Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh

The mantra that composes the title of this blog entry is one that I received from dreamtime. I have written about this mantra in many places. When I first had found it in a book, THE LIGHT OF A THOUSAND SUNS, it was simply "Namo Amida Buddha". There was only about two paragraphs about Amida Buddha, but it was enough for me to feel that this mantra was an access point for the blessings and grace of this aspect of the Dharmakaya (the body of universal truth). I would simply sing it in Gregorian chant plainsong, making up whatever tune seemed to feel right in the moment. I was at a university then and would usually walk around the campus quietly during the evening singing this. I noticed after a while that I was peaceful, calm, and happy after singing this mantra, and keep on doing this "practice". It deepened immensely, eventually revealing spaces within me where I could send healing energy to my "path friends". Even later on, I had dreamtime flashes of Sukhavati, the pure land of Amida Buddha, and especially the "training places", like the lakes where you sit on the rock in the middle of the lake and gently say, "calm, calm, calm" until there is no ripple in the lake, gently waving your hands above the waters with tai chi like slowness. It is a beautiful training place that helps bodhisattva/dakini healers learn how to bring others into inner peace. It was in two dreams, spaced years apart, that Amida Buddha appeared and asked me to add "Om" to the mantra and later "Hreeh". The "Om" was added to release the mantra from "Buddhism" so that it could be used by all seekers of whatever religion or nonreligion, as a blessing, support, advantage, and benefit that did not require them to renounce anything from their chosen path, except maybe some negativity. The "Hreeh" is the anchor syllable that brings the blessing power deeply into our mind, heart, body, and life, and is the gift of Amida Buddha to the Tanran Reiki Healing System that I teach.

I finally completed a translation and update of the 48 vows of Dharmakara, a Bodhisattva who upon enlightenment merged with Amida Buddha, became Amida Buddha, and radiated the enlightenment energy of Amida Buddha into all worlds. When we chant the mantra that he empowered, we undergo a similar process and also become Amida Buddha, merging with this enlightened energy of unconditional love, letting it fully heal us, letting it shine into and through our whole life, and even radiating it naturally outwards to heal all others. It is Dharmakara who "stamped" the 48 vows into the Amida field and empowered this specific wish focus. It is his dharma expression:

The 48 vows of Amida Buddha
through Tenabah, copyright 2010

I am here writing a modernized and revised version of the 48 Amida vows. This is done for a few reasons. One is that the original version used some specialized terms that do not make immediate sense to many English readers. I want the particular vow to be understood by those who are not familiar with those terms. Two is that there are some verses whose wording or phrasing does not honor the ideal of male and female equality. It seems in some areas of the world there has been a belief that women are inferior to men on the spiritual path and even resorted to teaching the esoteric practice of helping women to reincarnate in the next lifetime as males. There might have been some practical reason for this, because in some of those societies the life of women was worse than males, not because of gender inferiority, but because of the oppression or prejudice that women may have endured in those societies. In one version of the vows, one verse talked about women being reborn as males in the next lifetime or reborn as "daughters of kings" (aka princesses). This indicates that some women were doing okay socially and would not be impeded in their enlightenment process. Buddhism has had a practical realism about the difficulties and challenges of becoming enlightened, and that women have, at times, have had some social difficulties that males have not had. I did find that one Tibetan Lama reinterpreted those verses more psychologically in a way that I liked and I am following this lama's lead.

