1.
The Great Master said, "Ordinary people think that only
the present life is important. However, enlightened people regard
death as important as present life because they know the principle
that those who die well can be born well and live well, and
vice versa; birth is the origin of death, and death is the origin
of birth. Although there is no fixed time in the solution of
the problem, people over forty must start preparing for the
approach of death, so as not to be in a hurry to meet their
last moment."
2.
The Great Master said, "People in the world, without exception,
must die once. Today, therefore, I am going to tell you how
to behave as a relative at the deathbed of someone and how to
meet death yourself. My followers, listen to me carefully. In
cases where a person has met an unnatural death from a sudden
illness or accident, or where a person is too faithless to follow
guidance, it will not be easy to practice the entire teachings.
But if it is not an unnatural death, or if a person has even
a little faith, this teaching will contribute greatly to consolidate
one's faith at the last moment, saving one's soul.
First of all, relatives must always keep the sickroom clean
and should often burn some amount of incense. If the room is
filthy, the mind of the sick person will become dirty. Second,
always keep the surroundings of a sick person quiet. If the
surroundings are noisy, the sick will not be able to concentrate
the mind.
Third, tell many stories about the conduct of good people when
attending the sick and console them by complimenting their virtuous
conduct, if any. Then, good conduct will be impressed on their
mind and may remain as a habit for the coming life.
Fourth, refrain from speaking of evil, trickery, lechery or
extraneous things in the presence of the sick. Such bad impressions
will become a bad habit in the coming life.
Fifth, in the presence of the sick, neither show any worries
about household management, nor speak seriously or dejectedly
concerning matters of family relations. These are liable to
provoke the sick by increasing his worldly love and desires,
preventing the soul from leaving the place forever. If the soul
is not able to find any human body in which to be reincarnated
at the place of death, it is liable to fall into the animal
world.
Sixth, try to practice Chanting the Name of Buddha; reading
sutras and speaking of Buddha Dharma to the sick, but if any
sick person does not care to hear voices, try to practice meditation
in their presence. Then the sick one will be able to keep the
mind peaceful and stable.
Seventh, as the moment of the dying person's final breath approaches,
never cause disturbance by crying out, calling the person's
name or holding the dying body. Such behavior causes nothing
useful and only confuses the mind of the dying one. If the sorrow
is beyond your power to control, the right time to cry out is
several hours after death."
3.
The Great Master continued his talk, "A person on the deathbed
must try to forget about everything except concentration on
controlling the mind. If the person needs to make the will,
manage it in advance so that it may not disturb concentration
of mind. For the dying person nothing is more urgent than spiritual
concentration. In addition, if the person had an enemy or cherished
a grudge against someone, it should be tried to find a chance
to invite the person in to be reconciled with the dying one.
But in case the object of hatred has already gone, the dying
one should try to release old hatred. Hatred remaining in the
mind will be an evil seed of Cause and Effect in the next life.
Or, if the dying person still adheres to some object that has
been loved, every effort must be made to release the attachment.
If one is not liberated from the attachment, true Nirvana will
never be one's, and desire will be the cause of an endless cycling
along evil paths.
Let the dying one observe these teachings and, as the final
moments approach, breathe the last breath with a far more purified
soul by means of Chanting the Name of Buddha or by practicing
meditation. Then one can be saved from the cycle of evil and
be led to the righteous way, even though one is not completely
versed in the Truth of birth and death. These teachings, however,
are not only for one at the last breath, but also for those
who believe in the Law, practicing it in order to instruct themselves
in how to meet their last moment. It may not be easy for one
without faith and training to practice these instructions all
at once. One must practice these teachings beforehand lest one
be unprepared and one should be fully mindful lest one's soul
become attached to something in its coming and going. The problem
of birth and death is too important to be neglected."
4.
The Great Master wrote a few lines and told Lee Kong-Joo and
Sung Sung-Won to learn them by heart.
It exists as long as Heaven and Earth remain,
Always keeping its one appearance
Even with the extinction of other beings.
If you are once enlightened to the Truth of going and coming,
The flowers will never cease to bloom,
Step by step, everything will become a great sutra.
This became sacred chanting for the deliverance of the soul.
5.
The Great Master delivered 'A Sermon for Leading the Soul Before
and After Death.' It read,
"My followers, be fully attentive to my words. All of the
things that you have received in this life, favorable and unfavorable,
are the result of your conduct in your past life. The result
of your conduct in this life is what you are to receive in your
next life. This is natural Karma. Buddhas and patriarchs, being
enlightened to the origin of their own Nature and having attained
the liberation of their mind, break the natural Karma, and control
the Six Paths and Four Forms of Birth at will; ordinary people
and sentient beings, still ignorant about the origin of their
own Nature and not having attained the liberation of their minds,
are dominated by natural Karma, and suffer from endless tortures.
