CHAPTER IV: TRANSMISSION OF THE PRECIOUS DHARMA

C. DOCTRINE

8. The One-Essence Period of Salvation Through the One Level (Ekayana)

8.12 The Middle Tao Principle

I am the most stupid, who have falsely expected to carry the Buddha Tao to an erroneous way, and who have affirmed that it is the Dharma subject practicing for liberation. By curiosity, I have chosen only one between the fine and the rough, the good and the evil. I have expected that the fine is the Buddha Tao, and the good will lead to the enlightenment of truth, preferably practicing only in one aspect and giving up the other. Fortunately, if I have cultivated only on rooted goodness, I could have erroneously practiced the Dharma for the blessed reward. By admitting fineness – fragrance, perhaps, when forming, I could have fallen into the Fairy path. —T. V.

The Lord examined Himself to remind the error sickness of Tao practitioners, who are seeking for liberation through knowing, seeing, and solving, with the conception that choosing elegance is a good thing. These practitioners, therefore, receive love from everyone through their gentle behavior. For those who choose the elegant, they have to give up the rough which is the unwanted, the bad one. There are also some who have the concept of choosing good and hating evil, considering elegance and good as the Buddha Path. All of these above conceptions of most Tao practitioners show that they do not clearly understand the Middle Tao Path because they only focus on one aspect according to a fixed intention. They, therefore, could not practice correctly the subject of liberation through solving, being lost in the Fairy path.

C. DOCTRINE

Wonderfully, today, I have just realized the Middle Tao Principle’s path, which is precisely the only path that accepts all, both good and evil, possession and  nothingness, to attain the absolute and escape from the generating relativity, in order to harmonize without divergence. Unexpectedly, the mind and will in the Buddha Path are harmonious, it is relative in the suffering and absolute in the liberation vigorously, neither separation nor discrimination. —T. V.

The Middle Tao path is very necessary for Tao practitioners, who are practicing with sincere mind, to resolve thousands of Dharmas with the most judicious, rational and adequate way at present of life, and to comprehend the unification of the Tao and the life. It is the absolute way leading to the perfect achievement in the Dharma practice.

Resolving thousands of Dharmas in one aspect will be caught in relativity, not being cleared. The following story shows clearly a memorable Middle Tao path for resolution of thousands of Dharmas.

One day, Reverend Long-Hoa Sangha Chief wanted to have a picture of “Lord Maitreya Emptying His Sack”. The Lord asked me to carry it out. Going to Saigon, I found an artist and explained to him about the significance of the picture. The artist drew it with a great labor and finished the work after one month. I brought the picture back to Nha-Trang, feeling happy for completing a virtuous deed that might please the Lord, mainly expressing my enthusiasm for the Tao. When the picture was hung, everybody paid beautiful compliments. About 30 minutes later, Mr. Pháp Dung also presented another picture of “Lord Maitreya Emptying His Sack”. It turned out that at the same time, the Lord asked me and also asked Mr. Pháp Dung to make the picture.

When the second picture was hung, the Lord said: “The drawn picture from Mr. Pháp Dung was more beautiful, so what should we do, Pháp Khả?”

I immediately examined myself to see whether I was sad, angry, or heartbroken. But, these nature-seeds was no longer present in me, I therefore respectfully said: “The picture of Pháp Dung is beautiful, we should keep it, and mine should be burnt." 

The Lord kept silent. About 15 minutes later, the Lord asked me again. I respectfully replied: “We should burn mine because having two pictures of the same character at the Centre will producing discordance in the future.” One hour later, entering the Buddhas’ altar shrine from His private room, the Lord asked me once again. I was still respectfully with the same answer, with a clear heart and without any generating anger. The Lord then ordered to burn the picture. I was joyful delighted because there remained the only picture for a model.

The picture was burnt. The Lord then said: I attest that you entered the Middle Tao Principle’s path.

According to the scripture of the Middle Tao path sealed-indicated by The World’s Most Venerable in the Gentle Life Period, the direction of guide for the followers must be carried out with two sides, must harmonize with the relative to acquire the absolute, in order to hope for enlightenment. It is far from the millions of previous centuries and yet close to this twentieth century, but I Myself have mistaken. How could Tao practitioners avoid what I have confusedly done? —T. V.                                          

The above example implies that we must examine impartially without a bias in either side, must be in concordance with the two sides, that is the relative. Afterwards, choosing the better picture and giving up the other one, that is the absolute. That is the most rational and judicious way. That manner of resolution is called the Middle Tao Principle, the path to liberation through knowing, seeing, and solving.

