[Sharing Session] Venerable Guo Jun: A Lifetime Never Parted from the Cundi Mantra

By reciting the Cundi Mantra two hundred thousand times, Venerable Guo Jun (果竣法師) successfully overcame all obstacles to his ordination. Thereafter, whenever obstacles arose on his path of cultivation, he would resolutely return to the practice of mantra recitation. Through Cundi Mantra, he calmed both mind and body, returning to the path of cultivation, and learned from Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) Bodhisattva to cultivate great compassion, keep all sentient beings in mind, and uphold all wholesome Dharmas.

■  Tingjun Chen (陳亭君)
 
In 1987, while Venerable Guo Jun was still a university student, his first encounter with the Buddha's teachings sparked the aspiration to join the monastic order. Later, upon the introduction of a classmate, he began serving as a volunteer at Nung Chan Monastery. After graduation, he worked at what was then the Dharma Drum Mountain Taichung Branch.

On one occasion at the early Guanyin Hall at Dharma Drum Mountain, Master Sheng Yen conducted a three-day course for monastics, core members, and full-time staff. One passage from the Master's discourse left a deep impression on him: "When encountering irresistible karmic forces, such as natural or man-made disasters, or serious illness, one should do three things: first, take refuge in the Three Jewels; second, maintain a vegetarian diet; and third, recite the Cundi Mantra 200,000 times." This was the first time Venerable Guo Jun had heard of the Cundi Mantra. However, as he knew nothing about this method at the time, he did not consider practicing it.

Later, he was determined to become a monk, but his family strongly opposed his decision, and he did not know what to do. One day at Nung Chan Monastery, he met Venerable Guo Can, who was aware of his predicament. Venerable Guo Can informed him that his situation had been reported to Master Sheng Yen, and conveyed the Master's instruction: "You must recite the Cundi Mantra 200,000 times." This was the second time he heard of the Cundi Mantra through the Master's words. Subsequently, during an individual interview (xiaocan) at a seven-day Chan retreat, Master Sheng Yen said to him: "You are already 24 years old. If you want to become a monk, you must do so quickly." Although Venerable Guo Jun felt an even greater sense of urgency, his family still could not accept his decision.

Reciting the Cundi Mantra and Fulfilling the Aspiration to Become a Monk

Faced with these obstacles, Venerable Guo Jun went to see Master Sheng Yen in distress. The Master asked him in return, "I told you to recite the Cundi Mantra. How many times have you recited it now?" Having not practiced diligently, the Venerable felt guilty and was unable to answer. The Master continued, "The reason is that you do not believe it will be effective for you. If you believed that reciting the Cundi Mantra worked, you would do it. From this moment on, recite the Cundi Mantra and prostrate 200,000 times. Take this as your daily practice and your method of cultivation." From that point on, he made a firm resolution to uphold the mantra.

A year later, just as he was about to complete 200,000 recitations, Venerable Guo Jun was having dinner at Nung Chan Monastery when Master Sheng Yen walked over and said to him, "The time has come. Go home and speak with your family about your wish to become a monk." Since he did not believe that his family, who had been so firmly opposed, would change their minds, the Venerable did not mention it. Yet to his surprise, only two days later his mother approached him and said, "I have thought it through. Becoming a monk is not doing something bad. Go and walk the path you wish to walk." 

In 1993, Venerable Guo Jun was officially tonsured and joined the Sangha. One morning during breakfast, Master Sheng Yen exhorted the assembly, saying, "Those who have just been ordained, as well as those preparing for ordination, must all recite the Cundi Mantra 200,000 times." He then publicly asked Venerable Guo Jun, "Guo Jun, have you finished the 200,000 recitations?" When the Venerable replied that he had finished, the Master said sternly, " Does that mean you no longer need to recite it? Continue the recitation; otherwise, obstacles will arise again." These words were a profound admonition. To this day, he has never parted from the Cundi Mantra.

After becoming a monk, he continued to face obstacles to cultivation -- most significantly in the form of physical ailments. "I often felt that my karmic obstacles were heavy and my blessings few, leading to a lack of confidence. At times, my body and mind were exhausted, and I couldn't summon any spirit." On one occasion, he visited a highly respected elder monk, expressing that the Cundi Mantra was his daily practice and requesting compassionate guidance. The elder monk looked at him and recited the four-line verse that precedes the mantra:

I prostrate and take refuge in Susiddhi; with my head at your feet, I pay homage to the seven kotis of Buddhas. I now praise the Great Cundi, and pray that your compassion and mercy descend to protect me.

