Bản dịch từ Our Divine Mother of Carramar:
The Australian Điện Thờ Phật Mẫu of Caodaism
Christopher Hartney
Phạm Công Tắc, the “Hộ Pháp” or “Guardian of the Dharma” in Caodaism delivered the following sermon at the Temple of Gratitude/Holy Mother Temple, on 4PM 15th Day of the Eighth Lunar Month, Year of the Pig (1947). In it he explains line-by-line the central prayer to Đức Phật Mẫu.
This translation by Christopher Hartney and Đào Công Tâm.
Today we hold the Great Ceremony for the Golden Mother of the Bejewelled Lake, I think that everyone in the religion should know the power of our Divine Mother. So let us ask: “what is her power and why do we worship her?”
In order to know this power, I will in this sermon explain the prayer we offer to the Divine Mother – the one we often recite on a daily basis. Before I begin to explain it, however, I would like to point out how we got this prayer, when it was given to us and where.
The Phật Mẫu prayer was given to the Religious Region, Kiêm Biên in Cambodia at the Temple to Gratitude. This was administered by the historian Huỳnh Hữu Lợi and his wife. At this time, there was no prayer to the Divine Mother, all that we knew at that stage was that the Divine Mother had come to start our religion. With the poems and teachings of the nine female immortals we knew why she had come to open the religion, but we still had not, at that stage, realised her power and potential.
At this time in Cambodia, during my visit there, all our dignitaries in the Overseas Missionary came to attend the prayers for the Divine Mother ceremony. The eighth female immortal descended at this time and appeared at a séance that we held. I operated the corbeille à bec in front of the altar (the spirit pen used to receive heavenly messages). At this séance there were many witnesses. There were both many co-believers present and a person who had no idea of the Way. This was my nephew Mr Hiếu who was waiting in the front yard. While he was relaxing outside, he saw a great halo descend upon the temple at the time of the séance. After the séance was completed, everyone began discussing the presence of the halo inside the temple – even though those who were outside the temple and who saw the halo descend were not aware that there was a séance taking place inside. My nephew and many other co-believers witnessed this.
Now I would like to explain each of the sentences in the prayer so that it can be understood.
‘Tạo Hóa Thiên huyền vi Thiên Hậu,
Chưởng Kim Bàn Phật Mẫu Diêu Trì.’
造 化 天 玄 微 天 后
掌 金 盤 佛 母 瑤 池
At the Heaven of Creation and Transformation reigns the mysterious Heavenly Queen,
She commands the Dieu Tri Palace and is called the Mother Buddha of the Golden Basin.
At the Ninth Heaven – called the Heaven of Creation – there is a being who holds the power of creation. She is referred to as the Heavenly Queen. She holds the golden basin and has the spiritual rank to direct souls. Thus, she is called the Precious Bejewelled Lake Buddha Mother. To the east, people often refer to the Buddha Mother as the Birth Mother and often worship her using an idol. As we see with the teachings of the nine female immortals, all the people of East Asia recognise the Buddha Mother, that is, the birth mother of all humanity.
‘Sanh quang dưỡng dục quần nhi’
生 光 養 育 群 兒
With the fluid of vitality, she nourishes all her children.
Using this fluid of vitality, The Buddha Mother elevates and nourishes all beings.
‘Chơn linh phối nhứt thân vi thánh hình’
眞 靈 配 一 身 為 聖 形
She creates them by unifying the spirit and the astral body to make a being that exists on the spiritual plane.
The astral body or the peri-spirit is formed by the Buddha Mother using the spirit energies of the Supreme Being. By uniting this with our astral body she fashions a being on the spiritual plane. When we die, this astral body is what exits our corpse.
‘Thiên cung xuất vạn linh tùng pháp’
天 宮 出 萬 靈 從 法
This heaven creates the Ten Thousand Beings who must follow its dharma.
From this heaven, the realm of the Supreme Being, all lesser beings are created and so all beings should follow the dharma of the Supreme Being.
