CHAPTER 4PASSING THE PORTICO OF DEMONS LISTENING TO THE ORIGINAL DHARMA OF ALL RELIGIONS Buddha
Tso Kong who manifested on August 26th, 1976. Leap year of the Dragon (1976)
Buddha
Tse Kong: Be ready for a
new visit to hell. Come quickly on the dais. Yang
Ts’ien: Yes, Master. I’m
ready. TK:
Here we go. Alight. YT:
There stands before us a fortress whose gate is engraved with the
words “Portico of Demons”. We are now at the entrance to the land of
demons. But why isn’t the gate of the fortress open? I hear clanking
of weapons and tools from inside. TK:
Ordinarily, the Portico of Demons is not open. The human souls
come through it by themselves. Now, with this rush fan of mine, I’ll
give a blow and it will automatically open. YT:
Marvelous! Hardly did you agitate your fan, and here it is,
widely opened. But how could a man who just died make it open, if he
doesn’t have a Buddha’s fan? TK:
When a man with a demon’s predestination comes here at the end
of his life, the gate opens by itself to make way for him. As a rule,
the gate of the demons’ world such opens as soon as the one of the
living is closed. Such is the miraculous effect of interaction between
the Yin and the Yang. Come along quickly. I’ll show you this place.
Don’t indulge in vain reflections. YT:
Yes, Master. But... on this side of the Portico, why is there
such a throng of people, just like a swap meet! Where are they going,
all these people? TK:
They are condemned souls who will receive their sentence at the
ten palaces of hell. The infernal guards are going to escort them to
penitence jails. Let’s not be lagging because of them. Follow me! YT:
Yes, Master. This road is so full of holes and obstacles. Where
does it lead to, eventually? TK: Just walk for a couple of miles and you’ll see, my son. YT:
Ahead of us, I see a man escorted by infernal guards. What could
he have done? TK:
That man in his life was a well-versed religious man of a sect of
spiritism. Because he did not have an exact conception of truth, he
blasphemed the other religions. After his death, he is subject to
punishment in hell. YT:
I also see a tall building with a panel on its front saying:”
All religions to return to the same source.” Where are we, Master? TK:
For the time being, as far as religion is concerned, thousands
and thousands of institutions and denominations have been created and
grown just like mushrooms. Their followers, who don’t know exactly
where the Truth lies, allow themselves to utter scathing and violent
criticism against other religions, thus destroying the significance of
the Tao. They infringe upon the law of God and commit the so-called
“Karma of Speech”. For the sake of their rehabilitation, after their
death, they must attend a course called: “All religions to return to
the same source”. Look there! The priest-instructors are coming. Yang
Ts’ien, kneel down for salutations. YT:
(saluting). I offer my respects, Sirs. The
Pontiff-Priest: Welcome to you, distinguished visitors,
Venerable Buddha Tse Kong and Saint-Scribe Yang Ts’ien. You are from
the Temple of the Sages, as I can see. We have received God’s order to
give you a decent reception. (to Yang Ts’ien) Young man, I free you
from polite obligations. Be on your feet. TK:
I bring young Yang Ts’ien here today so that you can take him
for a visit to different places and give him necessary explanations. P.P.:
Please come into the hall. Take a seat. YT:
“All religions to return to the same source”. That’s quite
meaningful. But I still can’t catch the real meaning of this phrase.
May I get some ideas from you, Venerable Pontiff-Priest? P.P.: In today’s world, there exist five great religions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islamism. One can say they are the main religions of higher reputation. All of them, however, had their origin in the same Tao. In the remotest ages, the term “religion” did not exist. Later, God sent down to earth many sages and philosophers who dispersed to different countries and, in the name of God, taught men the dogmas and religious thoughts, and the practice of the Tao according to celestial norm. Humanity was the primitive tributary of a single religion that suffered no separatism. Unfortunately, once the apostles returned to heaven, their disciples, who misunderstood the meaning of Tao, were divided into different denominations, some in opposition to the others. They failed to know that “hundreds of rivers flow into the same ocean” and that “all doors make part of the same house”. Thence were born unending quarrels and disputes that could not come to mutual agreement. They founded their respective schools of religious thought, which they believed were higher than those of other religions. When they died, their souls could not escape from their destiny, and here, in hell, they descended. Anxious about such a degeneration of mankind, the Celestial Emperor
founded this temple baptized as “All religions to return to the same
source” in order to re-educate those religious people who got lost in
darkness, and to help them discover the Truth. After adequate learning,
they will accede to a higher plane of evolution. TK:
You are absolutely right, Pontiff-Priest. But I presume Yang
Ts’ien still hasn’t grasped all the subtleties of the matter. Will
you teach him on the spot? As a proverb put it, “A hundred things
heard of are not equal to one thing seen”. P.P.:
That’s a good idea. Now, if you follow me. YT:
This hall must cover a surface area of several acres. Its
interior looks like a large amphitheatre. Tens of thousands of persons
are seated on the flights of steps. Among them are many notables and
dignitaries of religions from all nations. They all seem ready to hear
the sermon. P.P.:
Exactly! They are here just to hear the sermon. Please get seated
on the foremost rush mat reserved for distinguished visitors and
listeners. YT:
This auditorium is incredibly large, indeed. There isn’t any of
equal capacity in the human world. These words are written on the
blackboard: “All religions to return to the same source”. I see a
professor with a close-shaven head who is stepping up onto the platform.
