| | Realize the Blessing of Self Acceptance | The Real Meditation | The Real Love | A Rich Harvest of Love at the Florida Christmas Retreat | | A Chain of Delights on the First Day | Heavenly Christmas Celebration on Earth | Conversation Among Souls | Good News on the Last Day of the Retreat | | The Best Prayer | Free Yourself from Preconceived Ideas | How Many Pieces? | Nothing to Save | Unexpected Weather |
Why do you have to be so hard on yourself? How do you know that everyone else is better than you? Or even that I am better than you? I am no better than any of you. I just accept myself; I just feel that I am good. Because if God didn't feel good about me, Hes wouldn't have created me this way. Whatever Hes does, I am fine. Whatever I am, I am OK. So feel like that about yourself, or about anyone else. Of course, we have some things we don't like about ourselves. But then again, who are we to judge ourselves even? God said, "Don't judge," which doesn't just mean don't judge other people; it also means don't judge yourself.
Try your best. Do whatever makes you feel good. Whatever you can change, if it makes you feel good, then change it. If it doesn't make you feel good to change, then no matter how many people say it, don't change. And if you can't change, even if you know it's good, then don't change. Forgive yourself and enjoy. Enjoy whatever other things you have. And try to ignore the negative things that you feel you don't like about yourself as much as possible.
After all, God made us in all colors and all personalities so that we can live a colorful life. So, accept yourselves; accept your imperfections. There's no need to be perfect. I know you don't like my high heels, but I still wear them. It's all right. In the beginning, I didn't feel like wearing this make-up and all that. And then afterwards, I said, "Oh, why not?" It's no problem! Sometimes I feel comfortable; sometimes I don't feel comfortable. Sometimes I wear things like this, but when I am not with you I wear all kinds of things, like you do. It's also comfortable. Today, I don't really feel like wearing this, but it's OK, too. It serves some purpose. It's all right; no problem.
We should not be too hard on ourselves, because that means we are hard on God. We blame Hirm for creating us like this. We blame Hirm for putting us through situations that made us learn some bad habits. We blame Hirm for not helping us to change them and for the imperfection that we think Hes created. So don't worry about it. If Hes' happy with you, you should be happy with yourself. We are OK, actually.
You come here because you don't feel you're OK. And all I am trying to tell you is that you are OK, all this way, all this while. All the lectures, all the seminars, all the retreats, and all the questions and answers are meant just to drive home one point, which is that you are OK. It doesn't matter what you are; you are very special. Because no one else is like you. That's why you are OK. Take you away, and the world is different. Because there is something missing that is not you. No one else can replace it. So you must be OK.
All the bricks in a house -- some may be smaller, some may be bigger, some may have a hole in the middle, and some may have a stain or a defect somewhere, but they all hold the house together. Take one away, and the house is not the house any more. So you are OK. And so you are practicing just to accept yourself, just to know that you are God in the end. Or slowly realize that you're perfect in every way. Just like a grain of sand is perfect in every way, you are even more perfect.
Don't worry about everything that you do. Because now you know what's wrong
and what's right already, anyhow. And you're trying your best to do it.
Everyone knows. The whole universe knows you're trying your best, or else
you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be suffering for your own so-called
defects. Everyone knows that. So it's all right; just accept yourself.
Because you're perfect anyhow. Who is there to judge you? "Let the
one who is not guilty cast the first stone." I am not the one who
casts that stone.
All of you are attached to visions in meditation, considering them to be real spiritual experiences, and visions that you see when you are not meditating just do not count. But actually, at that moment you are really meditating, because "Zen prevails in everything." Meditation doesn't mean that we sit tight and regulate ourselves. That is the incorrect way, because at that time, we meditate with our ego, and that's why we have no experiences. We should do it in a natural way in order to attain enlightenment.
If you are as relaxed in your meditation as when you see me, that is real meditation. We have heard the story about someone becoming enlightened while chopping logs, and another case about someone else getting enlightened upon hearing a few words from an Enlightened Master. That is it. Why don't you have an experience after hours of sitting vexed in meditation? It is because you do it with your ego, your mind. You focus your attention too hard; you push yourselves too much, so you become attached and nervous. That's why you have no experiences. That is not real meditation. It is just a kind of drill.
Real meditation takes place at any time. That's why some of you have good experiences when you are asleep or when you look at me attentively. That is meditation, for your attention is focused at that time. You concentrate because you are delighted to see me or listen to me, and you put aside your prejudices at that time. That is when you meditate, isn't it? That's when you have a normal experience.
