Wu Ji Dao Short Manual
Terminology
Yuan Shi Tian Zun created Wu Ji and Wan Fa (Xuan Fa). Wan in Chinese means 10,000 or all. Fa means ability, magic power or siddhis.
Yu Huang Shang Di (Jade Emperor) is in charge of the vault of heaven. He controls the practical side of Wu Ji practice and bestows magic power. As Wu Ji is the origin of all 5 major religions of the world, the Jade Emperor can be viewed as the head of all these religions, the ruler of all who reside in Wu Ji Fa Jie.
Tai Shang Lao Jun is the first lineage holder of Taoism. He called this path, Wan Dao (Xuan Fa) Shi Zu. Dao in Chinese means the path from the very beginning to the end.
Wu Ji Dao is where all the power and religions merge together.
What is Wu Ji Dao?
Practicing Wu Ji Dao is the way for all living beings to go back to Wu Ji Fa Jie. Wu Ji Dao does not belong to any specific religious practice and it is for all who wish to attain Buddha hood. It is the path that all Wu Ji Buddha's practice and teach.
Wu Ji’s way of practice encapsulates all religions as Wu Ji is the ‘home’ of all Wu Ji Buddha's and bodhisattvas. Wu Ji is at the 13th level and above. Tai Ji originates from Wu Ji. And the ying-yang or liang yi is from Tai Ji.
How to practice Wu Ji Dao
It is essential to receive a Wu Ji light from a Wu Ji Xuan Fa Shi Zun and become a student of all Wu Ji Xuan Xian Fo or all 13th level Wu Ji Buddha's (Wu Ji Shi Fu) if you wish to practice Wu Ji Dao. As Wu Ji Dao combines 2 methods of practice i.e. theory and practical, your Wu Ji Shi Fu will teach you Wu Ji Xuan Fa through physical means (body), cultivate your soul through daily meditation and improve your moral character through daily life practice.
In Wu Ji Dao, theory and practical is learnt and practiced at the same time. If you are diligent, in time, you will attain wisdom, siddhis/abilities and peace of mind, body strength and good health, atone for negativities, overcome obstacles, resolve difficulties, release yourself from the Circle of Samsara and return to Wu Ji fa Jie.
So, in Wu Ji Dao, an actual Wu Ji Buddha will teach the student how to practice. A Wu Ji Dao practitioner practices both theory and practical under the guidance of his Wu Ji Shi Fu, a 13th level Buddha. The Wu Ji Shi Fu’s duty is to help his student attain Buddha hood or to show him the way to Wu Ji fa Jie.
Vows for Wu Ji Dao students
All Wu Ji Dao practitioners must follow the following rules:
1) Uphold the 5 precepts and 8 moral disciplines as these 13 precepts are the pre-requisite to attain Buddha hood. It is essential to uphold these precepts so that we can deliver all living beings from suffering.
2) On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month, all practitioners must be vegetarian. It is extremely important to abstain from beef, and you must not violate the ‘rules of heaven and earth’ by using your extraordinary abilities to harm others.
Wu Ji Dao practitioners practice what is:
• Sacred – practice, accomplish and help others
• Ordinary – in daily life, uphold the 5 precepts and 8 moral disciplines
• Theory – cultivate your soul through meditative concentration and focus, chanting, practicing courtesy and morality
• Practical – practice qi kong, Xuan Fa and special abilities through movement
(Page 3 & 4 of the Chinese Wu Ji Dao manual)
Five Precepts
1. No killing – to atone for one’s sins of killing by being a vegetarian and releasing life is not enough. One must deliver all beings from suffering.
2. No stealing – do not take other’s belongings without permission.
3. No sexual misconduct – no extramarital affairs and observe good moral conduct.
4. No wrongful speech – no lying, speak honestly.
5. No alcohol – avoid alcoholic drinks and drugs.
Eight Moral Disciplines
1. Filial piety – as our parents nurtured us from young, we should respect and honor them. To treat our parents well is a joyous action.
