CHAPTER III: EMPTINESS METAMORPHOSES THE UNIVERSE AND HUMANKIND
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The Reverend Lord, Supreme Maitreya Buddha Teaching the Tao Dharma in Adi (A Đề) Garden,
07-14-1962
(Image Credit: https://phaptangphatgiaovietnam.org)
We arrive at the same time in the morning and see the Master sitting at the lower veranda beneath the apple tree in A Đề Garden, Vĩnh Ích village, Vạn Thuận hamlet, Tân Đảo settlement, an area of Khánh Hòa province, later renamed Phú Khánh province. His residence is within a little forest that was explored about four years ago on the hill near the foot of the mountain. The front overlooks the sea, and the back is the Elephant Mountain. Although the landscape is incomplete, its beauty does not lack the beauty of nature. The Master, pleased with our presence, offers us mountain-made tea that tastes pleasant, though not very good.
The Master sits meditatively and appears to be in contemplation as we recall yesterday’s lessons. The Master says:
“As I have told you, the specific substances of unrestful, illusory thoughts give rise to the specific forms that are impregnated and maintained. Seeing and knowing are not outside of specific forms, creating many disagreements in thoughts and forming thousands of different ways of living. One who integrates returning to uniformity with every seed of nature has gone through a process known as salvation for living beings. In this moment, I begin to tell you: Emptiness metamorphoses the Universe along with humankind. The application of emptiness’ nature varies with different regions. Please try to listen to me.”
As soon as the Meditation Master says these words, the young monk brings the tea in. The Master waves His hand and continues. “What is essential substance? Essential substance is the ultimate knowing immortality that is neither polluted, nor clinging to any specific area or ego. It is like a rich man, the owner of a castle, who manages absolutely everything in the castle, who possess a quality called no-birth – immortality. The essential substance manages specific substances and form substances as well as emptiness. Emptiness creates its emptiness form from itself, whereas the Universe and all species are being born.”
“Essential substance and emptiness appears to be two, but they are really not two. Why? Essential substance does not change, whereas emptiness constantly changes. Emptiness has form, but it has no state; it has nature together with substance, forming the essential nature of emptiness. Let’s take the viewpoint of humankind in the solar system to explain this more clearly. The nature of emptiness is a pressing nature. When something has achieved its shape, for example, a rock or plank of iron, it is placed in space with the intention of avoiding the rotation of the Earth or the planets. Because of the pressing force, the rock or the plank of iron stands still in space, waiting for time to be naturally annihilated. Because of the pressing nature, the Earth is not round but egg-shaped; such a remark shows that emptiness has a pressing nature.”
“Looking up to space, it has its form and substance of hollow space. That hollow substance metamorphoses itself and is not being metamorphosed. For example, in the solar system or in the Universe, when a planet reaches its end and explodes, after the explosion, when its momentum runs out, its explosive force is immediately affected by the pressing force of space, turning into tiny dust and then empty dust assimilated into space; then metamorphosing from space. There is no case in which the exploded planet is immediately re-metamorphosed when it retains its form. When space metamorphoses a planet, the planet takes its shape from a particle. Space nourishes it until its time limit expires and it is bound to be destroyed.”
“As far as emptiness metamorphosing the Universe is concerned, it varies with each region. For example, in the case of its metamorphosis from fine substances, the substances of fine essence are metamorphosed into the precept scenes. The rough place is formed from the rough substances, the fire place is formed from the fire substances, and the water place is formed from the water substances.”
“In this solar system, the Earth represents the solid substance, the Sun represents the fire substance, the Moon represents the water substance, and space represents the hollow substance. Each planet, depending on its substances, has its own representative to form its system. Only the species that is superior to the Universe represents the constitution of consciousness. Hearing, seeing, and knowing are the roots of essential substance. However, species are subjected to metamorphosis in the Universe. They are mistakenly taking specific forms bound to the birth and death regulations. Therefore, they must rely on air or fine air to breathe, and the provisions of each precept scene, world, and place, with the Earth as an example.”
