CHAPTER IV: TRANSMISSION OF THE PRECIOUS DHARMA

C. DOCTRINE

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

Those who profoundly attain the Tathagata Constitution are Great Bodhisattvas who have not minded any difficulty to offer to the Tathagata, executing the Dharma constitution of the Buddhas to become the Buddha by just one rebirth. With thousands of Dharmas in smooth, the Great Bodhisattva is entering and exiting them in Perfect Enlightenment. —T. V.

–Special-Principle Unsurpassable Level Sutra


8.6 Back to the Supreme Truth

The Supreme Truth is the path of practice of the Buddha Level (Buddhayana), not belonging to any Dharma subject, only relying on the Middle Way to integrate and to be clearly aware of one’s own natures in order to enter the practice of the Buddha Level (Buddhayana) until thoroughly understanding the Supreme Truth, perfectly attaining the crown Dharma of the Tathagata Constitution. —T. V.

C. DOCTRINE

The Great Boddhisattvas are those who have already known how to offer to the Tathagata, have practiced closely to the body of Tathagata, and have profoundly attained the Tathagata Constitution, entering and exiting thousands of Dharmas smoothly and completely, being able to return to the Supreme Truth.

For Tao practitioners, when practicing the Dharma to seek for liberation through knowing–seeing–solving, in order for them to be promulgated the attestation, they have to practice the Dharma subject of the Buddha's Knowledge and Sight to achieve the complete enlightenment. To achieve the desire, they have to practice completely, fully the Buddha Level (Buddhayana)—also known as the Three Levels (Triyana) unified into one called the One Essence Conduct—profoundly attaining the Supreme Truth.

The One Essence Conduct consists of the Low Level (Hinayana), High Level (Mahayana), and Unique Level (Ekayana). The Bodhisattva executing Mahasattva is also called the Great Bodhisattva, who manifests every way in the Middle Way Principle—the path, that manifests the physical body of Samadhi, is therefore not influenced by dogma nor does it rely on the Dharma subject. Why? It’s because the Bodhisattva has gained the intuition and known how to appear in the Suchness Dharma, neither strictly following the sutra nor separating from it; he has thoroughly attained the crown Dharma of the Tathagata Constitution.

Even for the rank of Bodhisattva conduct, Bodhisattva vow, relying on their conduct and vow, they are still in the vagueness. So they are still in regression; they therefore must practice the Prajñà till reaching the no-regression Bodhisattvas and entering the Buddha Level (Buddhayana) – Supreme Truth – Crown Dharma, acquiring the Crown Dharma of Tathagata Constitution. For that reason, many Tao practitioners have wrongly conceived of the discreet reason and act of the Tathagata. In fact, the Tathagata is not discreet. Because of their error and vagueness, they believe in the closure and opening of the Tathagata. In fact, the Tathagata is neither open nor close. —T. V.

Those, who are still practicing the Bodhisattva conduct, Bodhisattva vow, and who are not accomplishing to be Bodhisattvas, are still vague about the truth because their seeing and knowing of Dharma precepts are not profound.

The Bodhisattva executing Mahasattva rank has profoundly attained the realistic truth. In every minute and every second, he recognizes the movement of thousands of Dharmas in his body-fate thoroughly, clearly, and meticulously. He has accomplished the joyful detachment and has the ability to transport thousands of Dharmas to return to the Supreme Truth. Whereas, the rank of Arahants at highest degree is the full enlightenment, they are clearly aware of joyful detachment, but this is an eternal strait where they must overcome by successfully transporting thousands of Dharmas in order to enter into the One Level (Ekayana) with non-dualistic form.

