承秉著文殊菩薩為娑婆眾生所揀選的觀世音菩薩耳根圓通,佛出娑婆界,此方真教體,清淨在音聞,欲取三摩提,實以聞中入之殊勝妙法因緣。藉以音聲(於今娑婆,立其假名,方便稱:「元和妙音」)的修持及領會,應緣發音,聞聲回性,捨識用根,離言說相、名字相、心緣相,反聞聞自性,性成無上道。
佛以音聲作佛事。廣說音聲乃一切耳受,涵蓋言語,今元和妙音則為狹說特說,呼頌為方。
元和者,本元淨和也。妙音者,妙法音聲也。元和妙音乃自性心咒,是真言,是梵唱,是禪頌,是佛音,以離相離念為宗,唱而無唱,無唱而唱,啟用隨緣,消歸覺元(源)。本契無為以應有為,亦就有為而入無為,無為而為,為而無為。於聞受上圓具響、徹、清、柔、哀、亮、和、雅。具足極好音、柔軟音、和適音、尊慧音、不女音、不誤音、深遠音及不竭音等八大特色。
元和妙音是一覺元學脈的主要修行課程及應世普化的特色之一。於自我修持淨化的同時,形於外則是利他之器,此器中有氣,即光即能,能化通世間障難。於靈昇提、於心解結、於身脫病。拜當今科技之賜,並可將其能場儲存、拷貝、隨身攜行,張其質性,窮其效能,濟急緩解皆宜,聞受者若能循聲入性,更稱究竟。然自成無上道是主,而依緣利化他為附。並自行化他於同時,終至主他不二,物我兩忘,寂照雙融。凡聞者多有心生歡喜、欣慰、氣動、祥和、寧靜之感,而顯於外則常見淚涕、豎毛、呵欠、靈動、呈敬拜相、合目養神等現象。經云:若有眾生,得聞佛聲,慈心清淨、踴躍歡喜、衣毛為起或淚出者,皆由前世曾作佛道,故非凡人。然業深障重者,初聞此音則常帶怯畏難耐感,若能勇於持續領受,不假時日,塵垢滌洗必得欣然。畢竟妙音觀世音,梵音海潮音,勝比世間音,無上覺加被,威力不思議。
一切佛法修持的總目標在於覺,而覺悟的根基則為禪定亦即三昧。透過元和妙音的修持,有助於深入定靜的功夫,而相較於打坐,則更易於檢視及伏住昏沉與掉舉,以致甚深禪定,進而萬緣放下萬念歸寂而達開悟見性,所謂是音通心地,聲達性海,可謂之音流禪。並元和妙音的深度修練,則具有淨化身心靈的功能,不僅自利且可利他,所謂淨極光通達,一呼萬山應天地彌不從,未能呼頌者深浸其中亦必得大利。深鍊的元和妙音波動能場,德術等濟,德為體本,術為相用,無實本則無實用,本偏則用邪。故欲精深元和妙音,必具深厚德本及大願力。
修持元和妙音首重誠敬,古聖言格物、致知、誠意、正心、修身、齊家、治國、平天下。至誠合淨,淨入平等,平等發覺。屏息萬緣,專注呼頌元和妙音至不起心不動念,不分別不執著時,即得契入自性本定,致自性本定遇不定緣分於突然之間便得大徹大悟。三昧淺深千差萬別,不得三昧不生智慧,智慧通達能量顯發。故圓滿高度元和妙音的力量即是大覺悟的作用。
宇宙的形成來自念頭的震動,而一切有為物質的存在則是波動的現象。元和妙音是清淨平等靈覺的波動能場,願力為體、波動為相、能場為用。至心運持聞受能穩身心、蓄精元、安神識,調理磁場,連通維次,啟動人體密碼,開發潛能,恢復本能,釋冤解結,善轉命運。所謂是依報隨著正報轉,心淨則佛土淨。心誠則音誠,音誠則境界誠,極誠則寂。故得大解脫自在。
甲午冬末 弘聖靈覺 略筆
乙未初夏微增
Yuan-He-Miao-Yin
— a miraculous sound from the self-nature
Following “Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva’s Perfect Understanding of the Ear,” chosen by Mañjuśrī, Buddha appears in this secular world. It is the authentic religious body. Pureness comes from hearing. If we want to reach the state of samadhi, we should cultivate the contemplation of causes and conditions by listening to the miraculous dharma. With sound (in this secular world, it is better to name it in a convenient manner “Yuan-He-Miao-Yi”), we practice and understand, voice is articulate with good causes. Hearing the sound, we return to our original personalities. Giving up using consciousness, we return to our roots of senses. Not attached to language, words and ideologies, returning the hearing and listen to the self-nature. Then, you can reach the supreme Dao.
Buddha preaches with sound and music. Generally speaking, sound is heard by the ears, transcending languages. Now, the Yuan-He-Miao-Yin is a specific and unique kind of saying, with chanting as the medium.