Suppose you sit there with your brows knit, thinking, "I want to meditate. Oh! How come I have no experience? Why has it not come yet? Oh! When will it come?" (Audience laughs.) You are rushing yourself, rushing the enlightened experience. But these experiences never hurry. They come as they may, and go as they want. They don't attach to anything; as the Diamond Sutra says, enlightenment comes when we do not attach to anything. We should follow this paragon in order to attain enlightenment.
When you gaze at me in a very pure state of mind without the slightest disturbance, you have all the experiences that you should have. Some of you, while attending my lectures, have seen the lecture hall turn into a world of extremely brilliant light. That is the Pure Land. That is what is meant by the saying "the Pure Land is right in front of us." Our world is a physical one, but when we concentrate spiritually, it becomes the Pure Land at once, and devils can become saints in our eyes.
Some of you complain to me that you do not have such good experiences after you join group meditation. Actually, that's because your ego has come out and your love has diminished. The fellow initiates are not affecting you. You should not blame others; instead, you should retrospect on yourselves. That's why I don't like those who complain; it's just that I don't say so. These people expect me to blame others, but I won't be biased.
Some of you have many things on your minds when you look at me. You see as if you don't. Then you had better not look. Even as you look at me, many things are going on in your minds. You are wondering whether you should recite the Holy Names, as if you want to drive me away. (Audience laughs.) If you should remember to do that while looking at me, it means you want to drive me away quickly and that makes me feel uncomfortable. You should look at me like a child who has not seen his parents for a long time, and then you will have inner experiences, which will be the best that you can have.
We should not think that we meditate only when we close our eyes and sit there vexed and with our brows knit. No, no! That's just a kind of practice. We sit quietly to express our sincerity. Although we can't sit peacefully sometimes, we continue. We wait for God in our meditation. Sometimes we have experiences when we are sincere, but sometimes we cannot concentrate and say to ourselves: "Well, whether I am sincere or not, that's all I can do for now. Please help me, God."
Therefore, we should meditate every day and consider it a duty, just like how we eat when we don't want to. We should make it a habit to think of God as soon as we wake up in the morning, and think of God again after we get off work and return home in the evening. Because we are too busy every day, we cannot think of God sincerely; therefore, we should do it early in the morning after we get up, and again in the evening after we return home. But this doesn't mean that we can think of God completely; we just do our best. We do it when we are working as well.
So it is our greatest blessing and merit to listen to a lecture by an Enlightened Master. Because we can see the Master continuously for two or three hours, we can be elevated by His/Her vibration, or our bad karma can be cleansed to some degree by His/Her Light, and then we will have inner experiences. Like when you come, you cannot see me continuously for two or three hours, so you don't get as much blessing as you would at a lecture. It is such a great blessing to be able to see an Enlightened Master for two or three hours at a stretch! Not everyone has this chance. One glance in eons is good enough, not to mention two to three hours! Beings on some other planets have never seen or heard an Enlightened Master before. They have had no contact with a Master. Therefore, you should seize the opportunity to see a real Master for a couple of hours. Many people, initiates or non-initiates, have experienced enlightenment during my lectures.
So meditation doesn't mean only sitting. It is meditation when we wholeheartedly concentrate. That's why you have experiences when you are working. Sometimes we have no experience in meditation and we feel frustrated, because we meditate with our ego. That's not the natural way to meditate. But it's okay. You still get merit. Just meditate sincerely. The result does not matter.
Let me tell you why you don't have inner experiences when you meditate. It is because you are not completely free of attachment at that time, and you are not really concentrating. We think we are, and we frown and wonder, "Why hasn't the manifestation of Master come?" Sincerity and longing are different from attachment. However, it is difficult for beginners to distinguish between them. It does not matter. Just do your best. It counts as long as you intentionally meditate and think of the Master, no matter whether you meditate well or not, or are distracted or not. Your efforts will be recorded and you will be elevated on any excuse. (Audience applauds.)
For example, you work for someone who sells clothes. Sometimes there are
no customers, and you sit there and fall asleep. But the boss will still
pay you for the time you stay. At other times you are busy the whole day
long, and the boss pays you the same. As long as you come to the store,
you get your monthly salary. It is the same with meditation. You should
meditate, regardless of the experience. Your efforts will be recorded and
I will "pay" you someday, so that you can pay for your "fare"
to Heaven. (Audience applauds.)
You should not mind whether I get angry or not. Anger is something produced by people's discrimination. My "anger" is not real anger. My "Love" is not regular love, either. It's just something you create with your discriminating mind. Your minds have attachments and that's why you say there are good and bad, soft and tender people. Actually, there's nothing serious at all in the universe. If I really get angry, how come you have such good experiences when I scold you?
