“The future religious (spiritual) Leader will descend to the human world, neither as an official in the house of the prime minister nor as a prince in the palace; neither in Buddhist temples nor in Taoist monasteries, but in the family of ordinary people. He will distribute gold from places south of Yan and north of Zhao.”
Today, we will read the Wanfa Guizong prophecy of “The Baked Cake Ballad,” attributed to the renowned Chinese prophet and sage Liu Bowen, about Lord Maitreya Buddha, who would incarnate on Earth and ignite the great salvation. Known as “Wanfa Guizong,” meaning “All Ways Return to the Origin,” this passage is unique in that it discusses the coming of the Great Saint as the Future Buddha, who is known in Buddhism as Lord Maitreya Buddha. This prophecy is attributed to Liu Bowen. However, it seems to have originated from a book titled “Long Hua Jing” (“Dragon Flower Scripture”), said to be written by the Venerated Patriarch Gong Chang (Zhang Hai Liang), the founder of the Yuan Dun Religion. “Long Hua Jing” especially describes details of the final Assembly to be held in the last kalpa (eon) by Lord Maitreya Buddha.
Let’s now explore this prophecy as it appears in “The Baked Cake Ballad”:
“The emperor said: Who will teach the Tao after the Dharma-Ending Age? Wen (Liu Bowen) said: The following poem is evidence: He does not look like a monk or a Taoist. He will wear a (vegan) cashmere hat weighs 4 liang (about 150 grams). The true Buddha will not live in temples or monasteries. He will be in charge of the First Original Religion of Maitreya.”
In the Dharma-Ending Age, the Saint who preaches God’s teachings will not look like a religious Buddhist or Taoist monk, but like an ordinary person in society. Although Supreme Master Ching Hai is an ordained Buddhist and Hindu nun, Her Divine Mission as an enlightened Master has required Her to appear like an ordinary member of modern society, wearing Her hair in certain ways and donning many different styles of clothes. Etc…
The prophecy also said that the Saint would wear a 4-liang (about 150 grams) (vegan) cashmere hat. Master often wears hats, including those that are lightweight and made of vegan cashmere-like material. Her ever-changing, ever-charming appearances, which She remarkably creates all by Herself without the help of a professional stylist, elevate the spirits of those who see Her. However, for Master, this has been a sacrifice of Her comfort and preference for a simpler lifestyle – all for the benefit of sentient beings. Etc…
Also fitting the prediction, Supreme Master Ching Hai does not reside in temples or monasteries, but stays wherever necessary in order to help the world at the given time, no matter at what cost of hardship. “Wherever is given to me, whatever, and it is for spiritual reason, I would stay. And even another place, better, more favorable and more beautiful or more convenient or whatever, but if it’s not spiritually strong, not spiritual at all, or not strong enough compared to the other place, which is not too good, I would never move to the better place. But if I know a place is spiritual, no matter what, even if it doesn’t have anything there, even no house even, I would bring a tent there and stay all by myself. Even no facilities, nothing. Even alone and it’s not so safe, whatever. Everything in my life, I don’t talk about the younger time but since I know spiritual practice, everything in my life is just for that category, for spiritual practice only, for improvement in spiritual practice. For myself and for everyone as well.” “Mostly it’s like that. When any teachers or Masters are alive, they hardly have any room. They have to run around. But the next generation, when no Master is there anymore, they will build big churches, big temples. Yeah. That’s like that. So if you want to have a bigger place, then you don’t die so quick. You wait until a long time after, after I pass away, then probably you’ll have a lot of rooms. Somewhere, who knows. Anywhere, maybe anywhere. Maybe everywhere.”
Illustrating the irony of the living Master’s situation, Supreme Master Ching Hai has written original jokes such as the following: “(Master, why don’t you build any big temples?) I don’t have to, others will do it, but the time has not come yet. (When then?) After I die!!!” “(Master, how come most people don’t believe or follow you, though what you teach is perfect and true?) Oh they will, usually after I died.” “(You know, the close followers of Master Young Heng treat Him like the Buddha!) Wow, how meritorious! (They make Him beg them for food.) !!!???”
The prophecy also states that the Saint will be the One in charge of the First Original Religion or, the root source of all religions, which is the universal method of immediate enlightenment. The Maitreya Buddha is supposed to be reincarnated in this period of time, and it’s been proven that Supreme Master Ching Hai is the Maitreya Buddha, thus befittingly The First Patriarch of this “Maitreya Original Religion.” “If we get enlightenment, we will understand thoroughly all the religious teachings and we will know that originally these are the teachings of the Masters which point to the same Truth. And when we know that Truth, all the religions come into one fold.”
BUDDHISM “…if anyone wishes to be my relative, HE SHOULD NOT EAT ANY MEAT.” ~ Lankavatara Sutra
CHRISTIANITY “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them.” ~ Holy Bible
HINDUISM “Since you cannot bring killed animals back to life, you are responsible for killing them. Therefore you are going to hell; there is no way for your deliverance.” ~ Adi-lila
ISLAM “Do not allow your stomachs to become graveyards of animals!” ~ Hadith Etc…
“The emperor said: Where will the Maitreya descend to the world? Wen (Liu Bowen) said: Your Majesty, let me explain. The future religious (spiritual) Leader will descend to the human world, neither as an official in the house of the prime minister nor as a prince in the palace; neither in Buddhist temples nor in Taoist monasteries, but in the family of ordinary people. He will distribute gold from places south of Yan and north of Zhao.”