‘Hiệp âm dương hữu hạp biến sanh’
協 陰 陽 有 合 變 生
Uniting Yin and Yang harmoniously all beings are created.
Using the yin and yang energies and by uniting them harmoniously the ten thousand beings are created.
‘Càn khôn sản xuất hữu hình’
乾 坤 產 出 有 形
Heaven and Earth created the visible realm,
Before this, heaven and earth was a void. The Buddha Mother created all ten thousand beings.
‘Bát hồn vận chuyển hóa thành chúng sanh’
八 魂 運 轉 化 成 眾 生
The eight spiritual levels create and transform all living beings.
In the eight spiritual levels (the material, vegetable, animal, human, genie, saint, immortal and buddha levels) all these come from the golden basin of the Buddha Mother. The eight spiritual levels transform in order to create the first four levels (the material, vegetable, animal and human) this is the realm of all living beings.
‘Cộng vật loại huyền linh đồ nghiệp’
共 物 類 玄 靈 圖 業
Gathering the spirits of all sentient beings to create a common karma.
Bringing together all sentient beings for the sake of great karma the Buddha Mother opens a path for establishing spiritual positions for one another.
‘Lập tam tài định kiếp hòa căn’
立 三 才 定 劫 和 根
The Universal Triad decides the incarnation and karma for each soul.
The Universal Triad (heaven, earth, humanity) and the Buddha Mother decides the incarnations and the paths for every soul who incarnates through this earthy realm.
‘Chuyển luân định phẩm cao thăng’
轉 輪 定 品 高 升
Because of reincarnation, the spirit evolves to attain the highest of positions.
Our reincarnation, the path of life and death, is the path of attaining a higher spiritual position. We are born in order to transform our karmic account according to the law of cause and effect. We are born in order to create good karma for ourselves, we are born in order to attain for ourselves the highest possible spiritual evolution.
‘Hư vô Bát quái trị thần qui nguyên’
虛 無 八 卦 治 神 歸 元
Using the Void of the Eight Trigrams, the souls are brought back to their origin.
Using the Great Void to establish the Eight Trigrams our spirits are permitted to return to their points of origin. It is the Buddha mother who has the power to bring these souls back to the Supreme Being.
‘Diệt tục kiếp trần duyên oan trái’
滅 俗 劫 塵 緣 冤 債
Destroying all our earthly bonds and the debts of our previous incarnation.
We can ask the Buddha Mother for aid in determining how we can repay our karmic account. She has the power to adjust the process of our reincarnation. She also can guide us in how we contribute to repaying our karmic account.
‘Chưởng đào tiên thủ giải trường tồn’
掌 桃 仙 守 解 長 存
She bears the Immortal Peach and rewards souls who can attain the Way
and return them to eternal life.
At the Palace of Diêu Trì the Buddha Mother gathers and concentrates the vital fluid and transforms it into an immortal peach. This peach is enough for eternal life in the spiritual realm and the Buddha Mother holds the power for our astral body to return and attain the Way in this spiritual realm.
‘Nghiệp hồng dẫn tử hồi môn,
Chí công định vị vĩnh tồn Thiên cung’
業 洪 運 子 回 門
至 公 定 位 永 存 天 宮
Her Great Work is to bring her children back to their original home in the spiritual realm.
The Supreme Being arranges a position for those souls who can then have eternal life in the spiritual realm.
The Buddha Mother calculates the results of our karma. She then is able to return us to a more pristine karmic position and the Supreme Being, taking this more pristine karma into account, creates a spiritual position for us.
‘Chủ âm quang thường tùng Thiên mạng,
Ðộ Chơn Thần nhứt vãng nhứt lai.’
主 陰 光 常 從 天 命
度 眞 神 一 往 一 來
She masters the dark/yin energy and follows the order of the Supreme Being.
In guiding our astral bodies as they go out and return.
This Dark/Yin Energy is within this Earthly Realm. The Dark/Yin Energy forms the border between hell and heaven. Following the order of the Supreme Being, the Buddha Mother maintains and protects our astral body on its journey out and its return.
