Search for Truth
	CHAPTER 16
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	Ha! Ha!
	Ha! Ha!
	CHE FATT
	Coming to spread the Dharma
	Holding no manuscript in hand
	Ending in teaching the disciples
	Factors of Truth told from the heart
	Attempting to pass on the right word
	Tenderly, plenty is placed in your hands
	Telling them the Truth from the heart
	VENERABLE BODHIDARMA
	Victory over the millions' heart
	Enabling them to practise hard
	Neglecting not in the inner meditation
	Encountering opposition from the start
	Remain in history, the name is remembered well
	About the heart power, I hope you tell
	Bringing the Truth from the far-away land
	Landing in the hearts of all man
	Entrusting with the duty, Dharma thereby spreads.
	BODHIDARMA remains the household name.
	Ha! Ha!
	Coming from the far-away land to spread the wonderful
	Truth to man. Manuscript and Dharma, I cannot bring,
	but all are contained in my heart instead. Riding on a
	reed, I crossed the River Yangtze and people wonder how
	I could do such a thing. People hope to learn the
	power equal to this but what a pity that none has
	achieved. What is the power and how to attain it?
	When one sees power, power is actually nil. But people
	hope for power, thereby it grows from the heart. Taking
	root, it grows into power of a million kinds. Without
	power, yet power is there. With power yet one cannot
	find it. To achieve the understanding of the Truth, one
	must use the right method. Practising the inner-heart
	meditation, one may realize more. All realizations take
	place from inside and not from outside. When the heart
	grows, everything will grow. When the heart dies,
	everything will cease. Passionate desire begins its
	growth from the seed. The root takes place and one sees
	the plant. If there be no seed or root, there will
	neither be newborn nor death.
	BODHIDARMA
	Bring out the power of the heart
	Only by searching one may find
	Deeds of the past are seen in front of the eyes
	Holding onto the heart power, all things you will find
	In a dream-like form you seek Truth
	Dealing with the mysterious Truth, you know not what to do
	Among the best way is to search inwards
	Remaining in stillness you will feel
	Making the frequency right, perceive the right Truth
	A newborn will then be seen in you again.
	Ha! Ha!
	What a way to tell them the Truth! Working in all
	directions, they should perceive the Truth. The Venerable,
	if a person loses the heart, will he still live on? If
	the heart were to be in one piece, could he faces death
	again?
	Ha! Ha!
	Che Fatt, this question should not be a stumbling-block
	to you. At this moment, your explanation may be even
	better. But, let me see clearly and answer you as you
	wish to be. A heart is but an organ. If the physical
	heart passes off, the inner one will still be able to live
	on. If the organic heart is in a perfect form, this does
	not mean that it will last. The impermanent must eventually
	die off, while the permanent must remain.
	For all that pass through this Heavenly Gate, permanent
	is the inner heart. If you are so determined to find the
	Truth, every action must support the speech. Considering
	the compassion of the Great One, why then are there natural
	calamities? Can The Kind Venerable explain this?
	The compassion from the ABOVE is like parents' feeling
	Towards their children. They love their children more
	than anything else. If their children are to take the
	wrong road and do nothing but evil deeds, what do you
	think the parents will do? Their heart will then feel
	painful, as if it has been stabbed by a knife, but in
	order to help the children, punishment must be given.
	If you punish one child, the second and the third will
	then take heed. Now, do you realize why calamities must
	take place? In the human plane, people are too involved
	in their own things. As such, they have no time to truly
	calm down and think of the past, the present and the future.
	Why do calamities take place and what are their purpose?
	During one's life-span, one searches halfway. The next
	life-span, one forgets about the first-half search that
	he has done.
	Cultivating, no doubt, is difficult for one does not know
	its start and end. However, plenty of guidance are given
	and man still asks where they are. A thought gives rise to
	the seed and the seed gives rise to the roots. When the
	roots grow firm, everything will start to grow. If there
	is no seed, there will be no root and without the root,
	nothing will grow. Learn to keep away from desires, for
	if desires are strong, one will overindulge in a lot of
	things. All I am asking of you is to sit down and meditate
	but how many can really do so? It takes a combination of
	the herbs to cure an illness. Therefore it takes a
	combination of truth to realize the perfect stage.
	Ha! Ha!
	Ha! Ha!
