The Art Of Meditation By Master Sheng-yen Lu This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 45th book, 坐禪通明法.
CHAPTER 28 -
Responses to Good God's Foresight Here I disclose a letter to show this is true. Feb. 6, 1983 Grand Master Lu, How are you! Let me introduce myself. My name is Xu Ren-yuan, from Chiayi county; it is a pleasure to be born in the same place as Grand Master. My family lives in Zhu Qi, Ja Yi county. I work in a hospital. I have read Grand Master's many books. Spiritual studies are useful for sentient beings and also opened up my spiritual wisdom. In February last year, when I was about to fall asleep for a nap, I saw that my grandma was dying, and that everyone in the funeral procession was distinctly clear. And I saw that her grave was facing the south, with a little road going from right to left. There was a vast expanse of scenery, at the end of which was a bird-like hill. When they were making holes on the coffin, a stream of air gushed out onto my face and I woke up. I felt this was too strange; it was not like a dream. My grandma was 92, but was in very good health. Why should I see those things? By the first half of July, lunar calendar, my grandma unexpectedly left this world when she was sleeping. What was even more strange is that taking part in the funeral were exactly the people I saw in that "dream," without exception. Grandma's grave was facing the south with a little road going from right to left. There was indeed a vast expanse of scenery and a bird-like hill there. On another occasion, I was getting a lift from a colleague going back to Ja Yi. As son as I got on the car, I had a strong response that one of the tires would break. On the way, I told my colleague again and again to drive slowly for fear that one of the tires might break. When we were driving between Xin Ying and Hon Bi, we were stopped by the traffic lights. When the green light was on again and we were trying go drive through, a tire was flat. We didn't even know when it happened! I had many responses; they are countless by now. Each time I see something in a dream, it will come true within three or six months. My presentiments are also often correct-they always come true. I was born between 6 and 8 o'clock p.m. on Dec 2nd. From very early on, I have the habit of getting up at mid-night, without my knowing, and sitting in meditation. My family wonders why I sleep in a sitting position. Sometimes I am half awake. I don't know myself why I do this. May I ask, Grand Master: what was I in my previous life, and why can I foresee and predict things? Wish you Dharma peace! Ren-Yuan After I got this letter, I found, with my divine eye, that Xu Ren-yuan was a Zhan master in his previous life. This master often sat in meditation for sleep (called "never-lying-down pellet). Some of the habits in the previous life were retained in the present life. So Xu often sat up at midnight, unconsciously. Such is causation accumulated over the past lives. The Zhan master in his previous life cultivated "good gods' foresight response" and he always knew what was going to happen soon. He often told other people's fortune and could predict many things. He actually make a furore. Though Xu Ren-yuan did not leave home for cultivation, he retains some of the abilities of foresight and prediction, due to his causation in his previous life. This is by no means strange. "Good gods foresight response" is not a complex doctrine, but a by-product from cultivation. All practitioners who have attained achievement will experience some "foresight responses." Tantric practitioners concentrate all their vital energy, generate all kinds of virtue, and therefore get protection by all good gods. Due to this protection, the practitioner will know, beforehand, what is going to happen, for the kind gods will inform him. What about spiritual children's ear-reporting? It is practiced as the following describes: "On a day ending in the number of five, get a stretch of willow wood from a place in the east where water is constantly running. Get a Buddha-making sculptor turn the piece of wood into a man-like figure, about 8.6mm long, smart-looking, with clearly distinguishable eyes, and eye-brows, the left hand forming a positive mudra and the right hand forming a negative mudra with the hair worn in two coils. The figure is a child, dressed in robes. Use cinnabar mixed with human milk to write on a piece of yellow paper "heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen," and put the paper into the hole dug into the body of the child. Put blood from a cockscomb or from a tortoise on his mouth. Then wait, till you hear that a child in the neighborhood dies or a woman has a miscarriage. Write on a piece of yellow paper the date of death of that child or baby, and put this piece of paper on the back of the idol." On certain days of the year, memorial ceremonies will be held and offerings will be made to the child in a quiet room. At the same time, the spirit-tracing mantra will be recited. It takes about forty days to complete the rituals when the spirit of the deceased child attaches itself to the willow wood and can show itself and can predict what will happen in the near future. This method is described in my book Random Remarks on Spiritual Prediction. Spiritual children's ear-reporting method was originally used by itinerant entertainers and had nothing to do with spiritual cultivation. But since it bears great resemblance with "ghosts reporting what will happen" and "gods reporting what will happen," it is described briefly here. Source: http://www.padmakumara.org |
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