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Chapter 5

Clarity-holding, Hand-seal and Dream-yoga

 

5.1  Obtaining mundane benefits through mantra-chanting

In Tibetan Secret Schools, the method of mantra-chanting is called “clarity-holding (vidya)” since tantric practitioners believe mantra-chanting will bring forth the wisdom of Buddhist practice. Thus, mantras are also called clear mantras and mantra-chanters are called clarity-holders. Tantric practitioners usually want to attain single-pointed concentration and an absolutely stable state by means of mantra-chanting. That is a very common practice for those tantric beginners. Some of the exoteric Buddhists also practice this way, but not many.

In general, most of tantric practitioners chant mantras because they want to practice the advanced tantras, and mantra-chanting is the preliminary practice to accumulate their virtues. In addition, lots of mantras must be chanted in the tantric altar during offering, visualizing, confessing, etc. During offering, one must chant different mantras for different offerings. Each offering activity has its unique mantra: entering altar, dressing, washing hands, conjuring, perfuming, flower offering, joss sticks burning, lamp offering, food offering, countless methods of visualization, countless offering to all buddhas, bodhisattvas and dharma-protecting gods, etc. Those mantras are immeasurable, hard to remember and extremely complicated.  For details, readers can refer to The Great Sun Sutra, Vol. 3 – Vol. 5 and The Vajra Summit, All Buddhas Realize the Great Mahayana Samatha Teaching Sutra … etc. Therefore, those who practice clarity-holding are mostly for the purpose of the formal tantric practice later. Mantra-chanting is the preliminary practice and belongs to the generation stage of tantric practices.

Evidently, mantra-chanting for single-pointed concentration is more difficult than the formal practice of four-dhyanas-eight-samadhis; it is difficult for tantric practitioners to attain samadhi (concentration) because the mantra sound or the notion of mantra sound will interfere with their practice of concentration. In fact, for the real samadhi practice, the beginners usually count breath at first; they count up to ten with one breath for each count, and repeat over and over again. Thus, they have ten notions for each cycle since each count is one notion. If they can keep their mind stable during this stage, they can ignore counting and concentrate on breathing. Then, if they want to go further, they must ignore breathing too and keep the perceptive conscious mind in a totally tranquil state. By keeping in this state and ignoring all other phenomena, they can attain the samadhi of desire-realm or even the samadhi under a particular dhyana (meditation) level sooner or later.

On the other hand, it is difficult to enter the samadhi state through mantra-chanting because of the interference of mantra sound. In my earlier stage of learning Buddhism, I practiced mantra-chanting and could not attain samadhi, thus giving it up. One time afterwards, I was in a lotus posture with hand-seal before the Buddha statue, chanting a mantra, ignoring external phenomena and entering samadhi. At that time, I did not hear my chanting sound and was unaware of my mantra-chanting state for more than half an hour. Then suddenly, I could hear my chanting sound and be aware of my chanting state again. Therefore, I realized that I had entered samadhi quite a while during the mantra-chanting practice.

In this way, I entered samadhi several times later. Therefore, through my comparison with the formal samadhi practice, I can prove that it is very difficult to attain samadhi through mantra-chanting. In addition, the reason why I could attain samadhi through mantra-chanting several times is that I had attained samadhi through the formal Buddhist practice before, and even so, I still could not attain the mantra-chanting samadhi every time. By comparing it with the formal practice of samadhi, I can conclude that the tantric mantra-chanting practice is difficult and not a correct way to enter samadhi. Hence, practitioners should contemplate the efficiency of the tantric mantra-chanting method and choose the right way for their samadhi practice.

Actually, mantra-chanting is very useful for pursuing the “interaction with ghosts or deities and drive them” in order to obtain the mundane benefits. For example, as stated in The Great Sun Sutra and many other tantric sutras: Mantra-chanting can get many worldly benefits. Nevertheless, the “buddhas and bodhisattvas” mentioned in the tantric “sutras” are mostly the manifestations of ghosts or deities rather than the real Buddhism buddhas or bodhisattvas. The worldly benefits obtained through the usage of tantric mantras and hand-seals are in fact from those ghosts or deities.

