In many Buddhist paintings, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have a halo of light around their heads and light around their bodies. Above their heads are "jeweled canopies."
Sitatapatra Buddha, Mother of Vajrayana Buddhism, originated from the transformation of the jeweled canopy.
Usnisavijaya Buddha Mother is the Buddha Mother of the jeweled canopy's unsurpassed summit.
The twenty-eight stellar constellations are guardians of the grand canopy of the universe.
In the human realm, when a great Living Buddha is expounding the dharma, his Lama disciple sits by his side, holding up a protective jeweled canopy.
In my teaching of the Kalachakra Shield Protection Practice, the shield flies up into the air, transforming into a vajra tent; this vajra tent is also a jeweled canopy.
Following Qingyuan Xingsi Zen Master's fifth lineage succession holder, among the Shishuang Qingzhu Zen Master's dharma decendants, there lived Zen Master Yue of the Jeweled Canopy Mountains.
A monk wrote a poem to ask:
"Jeweled canopy suspended up high.
For what reason would that be?
May master provide the true meaning,
in only one sentence, not many."
Zen Master Yue of the Jeweled Canopy Mountains wrote a poem in reply:
"Jeweled canopy hanging in mid-air,
the route is not accessible.
But if one quests for its true meaning,
there will then be east and west."
This was the poetic dialogue between a monk and Zen Master Yue. These two poems are direct and to the point, which make them easy to understand.
When you read the two poems do you get what the "true meaning" is?
Let me also write a poem about the jeweled canopy to let you in on Master Lu's prowess:
The jeweled canopy hovers in empty space,
with access to the East, South, West, and North.
If asked about its true meaning,
above, below, past and present are no different.
These three poems, are all about the "jeweled canopy." The first one questions the "true meaning"; the second poem answers the "true meaning"; the third one does......
What does the third do? Can I have your answers please!
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Let me also write a contemporary poem:
The title is:
"Emptiness is the Jeweled Canopy"
At my age, how many dharma assemblies remain?
Looking at my lonely shadow at times I feel pity for myself.
Affairs of the human world
are complicated and interwoven.
Longing to play a song,
But there are no strings.
My days under the jeweled canopy
Should be my golden years.
Days without the jeweled canopy,
I become a wisp of smoke.
It appears that life has too many twists and turns;
and my heart now hangs in emptiness.
Someone asked me about the true meaning;
I laughed "ha ha ha."
Just this one reply,
keep moving forward. 