CHAPTER 4: TRANMISSION OF THE PRECIOUS DHARMA
I. DHARMA PRACTICING IN CONFORMITY WITH THE MAIN IDEAS OF THE BUDDHAS
1. The Great Collection Sutra
According to the Great Collection Sutra, the era after Lord Sakyamuni attained Great Eight Pari Nirvana, 2539 years up to the present, was divided into five periods.
The first period was the first 500 years of the liberation through wisdom. During this period, true Buddhist disciples who consented to practice dharma in conformity with the main ideas, corrected their nature, cleared their mind, gave up bad habits, and followed Buddha's teachings. They also meditated and gained intelligence. All these actions were collectively known as the liberation through wisdom.
The second period was the second 500 years belonging to the meditation period. In this period, most of the true disciples practiced with diligence, obtained purified mind, and trained in meditation in conformity with Buddha's teaching. They were able to attain the ‘stained’ of ‘small career vehicle’ (Hinayana) or the ‘stainless’ of ‘great career vehicle’ (Mahayana), according to their abilities and merits.
The third period was the third 500 years, belonging to the learned period. In this period, the true disciples strictly observed the (12) twelve sets of the sutras to practice, study and discuss exoteric, esoteric immediate and gradual ways. The way of true enlightenment and natural enlightened nature becomes more and more neglected.
The fourth period was the fourth 500 years, belonging to the temple period. During this period, the majority of the faithful believers completely neglected the way of true enlightenment, used natural enlightened nature, and practice without wishing to be liberated and being fond of stain merits. By training in that way, they enjoyed the blessed reward of man and devas after their death.
The fifth Period was the fifth 500 years. In this period, the disciples completely lost their true nature, usually competed against each other, displayed hatred, envy, and mistrust and disgraced one another other. Especially, they adhered to their knowledge of the Buddhist sutra and presumed themselves to be right while disputing and disgracing each other to usurp fame and wealth.
These five periods lasted over 2500 years, according to the Buddhist calendar. The society of Vietnam and all the present chaos around the world falls into the Dharma Ending Age, which is why many scholars believe that it is the return period of Lord Supreme Maitreya.
As previously mentioned the powerful Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha came into the world in 1918 and attained Great Eight Pari Nirvana in 1993. During his 37 years of practicing dharma on the earth, He has used the body named Nagarjuna to guide the dharma not only in the human world but also in the fairyland, divine land and throughout the Three Thousand Worlds of Great Heaven. From time to time, He has emerged from the right meditation to reach every place to preach the dharma and bring freedom to all Four Species.
He has vowed to take on every dharma so that all people could be free to practice just the same as faithful disciples. Through his proclamation for attesting the Universe, He has completely released all the defilement in the world so that the present and future generations could practice dharma and gradually enjoy the peace. He has vowed to use all the present precious dharma to offer salvation to living creatures in the Final Law Period and helped them practice the dharma subject: SIGHT, SOUND, ODOR, TASTE, TOUCH, and DHARMA without pollution in order to be fearless and self-satisfied, attained the Dharani liberation through wisdom.
2. Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha Has Seen and Attested the Dharma in the Dharma-Ending Age
Lord Supreme Maitreya has Himself inscribed the following section of sutra to hand it down to the future generations.
“In the last of the Three Periods, it is rare to see true attainment. Why?
In the first period, the doctrine and real practice existed in the training so there was true attainment. In the middle period, whenever theory paralleled with practice, there was immediate attainment. In this Final Law Period, there was theory with less practice, so attainment becomes rare. Whenever dharma goes along with practice, there will be immediate attainment; otherwise, the dharma is simply a theory. Should the training lead to attainment, it is only a theoretical attainment and not the true attainment.” –TV
The practicing that does not lead to the destruction of attachment in order to obtain knowledge would not count for one day of practice, even if it has been done for a thousand lifetimes. As Living Creatures, we have limited knowledge, but with good conditions we should be able to meet the Buddha coming to the world. The conditions belong to those who have previously practiced Dharma and attained the Liberation through Wisdom, escaping from the Birth and Death cycle. As for the Living beings with their conditions, they are practicing according to their wishes without knowing what they are and where it will lead. For that reason, we must practice in order to get countless benefits. What is practice? Practice is the diligent training to correct one’s nature through one's way of living. This is known as enlightened practice. Practice also means deeply penetrating the dharma to know its dharma. Each dharma is a conduct or a nature itself. By continuous correction of our conduct, we should be impregnated with integrity, and could recognize our nature to be enlightened ourselves. The practitioner who knows how to correct his own nature and faults will obtain wisdom that is the objective and means of liberation.
As living creatures, naturally we sometimes become confused no matter how long we have been practicing dharma. Words are already spoken and yet the mind does not know. So our mind cannot catch what we say. Therefore, the Lord Supreme Maitreya has said:
“If one speaks without the acknowledgement of the mind, one must be well aware of what was spoken. When one speaks with the mind and the mind acknowledges what was spoken, it is called enlightened mind, which understands the dharma.”