You, therefore, are the very creator of yourself, whether you
are to be a Buddha, a patriarch, an ordinary person or a sentient
being, whether you are to be high or low, to be blessed or punished,
or to live a long or a short life. Now, my followers, are you
truly convinced that you are the creators of your own Karma?
Listen to me again. The principle of birth and death operates
the same in a Buddha, in you, and in all sentient beings. Also,
all have the same Nature, which is originally pure and perfect.
The Nature is like the moon in the sky; there is only one true
moon, but it reflects upon thousands of rivers. Likewise, the
origin of the whole Universe and of all things is the originally
pure Nature wherein exists neither name nor form, neither coming
nor going, neither birth nor death, neither Buddha nor sentient
beings, neither void nor extinction, no words that express Non-being,
neither Being nor Non-being. But something of being naturally
and automatically takes place, causing the Universe to form,
to exist, to decay and to become void, and causing all beings
to follow the Six Paths and the Four Forms of Birth according
to the cycle of birth, age, illness and death, and also the
change of day and night by the coming and going of the sun and
the moon. Likewise, your own birth or death is only one change,
but it does not mean your final cessation. My followers, have
you understood me? Have you attained enlightenment to your own
Nature?
Listen to me again. When you leave your old body and receive
a new one, you will be reincarnated in the form which in this
life you have liked and have so far been most attracted to.
If you enjoy the realm of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas you will
be able to be reincarnated in their realm, receiving limitless
happiness. On the contrary, if you cherish most of all covetousness,
anger, and foolishness, you will be reincarnated in that realm
and will suffer throughout eternity from uncountable tortures.
Are you listening to me?
My followers, listen to me again. At this moment, keep your
mind stable. If you hold even the slightest attachment to some
object you will naturally fall into a wicked path. Once you
have fallen into a wicked path, when will it be possible for
you to be reincarnated into a human body, so that you may embrace
the religious Order of saints and sages and achieve the great
task which will lead you into the realm of boundless blessedness?
My followers, are you listening to me?"
6.
The Great Master, who was impressed by the advertising of a
fire insurance company at an exhibition held in Seoul, said,
"We say that we have to transcend birth and death, happiness
and suffering. But without knowing the principles of birth and
death it is not easy to transcend them. If we are to think that
once one dies, one will never have reincarnation, how sorry
and sad we will be on the brink or death. This may be the same
case as that of one who has not insured property and possessions,
but all at once loses them in a fire. However, to those who
know the principle of birth and death, the changes of birth
and death are just as the changing of our clothes. The physical
body which is a changing form will perish, but the clear and
bright spirit is immortal and will have new forms. This bright
spirit, like that fire insurance policy which can provide for
the rebuilding of a destroyed building, guarantees the eternal
life of human beings. Therefore, those who know about this principle
may be peaceful through life and death, but the ignorant will
be nervous and uneasy. Moreover, those who are versed in the
principle of happiness and suffering will provide endless happiness
by means of truly righteous happiness and suffering. Other people,
however, being hopeless and without any preparation, will never
be given relief from the state of suffering. It is natural that
thoughtful people should be concerned about such people and
feel pity for them."
7.
The Great Master said, "There are many ways to be practiced
by human beings, however, they may be categorized as the way
of life and the way of death. If you are ignorant about the
way of life during your lifetime, it is impossible to lead a
worthwhile life, and if you are ignorant about the way of death
when you die, it will be almost impossible to escape from falling
into an evil way."
8.
The Great Master said, "The birth and death of human beings
can be likened to blinks of the eye, to inhalation and exhalation
of breath, and to falling into sleep and awakening. Except for
the difference in length of time, the principle is the same:
birth and death are not two. Originally, nothing is born or
perishes. Therefore, the enlightened person regards it as change,
but the unenlightened person regards it as birth and death."/td>
9.
The Great Master said, "Like the sun which sinks today
in the west but rises tomorrow in the east, all things will
die in this life, but their spirits, which have left their bodies,
will appear again in this world in new bodies."
10.
The Great Master said, "The world where living people
abide is called This World and the world where the people are
to go after their death is called That World. People think that
This World and That World are different. They are not. This
World and That World represent only the changes of body and
situation."
11.
