6. Lord Long-Hoa Chief Monk Teaching the Day before Entering the Great Eight Pari Nirvana
Before the Lord attains the Great Eight PariNirvana, Mrs. Tang Trinh asked the Lord who would replace Him to teach the dharma after He passes. Phap Thao was beside her at the time.
“Tang Trinh will be the head of the ceremony, distributing mourning bands,” He said.
“No, Mrs. Tang Trinh went on. I’d like to know who would replace you to continue the teaching of the dharma.”
He remains silent, not answering her. He was sure that if Madam Tang Trinh knew He had entrusted me to succeed the practice of the dharma, she would revolt and bring the number of hateful disciples ready to act against me. They would commit the dangerous act of killing me. So, He kept silent.
As Chief of the family, He wrote a will, transferring the house at 6, Huynh Thuc Khang Street to Madam Tang Trinh and told her to dissolve the association. Because He has certainly known that madam Tang Trinh's abilities were never at the level of dharma protector the whole time. So, it is not easy for her to maintain and run the religion properly and efficiently.
He has also taught:
“He who holds the confidential seal to succeed is not living in Nha Trang.
- Quy Nhon is the Buddha’s land, but produces no saint.
- Da Nang has to leave its ego in the practice.
- Hue is training to get out of poverty.
- Only Saigon can be granted the Special Supreme Enlightened One.
After my passing, there will be only one bodhisattva who practices the traditional dharma; the rest are just wandering aimlessly.”
He has then granted the London Precious Dharma place His pair of shoes, symbolizing the walking in practicing dharma, in order to penetrate into all things. After seeing, one will walk under vows to avoid stumbling and falling.
He has given the disciples in the United States a pair of glasses. The meaning is that you must practice in order to have the eyes capable of seeing all things. After seeing, you can penetrate into the right practice.
At the Central Assembly too, He said, “The gold analytical scale may be wrong, but what I have already attested would neither be wrong nor erroneous even in the least part.”
Why? The Buddhas have already attained the enlightened form, and would never be mistaken. Normal people may handle a matter under one aspect or another while the Buddha comprehends it measurelessly, and can resolve and conduct all things into a tight round. All the fluctuations of the living creatures and all acts of the saints are far from adequate, so they cannot certainly get out of the cycle. They cannot surpass the Buddhas and do not understand the things as thoroughly as the Buddhas.
“The Buddha Path is passed down from the King Buddha, so it preserves the confidential seal of attestation of venerable. Therefore, in the period of the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng, all disciples though enlightened or attaining the knowledge of Buddha truth, have to go back to worship and receive the attestation before they could enter the full enlightenment in the Tathagata Store of the Supreme.” –TV
What He said in this Dharma-Ending Age reminds us that, in the Sixth Patriarch period, even the disciples attaining the knowledge of Buddha have to receive the attestation. At the present time, we must follow these main ideas strictly and then practice for the Buddha's knowledge. This way, we can communicate with the Buddha-Power according to the degree of practice and enlightenment in the Nine Classes of the Lotus Flower.
For that reason, all His true disciples have to be verified and attested afterwards by the successor bodhisattva, or the contemporary second successor patriarch, before they could enter the ‘Tathagata Store of the Supreme’. In this Dharma-Ending Age, those of his disciples, who did not follow the way He has guided, are rebellious practitioners, acting on their own accord. Therefore, they are unable to communicate with the Buddha-Power, being just like the radio.
“In recent times, I have attested the dharma teaching as a means of practicing. Any enlightened true disciple will be reattested by me later.” –TV
Since the announcement of the appointed bodhisattva, Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha has abolished the grade of dharma teacher.
Through countless challenges, only four dharma teachers remain. He has ordered that all their robes and hats be brought to the central and burned them. He said:
“The true disciples of the Phap Tang are not allowed to claim themselves to be the dharma teacher from now on.” –TV
He has given me 4 wads of yellow cloth, one for myself, one each for the Venerables Phap Tung, Phap Bang, Phap Kien. These continued to wear their venerable robes.
Later on, at number 6, Huynh Thuc Khang Street, He has told me to make the bodhisattva robe and hat.
