Extract the Sermon by Đức Hộ Pháp at the Great Divine Temple on the night of August 17th, year of the snake (1953)
Tonight commemorates the anniversary of the First Guardian of Majestic Authority and the Pope of The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty.
We, the followers of the Great Religion, are honored to have received from the Supreme Being a divine Elder Brother, possessing unparalleled spiritual power and authority. I recall the early days of our faith when I lacked faith and even scoffed at the idea of a compassionate Supreme Being. In the year of Ất Sửu, He visited my home and taught those who are now high-ranking officials in our faith. He went from house to house, truly visiting all His children. I, however, remained skeptical, following the talk of Immortals descending to Earth merely out of curiosity, much to the amusement of the Supreme Being. He gave us a poem to compose, and while everyone else’s poems were well-received, mine was rather peculiar:
Poem
It saddened me to see that you couldn’t distinguish between truth and falsehood.
My heart ached for my youngest son, who seemed so lost and full of sorrow.
You wished for wealth, and the Master promised to bestow it upon you.
But remember, both material possessions and spiritual merit come at a price.
The Supreme Being added the words “listen, my child” to my poem. Seven months later, I went to Thủ Đức. At that time, a plague swept the land, causing people to suddenly swell up and die, especially in Thủ Đức, where countless people were afflicted. The Supreme Being instructed me to stay in Thủ Đức for seven months to heal the sick. I resided in the Great Divine Temple of our faith, learning the Way through the teachings of Đức Lý and the divine messages received through automatic writing. Most remarkable was that everything revealed in those divine messages reflected my own experiences throughout my life.
I bear witness to the extraordinary spiritual power of the one chosen by the Supreme Being as our Elder Brother. It needs no repetition that for the clergy, He is indeed the Holy Body of the Supreme Being. I speak primarily to all His children, both men and women, urging them to cultivate unwavering faith. I have gradually revealed all the prophecies of the Supreme Being. I confess that it is through His divine guidance and teachings that I possess such strong faith today. Without this infinitely powerful and compassionate Elder Brother, my faith would likely be wavering and uncertain, lacking the strength and resolve to fulfill my responsibilities.
I believe that without a strong foundation of faith, our true religion would not have flourished as it has. All the children of the Supreme Being know that no other religion has achieved such widespread recognition and growth in just over twenty years as The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty.
Today, I affirm that the strength of our faith is due to the unparalleled divine authority of Lý Đại Tiên, our Elder Brother, and the invisible power of our Religious Leader, Lý Giáo Tông.
It is through them that I have gained the ability to expand our faith as we have. However, I must warn those who doubt His presence, those who lack faith and dare to disrespect the divine power of the Way and His authority, and those who violate the Heavenly decrees, that they will face His severe judgment.
The children of the Supreme Being know Him to be just. He teaches us to cultivate merit, virtue, and speech, the “Three Pillars.” He is just and powerful. Our spiritual realm is protected by Him, leaving nothing to chance.
The Supreme Being regards Him as a powerful general, His authority immense. In the Jade Heaven Palace, His power and influence are vast and far-reaching.
All His children should have faith in Him, placing their hopes and trust in Him.
I urge you all, young and old, to remain steadfast in your faith, avoiding negligence and arrogance. Beware of His judgment, for He is both powerful and just. I have witnessed this firsthand throughout the twenty years of establishing this faith alongside Him.
Let us place our complete faith in Him, who is just, powerful, and loving. His protection is a source of great comfort in our lives.
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