31. The Three Vehicles of Dharma. (& Q32)

The Three Vehicles of Dharma are:

1. the Greater Vehicle,
2. the Middle Vehicle, and
3. the Lesser Vehicle.

Since the Vehicles differ, there are distinctions between the sudden and the gradual realizations, and the temporary and the true realizations.

The Greater Vehicle of Dharma
is the true Dharma
and has a line of heritage.

The true Dharma stays inert when it should and manifests Itself when the time comes. Transmitting the true Dharma can bring sudden realization to a person. Sudden realization means that one can be enlightened when Tien-Tao is transmitted to him by the Enlightened Teacher with Tien-Ming ¹ through the secret verbal message and the meeting of the hearts.

Transmitting Tien-Tao is transmitting the true Dharma. Upon the transmission of Tien-Tao, one may even instantly become a Buddha, taking the giant step of transcending the Qi -tien ^9,12 and returning to Li-tien. ^9,11 Tien-Tao is so precious that whoever receives It becomes a Buddha or a Saint, and It has never been transmitted lightly before. This is why Confucius said,

“One who awakes to Tao in the morning
will not have any regret
even if he dies in the same night.”

Buddhism emphasizes Zen, seeking enlightenment through introspection and meditation. Through this practice, miseries can be demolished and salvation is brought to all.

Taoism emphasizes the refinement of vitality into spirit, and then from spirit into soul. This practice circulates the spiritual energy inside the body through the meridians, and finally interacting the spirit of fire from the heart and the spirit of water from the kidneys to coagulate into the immortal embryo.

This methodology applies abdominal breathing techniques to start the process and utilizes soft breathing techniques to incubate, coagulating the spirit and the soul. Finally, a flash of the true yang (fire) or the true yin (water) will appear, allowing either the Yin-shen (the yin spiritual image) or the Yang-shen (the yang spiritual image) of himself to enter or leave his body at will.

Even for those few fortunate ones who achieved such accomplishment, they are still bounded by the Hou-tien. ¹⁰ Thus, if one extends his faith into his understanding of the Truth, then extends his understanding into his daily practice, and finally extends his practice into his confirmation of Tao, he can then become a Sage or a deity in Qi-tien. This is the;

gradual realization and
the Middle Vehicle of Dharma.

Those who attend sermons, pray, participate in charity works, or donate money to help the poor and the needy are following the law of karma. A Buddhist Sutra states,

“If asking about the cause
from prior lives,
it is what you receive this life.
If asked about the reward
in the next life,
it is what you do this life.”

Those who perform good deeds in their current lives pave rewards for next lives. When they use up their rewards, they go back into the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, just like an arrow that was shot into the sky will come back to Earth when it exhausted itself. Since the practice of performing good deeds will only keep the practitioner as a good person, it is

the Lesser Vehicle of Dharma.

This practice cannot help one to return to Li-tien.

32. What are the five virtues, the five disciplines, and the five elements? Are they all of the same Truth?

Confucianism names:

1. benevolence,
2. justice,
3. propriety,
4. wisdom, and
5. faith

as the five²⁶ virtues.

---

Buddhism names:

1. not to kill,
2. not to steal,
3. not to be lustful,
4. not to tell lies, and
5. not to drink

as the five disciplines.

---

Taoism names:

1. wood,
2. metal,
3. water,
4. fire, and
5. earth

as the five fundamental elements.

---

The terminologies are different, but the Truth is the same. Why?

1. If one kills, he lacks benevolence, or wood. ²⁷
2. If one steals, he lacks Justice, or metal.
3. If one is lustful, he lacks propriety, or fire.
4. If one drinks, he lacks wisdom, or water.
5. If one tells lies, he lacks faith, or earth.

That is why,
Confucianism teaches people to practice the five virtues to achieve loyalty and magnanimity;
Buddhism, follow the five disciplines to achieve mercifulness; and
Taoism, practice the five elements to attain supernatural inspiration. Therefore they all are of the same Truth.