LONG HOA HIGHNESS ASSEMBLY, SECOND PERIOD

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.” –T.V.

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.” –T.V.

• 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.” –T.V.

• 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:

      1. Dharma Protector Phap Dao

   ◊ At the Provincial Phap Tang House in Thua Thien Hue:

     1. Dharma Protector Tang Chuong.
     2. 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. –T.V.

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.

LORD SUPREME MAITREYA WITH LONG HOA