9. Ascension  

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The True Spirit, also known as the second spiritual body, is the sacred form within each person, shaped by the refining of Essence, Energy, and Spirit.

For the accomplished spiritual practitioner who has attained the Dao (Way), this True Spirit is extraordinarily mystical, imperishable and eternal.

The training method of refining Essence, Energy and Spirit into harmony can be summarized as follows:

•  For the physical body:

  Cultivate its strength and refine it, avoiding indulgence in worldly desires, so that wisdom aligns with the clarity of thought.

•  For vital energy:

  Cultivate its vitality and purity, avoiding becoming ensnared by emotional distractions, so that wisdom can expand with the illumination of the divine heart.

•  For the spirit:

  Attain inner tranquility and harmony, avoiding obscurity caused by sinful emotions, enabling alignment with the divine and manifesting miraculous abilities upon this earthly plane.

(Excerpt from the teachings of His Holiness Pham Ho-phap, Divine Constitution Commentary - page 109)

In essence, the human body must consume food, breathe the air, and engage in movement to draw forth vital energy from the surrounding environment, creating one’s own vitality.

This is an ongoing cycle of energy transformation within the human body, naturally receiving and expelling energy.

It is crucial to preserve this vital energy, avoiding unnecessary dissipation through indulgence in worldly desires; only then can the physical body can become stronger and more robust.

A strong physical body contributes to a robust life force. The strength of an infant can only lift a milk bottle to its mouth, but as it grows into adulthood, the strength of a young person can lift a heavy stone.

The physical body is "Essence" (Tinh) ; if it is afflicted with illnesses and weaknesses, the life force, which is the Energy, becomes diminished and feeble. A complete, healthy, and substantial physical form allows the energy to flourish.

Thus, the "Essence" (Tinh) serves as the foundation for the development of Energy. This is a natural transformation process within the human body.

Following this laws of nature set by the Divine Creator, those who practice spiritual cultivation know how to preserve their life force through special techniques called "self-cultivation" (khắc kỷ tu thân), "self-mastery" (tu tâm dưỡng tánh), meditation, purification or Dao cultivation.

Although these practices differ in names and forms, their ultimate goal is to transform Essence into Energy (Tinh hoá Khí).

One must not only preserve their life force for robust vitality, but must also strive to refine its nature, making it pure and tranquil.

This involves adjusting the vibrational frequencies of the human energy field, aligning with the inner spirit while restraining the vibrations of negative emotions such as anger, hatred, sorrow, desire, and stimulating the vibrations of positive emotions like love, compassion, and joy.

If the energy field frequently vibrates in harmony with negative emotions like anger, hatred, sorrow and desire, the energy becomes impure, turbid.

Conversely, if it vibrates frequently in harmony with positive emotions like love, compassion, and joy, the energy becomes clear and pure.

•  The manifestation of impure energy is a life filled with lowly and selfish emotional experiences.

•  The manifestation of pure energy is a life marked by noble and selfless emotional experiences.

Adjusting the vibrational frequency of the human spiritual essence is quite challenging because it is directly related to past karmic consequences.

When embarking on a new incarnation to choose a new form, the soul must carry its prior karmic burdens as a verdict known as Destiny.

Divine justice requires the spiritual entity to choose the starting point of its new life and act according to the law of karma to create a spiritual or energy body, which possesses inherent characteristics, whether positive or negative, in terms of:

• Physical appearance
• Emotions
• Intelligence

The practice of refining one's energy to achieve spiritual purity in cultivation is likened to treating a symptom rather than addressing the root cause.

It will yield positive results only when the underlying issue of past karmic consequences has been fully compensated and resolved.

Therefore, when establishing "the Great Way of the Third Universal Salvation" (Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ), the Subpreme Being proclaimed the ultimate principle:

Because virtuous deeds represents goodness, and only goodness can counteract evil.

If the karmic burdens within the divine soul have not been eliminated, no matter how advanced one's meditation and spiritual practices, it may lead to a situation of

or living in a state of spiritual delusion, mistaking it for true spirituality.

In summary, the search for advanced methods of spiritual purification is not difficult in itself, but what can be challenging is how much virtuous deeds one can cultivate to build a strong foundation for their spiritual journey.

The transmutation of "Essence" (Tinh) to "Energy" (Khí) is a natural process in the transformation of nourishment from food, water, and the air, which the body absorbs from the environment.

When this energy circulates and harmonizes within the body, it promotes good health, meaning that one's energy is strengthened.

Adhering to the ethical guidelines of the spiritual practitioner, regardless of the specific religious path followed, has the same effect of minimizing unnecessary expenditure and conserving one's life force.

