A Teaching by the Living Buddha Ji Gong

Spirit-writing revelation from the Living Buddha Ji Gong (活佛老師, Huófó Lǎoshī — the Living Buddha Teacher), received at Gupu Tianci Temple (古普天慈堂) in East Malaysia on February 23, 1998. Ji Gong, the beloved trickster-saint of Chinese Buddhism, descends here not as a cosmic figure issuing prophecy but as a master sitting down with his students for a conversation about food. The setting is a study class for senior temple staff — lecturers, altar masters, and administrators — at a Fayi Lingyin (發一靈隱) Yiguandao altar.

What follows is Ji Gong at his most intimate and practical: questioning his disciples about what they eat, teasing them when they give wrong answers, patiently explaining which mock-meat products contain hidden animal ingredients, warning them about cheese and gelatin and pizza. The voice is warm, funny, and deeply caring. "Your teacher is being very frank with you," he says. "If you want to eat clean, really clean — the tests ahead will require it." The teaching is about vegetarianism, but the deeper lesson is discernment: in food, in cultivation, in everything.

This is the twenty-fourth Yiguandao text in the Good Works Library and the eighth seed from the Source Text Catalogue. First English translation. Gospel register.

Your teacher is being very frank with you. If you want to eat clean, the trials ahead will test whether you can truly break through, and part of that is whether you are clean enough. If your purity is not sufficient, you will still be obstructed. Your wisdom can still be clouded, even just a little.

This teaching was received at the Fayi Lingyin Daochang. The class is a study group for lecturers, altar masters, and temple administrators.

You are so fortunate to live in this age — vegetarian food is convenient now, isn't it? But even when it's convenient, you can still end up eating non-vegetarian things. Are today's mock-meat products clean? (No, they're not clean.) If they're not clean, why do you still eat them? (Not necessarily.) What do you mean, "not necessarily"? What counts as clean, and what counts as not clean? We like to treat our fellow Dao-seekers to good food, don't we? We always bring out lots and lots of mock-meat dishes, don't we? (Yes.) Then which mock-meats are clean, and which are not? Let's analyze this together. (The facilitator says: Teacher hopes we can distinguish clearly.) Stand up and speak — it's all right, your teacher won't scold you. Today, let's just have a casual talk between master and disciples, all right? (Thank you, Teacher, for your compassion.)

If you have questions, you can ask. In the end times, if something is unclear, ask until you understand. Otherwise the path of cultivation will be very hard. Your teacher has time today to sit and chat with you. Not every class gets this opportunity. (Thank you, Teacher, for your compassion.) First, tell your teacher: what makes a mock-meat product clean? What makes it unclean? Think about it! (The facilitator says: Aren't our mock-meats nowadays made to look just like real meat? [Yes.] So today we're learning that to eat vegetarian, you must understand purity. We're not trying to eat delicious food — many mock-meats contain meat and we don't even know it, and many have additives that are bad for the body. We should eat more and more simply.)

Can you eat eggs? (No.) Can elderly people go without eggs? (No, they can't.) Can pregnant women go without eggs? (No, they can't.) Those who say they can't, raise your hands. Then everyone who didn't raise their hand thinks it's fine to eat eggs, is that right? (We don't know.) That's a very good answer! "I don't know" — that's called honesty, not deception. What does the senior minister think — can you eat them or not? (No, because eggs contain uric acid residue, and fundamentally they still carry life.) Do you understand now? (Yes.) (The facilitator adds: Last time at the gratitude and repentance class, the immortals said that eating eggs still creates a burden to carry, and when you can no longer carry it, you'll be confined to the Heavenly Prison.)

In these end times, the wiser you are, the more you can break through every trial and demonic obstacle. Only the wise can see far. Only the wise need not fear the demons. Now let me test you again — your teacher has time. Do you have time? (Yes.) Today we'll have a wisdom test! If a mock-meat product contains egg, do you eat it? (No.) Now tell your teacher what mock-meat products you eat. (Mock ham, mock chicken, rib king, mock goose, mock crab, mock shrimp, mock lamb, mock beef, mock fish, mock fish balls, mullet roe, cheese.) What else? What do you like to eat? (Golden mock duck.) Let me tell you — bean curd skin and wheat gluten, and things made from those, don't count, we don't need to discuss those. (Mushroom balls, mock minced meat.) All right, all right! There are too many to list! Listen carefully: if a mock-meat product contains egg, do you eat it? (No.) Really? (Really.) From now on, if there's only vegetables and tofu, will you eat it? (Yes.) That is eating vegetarian. True vegetarian eating. Can you do it? (Yes.)

