Oral transmission of how to use the mind in the meditation on the letter

Translated by Chris Bogert

No. 2432

Oral transmission of how to use the mind in the meditation on the letter
First for those who desire to visualize the letter, Sit in a place situated with the ceiling aligned to the
four directions, a strong place but not oppressive, that is not too dark, and not too bright. In darkness
deluded thoughts arise, in brightness the mind becomes distracted. At night the lamp may have to
contend with the wind, after that the fire for your padded cushion seat may go out. Sit in the lotus
position, although some sit in the half lotus position. Bind the dharma-realm meditation mudra1, with
the eyes not open, but not closed. If they are open your eyes will move around, if they are closed you
will sink into sleep. Only slightly being able to see and not blinking, and both eyes should watch the tip
of your nose. Your tongue should be touching the roof of your mouth, your breathing should be quiet
and your lower back not pushed out or held in. Sit up straight to help your circulation. Bad blood
circulation can lead to sicknesses arising, also the mind becomes confused. Like this use the mind, first
bind the Vajra hand clasp2 and recite the five great vows.3 After that recite the Womb Five Word
mantra4 one hundred times. Then visualize first the syllable visualization which will be explained in
detail.
Next I will explain the principal way to think which will in turn explain the syllable. Within your chest
there is a moon disk, like a pure autumn moon. Within that there is a letter 5. The is the moon
disk's seed syllable. The moon disk and are bright, the moon disk encompasses the letter
entirely, and visualize that within your chest. Your body becomes the letter , the letter becomes
one's own mind and like that your mind (and the ) become as one. Then the bringing of perceptual
referents into thought is ended, cut off. The moon disk is your original purity, therefore it is able to free
one from the desire of craving impurities. The moon disk is pure and serene therefore the fever of
hatred and anger leaves. The moon disk is radiant therefore it illuminates the foolish darkness of
delusion. Like this the three poisons are spontaneously purified and dispersed. Filled is this way, no
suffering enters into the practitioner's visualization. Obtaining peace of mind, separate from the
suffering of the mundane world, is what's called liberation. How much more penetration of
contemplation for freedom from birth and death? This causes the attainment of buddhahood within this
very body. Begin the visualization with the moon disk about 18 inches across.
After that gradually stretch out the moon disk in every direction as big as a great chiliocosm6 right up to
the palace of the Dharma realm.
Next the principle is explained. The syllable exists, is emptiness and is unproduced; a threefold
meaning. Emptiness is all phenomena arranged of many things yet lacking self-nature. That is all
things are completely empty, and in this way supporting causes and conditions, the truth of
provisionality, manifests all phenomena as separately existing. Compare this to the wish fulfilling
jewel, the deep seven treasures, the ten thousand jewels and the jewel that overcomes according
conditions. Refute these jewels and see within that not even one thing exists. Although accordingly
1 This mudra is created by placing the hands right on left in your lap and joining the thumbs creating a triangular shape.
2 This mudra is created by placing the hands at your chest palms together with all of your fingers intertwined at the first
joints. Right thumb covering left and so on.
3The Five Great Vows: Living beings are innumerable; I vow to save them all. Merit and knowledge are innumerable; I
vow to accumulate them all. The teachings of the Dharma are innumerable; I vow to master them all. The Tathagatas are
innumerable; I vow to serve them all. Enlightenment is unsurpassed; I vow to attain it.
4Womb Five Word mantra: Om a-vi-ra-hum-kham. (100 times) (Om, non-arising, untainted, delightful, truthful, and
cosmological one)
5 This is the letter A in the Siddham alphabet. This Sanskrit script is only used in Buddhist context in China and Japan.
6 Derived from the Greek chilioi thousand and kosmos world. Thousand worlds.

