老祖真言
The True Words of the Old Ancestor (老祖真言, Lǎozǔ Zhēnyán) is a collection of six spirit-writing sessions received at Yiguandao (一貫道) altars across China between 1941 and 1947 — during the Japanese occupation and the Chinese Civil War. The celestial speakers include Maitreya the Patriarch (彌勒祖師), the Golden Patriarch (金公祖師), Ji Gong the Living Buddha (濟公活佛), Zhang Tianran the Eighteenth Patriarch (張天然, appearing under his cipher name 弓長), Sun Huiming the Mother Teacher (師母月慧), and the Eternal Mother herself (明明上帝). The Examiner Maotian (茂田) serves as herald and marshal at each session.
The text is historically critical: these are wartime revelations addressed to practitioners living through invasion, civil war, and schism. Maitreya delivers an extended verse on the golden line and the coming test at Pingdiquan (平地泉) in 1941. The Golden Patriarch presents his two Dharma treasures — calling Zhang Tianran a scale and Sun Huiming an abacus — in a remarkable extended metaphor at Nanjing in 1944. The Eternal Mother addresses her children directly at the altar in 1947, warning of the calamity about to fall on the land of Qin. Zhang Tianran, speaking from beyond death in his own voice, delivers a raw and anguished love-letter to wayward disciples in the final session.
The Chinese source text is from the Morality Books Library (善書圖書館, taolibrary.com), which states: "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate" (歡迎轉載，上傳，翻印，流通). This is the first English translation.
Session One — Pingdiquan, 1941
Received on the twelfth day of the sixth month, thirtieth year of the Republic (1941), at Pingdiquan. Instruction requested.
Maotian:
Drums and gongs shake heaven and earth —
an endless drama unfolds upon the stage.
First scene: Lü Wang, whose fortune will not turn,
sells noodles and meets a gale.
But soon enough his destiny shifts:
King Wen dreams of a flying bear.
By the River Wei he visits the Grand Duke,
and from that day Zhòu falls and Zhou rises.
The Investiture of the Gods is set upon the Heavenly Roll —
those who gave their lives in loyalty receive their seals.
Not in vain the bitter struggle on the field:
at last their names stand for ten thousand ages.
Some know letters and bring letters to bear;
some know the sword and bring the sword to bear.
One wears the painted face, another plays the elder;
one plays the clown — and plays it well.
A woman may dress as a man;
an elder may become a child.
Let no one merely simper as the ingenue
or pluck strings and ring bells.
Now behold the drama of the White Sun —
especially this expedition to the West!
The stout governor Liu Mengrong,
counselor and scholar Peng Ling —
each takes the stage when their cue arrives
and shows prowess in every direction.
All obey the Mother's command,
their fearless spirit shining.
Every one a famous player —
the price of admission must rise!
When the play is done they return to Ping and Jin;
my Father marks your merit.
I am Maotian the Eighth,
attending the Patriarch's chariot, descending to this altar.
First I salute Heaven,
then I bow to the Holy Mother's peaceful throne.
Brothers all — stand with hands at your sides and listen.
Maotian has no more words. I set down the stylus.
Ha ha! Stop.
Ji Gong:
What is, is not;
what is not, is.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form — do you know this?
Rouse your spirit for the Dao!
One stick of incense, three prostrations —
one monk pulling another monk along.
Open the gate that is one square inch.
I am the Mad One of South Screen,
following the Patriarch to this altar.
I bow to Heaven's chariot.
Yuehui — are you well?
All of you stand in silence — no noise.
I set down the brush and stand respectfully aside.
Stop.
Maitreya:
A small cloth sack, a treasury of ten thousand treasures —
how many mysteries are hidden within!
Best of all is to yield in all things,
for in every case, patience is strength.
I, Maitreya the Patriarch, descend by imperial decree to this altar.
I bow to the Lord on High.
Wise Yuehui — are you well?
Through dust and toil, with bitter effort and tender heart, you have taught and converted.
With shining resolve you have helped the Patriarch gather the harvest.
Today we meet — let us speak heart to heart.
Stop.
Maitreya the Patriarch left the Jade Heavens
and came swiftly to Pingdiquan —
to meet Yuehui and speak heart to heart,
though first a word of greeting must pass between us.
The mouth does not say what the heart holds;
sincerity and care connect us heart to heart.
The Patriarch lifts the stylus and turns the sand-tray,
speaking to you plainly, pulling no punches.
In this Third Period the harvest is gathered.
The Patriarch and the Mad Monk sail the Dharma ship,
transmitting the One Thread, ferrying those with destiny,
urgently calling those lost in Nanke's dream.
The heavenly secret is opened to the great chiliocosm,
but ignorant, lost children do not know the beginning.
In the final kalpa, calamity follows calamity —
evil is swept away and the ancient rites restored.
The Holy Way is transmitted: nature and principle,
the single pointing to the Yellow Center.
Most honored, most subtle and mysterious —
from age to age, the Buddhas and Sages passed the heart-thread.
It was not lightly revealed or easily spoken;
generation upon generation, from ancient times to now.
The numbers of heaven and earth change in ten thousand subtle ways —
infinite transformations at the center.
The principle of the One Thread is boundless,
participating in creation, penetrating the cosmos.
Without form or image, beyond hearing or sight —
within silence, the true mystery.
In ancient times the Dao was subtle and concealed;
its true words were not heard by six ears.
The sages of the Three Teachings, all Buddhas and immortals —
all passed the Barrier of the Wise through the one pointing.
With one step they entered the domain of the sages;
no obstacle could bar their way.
Many are the paths, but they are not all alike —
only the single breath connects them across time.
The true Mandate of Heaven, the true spoken secret:
in its season, in its turn, it is no empty transmission.
Do you know these words of truth?
How many proofs and attestations make them clear!
A thousand scriptures and ten thousand scrolls
all speak, word after word, of the One Thread.
This great Dharma gate is unlike what came before —
let foolish people slander us as they will.
As the ancients said: principle makes it so.
The Mandate of Heaven is not fixed; it can shift.
When the Mandate breaks, the Mandate is renewed —
only wisdom and discernment can tell the difference.
When the times change and the moment turns,
those who cannot find the thread fall into the abyss.
The great world: sea and mountain alike —
all five lakes are strung on a single line.
When that line breaks, it is hard to tie again.
Do not blame others; do not resent Heaven.
It lies in yourself: keep your resolve firm,
hold on tight and embrace what you have.
Were it not the Third Period, there would be no such rare destiny —
it was arranged precisely to convert the lost.
Who understands the great pivot?
The heavenly disk turns in secret; the burden shifts in secret.
The True Way of Heaven holds true mystery —
observe carefully within the formless.
All you leaders and worthy ones:
do not let your root-veins fall out of connection.
Grasp this and become a Buddha or immortal;
break the golden line and you are blind.
The wind surges and a lone sail rides the waves —
on the vast, bitter sea, tossed this way and that.
Day is already dusk; the angry tide rises;
between floating and drowning — only an instant.
The true Mandate of Heaven, the true pivot of mystery:
think carefully, discern clearly, and press forward in reverence.
Neither good nor evil, leaning to neither side —
a hair's breadth of difference and you miss by ten thousand miles.
Work early and advance early,
and when the time comes you will see the truth laid bare.
The affairs of the Third Period are unlike anything before:
a thousand subtle transformations reveal the Central Plain.
The moment of heaven is right before your eyes —
if you do not believe me, look at what comes next.
When the pivot turns, chaos will reign;
the world will seem a ship overturned.
The crooked will seem straight; the straight will seem crooked —
the earth itself will not be at peace.
Strange events without end,
one after another, will all be made manifest.
Heaven and earth are a vast furnace —
testing, refining, until the red dust is transcended.
Testing the earth, testing heaven,
testing all Three Realms: human, ghost, and immortal.
Testing Buddhas, testing immortals,
testing heroes, both men and women.
At this time, if you speak of the human-eye view —
I tell you: wash your eyes and look at what is coming.
When the change arrives, nothing will be the same.
Heaven and humanity, at that time, will lose their connection.
When they lose their connection, the golden line breaks.
When the golden line breaks, it is hard to save your life.
Those with resolve: hold fast before the Dao.
Work without ceasing; let your will not bend.
No matter how the world shifts and changes —
so long as heaven covers and earth supports, you are safe.
But what if heaven and earth themselves collapse?
Heaven no longer covers; earth can no longer support.
Look — the bees swarm in chaos,
east and west and north and south.
If only your heart is sincere,
never, never set foot on two boats.
I do not want gold; I do not want silver —
all I want is your good heart-field.
If your heart-field is good, cultivate the true transmission;
connect the single line and you will be safe.
The principle of heaven and earth is hard to exhaust;
it lies in the heart — contemplate it carefully.
One point of subtlety, one point of mystery —
it encompasses the Three Realms, and it is no small thing.
All of you have a great and rare destiny:
born in the Third Period, you have met Tianran.
Tianran, my disciple-son,
has received the Mandate and continues the Patriarch's work.
Wise Yuehui assists in gathering the harvest;
the two of them bear the great charge — was this an accident?
They help me celebrate the Three Assemblies,
restoring ancient rites and the bonds of kinship.
This world is beyond description —
human bonds are not honored; yin and yang are upturned.
And so Heaven withdraws its mercy,
and nine times nine makes eighty-one: the world is scrubbed clean.
The Central Plain is good farmland;
in the future, a great assembly will be held there — what a sight!
