True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Adharma Buddha (Adi-Buddha)

【Adharma Buddha Mudra :】

Interlace the fingers inward. Straighten the thumbs and keep them touching.

【Adharma Buddha Seed Syllable :】

White Ah, Blue Hum, Wen

【Adharma Buddha Mantra :】

「Om。bie-zha。ah-da-er-ma。da-du。so-ha。」

【Adharma Buddha Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】

Blue Adharma Buddha has one face and two arms, and each hand holds a vajra scepter. He is adorned with precious ornaments and he is sitting in the full-lotus posture. He and Mahesvara Buddha Mother are embracing each other adorned with five-color jewelled crowns, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and precious hair garlands.They are solemn with the complete eight types of treasures. Their representation demonstrates the nine kinds of subtle and tranquil appearances.

Wen

White Mahesvara Buddha Mother is a sixteen years old youthful girl. She is slender. Her four limbs appear very soft and gentle. Her body is well-rounded, and her waist is thin. She is very distinct, splendid, dignified, and joyous.

Within each ray of light emitted by the Buddha Mother and Buddha Father there is a buddha. There is infinite light and an infinite number of buddhas. It is solemn and magnificent.

【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Adharma Buddha Background and Magnificence】

Adharma Buddha is supreme, the most venerable, the highest and the most sacred. He is the Ultimate Dharma Lord of all buddhas!

Adharma Buddha is the origin of all. In Sutrayana, he is called ”Samantabhadra Tathagata.” In Vajrayana he is called ”Dorje Chang.” In the Nyingma School he is called ”Adharma Buddha.” In the Kagyu School he is called ”Vajradhara.”

Adharma Buddha is the very first primordial buddha, the earliest buddha, and the sixteenth ground buddha. He is the buddha of buddhas.

He is primordial and original. In Buddhism he is supreme, the most venerable, the highest and the most sacred. He is the most saintly and the greatest.

Adharma Buddha is the same as Mahottara Heruka because Mahottara Heruka is the wrathful emanation of Adharma Buddha. These two deities have the same identity.

Adharma Buddha was the one who transmitted ”Great Perfection Practice.”

Vajradhara transmitted ”Mahamudra Practice.” Mahamudra, Great Perfection, Great Perfection Profound Wisdom, and Yamantaka practice all were transmitted by Vajradhara.

Adharma Buddha has many emanations. He emanated the Five Buddhas and the dharma prince of the Five Buddhas is Vajrasattva, the founder of Vajrayana. The lineage of Adharma Buddha is the greatest!

Adharma Buddha is originally without form. However, when he has form he is blue. Because the void is colored blue, we use the blue color of the void to symbolize the bodily form of Adharma Buddha and Vajradhara. All buddhas’ dignities are on this primordial buddha.

What is special about the Adharma Buddha is that at the end point of every ray of light he emits there is a buddha. Buddhas emanate in the light emitted by him, that is, there is a buddha appearing within every ray of light he emits. All buddhas, all bodhisattvas, all deities, dakinis and protectors are emanations of Adharma Buddha. There are 84,000 individual rays, and within each ray of light there is a buddha.This is really the greatest visualization.

Wen

One of Adharma Buddha’s mantra syllables is extremely important. There are very few people who know Adharma Buddha’s mantra syllables.

Originally there is transformation from the syllable ”Ah.” But within Adharma Buddha’s heart there is a syllable which is the syllable of his heart mantra. I always recite this syllable at every dharma ceremony.

The fundamental meaning of Adharma Buddha is that the very first buddha name in the High King Sutra is ”Pure Light Secret Buddha,” namely, Adharma Buddha.

The Buddha has said that all beings have the buddha nature, and it is written in the sutras that before taking birth from one’s parents, one is just the primordial great void, namely infinite, buddha-nature and emptiness. In the process of birth from one’s parents a spiritual light descends which transforms into ”qi” and the ”qi” then transforms into the physical body. Everyone knows there is a physical body, ”qi,” and ”shen,” but no one knows about this ”point of spiritual light.” They think that they are just born and then die and that this is all there is to life. But those who cultivate know that there is a ”point of spiritual light” and they know that this light can be cultivated back into the buddha-nature and one can thereby recognize one’s true face, cultivate back to one’s true face, restore to the primordial qi and return to Adharma Buddha.

Actually, in every thangka there is a round heaven and a square earth. There is a saying in Chinese ”Round heaven and square earth, nine levels of them, I chant today, this lifetime will be peaceful and healthy,” This ”circle within a square” is the emblem of Adharma Buddha. There is a circle within a square and in the very middle there is a ”dot.” The outer circle is the ”round heaven” and there is a square outside the circle. This is ”round heaven and square earth, nine levels of them I practice today and will return to the center.” (Editor’s note: Please reference ”Miraculous Talismans from Guru Lian-sheng,” Sheng-yen Lu’s Book 247, for the essence and the key meaning of Adharma Buddha)

Living Buddha Lian-sheng has said during his dharma talk that as long as one receives Adharma Buddha’s empowerment, learns his practice, and attains spiritual union with him, one will never again reincarnate into the three evil realms. One is also sure to attain buddhahood within seven lifetimes. He is the highest. There is none higher than him.

On Mar. 7, 2015, at Taiwan Lei Tsang Temple, Living Buddha Lian-sheng debuted the transmission of the essential meaning of Adharma Buddha’s ”16 Grounds.”

