True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Mahapratisara
【Mahapratisara Mudra :】 Sacred Case Mudra
Open the left palm facing up, and right palm facing down. Close the both palms together as a sutra-holding case.
Sacred Case Mudra
Guru Demo Mahapratisara Mudra (English Subtitled)
【Mahapratisara Eight Mudras :】
Mahapratisara Eight Mudras
The First Mudra: Inner Five-prong Mudra
Place the palms together. Bend both ring fingers while keeping the tips of the middle and little fingers touching, the index fingers apart and the thumbs touching side by side.
The Second Mudra: Kalachakra Mudra
Open both palms vertically and facing inward. Place the right palm on top of the left palms and interlace the fingers. Bend the thumbs toward each other and touch the thumb tips.
The Third Mudra: Yamantaka Mudra
Interlace all the fingers inward. Straighten and arc the middle fingers with the fingertips touching.
The Fourth Mudra: Ushnishavijaya Mudra
Place the palms together. Bend the index fingers and touch the thumb tips together while keeping the thumbs touching side by side.
The Fifth Mudra: Three-prong Mudra
Place the palms together. Bend the little fingers and touch the nails of the little fingers with the thumbs.
The Sixth Mudra: Single-prong Mudra
Interlace all the fingers outward. Straighten the ring and the little fingers. Keep the tips of the ring fingers touching while crossing the little finger.
The Seventh Mudra: Akasagarbha Mudra
Interlace all the fingers inward. Straighten the index fingers. Arc the index fingers with the tips touching while the thumbs are straightened and touching side by side.
The Eighth Mudra: Sacred Case Mudra
Open the left palm facing up, and right palm facing down. Close the both palms together as a sutra-holding case.
This is also the Mahapratisara mudra.
【Mahapratisara Seed Syllable :】
Seed Syllable Bo-la
【Mahapratisara Mantra :】
「Om。ma-ha-bo-la-di。sa-lao。so-ha。」
【Mahapratisara Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】
Mahapratisara in great fearless form wears a jewelled crown and has eight arms. The body of Mahapratisara is dark yellow. Her top left hand holds a lotus and on top of the lotus is a flaming golden wheel. The other three left hands hold in sequence a sacred case, a banner and a lasso. Her top right hand holds a five-pronged vajra scepter The remaining right hands hold sequentially a halberd, a sword, and a kartika. Mahapratisara is sitting atop a lotus.
Homage to Mahapratisara Bodhisattva
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Mahapratisara Background and Key Cultivation Formula】
Guru Performs Mahapratisara Mudra
Mahapratisara, Pratisara for short, is a transformation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Mahapratisara is a deity in the court of Guanyin in the Garbhadhatu mandala of Vajrayana and has the Vajrayana name ”Wish Granting Vajra.”
The bodhisattva Mahapratisara always fulfills the wishes of sentient beings. Whatever you may wish, Mahapratisara provides that for you. Mahapratisara is therefore referred to as the ”Great Wish Fulfilling Bodhisattva.” She is also known as the ”Great Vidyaraja” because the foremost characteristic of Mahapratisara is that she manifests the most immense and glory brilliance. Within the sphere of buddhism, in both Sutrayana and Vajrayana, Mahapratisara is an unusual and extraordinary bodhisattva. Very few people, however, know of ”Mahapratisara.”
The most important merits of Mahapratisara are expressed in the ”Mahapratisara Great Liberation Dharani” mantra. Chapter 3 of the sutra, Pratisara Spiritual Responses, records all kinds of spiritual responses with Mahapratisara. By hearing, chanting, reading, writing, or propagating the Mahapratisara Dharani one earns the merits of passing through fire without getting burned, never able to be poisoned, subjugation of one’s enemies, breaking out of confinement in prison, and never in harm’s way of dragons and fishes. Subsequently, one will have peace and happiness and not be subjected to hardships and difficulties by the king, etc..
Concerning her efficacious spiritual responses, according to the Mahapratisara Dharani Sutra of Universal Illumination Supreme Wish Fulfilling Mudra Unconquerable Vidyaraja, while Rahula was still in the womb of Yashodhara in Kapila-Vastu his mother threw herself into a fiery pit. Because Rahula had the dharani in mind he converted the fiery pit into a lotus pond. Additionally, the king of the Magadha wished for sons but did not have any for a long time. His wish was finally fulfilled after his wife wore this dharani sutra around her neck.
Mahapratisara is called the ”Great Fulfiller of Wishes” because she is a bodhisattva who fulfills wishes. Although the teaching of the buddhadharma is, in essence, ”no-desire” or ”without desires,” the bodhisattva, out of compassion, still fulfills the desires and wishes of sentient beings. As fulfilling wishes is the greatest compassionate vow of this bodhisattva, she is called the ”Great Fulfiller of Wishes.”
Ordinary, worldly beings all have wishes and desires. Having wishes and desires is the common denominator of all people. Having desires is just the nature of people. Therefore, Mahapratisara Vidyaraja is compassionate toward ordinary samsaric beings, and the deity ”Mahapratisara” manifests in order to realize the compassion of the bodhisattva.
Mahapratisara Eight Mudras
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Specially transmitted the ”Eight Mudras of Mahapratisara” – Inner Five-prong Mudra, Kalachakra Mudra, Yamantaka Mudra, Ushnishavijaya Mudra, Three-prong Mudra, Single-prong Mudra, Akasagarbha Mudra, and Sacred Case Mudra. This is the key formula: After completing these eight mudras it is very important to remember to rub the hands together three times and then clap three times.
By doing this, Mahapratisara will immediately hear your wishes and prayers within her mind. Rubbing your hands together three times touches Mahapratisara’s heart and clapping your hands three times creates spiritual resonance for your wishes and prayers. You should form the mudra and recite the mantra ” Om。ma-ha-ben-la-di。sa-lao。so-ha。” every time you pray to Mahapratisara Vidyaraja.
Homage to Mahapratisara
Mahapratisara is not to be taken lightly, and one shouldn’t make prayers to her without careful consideration. Mahapratisara has tremendous dharma power and can fulfill the wishes of sentient beings. However, one must weigh one’s wishes and prayers so that they are appropriate for oneself. Wishes and prayers to Mahapratisara should not be made lightly and without proper consideration.
If you expect your wishes and prayers to come true in reality then you must wholeheartedly adhere to the precepts and discipline of Mahapratisara and the buddhadharma. By so doing, your wishes and prayers will come true.
By providing the teaching of Mahapratisara Living Buddha Lian-sheng hopes that everyone’s wishes will be completely fulfilled. As a result everyone will be perfectly content and will proceed onward to ”no-desire” and ultimately ”without any desire.” In this way one will succeed in cultivation and attain buddhahood.