Yi Fu Cultural, 7 F. , No. 240, Minsheng W. Road , Datong Dist. , Taipei City3, Taiwan (R. O. C. ), Datong District, Taipei (2026)

02/01/2026

Book 166 TRAVEL TO WORLDS BEYOND

While spiritual traveling, I heard someone chanting, “OM GURU LIAN SHENG SIDDHI HUM. Grand Master, help me! Grand Master, help me!” It was a distressful cry.

I stopped and entered the disciple’s house. At first, I thought what the fuss was all about. Someone must be dying to make such an excruciating call.

This student must have heard my dharma talks because he burned the incense on two ends, which is used for emergency invocation. Originally, incense is burned on one end. However, he burned both ends and laid it flat on the incense burner to expedite a response.

As I entered his house, I was shocked not only to see him, his wife and their child but also thirty invisible ghosts that also lived in the house.

The house that he bought had very heavy negative energy. Not long after moving in, he set up his shrine and performed the boundary protection. The ghosts were the original occupants of this house and the boundary protection made them very uneasy. They were nonetheless powerful and could even enter the shrine.

The ghosts were also very rowdy. They made themselves appear in front of the child, and made him cry and become ill. He couldn’t sleep during the day or night, and became a hyperactive child.

The couple also contracted strange illnesses. When they woke up in the morning, there were green and red spots on their skin. Further more, they dreamed that they were severely beaten by ghosts.

There were weird noises coming from the wall and things were moved. Pipes broke, the gas leaked for no reason, and the lights worked sometimes but failed other times. During the worst times, they even heard footsteps on the roof as though there were a group of twenty to thirty people marching. There were also gusts of foul odours in the house.

There were other disturbances.

One day when the couple was finishing their practice, they saw the statues on the shrine appear in a wrathful form with their tongues sticking out. They were laughing hysterically. This scared them and they cried out loud, claiming they were ghosts.

“We should write a letter to the True Buddha Quarter in Seattle, USA.”

“But Guru has gone into retreat.”

“The dakini will deliver the message to Guru, and he will do his practice to help us.”

“I would definitely write a letter, but I will also light the incense on two ends.”

“What exactly is lighting the incense on two ends?”

“Grand Master taught us to light the incense on two ends when there is an emergency.”

I came to this student’s house and saw these evil spirits. There were about thirty or so of them. In fact, it is normal for spirits to be present in a house.

Some houses have ancestral spirits, baby spirits, household spirits, earth deity spirits, visiting spirits, relative spirits, deity spirits, and earth bound spirits.

As long as there is peace and calm, and no one gets in the way of the other, and everybody minds their own business, it is considered normal.

The moment that I arrived at my student’s house, the ghosts were taken aback and asked, “Who are you?”

I replied, “The Ghost King.”

“The Ghost King? You certainly don’t look like one,” they were sceptical.

During the summer deliverance festival, I saw Guanyin Bodhisattva transformed into the “Scotch-Face Ghost King.” So, I too turned into the “Scotch-Face Ghost King.”

The Ghost King wears a hat that has Guanyin on top of it. His yellow beard hangs and waves in the air. His face is Scotch black, and he has wrathful eyes, exposed white teeth, and a long and bloody red tongue hanging out. In his right hand he carries a ghost-lock, and in his left hand he holds a ghost-hitting club.

The ghosts were scared by this sight and ran in all directions but they were repelled back by a “heaven and earth net.” None of the ghosts could escape. They were very shocked and did not know what I was going to do with them. They were scared and trembled. They begged me, “We don’t want to be reincarnated.”

I said, “You guys have gone overboard.”

They remained silent with their heads down.

I asked, “Is there anywhere else you guys can go?”

They replied, “We were living under the banyan tree. However, it was later cut down and a road was built on that spot. Because we had no place to live, we lived in this house. Now that Scotch-Face Ghost King is here, we don’t know what to do next.”

I asked, “Would you like to go to the West?”

Their eyes opened wide, “We teased the child, and made him cry and yell. We also teased the couple. It is lucky enough that we don’t end up in hell, so why would the Scotch-Face Ghost King still want to take us to the Western Paradise? Are you sure you got the direction right?”

I said, “I will take all of you to Leaf Lake and teach you the Buddhadharma. Everybody can learn the Buddhadharma together and naturally, all of you will be reborn in the West.”

