On Deliverance
1.The Great Master
said,
"Ordinary people think that only the present life is important. However,
enlightened people regard death as important as present life because they know
the principle that those who die well can be born well and live well, and vice
versa; birth is the origin of death, and death is the origin of birth. Although
there is no fixed time in the solution of the problem, people over forty must
start preparing for the approach of death, so as not to be in a hurry to meet
their last moment."
2.The Great Master
said,
"People in the world, without exception, must die once. Today, therefore,
I am going to tell you how to behave as a relative at the deathbed of someone
and how to meet death yourself. My followers, listen to me carefully. In cases
where a person has met an unnatural death from a sudden illness or accident,
or where a person is too faithless to follow guidance, it will not be easy to
practice the entire teachings. But if it is not an unnatural death, or if a
person has even a little faith, this teaching will contribute greatly to consolidate
one's faith at the last moment, saving one's soul.
First of all, relatives must always keep the sickroom clean and should often
burn some amount of incense. If the room is filthy, the mind of the sick person
will become dirty.
Second, always keep the surroundings of a sick person quiet. If the surroundings
are noisy, the sick will not be able to concentrate the mind.
Third, tell many stories about the conduct of good people when attending the
sick and console them by complimenting their virtuous conduct, if any. Then,
good conduct will be impressed on their mind and may remain as a habit for the
coming life.
Fourth, refrain from speaking of evil, trickery, lechery or extraneous things
in the presence of the sick. Such bad impressions will become a bad habit in
the coming life.
Fifth, in the presence of the sick, neither show any worries about household
management, nor speak seriously or dejectedly concerning matters of family relations.
These are liable to provoke the sick by increasing his worldly love and desires,
preventing the soul from leaving the place forever. If the soul is not able
to find any human body in which to be reincarnated at the place of death, it
is liable to fall into the animal world.
Sixth, try to practice Chanting the Name of Buddha; reading sutras and speaking
of Buddha Dharma to the sick, but if any sick person does not care to hear voices,
try to practice meditation in their presence. Then the sick one will be able
to keep the mind peaceful and stable.
Seventh, as the moment of the dying person's final breath approaches, never
cause disturbance by crying out, calling the person's name or holding the dying
body. Such behavior causes nothing useful and only confuses the mind of the
dying one. If the sorrow is beyond your power to control, the right time
to cry out is several hours after death."
3. The Great Master
continued his talk,
"A person on the deathbed must try to forget about everything except concentration
on controlling the mind. If the person needs to make the will, manage it in
advance so that it may not disturb concentration of mind. For the dying person
nothing is more urgent than spiritual concentration. In addition, if the person
had an enemy or cherished a grudge against someone, it should be tried to find
a chance to invite the person in to be reconciled with the dying one. But in
case the object of hatred has already gone, the dying one should try to release
old hatred. Hatred remaining in the mind will be an evil seed of Cause and Effect
in the next life. Or, if the dying person still adheres to some object that
has been loved, every effort must be made to release the attachment. If one
is not liberated from the attachment, true Nirvana will never be one's, and
desire will be the cause of an endless cycling along evil paths.
Let the dying one observe these teachings and, as the final moments approach,
breathe the last breath with a far more purified soul by means of Chanting the
Name of Buddha or by practicing meditation. Then one can be saved from the cycle
of evil and be led to the righteous way, even though one is not completely versed
in the Truth of birth and death. These teachings, however, are not only for
one at the last breath, but also for those who believe in the Law, practicing
it in order to instruct themselves in how to meet their last moment. It may
not be easy for one without faith and training to practice these instructions
all at once. One must practice these teachings beforehand lest one be unprepared
and one should be fully mindful lest one's soul become attached to something
in its coming and going. The problem of birth and death is too important to
be neglected."
4. The Great Master
wrote a few lines and told Lee Kong-Joo and Sung Sung-Won to learn them by heart.
It exists as long as Heaven and Earth remain,
Always keeping its one appearance
Even with the extinction of other beings.
If you are once enlightened to the Truth of going and coming,
The flowers will never cease to bloom,
Step by step, everything will become a great sutra.
(Yung-chun-yung-chi-yung-bo-chang-saeng
Mahn-seh-myul-do-sang-tong-no
Kuh-reh-kak-do-moo-goong-hwa
Po-bo-il-che-tae-sung-kyung.)
This became sacred chanting for the deliverance of the soul.
