16 - Encounters with the World of Spirits

Preface: A Few Beginning Words

First,I would like to make a statement about this book. This is a highly mystical book, but everything in it is absolutely true. There is not a trace of falsehood in all of the events that have happened to me. Even if one is of the opinion that nothing is implausible in the world, one will find, upon reading this book carefully, that I, Sheng-Yen Lu, have encountered adventures that are beyond the realm of the imagination. The mystical and improbable nature of these events will amaze and baffle people living in the twentieth century. I hope both scientists and spiritualists will take this book seriously and that its publication will cause a new shift in consciousness in people’s minds.

I am a college graduate, and I am definitely not a gullible person. I place great emphasis on self-education, and my interests lie in the study of religions, philosophy, literature, and the arts. I have written more than a dozen books, but Encounters with the World of Spirits is the most serious work I have undertaken. Strange as these occurrences are, this book is a true record of my personal experiences, and I want my readers to know that there is not a single untruthful word in it.

Perhaps some people will find the study of metaphysics and the belief in gods to be superstitious, and I generally do not engage in rebuttals regarding suchopinions. I only hope that people will, before making such judgments, spend the time to study and understand the nature of “souls,” “psychic power,” and “supernatural power” (gods). If one does not have any knowledge in these fields, one should admit one’s ignorance, instead of taking the unscholarly view of putting down these studies as “superstitions.” Today I can state boldly: Anyone who claims that the studies of metaphysics and gods are merely superstitious only implicates his own ignorance in regard to these subjects.

Although great progress has been made in the advancement of scientific technologies, there is still a great gap between current technology and the development of instruments that can detect the existence of “supersensory psychic energy.” All events in this book happened to me personally, and if someone considers them to be “superstitions,”I beg their forgiveness, for all my words are absolutely true, and I do not advocate mere superstition. This book contains, from my heart, the true occurrences of the past several years which I have not before dared to tell in my books.

In “Encounters with the World of Spirits,” I tell how my psychic energy became activated and how I got in touch with the spirits’ world and made friends with them. I also write about how I use psychic power to predict the future. If others wish to learn to contact the world of spirits, they will find a few tips in this book. All the occurrences related have taken place during my waking consciousness. Although this book is called “Encounters with the World of Spirits,” it is not the ordinary kind of book about clairvoyance. It contains aknowledge that is deeper than ordinary divination. Besides discussing “fate,”and “psychic energy,” I also use a scientific approach to uncover and analyzethe mystery behind “souls” and “gods.” I hope that, through the publication of this book, people will obtain a deeper understanding of metaphysics andtheology. It is too easy to overlook the existence of the metaphysical world by simply labelling it as a superstitious belief.

Perhaps some readers would be interested in learning about my background. I was originally a Christian and had been baptized at the Kaohsiung New Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. I had been a Sunday school teacher as well as the teacher of a Bible study group. Later, I became a Taoist and practiced at the Shih Pi Tang, a branch of the Tzi Hui Tang of the Chinese Taoist Association. Now I am a Buddhist. I have taken refuge in the Buddhist Master Yin Shun and taken the Householder’s Bodhisattva Vows from Masters Hsien Tun, Hui San, and Jue Guangat the Pi Shan Yan Temple at Nantou. At the time of this writing, I am in charge of the Tzi Hui Lei Tsang Temple, which is at my residence.

I have an innate curiosity about religions and a tremendous interest in spiritual teachings; therefore, I have read and studied all kinds of scriptures and many classics from Buddhism and Taoism, as well as from Catholicism and Islam. Many of the classics of Chan Buddhism, such as “Transmission of the Lamp”, “Eyes ofMen and Heaven”, “Assembly of Five Lamps”, “Pointing at the Moon”, and “Record of the Heart Lamp”, are favorites of mine. I also have studied the Tantric classic “Secret Education to Pass”. And the Taoist classic, “Thirty-Six True Sutras of Taoist Treasures”, is a work I study daily.

I believe in the predetermination of fate, but I also believe that fate can be transformed. There are many miraculous happenings in this world. What is the Spirit? Do heavens and hells exist? In this book, these questions will be answered thoroughly. As more and more people are finding out about my “ability of divination,” people from all over Taiwan are looking me up out of curiosity. However, it is not my wish to gain fame through my “psychic ability,” nor do I want to foster the awkward and baffling situation of being besieged by seekers, which is why I have decided to write this book, completely disclosing my experiences. I am not running from the crowds, but I want to be able to quietly concentrate on my spiritual cultivation, thus arriving at a deeper level of realization. If everyone seeks me out, I will not have any time left for cultivation.

Finally, I would like to quote Tolstoy: “The most foolish superstition is held by some scientists who believe that men can live without faith.” Today, I dare not make the statement that people without faith are bad people, but people who do not have faith and who do not believe in the laws of reincarnation and karma are definitely more prone to defying human and divine laws, as well as being more likely to commit 12 transgressions. This book is dedicated to the gods whom Irevere and to all my friends in the invisible realms.

Living Buddha Lian Sheng, Sheng-YenLu

17102 NE 40th Ct.

Redmond, WA 98052

U. S. A.