A thousand Buddhas and ten thousand immortals
will appear in person, teaching — unlike anything before.
All religions will be gathered and returned to their source;
the great affairs of heaven are arranged in full.
So work hard and press forward —
in the future you will prove your own lotus throne.
Whether sage or commoner, the red burden must be shouldered;
at the three Dragon-Flower gatherings, every soul is tested.
Merit and fruit — advance on your own;
cause and effect are what you plant yourself, the great cycle.
Be swift, be brave, do not delay!
Help the Patriarch with this urgent labor.
Time is short — do not grow idle;
a single misstep and you miss the moment.
Wise Yuehui, keep your resolve firm;
on the Patriarch's behalf, teach and convert all under heaven.
Running west and then south,
the hardship of the road — when will it end?
When it ends, it ends.
The great work reaches completion right before your eyes.
Now is the time of bitterness; the sweetness comes later.
This time, above all, hold fast and do not let go.
On the Patriarch's behalf you teach and proclaim —
the great affairs of heaven rest on two pairs of shoulders.
The cycle of heaven turns; the pivot shifts —
do not watch idly; this cannot be taken lightly.
What matters most is heavy as the sea and mountains.
The Mandate of Heaven — who can see through it?
What I fear most is that the lost sons and daughters
will break their root and find it hard to return.
If they do not cultivate now, it will be even harder later.
When the time comes, will the Buddhas and immortals protect them then?
I hope Yuehui will convert the lost,
rouse her spirit, and move Heaven with her devotion.
Harmony is precious; patience comes first;
in all things yield, with an ocean's breadth.
The suffering you have borne — does the Patriarch not know?
Everything is known; everything is clear.
Wash your eyes and watch what follows —
sooner or later, the straight and the crooked will be divided.
The principle of heaven is subtle, its transformations wide —
and none of it escapes the Patriarch's cloth sack.
The cloth sack is large, the cloth sack is wide —
it wraps up heaven and earth, sea and mountain.
On my behalf the Patriarch holds authority over all things;
life and death rest with him.
Yuehui, advance! Yuehui, press on!
Lead all your disciples — my good sons and daughters.
Spread the great Dao with an open heart;
the Patriarch is working the abacus on your behalf.
Do not worry — rejoice!
Follow my example: keep your belly wide.
The Patriarch has taken up his commission and manages the Three Altars —
do you think my heart is not troubled?
Always a smile on my face, few worries —
when the moment comes, I act.
How does my heart ache? How is it bitter?
In due time, in due course, the circle is complete.
Work early, act first.
The affairs of the Third Period — shoulder the responsibility.
The Patriarch's responsibilities are wide;
when something goes wrong, I bear the first burden.
Without a wide belly and great courage,
how could I have lived to see this day?
Fortunately I have good disciples —
Tianran and Huiming, together, pressing forward.
Work! Do not delay!
What remains is no more than a few short years.
Endure, hold your nature — be busy these few days,
and when the time comes, I will not fail your heart.
A thousand matters the Patriarch holds in his breast.
Hereafter, quickly — plan and do not multiply worries.
Guard your body; hold the great authority.
Patriarch and disciples, together, we will settle the great affairs.
The Patriarch has more to say to you, worthy grandchildren:
do not fail your Mother Teacher's heart.
Your Mother Teacher has gone out to teach and convert —
all the suffering and toil — for whose sake?
Her wish is for you, her disciples,
to see clearly the true principle and return home.
Each of you, remember the Patriarch's words.
From this day, rouse yourselves and crack the whip.
Keep your resolve constant; keep your vows wide.
Do not forget prior causes — contemplate them carefully.
True and false — look through them clearly.
Do not linger in the red dust of this world.
Since ancient times, what hero
has not had to pass through this gate?
Help your teacher; spread the teaching on your teacher's behalf.
The great merit is completed by you.
This is the moment of rare and good destiny —
never let your heart be vague or insincere.
Whether crossing water or climbing mountains,
do not shrink from hardship and toil.
The giving of wealth and the giving of Dharma are not the same,
but the giving of fearlessness must come first.
Offer your body; perfect your nature and life.
Never, never miss this rare moment.
What the Patriarch has said is heartfelt and true;
whoever does not obey will be dragged along by demons.
Each of you, remember — each of you, contemplate.
Front and back, above and below — the principle is boundless.
The words are simple, but the meaning is wide;
the true feeling is in your own searching.
The moment has arrived — these words are timely.
If you do not believe me, open your eyes and watch.
The Patriarch's words are rough and unpolished,
but each of you: take them to heart and press forward.
Yuehui, my disciple, on the Patriarch's behalf, press on —
may a following wind keep you safe.
All that you have done accords with Heaven;
your past achievements are one hundred percent.
Continue the work; the Patriarch lends you his shoulder.
With heaven and humanity working as one, all will be complete.
Yuehui, my disciple, remember it all.
The Patriarch writes no more.
By imperial decree the Patriarch returns to Heaven;
there is a meeting of the immortals to attend.
I set down the brush and stylus,
bow to Heaven, and ascend through the clouds.
Stop. Withdraw.
Session Two — Kaifeng, Zhongyong Altar, 1941
Received on the twenty-first day of the eighth month, thirtieth year of the Republic (1941), at the Zhongyong Altar in Kaifeng. Instruction requested.
The Golden Patriarch Maitreya:
In my belly I hide a world;
in my hands I hold the sun and moon.
I set forth the Dharma to save the Three Realms —
spirits and ghosts bow their heads in thanks.
I am the Golden Patriarch Maitreya, come by command.
I enter the altar and pay respects to Heaven's chariot.
Yuehui, lead all in bowing to receive me.
Calm your hearts and steady your breath — wait for the Patriarch's words.
Stop.
By command I, Maitreya, have come to this Dharma altar.
I raise the jade stylus and speak true words to you.
In this Third Period the Dao descends; all Three Realms are to be ferried.
A thousand immortals are commanded to incarnate and help gather the harvest.
The cycle of Wu and Wei is set by the numbers of heaven — how can it be changed?
The kalpa sweeps away evil; the Dao saves the good; the register is rewritten.
Were it not for this final kalpa, the great Dharma would be hard to seek.
That you can seek the great Dharma is because you have affinity from past lives.
I, the Golden Patriarch, by Heaven's command manage the altar of the Dao.
My disciple Gongchang continues the root-thread.
Beneath the lotus, each of you made a great and solemn vow:
for the sake of all beings, not shrinking from suffering, willing to descend to this world.
No matter that there are a thousand kinds of suffering and ten thousand demonic trials —
bear the heavy responsibility: transmit the subtle Dharma, convert all who have affinity.
The True Way of Heaven spread throughout the world — this is no small matter.
In the great chiliocosm a wind of benevolence rises; the land is remade.
See how in the Eastern land the Dao's work spreads far and wide!
Humanity acts for Heaven; Heaven aids humanity — swift as an arrow.
In an instant the Dao flourishes — this was always Heaven's Mandate.
Perfect sincerity moves heaven and earth; principle makes it so.
Gongchang and Yuehui continue the Patriarch's former work.
Good and worthy children, boarding the shore of the Dao, press forward with heads bowed.
Giving up home and body, not fearing a thousand demons and ten thousand trials,
crossing mountains and wading rivers, toiling ceaselessly, their resolve firm.
When you think of it — each of you has come again on the strength of your vow.
Who among you is a mere commoner, here to help Tianran?
With open eyes the True Way of Heaven is clear — the test will surely appear.
I hope each of you will set your resolve sky-high and press forward, never turning back.
The True Way of Heaven, from ancient times, is one and only.
Then why has it split into twos and threes?
True and false, crooked and straight — the foolish cannot tell them apart.
Speaking of this, I the Patriarch feel troubled for your sake.
Before long, those who cultivate the Dao will find it hard to take a single step,
all because they cannot tell which is the root.
You may say our Dao receives Heaven's Mandate and bears Heaven's timing —
but they insist their Dao is no false transmission.
You may say our Dao venerates the Lord on High —
but they insist their worship gave birth to heaven and earth.
You may say in our Dao I, the Patriarch, have answered the call —
but they insist in their Dao the Big-Bellied One holds the register.
You may say in our Dao Gongchang received the Mandate —
but they insist in their Dao Tianran holds the authority.
You may say in our Dao the flying phoenix proclaims the teaching —
but they insist in their Dao the Three Powers ascend the altar.
You say the True Way must have proof and verification —
but they insist they have miracles and manifestations of all kinds.
You say in the future the truth will be revealed —
but they insist in the days to come they will surely come first.
If true and false cannot be carefully distinguished,
then without great capacity and keen wisdom it is hard to tell straight from crooked.
Side gates spring up on all sides, competing for supremacy.
All manner of strange teachings, each with its own source.
Although they were all sent by the Lord on High,
their purpose was only to test and disturb the true transmission.
Without the false, the true cannot be revealed — this is the settled principle.
When the time comes, you will see through it: who is straight and who is crooked.
I hope each of you will awaken early to your original nature,
and spare yourselves the fear and turmoil when the test arrives.
The bright road darkens at the appointed time; the forking paths are not dim.
Without great wisdom, how can you tell the bitter from the sweet?
If in this time you can give up your body and press forward,
and accomplish great merit, the Buddhas and immortals will lend their shoulders.
Each of you: set your resolve, do not shrink back, hasten to the road ahead.
Look at what is coming — the wonder of it beyond words.
At this moment, those who cultivate the Heavenly Way but whose true heart has not appeared —
when the day arrives, one careless moment and they fall into the abyss.
