True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Yamantaka
True Buddha School Root Guru Living Buddha Lian-sheng will hold the Yamantaka Fire Homa Ceremony at Rainbow Temple 3pm on Jun 21, 2015.
【Yamantaka Mudra :】
Interlace fingers inward and straighten both middle fingers. Arc the middle fingers with the fingertips touching to form a circle.
【Yamantaka Seed Syllable :】
Hum (blue in color)
【Yamantaka Mantra :】
Root Mantra: 「Om。ya-ma-da-ka。hum-pei。」
Heart Mantra:「Om。chu-li。ka-la-lu-pa。hum-kan。so-ha。」
Vajra Mantra: 「Om。ya-ma-da-ka。hum-pei。om。chu-li。ka-la-lu-pa。hum-kan。so-ha。」
【Yamantaka Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】
Yamantaka (Du Xiung Yamantaka) has one face, two arms and two legs (left leg straight and right leg bent). In the right hand he holds a battle-ax and in the left hand he holds the crown of a skull. His body is blue and black in color. His fiery hair stands straight up and his facial expression is angry. He stands on a lotus flower with both legs in a forward lunging position.
Yamantaka also appears with six faces, six arms, six legs and riding on a green water buffalo. Other images include 9 faces, 34 arms, and 16 legs. When he is depicted with 32 faces and 36 arms he is called the 13-Deity Yamantaka.
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma talk – Yamantaka Background and the Dharma Benefits of Yamantaka Cultivation】
Yamantaka is Amitabha’s wheel of injunction, also called ”Ji Jie Duo Jie.” He is one of the five major vajra protectors transformed from the Five Dhyani Buddhas.
He is the emanation of Manjushri Bodhisattva and is also called ”Bu Wei Vajra” or ”Wei De Vajra.” His Sanskrit name is ”Yamantaka” which means ”vanquishing all evils.” His other names are Overcoming Death, Yamantaka Wrathful King, The Conquering Yamaraja Deity, etc. In the Garbhadhatu Mandala this deity is located in the Hall of the Wisdom Kings and to the left of the Prajna Bodhisattva.
Yamantaka is the dharma protector of Tsongkhapa, the patriarch of the Gelug School. He is also the root dharma protector of True Buddha School Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu.
Regarding the background of Yamantaka, according to the legends of Tibet there lived Yamaraja. This Yamaraja had a buffalo head with horns and a human body. He harmed many people. However, by entering the samadhi of Yamaraja, Manjushri Bodhisattva transformed his appearance into a buffalo head and human body to become Yamantaka who then defeated Yamaraja. For this reason Yamantaka is also called ”The Yamaraja Conquering Deity.” Therefore, the mantra of Yamantaka is ”Om。chu-li。ka-la-lu-pa。hum-kan。so-ha。”
The mantra can also be ”Om。chu-li。ka-la-lu-pa。hum-kan。so-ha。 om。ya-ma-da-ka。 hum-pei。”
In addition, the mantra ”Om。 ah-la-ba-zha-na-di。” can be added in front of ”Om。chu-li。ka-la-lu-pa。hum-kan。so-ha。 om。ya-ma-da-ka。hum-pei。” This represents the series of events whereby Manjushri Bodhisattva transformed into Yamantaka and defeated Yamaraja.
Yamantaka looks solemn and very dignified. He has six faces, six arms, and six feet. He is also depicted with nine faces, thirty-four arms, and sixteen feet. Another image with thirty-two faces and thirty-six arms and with one of his hands forming the Tarjani mudra is referred to as ”13-Deity Yamantaka” meaning many faces, arms, and feet.
Yamantaka has really tremendous dharma power.
In Tibetan Vajrayana, Yamaraja has two horns and looks like a buffalo. In Tibetan Vajrayana Yamaraja, who rides a buffalo, has horns, and holds a staff, may be mistaken for Yamantaka. Although they look alike, Yamantaka is Yamantaka and Yamaraja is Yamaraja. The Eastern Vajrayana depiction of Yamantaka is slightly different from Tibetan Vajrayana. However, we take Tibetan Vajrayana’s Yamantaka as the primary Vidyaraja.