Finally, they all nodded and followed me to Leaf Lake. At Leaf Lake, there were still many ghosts that were learning the Buddhad harma with me!

I taught them according to their individual natural capacity, starting from the easy practices to the difficult ones which included: absorption of mindfulness of the Buddha, Pratyutpanna samadhi, Hinayana meditation (emptying the ego), Mahayana meditation (emptying the ego and all things), ekagra or one pointed action [of body, speech and mind] samadhi, and absolute samadhi [the elimination of phenomena and the realization of the absolute].

I taught them how to chant the mantra, perform the homa, and enter samadhi.

Thus: “Returning the self to the origin as oneness. There are many expedient ways. The divine nature connects to all. Good or bad are means to the way.”

I also taught them to develop good fortune and wisdom, and keep track of their practice. They started from the accumulation stage to the preliminary stage. From the preliminary stage to the stage of see ing the way, instantly reaching the first stage of bodhisattvahood, at taining the innate wisdom,” and eventually one attains omniscience, which is realizing and validating the truth of all things.

Later one day, I was performing the “rice offering” and I visualized one bowl turning into another bowl, which then turned into many rows of bowls. Then I visualized that the land was filled with bowls and lastly, the entire space was filled with bowls of rice to feed all the ghosts.

As the ghosts ate the rice, one of them stood up and spoke to me, “Last year Grand Master wanted to take us to the Western Paradise, but we did not go. Now we have stayed at Leaf Lake for almost a year and have begun to realize that this place is only Leaf Lake, and not the Western Paradise!”

When I heard this, I kept quiet and did not say a word.

Another ghost stood up and said, “Now I understand it this way. All I have to do is to close and open my eyes, and I find myself in the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. If I don’t understand this, then I don’t qualify to be Grand Master Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng Yen Lu’s student.”

The third ghost stood up and said, “I finally understand that I have met Amitabha Buddha!”

The fourth ghost said, “When the Buddha taught the Dharma, he did so according to the natural capacity of each sentient being. There were some who gradually saw their Buddha-nature through a clear mind, while others were able to see it instantly. There are also Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and teachings of non-existence and existence. Buddhism appeared in the divisions of primary stage of the Mahayana, the final stage of the Mahayana, the direct intuitive, teaching of perfection. There were also the Tripitaka doctrine, the inter related doctrine, the shared doctrine and the perfect doctrine. All of these practices were very straightforward and understandable.”

Then, at that moment, the sky was suffused with all hues of lights. The ghosts were amazed and delighted, and each of them could see lights of varying forms. Some saw rainbow lights, while others saw single-colored lights. Some saw pea-sized lights, while others saw lights in the form of sprinkles, a finger, and even the large dipper. T here were also bright colorful clouds that rose up and down, which abruptly increased and shrunk in size.

Above the colorful clouds, a ghost king appeared. It was the “Scotch-Face Ghost King,” who was the transformation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. Though he looked wrathful, he glowed and soothed the eyes of people. This was an inconceivable form manifested by the Tathagata out of his great compassion to reach sentient beings.

The Scotch-Face Ghost King said:

There is no differentiation in space
The immovable heavenly beings
The pure wisdom ocean arises
As firm as the Mount Meru
Those supreme untainted beings
The community of divine beings
Surround Lian-sheng with great respect
The vows of Living Buddha
Shall never abandon a single being
Swiftly fulfilling their wishes
His merits and virtues are like the precious ocean
As though Amitabha himself is present as the abbot

I put my palms together and so did the ghosts. The Scotch-Face Ghost King said:

“There is a region within the Western Paradise which is suited for both the ordinary people and sages. This region is further divided into two classifications, the first is called Community of Shared Defilement and the second is Community of Shared Purity. The Com munity of Shared Defilement is just like samsara, whose inhabitants include both ordinary people and sages. Living Buddha Lian-sheng does not lie. At Leaf Lake, there are also ordinary people and sages. These people constitute the Community of Shared Defilement. Today my appearance before you is attributed to the fact that you have all achieved either gradual or instant purification. Therefore, I will not forget my promise. I will take all of you to the Community of Shared Purity in the Western Paradise. Such merits are supremely wonderful, and unmatched by other merits.”

All the ghosts rejoiced.

I put my palms together in respect and uttered, “Namo the thirty six trillion, one hundred and nineteen thousand, and five hundred Amitabha Buddhas. I wish that sentient beings will always recite the name of the Buddha and be saved.”