“During the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, there was the same situation where many venerables preached the dharma with too many beautiful words. Sakyamuni Buddha has then told them: ‘You rely on tathagata's merits to say it.’ The venerables have since realized that he must learn about the words when his mind cannot catch what he says. For the people who find themselves in confusion and illusion, they will easily be mistaken that they are, of course, conscious of what they say.” –TV
During His journey of practice of the dharma, Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha sometimes has met great venerables, sangha, monks and nuns in their temples. When He has spoken one sentence, they did not understand at all and they responded with ten sentences! He was once seeking many different ways to make the community of “begging monks” believers in order to bestow the Buddha's knowledge upon them, but they did not have enough abilities and merits to perceive it. Finally, He had to embody Himself to be their friend. The monks have only praised Him for His good argument, but they could not receive His teaching.
“When he was not yet the Buddha, but still a monk, he has respectfully made His offerings, adored and worshipped Dipanikara Buddha. The Dipanikara Buddha then ordained him Buddha in the middle life, by the name Sakyamuni Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha has appeared afterward to guide the ordination of the Maitreya Buddha, the bodhisattvas as well as well educated and uneducated men so that they became Buddhas of the period they liked. The words of the Saddharmapundarika Sutra were the decisive and sincere.
During this time, faithful believers are countless, but due to their lack of foundation, they have rarely attained the Buddhahood. Most of them have followed the fairy path called attainment. Later, with their decrease of faith, they were ordained in the deity path.
The deity path has used talisman to practice psychic power. The practitioners have become fanatics and were subjected to birth, death, sickness, old age, and suffering.” –TV
What is the fairy path attainment?
It is diligence in learning, studying sutra, behaving elegantly, residing in a clean and beautiful place, being on a vegetarian diet and practicing dharma in the quietness. It also involves enjoying favorable situations while avoiding the contrary ones, as well as choosing the cleanliness and leaving the filth. By practicing in this way, we shall be able to enter the fairyland and enjoy the blessed reward of men and devas. After the fairy life ends, they shall be re-incarnated into human beings and start the practice of the dharma once again.
The master, who has emerged from meditation to go to the fairyland, could witness the truth: Everything such as food, clothes, and utensils is available. It is not necessary to work for food. Everything wished is soon obtained, thanks to psychic power. Furniture and utensils are very nice. Especially, there is no sunlight in the fairyland. The light, which flashes from the mountainsides and is always mild and the air, is like that of an air-conditioned room. The outside air is just the same. All the fairies are generous and charitable, but somewhat hot tempered. Disciples dare not disobey their master. Everyone you meet is affable in his speech and the two verses written by the Supreme Pure King incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya describe this situation:
“While enjoying a glass of wine in the fairy world,
many springs have gone by in this secular world.” –TV
A party of chess or drink is not yet over in the fairyland and there are already 3 - 4 years, which passed in the secular world. One year in the fairyland is equal to one hundred years in the secular world!
The deities in the heaven usually make use of talisman. They are also charitable, but hot tempered. The air in the heaven is as cool as an airconditioned room. Some of them live in the secular world in village community houses, temples, at the foot of old trees, mountains, and rivers. Once their lifetime came to an end, they were also subjected to the wheel of reincarnation. Therefore, how difficult the right practice of dharma to attain enlightenment is! Because of this difficulty, the dharma practitioner should have a path or dharma subject guided by an awakened one in order to attain the enlightenment. Otherwise, the practice will become a formal work, or a practice for good fortune. Why? You are in ignorance and whatever practice may be yours will remain in ignorance. Even if you learn by heart all the sutras, studying all the Buddha's words, you will remain in the passive knowledge, in the ignorance.
It is the same as someone going to a pharmacy and taking all medicines he wants but does not need. Furthermore, he even prescribes medicine for someone else. As a result, both not only do not get better, they become more ill because they have taken the wrong drugs.
If a man, who is lost, tried to guide someone else, both will remain lost, and are just two companions. Thus, in this Dharma Ending Age, practitioners must rely on the dharma subject preached by the Supreme Pure king incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya so that they can attain the true enlightenment.
In this Final Law Period, there are too many dharma subjects to practice, and no one dharma subject can lead people to true enlightenment. Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha has to return and reorganize the way of practice, making the dharma subject clearer and more explicit, while aiming at bringing all living creatures out of the birth, death, old age and suffering cycle.
Every true disciple has his own karma. The leader then uses the right means to guide them. As for the faithful believers, they have to correct their own nature in order to create integrity and endure all challenges of every “favorable” and “unfavorable” situation of all dharma to obtain their knowledge. Once the dharma is cleared, so is the mind. Clearing the mind means being cleared of dharma. This is the essential point of the practice path. The Supreme Pure King incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya has shown the ways so that there may be no more wrongful practice. He has founded Phap Tang and its principal meaning is Long Hoa. Phap Tang is in conformity with Tathagata. It is also named Unique Buddha Vehicle. It uses the principle of Buddhist dharma without separating from the secular world to reach enlightenment and to explain the means used.