The rules in the realm of ghosts and deities are very similar to the rules of business trading in human society. If the ghosts or deities make efforts to fulfill one’s wish, they will expect this person to repay and will request for the repayment under proper conditions. If the person cannot satisfy their request, they will haunt this person and cause lots of problems to him or her.

In the psychiatric wards in Taiwan, there are many mentally disordered patients caused by having pursued the conditioned dharmas and having cultivated the tantric practice. Some of them may have released from the hospital, but still need long-term treatments. Although they thought they were learning Buddhism, those methods were in fact the heretical tantric practice, but not the orthodox Buddha dharma. Those psychiatric doctors did not know the difference between the tantric practice and the real Buddha dharma, so they mistakenly believe that the Buddhist practice was the cause of the mental illness. But the truth is that those patients pursued conditioned dharmas for worldly benefits, and interacted with the ghosts or deities. Consequently, those resulted in their mental illness. Buddhist practitioners should learn the lesson and avoid cultivating tantric practices.

Nowadays, there are cases that some old or sick Buddhist masters request the well-chanted tantric practitioners to treat their illness. Some of those masters were luckily to have some improvements and hence wrongly believe that the improvements of the illness are because of the buddhas’ or bodhisattvas’ powers, and thus believe in tantric practices. Hence, they start to learn the heretical tantric teaching step by step without any vigilance; because they change to learn tantras in this life, they will become the tantric practitioners and will learn the heretical tantras in the following lives. All these are just because they start trying to cure illness through mantra-chanting. Therefore, all Buddhist practitioners should always go to see the doctors to cure their worldly illness with medical treatments rather than pursue the tantric ghosts’ or deities’ powers. Thus, they can avoid unconsciously becoming the demon disciples in their future lives.

　

5.2  Mantra-chanting unable to attain Buddhist fruition

In ancient time, all tantric sutras were created by the tantric founders who had heard the sounds and teachings from the ghosts or deities appearing like buddhas or bodhisattvas. Those tantric founders falsely believed that chanting mantras could let them attain the fruition of the Buddha dharma. For instance, the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra said:

Furthermore, Secret Master! These mantra appearances are created neither by any buddha nor by any other person, and do not follow any condition either. Why? It is because all dharmas always behave so. All dharmas remain the way they are whether all Thus-come Ones appear or not. That is to say, mantras always remain the way they are. Secret Master! The one who attains the equal and correct enlightenment of omniscience appears and preaches all kinds of ways based on this dharma. According to various pleasures, desires and minds of sentient beings, he teaches the mantra ways with the empowerments and with various statements, contexts, languages and voices. … What is the teaching of mantras? It is explained as: The seed-syllable “Ah” signifies all dharmas being originally no-birth; the seed-syllable “Ka” signifies all dharmas being apart from all deeds and karma; the seed-syllable “Kha” signifies all dharmas being equal to the emptiness space and unattainable; … the seed-syllable “Va” signifies all dharmas leaving all languages and speeches; the seed-syllable “Sua” signifies all dharmas being tranquil in nature; the seed-syllable “Scia” signifies all dharmas being dull in nature; the seed-syllable “Bha” signifies all dharmas and truth being unattainable; and the seed-syllable “Ha” signifies the causes of all dharmas being unattainable. Secret Master! If comfortably staying in all samadhis, one can quickly fulfill everything and attain all benefits. ^{[Vol. 2]}

However, in the sutras of three-vehicles, the Buddha’s saying of “dharma staying in dharma position and remaining the way” does not mean mantras at all. The ancient tantric patriarchs should not boldly create those tantras and make up “all mantras remaining the way they are” to replace the Buddha’s teaching. The Buddha’s saying of “dharma staying in dharma position and remaining the way” means all dharmas are created according to the thus-come-stores. The thus-come- stores permanently stay in three-realms and in original nirvana—creating all dharmas according to different conditions without leaving original nirvana. Thus-come-stores have been acting this way since beginningless eons: neither doing nor non-doing, neither conditioning nor unconditioning, neither nirvana nor transmigration, neither cleanliness nor filthiness, neither increasing nor decreasing, neither the same nor different, neither coming nor non-coming, neither going nor non-going, etc. The thus-come-store makes every sentient being transmigrate without leaving nirvana, and so it is called “dharma staying in dharma position and remaining the way.”

