True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Vajradhara – TBN Blog 溫哥華真佛報部落格

【Vajradhara Mudra :】

Make fists with both hands. Form a circle with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. Cross the hands in front of chest with the left hand in front of the right hand and with both fists facing inward.

【Vajradhara Seed Syllable :】

Hum

【Vajradhara Mantra :】

「Om。bie-zha。da-la。hum-hum。」

【Vajradhara Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】

The dark blue Vajradhara wears a jeweled crown and celestial garments matched with multi-layered skirts. Adorned with various precious accessories he is sitting on a moon disc lotus seat. He crosses his fists in front of his chest. Each fist forms a circle with the thumb and the index finger. The left hand is in front of the right hand and both fists are facing inward.

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

Vajradhara is a buddha of the sixteenth ground. He is also known as Adharma Buddha (Adi Buddha), Samantabhadra Tathagata, and Dorje Chang (Vajra Chang). As the primordial buddha, he represents the absolute essence of perfect enlightened mind.

In Sutrayana Samantabhadra Tathagata is considered the primordial buddha. In the Nyingma sect he is called Adharma Buddha and in the Kagyu sect he is called Vajradhara. He is the primordial buddha, the original buddha, the sixteenth-ground buddha. You can say he is the buddha of buddhas.

Vajradhara governs the entire Three Jewels and Three Roots of Vajrayana. He is the ultimate source of the lineage blessing of Vajrayana and the overall patriarch of Vajrayana.

The dark blue body of Vajradhara symbolizes the eternal, permanent purity of the Buddha nature and emptiness. Each hand holds a vajra scepter and they are crossed in front of his chest. He sits tranquilly in the full-lotus position atop a precious moon disc lotus seat carried by a snow mountain lion.

His mudra is like this: hands are crossed and hold a vajra bell and a vajra scepter while the thumbs and the index fingers are touching and form a circle with the rest fingers making a fist.
His mantra is ”Om。bie-zha。da-la。hum-hum。” in which ”da-la” is the abbreviation of Adharma Buddha.

Actually, Vajradhara has no form. However, if we want to depict him, we can visualize he is blue because the void is blue. Use the color of the void to symbolize the bodily image of the Vajradhara Adharma Buddha. The majesty of all the buddhas appear in the physical image of Vajradhara. His dharma power and his mantra are supreme.

In Vajrayana, Vajradhara is the primordial buddha. This means he is the first and the original buddha. Under Vajradhara are the Five Dhyani Buddhas: Center Vairocana, East Akshobhya, West Amitabha, South Ratnasambhava, and North Amoghasiddhi. These Five Dhyani Buddhas are also known as the Five Vajra Holders.

Since Vajrasattva is the dharma prince of the five buddhas, he is the sixth Vajra Holder. Vajrasattva has three forms: Vajrapani, Vajra-heart, and Vajrasattva. They may combine as one form or may separate into the three different forms.

Vajrasattva is more civilized, representing the body of the vajra holder. Vajrapani, on the other hand, is fierce and formidable, representing the dharma power. Vajra-heart represents the mind. The merging of the three deities is called the Sixth Vajra Holder.

In Vajrayana, Vajrasattva transmitted the dharma to Nagarjuna Bodhisattva. Therefore Nagarjuna Bodhisattva is the 7th Vajra Holder.

Therefore, sequentially: the Primordial Buddha (the first Vajra Holder) – the Five Dhyani Buddhas (the next five Vajra Holders) – Vajrasattva (the sixth Vajra Holder) – Nagarjuna (the 7th Vajra Holder.)

Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu himself is also a Vajra Holder because he obtained direct and authentic transmission from Vajrasattva. He is the Vajra Holder in line from Vajrasattva and is therefore the 7th Vajra Holder. By transmission from Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu, the Vajra Masters of the True Buddha School are the 8th Vajra Holders.

All vajra masters promulgating the dharma and bestowing empowerments are called Vajra Holders. They are the embodiment of Vajrasattva and spread the dharma as his representative.

The sequence of the authentic wisdom lineage transmission of the True Buddha School is: Vajradhara, the Five Dhyani Buddhas, Vajrasattva, Padmakumara (Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu), and True Buddha School Vajra Masters.

Vajradhara is the honored principal deity of Mahamudra lineage. He is the representation of the wisdom and merit of Vairocana.

In the chapter ”Secrets! Secrets! Secrets! of the Mahamudra” of the Book 234 ”Secrets! Secrets! Secrets of Sheng-yen Lu, ” Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu reveals the lineage of Mahamudra as follows:
The Primordial Buddha (the first to transmit) – Baoyi Tongzi (Padmakumara) – Baoshang Tongzi – Saraha – Niguma – Tilopa – Naropa – Marpa – Milarepa – Gampopa – Dusum Khyenpa, the 1st Karmapa – Urgyen Trinley and Thaye Dorje, the 17th Karmapa.

The lineage of the Great Perfection Dharma transmitted by Vajradhara is as follows:
【Heavenly Lineage】: Samantabhadra Tathagata – Five Dhyani Buddhas – Vajrasattva – Vajrapani – Shengxin Tianzi
【Worldly Lineage】: Prehevajra – Manjusrimitra – Mahavairocana and Padmasambhava – Trisong Deutsen (Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu) and Yeshe Tsogyal.

Vajradhara holds a vajra scepter in each hand in front of his chest, whereas Vajrasattva holds a vajra scepter in one hand and a vajra bell in the other hand.

Vajradhara was the first Buddha who appeared in Vajrayana and was the first to transmit the dharma. He is the foremost patriarch of Vajrayana. He possesses infinite dharma power and is incredible. As the supreme buddha, he restores purity to all who receive empowerment!