7. Creative Power Within the Human Divine Essence.

All of you are aware that the human composition consists of three parts:

• 1. Divine Essence or Soul (Chơn Linh) is the source of wisdom, intelligence without a distinct Form.
• 2. Divine Spirit (Chơn Thần) is the secondary spritual body with an appearance similar to the earthly form.
• 3. Corporeal Body (Thi Hài) is a conglomerate of cells formed by physical matter.

Divine Essence (Chơn Linh) originates from Supreme Being (Đức Chí Tôn), the first life in the universe, when the universe had no tangible forms, hence referred to as Pre-heavenly Realm (Tiên Thiên), meaning the Primordial Heaven.

As the universe began to take shape, this first life transformed into various forms, known as Post-heavenly Realm (Hậu Thiên) or the Subsequent Heaven.

The concept of the First Heaven and Subsequent Heaven depends on the chronological point in time when the universe was taking shape.

• The First Heaven belongs to non-existence, meaning it had not been created or materialized.
• The Subsequent Heaven refers to that which has been created and manifested, containing everything.

Thus, throughout the continuum of time, from the Primordial to the Subsequent Heaven, there has always been natural life, commonly referred to as God.

Divine Spirit (Chơn Thần) originates from Mother Buddha (Phật Mẫu), which represents the transformative power of Supreme Being (Đức Chí Tôn), using the interaction of positive and negative forces (Yin and Yang) and manifesting both motion and stillness to create an array of Forms.

Therefore, from the realm of non-existence, the First Heaven already possessed the creative power to shape the universe, fostering change and survival. The human Divine Spirit (Chơn Thần) has its origin in this divine realm and also possesses creative power.

The crucial message I wish to impart to you today is that humans have been endowed with creative power by the Creator. The vast universe has evolved and survived, and so have our human entities. If the essence of life in the universe possesses particular attributes, the sprout of universal life shares those attributes, only differing in strength and scale.

Therefore, within the divine structure of our beings, we possess the power of creation, which means the ability to bring forth something new that did not exist in our lives before.

The evolutionary history of humanity is a long series of exploration and discovery of nature's mysteries. By applying these principles, we have created more tools and resources to improve human life.

There is no need to delve into lengthy discussions regarding this branch of sociology. Take a moment to observe the lives of primitive peoples who still live a wild existence in deep forests and high mountains, and compare that to the civilized, advanced life of the majority of humanity on this Earth. You will then understand how crucial the role of human creative power truly is.

Without this creative power, there would be no evolution. So why is it, then, that in human speech, whenever we discover or invent something new, it is often said that humans have "stolen" the power of Creation? What does this "theft" mean? Does it express an objective truth, or is it merely an arrogance stemming from the ignorance within the human spirit?

Let's use a simple example from the material world to make it easier for you to understand. When you flip a light switch, the bulb lights up, and the light it emits is the "life" of the bulb. Where does the source of this light come from?

All of you know that the light comes from the 15,000-volt electrical current generated by a power plant far away. This current is transmitted through a network of wires, passed through transformers to reduce the voltage, and finally enters the home and the lightbulb to produce light for human use. The faint light from the bulb and the 15,000-volt current are part of the same circuit, a life force flowing through the connected wires.

Thus, we cannot say that the lightbulb has "stolen" the power of the 15,000-volt generator when it emits light. The electrical current from the generator and the light from the bulb are part of the same continuous flow of life.

Humans and the original source of life in the universe are one. Therefore, when humans discover the secrets of nature or create new tools and innovations, their wisdom is simply a manifestation of the Creator's creative power within their small, humble bodies. No one is stealing anything from anyone.

That's why in Caodaism's teachings, Đức Chí Tôn has declared:

The fundamental concept in the philosophy of The Third Epoch of the Universal Redemption (Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ) will help you realign your thinking and attitude towards life, especially when you are fortunate enough to receive an excellent education.

I ask you to always seek deeper knowledge of the material world and to constantly be creative. This means following the Dharma (Pháp) to preserve all living beings, reflecting the life-giving virtue of the Creator.

Our duty as humans is to act on behalf of Supreme Being in shaping the world, while eliminating any arrogance or pride from our spirits. We must not believe that we are separate from the origin of the universe.

Some may claim that humans have "stolen" the Creator’s power, but in reality, that sacred origin and our physical form, our spirit, are one.

The Sacred Doctrine that Supreme Being (Đức Chí Tôn) requires you to silently recite is:

is to help your spirit always focus on the sacred origin of the universe and harmonize with it, forming a continuous flow of life. The wondrous mechanism of liberation also lies in this. You need to excel in your learning, but never stray from the sacred origins within you.

The above explanation provides a general discussion on the creative power within the universe and within the human spirit, which are one. Now, I will delve into the details of how the human spirit applies this creative power during life and after transcending the physical body.

