| | Latest Longevity Lamp Designs | Desert Flowers | Summer Linen Series Can Be Worn for a Lifetime! -- New Romantic SM Celestial Clothes for Men | Life's Most Marvelous Moments -- Meetings with Master's Transformation Embodiment | Enlightenment Comes in the Relaxed Moments | | We Bathe in the Ocean of Love | Keep Thinking of Yourself as a Saint | | An Enlightened Master's Guidance Is Necessary for Spiritual Practice | | Persist in Your Ideal | Concentrate on One Method in Order to Achieve Sainthood | | Shaking It Off | The Story of a Japanese Sword Master | A Novel Way to Park | Grandma's Busy Home | Old But Still Ingenious | Learning the Spirit of Independence | The State of Enlightenment | Stories of Life with Master in the Early Years | | All Are One | Life Even in Firewood | The Fifth Kind of Disciple | Responding to Cries for Help | Sound Transmission across Thousands of Miles | | A Night of Sparkling Crystal! | Working Without Rest | Master's Notebook | Our Amusing Master | | Affirm Your perfect Self |
Summer Linen Series Can Be Worn for a Lifetime! -- New Romantic SM Celestial Clothes for Men
Life's Most Marvelous Moments -- Meetings with Master's Transformation Embodiment
An Enlightened Master's Guidance Is Necessary for Spiritual Practice
Used for the first time in the making of Longevity Lamps, bamboo enhances these latest designs with an ancient touch and a look of classical beauty.
The uniquely-shaped "Door of Heaven" ceiling lamp features a four-phase switch (soft night light, warm-toned double night lamp, night lamp plus daylight lamp, and brilliant daylight lamp), providing a variety of light intensities appropriate for different circumstances. This lamp also features a door that can be opened, symbolizing that the Door of Heaven has already been opened for us.
The "Heavenly Rain" lamp features many strings of tiny bamboo pieces symbolizing raindrops - a truly ingenious design! With each gentle breeze, the bamboo sways and dances gracefully, portraying a shower of nectar raining down from Heaven onto Earth. Master once said, "I love rain. So, when it rains, remember me! The rain is like blessing from Heaven. The rain is like the connection message from Heaven to Earth. So I like it very much. That is the only thing I like; it comforts my soul." When the Longevity Lamp "Heavenly Rain" is turned on, its radiance creates the feeling of basking in God's ocean of love.
Anything can be beautiful to a beautiful heart -- even dry desert flowers bring simple joy to Her
It's called "Desert Flowers," very rare. You have to go to the desert to see them. And not all deserts have this kind of flower. Different deserts have different flowers. Most deserts have one kind of flower only; it's a bluish kind of flower. Only one place has these rusty red flowers; they're beautiful. They look like the real ones we have at home.
These flowers look very dry but they're not. Just their color looks dry, but they're not dry. The plants are still very green inside; when you break them, they're still green. That's the way some desert flowers are. All flowers, when they're in different conditions, have different colors and different forms.
We are similar. All people in different situations and different circumstances appear different, from the outside and sometimes from the inside. I don't mean the inside soul or the original, eternal person. I mean the character of the person: the personalities and habits he or she acquires through contact with the environment or his/her background. But they are still beautiful, just like desert flowers.
So whenever I paint, I don't just paint an impression of the objects or the scenery; there is some meaning behind it. So desert flowers are like things in some of those different environments, like people who look strange, look a little bit peculiar, don't look like us or just maybe look like me. These are similar to desert flowers.
The latest SM Celestial Clothes series is the Romantic Summer Group of men's shirts. The main fabric is linen, "the queen of yarns," which is highly efficient in absorbing moisture and dispersing heat, and is also resistant to decay and bacterial build-up. The fabric is of a knit construction and its linen yarn is mixed with viscose rayon, providing a soft, smooth texture. This new series of men's fashions is also highly ventilating and crease-resistant. Both its crew neck and polo shirts allow the wearer freedom and ease of movement. During the long, sizzling summer, the designs are perfect for work, recreation and casual wear. The shirts can easily be matched with other clothing, allowing for trouble-free ensemble selection. This exciting new line shows that the SM Celestial Clothes are excellent for men, too!
