- By Grandmaster Sheng Yen Lu
- Translation: Yuan Zheng Tang Translation
Committee
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Chapter 9 - Lian Hua Jia Xing Told His Personal Experience
- A Special Interview By Guru Cheng Ren
In order that the Buddhism fraternity all over the world can understand
why the dead convicts can have sarira in their remains, the writer
interviewed Lian Hua Jia Xing, a True Buddha disciple who was once
sentenced to death in Singapore.
(In its 17th edition, the True Buddha News made Lian Hua Bing
Fa the headline after he was acquitted from the death sentence)
Question: Lian Hua Jia Xing, why were you sentenced to
death in the first place?
Answer: Because of drug trafficking.
Question: How old are you now?
Answer: I am thirty four.
Question: When did you commit the crime?
Answer: In 1985 (i.e. Seven years ago.)
Question: Do you know the rest of True Buddha disciples
then awaiting their execution?
Answer: I know all of them. In fact, Lian Hua Yu Xing
came to prison the same time as me. We are one of the earliest
to have taken refuge.
Question: How do you take refuge? And when did you start
the cultivation?
Answer: At first, I practised Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism,
and chanted Namo Horen Gekyo for nine hours daily. While Lian
Hua Yu Xing chanted the great compassion mantra and recited the
name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. But we did not experience
any spiritual response even after one year. One day in 1987, Lian
Hua Yu Xing's wife brought him a few books written by the grand
master. We started reading them and found what were expounded
in the books to be true. We were so moved by the contents that
we started to cry.
I learned from Lian Hua Yu Xing the way to recite the name of
Avalokitesvara. After three days of recital, when I faced the
wall, I felt the pain that was beyond description, I came to realise
that life is nothing but sorrow and impermanence.
While reciting the name of Avalokitesvara, I pleaded with him
to save my life. Suddenly, everything around me faded away, and
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva stood in front of me. Dressed in white
and taller than a few storey, he radiated golden lights. Two lads,
his attendants were standing beside him.
He asked whether I knew him. I replied that I knew him as I dreamed
about him five months ago, and I missed him very much. To my question
of whether I could take refuge in Master Lu Sheng Yen who lives
in Seattle, he answered affirmatively. Suddenly the Grandmaster
appeared vividly from the ground and floated in the air, then
he faded away gradually. Avalokitesvara assured me that as long
as I cultivated the tantra, I would be released after serving
five years in the prison for what I had committed. After the departure
of the Bodhisattva, there were trace of fragrance in the room.
I told Lian Hua Yu Xing the miracle I saw, and both of us took
refuge together immediately.
Question: What are the living conditions in the prison?
Answer: Since all of us were sentenced to death, we had
our own rooms, which was enough for a bed and a toilet bowl. Apart
from eating and bathing, we had to be in our cells. Before taking
refuge in True Buddha Tantra, it was unbearable. All the convicts
indulged in singing, talking loudly and scolding one another.
All of us were quarrelsome.
Question: Any change after taking refuge?
Answer: The situation did not improve when we started
the cultivation. Those who took refuge were very quiet and cultivated
the tantra whole-heartedly. We learned the four foundations from
"Top secrets of True Buddha School" without any teacher.
As we had not seen a picture of Vajrasattva before, so we had
to base on what was written in the book to do the visualisation.
The spiritual response came slightly more than a month later.
Whenever we visualised the image of Vajrasattva, grandmaster's
face would appear. All of us agreed to use Grand master's face
when we visualised Vajrasattva. We were glad to have done that.
With full confidence, all of us were serious about our cultivation.
The prison was turned into a retreat centre. Apart from eating
and bathing, all of us remained in our cells all the time. There
was hardly any noise since no one talked, or singed any more.
The cells were just like isolated ones. We just carried on our
chanting and did a few rounds of cultivations daily. Doing great
prostration to atone for misbehaviour, we hit our heads against
the floor so hard that our foreheads were blackened and smooth.
It could say we turned the prison into a pure land. With unceasing
effort, everybody knows the destination clearly. Then we took
a step further, we started to cultivate Padmakumara dharma, so
as to embody ourselves with Padmakumara. We had dharma bliss as
all of us had spiritual responses.
Question: What is the cause of your release from the prison?
Answer: The powers of Grandmaster, Buddha and Bodhisattva.
