In August 2021, Venerable Pannavati and several of her students were fortunate to have audience with the Buddha Master in Pasadena, CA. At that time, Venerable Pannavati was told to begin an academy and to teach the five vidyas. We cultivate ourselves to bring our body, speech, and mind to be in correspondence with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through our Dharma practice, our daily activities and interactions, and by developing habits and skills that lead to true accomplishment. Heartwood Mandala offers opportunities to explore the many ways these brightnesses can be uncovered, promoted, and made manifest to benefit living beings.
What are they?
The Five Vidyas must be understood based on the realization powers of Bodhisattvas. For example, Craftsmanship Vidya means the highest state of accomplishment in craftsmanship. That is brilliance. One’s achievement must surpass the levels of experts in the world. Five Vidyas encompass a broad perspective. Just take the Craftsmanship Vidya as an example. This Vidya is not just about being able to carve flowers out of frozen butter, draw face masks, make Thangkas, create oil paintings, ink paintings, watercolor paintings, pastel paintings, graphite sketches, wax crayon paintings, chalk paintings, spray paintings, or make sculptures. Having accomplishments in all these aspects and surpassing experts of national standing still cannot be considered as having the true Craftsmanship Vidya. There are infinite aspects to genuine Craftsmanship Vidya, which does not only include painting but also construction, architecture, sand sculpting, sculpture, decoration, landscaping, scenic landscaping, lighting design, the styling of clothes with shoes and hat, hair styling and ornamentation, wall hangings, curtains design and patterned decorative windows, interior furniture, and interior design, color decorations of pavilions, colorful gift wrappings, knotting and ribboning, and even one’s mannerism including how one carries oneself when one walks and sits, and how one keeps one’s dignified presence, etc. One must attain the level of an international expert in every single aspect. Simply speaking, only when one attains the highest level of enjoyment in all things of beauty in the universe can one be considered to have attained the Craftsmanship Vidya.
For another example, Healing Vidya is not just about curing human beings, animals, and birds of their illnesses. It also means optimizing the conditions of inanimate objects and restoring living beings to their healthy conditions. Only that can be considered Healing Vidya.
It is the same for the other three Vidyas. In particular, the Inner Realization Vidya summates the other four Vidyas. “Inner realization” means realizing holiness internally, while “Vidya” refers to the high-level manifestation of the internally realized holiness, such as the physical inner realization power, which one can show in one’s appearance and apply to external objects. One with an Inner Realization Vidya has transcended the ordinary to become holy and can communicate directly with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. They are extraordinary, wondrous, and majestic to the utmost.
