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

True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Acala

【Acala Mudra :】

Open and place the right hand facing left before the chest. With the right thumb pressing the right ring finger and little finger, extend the right index and middle fingers. Wrap the left ring finger and little finger around the right index finger and middle finger with the left thumb pressing left ring finger and little finger while the left index and middle fingers are extended.

GM Demo

【Acala Seed Syllable :】

【Acala Mantra :】

「Namo-san-man-duo。mu-tuo-nan。wa-ri-la。lan。han。」

【Acala Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】

Acala’s face is expressive of great wrath, with one eye squinted and the other eye looking enraged. His mouth is tightly closed and his fangs are exposed (lower fangs protruding up while the upper fangs protruding down. In front of his chest in his right hand he bears a dragon sword that spouts phoenix flames and in his left hand he holds a Vajra lasso. He emits burning flames and is either standing or seated on a huge rock.

【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Acala Background and Key Cultivation Formula】

Acala is the foremost of the Eight Wisdom Kings. In the Garbadhatu and Vajradhatu realms he is the transformation and Wheel of Injunction of Vairocana (All-pervading Vajra.)
Among the 10 wrathful deities Acala is the fiercest. In Japanese Esoteric Buddhism Acala is more prevalent while in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism he is rarely seen. In Shingon Buddhism he is the most significant and essential Great Wisdom King.

In the homa ceremonies of Japanese Vajrayana Acala is the most honored deity.

Acala’s vows are: One who sees me will generate Bodhicitta, one who hears my name will stop doing evil and begin doing good, one who listens to my teachings will obtain great wisdom, and one who knows my mind will attain buddhahood in the present body.

By obtaining spiritual union with Acala one will become a buddha in the present body. By comprehending the mind of Acala one recognizes one’s own mind and sees one’s mind. By realizing one’s mind and filling the whole universe one goes straight to enlightenment and the accomplishment of buddhahood.

Acala has two main youth attendants, namely Kongara and Seitaka, the ”immovable youths.”
In total, Acala is accompanied by Eight Great Youths. Therefore, the merit dedication verse of the Acala dharma practice states: ”The Eight Great Youths, being the retinue of Acala, are capable of exercising infinite vajra power that subdues the four maras, overcomes greed, anger and ignorance, protects the buddhadharma, and saves beings from descending to the three evil paths.”

The wrathful Acala is manifested by the buddhas and bodhisattvas for the purpose of subjugating all evils as well as to elevate and deliver those sentient beings who are stubborn and unyielding. Although externally Acala looks wrathful and terrifying this is just the holy appearance revealed from the compassionate mind of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Furthermore, the symbolic significance of Acala’s wrathful and terrifying looks is that all evil, demonic forces and all obstructions are overpowered with bright wisdom.
Actually, one does not subjugate one’s enemy. One oneself is one’s true enemy. Self-subjugation of one’s own afflictions through Acala is the key point of Acala practice. If one fails to subdue oneself but continually finds fault with others instead, one is just caught up in attachment. In spiritual cultivation one begins with self-subjugation. It is only when one has conquered oneself and completely eliminated all afflictions that one can truly call oneself a Tantric yogi. This point is of utmost importance. It is indeed the key point.
Acala is the vajra body of Mahavairocana Buddha and very formidable. Generally speaking, his squinted left eye, wide open right eye, and lower lip biting his upper lip is an expression of his extreme wrath. Acala’s ”Acala Sword” is a dragon which emits phoenix flames. The radiance of the phoenix is very dignified and formidable. Acala holds a sword in one hand and a Vajra lasso in the other. There are two seals suspended from the Vajra lasso which are the seals of the Womb and Vajradhatu realms. This represents that Acala has charge of both realms.