When we heard the Meditation Master say these words, we unanimously stand up and respectfully ask, “Dear Master, emptiness metamorphoses the Universe, the Earth, and all of the species; how does it metamorphose? Which species is born first? We beg Master to explain this.”
The Meditation Master answers: “As I have just expressed previously, from the Universe to all of the species, when they are integral and have not been formed yet, they can be modified and altered. On the other hand, when they possess form, they must have their own roots and branches. It is exactly as when you are thinking or planning something. For instance, when you plan to build a house, you can alter the plan and change the design with different dimensions. Once the house is established, it will be difficult to make major changes; you will need to break it down to build another one. Space must have its space form, the Earth has its Earth form, the Sun has its Sun form, and the Moon has its Moon form. It is the same for all of the species: each species has its own form. Forms must have their longevity, so it is said that ‘Forms have their own determined regulations.’ Therefore, the Saints say, ‘When one possesses an ill thought, if one does not express it, he or she does no harm; when one possesses an ill thought and expresses it, it is somewhat harmful, but it is rather than he or she does not put it into action. As one possesses an ill thought and puts it into one’s action, he or she is definitely evil.’”
“Speaking of emptiness, it is a general warehouse, storing all substances and natures along with hearing, seeing, and knowing. Since species are not capable of mutual empathy, it is said that emptiness has no knowledge. In reality, emptiness is naturally endowed with hearing, seeing, and knowing. It is also conceived that there is no fire in emptiness, and no light in empty nature. On the contrary, when engineers make power generators, they adopt emptiness to emit light and make fire. If scientists can create a robot with all of the necessary parts, it is natural that the robot has knowledge and behaves not unlikely as a born human would. If you understand and perceive what I say, then you will believe that emptiness metamorphoses the Universe and all of the species. On the contrary, if you do not perceive my words, then you will find it difficult to believe them to be true.”
UNIVERSE
(Image Credit: Tony Rowell / Getty Images)
As the Meditation Master speaks these words, He seems to put added emphasis on them for our attention. The Master states: “Listen to me, gentlemen. First of all, emptiness metamorphoses the Universe, or, if the Universe already exists, it sets up and metamorphoses the solar system. Then emptiness must have a starting point, moving miraculously in a great expanse. Emptiness metamorphoses the dimly white substance. With time, the dimly white substance gives birth to miraculous empty particles. Whether it is the dimly white substance or the-miraculous-empty-particles, it already has all substances along with hearing and knowing. However, secular eyes of specific form cannot see that.
A starting point, moving miraculously in a great expanse
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
The Dimly White Substance
(For illustration)
The-Miraculous-Empty-Particles making itself into a visible white color
(For Illustration)
The Miraculous-Empty-Particles making up a big mass; Its inside is the-miraculous-particles.
(For Illustration)
“During the time when the-miraculous-empty-particles makes itself into a visible white color, its nature is very active, making it move and circulate within the achieved dimly white circle mentioned above. When it is condensed, its living body is further strengthened to form a circular rotational movement. In this manner, it makes a rotating line. When the miraculous-empty-particles makes up a big mass, the inside is condensed and is called the miraculous-particles, while the outside keeps on forming and nourishing. When it becomes solid, it is immediately affected by the pressure of space, which makes the rotation much stronger.”
“A cloud of fog” encircling the 800,000,000-year-old newborn Earth
(For Illustration)
“It is hard to estimate the number of years from the starting point of a miraculous motion, to forming miraculous empty particles, to the time that it achieves an oriented rotation, but until there is condensed liquid on its surface area like a cloud of fog encircling the Earth, it must take eight hundred million (800,000,000) years called one Rhythm of space time. When the outer layer is condensed, the inner layer is hard and has attractive force, there inhale and exhale air called breath, and its core has heat from the rotation. In that case, the estimated number of years must be increased by eight hundred million years (800,000,000) as well.”
