Receiving, Cultivating, Practicing and Achieving Tao

1. Receiving, Cultivating, Practicing and Achieving Tao By Henry Chu

2. Introduction • This is the big picture…or an attempt at a bigger picture • Most of us have received Tao, some of us have began to cultivate Tao, few of us are practicing Tao, and certainly none of us has achieved Tao • Never the less, this lecture aims to provide a bigger picture of the journey of Tao so we will have a sense of where we are in the journey

3. Introduction • With the bigger picture, we hope to share a higher perspective and a greater understanding of our spiritual journey • Hopefully, we can inspire members to set higher goals and accomplish greater achievements • The ultimate goal is to assist the Great Buddha in his great mission of Heaven on Earth

4. Receiving Tao • Most of us received Tao with very little efforts of our own (evening though Chinese members called this Seeking or Beseeching Tao) • This is due to the fact that receiving Tao is universally ordained—it is the Will of God, facilitated by the Holy Spirits of Maitreya Buddha and executed by the members of the Tao community

5. Receiving Tao • Here is what happened behind the scene in order for a person to receive Tao: • the name of the new member appears on the Column of Heaven • the Holy Spirit of the Mission then finds person in this world • the spirit will find a member of the temple to connect with the person (to be his or her sponsor) • the person receives Tao

6. Receiving Tao • The receiving of Tao signified that God wants this person to be in the process of Ascension • Some people may have began this process many life times ago but others may have just begun (it takes 10 life time of cultivations) • The receiving of Tao does not guaranteed that this person will achieve Tao in this life, it only signified that the person is on the path

7. Cultivating Tao • Cultivating Tao refers to the internal cultivations (it is the internal spiritual practice that has to be accomplished in order for a person to ascend out of this world) • There are three stages to Cultivating Tao: • Debt Resolution • Sin Resolution • Ego Resolution

8. Cultivating Tao • Debt Resolution: • This is referring to the negative Karma we have gathered throughout our existence in this world • All the negative transgressions we had committed while we were in our spiritual ignorance • We must paid off every single bid of negative Karma we have in order to transcend • The only way to pay off negative Karma is by generate positive or good Karma (helping others)

9. Cultivating Tao • Sin Resolution: • Sin is referring to the spiritual elements that can cause negative Karma and they are Greed, Hatred and Attachment • Greed can be released with Contribution (giving of wealth and material resources) • Hatred can be released with Service (putting other’s needs before our own) • Attachment can be released with Teaching (sharing of truth and proper perspectives)

10. Cultivating Tao • Ego Resolution: • Ego is the sense of Self (detachment from God) • Ego is very difficult to release because it is fundamentally tied to our sense of identity • Only by being humble and cultivate deeply within ourselves can we hope to penetrate the veil of Ego and reach our true self, which is our Soul • The moment of Soul Seeing is the moment of Enlightenment

11. Practicing Tao • Practicing Tao is the External cultivation • During the Dharma Meeting, we have all been introduced to the Six Great Vows • Value Heavenly over Earthly • Contribution of Wealth and Dharma • Buddhist Vegetarianism • Self Sacrifice for Tao • Establishing Temple • Pioneering Tao

12. Practicing Tao • Valuing Heavenly over Earthly • This is the practice of service • When there are temple activities, we will always volunteer our service • This also means we are officially a part of the divine mission of Maitreya Buddha • We are expected to learn everything about temple activities and rituals (so we can be of service and so we can teach newer members)

13. Practicing Tao • Contribution of Wealth and Dharma • This means we will act according to capacity with our donations to the temple • This also means we will begin to learn the teaching of Tao and share them with newer members • Great merits are being accomplished with these two types of contributions and practices

14. Practicing Tao • Buddhist Vegetarianism: • This is a vow of perpetual merit • Everyday we are sparing the lives of the animals that we would have otherwise eaten • Great compassion and mercy are granted to the animals and God in turn will grant great compassion and mercy upon us • Great spiritual transformation happens 90 days after initiating this practice

15. Practicing Tao • Self Sacrifice for Tao: • This means taking on the responsibilities of the temple community • One may start with small responsibilities (such as morning or evening prayer) • Eventually, one can take on the greater responsibility and be in charge of the entire community • This practice is excellent for Enlightenment

16. Practicing Tao • Establishing Temple: • This is another practice of perpetual Merit • By establishing a temple, we are offering a sanctuary for the holy spirits in this world • We are also summoning the holy spirits into this world by having Three Treasures ritual as well as temple activities such as Dharma Meeting • The more activities we have the more frequent the spirits will visit and greater divine energy gets infused into this world (resolving world Karma)

17. Practice Tao • Pioneering Tao: • This is the ultimate practice by which a person comes to a new place and establishes a new temple community • Boundless merits are established by this practice because the community will endure the entire reign of Maitreya Buddha (10,800 years) • All the subsequent Merits established by the community is shared by the Pioneer

18. Achieving Tao • Achieving Tao means the achievement of a Divine Rank • When we set our goal to a particular level of practice, and carry this out to the end of this life, then God will bestow us a divine rank befitting to our accomplishment • The four general ranks are: Arahan (or Immortal), Pratheka Buddha (or Great Immortal), Bodhisattva (Lord or Holy Lord), and Buddha

19. Achieving Tao • The practice of the first three of the Six Great vows will guaranteed a place in Maitreya Buddha’s Heaven (Doe-Shuai Heaven) • These practices does not warrant great accomplishment but will ensure a place in Maitreya Buddha’s world • Maitreya Buddha’s heaven is considered one of the most magnificent place in the universe with great comfort and luxury

20. Achieving Tao • The accomplishment of the fourth vow varies depend on the level of responsibility • The small responsibilities may achieve the level of an Immortal but the great responsibility may achieve the Great Immortal • The difference is in the Spiritual Authorities and responsibilities, which God will grant (they become God’s managers for this world)

21. Achieving Tao • The practice of the Fifth Vow warrants the divine rank of Bodhisattva (or Lord) • Depend on the level temple achievement, God will bestowed different level of Bodhisattva or Lordship • Bodhisattva and Lord will begin to have their own spiritual space, by which they can begin to create a world of their own

22. Achieving Tao • Finally, when a person pioneers Tao and establishes a Temple Community, then he or she can be a candidate for a Buddha • The success of the community has far reaching effect in this world and great abundance of merits are established • A great vast spiritual space is granted to the Buddha, by which the Buddha became the representative of God in that world

23. Conclusion • This is a critical time in the universe because of the transition from the Red Sun to the White Sun • It is the time of unprecedented opportunity and great Merits can be established by a person because of the manifestation of Tao • We are fortunate to be a part of this opportunity and hopefully, we will cherish this time to accomplish great good for the world

24. Question