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By Maha Acarya Yang Fo Xing
All electric appliances have to be connected with electric current to work properly or they are just waste products. Likewise, no matter which Dharma-door (method or door leading to enlightenment) a practitioner practices, he must correspond to the Buddha’s Energy before he can achieve good result in his practice readily, otherwise, it is like setting up a cause to the far future.
One day in August 1998, I went to the hospital with my students Jiao Jian Ling, Li Wan Min and Lin Ying to visit a retired middle school English teacher Ms. Ye Mi Zhang who had been seriously ill. She had been receiving transfusion for one month. She was lying on a wheel chair and too weak to speak to us. Then I started to bless her by reciting mantras. Shortly, she sat up and closed her eyes with sincerity and began to receive the Energy I conferred upon her. As soon as I stopped blessing her after half an hour, she immediately opened her eyes, joined her palms and spoke to me respectfully: “Thank you very much! I received the Buddha’s Energy conferred by you just now. I had benefited tremendously and as my will power had increased I could sit up. Please tell all your disciples that the Buddha’s Energy is truly unsurpassable Dharma treasure with infinite Miraculous Usage. Your students here could bear witness to this truth…” Ms.Ye recovered soon and she could walk with the support of the wheelchair.
When Ms.Ye was young, her family was very poor. However, she was ambitious and intelligent. Through self-study and with only seven years of formal schooling, she graduated with honor in English from Zhongshan University in Guangzhou. She had acted as interpreter for the president whenever there were foreign guests visiting the university.
Ms.Ye had vowed to practice Buddhism as a celibatarian even when she was studying in school. After graduation from university, she went to Hong Kong to practice Ch’an with Master Xian Ci. With her high spiritual capacity, she progressed rapidly and soon attained the first stage of Ch’an Practice (Chu Guan in Chinese). Master Xian Ci told her that once she had reached accomplishment in her practice of Ch’an she could become his Dharma Successor.
During the Anti-Japanese war, Hong Kong was in a state of turmoil. She had no choice but to return to Guangzhou to teach in a middle school in order to support her family. Soon after, she received the Esoteric rituals from Maha Acarya Feng Da An and began the Esoteric practice. The first time she paid homage to Maha Acarya Feng Da An, she could correspond to the Buddha’s Energy. Therefore, Maha Acarya Feng Da An had high regard of her. Among his female disciples, she was the best and with the highest spiritual capacity.
Ms.Ye is 91 years old this year. She had given to her foster daughter some money for the taxi fares and a red package of money as offering to me, and told her: “When I’m on my deathbed, please invite Master Yang to come here by taxi to bless me. This is the most important thing in my life. Don’t ever forget…” As for her, if she can receive Buddha’s Energy upon her death, she will definitely be reborn in the Pure Land.
On Sept.30 this year, we were leaving from Zhao Xian County Hotel for the Glorious City Garden in Shi Jia Zhuang. Jiao Jian Ling fell ill just before our departure. She said that she had trouble with her heart and this made me quite worried. I knew that with her high spiritual capacity she could easily correspond to the Buddha’s Energy, so I blessed her in the same manner as I blessed Ms.Ye and she benefited greatly. Please refer to her article “How I Wish to Follow the Sunshine upon Leaving This World” that is appended hereinafter.
Jiao Jian Ling started to practice Buddhism with me on March 15,1996. Fifteen days later, she had achieved great results. Her intelligence has improved and her life has changed for the better. Her practice in Buddhism and study in school compliment each other and she has made achievements in both aspects. She’s a good example for other practitioners. She is now studying in the Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medical Science as a Ph.D. candidate.
Maha Acarya Feng Da An once instructed: “An Acarya who has attained the highest accomplishment can only be found in the Unsurpassable Esoteric School. It is only when a practitioner is blessed by such an accomplished Acarya that his true state will unite with the Acarya to reveal the True Nature of Dharmadhatu. However, if the practitioner's mind is not focused or he doesn’t understand the doctrines, he will not be able to reap deeper benefits. He is merely instigating a cause in the distant future. It is indeed difficult to encounter a practitioner who can truly correspond to his Guru’s blessings.”
From the above instruction, practitioners must realize that only when they know themselves and others well can they improve their capacities and accomplish their goals in career.
P.S. Written on Oct.7, 1998 on the Chinese Lunar Calendar - the anniversary of Mahasattva Subhakarasimha’s (the Fifth Patriarch of the T’ang Dynasty Esoteric School) passing into Nirvana. Appendix
How I Wish to Follow the Sunshine upon Leaving This World By Jiao Jian Ling (Writer’s note: The Sunshine is used as a metaphor that refers to the Buddha’s light which will lead one to be reborn in Buddha’s Pure Land upon his death.)
I have been deeply touched by two recent experiences in heading off disasters caused by my illness. Now I know from the bottom of my heart that that Buddhist Dharma is really boundless and inconceivable!