Adharma Buddha is the ”Buddha of the 16th Ground.” The meaning of the sixteen grounds is:
【Two Grounds of Empowerment】The original, primordial void is composed of ”no-thing.” The ”one dot” represents the outward flow from the primordial buddha, and having flowed outward, it flows back again, then outward, then back once again. This continuous cycle of flowing outward and inward, inward and outward is the ”two grounds.”

Practitioners receive empowerment in an instant. As long as you practice diligently, when you visualize the personal deity the personal deity will give you the blessing of an empowerment. Regardless of whether the blessing comes from one’s external or internal personal deity, it is all empowerment. The dharma flow into Vajrayana disciples is thus continuous and unending!

【Two Grounds of Dharma King】：

Adharma Buddha is the Ultimate Dharma Lord of All Dharmas. He is seen as supreme in the universe. The ”beginning and end” are equal, one and the same. Adharma Buddha is the entirety of the universe.

【Two Grounds of Child Innocence】

All children have child innocence. The totality of the dharma realms in all ten-directions is Adharma Buddha.

The entire universe as a whole is evolution. The realms of hell, hungry ghosts and animals are all emanations of Adharma Buddha. Everything finally ends up in tranquility and enters the great void. Everything is equal, equal.

【Two Grounds of Never Fall Back】

Adharma Buddha exists from the beginning. He does not fall back and he does not change. His body and mind are non-dual and don’t fall back; neither do they increase or decrease.

【Two Grounds of Righteous Mind】

Non-manifestation is emptiness. Manifestation is mind. Whether manifest or non-manifest it is still the great perfection of Adharma Buddha. ”Life” and ”death” are both just fine, both good. ”Life” and ”death” are the ”Two Grounds of Righteous Mind.”

【Two Grounds of Expedient Means】

If manifest it is ”expedient means.” If non-manifest, it is also ”expedient means.” This is the ”Two Grounds of Expedient Means.”

【Two Grounds of Wisdom】

Righteousness is wisdom and unrighteousness is also wisdom. One should therefore possess all-encompassing wisdom, righteous wisdom and unrighteous wisdom as well. Hence, buddha and devil are one and the same.

【Two Grounds of Secret】

The ”secret,” whether manifest or non-manifest, is the same.

Taken as a whole the above sixteen grounds are: Awakening! Enlightenment!

【Adharma Buddha Sadhana】

Start by praying for the root lineage blessing: First empty the mind. Next, visualize the Root Lineage Guru Living Buddha Lian-sheng appearing above your crown and radiating light on everyone present. Chant the Root Lineage Guru Heart Mantra 7 times. Pray to the Root Lineage Guru to empower you so that the practice will be auspicious.

Engender the Four Immeasurable Minds: Visualize your parents, children, relatives, friends, and enemies join you in this practice.

Wake-Up Call: Clap twice, then cross hands and snap thumbs and middle fingers.

Recite the Purification Mantras and Earth God Mantra
Recite the Invocation Mantra
Tender the Great Homage with Visualization
Mandala Offering
Fourfold Refuge
Armor Protection
Recite the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra (1 time).
Recite the Rebirth Mantra (7 times).
Recite the Root Guru’s Heart Mantra (108 times):
Om, gu-ru, lian-sheng sid-dhi hum
Mudra and Visualization
Adharma Buddha Mudra : Interlace the fingers inward. Straighten the thumbs and keep them touching.
Illustration of mudra:
Visualization: First empty the mind
Chant the Emptiness Mantra:
Om, si-ba-wa, su-da, sa-er-wa, da-er-ma, si-ba-wa, su-do-hang. (3 times)
Seed Syllable: White Ah, Blue Hum, Wen

White Ah

(1) Visualize in the void a white syllable「」”ah” transforming into a blue syllable 「」”hum,” which, within a moment, transforms into blue Adharma Buddha, the principle deity. Adharma Buddha has one face and two arms. Each the arm holds a vajra scepter. He is stately and dignified, adorned with precious jewels and he sits in full-lotus position.

Blue Hum

In an instant, the syllable 「」”wen” in the center of the buddha father’s heart emits great light. The light returns onto the crossed legs of the Buddha Father and transforms into Mahesvara Buddha Mother.

The two deities embrace each other. Each of the two deities wears a five-color jewelled crown, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and a precious hair garland. They are solemn with the complete eight types of treasures.

Wen

Their representation encompasses nine kinds of subtle and tranquil appearances: slender, four delicate limbs, well-rounded, fine and straight waist, youthful, distinct, splendid, dignified and joyous.

(2) The key points of this visualization are:
For the outer appearance, visualize a buddha appearing at the endpoint of every light ray emitted from the Buddha Father and Mother. The lights are infinite and in a thousand colors, and the buddhas are countless and are of a thousand different types.
Internally, visualize oneself as the syllable 「」”wen” which then transforms to Adharma Buddha and his Buddha Mother.

Recite the Adharma Buddha Heart Mantra (108 times):
Om。bie-zha。ah-da-er-ma。da-dou。so-ha。
Entering Samadhi
Emerging from Samadhi
Recite the Principal Heart Mantras
Recite the Buddha’s Name (3 times)
Namo the 36 trillion 119 thousand and 500 Amitabha Buddhas.
Dedication
Recite the Hundred Syllable Mantra (3 times)
Tender the Great Homage with Visualization (same as step 3)
Recite the Completion Mantra
Om, Bu Lin. (3 times)
Om Mani Padme Hum.