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Chapter 6 - Studying At Lien T'ou Mountain
Through the guidance of Spirit Master San-shon-chiu-hou (Three-Peaks-Nine-States), I went to the Lien-t'ou Mountain to ask Master Ch'ing-chen to become my teacher. In the Taoist tradition there is a ceremony for initiation called Kuo-Kung-fe (a ceremony of walking through fire.) Master Ch'ing-chen performed the ceremony and I formally became a Taoist practitioner. There are many mountains in Taiwan. Most people are not familiar with the one called Lien-t'ou; it is actually a small peak on another mountain. Master Ch'ing-chen came from mainland China. When I met him he was about 80 years old. As a young man, he studied the Tao in the temple of Ch'ing-Ch'eng Mountain. His family name was Chang, the same as the Heavenly Master Chang who founded the Taoist religion. Since Master Ch'ing-chen had come to Taiwan he had been living in seclusion in a thatched hut, tilling a small portion of land. He worshipped the three Pure Ones: Upper Pure, Jade Pure, and Great Pure. Master San-shan-chiu-hou told me Master Ch'ing-chen had been cultivating himself for over 50 years and had learned many spiritual secrets. He could travel out of his body at will. He also told me that although Master Ch'ing-chen didn't accept students, if I went to him he would accept me. He said that I would learn a great deal from him. When I arrived at his hut, Master Ch'ing-chen was meditating. He opened his eyes slightly and asked, "Why have you come here?" "ln accordance with Master San-shan-chiu-hou's guidance I have come to learn from you," I replied. I knelt and bowed my head. "When is your birthday?" "May 18, 1945, noon," I answered. Master Ch'ing-chen appeared startled. "You were born on the same day and hour as the Heavenly Master Chang! Get up, get up, don't bow down to me! I recognize you!" I felt as if I had met Master Ch'ing-chen before. I thought for awhile, then suddenly remembered he was the Abbot in the dream I'd had, the one who said he had an appointment with me and hit me over the head with his duster. Master Ch'ing-chen also had a duster. I told him about my dream and he laughed loudly. Master Ch'ing-chen taught me how to write symbols on rice paper and how to energize it for healing. He taught me prayers for calling upon helpful energy. I learned Taoist alchemy-a sacred method for increasing health and vitality, and restoring original energy. Master Ch'ing-chen told me: "If you are able to return to your original nature you will become a great celestial being. To restore your original nature is to re-establish the Ch'ing-ch'i and Shen (vital energy, the life force and spiritual force.) You should bring the energy back to its source. To be able to separate your soul from your body at will is possible. It sounds like a fairy tale, but it can actually be done. The ability comes from spiritual cultivation." I studied with Master Ch'ing-chen by visiting him on weekends and on holidays. During the week I had an ordinary job to perform. Yet I took my study very seriously. I practiced diligently. Master Ch'ing-chen encouraged me to study hard so I could serve people in the future. He taught me the Diamond Protection Chant-protection from evil energy, and many others. He said: "To rescue and deliver human beings requires great compassion. Teach the people the divine laws. All beings in all the worlds need to hear the teachings and be liberated." He added, "As long as positive energy exists, negative energy will also exist. Yet, don't concern yourself with negative energy. Be concerned only with positive energy. If it is dominant, then negative energy will be sublimated. As long as you abide in positive energy and cultivate the highest realization, you will eventually reach Tao." Once he asked: "Lian Shen, would you like to learn how to read the past and the future?" "Yes, I would," I answered. "Study the Juang-Chi Sutra in depth and then I will teach you divine reading and everything will be known to you." Master Ch'ing-chen awakened my soul. If a person's soul is awake he is able to see into spiritual realms. Some people can see, others can hear. Some people are able to use the help of spiritual beings to foretell future and past events. This method is different from those methods such a astrology, face reading, palm reading and bone reading. Not many people know how to do spiritual reading, because to do it your soul must be awakened.
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