First, I would like to make a statement about this book.

This is a highly mystical book, but everything in it is absolute true. There is not a trace of falsehood in all of the events that have happened to me. Even if one is of the opinion that nothing is implausible in the world, one will find, upon reading this book carefully, that I, Sheng-yen Lu, have encountered adventures that are beyond the realm of the imagination.

The mystical and improbable nature of these events will amaze and baffle people living in the twentieth century. I hope both scientists and spiritualists will take this book seriously and that its publication will cause a new shift in consciousness in people's minds. I am a college graduate, and I am definitely not a gullible person. I place great emphasis on self-education, and my interests lie in the study of religions, philosophy, literature, and the arts. I have written more than a dozen books, but Encounters With The World Of Spirits is the most serious work I have undertaken. Strange as these occurrences are, this book is a true record of my personal experiences, and I want my readers to know that there is not a single untruthful word in it. Perhaps some people will find the study of metaphysics and the belief in gods to be superstitious, and I generally do not engage in rebuttals regarding such opinions. I only hope that people will, before making such judgments, spend the time to study and understand the nature of"souls," "psychic power," and "supernatural power" (gods). If one does not have any knowledge in these fields, one should admit one's ignorance, instead of taking the unscholarly view of putting down these studies as "superstitions." Today I can state boldly: Anyone who claims that the studies of metaphysics and gods are merely superstitious only implicates his own ignorance in regard to these subjects. Although great progress has been made in the advancement of scientific technologies, there is still a great gap between current technology and the development of instruments that can detect the existence of "supersensory psychic energy." All events in this book happened to me personally, and if someone considers them to be "superstitions," I beg their forgiveness, for all my words are absolutely true, and I do not advocate mere superstition. This book contains,from my heart, the true occurrences of the past several years which I have not before dared to tell in my books.