Foreword

Foreword

This series of thirty five sermons, delivered by His Holiness Hộ-Pháp Phạm Công Tắc, is entitled “the Divine Path to Eternal Life / Con Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống”.

The Divine Path to Eternal Life explains the path of evolution for the ten thousand beings. It is a path of reincarnation.

Throughout the thirty five sermons, His Holiness Hộ-Pháp Phạm Công Tắc guides his audience to travel towards the divine realms and begin to comprehend the mysteries of the subtle soul.

Along the way he explains how those intellectual souls who lack of faith in the religions of the world can break free from the prisons of their thinking. It shows how they can seek and understand the profound nature of the invisible and the higher worlds. It shows how we can all better understand The Divine Law.

Indeed, these sermons make for an essential guidebook for all souls. Especially those who feel it is time to become interested about life on the other side of that ‘reality’ we think we know. It is a vital text for those who would like to reach to heaven. In the following sermons, His Holiness takes us on a spiritual journey through life and death. This text will inevitably spark the interest of all students of Truth and for all seekers of the Tao.

Translators’ Note:

The following translation is a work in progress. We have encountered a range of difficulties in placing highly technical Vietnamese religious terms into appropriately descriptive English terms. And in certain cases we had to translate for sense rather than literal meaning. Nevertheless through continued study of the text and readers feedback we hope to continue improving the following translations of one of Caodaism’s most important texts.  

Explanatory Introduction by Trần Văn Rạng

The book The Divine Path to Eternal Life / Con Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống  is holy scripture which is equally hard to read and to understand. This is because the sermons that make up this book discuss stories derived from the realm of heaven. Stenographers and auditors, stood by to listen to these sermons, but only a few of them were spiritually awake (satori) to the esoteric depths of the following verbal cultivation. There were also other difficulties which can be divided into three categories; the spiritual level of cultivation, time, and terminology.

The spiritual level of cultivation: in the Cao Đài Religion there is a school of five levels, these levels are: The Way of Humanity (Nhơn Đạo), The Way of Geniism (Thần Đạo), The Way of Saints (Thánh Đạo), The Way of Immortals (Tiên Đạo) and The Way of Buddhas (Phật Đạo). The Stenographers and the general audience of believers were only at the level of Geniism (that is, on an earthly plane) ad this made it difficult for them to really hear and comprehend this higher process of cultivation? The dignitaries of the Religion who were present and practicing the Way of Cửu Phẩm Thần Tiên (Those in the Executive Body of the Religion) did not yet understand the profound nature of various terminologies of the higher realm.

The stenographers * used their own words to record the ideas of our master. In this way there are occasions when the writer could not see the principals of the speaker clearly because the philosophy being expounded went quite beyond their level of understanding. The book Con Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống still has not yet been comprehensively checked by His Holiness Hộ  Pháp Phạm Công Tắc, therefore there must remain some uncertainty about the text as we currently have it.

Let us consider the period of time over which the sermons have been given. His Holiness Hộ  Pháp Phạm Công Tắc began preaching this cycle of sermons on the night of 13^th of the 8^th month year of the Mouse (16 September 1948) and continued through to the 27rd April 1949 (Lunar Calendar 30^th Day of the 3rd month, year of the Buffalo). If you count it through this is a little more than seven months. This period of time is shorter than an academic year, so how can we speak of the matter of cultivation?

Terminology and repetition. Various philosophies and theologies all have their own terms that enable concepts to be well described. If one does not understand these terms completely one can easily misunderstand the terms or confuse one term with another.

Moreover, the method of preaching by His Holiness often related to the invisible realm. One example is when he spoke about the Tạo Hóa Thiên (Heaven of Creation [The Seventh Heaven]) which he linked to the Diêu Trì Cung (the Heaven of Creation under the Mother Goddess. A palace at Precious Jewel Lake). The Diêu Trì Cung is a heaven of the Cửu Thiên Huyền Nữ (Buddha Mother) it is the ninth of these heavens.

The terms which are often repeated in this book include the Ngọc Hư Cung (which belongs to the Hư Vô Heaven). This is the Heavenly Council of the Eternal Law which controls and keeps the Divine Law. It also controls the progress and movement of the universe. Other terms include the Divine White Jade Palace (The Court of God/The Council of God.), Diêu Trì Cung (the Heaven of Creation under the Mother Goddess. A palace at Precious Jewel Lake), The Bát Quái Đài (the Council of the Great Spirits which head the Eight States of the Soul. It is also the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, or the Eight Trigrams Palace.). At the Ngọc Hư Cung the head is the Nam Tào & Bắc Đẩu (Nam Tào & Bắc Đẩu are the two Immortals who are in charge the registration of the birth and death of human beings on Earth (Nam Tào who is in charge the registration of birth and Bắc Đẩu who is in charge the registration of death.). Indeed the Ngọc Hư Cung and the Linh Tiêu Điện (The Court of God. The palace where the Supreme Being holds meetings with the Heavenly Council) is the palace where the Supreme Being overseas the cosmos. Nam Tào & Bắc Đẩu (accordning to earthly treatises) are only caretakers of this palace. Their residence is the Ngọc Hư Cung but the place where they exercise their dharma is the northern and southern hemispheres. Another example is the Holy Mother her residence is the Diêu Trì Cung, yet the place where She exercises her Dharma is the Heaven of Creation (Tạo Hoá Thiên). If we understand these things clearly then they are deeply fascinating and the book presents no difficulties to us.

In the book The Divine Path to Eternal Life there are 30 (out of 35) sermons that deal specifically with the journey to the otherworld. These are divided into two parts; the Earthly World and the Realm of Heaven.     

1. Concerning the earthly world there are only two sermons. They start from the time that the believers walk in the footsteps of the Hiệp Thiên Đài (this literally means the Temple of the Divine Alliance, The Heavenly-Union Palace. It is the Legislative Body of the Religion which has the duty of communicating with the occult/esoteric power to receive divine messages. It also preserves the religious laws and hears the complaints of the discontented in order to symbolize equality in the Religion.) and head towards the Cửu Trùng Đài (this literally means the nine-sphere palace. The Executive Body of Caodaism which takes charge of the administration of the Religion and its missionary activities. It also refers to the Temple of Nine Degrees of Evolution or Nine Spheres Palace.  -九 重 臺, the palace of nine divine planes, or the Palace of nine degrees of evolution. The Palace of nine degrees of the Episcopal Hierachy) and proceed towards the Cung Đạo (The Religious Palace, this palace is called the Cung Thánh [The Holy Palace] in the book) and on to the Bát Quái Đài (the Council of the Great Spirits which head the Eight States of the Soul. It is also the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, or the Eight Trigrams Palace). Here, His Holiness relates the invisible world of the Bát Quái Đài and the realms of the heavens (see sermon number four).
2. The realm of the heavens or the realm of the eternal life. His Holiness did not explain the heavenly realm according to the nine-cycles of prayer of the Caodaist burrial rituals, instead he only highlighted the vital points for the path of cultivation.