When someone is really angry, he will frighten and upset others, and be nervous and unsettled the whole day. When you quarrel with your husband or wife, or when they are angry, don't you feel unsettled and troubled? (Audience: Yes.) It is not the same as when I am angry with you and you have such good experiences. This means that it's not real anger. After I get angry, many of you have good experiences. Therefore, the method of "anger" must be among the 84,000 paths. (Audience laughs.)
So you should not care about my anger. I get upset when I have to. It's the right method to use at the right time. Otherwise, you are dependent on my "loving heart" and get attached to it, and when you meditate, you sit with an unsettled mind; and practice sluggishly, what kind of spiritual practice is that? But as soon as I scold you, your minds settle down and you repent inside, asking me for help within. At that time, your minds are settled. Therefore, you should not be sad when I scold you. It's one of the methods that I have to use.
Sometimes I don't want to be angry, because I am afraid you cannot bear it. So every time I pray to God and the Saints, to the Master inside: "If they do not practice well, let all the karma fall upon me. Let them hear no reprimand, not even one word of scolding. Please don't let them suffer." But then it does not work that way. God still wants me to use the "anger method." I cannot do anything about it.
I do not want you to hear any reprimands, so that you can practice with a peaceful mind and enjoy inner experiences without being scolded or beaten. That's an expectation of mine that cannot be fulfilled. I pray for it every day. I pray only for this. Whenever I see you suffering, I pray, "Send all their karma to me and let them relax. Let them have good experiences. It doesn't matter how much I suffer." Nevertheless, this wish has never been realized, because we still live in this world and things don't work that way. One cannot bear all the karma of others in this world.
I do not want you to suffer. But you should understand that it is better for us to pursue spiritual practice in this physical world. Here, we have joy, anger, sorrow and happiness to keep us interested and dynamic. We have heard that we can't make progress fast in some of the Heavens, where there is only happiness. When I don't scold you or get angry with you, it's as though you're in Heaven, and your spiritual practice becomes a perfunctory practice. It becomes uninteresting, routine, and unexciting. That's why you do not practice well. But it will be different if you are thrown into the Astral or physical world and are scolded. Then you make progress faster.
In the Heavens, there is nothing like scolding and beating, while there is joy and wrath, sorrow and happiness in this world. But it doesn't mean that we can only experience the physical world since we live here. No! Sometimes you see other realms or Heaven, or you see the Pure Land at the lecture venue. That is our inner perception, inner experience. It's not that you go somewhere higher physically. The Heavenly realm is inside you when are happy, and nobody scolds, restrains, or opposes you. That is Heaven. Therefore, we can't practice well in Heaven. And I have to create a physical world for you. After my anger is gone, you all get good experiences. I am the only one who is exhausted. When I scold you I have to fall down into the same realm as you are -- the physical world, in order to elevate you.
Therefore, I do not come to elevate you only when you are dying. No! At every moment there is every dimension: Earth, Pure Land, and Heaven. It depends on how we feel inside. When you see light, it means you are in the Pure Land. But when your level falls, or when you are scolded by me, you have returned to the physical world. When you leave this physical body to go to the eternal Pure Land, it is unnecessary to scold you, but you should practice well now in order to attain the eternal Pure Land.
Suppose I can die for you, go to hell for you, or suffer for you; I would be willing to do it. But I can't. I can do only half or two-thirds of it; I cannot take on everything for you. It's not that I like to scold you. No, I don't. If I can suffer for you to make you happy and practice well soon, I love to do it, and it has always been my wish to do so. I pray for more suffering when I suffer. However much I suffer alone does not matter, as long as it benefits sentient beings, and you feel more relaxed and practice well.
Therefore, you should not mind my anger. I can bear it alone. If you make progress here during the retreat, then my suffering is worth it. I don't care if I shed tears in pain. I can bear it even if the suffering is multiplied many times. You won't cherish it if I treat you casually or let you relax too much. I should use many different methods to teach you.
You all know the saying that a strict teacher has excellent students. I care about your progress, so I am strict with you. Now you understand this saying. Most of the situations in this world spoil you and make you degenerate and reincarnate. Do you want me to pamper you? You are already pampered by outside praise, beguiled by people's sweet words, and bound by human emotions. Do you want me to treat you in the same way?
You should understand what true love is. It's not using sweet words or human affections to bind people. It's giving you real training, cleansing you of dark karma, and helping you to mature into a responsible and graceful person. Those who complain and pity themselves every day only think of their ego selves and forget their almighty power inside. Actually we need nothing. Maybe you still need a little now because you have not grown up yet. But you should know that those things are not important. We don't need sweet words. How can we mature if we always rely on sweet things that are apparently friendly? If we can't bear any scolding, it means we are still obstructed, and attached to sweet words.