“These two add up to one billion six hundred million (1,600,000,000) years. It’s estimated that it takes another one billion six hundred million years (1,600,000,000) before the outside becomes solid and the inside has a substance that is harder than diamond. This substance has enough attractive force birthed by space. Therefore, inside it there is an extremely heat-resistant substance that is difficult to describe. So, from the starting point until this stage, it has taken a total of four Rhythms of space time, equal to three billion two hundred million (3,200,000,000) years.”
The Meditation Master stops and takes a sip of tea, meaning for us to take the time to recall and ponder what he just has told us. The Meditation Master then continues. “As far as the Earth is concerned, it has four stages. Each stage has four Rhythms of space time. Each Rhythm of space time lasts for eight hundred million years. The first stage is called the Formation Period. The second stage is called the Residence Period. The third stage is called the Destruction Period. The fourth stage is called the Vacuum Period. In each stage, humans live in different ways. For that reason, humanity relies on the Earth for living rather than on themselves. Humanity is affected by the Universe in the same way that fish are affected by water.”
Earth Moon and Sun
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“In the Earth Formation Period, humankind and all of the species begin their metamorphosis. The Sun and the Moon also make their appearance in this Period. The Sun and the Moon appear after the three Rhythms of the Earth, which take two billion four hundred million (2,400,000,000) years. Why do the Sun and the Moon appear later than the Earth? Because the heat of the Earth constitutes the Sun, and coolness is provided to the Moon. That’s why their appearance is rather later.”[8]
[8] According to science, the age of the Sun is estimated to be around 4.603 billion years, the age of Earth is around 4.543 billion years, and the age of the Moon is around 4.53 billion years.
That means that science, with physical eyes, can only see the Earth about 60,000,000 years after the Sun appeared. In fact, the Earth had appeared three Rhythms of space time (2.4 billion years) before the Sun!
Also, according to science, the Moon appeared about 73,000,000 years after the Sun.
We are very surprised at hearing these words. The Meditation Master seems to be aware of what is in our minds. He smiles and reminds us, “You should know that each precept scene or world has its own species as its center. For example, the Divine World is presided over by the Divine Species. The Earth is presided over by humans. This solar system is presided over by the Earth, whereas the Sun, the Moon, and space are taken as supplements to nourish and support the Earth. For that reason, the constituted Earth is supplied with a liquid that is denser than the miraculous-empty-particles. When its center is hard and has a rotating orbit, it is affected by the pressure of space. This pressure is favorable to the Earth in two aspects. First, it provides the Earth with a moving force that allows the Earth to rotate strongly, and the strong rotation gives rise to heat at the center of the Earth. Second, due to the heat, there is an attractive substance generated by space, which is absorbing miraculous particles constituting the outer cover. The more rotations of the Earth, the more absorption and emission of the Earth’s gas there is. At a certain speed, the heat rises strongly at a considerable height. The heat is drawn into the orbit. The heat that rises above the orbit is known as the fire-empty-particles. It is not subjected to the Earth, making an up-road in emptiness to the upper layer, immediately colliding with space and becoming the orbit line, which resembles the Earth’s rotation. In the constituting time, it is called the Sun.”
Illustration of the newborn Sun,
Image credit: ThoughtCo.
Upon these words, The Meditation Master notices that we don’t quite understand yet. He restates His point as follows: “What is the fire-empty-particles? The fire-empty-particles is the heat emitted from the center of the Earth. At that time, no Sunlight is yet seen from the Earth. The heat is emitted, touches the orbit, and then rises up 3000 meters and expands around in the air. Half of it is attracted to the Earth making the Earth temperate, and the remaining half continuously rises above the orbit, making a diameter and rising to the upper layer, where the Sun becomes apparent.”