The starting point for the journey is the Cung Thế Thiên Hành Hoá  (The Palace for those Divine Beings who missionise the Way at the Command of Heaven. ) and over the Bích Hải  (The sea of suffering, the ocean of human pain) bridge at the realm of the Earthly World and the Realm of the Heavens.

The palace of the Hiệp Thiên Hành Hoá is where the worshipping the three Lords of the Earth takes place. These are Ly Thái Bạch / Li Po/Li Tai Pei (Tai Bai Jin Xing; Thái Bạch Kim Tinh), Quan Âm / Kuan Yin (Guan Yin Ru Lai; Quan Âm Như Lai), and Kuan Kung/Guan Gong (Guan Sheng Di Jun; Quan Thánh Đế Quân) (see sermon number eight).

The palace of Tạo Hoá Thiên, here His Holiness relates the invisible realm with that of the Diêu Trì Cung and the Ngọc Hư Cung.

The palace of Phục Linh (to resuscitate your former lives for your soul to examine them) is only a branch of the palace of Hổn Ngươn. If we reread the Maitreya Sutra we will see the Phục Linh Buddha (The Buddha who holds the Kim Câu or golden and mystical mitre which He uses to manifest each of our former lives and we see them resurrected in front of us. Every time he waves this staff we see another life, eventually we see every life we have been.) reside in the heaven of Thương Thiên  Hổn Ngươn (the ninth heaven). The name of the Buddha at the seventh heaven is not named, but this is the name of its position, for example the Thủ Luân Buddha, Chưởng Hậu Buddha and so on...

The palace of Hổn Ngươn is the ninth heaven where there are; Diêu Trì Cung, Ngọc Hư Cung, Linh Tiêu Điện, Bạch Ngọc Kinh (The Divine White Jade Palace). And further along on the right side is Nirvana and Lôi Âm Tự (Temple of Thunder in the Paradise of Extreme Joy)  

To avoid complications when desiring your progress on the Divine Path to Eternal Life get used to this Divine Path which is leads to the heavens. Please read the poems which summarise the sermons in a 6-8 syllable verse. After this you can read, one-by-one, the sermons.

I wish my co-believers can achieve peace in their hearts so they can enter the Path of Eternal Life.

Trần Văn Rạng

(A Disciple of the White Cloud Lodge)        

 (* Translators notes – interviews with Stenographers reveal that they were charged with writing verbatim what the Ho Phap spoke and held back from writing the sermons in their own words.)

  1.- Delivered in the Tây Ninh Holy See on the 16 September 1948
(Lunar Calendar 13th Day of the 8th month, year of the Mouse)

Tonight Bần Đạo (The Hộ Pháp refers to himself throughout as 'Bần Đạo' or 'poor monk') comes to preach to you, so please sit and try to listen.

From tonight I would like to speak to you about the most important of topics. I need to address this issue over several nights in order to explain it comprehensively. Therefore, every fourth night I will come here and talk on this subject. I am doing this to make an essential and precious gift for the children of Đức Cao Đài (God, the Supreme Being)  - a cherished secret for them to keep at hand. With this you may, one day, find out how to attain the Way.

Tonight’s topic is: the Divine Path to Eternal Life / Con Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống.

What is this “Divine Path”? If our understanding is based on the true dharma of Đức Cao Đài, the “Divine Path to Eternal Life” is that path reserved for true souls to travel after they have left their physical bodies. By this path they make their way back towards the “Ultimate.” These true souls shall return to their spiritual domain, rising higher, or falling lower as their previous life’s merit dictates. If we wish to understand this path according to the Way of the Buddha, then the Divine Path to Eternal Life is known as the path of reincarnation.

This is a very difficult topic to speak about. If all the Children of Đức Cao Đài were to understand this path completely, a massive book would need to be written. Such a tome would comprise several thousand pages!

Therefore, Children of the Ultimate Being, you must try to listen. You must come here, pray, and make offerings (i.e. at the Great Divine Temple) then afterwards come and listen to these words. In the future you will not regret that you came. Nor should you complain in the future that I did not let you know in advance of the revelations of Đạo Cao Đài / Cao- Đài Religion. Only in Caodaism can the profoundest and loftiest of all the philosophies be unveiled.

(It is by the special grace of Đức Cao Đài, for our religion today, that there are a few young men available who have tried to learn shorthand so that they can write down these words as they are being preached).

Remember! These words are not the words of a Phạm Công Tắc, they are the words of the Hộ Pháp (Protector of the Dharma). The Hộ Pháp is speaking on behalf of Đức Cao Đài, so this is a message that the children of God must hear. That is why these words are so very precious.

I am extremely fortunate to have been selected by Đức Cao Đài as his Ngự Mã Quân / Ambassador (Translators note - " Ngự Mã Quân " was one official who accompanied the Emperor - it has relevance to Confucian Philosophy). On behalf of Him, I am working to form the True Religion - this Caodaist Religion - the religion that will replace all the religions that have ever been. Because the religions of today are no longer adequate in terms of human thought and consciousness, in other words their paths of progress have been closed off.

Do you remember some time ago when the Supreme Being / Đức Chí Tôn ( literally 'the most high' another term for 'Đức Cao Đài') selected Bần Đạo for the position of Hộ Pháp? He taught Bần Đạo how to be a medium and how to develop automatic writing (chấp bút), especially the “chấp bút." With the “chấp bút" Bần Đạo was taught by the Supreme Being how to meditate. This higher meditation was slowly revealed to me (nhập tịnh or mystic meditation , internal alchemy, [Chinese: nei tan]) . This mystical meditation is not easy - a simple mistake or omission can ruin your whole life. To under-practise "nhập tịnh" could leave you sleepy and nodding, to over practise could leave you mentally disturbed. When you practise correctly you need  the Divine Beings on hand to help open your huệ quang khiếu (celestial eye , sky door, crown chakra, pineal eye). When this happens your perispirit can exit its physical domain (xuất hồn). The path upon which your spirit returns home to the Supreme Being - this is the 'Divine Path of Eternal Life'. Bần Đạo's Celestial Eye was opened by the Supreme Being, this allows me to meet with the Supreme Being and learn many secret and essential things from Heaven.

Today Bần Đạo is preaching about the Divine Path of Eternal Life, I would like to guide all the souls of the children of God back to Him by the very form of the teaching you are now listening to.   

The Path that takes you back to heaven is not an easy path to travel, and your return will not be instant. As we desire to travel home to Đức Cao Đài, we must pass through many temples, many palaces. In each temple we will be confronted by strange things. In each palace we will face a different mystery. Yet we must struggle to understand them and pass beyond them. Only by desiring spiritual evolution can we progress along this Path to the Eternal - and return home to the Supreme Being! There is no happiness equal to this.