All faithful believers, including bodhisattvas, protectors, arahants, venerables, dharma protectors, and living creatures, have all followed the practice of hearing, seeing, and knowing to reach liberation. The Supreme Pure King, first of all in the practice, has trained them to endure and be brave in order to clarify the Tathagata store and keep the practice uninterrupted. Then, He has taught the basic practice of “condition – focused effort – result” so they might be opened to determine their attainment of awareness, great awareness, and ultimate awareness. The higher practitioner will attain supreme true enlightenment.
In the Final Law Period, Phap Tang has especially established meditation to make plain that the dharma intends to clear the mind. By the unique nature of Phap Tang, He has determined that the faithful practitioner must have “faith, obedience, and respect” under the guide of the bodhisattvas. Why? In this Dharma-Ending Age, too much study creates the barrier of reason. Thus, we must be faithful, obedient and respectful so that reasoning will not become the barrier, and we could practice attaining true enlightenment. Following is the “Proclamation” handed down by the Supreme Pure King:
3. Attestation of Proclamation about Faith, Obedience, and Respect.
“The Buddhist path has a unique principle guideline alongside its objective. The path of Buddhism is directly handed down from the previous Buddha. This path is called the Supreme Principle One. Even if thousands of Buddhas appeared in thousands of lives, only one would have a unique “principle guideline” and its objective. In fact, through the Three Periods of the Buddha, the past, the present and the future, He would help all people to attain liberation through wisdom. During this time, Buddha came into the world and saved people according to their lives.” –TV
Supreme Chief Monk
Phap Tang Buddhism of Vietnam
Highness Assembly
March 10, 1968 (year of the monkey)
PROCLAMATION
Greeting To the Supreme Pure King Buddha
Greeting To the Central Highness Assembly of Buddha, Bodhisattva and Maha Bodhisattva.
- The Eastern Buddha of Medicine
- The Ratnagarbha Buddha
- The Supreme Pure King Buddha
Attestation of Proclamation:
The Central Highness Assembly of Phap Tang
March 10, 1968 (Year of the Monkey)
ATTESTS:
The Supreme Pure King Chief Monk, representing the Three Periods of Buddhas is exclusively in charge of the leadership according to the general Way and Vow of the Supreme Pure King Buddha in the Phap Tang Path.
The Chief Monk has the heavy responsibility of ATTESTING all true disciples as well as Living Creatures in the Dharma-Ending Age, and bringing all of them to the present Liberation through Wisdom. Therefore, the true disciples would discover the liberation only from the FAITHFULNESS-OBEDIENCE-RESPECT.
BY FAITHFULNESS - OBEDIENCE - RESPECT TOWARD the CHIEF MONK you will attain.
If losing FAITHFULNESS: You will be lost in the Birth and Death cycles.
If losing FAITHFULNESS - OBEDIENCE: You will be sunk into the Six Ways.
If losing FAITHFULNESS - OBEDIENCE - RESPECT: You are not far from the Hungry Devil, Animal hood and Hell.
NO FAITHFULNESS: Never liberated.
NO OBEDIENCE: Never reaching and attaining.
NO RESPECT: Separated from the nature of wisdom and the three periods of Buddhas.
Full Faithfulness - Obedience - Respect means: Vows of Merits, offerings to the Three Periods, Ordination into Buddha, having the same Vow to the Phap Tang Buddhism of Vietnam, and being in company with the Bodhisattva Buddha in working.
THE PURE KING CHIEF MONK ATTESTS:
In the presence of true disciples
From the Men and Gods, Fairies and Deities of the three realms and Six Ways such as: Mankind – Asura, Animal hood-Hungry Devil, to almost Hell. All are present and listening.
The Bodhisattvas and Maha bodhisattvas with their efficient protection and help.
The Dragon God, Dharma Protector, and Maha Bodhisattva Protector, with their (efficient) protection and help.
The Highest Spirits, Heaven Deities, Spirits and Men, Asura Deity, Mountain Deity, Water Deity, Fire Deity, Land Deity and the four groups of spirits with their efficient protection and help.
CO-INVITED: The Twelve Yaksas Generals of the Eastern Buddha of Medicine with their efficient protection and help.
In the Common Vow of the Three Periods of Buddha today, the Chief Monk, in the Final Law Period, attests all true disciples and carries out the common duty while aiming at bringing all of them to the Liberation through Wisdom.
Protection and help should be given to the True Disciples according to their own correct application and appropriate retribution or compensation for his previous existence as a result of his past deeds.
