Chapter 5: Why Dao Is Commonly Descended to This World
Chapter 5
Why Dao Is Commonly Descended to This World
New Dao relatives and people who are just beginning to get in touch with the Dao often ask what religion Dao is associated with. Some even have the idea that Dao itself is a new kind of religion.
In our present society, with all its complexities and contradictions, with its often rampant materialism and its New Age culture, the work of Dao has flourished in a remarkably short time. Even though there are many prominent, established religions for people to turn to, the widespread growth of Dao has created considerable interest from people in all walks of life. “But what religion is this?” they ask, “and how has it been able to attract so many people in such a short time?” What is it about Dao that appeals so strongly to people individually and to society at large?
Dao does not belong to any existing religion, nor is it a new religion recently established. It is neither a recent phenomenon nor a continuation or altered version of any religion. Dao has a lineage. It pre-exists heaven and earth. Dao was here before humankind and has been practiced and passed on through many generations of saints and sages. Dao is the meeting point of all cultures and civilizations. It is the essence in which the spirituality of all people and the universe come together.
Until quite recently, Dao was transmitted only on a one-to-one basis. Because it was passed on in this way, and always with the utmost discretion, there was no general awareness or understanding of Dao. For the same reason Dao has no written history and any allusions to Dao occur only as hints, traces, and oblique references in historical texts. Now Dao is propagated universally. This is due to heavenly intention, which makes it possible for us to receive Dao in order to fulfill the needs of heaven and humankind at this critical time.
Why is Dao universally available now? Because the time is right and the people are ready. These two conditions—the time factor and the human factor—are very important.
1. The Time Factor
The time we live in now is the period for all of us to return to our origin. Time, in this context, is not the time of human lives and generations, but heavenly time, the chronological cycle of the universe which has its own changing seasons, conditions, and opportunities. It is most important that we work in accordance with these heavenly stages and their specific conditions. It is useless to rush into something if the time is not yet right. It is similarly futile to do something when it is already too late and the right opportunities have been missed. Time is a crucial factor in all our undertakings, and the universal propagation of Dao is no exception. It must take place at the right time and in the appropriate circumstances.
We live in an era of advanced science and technology. Human knowledge has expanded at a dramatic rate and there has also been a rapid growth in our population. With current transportation, communication, and media technologies, we are now operating within a smaller time/space frame than ever before. We have much greater mobility than our ancestors. Although our technology has brought us many welcome innovations, it has also had negative effects. We are easily distracted by material pleasures and indulge in selfish and greedy pursuits. Consequently, our moral and ethical values have deteriorated. This has left us spiritually empty, living our lives in the absence of reliable guidelines and support. Furthermore, the negative nature of human spirituality has been responsible for imbalance and disharmony, which manifests itself in the world as “natural” and human-made disasters.
Now the world is on the brink of destruction. We are approaching the time referred to in religious texts as the time of judgment, in which we reap the fruit of our past actions. It is at this critical time that we need to propagate Dao, to restore harmony in our spiritual nature and in the world around us.
Another reason why Dao can be propagated worldwide now is that advanced communications technology and the availability of fast, reliable transport make it possible to reach a large number of people in a relatively short period of time. During Confucius’s time, around 400 BC, Confucius spent his whole life teaching and propagating the essence of truth. He traveled widely, from one province to another, preaching his wisdom in order to create a world of unity. Although he worked tirelessly, his achievement did not extend beyond a small part of China. Similarly, Gautama Buddha’s efforts in preaching the dharma and teaching sentient beings throughout his life were limited to certain areas of India. The same limitations apply in the case of Lao Zi, Jesus Christ, the Prophet Mohammed, and many other saints. If Dao had been globally available in those days, the efforts of Dao propagators would have been seriously hampered by limited mobility and the lack of effective communication systems, whereas now we have no such restrictions.
2. The Human Factor
In terms of human relationships, science and technology have brought people closer together by overcoming problems of distance and time, and have also made it possible for relations between countries to improve. They facilitate trade and business and encourage cultural exchange. This in turn promotes the study of other languages and a greater understanding of different cultural traditions. In the past, this was not possible to the same degree, and this is one of the reasons why it was not suitable for Dao to be widely propagated.
In terms of human spirituality, our ancestors were purer in nature than we are now. Moral and ethical values were more rigorously preserved. Life was simpler and, on the whole, more peaceful. As a result, people did not feel such a strong yearning for truth as we do now. This is another reason why the universal propagation of Dao would not have been effective in the past.
So far, the factors we have discussed have all been related to external circumstances. The most important point, however, concerns the spirit within us. Now is the time for all souls to come together as one and return to our origin. It is now 60,000 years since we parted from our Heavenly Mother. Before we left her at the Hill of the Three Mountains, we were constantly reminded to return to Heaven, our place of origin. But we lost our way like stray sheep and our bright original nature has been obscured with corruption and depravity.