In this Period of Return, the Patriarchs of the past have been excellent in preaching as well as in joyful detachment. But, reaching this stage, they stood still. Reverend Long-Hoa Sangha Chief had to apply the examination, but many remained caught in the Precept Buddha and could not overcome it. Some were taught the path of the One Level (Ekayana) but in the end, they did not pass the exam. For that reason, the Lord did not promulgate the attestation for them. Why? That’s because they could not see and know profoundly the consciousness karma in order to be completely liberated from it; Additionally, they become disheartened and that increased their rooted karma and fetter karma. Many are preaching the Prajñà, but in reality they do not correctly practice the Prajñà, transporting Dharmas with neither self-confidence nor affirming between the right and wrong — They remain vague and their reasoning about the Prajñà thus becomes unclear.

When a Tao practitioner does not attentively resolve thousands of Dharmas, there is dark or bright unpredictably, they thus wrongly believe that the Tathagata is discreet, the Tathagata has a closure and opening. In fact, the hearing-seeing-knowing is inherently suchness, it’s due to a Tao practitioner keeping precepts, being conservative, they become non-suchness. Actually, it could be known that the Tathagata is not discreet; the Tathagata is neither close nor open.

Speaking of the Buddha Dharma, the very Buddha is without Dharma; but not holding the Dharma, there will be no Buddha. Like as: the enlightenment is the cessation of unconsciousness, but in the unconsciousness, a Tao practitioner must practice the Dharma seeking for enlightenment. —T. V.

The very Buddha is without Dharma. Why? Because the Buddhas have accomplished the Buddha nature, everywhere is appearing the Most Essential Physical Body of Samadhi; each instant is a Tiny Dust Buddha, an Instant Buddha. In the eyes of the Buddha, there is only the One Form without the dualistic form, so the Buddha is without Dharma.

A Tao practitioner, who is still practicing, must lean on thousands of Dharmas, aiming to be clearly aware of the Dharma and profoundly acquire the Dharma until completely accomplishing the Dharma. When one has achieved the completely enlightenment, all their hearing-seeing-knowing are no longer in unconsciousness. Whereas Tao practitioners, who are still in the erroneous passion, have to search for the sincere nature to practice, have to be in the ‘Self-Nature, Awareness of Nature’ with unwavering mind. When there is a feeling of doubt, of attachment, and of vagueness, not clearing the flowering Dharma natures out, there is still in unconsciousness. It’s impossible to fully express in words how the living beings are mistaken in thousands of Dharmas. The Buddhas have skillfully passed down the Three Constitution of Sutras to dissolve unconsciousness, to demolish doubt attachment, aiming to guide living beings to be completely liberated through knowing–seeing–solving like the Lords. For that reason, the Buddha never has any Dharma of the Lord. It is only with the purpose to dissolve the erroneous passion of living beings that the Buddha has transformed Dharmas to bring about the no-birth no-destruction for the living beings, the Saints, and the Bodhisattvas.

Those who profoundly attain the Tathagata Constitution know truly, clearly, and meticulously that the Tathagata Constitution is permanent, pre-existing in everywhere without omission, from the Tathagata Buddhas to all living beings, equally and harmoniously. Because one’s level of virtue, one’s weight of instinct, one’s generosity and narrowness, long and short, square and round of each aspect that they will receive accordingly. Having received which tiny dust Buddha, they will inherit that tiny dust Buddha. Otherwise, receiving either the whole mass or thousands of masses, either a weight of masses or millions of weights of masses thus they will themselves inherit it, it is not being given by anyone. Should we accomplish that by ourself completely to inherit the Tathagata Constitution entirely? —T. V.

A Tao practitioner who profoundly attains the Tathagata Constitution knows truly, clearly, and meticulously thousands of Dharmas returning to the True Mind. They are therefore no longer generating birth-death, no more accumulating tranquility, neither increasing nor decreasing. That precisely is the Tathagata unifying the Constitution, called the Tathagata Constitution, so that the practitioner gains righteousness and intuition, readily knowing that the Tathagata Constitution is inherently permanent in everywhere—from the Tathagata Buddha to living beings, all are equal in every stratum.

