Remembering Protectors' Grace
Yutang Lin
Smooth path ensured under the Grace of Paldan Lhamo's guidance;
Abundance in Dharma fruits owes thanks to her pulling by the hand.
Flying along to guard and protect through impenetrable surveillance,
Wide spreading of Lion's roars due to the diligence of security force.
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Comments:
Years ago I composed a praise in Chinese to pay respects to the Four-arm Mahakala . As the praise was composed I suddenly realized that the last word of each of the four sentences, when read in the sequential order as taught by Guru Chen on how to arrange the images of the Four Great Heavenly Kings into a two by two matrix, namely, by assigning East to the lower right, and then assigning South, West and North clockwise to lower left, upper left and then upper right respectively, would form the phrase: Fei Sui Shou Hu, flying along to guard and protect. Without intention for such arrangement and yet under his gracious blessing the four sentences all ended with a verb, just as the movement of his four arms, to constitute such matching significance. Hence, in January of this year I asked Seong Yeow to carve a seal of this phrase as a token of permanent remembrance of such grace.
Then I recalled that, ever since I had dedicated my life to Dharma services, whenever I encountered difficult junctures through Guru Chen's grace I would pray to Paldan Lhamo for guidance. Thanks to her compassionate and merciful guidance I would learn how to choose the auspicious path and to avoid the dangerous cliffs. As a result my Dharma path has been smooth and even. Appreciation of such grace lingers in my heart all the time. Therefore, on that same day I sent another request to Seong Yeow asking him to use a square seal-stone to carve a round shaped seal of the phrase: Yang Ci Qu Ji, relying on grace to approach auspiciousness. In addition, I requested that he would carve on the seal wall facing me when using the seal the following:
Constantly remembering the grace of Heavenly Mother in granting merciful guidance
A disciple of Buddhist Tantra, Yutang
As to the meaning of Qu Ji in the seal, it means both to approach auspiciousness and to follow Paldan Lhamo like a child holding the hand of mother because in Chinese she is called Ji Xiang Tian Mu, Auspicious Heavenly Mother.
During my recent trip home to Taiwan I received from Seong Yeow these two seals in completion. In order to work on this project as a serious matter he had entered retreat to work on the designs. The top of the Heavenly Mother's seal consists of the carving of five ripe peaches hanging from some branches; Dharma fruits are certainly products of Heavenly Mother's gracious blessings. The top of the Mahakala's seal consists of a lion king standing upright and roaring; Dharma sounds of right enlightenment have spread wide through the grace of protection!
Written in Chinese on July 14, 2004
Taipei, Taiwan
Translated on August 9, 2004
El Cerrito, California
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