I took over the dharma school, teaching dharma for three years while He was still alive. In 1993, He attained Great Eight Pari Nirvana, and I succeeded in handling the dharma practice in conformity with His path and the main ideas of the Three Periods of Buddha.
Not until 1995, in the presence of all true disciples, I began to make my bodhisattva robe and hat at the request of the dharma practice. Thus, I was carrying out His request.
At number 6, Huynh Thuc Khang Street, Nha Trang, Madam Venerable Tang Trinh was holding a basket of sutras, His ordinances, and certificates.
Madam Dieu Hanh was a true disciple, usually typing all the sutras and certificates that He wrote. She has also preserved for herself what she has typed for Him.
He used to handle things intentionally in such a wonderful manner so that all True disciples were satisfied and felt a sacred love for Him.
During 1975, through many ups and downs, He has skillfully used purity and impurity as well as form and formless (or consciousness and unconscionable). We can make a recapitulation of the remaining venerables as follows:
- Lady Venerable Tang Trinh
- Lady Venerable Phap Tung
- Venerable Phap Bang: He had left the dharma for three years, and then had the good cause to meet Him while tending to the grave of a relative. He had told him to go back. Afterwards he had left for one more year. The last time he got angry with Him, he left for six months. When He had entered Great Eight Pari Nirvana, Phap Bang returned to the Central, at the request of his fellow disciples, but refused to see Him for the last time. At last, his co-disciples’ insistence made him come to see Him. He sweetly said:
“I know you are waiting until I pass away before you return.”
Venerable Phap Bang has preached the dharma well, but he must achieve penetration of the continued practice, this is a very important matter for a venerable. He has attested the Venerable Phap Bang to be enlightened in the future.
Lady Venerable Phap Tung and Lady Venerable Tang Trinh were attested to attain the ultimate awareness in the future, too. Their degree of practice and enlightenment is deeper than awareness.
- Venerable Phap Kien often spoke interminably, without seeing the dharma, to practice. He said Phap Kien would be influenced later by the external world so he must practice harder to have the Buddha’s knowledge.
- Venerable Tang Than: He has inscribed in the sutra, but is not yet allowed to wear the venerable robe.
- Venerable Phap Hau: Endures well, overcomes many challenges, and preaching well, but He did not yet give him the venerable robe, either.
He has never forgotten nor missed the disciples practicing around Him. His blessings are impartial, without missing even the smallest things.
Before 1975, there were about 10 attested venerables. But after several challenges, they could not endure the unfavorable dharma and left the dharma for many years without returning every now and then to see Him, and avoided other disciples in the school.
As for the dharma teachers, from 1975 to 1993, many venerables left Phap Tang because of family difficulties, instabilities and troubles in the Phap Tang house. They never came to know His wonderful applications regarding the parallel path of virtue and wisdom.
After many occurrences, all the representatives of the venerables and dharma protectors, from the Central to the provincial Precious Dharma Place of Phap Tang still meet and practice. The Chief Monk attested them all in 1993.
* At the Central Highness Assembly in Nha Trang:
1. The Bodhisattva Phap Kha, whose dharma name was changed to Di Nhu. (Nhu -Tathagata, Di-The Surname of Lord Supreme Maitreya)
2. The Bodhisattva Dharma Protector Tang Buu, whose dharma name is changed to Van Duong, taught the Devadatta's descendants.
3. Lady Venerable Tang Trinh
4. Lady Venerable Phap Tung
5. Venerable Phap Bang
6. Venerable Phap Thao (has not yet received the ordinance)
7. Lady Dharma Protector Dieu Hoa was cleared for her awareness store.
Some venerables who clear the Tathagata store still need to practice until the store is fully eliminated then they will be in the Tathagata.
A number of faithful disciples still gathered at the Central, but none of them were attested in the teacher rank.
In attaining Buddhahood, He has only once attested three people: Boddhisattva Di Nhu, Venerable Tang Trinh, and true disciple Dieu Hanh, who could become Buddha. We bowed to Him to show our gratitude, and then He said to me as follows: Dieu Hanh, who has the faculty of big strength, will go into the world of Buddhas.