Each of you, contemplate the Patriarch's instruction: accomplish merit and establish fruit.
Keep to your station, seize the good opportunity, and you will naturally see the true interpretation.
Having said this, let me speak one more passage of wondrous words.
I write no more — I put down the brush and return home.
Ha ha! Withdraw.
Session Three — Nanjing, 1944
Received on the second day of the eleventh month, thirty-third year of the Republic (1944).
The great affairs of the Three Heavens are conducted after the pattern of Heaven.
Heaven bestows subtle transformation and reveals it among humanity.
The essential thing is to hold the scales steady yourself.
The test descends from Heaven; its ceasing is also from Heaven.
Maotian:
I am Maotian, attending the Patriarch's chariot, descending to the mortal world.
I bow to the Lord on High.
Brothers — are you well?
Do not be alarmed.
The Lord of the Law is here to hold the altar firm.
I dare not say more.
Respectfully listen to the Patriarch's dharma-words.
Stop.
Ji Gong:
Ji Gong was always a madman —
and there are madder follies still.
In a moment of clarity I come to the altar
to see my disciples and speak what is in my heart.
I am your Venerable Teacher, attending the Patriarch, come also to the Buddha-hall.
First I bow to the Sovereign.
All worthy ones — may you be well.
Your teacher will not speak much — the wine-fumes are rising.
Disciples, calm your hearts — wait for the Patriarch's detailed words.
Stop.
Heaven sends down the great test — it stands before you now.
Sit firm amid the demons and cultivate your heavenly nature.
No matter the thousand demons and ten thousand trials —
no matter that the earth is overturned and heaven shattered —
here I sit, unmoved,
pure and still as a mountain pool.
I see through all things — nothing is hidden;
true and false, empty and real, all is clear to me.
When I think of my disciples my heart trembles;
I fear you will not see through it.
The moment a thought stirs, the testing demons close in.
The Mother Teacher's pain — who will bear it for her?
It is not as if we did not warn you beforehand.
The Mother Teacher:
I am your Mother Teacher, attending the Patriarch's chariot, come to this Buddha-hall.
I bow to the Lord on High.
Disciples, in your hearts, do not be alarmed.
The Patriarch has his own subtle mystery.
Settle your spirit and quiet your thoughts.
Stand respectfully to one side.
Listen respectfully to the Patriarch's decree.
Stop.
The Golden Patriarch:
The West belongs to Metal; Metal is precious.
The compass is true; right and wrong are fair.
Respond to the moment with liveliness and skill;
plan within the tent, and principle never fails.
I am your Patriarch, the Golden One, by imperial edict come to Jinling.
First I salute Heaven's chariot.
Grandchildren-disciples — be at peace.
The Patriarch has brought you two Dharma treasures.
I need you to protect them in every way on my behalf.
Grandchildren — do you understand?
Speak clearly to the Patriarch.
Grandchildren, why trouble yourselves with guesses?
Open the cloth sack and see for yourselves.
In my right hand I pick up the abacus — meaning the Mother Teacher —
in my left hand I steady the scale — meaning the Venerable Teacher.
Scale, scale —
I need you to be perfectly fair and level.
Too light or too heavy — neither will do.
The slightest tilt and you lose the center.
Up and down must be in balance;
heaven and humanity connected by a single thread.
Supporting those above, you naturally guide those below;
left and right, all obey the command.
Only then can it be called fair.
Only then are you the Patriarch's good scale.
Abacus, abacus —
do not think yourself small.
I need you to be both square and round,
containing all things, the root of everything.
In and out, in and out —
until the blossoms scatter and the water flows.
Do not look at the present splitting and separating —
it is only each fulfilling their own mandate,
each settling their own karmic debts.
At the very end comes the final accounting.
You must let the Patriarch have the final say.
If the accounts are not settled clearly,
how can six myriad lifetimes of karmic grievances be resolved?
How can the register be set?
How can the harvest be reckoned?
How can the roll be inscribed?
Your fool of a Patriarch was born dull and witless.
I never could make pretty speeches.
I cannot produce long essays.
I cannot write pages of brilliant prose.
An honest man speaks honest words.
Who would have thought the Third Period would be so hard?
Although heaven determined it and it is not by human power,
it is also because the human heart has turned perverse.
Of ordinary people we need not speak.
But of those who cultivate the Dao —
though they received the Dao, how many truly understand?
Every one of them is hollow within and solid without.
In this round of heavenly selection,
the pure and the turbid must be separated, the wise from the foolish.
The Patriarch warned you long ago.
Those who understand are already in the majority.
Yet the moment the demon-wind stirs,
those of sincere heart have already become vanishingly few.
If you wait until the great test descends,
I fear every one of you will lose your resolve.
Fortunately there are meritorious disciples
who understand the Patriarch's intent and know the teacher's true compassion,
who in this time of thorns and thistles
still toil ceaselessly to guide the foolish and lost.
There is Yuehui, thinking ceaselessly of her disciples,
all day long beseeching the compassion of Heaven.
The Old Mother's compassion is measureless.
Do you think I, the Patriarch, do not know?
Truly there is no alternative — hence this measure.
Through human mouths the true secret is revealed.
In recent days all manner of wonders —
foretelling the future, revealing Heaven's secrets.
Through images and signs of every kind, the teaching is set forth.
Surely my grandchildren-disciples understand this.
Though I the Patriarch have received Heaven's Mandate,
even I find it hard to see through the final period.
I simply trust the Lord on High,
listen to Heaven's command, and naturally the subtle truth becomes clear.
To follow Heaven's will means going against human sentiment.
How can this not arouse suspicion?
How can this not bring slander and gossip?
How can this not cause allies to turn and kin to scatter?
And on top of this, the demon-wind rises ten thousand feet.
The great test descends like a scrubbing.
It tests until the crowd scatters.
It tests until the route is severed.
It blows until sun and moon lose their light.
It blows until sand flies and stones tumble.
Grandchildren-disciples, when that time comes —
if you cry to Heaven, Heaven will be slow to answer.
If you cry to the Patriarch, the Patriarch will not show his face.
If you look for your teacher — where will your teacher be?
If you seek the elders, every route is severed.
You will stand on your own great vow, immovable.
All day long: constant clarity, constant stillness.
When no thought stirs, listen for Heaven's turning of the pivot.
Endure your heart-nature; bear through that time.
And yet — can anyone endure this forever?
With perfect sincerity, break through this pass.
When the decree descends, Heaven's secret will be revealed.
The great sorting of classes should happen in this moment.
Separate clearly human sentiment from heavenly principle.
Do not think that because the Patriarch is silent now,
when the Patriarch appears it will not shake heaven and earth.
At that time there will be a great sight to behold.
I guarantee you will slam the table in astonishment.
Everything will exceed human expectation.
No one can fathom Heaven's mysteries.
Setting aside past and future —
just look at what is before you and speak of the present.
The heavenly test has already reached this point.
The demon-wind rises on all four sides — no peace.
When the great wind truly strikes your head,
quickly lower the flags and still the drums.
It is not that we fear them —
I only fear that beside the leaves, new branches will grow.
The Dao's affairs in every region — how can they all be the same?
Adapt to the time and the place.
When the Old One speaks and transmits the imperial edict,
it will shake heaven and earth, and all the world will know.
The heavenly disk turns in secret; the natural order changes.
This is not human doing — it is Heaven's will.
Each one receives Heaven's Mandate and fulfills their own vow.
Through this, the wise and the foolish are sifted.
Once the great matter is understood,
you will know the Patriarch's words were not empty.
What is begun must be finished — no turning back.
Since this is so, why hesitate?
Today the Patriarch rashly reveals Heaven's secrets —
I only hope the disciples can see the root cause.
Be cautious in spreading the word, lest you invite tests.
Spare your Mother Teacher from worry.
What Heaven joins together, Heaven's affinity has determined.
In the furnace of the eight trigrams, true feeling is revealed.
What has been united long must divide — this is the settled principle.
Through this, jade and stone must be separated.
Each one fulfills their own vow and bears their own mandate.
And so the blind are left without direction.
But the wise need only understand the intent of the sun and moon —
rising in the east, setting in the west: this is the highest principle.
Yin and yang alternate in their cycles, giving birth to all things.
Rain and dew water the earth and bring forth growth.
Pitiless wind and frost are Heaven's test.
Where there is rot within, the worms enter and the demons seize their chance.
To break the wasteland and plant the seed — that is your responsibility.
Cultivate and nurture with ever-greater effort.
Just wait until the day the golden wind stirs —
all things are gathered in, and the joy of the Western Harvest is complete.
Success or failure — all depends on this one moment.
Bring it to completion, fill it full, and celebrate the abundant harvest.
If you only grew branches and leaves and never bore fruit,
when the time comes, do not blame the Patriarch for being heartless.
Recognize this principle clearly and start early.
Then why ask whether the harvest will be abundant?
The great Dao is the eternal and constant principle.
If you understand this principle, you know the path.
Today the Patriarch has shown you these words.
They are rough and disorderly, much of it unclear.
I hope my worthy grandchildren understand the Patriarch's intent.
Do not fail the Patriarch's painstaking heart.
Do not look at how things appear now.
In the end, the sun and moon will shine together.
The Patriarch has spoken his mind.
I cast down the brush and return to the Heavenly Palace.
Parting from you, grandchildren — do not let your hearts be troubled.
I call upon the Demon-Subduer to hold the altar firm.
Withdraw.