Part of Amritayana Buddhism is to address the gender imbalances of the last Kali Yuga. I follow Sri Yukteswar in his assertion that the last Kali Yuga ended in the 1800s with the "orb" of the Kali Yuga ending 200 years later. I would revise his more general calculations by aligning them with the Mayan astrology of Jose Arguelles who has calculated the importance of the 2012 solstice as a key transition point in human history. In this revision, the Kali Yuga would have ended on the solstice of 1812 and the orb of the Kali Yuga will end on the solstice of 2012. Using the same Arguelles calculations, I would also recalculate the Kalachakra prophecy dates from either 2024 or 2027 also to 2012. This would match the magnetic field null zone that we are starting to move through where the pole shift happens. It would be an approximate 500 year transition from the Piscean era dominated by faith and dogma to the Aquarian era dominated by futuristic vision and universality. In this recalculation, the Aquarian era would begin on solstice of 2512. In the Kalachakra teachings, there is a kind of "final war" which happens between 2412 and 2512, where a false religious power which seems monotheistic, dogmatic, authoritarian, and political, organizes an attack on Shamballah and fails to win. Afterwards there is, at last, world peace. I do gather that this war is mostly metaphorical, though it could take the shape of a literal war. It is more of a struggle between dogmatic monotheistic faith which characterized the previous religious orientation of the Piscean era and the universal vision of the Aquarian age (which is necessary for world peace). The latter is based on esoteric science, internal psychological processing, and personal knowing.

My feeling is that during a previous Kali Yuga that there was a Matriarchal oppression of males, who were considered inferior to females. It was a parallel to the Patriarchal oppression of females during the Kali Yuga that is finally passing away. My way of characterizing the Matriarchal Kali Yuga is that it was the "egg fertilizer" era. This is where the feminine was considered to have the mystery of birth, that females always gave birth to children through a "virgin" process, with the male only "fertilizing the egg" or activating the egg. During the Patriarchal era, the metaphor was reversed. It was the "seed soil" era. Where the male had the "seed" which was planted in the female and the female was only the "fertile soil" (or "barren soil" if not productive) for the seed. This made the female like an oven to bake the bread, with the males giving the loaf to the oven. The next series of yugas will be the "zygote" era where the male and the female share half of each of their DNA to make each child. This more accurate scientific metaphor will allow gender equality to fully appear. There are many differences between male and female around the mystery of birth. But it seems that nature herself wants males and females to be in near 50/50 ratio to each other. Although the odds of giving birth to females should be equal to giving birth to males, nature has birthed more males than females. This is because more males die than females, for all kinds of reasons. Nature has a kind of future seeing so that by the time males and females reach adulthood the ratios between them are close. It is usually about 52 percent female to about 48 percent male. I also feel that nature is inspiring people to not have children or as many children as before, and even inspiring, biochemically and hormonally, many pairings to be homosexual so that they are not reproductive units. This is because the planet was not meant to carry 6 billion humans and nature is trying to gently reduce this number through nonlethal population control. It seems, too, that a number of people are being inspired to change their gender through science, with males usually wanting to become females than the other way around. I wonder if many of these people were women in previous lifetimes who bought into the "reincarnate as males in the next lifetime" teaching of various religions and who are unconsciously correcting this. These science created gender shifts would be characteristic of the Aquarian scientific uptopian vision and would also lead to nonreproductive pairings to help the population gently come to more balance with the ecosystem. I suspect that there are more female homosexuals (lebians) than male homosexuals (gays), too, because of the 4 percent difference between males and females in the overall population.

Part of Amritayana Buddhism is to revise the Buddhist teachings in such a manner that gender equality is more clearly apparent. I feel that the general sentiment of Buddhism has been male and female equality, but as Buddhism spread from culture to culture is oftened got colored by the patriarchal energy of the various cultures it encountered. Unlike Christianity and Islam, which, upon converting others to their religion insisted that people renounce their previous religion as being false and often even unholy, Buddhism never required that people give up their previous religion but merely to add the Buddhist teachings to them. In some circumstances, Buddhism would question and challenge some beliefs of other religions, just as the Buddha challenged the caste system of Hinduism and Padmasambhava challenged the animal sacrifices of Bon Shamanism, but it was more on a case by case basis. Buddhists were more inclined to see if all the elements of the Eightfold Path were already present in other religions, to see which ones were missing, and add them back, especially their emphasis on effective meditation practice.

