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- Book 16 - Encounters with the World of
Spirits
- By Grand Master Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated by Janny Chow
- Copyright© Purple Lotus Society
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Preface - A Few Beginning Words
First, I would like to make a statement about this book.
This is a highly mystical book, but everything in it is absolute
true. There is not a trace of falsehood in all of the events that
have happened to me. Even if one is of the opinion that nothing
is implausible in the world, one will find, upon reading this book
carefully, that I, Sheng-yen Lu, have encountered adventures that
are beyond the realm of the imagination.
The mystical and improbable nature of these events will amaze and
baffle people living in the twentieth century. I hope both scientists
and spiritualists will take this book seriously and that its publication
will cause a new shift in consciousness in people's minds. I am
a college graduate, and I am definitely not a gullible person. I
place great emphasis on self-education, and my interests lie in
the study of religions, philosophy, literature, and the arts. I
have written more than a dozen books, but Encounters With The World
Of Spirits is the most serious work I have undertaken. Strange as
these occurrences are, this book is a true record of my personal
experiences, and I want my readers to know that there is not a single
untruthful word in it. Perhaps some people will find the study of
metaphysics and the belief in gods to be superstitious, and I generally
do not engage in rebuttals regarding such opinions. I only hope
that people will, before making such judgments, spend the time to
study and understand the nature of"souls," "psychic
power," and "supernatural power" (gods). If one does
not have any knowledge in these fields, one should admit one's ignorance,
instead of taking the unscholarly view of putting down these studies
as "superstitions." Today I can state boldly: Anyone who
claims that the studies of metaphysics and gods are merely superstitious
only implicates his own ignorance in regard to these subjects. Although
great progress has been made in the advancement of scientific technologies,
there is still a great gap between current technology and the development
of instruments that can detect the existence of "supersensory
psychic energy." All events in this book happened to me personally,
and if someone considers them to be "superstitions," I
beg their forgiveness, for all my words are absolutely true, and
I do not advocate mere superstition. This book contains,from my
heart, the true occurrences of the past several years which I have
not before dared to tell in my books.
In Encounters With The World Of Spirits, I tell how my psychic
energy became activated and how I got in touch with the spirits'
world and made friends with them. I also write about how I use psychic
power to predict the future. If others wish to learn to contact
the world of spirits, they will find a few tips in this book. All
the occurrences related have taken place during my waking consciousness.
Although this book is called Encounters With The World Of Spirits,
it is not the ordinary kind of book about clairvoyance. It contains
a knowledge that is deeper than ordinary divination. Besides discussing
"fate," and "psychic energy," I also use a scientific
approach to uncover and analyze the mystery behind "souls"
and "gods." I hope that, through the publication of this
book, people will obtain a deeper understanding of metaphysics and
theology. It is too easy to overlook the existence of the metaphysical
world by simply labelling it as a superstitious belief.
Perhaps some readers would be interested in learning about my background.
I was originally a Christian and had been baptized at the Kaohsiung
New Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. I had been a Sunday school teacher
as well as the teacher of a Bible study group. Later, I became a
Taoist and practiced at the Shih Pi Tang, a branch of the Tz'u Hui
Tang of the Chinese Taoist Association. Now I am a Buddhist. I have
taken refuge in the Buddhist Master Yin Shun and taken the Householder's
Bodhisattva Vows from Masters Hsien Tun, Hui San, and Chueh Kuang
at the Pi Shan Yan Temple at Nantou. At the time of this writing,
I am in charge of the Tz'u Hui Lei Tsang Temple, which is at my
residence. I have an innate curiosity about religions and a tremendous
interest in spiritual teachings; therefore, I have read and studied
all kinds of scriptures and many classics from Buddhism and Taoism,
as well as from Catholicism and Islam. Many of the classics of Ch'an
Buddhism, such as Transmission of the Lamp, Eyes of Men and Heaven,
Assembly of Five Lamps, Pointing at the Moon, and Record of the
Heart Lamp, are favorites of mine. I also have studied the Tantric
classic Mi Chiao T'ung Kuan. And the Taoist classic, Thirty-Six
True Sutras of Taoist Treasures, is a work I study daily.
I believe in the predetermination of fate, but I also believe that
fate can be transformed. There are many miraculous happenings in
this world. What is the Spirit? Do heavens and hells exist? In this
book, these questions will be answered thoroughly. As more and more
people are finding out about my "ability of divination,"
people from all over Taiwan are looking me up out of curiosity.
However, it is not my wish to gain fame through my "psychic
ability," nor do I want to foster the awkward and baffling
situation of being besieged by seekers, which is why I have decided
to write this book, completely disclosing my experiences. I am not
running from the crowds, but I want to be able to quietly concentrate
on my spiritual cultivation, thus arriving at a deeper level of
realization. If everyone seeks me out, I will not have any time
left for cultivation. Finally, I would like to quote Tolstoy: "The
most foolish superstition is held by some scientists who believe
that men can live without faith." Today, I dare not make the
statement that people without faith are bad people, but people who
do not have faith and who do not believe in the laws of reincarnation
and karma are definitely more prone to defying human and divine
laws, as well as being more likely to commit transgressions. This
book is dedicated to the gods whom I revere and to all my friends
in the invisible realms.
Sheng Yen Lu,
April 1975
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