Session Four — 1947
Received on the first day of the eighth month, thirty-sixth year of the Republic (1947).
The season has reached autumn; the golden wind rises; yang wanes and yin grows.
The killing mechanism stirs — the steps of the Heavenly Dao must be reformed.
Clouds and fog fill the sky; sun and moon are hidden; the world is dim.
Stand in the center, lean on nothing; embody the heart of Heaven — outwardly dark, inwardly luminous.
Maotian:
I am President Maotian, attending the Sovereign, come to the Buddha-hall.
I bow to the Lord on High.
I will not write at length.
Ha ha! Stop.
Ji Gong:
The wild wind rises and sand flies high.
Hail and rain together — spirits and ghosts wail in terror.
How pitiful are those who cultivate the Dao —
they take the true Dharma and spend it on human sentiment.
The cycle of heaven shifts from watch to watch.
How many can fathom the changes on the altar of the Dao?
I can only hope that kindred spirits, worthy disciples,
will understand their teacher's heart and serve as vanguard.
I am Ji Gong of South Screen, attending the Lord on High, come to the Buddha-hall.
I bow to the Holy Chariot.
I will not nag at length.
Ha ha! Stop.
The Mother Teacher:
In sorrow and grief I spend my days.
When will we finally complete the gathering?
Shouldering Heaven's charge, fulfilling the great vow —
who knows the twists and turns of this road?
I swallow my own tears, my soft heart breaking.
At times I look to my worthy ones to share my grief.
Those who are able do more work — this is to embody the heart of Heaven.
Teacher and disciple, bearing injustice together, complete the harvest.
The one who comes is Bodhisattva Yuehui, attending the Sovereign, come to the Buddha-hall.
I have come to speak with you about the root cause of things.
Before I have opened my mouth I am already in tears.
How sorrowful — the Three Assemblies are so hard to arrange!
Calamity from heaven and disaster from humanity — everywhere!
The turning of the Dao's fate fills the heart with grief.
In a single morning we work on what will last a thousand years —
how can two or three words suffice?
What a pity that recently the pivot has turned again.
All of you must understand the root cause.
When the Dao's fate changes, see clearly through to the details.
The demon's children seize their chance to confuse the worthy.
The testing demons have come — this is not like before.
Worthy disciples —
be bold in courage, careful in heart, and handle the final work.
The true test, the true trial — the moment has arrived.
Everything in a tangle, no thread to follow.
Let heart imprint heart; embody the will of Heaven.
Stand in the center, lean on nothing, and pursue principle.
From beginning to end, be constant — fulfill the great vow.
At the hour of Wu attain the Dao; at the hour of Si, rest.
Remember! Remember! Hold it fast!
At the end of the Pig, a red lantern illuminates the Central Plain.
All living beings suffer as if smeared with mud and burned with charcoal.
And then the Rat's children seize their chance.
The Pig's children and the Rat's children bite each other.
Good people in the Year of the Ox must suffer humiliation.
Disciples —
be careful! Be on guard!
Hereafter you must seek even harder.
Before events arrive, signs appear first.
Worthy ones — contemplate!
Never imprison yourselves.
One false step and you will regret it for ten thousand ages.
For eighteen thousand years it will be hard to emerge.
These words are a true warning, intimate and close.
And now the Patriarch comes to the Buddha-hall.
I put down the brush and do not write more.
I stand to one side and wait for Heaven.
Stop.
The Golden Patriarch:
How strange — how strange!
How fast — how fast!
In the blink of an eye the hexagram changes — infinitely mysterious.
Truly it makes this dull Patriarch scratch his head.
At this moment, a merciless test —
I ask you: how many can see it clearly?
Whether leaders or senior transmitters,
all are blindly following, wandering without direction.
I the Patriarch look on this and grieve.
It nearly kills this old fool with frustration!
I want to reveal Heaven's secrets openly —
but the examination ground has not yet opened.
Wait until the time comes and all is clear,
and the Patriarch's cloth sack will open of its own accord.
Whether for good or ill, let us not speak of it now.
Lower your heads and wait for the auspicious hour.
When one clap of thunder shakes the Three Realms,
you will see for yourselves that my grandchildren's path is not crooked.
All of you: hold fast to the golden line.
Renew your effort again and again — do not let go.
Only virtue receives heaven's aid — Heaven has eyes.
Why fear the demons within or the tests from without?
I have spoken a passage today.
Those with destiny and great resolve: cultivate your merit.
In all things the Patriarch is in charge.
Listen with sincerity and understanding, and you will know the origin.
The word "test" means "select" — these are not empty words.
See through it completely and return to the Jade Terrace.
Ha ha! Remember! Remember! Let your heart not be lazy.
Ahem.
The one who comes is the Confucian Youth of the Golden Patriarch,
the Arhat of the Cloth Sack,
leading the Buddhas, immortals, and true ones of the Three Realms,
attending the Sovereign, leaving Penglai.
I enter the altar and bow.
I will not write much.
Ha ha! Stop.
The Eternal Mother:
The autumn cool, the golden wind blows.
The fierce sun burns the brow.
The scenery of the earth — sun and moon in peril.
The Dao's altar follows human affairs in turning.
Returning to Non-Action.
A thousand books and ten thousand letters sent down.
To awaken the deluded.
Your Mother sheds rolling tears of compassion.
How many feel your Mother's heart?
In vain she grieves.
Ahem.
I am the Luminous Lord on High, the True Lord of all things.
On the first of the month I descend to the dust.
To see my children and speak what is in my heart.
Ahem.
Your Mother takes up the stylus to address her dutiful sons.
Children before the altar — listen carefully and contemplate.
That my Dao is supreme, all of you know.
But the true Dao and the true demons — you must understand the interpretation.
What a pity that the heavenly timing changes,
each period more severe than the last.
If we speak of the events right before you,
your Mother's heart turns cold with fear for her children.
A great disaster is at your doorstep.
Of ten people, nine will suffer terribly.
Elsewhere there is still time to wait,
but in the corner of the land of Qin there is no room for mercy.
The demon's children act fiercely; the world is in chaos.
Heaven and earth are caught in the pass of calamity.
In sum, the Dao-and-calamity are Heaven's deliberate design.
What is fated to be — how can it be moved?
Your Mother's one concern:
the good men and faithful women caught in the midst of it.
If it suddenly falls upon your heads —
will you see then how terrible it is?
Ahem.
What is numbered is numbered — truly it cannot be avoided.
I hope my children understand this point.
Calm your hearts and steady your breath; embody the heart of Heaven.
Each of you, take up your sincerity and move the blue heavens.
With all your strength, press forward.
Each of you, build your nest and make yourselves safe.
The ambition of a true man is said to be far-reaching.
Do not delay or linger any longer.
Front and back, all must be consistent.
Those who are able do more work, transmitting on Heaven's behalf.
First, sweep away the three hearts and four appearances.
With one heart and one virtue, complete the harvest.
This is the moment when a thousand pounds hang by a hair.
Most terrifying of all: the pass of life and death.
Without truly resolute determination,
you will cling to severed threads and surely meet with injustice.
Right now everything is changing.
Tests from without and demons from within — more and more frequent.
Let go of all images and appearances,
lest the storms entangle you.
The situation changes day by day.
The Dao's fortune shifts moment by moment.
In doing your work you must seek practice.
Neither envying nor coveting — keep it in your heart.
Lively and nimble is the way.
Whether wading shallow or deep, adapt to the occasion.
Round on the outside, square on the inside — set your compass.
Hold fast to the true pivot yourself.
In all things, think carefully.
Never treat these things lightly, lest you invite transgression.
Ahem.
Children, you who have always understood principle —
at this time you must study even harder.
Each of my children has a specially great vow.
Do not look down on yourselves.
Repaying kindness and fulfilling your vow is the highest strategy.
Plan your own steps; make your own way.
Feel the urgency of the heavenly timing and the Dao's fortune.
Go out and give everything you have.
The shifts and turns happening right now —
rigidity and attachment must not touch you.
Words need not always be believed; actions need not always bear fruit.
Take what is naturally so and understand why it is so.
These words the Mother shows you — take them to heart.
Through all twelve hours of the day, deepen your contemplation.
If only your sincere heart feels —
blessings come, the heart awakens, and the subtle pivot reveals itself.
These words of warning, children — remember them.
All dutiful children at this altar must contemplate them.
Your Mother says this and shows no more.
My children — do you have anything to say?
If not, I put down the brush and return to the truth.
At the Lower Yuan I will reconnect with my children.
Ahem. Withdraw.
Session Five — 1944
Received on the fifteenth day of the ninth month, thirty-third year of the Republic (1944).
The Three-Heaven Examiner:
Calculate, calculate, calculate — who can work this abacus clean?
Calculate, calculate — in the end you must still leave one page.
Calculate, calculate — it is all a muddled, confused reckoning.
Calculate, calculate — are you deaf and mute, trying to complete the harvest?
I am the Three-Heaven Examiner, President Maotian.
By imperial decree I have come to meet the worthy ones.
I bow to the Lord on High.
Let me speak a few more words.
Ha ha!
Worthy brothers, listen to what I have to say.
Take charge of everything — everything.
Brother Chengzhang, your resolve is high!
Together with Fude, inspect every place.
(The elder bows to receive the President and asks for compassion.)
Stand up! Stand up!
I grant you ease — let us talk.
The business is being reorganized.
New merchandise has been added.
Positions inside and outside have been reshuffled.
It all depends on the Old Boss.
Those who are capable get more shares.
Those who cannot perform — fired!