Now time is critical. We live in constant danger of terrible destruction. That is why the universe extends this precious essence of Dao to the worldly realm so that everyone can receive Dao and return to the source.
Two to three thousand years ago, the saints and sages of the five great religions descended to this world to preach the essence of truth, to teach the essence of morality, and to spread the gospel. They also left us their wisdom recorded in various texts and embodied in doctrines. All this was done in order to prepare the path for the universal propagation of Dao. Now, as we study the teachings of these past saints, we can see that they were all making the same prophesies, spreading the same essence of truth in different places and different cultural contexts.
All the divine spirits in the universe are now coming to the world to assist in the work of Dao. That is why we see so many spiritual manifestations. The spiritual beings also come to give teachings and pass on messages (through sand-writing and other means) in Higher Teaching classes. They do this to help and to guide us. Sometimes in the Higher Teaching class, the teachings are presented in the form of lyrics.
When Will We Be Re-united? (Song by the Divine Patriarch)
60,000 years ago
We were separated at the Hill of the Three Mountains. The Heavenly Mother is very anxious.
She ordered all spiritual beings to descend to the world,
To pass on messages and teachings, both directly and in subtle ways.
Hopefully all my disciples will cultivate rigorously,
Willingly bear the responsibility for truth,
To clear our karmic debt and accomplish our mission
in this final period of the white stage.
Great Motherly Love (Song by the Divine Dean of Heavenly School)
In the sad and desolate wilderness,
We must uphold the essence of Truth.
Our compassionate Mother misses her beloved children,
She sends messages to us constantly,
With endless tears and a broken heart.
The Heart of the Heavenly Mother
The bright moon hangs like a hook in the sky,
The heart is full of sadness.
The wind of disaster sweeps the dusty world,
While the lost children idly wander,
The White Period is the third period of autumn.
Save our brothers and sisters quickly,
Bear the responsibility of truth with great courage
And establish an eternal essence.
From these few songs we can understand the heart of our Heavenly Mother and all the other saints and immortals. These songs express a sense of great urgency. We can understand how critical it is to spread the essence of Truth in order to return to where we have all come from, our place of origin. As human beings, we play a vital role in saving the human heart and manifesting the world of great unity.
We all know that the world is on the verge of destruction, but what can we do to reverse the negativity that has brought us to this crisis? Mencius once said:
When the world is sinking, the way to save it is through Dao.
The world is in chaos and people are drowning in oceans of greed and desire. The world is sinking and only Dao can raise it up again. How can Dao bring about such a change?
The present state of the world is the consequence of human actions. We are responsible for the mess, the chaos, and the proliferation of disasters. As mentioned earlier, the main reasons why we have had such a negative effect are our loss of conscience and our insatiable greed. In the constant battle for material gain and worldly reputation, people resort to unethical behaviors like killing, cheating, and theft. This results in a vicious cycle of cause and effect which inevitably leads to disaster. There is a Chinese proverb that says:
The person who tied up the bell must be the one to untie it.
Since we are the ones who caused the problem, we must take responsibility for solving it. How can we do it? Only through Dao.
When Dao descended to the world, the saints and sages came to the world too. Zheng Zi once said:
When the world moves in accordance with Dao, saints will ascend to heaven.
When the world has no Dao, the saints and sages will appear on earth.
This means that when the world has Dao, everybody will act in accordance with Truth so the world will be peaceful. When the world is peaceful, there is no need for saints to stay on. Their mission would be accomplished and they would simply depart from the worldly realm. When the world has no Dao—when people forget their conscience and the world is a mad, chaotic place—saints will incarnate into the world to teach with love and compassion. They will work to save the world with their unconditional love.
If we are involved in the work of Dao, we will come across many predecessors who dedicate themselves unconditionally to the work of Dao. They pioneer Dao from place to place without sufficient rest. Their main concerns are to ensure that Dao relatives can fully understand the essence of Dao and to make it possible for the rest of the world to receive Dao. Are they not saints and bodhisattvas?
With the propagation of Dao, through the pointing out of the Heavenly Gate by the Dien Chuan Shr, our true nature and conscience will start to shine brightly. Then, with the love and compassion of the Buddhas and the work of the predecessors in the Dao environment organizing seminars and classes to guide us along the path of cultivation, we will begin to manifest the qualities of a cultured person. We will begin to curb our selfish desires and gradually shed our shortcomings and vices to become righteous people. The positive energy that we manifest can, in time, resolve the negative energy of the world. Only then can peace be restored to societies, nations, and all over the world. This is how a world of great unity can be established.
Conclusion
This is the reason why Dao has descended to the world and is now universally propagated. By receiving Dao we can begin to brighten ourselves and let our true nature shine as we carry on the saintly mission of life.
We have discussed the reason why Dao has descended to the world at this time. We can appreciate just how honored we are to have received Dao and realize the importance of the saintly responsibility we bear. Hopefully, we will make every effort to understand Dao and make full use of this precious opportunity to cultivate ourselves.