True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Marici Bodhisattva
【Marici Mudra :】
Interlace the little fingers and ring fingers inward. Hook the middle fingers over the tips of the index fingers and touch the thumbs together side by side.
【Marici Seed Syllable :】
Sanskrit Syllable Mo
Mo (Gold in color)
【Marici Mantra :】
「Om。mo-li-zhi-yu(yi)。so-ha。」
【Marici as a Bodhisattva Dharmalaksana Brief Introduction】
Marici Bodhisattva
Marici Bodhisattva wears red celestial garments and her body is elegantly adorned with various precious jewels and ornaments.
Marici has three faces with three eyes on each face, and eight arms (the left hands hold: a lasso, a bow, an ashoka branch, and a thread; the right hands hold: a vajra sceptre, a needle, a hook, and an arrow).
The kindly and dark yellow front face of the three faces is smiling, with the eyes open and the lips as red as vermilion. This face represents courage and self-mastery. The right face is dark red in color, as perfect as the full autumn moon, the color of a lotus, emitting supreme light, affable, and with the looks of a young girl; the left face is like a boar, ugly and wrathful, protruding fangs, dark blue in color, frowning eyebrows, and with the tongue lolling out. This face is so wrathful it terrifies whoever sees it. The bodhisattva is either sitting or standing on a war chariot drawn by golden pigs.
【Marici as a celestial maiden Dharmalaksana Brief Introduction :】
Marici is either sitting or standing on a lotus seat, the left hand holds a celestial fan like the one held by the celestial maiden before Vimalakirti. The right arm is hanging downward while the hand forms the Wish-fulfilling Mudra with the palm facing outward. Marici is wearing white celestial garments. One may also visualize that a goddess holding a white whisk is standing on each side of her.
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Marici Background and the Key Cultivation Formula】
Marici Bodhisattva is an emanation of Vairocana Buddha. The ”self mastery of invisibility” is one of her great supernatural powers. She is part of the retinue of Indra and she always accompanies Surya, travelling in front of him at great speed.
Marici is a great Vajra and protector of the True Buddha School. Marici is also called the ”Battling Courageously Vajra”or the ”Power Showing Vajra.” She has tremendous power and is utterly indomitable. This bodhisattva is a deity of war. Those who cultivate the practice of Marici will be unconquerable, undefeatable in battle, will have the awe-inspiring power of an invincible lion king, and will be courageous and unrivaled. When I (Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-Yen Lu) encountered dangers in the past Marici protected me and saved me. That is why, to this day, I am safe and unscathed.
Marici is in charge of the Big Dipper Constellation, the Twenty-eight Mansions, Thirty-six Heavenly Spirits, Seventy-two Earthly Fiends, Sky Canopy, Surya, and Candradeva. She is in charge of all stars, ghosts, and gods, and she is therefore called ”Hair Star Lord.”
In Taoism, Marici is called ”Goddess of the Big Dipper” whereas in Vajrayana she is called ”Marici Bodhisattva.” Marici is also worshipped in Brahmanism where she is called ”Maricideva.” In Japan Marici is the most highly revered deity of Shingon Buddhism. Marici is the patriarch of the Ninjas,whose mudra is the Marici mudra. All the Japanese Ninjas worship Marici.
Marici has ”Carved Image” practice which provides protection and eliminates disasters.
In the Carved Image practice, one can carve an image of Marici in any kind of material, which may be one, two, or three inches in height. This practice is especially for eradicating all kinds of disasters or calamities. The carved image can eradicate misfortunes caused by:
Sovereign authorities;
Stealing, such as robbery and thievery;
Travel, going out, going on trips, riding in boats, riding in planes;
Earth, water, fire, and wind;
Armed actions;
Demons and evil spirits, being in conflict with them;
Poisons and toxins;
Wild beasts;
Enemies, evil people. Although they especially seek to harm you, they will not succeed.
It is written in the Marici Sutra that ”Marici always travels in front of the sun. This Marici is invisible, can never be captured, can never be deceived, can never be bound, can never be owed, and can never be taken advantage of by enemies.”
It is also written that ”Marici will protect one while one is travelling and also when one is not. She will protect one during the day and night, and when one is in the midst of evil persons or enemies. She will protect one when one is threatened by sovereign authority or when one is harassed by thieves. She will protect one at all places and at all times.”
”The Buddha discoursed to the Bhikshus that all mishaps will be eradicated if one writes the sutra out by hand, recites the sutra, or truly understands the meaning of the sutra, and always carries the sutra in one’s hair or clothing.”
Offerings for ”Battling Courageously Vajra” homas should include two implements which symbolize ”Battling Courageously Vajra:” the bow and the arrow. In terms of ”arrow” offerings, one will not offer iron arrows since iron won’t burn in the homa furnace. The arrows should be made of paper. Then, cast the paper arrows and bows one has made into the furnace to be burned. The bows and arrows symbolize ”Battling Courageously.” However, one must not make offerings of pork to her because pigs are her pets. One will be miserable if one makes this offering by mistake.
One may draw whatever implements the deities holds in their hands on a piece of white paper and cast it into the homa burner as an offering to the deity. Once burned, the drawings transform into the deity’s implements. I’m making a special point of telling you this today. The offerings one makes do indeed make a difference.
One must not belittle Marici. Her heavenly realm is indestructible. It is the evolution of ten vajra hearts entering into the firm and enduring holy region. It is a heavenly realm of non-duality. One should revere and honor Marici, make offerings to her and pray to her. Recite Marici’s mantra until attaining spiritual union with her, then recite ”Om Marici commands XXX accomplished successfully so-ha.” In this way, one can accomplish anything and everything!
Marici can make herself invisible. With this ”Invisibility Practice” she is bold and powerful. As disciples we should cultivate Marici for the reason that no one can bully or take advantage of Marici. One who cultivates her dharma will never be insulted, bullied, or robbed. No one can defeat Marici. By cultivating the Marici Practice, one will be victorious when faced with significant setbacks. She will definitely fulfill the wishes of sentient beings.
One should recite the mantra ”Om。mo-li-zhi-yu。so-ha。” at least 100,000 to 300,000 times. After that, one’s dharma practices will be effective. As long as one attains spiritual response, one will be able to accomplish everything successfully. By cultivating the Marici Practice, one will triumph in everything one undertakes.
Not only is Marici in charge of all the heavens, she is also in charge of all netherworld beings. She is therefore the ”King” of all spiritual beings. This is her secret. In 1999, in Seattle, Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu taught the highly secret ”Obtaining Assistance from 100 Spirits Practice.” Through this practice the power of one person can be transformed into the power of 100. As a result, one can exercise unlimited power. It is a very, very precious practice. But can this dharma be cultivated by anyone? That all depends, of course, on whether one has a great heart and intends to broadly save sentient beings. This dharma practice is an uncommon practice of the True Buddha School. This dharma will only be transmitted to selected disciples.
True Buddha School Living Buddha Dharma King Sheng-yen Lu has previously transmitted the ”Marici Uncommon Practice,” ”Invisibility Practice,” ”Anti-drowsiness Practice,” ”Body Protection Mudra Practice,” ”Carved Image Calamity Eradication Practice,” ”Sewing Up an Enemy’s Eyes and Mouth Practice,” ”Illness Eradication Practice,” ”Obtaining an Object Practice,” ”Obtaining Assistance From 100 Spirits Practice” etc.