* At the Provincial City Association of Precious Dharma place of Quy Nhon:
1. Lady Dharma Protector Tang Hieu
2. Dharma Protector Phap Quang, who needs more virtue.
3. Lady Dharma Protector Phap Lien.
Especially for the Venerable Phap Kien, he promulgated an ordinance by which He would no longer recognize him as loyal disciple (that proclamation still stands).
*At the Provincial Phap Tang House in Da Nang:
1. Lady Dharma Protector Tang Sinh was attested to be
enlightened.
2. Dharma Protector Phap Thanh who needs more wisdom.
* At the 3rd District of Da Nang:
Dharma Protector Phap Dao
*At the Provincial Phap Tang House in Thua Thien Hue:
Dharma Protector Tang Chuong.
Dharma Protector Tang Thoan.
* At the Phap Tang House in Saigon:
In 1981, He had sent me to Saigon to open the Phap Tang House. Later, I have guided some faithful, true disciples who became members in the dharma protector rank.
All the venerables and dharma protectors have been diligently practicing dharma for many years. Though living in Saigon, they practiced the working of the Central Highness Assembly, and were cleared for their awareness store by the Lord:
1. Maha Bodhisattva Di Nhu
2. Dharma Protector Tang Khiem
3. Dharma Protector Tang Thang
4. Dharma protector Tang Thong
5. Lady Dharma Protector Dieu Tram
6. Dharma Protector Phap Can
7. Dharma Protector Phap Truc
8. Tang Thanh has printed and offered sutras to everyone. He could not practice and be enlightened. However, he will become a rich man later.
Three years after the Lord’s entrance into Great Eight Pari Nirvana, Venerable Phap Thao and some followers had not yet attained enlightenment, and then were led to the black magic path. Fortunately, Phap Thao was then awakened and returned to the right dharma.
Disciple Tang Thanh, who just came to practice, asked me to take the photograph of ‘Proclamation Attesting the Universe’, ‘Proclamation Attesting the Bodhisattva’, and the ‘Proclamation of Faithful-Obedience-Respect’. I agreed with his request to be inclined to the conducted bodhisattva for practice. Tang Thanh has not been attested, he is only a living creature dharma protector, and has not yet proclaimed himself as such. He distorted the constant leading line and object; he will do considerable harm to his own life. Tang Thanh certainly needs more virtue.
In Saigon, there are many more true disciples, practicing Phap Tang, but they are not vowing to practice in the same way, only the above named take care of the dharma together at the Central Highness Assembly.
* In London, the United Kingdom:
1. Dharma Protector Tang Thong
2. Dharma Protector Tang Te
3. Dharma Protector Phap Vuong
4. Dharma Protector Phap Hoan
5. Lady Dharma Protector Phap Quy
6. Dharma Protector Phap Trao
Tang Thong is the first Dharma Protector to establish the dharma and oversees the disciples in London. Later, he is cleared for his consciousness store and attested by the Chief Monk to be enlightened in the future.
Lady Phap Quy is a faithful devotee who is cleared for her awareness store. If she was insightful, she would be enlightened, too.
* In the United States:
1. Dharma Protector Tang Ao who needs more virtue
2. Dharma Protector Tang Quang
3. Lady Dharma Protector Dieu Hoang, who is cleared for her awareness-store.
Ten years later, after the Lord has entered the Great Eight PariNirvana, several United States dharma protectors names are taken off from the list above due to lack of ability and virtue as dharma protectors.
As Principal Chief of the Central Dharma supporting committee, I received the ‘Ordinance of the Bodhisattva’ in the presence of the three venerables and the true disciples. I have gradually received his teachings from Him and taken notes of them.
Out of His 3000 disciples, a number of above-mentioned bodhisattvas, venerables and dharma protectors remain. Nearly 100 faithful believers from everywhere continue to practice Phap Tang and its precious dharma in accordance with their region.