Strictly speaking, the 48 vows were not done by Amida Buddha, but by Dharmakara, who was an advanced bodhisattva who was soon to become another Buddha during a previous aeon in galactic history. When a person becomes a Buddha, he or she creates what may be called a "dharma expression". Their teaching is not a carbon copy of the previous Buddhas. Every Buddha teaches something similar but different to the other Buddhas. They follow what the Sufis call "time, place, and need". There was a story where the Buddha took four leaves from a tree and placed them in his hand. He asked his disciples how many leaves were in his hand and they said "four". He then asked how many leaves were on the tree and they said, "more than we can count". The Buddha then said, "On the tree are how many teachings I could teach to you, in my hand are the teachings that you need to hear and learn right now." The four leaves, of course, are the Four Noble Truths, the Fourth Truth being the Eightfold Path (and the first precept of the Eightfold Path being the 12 Nidanas and the fourth precept being the five behavioral ethical ideals aka one teaching naturally leads to all the others). A Buddha has the goal of helping all beings to become enlightened. The goal is not to create believers in a religion, but to awaken each person to his or her true nature as a direct and living experience. What this requires changes from time to time and place to place, and even person to person.

Dharmakara chose to open up a "path of tariki" or divine grace. It is a blessing energy that carries those who trust this energy all the way to supreme perfect enlightenment. It is meant to be an "easy path" since the "other power" (which is what tariki means) does all the work. Our part is to open up, surrender resistance, allow ourselves to be carried by the energy, and trust the process. Because divine love is nonviolent, it cannot force us to become enlightened. It can only work with our moment to moment permission. The "grace fire" will burn away all the obscuring karmas that prevent us from "pure perception" of our true nature. We need to allow this grace fire to burn away all that is within us that needs to be released. As our karmas burn away, our own true nature will manifest a higher and higher life condition with more happiness, more love, and more material abundance for us and those we care about, and even eventually conquer aging and death, and even eventually transform our physical bodies into a light body. This is what is behind all the 48 vows.

I am writing the 48 vows as "intentions" to simplify the verbal expression. I am also translating the meaning of the vow into politically and psychologically correct English. People are invited to compare this translation with the originals and to ponder why I am making the changes that I am. I may occasionally make some commentary to explain why I am shifting the words and their meanings some, but on the whole I would like the words to explain themselves, since the entire 48 vows is really a commentary on what Tariki can do for us.

(1) In my pure land, there will be no places of fighting, torment, and pain, no places of unconscious compulsive addictive habits, and no places of anguished unfulfilled longings or people searching in vain for satisfaction.

(2) In my pure land, people will not fall into lesser life conditions of chronic fear, anger, and sadness.

(3) In my pure land, people will radiate health, compassion, and happiness.

(4) In my pure land, all people will feel themselves to be members of one species and feel each other to be equally beautiful.

(5) In my pure land, all beings will remember all their past lifetimes.

(6) In my pure land, all beings will have an awakened third eye able to see all the infinite Buddha worlds throughout this universe.

(7) In my pure land, all beings will have the inner ear to hear all the teachings of all the Buddhas within all the Buddha worlds throughout the universe.

(8) In my pure land, all beings will be telepathic, able to read the thoughts of each other, and able to commune with those who are also telepathic.

(9) In my pure land, all beings will be able to travel throughout the universe at the speed of thought, by simply intending to appear at a certain place and immediately arriving there.

(10) In my pure land, all beings will be completely, perfectly, and permanently free of the central mental poison of self clinging and have no thought of self clinging ever bring their consciousness down to a lesser state of happiness.

(11) In my pure land, all beings will be blessed with the secure and realistic faith that they will without fail attain supreme perfect enlightenment.

(12) From my pure land, a radiant light that will illuminate every actual and potential Buddha world with a supportive and powerful blessing energy able to illuminate and release all obscurations and able to carry anyone to supreme perfect enlightenment.

(13) In my pure land, my life span will not be subject to aging, diminishment, or death, and will be eternal, so that my support for all those who take refuge in me will be unfailing forever.