Turbulence caused by emotional and physical excesses can lead to a wasteful depletion of vital energy, clouding one's rationality and spiritual clarity, which is a grave hindrance, highly discouraged in the practice of spiritual cultivation.

Once you place yourself within the principle of increasing spiritual take-in and minimizing the expenditure of life force, the naturally occurring result is the flourishing of the stored life force.

Cultivating a virtuous and benevolent character, suppressing impure emotions, while nurturing noble feelings, and this will purify one's spirit.

When the body is nourished by the circulation and harmonization of pure spiritual energy, the five senses will live in accordance with the natural order, and the mind will be calm and clear. Therefore, strong and pure vital energy is the foundation for the development of the mind.

This is the practice of "Energy" (Khí) to "Spirit" (Thần) (Spiritual Transmutation), a process that occurs naturally in the life of any individual.

Those whose physical lives are filled with earthly desires and lowly habits, frequent emotional turbulence, often find their thoughts lacking in nobility, meaning they lack spiritual illumination in their life journey.

The correct practice of the divine path of the Supreme Being requires the refinement of spiritual energy, which means gradually adjusting the vibrational frequency of the spiritual essence within a person, corresponding to the vibrations of the Divine Essence in the Heavens and Earth following the law:

this process leads to a state of spiritual resonance between the living and the world of the Divine Spirits .

Food ingested in the spleen transforms into blood, and well-regulated blood circulation enhances brain function, making a person wiser and more insightful; this is a common occurrence in human life.

However, cultivating a refined essence and pure energy, with the five senses sensitive to the vibrational waves of the Divine World, is the initial step in transforming the inner energy to flourish in accordance with the spiritual consciousness.

This is a particularly challenging phase because the issue of Spiritual Essence in both space and within a person is intricate, abstract, subtle, and complex.

This is the principle behind the phenomenon of Transmuting Energy into Spirit. The method of accelerating this process of ascension is perilous if the body is not fully prepared.

If virtue is insufficient, any forced acceleration through rigorous practice while impurities still exist, it may lead to a dangerous condition where:

"The Heavenly Palace strikes and scatters the Spirit, not allowing it to merge with the Essence and Energy." (Divine Messages, February 25, 1926)

causing crises that disrupt the nervous system, endangering one's health and life.

These obstacles are due to the fact that one's prior karmic burdens have not been completely dissolved.

This means that past negative karma still linger within the True Spirit in latent form, the spiritual Essence is not yet pure, and the vibrations of negative emotions such as anger, hatred, sorrow, and desire may be subdued, they are not fully settled.

Thus, when one encounters adverse situations in life, these suppressed energies can erupt fiercely, unleashed by the force of long-held tension.

This, too, reflects the divine justice of the Creator, for if one is not worthy of facing the Divine, they should not pretend to be so.

Although the path of spiritual cultivation becomes more challenging as it ascends, the process of transmuting impure energy into pure energy nurtures the Divine within over time, leading to a tranquil and harmonious spiritual state.

When thoughts become accustomed to directing themselves towards the purity and sanctity, the depth of spiritual communion between humans and the Divine becomes more profoundly intimate.

The invisible doors to the spiritual world widely open, gradually leading to the unity of Heaven and humanity. At that moment, human life is in harmony with the will of Heaven and the Divine, manifesting itself in the earthly realm.

This path is not attained by mere desire but is rather a result of extraordinary radiant virtue. It requires immense spiritual vitality to attract the elevated divine assistance of enlightened masters.

Through this, the True Spirit gradually becomes luminous, able to leave and re-enter the body freely, achieving communion with the Divine realm, ultimately returning to the realm of the ethereal Void, a state known as huờn hư, the return to the primordial.

Once the True Spirit has merged into the luminous spiritual realm of the Divine, it must continue to serve all living beings, propelling humanity’s progress.

This service is carried out through a physical form purified and refined, wielding the sacred power of the True Spirit as a holy instrument.

The cycle of creation within the boundless universe is unceasing, as is the path of returning to the origin, refining:

• Essence into Energy
• Energy into Spirit
• Spirit back into the Void

The soul’s existence ascends ever higher, moving into realms of profound purity and abstraction.

In summary, the invisible path requires a tangible foundation, a strong base supports the higher levels securely. The Subpreme Being taught:

Thus, we understand that those who fervently pursue the mystical path, if their physical body remains impure and their True Spirit lacks the the nature of holiness, then their activities in higher realms will remain enigmatic and unreal.

This means that the cycle of earthly suffering has not yet been completed.