《Guru’s Talks》
Book 129 Entering the Most Hidden Yin-Yang Realm: Master Cat
(《走入最隱祕的陰陽界》＜上師貓＞)
by H.H.Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-Yen Lu
(continued from issue #1506)
The Yama King sighed, placed the soul in the hands of Lord Liao, and said, “Take him away and deal with him as you wish!”
Lord Liao nodded, and brought him back to the Lord Liao Temple.
One sudden day, Lord Liao spoke to him, “After you died, your guru searched for you every day but could not find you. Are you willing to go and see him?”
“I am willing,” he said.
“Everything starts anew; don’t blame me as you only have yourself to blame,” Lord Liao said.
“Yes.”
Lord Liao promptly handed him a white robe, and on the white robe were many colors. After donning this robe, his body shrunk, became taut, and changed in form.
When everything became clear and distinct, he was already at Ling Shen Ching Tze in Redmond in the United States. He looked at himself and realized he had turned into a white cat.
He bared his teeth and flexed his claws, and intuitively understood as well its profound significance.
Whenever he went on the prowl for mice, the mice he caught would enter the registry of ghosts. Momentarily filling his stomach, feeding on the flesh of mice and casting the mice aside, he felt very content and pleased with himself.
At this point, I awoke from my dream.
●
At dawn, I walked to the Dragon King Pavilion and saw that Master Cat was there. He saw me walking over and immediately came to lean against my legs.
I crouched down and stroked his head.
He meowed once.
I asked, “Are you Master XX?”
He cried, “Meow! Meow! Meow!”
He suddenly stretched his body, jumped over the wooden board wall, then jumped back again suddenly, holding a flower in his mouth. He walked up to me and placed the flower on the ground in front of me.
“Are you offering the flower to me?”
“Meow! Meow!” he cried.
I said, “If you are Master XX, can you perform the Great Homage three times to show me? Right now, while no one is here.”
He faced the stone tablet of the Dragon King, and made a movement that did not actually look like the Great Homage so much as stretching his body three times.
Then he continued to meow again.
He turned his head to look at me and abruptly left.
Of course I understood the feelings of this master—
He was originally a master of True Buddha School.
Because he had not been selected as chairman of the regional board, and another master selected instead, he became discontent and resentful.
He refused to listen to any remonstrations and broke away from the rest of the group.
In his heart he wanted to come to Ling Shen Ching Tze, but he made the willful decision not to come. He wanted to go his own way, to establish his own world, to show his ability to those who did not select him.
In his heart he still regarded Grand Master Lu as his guru, but Grand Master never expressed any opinions about the matter of who should become chairman of the board. Thus his heart was filled with resentment and indignation; it should have been him, how could it have been someone else.
Because of his discontentment he did not visit Ling Shen Ching Tze, and for many years he did not meet Grand Master face to face.
I sighed!
●
Regarding the matter of Master Cat being Master XX, without definite proof, I dared not speak about it casually.
I decided to visit Lord Liao.
A temple guard saw me from far away, and called, “Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-Yen Lu is coming!”
Lord Liao came down the steps to welcome me.
I asked, “Was the white cat born live or from an egg?”
Lord Liao laughed heartily, “This is the Esoteric Method of the Yoga of Forceful Projection. Didn’t you know?”
“So that’s what happened!”
As it turned out, Lord Liao had used the Esoteric Method of the Yoga of Forceful Projection to place the soul of Master XX into the body of the white cat, and had driven away the original soul of the white cat. This is the Esoteric Method of the Yoga of Forceful Projection.
I asked, “Why are you called Lord Liao?”
“Part of my surname was Liao when I attained divine rank, and that is why I am called Lord Liao.”
“Why did you take care of Master XX?”
“Zhang and Liao are one family.”
“Lord Liao, what was your secular name?”
He replied, “Zhang-Liao Guiyang.” (It turned out to be a compound surname.)
At this point, I was able to verify that Master XX was indeed Master Cat.
●
The transformation of a master into a cat, is falling from the human path into the animal path, which is of course not a good phenomenon. Here, I would especially caution all disciples to constantly maintain a state of clarity. When a negative thought comes, you must remember to continually guard and protect your bodhi heart.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, always remember the Four Kinds of Remarkable Expedient Means.
Firstly, practice accumulating good deeds. We know that our suffering in this present life is a result of negative karma, and if we want to leave suffering and obtain happiness, we must intensify our efforts to accumulate kind acts. In other words, do our utmost to give and do good deeds, make offerings to the Guru and Triple Gems, make offerings to gods and ghosts, and so on. In doing so, these acts can be described as the external accumulation of kind deeds, and the internal engendering of a heart of kindness and compassion. If you are able to cultivate in this manner for a lifetime, you will definitely be able to leaven suffering, obtain happiness, and not fall into the path of animals.
Secondly, practice purification of karma. To guard and protect your bodhi heart and avoid falling into the evil paths, we need to rely on four kinds of powers:
1. The power of repentance: repent for all evil deeds and karma created in the past.
2. The power of restraint: vow not to create any more negative karma from this day on.
3. The power of reliance: take refuge in the Guru, the Triple Jewels, and take refuge in our vows.
4. The power of remedy: when a negative thought of negative affinity comes, know how to cultivate the right thought of emptiness and recite mantras as an antidote.
Thirdly, practice making offerings to maras. Cultivators will often be faced with obstacles by maras, and maras will often disturb cultivators. In fact, maras are also sentient beings, negative sentient beings, and they are also emptiness.
If you are unable to view them as such, then you need to make offerings such as food to mara and express your heartfelt sincerity, “May mara come to my aid in cultivating my bodhi heart. I will cultivate and dedicate all merits and benefits to directly help mara attain accomplishment in Ultimate Perfection. May mara not obstruct my personal cultivation of Dharma.”
(This Dharma method is very special.)
Fourthly, practice Dharma protection. Vajrayana practitioners must practice invoking Dharma protectors. By making offerings to Dharma protectors with utmost sincerity they will follow you like a shadow, not moving a single step away from you. In this way, all negative affinities hindering the cultivation of Dharma can be destroyed, and you will be able to accomplish all tasks leading to a favorable outcome in cultivation.
If you want your bodhi heart to constantly emit light, here is a verse:
Abide at ease in the inherent bright light,
With spontaneity and freedom,
The filthy water of differentiation shall revert to purity.
All manifestations of hindrances to cultivation will also cease.
With a non-dual mind, light shines forth and liberation follows.
I personally feel this master was hindered at the step of “recognition.” When negative thoughts arose, he did not recognize these negative thoughts and did not return his mind to a state of purity. Instead he became bound tighter and tighter in contempt and disregard of his guru. He was becoming a mara himself without realizing it.
As cultivators, when a thought or intent arises, we should be able to immediately reflect upon it with understanding and clarity, immediately restore our mind to a state of purity, and abide at ease in the inherent bright light.
(the end)
