文／蓮生活佛盧勝彥
釋迦牟尼佛在原始佛教時代，最重視的修行方法，是「意念修觀」，諸弟子在岩洞內「入定修觀」。我曾參訪印度靈鷲山的阿難尊者岩洞及舍利弗岩洞。
密教祖師那洛巴修行的岩洞及蓮華生大士修行的岩洞，在冥冥之中，更合乎中國的風水學，可以說光明澄澈，且流出清淨法乳，遍灑法界。
佛陀教的觀想法甚多，「數息觀」、「不淨觀」、「白骨觀」、「唯識觀」、「法界觀」、「淨土十六觀」、「天台三觀」等等。
在密教行者來說，行者在誦咒時，也要作觀：
一、觀本尊相好。
二、觀本尊種子字。
三、觀自身是本尊。
四、觀自身心月輪的種子字。
五、觀自身心月輪佈列真言。
密教重視「真言」、「手印」、「觀想」。其中的觀想更有「五相成身觀」、「五字嚴身觀」、「入我我入觀」、「月輪觀」、「阿字觀」。
我個人發覺，在這世界上，要以一物來象徵「菩提心相」，實無代表之物。最後只能由清淨圓滿的月輪來象徵。密教教你，手結金剛縳印，觀心是滿月輪，無垢明淨，內外澄澈，最極清涼，世無方比，行者安心靜住，融入月輪之中，光明滿三千大千世界。
如此，可使妄念不生，身心清淨，大菩提心堅固不退。
這是：
自身月輪心際間。
光明清淨素光色。
禪智俱入金剛縳。
召入如來寂靜智。
Cultivating with Contemplation and Visualization
Written by Lian-shen Linving Buddha Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Cheng Yew Chung edited by Victor Hazen
True Buddha Foundation Translation Team
During the founding days of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha placed the greatest emphasis on the practice of contemplation. The disciples entered into caves and sat in meditation and contemplated. I once visited both Venerable Ananda’s and Venerable Shariputra’s caves at Vulture Peak Mountain in India.
The caves where the Tantric gurus, Naropa and Padmasambhava once cultivated somehow harmonize better with the Chinese teachings of Feng Shui. They illuminate brilliantly, and streams of pure Dharma milk flow from them, nurturing all of the Dharma realms.
There are many contemplative practices in Buddhism, which include the Breath Counting Exercise, Contemplation on the Impure, the Skeleton Visualization Method, the Consciousness Only Contemplation, Contemplation on the Dharma Realms, Visualization on the Sixteen Meditations of the Pure Land, the Three Modes of Contemplation of the Tian Tai School and so forth.
When reciting a mantra, the Tantric practitioner must chant along by visualizing:
1. The perfect form of the deity.
2. The seed syllable of the deity.
3. Becoming the deity itself.
4. The seed syllable on the moon disc within one’s heart.
5. The moon disc within one’s heart lined with the mantra.
Tantric Buddhism places great importance on mantra, mudra and visualization. Among the visualization practices are the Five Forms Body Transformation Contemplation, the Five Syllables Contemplation, the Merging of Self and Deity Contemplation, the Moon Disc Visualization, and the Visualization of the Seed Syllable AH.
I realize that there is no single object alone in this world which can be used to symbolize the ‘image of bodhicitta’. Eventually, the pure and perfect form of the moon disc was chosen as its symbol. Through the teachings of Tantrayana, you are taught how to form the Vajra-bandha Mudra and visualize the heart as a full moon disc appearing pure and clear, displaying a limpid quality throughout its form. It has a nature of utmost serenity, unmatched by anything in the world. The practitioner abides calmly in stillness, absorbed into the moon disc and finds the brilliance of light radiating through billions of cosmic worlds.
By this practice, one’s discursive thoughts shall not arise, and the body and mind shall also attain a state of purity, thereby strengthening the Great Bodhicitta.
Thus, it is：
The moon disc within one’s heart
Radiates a light of pure quality
The meditative wisdom is projected into the gesture of Vajra-bandha
And one is drawn into the calm wisdom of the Tathagata