Listen carefully. Mock chicken is made with whole egg — without egg it falls apart, it can't hold together. When you go to a vegetarian banquet, what do they commonly use it for? Tonic soup — cut into little cubes, with Chinese herbs and red dates and the like. That's mock chicken, and it contains egg. Will you eat it? (No.) Anyone who has been eating it, raise your hand. Will you eat it in the future? (No.) Vegetables and tofu — remember what your teacher has said. That is true vegetarian eating.

(The facilitator says: Teacher says that true vegetarian eating is only vegetables and tofu — the plainer the better, with no chemical additives.) What about rib king? Do you eat it? (Some of us do.) It uses egg whites. Will you eat it? The first one used whole egg; this one uses half an egg. Will you eat it? (No.) It's your choice, okay?

There are two kinds of mock shrimp. One is made from konjac — it has no mouthfeel. Mock shrimp made from konjac is fine to eat. But there's a new product now, isn't there? It looks just like real shrimp, with coloring added. The flesh is translucent, a milky white. These mock shrimp and mock crab — are they really pure vegetarian? The fishy smell is very strong, isn't it? (Yes.) It really feels like the real thing, doesn't it? Especially when you first start eating vegetarian, you love these things, because they taste like meat. Now let me tell you: if you've been eating them, don't eat them anymore. But — if you have been eating them until now, let it count as a past mistake. Your teacher has spoken, and that's that. (Thank you, Teacher, for your compassion.)

What percentage of the mock shrimp's ingredients is the real essence? What percentage of the mock crab? Do you understand "percent"? (Yes.) If the manufacturers didn't add real meat essence, they absolutely could not make these products. Without real crab meat essence or real shrimp essence, it is impossible to produce the exact same flavor. It's only a matter of how much they add — less essence means it tastes less like the real thing, more essence means it tastes more like it. Will you eat it? (No.) These two are truly non-vegetarian. They are not truly vegetarian. Do you understand? (Yes.) These products are made by people who don't eat vegetarian themselves. Did you know that? (Yes.) Will you eat them again? (No.) Understand? (Yes.) These two are truly non-vegetarian.

Now, can you guess what mullet roe is made from? (Egg yolk.) Pure egg yolk! The fishy smell is very strong. Will you eat it? (No.) Have you eaten it recently? Some of you have, some haven't, isn't that right? Let's not eat it anymore, all right? (All right.) That goes for both mock mullet roe and golden mock duck.

After you take the vow of purity, should you be afraid? (No.) Your teacher has told you so many things you can't eat — in the end, it's really just vegetables and tofu. Knowing this, will you still be afraid to eat vegetarian? (No.) Do you have the perseverance to keep going? (Yes.) Can you do it? (Yes.) Do you still have questions about mock-meat products? (No.) Besides products made from konjac flour, wheat gluten, and bean curd skin, what else can you eat? What about vegetarian oyster sauce? (If it's labeled "vegetarian" you can eat it; if not, don't.) The vegetarian oyster sauce you use at home for cooking is fine. But if you're not at a vegetarian stall, it's better not to eat it. Unless it's a genuinely vegetarian stall, a vegetarian restaurant — food cooked by people who truly sell vegetarian food, that you can eat. But in general, even if someone says they're cooking vegetarian food for you, the oyster sauce they add is not vegetarian oyster sauce.

Some people say they're going to spread the Dao, and this restaurant is nice, they'll prepare vegetarian food for us — wouldn't you be happy? (Yes.) But the oyster sauce is still not vegetarian. When you go out to spread the Dao, even when you bring bread, you have to check, all right? (All right. Thank you, Teacher, for your compassion.) (A student asks: Can you eat bread made with vegetable oil?) Bread made with vegetable oil is fine. Anything made with plant oil — palm oil and the like — that's all right. (What about milk?) You can drink milk, but drink less of it. Soy milk is better. Drinking milk makes you susceptible to heart disease — your teacher isn't trying to scare you. There is scientific evidence for this.