produced by causal conditions the jewel doesn't not exist, by means of this know that emptiness and
existence are of the single body7 and that is said to eternally abide. Eternally abiding then neither
arising nor ceasing and that is called the syllable great emptiness essence highest principal. In this
way within our chest we visualize the syllable spontaneously endowed with the threefold meaning.
Those endowed with the threefold meaning become Mahavairocana's dharmakaya8 and the practitioner
enters this practice of observing the mind. Even if with the mind of a beginner, the cyclic existence of
birth and death are permanently severed. Walking, standing, sitting, lying down, at all times meditate
on the syllable and you will easily progress and change. With repeated practice and you will with
alacrity suddenly awaken, and if when you become proficient at sitting, you must not sit in the half
lotus position with the dharma-realm meditation mudra. Walk, stand, sit, lay down, in all these things
contemplate the syllable. As our voice arises, open the mouth, at first from within our chest follow
the as it arises and should continue up the throat, to the roof of the mouth to the tongue to the teeth
and then the lips, then emerging and going to the five places9 The five groups of the Vajradhatu10, the
voice of all the Buddhas explaining the dharma.
The throat, tongue and lips when speaking are the three groups of the Garbhadhtu. With this wisdom,
follows a negation of insult, treachery, false speech, and smooth fancy talk used to conceal the truth.
All the sutras, the five places and the three within emerge with the sound. Then say the Mahavairocana
tathagata ocean-seal samadhi king mantra.11 If this principle is not known, all that create evil karma fall
into negative rebirth and feel vast amounts of suffering. To know and take part, and not know, there is a
distinction and the Lotus Samadhi sutra says: Within the chest are the mandalas of both realms sitting
virtuously each divulging supernatural transformation, that within the four directions is a Tathagata of
Immeasurable life. To keep the exposition of the teachings, and to discuss the meaning of them is
meritorious. Always expounding the teachings of the dharma, the sound that emerges from one's own
mouth becomes the voice efficiently liberating, and in this way the worldling not knowing their self,
speech or thoughts, incurs to grasp at their own things, clinging to discrimination (are liberated). As
numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges are the myriad attributes of the uncountable dharani.
Each letter is a meritorious dharma gate as the energy of voice. Simply for a follower to accomplish
the karma of disadvantageous rebirths causal situation incurs sincere lamentation. Thus by itself, in
this way the principle dharani is the extent of the sphere of the Buddha's doctrine, the originally
unproduced non-arising highest principle and like the ocean containing a hundred rivers, all wholesome
roots collect in this single letter, therefore, says the Ocean seal Samadhi mantra and, with the support of
this one letter meditation you can cross over to the shore of liberation. At the same time superior to the
width of merit gained by reciting the sutras of the eighty-thousand Buddhist teachings, grasp this secret
spiritual meditation using the mouth to speak. This mantra meditation gate, even if many roads, to
obtain what's important does not go beyond the width of grasping the two meditations. First grasp the
meditation. The Dainichi sutra12 part one reads, Vajrasattva says,What is enlightenment?
Mahavairocana replies in the text replies saying, To accurately know one's own mind. Vajrasattva
asks Mahavairocana, the knowing of one's mind and he provides the answer. Also commentary seven
says, If one sees the ultimate truth of non-production, then that is the true knowledge of one's own
mind. The true knowledge of one's own mind then that is omniscience. Therefore the scripture's
explanation of the knowledge of one's own mind is seeing the root of non-arising and the ultimate truth
of non-production creates omniscience, one's omniscience is then Mahavairocana and therefore the
7 The single body: Though externally differing, in nature the same; the fundamental unity of the universe.
8 The Dharmakaya or reality body is the unmanifested aspect of Buddhas, which all phenomena arise and return in
dissolution. In other words, The ultimate nature or essence of the enlightened mind. Represented by Mahavairocana.
9 Five places: The forehead, both shoulders, the heart and throat.
10 I believe this to mean the five buddhas which represent the five wisdoms.
11 This seems to be referring to the letter A as the Ocean Seal Samadhi mantra.
12 A charya tantra. The title in Sanskrit is Mahavairocanabhisambodhi tantra (sutra).