5.The Great Master
delivered 'A Sermon for Leading the Soul Before and After Death.' It read,
"My followers, be fully attentive to my words. All of the things that you
have received in this life, favorable and unfavorable, are the result of your
conduct in your past life. The result of your conduct in this life is what you
are to receive in your next life. This is natural Karma. Buddhas and patriarchs,
being enlightened to the origin of their own Nature and having attained the
liberation of their mind, break the natural Karma, and control the Six Paths
and Four Forms of Birth at will; ordinary people and sentient beings, still
ignorant about the origin of their own Nature and not having attained the liberation
of their minds, are dominated by natural Karma, and suffer from endless tortures.
You, therefore, are the very creator of yourself, whether you are to be a Buddha,
a patriarch, an ordinary person or a sentient being, whether you are to be high
or low, to be blessed or punished, or to live a long or a short life. Now,
my followers, are you truly convinced that you are the creators of your own
Karma?
Listen to me again. The principle of birth and death operates the same in a
Buddha, in you, and in all sentient beings. Also, all have the same Nature,
which is originally pure and perfect. The Nature is like the moon in the sky;
there is only one true moon, but it reflects upon thousands of rivers. Likewise,
the origin of the whole Universe and of all things is the originally pure Nature
wherein exists neither name nor form, neither coming nor going, neither birth
nor death, neither Buddha nor sentient beings, neither void nor extinction,
no words that express Non-being, neither Being nor Non-being. But something
of being naturally and automatically takes place, causing the Universe to form,
to exist, to decay and to become void, and causing all beings to follow the
Six Paths and the Four Forms of Birth according to the cycle of birth, age,
illness and death, and also the change of day and night by the coming and going
of the sun and the moon. Likewise, your own birth or death is only one
change, but it does not mean your final cessation. My followers, have you understood
me? Have you attained enlightenment to your own Nature?
Listen to me again. When you leave your old body and receive a new one, you
will be reincarnated in the form which in this life you have liked and have
so far been most attracted to. If you enjoy the realm of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
you will be able to be reincarnated in their realm, receiving limitless happiness.
On the contrary, if you cherish most of all covetousness, anger, and foolishness,
you will be reincarnated in that realm and will suffer throughout eternity from
uncountable tortures. Are you listening to me?
My followers, listen to me again. At this moment, keep your mind stable. If
you hold even the slightest attachment to some object you will naturally fall
into a wicked path. Once you have fallen into a wicked path, when will it be
possible for you to be reincarnated into a human body, so that you may embrace
the religious Order of saints and sages and achieve the great task which will
lead you into the realm of boundless blessedness? My followers, are you listening
to me?"
6. The Great Master,
who was impressed by the advertising of a fire insurance company at an exhibition
held in Seoul, said,
"We say that we have to transcend birth and death, happiness and suffering.
But without knowing the principles of birth and death it is not easy to transcend
them. If we are to think that once one dies, one will never have reincarnation,
how sorry and sad we will be on the brink or death. This may be the same case
as that of one who has not insured property and possessions, but all at once
loses them in a fire. However, to those who know the principle of birth and
death, the changes of birth and death are just as the changing of our clothes.
The physical body which is a changing form will perish, but the clear and bright
spirit is immortal and will have new forms. This bright spirit, like that fire
insurance policy which can provide for the rebuilding of a destroyed building,
guarantees the eternal life of human beings. Therefore, those who know about
this principle may be peaceful through life and death, but the ignorant will
be nervous and uneasy. Moreover, those who are versed in the principle of happiness
and suffering will provide endless happiness by means of truly righteous happiness
and suffering. Other people, however, being hopeless and without any preparation,
will never be given relief from the state of suffering. It is natural that thoughtful
people should be concerned about such people and feel pity for them."
7. The Great Master
said,
"There are many ways to be practiced by human beings, however, they may
be categorized as the way of life and the way of death. If you are ignorant
about the way of life during your lifetime, it is impossible to lead a worthwhile
life, and if you are ignorant about the way of death when you die, it will be
almost impossible to escape from falling into an evil way."
8. The Great Master
said,
"The birth and death of human beings can be likened to blinks of the eye,
to inhalation and exhalation of breath, and to falling into sleep and awakening.
Except for the difference in length of time, the principle is the same: birth
and death are not two. Originally, nothing is born or perishes. Therefore, the
enlightened person regards it as change, but the unenlightened person regards
it as birth and death."
9. The Great Master
said,
"Like the sun which sinks today in the west but rises tomorrow in the east,
all things will die in this life, but their spirits, which have left their bodies,
will appear again in this world in new bodies."