It is definitely helpful for you to take part in retreats occasionally. There should be some quiet place at every center, where fellow initiates can come and have group meditation, or hold one- or two-day retreats each week. You meditate all day long here and watch or listen to my tapes. Then you will truly progress and find yourselves different in a few months. If you really obey the rules of meditation, and hold one- or two-day retreats at your local center each week, it also benefits you. I don't have to be there. Actually I am there as soon as you think of me.
You will see how different you are after you practice a lot. You will be
happy at that time and you will feel encouraged, knowing that spiritual
practice is really helpful. However, if you practice in a careless and
sluggish way, it won't help you and someday you will give up because you
cannot find a good result to inspire yourselves. This is like someone who
fails to be promoted after he has studied at school for a year, then he
might think, "Why, studying is useless, and I have studied for one
year for nothing!" Other fellow students are in higher classes, and
they will become more educated and perhaps lawyers and doctors after graduation.
They can help others as well as themselves, and they will feel confident
and happy about it because they have accomplished something in their learning.
If we practice sluggishly, we are just like those lazy students who cannot
graduate, and we will feel that spiritual practice is of no use.
We practitioners should train ourselves to become accustomed to any situation
whenever we have an opportunity. Otherwise, we won't know what to do when
a situation arises. After we train ourselves well, we can handle any situation.
Therefore, we should not just care about physical comforts, even if they
affect our spiritual practice. We should meditate whenever we can because
it is most precious and beneficial. We should not sacrifice our spiritual
practice for worldly pleasures; instead, we should sacrifice worldly pleasures
for spiritual practice.
Only when we are in this human form can we go beyond the three worlds and
be liberated from the cycle of life and death, into which countless kinds
of sentient beings reincarnate. It takes these sentient beings eons to
reincarnate into human beings. Sometimes it takes even longer. We should
understand these things, so that we won't be attached to worldly comforts
like sleeping, eating, pleasures and all that physical garbage.
As Christmas approached, fellow practitioners around the world missed Master greatly. Thus, they were overjoyed at receiving the good news that all initiates and their half-initiated children were invited to the Florida Center for a Christmas celebration with Master.
Before the Christmas holidays, it was really difficult to secure airline tickets to Florida, a popular destination for holiday travelers. But no matter how daunting the hindrances or how far the journey, nothing could deter thousands of fellow initiates from seeing Master. A large number from the United States and Canada had to drive a great distance, while several hundred Formosan disciples, after landing in New York, had to ride buses for 24 hours to get to the Florida Center. Failing to obtain direct flights, many Formosan initiates flew halfway round the globe, landing first in Europe, then changing flights many times and finally arriving in Florida. Touched by the disciples' sincerity and great perseverance, Master changed Her itinerary and stayed on at the Center for a few days after the retreat, so that disciples could have more time to be with Her. Therefore, for many fellow initiates, this retreat was not merely a rich four-day harvest of love, but an extended retreat that continuously elevated their souls.
Since the retreat was held during the Christmas holidays, Master mercifully
allowed half-initiated children to attend with their parents. These young
practitioners meditated daily for one hour, and were free to do what they
wished the rest of the day. Our compassionate Master expressed deep love
for these innocent and lively little angels; She not only received them
in person, but even invited them to play with the pets at Her house.
On the afternoon of the 21st, preparations for the retreat were in full swing. Through the concerted efforts of initiates from various working groups, the Florida Center was transformed into a retreat venue permeated by bliss. The whole area was filled with an intensely festive atmosphere so joyous that even the trees and plants could feel it!
In the early morning of December 23, fellow initiates from around the world walked by the Center's fog-blanketed lake, and entered the main meditation hall in orderly fashion. Their longing to see Master was fulfilled during the very first meditation session. Her early appearance warmed our hearts and reminded us of a mother who had come to check on Her sleeping children. When She led us in reciting the Holy Names, Her kind and beautiful voice echoed and vibrated throughout the entire meditation hall.
The sky was clear that morning, but a light shower fell in the afternoon. Master's appearance made us all forget the weather, however, as She entered the meditation hall dressed in a very chic-looking peach-colored outfit, looking refreshed and beautiful. Because it was very cold at night in the Center, Master was worried that the initiates would catch cold sleeping in tents. Therefore, She thought about purchasing a warmer place near the sea that would offer sufficient space to comfortably hold retreats.
Master said that initially She only intended to invite the Contact Persons of the various centers to attend the retreat, in return for their tireless service to fellow practitioners. But later, the news leaked out and many other initiates also wanted to come to see Master. Thus, the occasion was finally opened for everyone to attend. However, throughout the retreat, the Contact Persons and their spouses were still Master's honored guests, and were invited to meditate by Her side. On the first evening of the retreat, Master even treated them to a special dinner.