But strictly speaking, you shouldn't eat any bread at all. However, to make vegetarian eating accessible, as long as the bread doesn't contain non-vegetarian ingredients, you can still eat it. But strictly speaking, truly pure vegetarian eating means not eating bread either. Your teacher says this not to frighten you or deceive you, but right now we are in the era of the Universal Salvation of the Three Realms, and the Expedient Gate is wide open so that more sentient beings can eat vegetarian and cultivate the Dao. That's why so many things have been permitted. But truly speaking, eating vegetarian is vegetables and tofu. The flour-based products and wheat-based products are really just to make it easier for everyone to eat vegetarian. So anything that isn't truly pure, we should avoid. (Thank you, Teacher, for your compassion.) So the path of cultivation will have even more trials than before.

There are so many strange things these days — is it not because of the times we live in? So when you tell each person, each sentient being, this can't be eaten and that can't be eaten, in the end it really is just vegetables and tofu, isn't it? (Yes.) If you can't eat bread, can't eat crackers, will you still eat vegetarian? Will you still keep your vow of purity? That would be the strict method of nuns and monks! But even modern nuns and monks eat wheat gluten. So what your teacher has said today — whatever you can avoid eating, avoid it, all right? (All right.)

Better to drink soy milk than cow's milk, all right? (All right.) Now is there anything else about food that you think is a problem?

Oh! There's also cheese — can you eat cheese? Those who say you can eat cheese, raise your hands. Those who say you can't, raise your hands. Those who raised your hands, stand up. Let your teacher explain why you can't eat it, all right? (All right.) When I tell you, you'll be shocked. Why can't you eat it?

Have you heard of rennet? (No.) You haven't? Then let your teacher explain what it is. It's made from the lining of a calf's small intestine. It's mixed into your cheese for you all to eat. If the cheese didn't contain calf intestine or animal bone gelatin, it would have no binding quality, no pleasant texture. So it absolutely must use calf intestine. Do you dare eat it? (No.) So don't do anything you're not sure about. Understand? (Yes.)

One brother among you showed real wisdom — because he'd never tried it, he chose not to try it. If you applied that principle to cultivating the Dao, it would be excellent. But when it comes to spreading the Dao, if someone asks you to do something and you say "I've never done this before, so I won't take it on" — that's not good. Understand? You have to choose the good and follow it.

Bread with egg, bread with cheese, and Pizza Hut pizza — can you eat them? (No.) Pizza must use cheese to be made. Will you eat it? (No.) Now you know it's not allowed. Vegetarian pizza, Pizza Hut — some of you have been eating it. That can't be eaten either. Anything connected to cheese, it's best not to eat. Especially when the ingredient labels are all in English — there are so many English terms, and you've studied more Chinese than English. Those who learned Chinese don't know the English words. You don't recognize the ingredients, but the ingredients recognize you! If you don't understand something, don't eat it.

Do you still have questions about food today? (A student asks: Can you eat butter, powdered milk, and Horlicks?) Go check the ingredients. What does "ingredients" mean? (Composition.) Have you checked the composition clearly? Really — your teacher is being very frank with you. If you want to eat clean, the trials ahead will test whether you can truly break through, and part of that is whether you are clean enough. If your purity is not sufficient, you will still be obstructed. Your wisdom can still be clouded. It's not fully open — it depends on the individual. Go check: if it says soy lecithin, that's from plants. Palm oil — from your oil palm trees — if these margarine products use palm oil-based ingredients, you can eat them. But if they use butter, eat less of that, all right? (All right.) And gelatin — you absolutely cannot eat gelatin. Gelatin is made from fish bones and animal bones. And lecithin — go check for yourselves! This is what happens when you don't pay attention in daily life, when you're too relaxed about what you eat. Do you understand? (Yes.) Now that you understand, don't eat these things anymore, all right? (All right.)

Colophon

On Proper Vegetarianism (吃素要懂得齋, Chīsù Yào Dǒngde Zhāi) is a spirit-writing teaching by the Living Buddha Ji Gong (活佛老師), received at Gupu Tianci Temple (古普天慈堂) in East Malaysia on February 23, 1998 (戊寅年二月二十三日), during a study class for senior Yiguandao temple staff at the Fayi Lingyin Daochang (發一靈隱道場).

