Chapter 15 Advance Notice

During my meditation, the Door God brought a spirit of a woman to me.

I was perplexed.

The female spirit said, "The compassionate Buddha Lian-sheng!? 

I asked the Door God, "What's happening?"

The Door God answered, "This female spirit is Cao Sio Fei. She has a daughter named Cao Jing.  Cao Jing is learning Buddhism.  She misses her mother greatly and wonders where she has reincarnated.  Cao Jing imitates the Brahman woman¹,  by making offerings, chanting the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra, and chanting Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's epithet. She really wants to see her mother!?

"What does this have to do with me?? I replied.

"Cao Jing spoke to a Reverend of a Buddhist temple about it.  The Reverend laughed at her, saying, 'The nether world and human world are separate.  How can the both meet together?? He even told her not to waste time on it.  Cao Jing found a charlatan that claimed to enable her to visit nether world, but she saw only a little bit of shadow, and had no answer.   Now, Cao Jing hears about your famous name and she wants to meet you."

After hearing this, I understood.

Cao Siao Fei said, "Cao Jing really misses me, but I am in the nether world.  The human world and the nether world are separate.  It is not easy to meet together. It is actually impossible.  Living Buddha Lian-sheng, please explain it to her."

I asked "Why are you in hell?? 

"Because I committed too many killings."

"Tell your descendent to print the True Buddha Sutra, and distribute tens of thousands of copies of the sutra.  From the merit gained by printing these sutras, your spirit can be reborn in the Muni Pearl Pagoda of the Thirty-Three Heaven."

"But how can I tell my descendent?"

That's right!  Cao Siao Fei has passed away, how can she tell her descendent?  I laughed at myself thinking about this.

Cao Siao Fei said, "I beg you to tell her."

"I can tell her but, will Cao Jing will believe me??

Cao Siao Fei then told me something.  I clearly memorized everything she told me.  Before Cao Siao left satisfyingly with the Door God, she took refuge and received the Refuge Empowerment from me.  She is now my student in the nether world.

The next day, Cao Jing actually came to look for me.

"I've heard that you can communicate with the heaven and earth. Having the highest knowledge, you are the most rare human being in this world.  I have one wish--I wish you can help me to meet with my mother just one time!?

"I have the divine eye, and I have met with your mother!?

"When?"

"Last night."

Cao Jing shook her head in disbelief.

"What kind of proof do you have?"

I laughed aloud, reaching for a paper and pen.  I wrote down, "Wa Wa (Baby) !  You hid a note in the pocket of my clothes.  I have read it.  I also miss you!?

Upon seeing this short note, Cao Jing immediately kneeled down and  broke down in tears,  "Real! Real! You are real! You are so real! Unbelievable! Impossible! ?Cao Sao Fei often called her daughter Cao Jing "Wa Wa (Baby)".

Cao Jing secretly placed a note inside her mother's  pocket with the words, "Forever I miss you.?  No one knows about it, as she never told this to anyone.  

I said, "You have also secretly changed your mother's socks from white to red because those were your mother's favorite socks."

Cao Jing said, "That is true."

I asked, "Do you still have doubts?"

Cao Jing cried and could not utter a word.

After that, I instructed Cao Jing to print and give away tens of thousands of copies of the True Buddha Sutra.  The merits of printing the sutras will enable Cao Jing's mother to be reborn in the Muni Pearl Pagoda of the Thirty-Three Heaven. Cao Jing agreed happily to print the sutras.

Thus:

"The scroll of the true sutra contains the heart of Buddha.  
Those who print and recite it will gain boundless merits
If one can even comprehend the precious meanings and intents
One has found the invaluable treasures within?

Cao Jing told the Bhiksuni² of the Buddhist temple about how I helped her. However, after hearing the name of Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu, the Bhiksuni shook her head.  

Cao Jing asked the nun, "Is what he said true?"

The nun then asked her,  "How do you know he hasn't he investigated this matter beforehand?"

"It's impossible because only I know about this secret!?

Even though the nun was still suspicious,  there was nothing she could do. Cao Jing wanted to take refuge in me and cultivate the True Buddha Tantric Dharma.

The nun warned her, "You will be criticized once you take refuge in him!? 

Cao Jing said, "As long as it's the right teaching, I want to take refuge. If there are any consequences, I am not afraid!?