During Her discourse at the dinner, Master talked about Her interactions with Her pets. These lively and brilliantly narrated stories left everyone deeply impressed by the cleverness and agility of the animals. From them, we also gained a true sense of all sentient beings being equal and having the God Nature within. Master's deep sensitivity and compassion were even more evident when She spoke of seeing reports about animals used in rescue work at the 9-11 disaster site in New York, and learning that they had performed their great deeds of service without the benefit of protective footgear. Master said it broke Her heart to see these dogs walking "barefoot" on sharp pieces of broken glass and possibly chemically polluted debris at the site, while the professional rescuers worked with their bodies fully protected. The rescue dogs, for the sake of accomplishing their mission and pleasing their owners, were willing to lay down their lives. Conversely, many human beings treat dogs carelessly and without love. The world should reflect on these words of Master to develop a more humane attitude toward all of God's creatures.
Master also said that She prefers happy movies, though some sad films are
also very good and educational. Regarding the movie recommendation lists
published in the News magazine, Master said that they are only meant to
introduce to us the movies that She has watched and has found to be suitable
for our viewing; She does not mean that we should adhere strictly to these
lists in selecting movies.
During the afternoon meditation session on December 24, Master came wearing a light green casual outfit and white trousers, and entered the meditation hall with a pink Molluccan cockatoo perched on Her arm. She walked around the hall to let everyone see the cockatoo, and to let the bird know that humans also have their benevolent side. Although this cockatoo had suffered much misery before meeting Master, he is now obviously very happy and contented. When he saw someone he liked, he would say, "I love you!" or "Beautiful bird!" He would also bury his head in Master's arms when he got scared, just like a kid who is shy about meeting strangers.
Many times during the retreat, many initiates found their gentle and pure qualities awakened as they watched Master's indescribable kindness and loving affection for Her animal friends flow forth naturally.
That evening, we enjoyed a leisurely, sumptuous Christmas meal on the beautiful green meadow by the lakeside. The Christmas celebration began after dinner, as everyone poured into the main hall. The stage was surrounded by Christmas gifts that initiates had brought for exchange. Amidst applause and cheers, Master appeared accompanied by several special guests, Her colorful birds and dogs! The Saints, angels, heavenly beings, humans, deities, birds (represented by the parrots), and land animals (represented by the dogs), were all present for the occasion. However, our good-humored Master also remembered to appoint representatives for the marine animals -- the crocodiles in the lake next to the main hall! It was indeed a combined heavenly and earthly gathering that benefited the whole universe and bestowed love on all living beings.
After entering the hall, Master first walked around with Her beautiful cockatoos, and introduced each one. Next, Her attendants, leading two huge, handsome dogs, ran a lap around the hall, which made everyone laugh heartily. This was the most brilliant and extraordinary act of the evening, and was especially exciting for the children sitting in front of the stage!
Next, a variety of performers exerted their greatest effort to put on one of the best retreat entertainment programs ever. The animals seemed to enjoy the show very much, and occasionally, the birds even chirped a few words of encouragement in their own language! Master's smile and the loving looks She gave to the performers provided them with confidence and inspiration. One of the most uplifting performances was by a group of teenage initiates who integrated spiritual practice with modern music and dance. Their ethereal voices reverberated in such perfect harmony that they seemed to be singing as one! Throughout the evening, Master watched each performance appreciatively.. At the end of the program, She congratulated the performers and asked the audience to applaud the MCs for their excellent work.
December 25 dawned cloudy and cold, and after two days of diligent practice, fellow initiates attained a higher level in their meditation. Throughout the meditation sessions, the hall was completely quiet, as everyone was deeply absorbed in meditative bliss. Even when the music sounded to signal mealtime, many initiates sat motionless, reluctant to move. During lunch, Master came to visit disciples in the canteen area, warming everyone's heart. Then, for the afternoon group meditation, Master came to the hall in a simple blouse and skirt, looking very natural and carefree. She told several jokes, and asked fellow initiates who were able to communicate with animals to get on the stage and share their experiences.
Accordingly, one Chinese sister initiate residing in Germany said she has been able to communicate with animals psychically since she was young. Very often, in her youth, she would apologize to the dogs in her home region (Guangdong Province) on behalf of her compatriots, for their habit of consuming dog meat, saying, "Though my native people are doing this, I definitely will not do the same." When she told a dog that she was following Master and had become a vegetarian, the dog came over to kiss her. She also said she had had a fantastic experience of communicating with fish while diving. One days, she was swimming underwater and reciting the Holy Names, when a large school of fish swam near her. She told them about Master and advised them to strive to acquire a human body and pursue spiritual practice. These fish understood her, and seemed to answer her by saying, "Good!" In sincere words, this sister shared many other experiences of communicating with animals, giving testimony to the fact that "the God Nature exists in everyone."
