Part 5 of 10 of "What is Life?" is the Admonition Five of Lao Mu and this is what she said:
Take firm and solid steps in your practice. Wake up to the secret and fate of Heaven and know the Heavenly Decree, then one is truly a sage.
The time of the last catastrophe is ripe and Tao of Heaven is descended at the same time to save the righteous souls.
Mountains and rivers will be reshaped and why must the great catastrophe be descended on Earth?
In the olden days the earth was in peace and harmony and human hearts were righteous and harmonized with their true nature. When human hearts become crooked and cause bad karma, catastrophe spread all over. The morality in mortal world deteriorates everyday and no one pursues the orders and proprieties established by the ancient Saints and Sages. People learning trickeries, avarice, conspiracies, kidnapping and swindles thereby ruining the human relationship. Kings do not behave like kings, ministers do not behave as ministers; the order in the government is corrupted. Fathers do not behave as fathers, sons do not behave as sons; morality deteriorates. Husbands are not righteous, wives are not chaste; virtues are ruined. Elder brothers are not generous, younger brothers are not tolerant; animosity is built. Trust is not kept among friends; words and actions are inconsistent. Scholars only discuss the Truth but do not act in accordance with the Truth.
Farmers cheat on farm acreage and do not study the Truth. Craftsmen do not care for quality, diligence, durability and economy. Merchants sell counterfeits and coax and lie to customers. Buddhists monks do not follow the five disciplines. Taoists priests have turned to heresies and lost the right Dharma. Confucian scholars study only the surface yet claim themselves Saints. Looking at this Lao Mu cannot help but grieve painfully. If catastrophe were not descended now, there would not be any virtuous person in the world.
The three catastrophes descended and eight disasters spread are killings, wars, floods, fires and winds. Thousands of methods and plots within plots are devised to trap the evil and sinful. The fate of the spirit has come to the point that the spiritual world and earth will be destructed. It is because of the human sins, debts and hatred from the past which accumulated over sixty thousand years are judged at this time called The Final Judgement. The steps to segregate jade from stone and the good from the evil are arranged everywhere. All over the four seas, the wind of demon blows and peace and clamness cannot be found. Wars break out, robbers riot and nine out of ten worried. Disasters are aplenty and throughout the world the five grains disappear and there is no plantation to harvest. These types of catastrophes and disasters are not unusual. The most terrifying is the water, fire and wind cleansing the entire world. During the dark forty-nine days there is no sun and moon. Ths gate of Hell will be opened and all ghosts are released to take lives. Dark and gloomy, the dim and cold light fills the world. Together, all collect debts, a life for a life, and money for money.
In Heaven, Lao Mu's tears flow with blood endlessly and Lao Mu drops the Golden Thread, reveals the Three Heavenly Treasures and sails the Ferry in the sea to transport the righteous souls Home. For this reason Lao Mu wrote the admonitions for fear of harming the righteous souls. Filial sons and daughters, hurry to receive Tao, do not have second thought. Swing the sword of wisdom to cut bonds and discard fame and fortune quickly. Use your eyes to observe the world wisely and realize the world is not real. Lao Mu will order Immortals and Buddhas to shield the righteous so you can be carefree. Those who are awakened, hurry to accumulate merits and return to Heaven.
Website: http://www.white-sun.com
T.A Chew, an accountant by profession, years ago read the Ten Admonitions and told himself that he has to share it with the world. The best way to do it is through the internet and today he is able to contribute his little part to convey the message by summarizing it for the benefit of the internet readers.