He has the appearance of a Bhikshu (mendicant-priest). Everyone stands
up to salute him, then sits down again. The
Professor: Gentlemen, I have the honor to present to you Mr. Yang Ts’ien
from the Temple of the Sages, in the living world, who is here to join
us in this conference. Let’s welcome him with applause. YT:
Please, Master, these dignitaries are people of different races.
How can they understand a sermon given in Chinese? TK:
Though the people in the vast world speak a multitude of
languages, all have one aim in common - that is the development of the
mind and advancement of spirit. Because of this, the soul, after death,
knows no language difference or discrimination. For instance, when a
peal of thunder is rumbling, peoples from all nations know that it is
rain. Today, by hearing the professor’s voice, one can sense the
meaning of what he is saying. This is exactly what Buddha did when his
voice was raised at the conference, and the significance of his doctrine
was understood by people throughout the world. No more questions now.
Listen to what the professor says. The Professor: Although belonging to various races, men are endowed with a common character that proceeds from reason. When alive, they may adopt various modes of life and different standards of living, but after their death, they come to the same place. They have different skin colors, but one and all, they know to eat food when hunger makes itself felt, and to sleep when night comes. They are all under the protection of heaven and earth. The sun and the moon shed equal rays of light on them, and the dharma shower is abundantly available to all. Unfortunately, though they possess the same heart, diversity in faith and religion causes them to disparage and criticize each other. They believe that only their religion can elevate the converts to paradise, while the others send their converts to hell. They transform paradise with such limpid sources and such an atmosphere of liberty and euphoria - into a purple and golden tower of their own, ballooning in space. They then lock themselves up in a cage suspended in the air. Viewing themselves as noble and incomparable, they enrapture in joy, and in imitation of birds, they set to sing foolishly. Their tower, thus constructed, constitutes nothing but a kind of hell in the bosom of paradise. Those people are nothing but black sheep waiting for salvation. They are sinners awaiting their verdict. This is the reason why all of you pretended, when in life, to rise to paradise, but you have now fallen here in hell.
With a variety of skin colors, men can be black, white or yellow. The
clothes they wear can be printed with red, yellow, or blue flowers. But
their hearts, since birth, are not dyed any color. If they nurture a
spirit of disparagement, they are deprived of that common heart
dedicated to the religious way. There will be no sense in such words as
mercy, and brotherhood, and the life they are preaching. Since the dawn
of time, the sun and the moon have shone indifferently upon human
beings, the good as well as bad, without any sign of separatism. Due to
this, the sun and the moon will radiate forever, leaving a soft
fragrance until eternity.
Gentlemen, you have to awaken your conscience and illuminate your
“self”. Abstain from hatred and hostility, for we are now in an era
of vulgarization of this principle: “All religions to return to the
same source”. What we are to do is this: unite our hearts, treat each
other humanely, develop mutual assistance, and be kind to everyone. The
doors of all religions should open widely to attract all those who
deserve salvation, even if they are not disciples of the same apostle.
The prayers of our hearts should aim at the same path of redemption. It
is hopeful that some day, all of mankind will converge toward the
Celestial Way, transforming this “vulgar world” into an essence of
the country of lotus. Through their priesthood the apostles, priests,
pastors and monks can only salvage the hearts and souls of their
believers. By no means can they rescue the latter’s carnal bodies.
Only by discovering the genuine nature of his heart can man escape from
his “self” and live a free, eternal life. Once these conditions are
fulfilled, universal accord will prevail over the world. Each person
will become a Buddha, a demi-god, and all of them will be deities in
heaven. Any betrayal to these laws will engender to return to the cycle
of transmigration. TK:
Well, I think time’s up (turing to the Pontiff-Priest for
taking leave). We hope to have an opportunity to meet you again. Yang
Ts’ien, be on your knees and give our thanks to our host. YT:
Venerable priest, we certainly fail to practice good manners by
retiring while in full session of the conference. But it is getting late
now. We must be returning to the Temple. We beg your forgiveness. P.P.:
It doesn’t matter. I will walk with you part of the way. TK:
Yang Ts’ien, come quickly to the dais. Now, tell me, what is
your impression about that seance of the conference? YT:
The professor gave extremely clear explanations on the Tao and
its reason for existence. These days, the religions are throwing
criticism at each other and boasting the groundwork of their own. They
act the way fruit vendors do when selling their melons, pretending that
only theirs are sweet. To believe them, the buyers have to test the
flavor of the fruit by tasting it, just as a drinker does, to know
whether a beverage is hot or cold. This natural sensation is real,
because it is innate, and the consumer alone is capable of giving an
exact idea as to the quality of the merchandise. I believe it is the
only way to prove one’s objectivity and accuracy in judgment and
appreciation. TK: The greater parts of human beings are obstinate and shortsighted. Ascension to heaven is therefore impossible for them. The Buddha, Immortals and Sages have, in the name of heaven, given precious teaching to them. The proper sense of the Tao is fundamental impartiality. I take you as a typical example. Suppose you are incarnated in some country other than in this, do you think while adopting the religion of that country, you won’t receive my benediction and salvation? Well, if I acted that way, I wouldn’t deserve my name of a Buddha, and the trips we are taking now would be nothing but “the enterprise of a miniature religion” carried out for personal reasons. I hope all people will display a fair heart and reject their egoistic “self”. Otherwise, their paradise would measure five yards wide and wouldn’t have enough room for welcoming the whole mass of creatures. Here is the Temple! Yang Ts’ien, come down from the lotus dais and get incorporated in your carnal body. |
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