Chapter Two: The Ways of the Enlightened Master

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001. The Enlightened Master, representing Heaven, enters the world and leads us to
know the truth.

002. The Enlightened Master is a master of wisdom. Having observed his true nature
and achieve the strength of compassion and Prajna (wisdom) he transmits the Dao to
others for Heaven and delivers all beings. Enlightening himself and others to the
Dao, he leads others to enlightenment.

003. An Enlightened Master is one who tells the secrets hidden by the ancient
Buddhas and lets all sentient beings grasp the truth.

004. The Truth of Heaven is revealed by means of the Enlightened Master. He

embodies the infinite mercy, universal love, and wisdom of God.

005. The Enlightened Master is an illuminated person in possession of the Dao. He

can receive the energy of the universe to dispel the karma of the myriad beings.

006. Other names for the Enlightened Master are "heavenly heart" and "heavenly
will."

007. An Enlightened Master is the one who teaches you how to attain enlightenment.
He helps all beings see their true nature so that all can become Buddhas. Thus, an
Enlightened Master is different from other famous mentors, priests, Daoists high
priests, or high masters.

008. It is rare even for one enlightened person or saint to appear each
generation. Therefore, since time immemorial it has been said with regret that "an
Enlightened Master is hard to come by." However, today He spreads the wisdom of
the five great religions via the true teachings of truth. The Ten Vows of
Samantabhadra include: "Invite Buddhas to live on earth; keep company with Buddha
to learn doctrines; worship and respect Buddhas; praise Buddhas." As we are given
the good fortune of meeting the Enlightened Master, we should treasure this
precious chance.

009. The Master represents the divine truth, and every word he speaks conveys the
intelligence of Heaven. When we reach the Kingdom of Buddha in the future, he will
live among us.

010. Heaven gives great power to the Three Buddhas to reveal the glory of the
truth.

011. Possessing great virtue, the Dao and the Mandate of Heaven, the Enlightened
Master has the power to alter the world situation and delay calamity.

012. The Enlightened Master is one who conveys the truth of Heaven. He does not
have the power to read your mind, to know what happened to your family or what are
you thinking about. He only helps you attain enlightenment.

013. Proof of the Mandate of Heaven is meaningless to the Master. Verifying the
Mandate of Heaven is simply for the mundane edification of all beings, as upon
illumination the Master has understood his responsibility and mission.

014. An awakened person in any generation will spread the truth in daily life so
that all beings return to the true self through inaction.
015. You are now executing the computer software (karma) of your previous life. At
the same time, in this life you are writing the software (karma) of your next
incarnation. Thus, without experts to help you to revise your software, your karma
will remain tainted. This expert is the Enlightened Master.

016. The true Buddha who comes into this world will reveal himself in physical
form. He can reconcile the truth and mundane matters, expound the Buddhists Sutras
and preach the dharma, and synthesize the truth of the sacred books of the world's
five great religions. He does not use someone's body to create miracles or come to
us in a dream to give us omniscient powers. Pity he whom, so attached to mundane
form and substance, without attention to samsara (the cycle of birth and rebirth)
becomes merely a blind follower.

017. The saints who come into this world always shoulder the suffering of the
living, and bear myriad tribulations for the great Dao. Therefore, as disciples of
the master, we must pick ourselves up so that we may help our brothers and sisters
from out of the sea of suffering.

018. Every Buddha who has come into this world has made concessions in order to
help all beings, but has been mistreated by ignorant people. For example, Jesus
Christ was crucified to death. How can we treat God's messengers so cruelly?

019. Proof of the coming of the savior Maitreya is contained in the great works of
the world's five great religions. Careful study will reveal to you the truth of
the Messiah's coming.

020. The saying "The golden rooster crows three times" means that Buddha will come
into this world in human form for the third time to manifest the Dao and impart
the dharma. He will spread the gospel of truth to all beings by means of
Enlightened Masters.

021. The eight precepts commanded by the Maitreya Buddha are as follows:

(1)Embrace the wisdom of Heaven.

(2)Embrace the wisdom of our respected Master.

(3)Be thankful.

(4)Repent.

(5)Abide by the commandments (duty, faith and responsibility).

(6)Embrace the pure heart.

(7)Do not hinder the self-cultivation of others.