He has attested 36 patriarchs appearing who would succeed in building the true dharma for the next 5000 years. However, there are only a few patriarchs who belong to enlightened rank and they take turn incarnating to preach and take care of the Phap Tang. Also, according to his teachings, the patriarchs, in the future, will advance from awareness to ultimate awareness known as the arahant, the highest of the sage rank. They would not proclaim themselves to be Buddhas while not having enough abilities and merits. It is only by meeting a bodhisattva that he is attested and continues to teach them.
Meeting Him in this lifetime, all of us will realize that the practice of the dharma is very difficult; it slowly advances step by step. Therefore, in the future, we should not plunge forward too fast and claim ourselves to be Buddhas, not even he who has attained the supreme enlightenment. One should wait until he meets an attested supreme enlightened bodhisattva to verify and attest. Only then, one will be invited into the true supreme Tathagata store.
He has also left and promulgated His declaration of faithfulness, obedience and respect. The patriarchs should preserve the future life because it strictly reflects the main ideas of Long Hoa Chief Monk incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha who represent the Buddhas’ Three Dharma Periods in Ten Directions.
In this Dharma-Ending Age, He has witnessed many patriarchs, and taught men, who claimed by themselves to be the Buddha while their abilities and merits are far below that level.
“How precious the Blessed One's teachings are
His power in the old time still remains
It's very difficult to build in this Dharma-Ending Age
Plenty of practice and enlightenment,
And they are hard to distinguish.” –TV
All the patriarchs and true disciples in the future, even though they have acquired one or all of the three qualities such as using dharma patience to stop karma from spreading, equal nature and mind, and samadhi dharma subject of real form and formless. They all help to deeply penetrate the dharma world and to know the origin of all dharma well. They have to practice until awareness then ultimate awareness is attained before they can become an arahant.
7- Speech Delivered At the Congregation and Attested Afterward In the Great Ceremony by Long Hoa Chief Monk Incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha
Namo Eastern Land Medicine Gem Halo Tathagata.
Namo Western Blissful Paradise Amitabha Buddha.
Namo Present Blessed One Sakyamuni Buddha.
Namo Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha.
Revered Sir,
Today, on the 29th day of the 9th month of the year of the Dragon, 1988, at this sacred moment, in the presence of the Lord through His respected and loved golden body attests the Great Ceremony. All domestic and international disciples are respectful and faithful in their solemn robes. I am representing all our disciples in this Dharma-Ending Age, respectfully offering to Long Hoa Chief Monk incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha, the dharma path that leads to attainment of the supreme perfect truth that He has laboriously and diligently created and granted to us.
Revered Sir,
From the beginning of time, all living creatures originally have Buddha nature within them. However, they are polluted with greed and hatred that brings about ignorance. Therefore, they create the evil nature themselves that, in turn, suppresses the Buddha nature in them.
The evil nature creates its magic force. The Four species are controlled and dominated by this magic force, which is very difficult to overcome. In order to overcome the magic force, we must rely on the Awakened One who is either Buddha or maha bodhisattva for guidance to create appropriate abilities and merits by ourselves. Then according to our degree of faithfulness, obedience, and respect, they shall be appropriately and equally saved.
In the process of training, the practitioner must first pray in mindfulness and patiently pay attention to correct his nature. Patience is especially crucial for examining all dharma carefully without error. He must be capable of recognizing his mistakes, individual deeds, or his nature that creates his own karma and not by someone else. The awakened one only provides the guidance, but he must himself intuitively recognize the continual movement of the karma, which arises from the situation, but depends neither on the situation nor on the mind. The disciple who has such insight is the one who has basic wisdom.
He, who has patience while enduring the bad, accepting the hardship, has no more attachment and faces the favorable or unfavorable things or situations, still keeps patience. He, therefore, calmly finds the appropriate and correct solutions, and handles everything according to time and space. Until, he gets enough abilities and merits and immediately perceives the ultimate wisdom, He then continues to penetrate into the right practice and advances to Prajna. His wisdom is precisely a seven precious sword that cuts everything. The disciple who attains Prajna wisdom will no longer create bad situations for himself in his mind; he can see that greed and hatred clearly create ignorance and passion. Being ignorant and passionate, he will be mistaken in innumerable lives.
