Beyond The Self
Meritorious Deeds, Attainment, and the Transformation of Calamity
Planchette Instruction of the Most Holy One (老祖) · Zongtan Planchette Records (宗壇訓錄) · Bingzi Year, 16th Day of the 6th Lunar Month, the Hour of Shen (4:00 p.m.) · Zhixu Pavilion (至虛亭)
Complete Message
1. Steadfast Sincerity in Transforming Calamity
Over the past several months, the steadfast sincerity of all disciples in neutralizing the catastrophe has enabled the affected regions to remain peaceful and stable as usual, free from unexpected and extraordinary disasters; the meritorious deeds [功行] of all disciples are clearly visible through this. However, neutralizing catastrophes and eliminating disasters must fundamentally rely on constant, unremitting mindfulness [念茲在茲]; only then will the neutralized catastrophes and eliminated disasters transformed inevitably produce natural results.
If you view the neutralization of catastrophes and the elimination of disasters as some extraordinary, unusual deed, then what is it that each disciple has learned? What would be your designated spiritual duty? And what would be your core mission and guiding purpose? These are questions that must be thoroughly studied with full comprehension. Furthermore, when you first made your spiritual vows, what kind of will and determination did you possess? If you can awaken to the truth of the future through the expression of your individual realizations, then the spiritual attainment mastery required to return to the ultimate source is found precisely within this.
3. Establishing Oneself, Ferrying Oneself, Fearing No Calamity
Furthermore, at this very moment when the great kalpic calamity is just beginning, without meritorious deeds, how could it be eliminated, neutralized or transformed? Without spiritual attainment or mastery, how could you stand firmly and be established on your own feet? Only when you can stand firmly on your own can you save yourself; only when you can save yourself can you save others; and only when you can save others can you neutralize and transform the calamity. In this way, you will not fear any calamity or catastrophe that comes, because it all comes down to nothing other than meritorious deeds, and spiritual attainment and mastery.
功行 (external meritorious deeds) and 功候 (internal spiritual attainment and mastery, the level or state of meditation reached through practice).
4. From the Tangible to the Intangible, and Back Again
(External) Meritorious deeds belong to that which is tangible yet leads to the intangible; (internal) spiritual attainment and mastery belongs to that which is intangible yet manifests in the tangible. When you recognize it as intangible, you realize that the process of formlessness giving birth to form [無而生有] resides precisely within this. When you recognize it as tangible, you must awaken to its intangible nature; only then can you return to the ultimate source and know where you originally came from. One who does not know where they came from will inevitably fail to understand why merits and deeds function as merits and deeds; and if one does not understand why merits and deeds function as merits and deeds, of what possible use will the concept of spiritual attainment and mastery be? Therefore, meritorious deeds, and spiritual attainment and mastery must merge into one before the true efficacy of transforming and neutralizing calamity can be realized. What is called ‘fearing no calamity kalpa upon kalpa whatsoever’ -does it not rest precisely upon this?
5. Uniting the Cosmos with the Person; Holding to Constancy
The formless transformation of ten thousand calamities and the pursuit of uniting the entire universe within a single body originate from nothing other than a single thought. Furthermore, the practice of constant, unremitting mindfulness is nothing other than maintaining one’s constancy within the natural state. If one can maintain this constancy within the natural state, then the ultimate alignment with what is genuinely at ease in their own nature [適者之適] must be guarded with absolute sincerity; when utmost sincerity is unceasing, one will inevitably stand firm and unyielding. This is precisely why the Dao is called the Dao.
適者之適 draws on Zhuangzi’s distinction between 自適其適 – finding ease in one’s own true nature – and 適人之適 – merely conforming to what pleases others; 至誠不息 draws on Zhongyong 26.
6. Following the Thought as It Arises – Not for Fame or Guile
As for those who practice the cultivation of spiritual attainment and mastery, it too is nothing other than following a thought the very moment it arises. You make a vow within a single thought, and then you perform meritorious deeds based on that very thought. If it is not used to fish for fame and buy reputation [沽名釣譽], and if it does not stem from a mind of craftiness, deceit, or deploying spiritual tricks, only then can the Dao truly be cultivated, and only then can compassion truly be practiced.
One who can practice the Dao and Transformation Charity in this manner will never use them as a shield for personal protection, nor will they ever use them as a means of deception. When absolute sincerity is fully revealed, only then can it be called true cultivation, only then can one transform and neutralize calamities through the power of cultivation, and only then can one save the world through the transformation and neutralization of catastrophes.
道慈 (“the Dao and Transformation Charity”) names the two paired pillars – spiritual cultivation (道) and charitable service (慈)
8. Never Stepping Outside the Word ‘Self’ or ‘I’
Otherwise, if your mouth speaks of the Tao and Transformation Charity while your mind is set on other purposes – or if your thoughts fade and are forgotten the moment they pass, leaving you ignorant of cause and effect and blind to how vows are fulfilled, seeking only your own personal blessings while ignoring the calamities of others, thinking, ‘If I deem it fit to transform, I will transform it; if I deem it fit to save, I will save it; if I deem it fit to rescue, I will rescue it’ – never stepping outside the boundary of the ‘self’ or ‘I’ – then no matter how grand or great your merits and deeds may seem, they will never escape the cycle of cause and effect. Why is this? It is because the fixed bias of the ‘self’ or ‘I’ is too deeply entrenched.