One Sep. 15 this year, I had a bad cold due to my bad karmic deeds in the past. I ran a high fever for many days and my tonsils were so inflamed and painful that I could hardly drink any water. After having intravenous injection in the hospital I felt much better. So I returned to Master Yang’s apartment to continue with the treatment. In the morning of Sep.23, I took the intravenous drip as usual. Normally before the last drop of the medicine liquid dripped from the old bottle, a new bottle should have been connected to the infusion tube. However, as the person taking care of me had other things to do at that moment and had no experience, she didn’t replace the old bottle in time. Thus, the infusion tube was filled with air. When I found out what was happening, the air in the infusion tube with the length of a dozen centimeters was entering my veins under the pressure of the medicine in the new bottle. At that moment, I was so nervous that my mind went blank. I knew even one air bubble in the veins could cause a person to die. I could hardly imagine what would happen to me with so many bubbles in my blood. I didn’t dare to think of the consequence but held my breath. Time flew by. One minute, two minutes and three minutes had passed. Nothing had happened to me and at last I could sigh with relief. Later, when I related this experience to other people, they were dumbfounded. One of them, Doctor Huang said: “It was so dangerous. A patient could easily die in this situation. You were so lucky to survive.” I still feel scared on recalling this experience now and at the same time I feel deeply grateful to the boundless compassion of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I’m greatly indebted to my Guru for his compassionate protection and blessings that had saved me. Otherwise, the consequence is hard to imagine.
I recovered in a week after further treatment of intravenous injection. I was still very weak and the doctors had warned me not to exhaust myself otherwise the illness would come back or cause other illnesses. Master Yang was invited to attend the grand Buddhist ceremonies in Shi Jia Zhuang and to give Dharma teachings in Beijing. He would set off on Sep.28. After further consideration, I decided to go with him so that I could help him in his Dharma talks and ritual teachings. With Master Yang’s blessings and care of my fellow Dharma brothers, I was all right on the journey. The second day after we had arrived in Shi Jia Zhuang, we attended two grand Buddhist ceremonies. One was for Master Jing Hui to mount his seat as the abbot of Bai Lin Ch’an Temple. The other was the Opening Ceremony for the newly-renovated Zhao Zhou Pagoda. As these were big ceremonies, over 10,000 people had attended and I felt somewhat tired. Besides, I had not yet regained my energy after the long journey on the train. Soon after I returned to the hotel by noon, I was quite uncomfortable. The situation became worse after I had a nap. I felt extremely ill in the heart. I was exhausted and my heart was beating at 100 times/min. Since we had decided beforehand to leave for the Glorious City Garden at three o’clock in the afternoon, I had to gather all my energies and went to Master Yang’s room to meet other people. Master Yang knew my physical condition as soon as he saw me. He asked: “How do you feel now?” I replied: “Not very well.” He further inquired: “Where?” I said: “My heart.” Then Master Yang held my hand and we got on the van. He didn’t say any more words but I could feel he had started to bless me. He sat on the front row while I stayed in the back with my eyes closed. There were a dozen Dharma brothers in the van, but I was too weak to greet them. Master Yang had continued to bless me during this time. Although the van bounced around from time to time, I could still receive the strong energy conferred by him flowing from the top of my head to Ming Gen (where one’s consciousness is located). Soon, my heart felt cool and comfortable. The uncomfortable palpitation and other symptoms disappeared. My heart was embraced with red and white lights and I had regained my mental and physical energies with his strong and powerful blessing. When we arrived at our destination after one hour’s drive, my energies were completely restored. My pulse fell to 70 times/minute. I could help in sorting out luggage and preparing the Esoteric altar with other people till 8 p.m. I no longer had any discomfort. Even though I had stopped taking medicine, having intravenous injection and other treatments, I put on weight within several days and my facial complexion turned rosy.
These two experiences have made
me marveled at Buddha’s great power. I’m totally convinced that the
Buddhist Dharma is indeed inconceivable. Our physical body as human being
is rare to obtain in the cycle of life and death for we depend on it to
practice Buddhism and reach Buddhahood. On the other head, it’s so
delicate, fragile and perishable. I cherish my second life obtained
through the protection and blessing of various Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and
my Guru. I wish that I could make strict demands on myself with the Four
Kinds of Heart, namely, Pure Heart, Heart with Ultimate Sincerity, Heart
of Diligent Practice, Heart of Repaying the Four Kinds of Kindness. I wish
that under the protection and blessings of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, with
the help of my fellow practitioners and my strenuous efforts and diligent
practice, I can break through ignorance and attain enlightenment to
benefit myself and other people. Only when I live up to these standards do
I feel no qualms about the kindness of Buddhas, my Guru, the fellow
practitioners and my life. |