The crew neck knitted shirt is available in three designs:
The knitted polo shirt is also available in three designs:
The SM Celestial Clothes line also has good news for those who have to wear socks all day during the hot summer months! SM Celestial Clothes has designed socks made of pure natural linen. They are soft and smooth to the touch, highly moisture absorbent, and mold and odor resistant, providing an efficient means to improve foot hygiene and prevent athlete's foot and other skin conditions.
The more we practice the Quan Yin Method, the more powerful we become. But new initiates cannot withstand too much blessing from God all at once so it's okay for them to meditate only two to three hours a day, and then sit longer by and by. Some can meditate for eight hours, or eighteen hours, or even twenty-four hours a day after they have practiced for a long time. But new initiates cannot practice so much; otherwise, there may be a problem because they cannot bear so much of God's power. Although this power was ours originally, there may be problems if we have not adjusted or adapted ourselves well when we suddenly receive too much power. That's why I have told you it's okay to meditate just two to three hours a day. Half an hour to one hour is enough for Convenient Method practitioners. It's not that the "greedier" you are in practice, the better you become. Of course, more practice helps, but you still have to take your time.
Some great spiritual practitioners in the Himalayas practice all day long. They meditate eight or eighteen hours a day, so their magical power is strong. They can appear and disappear all of a sudden before you know it. Of course, that's their inner Light form. Sometimes we can touch this manifestation form, just like we were touching a physical body. Try it on your neighbors. (Master and audience laugh.) Maybe it's a transformation embodiment. (Laughter) Those practitioners are on very high levels, so they have countless manifestations. It's just an outcome of cumulative practice.
How does this happen? Our bodies and the cells in the body evolve, and so do our souls. Most people take millions of years to advance to this level in the natural circulation system. However, with the Quan Yin Method, it takes only two to three weeks to attain the level that takes ordinary people several lifetimes of practice to reach. As a matter of fact, this is not really spiritual practice; it's just becoming involved in the circulation system of the universe. Ordinarily, those who don't practice the Quan Yin Method, but instead rely on doing charity, observing the precepts, and being good people, can reach this level only after eons.
The Quan Yin Method includes spiritual cultivation, keeping the precepts, purifying our body, speech and mind and meditating on the inner Sound and Light; so that we can elevate ourselves with respect to the whole evolutionary system. Human beings were originally crude. Their cells and brains were all crude. They had to evolve gradually to become intelligent human beings. After we learn the Quan Yin Method, we can evolve into more intelligent people, having both spirituality and magical power; not tangible magic, but a kind of "doing without doing." The more we practice this Method, the higher we develop ourselves, and the higher beings we become. We will progress very quickly in the evolutionary system.
When humans first appeared on this planet in very ancient times, some looked like gorillas, not only in appearance, but in thinking and behavior as well. At that time, humans could not do many things and gradually developed into what they are now. If we practice the Quan Yin Method, our levels can soar through several levels, without waiting millions of years for evolution to take its course.
The Quan Yin Method is nothing superstitious or mystical. We simply have an inner system that makes us progress. Even if we do not speed it up, it still automatically proceeds, but slowly. The Quan Yin Method accelerates this system. Therefore, when we first begin to practice it, we cannot practice very much; two to three hours a day are enough.
The practitioners in the Himalayas practice all day, and they are constantly in samadhi; thus, they have great magical power. They transform, appear and disappear, and we can never get hold of them! Some of our initiates also have seen the inner Light form of Master in their meditation or at home. Sometimes the manifestation form Master talks to them. They see Her not only through their inner vision, but also when they open their eyes, just like I see you now. They can even shake Her hand. But this form of Master doesn't stay very long. Of course, the manifestation form Master can stay, but it's not necessary for it to do so. And this form of Master only speaks a few words and then leaves. These initiates really have this sort of experience because they have practiced the Quan Yin Method for many lifetimes or have practiced very diligently in this lifetime.
It's really a pity if we don't practice this Method! The more we do, the greater we become. If we really know the benefits of practicing this Method, sometimes we like to forsake the whole world, and hide ourselves in some secret place for spiritual practice. Inside of us there is much potential power that we have not yet developed. In this world, we are powerless and lead a poor life like a beggar. But it doesn't matter. We can take our time. Maybe several lifetimes from now our magical power will grow as great!