Not resolving correctly, one is still mistaken. Before acquiring the True Enlightenment, nobody could be free from mistake. But for those with good will, seeking for the Tao, they are joyfully detached, not acting for the sake of their own individuality and personality, and by that way they could thoroughly understand to be free from mistake. It is rare for Tao practitioners to sincerely seek for the path of Enlightenment, so most of them could not avoid straying from the path of the Middle Tao Principle for many lives, many lifetimes.                

Wonderfully! Nobly! Unsurpassedly, the Lord of Supreme Will, the Lord has guided the Middle Principle: Should not leave or take — everywhere is the mistake of relativity, that leads to conflict. Both deficiency and abundance are depravation and suffering. It is due to the differentiation, there is disagreement; it is due to the possession and nothingness, there is ambition; it is due to jealousy, there is suspicion. That is the black and the white, the white and the black, the two ways of birth and death. —T. V.

The Founding Master Shakyamuni Buddha still taught the path of the Middle Tao Principle. Relativity is the mistaken Dharma. We must be in concordance with the relative to achieve the absolute. That is the path of enlightenment. Leaving or taking, possession or nothingness, deficiency or abundance, all are the relative, giving rise to discordance, ambition, and suspicion. That is the path of birth and death. In the daily life, if giving one’s whole mind to realization of the path of the Middle Tao Principle, it will bring about perfect results.

We must patiently practice step by step, from one stage to another, keeping it in perfect round; in presence of unrestful Dharmas, our heart is joyfully detached. Until one day, we could understand by ourself the words of the Lord of Supreme Will: “Benevolence, compassion, joy, and detachment are our goal; our heart is generating itself the philanthropy to be assimilated with human beings." —T. V.

Once the realization is in perfect round that is precisely the Middle Tao Principle. Tao practitioners need to identify and realize judiciously Dharma by Dharma. If one often likes tranquility and decries disturbance without joyful detachment, it will create opposition, how can they have benevolence and compassion? To have the heart of great benevolence and compassion to help living beings, firstly, benevolence here means to give up bad characters and bad habits whereas compassion here means to be rounded, capable of rolling everywhere. When one was completely clean and free from living being natures, they could then help living beings effectively. That is the benevolence and compassion. Those who have benevolence and compassion will have the sense of joyful detachment. The philanthropy will spontaneously originate from it.

Still living with attachment and opposition, one could not have the benevolence, compassion, joy, and detachment. If one has not realized the harmony of tranquility and disturbance, they still do not truly have benevolence, compassion, joy, and detachment either.

It is by clearly knowing one’s own nature that one could receive the universe, relative-emptiness, and Tathagata Constitution’s Eyes, being harmonious in everywhere, profoundly understanding the source of everything, and thus attaining the True Enlightenment. —T. V.

There are plenty of good and evil in the life; the form as well as the formless are everywhere. Must be in harmony with all to understand thoroughly, in full details, in perfect truth, perfect goodness in both sides of agreement and disagreement, with controlling one’s natures and without erroneous passion. Not opposing Dharma, but thoroughly understanding it, that is entering into the relative emptiness; entering into the Tathagata Constitution to see and know everything called the Tathagata Constitution’s Eyes, by which one still see even the formless.

The Meditation Master pondered at this point. The Lord then re-adjusted His robe, faced towards the east and solemnly bowed down seven times. The Lord silently spoke with respect:

“Unsurpassably, Reverend the World’s Most Venerable, the Lord is precisely the Lord of Supreme Will, with all-embracing perfection, with the equality of millions and millions of conducts, with countless and boundless virtuous merits of Buddha returning to the Supreme Rank True Enlightenment. Therefore, under the Buddha’s vision, all are equal Tathagata, without discriminating against any nature, without embracing any nature-seed, without returning to the enlightened essence, and without dwelling in any region.”

“Now, I would like to verify, by the authorization to preach, helping this generation and future generations lean on the Middle Tao Principle to practice and to reach the enlightenment of truth in everywhere.” —T. V.

After accomplishing the Fruit of Buddha, the Reverend Long-Hoa Sangha Chief, incarnating Lord Supreme Maitreya Buddha turned towards the Buddhas. The Lord profoundly understood that abundantly measureless effortful-merits and virtuous-merits are necessary to attain the True Enlightenment. Under the vision of the Buddhas, all are Supreme Tathagata. There are no more an atom of distinction and objection, no more pollution from any nature-seed, no more attachment to True Enlightenment, leaving the True Meditation without dwelling in any field, and yet the Middle Tao Principle is appearing in everywhere.