‘Siêu thăng phụng liễn qui khai.’
超 升 鳳 輦 歸 開
When our spirit goes back to heaven, there is an immortal carriage to convey us and
to open the gates of heaven.
When one ascends to heaven, we need assistance from the carriage of the immortals – that this the Phụng Liễn or Phoenix Carriage – it helps us open the gates of heaven.
‘Tiên cung Phật xứ Cao Ðài xướng danh.’
仙 宮 佛 處 高 臺 唱 名
From the realm of the immortals and the buddhas, Đức Cao Đài will call the name of your soul.
From the immortal realm and from the realm of the buddhas, the Supreme Being will call your soul’s name – but He does so following the rules and using the powers of the Buddha Mother.
‘Hội nguơn hữu chí linh huấn chúng’
會 元 有 至 靈 訓 眾
In this period, the Supreme Being comes to teach all beings.
The first age transforms into the middle age and then we have the final age which is our era. This last transition is about to come to an end. When this end takes place, the four upper transitions will commence. It is at this point that the Supreme Being will come down to teach and guide all living beings.
‘Hội Long Hoa nhơn chủng hòa ki (cơ)
大 龍 花 人 種 和 機
At the Dragon Flower Assembly all the races will be united.
The Great Dragon Flower Assembly is already predicted. This is the amnesty for all souls which will not distinguish between race, creed, or personality and humanity will become united as if one.
‘Tam kỳ khai hiệp Thiên thi,
Khoa môn Tiên vị ngộ kỳ Phật duyên.’
三 期 開 合 天 書
科 門 仙 位 遇 期 佛 緣
According to the Divine Plan, The Third Amnesty is opened.
To test immortals for their Buddha affinity.
As foreseen, The Third Amnesty is now open as an instrument of the Divine Plan which is a meeting for the Dao-level immortals to be examined for their elevation to buddhahood.
‘Trung khổ hải độ thuyền Bát Nhã,
Phước Từ Bi giải quả trừ căn.’
中 苦 海 度 船 般 若
福 慈 悲 解 果 除 根
In the middle of the Ocean of Suffering the Prajna boat saves the beings.
Through mercy their bad karmic account is eliminated.
The Divine Mother takes the boat of prajna/salvation to ferry to safety souls from this earthly ocean (i.e. ocean of suffering) and does so with the mercy and the blessings of the Supreme Being to free the karmic account of all living beings.
‘Huờn hồn chuyển đọa vi thăng’
還 魂 轉 墮 為 升
The soul, now resurrected, can transform from its fallen situation in the underworld and can ascend to heaven.
Even souls who have been condemned to the lowest of hells can still find resrurrection through the prayers of Caodaism.
‘Cửu Tiên hồi phục Kim Bàn Chưởng Âm.’
九 仙 回 復 金 盤 掌 陰
The Nine Immortals return to the Golden Basin guiding yin energy.
The nine female immortals return to the Golden Basin at the Bejewelled Palace in order to help the Divine Mother govern the energy of yin.
‘Thập Thiên can bao hàm vạn tượng,
Tùng địa chi hóa trưởng càn khôn.’
十 天 干 包 含 萬 象
從 地 支 化 長 乾 坤
The Ten Celestial Properties which include all things
Combine with the 12 Zodiacs – and Heaven and Earth expand
The Ten Celestial Properties are: Giáp, Ất, Bính, Ðinh, Mậu, Kỷ, Canh, Tân, Nhâm, Quí. These combine with the 12 Zodiacs, mouse, buffalo, tiger, cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. These are able to change and transform to become heaven and earth – these are ever expanding.
‘Trùng huờn phục vị Thiên môn.’
重 還 復 位 天 門
On many occasions a soul is allowed to return to its former position at heaven’s gate.
We are allowed to return to our original home, that is to return to the gate of heaven.
‘Nguơn linh hóa chủng quỉ hồn nhứt thăng’
元 靈 化 種 鬼 魂 一 升
Original souls can transform just as perverted souls can ascend and be saved.