Have you ever read the story of Yogananda (a great Indian saint of the twentieth century)? (Audience: Yes.) His Master Babaji often came and went, and His disciples could never get hold of Him. Sometimes Babaji would come to a disciple's home and then disappear, and the disciple might think his Master had gone. Since Babaji could conceal himself in the wind, rain, sun and air, you could never get hold of Him because He had practiced for such a long time! Those Masters are very different from ordinary people. They fly rather than walk. Sometimes they don't even bother to fly - they hide themselves in the air and disappear. We must have enough merit to see their manifestation forms.
Some of our fellow initiates have also seen this kind of manifestation form. I have heard stories about people seeing my manifestation form. Right? (Yes.) You saw it? Was it Master's inner Light form or a physical one? (Sister A: It looked like a human body, except it didn't talk.) Maybe you have not evolved to the level of being able to converse with it. (Master and audience laugh.) This is quite good already! Practice more and the manifestation form Master will talk to you. (Master and audience laugh.) Could you touch it? (Sister A: Master's manifestation form turned around and smiled at me. We were riding a bus together.) Riding a bus together? Poor me! (Laughter) Maybe I had too many disciples at that time, and I had no money! (Master and audience laugh.) Tell the story again, because they haven't heard the story and don't understand what we're laughing about.
Sister A: It was eight years ago. I was on a local Hsinchu bus when I saw Master. She was sitting opposite me, only one seat away. But I didn't know Master at the time. When the bus passed by Chungli, and arrived at Lungtan, Master got off the bus,, and She turned and smiled at me after crossed the road. I thought, "Why, this person makes me feel good!" The next day, I saw a poster in the same place, saying that a Master from the Himalayas was going to give a lecture. Only then did I realize that the person I had seen the day before was the Master on the poster.
Master: Maybe She was taking the bus to the lecture at the time. (Master and audience laugh.)
Sister A: I thought so. But later a sister nearby said that Master was on a retreat; besides, She couldn't be traveling alone.
Master: Right, I don't remember Her ever taking a bus in Formosa, but maybe She had no money at that time! (Laughter) Or maybe She snuck out alone to do it, and didn't tell me. (Master laughs.) Some non-initiates have also seen the manifestation form of Master at their homes, but after that they became fellow initiates.
Sister B: About seven or eight years ago, upon arriving home, my tenant told me, "It's a pity you weren't home - your Master was here! (Laughter) She asked me, 'Are you hungry? Have you eaten?' And I said, 'I'm not hungry. I don't want to eat.' Then Master said, 'You should eat. Come, let me wash the rice and cook it for you.' Your Master is really powerful! She even knew where you stored your rice!'" (Audience laughs.) My tenant said she didn't trouble Master with the cooking, and added, "It's really a pity that you didn't come back in time." She was completely unaware that she had seen Master's manifestation form!
Master: It's a pity that she didn't eat the rice cooked by the Master. You didn't see it yourself?
Sister B: No. I'm very happy already that Master came to my home!
Sister C: Master, the following is not my personal experience, but a story that a sister initiate told me. Her neighbor was over eighty when he passed away recently. Before he died, the sister initiate showed him Your photo, which reminded him of something that had happened some forty or fifty years earlier, when he was recruited by the Japanese army and sent to Manila, the Philippines. The boat he took to Manila sank to the bottom of the sea while crossing a very deep ocean trench. From the ocean depths, he saw the manifestation form of Master come to rescue him, and was thus saved from drowning. When he saw Master's photo on the cover of Her Aphorisms book, he found that the Lady in the picture looked exactly like the person who had saved him many years earlier. He was very grateful to Master for saving his life.
Sister D: Master, my father-in-law once told me that when he was hospitalized, he saw Master come to see him. At that time Master was in white and asked him, "Do you know who I am?" And he answered, "You are just an old woman!" (Laughter) Master then replied, "Look again, and look carefully." Then he thought to himself, "Well, maybe She is my son's master - Master Ching Hai!" Then Master said, "Take care of your health; you will be all right." Hearing this, he was so happy and touched that he began crying, and Master soon disappeared. The following day, my father-in-law received a call from us, telling him that we would come to pick him up and he could live with us. He was very delighted. Thank you, Master!
Sister E: Over ten years ago, I paid a visit to a friend and got lost on my way home. I got stuck for a long time and still couldn't find the right directions home. Later I saw Master in front of me, looking the same as in the photo in which She is dressed as Quan Yin Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy)! I then followed the directions of the manifestation form of Master, and found the right way home!
Master: Great!
Sister E: Later I bought a copy of that photo. (Master and audience laugh.) After my experience, Master wore the dress I saw in my experience.