10.The Great Master
said,
"The world where living people abide is called This World and the world
where the people are to go after their death is called That World. People think
that This World and That World are different. They are not. This World and That
World represent only the changes of body and situation."
11. The Great Master
said,
"When the spirit of a human being leaves its body, it first pursues that
to which it has been attached, and next it follows after Karma. Thus, the cycle
of spirit never ceases through all eternity. To be free from the cycle, you
should never become attached to something and should have the power to transcend
your Karma."
12. Chung Il-Sung
asked,
"When I come to the close of my life, how should I hold my mind at the
last moment?"
The Great Master answered,
"Just keep your mind calm and peaceful."
He asked again,
"What is the course of rebirth like?"
The Great Master answered,
"It is like awakening from sleep. When you fall asleep you are unconscious
of yourself, but upon awakening from sleep you will find Il-Sung again. This
one existence now called Il-Sung will follow after its own Karma, that is, deeds,
in the ceaseless cycle of death and rebirth."
13. One of the disciples
asked, "I should like to know the process and circumstances when the soul
leaves an old body and is reincarnated in a new body."
The Great Master answered,
"Usually a soul parts with the body when the energy and respiration of
the body completely withdraws. But sometimes a soul leaves the body when its
energy and respiration still remain in the body. The soul which leaves the body
usually remains as a formless spirit in the air for forty-nine days before it
finds a body to enter, but sometimes it enters a womb immediately after leaving
the body or remains in the air wandering about for some months or years as a
formless spirit before entering a body. Usually, until it enters a new body,
a soul wanders around in a dreamy state with the misconception that it still
has a body. However, once it enters a womb, the misconception disappears and
it comes to realize that it is in a new body."
14. One of the disciples
asked, "I still cannot find answers to my questions on life and death.
My life seems to me just as that of a mayfly and the world seems nihilistic
to me. What should I do about this?"
The Great Master answered,
"There is a passage in an ancient book which says that 'from the point
of view of change, even Heaven and Earth never stay unchanged even for a moment;
but from the point of view of permanence, all things and oneself never cease
to be.' Study frequently the meaning of this passage."
15. The Great Master
said, "All sentient or senseless beings are given the element of life.
Their lives never become final, but continue changing forms. For example, a
human corpse decays underground, making the soil rich. Then the grasses which
grow thick around the spot will be made into compost. The compost will grow
rich crops, and people eat those crops which supply blood and flesh as the sources
of their energy for actions and life. From this point of view, nothing in the
universe perishes forever, and even a straw can manifest thousands of changes
and capabilities through its changing forms. Therefore you disciples, study
the principle sincerely, and become enlightened to the Truth that all things
enjoy endless lives in the Truth of No Birth and No Death."
16. The Great Master, at a New Year's Day ceremony, said to the assembly, "Yesterday
is no different from today, but we call a year including yesterday the last
year, and from today, this year. Likewise, the world for living people
is called This World and the world for dead people is called That World even
though the spirits of living people or dead people are the same. Our bodies,
which are constituted of dust, water, fire and wind are changing continuously
into birth and death and comprise both This World and That World. But the soul
is imperishable throughout eternity without birth and death. Therefore, to those
who know such truth, birth, age, illness and death seem like the changings of
the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter; That Life and This Life
seem like last year and this year."
17. The Great Master
said,
"One who is dying will never be able to take with one the vast fortune
that one has amassed in one's lifetime. How, then, can a fortune be regarded
one's own everlasting possession? To acquire everlasting fortunes, you must
try to do favors for other people and accumulate charitable deeds in your lifetime.
A feeling of pride should not abide in your mind in doing charitable deeds,
so that you may accumulate inexhaustible merit. Your eternal and most genuine
possession is your sincere and unswerving faith toward the right Law and the
spiritual power which you acquire while practicing the right Law. Constant effort
in cultivating your faith and in training your mind will make you the owner
of wisdom and blessedness through the ages."
18. The Great Master
said to an assembly at a monastery,
"Do you know about hell and the messenger of hell? You don't have to go
farther from your own home to find hell, nor do you have to look farther than
your own family for messengers of hell. Here is the reason. Ordinary people
who have strong attachments to their families can scarcely part with these beloved
ones when they are going to die; their souls, lingering around their own homes,
if falling to have an opportunity to be reincarnated into a new human body,
will be reincarnated into the body of a domestic animal or insect around their
homes. Therefore, from ancient times, Buddhas and masters have encouraged us
to leave this world without attachment to anything and act without attachment
to any object. This is to prevent us from falling into an evil world."
