Amitabha Buddha, many aeons ago made the vow that for those who called upon and chant with a sincere heart "Namo Om Mi Tuo Fo," will be born in Pure Land and if they are not born there, he won't want to become a Buddha. But he still becomes a Buddha even though numerous beings called upon him and were not born in the Pure Land. The Underworld Bodhisattva "Di Zang Wang Pusa" also made a vow that if the underworld is not empty, he won't want to be a Bodhisattva, but he still becomes a Bodhisattva. Vows are very important, it makes one consciously committed to his words that he will do such an action. In the temple of Tao of Heaven, it is similarly applied to the receipient of The Heavenly Tao. There are Ten Vows and the last vow is "Let God punish me with thunders." The meaning is as follows: The vow "Let God punish me with thunders" means to be hit by the five thunders. Thunder is pure 'yang,' the most righteous of all 'yang.' Its strength is like diamond. The five thunders are the thunder of Heaven, the thunder of Earth, the thunder of 'yang,' the thunder of 'yin,' and the thunder of the Dharma. When the thunder of Heaven strikes, overcast sky becomes clear immediately. When the thunder of Earth strikes, all lives and matters sprout. When the thunder of 'yang' strikes, all evil spirits vanish. When the thunder of 'yin' strikes, all demons and monsters hide. When the thunder of Dharma strikes, Tao of Heaven is spread rapidly. "Thunder" is not necessarily restricted to that of the weather. The five thunders also exist in one's body. The thunder of Heaven strikes when one feels shameful and angry as his face and ears turn red. The thunder of Earth strikes when one hesitates to do unrighteous acts. The thunder of 'yang' strikes when one feels anxious as he encroaches propriety. The thunder of 'yin' strikes when one becomes nervous as he conspires. The thunder of Dharma strikes when one becomes troubled, even in his dreams, as his mind becomes astray. Whenever the desire and the conscience confront each other, it is the time the five thunders strike. If one repents at that moment, respects the thunder of Heaven to open his door to Heaven, becomes alert to the thunder of Earth to close the door to the Underworld. He holds the thunder of 'yang' to retain his true spirit, refrains the thunder of 'yin' to intensify his true vitality. He then follows the thunder of Dharma to calm the soul, his three treasures of the body (soul, spirit and vitality) gather and his 'Qi' (spirit) of the five fundamental elements (wood, water, fire, metal and earth) coagulate. Then it is not difficult for him to restore his original True Self and enjoy the everlasting purity and tranquillity. Three thousand years ago, Saints like Duke Zhou had felt the power of wind and thunder, and Confucius had written down the mystic changes of wind and thunder. If one does not repent when his five thunders strike, his vitality would be expended, his 'Qi' of the five fundamental elements dispersed, his soul worn down, his 'Po' ( spirit of sense) lost, and his 'Hun' (spirit of consciousness) shaken. He would look exhausted, become sick, and wouldn't know the cause of his death. The punishment of thunder needs not come from thunders that can be seen or heard. The receipients of The Heavenly Tao are given Three Heavenly Treasures during the ceremony. The Three Heavenly Treasures are firstly "The Heavenly Eye or The Divine Eye or The Third Eye," secondly "The Divine Mantra" and thirdly "The Holy Seal." These Three Heavenly Treasures cannot be simply disclosed to anyone, anywhere, anytime, and it can be only revealed in the Temple of Tao of Heaven under certain conditions set by Heaven. If anyone reveals it simply on purpose, then the vow "Let God punish me with thunders" applies, it is the thunder that cannot be seen or heard. Author: T.A Chew |
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