Master: The photo of me in a white dress led you home?
Sister E: Yes!
Master: There are still many people who have had experiences! What we are talking about is Master's manifestation form that can talk to you physically. It's a special situation, and not the way you see in your meditation. What you see in your meditation is an inner vision. What we are talking about here is Master's manifestation form communicating with someone in the realm of the physical world, and this is different from what you see in meditation. In these cases, Master comes down from above to reach you. But when you see Master in your meditation, it means you have elevated to a higher dimension. If you see the Master with your eyes open, it means that Master has come down to communicate with you in this world. The Master you see here now is neither "up" nor "down." It's called the level of the "Tea Party." (Master and audience laugh.)
Brother A: have two stories, but they are not about my own experience. The first is that of my wife's nephew. When my mother-in-law was a new initiate, one day she took her grandson to the Taipei Youth Park. There, the child said that he wanted to go to the washroom, so my mother-in-law strolled about while he was inside. After emerging from the washroom, the child couldn't find his grandmother, so he became frightened. At that moment, he knew that he shouldn't cry for he was afraid he might be taken away by bad people because if he cried, others would know that he was lost.
Master: How old was the child?
Brother A: About four or five. During the time when the boy was very afraid, Master came up and talked to him, saying, "Follow me, and don't cry!" He followed close behind Master and found his grandmother after they had gone by two places. Then he told his grandmother, "I saw Master just now. She led me to you." This was the first time I had heard of Master's manifestation appearing near our home. Before that I had only experienced being tested and awakened by Master in my dreams. (Master and audience laugh.)
The other story I have is about a Hsinchu sister initiate's experience. One day before she was initiated, she went shopping for food at a market, where a small nun gave her a sample booklet, and told her to go to a lecture. When she looked at the booklet, she thought, "Gee, isn't this person in the photo the nun who gave me the booklet?" (Laughter) But she couldn't find Master when she turned around. Master had not only appeared before her, but also spoken to her. Of course, she was later initiated.
Master: Your work is not perfect enough! You see, I have to hand out the sample booklets myself! (Laughter) Lazy workers! You missed one of my disciples and I had to look for her myself! You see, it's better for me to rely on myself! (Master and audience laugh.)
Sister F: My daughter has had frequent communications with Master since she was little. But I try not to ask her about them because we shouldn't ask about others' experiences. Once she acted in a very strange way. When I was chatting with an initiate, she kept bowing here and there. I found it very weird so I asked her, "What are you doing?" And she said, "Master has come!" I replied, "If Master comes, bow to Her only!" My daughter then said, "But She keeps moving!" (Laughter) And I responded, "Tell me where Master is so I won't bump into Her!" (Laughter)
When my daughter was two or three years old, I took her to the suspension bridge over Taipei Bitan (the largest lake in Taipei). I put her on the bridge and told her, "Sit here. I have to buy something. If any bad people want to take you away, shout for me." She answered, "I'll call Master, not you!" (Master and audience laugh.) The other day, my daughter and I went out with some initiates. I saw a big rock, and told my daughter and another little initiate to stand on it so I could take a photograph of them. To get a better picture, I asked them to move back a little. After taking the picture, I came up to my daughter and found that right behind the rock was the ocean. The children had been standing on the edge of the rock and had almost fallen into the sea! I asked my daughter, "Why didn't you tell me?" And she replied, "Master is here. I'm not afraid!" Around that time, she had often talked about Master coming, and this time I didn't expect that Master had really come. After the photo was developed, we could see that my daughter's arm appeared to be transparent, and the sea behind her could be seen through her arm. The owner of the photo studio was very surprised and asked, "What happened?"
Master: Maybe something was wrong with your film. (Laughter)
Sister G: Seven or eight years ago, I drove to Yangming Mountain one day and gave a woman hitchhiker a ride. I gave her a copy of Master's sample booklet because she seemed to be a Buddhist. When she saw the booklet, she said: "Gee, I seem to have seen this Master before!" Finally, she revealed that several times while she and her husband were riding a motorbike on the way to the Yangming Center, they had seen a nun jogging along the road. The woman said she felt strange because the nun jogged even on rainy days, and seemed to be insulated from the rain even though she didn't wear a raincoat.
