This is what
Tathagata Shakyamuni Expounds（二）
■Book 148 - The Power of Mantra
■Written by master Sheng-yen Lu
'It's not that. You need to have faith when you fight cancer, and there are numerous cases of cancer patients who have survived the ordeal. You can believe in the Buddha, and learn from his teachings. You can find liberation through them.'
'This is how Shakyamuni Buddha heals?'
'That's right.'
Gu Quan was very inquisitive and asked, 'Buddha had died more than two thousand five hundred years ago. How is it possible that you can drink coffee with Shakyamuni Buddha?'
I asked him, 'Do you believe it?'
'I believe.'
'If you trust me, I shall explain this to you clearly. The truth is actually quite simple. Though the Buddha had entered into Nirvana, his spiritual light spans the universe. This is similar to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who can answer a thousand prayers and appear simultaneously. The Buddha ranks higher than the Bodhisattva and thus can do likewise. I, Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu have cultivated the spiritual light and I can certainly meet the Buddha and drink coffee with him in our spiritual light bodies. This is Soul meeting Soul, and is actually a very natural thing to do.'
I said, 'Besides this, when a person passes away, his body may be destroyed but Soul remains. When another person dies, these two Souls can meet each other. I mean to say that the difference between life and death is simply one where a physical body exists, and one which it doesn't. Life and death is thus one reality. In birth one refers to existence in the human world and in death one refers to existence in the netherworld.'
I continued, 'I can cultivate to the level of Soul leaving the body, and as long as I stay concentrated, seated in yoga posture, circulate the Chi, channel, light drop, and light, and moves my Soul out of the body, I can enter the Dharma Realm and meet Shakyamuni Buddha himself!'
Gu Quan listened but not quite fully comprehended my words. But he said, 'Since you can meet up with Shakyamuni Buddha, can you do me a favor and ask the Buddha how can cancer be cured!'
'Ah!' I paused and thought about this before I said, 'To meet the Buddha depends on circumstances and affinity. It happens naturally.'
'No matter what you must help me!'
'All right!' I nodded my head and said, 'But you have to listen to my instruction. You need to enshrine a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, recite one sutra, and chant Shakyamuni Buddha's epithet with focus and perseverance. Can you do this?'
'Yes!'
Gu Quan displayed the utmost sincerity as he enshrined the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. I taught him how to recite the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra, and recite the Buddha's epithet.
Gu Quan believed these words, 'One is liberated from the suffering of birth and death, and freed from all the many kinds of suffering' as outlined in the High King Sutra. Gu Quan was even more devoted and sincere in his recitation of the sutra and epithet because of his illness.
This is:
In reciting any sutra one should persist all the way,
Ceasing all thoughts if you may.
In Saha's Ocean of Suffering one shall see,
The wind and wave is as calm as it can be.
Thus riding in a boat towards the Lotus Land,
One sails steadily.
* * *
One night, I had a strange dream. I found myself walking along in a lane. As I was walking, I suddenly heard the cries of men and women; a group of young and old people numbering about a hundred running towards me. They looked like they were running from some calamity.
I asked, 'What's happening?'
One of them said, 'The robbers killed their way into the village and we escape!'
'Who is the leader of the robbers?'
'Gu Quan.' The person replied.
While in the dream, I realized Gu Quan's cancer was a result of his past karma. He had killed too many men and the resentment crystallized as cancer. Gu Quan's karma was heavy and it was no easy task to save him. I felt very dejected and in deep sorrow I broke down and cried.
As I was grief-stricken, I heard a voice from the sky, 'Lian-sheng, why are you so sad?'
I replied, 'Gu Quan!'
When I replied, I looked up the sky and saw Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva was all smiles, her hands holding a vase with a willow stem. She turned the vase and said, 'Lian-sheng, look!'
