At the beginning of this chapter, I would like to pay homage to the venerable female Buddha Vajrayogini. This is because it was through Vajrayogini's help that I was able to enter the Heavens of Form realm.

Many, many years ago, I personally saw Vajrayogini appear before me during a session of pious prayer. Vajrayogini entered my navel chakra standing in a triangular-shaped fire web.

I asked her, "Emptiness, is it empty? Or not empty?"

Vajrayogini didn't answer my question directly.

Instead, she illuminated the empty sky with a beam of golden light from her third eye. This golden light enabled me to see the Heaven of the Followers of Brahma (Brahmaparsadya).

She said, "Look on! This is Heaven of the Followers of Brahma."

I saw Brahma Followers devas in different postures. One sat in the lotus position in empty space, another sat on a lotus throne, another sat on a throne of happiness and ease, one stood, one reclined, etc.

Then Vajrayogini asked me, "Emptiness, is it not empty? Or is it empty?"

I replied, "How to enter the Heaven of the Brahma Followers?"

She answered, "Cultivate the Vajrayogini tumo fire practice and attain entry into the Heaven of Brahma's Followers as soon as luminosity appears."

I knew that some cultivators have completely severed mankind’s five worldly desires associated with this Saha world including the complete elimination of their sexual desire. Through diligent meditation, they don't even have slightest trace of sexual desire left. They are unwilling to remain in the human world and their bodies manifest subtle luminosity.

These cultivators meditate that they are a Brahma Followers deva; hence, they will certainly gain entry into the Heaven of Brahma's Followers.

*　*　*

Zen meditation cultivators know that the first heaven of the first dhyana (first level of the first of the four meditations) heavens is the Heaven of Brahma's Followers. In this heaven, only the visual (caksur-vijnana), auditory (srota-vijnana), and bodily (kaya-vijnana) cognition remain. The olfactory (ghrana-vijnana) and taste (jihva-vijnana) perceptions are eliminated.

Those devas who enter the Heaven of Brahma's Followers have left behind all five desires long ago!

(to be continued)

(From Book #191 "Staircases to the Heavens")

(本文選自蓮生活佛第191冊著作「諸天的階梯」文章「親見『金剛亥母』」)