Even after a lifetime of cultivating the way, there is no guarantee that a soul will return. Over ten thousand years and a thousand lives if a soul never cultivates the Way it can never return. Brothers and Sisters, you must try to remember this. What is cultivation? The Cao-Dai Religion has already explained cultivation to you. Bần Đạo has already spoken of it a great deal. You must uphold the virtues (Lập Đức), do good works (Lập Công) and speak the words of the Great Way (Lập Ngôn).  

Now I return to the topic of how we can, by desiring spiritual evolution, progress along the Divine Path to Eternal Life. A little while ago I mentioned that, by the special grace of the Supreme Being, I was granted the favour of an audience with Đức Cao Đài. Before this audience I was able to meet the Divine Beings in the realm of Eternal Life. 

From tonight Bần Đạo is not really teaching you, I am only recounting what I have seen, heard and learnt when meeting the Divine Beings in the Spiritual Realm. Telling you this is also a way of allowing the children of the Supreme Being to visualise the spiritual realm in advance. This will save your soul from confusion in the event of your return.

As Bần Đạo talks, the Children of God must listen and imagine that you have a guide. Where ever you go the guide will explain the scene to you. For example when a foreigner comes to Vietnam, the visitor is provided with a guide to help explain the scenery.

Each soul on this planet, when leaving the physical body, must gather here at this Great Divine Temple, you must go from inside this building in order to reach other realms. Why must you enter this Great Divine Temple and not other temples? This Great Temple is a great examination centre. Just as every year the Government holds the baccalaureat, the location of your soul's elevation has already been decided. You must come here if you want to be qualified or valued.  It is this Great Divine Temple that Đức Cao Đài has made for His children to "lập công", "lập đức," "lập ngôn" and prove worthy of their return.

To enter the Great Divine Temple means entering the Hiệp-Thiên Đài (the Temple of the Divine Alliance, The Heavenly-Union Palace) and moving from there to the Cung Đạo / Religious Palace. In order to reach the Cung Đạo you must make your way along the Cửu Trùng Đài (The Temple of Nine Degrees of Evolution, Nine Spheres Palace). At each of the nine levels of the Cửu Trùng Đài your soul will be confronted and tested by the Divine Beings. Also, on each step, one of the Nine Female Buddhas / Cửu Vị Nữ Phật will appear to offer mercy and guide the soul who begs for salvation. If you are not sure, Children of the Supreme Being, read again the prayers from the Đệ Nhứt Cửu Prayer (chanted nine days after death) then read all the prayers until the Đệ Cửu Cửu  Prayer (the last prayer in a cycle of nine prayer days which take place once every nine days), and Tiểu Tường Prayer (said 281 days after death) to Đại Tường  Prayers (said 581 days after death).

In the Cao- Đài Religion there are three methods of returning to the Supreme Being, and gaining a position in the spiritual hierarchy.

The first method  - is for the soul to manifest inside a physical body that must follow the ranking of the Cửu Thiên Khai Hóa (the Masters, Divine Beings of the nine heavens), - or following the Sacerdotal Council or the Cửu Trùng Đài. This method requires you to use your talents and abilities to contribute to the Religion (and thus to humanity) as a path for attaining the Way. This path leads from a normal believer (Đạo Hữu), to Student -Priest (Lễ Sanh), and from Priest (Giáo Hữu) to Bishop (Giáo Sư) and so on… On this path you must serve from tiểu thừa (novitiate) to trung thừa (intermediate) and then to đại thừa (superior), these categories include practising vegetarianism from six days a month to ten days a month and then full time respectively. One must cultivate the way firstly within oneself, then within the family and the country, and finally for all humanity. When you follow the ranking of Cửu Thiên Khai Hóa your soul must have confidence in it's own spiritual direction so that you can lead others towards their salvation. This is what makes the Cao- Đài Religion different from others. You must save yourself, your family, people outside your family, only then you can save all humanity. One must study in order to understand the Way. When you understand you must teach your family, but not just your family, you must teach the whole of humanity. One studies in order to understand the Way and this is lập đức, to teach the Way to one's family this is lập công, to save the whole of humanity, this is lập ngôn. These three duties must be fulfilled in order for one to return to the Supreme Being along the path of the Cửu Thiên Khai Hóa (the Masters, Divine Beings of the nine heavens). 

The second method - To gain a ranking in the spiritual hierarchy by following the Thập Nhị Đẳng Cấp Thêng Liêng / Twelve Spiritual Levels means that you must follow the Hội-Thánh Phước-Thiện / Charity Body. Here, besides practising a vegetarian diet, following the religious laws, and also the true teachings of God the Father, one must use virtue to rise to a position.

In order to lập đức one must start and serve from Minh Ðức , Tân Dân , Thính Thiện , Hành Thiện , Giáo Thiện , Chí Thiện , Ðạo Nhơn,  Chơn Nhơn , Hiền Nhơn , Thánh Nhơn , Tiên Tử , Phật Tử  (Translators note: there are twelve ranks within the Charity Body).

What is lập đức? It is using love in order to save humanity, as God said "love is the key that opens the door of the Jade Palace / Bạch Ngọc Kinh."

Souls incarnate through life on this planet over the turbulent waves of the suffering that Buddha spoke of in the Four Noble Truths. In order to escape from suffering one must first endure suffering. By enduring suffering one can triumph over suffering. One who follows the Thập Nhị Ðẳng Cấp Thiêng Liêng /Twelve Spiritual Levels shows others how to endure suffering in order to triumph over suffering. To show people how to endure suffering, firstly we must endure suffering ourself. When you want to endure suffering there is nothing better than by using the virtue of love: therefore the first level of the twelve spiritual levels is Minh Ðức. (“Minh Ðức” is literally “Bright Virtue”).

Love enables one to endure suffering, loving your parents means that you must suffer as you serve and protect them in their old age. Loving your children means that you must work hard to take care of them as they grow. Loving the disabled and the destitute means trying to find a way to help them, finding this way also means suffering.

To endure suffering allows you to overcome it; but not just for one day, you must do this right to the end. For example you must look after your parents throughout their old age, and your children until they grow up. Yet these two things are easy when compared with the task of helping the whole community. When you look after the whole community suffering never stops, when you are finished taking care of one person, there are always others that you must deal with, this continues until the end of your life. By doing this, one can overcome suffering, and in doing this you will be able to return to the Supreme Being by way of the Thập Nhị Ðẳng Cấp Thiêng Liêng / Twelve Spiritual Levels.

