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Chapter 31 - The Worldly Dharma And The Transcendental Dharma
On Monday, March with, 1985, at seven o'clock in the evening, there was a private party at Mr. Chiehjen Wang's house. The guest of honor was Commissioner Yu-chu Ch'en of the Seattle branch of the Public Affairs Division of Taiwan, Coordination Council for North American Affairs. The Chen brothers and I were also invited. It came to my knowledge that, when the commissioner and his wife were married in Hopeh Province, Mr. Wang's mother-in-law (Mrs. K'ang) had presided over the wedding ceremony. At that time, there was a custom to do the "Bedspread" formality. It was conducted by Mrs. K'ang during which she had to speak phrases associated with auspiciousness, such as "early arrival of children" and the like. Mrs. K'ang and Commissioner Ch'en came from the same village in Hopeh. Since Mrs. K'ang was visiting the United States, she had invited the commissioner over to chat about the old days. Since I have been here in the States for three years, all the people in the Coordination Council know me. The head consul and the other consuls have become very good friends of mine. After the conversation started, everybody was relaxed and at ease. Around the table there were only the two Chen brothers, Commissioner and Mrs. Ch'en, Mr. Wang Chiehjen, Mrs. K'ang, and myself, seven in all. Mrs. Wang Chiehjen cooked the dinner. During dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Ch'en asked many questions, especially Mrs. Ch'en, who believed very much in karma and reincarnation. She had a great affinity with Buddhas and a great root of wisdom. "Where will Master be teaching?" Commissioner Ch'en asked. "This April 4th, I will be going to Hong Kong, Brunei, and Malaysia. My plan is to visit three countries every year, to teach and to see for myself those students in each country." "What are the Worldly Dharma and Transcendental Dharma in Buddhism?" asked the Commissioner. "The Worldly Dharma of Buddhism deals with the worldly affairs of living beings. It is the Dharma that enters into the life of worldly beings to release their sufferings. For example, methods for curing sickness, for long life, for children, wealth and happiness in the family, are all Worldly Dharma. However, though the Buddhist Worldly Dharma is a Dharma for worldly affairs, it is also concerned with getting rid of the three poisons (greed, anger, and ignorance), practicing the Five Precepts, carrying out the Ten Wholesome Actions, and performing the Six Perfections (paramitas). The Worldly Dharma is the foundation of the Transcendental Dharma. The Transcendental Dharma is the method of evolving beyond the world, that is, to break up the illusion and to seek realization. The Transcendental Dharma is the true practice that leads one to attain Buddhahood, to leave the world and reach the realm of No Birth and No Extinction. The Transcendental Dharma does not seek reputation, benefit, children, or long life. There is only one goal, to transcend Life and Death and become a Buddha. This is the Transcendental Dharma." "Is your teaching Worldly or Transcendental Dharma?" "Both." "Do Buddhist teachings encompass Cause and Effect, karma and transmigration?" "Yes, cause is a seed which is planted, effect is the fruit from the seed. Thus, you reap what you sow. When we plant wheat, it's impossible to get rice. This is the meaning of Cause and Effect. Buddhism talks about Cause and Effect. We always say cause is the doer, effect is the recipient. Planting a good cause will result in a good effect; planting a bad cause will result in a bad effect. In fact, the theory about Cause and Effect is a kind of logic which is very scientific. The Twelve Links of Cause and Effect is a method to realize the truth of the cycles, of birth and death within the Six Realms of existence, that sentient beings have been undergoing from time immemorial. Transmigration is like a wheel, revolving endlessly. To give an example, there is not much equality at birth: some children are born in poor and undeveloped countries, some in rich and powerful countries; some are born as princes, some as beggars. Actually, these have to do with karma and transmigration and only karma and transmigration can account for the inequality." I continued, "Some religions assert that there is no karma and transmigration. Who, then, can judge men and arbitrarily assign them to be born? In respect to transmigration, many people understand the causes in previous lives and the effects in this life. Those who have attained a higher level of practice are able to tell, upon meeting someone, in which particular realm he comes from. They can also understand this present life as well as future lives. The ability to understand Cause and Effect in the past, present, and future is the Divine Faculty of Fate." "Can Master talk about the main idea of the Buddhist teachings?" Mrs. Ch'en asked. "The gist of Buddhist teachings is to cultivate to become Buddhas. All human activities in the world have to do with food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment, all of which are exterior. The so-called mortals are those who exert themselves to pursue exterior success, and this is what the Worldly Dharma deals with. But for the sages, not only do they possess the Worldly Dharma, they also pursue the inner-realization within themselves. When inner-realization is achieved, one will understand the wonderful Dharma taught by the Buddha on the karma law of the Five Vehicles. Buddhist teachings assert that all things are mind. The mind is within oneself and, therefore, it is called inner realization. Understanding the Absolute Reality of one's own mind and obtaining the Truth of an inner-realization are the important goals of Buddhist teachings." Mrs. K'ang said, "What Master just said really makes sense. How enlightening!" I said, "Not at all." "Whenever we have foreign visitors, they all mention you. Everyone knows about you and your divination ability," said Commissioner Ch'en. "That's right!" Agreed Mrs. Ch'en. "Are you of the Kagyu lineage?" "Yes! I have studied the teachings of the Schools of Nyingma, Kagyu, Geluk, and Sakya. My lineage is an aggregation of many schools; however, I am not of the Black sect." I said, smiling. "Yes? What's the Black sect?" "The Black sect, or Bon, was originally a native religion from Tibet, before Tantra was introduced into Tibet. Therefore, Bon religion is not Tantra; all Tantric practitioners know that." I replied. I told Commissioner and Mrs. Ch'en that Ling Shen Ching Tze Rey Tseng Temple was going to open in 1985. At that time, I would invite all the officers from the Coordination Council to tour the place. This would be an unprecedented event in the State of Washington because the temple of the True Buddha School was built by private effort without any institutional funding. At the same time, I would invite the Mayor of the City of Redmond and other administrators to the inauguration of the temple. All residents of the city would also be invited. At the inauguration, there would be Dharma Ceremony and parties. Students living in Ling Shen Ching Tze would welcome the guests. "Oh! That's very good," said Commissioner and Mrs. Ch'en. "Listening to Master Lu today, is better than reading ten years of books!" "Not at all!" I replied. I know Mrs. Ch'en has a great affinity for Buddhism. She understands a great deal. I believe her opportunity to learn the teachings will occur soon. It was a very meaningful dinner party.
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