The elder monk then said to him, "If you continuously uphold the Cundi Mantra, the Cundi Mantra will bless you throughout your life." This statement had a deep impact on him. The Venerable recalled, "The elder monk clearly pointed out a bright path for me, which became one of the key factors that prompted me to persevere with the Cundi Mantra."

Venerable Guo Jun regained his confidence and continuously recited the Cundi Mantra. Once, he experienced something similar to spitting out an unknown "black substance" from his mouth. Shortly afterwards, his physical discomfort significantly improved, allowing him to continue his diligent practice. Comparing his experience with the scriptures, the Venerable noted that both The Great Cundi Dharani Sutra and the Dharma of Independent Division of Seven Kotis state that those who recite the mantra hundreds of thousands or even millions of times may "personally witness black substances being expelled from the mouth." This confirmed for him that his cultivation was moving in the right direction.

Stabilizing the Mind Without Doubt and Seeking the Unsurpassed Path

Venerable Guo Jun has realized the profound significance of mantra recitation in spiritual practice: "Cundi Bodhisattva is a manifestation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and the Cundi Mantra is much like Guanyin’s mantras. It is not only short and easy to uphold—widely known for fulfilling aspirations—but also a skillful means for remedying one's practice. Although it is easy to apply, it requires certain important understandings."

The Venerable shared three essential principles for upholding the mantra: "First is faith—a deep belief without the slightest doubt. Doubt itself is an obstacle on the path of cultivation; therefore, one must avoid an attitude of 'let’s just try it and see.' Second is a mind of utmost sincerity. When the mouth recites clearly, the ears listen attentively, and mental focus remains continuous, the power of the recitation will naturally manifest. Third is one's attitude toward recitation. One should progress from a 'mind that seeks' to a 'mind without seeking.' Mantra recitation itself is cultivation; it is not undertaken for a specific purpose. If there is something one seeks, one should take this as encouragement to further elevate one's practice."

The Venerable cited the story of Yuan Liaofan, the author of Liao-Fan's Four Lessons, as an example. As a scholar, Yuan Liaofan was once told by a fortune-teller that his official career would be unstable, that he would have no heirs, and that he would die young. Later, he received guidance from Chan Master Yungu, who taught him to accumulate merit, perform wholesome deeds, and imparted to him the Cundi Mantra. Following the Master's guidance and practicing accordingly over time, Yuan Liaofan’s career prospered. In his later years, he fathered a son and lived a long life, thereby completely overturning his foretold fate. The Venerable emphasized: "Mantra practice generates power, but one must clearly understand that worldly blessings are impermanent. If one spends an entire life only seeking worldly blessings, it is a great pity. Instead, one should aspire to seek wisdom, attain liberation, and realize the unsurpassed path of Buddhahood"

People often ask whether the four-line verse that precedes the mantra should be recited together. Venerable Guo Jun cited Master Sheng Yen's teaching: "The more complete, the better; it is even better if one recites while performing prostrations." He further explained: "The line 'I prostrate and take refuge in Susiddhi' signifies taking refuge in the Dharma Jewel. 'With my head at your feet, I pay homage to the seven kotis of Buddhas' signifies taking refuge in the Buddha Jewel. 'I now praise the Great Cundi' signifies taking refuge in the Sangha Jewel. 'And pray that her compassion and mercy descend to protect me' is a prayer for the protection of the Three Jewels. Therefore, every recitation is a renewal of one's refuge in the Three Jewels and a prayer for their empowerment."

Master Sheng Yen once used an analogy: If one wishes to travel from Nung Chan Monastery to Dharma Drum Mountain, reciting only the mantra is like repeatedly saying, "I want to go to Dharma Drum Mountain." However, reciting the four-line verse along with the mantra is analogous to clearly stating the entire route to Dharma Drum Mountain—"I want to go from Nung Chan Monastery through Danshui, Sanzhi, Shimen, and Jinshan to Dharma Drum Mountain." Therefore, by reciting the Cundi Mantra in its entirety and continuously contemplating it in the mind, one's body and mind never depart from the Three Jewels and are constantly embraced by their protection.
 