We must vow thousands of times to be tolerant and patient, handling everything correctly to generate Prajna, and deeply penetrating all dharma. We realize then the utilization of Tathagata store by practicing so that we can see the baseline, and by clearly manifesting this patience, we shall see and recognize with patience that does not produce a bad outcome. This is ‘no-birth’ patience. ‘No-birth’ means “that it does not produce a bad outcome”. Once we reach the full achievement, we can see that patience is the exact atom of Buddha, also called Buddhist Patience.
When practicing for the charity, manifesting our compassionate heart, we shall have the no-birth compassion, which is the exact atom of Buddha also known as Buddhist World Compassion. When we can observe the precepts, be diligent, wisdom, meditating and clearing up we shall attain no-birth observed precepts, no-birth diligence, no-birth wisdom, and no-birth meditation.
The atoms of Buddha are also called Buddhist Diligence, Buddhist Wisdom, and Buddhist Meditation. All are atoms of Buddha. From the acts, the words to the thoughts all are entirely manifesting the atoms of Buddha, Ksana of Buddha, to immeasurable and no boundary, entirely attain no-birth (does not produce a bad outcome).
Penetrating into continued practice, the practitioner who naturally feels happy when he is praised and ashamed when he is humiliated, and never let the hatred invade all his body, he attains no-birth. The voluntary, respectful offering of the bowing, one pointed-mind to Tathagata is known as the cessation of the ego. Once he considers his body as non-self, he attains Tathagata’s dharma and penetrates into the Prajna wisdom. He realizes that all dharma are originally equal, carries out this equality without discrimination in all dharma, and clearly knows no-birth of four of great elements (Mahabuta). This is the true form of suchness, escaping from the cycle of birth and death.
Every nature is composed of many real form and formless qualities, which are all in motion - clarifying the true form while neither being attached nor detached. That is the understanding of the formless and the perception of the no- birth.
The birth, making it clear that it is neither birth nor destruction, is the no-birth birth.
The death, making it clear that it is neither connection nor separation, is the no-birth death.
Therefore, no-birth does not mean without birth, but the birth clearly understood is seen and attested as no-birth. Insight, or awakening, is an immortal and true concept. Even the concept has neither passion nor attachment. The true heart comes into sight.
The karma is always in motion and movement, evolving to deter every vow. Those who have the ultimate wisdom clarify all things while those who do not yet have the ultimate wisdom have to strengthen their karma. Each karma is just the universe of small ego.
Being wrongly attached to the small ego; therefore, we are living creatures. The karma sees the karma, it is seen by itself. It delicately covers our own hearing, seeing, and knowing. Everyone can easily be mistaken, making it clear, that is attested No-Birth karma.
Even for the form, making it clear, it is seen and attested no-birth form. It is the awakening concept of the form. The no-birth is not directly a true no-birth, based on sound, odor, taste, touch, and dharma. Once they are thoroughly understood, individually, they are attested no-birth sound, no-birth odor, no-birth taste, no-birth touch, and no-birth dharma. (These do not produce a bad outcome)
We must clarify every small ego. Thoroughly understand every awakening concept, numberless awakening concepts numberless small egos, numberless atoms, and defilement in each Ksana (The smallest unit of measure for time or space in Buddhism). Everything once well understood is enlightened no-birth. This is the exact atom of Buddha and Ksana Buddha. Buddha nature and Mara nature are two, but only one, and cling to each other just like shape and shadow. When we are confused or mistaken, our Buddha nature is hidden and suppressed in the Mara hood. When we have wisdom, Buddha nature suppresses the Mara hood. As a result, Buddha nature itself appears everywhere.
Every living creature contains in itself the seed of good and evil. But there is no good or evil in the insight aspect. In the absolute dharma, all these dharma are neither good nor evil, but become evil when there is no Insight. Those who have the insight must be impregnated with thousands of dharma situations and overcome them to strengthen their abilities and merits so that they shine brightly in their authenticity.
Being fully attested will soon lead to great awareness. Being awakened will soon lead to ultimate awareness. Those with ultimate awareness will soon be attested as immortal and then return to the essence, the nature. The nature is the origin of living creatures who are naturally very close to Buddhas. The Buddha's body, lasting forever everywhere, is unchanging and available boundlessly from the beginning to the end of time.