“The fire-empty-particles has a diameter that moves through space heading to the upper layer. You should remember that the inside of the diameter pertains to the fire-empty-particles, and the outside of the diameter is pushed downward by the pressing nature of space and becomes the cool substance called fine empty particles. The fine-empty-particles, after running strongly down to the end of the diameter of the fire-empty-particles, forms a diameter in the opposite direction such that it also collides with space, becoming an orbit rotation and constituting the apparent Moon.”
“When the three masses take shape, as far as the substances are concerned, there is mutual integration and nourishment between them in the Earth. Each has its own livelihood of absorption and release. The Sun presides over the fire air. The Moon belongs to the fine air. The Earth presides over the air. As far as the planets in the solar system are concerned, each planet has a chief substance of its own. Space is active and lively because the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, and lots of other planets that rotate together in it. If there is neither planet nor Earth nor Sun nor Moon in it, space is not living and active. Such liveliness of space creates a governing gas, which is a substance that covers the solar system and becomes the frontier of a world. No matter how advanced human technology becomes, it cannot surpass the governing gas’s circular lines.”
“I shall now tell you how human beings and living creatures undergo metamorphosis and clearly explain the four periods of the Earth: Formation, Residence, Destruction, and Vacuum. Human life is more rhythmic due to the influence of the Earth than it would be if humans were self-reliant. When the Earth begins to be destroyed, as it is about to be destroyed, how does the human living standard change? Please listen to me carefully.”
A First Newborn Human
(For illustration)
The Meditation Master explains, “In the beginning, when the Earth has just formed, there was liquid formed from the miraculous empty particles, seeds of all the species and humans already existed in it. Why? This is because essential substance is all-embracing and is present in space substances. Today, the space substances metamorphose into thousands and thousands of different shapes, forms, and colors, all of which already exist in the space substances. If they did not pre-exist, their forms would never be shown. This is like how an orange seed includes an orange tree in itself. Secular eyes, Dharma eyes, and Divine eyes can’t see space substances; only the Supernatural Result Eyes can see them. Using the Supernatural Result Eyes, it is seen that humans, in the beginning, conceived as an egg wavily flying above the Earth. When reaching 12 years, one’s body is hatched out and is 2 meters, 60 centimeters tall. When one is first hatched out, one flies like a swimming fish. One’s knowledge is very poor, one’s longevity is as long as 10,000 years each lifetime, and one’s provision is living air.
At this time, humankind was metamorphosed and the Universe was nourished by the Earth’s releasing air, which was plentiful and rich of nutrients; thus, longevity was very high. The more congested and the harder the Earth became, the more human longevity decreased. Each mountain was formed by the breath of the Earth; a high land, a low land was formed by the movement of the Earth. From the Miraculous empty particles combined into miraculous particles, from the miraculous particles became grains of sand by the heat and coldness from the fire-empty-particles, in this cause gravels and stones on Earth are also transformed; There are countless suitable combinations suitable metamorphoses.”
“As stated above, the Earth undergoes four periods. Each period lasts for four Rhythms of space time. Each Rhythm of space time lasts for eight hundred million (800,000,000) years. The first period is called by the Formation Period. The second period is called by the Residence Period. The third period is called by the Destruction Period. The fourth period is called by the Vacuum Period. Those four periods together give the longevity of the Earth: twelve billion eight hundred million (12,800,000,000) years.”[9]
“During the Formation Period of the Earth, human knowledge was very poor. It was even inferior to that of the living animals of the Destruction Period. People did not yet know how to have sexual intercourse. Humans only used what the Earth metamorphosed. Since births were rare, they did not know what death was. Toward the end of the Formation Period, humankind started to use a condensed, milk-like substance that was emitted from the Earth. At that time, humans began to lower, walking, standing, flying, and running on the Earth.”
“At the beginning of the Residence Period, human longevity decreased to eight thousand (8,000) years each lifetime. Human knowledge was still poor; they only knew their residence. They knew how to use provisions emitted from the Earth. They were very carefree, innocent, and they enjoy each other in the human sentiment; later, they naturally learned how to recognize the feminine and masculine genders. They made groups, being mutually happy and very friendly. As for the feminine and masculine genders, they were naturally friendly to one another. They missed one another when they were far apart; they flew and ran to find each other. Later, they lived with one another and treated each other as wife and husband. That was the beginning of the Residence Period.”