	Man can hardly sit calm and still, and think for more
	than three hours at a time. If this cannot be achieved,
	how then can one begin the first step to meditate?
	The Venerable Bodhidarma had remained in a meditating
	stage for nine years. If the Venerable could do it, you
	could at least try to achieve one-eighth of it. If man
	wishes to remain in this dream-like state without
	maintaining actual stillness, he will merely move on
	without any gain. Therefore, be awakened and follow
	the steps of the Sages and lead on but do not fall back.
	The Venerable, please explain on what is goodness and
	what is evil and what Heavenly Beings are and what
	devils are.
	BODHIDARMA
	Bringing in goodness and evil
	Of which one is Heaven and one is Hell
	Dragging it to either side, only a line away
	Holding the right thoughts; Heaven will be your plane
	In moving across the line, darkness you will find
	Dealing in such a case, your mind will be the master-piece
	Arranging not to go over the track, remain in a determined state
	Rain or shine, all things must remain
	Melting all evils that come your way to distract
	A match with evil, goodness must be its opponent.
	The good and the bad come from the same place. Just as
	When one sows some seeds, the soil and the ground are
	the same. However, some seeds turn out good and some
	turn out bad. All things begin from the inner heart.
	Evil or good, one turns his own destiny chart. If the
	heart is evil, all actions will be evil. If the heart
	is enlightened, then one will tell the Truth. All
	actions mean more than words. By speaking, one cannot
	achieve but by working, things will be done. Do not
	misunderstand the meaning at times. When I say a
	heartless man will achieve, it does not mean that a
	person should go without a heart.
	When one achieves stillness, one can still hear and see
	things that are not of the present world. How can this be
	done? Sometimes people see their own past and know every
	birth and death. Would it not be a horrible sight to see
	one's own death? All these are the doubts of the cultivated
	ones. A person who can attain to this stage, his mind will
	be ready for what appears before him. Being able to look
	back on the past will benefit the cultivator. For every
	mistake made at that time, one may remedy it now. And from
	the sight of all birth and death, one will be assured of
	the fact that there are recycles. Once they have realized
	this, they will then seek an end to ail births and deaths
	and thereby attained the stage of breaking away from recycle.
	At their next stage, they may then cultivate without the
	pain faced by all beings who have not escaped.
	Ha! Ha!
	You might have talked on certain things but allow me to
	Add something extra. All human beings are unconscious of
	their past. But each birth and death is recorded in its
	own way. Deep in the sub-consciousness lies the answer,
	hidden deeply like treasure from the eyes and awaiting
	its discovery. If all humans can realize the past, it may
	bring them more harm than good. Therefore, the 'spot' is
	only opened to the ready and prepared ones who have no
	attachment nor desire on I this human plane and are not
	thinking of themselves but of all beings. If one suffers
	for millions to be saved, one should go through the task
	without any hesitation at all. Thinking only of the far-away
	Land of Paradise, be ready to be persecuted for the millions
	who can cross the suffering sea.
	BODHIDARMA
	Bringing the teachings in togetherness
	Opting for the journey to the distant land
	Dealing with people, heart determination must be seen
	Holding on to the Truth that I brought along to teach
	Illness will not stop me nor River Yangtze
	Deeper into the jungle, more fruits one will see
	A mark at the centre, a mark for all eyes
	Remain in the temple, I passed on the word
	Making for my Home, only my true-self returns
	A guidance set, rules made, one must cultivate.
	Ha! Ha!
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	Today indeed this centre of TER has the great pleasure
	of the Venerable Sir; teaching as you have once taught
	to all. Riding reeds across River Yangtze without fear,
	nothing can block your way and this, our student must learn.
	Ha! Ha!
	To have good teachings, read from books for they are your
	teachers. Listen to the Venerable, the Master is your teacher.
	Learn from Him for the effort to come here is great. The
	Venerable Bodhidarma who set foot on China, has really set
	the root of Buddhist teachings. Neither through paper nor
	notes, but from the heart the Truth is told.
	CHE FATT
	Coming to answer the doubts of man
	Holding authority, Bodhidarma will appear again
	Endless are his teachings that are without notes
	From the heart, each one will keep note
	Arise now and awaken to the Truth
	Tackling not behind others but move forward too
	Trying hard to see, ask when doubts are found.
	Ha! Ha!
	Ha! Ha!