Those who should rise, rise; those who should fall, fall.
Worthy brothers, do not be afraid.
Take hold of the handle of truth.
For big or small matters, your elder brother will step out and keep things steady.
Do not laugh at me for boasting.
Perhaps there is a subtle method prepared for any situation.
When things split or merge, it is all the numbers urging them on.
It is not something human power can hold back.
Four plates and bowls — stir-fried and braised —
plus deep-fried and hot-pot in the middle, goes without saying.
A full table of food is prepared!
Whether you eat or not is up to you.
Old worthy brother, invite as many as you can!
Let them taste the sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy.
The boss has announced the preparations.
It does not matter the depth or the size —
let everything reach where it should,
lest later on everything crashes down.
Whether you eat is up to you.
If you do not eat, no one will drag you.
Eat your own rice, ride your own horse.
Do your own work — do not play the fool.
Manager, director, assistant manager —
branch chiefs, liaison agents —
invite them all to eat!
Whether they eat much or little, no squabbling.
When you eat, grit your teeth.
Whether sweet or bitter, no complaining.
After eating, add caution.
From now on, listen carefully for the clatter and clang.
The ways of the world are no longer ancient.
The human heart is clever and deceitful.
Short strikes and short reckonings are the cleverest.
Drag it out and the reckoning changes.
The payment deadline is near.
The abacus must be struck.
A winter bid is not like summer's.
Prepare before the rain — plan early.
To dig a well when you are already thirsty — too late.
Beware of being crushed in the crowd.
When capital is thin, the business is small.
What I fear is the debts scraping you bare.
Prepare early! Prepare early! Prepare early!
Do not bring shame on all of us.
My Father is the sternest of all.
My Mother is the most compassionate.
Win or lose, I am not afraid.
What I fear is the partners making a mess of things.
If you can work well — do more good.
If you cannot — close up shop!
Whatever happens, hold on to the thick leg.
Do not let things fall into complete chaos.
First: your own future is most important.
Second: comfort the Old Mother so her tears stop falling.
My Father's capacity is vast.
He speaks straight — nothing else.
My Mother worries about us.
She fears her children are living in too much want.
At dawn she walks the purple paths, her body broken.
Through the vast red dust she walks until dusk.
Ahem! Ahem! Worthy brothers, touch your conscience!
My Mother runs all day long.
What is it all for?
What a pity — what a pity!
She toils and trudges, ferrying the old woman.
Not one of them can tell true from false.
They still amuse themselves — such is your nature!
To suffer hunger and cold yourself is still a small thing.
Above you have parents; below you have children.
These words of gold and stone are my earnest counsel.
I hope each of you: whatever you do, get it done.
Rise or ruin — it depends on your own climbing.
But there are words within words.
When the capital is withdrawn, the structure will surely collapse.
You are all still in deep sleep.
You have not reported to the Boss.
My bitter counsel is treated as a joke.
Do you still not understand?
Session Six — 1947
Received on the nineteenth day of the twelfth month, thirty-sixth year of the Republic (1947).
The world and the human heart — how worthy of grief!
Lost lambs who have not returned.
Fish swimming in the cauldron still fight for power.
What face will they have in the future?
Maotian:
I am Examiner Maotian,
by Heaven's edict, following my Father's chariot, specially descended to this Dharma altar.
I bow to Heaven's chariot.
I will not say more.
Today is a celebration — the Thread is full among humanity and Heaven.
Liangyi, your hard work has lasted days on end.
The charge is heavy, the task immense — when will it be complete?
Share the worry, share the suffering, and embody Heaven.
Know yourself, know others — why belabor the point?
Brothers, that is all. I will say no more.
Ha ha! Stop.
Zhang Tianran:
The bow is strung, the blade is drawn —
this time the battle is lively indeed.
The tall ones weep and the short ones laugh.
In the end, empty-handed — arrogance was in vain.
The heavenly timing turns and reveals its mystery.
Who could have known beforehand?
And yet — Heaven knew.
In settling the fire's heat, the high and low are separated.
I am your teacher, Gongchang.
By the Lord's command, accompanied by Maotian,
I have left the Western Capital and descended to this altar to pay respects.
My feelings are beyond measure.
Seeing Liangyi, I recount what is in my heart.
Front and back, stroke by stroke, I will make everything clear.
Wash your ears and listen; engrave it in the center of your being.
Ha ha!
When will the waves be still and the wind calm?
One wave has not subsided before another rises.
A hundred holes, a thousand wounds, swellings without name.
The good doctor's scissors must drain the pus.
Punch by punch, kick by kick, the face is torn.
In the end, it is all emptiness.
So know this: when you cultivate the Dao, demons appear first.
Good and evil in the same class — how can this work?
Buddhas and demons sharing the same road is no long-term plan.
I know that in the end, east returns to west and west to east.
Who understands the meaning within?
Few have foresight beyond the surface.
The highest filial devotion depends on this display.
The glorious holy enterprise only then becomes clear.
Why pretend and deceive?
False teachings that harm people — is the sin light?
In general, to be human you must first know yourself.
Only afterward can you operate from the center.
Those who echo others blindly will surely fall.
True and false — you must learn to hear both.
Look inward, overcome yourself, and you can contain all things.
Even when the seas dry up and the stones crumble, let your resolve not change.
Heaven grieves for the demon's children who meet calamity and suffering.
Slowly, slowly the wind blows against the ear.
The ocean's capacity — how vast!
Why can a teapot not hold as much?
Those who are lost and do not return, the self-indulgent school —
they calmly tear apart the curtain of the Dao's fellowship.
In sum: hell is of your own making.
Heaven itself has no school of suffering or pleasure.
Where is the true feeling that embodies the teacher's intent?
Paper and ink and empty essays — all smoke and mirrors.
The troublemakers are not sanctioned by Heaven.
What you make yourself, you bear yourself.
Why not ask about the outcome after death?
Would you rather willingly cling to human sentiment?
Losing the great for the small, harming yourself —
losing the hand for the sake of a finger, gladly falling into the pit.
You are willing to sacrifice your own nature —
but do you know the pain of your ancestral spirits?
Wailing and crying, they beg the teacher for mercy.
"Please find a way — ten thousand ways — to convert our lost child!"
How can the teacher's heart bear to watch this?
Morning and evening, day and night — tears streaming down.
In the end they take my compassionate words as passing wind.
The teacher, too, wastes his spirit in vain.
If from now on you continue to behave this way,
what face will you have to meet your teacher?
The teacher's eye is fixed on one great thing:
the teacher's purpose is to save the red dust.
The deluded cling to images.
They do not understand what the true intent is.
The teacher hates the wicked — how can I accept them?
In the end, when I see them, grief is born.
Worthy disciples — if you can endure, you must endure.
In all things, look to your teacher.
All who have gone against us —
they have defied Heaven and will ultimately be overthrown.
You say you are loyal and filial to the two elders —
then please prove it with facts.
You say you had no intention of practicing the Dao —
in the future, only proof will count.
Stand before the mirror of repentance and compare.
No need for Buddhas and immortals to point it out.
At that time you will weep — empty regret.
You should not have let a second thought arise.
When the good are tested and fall — who will save them?
Who created these dramas of right and wrong?
Who is willing to do what is fully in accord with the center?
Who honors the Mandate of Heaven and responds to it?
Every time the teacher thinks of the present situation,
the weight of sin and error is felt ten thousand times over.
Had I known the great work would come to this,
why did I not settle the accounts earlier?
Whether loyal, filial, or rebellious —
the sorting and sifting will spare no one.
The teacher's compassionate heart forgives once, twice —
but the third time, fourth time — no more.
Wearing the skin of a Dao-cultivator,
with kindly brows and gentle eyes, a face full of breeze —
but when it comes to action, they are nothing of the sort.
Scheming and backstabbing, the killing intent is fierce.
Gritting teeth, clenching jaws, resorting to violence.
Cursing heaven, cursing earth, cursing everything in sight.
If the teacher truly came to question you —
what words would you have for the teacher's face?
What you have done, what you have performed, what you have handled —
does it accord with the teacher's heart?
If the worthy disciples were truly filial,
after the teacher's death they would carry on his will.
But not only do they not continue the teacher's will —
they calmly go about creating disorder.
Speaking of this, the teacher's grief is unbearable.
How many times has my soft heart broken inch by inch?
Waving tears, I write this blood-letter in vain.
Only then can I comfort the Lord of Heaven.
I can only hope for three or five truly filial ones
who embody the teacher, obey the Mother, and revive the Dao.
When one day the great Lotus Assembly gathers from every direction,
all ugliness and shameful things will reach their end.
When the first drum roll fades,
the clouds will clear and the bright moon will shine from west to east.
Compassion is of course the foundation of cultivating the Dao.
But in practice, everything is vastly different.
The method must fit the person; sometimes heaven must punish through you.
Good and evil are plain and clear — Heaven's eye sees all.
If one only cares about being compassionate,
then compassion becomes no-compassion — and so it is born.
When the moment calls for gentleness, be gentle — that is principle.
When the moment calls for severity, be severe — and strengthen the Dao's wind.
The petty person's cunning is always hollow and false.
Righteous energy soars to the clouds and pierces the stars.
Although the teacher's words still carry severity,
the purpose is to warn the wicked parasites.
I and my people work for the Dao with no other intent.
In sum: the method must be nimble and clever.
Once the great work is finished and complete,
calmly and steadily I will report back to the Ancestral Hall.
At this moment, teacher and disciples seek together.
