Book 26: Mystical Power

H. H. Living Buddha Lian-Sheng Sheng-Yen Lu True Buddha School Grand Master Lu’s Book 26 玄秘的力量 英譯

Author：His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng, Sheng-Yen Lu

Publisher：Daden Culture

Publication Date：1977/01/01

Language：Traditional Chinese

Suitable for ages ：All ages

Click on the button to proceed：Click here to read further

Summary：

Note: The full English translation of book 26 is not yet available, but do visit the link above to continue reading other published English translations of Grand Master Lu’s writings.

Translated by True Buddha Translation Team
Translator: Henry Wolf
Editors: DJ Chang and Ronald Lee

Chapter 1 : The Legend of a Line of Water in a River

On Jun. 6, 1976, around noon, I visit the Honglin Vegetarian Restaurant in Taipei. An elderly gentleman has wandered into the wrong room and as he leaves, he turns his head and asks ''Excuse me, but aren't you Mr. Sheng-yen Lu from Taichung?''

I nod my head and respond with a ''Yes.'' At the same time, I wonder who is this old gentleman? How come he recognizes me?

''I heard the speech you made to the Legislative Yuan. My name is Zhou Bangdao and I live in Bihu Village in Neihu. I'm a good friend of Li Guanyi, the Li Representative.''

''Oh! You are Zhou Bangdao, Mr. Zhou. Please have a seat.'' Each of us place our palms together and do obeisance to one another. Mr. Zhou Bangdao is a professor at Chinese Culture University and Director of the China Academy Graduate School of Buddhism. He is also known by the name of Qingquang. He's an elderly layman from Ruijin, Jiangxi. This has been the first time I met Zhou Bangdao, however how would I know him already? It is because of his wife, Mrs. Zhou. Madam Zhouyang Huiqing has written a legendary book called Zhouyang Huiqing's Encounter with Ksitigarba Bodhisattva. I also have known about the world famous Compassion Water created by Zhouyang Huiqing that has saved the lives of many people and has been wonderfully effective.

In speaking with Mr. Zhou about the Great Compassion Water, Mr. Zhou remarks ''The formula for the Compassion Water provided by Huiqing is transmitted to her by an old monk. Somehow there seems to have been a force that demands her to get water from a line of water in a river. No one actually knows what constitutes a line of water in a river.

Once when travelling by boat, she sees the strange sight of two bamboo rafts floating down the river parallel to each other. Between the rafts is 'a line of water.' By a sudden intuition, she fills a container with the 'line of water.' After taking the water home she offers it to Guanyin Bodhisattva and begins to recite the Great Compassion Dharani over the water daily. Strangely, after the Great Compassion Dharani is recited over the 'line of water' from the river, the water begins to emit rays of light and glisten. Without knowing if the Great Compassion water is indeed effective, Huiqing tests it by giving a little bit to the neighbor's dog. The dog is mean and ferocious, and bites people. She mixes some of the water into the dog's food while in her mind she recites 'dog, oh dog, this is Guanyin Bodhisattva's Great Compassion Dharani Water that shall be effective universally for all sentient beings. If the water has spiritual power, it will eradicate your bad temper and anger, and from now on you will no longer be so mean and bite people.' After the ferocious dog eats the food with the Great Compassion Dharani Water, the canine becomes gentler than a kitten. From that moment the dog never bites anyone. Consequently, Huiqing's Great Compassion Water becomes a treasure for saving people. Illnesses are cured as soon as one ingests the water. It is indeed a miracle.''

''Yes, to the ordinary person the event seems to be an amazing miracle, but to me it is not. In the first place, the 'line of water in a river' is already difficult to obtain. It is all by chance, coincidence, and inspiration. What is more important is her perseverance of chanting mantra. After collecting and bringing the water home, she recites the mantra over the liquid 7 times, 49 times, 108 times, even continuously day and night until the water begins to emit rays of bright, sparkling light. The radiant water is the highest manifestation that is a collective display of the divine power of the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the mind touching and connecting power of the practitioner. This is anything but easy.''

As we are out of time, we converse briefly before saying goodbye.

Someone once has asked me ''Just what is Great Compassion Dharani Water?'' I tell him that Great Compassion Dharani Water is the water blessed with the Great Compassion Dharani. There are different methods of obtaining water for use in creating Great Compassion Water. There is Yin Yang Water, Rootless Water, well water, tap water and even ''Line of Water in a River,'' which is the extraordinary of extraordinary and has never been heard of by some people. Yin Yang Water is made by mixing half hot water and half cold water together. The hot water is ''yang'' and the cold water is ''yin.'' Rootless Water is rainwater. The rain falls from the sky but never touches the ground. It is collected in a container and called Rootless water. Another type of water is dew. Dew contains poison. But, after it has been blessed with the Great Compassion Dharani, it can be used to treat skin diseases and ailments of the respiratory tract. There is also Dual-current Water. Dual-current Water is water close to the seashore. When we look upon the ocean, we are able to clearly perceive two different colors. Water closer to the shore is more mixed and yellowish. The deep ocean water is more bluish in color. The water that forms the dividing line between the blue and yellow water is called Dual-current Water. The water where Oyashio Current [Parental Tide] meets Kuroshio Current [Black Tide] is also called Dual-current Water.

Taoism uses a kind of water called ''Earth Water.'' This ''Earth Water'' can cure all kinds of poisons, and if it is blessed by the Great Compassion Dharani, it has spiritual power. To obtain the water, one must dig four feet down through the clean earth and fill the hole with well water. Use a wood stick to stir and mix the water with earth. Let the mixed water settle until it is clear. Take the water out once the soil and sand has completely precipitated. The water is then blessed with the Great Compassion Dharani that becomes the Great Compassion Earth Water. It's used specifically for detoxification and highly effective.

Nowadays, the Great Compassion Dharani Water is widely used in Buddhist circles. Although most people know how to bless Great Compassion Dharani Water, they don't know how to actually obtain the water in the first place. One must be sincere when obtaining water, but also visualize that one is standing in the sky slightly waving willow sticks like Guanyin. While drops of water from her purification vase fly out into space, hundreds of illnesses are completely cured, and sentient beings are saved from suffering and difficulties. This is a marvelous technique the bodhisattva uses to save worldly beings.

''A Line of Water in a River'' is a method told to me by Mr. Zhou Bangdao. Since never wanting to keep such things to myself, I'm telling all my readers. The spiritual power of the Great Compassion Dharani Water by Zhouyang Huiqing Bodhisattva is not just derived from the meritorious power of reciting the buddha's mantra, the method of obtaining the water is also possibly an inspiration from heaven!

I hope everyone thinks this over carefully! Think this over carefully!

I am writing a verse to commemorate my talk with Zhou Bangdao:
One who discusses esotericism is actually a celestial being
Who however may be mocked as mentally disordered by worldly people
Do nothing to cause any negative karma but only virtuous kind
Lost track of time while conversing about great compassion