Finally, the nun said, " Sheng-yen Lu is too famous and his talents are too envious, so a lot of slander and vicious jealousy are aimed at him.  He might not have protected himself well, and his abilities were revealed at the wrong time. ?

The nun continued,  "All right, if it is really true that Sheng-yen Lu possess the divination power and the divine eyes, I also want to take refuge in him.  Tell Sheng-yen Lu that if he can convince you, he should be able to do the same to me."

I gave the Refuge Empowerment to Cao Jing, and I taught her how to cultivate the Four Preliminary Practices.

Cao Jing asked, "What else did my mother say?"

"Your mother said plenty."

"Is there any important matter?"

I answered, "Because you printed and distributed the True Buddha Sutra, your mother has ascended to the Muni Pearl Pagoda, and she has become a heavenly being.  She wants you to practice the True Buddha Tantric Dharma diligently.  A human life is very precious; time is precious.  Develop your talents and your intelligence; develop your hidden inner strengths.  Revering the Dharma and cultivating diligently should be your first priority."

"Are there still some secrets about me that you know?"

"There are."

"What secrets?"

"On the bottom of your feet, there is one red mole!?

"Wow!  That's accurate!?

Cao Jing told me that the nun also wanted to take refuge and practice the True Buddha Tantric Dharma. I wrote a personal letter to the nun.  She opened it and read it, and in an instant she was taken aback and felt relieved.  Quickly and quietly, she came to me to request the Refuge Empowerment.

The letter that I wrote only contained a few words:

"When one decides to renounce, one has to let go of Four Elements³. Please take the picture hiding at the bottom of your luggage and burn it."

After reading this letter, the nun looked for her old luggage. Underneath a thin layer at the bottom of the luggage, there was a photo.  This photo was taken before she became a nun.  The picture was of her and her boyfriend.  She was reluctant to throw it away and kept it as a souvenir. The nun took my advice and burned the photo! Then, she came to take refuge.

Although Cao Jing could not see her mother with her own eyes, she could feel an inner communication.

One day, a very strange bird came and sat right outside her window.  Its form was like a small peacock, and it was very beautiful.

The small bird made some high-pitched chirping sounds.  It seemed like it was singing!  This bird would not go away. It looked at Cao Jing and winked its eyes at her!  Cao Jing was astonished.

The little bird flew into her room and hovered over the True Buddha Sutra that Cao Jing kept in the room.  The bird flew up and down, and up again three times consecutively, as if to give instructions.  Finally, the little bird flew out of the window.  After this, it never showed up again.

Cao Jing reflected on how Sukhavati⁴ has many kinds of colorful and wonderful birds.  The chirping sound was a soft and beautiful transformation of Amitabha.  The small peacock was very beautiful; nobody had ever seen it before.  Maybe the bird was a transformation of her mother.  Moreover, this bird flew above the copy of the True Buddha Sutra that Cao Jing kept in her room.  It flew up and down three times.  Maybe it was giving clues to Cao Jing.

The merit from printing and giving away the True Buddha Sutra enabled her mother to ascend to the Muni Pearl Pagoda of theThirty-three Heaven.  When the bird flew up and down three times, this signified the Thirty-three Heaven.

Cao Jing once had the following  spiritual response while cultivating True Buddha Tantric Dharma,  a "Magnificent Touch of Samadhi.?

Cao Jing visualized that her mother emerged from the emptiness and moved to the top of her head and entered her heart, becoming one with her.

Thus:

"The meritorious heart of precious nature
softly turns to the right and left.
Touching it grows into happiness,
happiness brings a smile to her face?

Cao Jing thought that her mother had become a heavenly being and that she descended to visit her.  She entered Cao Jing's heart, unimaginably touching it with the feeling of a heavenly being in harmony.

A clear light emitted, not from the heavenly being but from her.  It came naturally from the emptiness--expansive and limitless.

Thus, the level that Cao Jing arrived at is like:

"Glorious light uncontaminated,
one thought is one instant.
Mother and daughter in oneness of heart--
this can help sentient beings."

FootNote

1. Refers to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva before attaining Buddhahood.  In one past life, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
2. Bhikshuni is a title in Sanskrit sound that refers to Reverend Nun
3. Four elements are earth, water, fire, and wind
4. Sukhavati is the title in Sanskrit sound of the Western Paradise, Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.

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