Unlike the cosmic revelations and prophetic warnings that characterize much Yiguandao spirit-writing, this text captures the Living Buddha in his most intimate mode: sitting with his disciples, asking questions, getting answers, gently correcting, and teaching through conversation. The subject — which mock-meat products contain hidden animal ingredients — is profoundly practical, yet the deeper lesson is about spiritual discernment in everyday life. "If your purity is not sufficient, you will still be obstructed."

The source page at taolibrary.com also contains additional essays on vegetarianism compiled from various authors (doctrinal arguments from the Five Teachings, health benefits of vegetarianism, etc.). The text translated here is the spirit-writing teaching itself — Ji Gong's voice in conversation with his disciples.

Chinese source text from taolibrary.com (善書圖書館). First English translation. Gospel register — plain, direct, warm. Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: 吃素要懂得齋

Chinese source text from taolibrary.com (善書圖書館). Section 1: the spirit-writing teaching by the Living Buddha Ji Gong (活佛老師), received February 23, 1998, at Gupu Tianci Temple (古普天慈堂), East Malaysia, from the Fayi Lingyin Daochang (發一靈隱道場). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

吃素要懂得齋-活佛老師慈悲

西元一九九八年

歳次戊寅 二月二十三日東馬來西亞古普天慈堂

吃素要懂得齋活佛老師慈悲

為師說的很坦白，你要吃得很清，將來的考驗能夠真的衝過突破，也要你夠不夠清哦！清度不夠還是會被障住哦，智慧有時也會被蒙蔽蒙蔽一下哦！

本訓出處：發一靈隱道場

講師壇主辦事人員精進班現代的你們那麼的好命，吃素又方便對不對？吃得方便也會吃到葷的東西哦！現在的素料乾不乾淨啊？（不乾淨）不乾淨你又吃？（不一定）甚麼叫做不一定？其麼叫做乾淨，甚麼叫做不乾淨呢？好吃，我們常常請道親吃對不對？常常就拿很多很多的素料對不對？（對）那怎樣的素料叫做乾淨，怎樣的素料叫做不乾淨？我們分析來聽聽看．（操持：老師希望我們能夠分別清楚）站起來講，沒關係，為師不會駡你們，今天咱們師徒就以座談座談來聊聊天就好啦啦！（謝謝老師慈悲）

你們有東西要問，你們可以問，未後啦，不明白要問清楚啊！不然修道這條路會走得很辛苦哦！為師今天有這個時間就跟你們座談座談聊聊，不是每一班都有這個機會哦！（謝謝老師慈悲）你們先跟為師講，甚麼叫做素料乾淨？甚麼叫做不乾淨？想想！（操持：我們現在的素料，真的是不是做得跟葷的料很像？（是）（操持：所以我們今天吃素要懂得齋，我們不是要吃得好吃的，有很多素料我們吃到葷的都不知道，甚至於有很添加物都對身體沒有好處，我們要越吃越清淡．）

蛋能不能吃？（不能）老人能不能不吃？（不能）孕婦能不能不吃蛋？（不能）認為不能的人舉手，那沒有舉手都認為能夠吃蛋是不是？（不知道）很好的回答！不知道，這叫坦白，不叫欺騙，點傳師認為能不能吃？（不能吃，因為蛋的遺留物含有尿酸，基本上它還是有生命的）現在明不明白啊？（明白）（操持：上次在感恩懺悔班，仙佛有講～吃蛋還要挑擔，而且將來挑不起的時候就要關天牢）

未後啦！愈有智慧的人就愈能夠破過一切魔考障礙，有智慧的人才看得遠哦！有智慧的人才能夠不怕魔，再來考一考你，為師有時間，你們有沒有間時啊？（有）今天就考智慧題啦！若是素料有蛋吃不吃？（不吃）現在你們吃些甚麼素料給為師聽聽？（素火腿，素鷄，排骨王，素鵝肉，素螃蟹，素蝦，素羊肉，素牛肉，素魚，素魚丸，鳥魚子，乳酪）還有甚麼？你們喜歡吃甚麼？（黃金素鴨）為師跟你們講，豆包麵筋，叉燒做的這兩個不算不用說（香菇丸，素肉臊）好啦！好啦！其餘的太多不用寫了！聽清楚，素料有蛋吃不吃？（不吃）真的嗎？（真的）以後只有青菜豆腐吃不吃？（吃）這是吃素，真正吃素．可以不可以？（可以）