(14) In my pure land, there will be no limit to the number of people who will be liberated by hearing the dharma that I radiate forward through the mantra that I teach, no limit to the number of beings that I can support, and no limit to the number of beings that I can bring to supreme perfect enlightenment.

(15) In my pure land, all beings will be free from aging and death, will be free of any karma of disease, accident, poverty, or any life condition that could age them or kill them, and will only be able to age or die if it is their conscious choice to release their body in accordance with their chosen loving service or mission to any world.

(16) In my pure land, even the thought or rumor of evil will not arise in the consciousness of anyone.

(17) The energy I radiate from my pure land will be known to all the Buddhas of all worlds because all Buddhas commune with each other and honor each other.

(18) The energy I radiate from my pure land will connect with those who use my mantra for even just ten repetitions or even just one sincere repetition, who joyfully entrust themselves to me, who wish to be reborn in my pure land, who allow me to bring them to my pure land, who repent and have deep remorse for having done any of the five most negative karmaic actions (killing their innocent and kind mother out of malice or greed, killing their innocent and kind father out of malice or greed, killing a saint, killing a buddha, and creating discord, conflict, and division among the community of spiritual seekers), and who repent and have remorse for any unwholesome and unloving actions, and who are transformed into the unconditionally loving mood of my pure land, and then I will carry all of them into my pure land and they will be reborn in my pure land.

(19) The energy I radiate from my pure land will inspire many to awaken the motivation to attain supreme perfect enlightenment, to do meritorious deeds of compassion, to be reborn in my pure land, and those who live in this manner will, upon their death, see me appear along with other saints and enlightened beings to welcome them into my pure land.

(20) Those who hear my mantra, concentrate their thoughts on my pure land, visualizing aspects of its landscape and its noble inhabitants, are inspired to do meritorious compassionate actions and dedicate the merit to rebirth in my pure land, and wish to be reborn in my pure land will, without fail, eventually be reborn in my pure land.

(21) In my pure land, all those who are reborn there, or who live in the energy of my pure land in whatever worlds they are on, will evolve the 32 physical marks of the Buddha and have perfect balance, harmony, and integration of their inner male and inner female.

(22) All advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis who even visit my pure land and open up to the teachings, blessings, and trainings found here, will reach supreme perfect enlightenment without needing to involuntarily die and be reborn ever again, will quickly pass through the maturing stages of the path, will have the protection and blessings of my energy, will commune with Buddhas from all other worlds and learn from them also, abide in the primordial presence at the heart of all the paths of all the genuine religions, liberate sentient beings from sorrow and teach others how to become liberated.

(23) All advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis who appear in my pure land will be able to commune with Buddhas from all worlds, honor them, receive their blessings, and learn from them with the ease and speed of eating a simple wholesome meal.

(24) In my pure land, all advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis will be able to increase their merit by chanting the mantras of all other Buddhas, honoring and revering their blessing energy and deeply receiving their wisdom and teachings with my support, help, and blessing so that it will be easy to reach them all.

(25) In my pure land, all advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis will be able to teach the Dharma with confidence and mature all knowing wisdom, infused with a living energy that will help and allow people to understand its deepest meaning.

(26) In my pure land, all advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis in my pure land and within my supportive energy will attain bodies immune to illness, filled with strength and health, and invulnerable to any harm.

(27) All advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis in my pure land will awaken the highest divine aspect of the third eye and be able to see in great detail all the wonderous manifestations of all the Buddha worlds, their teachings, their manifestations, and their attainments and even be able to number them and expound on them as precisely as needed.

(28) Even bodhisattvas and dakinis who have accumulated only a small amount of merit will be able to see a radiant many colored Bodhi tree from my pure land, feel blessed by its energy, and feel wishes spontaneously fulfilled.

(29) In my pure land, advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis will be able to recite sutras and expound on sutras with wisdom and eloquence.

(30) In my pure land, advanced bodhisattvas and dakinis will be able to speak peacefully, eloquently, clearly, and insightfully about the dharma.