[9] According to science, the age of the Sun is estimated to be around 4.603 billion years. Recall that one Rhythm of space time is eight hundred million years; the Sun, therefore, has gone through 5.75 Rhythms of space time (= 4.603 billion years / 0.8 billion years / Rhythm). Since the Sun appeared three Rhythms of space time after the Earth, we are currently living at the 8.75 Rhythms of the Earth (= 5.75 Rhythms + 3 Rhythms).
That means, the Earth has gone through 4 Rhythms of the Formation Period, 4 Rhythms of the Residence Period, and currently, the Earth is at the 0.75 Rhythm of the Destruction Period (about 600,000,000th year of the Destruction Period). Because each period of the Earth lasts four Rhythms of space time, the remaining time for the Earth’s Destruction Period is 3.25 Rhythms of space time (= 4 Rhythms – 0.75 Rhythm), taking 2.6 billion years (= 3.25 * 0.8 billion years) before the Earth disintegrates into the Vacuum Period.
Nevertheless, Lord Maitreya Buddha stated that “living in the current Destruction Period is no better than the Destruction-Vacuum Period.” It is science that is destroying the Earth and killing humanity. Science is moving in the direction of “SCIENCE and ADVANCED WEAPONRY” only because of suspicion and competition.
With the message of the sutra “Buddhism with Science,” it is hoped that humanity in general and science in particular will awaken to change their current direction, as the compassionate father Maitreya Buddha wished: “reduce competition among humankind in the world, use machinery to serve the surplus life of humankind, use intelligence and wisdom to show human affection. Should not use intelligence to nourish hundreds of doubts; this makes everyone suffer.”
—Tâm Nguyệt
“At the Residence Period of the Earth, there were plants, fruit trees, and landscapes. Humans began to reproduce by themselves, still being conceived in the ovary. Humans did not fly anymore. Their living standard was excellent and leisurely. They did not think privately or have any notion of ownership, as in, ‘This tree is mine and that land is yours.’ The fruits contained lots of vitamins and nutrients, being very long beneficial. For instance, a ginseng root could support human health for up to one hundred years and a fruit could be nutritious for as long as two or three years. Each kind of food was nutritious for a very long time. Each fruit was substantially high in nutrition value due to fertile soil, and the emitting air was plentiful. Therefore, human longevity was high.”
Image credit: Adobe Stock
“The Period of Residence was not a compulsory one. It did not have any way of organization. It did not know any kind of theft or resentment. Humans were generous in sharing food with one another; they liked to be next to each other and help one another in many ways, entertaining each other by talking, gathering, dancing, and clapping their hands. Later on in this period, they began to learn how to preserve trees and fruits for themselves and then to plant their own trees. From that private property, they needed their own people to take care of it. Human longevity then decreased to six thousand (6,000) years. This decrease resulted from the lack of nutrient-rich air from the Earth. As a result, human longevity gradually decreased over time until, in the Destruction Period, it was not many years for a lifetime.”
The Beginning of the Destruction Period
(For illustration)
“This period that we now live in is known as the Destruction Period. This period began very long ago; these days are not the beginning of the Destruction Period.
In fact, the Destruction Period dates from the time when tribes or institutions were formed and kings or chiefs governed the people. The Destruction Period has its own stages, from tiny, small beginnings to its very huge form. Like when the tiny miraculous-empty-particles was created from space, then became the tiny miraculous particles before finally becoming the Universe. This is the same as the beginning of the Destruction Period.”
“The Destruction Period brought human self-strengthening and self-reliance to earn one’s living. Every time a king or chief begins to govern, they set up many chess games of the world’s situations, hoping to bring better life to all. However, living in the current Destruction Period is no better than the Destruction–Vacuum Period.”