Thus, there would be no Buddha without living creatures, and there would be no enlightenment without ignorance.
Having sufficient abilities and merits, the living creatures are intimately close to the Buddha, and it is in the same body as the Buddha. However, being ignorant, the living creature is, of course, separated very far from the Buddha.
Because of ignorance, the living creatures do not know the Buddha. Only the Buddha knows living creatures. As no-birth, living creatures attest formless to have cleared form. Being no-birth, the dharma knows neither birth nor death, neither impurity nor purity, neither increases nor decreases. Being no-birth, the dharma appears wonderful and full of compassion everywhere.
Originally, all dharma are absolute in their nature. It is at this point of intersection that the bodhisattvas' minds respectfully make their offerings to the Buddha. It is at this point that the minds of the Buddhas of Ten Directions and Three Lives take their permanent refuge unchangingly and the absolute illumination is unalterable from the beginning to the end of time. There is no higher dharma. All attested dharma is co-equal. Being co-equal, they are supreme, and so are the minds. There are no higher minds or dharma. That is unbelievable! Why?
It is beyond the preaching, practicing, researching and thinking, we cannot fully express it in secular examples.
Co-equal dharma are attested Prajna dharma, and co-equal minds are attested Prajna minds. These minds escape from knowledge, no longer using the intelligence of the body to think, or using consciousness in thinking. The very deep and wonderful point is a self attested signal that one naturally knows oneself. The spontaneous handling of the intelligence is named main force and is also the all knowing at the entry of non-thought.
This is the precise path of the Supreme Tathagata Vehicle or Buddha Vehicle. It is present neither in the past nor in the future because it combines the absolute illumination with the motion of the universe. It is impossible to say that a man is previously sympathetic, but very bad now. Since the Buddha Vehicle make it clear that it is based on the existentialism, it can predict and discreetly manage according to the unceasing and rhythmic Tathagata motion, calmly making one's mind in concord with the mind of the universe.
The mind of the universe is that of Tathagata. Through the cleared equality of nature and wisdom and delicate management, we have a continuous understanding of real form and formless dharma of Samadhi.
Once we are capable of managing the true emptiness and understanding the birth, we have joy. The mind can certainly concord and sympathize with the universe without any further dependence on it.
Being no-birth, the dharma are no longer originated and destroyed. They are permanent, but changed their form through so many ways that even the sravaka, the Pratyeka Buddha and the arahants who have insufficient abilities and merits are unable to see all of them either. Only the bodhisattvas, who are attested supreme dharma, know how to transfer their merits to the Buddhas so that the latter is able to demonstrate a profound understanding of it.
The practitioners, who are insufficiently awakened, often make a mistake in seeing the originated form of dharma or the destroyed form of the dharma and hastily believe them to be originated as destroyed dharma. In fact, all dharma are absolutely pure, neither originated nor destroyed.
The practitioner, falsely named the form of self, will be wrongly impregnated with the self. Once he has self-possession, he will wrongly perceive all dharma, thinking they are originated and destroyed. The seed of the self yields its seed of sorrow and prevents us from attaining supreme enlightenment.
In practice, when we could know ourselves that all dharma are originally neither originated nor destroyed, we would rely on the dharma for clarification, preventing every mistake in order to understand well all dharma and enjoy the happiness.
During the period of constant mind, knowing completely that all dharma are equal, you will be very careful to acquire the absolute illumination, to be able to manage all dharma. You will eliminate barriers and obstacles as enormous as the Meru Mountain and the dharma then returns to your mind. This is called moving the Meru Mountain into a mustard seed, but none of the living creatures in that world have this understanding.
The disciple who attains the constant supreme mind without separating time and space is still able to incarnate to have the Three Lives of Buddha.
-The Buddha in the past has appeared in the boundless space.
-The Buddha in the future starts to act in the boundless space.
-The Buddha in the present is based on the present birth and makes it clear.