(31) My pure land will illuminate and reflect all other Buddha lands within its radiance, like images reflected in a mirror.

(32) My pure land will be composed of precious gems, crystals, fragrant woods, and medicinal herbs, generating an energy field that manifests beauty such that those who experience this world will be inspired to deeply meditate and move towards supreme perfect enlightenment.

(33) My pure land will radiate a light will penetrate into all the Buddha worlds and bless them with inner peace, contentment, and happiness.

(34) Within my radiant light, sentient beings in the Buddha worlds will gain insight into how the causes of sorrow will never have to arise and know dharanis worth chanting to deepen this insight.

(35) Within my radiant light, may the life condition of women be infused with the courage, protection, and concentration of ideal male energy and may the life condition of men be infused with the caring, sensitivity, and devotion of ideal female energy.

(36) Within my radiant light, all the bodhisattvas and dakinis will be inspired to perform sacred practices and daily meditation until they reach supreme perfect enlightenment.

(37) Within my radiant light, those bodhisattvas and dakinis who chant my mantra with devotion, bowing, and prostration, rejoice in their faith, and practice daily meditation will be respected by all the devas and people of the world.

(38) In my pure land, all material needs, when they arise in the minds of those in need, will appear immediately and spontaneously, and even be of fine quality.

(39) In my pure land, the paths of householder and renunciate are fused together and transcended so that everyone has the comfort and happiness gained by both journeys.

(40) Within my radiant light, permeating the entire universe, bodhisattvas and dakinis who chant my mantra will be empowered to see all the buddha worlds with the ease of seeing their face reflected in a mirror.

(41) Within my radiant light, permeating the entire universe, bodhisattvas and dakinis who chant my mantra will have all their sense organs fully healed.

(42) Within my radiant light, those who hear my mantra will attain the concentration upon the enlightened space of pure liberation, be able to dwell within this space without distraction, and through pure immediate intention will be able to make magical offerings to all the Buddhas of the entire universe, accumulating merit able to heal all sentient beings.

(43) Within my radiant light, those who hear my mantra, receive and hear the energy of the mantra, will at least be reborn into superior life conditions within noble and compassionate families.

(44) Within my radiant light, those who hear my mantra, receive and hear the energy of the mantra, will rejoice and dance, do wonderful spiritual practices, and accumulate great merit for the sake of healing themselves and helping others.

(45) Within my radiant light, permeating the entire universe, when bodhisattvas and dakinis everywhere chant my mantra, they will rapidly attain the concentration and abiding in the enlightenment space of universal equality and feel all the beings moving towards this space with them and feel all those who have arrived.

(46) Within my pure land, bodhisattvas and dakinis will be able to hear, immediately and spontaneously, whatever teachings that they wish to hear and whatever teachings that they need.

(47) Within my radiant light, permeating the entire universe, those who hear my mantra, receive and take in its energy, will instantly attain the stage of non-regression, never falling back to an inferior life condition and always from that point onwards, advancing and maturing on the spiritual path.

(48) Within my radiant light, permeating the entire universe, those who hear my mantra, receive and take in its energy, will instantly gain three insights into the nature of all the material elements composing the universe, seeing their nonsubstantiality, their interdependence, and their arising within the field of cause and effect, and through these insights firmly abide in all the deep truths that allow the Buddhas to fully realize supreme perfect enlightenment.

Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.
Om Namo Amida Buddha Hreeh.

Opening up, letting go, and allowing Tariki
to burn away all obscurations,
Opening up, letting go, and allowing Tariki
to burn away all obscurations,
Sincerely opening up, letting go and allowing Tariki
to burn away all obscurations,
Totally opening up, letting go, and allowing Tariki
to burn away all obscurations,
Fully trusting, fully rejoicing, fully awakening,
Calmly abiding in the Presence of Inner Peace
within the radiance of the Dharmakaya
effortlessly touching all sentient beings in all worlds
with the blessing energy
of radiant compassion.

Namaste.