Original souls can transform into many forms, that is, they can transform themselves through missions to spiritually elevate lower beings. They do this in order to attain a higher spiritual position. By descending they establish a position for themselves. Perverted spirits can also ascend and are allowed to walk the same paths as genies, saints, immortals and buddhas to fashion their next incarnation.
‘Vô siêu đọa quả căn hữu pháp’
無 超 墮 果 根 有 法
There is no descent, the effect of your past life is decided by the Divine Law.
There is no descent to punishment, the effect of our past lives still has, however, a limiting effect on how we may rise.
‘Vô khổ hình nhơn kiếp lưu oan,
Vô địa ngục vô quỉ quan.’
無 苦 刑 人 劫 留 冤
無 地 獄 無 鬼 關
There is no punishment because of the effect of your past lives.
There is no longer a hell, no gate to the devil.
There is no longer punishment, the Buddha Mother eliminates all retribution for evil in the realms of hell. There is no longer a gate for devils.
‘Chí Tôn đại xá nhứt trường qui nguyên.’
至 尊 大 赦 一 場 歸 元
The Supreme Being has granted a great amnesty so that all humanity can be
united.
Because of this Amnesty our religion is called the Troisième Amnistie de Dieu en Orient [The Third Amnesty of God in the East]. The Supreme Being granted an amnesty of forgiveness to bring all humanity back into unity with Him.
‘Chiếu nhũ lịnh Từ Huyên thọ sắc
Ðộ anh nhi Nam, Bắc, Ðông, Tây.’
照 乳 令 慈 萱 受 敕
度 嬰 兒 南 北 東 西
The Merciful Mother, following the Supreme Being, ordered that
All her children be saved whether to the North, South, East or West.
Following the order of the Supreme Being, the Merciful Mother is our birth mother, to save the Ten Thousand Beings in the Four Directions. No one is left behind or allowed to go missing.
‘Kỳ khai tạo nhứt Linh Ðài,
Diệt hình ta pháp cường khai Ðại Ðồng.’
期 開 造 一 靈 臺
滅 形 法 強 開 大 同
The opening of this period creates a single faith
It will eliminate heterodox beliefs, and profoundly establish a Great Harmony.
The period of the opening of the Third Amnesty includes the gathering of all the faiths of all humanity with enough power to eliminate or destroy all heterodox beliefs. In this way all humanity is brought into unity.
‘Hiệp vạn chủng nhứt môn đồng mạch’
協 萬 種 一 門 同 脈
Uniting the ten thousand beings, with one gate/one faith for all.
Uniting humanity into a single house, the Way will be the only path. It will be the same faith with no distinction between countries, races, or religions. When this day comes there will be peace.
‘Qui thiên lương quyết sách vận trù’
歸 天 良 決 策 運 籌
She makes plans to revive our spiritual conscience.
The Buddha Mother gathers the spiritual conscience of all her children to harmonise all those who have a good heart.
‘Xuân Thu, Phất Chủ, Bát Vu
Hiệp qui Tam Giáo hữu cầu chí chơn’
春 秋 拂 麈 缽 盂
協 歸 三 敎 有 求 至 眞
The Spring and Autumn Classic, The Feather Whisk of Purification, the Begging Bowl of the Buddha
Uniting the three religions and desiring from them the One True Way.
Using the three philosophies of the three Chinese religions, the Classic of Spring and Autumn represents the way of the saints, the Feather Whisk represents the Way of the Immortals and the Begging Bowl represents Buddhism. The uniting of these three traditions will forge the true Way of the Supreme Being.
‘Phục nguyên nhơn huờn hồn Phật tánh
Giáo hóa hồn hữu hạnh hữu duyên’
復 元 人 還 存 佛 性
敎 化 魂 有 幸 有 緣
Guiding the original souls to return to their Buddha nature
Teaching the souls who have an affinity with the Way and its cultivation.