Upholding All Wholesome Dharmas and Learning to Be Guanyin

"Mantras are secret words uttered by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas while abiding in meditative concentration. Their merit is inconceivable and beyond full intellectual understanding. In Sanskrit, a mantra is called a 'dharani,' which means 'to uphold the good'—to retain wholesome qualities so they are not lost, and to restrain unwholesome ones so they do not arise. It also refers to the gathering of immeasurable merit and the eradication of immeasurable karmic obstacles. The power of a mantra can merge with the minds of sentient beings to break through afflictions and reveal one's inherent Buddha-nature." Venerable Guo Jun stated that the Praise to Cundi Bodhisattva (note), written by Master Hanshan, provides a complete explanation of the meaning and function of mantra recitation.

The praise reads:

To uphold the mantra is to uphold the minds of all Buddhas. My own mind is originally the secret mantra. When the three conditions (trayaḥ pratyayāḥ) converge, they are essentially non-dual; therefore, a single thought-moment is completely replete with all things. If one can manifest this constantly in ordinary daily life, it is like a child finding its mother, never again to be parted. Once the Buddha-mind enters the mind that recites the mantra, there is no need to seek the Buddha, for liberation occurs of itself.

Venerable Guo Jun further explained: "To uphold the mantra is to uphold the minds of all Buddhas, in addition to upholding one's own Buddha-nature. If one recites the mantra until wisdom manifests, one will discover that our own mind and the Buddha's mind are equal and therefore non-dual. This is why it is said, 'My own mind is originally the secret mantra.' In truth, the Cundi Mantra is not outside the mind, but within it."

The Venerable shared that while in India, he saw many elderly Tibetans holding prayer wheels and constantly reciting Guanyin's Six-Word Great Bright Mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum). "They might not necessarily have understood much of the Dharma, and some were even illiterate. But because they possessed faith and utmost sincerity, despite harsh living conditions and the extreme cold of the high mountains, they upheld the mantra, and their minds remained peaceful and grounded."

In reflecting on the present world—marked by pandemics and recurrent wars—Venerable Guo Jun believes that upholding the Cundi Mantra is also a way of learning from Guanyin and embodying Guanyin in action. As stated in the Great Compassion Repentance text: "Those who wish to recite and uphold it should give rise to a mind of compassion toward all sentient beings, and should first make these vows in accordance with mine." Those who uphold the Cundi Mantra should learn from Guanyin Bodhisattva to give rise to the mind of great compassion. Only by doing so can one resonate with the power of Guanyin Bodhisattva's original vows. With such a mind, reciting mantras will surely yield the greatest response." Thus, the practice is not only for one's own benefit; one should also extend compassion to all sentient beings, benefiting both oneself and others while upholding all wholesome Dharmas.

Note: Hanshan Deqing's Praise to Cundi Bodhisattva: "I have heard that the source from which all Buddhas arise originates from a subtle and secret mudra. This secret mudra is the very mind of all Buddhas, which disperses and enters the delusive dreams of sentient beings. When these dreams are shattered, the Buddhas are manifested, just as sunlight appears in a cold, cloudless sky. Clearing away the clouds of affliction in sentient beings depends on the power of the Tathagata's secret mantra. To uphold the mantra is to uphold the minds of all Buddhas. My own mind is originally the secret mantra. When the three conditions (trayaḥ pratyayāḥ) converge, they are essentially non-dual; therefore, a single thought-moment is completely replete with all things. If one can manifest this constantly in ordinary daily life, it is like a child finding its mother, never again to be parted. Once the Buddha-mind enters the mind that recites the mantra, there is no need to seek the Buddha, since liberation occurs of itself.”


Related articles:

Let Us Together Uphold the Cundī Dhāraṇī

The Cundī Dhāraṇī: Purifying the Mind and Fulfilling Aspirations

[Introduction Part 1] What is the "Cundi Mantra" about?

[Introduction Part 2]: Cundi Mantra Q&As

[Sharing Session] Venerable Guo Jun: A Lifetime Never Parted from the Cundi Mantra



Resource: Issue 465 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Photo: Venerable Guo Jun (果竣法師)
Translation: Glen 
Editing: Venerable Yan Hsiang (演香法師), Keith Brown