Such eighth consciousness, the thus-come-store, together with its derivative dharmas, such as the flesh body and the seven consciousnesses of that body, etc., can bring forth all dharmas in the dharma-realm of the six paths of rebirth. Such dharma is exactly the true reality of the dharma-realm which Buddha advocated. By contrast, the manifestation of tantric mantras depends on the operation of the perceptive conscious mind, body and the coordination among lips, tongue, cheeks, vocal cords, stomach, air, etc. With so many conditions under which mantras can be created, therefore mantras should not be called the dharma of “permanent existence without extinction, and remaining the way since the origin.”  How can the founders of Tibetan Secret Schools arbitrarily claim that mantras are related to the truth of “dharma staying in dharma position, and remaining the way?” That is irrational.

Moreover, the mantra is the manipulation of the conscious mind and is “the mutual agreement” among those beings in the realms of ghost, deity or heaven. It is not an original and permanent dharma in the dharma-realm. Being a dharma depending on many conditions, how can it be called the dharma that is “permanently existing without extinction, and remaining the way since the origin?” Such a saying contradicts the nature of the true reality in the dharma-realm. Such a depending, arising-and-ceasing tantric mantra dharma has totally nothing to do with the true reality of the dharma-realm. The tantric founders should not fabricate it as Buddha Vairocana’s saying and highly praised it as the true reality of “dharma staying in dharma position, and remaining the way.”

The tantric patriarchs set up their doctrine by substituting the mantra dharma for the Buddhist nirvanic origin—the thus-come-store. They replace the all-seed-wisdom of the nirvanic mind-kings of eight consciousnesses with the mantras of ghosts or deities, and proclaim their heretical dharma to be the “Buddha dharma.” Such a way is similar to “grafting the plum branches onto the peach trunk,” the worldly farming technique. In order to get the plum fruit quickly, some farmers cut the peach trunk, and graft the plum branches onto the trunk; they use the supply from the peach trunk to nourish the plum branches, make all the peach flowers and fruit disappear, and thus get the plum flowers and fruit instead. The tantric patriarchs’ behavior is just like that of those farmers. They replace the Buddha dharma with heretical views, absorb lots of resources from the Buddhist trunk, use these resources to nourish their heresy, and want to get the heretical fruit and to make the true Buddhism disappear completely.

As the disciples of Buddha, we should realize the fact that the real Buddhism has been transformed from the root by the tantric heresy, and should work together to cut off those big tantric heretical branches, make the Buddhism tree recover and re-grow the Buddhist flowers and fruit. Nowadays, it is the critical turning point to return to the Buddha’s true doctrine and build up the foundation for the future ten-thousand-year development of Buddhism. If we can purify the doctrine, it will benefit the Buddhism learners of the future ten-thousand years, including all of us in our future lifetimes.

Although all the past tantric patriarchs have practiced the mantra dharma according to The Great Sun Sutra for over a thousand years, none of them have been able to realize the general-phenomenon-wisdom which the seventh-stay bodhisattvas have realized—the inherent, self-natured and purified nirvana of the eighth consciousness, the thus-come-store. Without that realization, they cannot bring forth the general-phenomenon-wisdom of prajna, not to mention the realization of seeing the buddha-nature by the tenth-stay bodhisattvas, the specific-phenomenon-wisdom of prajna which the tenth-practice or the tenth-transference bodhisattvas have realized, or the way-seed-wisdom which the bodhisattvas on or over the first-ground have realized. Therefore, the Buddhist siddhis (spiritual achievements) which the “buddha” of The Great Sun Sutra said cannot be attained through chanting the mantras of tantras. Practitioners who want to realize prajna (supra-mundane wisdom) should follow the views and methods of the exoteric Buddhism—realizing the eighth consciousness according to the guidance of truly good and knowledgeable teachers, and bringing forth the prajna wisdom. Never expect to realize the Buddha’s bodhi through chanting mantras which the tantric “buddha” said.

In order to reduce obstacles during practice, a learner can chant the mantras such as The Great Compassion Mantra, The Surangama Mantra, The Cunde Mantra, etc. In addition, through chanting The Surangama Mantra and deeply understanding The Surangama Sutra, one may get the teaching from the buddha or bodhisattva and realize the prajna wisdom, either in samadhi or in the dream. It is also possible that, by the arrangement of the buddha or bodhisattva, one can meet truly good and knowledgeable teachers to help one see the way and realize the true essence of prajna in a lifetime.

