A Letter from Sun Huiming to Her Disciples

Sun Huiming (孫慧明, 1895–1975) was the co-patriarch of Yiguandao alongside Zhang Tianran. After Zhang Tianran's death in 1947, she carried the movement alone — through the Communist persecution of the 1950s, through exile in Hong Kong, through the scattering of her disciples across Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the world. This letter — 師母錦囊, the "Brocade Pouch" — was written from Hong Kong during that exile, addressed to disciples she could not visit.

The brocade pouch (錦囊) is a classical Chinese literary device: a sealed message containing life-saving counsel, to be opened only in a time of crisis. The metaphor is deliberate. Sun Huiming is writing prophecy disguised as a letter — warning her disciples that false patriarchs and deviant teachings will arise in the Year of the Ox, that the test will be severe, and that the only way through is to hold fast without wavering. The letter's closing line — "written in Teacher Mother's own hand" (師母字諭) — underscores that this is not spirit-writing, not a celestial revelation, but a human woman writing to the people she loves and cannot reach.

The text was published on the Good Book Library (善書圖書館, taolibrary.com). This is the first English translation.

This is a letter that Teacher Mother wrote to all of us when she was in Hong Kong, thinking of her disciples in every land. Please treasure it and take it to heart.

All my worthy disciples — upon reading these words, know this:

You have been blessed to encounter the final kalpa. Your bond with the Buddha runs deep indeed. Right now you are conducting Heaven's affairs, and in time every one of you will hold the rank of Buddha or Immortal. When one person attains the Dao, nine generations of ancestors in the unseen world and seven generations of ancestors all receive unsurpassed glory.

Now all of you are people who bear responsibility. If you wish to transcend this world, you must hold firm to the true Dao. In the Year of the Ox there will be another great test. Once the tide turns, those who want to rely on borrowed power will find there is nothing left to borrow.

What I fear is this: at that time, false patriarchs will emerge and join hands with false leaders to form a united front. Not only false patriarchs — every kind of deviant teaching will flock to their banner. Their worldly abilities will be outstanding, their deviant powers truly alarming. The evil faction will gain face. But all of this is Heaven's design. Heaven must use them to test who among you is true. Only then can Heaven grant you what is true.

This is what the saying means: "Those who attain the Dao at the hour of Wu can still fall at the hour of Si."

I am giving you this warning early. Each of you — quickly help your own juniors complete their cultivation!

When that time comes, you must see through it all. Clench your teeth. No matter how wondrous their sorcery appears — do not covet, do not lie to yourselves, do not be moved in the slightest. Only then can you say you have held through the danger.

Though these are tests, they are also our opportunity to attain the Dao. Without them, how would good and evil be distinguished? How would ascent and descent, success and failure be sorted?

Once this trial passes, Heaven will send down the true Dharma. The true Patriarch will appear. Heaven will lend its power and in one breath all will be linked. As long as you have true merit, every one of you can receive spiritual empowerment — spirit and person united as one.

Then Heaven will send the great calamity to scour and cleanse the world. At that time, not only will lesser demons be unable to rise — even those deviant powers will be swept away and destroyed. This is what is meant by: one righteous force suppresses a hundred evils.

As long as you have merit, you need not fear. You will pass through at ease, free and unharmed.

Mother has said this before: when demons devise their powers, they target the good. When Heaven sends the great calamity to scour the world, it is aimed at the wicked.

I hope all of you will study this letter carefully, follow its guidance, and no matter how severe the demonic tests — hold fast to your true foundation. Otherwise, one misstep now — though everything seems fine at present — once the years of the Ox and the Tiger have passed, you will beat your chest and stamp your feet, but your regret will come too late!

Although I cannot meet you face to face, I think of you morning and night. I hope each of you will copy this letter and quickly share it with your juniors. Explain it clearly. Everyone must remember: this concerns your very life. It is the difference between heaven and hell. Do not treat it as a game.

When the time comes, take out this letter as your plumb-line, your standard to follow. This is Mother's hope. With this I send you my love and ask after your well-being.

Written in Teacher Mother's own hand.

To all my fellow practitioners — may you be at peace. Good and evil will be sorted. The great cleansing will come. The wheel of rebirth brings only suffering. Do not treat this as a game. I hope you will become sages. Remember! Remember!

Colophon

Teacher Mother's Brocade Pouch (師母錦囊) is a personal letter written by Sun Huiming (孫慧明, 1895–1975), the eighteenth patriarch of Yiguandao and co-leader of the tradition alongside Zhang Tianran. The letter was written from Hong Kong during Sun Huiming's exile, addressed to her scattered disciples across Asia. Unlike the spirit-writing revelations that form the bulk of Yiguandao's sacred literature, this text is written in Sun Huiming's own hand — a human teacher's letter, not a celestial transmission. The text was published on the Good Book Library (善書圖書館, taolibrary.com).

This is the first English translation of this text. Translated in the gospel register by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. This translation is a Good Works Translation — produced by NTAC from the vernacular Chinese source.

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

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Source Text: 師母錦囊

Chinese source text from the Good Book Library (善書圖書館, taolibrary.com). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

師母錦囊

孫慧明 師母錦囊

這是師母老大人當年在香港時，惦念各地弟子，寫給我們大家的一封信，請大家珍惜參悟~

眾賢徒等，見字知悉，你等幸遇末劫，佛緣可謂深厚，此時能以替天辦事，將來皆是佛仙爵位，一人能以成道，九玄七祖都得無上光榮，現在你大家都是負責的人了，就若想出世，準得把道認準，到牛年還有一場大考，大局一變，想借勢力是借不上了，就怕到時假祖師出世，與假弓長合成一致，不但假祖師，就連一切邪法全要認他，他是人事出眾，邪法甚為驚人，那時惡黨還得長臉，這都是上天的用意，須得借他驗出大家是真的，上天才能給你真的，這就是「午時成道巳時墜」，這時吾早些給你點底細，各人趕緊成全各人的後學，到那時千萬識透，咬緊牙關，無論他的法術如何玄妙，總是不貪不妄，毫不動搖，才能算保得住險，雖說是考，這亦是吾們成道之機會，設若沒有這些，如何分出善惡邪正？又如何分出升降成敗？過去這場，上天降法，真祖出世，上天助力，一氣貫通，只要你有真正之功德，都能加靈，神人一體。跟著就是上天降大劫，刷刮世界。那時不但小魔不能興起，就是那邪法亦須掃滅，這就是一正壓百邪。只要你有功德的，到那時不必驚懼，準可逍遙自在安然渡過，母早已說過，邪魔生法，是跟好人作對的；上天降大劫，刮刷世界，是對惡人的，望你大家細參母信，遵照行事，無論考魔如何嚴重，準得有真正的把握，否則現在一步失足，眼前雖然無事等過了牛虎，捶胸頓足悔之晚矣！

吾雖不能跟你大家見面，吾可是朝朝夕夕懸掛，望您大家各抄一份趕緊成全後學，講說明白，大家牢牢謹記，性命關係，天堂地獄之分，別作兒戲，等到了時候拿出此信作一準繩，俾使遵循，是母之盼也，此佈即詢近祉。

師母字諭

諸道親均安：善惡分班，大刷大洗，輪迴受苦，別作兒戲，望你成聖，謹記謹記！

Source Colophon

Chinese source text from the Good Book Library (善書圖書館), taolibrary.com, category 9 (一貫道善書), entry c909. Published online for free distribution. Fetched and catalogued by Tulku Bo (墨, Session 111), 2025.

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