2. Brotherhood – care and respect each other.
3. Loyalty – be loyal to your family, friends, country and employer.
4. Trust – our words and actions should be honourable.
5. Courtesy – observe polite and civil behaviour.
6. Righteousness – be fair and just to all. Be humble and don’t belittle others.
7. Integrity – be honest, noble and generous.
Repentance – feel regret and shame for negative behaviour, firmly resolve not to repeat it.
The purpose of Wu Ji practice is to liberate all beings
Wu Ji practice is to liberate all beings in the 3 realms of samsara:
• Heaven realm (tian cao): deities in the heaven realm1 can
be advanced to the 13th level.
• Human realm (ren cao): you can help those who are
suffering2 in this realm.
• Hell realm (di cao): ghosts or souls in the hell realm can
be liberated.
1 the heaven realm includes demi-gods and gods
2 the earth realm includes humans, animals and asuras (Page 7)
Characteristics of the ten levels of beings
1. Buddha – handles and solves everything perfectly.
2. Pusa – bodhisattva level; delivers all beings from
suffering; merciful and kind hearted.
3. Arhat – a person who has freed only himself from the
bonds of desire.
4. Human – obeys the 5 precepts and in doing so, prospers.
5. Animal – foolish, crude, lazy, inconsiderate and
unreasonable.
6. Hell – gullible, easily cheated, never learns from mistakes,
has a bad temper and bullies others, disobeys his elders.
7. Hungry ghost – greedy, may covet and steals other’s things,
unlucky, will meet lots of obstacles in whatever one does.
8. Asura – unkind, proud, easily jealous, argumentative.
9. Heaven – practices the 5 Precepts and the 10 Virtuous
Actions. Kind hearted, practices morality, is loyal to his
country, family and others. Also called the Tao level.
10. Recluse – he understands the 12 Fates; prefers to be
alone; avoids company but he will never feel lonely.
As he wishes to realize the Great Emptiness, he avoids
all worldly activities. Possessing a ‘monk’s heart’, he will
put effort in spiritual practice instead of other pursuits.
He only helps when asked. This is also called the fate level.
The Eightfold Noble Path
Training in Wisdom
1. Right Understanding (Zheng jian): be firm but be flexible depending on the circumstances. If you have to break your principles, ensure that you do not produce the wrong
outcome.
2. Right Thought (Zheng si): correct thinking and judgement.
Training in Ethical Conduct
3. Right Speech (Zheng yu): no lying; speak honestly and justly.
4. Right Actions (Zheng ye): adopt appropriate behavior.
5. Right Livelihood (Zheng ming): live life meaningfully in accordance with one’s precepts.
6. Right Effort (Zheng jing jing): put in the right kind of effort.
Training in Mental Development
7. Right Mindfulness (Zheng nian): have clear and correct perceptions without being carried away. Do not over- conceptualize.
8. Right concentration (Zheng ding): dwell on wholesome thoughts and actions. This will enable you to live happily and peacefully.
The Six Powers of Buddha
To attain these Six Powers, you must perfect all precepts, bodhi meditation and Wu Ji Xuan Xian Fa. The first five powers are:
1. Celestial vision – knows the law of karma; will know the time of death and the place of rebirth; will be able to discern beings as they pass from one existence to another in the celestial realm and within the 6 realms
2. Celestial hearing – hears sounds, celestial and human, far and near.
3. The power of transformation – realizes everything perfectly; can be multiform or one; can be invisible and travel to distant places and through walls; can travel without one’s body to the pure lands.
4. The power of knowing previous existences – knows the future and the past
5. The power to discern others’ minds – can discern the mind and hearts of others
6. The Sixth Power is derived from having attained the level of Wu Ji Great Emptiness i.e. the level that is outside/beyond Samsara.
Meditation practice
Wu Ji Dao meditation practice involves cultivation of the 3 Dan Tians:
1. Soul (shang qing): the Upper Dan Tian is where the essence of Buddha hood or a bodhisattva originates from. When your soul awakens, it is a sign that you are approaching Buddha hood.