The prophecy says that the future Buddha will not be born into a royal or aristocratic family but would be born into an ordinary family. Although Supreme Master Ching Hai was great monarchs as well as high government officials in many of Her former incarnations on our planet, in this life She was born into a family of ordinary (and highly respectable) citizens. However, Master has become renowned throughout the world by Her virtuous deeds and spiritual teachings.
The prophecy also said that Maitreya Buddha would “distribute gold,” meaning She would spread the true Dharma, which is precious and radiant like gold, from “places south of Yan and north of Zhao.” This could refer to places around Beijing, in other words, places around the capital of China. It can also refer to places around Taipei, the capital of Taiwan (Formosa), or the Republic of China. Master also designs jewelry made with pure gold and “distributes” it till now, and continues to do so from Her business in Taipei, Taiwan (Formosa)… No other Master has been known for such trade to date!
“The emperor said: Can you explain clearly what will happen after the Qing Dynasty ends so that future generations can read and understand? Wen (Liu Bowen) said: I dare not explain all. Before the sea ports are opened for trading, the Qing Dynasty is great. When they open, war comes. If the sea ports are reopened, it must be time for LAO SHUI to return to the capital.”
True to the prophecy, the Qing Dynasty was forced to open its sea ports to foreign trade after it lost the Opium Wars to Europeans in the mid-19th century. The Qing Empire declined domestically too, with decades of rebellions in the 19th century followed by more than 20 years of civil war in the 20th century. Then, the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. Supreme Master Ching Hai was born around this time in 1950. Perhaps this is what is meant by: “If the sea ports are reopened, it must be time for LAO SHUI to return to the capital.” In another interpretation, China reopened to the world in the 1980s. In the same period, Supreme Master Ching Hai came to Taiwan (Formosa) and began Her public life as a spiritual Master.
Lao Shui, literally meaning “Old Water,” seems to refer to someone who is closely related to the great enlightened Master Lao Tzu and water. Perhaps you’d remember Supreme Master Ching Hai’s name means Pure Ocean?? In their inner experiences during meditation, some of our Association members have seen that the venerated enlightened Master Lao Tzu was a past incarnation of Supreme Master Ching Hai. “[During Her lecture] Master’s face suddenly changed into that of Shakyamuni Buddha. … Then I saw Master’s face continue to change into the faces of Quan Yin Bodhisattva, LAO TZU, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and then back to Her own.” “Before I came to know Master, I had a very strange dream. Outside the front door of my childhood home, I suddenly saw a door open up to the sky. A statue of Shakyamuni Buddha appeared. It was so huge that it filled up all the space from Earth to Heaven, and it was radiating extremely bright, white light. As I looked to my right, there was a holy statue of the great Sage LAO TZU, which was just as huge and bright. Then I turned to the right and again and suddenly saw Jesus Christ standing there, taking up all the space between the sky and Earth. He was huge and dignified. I was thrilled and wanted to be Their disciple. However, the holy statues disappeared at that moment. Just as I was feeling sad and sorry, a big temple appeared in front of me. Someone pulled me inside and pointed to a person toward the right, who was dressed like a Qing Dynasty emperor (later, I saw a photo of Master dressed like that) and who seemed to be exhausted. The person who took me inside told me to hurry and prostrate. He said that this was my Master, a truly great Being who was more powerful than the three Saints I had seen earlier. A week later, I had the opportunity to read Master’s sample booklet given to me by a friend. I became a complete vegan right away. Also, having read the sample booklet, I became enlightened that I could not understand despite my best efforts became clear to me. I know now that Master is the reincarnation of these past three Saints.” Also supporting the prophecy, in Supreme Master Ching Hai’s name, “Hai” (meaning Ocean) is closely related to “Shui” (meaning Water). Therefore, we can conclude that Supreme Master Ching Hai is “Lao Shui,” the prophesied future Buddha.
Furthermore, the prediction of “the time for Lao Shui to return to the capital” reminds us that in multiple previous lives, Supreme Master Ching Hai was the emperor of China living in China’s capital (as verified in some of our Association members’ visions). Thus, Her reappearance in this lifetime amidst Chinese civilization can indeed be called a “return.” Spiritually She “returns to the Capital,” meaning to lead again, but in Heaven-Mission. Following is yet another case in which our Association member, a gifted Taoist, discovered some of Master’s past life affinities. “(You had affinity with China many times. You were once a king. And also…) Which king? (An emperor.) Which dynasty? (This... I have to go home and check.) Go home to do some research.” Two weeks later, this Taoist disciple returned to Xihu Ashram to report the results of her inner checking. She said that Master, in Her previous lives, had been Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, and also the Venerable Patriarch Bodhidharma, Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng, and a great Lama in Tibet (Tsongkhapa).
In addition, Lao Shui’s return to the capital could also refer to Supreme Master Ching Hai bringing the Dharma to the Chinese people once again, just as She did before in Her previous life as the Venerable Bodhidharma. Master Bodhidharma is renowned for having brought Chan (Zen) Buddhism from the West (India) to China. Master also went to India, and brought the Teaching back. First to the Chinese, then it started from there, with more multi-nationals.
