Curing a Fever with Mantra
■Book 148 - The Power of Mantra
■Written by master Sheng-yen Lu
I shall begin with a story that happened years ago.
One day, a student of mine named Chen Jian hurried to my house and requested an immediate consultation.
”What”s the matter?” I asked.
”Somebody really needs help!”
”Who?”
”My neighbour.”
”Your next door neighbour?” I was amused, ”What has that got to do with you?”
Chen Jian seriously replied, ”Grand Master! Every so often I tell my neighbours about your great merits and deeds. I tell them how powerful you are and how you have resolved many problems for others. ”If you have a problem, go to Living Buddha Lian-sheng and all will be resolved.” Today, my neighbour”s only son came down with a fever and it just won”t go away. I come on his behalf to seek your help.”
”You need a doctor to cure a fever!” I said.
”They have consulted a doctor and the child took medicine. But the fever remains.”
”What about consulting a barefoot doctor1 or taking some Chinese herbal medicine?” I added.
”We consulted all kinds of doctors, but none could cure the child”s fever. Grand Master is a master of talisman and mantra. That”s why I seek your help.”
”Indeed I am!”
We hurried to the home of Cheng Jian”s neighbour. On arrival, I saw two encephalitis ghosts about to enter the house.
I told the two ghosts, ”Wait. Let me enter first.”
I pushed the two ghosts aside and they fell flat on the ground. They were fuming and screaming.
”Grand Master, who were you talking to earlier?” Cheng Jian asked.
”To the empty space,” I replied.
Once in the house, I met up with the house owners Mr. and Mrs. Teng, whose son”s fever had sustained for days. They looked worried and asked if could I save their son.
”Your son has encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.” I said.
The couple”s eyes opened wide upon hearing my diagnosis and exclaimed, ”That”s exactly what the doctor suspected and told us. And you knew it right away! Please help our son. He”s our one and only darling.”
”You”re fortunate to have met me. If not, your son would be doomed.”
”How are you going to save him?” The couple asked.
”I”ll use mantra.”
”Mantra can cure fever?” the couple was astonished.
”We will see.”
My right hand formed the Precious Hand Mudra. My left hand formed the Vajra Fist Mudra. I placed my left hand at my waist.
Using the Precious Hand Mudra, I wrote the Sanskrit syllable Vam on the child”s forehead and chanted, ”Vam, Vam, Vam” three times. Afterwards, I stomped the floor three times with my left leg.
I said, ”OK! The fever will soon subside.”
”You mean the fever will go away just like that?” The couple uttered in disbelief.
The truth spoke for itself. Not even two minutes later, the fever dropped and everything normalized. Once the fever went away, the child felt great and refreshed.
The child recalled, ”As I was feeling sick and drowsy, I saw a flaming cart pushing towards me. Behind me was another cart in flames, blocking my retreat. I was doomed to die in that fire. All of a sudden, a man appeared in the sky and chanted some kind of mantra. He was riding on a cloud and his finger pointed right at me. With this, a downpour came and extinguished the fire. I was saved and thus woke up.”
”Do you recognize the man in the sky?” someone asked.
”Sure!” the boy exclaimed.
He pointed his finger at me and said, ”That”s him!”
”Wow!” shouted Chen Jian.
I nodded. The couple was most convinced.
Thus:
If you chant the mantra diligently,
With persistence and practice you shall quickly advance.
Once you gain response chanting the mantra,
All of heaven will extend their help to you.
In time you shall attain immortality.
What exactly is a mantra? How can a mantra cure a fever?
A practitioner chants a mantra and summons the heavenly Water Deity to descend. The Sanskrit syllable Vam in the mantra means water. You fight fire with water, and when the fire is subdued, the fever goes away. It is that simple.
Mantra is also known as Dharani ?all-encompassing, containing limitless Dharma. Thus, we describe mantra as:
The True Word
The Illuminated Spell
The Heart of Tathagata
The Muni Jewel
I feel that our time on earth is very short and the time that we can really use is scarce. If you spend all your time chasing after fame and wealth, know that you can lose it all within a moment”s breath.
I always feel that the most important thing in life should be solving the question of life and death. If we truly know the meaning of life and death and find enlightenment, our life will not be in vain.
When I practice the teachings of Buddha, I realize the Dharma is simply supreme and remarkable. There are many gems within the teachings, such as:
The True Nature of Emptiness
The Prajna Wisdom
The Right Observation of the Middle Path
The Consciousness-only Manifestation
The Non-discrimination Yoga
I have seen many who practice Zen, and many who embrace the Pure Land School chanting the respective Buddha”s epithet and sutras. There are those who follow the laws and rules of the Buddhist teachings, such as those who embrace the Vinaya School. There are other sects and schools that enable one to attain peace and happiness. Upon one”s death, the individual ascends to the Pure Land, leaves the Wheel of Reincarnation, realizes one”s True Self and gains enlightenment. One then roams freely in this world and beyond.
In my journey of practicing the teachings of Buddha, I came across the teachings of the Non-discrimination Yoga. I stepped upon the path of Mantrayana and realized that the Tantric teachings of mantra are able to fulfill all good wishes, and accomplish all great deeds. The Tantric teachings can eradicate disasters, enhance fortune, improve relationships and subdue all evils. The Tantric teachings attract fortune and lead to longevity and happiness within the family. You can certainly attain Buddhahood through the teachings.
The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have great compassion for all sentient beings and to liberate them from suffering, they utter the Dharani, which are the mantras. When we recite these mantras, they help us find peace and joy, receive great benefits, ease our lives and bring good things to come to us. They can even help eradicate our karmic hindrance within this lifetime and deliver us to the Pure Land.
Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa School of Tibetan Buddhism once said, ”To chant a Buddha”s epithet is to reflect his identity. To chant a mantra is to touch a Buddha”s heart.”
In the book The Essence of Tantrayana, it is written, ”If you combine the practice of chanting the Buddha”s epithet and chanting of mantra, your merit is as wide as the seas of Mount Sumeru. If you chant only the Buddha”s epithet and not the mantra, your merit is but the size of Gandhamadana, the incense mountain located near Lake Anavatapta in Tibet.”
In another book titled As Small As Lake Anavatapta, it is written, ”The Pure Land School reaches all levels of sentient beings. However, not everyone makes it to the highest of the nine levels of existence in the Pure Land. If an individual follows the practice of Tantrayana, he will gain access to the Pure Lands of the Ten Directions. He will attain the highest level of existence in the Pure Land with much success.”
Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu says, ”By chanting the Buddha”s epithet, one creates rapport with the Buddha”s identity. By chanting the mantra, one gains access to the Buddha”s heart. If you practice chanting both, you correspond with the outer and inner aspect of the Buddha, and this is most complete.”
Thus:
Reach Self Realization through chanting the Buddha”s epithet.
Connect with the heart of Tathagata through chanting the mantra.
And you will find the ultimate bliss as one complete reality.
Within the chant of the mantra,
One hears the cries of all suffering.
