文／蓮生活佛盧勝彥
昔日，毘盧遮那佛，傳瑜伽無上祕密最大乘教于金剛薩埵，金剛薩埵數百歲，才得龍樹菩薩而傳授之。龍樹又數百歲，乃傳龍智阿闍梨。龍智又數百歲，傳金剛智阿闍梨。金剛智振錫東來，才傳於東土的和尚。
這佛門密教，從法身如來至東土和尚，傳密教者，才六位阿闍梨而已，這樣子的密教當然珍貴。
（和尚指不空三藏及一行禪師）
又，密教綱宗曰：
「密教為吾佛自覺聖智，直以授與在纏凡夫，故修習者，神力功速，有大不可思議力。然此教絕重儀軌，有志修習者，當入大曼荼羅，得金剛阿闍梨灌頂，方准入壇修法，否則謂之盜法，其招惡亦不可思議。故吾國自唐宋而後，此宗即絕，無敢研究者。」
由此可知，如來的「自覺聖智」，是何等珍貴！
又「無敢研究者」，又是何等駭人。神力功速，超越他宗，更是引人注目的焦點。
釋迦牟尼佛，曾用五味來比喻五藏：
乳就是經藏。
酪就是律藏。
生酥就是論藏。
熟酥就是般若藏。
醍醐就是密藏。
醍醐是乳的最精華，密教是佛法的總持精華也。有說，若離此教，永無成佛之期。
密教罕聞，今得遇之，要慶幸矣！
The Precious Teachings of Tantric Buddhism
Written by Lian-shen Linving Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Foundation Translation Team
In the past, Vairocana Buddha transmitted the supreme vehicle of unexcelled yoga secretly to Vajrasattva, who waited hundreds of years before transmitting the same doctrines to Nagarjuna Bodhisattva. Nagarjuna waited another several hundred years before transmitting the secret doctrines to Acharya Nagabodhi, who in turn waited several centuries before transmitting the teachings to Acharya Vajrabodhi. Vajrabodhi then proceeded to the east and arrived in China, transmitting the secret teachings to two senior monks, Amoghavajra and Zen Master Yixing.
Hence, from Dharmakaya Tathagata to the senior monks in China, the Tantric Buddhist teaching was directly transmitted to only six Acharyas. Therefore, the Tantric doctrines are very precious.
The Essentials of Tantric Buddhism states: “Tantric Buddhism is the supreme wisdom gained upon self-realization by the Buddha, whose doctrines are transmitted directly to entangled ordinary individuals. As such, when one cultivates these doctrines one receives swift progress in which the power attained is simply unimaginable. However, the Tantric teachings place great emphasis on sadhana ritual, and those who wish to practice must enter the great mandala and receive the empowerment from the Vajra Master before they can be allowed to cultivate the practice. Otherwise, it would be considered an act of embezzlement, drawing upon oneself unthinkable negative karmic consequences. Thus, in our motherland, China, Tantric Buddhism has been lost since the Tang and Song dynasties, for no one would dare to study it.”
From this, we know that the self-realized holy wisdom of the Tathagata is extremely precious indeed!
The fact that ‘no one would dare to study it’ is itself appalling. And the fact that swift progress can be attained in Tantric Buddhism, the power gained far surpassing that of other schools, has attracted great interest and attention to its doctrines.
Sakyamuni Buddha once used the five stages of making ghee (pancaksira) to represent the five respective canons：
Milk is the Sutra canon.Cream is the Vinaya canon.
Fresh butter is the Sastras canon.
Melted butter is Prajna canon.
Ghee is the Tantric canon.
Ghee is the very essence of milk, and hence, Tantric Buddhism embodies the essence of the Buddhadharma. It is said that if one leaves Tantric Buddhism, there can be no hope of attaining buddhahood.
It is rare for one to hear the Tantric doctrines. You should be glad that you have found them this time.