Because living beings themselves discriminate and run after the distinction, they become Dharma precepts.  Dharma precepts are in millions of aspects such as generosity and narrowness, long and short, square and round… Each precept is appropriate to itself thus receives accordingly. Everyone, who has created themselves, has to receive accordingly; it is not given by anyone.

Each Dharma precept, when it is profoundly comprehended through practicing and reaching the True Enlightenment, precisely is a Tiny Dust Buddha. As the One becoming a Buddha, He has countless Tiny Dust Buddhas. Each Tiny Dust Buddha has its own characteristic and quality. Therefore, the Arahant could not thoroughly understand the Bodhisattva, who has accomplished the fruit. Likewise, as for the Supreme Venerable Maitreya who has become the Buddha, nobody could understand sufficiently about His manifestation. Except for the One who is at the level of executing the Great Bodhisattva, the Lord then let this One receive the Tathagata Constitution through the Secret-Seal so that he could continuously execute until he becomes a Buddha through just one rebirth in the secular world.

Indeed, without the Buddha a Tao practitioner could never find out the way to advance continually, even after countless lifetimes. That is practically said, otherwise everyone can freely preach anything on the theory. For the Buddhas, there is only the One Buddha Level (Buddhayana), not the Three Levels (Triyana). For that reason, the Bodhisattvas with  belief-obedience-respect is all about the One Buddha Level (Buddhayana). As for living beings, because their rooted capabilities are not equal, there are the Three Levels (Triyana)—The Buddhas have taught them accordingly.

The One who has profoundly attained the complete accomplishment, actually feels affection towards living beings, really loves living being as much as He loves Himself. There are no more barriers between the Buddha and living beings. He has only recognized His clear and meticulous comprehension while living beings do not profoundly attain that yet. He has only realized in Himself the immeasurable precious gems, the innumerable precious diamonds, the incalculable precious emeralds, the unlimited precious sapphires, and the uncountable precious topazes. He therefore is intimate to all living beings as the teacher and pupils, pretendedly as brothers, or as husband and wife, parents in order to give them the precious gems under many statuses, roles according to the formalities and aspects. Providing that the living beings either startingly blossom out or have a starting point, they are immediately given the five kinds of precious gems. Nevertheless, those are still fallen away and dropped out because they do not yet know how to use them. In fact, they have never completely lost those which have been given to them. —T. V. 

The Bodhisattva with profound intuition of the ignorance is able to thoroughly know the true meaning of precious gems... At first, he also was as a living being who has cultivated, until having abundantly effortful and virtuous merits, without barriers, he completely comprehends all kinds of precious gems, profoundly understands living being natures. Therefrom, he actually feels affection towards living beings, really loves living beings as much as he loves himself.

The Bodhisattva knows how to observe himself: Before achieving the intuition, when he was still a living being, he also had immeasurable doubt attachments, innumerable fears, incalculable overhastiness, unlimited desires, and uncountable dazes. Afterwards, the Bodhisattva made up his whole mind of compassion-will-courage, precept-contemplation-Result, and Six Pāramitās tirelessly to overcome thousands of unfavorable Dharmas without fictitious habits. Until there was no more doubt on the dualistic Dharma of the body and circumstance, possession and nothingness; every place was perfectly harmonious, the Bodhisattva then immediately perceived wonderfully! By overcoming the above five seeds of living being natures, he has acquired the immeasurable precious gems, the innumerable precious diamonds, the incalculable precious emeralds, the unlimited precious sapphires, and the uncountable precious topazes. With his mind is not disturbed and his thought is not regressed, he enters into meditation for forty-two days to cross over and reach the other shore, profoundly attaining evolutions of the very mind of suchness. Only less than the Buddha, who took forty-nine days and nights to cross over to the other shore of the complete accomplishment. Only he who has acquired the degree of Bodhisattva executing the Mahasattva could comprehend it. Otherwise, it is beyond the range of speaking, reasoning, aand understanding.