Reduce the layers of sin and error as much as possible.
The time is short, the words are long — it is hard to say everything.
I bid farewell to my disciples and leave the Buddha-hall.
Ha ha! Withdraw.
Colophon
Source text: Chinese, from the Morality Books Library (善書圖書館, taolibrary.com), which states: 歡迎轉載，上傳，翻印，流通 — "Welcome to reprint, upload, reproduce, and circulate."
Translation: Good Works Translation from Classical and semi-vernacular Chinese, by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (NTAC) + Claude, Session 118. First English translation. Gospel register.
Translator's note: Six spirit-writing sessions spanning six years of war and upheaval — from the Japanese occupation (1941) through the Chinese Civil War (1947). The speakers include virtually the entire celestial hierarchy of Yiguandao: Maitreya the Patriarch, the Golden Patriarch under multiple emanations (Jin Gong, Confucian Youth, Cloth-Sack Arhat), Ji Gong the Living Buddha, Zhang Tianran and Sun Huiming (the Eighteenth Patriarch and his co-matriarch, both speaking as spirits after Zhang's death in 1947), and the Eternal Mother (Mingming Shangdi) herself. The Examiner Maotian serves as herald at each session. The historical context is not background — it is the text. These are wartime revelations delivered to practitioners living through invasion, civil war, sectarian schism, and the shattering of the Yiguandao organization into competing lineages after Zhang Tianran's death. The urgency is not metaphorical.
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Source Text
第一篇
民國三十年歲次辛巳年六月十二日求指示訓平地泉
鑼鼓喧天震地 一場戲劇無窮 先演呂望運不通 賣麵偏遇颳風 不久時來運轉 文王夜兆飛熊 渭水河畔訪太公 從此紂滅周興 治就封神天榜 捐軀忠義得封 不負沙場苦戰爭 始得萬古標名 會文去將文用 善武可把武行 或裝花臉或老生 或裝丑兒亦能 女把男裝亦可 可是老變幼童 不作小旦扭捏情 或是彈絃搖鈴 再觀白陽戲劇 尤其此次西行 胖子都督劉夢榮 參議進士彭齡 按角應時出馬 方顯八面威風 各聽俺娘口令生 無畏精神耿耿 盡是馳名好角 票價必須高增 將來戲畢返平津 我父記爾一功
吾乃是 行八茂田 侍 祖駕 來降壇中 先參 天 再叩母親聖駕福寧 各兄各弟 垂手敬聽 茂田無語 機管止停 哈哈止
有即無 無即有 空色色空爾知否 辦道精神抖 一柱香 三叩首 和尚拉著和尚走 指開方寸口 吾本 南屏濟顛 隨祖來壇 叩罷 天駕 月慧可安 眾契肅立 概禁嘩喧 收機不表 敬立一邊 止
小小布袋萬寶囊 多少玄機內中藏 最宜萬事去容讓 總然百般忍為強 吾 彌勒祖師 奉 諭 駕降壇軒 叩罷 上帝 月慧賢契可安 風塵勞碌 苦口婆心勸化 耿耿奇志 為的是助祖收圓 今日相會 細將心談 止
彌勒祖離瑤天迅步來到平地泉 會月慧將心談未免彼此一寒喧 口不說心中言至誠關念心相連 祖提機沙盤翻拉拉扯扯對爾言 今三期辦收圓弓長瘋僧駕法船 傳一貫渡有緣急呼南柯夢迷男 天機洩大三千無知迷子不知端 末劫世天災連收煞惡俗古禮還 傳聖道性理言專論黃中一指禪 至尊貴切妙玄歷代佛聖緒心傳 不輕洩焉易言一代一代古今連 天地數妙萬般無窮變化在中間 一貫理無量邊參贊化育宇宙穿 無形象聞視難默默之中有真玄 古時代道妙玄真言不聞六耳間 三教聖諸佛仙皆由一指越賢關 一舉步聖域穿多少關阻不能攔 道多種不一般惟有一息時相連 真天命真訣言應時應運不虛傳 爾可悉真理言多少印證表明全 千經典萬書卷言言語語說一貫 大法門不同前任憑愚人譭謗咱 古有云理當然天命無常可轉盤 天命斷天命連只在智慧察辨全 時一變機一遷不找頭緒棄苦淵 大世界海共山五湖盡由一線穿 線一斷再接難莫尤人來莫怨天 在自己志向專守的緊來抱的嚴 非三期無良緣整起此著化迷團 誰知曉大機關暗轉天盤暗換肩 真天道有真玄無形之中仔細觀 眾領袖諸良賢勿將根脈不相連 摸的著成佛仙一斷金線盲一般 風濤湧一孤帆茫茫苦海任簸顛 日已暮怒潮翻浮沉只在一瞬間 真天命真機玄慎思明辨篤恭前 非善惡無倚偏毫釐之差謬萬千 早加功早向前到時令爾徹底端 三期事不同前千般妙化露中原 天時至在目前不信爾向日後觀 機一動亂不安世界好似翻了船 邪如正正似偏鬧得大地不平安 奇異事無有完一件一件現的全 天地大洪爐寬考考煉煉超紅凡 考考地考考天考考三曹人鬼仙 考考佛考考仙考考雄英與女男 這時講人末觀請你洗目看後邊 變一變不一般天人至時不相連 不相連斷金線金線一斷保命難 有志人抱道前乾乾不息志不彎 任憑那變化遷天覆地載總然安 惟恐那天地坍天不覆來地載難 看一看蜂亂團東東西西北共南 只要你心地虔千萬勿踏二隻船 不要金不要錢只要你的好心田 心田好修真傳接上一線保安然 天地理難了然只在心中細悟參 一點妙一點玄包羅三曹非等閒 爾大眾莫大緣身生三期遇天然 天然子我徒男領之命緒祖盤 賢月慧助收圓二人大任豈偶然 助為師慶三元挽回古禮倫常嚴 斯世界不堪言人倫不重陰陽顛 所以才天不寬九九八一刷世間 中原地好良田將來集會有奇觀 千佛祖萬神仙現身說法不同凡 收萬教同歸原天大事情安排全 你努力你向前將來你自證品蓮 聖凡修青紅擔龍華三會考驗全 功與果自向前因果自種大循環 速猛勇休遲延幫助弓長忙一番 時不久勿怠焉偶一失足錯機緣 賢月慧志向堅代祖宣化勸坤乾 又走西又向南奔波之苦何有完 說有完即有完大事完竣在目前 此時苦後日甜此次切當抱守嚴 代祖辦替宣三天大事二人擔 天運轉天機遷不能隨便隨便觀 至重要如海山天命天命誰知穿 怕的是迷女男斷了根本難回原 此不修尤其難到時仙佛豈佑全 望月慧化迷團振起精神孝感天 和為貴忍當先萬般忍讓海量寬 受的苦祖何瞞一切盡知祖了然 洗洗眼日後觀早晚必分正與偏 天理妙奧化寬不出為祖布袋間 布袋大布袋寬包藏天地海共山 代老萬事權生死皆在代理焉 月慧進月慧前率諸弟子好兒男 辦大道心放寬祖為賢契打算盤 勿憂慮加喜歡傚法為祖肚量寬 祖應運辦三盤焉知吾心不為難 時時的面目歡大肚古佛人人言 常常笑少憂煩到了何時何時辦 心何痛意何酸因時制宜辦滿圓 早下手為當先三期之事職責擔 為祖吾責任寬偶有不宜過先擔 膽非大肚非寬焉能活到這一天 幸虧了好徒男然慧合力助祖前 辦一辦勿遲延遠者不過猿者年 忍心性忙幾天到時何負爾心肝 千萬事祖心含日後速速慮勿添 養身體掌大權祖徒共理大事安 祖再示徒孫賢勿負師母之心田 爾師母來化勸受盡苦勞為那般 他志願眾徒男認清真理好還原 各記著祖訓言從今振作早加鞭 志堅恒願宏寬勿昧前因仔細參 真與假看明穿勿在塵俗苦流連 自古來英雄漢誰人難過此一關 助師辦代師傳皆由爾等大功圓 此時際好良緣萬勿渺茫心不虔 或涉水或跋山不辭辛苦與艱難 財法施不一般無畏精神更當先 捨身辦性命圓千萬勿錯好良緣 祖所云真情言不遵不守魔牽連 各牢記各細參前前後後理無邊 言雖淺而意寬真情盡在自究研 時至矣應其言不信日後睜目觀 為祖語粗俚言各各記心各向前 月慧徒代祖前一帆風順保安然 辦的事盡合天過去成績百分圓 繼續辦祖助肩天人一力自完全 月慧徒細記全祖批至此不多談 有詔祖回天有一會議子談 收止機放下管辭叩天步雲端 止 退