The third method – Tu Chơn or Tịnh Luyện styles of meditation comprise the third method. Those who have followed the path of Cửu Phẩm Thần Tiên (the nine spiritual levels) or the path of Thập Nhị Ðẳng Cấp Thiêng Liêng / Twelve Spiritual Levels and feel that they have fulfilled lập đức, lập công, lập ngôn, or feel that they have already endured and overcome suffering, and still feel able to progress in their spiritual quest, can enter a meditation centre for the practise of mystical meditation. At the meditation centre adepts will learn the method of: - refine the essence and convert it into energyi (luyện tinh hoá khí / lian jing hua qi), - purify energy  and convert it into spirit (luyện khí hoá thần / lian qi hua shen), - refine the spirit and return it to nothingness (luyện thần hườn hư / lian shen huan xu). – [ translator’s note : then finally  crush the nothingness (fen sui xu kong / luyện hư hườn không) . This is the unity of the three treasures (tinh khí thần hiệp nhất, that is a returning to the void).

Now we return back to our discussion of the Divine Path to Eternal Life. When we pass through the Cửu Trùng Đài and enter the Cung Đạo suddenly we look up, we will no longer see the Bát Quái Đài (the Council of the Great Spirits which heads the Eight States of Soul, the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, the Eight Trigrams Palace), but the vast sea, which is so great, it is unimaginable. At this point we begin to walk the Divine Path to Eternal Life.

If you follow the path of Cửu Thiên Khai Hóa or the Thập Nhị Ðẳng Cấp Thiêng Liêng you will wait to the end of your life before returning to God the Father and return with both your perispirit and your soul. However today we can travel back to the Supreme Being by the perispirit (chơn thần) for by a special favour of Đức Cao Đài, Bần Đạo has been permitted to travel by this shorter way.

We look up to see a vast sea, but in fact this is the sky of the universe, and there in the distance, sometimes visible, sometimes not, you can see a magnificent and beautiful palace. The moment you see it you want to rush toward it. But you realise that you don't know how to move, it is then that you realise that your astral body (Pháp Thân / Dharmakaya) is attracted to this palace by an incredible force. You do not propel yourself yet you come, you move fast as though flying in an aeroplane.

When you arrive you see innumerable beings, human beings, coming and going, there are too many to count. The crowd is silent, very ordered and secure. This palace is called the Cung Thánh, that is, the place where souls leave the spiritual realm (to journey back for reincarnation), it is also the place where souls are welcomed back after they have left their physical body.

It looks like an airport or a railway station, people are coming and going at an uncountable rate, leaving is sad, coming home is joyful, but the face of each soul, whether they are coming or going, carries the strain of a common worry. Those going down are worried, wondering if they can carry out the duties of the assignment given to them by Đức Cao Đài. Those coming home are also worried because they do not know if they have retained or lost their position in the hierarchy of the spiritual realm. They worry too much, so much worry, everybody is worried.

Next time, Bần Đạo will preach on the subjects of the Cung Thánh and the Cung Thừa Thiên Hành Hóa.

Bạch Ngọc Kinh - Jade Palace.

 

Bát Quái Đài - the Council of the Great Spirits which heads the Eight States of Soul, the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, the Eight Trigrams Palace.

 

Bần Đạo -  His Holiness Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc refers to himself throughout as 'Bần Đạo' or 'poor monk'.

 

Chấp bút. - automatic writing -

 

Con Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống  - the Divine Path to Eternal Life .

 

Cung Đạo  -  Religious Palace.

 

Cửu Trùng Đài - The Temple of Nine Degrees of Evolution, Nine Spheres Palace.

 

Cửu Thiên Khai Hóa - the Masters, Divine Beings of the Nine Heavens.

 

Cửu Vị Nữ Phật - Nine Female Buddhas

 

Đạo Cao Đài  - Cao- Đài Religion.

 

Đức Cao Đài - God, the Supreme Being.

 

Đức Chí Tôn - the Supreme Being.

 

Hiệp-Thiên Đài - the Temple of the Divine Alliance, The Heavenly-Union Palace.

 

Hộ Pháp - is the one who unveils the Mystery of the Invisible and is the Maintainer of the Rules and laws of the New Religion / Cao- Đài Religion. He is the one who pronounces judgments on the dignitaries and disciples, elevates the dignity of the fervent through their merit and brings sanctions against those who have committed faults. He is actively involved in assuring that the religious Rules and Laws which have become Divine Laws are carried out in detail, in order to keep the dignitaries and adepts free of the sufferings inflicted by the Lords of Karma.

 

In so acting, he watches over the positive progress of the disciples in the Way of God, and guides all evolved souls to achieve the Divine Phase of the Great Spirits. He holds control over the Legislative Power both exoterically and esoterically.

 

Huệ quang khiếu - celestial eye , sky door, crown chakra, pineal eye

 

Lập Công  - doing good works , contribution.

 

Lập Đức  -  upholding the virtues .

 

Lập Ngôn  - speaking the words of the Great Way.

 

Ngự Mã Quân  -  was one official who accompanied the Emperor - it has relevance to Confucian Philosophy , God’s ambassador

 

Nhập tịnh - mystic meditation , internal alchemy, [Chinese: nei tan]

 

Pháp Thân -  Dharmakaya

 2.- Delivered in the Tây Ninh Holy See on the 21 September 1948
(Lunar Calendar 18th Day of the 8th month, year of the Mouse)

The last time we spoke Bần Đạo promised that we should vigorously encourage each other in our progress upon this Path to Eternal Life. Previously, in our journey we arrived at the "Cung Thánh" (or palace of heavenly arrival and departure). Now we have understood generally about the way of human beings on this planet Earth. Today, I will take you, gentle friends, to enter the 'Cung Thừa Thiên Hành Hóa' (or Palace of Divine Beings who missionize the Way at the Command of Heaven). In this place, these Divine Beings assist and measure out the matter of the future. They do this from this earth right through to all the other planets. In this Palace there is not one moment when these Divine Beings are not considering the human spirit at any level of  the universe; from country to country. In this Palace the highest priority is given by the Divine Beings to the planning and creation of schedules that decide who will go and who will return in order to offer salvation to the various worlds. This happens particularly in the Cung Thừa Thiên Hành Hóa. We understand that at no time do the Divine Beings forget to guide our destinies. We must maintain our desire to progress further along this path for now that we are at the 'Cung Hành Hóa ' we come upon a way that is very long, narrow and quiet. There are very few souls who walk this way. This is because for a very long time, and right up to today, becoming an Immortal or a Buddha has been an extremely difficult task. From the time human beings became aware of their existence can we now see how the dharma can help human beings become Immortals or Buddhas? We would like to become Immortals or Buddhas, but how many years must we cultivate the Dao? We question why religions are not able to progress forward faster. We observe how religions help people attain spiritual positions. Yet the Chinese and Japanese deification systems have been unable to help people, rather these systems leave them dissatisfied, and they continue in their cycles of samsara (rebirth). Most people can return to heaven, but it all depends on their karmic results. Not surprisingly, we can see that on this planet there are many people who show animosity towards religions.