However, all ancient and modern tantric patriarchs are reluctant to chant The Surangama Mantra because the meaning of this mantra and the saying in The Surangama Sutra are all in fact refuting “the lust being the way” of tantric views. In The Surangama Sutra, Buddha Sakyamuni had the foresight to refute the tantric evil views of The Great Sun Sutra, The Diamond Peak Sutra, etc., which appeared much later than The Surangama Sutra. Actually, the dharma of the true secrecy should be based on the doctrine of The Surangama Sutra. The practice of this sutra enables practitioners to realize Buddha’s bodhi and the way of afterward practice, which is impossible to be attained by tantric patriarchs. Therefore, those tantric patriarchs (especially the patriarchs of Advanced Middle-way School) make many efforts to dispraise and accuse The Surangama Sutra as a fake sutra and chant The Sitatapatra Mantra (The Great White-umbrella Mantra) instead. Ironically, The Sitatapatra Mantra is in fact The Surangama Mantra!

If some wise people practice according to the doctrine of The Surangama Sutra, they may realize the eighth consciousness and attain the general-phenomenon-wisdom of prajna. They may further practice and realize the specific- phenomenon-wisdom. This is exactly the practice and realization of the true Buddha dharma, and this unsurpassed secret dharma is the real secret practice. All learners should have these right knowledge and views, and never expect Buddhist realization through chanting mantras which the tantras of The Great Sun Sutra, The Diamond Peak Sutra, etc. mentioned. They should find their own eighth consciousnesses according to the teachings of prajna sutras in exoteric Buddhism, and thus can enter the stage of realizing the true reality of great-vehicle and correctly practice the Buddha dharma.

 

Moreover, the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra said:

The perception of the great practitioner is called mandala and it can perceive all stages of the mantra mind. All discrimination is created from perception; the identification of the white, red or yellow color is all from the mind. The delightful decisive mind is called the place of the inner mind; the mantra stays there and can bring forth the vast fruition. … The seed-syllable “Ra” signifies the eye-realm, and the brilliant candle fire is just like a bright lamp. Bending the neck and lowering the head with the tip of tongue touching the palate, one then visualizes one’s mind until the equal-induction arises; the round mirror appears always with pure cleanness. This is the really true mind which the ancient buddha said. The mind is clear and emits lights with all colors. The mantra practitioner will see the truly enlightened buddha. After realizing the siddhi, the practitioner can attain the best everlasting body. ^{[Vol. 3]}

From the above passage of the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra, it proves that the “buddha” has never realized the eighth consciousness, the thus-come-store, and does not know the general-phenomenon-wisdom of prajna either. That “buddha” wrongly regards the perceptive conscious mind as the true mind. Therefore his “true mind” can identify different colors like white, red or yellow. He thinks that when the conscious mind does not discriminate all dharmas and not stay in all states with attachment is the appearance of the “purely clean round mirror.” Therefore, the “buddha” concludes that “This is the really true mind which the ancient buddha said.” This conclusion can only prove that he has not realized the eighth consciousness, and still falls into the state of the perceptive conscious mind. Such a person is called the one who has not eliminated the self-view yet.

In various sutras of Agama, Buddha has already said that such a mind is the perceptive conscious mind, which is contained in the eighteen-divisions of sense, and named it as “the everlasting and non-destructible self grasped by heretical eternalists.” By this reason, we can know that the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra still has not cut off the self-view and not attained the first-fruition of sound-hearers, not to mention the fruition of Buddhahood. According to this rationale, we can conclude that The Great Sun Sutra was collectively created by the ancient patriarchs through a long period rather than by Buddha. It is in fact a fake sutra.

The “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra also regards the perceptive conscious mind, when stays in an undisturbed immovable state and can clearly perceive all dharmas of the five sense-objects, as clarity and The Wisdom of Great Mirror. Such a kind of achievement should not be called siddhi since he is still ignorant of the initial realization of prajna. Why do I say so? It is because the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra mistakes the perceptive conscious mind for the true mind, and mistakes the discriminative nature of the conscious mind without any language for The Wisdom of Great Mirror.