The Bodhisattva truly knows that, living in the secular world, everyone must have parents, wife/husband, children, brothers, sisters, and relatives. The Bodhisattva pretends to be passionate to incarnate himself appropriately, in order to give living beings through plenty of means, causing some of them to intuit the path of the One Level (Ekayana)—neither complimenting nor disapproving, neither right nor wrong, neither good nor evil, neither moral nor immoral, neither in concord nor in conflict, neither intimate nor separate. All are not outside the above five precious gems. Though the majority could not yet receive these gems, but these are not lost; these are stored instead in square containers of the Tathagata Constitution, waiting to appear when one has sufficiently rooted capability, long or short according to one’s determined mind.

You should remember well and realize carefully that: the Enlightened One brightly preaches from the place of the Ratnagarbha Buddha (The Buddha of Precious Treasury of Sutras). This Precious Treasury comprised the five precious gems mentioned above, which is brought out in brightly preaching where there are full of Bodhisattvas who carry out the instructions and the Devas who respectfully admire the Dharma Treasury. Therefore, they praise the Precious Dharma Five Gems in the golden preaching of the Buddha. —T. V.

Tao practitioners should pay attention to reading, to remembering, and to recognizing carefully the words of the Supreme Venerable Maitreya. Those words are just from the place of the Buddha of Precious Sutras’ Treasury brightly preaching, that the Bodhisattvas execute the One Essence Conduct. And the Devas, who are sensible, should worship and admire until a time when they gain the intuition to enter the Bodhisattva conduct, the Bodhisattva vow, they will then be able to understand that the five precious gems are the very invaluable precious golden words. Even with the abundance of materials in life, prosperity, luxurious house, they cannot resist the ambition nor dissolve the sufferings from birth, old age, disease, and death because they are still entangled in the desire of form. The Buddhas truly know that the origin of living beings was not in the chaotic desire. All of them have already possessed the perfect tranquility of True Enlightenment. Due to the desire, which they think about, then act according to their wish to become individuality that produce thousands of Dharmas called the karma. As having karma, they are immediately polluted by the toxicity and mistakenly accepted it to create the transmigration of birth and death.

As for living beings, they lean on Dharmas to learn and practice, receiving Dharmas, relying on Dharmas to resolve to return to principles, coming back to the Supreme Truth, acquiring the Buddha Dharma, recognizing the Tathagata Constitution — ‘Self-Nature, Awareness of Nature’, having no way but understanding the way, harmoniously integrating and profoundly attaining the Tathagata Constitution, this path is called the DHARMA CONSTITUTION. 

One direction but two paths: For the Buddhas, to help living beings, the Lords make use of the Precious Dharma Five Gems — in the position of the Dharma Treasury. As for the living beings, receiving the Precious Dharma, they must lean on Dharmas to understand the Dharma and return to the Supreme Truth – Precious Treasury – Buddha Level (Buddhayana), being liberated through knowing, seeing, and solving. —T. V.

Tao practitioners practicing on thousands of Dharmas must resolve until profoundly attaining to recognize the Tathagata Constitution, that is called the Dharma Constitution, the so-called ‘coming back to the Supreme Truth.’

The practice with thousands of Dharmas is the one direction; when completely understanding Tathagata Dharma and entering the Constitution are the two paths. Remember to know the Five Gems with the esteem, one’s Buddhist intelligence will develop to illuminate the consciousness karma as well as the generating thoughts. Therefrom, one neither chooses the noble nor rejects the coarse, neither chooses the good nor rejects the evil, no longer fed up with the impermanent affairs of life and the chaos of birth-death. One practices neither heavily nor lighly, follows neither the gain nor the loss, neither the possession nor the nothingness, but is in harmony with Tathagata Dharmas to clearly know the Dharma, profoundly attain the Dharma and return to the Supreme Truth – the Buddha Level (Buddhayana), also called the One Level (Ekayana). That is the way to the complete liberation through knowing, seeing, and solving.

