Chapter One: The Heritage of the Mandate of Heaven

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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.

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