For instance, the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra claims:

One should observe the bodhi mind in a garden, a sangha dwelling, a cave or any preferred place. After the mind is calm without any doubts and anxiety, one should take that mind and put it in the mind to verify the words of extreme purity and to abide in the state of clean stillness. One then will realize the non-discriminative mind just like a mirror that reflects in an extremely subtle way. ^{[Vol. 3]}

Such a claim is irrational. Why? The mind cannot be put in the mind. There is no such a saying in all sutras of three-vehicles. Anyone who carefully observes it can prove that my words are correct. Only the tantric practitioners who regard the visualized moon disc as the bodhi mind can visualize their conscious minds becoming luminosity and merging into that visualized moon disc bodhi mind. Therefore, they have the saying of “putting the mind in the mind.” But during the visualization, the perceptive conscious mind in fact does not merge into the visualized moon disc; it exists beyond the moon disc. The moon disc exists in the state visualized by the perceptive conscious mind; the perceptive conscious mind does not merge into the moon disc.

The moon disc in the perceptive conscious mind, visualized by tantric practitioners, is by no means the bodhi mind which Buddha said. Nevertheless, the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra said that the visualized moon disc is the bodhi mind. Therefore I can assert that the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra has never realized the eighth consciousness, the true mind. Without realizing the true bodhi mind, he is not the person who has realized the true reality. Without realizing the true reality, how can his teachings be trusted? It is absurd that such an ordinary person bragged, in The Great Sun Sutra, about The Wisdom of Great Mirror. And surprisingly, none of ancient or modern tantric patriarchs can realize this absurdity and point out the error.

Why can we assert that the mind realized by the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra is the perceptive conscious mind? The following text of that “sutra” can prove it.

Virtuous man! The seed-syllable “Ah” is empowered by all Thus-come Ones. The bodhisattvas who practice bodhisattva’s conducts in mantras can manifest their bodies and change all dharmas in the seed-syllable “Ah”. Therefore, Secret Master, if the bodhisattvas who practice bodhisattva’s conducts in mantras want to see the buddha, make offerings, bring forth the bodhi mind, meet the bodhisattvas, benefit sentient beings, attain the siddhi, or obtain the wisdom of omniscience, they should diligently practice on this all buddhas’ mind. ^{[Vol. 3]}

The above passage sets up the tantric theory based on the perceptive conscious mind and never relates it to the eighth consciousness, the thus-come-store.

 

In addition, the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra expounds:

The so-called seed-syllable “Ah” is the mind of all mantras, from which countless mantras flow out. It can stop all meaningless statements and generate subtle wisdom. Secret Master! What is the mind of all mantras? The buddha said: “The syllable ‘Ah’ means the seed. It stays in each branch of the body and pervasively responds according to the dharma. The original seed-syllable duplicates and spreads out; the resulting seed-syllables constitute the sound, which generates all branches of the body. Finally the seed-syllables spread all over the body and generate various virtues.” All the buddha’s disciples listen attentively! Now I explain: “Use my mind as yours, and then distribute it to all branches in your bodies. You do it like that way and then your bodies will be the same as mine. Sit comfortably on your yoga seats, and meditate on all Thus-come Ones. After realizing the vast wisdom and getting the great merits and virtues of the true enlightenment from those teachings, you are qualified as gurus and entitled Thus-come Ones, or buddhas.” ^{[Vol. 5]}

The above passage wrongly claims that the visualized seed-syllable “Ah” is the origin which can bring forth all dharmas. It is totally different from the Buddha’s saying that “the eighth consciousness, the thus-come-store, is the origin of all dharmas.” In addition, that false buddha also misunderstands that after achieving the visualization of spreading many seed-syllables around the “Ah” syllable, the entity of one’s perceptive conscious mind equals to that of the buddha’s, and the one with that achievement has become a ritual teacher, called a buddha. If such absurd visualization could make one a buddha, all the heretics who have better visualization could proclaim themselves to be buddhas too. The masters of the tantric secret schools should not deny that. If it were ever true, the tantric secret schools should not call themselves unsurpassed.