Each of his speeches, gestures, and thoughts, represent the same great loving powers as the Three Lives and is communicated with the Buddha-Power. Being attested with no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance are quiet and at ease all the time. Every act emits wonderful dharma, realizing the many vows, until perfection, to achieve the ultimate vow. This great compassion, deeply vowed of the bodhisattva, can't be measured by the sentiment of living creatures.
Therefore, we can see that the disciple cannot obtain supreme knowledge while remaining in false consciousness and seeing that he cannot yet enter in the depth. Consciousness is the base of birth and death. It is only when we have plenty of stained merits, including numberless rare merits. We are naturally attested for the stainless merits.
At this point, all karma is definitively eliminated and no longer increase in accordance with conditions. The nature becomes quiet and bright, and the stainless seeds are found everywhere. By attaining the purity, we can discover the fearlessness. The absolute illumination, with no cause of fear or suffering, is called fully enlightened fearlessness. There is no more hindering dharma or birth and death karma
At that point the Prajna appears. That is the true wisdom of no-birth and no-distinction. Living creatures originally have the true form of prajna. Masked by ignorance, we are unable to realize the formless prajna. That is why we can't attain Samadhi.
Entering Prajna wisdom, the disciple will from time to time continuously wish to have all the twelve stages. Not yet attested as all knowing, the disciple could not carry out the wonderful application. Thus, he would never have supreme knowledge, even if he patiently meditates, learns, and studies thousands of sutras. He still remains at the level of knowing the Buddha dharma through intelligent spirit, which is difficult to escape from reasoning.
The practitioner who fully realizes “The vow of making the Tathagata's Merits” is closer to the living creatures and understands them better even though they are not aware of it. Each of our wishes, communicated by induction, fully concords with the twelve stages, thus achieving the ‘Nine Classes of Lotus Flower’. Entering into the Samadhi, we can communicate with the Ten Directions of the Buddha-Power.
Revered Sir,
We vow to lean on the living of all dharma to preach and handle cleverly to understand the living dharma well in order to be attested no-birth and be able to follow the same immortal path as the Buddhas of Ten Direction and Three Lives.
Buddhist true disciple, Phap Kha, the representative of all the followers, respectfully offers.
The day before the Great Ceremony, He has known that I have attained the supreme enlightenment. He has told me during the ceremony:
“Phap Kha, you have practiced many vows for thousands of years and thousands of lives. Now you encounter me, and I have saved you through love. So you should, with love, save living creatures just like I have done for you.
If any living creatures long for the liberation through wisdom, you should teach them liberation through wisdom. If any living creatures wish the full awakening, you should teach them to be fully awakened. Phap Kha, do you hear that, do you remember that?”
I have bowed to Him and received what He had entrusted. All other disciples present in the ceremony prostrated themselves seven times before Him.
Later, He had also preached to a number of true disciples of the Phap Tang Buddhism of Vietnam as follows:
“From now on, I have a succeeding bodhisattva to propagate the true dharma. I no longer worry. If, in your future path of offering guidance, you meet the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, and the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, you should be respectful to them. As for those who claim themselves to be supreme rank, supreme master, you should stay close to them to see whether their supreme rank, supreme master is the same as the suchness from which I put so much effort to form you. If they do not possess the orthodox confidential seal, you must know that “supreme rank, supreme master" is merely doctrine and hypothesis, and not the true ones.”
In the ending of the age, the universe could only produce one reverend, not two. If there were two, they would already meet the Buddha at the same period of time.
During the period of science, some people practice by studying and learning sutras, claiming themselves to be supreme rank, supreme master and say there is neither hell nor other worlds besides the secular one. As a result, countless living creatures live in a carefree manner, and are not being anxious about cause and effect in the future. Long-Hoa Chief Monk has noticed answering them as follows:
“The devas, who run out of fortune, would fall into hell, subjected to punishment and hunger. Such a harmful speech could destroy the Buddhist condition and make a believer undergo the Avichi Hell for hundreds of lives, until the believer makes up his BODHI’s MIND. Thus, his damaging speech could be forgiven. Knowing that, the Buddha always advises people to make up their minds to practice dharma, in order to save those ill-will speakers from hell.” –TV
* * *
“The disciple who believes himself to be right is standing just on one side of the dharma. If he tries to know that all are right and where the reason of his rightness, he may hope to reach the Buddha.”