聽清楚啊，素鷄用全蛋製成，沒有蛋做不上來會散，你們去參加素宴會，常用來做甚麼？補湯，切成丁塊丁塊，中藥有加紅棗之頪的就是素鷄，有加蛋，吃不吃？（不吃）有吃的人舉手，以後還要不要吃？（不要）清菜豆腐，記得為師所講的，真正的吃素．

（操持：老師說，真正吃素只有青菜豆腐，越清淡越好，沒有化學添加物．）排骨王吃不吃？（有）它用蛋白加蛋白，你們吃不吃？剛才的是全，這個是半個蛋，你們吃不吃？（不吃）你們自己選擇，ＯＫ？

素蝦肉有兩種，有種是用蒟蒻做成的，沒有口感，蒟蒻做出來的素蝦肉可以吃，現在不有一個新產品對不對？很像蝦子的，有放顏色的，它的肉是透明的，就像牛奶色的白，這個素蝦跟素螃蟹肉真的純素嗎？這倆種的腥味很重是不是？（是）感覺真的像的一樣是嗎？尤其是你們剛學吃素的時候，最喜歡吃這些，因為像葷的嘛！現在跟你們講．有吃的人以後不要再吃，不過．要是以後繼續這樣，就算有過，為師講了就算．（謝謝老師慈悲）

素蝦的成份要多少巴仙（％），精華有多少巴仙？素螃蟹精華要多少巴仙？Percent懂不懂?(懂)若那些製造商沒有放葷的精華．肯定做不出來，只要沒有用螃蟹肉的精華，蝦的精華是沒辦法做出一模一樣的味道，只不過是說它的成份多與少，成份越少，味道越不像,成份越多味道越像，吃不吃？（不吃）這兩個是真正的葷，不是真正的素，明白嗎？（明白）那些不吃素的人做出來的產品，有沒有知道啊？（有）以後還要不要再吃？（不要）明白嗎？（明白）這兩個是真正的葷.

這個鳥魚子是用甚麼做的你們猜？（蛋黃）純蛋黃!腥味很重，你們吃不吃？（不吃）最近有沒有吃？有的有，有的沒有是不是？以後我們不要吃好不好？（好）就是這兩個素鳥魚子和黃金素鴨．

吃素清口之後要不要害怕？（不要）為師講了這麼多東西不能吃啊，就是清菜豆腐而己，這樣以後你們吃素還會不會害怕？（不怕）有沒有恒心吃下去啊？（有）可以嗎？（可以）現在你們對素料還有疑問嗎？（沒有）除了蒟蒻粉，麵筋，豆包做的素料能吃？素蠔油呢？（有寫齋的就可以，沒有寫不要吃）家裡菜用的素蠔油就可以，若不是素食攤最好不要吃，除非它是素食攤，素食館，真正賣素的人煮出來的就能吃．若是一般上的話，雖然他是說煮素食給你吃，但是他所加的蠔油不是素蠔油．

有人說去閞荒啊，這個店不錯啊，他能夠為我們準備素食，會不會很高興？（會）但是一樣不是素蠔油，你要去閞荒，帶麵包也要看，好不好？（好謝謝老師慈悲）（班員：〔麵包油〕能不能吃？）麵包油是用植物油做出來的可以，植物油用棕油提煉出來的都行．（牛奶呢？）牛奶可以喝，但是少喝，喝豆奶會更好．牛奶喝了很容易導致心臟病，為師不是騙你的哦！是有科學根據的．

但是嚴格講起來甚麼麵包都不能吃．但是說起，來吃素方便，只要麵包不要雜到葷的成份還是可以吃，但是嚴格講起來，真正吃素是沒有吃，為師講這句話不嚇你們也不是騙你們，但是現在是三曹普渡，大閞方便法門，讓更多的眾生能夠吃素．能夠修道，所以很多樣閞放給大家吃，但是真正說起來，吃素就是青菜豆腐，所謂的麵粉頪麵頪，其實是為了方便大家能夠吃素．所以沒有真正很素的，我們不要吃．（謝謝老師慈悲）所以修道比以前會有更多的考驗．