19. The Great Master
said,
"Everyday people have to practice and train their minds to eliminate attachments
in their mind. One with strong attachments to property, the opposite sex, fame,
profit, family, clothes, food and shelter will suffer from worries and anxieties
far more strongly than other people when losing even one of these things. This
is a hell in real life. And when about to die, one will never be free from these
attachments, but will fall into the abyss of sins. How can we be neglectful
of this truth?"
20. The Great Master
said,
"Recently, people have frequently chosen the locations of their own gravesites.
At death, however, the spirits of these people will go directly to the graveyard,
and if they find no way to be reincarnated into a human body, will unconsciously
fail into an evil world around that graveyard and it will be hard for them to
be reincarnated into a human being again. How can we be so careless?"
21. One of the disciples
would not follow what he was told to do by the Great Master, and persisted in
his own way. The Great Master said, "If you are obstinate in such a trivial
things as this, no doubt you will be obstinate in doing an important thing too.
Then, you will do everything according to your own opinions, and as a result
you will be beyond my salvation or deliverance. How can I then save you?"
22. The Great Master
spoke to an assembly at a monastery,
"If you keep from all worldly attachments and desires, and listen to Dharma
words everyday as you are doing now, purifying your mind, you will save not
only yourself but all sentient beings around you. Even a tiny insect will be
delivered naturally through your Dharma power, spread over the Universe of the
Dharma world. Just as the sunbeams thaw snow and ice naturally and unintentionally,
the Dharma power of the master of the Way, whose mind is affected with no evil
or earthly thought, may naturally thaw the Karma of all sentient beings."
23. The Great Master
said,
"There are two kinds of human beings. One is the heavenly person, the other
is the person of earth. The heavenly person is one who wants little, has a noble
mind and whose pure spirit always floats upward. The person of earth is one
who is greedy, has degraded thoughts and whose impure spirit always goes downward.
This is the crossroads of the way of goodness and the way of evil. You will
know yourself by reflecting on which classification of human beings you belong
to, and what will become of you in the future."
24. The Great Master said, "The bright moon will emerge when dark clouds in the sky are swept away, and will shine upon all things. The moon of wisdom of the person of moral training will shine upon all sentient beings as a mirror for them when the clouds of desire are swept away from the mind. Then one will become a great master of the Law who can save sentient beings in an evil world."
25. The Great Master said, "One morning I was looking toward Puan from Yungkwang, and there I found a pure spirit floating over the middle of the sky. Afterward, when I visited there, I found that an assembly of those of moral training had been practicing meditation at Wolmyung Hermitage. Doubtlessly, if we integrate and purify our mind through meditation, gradually the tainted and impure spirit comes downward while the abstruse and pure spirit goes upward to Nine Heavens. Then, the whole universe of the Three Worlds will be covered with its perfect spirit, and all beings of the Six Paths and Four Forms of Birth will be surrounded by their pure Dharma power which will deliver and save all of them."
26. At one regular
evening Dharma meeting, the Great Master, looking at the disciple one by one
under the lights, said,
"Each of your spirits appears differently. There are some people whose
impure spirit has sunk low, through the cultivation of mind for a long time,
and only the pure spirit appears. Some appear to have more pure spirit than
impure spirit; some have half and half. Some have more impure spirit than pure
spirit, and some have only impure spirit." And he continued, "The
greedier one is, the more one's spirit becomes impure, which hinders the upward
flight of his spirit. Such a person, when one's life is ended in this world,
is liable to fall into a world of animals or insects. And one who is not so
greedy, yet ignores cultivation of mind inwardly, only valuing one's own knowledge,
comes to fall easily into the world of sura and birds because one's spirit floats
upward lightly, lacking any weight. Therefore, if one of moral training becomes
enlightened, fosters a pure mind and discriminates right from wrong in
keeping proper conduct, then in the long run, by achieving the power of spiritual
concentration, one will become free from the cycle of Six Paths, will be able
to change one's body freely and also will be able to travel spiritually over
the whole Dharma world, leaving one's physical body, and retain power to concentrate
on the cultivation of mind."
27. The Great Master
said,
"If you always make every effort not to disturb the mind, not to make your
mind stupid or unrighteous, you will be empowered to deliver sentient beings
even from hell. Even to form a relationship with Buddha's right Law will become
a seed to grow into attainment of Buddhahood through eternity."