Sheng-Yen Lu

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23/12/2025

Book 154 The Aura of Wisdom

Someone asked, “Why is the recitation of the High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra (Gāo Wáng Jīng 高王經) included in the sadhana of the True Buddha Ta**ra?”

I replied, “The High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra is the assembly of the great names of all buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three times. When we recite the High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra, it is as good as prostrating before every buddha and bodhisattva.”

Question: “How effective is the High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra?”

My reply: “The sutra was widespread during China’s Tang dynasty. Its effectiveness is magical and is definitely superior.”

Question: “What are its advantages?”

My reply: “Seen from a transcendental viewpoint, it eliminates the suffering of samsara. Seen from a worldly viewpoint, it helps to remove all evil harm. When it comes to the repentance of past deeds, reciting the High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra a thousand times shall eliminate all heavy karma, helping one to reach the four nirvana virtues of eternity, bliss, true self and purity.”

Question: “Can we include the Heart Sutra in the sadhana of the True Buddha Ta**ra?”

My reply: “The Heart Sutra is the quintessence of the Mahaprajnapramita Sutra and the Diamond Sutra, revealing the state of enlightenment. The Sutrayana and Vajrayana traditions place great importance in this scriptural text. It is all right to include the recitation of the Heart Sutra in your Vajrayana practice.”

This is what I have to say: When I first had my divine eye opened by the Golden Mother of the Jade Pond at the Jade Emperor Temple in Taichung, the very first sutra I received at the temple was the High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra. Thus, I revere the High King Avalokitesh vara Sutra, as I feel it is our affinity.

Subsequently, when I recited the sutra, I realized the names of buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions are summed up in this one sutra. Every time I recite the sutra, the lights of the dharma realm shine upon me. It is much like paying homage to the Three Jewels; much like receiving a great empowerment from the dharma realm; much like being purified by the spiritual light current of the dharma realm. It is simply incredible.

This is why I have included the High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra in the practice of the True Buddha Ta**ra, and wish every True Buddha practitioner to benefit from it.

Of course, I understand that the true spiritual plane revealed through the Heart Sutra is supreme and unexcelled. It is the spiritual state of arriving at the other shore, which is deeply profound in its scope. The truth of emptiness without form is simply awesome. I have memorized the sutra well. I have only the greatest respect for these two sutras.

The High King Avalokiteshvara Sutra sums up the majestic names of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three times, paying homage to the Three Jewels.

The Heart Sutra shows the arrival at the other shore, and calmly abiding in it.

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18/12/2025

Book 148 The Power of MANTRA

A man by the name of Shen Ding was a chief engineer on a deep sea fishing ship.

When he was in Hong Kong, a friend invited him to consult a very famous fortune-teller, who was skilled in the art of Chinese divination known as “Tie Ban Shen Shu.”

This form of Chinese divination requires the information of one’s birth date and time, right down to the exact minute of birth. If the information is accurate, the divination will reveal the most accurate details of one’s life.

Shen Ding felt that this art of divination, which was first revealed by Shao Kangjie in ancient China, was indeed remarkably accurate.

The fortune-teller revealed Shen Ding’s destiny. He stated that his father was born in the year of the dragon and his mother was born in the year of the monkey. The information was correct.

He also mentioned that Shen Ding had three elder brothers and one younger sister. This was also correct.

The fortune-teller revealed that Shen Ding’s mother passed away when he was ten years old. This astonished Shen Ding because what he said was indeed true. His mother died of a certain illness when he was only ten.

The fortune-teller proceeded to describe Shen Ding’s destiny:

Shen Ding’s livelihood was connected with water (Shen Ding worked on a deep sea fishing ship).

When he turned thirty, he met a friend by the last name Xie and lost his money (at age thirty, a friend with the last name Xie borrowed seven hundred thousand Taiwanese dollars and then disappeared).

The divination also revealed that Shen Ding had a girlfriend with the last name Zhang and disclosed exactly how much he earned per month. This was most astonishing to Shen Ding, leaving him dumb founded.

Finally, when the fortune-teller came to Shen Ding’s life span, he fell silent.

Shen Ding was eager to know how long he was going to live.

“It is best that you do not know,” replied the fortune-teller.

“Whether my life will be long or short is not important. I can handle it,” Shen Ding said.

The fortune-teller insisted on keeping quiet about his time left on earth.