This returns the Buddha nature for original souls. These original souls who are sent down to earth by the Supreme Being are sent to befriend and to save the living beings (material, vegetable, animal and human beings). Because these attach themselves to earthly life – the Supreme Being needs to remind us of our Buddha nature in order that we be saved and return to our true home. Approximately one hundred times one hundred thousand original souls, the Master of Buddhism has already saved six times one hundred thousand souls, Lao Zi has saved two times one hundred thousand, that leaves 92 times one hundred thousand souls left in the lower worlds. This is why the Divine Mother has come to teach and to decide their fate.
‘Trụ căn quỉ khí cửu tuyền
Quảng khai Thiên thượng tạo quyền chí công’
住 根 鬼 氣 九 泉
廣 開 天 上 造 權 至 公
Constraining the perverse spirits within the nine streams [hell]
Opening the gate of heaven, demonstrating the power of spiritual justice
The Divine Mother constrains the perverse spirits in hell/the realm of darkness and opens the door of heaven in order to demonstrate the power of the Supreme Being in this earthly world.
‘Lịnh Mẫu Hậu khai tông định Ðạo.’
令 母 后 開 宗 定 道
The order of the Queen Mother is to establish and inspire the Religion
The Queen Mother is Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu or the Heavenly Queen or Holy Mother, she comes to open the way for us.
‘Ân dưỡng sanh đảm bảo hồn hài,
Càn khôn Tạo Hóa sánh tài.’
恩 養 生 擔 保 魂 骸
乾 坤 造 化 逞 才
By her grace and her ability to protect and nourish, our souls and our astral bodies are maintained.
What she had contributed to the creation of Heaven and Earth and all beings, nothing can compare!
Giving birth, nourishing and caring for the physical body – these acts are so significant that they can be compared with Heaven and Earth themselves.
‘Nhứt triêu, nhứt tịch kỉnh bài mộ khang.’
一 朝 一 夕 敬 排 暮 康
We come morning and night to adore our Mother
Morning and evening we come to visit our virtuous Mother, that is, we visit our Merciful Mother. We ask about our Mother’s health both morning and evening.
‘Nam Mô Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu Tạo Hóa Huyền Thiên Cảm Bái.
‘Nam Mô Ðại Từ, Ðại Bi Năng Hỉ Xã Thiên Hậu Chí Tôn Ðại Bi Ðại Ái.’
The Being who holds the power to create the universe is called the Heavenly Queen, the supreme heavenly being who is Đức Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu is of the greatest kindness and compassion.
According to the precepts of The Secret Dharma, the mechanism of creation must contain both the Yin and the Yang. In these energies we have a balance of the positive and the negative just as in humanity we need a balance between male and female. Any religion which has the correct levels of Yin and Yang can produce paths to the eternal, – consider Jesus Christ nailed to the cross, his head yearning upwards towards the Yang. In like manner, Saint Peter was crucified, but in this instance upside-down, his head yearned towards the earth that is towards the Yin. Here we see the harmony of Yin and Yang matching with that of the Secret Dharma. In this way Christianity (The Way of the Saints) was able to last 2000 years and no one had the power to destroy it.
The Supreme Being can send his children down to establish a religion – examples include Sakyamuni Buddha, Jesus Christ, Confucius and so on… But now, to the contrary, He uses a segment of His divinity to come down to the earth to save us directly. This is most significant. When opening the religion of Caodaism, the Supreme Being decided that the role of the Divine Mother was to come here to companion us. In this way she is able to protect and nourish us and this blessing from her is the most important part of this process. Nothing can compare with this. This is because no one can love us as children in the way that our mother can. The Divine Mother has come to form our religion in its completeness before she hands it back to the Supreme Being. The Divine Mother, who is in charge of the Yin energies thus works with the Supreme Being who is master of the Yang energies, thus the Yin and Yang harmonise with each other. The Caodai Religion applies and develops these principles of Yin and Yang. The abilities that we know are present in the energies of heaven and earth, it is these energies that will one day be commanded by the Caodaist Religion.
Sermon 64 of the Thuyết Ðạo, Volume One, 1948.