LONG HOA HIGHNESS ASSEMBLY, SECOND PERIOD

 

One day at Long Hoa Congregation, I have heard Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha teaching as follows:

"The ordinary men, the fairies-deities and the arahants who have heard the teaching of the enlightened. Even though having entered the illumination are presently reaching the purification, but not deeply entering the purified ocean of bodhisattvas. Each grade of purification never has the same degree with each other; it depends on the superficial and profound penetration into the dharma.

What is the Great Purified Ocean of Bodhisattvas?

The bodhisattvas are illuminated through the reception of the dharma sphere of living creatures. The mahasattvas understand thoroughly all the dharma spheres of living creatures, they get in and out of the dharma sphere for deep penetration, live together with every kind of men from the favorable and unfavorable, form and formless, to the purity and impurity to acquiring the great purification. Therefore, they are named Bodhisattvas of The Purified Ocean."

He has continued:

"The bodhisattvas on hearing the teaching of illumination get the insight of liberation of every dharma in every degree. The bodhisattvas have also to penetrate deeply into the dharma sphere in order to understand gradually the dharma sphere. At some stage, the bodhisattvas have to lean on the tathagata dharma to practice diligently the prajna in order to primarily communicated, understand, and symphatize with the tathagata, offering to the tathagata to achieve the mahasattva in entering the tagathata ocean.  Maha bodhisattvas have also to practice for the dissolution and manipulation of the dharma sphere saving living beings in an adequate manner, not being caught with any dharma sphere in order to be re-born just one life to wait for the incarnation of the Buddha."

For that reason, the maha bodhisattvas are dwelling in the samadhi at the rank of great bodhisattva, but unable to become Buddha perfectly. They have also to make a great vow to offer all their body, mind, organs... to offer the Tathagata wishing to achieve the Tathagata eye-store in order to be clairvoyant and free from stupidity. The great bodhisattvas use useful esoteric words helping living creatures, distributing all over their great compassion in order to achieve the Buddha form. Those are truly the bodhisattvas who are realizing adequately the tagathata and waiting for attaining the Buddhahood.

If the bodhisattvas are pleasantly clinging to the illumination, not continuing to produce merits to offer to the tathagata not yet exchanging the material, fame and love which are the surrounding dharma sphere, he could not come to the mahasattva in order to get out of the birth and death cycle. Not knowing how to exchange their body, mind and organs, even if illuminated by thousands of samadhi supernatural powers, the bodhisattvas cannot achieve the mahasattva and cannot attain the goal of being ordained by the Buddhas. That is the most effective way of practicing and cultivating.

There are several degrees of illumination, which represent the seed and the fruit. Therefore, when the Buddhas taught the bodhisattvas; arahants, fairies and deities, living creatures are illuminated differently according to their abilities and merits. They receive the precious dharma equally but unequally. According to his right or wrong thought, every disciple believes himself to be impregnated with the Buddha's teaching, but in reality, the impregnation depends on the understanding of each disciple.

The truth is one and the Buddha’s words are second to none, but the disciples are divided into several ranks and classes, according to their degree, labor and the will and courage in the practice of the dharma. The Buddhas, therefore, have the sealed indication:

“There is only Buddhayana, not the three vehicles, which results from the true disiple’s labor and acquisition. So, there is diversity in the Illumination.” –T.V.

Having wisdom free from doubt attachment and clearly illuminated, but with an inferior act not corresponding to their wisdom, the disciple cannot be equal to bodhisattva. The disciple with wisdom acquires the truth of the dharma body, but his corresponding body does not attain the truth. For the disciple who consolidates his conduct of practice, his corresponding body can attain the truth, but his dharma body cannot.  Many disciples wrongly understand the illumination as above, and do not know their inadequate present outcome. That is the most significant concern in this dharma-ending age.

The disciple during this dharma-ending age has to enter all four forms of opening - realizing - enlightening - entering to get adequate corresponding body and dharma body, so that his acquisition of the truth could be perfectly realized. In the lucky kalpa, when the Blessed One has appeared in the world. He has taught:

"The disciple must have the parallelism of wisdom and virtue to be successful."

The disciple acquiring the truth can see immediately the direct retribution of his previous existence. At that time, the disciples often entered the right concentration of samadhi to meet the fairies and deities and they communicate with each other according to their degrees of practice. In the Final Law Period to come, people live in misery and starvation, and the disciple practices according to his reason rather than to the sutra. Though some of them are studying the sutra, but the practice through reason is often guided by the consciousness-karma thus disoriented from the Buddha orthodox and they are erroneous in the truth of direct retribution of their previous existences. Consequently, in spite of a great number of disciples, the final result of their practice is still too little.

The practice way is unique, so the maha bodhisattvas have to look at the previous Buddhas' footprint to practice and rely on it to achieve their conduct vow. If the bodhisattva makes up his mind to realize what is difficult to realize, to hear what is hard to hear and to practice in a critical period when the practice of the dharma is contravened, he can then hope for success.

Following are the verses commemorating the dharma-ending age of this 20th century, despite countless spites and thorns, miseries and bitterness; He has appeared in Nha Trang City of the province of Khanh Hoa with his great compassion, great will and great courage to save living creatures.

I'm trying to row in the deep river, Passing high mountains and deep forests. From the bodhisattva to the Buddha We are on the same path, following the same route. In spite of the numerous ways and countless directions, With intuition we can always realize the enlightened  truth.  – T.V.