Stealing the 42 Hands and Eyes Dharma

Question:

​Ven. Masters,

I am still uninformed, if what I am about to ask you is inappropriate, please forgive me.

The scriptures say so and so do a lot of Dharma Masters: “All living beings are Buddhas [to be] because they inherently have Buddha seeds. Bodhisattvas do not discriminate. To encounter the sangha is like encountering the Buddhas.”

You Dharma Masters are lofty of nature and undertake teaching us to lead us to the Western Bliss Pure Land. Then why do you say that stealing the Dharma will make us fall to the hells?

Please kindly clarify this for me.

Thank you

TQ

Answer:

Please seek out a knowledgeable sangha member to clarify the rest of your assertions because that is the job of your teacher. We will restrict our answer to the matter of Dharma Theft.

That was what the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas taught us. We simply passed it on to you. For example, my late teacher, Great Master Xuan Hua, said that the 42 Hands & Eyes Dharma is a Secret School Dharma that requires transmission before it can be practiced. Unfortunately, on the internet there are a lot of materials on that Dharma albeit quite inaccurate or incomplete. Furthermore, there some monks, who for the sake of fame and profit, decided to transmit them although they are not authorized to do so. Such greedy teachers will certainly fall to the hells. And so will their greedy followers.

If I say the truth, you will get offended. If I fail to say it, you will blame me for being cowardly, lacking in kindness and compassion, or even being jealous of another’s success.

May I suggest that you ponder these questions? If you are so greedy how can you possibly successfully practice this great Dharma? If success is not assured, is it worth falling to the hells?

Furthermore, the Buddha said: “All of you should carefully reflect upon what you heard. If it does not make sense, even if it came from the Tathagata’s golden mouth, you should not believe it.” If your teacher regularly appeals to your greedy mind, should you continue to blindly follow him?
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You do not have to believe me now. When you fall to the hells, at that very moment you will remember my words and will know that I did not pull your leg. Then the next time, you will be more receptive to the Proper Dharma.