“In the Destruction Period, human intelligence is superior to that of the Formation and Residence Periods. This period produced Saint’s beings, Fairy beings, and super human beings to show a way to escape life. That’s why humankind aspire to practice Dharma, aiming to escape the suffering of the earthly world, and to avoid the place of ruin and destruction. During this Destruction Period, knowlegeable people are very fearful; they pay attention to cultivating the fields of good fortune and virtuous natures, in order to safeguard their lives, because this period often causes unexpected accidents and injustices, so they resolve resentment and competition.”
The Beginning of the Destruction Period
(For illustration)
“There are many reasons and facts that cause millions of people throughout the world to worry about death and birth, birth and death. They vow to help one another, showing each other first how to escape from sorrows of the earthly world, and second, how to bring peace and safety to humankind. From kings and chiefs to heads of state, they all guide their people towards that purpose.”
“How ironic the Destruction Period is! The more they care, the unhappier humans become. The more efficient the drugs scientists find, the more serious the diseases humans suffer. Many super humans and Saint’s beings who have solutions for humankind are pushed into isolation. On the other hand, those who bring nothing to other people are claiming themselves powerful, and are authorized. Meanwhile, clairvoyant and authentically bright people who relax the human mind and body are rare.”
After saying these words, the Meditation Master silently looks at us, contemplating what more can be done for humankind during the Destruction and Vacuum Periods. The Master then continues: “Please think of my words. In any given period, Saints come into being and great people are born, yet few people listen to them, so later they must quietly leave. Simply because of the Destruction Period, the human body and mind are full of confusion and doubt. One doesn’t know where the destination of his or her life is. For that reason, great people or Saint’s beings have left behind some scriptures to advice on life or show humankind the right path. There was a period when Confucius was placed at the rank of super human. He showed many appropriate ways of behavior for every class and level, and his words were welcomed by many people. In that period, though humans were made feeble by following his guidance, they knew how to preserve their roots in virtuous nature. When he saw that people were puzzled by the question, ‘Who creates humankind?’, Confucius said, ‘The heaven created humankind, and the Earth produces grass.’ This is the same as I tell you today, ‘Emptiness metamorphoses the Universe and humankind.’ I do not rely on Confucius’ thesis, I just point out what a wise sage said: ‘The heaven created humankind, and the Earth produces grass.’ It’s also a fact, which shows that the words I say today are true.”
“Through many generations, super people, great people, Saint’s beings, and the incarnated Buddha have come into life. However, they are slowly forgotten over time by the following generations, but their footprints are still left in the human heart. The one who wants to live a meaningful life as a human being always improves, but he or she always acknowledges precious words of a super human. You should also remember that a heap of rubbish is dirty, but it is still useful as fertilizer for rice. So how can we throw away a super human’s words? The Destruction Period is the governing one that was long-established and became the familiar system of humankind. It must proceed in each stage of humanity. At the beginning, animals know how to eat animal flesh, with the big animal eating the small one; then, humans catch animals to eat their flesh. Later on, humans eat human flesh. That is the time of ruin and destruction, when exploitation, cruelty, and oppression increase as people compete for each other’s flesh to eat.”
“When the Founding Master Buddha[10] incarnated Himself in India, India had two distinct castes: the ruling caste (King and Mandarin) and the slave caste. The ruling caste did not literally eat the slave caste’s flesh, but they did eat the slave caste’s vitality through slavish lifetimes.”
“The Buddha applied a dissolving procedure to destroy these two castes so that they became equal. At the same time, the Buddha brought truth to all people as a torch that self-lit the way to achieving the immortal life.”
As the Meditation Master completes these words, it is near high noon, time for a regular lunch. We must say goodbye and leave. The Meditation Master leads us near the alley. We ask for His permission to return in the evening, and the Meditation Master nods in agreement.
[10] The Shakyamuni Buddha
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