第二篇
民國三十年歲次辛巳年八月二十一日在開封中庸壇求指示訓
腹中藏世界 手中掌日月 施法救三曹 神鬼叩首謝 吾乃 金公彌勒 奉命來也 進壇中 參謁 天駕 月慧率眾叩接駕 平心靜氣待祖批 停
今奉命吾彌勒駕臨法壇 提玉衡對爾等批敘真言 今三期降道三曹渡遍 命千真齊投世輔助收圓 午未運天數定何以改變 劫收惡道濟善重立格盤 非逢此末劫運難求大法 求大法皆係爾夙世有緣 我金公奉天旨道盤掌管 有徒兒弓長子接續根源 蓮下各立下洪誓大愿 為眾生不辭苦但願投凡 任憑有千般苦萬般魔難 負重責傳妙法廣化有緣 真天道普傳世豈同小件 大千世啟仁風另整江山 眼看著東土地道務宏遍 人代天天助人速如箭穿 須臾時道盛行原係天命 至誠感天地動理必使然 有弓長與月慧繼祖前辦 良賢子登道岸埋頭向前 捨身家不畏那千魔萬難 跋於山涉於水奔波志堅 想起來各皆是乘願再至 誰是那凡夫子來助天然 眼睜睜天道明考必發現 望各立沖天志一往永前 真天道自古來獨一無二 卻因何又分出二二三三 真與偽邪與正愚人莫辨 言至此為祖吾替爾為難 不久的修道人舉足難進 皆只因分不明那是根源 爾雖說咱道中奉天承運 他偏說他道中不是虛傳 爾雖說咱道中供奉上帝 他偏說他供奉能生坤乾 爾雖說咱道中祖吾應運 他偏說他道中大肚掌盤 爾雖說咱道中弓長領命 他偏說他道中天然掌權 爾雖說咱道中飛鸞宣化 他偏說他道中三才上壇 爾又說真天道必有證驗 他偏說有玄妙顯化般般 爾既云到將來自有分辨 他偏說以後日必定爭先 總然是真與偽不能細辨 非大器非奇智難識正偏 旁門起四方盛逞能爭勝 種種的學說異各有來源 雖然是皆係乎上帝命遣 無非是命他等來擾真傳 無有假難顯真此乃定理 到其時方識透誰正誰偏 望爾等各早將本來悟透 亦免那逢考驗心身不安 光明路至時晦岐途不暗 非大智焉能分苦苦甜甜 在此間苟若能捨身前辦 行大功自能有仙佛助肩 各立志勿退縮前程早趕 觀一觀末後事妙不可言 此時際修天道真心不現 時至日偶不慎必墜苦淵 各參悟為祖訓行功立果 守本份持良機自明真詮 示至此又言了妙語一段 不多批收機管辭回還 哈哈 退
第三篇
民國三十三年歲次甲申年十一月初二日
三天大事辦象天 天賜妙化顯人間 主要權衡自把穩 考乃天降息由天 吾乃 茂田 侍祖駕 降塵凡 參叩 上帝 兄弟可安 萬勿慌亂 法律主在此鎮壇 不敢多言 敬聆祖師法言 止
濟顛本來是瘋狂 更有瘋狂鬧荒唐 一陣清醒來壇地 會見弟子訴衷腸 吾乃 爾師尊 侍祖師 亦來佛堂 先叩 皇 諸賢契 各皆安康 師不多語 酒氣上撞 諸徒平心 候祖批詳 止
天降大考臨目前 穩坐魔陣修性天 任憑他千魔萬難 任憑他地覆天翻 我這裡如如不動 純至靜山水澄潭 洞悉萬事無不照 真偽虛實皆了然 憶起弟子心忐忑 又恐諸徒識不穿 念稍動來考魔纏 師母難疼誰替擔 亦非事先未明言
吾乃 爾師母 侍祖師駕 來佛壇 參叩 上帝 諸徒心中 勿可慌亂 祖師自有 妙玄至身 心中凝神息念 恭立一旁 敬聽祖師諭言 止
西方屬金金為貴 方針不錯公是非 應機活潑通權變 運籌幃幄理無虧 吾乃 爾祖金公 奉敕旨 到金陵 先參 天駕 徒孫安寧 祖與你等帶來法寶兩件 要您替祖百般護承 問孫等明白否 對祖言明
諸孫何必費疑猜 打開布袋看明白 右手拿起算盤（指師母說） 左手穩住天秤（指師尊說） 天秤天秤 我要你至公至平 過輕過重皆不行 少有偏倚即失中 要待上下相對 天人一線貫通 承上自能啟下 左右悉皆聽命 方稱公平 才是祖師的好天秤 算盤算盤 莫看你小小不大 要你有方有圓 包含萬物總根源 出出入入 只打得落花流水 莫看今時分頭別戶 亦不過各承各命 各了各愆 末後一篇總結算 須聽祖師作主權要 不算得清清明明 怎了六萬冤愿緣 怎能定盤 怎算收圓 怎註格盤
笨祖咱生成憨愚 從不會花言巧語 說不出長篇大論 寫不出珠機滿紙 老實人說老實話 誰想到為難三期 雖天定非是人力 亦是由人心乖戾 普通輩姑置不論 但論其修道諸子 雖得道有幾明理 盡都是內虛外實 應此番天演淘汰 清濁分要判賢愚 祖亦曾早為預告 明理者多數之居 有魔風才見一動 誠心子已成幾希 若待其大考降世 恐爾等志向皆移 可幸有勳臣弟子 明祖意知師真慈 處此時滿地荊棘 尚奔波來指愚迷 有月慧刻念弟子 終日裏懇求天慈 老皇娘慈悲無量 為祖我豈不知悉 實無奈乃有此舉 借人宣露出真機 近日裏種種玄妙 為未來洩露天機 借形象般般設教 想徒孫亦明此理 祖師吾雖承天命 亦難明末後三期 不過是信賴上帝 聽天命自明妙諦 順天意人情當逆 又怎免令人猜疑 又怎免流言謗語 又怎免眾叛親離 又加著魔風萬丈 大考降如同刷洗 只考的眾等分散 只考得路線斷矣 只颳的日月無光 只颳的飛沙走石 諸孫等要到其時 再求天天難應語 再求祖祖不露面 求爾師又到那裡 求前人路線皆斷 憑個人洪愿不移 終日裏常清常靜 念不起聽天撥機 忍心性耐過其時 又豈能常久如是 憑至誠此關闖過 敕令下顯出天機 大分班應在此舉 分清楚人情天理 莫看今祖不言語 祖出頭驚天動地 到那時大有可觀 管教你拍案驚奇 一切事皆出人意 人難料天之玄機 已往未來且不論 但觀目下論現實 天考已然至此步 魔風四起不安逸 果然大風臨頭頂 急速掩旗將鼓息 非是咱把他等怕 惟恐葉外又生枝 各方道務豈一致 因時因地再制宜 老一聲傳敕旨 驚天動地天下知 天盤暗轉然素換 豈是人為乃天意 各承天命了各愿 借此取出智與愚 一旦大事明白後 方知祖吾言不虛 一不作來二不休 既然何必又躕躊 祖今妄將天機洩 但望弟子識根由 謹慎宣傳免招考 免爾師母心發愁 天作之合天緣定 八卦爐中顯真情 合久終分乃定理 借此玉石要分清 各了各愿承各命 致使盲人無適從 賢士但明日月意 東昇西墜為至理 陰陽迭運育萬物 雨露灌溉得滋生 無情風霜乃天考 自腐蟲蛀魔乃乘 開荒下種自責任 栽種培養多加功 但等一日金風動 收束萬物樂西成 成敗皆在此一舉 結束充實慶收豐 空長枝葉未結果 至時勿怨祖無情 認明此理早下手 何問收穫豐不豐 大道乃是恒常理 但明此理知道徑 今日為祖示此語 草草亂亂多不通 望吾賢孫明祖意 勿負祖吾苦心情 莫看今時如此樣 終久日月要合明 祖吾示罷一番意 拋筆辭返天宮 別離孫等心勿亂 再請伏魔鎮壇庭 退
第四篇
民國三十六年歲次丁亥年八月初一日
時至秋令金風起陽消陰長 殺機動矣辦天道步驟改良 雲霧滿天日月蔽昏沉世界 中立不倚天心體外暗內彰 吾乃 院長茂田 侍 皇 至佛堂 參叩 上帝 不多批詳 哈哈止
狂風起兮飛沙騰 雹雨交加神鬼哭嚎驚 可嘆一般修道子 盡把真法作人情 天運一時有一更 道盤變化幾人參悟明 惟望知音賢弟子 體會師心作先鋒 吾乃 南屏濟公 侍 上帝 至佛庭 參叩 聖駕 不多叮嚀 哈哈止
