The Honorable Protector Yi De

Yutang Lin

Repeating mantra and emitting lights to bless all beings,
Amid an altar hall that harmonized Sutras and Tantras,
Protector Yi De appeared with awesome posture,
Snake-spearhead lance thrusts through all hindrances!

Comment:

Last night in a dream I was walking among a group of people, without knowing whereto, so I repeated in my mind the mantra, "Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong," and visualized that lights were emitting to bless all. The scene in the dream immediately became some people and I were at the center of a huge rectangular altar hall, and in our front there were a few Lamas. The hall was decorated mainly in the Tibetan Buddhist altar style, but there were also some arrangements that were in the Chinese exoteric Buddhist altar style. I turned my head around to take a good look at the surroundings, and saw right behind me, at the width-end of the rectangular hall, there was a long table and behind the table sat the tall and robust General Zhang Fei, a famous historical figure in Chinese history, in full armors. He stood up to walk to his left side, and then I noticed that the snake-spearhead lance in his right hand was longer than his height.

It is well known to Chinese that Guan Gong, General Zhang's brother-in-vows, is a protector of the Dharma. Now through this dream I came to realize that he is also a protector of the Dharma. His name in common uses is "Yi De" with the meaning of helping virtuous ones, hence I respectfully address him as "Yi De Gong, the Honorable Protector Yi De." Here I carefully recorded the dream as it was. May those who had the opportunity to learn about this and develop faith in it be protected by him to overcome all hindrances and hence will be able to advance diligently on the path of Bodhi!

Written in Chinese and translated on February 20, 2006
El Cerrito, California

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