Yuan-He-Miao-Yin is the pureness and harmony of life. Yuan-He-Miao-Yin means the miraculous Dharma, sound and music. Yuan-He-Miao-Yin is the mantra of our original roots of senses, true words, Buddhist songs, Zen chants, and Buddha sounds. It surpasses the appearance and consciousness, not to attach with singing. Listen to it by following good works to eliminate your distresses and return to your true self. This contract does nothing to accomplish something. In other words, we achieve the state of not doing anything with doing something, doing with not doing anything, and not doing anything with doing. The music shows us with sonority, clarity, clearness, tenderness, sadness, brightness, harmonious, and elegance, though eight different tones: beautiful tone, soft tone, harmonious tone, respectful tone and wise tone, non-effeminate tone, unerring tone, deep and far- reaching tone and inexhaustible tone.
Yuan-He-Miao-Yin is a major course of practice in Yi Jue Yuan and the means of preaching Buddhism. When we are practicing ourselves, the appearance outside is a useful media, having Qi, a positive power i.e., wisdom and energy. It helps us to overcome barriers and disasters in this world. Elevating our souls, it helps solve problems at heart and cures our illness. Thanks to modern technology, we can store it, copy it, and make it portable to promote its features and maximize its functions. It is idea for both urgent help and gradual soothing. If listeners can return to their authentic nature and find out causes when hearing this music, it will be miraculous. Then, she or he will accomplish the supreme Dao. Following cause and effect, she or he will be inspired. At the time of obtaining epiphany, the listener will forget the subject and object, self and other to become one. Listeners will be happy at heart, pleasant, touched, harmony, and tranquil. Conveying in the appearance, then it will be tears, standing hairs, yawn, feelings worship, closed eyes, and resting. Sutra says: For all lives, when they hear the sound of Buddha, they will be clam and clear at hearts, joy and laughter. With hairs raised, tear burst. These people were Buddha and bodhisattva in past lives, not ordinary people. However, if people are entangled with karma, when listening to it for the first time, they will feel scared and difficult to bear. If they can accept it daringly, in no time, they will be cleansed and obtain joy. The miraculous music of Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva is the music of Buddhism, functioning from season to season better than any other sound in this world. With the empowerment of supreme awakening, the power is incredible.
The goal of practicing Buddhism is enlightenment, through the practice and empowerment of Yuan-He-Miao-Yin, we will be more concentrated on meditation. The music helps us to examine ourselves, and overcome distractions to enter the ultimate state of mediation. Then, we will put down all thinking to tranquility, returning to our authentic senses. Likewise, music connects with our hearts; sounds the deep sea of senses. It is the music of Zen. Practicing deeply with Yuan-He-Miao-Yin, we can be purified our soul and heart, the music benefits not only ourselves but also other people. The purest light enters, heaven and earth follow. People who only listen to Yan-He-Miao-Yin can benefit a lot from it. The profoundly produced Yuan-He-Miao-Yi promotes the field of energy, with virtue and morals. With virtue as the entity, methods the use of appearance. Without any actuality, it achieves nothing. If the origin goes astray, it applies in wrong ways, Therefore, Yuan-He-Miao-Yin achieves profound virtue and moral with great vows.
Practicing Yuan-He-Miao-Yin, we must be respectful and sincere, as the old saying, “to restrain desires, to acquire knowledge, to be sincere, to rectify one’s thoughts, to cultivate oneself, to put one’s family in order, to govern the country, and to bring peace to the world.” With ultimate sincerity, we achieve pureness. From pureness, we obtain equality. With equality, we gain awareness. In a breath, cause and effect appear and fade. Chanting the Yuan-He-Miao-Yin with concentration, we should not become attached to external forms and, at the same time, maintain a mind of calmness and stillness within. Then, you will be free from false thoughts to understand the mind and see the nature. When cause and effect come and go, you will be inspired to achieve great understanding. The states of mediation differ greatly. Without meditation, we obtain no wisdom. Wisdom manifests power so that the effects of Yuan-He-Miao-Yin can inspire a great understanding.
The universe is created by a shock wave of thoughts. All things created by the mind alone. Yuan-He-Miao-Yin is the wave field of senses, such as pureness and equality, with will power as the body, the wave as appearance, the force field as applications.
If we listen to it with our hearts, our body and soul will be stabilized; spirits, conserved; conscious and wisdom, appease; magnetic field, adjusted; dimensions, connected; human body codes, started; potentials, unlocked; instincts, restored; hatred, cleansed; misunderstanding, clarified; fate, turns benignantly. It is like turning with the positive return. The pure mind is the pure land. Receiving the miraculous sound with sincere heart, we will obtain the ultimate, liberation.
Hong Sheng
First draft on late winter 2014
Revision on early summer, 2015