deaths because their body, speech, and mind will be pure. With their bodies pleasantly tingly, they will feel very clean, light, and tranquil anywhere and anytime. If they remember this Dharani upon dying, they will be able to be reborn in Buddha Lands.”

When the god-king Sakra heard the Buddha praise the inconceivable virtue of this Superb Victory Dharani, he was filled with joyful appreciation and whole-hearted longing. He said, “World-Honored One, I pray only that the Tathagata, taking sympathetic consideration of Good Stay and the rest of us as well as the sentient beings in the expected Dharma-ending age, will pronounce this Superb Victory Buddha-Crown Dharani Mantra. I should train myself to have all sentient beings forever leave the sufferings of the eight difficulties.”

At that time the World-Honored One, for the sake of the god-king, the god-son Good Stay, the four groups of disciples, and others, pronounced the Mantra:

namo bhagavate trai-lokya prativisistaya buddhaya bhagavate | tad-yatha om visodhaya visodhaya | asamasama samanta-avabhasa spharana gati gahana svabhava visuddhe | abhisiñcatu mam | sugata vara vacana | amrta-abhiseke maha-mantra pane | ahara ahara ayuh sandharani | sodhaya sodhaya gagana visuddhe | usnisa vijaya visuddhe | sahasra-rasmi sañcodite | sarva tathagata-avalokana sat-paramita paripurani | sarva tathagata hrdaya-adhisthana-adhisthita maha-mudre | vajra-kaya samharana visuddhe | sarva-avarana-apaya-durgati pari-visuddhe | prati-nivartaya-ayuh suddhe | samaya-adhisthite mani mani maha-mani | tathata bhuta koti parisuddhe | visphuta buddhi suddhe | jaya jaya vijaya vijaya smara smara | sarva buddha-adhisthita suddhe | vajre vajra-garbhe vajram bhavatu mama sariram | sarva sattvanam ca kaya pari-visuddhe | sarva gati parisuddhe | sarva tathagatas ca me sama-asvasayantu | sarva tathagata sama-asvasa-adhisthite | budhya budhya vibudhya vibudhya | bodhaya bodhaya vibodhaya vibodhaya | samanta parisuddhe | sarva tathagata hrdaya-adhisthana-adhisthita maha-mudre svaha ||

Benefits:

1. If there is a sentient being who is in total misery due to his grave sins and has no one to rescue him, he should, on the fifteenth day of a waxing moon, bathe clean, wear clean clothes, and accept the eight precepts. He should mindfully kneel on his right knee, facing the image of an enlightened being, and recite this Mantra 1,080 times. Then all his sins and karma-hindrances will be totally annihilated. He will be able to retain all the meanings of this Dharani Door and command unimpeded eloquence, and he will be purified and liberated.
2. If a person expecting a short life desires longevity, he should, on the fifteenth day of a waxing moon, bathe clean, wear clean clothes, observe the precepts single-mindedly, and recite this Dharani Mantra 1,080 times in total. This person expecting a short life will thus gain longevity, all his karma-hindrances having been annihilated.
3. He should recite this Dharani Mantra 1,080 times in total without interruption. Then he should sprinkle the water in all four directions, also up and down, wishing all sentient beings be purified. After he has performed this rite, his evil karma as stated above, which should cause him to go to hell or to become an animal or a hungry ghost, will all be obliterated, and he will be liberated. The exoneration officer of Lord Yama, not angered but respectful instead, will joyfully join his palms and praise his virtues. After death, he will be reborn in a Buddha Land, and he can visit Pure Lands in the ten directions as he wishes.
4. In addition, you can recite the Mantra on the fifteen day of a waxing moon to pippala figs in butter-honey 1,080 times and let the sinner eat them. Having eaten, his sins of the ten evil deeds and five rebellious acts will all be expunged. Furthermore, he will eventually attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
5. All his sins such as the ten evil deeds will thus be expunged, and he will eventually attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will rub his head, personally bestowing upon him the prophecy of his attaining bodhi. If he wants to visit the abode of Bodhisattvas, they will take him to their own palaces, traveling to and fro among the Buddha Lands in the ten directions.

For animals or our pets:

The Buddha said to the god-kings, “Furthermore, if a person recites this Dharani Mantra into the ears of an animal only once, this animal, having heard this Mantra once with its ears, will not assume an animal’s body again after this life. Even if the animal is supposed to enter hell, it will be exempted.”

To read the whole sutra:  Sutra of the Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dharani

Blessings!
Neo

Benefits of a Drubchen

Participating in a Drubchen with an altruistic motivation reduces afflictive mental states, restores broken spiritual commitments and allows positive qualities and circumstances to arise unhindered.

Click here to view more Tibetan Buddhist contemporary art.

Definition of Drubchen:

A drubchen is a traditional form of meditation retreat in Tibetan Buddhism that lasts for about ten days.  It involves a large number of lay and monastic practitioners and is led by at least one High Lama.  It is regarded as a very powerful practice as prayer and mantra are recited 24 hours a day.  It is said to act as a remedy to the negative forces at work in the world and to promote inner personal peace, peace within the community, and world peace.

Red Vajrasattva Drubchen:

Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche as a young boy studied with his father and learned his family’s tradition of religious rituals and liturgies, as well as traditional Tibetan medicine.  After being imprisoned in Tibet for ten years, along with his root guru, Tulku Orgyan Chemchok, he spent fourteen years serving Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche at Shechen Gonpa in Nepal.

Guru Rinpoche said that for someone who engages in a group Drubchen (Great Accomplishment), the benefits are the same as practicing alone in a three-year retreat.

The treasure revealer, Padgyal Lingpa, formally recognized Sang-ngag Rinpoche and Chagdud Rinpoche as lineage holders and custodians of his own hidden treasure revelations.  Red Vajrasattva is the heart-practice of these treasures of Padgyal Lingpa, specifically revealed for these difficult and distracting times.

These eight-days of Red Vajrasattva (2012) retreat will be a wonderful and effective way to bring benefit and happiness to oneself and others.  This event will begin September 15th at 9:00 am and end on September 23rd at 1:00 pm.  The empowerment will be given on the first day.  It includes all meals and event fees from the September 15 breakfast through dinner on September 23.

To attend this retreat or donate click here:  Vajrasattva Drubchen

Be well!
Neo