The Great Master said, "When the spirit of a human being
leaves its body, it first pursues that to which it has been
attached, and next it follows after Karma. Thus, the cycle of
spirit never ceases through all eternity. To be free from the
cycle, you should never become attached to something and should
have the power to transcend your Karma."
12.
Chung Il-Sung asked, "When I come to the close of my life,
how should I hold my mind at the last moment?" The Great Master
answered, "Just keep your mind calm and peaceful."
He asked again, "What is the course of rebirth like?"
The Great Master answered, "It is like awakening from sleep.
When you fall asleep you are unconscious of yourself, but upon
awakening from sleep you will find Il-Sung again. This one existence
now called Il-Sung will follow after its own Karma, that is,
deeds, in the ceaseless cycle of death and rebirth."
13.
One of the disciples asked, "I should like to know the process
and circumstances when the soul leaves an old body and is reincarnated
in a new body."
The Great Master answered, "Usually a soul parts with the
body when the energy and respiration of the body completely
withdraws. But sometimes a soul leaves the body when its energy
and respiration still remain in the body. The soul which leaves
the body usually remains as a formless spirit in the air for
forty-nine days before it finds a body to enter, but sometimes
it enters a womb immediately after leaving the body or remains
in the air wandering about for some months or years as a formless
spirit before entering a body. Usually, until it enters a new
body, a soul wanders around in a dreamy state with the misconception
that it still has a body. However, once it enters a womb, the
misconception disappears and it comes to realize that it is
in a new body."
14.
One of the disciples asked, "I still cannot find answers to
my questions on life and death. My life seems to me just as
that of a mayfly and the world seems nihilistic to me. What
should I do about this?"
The Great Master answered, "There is a passage in an ancient
book which says that 'from the point of view of change, even
Heaven and Earth never stay unchanged even for a moment; but
from the point of view of permanence, all things and oneself
never cease to be.' Study frequently the meaning of this passage."
15.
The Great Master said, "All sentient or senseless beings are
given the element of life. Their lives never become final, but
continue changing forms. For example, a human corpse decays
underground, making the soil rich. Then the grasses which grow
thick around the spot will be made into compost. The compost
will grow rich crops, and people eat those crops which supply
blood and flesh as the sources of their energy for actions and
life. From this point of view, nothing in the universe perishes
forever, and even a straw can manifest thousands of changes
and capabilities through its changing forms. Therefore you disciples,
study the principle sincerely, and become enlightened to the
Truth that all things enjoy endless lives in the Truth of No
Birth and No Death."
16.
The Great Master, at a New Year's Day ceremony, said to the
assembly, "Yesterday is no different from today, but we call
a year including yesterday the last year, and from today, this
year. Likewise, the world for living people is called This World
and the world for dead people is called That World even though
the spirits of living people or dead people are the same. Our
bodies, which are constituted of dust, water, fire and wind
are changing continuously into birth and death and comprise
both This World and That World. But the soul is imperishable
throughout eternity without birth and death. Therefore, to those
who know such truth, birth, age, illness and death seem like
the changings of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and
winter; That Life and This Life seem like last year and this
year."
17.
The Great Master said, "One who is dying will never be
able to take with one the vast fortune that one has amassed
in one's lifetime. How, then, can a fortune be regarded one's
own everlasting possession? To acquire everlasting fortunes,
you must try to do favors for other people and accumulate charitable
deeds in your lifetime. A feeling of pride should not abide
in your mind in doing charitable deeds, so that you may accumulate
inexhaustible merit. Your eternal and most genuine possession
is your sincere and unswerving faith toward the right Law and
the spiritual power which you acquire while practicing the right
Law. Constant effort in cultivating your faith and in training
your mind will make you the owner of wisdom and blessedness
through the ages."
18.
The Great Master said to an assembly at a monastery, "Do
you know about hell and the messenger of hell? You don't have
to go farther from your own home to find hell, nor do you have
to look farther than your own family for messengers of hell.
Here is the reason. Ordinary people who have strong attachments
to their families can scarcely part with these beloved ones
when they are going to die; their souls, lingering around their
own homes, if falling to have an opportunity to be reincarnated
into a new human body, will be reincarnated into the body of
a domestic animal or insect around their homes. Therefore, from
ancient times, Buddhas and masters have encouraged us to leave
this world without attachment to anything and act without attachment
to any object. This is to prevent us from falling into an evil
world."
19.
The Great Master said, "Everyday people have to practice
and train their minds to eliminate attachments in their mind.