很多奇奇怪怪的東西，是不是時運的關係？所以跟每個人，每個眾生都說這個不能吃那個不能吃，到最後真的是青菜豆腐而已，對不對？（對）如果麵包不能吃，餅干不能吃，那你還要不要吃素？你還要清口嗎？那是真正尼姑和尚修行的法門哦！可是現在的尼姑和尚都有吃麵筋，所以說為師所說的這幾樣，能不吃就不吃好不好？（好）

喝牛奶不如喝豆奶，好不好？（好）這樣還有甚麼你們認為吃的方面有問題的啊？

哦！還有你們說的乳酪Ｃheese〔起司〕能不能吃？Ｃheese誰說可以吃的舉手？不能的人舉手，舉手的人站起，為師跟你們講為甚麼不能吃好不好？（好）講出來你們會嚇一跳，為甚麼不能吃？

有沒有聽說過Ｒennet〔凝乳素〕（沒有）没有哦？那為師跟你們講它代表甚麼？它是牛的肚子裡面的小腸做出來的，摻在你們的Ｃheese裡面給你們大家吃，要是這乳酪沒有摻雜小牛的腸或是動物的骨膠的話，它沒有辦法產生黏性，也沒有感覺到這樣有口感好吃，所以一定要用到小牛的腸，敢不敢吃啊？（不敢）所以不做沒有把握的事情．懂不懂？（懂）

像其中一個乾道就很有智慧，因為沒有嚐試過所以不願去嚐試．這要是用來比喻修道就很好，但是如困辦道的話，叫你去辦，你說你沒有做過這件事那我就不要擔，這就不好，懂不懂？這個要擇善而從哦！

有加蛋，有Cheese的麵包及Ｐizza Hut的披薩，能不能吃？（不能）Ｐizza一定要用Cheese才有辦法做成，你們吃不吃？（不吃）現在知道不能了哦！Ｖegetarian Pizza〔素披薩〕，Pizza Hut〔必勝客披薩〕啦，有沒有？有些人有吃啊！那個也不能吃哦！凡是跟Ｃheese有連接關係的最好都不要吃哦！尤其是他們的英文太多了，成份都是用英文寫的，用英文的名詞，你們華文讀得多，英文讀得少，學華文的又不認識英文，你不認識它，它認識你哦！不懂的東西還是不要吃。

今天對吃還有疑問嗎？（班員請問金桶牛奶油，奶粉，Ｈorlicks〔好力克〕可以吃嗎？）你們去看它的Ingredient–Ingredient代表甚麼？（成份）成份有沒有去查清楚？真的哦！為師說的很坦白，你要吃得很清，將來的考驗能夠真的衝過突破，也要你夠不夠清哦！清度不夠還是會被障住哦，智慧有時也會被蒙蔽蒙蔽一下哦！不是完全的開哦！要看個人．你們去看，若是有寫Soya Lecithin〔大豆卵磷脂〕是用植物叫Palm Oil〔棕油〕，你們的油棕樹，如困這些Marjerine Products〔油脂產品〕是用油棕的東西呢就可以吃．要是用到Butter〔牛奶油〕，那個就少吃，好不好？（好）還有Gelatine也不可以吃Gelatine〔動物膠〕是魚骨膠，還有Lecithin〔卵磷脂〕你們自己去查吧！這叫做你們平時不努力，對吃的方面的方面很放鬆，才有這種現象，明不明白？（明白）這樣以後明白就不要吃了好不好？（好）

Source Colophon

Chinese source text from taolibrary.com (善書圖書館), a digital library of Yiguandao morality books (善書). The source page (c9032.htm) also contains additional supplementary essays on vegetarianism — the Five Teachings and vegetarianism, principles of vegetarian eating, and health benefits of a plant-based diet — which are compiled from various authors and are not part of the spirit-writing teaching translated above.

taolibrary.com states: 歡迎轉載，上傳，翻印，流通 — "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate." Free distribution is a spiritual practice in the morality book (善書) tradition.

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