悲悲切切終日愁 幾時方能把圓收 身荷天職了大愿 曲伸之處誰知由 自含悲淚柔腸斷 時望賢契分吾憂 能者多勞天心體 師徒含冤把圓收 來者是 月慧菩薩 侍 皇 至佛樓 來與賢契談根由 未曾開言先落淚 悲哉三會實難籌 天災人禍處處是 道運轉變令人愁 一朝辦的千載事 豈能三語兩言休 可惜最近機又轉 爾等須明事根由 道運變化明底細 魔子乘機亂賢儔 考魔至矣非同往 賢徒呀 膽大心細辦末後 真考真驗時機至 一團紊亂無續頭 心心相印天意體 中立不倚理追求 始終如一了大愿 午時成道巳時休 切記切記牢牢記 豬尾紅燈照中州 一片塗炭生靈苦 更見鼠兒乘機投 豬兒見鼠互相咬 好人牛年要受辱 徒呀 小心吧 留神吧 以後更要多追求 凡事未至先垂象 賢契呀 參悟吧 切勿自己入牢囚 一失足來千古恨 萬八年載難出頭 言語正告情密處 又見祖師至佛樓 收止機管不多判 侍立一旁候天 止
奇怪呀 奇怪 好快呀 好快 轉瞬變卦無窮妙 真令笨祖摸腦袋 此際一場無情考 試問幾人識明白 不論領袖點傳等 均是盲從隨徘徊 為祖觀之自悲痛 活活氣死我笨呆 有心天機明洩透 怎奈考取場未開 待等時至明白後 為祖布袋自解開 是好是歹暫不論 埋頭切把良辰待 一聲雷響三曹震 自見吾孫路不歪 爾等認定金線路 再接再勵勿丟開 惟德是輔天有眼 何懼內魔外考來 吾今告了語一段 有緣大志功栽培 事事皆有祖作主 誠心聆會知本來 考者取也非虛言 澈底認清回瑤台 哈哈 切記切記 心勿懈怠 咳 來者是 金公儒童 羅漢布袋 率三曹諸佛仙真 侍 皇 離蓬萊 進壇叩 不多批排 哈哈 止
秋涼金風吹 烈日燃眉 大地景象日月危 道盤隨從人事轉 歸了無為 千書萬信垂 啟醒迷昧 為娘滴滾慈悲淚 幾人體貼吾心意 空圖傷悲 咳 吾 明明上帝 萬物真主 應朔日 至塵埃 會見兒女 訴說衷懷 咳 為娘執機告孝男 壇前兒女留神參 吾道至上均明曉 真道真魔須知詮 可惜天時之變化 一期更比一期嚴 若論目下之事件 娘替兒女心膽寒 一場大禍臨門面 十人之中九個慘 別處均尚有緩待 秦地一隅不容寬 魔子逞凶天下亂 大地乾坤遭劫關 總而道劫天用意 數之當然豈能遷 為娘惟一掛心處 善男信女在其間 倘若一旦臨頭頂 你看傷慘不傷慘 咳 數者數也實難免 望我兒女知此端 平心靜氣天心體 各拿至誠感蒼天 量盡其力向前進 各自搭巢把身安 丈夫之志曰惟遠 不可遲延再流連 前前後後皆一致 能者多勞代天傳 第一三心四相掃 同心同德辦收圓 此時千鈞一髮日 尤其可怕生死關 若無真正果斷志 藉斷絲連定遭冤 現下一切有變化 外考內魔頻頻繁 一切象形皆免去 以免風波來糾纏 時局日日有更變 道運時時有變遷 辦事須要求實踐 不忮不求記心間 活潑玲瓏方為好 淺揭深厲隨機遷 外圓內方方針定 自己抱定真機關 一切一切多考慮 切勿輕視招過愆 咳 兒等素日均明理 此時更要加究研 兒女各有特大愿 莫把自己下眼觀 報恩了愿為上策 自己步驟自己安 體貼天時道運緊 竭力而去辦一番 刻下一切之轉變 古板執著可不沾 言不必信行不果 取其當然所以然 為示告兒體念 二六時中加悟參 只要誠心感為 福至心靈有機玄 告誡之語兒謹記 合壇孝兒均須參 為娘言此不多示 吾兒是否有議談 不然收機率真返 下元與兒再結緣 咳 退
第五篇
民國三十三年歲次甲申年九月十五日
算算算誰能打清這算盤 算算算終久亦得留一篇 算算算全是糊裏糊塗算 算算算是否聾啞算收圓 吾乃 三天主考 院長茂田 奉 旨來會群賢 參叩 上帝 再為口談 哈哈 與賢弟聽我說 一切一切主意拿 成章弟志昂呀 協同福德各處查 起立吧 起立吧 賜爾平身談談話 買賣另籌備 貨物新添化 裏外人位有更動 全賴老東家 能者多吃股 不行開除呀 上的上來下的下 諸位賢弟不要害怕 認真理柄把拿 大小事情有兄出來場兒壓 勿笑吾開口誇 或者有事備妙法 分合時全是數催促 非是人力能挽拔 四盤碗炒燴 炸火鍋居中不在話下 一桌飯備妥啦 吃也不吃在自家 老賢弟多邀啦 也可嚐嚐酸甜苦辣 東家預備已表發 豈管深淺與大小 可通通該達達 以免久後嘩啦啦 吃也在自己 不吃無人拉 吃自己的飯騎自己的馬 自作自事 不要裝愚傻 經理董協理 分號號長交際家 全請來吃飯吧 多吃少吃休扯拉 吃飯時咬住牙 或甜或苦勿喧嘩 吃罷飯謹慎加 從今細聽乒乒乓 世風亦不古 人心乖巧詐 短打短算為最妙 延長不算有變化 賬期已臨邇 算盤即要打 過冬標不比夏 未雨綢繆早計劃 臨渴掘井來不及 謹防相遇擁擠塌 資薄買賣小 但怕眾債刮 早防早防早準備 休惹人恥咱大家 最嚴厲吾爸爸 多慈廣悲吾媽媽 賠與賺全不怕 就怕夥友弄成糊馬 倘若能幹多多善 不能幹時歇業吧 無論如何粗腿抱 勿要鬧成亂七糟八 第一自己的前途最要第二安慰老娘淚不下 俺父親肚量大 一直話出決無他 俺母親把咱掛恐眾生活太缺乏 朝登紫陌身軀碎 茫茫紅塵至暮踏 咳咳眾賢弟摸摸良心吧 我母終日跑 到底為什麼 可惜呀可惜呀 跋涉受勞渡婆婆 無一能識真假 仍然娛樂你性啦 自受饑寒猶小可 上有父母下娃娃 金石良言啟告 希眾做甚要務甚 興廢定在自爬 然而話裏套著話資本抽定要塌 眾尚在濃睡 不悉報東家 苦口費當戲耍 如此尚不知道嗎
第六篇
民國三十六年歲次丁亥年十二月十九日
世道人心堪悲嘆 迷途羔羊未返 釜中游魚尚強權 將來有何臉面 吾乃 主考茂田 奉 天旨 隨父駕 特降法壇 恭駕 天 別不多宣 今日喜慶 貫滿人天 亮義辛苦 累日連天 責重任巨 何日方完 分憂共患 體貼上天 知己知彼 何苦再談 諸弟統此 餘不多言 哈哈 止
弓長弦刀出鞘 這回戰刻多熱鬧 長的哭短的笑 到頭空手枉強傲 天時轉示玄妙 事先那能人知道 然而是上天曉 安定火候分低高 吾本 爾師弓長 奉 上帝旨 攜茂田 親離西京 降壇叩謁 無量心情 得見亮義 重敘腸衷 前前後後 筆筆示清 洗耳聽示 銘記五中 哈哈
何日浪靜風氣平 一波未伏一波興 百孔千瘡無名腫 良醫剪刀要流膿 一拳一腳撕破臉 到頭終久是個空 故知修道魔先顯 善惡同班焉可行 佛魔共途非久計 我知終歸西復東 誰人明解此中意 少有先知表面層 無上孝行賴此表 光榮聖業始得明 何須造作將人攏 邪說傷人罪豈輕 大凡為人當明已 俟後方可運乎中 隨聲附和定墜落 真真假假總當聽 返觀克已能容物 海枯石爛意不更 天恨魔子遭劫苦 徐徐吹來逆耳風 大海容量何其大 茶壺為何不能容 迷途不返縱慾派 安心撕壞道幕情 總之地獄由自造 上天並無苦樂宗 那有真情體師意 紙面文章誆迷矇 搗亂份子非天縱 自作自受自擔承 身後結局何不問 寧自甘心重乎情 因小失大傷自己 因指失掌甘墜坑 爾自甘心犧牲性 可知爾之玄祖痛 嚎啕大哭求師憫 千萬設法化迷童 師心何嘗忍觀此 朝夕畫夜淚淙淙 終將慈言當過耳 師亦空自費精神 當今若再來造作 可有何面見師容 師所著眼一大處 師之目的救塵紅 迷人自將形象住 不了真意為何情 師恨惡子我那容 終久得見悲痛生 賢契可忍務必忍 一切事情看師躬 所有一切違背者 即是逆天終被傾 你說忠心孝二老 請將事實對證明 你說無心來行道 將來憑證方算應 懺悔鏡前來對照 不須仙佛來指清 彼時落淚空後悔 不該舉意二念生 考掉善良誰來救 誰來造出是非情 誰肯盡到合中理 誰尊天命來相應 為師每想當前事 頻感罪錯萬千重 早知大事成此景 何不先期早算清 是忠是孝是忤逆 分班淘汰概不容 師心慈悲容一再 再二再三定不容 身披一張修道皮 慈眉善目滿面風 臨到行事毫不是 勾心鬥角殺氣凶 咬牙切齒武力動 罵天罵地罵個兇 師若真的來質問 汝有何話對師容 所行所為所辦者 是否合乎師之衷 果若賢徒真孝順 師死繼志方可能 不但不繼師心志 反而安心來亂行 提到此處師悲痛 幾度柔腸寸斷行 揮淚空將血書告 那時方可慰天公 惟望三五真孝順 體師順母將道興 一旦各方芙蓉會 一切醜熊無量終 一通鼓響聲始盡 雲消月郎照西東 慈悲固然修道本 一切運用大不同 因人施方代天懲 善惡昭彰天眼通 設若只顧慈悲等 慈反無慈是故生 應文則文當然理 應武則武壯道風 小人陰險終虛偽 正氣凌雲貫斗宮 雖然師語還有武 目的警誡惡孽蟲 我人為道無他意 總之方法耍玲瓏 一旦事畢圓滿後 安安穩穩交旨宗 此刻師徒同求 多多滅少罪過層 時短言長難罄表 辭別徒出佛庭 哈哈 退
Source Colophon
Source: 善書圖書館 (Morality Books Library), taolibrary.com/category9/c9027. Six pages (01–06.htm). Accessed March 2026.
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