Purple Lotus Publisher > Journal > Volumn NO. 5

Confidence of Attaining Buddhahood and Experience of Emptiness

by Shirley Hsiao

Translated by Janny Chow [1]

On Sunday, June 23rd, 1996, Master Samantha, together with 43 of the monks, nuns and students of the Purple Lotus Society, boarded two separate PLU [Purple Louts University] school buses and headed to Sonoma County to visit Odiyan, a Tibetan Buddhist Center about 100 miles north of San Francisco. The construction of Odiyan, which is spread over 1,100 acres and named after the birthplace of Padmasambhava, began 21 years ago under the leadership of Tarthang Tulku, the founder of the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center [in Berkeley, CA].

As our buses cruised along the windy, scenic drive of Hwy 1, Master Samantha asked us to chant (1,080 times) the Padmasambhava Heart Mantra as a means to better prepare us to receive the blessing of Padmasambhava.

After our arrival at Odiyan, we joined other visitors for a guided tour. We learned that ours would be the last guided tour open to the public. Our first stop was the Vajra Temple which houses at its center 108,000 statues of Padmasambhava. When we were paying homage to the Vajra Guru, Padmasambhava manifested himself to Master Samantha and asked, "Do you have confidence in attaining Buddhahood?" Master related his question to us and explained to us that people who have confidence in attaining Buddhahood will be able to achieve it. She also encouraged us to make a vow to diligently dedicate ourselves to the path, and to have absolute faith in our ability to attain Buddhahood.

Next we visited the Odiyan Temple Mandala, which consists of the central Odiyan Temple surrounded by a lake with four bridges that lead to the lake's outer rim. While waiting outside for our group's turn to enter the Exhibit Hall, we noticed that, even though it had been a very sunny day, a beautiful rainbow-hued aureole had suddenly appeared around the sun. While we were admiring it excitedly, Master Samantha told us that our sincere chanting of the Padmasambhava Heart Mantra on our journey had brought this special manifestation from the Vajra Guru.

When the tour was over, we met Tarthang Tulku himself. Tarthang Tulku shook hand with every visitor and presented each of us with a copy of his book, Gesture of Balance. On behalf of the True Buddha Purple Lotus Society, Master Samantha made an offering to the Rinpoche. It was a pity that we had been requested beforehand not to bring any cameras or tape recorders, so we were not able to take a picture when Tarthang Tulku presented Master Samantha with a tangka of Buddha Shakyamuni woven in golden thread. Tarthang Tulku also asked Master Samantha where she was from and told her that this tangka was very precious, and never given casually to anyone. Since other visitors were waiting in line, we could only present the Rinpoche with a picture of Grand Master Lu and a copy of his translated work, Dharma Talks of a Living Buddha, before we had to move on.

On our way back, we stopped in Santa Rosa for dinner at the restaurant owned by Dharma brother Peter Hsiang. While Master Samantha led the group to perform a rite of Deliverance, Padmasambhava manifested to bless all of us. Master Samantha then instructed us to visualize Padmasambhava as the Deity this time, leading all animals to be reborn to a higher realm. Padmasambhava emitted a rainbow light, which enveloped the restaurant. When we learned this from Master, we were all very moved.

On the next evening, June 24th, during the regular daily group meditation at the Purple Lotus Society, Master Samantha again brought up the question posed to us by Padmasambhava at the Odiyan Vajra Temple, "Do you have confidence in attaining Buddhahood?"

Master Samantha said, "Of course, we have confidence. The Vajra Guru has asked us this question because he wishes us to become awakened and achieve realization. There will come one lifetime when one is bound to take up the spiritual path, and there will also come one lifetime when one is bound to become liberated. There is no other choice but this ultimate ascendancy.

"Indeed, it is no simple task to answer this question posed by Padmasambhava. As soon as this question is posed, we immediately think of all kinds of obstacles and how they have to be surmounted and eliminated. We realize that we are so frail. However, as it is we who are facing the obstacles, and not others, we must always be energetic regardless of the difficulties. Be always mindful and always chant mantras continually. Urge yourself to take hold of every moment to work vigorously towards the goal of Enlightenment. No matter how hard you work, you still have to reply, 'Yes, we are confident in attaining Buddhahood, whatever the lifetime or era.' This is a vow. 'I will attain Buddhahood, I will definitely attain Buddhahood, and I have decided to attain Buddhahood.' Just as in making the vow to be reborn to the Buddha's Pure Land, you must tell yourself, 'I have decided to be reborn to Sukhavati [Amitabha Buddha' Pure Land], and I must reborn to Sukhavati. There is no other road: only ascendancy and no descendance.' You have to remind yourself every day.