Only when you can eliminate the deeply entrenched bias of the ‘self’ or ‘I’ can you act for the public good; acting for the public good leads to equanimity, and achieving equanimity leaves no room for selfishness or self-interest. If you make the salvation of all beings your core mission and regards your personal opinions as selfish attachments; then your spiritual attainment, mastery, meritorious deeds will inevitably produce immense effects -just like a shadow following its form – and Dao and Transformation Charity will surely develop, grow and flourish from this very basis.
10. The True Order of Transforming Calamity
Furthermore, when considering the concept of transforming calamity in their true order, you must first transform and neutralize your own personal calamity. To transform your own personal calamity, you must first transform the catastrophes of all living sentient beings. To transform the calamity of all living sentient beings, you must first transform the calamities of your fellow cultivators. If a person can transform the calamities of their fellow cultivators, by that very fact, that person is not far from the Dao.
All disciples must thoroughly comprehend the underlying truth of this matter and realize that the reason why the Dao is called the Dao is not because of what I personally see or what I personally hear. Rather, it is only because it is the Dao shared by all living sentient beings that it can be called the Dao. That which never departs from daily, ordinary business of life, and never strays from heavenly principles and human sentiment – this is what is called the True Dao. If you insist on clinging to the mere name and reputation of the ‘Dao,’ you are already far removed from it.
12. Ancient and Modern Cultivators – How They Treat Others
When the ancients practiced cultivation, they cultivated their heart-minds. Those who cultivated their heart-minds would inevitably first hold themselves accountable and exercise self-restraint, while treating others with immense generosity and breadth of tolerance; intangible meritorious deeds lies precisely within this. Today, when people practice cultivation, they treat themselves with immense indulgence and abundance, while fearing only that they might not treat others poorly, and holding others accountable with the utmost severity. This is precisely the result of the degeneration of the human heart since the Three Dynasties [三代, i.e. Xia, Shang, and Zhou].
If all disciples carefully reflect upon and savor this truth, they will realize: the fulfillment of your vows resides precisely within this; the ability to transform and neutralize great calamities and catastrophes resides precisely within this; the ability to solidify and strengthen your personal foundation resides precisely within this; and that which constitutes the ultimate merit among all meritorious deeds resides precisely within this as well.
14. The Voice of Self-Interest, and Its Rebuttal
If you insist on letting the ‘self’ or ‘I’ dominate, you will inevitably say: ‘I have escaped the calamity, so leave others be and why ask after them? If others wish to escape calamity, let them do so on their own. I am well-fed and warm, so why ask about the hunger and warmth of all living sentient beings? If living beings wish to be well-fed and warm, they must find a way for themselves. Although I prioritize meritorious deeds, how many people can truly save my own strength? It is better to save no one at all than to attempt so little. Or you might say: ‘Although I have the strength, the future challenges are too vast; why don’t I act only when everyone else acts, and if others do not exert their strength, I will not exert mine either.’ If this is truly your mindset, can that which is called the Dao be like this?
This entire passage is a single continuous quotation of the self-interested voice being condemned, closed by The Most Holy One’s own rhetorical question.
15. Waiting for the River to Run Clear
To wait for the Yellow River to run clear [俟河之清] – yet how long can a human life last? Therefore, One cannot but see what is right and act on it with courage [見義勇為]. The true purpose of the Dao is nothing other than benevolence and righteousness. Righteousness means that once benevolence and righteousness are known, you practice them; the moment you see them, you act upon them, and the moment you hear them, you awaken to them.
俟河之清 draws on the Zuo Zhuan (Duke Xiang, Year 8) — waiting for an impossibly ideal condition while one’s own life runs short; 見義勇為 echoes Analects 2.24, “to see what is right and not do it is want of courage.”
One who knows this will inevitably know where they originally came from; one who can see this will inevitably be able to see into their true nature [見性]; one who can hear this will inevitably always hear virtuous words. What is called utilizing the Tao and compassion to constantly cultivate and nourish oneself without a single day or moment passing by, while taking the rescue and salvation of others and the transformation of calamities as one’s core mission – within this lies a deep profound meaning indeed.
Alas! The Dao today stands on the very brink of peril; as for compassion, in how many places and by how many people is it truly being practiced today? Judging by the core purpose of the Dao as it stands today, one fears that outside of the Dao Yuan itself, its true form is rarely to be seen; and speaking of compassion, outside of The World Red Swastika Society, one dares not say for certain that any other body’s heart holds no ulterior motive.