Shen Ding exploded and said, “Look! I told you I can take it. People live and die. Whether life is long or short, so be it. Having a long life may not be a good thing. I want to find out how long I am going to live. If you don’t tell me, I’m not going to leave.”

The fortune-teller was in a very difficult position, as Shen Ding demanded to know.

Finally, the fortune-teller picked up one of the books on divination, flipped to the respective page and showed Shen Ding what was written on it. The respective sentence stated, “You will die at age thirty seven.”

“Thirty seven! Thirty seven!” Shen Ding was shocked to learn of his life span.

Damn! Shen Ding was thirty five and that meant another two years before he left the world for good. Judging from the accuracy of this fortune-teller, it seemed that his life would surely come to an end at that age. Shen Ding claimed that he did not mind, but his heart was pounding.

Shen Ding asked, “Is there a way to change it?”

“Everything is destined by divine will. You can change your destiny through gathering good merits. I can’t help you.”

“Doing good deeds?”

“Yes.”

“Just like Liao Fan’s Four Essays on Karma,” Shen Ding said. He has read that book.

“Pretty much,” said the fortune-teller.

“But are two years enough time to change my destiny?” asked a worried Shen Ding.

The fortune-teller smiled and refused to comment.

“Is there someone on earth who can help change my destiny?”

The fortune-teller said, “To my knowledge, this form of divination is extremely accurate. I am aware that one can change his destiny, but this is rarely possible. There is one person you can talk to and see if he can help you.”

“Which person?”

“Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-Yen Lu.”

“Can he really change my destiny?”

“Why not give it a try?”

****

When Shen Ding came to me, he did not mention his consultation with the fortune-teller in Hong Kong. He only forwarded a note stating that he wanted to know how long he had to live. I said to him, “I never do readings to determine the length of one’s life.”

“Why not? Isn’t it possible that we can find out about our marriage, our wealth, our children, and our state of prosperity?”

“Well, you’re right in a way. But if I determine your life span and it turns out to be a short life, you’ll become frightened. To avoid unnecessary complications, I avoid going into it.”

“Can you make an exception?” Shen Ding requested.

“No,” I replied.

“Alright. Any age is a two-digit number. How about you just tell me the last digit of the age and not the first digit. Is that OK?”

I gave it some thought and felt that it was fair enough. The last digit would not give away the length of a person’s life span, and was thus meaningless. However, I was unclear why Shen Ding requested to know the last digit of his age of death.

I consulted the divination and wrote down the number seven.

Shen Ding looked at the number and said, “Seven. That’s precisely the number!”

Shen Ding then revealed he had consulted a fortune-teller in Hong Kong who had told him that he would live to the age of thirty-seven. He wanted to know how he could reverse this situation and if I could change his fate.

I told him, “I can give it a try.”

I went into deep meditation.

In my meditation, I saw a figure of Guanyin Bodhisattva dressed in a white robe, carrying a vial of elixir and a stalk of willow leaves in her hands. She appeared noble and at ease with herself. The bodhisattva told me, “All you have to do is to tell Shen Ding to chant the mantra of the White Robed Guanyin Bodhisattva twenty times per day, and I will protect him. You don’t have to teach him how to recite it because he already knows how.”

I came out of my meditation and said to Shen Ding, “You know how to chant a mantra.”

“Nonsense!” Shen Ding denied.

“But the bodhisattva says you do.”

“The bodhisattva must be joking! I have never chanted any mantra in my entire life.”

“The White Robed Guanyin told me that you know how to chant her mantra.”

“Ah!” Shen Ding was taken aback. He then related this story to me.

About ten years ago, Shen Ding’s aunt passed away. Before she died, she gave him a painting of a portrait of the White Robed Guanyin. The mantra of this bodhisattva was written alongside the painting. His aunt had meticulously taught Shen Ding every word of this mantra. He had indeed chanted this mantra, and his pronunciation of it was very accurate. His aunt told him that the painting with the mantra has been kept and worshipped over a long period of time. The mantra was to be recited over the course of one’s lifetime, and could not be neglected. According to his aunt, the mantra was very powerful.

Shen Ding kept this painting properly and recited the mantra of the White Robed Guanyin for a short period. After his aunt passed away, he put the painting away and never brought it out. He had since stopped chanting the mantra.

I told Shen Ding, “Hang up the painting of the Bodhisattva immediately.”

