JOURNEY NO 4   -   19th September 1976
 
Touring Wan Jiao Gui Zong
 
JiGong: Today we will again journey to the Underworld; therefore Yang Sheng quickly
              climb up to the lotus platform.
 
Yang Sheng: I obey your instruction, Master. I am now securely seated on the lotus
                      platform and am ready to proceed.
 
JiGong: Well, we have arrived. Quickly descend from the platform.
 
Yang Sheng: I see that before me there is a gate of a fort with the words ‘Gui Men Guan’
                      (Gate to Devil’s Home). In fact, ‘Gui Men Guan’ is here but why is it that
                      the door is shut and yet I can hear a lot of disorder voices coming from
                      within.
 
JiGong: This door is never opened but the souls of the dead manage to enter into this
              home. But you see, I will wave my fan and the door will automatically open.
 
Yang Sheng: Oh, how wonderful, my respectful Master. You have such powers that
                      by just waving your fan and the door opens immediately. But the souls
                      of human beings do not have fans like yours. How then do they manage
                      to enter?
 
JiGong: When a human being dies he becomes a ghost. When on Earth the body can
               walk about on the roads but after death, he becomes a devil, and on reaching
               Gui Men Guan, the gate automatically opens for his soul to enter. When a
               person is alive, the door of Earth is open and when he dies, the door of Earth
               is closed and the door of Gui Men Guan is open for his soul to enter. This is
               one of the wonders of nature. Now walk faster. I will take you to another place.
 
Yang Sheng: As you instruct, but I can still hear a lot of noise coming from inside Gui
                      Men Guan like a market place. I don’t know what the souls inside there are
                      doing.
 
JiGong: The souls are waiting to be escorted to the TEN TRIBUNALS for the various
              stages of trials for what they had done whilst on Earth. Now the soldiers of Hell
              are bringing them there. Today we are not going to see this. So follow me
              quickly.
 
Yang Sheng: Yes, why is this road so rugged? Actually where are we going?
 
JiGong: After walking two miles then you will know.
 
Yang Sheng: In front of us, I see a soul being led by a soldier of Hell; where is he going?
 
JiGong: When this person was alive on Earth, he was a religious man, staying in a
               Temple but he was not very truly pious because he often belittled other religions
               except his own. Now that he is dead, his soul is being led to Hell to be tried.
 
Yang Sheng: In front of us is a pavilion; there are four characters ‘WAN JIAO GUI
                      ZONG’! What is this place?
 
JiGong: At the present time on Earth, there are many religious faiths, but the various
              followers of one faith are always attacking the religious beliefs of other faiths
              thus causing the meaning of true ascetic practices to be lost. These people are
              very evil in speech and so when they die, their souls are brought to Wan Jiao
              Gui Zong to undergo further indoctrination and instruction in the correct path.
              In front of us is a Master coming. Yang Sheng quickly approach him and pay
              your respects. 
 
Yang Sheng: I humbly pay my respect to you, Master.
 
Master: Welcome, JiGong and Yang Sheng of Sheng Xian Tang who have arrived here
               today. Earlier we had received news of your visit. Arise, Yang Sheng, do not
               stand on ceremony.
 
JiGong: Today, I bring Yang Sheng here in the hope that you, Master will kindly show
              him this place and explain to him.
 
Master: Please follow me to the Hall inside. Please be seated.
 
Yang Sheng: Wan Jiao Gui Zong has a good meaning but its real function is not known
                      to me. I beg you, Master, to kindly explain the meaning to me.
 
Master: Nowadays, there are five main important religions in the world i.e 1] Taoism
             2] Islam 3] Confucianism 4] Christianity and 5] Buddhism. These are the true
             religions but eventually, Heaven sent down the various Sages to teach human
             beings throughout the world the true religious beliefs. After the death of these
             Sages, the followers of one Sage compete with the followers of the other Sages
             to claim that one particular religion was and is better than any other religions.
             Now you see this soul being led by the soldiers of Hell. After the death of that
             person, his soul is brought here. The Jade Emperor is very kind-hearted. He does
             not want to see souls suffer, that is why the office of Wan Jiao Gui Zong is
             established so that the souls of religious people are brought here to undergo
             further indoctrination and instruction.
 
JiGong: Master, what you have said is very true, but Yang Sheng here does not quite
              understand. If he is brought and shown what you have said, it will be better
              because, hearing is one thing and seeing is much better and will remain in
              the memory.
 
Master: Right, then follow me.
 
Yang Sheng: Oh, this Hall is so large. It covers so many hundred ‘mou’ (Chinese
                      equivalent of an acre) and looks like a very big classroom with millions
                      of people waiting for their teacher to come.
 
Master: Yes, they are like students. Please follow me and we will occupy some of the
              seats reserved for distinguished visitors.
 
