【Surupakaya Tathagata Mudra :】
Open both palms facing outward. Form a circle with the right thumb and the right index finger while leaving all the remaining fingers straight up.
【Surupakaya Tathagata Seed Syllable :】
Su (gold in color)
【Surupakaya Tathagata Mantra :】
「Namo-su-lu-pa-ya。da-ta-ga-da-ya。」
【Surupakaya Tathagata Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】
The appearance of Surupakaya Tathagata is similar to Amitabha Buddha. He wears kasaya and sits in the lotus position upon a thousand-petaled lotus seat. He looks compassionately upon sentient beings. Both his palms face outward with all fingers straight up except that the right thumb and the right index finger form a circle.
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Surupakaya Tathagata Background and Magnificence】
Surupakaya Tathagata is one of the seven Tathagatas (Namo Prabhutaratna Tathagata, Namo Ratnaketu Tathagata, Namo Surupakaya Tathagata, Namo Vipulakāya Tathagata, Namo Abhayaṃkara, Namo Amrtaraja Tathagata, and Namo Amitbha Tathagata.)
A scripture says, ”Buddhists who hear the name of Surupakaya will not be ugly. All of their sense organs will be fully functional and complete. They will have a pleasing and perfect appearance. They will be the most extraordinary and dignified in heaven and the human realm. The blessing received from reciting the name of Surupakaya Tathagata can obliterate the ugly ghost form so one may obtain a perfect appearance.”
What kind of Tathagata is Surupakaya Tathagata? He can put back together bodies that have been torn to pieces. Surupakaya Tathagata is needed to help restore the torn up body back to its original appearance and in a wonderful form. Hence the Tathagata’s name is Surupakaya Tathagata. This is an important point. Without the help of Surupakaya Tathagata not only would their bardo bodies remain fragmented, their souls would also still be fragmented. As a result, they would be in a state of complete and utter disarray.
Therefore it is necessary for Surupakaya Tathagata to be present at the Homa in order to restore their bodies one by one so that they can go through the homa fire to purify themselves and have a feast prior to being delivered to the Pure Land.
Within the Yoga Flaming Mouth there are many deities and each deity has his own area of responsibility. The duty of Surupakaya Tathagata is to renew and refine a being’s form so that the soul can be reborn in the Buddhist Pure Land.
The transformations of Surupakaya Tathagata are infinite. Surupakaya Tathagata radiated the seven treasures light on beings of the netherworld. Regardless whether they are in the realms of Hungry Ghost, Hell, or Animal, many of those beings whose bodies were inferior, partial or handicapped all transformed into solemn and dignified appearance as heavenly beings after Surupakaya Tathagata’s seven treasures light radiated on them. Surupakaya Tathagata has several functions. From now on, when we need to do significant bardo deliverance, we must have a tablet for Surupakaya Tathagata.
The younger brother of Living Buddha Lian-sheng committed suicide. His ghost followed his mother when she came to the residence of Living Buddha Lian-sheng in America. One night he appeared three times and prayed to Living Buddha Lian-sheng to treat his ”throat.” Living Buddha Lian-sheng applied the secret practice of Surupakaya Tathataga which enabled his younger brother, through the supplement of ”qi,” to speak through his throat again. This method did cure him which was truly wonderful.
Once this story got out the whole netherworld knew my name. Many suicide ghosts came for treatment. My home turned into a clinic for suicide ghosts. The ghosts who committed suicide by taking poison came for treatment of the viscera; by jumping off a building, for disabled limbs; by hanging, for throat; by carbon monoxide poisoning, for brain; by drowning, for lungs, etc. (Note: The above true spiritual story was excerpted from the article of A Clinic for Suicide Ghosts of Living Buddha Lian-sheng Book 226, Open Your Heart to Faith.)