“Yes,” Shen Ding answered.

“Recite this mantra of the White Robed Guanyin twenty times a day.”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to teach you how to recite it?”

“There’s no need. I still remember how to chant this mantra.”

Surprisingly, Shen Ding was able to write down this mantra:

The Mantra of the White Robed Guanyin
Namo the All Compassionate and All Merciful Guanyin
Bodhisattva Mahasattva (three times).
Namo Buddha ye.
Namo Dharma ye.
Namo Sangha ye.

Namo Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Great Compassionate One.
[transliteration:] Da-die-duo, om, ga-luo-fa-duo, ga-luo-fa-duo, ga-he-fa-duo, luo-ga-fa-duo, luo-ga-fa-duo, so-ha
[Sanskrit: TADYATA OM GARAVATA GARAVATA GAHAVATA RAGAVATA RAGAVATA SVAHA].
Summon the gods in the heavens,
Summon the gods on earth,
Deliver us from all disasters.
Remove us from all evils.
Reduce all disasters to nothingness.
Namo Maha Prajna Paramita.

When Shen Ding returned home, he hung his painting of the bodhisattva on the wall and worshipped it with much reverence. In preparation for his daily chanting, he would clean his hands, light incense and prostrate before the image of the Bodhisattva before chanting the mantra. After completing his chanting, he would recite the dedication verse:

May karmic hindrances and defilements be removed
May wisdom and true realization be attained
May all transgressions be eradicated completely
May I follow the path of a bodhisattva life after life

Shen Ding added, “Guanyin Bodhisattva, please protect me when I am in danger, and grant me longevity.”

At home, he could keep to the routine of his practice. But Shen Ding was, after all, a traveling chief engineer with his deep sea fishing ship. He spent most of his time away from home. Nonetheless, he taped a photo of the White Robed Guanyin at a corner of his cabin onboard his ship. He did not stop his daily practice.

His friends sneered at him and thought he was superstitious, crazy, and had lost his mind, but Shen Ding ignored them.
Besides chanting the mantra, Shen Ding committed himself to doing charity work whenever possible.

***

When he was thirty-seven, Shen Ding’s fishing ship anchored at Hawaii before sailing to Guam the following day. That very night, Shen Ding had a bad stomach ache and was in great pain.

After being rushed to the emergency room in the hospital, he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and needed an operation right away. Under these circumstances, Shen Ding had to stay behind at the Hawaiian hospital.

However, the ship was scheduled to leave for Guam and could not wait for him. Thus the ship sailed on without Shen Ding and arranged to meet with him again after his surgery.

Sadly, the ship sank on its journey to Guam when it encountered a heavy storm. None of the crew survived the tragedy. The ship and crew sank without a trace. Despite rescue attempts from the shipping company to search the area with helicopters and other rescue ships, they could not locate the missing crew. It was as if they had all vanished into thin air.

Because his acute appendicitis required him to stay behind in Hawaii for surgery, Shen Ding became the sole survivor of this tragedy.

Shen Ding later returned to Hong Kong and met up with the fortune-teller.

He told the fortune-teller, “Your divination was not accurate!”

The fortune-teller was astonished and exclaimed, “What happened?”

“I chanted the mantra of the White Robed Guanyin, that’s all!”

The fortune-teller marveled and said, “The mantra has such miraculous power. It is indeed rare. I would like to chant it too.”

Since then, Shen Ding has developed a deep faith in the White Robed Guanyin, and knew that the compassionate Bodhisattva would certainly answer the cries of all. He knew he must trust the Bodhisattva completely and be sincere; only then could a miracle be evoked. Shen Ding later took refuge in True Buddha School.

I taught Shen Ding how to practice the Four Preliminary Practices and the Guru Yoga. Eventually, he regarded the White Robed Guanyin as his personal deity [Tibetan: yidam] during his cultivation.

Shen Ding felt sorry for the shipmates and crew who had perished in the ocean. He decided to chant the mantra of the White Robed Guanyin one hundred two thousand times. He would then dedicate the merits of the mantra chanting to their spirits.

After the dedication of merits, Shen Ding had a dream. He dreamed of sailing in the ocean and his ship being surrounded by about fifty white birds. The circling birds seemed to come to say thank you to Shen Ding, and one by one, they each flew away. When he woke up from his dream, he realized that the spirits of his friends had all been liberated by the White Robed Guanyin and had left the sea of suffering.