The nine faces of Yamantaka represent Mahayana’s nine sutras; the thirty-four arms plus the body, speech, and mind represent being proficient in the Thirty-seven Factors of the Path; the sixteen legs represent full awareness of the Sixteen Emptinesses; and the wrathful Vajra flames represent the compassion and purity resulting from subjugation.
Yamantaka has a blue and black body. He is very large and wrapped in flames. His furiously wrathful appearance enables him to destroy and subdue all demons and fierce dragons. He is able to eradicate all karmic obstructions and terrify all demons. The command of Yamantaka carries great power. It can perform purification, enhancement, harmonization and subjugation. It can also subdue the four maras, Devaputra mara, Skanda mara, Klesa mara, and Mrtyu mara. Therefore, his power is equal to buddha’s.
One who cultivates the Yamantaka Sadhana will find that the practice will be accomplished more easily if one begins with ”Manjushri Bodhisattva Practice.” This is because Manjushri Bodhisattva is the root of Yamantaka, which is Manjusri’s one single mind with two emanations. By beginning with Manjusri Practice and gaining accomplishment in it one strengthens the foundation that leads to buddhahood and one will naturally have a deeper, more profound affinity with Yamantaka. Then, by practicing the Vajra Sadhana, one will be able to quickly attain spiritual union with Yamantaka. Also, to cultivate the Yamantaka Sadhana, one must learn ”Zhuan Fa.” In ”Zhuan Fa” one forms the mudra of the wheel of injunction of Yamantaka, stands straight on the right leg then lifts and rotates the bent left leg while transforming from angry mind to wrathful appearance. There is immeasurable merit in this practice. Those with hatred and desire for revenge will be unable to harm the practitioner, and all ghosts and spirits will have to obey his orders.
The purpose of engaging in Vajra practices is to subjugate devils and evil spirits and to protect one from harm by evil persons. Demons are especially afraid of the great power of the Yamantaka Sadhana practice. Yamantaka’s power and instruction are first among all the Vajra practices. Since whoever cultivates this practice will attain Buddhahood, the ”Yamantaka Sadhana” is the highest practice of the Gelug School.
Amitabha, Manjushri, Yamantaka, and Yamaraja are serially connected as one system.
Since Amitabha is the principal deity of Living Buddha Lian-sheng, naturally Yamantaka is Living Buddha Lian-sheng’s dharma protector. In the past, when he was the King of White Lotus during the Shambhala era, Manjushri was the father of Living Buddha Lian-sheng and the grandfather of Living Buddha Lian-sheng was Amitabha. That was the succession. In addition, Yamantaka was transformed from Manjushri after Manjusri entered the body of Yamaraja.
【The honorable lineage for True Buddha School’s Yamantaka Sadhana】
The honorable lineage for True Buddha School’s Yamantaka Sadhana: Thubten Nyima – Thubten Dali – Thubten Dargye – Thubten Qimo. Thubten Qimo is Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu.
Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu’s Yamantaka Sadhana originated from the Patriarch Thubten Nyima.
【All cultivators should respect and comply with theTrue Buddha School Yamantaka Sadhana Special Notes as follows:】
Yamantaka is transformed from the ”wind” of the four elements of ”earth, water, fire and wind” and is also transformed from the ”yang” syllable of the three syllable mantra ”rang, yang, kang.” Therefore, anyone with the surname ”Yang” can receive the empowerment and listen to the dharma talk but may not practice the Yamantaka Sadhana.
When practicing Yamantaka Sadhana, cultivators must conscientiously abide by the precepts. If one has seriously violated the monastic discipline or five precepts, one may not practice the Yamantaka Sadhana until one has engaged in Vajrasattva repentance by chanting the Vajrasattva Hundred Syllable Mantra twenty-one times. One may resume the Yamantaka practice when one has received auspicious signs from one’s repentance practice.
To cultivate the Yamantaka Sadhana, one must be of the highest moral integrity and character and must observe the Samaya Pledge.