Bần Đạo has set out these things in order to make this observation; we have to progress on an endless road, people might say that life is easy - but it is hard to keep to the Truth. Away from this chaos, we should consider some other sights.

Away from this, the path we take today will be very mysterious, peaceful and beautiful. Upon approaching the path, our body will feel very light, elevated, relaxed... On either side of us, as we walk, we see things of great wonder; they are so extra-ordinary that when you are reminded of the Earthly world its inadequacies make you sad. But here, no other scenery can make you feel such ecstatic calmness. When we think about Immortals we see them. Friends do you know why it is like that? We think that sometimes our dreams are just dreams, that they are not the true story, but here they are, we think and it is real! Walking further we feel extreme joy, complete ecstacy.

We are moving towards the place where whole dharma realms can be made by us. Here your desires are mystically requited in unlimited qualities. Here we see the things we are not yet able to achieve, but you can see the faces of the Beings. They are not indifferent to us, rather, they are waiting to welcome us. We can see their faces, full of wisdom, gentleness and spiritual virtue, they have none of the characters of the earthly realms. The beauty of this apotheosis remains mysterious and limitless. Whatever they think beauty is, then so it is. Yet for us they still maintain their external appearance which is easy to look at; as we see that the pictures of the Eight Chinese Immortals (Bát Tiên) barely change over time so it is easy for people to recognise them. Because in that sublime heart of hearts which has given us a way of obtaining nature, we have seen an earthly realm not less than the universe which includes in it everything from the ancient times. I want to say that not only the Beings of this planet earth make friends with us, but also beings from other earths come to befriend us. Those beings who came here from other planets returned from other earthly planets and obtained sublime positions. As I have said, on this the 68^th planet, there are many rebels with serious intent, but you will not find many children.

I have said while they are talking, over their heads nimbuses fly about in the sky. When they are talking here they can communicate with other realms. As the whole Universe is so mysterious and limitless, we are unable to describe it. This is a position of Thế Thiên Hành Hóa (replacing heaven and teaching the way) which holds the power of creation and there is nothing that they cannot do.

Their power comes from the ancient times, they “tiền trảm hậu tấu” [ed - in the past an imperial officer may act if an emergency arises and report to the Emperor later]. Souls return and some of them flatter, but the Divine Beings are looking for souls who have spirit, energy, who strictly follow the rules, but with a mind capable of understanding esoteric mysteries. At the Cung Thế Thiên Hành Hóa where there are all kinds of scenes, we see there a situation that is full of Dharma, and there is no skill lacking in this place. We on this planet, if we want their assistance enough, will see them protecting us and we can survive without diminishing any of its constituent Dharma.

Bát Tiên - Eight Immortals. They are:  Li Tie Guai / Lý Thiết Quả, Han Zhong Li / Hớn Chung Li, Lü Dong Bin / Lữ Đồng Tân, Cao Guo Jiu / Tào Quốc Cựu, Han Xiang Zi / Hàn Tương Tử, He Xian Gu / Hà Tiên Cô, Zhang Guo Lao / Trương Quả Lão, and Lan Cai He / Lâm Thể Hoà.

Cung Thánh -  palace of heavenly arrival and departure.

Cung Thừa Thiên Hành Hóa -  Palace of Divine Beings who missionize the Way at the Command of Heaven.

Dao -  Đạo (Vietnamese) , 道- Dao , Tao (Chinese) , the Way.

 3.- Delivered in the Tây Ninh Holy See on the 10 October 1948
(Lunar Calendar 8th Day of the 9th Month, year of the Mouse)

Tonight Bần Đạo will continue to speak about the Path to Eternal Life. We have already visited the Cung Thế Thiên Hành Hóa, today we will talk more about it.

We continue to see the extraordinary scenery, and the best of it will compose tonight's talk. This talk is directed principally at the Heavenly appointed hierarchy - those who make-up the core of the Holy Body (i.e. sacerdotal council) of the Supreme Being. We walk down this endless path unable to guess at how long we have been travelling. As we go on, (it is quite extraordinary) you go as if you are flying in a plane, you don’t know how, but this is how it is. This journey is wonderful, mysterious. Sitting on a mysterious vehicle of Dharma, you are in fact sitting on the sacred vehicle of the Supreme Being as it takes you towards the clear and brilliantly illuminated palace of Heaven. This palace has eight sides and is called the  Bát Quái Đài. It is so magnificent we are unable to describe it with words because it is endlessly changing and reshaping itself; it has eight doors and looking out of these doors we can see everything (“Vạn-Linh and Vật-Loại” literally the “ten thousand beings” and “all material creation”). All the forms of the beings there can be seen; there are auras dancing around each of their forms. There are eight bridges leading into the eight sides of the Bát Quái Đài. Strangely the bridges are not made by wood but by an eight arched rays of light. Underneath the bridge we see Bích-Hải the waves of an ocean moving with the tides. Along the eight sides you suddenly realise that there are beings coming and going, at the side we arrive at, we see that the largest number of these beings are humans.

Interestingly the bridges are so mysterious that only those who are standing there are able to realise they are indeed entering the Bát Quái Đài. When we step upon the bridge, it is moving. It makes you feel weak and you are unable to walk. Your first urge is to go back. Although from your first step upon the bridge you feel weaker, despite this, everyone does keep walking.

At the halfway point, if you do not have the correct spiritual credentials or because of bad karma generated from our time on earth you will fall through the bridge and into the Bích-Hải. As we fall our minds pass immediately to how we were imbued with grace as we walked upon the bridge. But when you fall your body becomes black, strange and ugly like the primordial forms of humanity. How pitiful! For we see many who fall, those who lived and practised the Dao (Tao)  with us, those who seemed to live in the arms of Đức Cao Đài / The Supreme Being on earth - they also fall! We are lucky that we have the affinity to sit in our lofty position though we must watch our friends falling into the Bích-Hải. No matter how strong you are you cannot help crying for them. This point is certain - it will never be incorrect - I say for sure that there is nothing that can escape this boundless law of dharma. Dignitaries! We look at each situation on this earth as our lesson, you must follow the Way to cultivate your hearts in order make yourselves more perfect and thus a proper part of the Holy Body (Sacerdotal Council) of the Supreme Being. Do not dream that any single deed of our life on earth could be hidden from the omniscient power of the Supreme Being. 

We need to be discerning and intelligent to be able to distinguish the good and bad merits that decide our divine destiny, tell me, what can be hidden from the Divine Law made by the Supreme Being?