2. Breathing (yu qing): the Middle Dan Tian maintains your strength or vigor. This energy centre is responsible for proper breathing.
3. Energy (tai qing): the Lower Dan Tian (found 2 inches below the navel), maintains your energy, strengthens the body and gives good health. Also called the Sea of Energy.
Ten Virtuous Actions
3 virtuous actions of the mind
1. Be generous – overcome all forms of attachment or desire, such as for wealth, sex, reputation, food and sleep.
2. Be patient – overcome anger and hatred, do not hold grudges.
3. Cultivate wisdom – know what is right and what is wrong, believe only in the Truth. This decreases I ignorance.
4 virtuous actions of speech
1. Do not tell lies.
2. Do not ‘sweet talk’ and no false flattery.
3. Do not be a ‘hate-monger’, sow discord, gossip or slander others.
4. Do not use vulgar speech or curse others.
3 virtuous actions of the body
1. No killing.
2. No stealing or taking what does not belong to you.
3. No sexual misconduct.
The practice of non-attachment
We practice Wu Ji Dao to decrease our desires and clinging to worldly things and activities, so we should minimize activities that will increase the 5 desires towards:
1. the senses/erotic (eye)
2. sound (ear)
3. smell (nose)
4. taste (tongue)
5.touch (body)
The 5 desires are produced from the 6 perceptions of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental.
Types of bodhi meditation – a brief explanation
There are 2 types of practitioners:
1. Arhat level (xiao chen)
2. Bodhisattva level (da chen)
1. Arhat level (xiao chen): arhat practitioners are those who only wish to deliver or help themselves out of the Circle of Samsara. Their practice is not to help other living beings.
2. Bodhisattva level (da chen): bodhisattva practitioners (33 precepts holders) have the wish to help or deliver all living beings from the Circle of Samsara. All who practice this path is called da chen bodhisattvas. Before they embark on this bodhi meditation, they have to practice the Four Far Reaching Attitudes.
Practices for bodhisattva precepts holders
Four Far-reaching Attitudes
1. Kindness: to wish all beings to have true happiness and the causes of happiness at all times.
2. Compassion: to wish all beings to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
3. Happiness: to wish all beings to be at ease at all times.
4. Virtuous Mind: to wish that all beings will be treated equally, with equanimity, that all beings will be free from greed, anger, ignorance and have the opportunity to cultivate the precepts with stability and wisdom.
Heart of Bodhi
Da chen practitioners must have the heart of bodhi (bodhicitta/love & compassion). They should:
1. treat all living beings mercifully and be willing to release all beings from the suffering of samsara.
2. have the determination to become a Buddha for the sake of all living beings.
Supreme altruistic intention
In addition to the 33 precepts, all da chen practitioners must never withdraw from Dao. They must have the determination to learn Dao until they attain Buddha hood so that they can release all beings from the suffering of samsara.
Void precept (wu wo)
Da chen practitioners must have the right view of void ness i.e. no permanence, no hatred, no greed, no anger, no ignorance, no Buddha, no living beings, no longevity, no difference between kindness and unkindness, no difference between virtue and evil. They must realise that all beings are equal and that ultimately, there is no ‘I’. Those who have realised void ness will not ask for anything (even for help), as it all comes by fate.
Emptiness practice (from the Diamond Sutra)
All beings are equal. All abilities are equal. There is no higher or lower. There is no heaven realm, no human realm and so on as these are our mental perceptions. Practice love and compassion. Practice anything that is good and wholesome and which creates virtue. Follow the essence of bodhi.
Realizing the Great Emptiness (Wu Ji)
Let go of all suspicion and develop trust. Don’t judge based on appearance and surface perceptions. To surpass all religions, forget all laws that are human made. By letting go of preconceived ideas, all laws within the human realm are made ineffective or null and void, and you will realize the Great Emptiness.
Levels of practice
1. Arhat level (xiao chen):
• Only delivers himself out of the Circle of Samsara.
• Follows the 5 precepts and 8 moral disciplines (the 13 precepts).