I'll use an example that's relevant today: If you don't have a home, creating one is an act of creativity. In your spirit, you must first learn to think, to imagine how you would build a home.

This mental activity belongs to the realm of thought, guided by your inner wisdom and spiritual clarity. Your strong desire will then motivate your physical body to arrange the necessary work and materials to construct an actual home, a tangible structure, a new means of living that you didn't have before.

From the home initially conceived in your mind to the actual home built with bricks, timber, or other materials, there may be differences in the passage of time. The imagined home within your mind is the initial ideation or cause, while the tangible structure, the actual home, is the result.

Thus, the internal process within the human body is the Spirit; the power of the Spirit affects the Energy to create the Form, or in other words, thought commands action to create material products.

The Essence of human life from ancient times to the present remains the same, only with a difference that life in the past was more primitive and wild. Nowadays, it is more sophisticated and clever.

These thought patterns are part of the activities of the human spirit, intimately connected with the life force that followers of Caodaism (Đạo Cao Đài) refer to as Supreme Divine (Chí Linh) within the boundless universe. It is not an entirely independent life unit separate from the external world.

The source of Supreme Divine (Chí Linh) within the universe is a primordial life force, a type of primordial energy that continuously supports the spiritual aspect of human beings in forming thoughts that I've just used an example to explain how this connection works, as with building a house.

The strength or weakness of this intimate connection depends on how individuals apply the creative power within their spirits. If you look at the spiritual and miraculous aspects, explore, think, and learn, you will have many creative ideas. That means your wisdom will have a deeper understanding of the spiritual world.

On the other hand, if you focus on the material realm and search for the Laws of Creation within the material world, you will succeed in creating various tangible means of life for human society, discovering more principles of life within the material world.

Throughout history, more or less, the religious leaders have all played the role of a primordial energy source influencing the spiritual aspects of their followers. They form thought patterns as models for their devoted followers, and their way of life, guiding them in their actions.

From the religious theories that the religious leaders have passed down to their followers, to the actual lives and activities of these followers, there may always be differences, just as in the image of a two-story house that you envision in your minds and later build sometimes due to lack of resources, you can only complete one floor.

The religious leaders are still human beings made of flesh and bones, so the primordial energy they emit to influence the spirits of their congregation isn't entirely self-generated. They receive it from a higher source, the original life of the universe, which humans call "God".

In this type of activity shaping thoughts, each individual has it. If it's weak, we tend to think we create everything ourselves. But when the spiritual support from higher beings within our normal consciousness becomes strong, humans feel compelled to think deeply about certain ideas.

Over time, this becomes stronger and eventually turns into actual actions. However, if it becomes even stronger, humans feel as though they are passive, driven by some divine force to act according to a Sacred Will. I mention this area to make it clear that you should avoid superstitions and fanaticism.

We have the right to self-govern, possess creativity, and have the power to distinguish between real and fake. In the invisible world, countless thought forms originating from human negative karma are waiting to influence the human spirit. Therefore, we must differentiate between the true and the false, the genuine and the illusory.

On the path to seeking the truth, when scientists focus intensively on the material world, the creative power within their spirits leads to success in transforming human life and making society more diverse.

The current scientific and technological achievements that humans have acquired are the results of the thoughts and explorations, meaning the application of the creative power of these scientists to the material world.

Sometimes, due to excessive focus on the material world and their achievements, scientists might almost forget about the sacred life source in the universe. As a result, they are ready to claim that they have seized the rights of Creation, leading to a confrontation between the spiritual and the material consciousness.

Life in this universe consists of both spirit and matter. Thus, any imbalance or overly one-sided actions will be adjusted by the compassion of the original life force, which we call "God" (Trời).

The compassionate heart of the Supreme Being will help those who have made contributions to humanity receive spiritual assistance to gain timely awareness of their spiritual origins.

The results of this awareness can be achieved instantly in their current life or require dissolution to begin a new life in circumstances with new karmic ties that they will develop their spiritual life, which they might have forgotten due to an excessive focus on the material aspect in their previous life.

Through numerous cycles of birth and rebirth, they will become enlightened and achieve completeness in both the spiritual and material aspects.

You must understand that above the ordinary level of human consciousness, there is always a layer of Sacred Will that governs and continually shapes thoughts in both spiritual and material aspects.

This divine force does not resolve conflicts through victory or defeat, as humans often imagine, driven by envy and rivalry. It is a misconception to imagine that the spiritual world knows love, hatred, conflict, and rivalry like the worldly affairs of humans.

This is a form of advanced superstition. As you study the sacred teachings of the Dao, you must clearly see this truth and live according to the boundless compassion of the Supreme Being, only then can you truly understand the Dao.

Thank you for listening to what I’ve shared today. Though it may seem somewhat abstract, it is not too difficult to understand.