As for the living beings, the five kinds of toxicities are the doubt attachment, fear, overhastiness, desire, and daze that make them unable to see, hear, and know about the precious things of the Five Gems, so they must be cleared up for entering the Tathagata Constitution, returning to the Supreme Truth. 

In this world of generation and destruction, even those who have the intelligence of meditation to the superhuman level, even those who clearly know about the Dharma, have still not returned to the Supreme Truth, they still remain in the vagueness of Dharma precepts without escape. The demands to be satisfied by the outcome according to the needs, on the way of practice for liberation from death and birth, in faithful Tao practitioners are not quite few, so that some have to ask the Meditation Master of Bodhisattva rank this: “what should we do? What should we practice resolving the death and birth?” The Meditation Master replies: “Do according to the birth and death, practice according to the birth and death to resolve the death and birth.” —T. V.

Due to karma seeds of living beings, there is the intelligence of meditation. Living beings are wrongly divided into various precepts; they thus become rebellious or feel affection for each other, creating karma. Those of meditation intelligence know that it is the karma that leads to the transmigration of birth and death. In facts, the essence of nature spontaneously is in perfect tranquility from the without beginning and without ending, already pre-existing in the living beings. Even those of meditation intelligence to the superhuman beings becoming saints, who have not attained the level of complete liberation through knowing–seeing–solving, they are still in the vagueness about the truth. Why?

It is because they still have not come out of the Dharma precepts’ belt of the universe, because they still return to the Heaven world, Fairy world that is still attached to precepts, belonging to the statute of living being precepts. The superhuman beings can show living beings the way of practice to go forward to the Heaven world, Fairy world. But the essence of the Buddha is intentionally guiding the living beings to escape from the universe, to stand outside the universe, to master the universe, and to manage the universe in order to be liberated from the path of birth and death through knowing–seeing–solving.

So, what should we do? What should we practice resolving the death and birth? Together with living beings, leaning on thoudsands of Dharmas in living beings to dissolve the consciousness karma, rooted karma, suffering karma, fetter karma, all that is the practice relying on the birth and death to be free from the death and birth.

Those of meditation intelligence, who do not rely on the above essential nature of meditation but strenuously train on the fixed thoughts, are all heretics and are still caught in the birth and death. After achieving the True Enlightenment, the Bodhisattvas sometimes make use of the fixed thought, neither leaving nor taking it because they are free from Dharma precepts. That is the characteristic of the One Level (Ekayana).

On the way of practice for liberation is extremely subtle in every particular quantity. There is a difference between those of comprehension and those of true attainment. For every acquirement, there are thousands and thousands of turns, just like: those who acquire the Dharma of eternal truth is relying on it to recognize that the acquired Dharma is truly equivalent with the eternal truth. In fact, it is truly permanent and invariable just in some aspects, not quite the profound attainment of the complete Supreme Truth. —T. V.

Those of comprehension are those comprehending the Tao Dharma through their faculty of reason to know it. Those of true attainment are those truly attesting to the equality of Dharmas, the equality of the Buddha nature, and due to not having chaotic thoughts that they acquire the Equality of Nature and Intelligence. Only after having achieved the Equality of Nature and Intelligence, a Tao practitioner can thoroughly comprehend Dharmas without being mistaken in the birth and death. If following the faculty of reason, the wishes still remain to acquire the Tao Dharma. But the wish is the inequality; By inequality, chaotic thoughts will be followed. There are thousands and thousands of various turns depending on every occasion of acquirement. Why?

That’s because those who are smooth sailing always consider their achievement to be the highest. They are not willing to leave their ego, their self-possession in order to meet a Brilliant Tao Meditation Master—who is from the rank of Bodhisattva, Mahasattva Bodhisattva to the Buddha. If they meet Him, just through a few simple exchanges they can benefit immeasurably from it, they can recognize the current level of their acquirement and which way they are taking.