(8)Be of one mind and one heart; be kind to others.

022. The manner of the Maitreya Buddha is plain and modest, natural and
transcendental.

023. The Lord (Dao) who has neither form nor substance reveals Himself in the
Three Buddhas.

024. Love is endless almsgiving. All the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and the Three
Buddhas carry out the love of Heaven in ways that can be seen.
025. The Three Buddhas--the embodiment of the great love of Heaven-- love all
beings. The Three Buddhas teach us that every being has Buddha-nature. Only when
Heaven changes the karma of all beings can the Kingdom of Buddha be established.

026. The Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng moved the Western Pure Land in the presence of
his disciples. Now our Enlightened Masters also want to transform this world into
the Pure Land and bring the kingdom of heaven to earth.

027. Master Tien-Jen said: "Our Zen Master Jigong is the most pitiful man in the
world. He is my master, and I am devoted to Him for this lifetime. The Master
suffered for all beings, so I share in his suffering and vow to help Him complete
the mission of delivering all beings." Heaven has been touched by the wishes of
Master Tien-Jen, who cultivates Himself hard to help Zen Master Jigong and before
long awoke to the truth of samsara..

028. The Three Buddhas are the destroyers of hell and the builders of the Lotus
Kingdom of the Buddha.

029. Master Tien-Jen attained enlightenment during the current period of false
prophets and heterodoxy. He used the power of truth to preserve wisdom as life for
Heaven, prevented the believers of Dao from joining in the heterodoxy, and
maintained the solemnity of the temple of Dao. This is the salvation work quietly
undertaken by Master Tien-Jen, whose deeds are the moral paradigm of an awakened
person!

030. The Master's mind is the mind of Heaven. He embraces Heaven, who desires all
His children to return to the root and restore the true self without delay. He is
dedicated to achieving these aims, and He seeks to help the Maitreya fulfill the
goal of setting up the Kingdom of Buddha.

031. Day and night, Master Tien-Jen worries that the 3,600 saints and 48,000 sages
have not been selected completely. Therefore to manage the mission of the
amassment of souls requires selection of the true saints and sages. Only when you
cultivate yourself rapidly and become a saint or a sage can you really share the
Master's concerns and do something for Him. When you become a saint or sage and
help other people become a saint or a sage, you are truly a good disciple of the
Master.

032. An awakened person is unfathomable, so you shall not judge him through your
own mind or through colored glasses. The Platform Sutra says: "People in the Three
Vehicles cannot measure the wisdom of Buddha due to the sickness of judgement."

033. You shall fear the Lord and shall not test the Lord Heaven or the Master. Do
not assume that the Master is merely merciful. As He does Heaven's work, His
discipline is severe.

034. Both you and the Master have one original nature. He said, "I am within your
heart." As Zen Master Yongjia stated: "Every Buddha's spiritual body plunges into
my true nature, and my true nature mingles with every Buddha." So one must not
blaspheme the Master, for slandering our Master is the same as slandering oneself.

035. The Master said: Dao is everywhere and Dao is within His heart. It is common,
indeed very common; it is divine, indeed very divine. He can embrace the divine
heart and fear the Lord Heaven.

036. He who has attained enlightenment can lead people to realize the correct
enlightenment of one's true self, and will not lead you astray into evil.
Therefore you must respect and honor our Master.

037. An awakened person has attained enlightenment and will not withdraw from the
truth. Just as true gold taken from a mine will never return to plain ore.

038. An illuminated person has returned to the Western Pure Land and shares the
news of paradise with all beings.

039. "Keep your heart in one place and anything can be accomplished." This is last
admonishment the Buddha Sakyamuni left to his disciples to ponder before he left
his earthly body. It is also a koan. "Keep your heart in one place" refers to
where? You will know if you soon seek the Enlightened Master who can transmit the
Dao to you. After receiving the Dao, you can also transcend the transmigration of
the soul.

040. The heritage of Dao resides in the point initiated by the Enlightened Master.
Thus, outer admonishments, borrowed souls, and miracles do not represent the true
heritage of Dao.

041. Following the point initiated by the Enlightened Master will enlighten your
true heart and restore your true self. When the light of Buddha radiates from your
enlightenment, you shall forever escape calamity.