March 10, 1968 (the year of the Monkey) 12:01pm
The Supreme Pure King Chief Monk
* * *
The Supreme Pure King preached at 42, Hong Bang Street, Nha Trang, on His wooden loft. I heard: “I intuitively remember my former life, which was the Maitreya, but how can I inscribe the name of Maitreya under the SUTRA which I write? I must use another name that is the Supreme Pure King.”
The practitioner who wants to meet Lord Supreme Maitreya must know about His Dharma subject. Lord Supreme Maitreya's Dharma subject is a practice, which focuses on the SIGHT-SOUND-ODOR-TASTE-TOUCH-DHARMA of this secular world and yet not infected by it. Practicing this way, you will realize the Truth in the Maitreya's Dharma Subject. As for Lord Sakyamuni, He was the Founder of a Religion in this Sahaloka. How can I claim myself to be another head of religion in order to dispute His position? I only use the highest function in the religion, the Chief Monk, in order to show my respect toward Sakyamuni, the Founder. I cannot use the term Long Hoa either for the sign or for my teaching in the world. So I have to ask permission for the foundation of Phap Tang Buddhism of Vietnam, but I'd like to remind all Living Creatures in this Sahaloka that the Maitreya has come into this world to re-establish the “past”, under the title Phap Tang Buddhism of Vietnam. I also use the words Highness Assembly, but unfortunately no one including Monks, Nuns, or Buddhist Believers, notice these two words when they look at the large board with its yellow ground and sky-blue letters.
The Supreme Pure King Chief Monk is the Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha Himself who takes up the great function of teaching the Dharma in the last of the Three Periods, with the attestation of the Supreme Pure King Buddha.
The Supreme Pure King Buddha is the Tathagata Himself in the Orient, and also the God for the Occident. In the Arabian communities, the Supreme Pure King Buddha is their sacred Allah. His names vary from one place to another, but He is the highest power in the universe.
“All Buddhas in the Ten Directions have to meet the Supreme Pure King Buddha before their attainment in order to be attested so that they could associate with Him, forming the One. That is the meaning of “two is one and vice versa.” –TV
The Patriarchs, who have attained True Emptiness, Awareness, Great Awareness or Ultimate Awareness, could not yet meet the Supreme Pure King Buddha. The completely Enlightened Ones are called the Supreme Enlightened Ones and are among those who were able to meet the Supreme Pure King Buddha.
Lord Sakyamuni and all the Buddhas were able to see the Supreme Pure King Buddha before entering Nirvana. Lord Supreme Maitreya has also met the Supreme Pure King Buddha, who came to attest His entering Nirvana.
Lord Supreme Maitreya has to wait before entering Great Eight PariNirvana. The Bodhisattvas, Dragon Deities, and Dharma Protectors asked him what He was waiting for. “I'm waiting for Supreme Pure King Buddha to come and attest,” answered the Lord. He then let go His Right Meditation to say that. Soon afterwards the Supreme Pure King Buddha came and attested, and Lord Supreme Maitreya has immediately entered the Great Eight PariNirvana.
All the Bodhisattvas and Maha Bodhisattvas deserved to meet the Supreme Pure King Buddha who came in order to attest the attainment. However, they could not meet the Supreme Pure King Buddha when they depart from life. Only when they return to the world and their vows result in real Buddha hood, will the Supreme Pure King Buddha came to attest.
Even though the Arahants rank, reached the state of Ultimate Awareness, they were still unable to meet the Supreme Pure King Buddha. In the last of the three periods, many who claimed by themselves to be Buddhas are not presented on the list of ordainment of the Buddha according to the Main Ideas. They have to go around within the Six Ways waiting for the Buddha, who is Succeeding Lord Supreme Maitreya, to verify and attest so that they could enter the Constitution.
One day the Supreme Pure King incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya has said:
“Just like there is only one King in a nation, and his son inherits the throne upon his father’s death, everything evolves in the same way. At the present time, old leaders transfer the leadership to those who succeed them. There is not much difference between the path of life and that of orthodox tradition.” –TV
Many people are not aware of the path of the past Buddhas who had to practice one class after another without omission In order to enter the universal realm, claiming oneself to be Bodhisattva or Buddha without sealed esoteric to master the universe.
There are many people who earn a doctorate degree, but the King or Leader as Prime Minister appoints only one of them. The Prime Minister imposes his will on the whole country and his signature is highly valued. Meanwhile, the other doctors earn a living each in their own way as much as they can. Their signatures are not as valid as those of the Prime Minister. The one who succeeds the Prime Minister is as authoritative as the former. Likewise, the Bodhisattva who succeeds the Enlightened One has similar authority. One attains Nirvana while continuing to handle, convert, and save all Living Creatures.
Lord Supreme Maitreya has said: “In this Final Law Period, I have to re-establish the practicing and training policy. If the living creatures follow the way shown by the Enlightened One, they would become citizens of the Buddhist nation. Otherwise, their studies and high level of education would only enable them to return to the physical world.