Thus:

From dust to dawn he chants diligently
The White Robed Guanyin enters his dream frequently
The shipmates of the boat have been delivered
Bonded by a great affinity of old friendship

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12/12/2025

Book 145 LIVING THIS MOMENT IN PURITY

Mr. Yao Tong, an older student who was fifty years old, came to me one time for a consultation. Yao Tong had been married for thirty years, but he and his wife were childless.

“Is it in our destiny to have children?” Yao Tong asked me. “Master, you are a Living Buddha and have helped many people with their problems and illnesses. Please bless us and fulfill our wish.

”If it is in one’s destiny to have something, one will eventually get it. Otherwise, the situation should not be forced,” I replied.

When Yao Tong heard this, he said calmly, “I know such things are, indeed, predestined and cannot be forced. But I just wish to find out whether or not it is in my fate to have any children.”

“No,” I replied.

Two years after the consultation, Yao Tong’s wife gave birth to a pair of beautiful twin boys. They had full foreheads, high-bridged noses, and thick earlobes. All who saw them commented on their fine features.

Yao Tong and his wife brought the twins to show me and wanted me to name them. I named them Yao Jing and Yao Xian.

Yao Tong said to me, “Master, for many years, we have had faith in your psychic powers of divination. That is why, after having these two sons, we came to you to have you name them for us. We have great respect in the Master’s reputation. However, two years ago, when I consulted you regarding whether or not we would have any children, your answer was no. Now we have these sons. Why have things turned out this way?”

Yao Tong was a straightforward person and I could not help but feel embarrassed about my previous forecast. How could my psychic divination have erred? Actually, Yao Tong had not blamed me. He had even brought the babies to me to name them, and he still had great reverence for me. He merely wanted to find out why the prior consultation was wrong. If such a thing had happened to another individual, that person might have shunned me, criticized and cursed me behind my back, or told everyone about the inaccuracy of my readings.

I said to him, “There must be a reason behind this. In fact, you look different from the last time I saw you. Today, you have a red light covering your crown, where, in the past, there were traces of black v***r. Something has changed.”

Yao Tong said, “I know Master is very good at observing people’s chi, but I also wish to find out the reason behind the birth of my sons.”

“Let me do some investigating, and I will get back to you,” I said, my face reddening.

“Thank you!” said Yao Tong.

That night I had a dream. In the dream, I found myself arriving at a magnificent, ancient-looking temple. Upon my arrival, beating drums and gongs sounded, and two rows of ghosts and spirits prostrated before the temple.

The main deity of the temple, Duke Wei-ling, stood at the front door, and he brought his palms together in greeting.

I stopped, afraid to step forward.

Duke Wei-ling called out, “Please come inside, Lian-sheng. Why are you still standing outside the temple?”

“I don’t feel I have the virtues or abilities deserving of this welcome,” I replied, embarrassed.

“A lofty heart is a great virtue and trying one’s best indicates great ability.”

I walked into the temple and sat down at the guest table while Duke Wei-ling and the other spirits sat at the host’s and side tables respectively. Immediately, food and liquor were served. Although the food at this banquet could not compare with the delicacies found in the realms of devas, it was still very good. The liquor was smooth yet strong and, after one sip, my whole face turned red.

Duke Wei-ling laughed, “I used to have two divine fan attendants. On hot days, with one wave of their fans, all heat would disappear. If they waved twice, the weather would turn chilly. Three waves of their fans would send frost and snow hailing from above.”

“That sounds like the plantain leaf fan from Journey to the West,” I said.

“Not quite the same, but almost.”

“Where are your two divine fan attendants now?” I asked Duke Wei-ling.

“They have been reborn into the human world.”

“To which family have they been reborn?”

“Into the home of Yao Tong.”

When I heard Yao Tong’s name, I was shocked. Just as I was wondering how I would find an answer to my puzzle, the answer popped up quite by chance.

“But according to his life reading, Yao Tong was not supposed to have any sons!” I remarked. “Why were the divine fan attendants born into his family?”

“It is true that his life reading held no sons,” Duke Wei-ling concurred. “Yao Tong has visited my temple and prayed to me many times. And, though he was very sincere, I saw the trace of black chi upon his face and did not grant him his wish. However, I later received an edict from the Jade Emperor, ordering me to give him the divine fan attendants as sons so he would have a line of illustrious descendants.”