For that reason, many of those with comprehension unintentionally go in the opposite direction of the way for Knowing–Seeing. Each Tao practitioner has a different level of intuition that may be profound or superficial. Consequently, their acquirement is never truly equivalent with the eternal truth. Due to the Dharma nature that is equal, all-embracing, and perfectly fitting, it can lead those of incomplete acquirement to mistakenly follow their generating desire, so that they term themselves Bodhisattvas, Buddhas without sufficient knowing and seeing their own habits causing birth and death for countless lifetimes. The Dharma nature provides everyone with all their wishes wonderfully, whether superior or inferior. It is the master of those with comprehension, who still entertain with vague expectations; they are thus sinking in the birth and death, subject to be living beings in worlds without knowing it. The Dharma nature indulges all Tao practitioners who still have wishes. It does not discriminate any individual character; it simply yields to the wishes appropriately. Therefore, a Tao practitioner is subject to error without a leader.

Those who are clinging to the eternal truth naturally do not penetrate deeply into thousands of Dharmas, they are getting lazy and confused about the Buddha Dharma. The first is to receive the eternal truth and to go to the Tranquility-for-Salvation World. The second is to focus the mind on training diligently. And the third is to be dreamy in ignorance within the patience Dharma and unable to be liberated from life. Very rare are those who acquire the Dharma of eternal truth to cultivate toward the truth of eternity. Why? Because the eternal truth is the first step to the equality of body and mind, a Tao practitioner must keep on practicing till reaching the very end of the mind’s essence. The Essence of True Mind is just the return to the noble Supreme Truth. —T. V.

Those who have acquired the Dharma of eternal truth practice successfully on the hearing–seeing–knowing to enter the sea of Tathagata Dharmas. Therefrom, they reach the truth of eternity, meaning that their Dharma practice profoundly attains the Tathagata Constitution.

Cultivating on Tathagata Dharmas is neither heavy nor light, no longer accumulates the tranquility, neither increases nor decreases; thousands of Dharmas are perfectly harmonized in every stratum. The practitioner clearly understands the permanent characteristic of each Dharma without error. Once the Dharma returns to the mind, the Essence of True Mind is acquired. The more meticulously inspecting thousands of Dharmas in every particular detail, the more profound attainment will be without superficiality. Very rare are those who acquire Tathagata Dharmas cultivating toward the truth of eternity.

For instance, cultivating on resolving the suffering acquires the Dharma that saves the suffering, clearly understanding the suffering. It is necessary to resolve the suffering Dharma to thoroughly comprehend and completely exterminate the suffering. Should practice to save the suffering, carefully examine inch by inch without any aperture so that the suffering cannot enter into the mind to ‘stand’ there, only then can the suffering be eliminated. The practice has to proceed like that to be completed and returned toward the Supreme Truth, so that the profound attainment is achieved. The way of meticulous and tight practice belongs to the One Level (Ekayana) where a Tao practitioner can step in the vast sea of Samadhi.

A Tao practitioner acquiring the Essence of True Mind must be the one who profoundly, fully understands Dharma precepts with countless strata in equality. That is called the return toward the Supreme Truth. There is no need for reasoning on the Essence of True Mind: IT is the havingness, IT also is the nothingness. Wishing to be possessed, IT’s immediately the possession; wishing to be nothing, IT’s immediately the nothingness. IT is the non-duality. IT has no place to point out; that’s just because one has not attained the equality, being vague in division without determination of oneness.

Because of being unable to determine the Essence of True Mind, Tao practitioners, therefore, get fed-up, stand still and return toward the isolated tranquility, called the Tranquility-for-Salvation. In fact, the true Tranquility-for-Salvation is very lively and really understanding the Essence of True Mind. Some of those, who choose not standing still for salvation, then enter into the training of the supernatural power, magic power that they do not return toward the Essence of True Mind either. The others, who neither have the sufficient patience Dharma nor acquire the complete No-Birth, do not thoroughly understand the Essence of True Mind either.

