●Book 51─Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra
●Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu
●Chapter thirteenth
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Perhaps someone might say, “Why have you disclosed the Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra, yet you discourage people to practice the teachings? Aren't you being contradictory?”
My reply is that it is my wish that people know about this rare-to-encounter, supreme dharma. If the affinity is not ripe, people will toss away the book. If the affinity is mature, please quickly seek a true vajra guru and ask for transmission. The reason that I write this book is to preserve the teachings in this world. Someone who receives the genuine transmission and pith instructions from a guru may engage in practice, and he or she will gain phenomenal results in their spiritual realization. On the other hand, if an individual practices Mahamudra superficially, without proper transmission from a vajra master, then he or she is likely to fall into the mara states. So, watch out!
My American disciples have wanted to translate Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra into English, in order to preserve the secrets and pith instructions in the West forever. I have foreseen into the future that a competent individual will incarnate in the West. Upon encountering this book, he or she will help to spread these teachings so that they will flourish and blossom. This is the main reason that I wrote this book.
In the Supreme Bliss state, the most challenging test is none other than the temptation of sexual desire. The seed of sexual desire is inborn, derived from the genes of our parents. An adept without strong stability is an easy prey to sexual desire. As the psychic heat warms up, an adept will see the beautiful woman that he desires gradually appear in an illusion. Being enticed by her seductive gestures and provocative dances from her naked figure, the adept totally fails the sexual test. Practitioners who do not give into sexual temptations are truly rare. When a practitioner succumbs to sexual desire, he is doomed.
A female practitioner will see an attractive man appearing in her mind. He will tempt her into sexual union. After being persuaded, she will be consumed by sexual pleasure. Thus, the result is the same and she will fall into the hands of mara.
Some overestimate their will power, taking no precautions for sexual temptation. That is because they have not encountered such a vicious challenge. Confucius described men and women on earth as “men and women of food and drink.” He also added that “food and sex are part of human nature.” There is truth in the sage's statement. I feel that no one can defy sexual temptation, except for a few adepts who have acquired strong capabilities in stillness and stability.
If a practitioner holds any slightest fear, that fear will magnify into a monster born from his own fear during the supreme stage. The single-horned fearsome monster stands several stories tall, glaring at the practitioner, with its eyes as big as the size of bronze bells. It roars and extends his huge tongue, showing its razor-sharp, knife-like teeth. Sometimes a single mara appears, and at times a legion of maras numbering in the tens of thousands come to terrify the practitioner, hindering him from entering into meditative absorption. Even after he enters meditation, the maras still do not give up on distracting him. Eventually, he can no longer eat and sleep properly. His mind simply breaks down. There are many situations where adepts fall into the mara realms due to their fears. Such occurrences are numerous indeed.
During the illusory visions, many events of joy and sadness manifest themselves. For example, one may witness the death of loved ones or see them tormented in hell. One may see one's spouse leave one or run to embrace another person, and so forth. These are examples of sad visions. On the other hand, joyful occurrences are also just as plentiful, and they include visions of seeing oneself as a king, as Sakyamuni Buddha, as the richest man on earth, or one may be approached from the person that one is most fond of.could fill a big sack. He also saw his disciples cheering at the sight of his many relics. They were all elated.
–To Be Continued–