“He must have undergone some transformative experiences in his life. What exactly happened?”

Duke Wei-ling answered, “I don’t know the details of the story but, what I do know, is that Yao Tong saved the life of a woman named Wu Yan and also maintained his integrity by rejecting a sexual liaison offered to him. Because of these honorable actions, he was blessed with two more years added to his life, enlistment into officialdom, and the birth of his two sons. In the future, these two sons will rise head and shoulders above others and enjoy great fortunes. In fact, when Yao Tong visited my temple after the birth of his two sons, I saw that his facial features, chi, and complexion had improved. I also saw a reddish halo above his head.”

“So, that was what happened,” I said to myself.

Afterwards, Duke Wei-ling and I had a pleasant talk.

Later, when I again met with Yao Tong, I discussed with him the transforming of his fate and told him that his two sons were the incarnations of the divine fan attendants.

Yao Tong then related to me a dream he had had the night before his sons were born. “In my dream, I saw thousands of auspicious, beaming lights above the roof of my house. From the sky, two fans descended. They were not ordinary fans. They looked antique, and were covered with very intricate and elaborate designs. I could see the patterns very clearly. When the dream was over, the babies were born. It was such a strange dream that, until now, I had not dared to share it with anyone.”

“Also, there was the incident regarding Wu Yan.”

“You know about that as well?”

“Please tell me the details.”

Thus Yao Tong proceeded to tell me the following true story of his encounter with Wu Yan.

One night, while strolling along a riverbank, Yao Tong saw a young woman standing for a long time by the side of the river. Yao Tong watched as the woman slowly started walking towards the middle of the river. She had soon walked so far that her head was no longer above water.

It was late at night, and no one else was around. After calling out several times for help and receiving no response, Yao Tong ran into the water to save the girl. Luckily Yao Tong had been a frogman in the navy when he was young. He loved swimming and had received training as a lifeguard, so in no time, he rescued the young woman and brought her safely to shore.

The woman was Wu Yan. When Yao Tong asked her why she had tried to drown herself, she told him that because of her naiveté, she had been swindled by a group of con artists and gambled away three million Taiwanese dollars. The debt collectors had been pressing her daily to pay the money. Afraid of being reprimanded by her family, and with no means to pay off her debt, she had decided to kill herself.

When Yao Tong heard her story, his compassion was aroused. He decided to help her and pay off her debt. Wu Yan was extremely grateful to Yao Tong. Not only had he saved her life, but he had also paid off her entire gambling debt. It was as if he had given her a new life. When she learned that Yao Tong had no descendants, she willingly offered herself to him as a concubine to bear him sons.

Yao Tong’s wife saw that Wu Yan was young and quite pretty. Although she had made a mistake in her life, the girl seemed like a kind person, and so she also agreed that Yao Tong should take her in as a second wife. If Wu Yan could bear her husband a son, she would accept it as part of a divine plan.

But Yao Tong felt differently about the matter. To him, such a proposal was immoral because it meant he would be taking advantage of someone in a crisis. He had acted out of good intentions, and to culminate the incident in lust and an improper sexual liaison seemed to him a breach of honor. Also, he felt that the difference in their age would render the whole affair quite unethical, so he solemnly rejected the offer. He would rather have no sons than risk such a sexual transgression.

Wu Yan and Yao Tong’s wife tried many times to persuade him to change his mind, but Yao Tong steadfastly refused.

Soon afterwards, Yao Tong’s wife actually found herself pregnant, and a medical examination showed that she would have twins.

As stated in these verses:

What a wonderful change in one’s fate;
Fortune comes hand in hand with auspiciousness;
Saving another’s life and abstaining from lust are true virtues;
Lucky stars will appear and life will sail smoothly

Yao Tong once related the conversations he had with me to a Buddhist monk. The Buddhist monk said to him, “If you had remained childless, Sheng-Yen Lu would have claimed his reading to be accurate. If your wife gave birth to a son, Sheng-Yen Lu would tell you his divination was still correct, but that something had happened to change your fate. Either way, his divination would be correct. I don’t see how you can still trust spiritual divinations, or Sheng-Yen Lu for that matter.”