mantra teachings are then becoming a buddha is this very body. Seeing the original non-arising and the
ultimate truth of non-production, all dharmas follow this root, since neither arising nor ceasing,
originally existent, eternally abiding and afflictions root are non-arising afflictions. Enlightenment is
originally non-arising enlightenment and this knowledge is called omniscience. In this way we arise,
cease, go and come, but should eye simple knowledge. Non-arising, non-ceasing, no knowledge and
like this all dharmas are originally non-arising, non-ceasing objects. This is expressed clearly in the
teaching's abundant discourses on (emptiness) therefore this non-arising, non-ceasing is called the nonesoteric teachings, uncommon discourse. In this way now the secret teachings are structured.
Worldlings are not aware via, seeing hearing, cognition and knowing, the non-arising, non-ceasing
body. To correctly clearly express the seed syllable's samaya form causes one see the knowledge of
emptiness, and the practice of it also. This is the manifest teaching of the unknown. To say the root is
non-arising body, the seed-syllable samaya form is the eight petaled lotus. This eight petaled lotus is
explained in the Dainichi-sutra as the 13 mind and the mind is then sentient beings eight
limbs of the physical body. The same commentary section five says,Iin the mind is the marvelous
white lotus, that therein is sentient beings original mind of the wonderful dharma pundarika14 secret
banner. The lotus dais complete with eight petals equally etc.. like the form of a truly spreading flower.
This is the lotus pedestal that is the true form of things as they are, spontaneous wisdom. The lotus
petals are the skillful means of great compassion and truly by this womb creates the body of the
mandala of the great compassionate womb-store's remaining three layers. Hear that from this selfauthenticating flow of merit emerges many good and virtuous friends that enter into the dharma-realm
gate. There are very few of these mandalas. Adjust the sixteen fingers, great and infinite and now
within this text is the mind of the marvelous white lotus. This therein is sentient beings original mind,
the wonderful dharma pundarika's mind. Observe this mind lotus and contemplate this form. In
the mind visualize that there is an eight petaled lotus, the shape of the lotus like that of the mundane
lotus form. Observe only this arranged lotus and the eight petaled lotus, this is the mind and
15 mind abides in this lotus. These two minds at that time are unseparated, therefore above the lotus
observe a moon disk. The moon disk is the mind and mind shape is truly like the moon
disk shape. The moon disk shape is perfectly shaped, like a crystal pearl etc.. again the lotus seed
syllable is the syllable and therefore within the moon disk observe the syllable. The shape of
the syllable is as if the shape is permanently written, it can be turned in the four directions and
permanently written arranged in one direction, not above or below this shape. All the Siddham letter's
shape in the four directions (is the same). By means of the syllable it infers the meaning of the
moon disk. Now this syllable and lotus flower is within the moon disk, if the lotus flower is
arranged for visualization, or if the lotus flower and moon disk is visualized, or if the lotus syllable
is contemplated, it may abide in the practitioners thoughts and the moon disk is about one hasta16 across
and cannot be less than this measurement. Then attach to this grasping the visualization of the two
forms. First an eight petaled lotus one hasta across. Like this one for the other the same characteristics
apply. Separately visualize each, after that in front about one hasta visualize a lotus17. Summon it to
enter into your body, this is like the permanent entering the self. This is the self entering visualization.
First in front of you visualize a lotus one hasta across, visualize and contemplate without turning back.
13
14
15
16
17

Pronounced hrta
Pundarika: Sanskrit for white lotus flower
Pronounced sita
One Hasta: Eighteen inches
To clarify I believe he means to say that about 18 inches in front of you visualize the lotus etc.. to be about 18inces in
size. First separately visualize the components, then again visualize the lotus at that distance of the same size and bring
it into your body.

The sutra says to strive to practice for a year or month visualizing the lotus flower etc.. Close your eyes
to where you can only see a little, visualize (the lotus etc..) in front of your body and bring it into
yourself.
Question: This syllable and lotus flower are the substance of the ultimate truth of non-production
clearly expressed and when creating this visualization, how do we meditate on this seed syllable's
samaya form?
Reply: When contemplating phenomena do not consider to distinguish the reason, only the shape and
form. According to the dharma separately visualize the arrangement and again I say, this syllable is
mundane and written many places, therefore think of human beings impermanent nature, the great
perverse place and this syllable is the substance of pure enlightenment, essentially the attainment of
buddhahood within this very body, and grasping that sense of the syllable, finish the above
meditation.
Next the width of the meditation, an Explication: If the practitioner sees all that follows as dependent
arising, all is the dharma-body of Vairocana. At that time Buddha-lands are created in the ten
directions. This is called the ultimate pure enlightenment. Now this explanation of thought, I reply
that all dharmas are dependent arising. All are the illuminated dharma body of Vairocana. That
therefore all dharmas do not emerge in form or mind, as two dharmas. Form and mind are two
dharmas, they are the six great elements and the six great elements then are Vairocana's dharma body
and at that time Buddha-lands are created in the ten directions. Since in spite of the fact that all
dharmas are dependently arising they are the dharma body of Vairocana, therefore, in the ten directions
pure lands and the six defiled destinies lack distinction. They are the same, all are the one palace of the
dharma realm and while abiding in mental quiescence holding the visualization, then distractions may
abide in the width of the meditation. The two meditation gates are very secret and walking, standing,
sitting, lying down without laziness, make an effort to practice. You will quickly attain pure
enlightenment and with the above finished, that is the secret meditation.