Yang Sheng: The stage is so big that we have never seen like this on Earth. In front of us
                      there is a blackboard which reads ‘Wan Jiao Gui Zong’. I see a lecturer
                      getting up onto the stage. He looks like a Buddha or holy man. All the
                      ‘students’ stand up to show their respect.
 
Lecturer: Today we have a visitor from Earth named Yang Sheng of Sheng Xian Tang,
                Taiwan, China. Let us all clap hands as a sign of welcome.
 
Yang Sheng: Master, how can all of these students understand the Lecturer who speaks
                      in Chinese.
 
JiGong: The world is so large that there are so many races with so many faiths but when
               human beings die their souls become enlightened and they can understand any
               language – like when one sees lightning flashing it is sure to be followed by
               thunder. Therefore, when they hear the Lecturer speak, all of them know the
               meaning of what he is saying. Please do not ask so many questions. Let us
               concentrate on the Lecturer’s speech.
 
Lecturer: There are many kinds of human beings but their hearts are the same. They are
                 born in various parts of the Earth but when they eventually die all of them will
                 gather in one place – the Underworld. There are human beings of various
                 colors and races. When hungry all want to eat, and when tired all will want to
                 sleep or rest. Above our heads, there is the sky and under our feet there is
                 Earth. The Sun and the Moon shine on everything everywhere; human beings,
                 animals and plants all enjoy the effects and benefits of the Sun and the Moon.
                 In the world there are many religions, each one attacking the other saying that
                 only their followers will go to Heaven while the followers of other religions
                 will go to Hell. Religious people who belittle other religions hope to go to
                 Heaven when they die, but instead they will be suspended half-way, neither in
                 Heaven nor in Hell – like a caged bird being hung up half-way. These people
                 think they are already in Heaven but in fact they are in Hell. They are sinful
                 and cannot save themselves but must depend on others to save them. When all
                 of you were alive on Earth, each and everyone of you expected to go to
                 Heaven after death, but actually all of you have now fallen into Hell. When on
                 Earth, all your bodies were of various colors, black, white, brown, red, yellow,
                 etc but after death, only your souls come here. After death, the bodies with
                 various colors do not come here to Hell – the bodies of various colors are left
                 behind but the hearts or souls of only one color come here. When living you
                 attacked each other and had no love for each other. Therefore where is this
                 meaning of universal love and mercy? From the beginning of time until now,
                 the Sun and the Moon have been shining on all human beings, both good and
                 evil. They will continue to shine on everyone so that their blessings will be
                 on this and future generations irrespective of whether they are good or evil.
                 Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, all your souls here must be aroused and must
                 have only one heart to work as one body and must not attack each other. Now
                 spread the teaching of Wan Jiao Gui Zong. ‘Gui Zong’ means one heart – all
                 hearts must become one heart and must work towards mutual help and love
                 for each other. All religions have doors wide open to admit those who believe
                 in any particular religion; although the founders are different , the universal
                 aim is the same – to teach all to do good. I hope all human beings will follow
                 this ‘true path’ so that the troubled world can become happy and peaceful. All
                 the founders of the main religions want to save the souls of human beings but
                 not their bodies. If all of you can first discover your own inner-most hearts and
                 avoid evil doings only then can you attain happiness, leading eventually, to the
                 creation of a united and happy world. Everybody can then become sage-like
                 and attain wisdom. Otherwise they will fall into Hell to undergo another
                 transmigration of soul….
 
JiGong: Time’s up. Yang Sheng, say goodbye to Master. We will come on another visit
              when there is an opportunity. Yang Sheng please pay your respects.
 
Yang Sheng: Master, I am very sorry, time is limited and we have to return to Sheng
                      Xian Tang although the lecture is not finished. Please excuse me for this
                      lack of courtesy.
 
Master: Never mind, we will escort you out.
 
JiGong: Yang Sheng, climb up the lotus flower platform. Having heard the lecture today,
              what are your impression?
 
Yang Sheng: There is profound meaning in the lecture. On Earth every religion is
                       attacking each other, like the melon seller claiming that only his melon is
                       sweet. The best thing is for the customer to taste the fruit himself to find
                       out. It is also like a person who drinks water; he alone only knows whether
                       the water is hot or cold on drinking. It is best left to the customer to decide
                       what is good or what is bad for him. Then only it is fair.
 
JiGong: Human beings always hold fast to their own wrong beliefs and will not listen
              to persuasion, therefore they cannot go to Heaven. Fairies and sages are the
              mouth-pieces of Heaven and therefore they are very fair. In future if you are
              reborn in another country and believe in the religion of that country, do not
              think that I, JiGong, will not come to your assistance when required. Then only
              will others know that I am a Sage. This means that I am selfish. I hope that
              human beings will discard their selfishness and cultivate public-spiritedness,
              otherwise their Heaven is only five feet wide – how many people can such a
              five-feet wide Heaven contain? O.K. we have now arrived at Sheng Xian Tang.
              Yang Sheng, get down from the lotus platform. Your soul will return to your
              body. 
                    
 
End of Journey 4