If tantric practitioners do not have the right views and proclaimed themselves to be buddhas, they have committed the heavy sins of severe deception of the Buddha dharma. They will definitely fall into hell after death if they do not repent, during their lifetime, in public and in front of the buddha statue until they get the response from the buddha; no other person can rescue them. Although tanric practitioners feel uncomfortable with my saying, however, taking my advice is the true and only way to help correct their mistakes and rescue them. If they, for the sake of protecting their vanity, insist on their wrong views and refuse to practice the true dharma to eliminate the heavy sins of severe deception, they are gambling the happiness of their future countless lifetimes on the vanity of this life. It is really not a wise decision.

The following saying of the “buddha” in The Great Sun Sutra can further prove that the mind he mentioned is the perceptive conscious mind:

The mantra chanter sits in meditation and stays comfortably in the dharma-realm. Self is the nature of the dharma-realm and can dwell in the bodhi mind. Face toward the direction of Lord Shakra and hold the seal of vajra wisdom. … ^{[Vol. 3]}

In fact, the thus-come-store has never stayed in any dharma. The bodhi mind which the “buddha” said in The Great Sun Sutra can be in meditation, dwell in the dharma-realm, distinguish the color of green, yellow, red or white and has clarity; it is exactly the perceptive conscious mind because Buddha always said that the true mind stays away from the conscious perception, does not discriminate anything, and never falls into clarity.

Such a false buddha proclaims “self is the nature of the dharma-realm” and regards the perceptive conscious mind as the everlasting non-destructible dharma-realm nature. This kind of heretical eternal view is by no means the Buddha dharma. It is impossible for practitioners to attain any Buddhist fruition in that way. As a conclusion, I advocate: “Tantric practitioners can never realize any Buddhist achievement by chanting tantric mantras for countless eons. The Great Sun Sutra was collectively created by the ancient tantric patriarchs through a long period, and is definitely not the buddha’s teachings.

　

5.3  Chanting tantric mantras unable to eliminate the heavy sins of slandering three-jewels

Tantric patriarchs falsely think that through chanting the mantras which were taught by the tantric dharma-protecting deities who disguised themselves as buddhas or bodhisattvas, practitioners can eliminate all their heavy sins of sexual misconduct, slandering three-jewels and severe deception. Therefore, they do not fear about the severe karma of cultivating lustful Couple-practice Tantra or slandering World-honored One, the Buddha dharma or supreme-meaning bodhisattvas. They wrongly think that all those evil karma will be eliminated if they chant the tantric mantras.

They do not know those “sutras” are not from the buddha, and are in fact the practices of the ghosts or deities who disguise themselves as buddhas or bodhisattvas. In order to obtain the offerings of liquor and impurities, those ghosts or deities falsely said that their teachings were the Buddha dharma and cheated the tantric practitioners that they could attain Buddhist fruition according to those teachings, so as to win their trust and earn the offerings of impurities like five meats, five nectars, etc.

None of those tantric patriarchs (especially Tsongkhapa) have the correct knowledge and views, and are hence misguided and can not understand the intention of the ghosts or deities. Therefore, they proclaim the superiority of their absurd dharma from the ghosts or deities over the exoteric Buddha dharma, devalue the exoteric one as the practice of cause-ground, and boast their dharma of the ghosts or deities as the practice of fruition-ground. How stupid they are! It is extremely strange that none of the ancient or modern tantric patriarchs know it!

Actually Tsongkhapa is a person who did not have any of his own view about the Buddha dharma but only collected all sayings of previous patriarchs and assembled into his books. For example, when he could personally see Bodhisattva Black Manjusri, he asked Black Manjusri lots of practice details like Couple-practice Tantra, ritual rules, building altars, chanting mantras, etc. He asked even trivial things such as how much of the right shoulder should be covered during dressing. The practitioners who only see that he had many publications circulated mistake him for a great practitioner, and worship him blindly.

In addition, Tibetan Secret Schools classify buddhas and bodhisattvas into five different colors. Therefore, they have five-color buddhas, five-color bodhisattvas, five-color dakinis (female sky-walkers), five-color materials or things, etc., and the bodhisattva “Black” Manjusri was created accordingly. Nevertheless, all buddhas and bodhisattvas in fact emit golden light because of bodhi prajna wisdom. And because of samadhi, they also emit additional white light to enhance the golden one. I myself have this kind of golden light enhanced with some white light due to the realization of bodhi prajna wisdom and samadhi. Any person with heavenly eyes can see it clearly.