However, the sister also said that talking to animals is very tiring. For instance, when talking to dogs, we have to lower our vibrations to those close to a dog's level in order to communicate with them. From this, she could see how exhausting it is for Master to understand the feelings of worldly people and to communicate with us! Since this sister was very sensitive to the feelings of animals, she was extremely touched upon seeing how gentle and caring Master was in treating Her pets. She hoped that she could one day possess the same qualities.
In the evening, Master met with the Aulacese initiates in the gym, and later the Formosan initiates. Slightly later, all other Chinese initiates were invited to join in. Telling the Formosan disciples that She was very proud of them, Master said that She loved them very much, and praised the way they work in such a selfless manner. The sincerity of the Formosan initiates and their longing to see Master was clearly discernible. This was indeed a very touching meeting of Master and disciples after a long separation.
To satisfy their wish to speak with Her, during the early morning meditation
session on December 26, Master met with the Western disciples and with
those from other Asian countries respectively, and answered their spiritual
questions. She recommended to the Korean initiates that they should smile
and be more confident and lighthearted, adding, "Koreans, you are
good! I say so! Koreans are my favorite people. If I say you are good,
you are good!"
The retreat was scheduled to end on December 26, and on that day, Master revealed the best news possible to everyone, saying that She intends to live forever in this world to meditate, not to preach, but to bless and sustain it through meditation. Everyone was extremely excited to hear Her words! Master further revealed a merciful vow that She had made in the past. She knew that, for many, it is very difficult to find an Enlightened Master and attain enlightenment. Thus, long ago She vowed to bring the Quan Yin Method to the people of the earth.
For a few days after the 26th, Master continued to stay at the Florida Center, frequently visiting the meditation hall or the eating area in the forest, to speak to everyone cordially. On several occasions, She even blessed every initiate present by touching their hands or heads. Until December 29, there were still several hundred initiates staying on at the Center, and Master met them in several groups at Her residence.
Blessed by Master's divine love, everyone's face glowed beautifully. When
with Master, each second is filled with infinite bliss. Undoubtedly, this
happy gathering inscribed a wonderful chapter in the lives of all who attended!
Today, I'm going to read you a story to let you know what people think about prayers. Because some of you might think that your prayers are the best. Now, do you know how to pray to the Lord? Maybe you know better than I do. OK, let's see if you know better than these people.
There was a village somewhere, at some time on our planet or maybe on another planet. In this village, there was a holy man. Every time the people had some problem, some difficulty or disaster, or something that didn't go right in the village, they would come to this holy man and ask him to help them, like to pray to God and meditate for them, and see what was wrong. Then the holy man would retreat into a very special forest, and he would sit in a very, very special place. And then he would say a very, very special prayer. And then it happened that God always listened to his prayers somehow. So the villagers always got the help they needed.
But then one day, as with everyone else, he died. So now the villagers didn't know what to do. Because their troubles didn't die. The holy man died, but the troubles were still alive. And new troubles were born every day. It's funny how we die, but our troubles never die! So after the villagers thought for a long time, they decided that they would take their troubles to the holy man's successor.
The successor of this holy man was not that holy; people knew that. But there was no one else now who was better than he. So people came to him and laid their problems in front of him, and asked him to help. So this not-so-holy man also went to the forest. And then he sat there and said a very special prayer. He didn't know what his master used to say, but now he said something special like, "Oh, my Lord! You know I am not a holy man." Well, at least he was a very honest man. "But surely you are not going to hold that against my people, are you? So listen to me and come to my assistance."
And God thought, "That's reasonable enough. Even though this man is not holy, the village people have nothing to do with his lack of holiness." So God listened to this, and then helped the people all the same.
So, people continued to come to this not-so-holy man, to have him pray to God and solve their problems. So far, so good. But you know what? It happened that this not-so-holy man also died. Ah, gosh! We have no end to the problems and no solution. The people also felt very confused now: What were they to do? So they tried to find another man, not even a holy one, and not even the successor of the other master, but someone more special, like maybe one who was sweeter than anyone else, or perhaps more diligent in his prayers.
So they just picked one of the people from the congregation. And then they said, "Now it's your job. You pray for us. We have such-and-such problems. You must try." But it happened that this man didn't know anything about the previous two people. So he didn't even know where the forest was. Well, he knew of the forest, but he didn't know where the special place was. And he didn't even know any special prayers himself. So he didn't know what to do. He just came near the forest and sat anywhere, not in a special place. Because before, the two persons used to go to that very special place. To them, it was very sacred. So therefore every time they prayed, their prayers were answered. And for the successor, it was also the same. At least he knew a very special prayer, and he knew of that very special place where his master used to sit in that very special forest.
