Basic Knowledge for TAO Cultivation
1. The 15 topics during “The Utmost Sincerity Session”
(1). The Real Purpose of Human Life
(2). The Ten Great Vows
(3). The Reason For Calamities and the Descending of The Great TAO
(4). Enlightening Master of Heavenly Mandate
(5). The Importance of Tao
(6). Filial Piety
(7). Relationships between Tao and Religions; How to Differentiate from the False Teachings
(8). Rules and Precepts in Tao Cultivation.
(9). How to Eliminate the Burden of Evil Debts.
(10). The Essence of Pure Living; Vegetarian.
(11). The Law of Cause and Effect; the Six Realms of Existence.
(12). Tao Cultivation; An Inner and Outer Work.
(13). Mara & Testing Condition
(14). Benevolent of Divine Mother and Virtues of Enlightening Master
(15). Faith, Vow, Practice and Result.
2. Three Treasures :
1. Mysterious door – The Seat of “True Nature”
2. Heart Sutra – Mantram
3. Heavenly Seal - Mudra
3. The Ten Great Vows (for a Tao Initiate) / The Ten Seeker’s Promises
(1). Being Sincere and constantly adhering to the great truth
(2). (Gent) Being truthful in our repentance
(Lady) Being Truthful in our cultivation
(3) Not to be fictitious in our doings
(4) Not to hesitant in striving to be better
(5) Not to be deceitful and betray our teacher and benefactor
(6) Not to be disrespectful and look down on our seniors
(7) Not breaking the precepts
(8) Do not disclose the heavenly secret
(9) Do not refrain from propagating the great Tao to others
(10) (Gent) Always put the best effort in whatever we do
(Lady) Always be diligent in our cultivation.
4. Three un-crossover
Those who don’t have (1) affinity (2) Faith and (3) Vow
5. Four difficulties to lead a life of cultivation:
(1) It’s difficult to be born as a human being.
(2) It’s difficult to be born in the middle of civilization.
(3) It’s difficult to be born during the time of Tao propagation.
(4) It’s difficult to meet an enlightening master.
6. The Period of Tao Propagation
(1) The Green period, (2) The red period, and (3) The White Period
7. The Responsibility of the enlightening Master of Heavenly Mandate are to Deliver Salvation to the three realms: (1) Celestial Realms, (2) human Realms and, (3) the Hell Realms
8. The Three Worlds : (1) Heavenly World (Li Thien), (2) Celestial World (Qi Thien), (3) Earthy World (Siang Thien)
9. The Six Realm of Existence:
(1) Celestial Realm (2) Asura Realm (3) Human Beings Realm
and Three Evil Realms: (4) Animal Realm (5) Hungry Ghost Realm and (6) Hell Realm
10. Four Modes of Birth; (1) Womb Birth (2) Egg Shell Birth
(3) Moisture Birth (4) Transformation Birth
11. The Three talents: (1) Heaven (2) Earth (3) Human
12. The Three Enlightening Masters of the White Period:
(1) Cing Kong Cu Se
(2) Thien Jan Ku Fo
(3) Cong Hua Sen Mu
13. Four universal vows of Bodhisattva
(1) Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all
(2) Afflictions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them all
(3) Schools and traditions are manifold, I vow to study them all
(4) The Buddha-way is supreme, I vow to complete it
14. Four mission of the great Tao
(1) To help/save the sufferings in all ten directions
(2) To up-right and cultivate own-self
(3) To preserve/protect the continuation of Dharma light
(4) To fulfill the vow of Maitreya
TAO CULTIVATION
15. The four corner stone for Tao Cultivation: (1) Faith (2) Vow (3) Practice and (4) Result
16. The Three unshakeable Faith:
(1) The Faith on Tao
(2) The Faith on Truth
(3) The Faith on Heavenly Mandate
17. The Six Vows (of a serious Tao Cultivator)
(1) to put more effort in spirituality than mortal affairs
(2) To contribute, monetary and dharma
(3) To be a pure vegetarian
(4) To Help the work of Tao
(5) To set-up ‘Fo-Thang’
(6) To sow the seeds of Tao
18. The Eight Types of Testing Condition on cultivation:
(1) Internal Testing Condition (5) Testing Condition caused by Favorable circumstance
(2)External Testing Condition (6) Testing condition caused by adverse circumstance
(3)Testing Condition Caused by Anger (7) The Up-side Down Testing Condition
(4)Strange Testing Condition (8) Testing Condition in the Name of Tao
19. The Real Meaning of Testing Condition:
(1) To differentiate between good and bad (3) To reform from bad character
(2) To eliminate previous karma debts (4) To decide a real result of cultivation
20. Three Points of Daily Examine:
(1) In fulfilling duties for others, whether have done it faithfully?