– Self-Enlightenment Sutra
8. Long Hoa Chief Monk Incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha Has Wept For the Monks and Nuns
One day, He told me to go to Vung Tau to meet true disciple Phap Huong. I brought a short lecture to him and the latter offered it to the Venerable Thich Thanh Tu. whom read it and made a negative comment.
Two years later, He accidentally read the ‘Enlightenment Review’, edited in Saigon, an article of the Venerable Thich Thanh Tu on the ‘human condition.’ Long Hoa Chief Monk said that taking a table or a chair, for example, means that form is recognized and there is no part in the article indicating the true nature. He then told me to offer another one of His lectures to the venerable. I went to Vung Tau, meeting true disciple Madame Dieu Minh. I gave her His other lecture entitled ‘All Dharma with the Living Creatures’, to offer to the Venerable Thich Thanh Tu.
He read it and reprimanded: “How strange this is!” Then he gave it back. Thus, this ‘master’ has been learning and studying sutras, but not training his true nature. That is why he could not understand the lecture. So, how could he write the key of practicing toward enlightenment this way? I went back and reported this to the Lord, He has kept silent.
Madam Dieu Phat was a disciple of the Venerable Thich Thong Buu of the Quan The Am temple in Saigon. She has followed Long Hoa Chief Monk to practice meditation. Knowing that, the Venerable Thich Thong Buu scolded Madam Dieu Phat and said: “You practice the Heterodox Meditation and become mad. Do not come back and disserve me in the future.” Then, he sent a deputy to Madam Dieu Phat's house to place talismans all over the doors to cast out the devils!
When Dieu Phat went back to visit the temple, the venerable got angry and boisterously rebuked her for not stopping the meditation practice of the Long Hoa Chief Monk.
One day, I went to the Center of Studying Sutras of the Institute of Van Hanh, Saigon, at 11 o'clock. As I entered the main entrance, a dharma protector (invisible) came to welcome me. I told him that I wanted to see the Venerable Thich Minh Chau, the rector who has a doctorate degree in Buddhism.
When I approached the main hall, which was quiet at that time, the venerable, in his solemn robe, had just come down from upstairs and was standing beside the main hall.
After paying homage to the Buddha, I greeted the Venerable and asked him:
- Revered Sir, are you the Venerable Thich Minh Chau?
- Yes, I am. The Venerable answered. I approached and told him: “I have a book that is entitled ‘the Tathagata Meditation’. I'd like to lend it to you.”
- I have no time to read it, answered the Venerable.
The two stories cited above during this Dharma-Ending Age are very symbolic to the renunciating followers (Deva Vehicle Form), whose disciples are so numerous. They are all named Venerable or Master. Unfortunately, they could not understand a word of sutra from Long Hoa Chief Monk incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha during the time He has taught dharma in this saha world.
“The disciples must be prudent in their practice. They preached dharma as wonderfully as sacred monks, fairies, deities, and saints. On the contrary, they themselves could not understand their teaching and have not attained anything. They are for correspondence only and must not be attached to them. The Buddha has taught us to preach dharma based on the merits of Tathagata.
By knowing yourselves, you will know that what you say is what the Buddha said. Otherwise, it is only delusion and devil preaching. All disciples must pay attention to this part.
Through these facts, He has lamented: “The monks and nuns nowadays are applying themselves only to learning and studying sutras, and reject everything contradictory. Would it be possible that all scientists are enlightened? Then He sat down and wept.
In the future, if the monks and nuns come, tell them I have been waiting for them too long.”–TV
9. The Real Dharma Subject Is the Following Path of the Buddha
The Supreme Pure King Chief Monk incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya has decided to help the faithful true disciples to practice dharma, carrying out the three essential things to attain liberation through wisdom:
Virtue + Doctrine + Sitting Meditation = Liberation through Wisdom.
The diligent practitioner who harmoniously develops will attain the liberation through wisdom.