SELF-REALIZATION 1958

Today is the mid-lunar ceremony. I’m honored that Mr. Tư, aka Đỗ Thuần Hậu, has given me permission to participate in this gathering to worship Buddha. It is also an opportunity for me to directly join you to further learn about the paths of ordinary life and spiritual life.

I often hear Mr. Tư’s beautiful compliments about your progress whenever I visit him. The practitioners’ diligent efforts to progress have greatly influenced me and have given me the strong flow of energy to progress and the strength to self-correct and learn about spiritual principles.

I don't know how to ever repay Mr. Tư for his genuine guidance and invaluable words that he gave me whenever I had questions. To avoid disappointing Mr. Tư, please allow me to share with you the results that I have gathered over a brief period of time.

I would like to know your consent before reporting. Please smile to represent a beautiful blooming lotus flower to pay respect to Buddha.

I pray that Buddha bestows many blessings upon Mr. Tư and that we acquire greater wisdom to help ourselves, our faith, and humanity.

Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật.

How did I come to know Mr. Tư? I am thankful to my friend Phụng, who frequently visited me and provided me with moral advice. Occasionally, Mr. Tư was mentioned, but I neglected esoteric topics at that time. I was still smitten with the cycle of indulgence, which consisted of eating, drinking, self-respect, and money. If I had money, everything would be solved.

In early January, I met a friend whose daughter had been sick for 13 years. She talked nonsense to herself, and was unable to help her family with anything. No matter how much money my friend made, it was not enough to treat his child's illness. My friend told me that his daughter’s condition had gotten worse since the beginning of this year. I asked Mr. Phụng to take me to Mr. Tư to ask for permission to bring this child to his house for treatment. Mr. Tư approved.

That day, I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Tư for nearly three hours, yet in the end, I did not understand anything about spirituality. The next morning, I brought the patient to see Mr. Tư and he was happy to examine her. He stated that this patient had a compatible connection with a female ghost. He provided her with an amulet and medication.

Mr. Tư spent quite a bit of time continuously advising the ghost to follow a spiritual path. After a while, the patient began to quiet down and she asked to stay, refusing to go home. He patiently advised her for a while longer, until she reluctantly agreed to return home. The little girl recovered within 10 days of using an amulet and medication. After the little girl was healed, Mr. Tư suggested putting out some food offerings for the ghost to eat. The spirit of the deceased and ailing began their spiritual quests. I heard Mr. Tư conversing with the ghost during the time of food offering.

I chuckled and thought to myself there is no ghost to be seen. Yet, Mr. Tư was talking as if someone were really there. It was astonishing to see that without spending much money, a long-standing illness was resolved.

I went home and thought about it before telling my two friends, Tỵ and Chanh. These two men did not believe me and asked to meet with Mr. Tư. We asked all sorts of questions and Mr. Tư was very composed and gave logical responses. Mr. Tỵ asked Mr. Tư to perform an astral projection or out-of-body experience (OBE) to places like Hải Phòng, Tourane, and Chợ Lớn to see what the houses there were like. After briefly closing his eyes, Mr. Tư proceeded to answer all his inquiries fully. Mr. Tỵ asked Mr. Tư if he was a Buddha or an angel. Mr. Tư asserted that “I am no different from you gentlemen.” We inquired further, "Can you guide us towards the spiritual path?" Mr. Tư said, "I am always available if you want to practice spirituality."

The three of us left and promised ourselves to return one day to ask Mr. Tư to initiate the spiritual path. We thought it over carefully and agreed to come and ask for initiation. Mr. Tư demonstrated the exercises for Concentration of Spiritual Energy, Cyclical Breathing without Retention, and two Spiritual Commitment phrases. I recognize that cultivating inner strength is highly beneficial for the body. On the first night, my breathing exercise was not done properly as I was breathing heavily. It sounds easy but it's difficult.

I practiced every night. My mind was cluttered with many thoughts and I felt itchy all over my body. I went to Mr. Tư to find a solution to these problems I was having nightly during my meditation. Mr. Tư suggested that if I can resolutely focus my mind on the Buddha, everything else will fade away.

I continued to practice as instructed and indeed it did not take long for the problems mentioned above to be gone. After three months, I felt very healthy and my walking and movements were fluid.

These are the results I attained through my practice:

With a lucid mind I was able to clearly assess any obstacle that arose and considered them as a great opportunity for cultivating spiritual perfection. Practicing spiritual perfection in times of chaos is better than in times of peace. I visited places like coffee shops or a theater, where I sat quietly with my eyes open, but I was not distracted by anything. The actors on the movie screen were not able to distract me during my contemplative meditation. I felt tranquil and refreshed as if a special aura had washed over me.

In the first three months, I noticed flashes of light that resembled clouds, and my spine started to jerk a few times. Three months later, I saw a strange but distant scene in front of my eyes. My body would sometimes jerk when I laid down after meditation. Even though I knew it would come, I could not prevent it from happening. This would occur five to six times on some nights.

My body continued to twitch and on that last night, I saw a dark shadow was about to come back and stab me, but I continued to recite Buddha’s Mantra. Then a few moments later, when I opened my eyes, I saw a Buddha meditating in front of me. The scenery was breathtaking, and I focused my thoughts on the Buddha and I felt great. As the Buddha image faded, the dark shadow faded as well. The next day, my eyes were able to assess everything clearly. My intuition was sharp and most of the time, what I suspected turned out to be true. I now meditate for at least an hour each night.

Numerous aspects have not been clarified. I promise you that I will document what I see clearly to contribute to future learning.

Respectfully,
Lương Sĩ Hằng – Vĩ Kiên