If you believe in the Buddha and practice Dharma only through scriptures and images of the Buddha made of wood, cement or drawing on paper, you only have integrity or good faculty. At the hour of death, you will be reincarnated in a place where there is Buddhist temple. You will have another chance to practice Dharma and continue to remain in the birth and death cycle.
Believing in the Bodhisattva, you should practice the main ideas. Therefore, He must clearly guide the disciples. Losing faith in the Chief Monk or in the succeeding Patriarch would mean becoming lost in the Birth and Death circle. Why?
If you don't believe in those who well experienced the Birth and Death path when you are not yet certain of what is right and wrong in your daily practice, you will surely be lost. You, therefore, must believe. Otherwise, you will not be able to escape from the birth-death cycle by practicing Dharma in this way, as you like and exactly in accordance with the Sutra.
Losing Faithfulness and Obedience, you will continue to be sunk in the Six Ways.
Generally, countless people strongly believe in Buddhism, but few believe in the Enlightened Ones. They have to recognize the Truth before they can believe it. It is difficult to practice Dharma by believing in wise men, but it is much more difficult to be enlightened only by obedience.
By neither being obedient nor practicing what the Enlightened One teaches, we could not detach ourselves from following the six ways and sink into them: heaven, mankind, asura, hungry devil, animal and hell.
As for heaven: Practicing fixed-thought and wishful thinking. That is called Desire Thinking.
As for mankind: Usually attached to clemency, justice, politeness, intelligence, confidence, does not accept differences and is often clinging.
As for asura world: Often hot- tempered, easily produced, easily destructed, and attached.
As for hungry devil: Greedy, disputatious.
As for animal world: Usually produced, combining to be metamorphosed and multiplied.
As for hell: Clinging, using only violence not listening to anyone. Acts as a dictator and is easily perished.
Without Respect, They will be separated from knowledge of nature and the three periods of Buddha.
Those, who neither respect the Enlightened Ones nor have integrity, are ill-natured and cruel because they do not believe in the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Sangha. They are separated from the three periods of Buddha, which means they believe neither Buddha in the past or present nor in the future. After their death, they will live in Hell, and will not be able to hear the words of Virtue.
Being fully Faithful, Obedient and Respectful means believing in Favorable as well as Unfavorable things, not being attached and obstructed. When the Awakened man purposely utilizes the contrary, he aims at making the faithful disciple understand the Tathagata Basket. These are the Merits toward the Tathagata, and the offerings to Tathagata. By clearing your own living creatures’ natures, you will be ordained into Buddha by Lord Tathagata.
During the last of the three periods, the Supreme Pure King incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya has taught the followers that they must vow together, work together, in company with all the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas in order to benefit from the truth and attain the liberation through wisdom. If they don't have the same vows and devotions, practicing separately according to their own wishes they will never get results. They are losing the way that was recently reorganized by the Lord in the Final Law Period.
In the following Sutra, Lord Supreme Maitreya has written:
“... The Mountain Deity, Water Deity, Fire Deity, and Wind Deity... all of them have all been helping efficiently.
Mountain Deity: The Deity living in the mountains, at the foot of the mountain, and at the foot of a tree.
Water Deity: The Deity with landscape in Living water such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and the sea.
Fire Deity: the Deity with landscape in the fire, and eating fire.
Wind Deity: the Deity with landscape in the wind, and living in the wind.”
There are other countless landscapes in the eyes of a Master of Meditation.
Following is a story, which took place in the 20th century, the century of civilization and progress, in which spacecraft reached the Moon. It was a strange but true story.
It was approximately 1978, at the Re-education Camp of A.30 in Tuy Hoa. I had a friend in the same ward, named Hoa. He had been working with the blacksmith's group during the time we lived in the Camp of Ña Ban. When we were transferred to A.30 in 1978, all of us were extremely short of food. Each of us received 4 kg of rice and some cassava each month. Everyone was starving. One day, Hoa's wife came to visit him, bringing him 10 kg of rice. Seeing me for many days in hunger, Hoa gave me one milk-can of rice. “Oh, thank you, a piece in hunger is worth a package in the comfort,” I said while cooking the rice given by Hoa, I prayed for his family before the meal. Hoa and I were, at the time, in a re-education camp, and his wife was in Tuy Hoa City, which was about 30 km away. The next harvest, the whole country suffered from the drought along with spreading insects. As a result, the crops of Tuy Hoa Province and the whole country were gravely damaged. There was almost no harvest crop of rice.
During her visit, Hoa's wife told us that only her rice field had been miraculously fruitful while all the others’ were greatly damaged. The local officials came and asked her about the plantation technique, praising her and inviting other farmers to visit her rice field in order to benefit from her experience. Mrs. Hoa answered that she had grown the rice in the ordinary, usual way, giving it no special care, but she did not know why her field has obtained such a big success.
Through this story, we can see that faithful, obedient and respect for the Buddha is very essential for good results. As for the people who have faithfulness in the superiors and respect for Deities and Buddhas, they will truly benefit from it. Those who behave well toward their inferiors and love them are also praised and admired by the past followers.