In fact, my release or otherwise is immaterial. Only a true accomplished
cultivator can be considered to have achieved freedom in life.
I missed all of them very much and would cherish the time we spent
together in the prison.
All of us could verify what Grandmaster said during the ritual
held on 19th, "Grandmaster always came to the prison to empower
us!"
Once suffering from gastralgia, I prayed for the empowerment
by Grandmaster. Immediately, I felt a hand empowering my head.
My head became numb, and feverish. And the pain of my stomach
subsided. Everything was alright thereafter.
Question: How do you feel about the news that the dead
convicts had sarira in their remains?
Answer: I knew Lian Hua Yu Xing was emotionally stable
the night before his execution. He slept well and had full confidence
in Grandmaster, Buddha and Bodhisattva. He was still chanting
the guru's mantra when the execution was carried out. He even
smiled to say goodbye to us. Like what he wrote: "Without
grand master's guidance, I dare say, no one will be able to pass
the life so elegantly."
Question: Do you have anything to add?
Answer: I have just told you the truth. The True Buddha
Tantra as expounded by the Grandmaster is very magnificent. I
am willing to be a witness to confirm the truth.
Both ex-dead convicts Lian Hua Bing Fa and Lian Hua Jia Xing have
personally testified that sarira were found in the remains of the
convicts executed.
They are both tall and thin; they have to be so. As the news of
sarira caused a furore, they are often asked by the Buddhists all
over the world whether that is true.
In our society, dead convicts are full of stigma; let alone qualify
to gain enlightenment. They are doomed to be plunged into the hell.
Their future fates are condemned by ordinary people.
They are also human. If they really repent for what they have done,
they can be as pure as can be. They too can be saints after cultivation.
Using unceasing effort in pursuing Buddhism, they can gain enlightenment
also. Their souls can be ascended to the Western Pure Land.
I will spare no effort in saving my disciples, amongst them are
the greatest dead convicts, prostitutes, drunkards, and assassins.
It is not unnatural that some of my disciples wanted me dead. This
is no laughing matter. They are the greatest rebels.
As human is mortal, there is no exception for the dead convicts
and me. I would rather die in the hands of my own disciples than
outsiders.
Someone said : "Master Lu Sheng Yen will surely die one of
these days. But his spirit will always remain in the hearts of millions."
What they said are true. When the news of dead convicts have sarira
in their remains spread, master Lu Sheng Yen just took it with a
smile. When his rebellious disciples sold him out, his lofty sentiments
did not recede. Although his laughter could break the roof tiles,
he still managed to sing the chorus. He did not even get himself
drunk.
I smiled when the dead convicts had sarira.
I also smiled when the rebellious disciples betrayed me.
My smile is bright and clean; and full of mystery.
The following is a fact. For the last few years , the True Buddha
school has been the focus of world religions. The name of Master
Lu Sheng Yen appeared almost daily as the headline in politics,
social and cultural pages of the newspapers. All kinds of magazines
that have a wide readership use master Lu's picture as over page
instead of some actresses. There is nobody more controversial than
Master Lu yet.
In Hong Kong, someone on the street pointed at me and said, "Look,
this is the Living Buddha appearing in the front page."
In Malaysia, the chef came out of the kitchen and exclaimed, "Look,
this is the Living Buddha that is the man of the hour."
They used such terms as "Flower light carefree Buddha",
"Maya", "Sari Buddha", "Heresy", "Righteous
Buddhism", "pagan", "trickster","woman
killer", "a gentleman", etc to describe me.
But there is no consensus.
I just laugh it off when they came to ask me.
There is no conclusion when I am alive, nor will they be any change
after my death. The line between a genius and a madman is a very
thin one. To those who like me, I am talented. For others, I am
just a lunatic.
Forget about what they have just said, and listen to the truth
I am telling you now:
Many dead convicts all over the world have taken refuge in Living
Buddha Lian Shen and they are cultivating True Buddha Tantra now.
I am not sure whether the dead convicts made True Buddha Tantra
well known or the other way round.
Which is the cause, and which is the effect?
There is no creator in this instance. The sarira found in the remains
of the dead convicts were not created. They were formed naturally.
The sarira is to reaffirm what Shakyamuni Buddha said previously:
"All human beings have Buddha nature in them. Putting
down the Butcher's knife and be enlightened as an instant Buddha."
In short, the dead convicts were merely confirming what the Buddha
said.
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