042. Master Tien-Jen is the reincarnation of the Jigong Buddha who comes into this
world again. Therefore the point initiated by the Enlightened Master is the best
way to subdue distracting thoughts and daydreams.

043. It is not enough to receive the point initiated by the Enlightened Master,
for the Enlightened Master must still teach you how to cultivate your inner true
self. This is achieved by concentrating your spirits on the Heavenly Portal and
stilling fancy. When this is achieved, the Last Salvation can be fulfilled.

044. The Master uses all his powers so that all beings retreat to the essence of
brightness to receive goodness and restore the origin.

045. The true Master teaches you to adhere your mind to the Heavenly Portal and
return to nothingness, while the false master asks you to persist in the
surroundings caused by the Six Roots and the Six Gunas. The differences must be
clearly distinguished, for it is a matter of life and death. Choose your path
carefully!

046. He who conveys the truth and the true dharma to you has delivered one of the
five mercies--the mercy of the saint--upon you.

047. Disciples must honor the Master and respect his teaching. The Platform Sutra
says: "Since the object of ceremony is to curb arrogance, why did you fail to bow
your head?" Thus, how can a proud, vain man attain enlightenment if he is attached
to his knowledge and looks down upon everyone and everything?

048. Our Master is the Tien-Jen (Bhutatathata--the permanent reality underlying

all phenomena, pure and unchanging) living Buddha. We must also return to a state
of innocent purity in order to achieve complete union with the heart of our
Master.

049. The Heritage of Dao is not exhausting transmission, but the true delivery of
the essence of truth. External toiling is not the heritage of the true Dao, for
the Heritage of Dao points directly to the heart (the seat of wisdom) to bring
about realization of true nothingness and enlightenment.
050. Many believers pray to Master to have mercy on them and bring them peace.
Master tells them, "The best way to receive blessing and peace is to cultivate
yourself and practice Dao according to the point initiated by the Enlightened
Master."

051. Parents are guardians of our bodies but the Master watches over the growth of
our souls.

052. The Master shares bliss and adversity alike with all beings. He wishes for
all to find themselves and live a happy life.

053. The Master Tien-Jen does not seek fame and profit for himself. He only asks
that everyone return to the Western Pure Land. Therefore, let us accept our fate
and practice the Dao.

054. This world will become a cultivated kingdom of truth, replacing the struggle
for fame and fortune in the coming future. The Master will use the Mandate of
Heaven and his wisdom to unify all the world's religions under the truth.

055. If the Master shrinks from assuming the mission of Buddha, this world will
face everlasting darkness.

056. The Master is working hard for the great mission of amassing souls, the
enlightenment of the true heart and true self of all beings, escape by all beings
from the transmigration of the soul, and to build an earthly utopia. Knowing his
mission is sufficient, thus you need not ask who is he or from where he comes.

057. At this stage the Master is managing "The Last Salvation"--the amassment of
souls, and enlightenment of all beings. He seeks to spread the gospel of truth all
over the world. Having obtained the Dao, you are like Noah who was commanded to
build the ark (the dharma ship), and shall be saved when you board the ark. If you
choose not to board the ark, you shall be destroyed.

058. The Master directs all his resources to contribute to the life-wisdom of all
beings. He only desires to see everyone attain enlightenment. A stone thrown in
the water makes ripples, and a voice sounded into a valley echoes. The Master
receives no rewards for spreading the gospel of truth. Can you allow the Master to
endure the loneliness of journeying on the path of enlightenment without you?

059. The Fifteenth Patriarch said: "Every practitioner of the Dao should realize
the essence of the relationship between the master and disciple. The five
mercies--heaven, earth, lord, parents and master--are equally important. Thus,
officials defer to their king, children obey their father, and disciples accede to
their master. An official who struggles for power with his king is a treasonous
official, the children who challenge their father's authority are unfilial;
disciples who struggle for authority with their master are traitors."

060. The Master's heart is my heart, the Master's will is my will. Obey this
guiding principle and never forget it during your lifetime.

061. Does a devil teach you to illuminate your heart and escape from calamity? As
a righteous man, Noah obeyed God's commandment to gather people to the ark, and
his family was saved. Today, the Enlightened Master is before you. Do not hesitate
to seize this opportunity to obtain salvation through the great Dao, and your
family shall also be saved!

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