(2) In our relationship with friends, whether have been sincere and trust-worthy?
(3) Whether have mastered and practiced as instruct by my teacher?
21. The major course/curriculum in Tao Cultivation (Fundamental Criteria):
(1) Personality (2) Merit (3) Patience (4) Propriety
22. The Four non-involvement:
(1) Not to watch those that not accord to propriety
(2) Not to listen to those that not accord to propriety
(3) Not to talk about those that not accord to propriety
(4) Not to touch those that not accord to propriety
23. Three forbidden Foods; (Forbidden to take foods from) :
(1) Those that fly in the sky
(2) Those that move on the earth
(3) Those that swim in the water
24. Five avoidance (five types of vegetables that need to avoid):
(1) Onion (2) Garlic (3) Leeks (4) Shallot (5) Tobacco
25. The five desires:
(1) Chai : Richness – wealth
(2) Se : Color – beauty
(3) Ming Pride – Fame
(4) Che : Food , Enjoyment
(5) Suei : Sleep, torpor
26. Three Approach to Contribute:
(1) Monetary Offerings (2) Dharma Offerings (3) Offering of fearlessness
27. The Precious Result (blessing) of Tao Cultivation
(Chao Sen Liao Se) To end the cycle of Life and death
(Siao Yen Cie Nie) To reduce Karma Debts
(To Cai Pi Nan) To escape from calamities and difficulties
(Kai Erl Siang San) To convert back to righteousness
(Kai Pien Ming Yuin) To reform the destiny of Life
(Chau Pa Cu Sien) To ascend our ancestors to the Heaven
TAO MANAGEMENT
28. The Four Factors in Tao Management:
- (Chai) Talent – and all other resources
- (Fa) Dharma - Method
- (Li) Relationship
- (Ti) Place
29. The four integrative method to help/benefit sentient beings (to attracts people to the dharma):
1. Giving Unsparingly 2. Using Pleasant Words
3. Always helping others 4. Comradeship and accommodation
30. Kuang Ci Thin Sin (Six Major Principles of Kuang Ci):
(Cun Se Cong Tao) To respect the master and to value Tao above all the others
(Cin Sou Fo Kuei) To strictly upholding the precepts and discipline
(Chen Sang Chi Sia) To follow as instruct by predecessor and guide follower
(Cin Lao Cun Sien) To respect elder and wise
(Ing Suei Se Yen)
(Sen Cong Cuei Yen)
31.a. Three Transparency:
(1) Financially Transparent
(2) A Clear Separation between spiritual affair and Individual Affair and
(3) A Strict Bound of Decency in Man and woman Relationship
31.b. Four Uprights:
(1) Upright Speech
(2) Upright Mind
(3) Upright Body
(4) Upright Action
32. The Four Deviate Path of Cultivation:
(1) The Magic –Practice (2) Astrology/ Fortune Telling (3) physic training (4) Silence ‘ Tapa’
33. Three Good Friends; (1) Honest (2) Tolerance (3) Full with knowledge
BUDDHISM
34. Three Jewels/refugees; to be refugees to
(1) Buddha
(2) Dharma
(3) Sangha
35. The Four Noble Truths
(1) The First Noble of the unsatisfactory or suffering of Human Existence
(2) The First Noble of the cause of this unsatisfactory
(3) The First Noble of the Cessation of this Unsatisfactory and
(4) The First Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the Cessation of this Unsatisfactory
36. Eight Major Suffering
1. Suffering of Birth 5. Suffering Due to Separation
2. Suffering of Old Age 6. Suffering Due to Meeting with the Uncongenial
3. Suffering of Disease 7. Suffering due Unfulfilled Wishes
4. Suffering of Death 8. Suffering Due the Five Raging Skandas
The Five Aggregates (Matter + 4 Mental Faculties):
(1) Matter (Consist of four elements: i, Solidity ii, Fluidity iii, Heat and iv, Motion
Four Mental faculties: (2) Sensations or feeling (3) Perceptions or identifications
(4) Mental Formation or mental tendencies and (5) Consciousness
37. The Interdependent Origination:
1. Ignorance 2. Volition 3.Consciousness 4. Name and form
5. The six sense sphere 6. Contact 7. Feeling 8. Craving
9. Clinging 10. Becoming 11. Birth 12. Old age and death
38. The Three evil roots: G