But now, this man knew nothing about that. So what did he do? He just knelt or sat there, and said to the Lord, "Oh my Lord! If it's the formula or the prayer that makes You listen, then I am helpless. But please don't be attached to a special formula or prayer, and just listen to me. Our villagers have a lot of problems. Why don't you help them?" And with that, he just stood up and went home to sleep. And God listened all the same, because no one else prayed to Hirm. That was the only man. So Hes said, "Okay. I'll help." So God helped the villagers all the same, just like before.
Now this man suddenly became a very special person, and he continued to do his special job every day like that. But it happened that this man also went to see Saint Peter one day, like all of us. So this man died, too. It was terrible! What kind of luck did these villagers have? One died after another. But the village still existed, and the problems still existed. Perhaps the children of the villagers continued, and they kept their customs. So now they looked again for a man to do this job of praying for them. Funny! Why don't people pray directly and why do they think they have to find someone? It's a habit. We rely on something, and we're attached to something because it works one time, but it never works again. Even then, we feel attached.
So after this man died, the people were very much troubled. No one came near this category of holiness, or diligence in prayer. There was no virtuous person in the village. So they were very much troubled. They didn't know how to get in touch with the Lord anymore. And their troubles kept mounting and mounting, and nothing helped. So they just thought hard and then gathered together, and decided to pick just any man. And they happened to pick a businessman.
This man was very wealthy. He didn't have to work very hard, so he could afford the time to pray for the people. That's what they thought. That would do. Money is better than nothing. If you don't have virtue and you do have money, that's also not bad. So the man became a reluctant priest, just like that.
So now, people entrusted to him the job of getting in touch with the Lord and praying for them. But this businessman, what did he know about praying? All he knew about was the bank, money, accounting, taxes and things like that. But everyone begged him to do it, so he accepted it finally. As he was always more interested in money than in God, he was no-nonsense. He would speak directly. He just sat in his house, in front of his accounting machine, and looked up to Heaven, or maybe he looked into his computer, and he said, "Now then, what kind of God are you, that You are perfectly capable of solving any problem in this world, which You have caused?" (This means the problems you have caused yourself.) "You're capable of solving them, but you just don't do anything about it. So what kind of God are you? And then you refuse to do anything that is your duty. Now you're waiting for what? You're waiting for us to get on our knees and beg you to do it? What kind of God is that? Just do your job, won't you?!" So God felt embarrassed. But Hes listened, and Hes helped the people anyhow. So there is a different manner of praying for different people.
Now, you pick what kind of prayers you like to apply for yourself. For me, I don't care. I don't think Hes has to be told what to do, but sometimes Hes does like that. Maybe it's because Hes does what we expect Hirm to do. For the holy man, he expected that God was difficult like that, and that Hes was a very holy and pure being. So we have to be very pure and holy, and go to a very special, isolated place in order to pray to God. And then maybe God will be moved by our holiness, our purity, our time, effort and respect for God. And therefore God will grant an answer to our prayers.
But the second man expected differently. He was not holy, so he expected that God didn't care whether he was holy or not, but Hes would help the people and it had nothing to do with his holiness. So God also fulfilled his desire because the man expected Hirm to be this way. And so Hes waited for this man to go to that special place. But at least this man, even though he wasn't holy, knew about the holy man, and he knew that the holy man always went to a very special place and said a special prayer. So at least this man thought that the answer from God was connected somehow with that holy place, with that special place in the isolated forest. So he clung to that notion and believed. That's why if he had prayed at home, it probably wouldn't have worked. Because his mind expected that, even if he was not holy, he had to at least be connected with that holy man through the special place. So, God waited for him to fulfill all this, and then Hes granted the blessing.
And now the third man didn't know anything about it. So he could not expect himself to go to find a special place in a special forest, or say a special prayer. Because he didn't have that kind of idea in his mind, so he just did what he thought. He prayed to God, "Please help the people." And because he prayed straightforwardly, sincerely and from his heart, God granted this prayer, too. And why not? God has nothing else to do. Don't you think? If even in that small thing Hes doesn't help, then what kind of God is that?
After all these three people, so sincere and so humble, the villagers were short of holy and humble persons. So they had to resort to any kind of person they thought would have time to pray for them, and this time they picked a businessman. Businessmen are no-nonsense; they care about their money and their business. So if they have to do a job, they just do it like it's a business. If you know how to do the thing, then you just do it. Why wait for people to beg you?