Words and actions must sincerely go together. Do not be insincere by using beautiful words and behave the opposite way to kill Deities and Buddhas. Those who behave this way will only go to extremely painful Hell.
Once incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya, the Supreme Pure King has said that it is not unusual that Hell detains 5000 wicked people in the same place. They are pitifully, screaming and groaning all the time.
“Co-invited: The twelve Yaksas, Generals of the Eastern Buddha of Medicine, give efficient protection and help.”
These twelve Generals have been around there with the Supreme Pure King incarnated as Lord Supreme Maitreya to help the wicked ones to repent and return to Goodness.
The Eastern Land Medicine Gem Halo Tathagata, who is the founder of religion based on meditation, has sent his 12 Generals to protect the Main Dharma, while Lord Supreme Maitreya has incarnated and started the teaching. Presently, they are actively and efficiently helping the Bodhisattvas to establish the Main Dharma. Those who criticize on the ground of illusion are unjust. It is only the insight that can see and hear correctly.
“Protection and help should be given to the True Disciples according to their own correct application and appropriate retribution or compensation for his previous existence as a result of his past deeds.” –TV
Up to now, the Lord has affirmed that all Dharma practitioners, according to the level of Faithfulness, Obedience and Respect will lead every true disciple toward the Dharma path. He has pointed out, using His measureless Abilities, Merits, will be assisted. If the true disciples wish to attain Buddhas' knowledge and wisdom, that means attaining the highest enlightenment through ways of the practice, they will receive the direct compensation for his previous existence called Blessed Reward. The true disciples who practice Dharma will have received a reward of men and Devas.
For the Living Creatures practicing Dharma outside the path of the Buddhas according to their own wishes, they will also receive the retribution of their deeds with equality.
4. The Existence-Dharma Sutra
When entering Nirvana, The Buddha has made His will to Ananda as follows: After my death the Dharma-Ending Age will come in which my disciples will leave the Dharma and practice wrong doctrines. They will refuse to observe the condition – focused effort - result, and continue to associate with the wicked parties to insult and mock those who keep precepts.
For that reason, all the Devas become chagrined and leave, while the high dignitaries, men of wealth and the common people will lose confidence in the Triple Gem, which will almost destroy the Main Dharma. From then on, these Bikkhus (begging monks) create worse and worse Karma. Fortunately, there are other Bikkhus who know how to maintain pure practice, and preach Tathagata's Dharma to benefit all Living beings. There are also many Kings, High Officials, Common People, Lay disciples and Buddhist Believers, who begin to mourn for the Main Dharma. They worship the Triple Gem, respectfully make offerings to Tathagata, glorify, and show their firm will to receive Dharma. These are the Bodhisattvas who are born with the great wishes to maintain the Buddha Dharma and to give benefit to all living creatures.
That’s why The Supreme Pure King incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya understands the Dharma-Ending Age, which teaches the Living Creatures who wished to attain the Perfect Knowledge that they must be faithful, obedient, and respectful toward their leaders in order to be successful.
Lord Supreme Maitreya acts as a lay disciple to help incarnate Bikkhus in the Dharma-Ending Age, making use of life to guide the Dharma practice, so they are purified at present.
During the time of Sakyamuni Buddha, one day Venerable Ananda saw a huge elephant while meditating who was standing and suddenly collapsed and disintegrated into millions of maggots. A few minutes later, the elephant shook his body and become big and powerful as before. Venerable Ananda asked Sakyamuni Buddha about this story. He taught: The collapsed and disintegrated elephant represents in the final law period, His children Monks and Nuns who are not aware and do not correct their natures. Therefore, True Dharma became denigrated and Dharma ending. Later, the elephant strongly stood up and the maggots disappeared meaning that layman would re-establish and rebuild True Dharma.
* * *
“Those, who spend all their life seeking for the Truth, will seek the Truth all their life. Those who spend all their life collecting the Truth will collect the Truth all their life. If they seek the Truth by thinking without obtaining it, they will spend all their life thinking, but in vain. It is only with the faith in perfect knowledge that they could be Enlightened.” –TV , Self-Enlightenment Sutra.
5. Proclamation Attesting the Bodhisattva
Superior Chief Monk
Phap Tang Buddhism of Vietnam
Highness Assembly
January 25, 1977 (year of the Dragon)
Universal Proclamation
Promulgated to bodhisattvas, maha bodhisattvas on The 7th day of the 12th month of the year of the Dragon- at 9: 30 a.m.
In the presence of the Great Bodhisattva, Maha Bodhisattva and the Dragon God Dharma Protector, Dharma Protector Bodhisattva, Mountain Deity, Land Deity, Supreme Spirit, and Asura Deity are all summoned.