28. When Kim Kwang-Sun passed away, the Great Master shed tears, and said to the assembly of disciples, "The late Palsan shared happiness and suffering with me for more than twenty years, and had the closest relationship with me. Even though there is no birth and no death, no prosperity and no decay in the Dharma body, it still is regrettable not to be able to see his countenance again. For the sake of his soul, I will preach about the Law of the Cycle of Birth and Death and about the extinction of Karma. Now, you disciples, listen to me most attentively in remembrance of Palsan. Your enlightenment acquired from my preaching will be an advantage not only for you but also for Palsan. In the words of the ancient Buddha, it is said that if one practices the great Way of No Birth and No Death, one's Karma, accumulated through many lives, will become extinct. The way to extinguish Karma is as follows. If someone causes you suffering and brings you loss, do not hate them or hold a grudge against them, but take it as a debt which you owed them in your past lives, keeping your mind peaceful and never contrary to theirs. If you retreat from a chance for revenge, the Karma will cease to cycle. Furthermore, be aware of a state where the Cycle of Life and Death and happiness and suffering are absolutely void, and hold this state of mind. When you can retain your mind in this state, it may be said that the Karma of birth and death are completely extinguished."
29. Park Je-Bong
asked,
"What good will the Forty-ninth Day Deliverance Service and memorial service
do for the soul of the deceased?"
The Great Master answered,
"In Heaven and Earth there is a mysterious principle of reciprocal response.
If one sows a seed and fertilizes the earth, the fertilized earth produces better
crops as a result, even though the earth is senseless, the seed is senseless
and the manure is senseless. If even senseless crops show such response, why
then should we not expect response from human beings who are the beings of highest
intelligence? For the sake of the deceased, if many people sincerely give Inward
Confession, wish for their good fortune, make a contribution and give a Dharma
discourse from a master of high virtue, the mind of the deceased and of the
living people will be connected and spirit will respond to spirit. Thus the
deceased will be easily delivered. If the deceased have already fallen into
a wicked world, they will be able to have the opportunity gradually to progress
to a better world. Even though the deceased had many debts in life, they may
be freed from the debts if the contributions of condolence are used adequately
for the public welfare. If the deceased were not in debt, the contributions
used in this way will become their invisibly accumulated blessedness. The principle
which explains this reciprocal response may be likened to the alternating current
of electricity."
30. One of the disciples
asked,
"From ancient times, sons, daughters, relatives or friends have offered
things to Buddha images or have invited those of high virtue to preach and chant
sutras for the sake of souls. What should be the effect of this practice, and
what difference will be brought forth in the effectiveness of the different
degrees of sincerity of worshippers and the different levels of Dharma power
of the men of high virtue?"
The Great Master
said,
"Prayers for souls and offering things to Buddha images show sincerity
toward the soul of the deceased. Sincerity moves even Heaven and according to
he degree of sincerity the prayers and offerings will be more effective. Or,
sermons and chanting sutras will be more influential according to the degree
of Dharma power of one of high virtue. As a result, some will return to a righteous
way unconsciously after being completely repaid for what they have done in their
past; some will be able to return to a righteous way directly, being relieved
of all Karma; some, who have failed to find new life since their deaths and
are groping in the dark and intermediate state of the bodiless ghost world will
find a new life; some who were once attached to a thing will leave the attachment,
reaching for the Heavenly realm and the realm of human beings enjoying blessedness
and happiness. However, if the sincerity of the sons and daughters and the Dharma
power of those of high virtue are not enough to save the soul of the deceased,
their exercises will not have much impact on the spiritual root. This is because
a great power will never be brought until the utmost sincerity is exercised.
This is likened to the fact that if a farmer fails to use all sincerity and
ability in farming there will be poor crops."
31. Seo Dae-Won
asked,
"Can the sermon for the dead be heard by their souls?"
The Great Master said,
"Some hear it, but some do not. Yet this sermon for the dead will become
an unconscious factor of deliverance of the soul through the sincerity expressed
for the soul rather than a factor to enlighten the soul itself. Then, like a
fly which cannot fly a thousand miles by itself, but can go that distance by
resting on a swift horse which can run a thousand miles, the soul will gradually
return to the Dharma world through the influence of this deliverance sermon."
32. Kim Tae-Keo
asked,
"Today I observed a Forty-ninth Day Deliverance Service for a two-year
old baby. Even an adult could hardly understand all the procedures and rites.
How then is this immature soul of a little baby to understand and be saved by
the service?"
