(Book 223 Stories of Supreme Spiritual Responses《無上殊勝的感應》「2012年9月9日彩虹雷藏寺開示」)
(A dharma discourse given by His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-sheng on September 9, 2012 at Rainbow Temple, North Bend, Washington, U.S.A.)
Translated by Janny Chow
A US Daden Culture Publication
First of all, let us pay homage to our lineage gurus: Reverend Liaoming, Acharya Sakya Zhengkong (Dezhung Rinpoche), the Sixteenth Karmapa, and Guru Thubten Daerchi. Homage to the Triple Jewels at the shrine, and homage to the deity of today’s fire offering, the Five Jambhalas.
Shimu, masters, senior instructors, reverends, instructors, dharma assistants, directors of local chapters, fellow students, and also students across the internet. We have a very special honored guest today, John Hoag. He is an attendant of Chatral Rinpoche. Chatral Rinpoche is currently the highest spiritual leader in the Nyingma order. John Hoag is a translator for many incarnate Tibetan rinpoches visiting the United States. He himself is also a Tantrayana cultivator and a recognized tulku. His guru is the Sixteenth Karmapa, and since I am also a student of the Sixteenth Karmapa, we are dharma brothers. John Hoag is also a student of Kalu Rinpoche as well as Dezhung Rinpoche. Dezhung Rinpoche is Acharya Sakya Zhengkong. Therefore, John Hoag and Grand Master are dharma brothers. [audience applause] We would like to thank him for attending this dharma ceremony.
Our other honored guests are: dharma sister Xie Mingfang, a representative of the Republic of China based in Seattle and a community consultant, dharma sister Teresa and her husband, Dr. Zhuang Jingyao, Dr. Zhou Heng, and dharma sister Xu Yaqi, the producer of the Zhong Tian television program “Light up the Lamp in your Heart.”
Good afternoon, everyone. Today is quite a rare occasion as we have not conducted any Jambhala ceremonies in a long time. In general, Jambhala fire offerings are well attended. Today’s attendance and the number of people signing up as main supplicants have surpassed numbers in the past. As the economy is weak now, we hope the Five Jambhalas will bless everyone, enable assets to increase, and fulfill the wishes of those who deserve to have overtime work, increased salaries, factory orders, and increased business. In our present economy, those chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum” may sometimes find themselves chanting “Om Money Coming Home.” In the human world, money and resources are necessary. Resources are needed for cultivation and this is especially true in Tantrayana practice. Setting up a Tantrayana altar requires money. Many of the statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are decorated in gold, silver, and jewels. In ancient times, there was a saying: Tantrayana practitioners are rich and Zen practitioners are poor. What this implied was that one needed resources in order to pursue Tantrayana practices.
(to be continued)
