CHAPTER IV: TRANSMISSION OF THE PRECIOUS DHARMA

E.      THE TATHAGATA MEDITATION 

The Eastern-Salvation Medicine-Master Lapis Lazuli Light Tathagata

Regarding the Tathagata Meditation, only the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha can preside completely. [112] While other Incarnations, such as a Buddha, still execute the Supreme Principle to guide the Tathagata Meditation subject. The Incarnation, the Instructor of Tathagata Meditation, uses the appropriate time procedure to guide a Bodhisattva in practicing the conduct and establishing the subject until this Bodhisattva acquires the One-Essence Tathagata Meditation.

Therefore, in this age and in future ones, if a faithful disciple can meet a Buddha, who is authorized to guide in conformity with the Tathagata Meditation subject, that disciple has the unique opportunity to learn the proper Tathagata Meditation. Otherwise, if the disciple’s instructor is not a Buddha, it is very hard for the disciple to correctly practice the Tathagata Meditation. —T. V.

2538 years ago, The Founding Master was authorized by the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha to teach the Tathagata Meditation subject. In this Period of Return, the Supreme Maitreya Buddha has also executed the Supreme Principle to guide the Tathagata Meditation subject. Depending on the Bodhisattva’s root capability, the Buddha has guided them through every way for the Bodhisattva to acquire the Tathagata Meditation; otherwise, if not acquired, it is hard for them to correctly practice the Tathagata Meditation. From the Arahants to living beings, though they practice meditation and reach its acquisition, that is not the Tathagata Meditation.

E.      THE TATHAGATA MEDITATION 

[112] The Great Sun Tathagata Buddha is also called Lord Mahavairocana Tathagata Buddha.

Besides, when a faithful disciple meets a Bodhisattva who claims to be a master of Tathagata Meditation, or a Bodhisattva who strictly follows the supreme principles of this Tathagata Meditation sutra to guide his or her followers by every means available. In this way, the disciple may acquire the meditation subject. However, that acquisition is not the Tathagata Meditation, that precisely is the Bodhisattva Meditation. It is the same for the Arahant, Solitary Enlightened One, Pràtyeka, Sràvaka, ordinary person, or heretic who could have the Tathagata Meditation sutra. They later instruct their faithful followers or Dharma friends in meditation by following the subject principle strictly to ensure the practitioners’ achievement. However, the highest level a practitioner achieves will correspond only to the degree of his or her instructor: that is, Arahant, Solitary Enlightened One, Pràtyeka, Sràvaka, ordinary person, or heretic. —T. V.

The ranks, from Bodhisattva to Mahasattva, are still close to the Tathagata Meditation because they have been enlightened and attested by the Buddha. For the ranks of Arahant, Solitary Enlightened One, Sràvaka, and Pràtyeka, they have met the Buddha and been taught the Tathagata Meditation, too. But their practicing level is below the degree of receiving the Tathagata Meditation; therefore, if they guide Buddhist disciples in the practice, it is according to their attainment standing, from enlightenment up to full enlightenment, that the disciples can receive some result.

For the ordinary monks or heretics, their meditation is far, too far from the truth, their practice of meditation, therefore, is just for the title of meditation and subject to the wrong way. Even they have practiced by following the sutra of Tathagata Meditation, but because their mind consciousness mobilizes the evolution of thousands of Dharmas, their meditation could not develop in conformity with the spirit of the Supreme Truth. Therefore, the Buddhas necessarily transmit the Meditation’s Mind-Seal, handing down to the future generations to offer them a basis of solid faith so that meditation does not go astray.

The Tathagata Meditation is an extremely miraculous, mind-transmitted-to-mind subject. Its sealed attestation is intimate; its attainment is up to the Supreme Rank that is matchless, perfect, and all-embracing. The Truly Enlightened Buddhas authorized by the Great Sun Tathagata Buddha has transmitted the Mind-Seal to the Bodhisattvas while the holy followers are relying on the guidance of the Bodhisattvas. In this Period of Return, The World’s Most Venerable Maitreya managed the source of Tao Dharma in such an order. The true disciples, newly entering the Tao, either in the provinces or at the Centre, were all transmitted the Tathagata Meditation by the Lord Himself. The Bodhisattva then nurtured, monitored, and provided additional care for their progress in meditation. The Bodhisattva rank was also ordered by the Lord to transmit meditation, write sutras and teach Tao Dharma while He was still in the world.

The Tathagata Meditation cannot use reason, explanation through writing, or study to intuit the Tathagata Constitution’s Eyes. Also, Tao practitioners, who are not enlightened, have difficulty in perceiving it because their minds are still falsely running after the mind consciousness, which generates the consciousness karma. So, they consider the chaotic falseness to be their way, making them unable to recognize the Tathagata Dharmas. Therefore, the more they use reason to interpret, the more they use argument called meditative argument to solve, the further they move away from the suchness.

For Tao practitioners practicing by fixed thoughts, they are embracing Dharma precepts, up to its utmost, the Precept Buddha; they do not return to the Tathagata but become even more lost. The meditation practitioners necessarily notice that the essence of nature is naturally calm, perfectly tranquil, perfectly harmonious and impartial. Therefore, should practice until acquiring the Dharma nature, examining the essence of nature in order to go in the right way of the Tathagata Meditation. That is the practice with a Meditative Intelligence, by which the practitioner can see what karmic seeds each meditator holds along with their consciousness karma so that the practitioner can rely on that to release it. When it comes to karma, it is countless and endless, making living beings unable to be liberated from life through asamkhyeya of lifetimes. It’s also due to the consciousness karma, there are different levels of attainment with all degrees in the Dharma practice.

In the time of The World’s Most Venerable Maitreya, the Lord has used the orthodoxy of The World’s Most Venerable Founding Master Shakyamuni Buddha. The Lord, therefore, has restored the magnetic compass-needle to true Buddhist disciples so that they could rely on the Tathagata Meditation without getting lost. I heard the Lord say these words:

While the Patriarchs succeeding from the ranks of Arahant, Solitary Enlightened Buddha, Pratyeka to the Sravaka called the transmitting meditation Patriarchs, who established as follows:


The Patriarchs can conduct practitioners in sitting meditation to achieve the tranquil mind, equivalent to the Venerable, Gentle Saint rank, that is, from the enlightenment, the great enlightenment, up to, at most, the full enlightenment.

The Bodhisattva rank—having a level of practice at the Buddha Level (Buddhayana), attaining the Supreme Rank True Enlightenment and entering the True Meditation of Samadhi, enlightening the Patriarchs and faithful Tao practitioners to reach the True Enlightenment—are the only Meditators who could be closer to the Tathagata Meditation constitution of the Buddhas.

The Tathagata Meditation of The World’s Most Venerable Founding Master has been passed down the Mind-Seal to nowadays, The World’s Most Venerable Maitreya just coming to the world has also taught the essence of nature clearly: the practice of meditation is aiming at clearly knowing the meditation nature, that is, the Dharma nature. The essential nature of meditation indulges every desire which is the unmindful, every false arising thought of the meditators, that is the cause of a division, from the Tathagata Meditation, into the six heretical meditation subjects called the Mediation Subject’s six doors.

Because of arising illusory thoughts, there are six meditation subjects. The World’s Most Venerable Maitreya has today taught meditators the sitting meditation with NOT-CLINGING TO ANY REGION, recognizing-to-salvage all over the Tathagata Constitution to attain the Tathagata Meditation. Otherwise, being clung to a region or sunk in meditation without full comprehension, mistaken in the six Sects, the practitioners are lost in the Fairy path, Deity path without being completely liberated.