Yao Tong replied, “The Buddhist sutras have said that in this world, there are fixed as well as unfixed dharmas. All phenomena are impermanent, and everything undergoes change. The Buddha himself did not say that one’s destiny is fixed, and he believed that fate could be changed. Thus there are practices one can study to establish a new life. The purpose of spiritual divination is primarily to teach people to act properly and avoid disasters in their lives. It is based on good intentions. What has happened to me is karma. Causes in previous lives had shaped a destiny of no children in this lifetime, but actions in this life resulted in a change of luck. As a result of luck enhancement, I now have two sons.”

The Buddhist monk asked, “How can one tell if Sheng-Yen Lu really is capable of spiritual divination, or if he was just making it all up?”

Yao Tong replied, “He knew about the incident with Wu Yan.”
“Perhaps he had made investigations into your affairs and found that out.”

Yao Tong made no reply.

The Buddhist monk remarked determinedly, “Sheng-Yen Lu is evil, and he is also a heretic.”

Yao Tong replied, “The Living Buddha has taught us that observation of the five precepts and ten wholesome actions is virtuous. Conversely, breaking the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds is evil. T he Buddhist scriptures have said that the world abounds in heretics. In fact, seeking dharma beyond one’s heart is a transgression. The Living Buddha has taught us that practicing Buddhism is to cultivate the Buddha Mind to transcend birth and death and realize one’s true nature!”

When the Buddhist monk heard this, he could not disagree. Yet he still argued, “I have heard that he swindles people out of their money!”

Yao Tong replied, “In his whole life, the Living Buddha has never stipulated a fee for anything. He allows people to pay whatever they like, so how can that be considered swindling? In fact, he never even wanted ownership of any of the True Buddha School temples.”

The Buddhist monk was silent for a moment. Then he came up with another accusation, “I have heard that he takes sexual advantage of female students.”

“Have you witnessed any of this?” asked Yao Tong.

“No, but I have heard such accusations from other people,” was the monk’s response.

Yao Tong remarked, “I have known Living Buddha Sheng-Yen Lu for many years and spent quite a bit of time with him. He spends his days writing, painting, and meditating. He does his practice every day without fail and, to date, he has published one hundred and forty books. At times, he will put aside part of his day to help others resolve their problems and crises. He truly demonstrates earnest compassion for people of this world. He abides in the nature of the mind, and his actions are in keeping with his words. There are not that many people like him in the world. Take, for example, his allowing others to pay him whatever they like. People outside of the school may have no knowledge of this, but anyone who has had any contact with him will know this is true. So, the rumors that claim he swindles money are great injustices. Although there is much outside slandering, the Living Buddha has always remained unperturbed. He has only instructed us to do the following two things. First, do not argue. Instead use disagreements as opportunities to practice ‘the art of perfecting patience and endurance.’ Second, regard a negative encounter as an opportunity to resolve one’s karmic hindrance. For thirty years, he has learned from the tormenting of slanderers to become as expansive as the heavens and the earth. This virtue has earned him a great deal of respect from the realm of spirits.”

The Buddhist monk was silent.

Yao Tong came back to tell me of his encounter with the Buddhist monk. I, in turn, was silent.

I thought to myself, “I have devoted this entire life to the study and practice of Buddhism and the cultivation of the Tao. I have discovered that the most important goal in life is the transcending of birth and death. Anything else is auxiliary. I have always ignored outside rumors and slanders. To achieve liberation, I have steadfastly studied and practiced the Ta***ic Dharma in seclusion. Now that I have finally attained Enlightenment and transcended the six realms of transmigration, I can commune with Buddhas in all times and space. My original intent was to completely reveal the secrets of the workings of the divine, but I was afraid that evil people would obtain this knowledge and use it maliciously.

“The teachings of the Buddhadharma are inexhaustible. What I have attained is so real and practical, yet people of the world do not recognize this. How can I awaken all these people from their dreams? When I tell them the truth, they cannot recognize it and mistake it to be false.

“My master once told me that there are only three options for a truly enlightened being. The first is to immediately enter nirvana. The second is to live as a mountain hermit. The third is to pretend that one is a lunatic. He made this comment because the survival rate of an enlightened being is not high, and one will eventually be persecuted to death by others.”

Yet, I am someone who cannot bear to see the fallen people of this world rolling and suffering amidst a world of red dust and bitter seas. So the best way for me to transmit my teachings is by writing books, day after day, year after year. I shall be waiting on the other shore!

As for the circulating rumors, just let them be!

“When mind and reason become subordinate to body and passion, it is easy for one to fall.”

Sheng-Yen Lu

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