文／蓮生活佛 盧勝彥
密教認定山河大地，一切等物，均是「地、水、火、風」四大之結晶，這個世界，稱為「器世界」。
然而，反觀人類，人體也是器世界之一，其結構亦然是「地、水、火、風」四大去組合的。
據我所知，密教的修持原來是運用這「四大」的元素，以「四大」的特性，出生實相般若波羅蜜，無上正等正覺，毘盧遮那大光明海，證得如來根本智。
由「四大」修「氣脈明點」，我分析如下：
一、 地——脈。
二、 水——明點。
三、 火——拙火。
四、 風——氣。
「氣脈明點」法，真正的原理原則是，行者「修氣」到了一定的程度，依「金剛亥母拙火定」，以氣吹火點，出生拙火。以拙火上昇，通中脈，至頂竅，觸動千葉蓮花，引明點下滴，產生「燃滴作用」。
「燃滴作用」是水上火下，水向下滴，火向上燃。於是產生光明，又通中脈的五輪與其他的經脈。
當中脈被打開，五輪的心輪被打開。心光就自然發露，一切妄想自然不起，性常清淨，截斷煩惱，唯見明朗佛性及佛國淨土，當座即身成佛。
這「氣脈明點」法，我將其分為「寶瓶氣」、「拙火法」、「明點法」、「無漏法」、「通中脈」、「開五輪」等等。這每一個法，要做次第修，其中口訣心要非常的多，若無上師口授，斷斷盲修瞎練不得！
此法成就，悉地必成，師有口訣，可仰可憑。
Cultivation through the Use of the Four Elements
Written by Lian-shen Linving Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Foundation Translation Team
Vajrayana Buddhism views all creations, including the mountains, the rivers and the good earth, as matrixes formed from the four elements of earth, water, fire and wind. And this world is known as the material world.
Humans are part of the material world, as the human body is a structure formed by the four elements of earth, water, fire and wind. To my knowledge, the cultivation practices of Vajrayana make use of the individual nature of these four elements to conceive the true nature of the Paramita, the Unexcelled Perfect Enlightenment, the Vairocana Great Ocean of Light, and attain the primordial wisdom of the Tathagata.
I shall elucidate on how the four elements are applied to cultivate the winds, channels and drops:
Earth – Channels
Water – Drops
Fire – Inner fire
Wind – Winds or chi
The practice of cultivating winds, channels and drops is based on the very principle and fundamental essence that once the practitioner has reached a certain level with his or her cultivation of winds or chi, he or she may enter into the Vajrayogini Inner Fire Meditation, igniting the fire with his or her breath of chi to arouse the inner fire. When the inner fire rises through the central channel, reaches the top of the crown and touches the thousand-petalled lotus, the white drop begins to drip, resulting in ‘blazing and dripping’.
‘Blazing and dripping’ is the event where water is above fire, and as water drips downwards and the fire rises, clear light is produced. It also clears the other five chakras along the central channel, as well as opening the rest of the meridians and minor channels.
When the central channel is cleared and the heart chakra is opened, the light of the heart shall naturally illuminate. All discursive thoughts naturally subside, and one’s nature is constantly pure. With afflictions removed, what is visible will be the clear and bright Buddha Nature and the Buddha Pure Land. The individual shall instantly attain Buddhahood in this very body.
I have detailed the practice of winds, channels and drops into sub-categories of vase breathing, inner fire practice, the practice of drops, the non-leakage practice, the opening of the central channel, the opening of the five chakras and so forth. Every one of these practices must be accomplished accordingly in stages, for there are many pith instructions to these practices that require oral transmission from the Guru. Otherwise, one should never attempt to practice them blindly.
Upon accomplishment of this practice, the attainment of siddhi is a certainty. The Guru holds the pith instructions that are reliable and proven.