The Supreme Pure King Chief Monk has announced the Ordinance to the Bodhisattva, who has taught to the Gods Dragon, God Dharma Protector, Dharma Protector Bodhisattva, Mountain Deity, Land Deity, Supreme Spirit, and Asura Deity, The Supreme Pure King has declared and taught:
Oh! You should know that countless living creatures make the vow, infinite Tathagata make the vow, Supreme Enlightenment make the vow to attain the fruit of attainment.
From the bodhisattva up, you must practice the maha bodhisattva, chiefly based on controlling his “Mara” ego, to achieve the great enlightenment. That is the only way for the bodhisattva to practice and attain. When the great enlightenment is attained, the practitioner immediately becomes complete master of his ego, also esoteric attested full enlightenment of the true self and called the Supreme Enlightened One. He must fully achieve the practice of the all sides without deficiency in order to guide all living creatures and all the favorable and most unfavorable completely to the Great Eight Pari Nirvana. In His presence, He teaches and saves thousands, countless, from unfavorable conditions, without taking any unfavorable attributes himself.
You should not be tardy in realizing, because of the favorable appearance and presence of the Enlightened One, and because of the wonderful application of the Enlightened One, the correspondence to the Tathagata Store. Being tardy, how can you offer guidance to living creatures and carry out the solemn vow of the infinite Tathagata? In this Dharma-Ending Age, if you want to be fully enlightened you should keep the right dharma completely with all its qualities, in response to the Enlightened One’s orders, you must carry out the guidance and corresponding guide in accordance with Him in order to be enlightened.
These words are rather difficult to hear, know and understand. It is only through the explanation of the Great Bodhisattva and Maha Bodhisattva that all the sages, dragon deities dharma protectors, dharma protector bodhisattvas, mountain deities, land deities, supreme spirits and asura deities can as one understand it thoroughly.
The Ordinance is now promulgated.
The Supreme Pure King Chief Monk
Sealed Transmitting.
I have been practicing Phap Tang for one year, on the 30th day of the 9th month of the lunar year, 1970, at the annual Great Ceremony of attestation; I was attested by Lord Long-Hoa Chief Monk Maitreya Buddha, who has given me the ‘Certificate of Venerable’.
After twenty years of constant practice, I trained through millions of hardships with plenty of trials and many times intentional use of unfavorable situations by the Lord to test my virtue and wisdom. I can hold firm on myself and am capable of controlling and restraining all cravings, which resulted from the evil karma.
His 3000 true disciples have refused to come to practice at the Central Assembly, continuing the way of training He has shown at home. I was one of only 7 disciples remaining in Nha Trang.
One day He had told me to make a repentance report.
“Have you thought, you have offered me your wife? - You have to write down that you have abandoned your wife and children, being unable to make ends meet for daily life. Therefore, I have to resolve your family's problems.”
From 1975 onward, every family was confounded, and the life was very hard, too. For my part, I was reeducated, imprisoned and unable to take care of my family. This brought about many hardships to the Supreme Pure King for my sake.
I know that saving living creatures’ nature means happily undergoing things whatever they may be, without refusing. Not following what the Enlightened One has shown would lead to negligence. I have written the repentance report, in compliance with His wishes and submitted it to Him.
Then at 6:30 a.m., on July 23, 1989 (the 21st day of the 6th month of the year of the snake), in the Central Highness Assembly, the Principal Hall was filled with the sweet scent of incense and sandalwood. Long-Hoa Chief Monk was calmly sitting, in front of Him was me, the Venerable Phap Bang, the true disciple Tang Than, and the true disciple Dieu Hanh all sitting semi-circular as usual. He had given me the ordinance of bodhisattva and maha bodhisattva, and told me:
“Phap Kha, I'm now granting you the ‘Proclamation of Bodhisattva’. You are the only disciple who receives this ordinance bearing my seal and signature. No one else has this principal text. I have given other disciples the same ordinance, but not My seal and signature.”
Then He has turned to Venerable Phap Bang and said: “Phap Bang, you have to practice in two or three more lives before you can be as good as Phap Kha now.
As for Tang Than, you will teach others what you have learned.” Upon these words, I got up and the three others solemnly did the same. I prostrated seven times before the Chief Monk to show my gratitude for His offering the ordinance to me, by which I already have become bodhisattva, realizing maha bodhisattva in the universe, taking over the path of the Buddhas of Ten Directions and Three Periods.
Just like the Lord has entered the Great Eight Pari Nirvana, Mrs. Tang Trinh, as the Chief Monk’s wife, did not allow me to organize and conduct the Great Ceremony (see sidebar for more information) and Venerable Phap Bang secretly had somebody cut out my pictures in the video of the Great Ceremony. Venerable Phap Bang had to leave during the ceremony due to an earlier motorcycle accident.
