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Chapter 18 - The First Dharma Ceremony At The Lei Tsang Temple
The first Dharma ceremony at the Lei Tsang Temple was conducted on the eighteenth day of the seventh lunar month. We did not notify anyone about this beforehand, but surprisingly, many people we had never met before found out about it and came to join us. My little shrine had never been so crowded. Everyone bowed sincerely to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at the shrine. After burning the prayer which stated the purpose of the ceremony, I solemnly sat down and started to chant first the Amitabha Sutra, followed by the Rebirth Mantra, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Original Vow Sutra, the Golden Light Luminous Sutra (a Taoist liturgy on how to make offerings to Heaven), and then the Diamond Sutra. Although all these sutras took quite some time to chant, I was not tired at all. In fact, I did not even pause once I started and was able to chant continuously in a steady and lively manner. Like floating clouds and flowing water, each sound of my voice, which seemed to have been replaced by those of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, was clearly audible. Next I did what a presiding monk would do and performed "a dance of hand gestures" that my Spirit Master, Mr. Three-Peaks-Nine-States, had taught me. Many people were awed at the display of the mudras and asked me from whom I had learned them. They wanted to know the name of the monk who had taught me this ritual. Someone commented, "You must have paid someone to teach you this!" I just smiled and did not reply. Throughout the ceremony, I had the extraordinary feeling that the whole shrine was infused with a strong spiritual energy. Inside my heart, a kind of solemn dignity arose that kept expanding until it turned into thousands of lotuses, showers of sparkling heavenly flowers slowly drifting down from the sky. When I was burning the prayer, I saw a heavenly being in the ancient, official attire of black hat and red robe take the prayer into his hands and pass it on to the Ten Dharma Realms. The first Dharma ceremony at the Tz'u Hui Lei Tsang Temple at Taichung turned out to be a spectacular event. Using his metal staff, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva sent vibrations to the gate of hell and opened it. Under his guidance, spirits in the nether world immersed themselves in the shower of Dharma. While charm papers were being burned, ritual implements tinkled and psalms resounded. Amid this scene of bustle and excitement, many miracles occurred. I shall record them as follows: Mrs. Yang Pi T'ao, who resided in Taichung near the Teacher's College, was suddenly able to see her brother who had died in his youth. Her brother was conscripted into the Japanese Army during Taiwan's occupation by Japan and had died on a battlefield somewhere in Southeast Asia. This was her account, "My brother was led by a local earth god and, as soon as he walked over the threshold into the shrine, he looked at me, and I recognized him right away. It was indeed my brother. I could see him clearly!" Mrs. Li, the proprietress of Yung Lung Food Company, who lived on Li Hsing Road in Taichung, had lost her son in his eighth year. She saw a lotus blooming and enlarging in front of her. Sitting inside the lotus was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva who shook his metal staff and called aloud, "Go! Your mother is over there." Mrs. Li's eight year old son crawled out from under the lotus seat, and cried out as he wrapped his arms around his mother. Embracing each other, mother and son wailed in grief. Later she asked the people around her, "Didn't you see my son?" The people around her replied, "We could see your hands embracing something in the air, and we heard your deafening cries. We wondered what had happened to you!" A Mrs. Liu, who lived on Mei Ts'un Road in Taichung, gave this account, "I suddenly saw a well-lit road in front of me. As I walked on this road, I crossed over mountain after mountain, finally arriving at a most beautiful place. There the grasses were emerald and fragrant, flowers were blooming, and birds were singing in the deep woods. I saw many celestial maidens playing together. It was such a wonderful place." Friends! Where is this place that she has visited? No one knows. Miss Ch'en Ch'iu Lan, who lived on Ch'e Road Tung Lang, was sitting behind me during the ceremony. She closed her eyes and went into a trance. She found herself somehow transported to a dark and gloomy place that reeked of a foul and nauseating stench. When she opened her eyes, she saw before her an expanding red pool of blood. Many women were drowning and struggling in the bloody pool. As they saw Miss Ch'en approaching, they shouted out for help. Overtaken by a deep fear, she turned around to find her way back. When she came back to herself, she found that her limbs were sore. A young man called Ch'iu Wen Pin, who joined a Dharma ceremony for the first time, was also sitting behind me. He closed his eyes and was surprised to see himself surrounded by countless strangers. All of them had their hands extended to him and were asking for money. They said to him, "Young man, you have to pay us back now what you have owed us from your previous life." However, he did not recognize any of the faces. He had never seen any of them in his life, so where have these people seen him? This young man did not believe in reincarnation, nor did he believe in ghosts and spirits. Yet he did see and clearly hear these peop!e demanding payment of a debt. After this experience, he started to believe somewhat. He made a vow to do more charities in this life so as to compensate for his previous debt. The above incidents were just a few of the many psychic experiences that took place at our first Dharma ceremony. The success of this Dharma ceremony helped to lay the foundation for future ceremonies. Since then, there have always been psychic happenings in every single Dharma ceremony that I have conducted. Such inconceivable events have convinced many people, who were originally materialists, to believe in the existence of spirits and enhance their faith and determination to seek the truth in Buddhism and Taoism. Indeed, it is rare to be born as a human, with a fleeting, human life that lasts only several decades. Wouldn't one be wasting one's opportunity by not seeking the eternal path to the truth while journeying through life? The events I have recorded here are completely true, and they are only a fraction of what I have experienced. I know I cannot force people to believe in them if they choose to take them as fairy tales. In this scientific age, almost all teachings of karma, reincarnation, heaven and hell, and spirituality are ridiculed as being superstitious. Even a religious person whose faith is devout is mocked as a superstitious person. Take me for example! How do other people look at me? I am regarded by many as a mentally ill person who talks to himself, a monster, and an ignorant. On the outside, I am isolated and cut off from others, but my inner world is so rich. I detest hypocrisy and lies. My real perceptions have been sneered at and derided as "psychological manifestations." These accusations have caused great grief in me. Yet I must declare that I do not advocate "superstitions." I abhor mediums who harm others, charlatans who, under the pretense of spirituality, cheat people out of money or take advantage of them sexually. These transgressions are committed by men and not by gods or Buddhas. It is the vileness in human hearts that has defiled the gods and Buddhas. Such people shall suffer in hells created by themselves. What I have written here are my true, personal experiences in the world of spirits. Of course, there are many other incidents which I shall write about later. They will reveal studies and discoveries I have made about the spirit realm. How does one get in touch with the world of spirits? How does one practice occult arts through the spirits? How does one channel the spirits? How does one make spiritual divinations? How does one practice fortune-telling with the eight trigrams? What is the soul? How does one become a medium? I shall reveal every one of these secrets. Of course these secrets are those that the world of spirits have directed me to see and hear, and much is also owed to the guidance and teachings of my spirit master, Mr. Three-Peaks-Nine-States. I do not believe that such magic practices have before been disclosed. This is indeed a rare book.
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