Bần Đạo has an affinity to see this situation: we are unable to judge the deeds of one person as good or others bad; we cannot know if this person will achieve a position, or if some other will not. Many things we see in this world are totally at odds with the law of the invisible and so we are unable to predict what might happen. I see a friend who is blessed by the Supreme Being, a special blessing for that friend, he has a close relative holding the important position as a Divine Being in the invisible realm - the Seventh Female Buddha / Diêu Trì Cung Thất Nương; I say clearly that this is Vương Quang Kỳ,  uncle of this Buddha. He opened the Dao (Tao / Way) but did not really know what the Dao was. In following the right path of Đức Cao Đài, we should know that it is the duty of Đức Cao Đài (God) to decide his ideals. From all the deeds we have seen of Vương Quang Kỳ, we might say that he is following a perverted form of the religion.

Strangely, when Bần Đạo turned back I saw many friends crying out and falling into the Bích-Hải, but Vương Quang Kỳ, carrying the ceremonial dress of a bishop on his shoulder and trailing his bishop's hat in his hand and wearing shorts! He was strolling in a carefree way and laughing to himself, yet he was walking with ease over the bridge and into the Bát Quái Đài.

So you know friends although the deeds of some people, in terms of what we see, look contrary to the teachings of God, we should know that if they have placed their full belief in God we are unable to predict what will happen to them. Vương Quang Kỳ had a divine ceremonial dress but he didn't even wear it. He only held it in his hand, but when he entered the Bát Quái Đài no power could stop him. We need to keep this lesson in our hearts, and refrain from being censorious.

Now and then we have duty to teach and to lead the members of the holy body of God, and we have the solemn right to find a way to teach this in order to understand the body and soul (visible and invisible) of all the children of God. In conducting these matters, you have no right to be censorious. We are only members of the Holy Body of God. Do not be so full of vanity. Here at the door leading to the divine realm, we are substantial souls and with good affinity we can generate more soul. Thus we have enough spiritual power to lead the children of God to return to the Way that was opened by Him. That is our duty.

Obligation, whenever it is truly understood as duty, is the realisation that you never completely own your own actions. It is not our own power, there is no reason to have the right to be proud of the duty you do, it is truer to say that at most you are a divine machine of God the Father. God's direct control is sometimes strong, sometimes weak. We should hold no pride in the fact that we can attain the Way. We have the right to be teachers or fathers of the children of God; we have no right to assume the role of punisher, to ask the children of God to be your vassals. Although we may have made a great contribution and attained lofty positions we cannot disregard the souls who have been reincarnated back down on earth, if you, my friends, are unable to be impartial then there is no escape from your sins. This is how we must conquer disorder.

The most distressing situation is that there are many people who arrive (at the Bát Quái Đài), knowing that they are unable to cross the stream to enlightenment, crying they return; you can imagine why they need to reincarnate. They become human again to repay their bad karma. 

Bát Quái Đài - the Council of the Great Spirits which heads the Eight States of Soul, the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, the Eight Trigrams Palace.

Cung Thừa Thiên Hành Hóa -  Palace of Divine Beings who missionize the Way at the Command of Heaven.

 4.- Delivered in the Tây Ninh Holy See on the 14th October 1948
(Lunar Calendar 12th Day of the 9th Month, Year of the Mouse)

Bần Đạo will now continue to preach about the Path to Eternal Life. Last time we spoke about our arrival at the Bát Quái Đài. I think all of you still remember. At that time I only preached the lesson of how we cross the Sea of Suffering ( Khổ Hải ) to the Bát Quái Đài.

Today, Bần Đạo will continue to speak of how we can step into the Bát Quái Đài by a way that is different from that which others have used to arrive. Those people are separated by a bridge from the Sea of Suffering and the Bát Quái Đài. The bridge does not permit them to cross and they must return. Their distress is indescribable. Stepping back, we see this happening right in front of us. We cannot stop crying. Looking at this scene we suffer a great deal.

So, we must now search out and discover what is the Bát Quái Đài?

Is it the tribunal of the Three Religions (Toà Tam Giáo) of the Supreme Being as the divine messages have said? Well now we can observe the situation. If we would like to arrive at the Bát Quái Đài we must cross the "Ao Ô-Trì" / Ô-Trì Pond , we see the Bát Quái Đài emerge clearly in front of us, it looks like a column with eight doors. This column-palace of eight doors is guarded by a serpent with seven heads, these seven heads stand on duty by seven of the eight doors. They prevent any soul from entering the Bát Quái Đài. There is one door left unguarded, this is the Buddha door, the other seven doors are kept by the devil, nothing passes in or out. No power can pass. Look down! You see a vast ocean, the waters of which are blue. They are very choppy, every wave is marked by the term “khổ” (suffering). As we travel upon our nimbus we see halos appear. These are very tough, they are inscribed with the terms “sanh”(birth), “lão” (age), “bịnh” (sickness), “tử” (death) each wave has its own term of “khổ”. Just as we feel suffering in our life, after seeing these waves we feel a severe bodily pain. There is so much suffering; on every wave we see suffering. The great oceans - you know how vast they are – well, the suffering is as great as they are.  

If we ask the Supreme Being permission to enter this palace… - we know in advance that this is the tribunal of the Three Religions Ngọc Hư Cung - we understand first of all, if the Supreme Being lets us in, of course we do not have to walk over the bridge as the others must, the path by which we walk is different. We are thinking; the way Bần Đạo can lead you today, you just go, walking on the eternal path is different to any other, we are hastening along the holy path therefore as we desire to arrive and we do so automatically.

The Supreme Being possesses the Bát Quái Đài completely. Now, when we are outside, we remember that we saw a vast area illuminated by the aura of the Divine and a palace with eight doors. However when you enter, the palace disappears, there is only the universe swirling around us. The palace is spinning around and around but we know this is the Tribunal of The Three Religions. We do not see the contents and the form of the palace inside, when we arrive auras rise up like the smoke of an intense flame. 

This flame is not a real flame but the aura of the Divine, as we see it, it slowly starts to disappear. Then we see the Scale of Justice appear in front of our eyes, just as slowly, it disappears. We see ourselves. We see that we are not so different from the audience standing in front of that palace. We see the whole of our previous life appear before us. No detail is kept hidden. Is it not surprising then that this place is called Minh Cảnh Đài (The Palace of Perfect Vision, a mirrored bar of one’s conscience) in the Buddhist sutras. This is how this palace functions; it is not simply a mirror. In front of us, we see what we have done, all is shown to us. It is like watching a film.