"That is why we should be grateful to Padmasambhava for constantly using this format of very ordinary dialogue to remind us, to inspire us, and to help us understand the nature of emptiness. When the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas pose questions to us, we cannot treat them as light conversation. We have to perceive their meaning on a deeper level, and immediately be awakened to the inherent nature of emptiness of the cosmos.

"Padmasambhava asked the question, 'Do you have confidence in attaining Buddhahood?' Of course, it is a very difficult path. How many kalpas pass before a Buddha is born? We are all Buddhas-to-be and there will come one lifetime when we will attain Buddhahood. Therefore I told Padmasambhava, 'Of course, I am confident.' Even though, after one becomes a Buddha, one still comes back to help. Even though one knows what a difficult path this is, one still vows to take it up. One must be firm in one's answer, 'Yes, I do.' Do not sound hesitant. Of course we are confident; otherwise, why are we devoting so much time to this task? Perseverance will prevail. Perhaps it will be tens of thousands of years before we will be like the Grand Master (Living Buddha Lian-sheng) and Padmasambhava, but today we have already taken the first step, and we have found our goal and orientation. Our goal is to have self-mastery and freedom, transcendence over life and death, and Enlightenment, the realization to our innate nature. This is attaining Buddhahood.

"So, Guru Padmasambhava, please bless us and use your transcendental power, rainbow light, and wisdom to help us and empower us. We, the disciples you have taught, truly want to dedicate ourselves today to spiritual work, but the karmic obscurations amassed throughout the realms of transmigration have covered up our Heart and Wisdom and incapacitated us. Please enter our dreams and inform us, so we may engender a stronger power, and bring forth all of the knowledge which you have once taught us. Take Grand Master, for example. He has recalled his memories from several lifetimes, which is why he was able to reach Buddhahood with such speed in this lifetime.

"Padmasambhava asks all of you to chant his Heart Mantra at least one hundred thousand times: Om-ah-hum, Be-ja Gu-ru Bei-ma, Siddhi, Hum, Seh. Practice the Padmasambhava Yoga on the tenth of this lunar month and repeat the practice every ten days, on the 20th and the 30th. When you finish 100,000 recitations of the Heart Mantra in one month, Padmasambhava will enter into your dreams. After finishing 100,000 recitations, continue the Padmasambhava Practice every lunar month on the tenth. This is to strengthen the magnetic force between you and him. When you pray to him for empowerment, he will enter into your dreams.

"We know that Padmasambhava has accomplished the Rainbow Body. Yesterday was a very bright and sunny day, with no rain. Yet, while we were at the Odiyan Temple, a very remarkable and beautiful rainbow manifested. That was Padmasambhava's promise to us. Padmasambhava appeared in the spiritual realm, and the surrounding celestial maidens, nagas, devas, and Dharma protectors sprinkled heavenly flowers, like floral rain, onto us, to help us and bless us. We have to be appreciative. We are students who are truly practicing the Buddhist Vajrayana. We can trace our lineage directly to Padmasambhava. As you may know, Padmasambhava is intimately related to the Grand Master (Living Buddha Lian-sheng.)"

On Tuesday, June 25th, 1996, the Purple Lotus Society held its regular Bardo Deliverance Ceremony. That evening the main deity invoked was Padmasambhava, and Master Samantha performed a dance of Deliverance mudra during the ceremony.

At the end of the ceremony, Master Samantha gave the following teaching, "During Samadhi, Padmasambhava asked me from the spiritual realm, 'Are there Buddhas?' I replied, 'Yes, of course there are Buddhas.' Buddhas have Pure Lands and forms, and we may perceive the illumination and empowerment of their Buddha Lights. But Padmasambhava repeated the question three more times, 'Are there Buddhas?' I then realized that, to unite with Emptiness, one must transcend all forms of conceptualization. 'Buddha is no Buddha, no Buddha is Buddha.' This experience and understanding of the realm and nature of Emptiness happens when one enters into the state of pure awareness. In conclusion, I wish that everyone attains Buddhahood soon."

Footnotes
[1] The original article was published in the California edition of the True Buddha News, Issue 109, July 1-14, 1996.