• Follows the 1st and 15th day vegetarian rule.
2. Bodhisattva level (da chen):
• All who wish to deliver all living beings from the Circle of Samsara are called bodhisattvas or da chen practitioners. Da chen practitioners must observe 33 precepts which include:
• The 5 precepts and 8 moral disciplines (13 precepts)
• Vegetarian for life
• No gambling
• No smoking
• The Eightfold Noble Path
• Bodhi meditation
• Ten Virtuous Actions
• Four Far-reaching Attitudes
• Heart of Bodhi
• Supreme altruistic intention
• Void ness i.e. no ‘I’
Observing austerities
• On the 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar, all Wu Ji Dao members must be vegetarian from the 23rd hour of the day before, until the 23rd hour of the actual day. Before consuming food, ensure that all utensils and cutlery are thoroughly washed. Vegetarians must not consume eggs and the 5 black foods:
1. shallot/spring onion (cong) as it harms the kidney
2. garlic (suan) as it harms the heart
3. leek/young chives (jiu) as it harms the liver
4. scallion (xie) as it harms the spleen
5. onion (xing qu) as it harms the lung
• On the 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar or on the anniversary of Wu Ji Zhu Xuan Xian Fo’s day of enlightenment, Wu Ji Centre students must wear the Centre’s uniform (yellow shirt and long, unmarked white pants) for any Wu Ji activities.
• Students should practice body movement practice (mudra practice) twice a day, morning and night for at least 1 hour per session. Beginners may practice for half an hour at the first and second sittings, but they should gradually extend this to the recommended hour.
• Before starting the body movement practice it is best to drink a cup of warm water to prevent dehydration during the practice session. Do not have the fan blowing directly at you whilst practicing as it may cause rheumatism (wind in the body).
• Once you are seated, silently recite 3 times: “Please, (teacher’s name) teach your student to practice”. Do not recite this continuously. If you encounter difficulties, you may ask Shi Zun for instructions.
• When it is time to stop practicing, silently recite: “Please, (teacher’s name) it is time to leave”. Sometimes, if Shi Fu does not leave, put your palms together and politely but firmly request to stop.
• If you wish to prostrate to a statue of a Buddha that is not a Wu Ji Buddha or to a religious minister, request Shi Fu to leave for a short while before prostrating as a gesture of respect to your Shi Fu. If you are involved in any Wu Ji activities, follow the normal Wu Ji procedures. You should not use Wu Ji's method or request your Shi Fu to teach at other religious Centers to avoid misunderstanding.
• Try to not consume any food that contains blood, such as: cockles, pig blood, pig liver, uncooked meat etc as this will effect/deteriorate your practice.
Procedures for Wu Ji Centre Managers & Students
1. When devotees visit the Centre, welcome them and explain to them that cigarettes and anything that contains meat are not allowed within Centre premises.
2. When devotees arrive and before they leave the Centre, they must pay respect to the Shi Zun or Shang Shi through the Wu Ji hand greeting.
3. Before offering joss sticks to the shrine, wash your hands. Wu Ji students should offer 11 joss sticks. Other devotees, 8 joss sticks.
4. Kneel down and bow to: 1.Shang Ti 2.Shi Zu 3. Other deities in the Centre. If you wish to confess or give thanks, kneel down and kowtow (Wu Ji students must complete 13 kowtows; other devotees, 3 kowtows). After kowtowing, bow 3 more times before standing up. Complete this protocol by bowing one more time while standing before placing the joss sticks in the incense holders: (Wu Ji students must place 3 joss sticks at the centre, 3 on the right and 5 on the left. Devotees must place 3 at the centre and 5 on the left).
Reciting mantras
Recite the NAMO AMITO FO (Amitabha Buddha’s mantra) or OM MANI PADMA HUNG (Kuan Yin’s mantra).
Recite each mantra 21 times per bead accordingly: 7 times loudly so that all beings can hear you, 7 times softly and 7 times silently. Complete 108 beads of the rosary.
Once you have completed this, dedicate the merits to all beings in the six realms of samsara.
