001. The Mandate of Heaven is
established upon awareness of one's original nature.
002. The Mandate of Heaven is established upon enlightening the true heart and seeing the
true self. Through the ages, the ancient patriarchs embodied these attributes, enabling
them to receive Heaven's mandate and transmit the Dao to others. As the Parisuddhi Sutra
states: "Only an illuminated person can transmit the great Dao to others." The
Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng understood that the true self is originally void, enabling him to
become a master.
003. Heaven gave the Mandate of Heaven to Trikaya, the Three Buddhas, personally. Thus,
the Three Buddhas return to this world to manage the final salvation. The Mandate of
Heaven was transmitted to the Three Buddhas through divine power. As an exchange between
Heaven and man, only the divine power is aware.
004. The heavenly mandate of amassing souls is passed on to the Three Buddhas via divine
power. "Hanging the gold medal upside-down" means concealing one's identity and
changing one's appearance. Thus adults become children, and the old become young. That
which cannot be seen and understood is known as "hidden."
005. Heaven is severe with its Mandate. The Three Buddhas have the authority to handle
everything. As even the ordained saints and the myriad Bodhisattvas are ordered to
cooperate with the Three Buddhas, it goes without saying that all beings should fear the
Mandate of Heaven all the more.
006. The parable of the Mandate of Heaven: Jesus said: "Peter, I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
007. The Heritage of the Mandate of Heaven does not rely on tokens, papers or
admonishments. It must be understood that "The Dharma (truth) is transmitted from
heart to heart, and each recipient must realize Dharma via his own efforts. From time
immemorial it has been the practice for one Buddha to pass to his successor the
quintessence of the Dharma, and for one patriarch to transmit to another the sacred
teachings from heart to heart. As the robe may give cause for dispute, you are the last
one to inherit it. Should you hand it down to your successor, your life will be in
imminent danger."
008. The Mandate of Heaven is only bestowed to the virtuous that have cultivated
themselves for many lives, preceding and continuing through this present life. Neither can
the Mandate of Heaven be assumed by force. As the Book of Odes states: "Joyful is the
prince with the power of his own correctness. He harmonized those far and near. He
received his reward from Heaven, who protected him, helped him, and gave him the mandate,
which he in turn enhanced. "
009. The Mandate of Heaven is a responsibility and a mission. It aims to enlighten the
true self of all beings, not to receive worship.
010. Without the Mandate of Heaven, the Heavenly Portal cannot be opened.
011. The true Mandate of Heaven of amassing souls: The Fifteenth Patriarch said: "One
who understands thoroughly the truth of having and not having, visibility and
invisibility, essence and manifestation, shall receive the Mandate of Heaven and advance
the amassment of souls."
012. The Mandate of Heaven is applied to amassing souls. Upon receiving the Mandate, one
must do the work of amassing souls without fail. The Mandate of Heaven is mighty. When it
is present, one can achieve enlightenment through self-cultivation.
013. The Mandate of Heaven is bestowed to the enlightened. The human body is a movable
temple.
014. The Mandate of Heaven is given to those who have achieved true self-cultivation, and
cannot be taken away.
015. The Mandate of Heaven built on morality is superior to that which is merely inspired
by the teachings of the Buddha.
016. Master Lao Qian Ren said: "The Golden Thread (Mandate of Heaven) descends before
the eyes of the myriad souls. The Dao before you is the middle way, and one who can convey
the essence of this middle way inherits the Mandate of Heaven."
017. One whose mind has reached the stage of emptiness, nothingness, solitude, and
stillness, can achieve self-realization and understand the glory of the divine. Only such
an enlightened soul can receive the Mandate of Heaven and execute the mission of
transmitting the Dao.
018. Master Tien-Jen said: Heaven bestowed the Mandate of Heaven to him so that he may
carry out the mission of transmitting the Dao.
019. Jehovah has almighty power. He gives authority to the Enlightened Master via the
Mandate of Heaven.
020. Why do we fear the Mandate of Heaven? The divine transmits the Mandate of Heaven and
the Enlightened Master is Heaven's designated messenger. He comes into this world to
transmit the Dao for Heaven. Therefore, to fear the Enlightened Master is to fear the
almighty.
021. To transmit the Dao is to hold the Mandate of Heaven in one's heart. One must connect
with the origin of life to attain true growth.
022. When the time has come, the heavens will open and the Mandate of Heaven will come to
completion.
023. All are bound by the Mandate of Heaven. We shall witness the Final Catastrophe of the
Third Period and the assembly of the Maitreya under the bodhi tree when at last the
Messiah comes to earth.
024. We dare not disobey the Mandate of Heaven when the Final Catastrophe of the Third
Period comes to pass. At this time, we must assist the Maitreya Buddha (the Messiah) to
complete the mission of amassing souls. This is the Mandate of Heaven we must obey. He is
where all sentient beings will be converted in the future. He who receives the Dao of the
Maitreya Buddha shall never withdraw from the great Dao.
025. The Master said: "If you do not understand my mission, then transmitting the Dao
to others is useless." Therefore the Master must not only complete half the
mission--transmitting the Dao. For delivering all beings with the Dao is the bloom and
amassing souls is the fruit. If the fruit has not been gathered, the Master will return
once again to this world to complete his mission. For without amassing souls, transmission
of the Dao to all beings is meaningless.
026. After receiving the Dharma, the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng arrived at the Faxing temple
in Canton, where he saw two monks arguing about whether the wind moved or banners moved.
Approaching them, Hui Neng told them, "It is your minds that are moving." Upon
hearing such direct and rational words, abbot Yinzong knew that Hui Neng must be a very
special ascetic and did not simply teach through words. He then decided to serve him as a
master. Nowadays, there are tens of thousands of ascetics in the temple, but nobody knows
the Mandate of Heaven or the path of the true Dharma. What a pity!
027. The Bible says: "Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall
be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto
men." Therefore we should fear the Mandate of Heaven and the Dao that is transmitted
by the Enlightened Master, or suffer the judgment of Heaven.
028. The Bible says, "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words
thou shalt be condemned." Because the Heritage of Mandate of Heaven is of great
consequence and concerns wisdom as the basis of spiritual character, you must speak with
caution, always keeping the Lord in your heart, guarding against even momentary lapses
into idle talk just for fun for fear of committing irretrievable sin.
029. Heaven helps all those who fulfill the mission of amassing souls in accordance with
the Mandate of Heaven, for nobody can stop those empowered as such. |