All buddhas and bodhisattvas absolutely do not have the colors of light other than gold and white, and therefore do not have the colors of red, yellow, blue, green or even black either. The manifestation with those colors, other than gold and white, is all from the ghosts or deities, with the illusory appearances of buddhas or bodhisattvas. Those ghosts or deities absurdly teach the evil dharma, confuse the stupid people and entice them to practice their evil dharma; consequently, they can obtain lots of impure offerings like five meats, five nectars, etc. in return. Although very few tantric practitioners can identify the absurdity, most of the practitioners do not have the ability and hence deeply believe those wrong teachings and continue to practice the heretical evil dharma. It is so pitiful!

After hearing the teachings from those ghosts or deities, the tantric patriarchs created the “sutras”, and proclaimed that chanting the mantras could eliminate one’s all sinful karma and that cultivating Couple-practice Tantra could let the practitioner become a buddha in this lifetime without any evil karma. As it is stated in The Diamond Peak Sutra:

Those who have committed unintermittent sins, have slandered all Thus-come Ones and the true dharma of great-vehicle, and have done all evil things can still attain all buddhas’ seals through the mantra because of the solid bodies of vajrasattvas (persons who are strong like diamonds). They can quickly follow the happiness in their lifetimes. They can attain all supreme achievements, and even get the best siddhi of Thus-come One. The above saying is from World-honored One, all Thus-come Ones, and vajrasattvas. ^{[Vol. 2]}

Due to those wrong teachings from the tantric “buddha”, Tantric practitioners misunderstand that they can eliminate all heavy sins through chanting the mantras taught by the “buddha”. Therefore they dare to slander the dharma of great-vehicle as non-ultimate one, the consciousness-only sutras of the third round of dharma transmission as the non-definitive sutras, and the monks with supreme-meaning of great-vehicle as ordinary people.

However, wise people can identify the absurdity of eliminating sins through mantra-chanting. All buddhas and bodhisattvas have taught that one who slanders three-jewels will definitely fall into hell after death. Even in the most expedient compassionate Ultimate-bliss Pure-land sutra, it is stated that a person who has slandered buddhas or prajna sutras is not allowed to be reborn in Ultimate-bliss Pure-land, not to mention one who has slandered all Thus-come Ones and the true dharma of great-vehicle, and has done all evil things. How can such kind of persons avoid falling to the evil paths, still obtain the seals of all Thus-come Ones, and even become buddhas just by chanting mantras? It is irrational.

Furthermore, the teachings of tantric sutras like The Great Sun Sutra, The Diamond Peak Sutra, etc. have nothing to do with the first-meaning truth and are not the true Buddha dharma at all. They talk about the true reality by wrongly regarding all dependently arising dharmas with emptiness nature, which are only worldly truth, as the first-meaning truth. They also misunderstand that the worldly truth of two-vehicles is only all dharmas dependently arising with emptiness nature, and deny the existence of the true mind, the thus-come-store, the original consciousness of nirvana—the consciousness on which all name and form depend. Evidently, they do not know and have not realized the worldly truth of two-vehicles. Such “sutras” are in fact the sayings from the ghosts or deities. Because those sayings are not from the real buddhas or bodhisattvas, the saying about the mantras which are able to eliminate the heavy sins of slandering three-jewels, the true dharma or supreme-meaning monks is totally inconceivable. All tantric practitioners should never believe those wrong teachings and not slander three-jewels. In this way, they can avoid the evil karma and will not regret after death.

As stated in The Sutra on the Original Karma of the Bodhisattva’s Garland:

If the bodhisattva of three sages or ten grounds slanders three-jewels, he will definitely fall to hell after death, and lose all his achievements of three sages or ten grounds.

The bodhisattvas of the tenth-ground, even with such supreme and subtle realization, can not rescue themselves from the heavy sins of slandering three-jewels, not to mention the ghosts or deities. Those ghosts or deities can not rescue themselves from the heavy sins, not even to mention rescuing the practitioners through mantras. All wise tantric practitioners should deeply contemplate this problem so that they can avoid their severe suffering karma in future endless eons. Therefore, all the teachings of eliminating heavy karmic retribution through chanting mantras in The Great Sun Sutra, The Diamond Peak Sutra, etc. are not trustable.