I would say the same thing. Sometimes I say, "Well, please do it. But if you don't, it's all right." Because you know what to do. You don't need my prayers. You have to do what is in your heart. We cannot imitate one, two, or three of these prayers and say, "Well! Master Ching Hai read this story for us, and She said it's OK." Because even if I tell you to pray like that, you cannot. You cannot pray the way I do, because you don't think the way I do. And when you pray, your attitude is not like my attitude. I'm like that, so I pray like that. But you are like this, so you pray like this. So every prayer is okay; it's no problem. And in my opinion, God or the Master power will work before we even have to pray - especially in an emergency. We just do our best whenever we can in each situation. And then God or the Master power will help accordingly. But do our best, we must.
And now, why couldn't the village people, even though they were not worse than the businessman, pray themselves, and why did they have to rely on some medium like this? It's because of attachment, habit and preconceived ideas. That's why most people, when they have a problem, come to a priest or go to a monk. I don't know what the difference is between a priest, a monk or any other being.
For example, in the Buddhist tradition, the monks of the Mahayana eat vegetarian at least, and they are unmarried. And then the ordinary person's mind probably thinks, "Oh! Yes! He's a very holy man. He eats vegetarian, and he's not married. He's very pure." OK, then maybe the people have an excuse. So whenever they have a problem, they think that because the man is pure, they can come to him to make a connection with God through him, like a very good bridge. That may be excusable. But in some of the other religious practices, the priests or monks get married, too. They eat meat and they drink wine; it's very liberal. They do the things that you do at home. They eat the things that you eat every day. And they pray through the book that you yourself pray through, and read, too. So now what is the difference between you and that priest, that you have to come to him? Or that monk, that you have to come to ask him to pray for you? Think about it. You see: There's no difference, or not much! Except that he lives in a very beautiful temple, while you live in a very shabby house or something like that. Maybe the temple, the place where he lives, is different, but I don't know if the people are different. So you see, what a ridiculous life some of us are living!
And what kinds of nonsensical habits do many of our planet's people keep
and still believe in, life after life, that one generation passes on to
another generation. And people never stop and think what nonsense it is.
That's why I teach you the direct path - to pray yourself. If I have a
method, I'll tell you, and you do it yourself. Why do I have to keep everything
special for myself? Then you have to think that I'm a special person. There
is no one special. You have to believe in yourself and do everything according
to your own standard, your own belief, and your own idea of how God should
be, how God should respond to you, or how God should do Hiers job. That,
I think, is the best.
A disciple once asked his Zen master, "Master, what is the meaning of spiritual practice? And what is the meaning of enlightenment?" At that moment, the Zen master was planting trees, so he said, "Spiritual practice can be likened to transplanting this tree from here to a more suitable place, and then watering it every day, administering fertilizers, and so on. Slowly, the tree will grow. The same is true with spiritual practice."
Likewise, we usually focus our attention on the outside, on the wrong places, and make ourselves frustrated and agonized. An Enlightened Master teaches us how to direct our attention toward more useful places, which will be helpful to our soul and develop our inner power. Then we will return to our origins and finally realize that we are not this body, not those senseless and ephemeral thoughts. We are originally the wisdom and the love power; we are absolutely free.
Actually, there is nothing that we need to learn or do. If we simply discard
everything that we have learned, and refrain from doing those things that
we want to do, then everything is fine. That is right! It is precisely
these senseless, undesirable materials that we have learned that fill our
minds and bind us. They give us ideas about what a human being should be,
what an Enlightened Saint should be, and what an Enlightened Master should
be. In the end, we become shackled by these preconceived ideas, and thus
cannot be liberated. If we can get rid of all these concepts, we are already
half liberated. Then we can go on to cast aside what we want to do in order
to become an Enlightened Saint, and everything is settled.
A man went to buy a pizza, and the saleslady asked him, "Do you want it cut into smaller pieces? It will be more convenient for you." The man agreed. Then the saleslady asked him again, "Do you want it cut into six or eight pieces?" The man answered, "Six is fine. Eight will be too many for me to eat them all."
A salesman was trying to persuade a housewife to buy a refrigerator. He
told her it would save her a lot of money because it was state-of-the-art
and power-saving, and would save her shopping time as well as gasoline
for the drive to the food store. The housewife answered, "Let me tell
you the truth: We have 'saved' too much already! We have saved to pay the
loan for our new car; we have saved to pay the mortgage for the house we
live in; we have saved to pay for our children's college education; we
have saved for the upcoming Christmas holiday; we have saved to buy a new
dishwasher too! And now we have no more money to 'save'!"
Two students were chatting. One said to the other, "Let me tell you something serious. Yesterday, our teacher said that we are going to have an exam today, whether it is sunny or rainy!" And the other said, "Aha! It is snowing today!"