The purpose of cultivating Acala practice is to transform oneself into Vajra flames (pure and cool flames) which cover one’s entire body. Use Acala’s Vajra lasso to bind the demon thus rendering the demon unable to move or react. Additionally, use Acala’s Vajra sword, to cut off one’s greed, anger, and ignorance, which lead one to the three evil paths. Use Acala’s Vajra burning flames to burn off all the filth and all the karmic obstructions of the tantric practitioner.
When undertaking formidable activities one must chant the mantra formidably. When praying to Acala under normal circumstances, one recites the mantra gently.
As Acala is a karma vajra, if one has any request that requires Acala’s attention, one needs to chant the mantra forcefully and pray to Acala to carry out one’s request swiftly.
The Acala practice leads to the eradication of karmic hindrances, subjugation of demons, and elimination of obstructions and calamities. This practice also nurtures wisdom, increases meritorious rewards, promotes obtaining help from valuable people, generates peace and harmony in one’s family, and fosters the significant love and respect of others towards oneself. If practiced diligently, the Acala practice enables one to attain buddhahood in the present body. Therefore this dharma practice is really marvelous and most supreme.
There are several variations of the Acala mudra:

Acala sheath-sword mudra (root mudra).
Lin, bing, dou, zhe, jie, zhen, lie, zai, qian (the Nine-character Mantra)
Four Verticals Five Horizontals mudra (Cutting-character Formula)

If one has difficulty sleeping at night or one’s sleep is troubled, resulting in fatigue the next morning, one can perform the ”Acala mudra” as boundary protection. ”Cut” one’s bed with the ”Cutting-character Formula” of ”Nine-character Mantra” and cast the Vajra net around one’s bed. As a result all evil spirits, demons and monsters will be kept away from one’s bed, allowing one to sleep soundly as one lies under the protection of Acala’s ”Nine-character Mantra.” Generally, the ”Nine-character Mantra Cutting-character Formula” boundary protection should be performed once every fifteen days.

When a child is continuously crying at night , the family can follow Living Buddha Lian-sheng’s teaching by stroking ”Lin, bing, dou, zhe, jie, zhen, lie, zai, qian” over the child’s body. If a child is disturbed by spirits and does not sleep soundly, the spirits will leave immediately with just one stroke and the child will stop crying. Therefore, this method can be used to treat a child crying at night. Just how powerful is this method? If one needs to draw the Four Verticals Five Horizontals mudra five times toward a spirit in a mortuary, it means the negative karma of the deceased is heavy. However, if one needs only to draw the mudra one time, then the bad karma of the deceased is light. Making the strokes is like raising the homa fire which will remove all the karmic obstacles of the spirit. The spirit will be easily released from its constraints and will be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The Four Verticals and Five Horizontals Mudra can stop a minor problem such as a child’s crying at night. It can also be used for something more significant such as delivering the deceased person’s spirit to a pure land of a buddha. That is how powerful it is.

In treating ailments, one should utilize ”lin, bing, dou, zhe, jie, zhen, lie, zai, qian” (the ”Nine-character Mantra Cutting-character Formula”) for self-healing or the healing of others. If one has dharma power such ailments will disappear. If one lacks power this method won’t be effective. It would be like a small child making random brush strokes on paper.

Generally speaking, the character ”qian” in the mantra ”lin, bing, dou, zhe, jie, zhen, lie, zai, qian” means that one pushes both palms outward. Although devils, ghosts and demons are all fierce, encountering the Nine-character Mantra is equivalent to the actual presence of Mahavairocana Buddha and Mahavairocana’s transformation Acala who is even fiercer, and the devils and ghosts will all be chased away. Therefore, this method can be used to remedy any being who is possessed or has an attached spirit or for mental illnesses caused by spirits and ghosts.
In Grandmaster’s tantric practices the ”Nine-character Mantra Cutting-character Formula” is used most frequently and has the greatest power.

It is because Acala is the Wheel of Injunction of Mahavairocana Buddha that the ”Nine-character Mantra Cutting-character Formula” has great power. This method can be used for boundary protection and eliminating sickness. The ”Nine-character Mantra Cutting-character Formula” can also be used as a ”net” which can be ”cast over” vengeful enemies. Evil spirits, demons and monsters will be unable to escape from it.