The Great Master said,
"There is no difference between the soul of an adult and the soul of a
baby. The principle of soul deliverance is like the fertilizing of trees, or
like iron being attracted by a magnet. The souls of all moving things are rooted
in the air. Therefore we observe memorial services through the whole Dharma
world, offering Truth which fertilizes the root of the soul effectively."
33. He continued,
asking,
"By observing the memorial service in this way, can all bad Karma accumulated
in one's lifetime, heavier or lighter, be extinguished at one time, and can
we be delivered?"
The Great Master replied,
"According to the heaviness or the lightness of the Karma of each person,
the sincerity of those who are in charge of the service and the Dharma power
of the preacher, Karma may be either thawed at once like ice before sunbeams
or it may take a long time. In any case, the memorial service never ends in
nothingness and without fail it leads the soul to make good associations."
34. He asked again,
"Why do we observe the deliverance service on the forty-ninth day after
death?"
The Great Master answered,
"A soul usually enters its next state, according to its Karma, after remaining
in an intermediate state for forty-nine days following death. Therefore, in
order to purge the soul further, on the basis of the words of the ancient Buddha,
the data of the deliverance service of the soul was determined. However, there
are many souls which directly enter the next state as soon as they have left
their old bodies."
35. Tae-Keo
asked again,
"In the Nirvana Sutra, Buddha says, 'If you want to know your deeds in
your former life, notice what you are in this world. If you want to know what
you will become in your next life, see what you are doing in this life.' However,
I see for a fact that some persons who deserve to be punished, judging from
their mind conduct, are enjoying their lives of pleasure. While on the other
hand, gentle persons who should be blessed are suffering from miserable poverty.
How, then, can we say that the Truth of Cause and Effect is accurate?"
The Great Master replied,
"This is why all Buddhas and patriarchs warned people to hold a pure thought
at their last breath. One who has a wicked mind but who enjoys a wealthy state
in this life is one who practiced virtuous deeds in the early parts of the former
life, then changed one's mind in the later parts, closing life with a degraded,
wicked thought. On the other hand, one whose mind is gentle but whose life is
miserable in this life is one who acted wickedly in the early parts of a former
life, but in the later deeply repented and was restored to a righteous mind.
Thus, a thought cherished in the bosom at the last moment of this life will
be the first thought of the next life."
36. He asked again,
"The realm of dead people is separated from that of living people. Is it
possible for the soul and the perceptive mind to come and go freely in both
realms?"
The Great Master said,
"Only the perceptive mind will be as free as before death in coming and
going. But a difference will be brought forth between a soul which is darkened
by covetousness, anger and foolishness, and a soul which has defeated covetousness,
anger and foolishness. The soul bound by covetousness, anger and foolishness
is not capable of coming and going freely and, being covered by dark Karma,
it is apt to be driven by its attachment. When it is to enter the new body,
the illusive soul mistakes animals and insects for pleasant and attractive forms,
entering their wombs with a sexual desire, dreamily and unconsciously. Even
entering the womb of a human being, it also mistakes it as a partner in its
sexual desire. If it has established some determined wish and fails to enter
a human body, it enters the world of animals and insects with the same
Karma it would have had if it had entered a human body. Thus the soul which
is not free from covetousness, anger and foolishness is never free from life
and death and from the constant Cycle of Six Paths in thousands of sufferings
and will be driven by the Twelve Links. The soul which has surmounted covetousness,
anger and foolishness is free in coming and going without any attachment, is
able to see and think rightly, and is never driven by Karma because it distinguishes
the righteous path from the wrong path. When it is to enter a new body, it keeps
a peaceful and calm attitude, and receives a new form in a righteous way. When
it enters a womb, it pays respect to the new body as its parent. It can fulfill
the determined wish as it was intended. It is completely free from life and
death, from the cycle of Six Paths, and it controls the Twelve Links at its
own will."
37. He asked again,
"How will the close link be made?"
The Great Master said, "Ordinary people are closely related with either
a good link of love or a bad link of hatred. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, however,
are willing to make a close link with ordinary people in order to deliver them.
38.He asked again,
"Should one be delivered only after death?"
The Great Master answered, "One may be saved while living or after death.
However, it may be more effective to save one's soul by oneself during one's
lifetime than to leave it to another person to save after one dies. Therefore,
if you train your mind brightly, purely and righteously every day to the level
such that your Six Perceptions will never be tainted through experiencing the
Six impurities, you will then have finished your own deliverance by yourself
before you die, and at the same time you will be enabled to save other people.
However, not many people have reached this level. This is why those of moral
training of Three Worlds were in a hurry to practice the Way."