True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Seven Lucky Gods

【Seven Lucky Gods Mudra :】

 

Place your palms back to back with the right wrist on top of the left. Cross index fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers and little fingers. Straighten both thumbs upright.

【Seven Lucky Gods Seed Syllable :】

 

 

 

 

【Seven Lucky Gods Mantra :】

「Om。ma-ha-ka-la-ya。so-ha。」

【Seven Lucky Gods Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】

The Seven Lucky Gods are on a large treasure ship sailing on an ocean. The ship is loaded with innumerable treasures such as gold, silver, precious jewels, and bags of rice. The ship also carries the Seven Lucky Gods; Ebisu, the Goddess of Eloquence, Vaishravana, Longevity Elder, Fu-lu-shou, Mahakala, and Budai Monk.

Ebisu is the god of commerce. His smiling face imparts blessings for business prosperity. He wears hunting clothes with his right hand holding a fishing pole and his left arm embracing a large-headed fish.

Vaishravana is a celestial god of fortune. He wears armor while holding a pagoda in one hand and a halberd in the other.

The Goddess of Eloquence is the only goddess amongst the seven lucky gods. She is a master musician and expresses herself eloquently and with ease. She wears an eight-lotus crown and embraces a pipa.
Fu-lu-shou is the god of luck, prosperity, and longevity. He looks like the Chinese Nanji Immortal God. He holds a cane and is often accompanied by a white crane.

Longevity Elder is a god of longevity. He is the emanation of Lao Zi of Taoism. He has a thin face and long beard. His hand holds a cane and he is often accompanied by a deer.
Mahakala is the god who creates opportunities and attracts good fortune. He dispels evil gods and protects one’s safety. He wears a black headscarf. He carries a cloth bag over his shoulder while in his hand he holds a hammer that can knock out infinite fortunes.
Budai Monk is a god supremely fortunate and auspicious. He is fat with a large belly and reclines while holding a big cloth bag in his hand.

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

The Seven Lucky Gods do not have a strong relationship with Japan. In the Seven Lucky Gods, only Ebisu truly belongs among the local Japanese Earth Gods. The other six lucky gods are all Chinese deities.

First deity, Ebisu, is a Japanese Earth God.

2nd, Goddess of Eloquence, namely Sarasvati, also called the Goddess of Accomplishments, is the only goddess of the Seven Lucky Gods.

3rd, Vaishravana is the Northern Heavenly King of Learning, one of China’s Four Heavenly Kings.

The fourth is Fu-lu-shou. In Taiwan, when we speak of Fu-lu-shou, we mean three Gods. However, now we have them combined into one god in the form of Immortal God Nanji.

The fifth deity is Longevity Elder who actually is the Lao Zi of China. Lao Zi is the founder of Taoism and has a very high status. Lord Lao Zi together with Primordial Celestial Venerable and Lord Tongtian, are the three great patriarchs of Taoism. One of them, Longevity Elder, became one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods.

The sixth one is Mahakala of Tibetan Vajrayana. In Tibet, Mahakala is an extremely fierce vajra protector, but in Japan, he is very benevolent. He is one of the Seven Lucky Gods and carries a hammer. What is the meaning behind this hammer? It means that one can use the hammer to ”hammer out” more money.

The seventh of the Seven Lucky Gods is Budai Monk, the incarnation of Maitreya Buddha. He has a big belly and a smiling face.

The mission of the Seven Lucky Gods is to practice the path of accumulation and pray for lucky rewards in the world. By practicing the path of accumulation they help everyone first have sufficient wealth, provisions, merits, health, longevity, art, eloquence, music … , and all these can save sentient beings.
In other words one with money is able to save sentient beings; the same goes for the one with a healthy body and longevity. This is the meaning behind the Seven Lucky Gods, first take care of the mundane and then deal with the supramundane.

Therefore we practice the path of accumulation first, then the path of initial application, the path of seeing, the path of cultivation, and finally the path of the absolute. Buddhist cultivation has these five steps and the very first is the path of accumulation. Everything under the jurisdiction of the Seven Lucky Gods belongs to the path of accumulation.

The seven holy assets in Buddhism are supramundane and also called dharma assets.
The first of these seven dharma assets is the ”asset of faith,” meaning that as long as one has faith in Buddhism, one gains one of the seven assets.
After faith, when one:

Abides by the precepts – this is asset of the precept discipline.
Repents for mistakes made in the past – this is called the Repentance asset.
Shows sincere remorse for transgressions and starts over – this is the asset of shame.
Has heard of Buddhadharma – this expresses the asset of learning.
Has carried out charitable deeds this is the asset of charity.
Has gained buddha wisdom – this is the wisdom asset.

These seven dharma assets are from the ”Dharmapada.”

The ”Seven Lucky Gods Sadhana” personally transmitted by Living Buddha Lian-sheng Dharma King Sheng-yen Lu is as follows:

• The mudra is the Mahakala mudra, and the mantra is the Mahakala mantra, ”Om。 ma-ha-ka-la-ya。 so-ha。” as the mantra of the Seven Lucky Gods.
• Regardless if one is practicing Taoism or Buddhism, one must know the so called Three Dantians and Three Palaces. The upper dantian is at eyebrow chakra, the middle dantian, heart chakra, and the lower dantian, navel chakra. This is so called Three Dantians and Three Palaces.
• Visualize Ebisu on the practitioner’s crown, the Goddess of Eloquence and Vaishravana in the upper Dantian, Longevity Elder and Fu-lu-shou in the heart chakra, and Mahakala and the Budai Monk under the navel chakra.
• After clearly visualizing the above, one forms the Mahakala mudra. When entering Samadhi, one continues to visualize where each of the Seven Lucky Gods is in one’s body, which is the greatest key cultivation formula.
• Knowing the visualization, the mudra, and the mantra constitutes a Vajrayana practice.