One with strong attachments to property, the opposite sex, fame,
profit, family, clothes, food and shelter will suffer from worries
and anxieties far more strongly than other people when losing
even one of these things. This is a hell in real life. And when
about to die, one will never be free from these attachments,
but will fall into the abyss of sins. How can we be neglectful
of this truth?"
20.
The Great Master said, "Recently, people have frequently
chosen the locations of their own gravesites. At death, however,
the spirits of these people will go directly to the graveyard,
and if they find no way to be reincarnated into a human body,
will unconsciously fail into an evil world around that graveyard
and it will be hard for them to be reincarnated into a human
being again. How can we be so careless?"
21.
One of the disciples would not follow what he was told to do
by the Great Master, and persisted in his own way. The Great
Master said, "If you are obstinate in such a trivial things
as this, no doubt you will be obstinate in doing an important
thing too. Then, you will do everything according to your own
opinions, and as a result you will be beyond my salvation or
deliverance. How can I then save you?"
22.
The Great Master spoke to an assembly at a monastery, "If
you keep from all worldly attachments and desires, and listen
to Dharma words everyday as you are doing now, purifying your
mind, you will save not only yourself but all sentient beings
around you. Even a tiny insect will be delivered naturally through
your Dharma power, spread over the Universe of the Dharma world.
Just as the sunbeams thaw snow and ice naturally and unintentionally,
the Dharma power of the master of the Way, whose mind is affected
with no evil or earthly thought, may naturally thaw the Karma
of all sentient beings."
23.
The Great Master said, "There are two kinds of human beings.
One is the heavenly person, the other is the person of earth.
The heavenly person is one who wants little, has a noble mind
and whose pure spirit always floats upward. The person of earth
is one who is greedy, has degraded thoughts and whose impure
spirit always goes downward. This is the crossroads of the way
of goodness and the way of evil. You will know yourself by reflecting
on which classification of human beings you belong to, and what
will become of you in the future."
24.
The Great Master said, "The bright moon will emerge when dark
clouds in the sky are swept away, and will shine upon all things.
The moon of wisdom of the person of moral training will shine
upon all sentient beings as a mirror for them when the clouds
of desire are swept away from the mind. Then one will become
a great master of the Law who can save sentient beings in an
evil world."
25.
The Great Master said, "One morning I was looking toward Puan
from Yungkwang, and there I found a pure spirit floating over
the middle of the sky. Afterward, when I visited there, I found
that an assembly of those of moral training had been practicing
meditation at Wolmyung Hermitage. Doubtlessly, if we integrate
and purify our mind through meditation, gradually the tainted
and impure spirit comes downward while the abstruse and pure
spirit goes upward to Nine Heavens. Then, the whole universe
of the Three Worlds will be covered with its perfect spirit,
and all beings of the Six Paths and Four Forms of Birth will
be surrounded by their pure Dharma power which will deliver
and save all of them."
26.
At one regular evening Dharma meeting, the Great Master, looking
at the disciple one by one under the lights, said, "Each
of your spirits appears differently. There are some people whose
impure spirit has sunk low, through the cultivation of mind
for a long time, and only the pure spirit appears. Some appear
to have more pure spirit than impure spirit; some have half
and half. Some have more impure spirit than pure spirit, and
some have only impure spirit." And he continued, "The greedier
one is, the more one's spirit becomes impure, which hinders
the upward flight of his spirit. Such a person, when one's life
is ended in this world, is liable to fall into a world of animals
or insects. And one who is not so greedy, yet ignores cultivation
of mind inwardly, only valuing one's own knowledge, comes to
fall easily into the world of sura and birds because one's spirit
floats upward lightly, lacking any weight. Therefore, if one
of moral training becomes enlightened, fosters a pure mind and
discriminates right from wrong in keeping proper conduct, then
in the long run, by achieving the power of spiritual concentration,
one will become free from the cycle of Six Paths, will be able
to change one's body freely and also will be able to travel
spiritually over the whole Dharma world, leaving one's physical
body, and retain power to concentrate on the cultivation of
mind."
27.
The Great Master said, "If you always make every effort
not to disturb the mind, not to make your mind stupid or unrighteous,
you will be empowered to deliver sentient beings even from hell.
Even to form a relationship with Buddha's right Law will become
a seed to grow into attainment of Buddhahood through eternity."
28.