Whatever we have done in our previous life on this day we see it in front of us; and that scale is adjusted depending on what we have and have not achieved. Our bad karma, our good karma all appears and then a decision is made impartially; a decision that cannot be wrong. Can you see that this is the sacred operation of the Divine Court? Because the evidence is there in front of you, the scale of the Three Religions can never be wrong. Whatever in our lifetime we have done for the temporal and the spiritual, the Divine Law will not leave out any detail. If you really want to understand how the sacred law works, then on entering this Palace you will see. These around us whatever way they go, we cannot see, but when they enter this Palace they have the same form as we do and we are unable to distinguish them. The sacred power of this Palace causes the situation to become overwhelmingly beautiful, the aura of the Divine radiates all about; when we stood on the bridge we saw everyone mixed up together, ten times ten thousand people passed over. It is a wonderful thing that we see male become female, female become male and then all become formless. And now in the Palace there appears two shooting flames; and now whoever lacked love and did not love themselves or did not love others, if they infringed the law of love even if they are male they must become female, the female who fulfilled a lifetime of cultivation and practising the way of love becomes male. And there is one thing we should notice; we don’t know when these other beings leave the Palace. When they go out we don’t know which door they have left by, we only know the door by which we ourselves leave, we are unable to know the way of the others. Whatever spiritual rank they attain, they only know themselves; becoming immortal or a Buddha is decided here. As they leave, the male becomes female, if they have accrued bad karma, they must be reincarnated.

Although according to the law they must reincarnate, they still have the right to remain. No power can obligate these souls to reincarnate immediately; they can remain in this Palace for 1200, 2400, up to 3000 years to enjoy for a time, the heavenly life. Whenever we know that we can reincarnate in order to teach and practise the Đạo, that is the time we will leave Nirvana and reincarnate. The day we decide to go, we do so for ourselves, the decision is not made by the Ngọc Hư Cung (Heavenly Council of Eternal Law , The Court of God, The Council of God). We have the right to make our own decisions only while we are in the spiritual realm, but after we gain a new physical form we have this right no longer. There are many spirits who go down for their whole life, but they are unable to achieve any progress towards the Dao and have to reincarnate again. Therefore we should say, according to the history of religions, that these faiths have focused on finding theories for human beings but these theories are not in line with the Divine truth at all. They make theories that distinguish the male and female, for example: 'we must follow the rule that male and female should not come too close together.' (a Confucian saying). Religions create unjust laws in which the female must always suffer, and be of a lower status than the male.

The way of husband and wife in the earthly realm requires great care. When the husband returns to the Bát Quái Đài he better not have cheated on his wife! If a wife fulfils her duty to her husband then she will transformed into a man and become our close friend. As we make mistakes with our friends, then one day our friends will challenge us with the complaint; “…when I went down to the earth to live with you in conditions of suffering, you never comforted me, you disregarded me.” You will be unable to answer. You must accept the blame.

In this way Buddhism gave women the same rights as men, I can be sure when I say that whenever we see on this earthly realm women who know how to remain in awe of and show respect for the law it is as if they are male. If you mistreated, destroyed or did not lead your lives and live together, when arriving at the Bát Quái Đài your partner will become male. Look at them, they who are your best friends, who endure suffering their whole lives, we might think that we would also suffer because we cannot help them. Yet contrary to this we have still undervalued this figure for we arrive and see there is no male or female. Heaven clearly points out that there are many beings once male who reincarnate as female on this earthly realm, they are many, innumerable. There are many high spirits arriving at this Ngươn Tứ Chuyển  (The Fourth Transition) in order to form true souls, they go down to transform the earthly realm. Whether one is male or female and descending from the heavenly realms, those who are female replace the races that will transform the Earthly world. The truth of this invisible realm does not distinguish male or female. The Supreme Being said that the male should not build his power upon that of the female. Male or female are all children of the Supreme Being. Saying this we know that there is nothing strange.

Bát Quái Đài - the Council of the Great Spirits which heads the Eight States of Soul, the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, the Eight Trigrams Palace.

Khổ Hải - the sea of suffering

Minh Cảnh Đài - The Palace of Perfect Vision, a mirror of one’s conscience.

Ngọc Hư Cung - Heavenly Council of Eternal Law , The Court of God, The Council of

God

Ngươn Tứ Chuyển  - The Fourth Transition , . . . .

Toà Tam Giáo - the Three Religions tribunal.

 5.- Delivered in the Tây Ninh Holy See on the 21st October 1948
(Lunar Calendar 19th Day of the 9th month, year of the Mouse)

Tonight we should ask each other to make further progress on the Path to Eternal Life; previously Bần Đạo has accompanied you, my friends, to the Bát Quái Đài in the company of perverse souls (demons / quỉ vị) and originals souls alike. When we enter we meet many friends who are very close to us, who love us. Before we leave the Bát Quái Đài our bodies are no longer dirty as before, we leave the seven elements that form our corporeal self. Walking past the Bát Quái Đài, on that sacred path Bần Đạo described clearly for you that on that way there is no difference between male and female; our physical forms will also be destroyed by the mystery of this place, and we become a divine aura. We look back, Bần Đạo surely knows that we think that this body is just dust and wind, we have not even the remnants of clothing, we pass into the aura of the divine which covers us; when we exit the Bát Quái Đài we feel such joy that words cannot describe our state. Is that the place where we achieve our holy body? When we achieve our holy form we look, as the Buddhists say “like an immortal.” When we leave the Bát Quái Đài there is no one in that Palace who is not our friend. Soon those souls will be our relatives. In time brothers and sisters you will experience three special joys, a three-fold special happiness which we will are never able to enjoy in the earthly realm. We walk and as we hasten further on this holy path, we realise it is a path upon which we must proceed. When we travel this Path we have been walking, there is one thing we must realise; we have seen no one of evil intent in the Bát Quái Đài; whether we know them or not, when we are in this realm there are no beings who are unfamiliar to us, none of them are different to our kind. In the Bát Quái Đài we are surrounded by our kinsfolk.

One thing we are most surprised by is the way in which our progression along the holy path allows us to meet beings who may have been indifferent to each other on earth but who now warmly welcome everyone they meet. These beings are not as perfect as those who have walked through the Bát Quái Đài. When we think of the beings then we see that they will welcome us as though they were our kinsfolk, tears come to their eyes as they meet us. In that Palace of welcome, one's reception is so blissful and so gracious that it is beyond anything experienced on earth by even the greatest of monarchs.  

We understand that the spiritual realm of Eternal Life is not only a place to welcome the Divine Beings but also a sacred realm. If we know how to practise the way and liberate ourselves from the karmic cycle, then we can attain our true spiritual self. There is one thing that we should not imagine - that they are jealous of us, how much honour they carry we too will bear the same, sharing it with them. When we pass beyond that Holy door, there is no jealousy and no one bears us any grudge. This realm is the realm where we enjoy our happiness together. We see that even animals have great affection for us. It is a love and high regard that is impossible to describe; as the birds, the animals, plant life, they all share a special affinity with us. Of all the handsome men and beautiful women on this earth, Bần Đạo can surely say that none of them compare with the spirits in this great and sacred realm. In this realm there are none who are not beautiful. There is no need for make-up and fine clothing. What ever you want, whatever comes into your mind, there it is. For example, whatever things of beauty you want they are presented to you, especially you girls - whatever they want it is theirs; a lifetime in this earthly realm is nothing but illusion. One other great thing is that if the poor of this world are able to attain Buddhahood / Immortality then their happiness will be unbounded.

We proceed further and see blue sky opening around us and we find ourselves moving towards a Cloudy Cave (Vân Động), a great tunnel made of cloud rise up and tower over us. It is unlimited, indescribable and wondrous. This great tunnel moves as though it has great affection for us.

We can see far away a spiritual banner (cây phướng)  flapping in the wind radiating with the Divine Aura so that the colour of the banner brightens as it flies. You realise that this banner is very familiar, your affection for it is like that of seeing an old friend.

Bần Đạo ventures to make this comparison: those of you who once lived in Tây Ninh but may have left the country for a long time, but on the way home passing Trảng Bàng (a district outside Tây Ninh) and turning to see Núi Bà Đen (Black Lady Mountain) you see something very familiar and your heart becomes awash with memories. Bần Đạo states that our affection for this banner when we see it overwhelms us and we love for this sight. Therefore when we see it, we would like to run faster so that we can arrive as quickly as possible (as in Tây Ninh) in order to see the magnificent palace that is about to appear. The scene is changes in unlimited ways, for a professional architect to think on how it might change, it would leave them in ecstatically confused, no drawing that could capture it. As we move into this new scene we see that there is no dirt or sand at our feet, but we are stepping upon the Divine Aura. Entering the palace we see a different kind of soul, those who we have met already perhaps lifetimes ago.

I need not speak about this as all of us already know this; and these things will just show us this scene: we will meet our closest friends and here we find there is no shyness between males and females. Then, we mee again our close friend, and we will see that there is no longer any hesitation, our love will be reborn deep from love. Even the love between blood brothers and sisters cannot compare with such a scene.

I have said that the law of love, as it appears, is not an inhuman law. Great love in this world makes people who can really see it realise the happiness and the joy it contains, and they will develop this love in their environments. There is an unlimited power there that we do not have here. We shall never experience such feelings on earth. Let me give you one excellent example: we live in exile, when Bần Đạo returned to see this scene I was so warmly received and with such deep emotions, for they were all cheerful and welcoming. Bần Đạo says to you that in this realm - whatever we want we have it immediately. Therefore at this moment I will think of something, want to see an old friend, and there! We see that friend straight away. And remember, when you go back to the spiritual realm harbour no regrets as husband and wife, when you agree or disagree if it is only in terms of psychology (instead of making correct decisions) if we do, then when we go back to this realm we will have regrets.

One moment, please! Bần Đạo is unable to describe this scene because such love is still yet more wonderful and passionate. On earth happiness is fleeting, so easily we start crying from pain with tears rushing down our faces. On the planet earth a life-time may only stretch to one hundred years but in this realm life is eternal. When we arrive and enter the door, they will guide us further and we feel joy enter our bodies; we don’t know why this joy pervades our being, perhaps because we have passed the threshold into the Way.

This Paradise of Extreme Joy - Bần Đạo can not see any realm that is better than this. This is what the Buddha called Cực-Lạc Thế -Giới (Paradise of Extreme Joy).

As we pass inside we see a throne, and in coming before this honourable seat we look up and see a Venerable Being. We can describe this Venerable Being as the Old Lady; if we think of a female immortal, then we have before us a female immortal, if we want to see her as old, she is old, if we want to see her as young then so she is. It is very mysterious. When we are allowed to enter, we see our own mother!

A grandfather looks up he will see his mother, a grandchild will look up and he will see his mother. Our personal love will be directed towards this completeness of love. On this planet earth mothers often scold, when we return to this realm our heavenly Mother is so full of love, our Mother here is not as our mothers behaved on earth.

When we see Her all our past love returns. It is indescribable, even those who are hard hearted - when you see the noble love embodied in this great Mother it will make you so emotional that the tears will gush from your eyes. Bần Đạo assures you that there are many people who believe in the Way and understand the Way, but they do not know this. Even the Maitreya Buddha / Đức Phật Di-Lạc who holds such a high and honourable position as the head of many heavens is still a child of his mother. But the Buddha Mother at the Tạo Hóa Heaven (the Heaven of Creation under the Mother Goddess) is our true mother. This is a difficult thing to say. If you would like to know of the love of the mother for the child, look at the statue of the Buddha Mother, can you see how Maitreya Buddha kneels behind Her in deep respect. Even Bần Đạo need not describe the relationship of the Buddha Mother and Maitreya Buddha, but all of you understand how obvious the power of mother and child can be…

Even though Bần Đạo holds such a position in this religion, I must still place filial piety first. The excellence of motherhood will always endure.

Bát Quái Đài - the Council of the Great Spirits which heads the Eight States of Soul, the Eight-sided Palace of God's presence, the Eight Trigrams Palace.

Bần Đạo -  His Holiness Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc refers to himself throughout as 'Bần Đạo' or 'poor monk'.

Cây phướng – Spiritual banner .

Cực-Lạc Thế -Giới - Paradise of Extreme Joy , Kingdom of happiness.

Đức Phật Di-Lạc - Maitreya Buddha

Quỉ vị  - perverse souls , demons.

Tạo Hóa Heaven  - the Heaven of Creation under the Mother Goddess.

Vân Động - Cloudy Cave.

 6.- Delivered in the Tây Ninh Holy See on the 28th October 1948
(Lunar Calendar 26th Day of the 9th month, year of the Mouse)

Tonight Bần Đạo will continue to speak about the Path to Eternal Life.

Before I continue, I would like to clarify my tone which, up until now I have kept at a simple level in order to encourage you to accompany me along this Path.

May I say to all of you friends, whether you are male or female, that there is one thing that makes me most worried: before we even opened the Dao (i.e. the Cao Đài Religion) this religion was destined to save the souls of the Holy Body of the Supreme Being, especially those elder brothers and sisters. Bần Đạo is concerned with many things, therefore I would like to talk again about your progress along this Path to Eternal Life. It is essential to illustrate the positions in front of the Holy Body of the Supreme Being, particularly for these elder brothers and sisters who should know the path of progress and understand it clearly and see in front of them this path that is familiar to us.

Last time we already made a stop at the Cung Tạo Hoá Thiên, this is the Heavenly Palace of the Buddha Mother/Mother Goddess (Phật Mẫu), which is Diêu Trì Cung. (that is, the Heaven of the Creation under the Mother Goddess). Bần Đạo has this gift for all of us to contemplate: the unlimited mystery of  Phật Mẫu.

I shall summarise the power of the Holy Mother.

When we enter (Her palace) to have an audience with Her, we look at her face and we see the face of our own mother, that is, the mother who gave birth to us in our last earthly life. Now as I speak I am seeing my own mother, and I am sure all of you are also seeing your mother. If we imagine it now we do not know whether the Divine Eye is reflecting