As for the true disciple Dieu Hanh, He said nothing. To the Buddhas, two or three more generations mean two or three more lives of the Buddha. In reality, a disciple remaining in the depth of the dharma dhatu belt still remains in the continuous ignorance for countless lives, making it very difficult to get over confusion and clear up the ignorance by himself. Due to his enormous cause, he may find a fully enlightened Buddha or bodhisattva who more or less abolishes the ignorance, depending on his level and this counts for one life. Clarity brings knowledge; therefore, the disciple knows by himself how to practice correctly while conforming to the path of the Buddhas without becoming lost. So He has reorganized everything this time, and the practice of dharma must follow the main ideas strictly, conforming to the declaration of faithfulness, obedience, and respect. It is the only way that the patriarchs and the bodhisattva could go to the Buddha. Those who disapprove and practice dharma on their own will not reach the Buddha. As for Tang Than who teaches the others with his education, that means studying Buddhist Sutra and teaching through thought and reasoning. He has no insight yet.
The next morning I came to receive the teaching just like I did every time I went from Saigon to Nha Trang. He has told me:
“In the future, you will return to the world to teach the patriarchs and walk through the fire for the wonderful fruit of Buddha hood.
You must know, returning to the world, during the journey of propagation of the dharma, I have just enough time to train only one bodhisattva to practice maha bodhisattva.
For My future disciples who are “hungry for dharma” and go seeking for it, only you can teach them efficiently.” –TV
It was the same as at the time of Sakyamuni Buddha. When He has attained Great Eight Pari Nirvana, all the venerables were too proud to come to the Venerable Maha Kassapa. Only the Venerable Ananda, ranged as second patriarch, was beside Kassapa.
At the present time, we entertain the same concept: Since they and I are all disciples of the Lord, how can they have the Insight and clear up the ignorance and confusion?
In fact, when Long Hoa Chief Monk incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha gives the ‘Ordinance of Bodhisattva Practicing Maha Bodhisattva’ for someone, he is able to embody into the universe and communicate with the Buddha's Power. He has sufficient abilities and merits to preach to the Four Species, as well as to mankind, heaven, fairies, deities, sage, dharma protector bodhisattvas such as the sravaka, arahant, Pratyeka Buddha in the Three Thousand of Thousand Worlds of Great Heaven in conformity with the main ideas of the proclamation. Those who act oppositely or disapprove of the bodhisattva will be tardy not only in this life, but also in countless lives to come.
Lord Long-Hoa Chief Monk Maitreya Buddha is the supreme leader of Phap Tang. The handling of the dharma support is entrusted to the principal chief of the central dharma support committee. This responsibility is given to me.
The Central, Provincial, District and village Executive Committees are elected every two years to be in contact with the political power on administrative matters. * ftn (Regardless of the “elected” ones position, it is the attested bodhisattva that is the enlightened leader of the religion.)
In his last lunar New Year festival of 1993, on the 12th day of the 1st month, after the Great Ceremony marking the year, He told me:
“Phap Kha, you are the highest graduate of our community and you will have your dharma name changed. From now on, you will be named Di Nhu.”
I prostrated three times before Him to receive His offer.
Previously, He has told the true disciples that He would change all their dharma names and they would have the family name of ‘Di’. But long afterwards He did not make any change for them. So, He intentionally said that in order to cause neither surprise nor disapproval for anyone, he would consider changing their dharma names into Di.
On my practice path to the enlightenment, many of my disciples, friends, and relatives, who notice my absolute faithfulness, obedience, and respect toward Him, told me that I was a lunatic. In the physical world, I had to undergo countless hardships, but after nine times of dying and reviving, I still held firm, seeking for Buddhahood. I remember one of my former lives in which I underwent hardships, about one hundred times more than those of the period when I traveled from China to India to seek for the dharma.
It's true. He who goes across the bridge will experience that.
He has often told many of His disciples: “I have used a mass of gold as large as Phap Kha's body to create him. What a marvelous achievement!”
After He had given me the ‘Ordinance of Bodhisattva’, every time I went from Saigon to Nha Trang to receive the dharma, He often drove me away, scolding me for betraying Him. Many of his disciples who witnessed this felt happy and said that I was being suppressed and that there will soon be another to replace me to handle the teaching of the dharma.
They were waiting impatiently, but He chose no one to replace me, and I went on handling the practice for Him as usual. The Devadatta's descendants showed their hatred more intensively, expressively. For three times, they have planned to assassinate me, but I had gotten out of danger all three times. In the meantime, the police of the city of Nha Trang forbade Him to practice the dharma. He had already known that if he declared His successor, the government on one hand and His disciples on the other hand would kill the successor.
One morning, He told me at the center: “You have received the Ordinance bearing my seal and signature. You are the First Patriarch”; I bowed to him and retreated. He said: “In order to save you, I have released ten notices, resembling ten eels, and nobody knows which ones to catch.”
Within a few days of handing down the ordinance, He has met and advised me in front of Mrs. Dieu Khiem: “You must go immediately to Saigon. Otherwise, somebody will assassinate you.”
Indeed, He has since handed down ten ‘Ordinances of Bodhisattva’, but none of them has the seal and signature. Most of the recipients were happy.