When Kim Kwang-Sun passed away, the Great Master shed tears,
and said to the assembly of disciples, "The late Palsan shared
happiness and suffering with me for more than twenty years,
and had the closest relationship with me. Even though there
is no birth and no death, no prosperity and no decay in the
Dharma body, it still is regrettable not to be able to see his
countenance again. For the sake of his soul, I will preach about
the Law of the Cycle of Birth and Death and about the extinction
of Karma. Now, you disciples, listen to me most attentively
in remembrance of Palsan. Your enlightenment acquired from my
preaching will be an advantage not only for you but also for
Palsan. In the words of the ancient Buddha, it is said that
if one practices the great Way of No Birth and No Death, one's
Karma, accumulated through many lives, will become extinct.
The way to extinguish Karma is as follows. If someone causes
you suffering and brings you loss, do not hate them or hold
a grudge against them, but take it as a debt which you owed
them in your past lives, keeping your mind peaceful and never
contrary to theirs. If you retreat from a chance for revenge,
the Karma will cease to cycle. Furthermore, be aware of a state
where the Cycle of Life and Death and happiness and suffering
are absolutely void, and hold this state of mind. When you can
retain your mind in this state, it may be said that the Karma
of birth and death are completely extinguished."
29.
Park Je-Bong asked, "What good will the Forty-ninth Day
Deliverance Service and memorial service do for the soul of
the deceased?"
The Great Master answered, "In Heaven and Earth there is
a mysterious principle of reciprocal response. If one sows a
seed and fertilizes the earth, the fertilized earth produces
better crops as a result, even though the earth is senseless,
the seed is senseless and the manure is senseless. If even senseless
crops show such response, why then should we not expect response
from human beings who are the beings of highest intelligence?
For the sake of the deceased, if many people sincerely give
Inward Confession, wish for their good fortune, make a contribution
and give a Dharma discourse from a master of high virtue, the
mind of the deceased and of the living people will be connected
and spirit will respond to spirit. Thus the deceased will be
easily delivered. If the deceased have already fallen into a
wicked world, they will be able to have the opportunity gradually
to progress to a better world. Even though the deceased had
many debts in life, they may be freed from the debts if the
contributions of condolence are used adequately for the public
welfare. If the deceased were not in debt, the contributions
used in this way will become their invisibly accumulated blessedness.
The principle which explains this reciprocal response may be
likened to the alternating current of electricity."
30.
One of the disciples asked, "From ancient times, sons,
daughters, relatives or friends have offered things to Buddha
images or have invited those of high virtue to preach and chant
sutras for the sake of souls. What should be the effect of this
practice, and what difference will be brought forth in the effectiveness
of the different degrees of sincerity of worshippers and the
different levels of Dharma power of the men of high virtue?"
The Great Master said, "Prayers for souls and offering
things to Buddha images show sincerity toward the soul of the
deceased. Sincerity moves even Heaven and according to he degree
of sincerity the prayers and offerings will be more effective.
Or, sermons and chanting sutras will be more influential according
to the degree of Dharma power of one of high virtue. As a result,
some will return to a righteous way unconsciously after being
completely repaid for what they have done in their past; some
will be able to return to a righteous way directly, being relieved
of all Karma; some, who have failed to find new life since their
deaths and are groping in the dark and intermediate state of
the bodiless ghost world will find a new life; some who were
once attached to a thing will leave the attachment, reaching
for the Heavenly realm and the realm of human beings enjoying
blessedness and happiness. However, if the sincerity of the
sons and daughters and the Dharma power of those of high virtue
are not enough to save the soul of the deceased, their exercises
will not have much impact on the spiritual root. This is because
a great power will never be brought until the utmost sincerity
is exercised. This is likened to the fact that if a farmer fails
to use all sincerity and ability in farming there will be poor
crops."
31.
Seo Dae-Won asked, "Can the sermon for the dead be heard
by their souls?"
The Great Master said, "Some hear it, but some do not.
Yet this sermon for the dead will become an unconscious factor
of deliverance of the soul through the sincerity expressed for
the soul rather than a factor to enlighten the soul itself.
Then, like a fly which cannot fly a thousand miles by itself,
but can go that distance by resting on a swift horse which can
run a thousand miles, the soul will gradually return to the
Dharma world through the influence of this deliverance sermon."
32.
Kim Tae-Keo asked, "Today I observed a Forty-ninth Day
Deliverance Service for a two-year old baby. Even an adult could
hardly understand all the procedures and rites. How then is
this immature soul of a little baby to understand and be saved
by the service?"
The Great Master said, "There is no difference between
the soul of an adult and the soul of a baby. The principle of
soul deliverance is like the fertilizing of trees, or like iron
being attracted by a magnet. The souls of all moving things
are rooted in the air. Therefore we observe memorial services
through the whole Dharma world, offering Truth which fertilizes
the root of the soul effectively."