This practice was transmitted by the Seven Lucky Gods who descended and taught me in person. Upper Palace means Upper Dantian, Middle Palace, Middle Dantian, and Lower Palace, Lower Dantian. None is larger or smaller.

I too have an affinity with the Seven Lucky Gods, who have descended into my body seven times because of my presiding over this ceremony. They taught me in which part of my body they reside. You have to practice the visualization this way. If you can visualize the same way, you have affinity with the lucky gods also,

Merely the Goddess of Eloquence among the Seven Lucky Gods is already extraordinary. The Goddess of Eloquence debates eloquently. She is well qualified to be a famous talk mogul on TV! If one is able to invoke her to be in one’s Upper Dantian, one will draw and play the piano or any zither-like plucked instrument naturally. Because she is the Goddess of Accomplishments, one becomes talented and obtains many skills. She is also very beautiful. The Goddess of Accomplishments, the Goddess of Eloquence, and Sarasvati all sing well. Soon one will also sing well and become talented, skillful, and eloquent. The abilities of this deity alone already benefit one endlessly. On top of it, the wealth of Vaishravana is as competitive as of a country. The Four Heavenly Kings are the wealthiest in the heaven, the richest!! If one is capable of visualizing Vaishravana in one’s upper Dantian, one’s future fortune will also be as much as a country’s.

【Seven Lucky Gods 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.

1. Recite the Purification Mantras and Earth God Mantra
2. Recite the Invocation Mantra
3. Tender the Great Homage with Visualization
4. Mandala Offering
5. Fourfold Refuge
6. Armor Protection
7. Recite the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra (1 time).
8. Recite the Rebirth Mantra (7 times).
9. Recite the Root Guru’s Heart Mantra (108 times):
   Om, gu-ru, lian-sheng sid-dhi hum
10. Mudra and Visualization
    Seven Lucky Gods (Mahakala) Mudra : Place your palms back to back with the right wrist on top of the left. Cross index fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers and little fingers. Straighten both thumbs upright.
    Illustration of mudra:Seed Syllable: Hum
    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)

    (1) Above an expanse of ocean is a stretch of clear sunny sky. A moon disc rises from the ocean into the sky. Inside the moon disc is the seed syllable「」”hum,” emitting yellow light.

    (2) The seed syllable inside the moon disc revolves and transforms into a large treasure ship sailing on an ocean. The ship is loaded with innumerable treasures such as gold, silver, precious jewels, and bags of rice. The ship also carries the Seven Lucky Gods; Ebisu, the Goddess of Eloquence, Vaishravana, Longevity Elder, Fu-lu-shou, Mahakala, and Budai Monk.
    Ebisu is the god of commerce. His smiling face imparts blessings for business prosperity. He wears hunting clothes with his right hand holding a fishing pole and his left arm embracing a large-headed fish.
    Vaishravana is a celestial god of fortune. He wears armor while holding a pagoda in one hand and a halberd in the other.
    The Goddess of Eloquence is the only goddess amongst the seven lucky gods. She is a master musician and expresses herself eloquently and with ease. She wears an eight-lotus crown and embraces a pipa.
    Fu-lu-shou is the god of luck, prosperity, and longevity. He looks like the Chinese Nanji Immortal God. He holds a cane and is often accompanied by a white crane.
    Longevity Elder is a god of longevity. He is the emanation of Lao Zi of Taoism. He has a thin face and long beard. His hand holds a cane and he is often accompanied by a deer.
    Mahakala is the god who creates opportunities and attracts good fortune. He dispels evil gods and protects one’s safety. He wears a black headscarf. He carries a cloth bag over his shoulder while in his hand he holds a hammer that can knock out infinite fortunes.
    Budai Monk is a god supremely fortunate and auspicious. He is fat with a large belly and reclines while holding a big cloth bag in his hand.

    (3) Visualize the Seven Lucky Gods descending to the shrine, Ebisu residing at practitioner’s crown chakra, the Goddess of Eloquence and Vaishravana in the upper Dantian, Longevity Elder and Fu-lu-shou in the middle Dantian, and Mahakala and the Budai Monk in the lower Dantian.

11. Recite the Seven Lucky Gods (Mahakala) Heart Mantra (108 times):
    Om, ma-ha-ka-la-ya, so-ha.
12. Entering Samadhi
13. Emerging from Samadhi
14. Recite the Principal Heart Mantras
15. Recite the Buddha’s Name (3 times)
    Namo the 36 trillion 119 thousand and 500 Amitabha Buddhas.
16. Dedication
17. Recite the Hundred Syllable Mantra (3 times)
18. Tender the Great Homage with Visualization (same as step 3)
19. Recite the Completion Mantra
    Om, Bu Lin. (3 times)
    Om Mani Padme Hum.

Dismissal: Clap twice, then cross hands and snap thumbs and middle fingers.

End of Practice: May all endeavors be auspicious.

An empowerment must be received from Living Buddha Lian-sheng or an authorized True Buddha School master before engaging in this particular sadhana.

!!Please be aware that before engaging in any True Buddha Vajrayana practices, one must first take refuge and receive the respective empowerment.!!

  Sadhana, True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury