CHAPTER III: Appearance as A Layman
5. The Layman’s Footprints
The Supreme Maitreya Buddha –
The Secular World Solver
Portrait of the Supreme Maitreya Buddha strolling downtown wearing Western clothes.
When attending social events, the Lord wears a suit as a secular man.
Lord Maitreya Emerging from True Contemplation to Meet Amitabha Buddha
Lord Maitreya Emerging from True Contemplation to Meet The Founding Master Shakyamuni Buddha
The Intransigent Mistake of Living Beings Regarding The Founding Master Shakyamuni Buddha
The Reason for Decreasing Human Lifespan in the Degenerate-Life Period
A Brief Judgement of The Oracle Scripture on Long-Hoa Comes to Life
Moans Become Hatred Exhaling into The Blue Sky, And Lord Maitreya Started Complete Salvation
Reverend Tịnh Vương Incarnating Lord Maitreya Confirms That There Is Rebirth
THE LAYMAN'S FOOTPRINTS
The layman, the layman's footprints,
In Tao or in life, He musters His entire mind for His teachings,
Brave and courageous, not minding being tired or weary,
His essence the precious Dharma, His body a layman.
How wonderful it is! The Shakyamuni Buddha has taught “the Buddhist Dharma[is] without leaving the secular world to be enlightened.” This means the Buddhist Dharma cannot be separated from the secular world on the path of seeking enlightenment. Therefore, in daily life, Reverend Tịnh Vương always taught His true disciples the dual practice of Tao and life, following the footsteps of a layman—taking on the characteristics of a layman.
On the outside He was as a layman, but on the inside, the Lord was building the foundation of True Dharma for the world. Even though the Dharma-Ending Age circumstances were extremely difficult, the Lord firmly adhered to His vow, rendering gratitude to The World’s Most Venerable and the Buddhas, that was urging Him. The Lord’s footprints have been left on the human world while His two shoulders have carried the responsibility of Tao and life, determined to completely fulfill His vow without the need for fame. To an intellect, he or she always seeks a solution to chaotic situations, because he or she considers them all as thousands of Dharmas and will be thus liberated from them. Therefore, even as a layman, He still remains deliberate and self-masterly, having no fear but great compassion, and is liberated through knowing, seeing, and solving.
Lord Maitreya, 39, with His wife, 37.
Taken in Bình Định, on October 25th, 1957.
The layman is building the foundation of precious Dharma.
Vowing to render deep gratitude.
He has, therefore, no interest in the fame.
Provided that the doctrine of truths is fully exposed.
The layman, the layman's footprints.
This fundamental vow will be faithfully and constantly steadfast.
Tirelessly carrying on the shoulders its responsibilities.
When Tao and life is one, Buddha Supremacy is immortal.
—Tịnh Vương Nhất Tôn.
The Central, Nha Trang, January 21st, 1971
(Lunar Year of the pig).
As for the Lord’s family, His wife and children also worked in careers to earn their livings, like other families. The Lord Himself appeared sometimes as a husband, a father, an uncle, or a brother, and always carried out His duties and responsibilities completely and blamelessly.
Toward His parents, the Lord was always a son, who always and completely fulfilled filial piety. For the Four Followers following Him in the practice of Dharma, those who were on a vegetarian diet would continue to keep it; those who were not on a vegetarian diet would continue to eat as they wished. His family was not on a vegetarian diet either, but they were forbidden to kill living things.
In this Inferior-Life Period, every Dharma in this human world appears to be at its extreme. It exposes, without deficiency, all extremely evil Dharmas. As human beings, we are slaves of material living with its extreme advancement. People take the property of others for their own, and remain heartless and emotionless, regardless of the lamenting, weeping, heartrending screaming, and even death of others. Bad natures, evil characteristics, and beastly characteristics appear widespread. The Lord took pity and said that if He did not return to the human world to open Tao Dharma and attest for human beings, the average human lifespan today of 80 years would gradually decrease until it was only ten years for a lifetime.
For that reason, the Lord allowed the Four Followers, who represented human beings, to come see Him and take their first steps to correct their bad natures and bad habits, which must be resolved in order to receive the bright, good, and fresh divine power, gradually annihilating the bad devilish power. The mind would be tranquil, joyful, and unpolluted; the body would be healthy and harmonious. Lifespan would gradually reach 100 years for a human. The Lord also attested that the average human lifespan is 100 years.
The Lord guided true disciples according to their root capability, making use of all means—from necessity to miraculous applications of Dharmas—determined to bring the Precious Dharma to true disciples. The Lord planted the seeds of morality, enlightenment, and complete enlightenment for future generations in the true disciples, who will succeed one another to be the messengers of the Buddhas and spread the intuition to living beings.
How wonderful! Although human beings are not able to meet the reincarnated Lord Maitreya, He has arranged all of true, good, beautiful things full of joyful fortune for them.