33.
He continued, asking, "By observing the memorial service
in this way, can all bad Karma accumulated in one's lifetime,
heavier or lighter, be extinguished at one time, and can we
be delivered?"
The Great Master replied, "According to the heaviness or
the lightness of the Karma of each person, the sincerity of
those who are in charge of the service and the Dharma power
of the preacher, Karma may be either thawed at once like ice
before sunbeams or it may take a long time. In any case, the
memorial service never ends in nothingness and without fail
it leads the soul to make good associations."
34.
He asked again, "Why do we observe the deliverance service
on the forty-ninth day after death?" The Great Master answered,
"A soul usually enters its next state, according to its
Karma, after remaining in an intermediate state for forty-nine
days following death. Therefore, in order to purge the soul
further, on the basis of the words of the ancient Buddha, the
data of the deliverance service of the soul was determined.
However, there are many souls which directly enter the next
state as soon as they have left their old bodies."
35.
Tae-Keo asked again, "In the Nirvana Sutra, Buddha says,
'If you want to know your deeds in your former life, notice
what you are in this world. If you want to know what you will
become in your next life, see what you are doing in this life.'
However, I see for a fact that some persons who deserve to be
punished, judging from their mind conduct, are enjoying their
lives of pleasure. While on the other hand, gentle persons who
should be blessed are suffering from miserable poverty. How,
then, can we say that the Truth of Cause and Effect is accurate?"
The Great Master replied, "This is why all Buddhas and
patriarchs warned people to hold a pure thought at their last
breath. One who has a wicked mind but who enjoys a wealthy state
in this life is one who practiced virtuous deeds in the early
parts of the former life, then changed one's mind in the later
parts, closing life with a degraded, wicked thought. On the
other hand, one whose mind is gentle but whose life is miserable
in this life is one who acted wickedly in the early parts of
a former life, but in the later deeply repented and was restored
to a righteous mind. Thus, a thought cherished in the bosom
at the last moment of this life will be the first thought of
the next life."
36.
He asked again, "The realm of dead people is separated
from that of living people. Is it possible for the soul and
the perceptive mind to come and go freely in both realms?"
The Great Master said, "Only the perceptive mind will be
as free as before death in coming and going. But a difference
will be brought forth between a soul which is darkened by covetousness,
anger and foolishness, and a soul which has defeated covetousness,
anger and foolishness. The soul bound by covetousness, anger
and foolishness is not capable of coming and going freely and,
being covered by dark Karma, it is apt to be driven by its attachment.
When it is to enter the new body, the illusive soul mistakes
animals and insects for pleasant and attractive forms, entering
their wombs with a sexual desire, dreamily and unconsciously.
Even entering the womb of a human being, it also mistakes it
as a partner in its sexual desire. If it has established some
determined wish and fails to enter a human body, it enters the
world of animals and insects with the same Karma it would have
had if it had entered a human body. Thus the soul which is not
free from covetousness, anger and foolishness is never free
from life and death and from the constant Cycle of Six Paths
in thousands of sufferings and will be driven by the Twelve
Links. The soul which has surmounted covetousness, anger and
foolishness is free in coming and going without any attachment,
is able to see and think rightly, and is never driven by Karma
because it distinguishes the righteous path from the wrong path.
When it is to enter a new body, it keeps a peaceful and calm
attitude, and receives a new form in a righteous way. When it
enters a womb, it pays respect to the new body as its parent.
It can fulfill the determined wish as it was intended. It is
completely free from life and death, from the cycle of Six Paths,
and it controls the Twelve Links at its own will."
37.
He asked again, "How will the close link be made?"
The Great Master said, "Ordinary people are closely related
with either a good link of love or a bad link of hatred. Buddhas
and Bodhisattvas, however, are willing to make a close link
with ordinary people in order to deliver them.
38.
He asked again, "Should one be delivered only after death?"
The Great Master answered, "One may be saved while living or
after death. However, it may be more effective to save one's
soul by oneself during one's lifetime than to leave it to another
person to save after one dies. Therefore, if you train your
mind brightly, purely and righteously every day to the level
such that your Six Perceptions will never be tainted through
experiencing the Six impurities, you will then have finished
your own deliverance by yourself before you die, and at the
same time you will be enabled to save other people. However,
not many people have reached this level. This is why those of
moral training of Three Worlds were in a hurry to practice the
Way."
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