3-8-2011 The Divine Hand and Spiritual Healing

The Art Of Meditation 

By Master Sheng-yen Lu
Translated and published by Lei Zang Si Singapore

This was translated from Grandmaster Lu's 45th book, 坐禪通明法.

CHAPTER 27 - The Divine Hand and Spiritual Healing

Guang Hua, a reader who lives in Bukit Bruang in Malaysia, wrote a letter about "the divine hand" and "spiritual healing." The letter has its special significance and it is disclosed here in full:

Malaysia
March 3, 1983
Grand Master Sheng-Yen,
How are you! Please excuse me for this interruption of your quiet cultivation. As I am your faithful reader, I hope that Grand Master will find time for a reply and I would be very grateful.
This is what happened. One day in November, 1982, I saw five books of yours in the home of my best friend. Curiosity drove me to the point that I borrowed these five books from my friend. They are: Between Spirits and Myself, Self Vindication by Spirits, Super-Senses of Spirits, Invocation of Spirits, Mysterious Earth Spirits. When I started reading them, I was immediately fascinated. I could hardly put them aside. I read each of them twice at least. The more I read, the better I understood them and the clearer I got. All the queries buried in my heart all these years were answered all of a sudden. For the clearance of these long-time doubts, I want to express my greatest thanks to Grand Master. But for your great books, I was still uncertain about things in the Heavenly Realms.
Then, I visited the bookshop for your books. As the saying goes, " Heaven doesn't disappoint the earnest person," I found as many as seven other books of yours. Each is equally significant and excellent. I love the books so much that I can hardly be away from them for a moment. This strengthens my determination to turn my heart to the Buddha. I believe that in the world today many people are studying your books and they are generating Bodhi aspirations. This is a great virtue of Grand Master. You have converted more sentient beings than Shakyamuni Buddha, for if I read the classic Sutras, I may not become a believer. When I started reading your books, I became a believer at once. You are the Shakyamuni Buddha of today.
I sat quietly as you described. In the first sitting I did not get any response, however, I got some sensation after five minutes; I felt some electric current traveling along my hands. At first, the hands were shaking gently and then they began to dance in the air, as if they were no longer mine. They danced for about five minutes. The dance had its own rhythm and elegance, very much like forming a great mudra of a Buddha. Its delicacy and subtleness make me wonder of all this could really be true. After each session of quiet sitting, my fatigue would completely disappear. May I ask why? During one of the sessions, it suddenly occurred to me to ask who was this spirit that had come to guide me. Surprisingly enough, (I had written out the names of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on a piece paper), with my eyes closed, when I pointed a finger, it was very precise, without the slightest deviation from the center. The pointing act was entirely done by itself. After that I used this method to ask the Heavenly spirit for certain instructions. If the answer was "Yes," the hand would have a big movement; if the answer was "No," the hand would just move slightly. It turned out that 99 out of a hundred cases were correct. I am really telling you the truth. The one percent that was incorrect was due to poor transmission when my mind was not concentrated enough. May I ask, Grand Master, if this is the "divine hand?"
One day, because of my work, I felt a terrible pain in my arm in the middle of the night and I couldn't fall asleep. I had to get up and lit up the incense to request the Buddha's help. Soon my hands started dancing, the left hand beating the painful right arm. This beating was done by itself (not by my intention), and it lasted for five minutes. Surprisingly, the right arm no longer felt any pain, and I fell asleep at once. The next morning found my arm fully recovered. This is indeed inconceivable. May I ask, Grand Master, if this is "spiritual healing?"
Ever since I started reading "spiritual books," I have been worshipping the Buddha, chanting the Buddha's name, reciting the Diamond Sutra, The Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra, the Six-syllable mantra among others. I remember once when I was reciting the Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra, I felt someone slap me on the head when I was at the words "Form is void and void is form. Sensation, reception, volitional activities and consciousness are the same." This one slap made me understand many things. The whole world is temporary and illusionary. This truth of temporariness dawned upon me in a second. My God! It is very important to inspire practitioners with these four sentences. This is my personal opinion. I wonder if Grand Master would agree with me.
I have read "Truth of the Heavenly Secret," I wonder if it can be explained by "sensation, perception, volitional activities and consciousness are the same."
All right, I have written several pages. In fact, what I want to tell Grand Master can not fully be expressed in many more pages. Even if I wrote "Thank you" on all the paper in the world, I could not express adequately my respect to Grand Master.
I also know that I don't have much chance to receive a reply from you as you are very busy flying to Europe today, flying to America tomorrow and even to Africa (I hear). However, I shall wait and wait, one year, ten years; I will kneel down in gratitude even if Grand Master sent me a blank sheet of paper. I have also written a rhyme for Grand Master. This is an expression of respect. Please don't throw it away.
The Shakyamuni for today is he, Who is converting states in the ten directions. Guang Hua prostrates three times to him, Determined to follow his teachings.
Best wishes
Guang Hua
Regarding this letter, I make the following comments:
First, the letter says I am the Shakyamuni of today, but I don't think I deserve that. I am not qualified, for I am only a small practitioner who told the world his own experience in his cultivation. Today there are many, many people who have read my books, and there are also many people who have left home after reading my books. I can say very frankly that among the monks in Fuo Guang Mountain, many generated Bodhicitta after reading my books. They asked me if they should leave home or not. I told them "yes" or "no" according to their own causations. Many of the monks at the Fuo Guang Mountain got there after consultation with me. Here I wish them well and that they will awaken to their original nature and attain Buddhahood. Besides, there are even more people who have taken refuge in the Three Jewels after reading my books. This is due to my approach in writing: beginning with expedient and skilful means and gradually going onto "seeing one's own original nature." However, only Heaven knows how much I have suffered because of my approach!
Secondly Mr. Guang Hua's "divine hand" has got its foundation. The cultivation of "divine hand" usually takes ten years. It is a fairly simple training, but it takes a long time of tempering. The most subtle "divine hand" is to foretell by the sounds the joints make. At the final stage of cultivation, you don't have to move the hand; you just listen to the sounds the bones make and you will know everything. This is absolutely true. I, Sheng-Yen Lu, would die the cruelest death in order to prove that this is the most superior divination under Heaven.
Thirdly, there are many "spiritual healing" methods. Any healing method by Heavenly energy is "spiritual healing." The curing of the pain by the left hand beating the right arm is also "spiritual healing." Drawing talismans is also "spiritual healing." Praying is one too. Drinking the great compassion water is "spiritual healing" as well. However, these methods can be easily used by quacks who seize the opportunity for wealth or women. So be careful to tell true practitioners from quacks. Trust the reasonable and ignore the irrational. Take care not to be taken in.

Amituofo

Lotuschef

Pure Karma

True Buddha School