You should know that: the return to the Supreme Truth is the basis of complete liberation. Why?  Because of that is the deep and wide perception with a developing mind-will and without entanglement. The time when The World’s Most Venerable still incarnated Himself in this world, His young brother, Ananda, who was diligently practicing for the Awareness of Nature, overcoming every bit of Dharma precepts, not returning to the Supreme Truth yet. He was thus thinking: “The World’s Most Venerable is walking, standing, laying, sitting among the defilement and pollution of the human world with plenty of miseries and hardships, where there are the mountains and rivers with the convexity and concavity.”

At that time, being very aware of that, the Lord of Supreme Will descended from His Precious Throne and said: “Ananda, your judgement is different from that of the Supreme Rank Supreme Truth; all of your thinking is wrong, all the purposes in your recognition are also wrong, quite different from the Supreme Truth.” The World’s Most Venerable made use of the Five Precious Gems’ divine power to clear the wasteland. Ananda therefore perceived intuitively, immediately straightened his shoulder robe, walked seven rounds solemnly and then respectfully said: “Reverend the World’s Most Venerable, I do not anticipate that Your incalculable virtuous merits and the equality of the Supreme Truth makes the Lord Supreme Will’s Salvaged Nation in solemn; the grounds do not have the convexity and concavity at all. There is no place of defilement, pollution, and sufferings, these are the five kinds I am just thinking about. Strangely, admiringly!” The Lord of Supreme Will silently attested. —T. V.

At the time of the World’s Most Venerable, the Venerables and Gentle Saints still wrongly thought that The World’s Most Venerable was living in the human world full of defilements, very miserable, very hard as the mountains, rivers with the convexity and concavity. The World’s Most Venereable clearly knew the Four Followers’ mistakes. The Lord, therefore, used the Buddha power to make His attendant Ananda perceive intuitively that: the Salvaged Nation of The World’s Most Venerable is the Supreme Rank Supreme Truth with an adequate solemnity. There, the mind is smooth, as fine as the velvet, and never having a bit of defilement, suffering; it is always tranquil and joyful in all four periods.

In this Period of Return and Dharma-Ending Age, the above error of the Four Followers is similarly manifested. The Unsurpassable Supreme-Truth Maitreya intentionally reminded about the Salvaged Nation of the Buddhas with full of solemnity, never having the convexity or concavity at all. There, it’s as fine as the velvet and sufficiently possesses the seven precious gems, neither hot nor cold irregularly. At all times, the Lord’s mind is in harmony as well. The Four Followers have misunderstood due to their deficient degree of cognition.

Until a later time, having received the teaching, Ananda returned to the Supreme Truth to witness, he then bowed before the Buddha and respectfully said: “Reverend the World’s Most Venerable, my mistake is unlimited, unbounded, in places of death and birth through many lifetimes. In each lifetime, I have believed that it is my parents who have nourished me from the tray of foods to the piece of clothes, from the place of having a bath to the place of lying down and that have frequently been so in all countless lifetimes. Until now, I am literally recognizing my wrong thinking about the fatherhood through false appellation. Unexpectedly, I myself could not anticipate that: The Lord is my true parents. The Lord is the One who has raised me that my body of the Four Masses fictitiously combining becomes the agate Golden Body.”

“My body is an ordinary one; The Lord has raised me to gain the appearance of the Buddhas in my whole body. My reason is petty and egoistic; my sight cannot be out of Dharma precepts of the being born and is narrow; now I acquire the immense generosity throughout. The Lord has conferred me the practical use of the Precious Gems, including all the Five Gems as a savory food and with the Hương-Tích rice that the Lord has received from the Buddhas of Ten Directions, aiming to nourish me eternal.” After saying that, Ananda admired and respectfully bowed to the Buddha. —T. V.

The Lord reminded the Four Followers that it is just the Buddhas who transform an ordinary person’s body into a Golden Body. Furthermore, with the unsettled mind of living beings, the Lord has raised them to become the appearance of Buddhas in the whole body. Nothing could be comparable with the practical use of His precious gems, which were granted by the Lord during His presence in this Return.