Syalipa – Linh cẩu đại sư

Truyền thuyết

Syalipa là một nông dân nghèo sống gần kề một bãi tha ma. Về đêm, có một đàn linh cẩu thường đến để lùng sục những mẩu xương thừa của người chết trong đám tro tàn.

Tiếng tru gào của chúng dường như ma kêu quỉ khóc, như xé toạt cả bóng đêm tĩnh mịch, quyện vào không gian đen kịt, khiến người nghe phải rùng mình sởn gáy. Chúng là nỗi kinh hoàng của Syalipa, ám ảnh trong tâm trí của chàng ngày lẫn đêm.

Cho đến một hôm, tình cờ có một đạo sư đến khất thực vùng này, Syalipa vội mang thức ăn cúng dường. Nhà sư lấy làm hoan hỷ và thuyết giảng về lợi ích của công đức cúng dường, nhưng Syalipa buồn rầu nói: “Thưa thầy! Bài thuyết pháp của thầy thật hay. Nhưng nếu được, mong thầy dạy tôi làm cách nào có thể vượt qua nỗi sợ.”

“Này hiền hữu! Ngươi sợ gì? Già? Chết? Hay luân hồi sáu nẻo?”

“Thưa, đó chỉ là những lo sợ thông thường. Tôi có một nỗi sợ đặc biệt hơn. Tôi sợ tiếng tru của loài linh cẩu thường đến kiếm mồi ở bãi tha ma gần đây. Xin thầy từ bi dạy tôi cách trừ nỗi sợ ấy.”

“Thôi được. Vì ngươi chẳng sợ gì khác ngoài tiếng tru của loài linh cẩu. Vậy cách hay nhất là ngươi nên dựng lều trong bãi tha ma, sống chung với loài thú này. Đồng thời, hãy luôn tâm niệm rằng tất cả âm thanh trên thế gian này đồng với tiếng tru của chúng. Lâu dần, nỗi sợ sẽ tự huỷ diệt.”

Syalipa vâng lời dạy, tu tập trong 9 năm thì đạt được tâm vô uý, đắc Đại Ấn, tự xưng là Pháp Sư Linh Cẩu, thường đắp một tấm da linh cẩu trên thân.

Shalipa – The Jackal Yogin

Shalipa was a laborer from Bighapur. He was so poor that the only place he could afford was one right on the edge of the cremation ground. Every night, packs of jackals would roam the cremation ground searching for food, and night after night, the howls terrify the man. He grew more afraid by the day and the few hours he managed to sleep, he would dream of them.

On day, a monk came to Shalipa’s hut to beg for food. Shalipa welcomed him and shared with his guest all that his humble circumstances would allow. The monk was very appreciative of his kind host, and began explaning about the kind of rewards that generosity attracted. Shalipa was interested to listen, but night came, and the howls of the jackals began to terrify him. The monk then said he have teachings and a mantra that can help him over come the fear. Shalipa was so grateful that he offered the little amount of money he managed to save as the initiation fee.

Whereupon the monk gave him empowerment and instructed him in the practice called “the fear that destroys fear”

The monk then instructed his student to build a hut at the middle of the cremation ground, and there, he must meditate upon the jackals’ howls as the root of all sound and he must come to hear no difference between the howls and any other sound. Although terrified, Shalipa obeyed. Through his practice, he began to be more detached from his fear, and after 9 years of practice, he attained mahamudra-siddhi. For many years he taught his innumerable disciples the practices concerning the oneness of appearances and emptiness. Finally, he rose bodily into the Paradise of the Dakinis.

Tác giả: Keith Dowman

Nguồn: Các vị Chân sư Đại Thủ Ấn

Nguyên tác: Masters of mahamudra of the 84 buddhist siddhas

Việt dịch: Nguyên Thạnh Lê Trung Hưng

Hiệu đính: Nguyễn Minh Tiến