This is why The Most Holy One commands all disciples to solidify and firm themselves through the Dao, and to save others through compassion; to enable each disciple to awaken to the deepest awakening within all awakenings. Furthermore, the reason The Most Holy One commands all disciples to personally shoulder the Dao and bear this heavy responsibility is out of fear that the Dao and compassion might fail to develop and expand; and if the Tao and compassion cannot develop and expand, they will inevitably fail to save the world and transformed catastrophes.
Furthermore, in addition to instructing all disciples to take and bear responsibility in every single matter, The Most Holy One also hold the intent that ‘all good deeds and virtues must converge together towards the same end’ – out of fear that a single person’s strength cannot attend to and look after everything. Yet, even though it is said that all good deeds and virtues would converge together, if The Most Holy One possesses the strength when an event occurs or a matter arises, he absolutely would not sit idly by and watch the opportunity be lost or compromised. Once the disciples grasp the true meaning of the word ‘opportunity’ [or ‘cosmic pivot’], they will naturally realize that when the Dao and Transformation Charity are used to save people, there are also unavoidable adaptations in their application.
If every single person were to return to their original, pristine nature, what further need would there be to promote the Dao and Transformation Charity? Yet, even after fifty thousand cosmic epochs [五萬紀] pass and the primal chaos resets countless times, we still might not witness such a perfect state of completion.
紀 (“epoch”) is kept distinct from 劫 (“kalpa/calamity”) and “fifty thousand epochs” is best read as hyperbolic for an immense span, not a fixed figure.
Ah! The single word ‘Dao’ is neither easy to grasp, explain nor easy to perceive, yet day after day we must never truly depart from it. Therefore, we must make the Dao our primary core and guiding principle, so that people may have a ultimate spiritual sanctuary to finally return to.
Furthermore, within this very year, the spiritual efficacy of one’s meritorious deeds will truly be inconceivable. Why is this? When people realize that a calamity is imminent, those who can awaken to the truth that transforming it relies primarily on meritorious deeds will inevitably achieve twice the result with half the effort [事半功倍]. Let all disciples contemplate the underlying reason behind this ‘half the effort, twice the result’ framework; you will naturally realize that from this year until the second half of next year, there will inevitably be extraordinary calamities. Yet, if people can rescue the world and avert from them, we can naturally transform and dissolve the great disasters into minor ones.
And among all true meritorious deeds, nothing compares to saving people; and among those who save people, nothing compares to always saving people (constantly). If you constantly save people, without asking who the person is, but simply rescuing them whenever they are in difficulty or distress, then your meritorious deeds will inevitably be immense. Furthermore, bearing responsibility when events arise and never allowing the cosmic pivot to be compromised is especially the most essential element within one’s spiritual cultivation; it is also the prime opportunity for the advancement of meritorious deeds, and further still, the natural efficacy of transforming and neutralizing catastrophes.
One must never be the kind of person who has the strength yet fails to act, nor the kind who, lacking the strength, forces the matter regardless. Having the strength, one should apply it without strain – naturally, exactly as the moment calls for it; this too is a great meritorious deed within scope of meritorious deeds. But if one has the strength and yet sits by, letting the opportunity slip, then not only will meritorious deeds fail to increase – but far graver consequences also that are at stake.
Let each of you achieve self-realization through this and strive to encourage yourselves through this. If you do so, the development and expansion of the Dao and Transformation Charity will naturally go on. The evaluation and examination of merits that normally takes three to five years for the disciples will inevitably be completed in just two to three years instead. Furthermore, all disciples must thoroughly comprehend what it truly means to fulfill vows [了願], what is meant by resolving karmic causes [了因], and what is meant by transforming and neutralizing calamities [化劫. Treating these three with equal importance, you must completely grasp and resolve them all. Let each of you strive and exert yourselves; let each of you awaken to this, and that will be sufficient.
Key Teachings at a Glance
Meritorious Deeds and Spiritual Attainment Must Be Joined – 功行 moves from tangible to intangible; 功候 (the attainment) moves from intangible to tangible. Only their union reveals the true power to transform calamity.
The Word “I” Is the Real Obstacle – however great an act of merit-conduct appears, if it never steps outside personal judgment and self-interest, it remains bound within cause and effect. Only relinquishing this bias makes one truly public-spirited.
Calamity Is Transformed in a Specific Order – not by focusing on oneself first, but by beginning with one’s fellow cultivators, extending to all sentient beings, and only thereby reaching one’s own deliverance.
The Dao Belongs to the Multitude, Not to Private Vision – it is not defined by what anyone claims to have seen or heard, but by what is shared, ordinary, and consistent with Heaven’s principle and human feeling.
A Direct Asserion – this address the Dao Yuan and the Red Swastika Society specifically as the places where genuine practice is feared to survive at all – not a general statement, but an assertion about this institution.
A Named Window of Danger – an extraordinary calamity is foretold spanning from the present year through the second half of the following year, with the outcome explicitly contingent on whether people act to avert it.