As I was giving the woman a ride home to Wanli, my car went by the Yangming Center and she pointed to a certain place and said, "The nun I saw disappeared here, but I don't see any temple!" The place she pointed to was the location of the Center, where Master had previously stayed. But Master was abroad and not in Formosa at the time the woman saw Her. The woman then said, "When it's sunny, she jogs; when it's rainy, she still jogs." (Master and audience laugh.) Both she and her husband had seen it. Then I gave her some issues of Master's News magazines and a sample booklet, and asked which form of Master she had seen. She said it was the one on the old version of Master's sample booklet, in which Master was dressed as a nun. Thank you, Master! (Audience applauds.)
Master: Why are you thanking me? I just jogged. (Master and audience laugh.) People thank me just because I do exercises. Can you believe it? (Master and audience laugh.) I was just bored on Yangming Mountain, because they boxed me in there, so I had to jog a little to get some fresh air! When talking about your experiences, you can never finish! (Laughter)
Usually, even if we know our past mistakes, we do not have the power to repent. If we can truly repent, however, our karmic hindrances will be erased. We must really practice spiritually in order to repent. Therefore, we still have to meditate.
Spiritual practitioners can transcend the atmosphere of cause and effect and karmic hindrances, so we can feel more relaxed. Therefore, the more we practice, the happier and smoother our lives will be. Because we have escaped from the process of karmic hindrances, it can no longer get hold of us, for we are above it.
If we are intelligent, we may have a high social status in society, or a high position in the country or among the people on earth. But if we have wisdom, we can attain Heaven even while on earth.
The more we spiritual practitioners look inward, the better we will be. Within us are our virtuous quality, supreme wisdom, and greatest power. If we turn outward, the power and concentration of our wisdom will be dispersed.
Do not lose your original Self or personal demeanor for the sake of anyone. Only in this way can we be original, genuine, and natural. We'll be charismatic, lovely and beautiful. It is not good to imitate anyone.
I am very happy to see you today. You must be good today, good people. Because sometimes not very good people have come and I also feel it. Today, probably you are in a good mood, like flying spirits. Just relax, and then everything will come to you. Just relax; remember that the Bible says, "Don't worry about tomorrow, because God will take care of everything, including even the blades of grass and the lilies of the field." How would Hes not take care of you? You are Hiers begotten children in Hiers own image. You are saturated with Hiers love and blessings, all day long, for 24 or even 25 hours, over and over. Just be still and feel it. Be still; then you can feel it.
For example, the wind is blowing and the breeze is so nice, but you keep struggling: "I want wind; I want the wind; I'm hot!" The more you struggle and sweat, the hotter and more uncomfortable you feel. Then you become exhausted, and you might even drop dead - in the presence of the wind!
My dogs are like that. So don't be a dog! (Audience laughs.) When a new dog comes, especially a puppy, he's always panting, "Ah, ah, ah!" He always wants me to do something, and he always wants to hang around me. I'm right there, but he's always hanging at my feet, obstructing both of our movements. Sometimes, for example, I put him inside a room with all of his toys and a big, big place to play. And he has water and everything. But he has to hang around right at the gate, panting all the time, drooling and sweating and screaming - for no reason! He could have relaxed. I feel terrible putting him in a crate, which is only for when he's naughty and only for a while. It's just for training purposes, or for when he's sick, so that he rests instead of jumping all over and wasting energy. So I give him a whole room, which is bigger than my room. I treat him at least as an equal, or sometimes even better than myself. The dogs eat before I do; they eat fruit and all kinds of things. I peel fruit and vegetables to give them. I don't even do that for myself! Most of the time if the disciples or whoever don't have already-peeled fruit, I don't eat fruit. They bring the whole basket up, and then they bring it down again, hoping that one day I will see the fruit and eat it.
I never see the fruit; I never bother. I don't think of fruit. But now that I have dogs, I peel the fruit every day, and then give it to the puppy. I treat him better than myself. But he's so panicky, running around next to the gate, then climbing up and down the gate all the time, exhausting himself and sweating and drooling. And he looks so terrible: for what? I already told him, "I'm busy right now; stay there, and in a while, I'll take you out, if you're good." But no, he obstructs himself. He messes it all up, and then pees everywhere - not where he's supposed to, in the designated area - then he gets more punishment, and then he can't get out, ever.
This is the problem with us, too. You're always right here in the presence of God, all the time. If God is not here right now, God is never anywhere. If God doesn't know what you want already, Hes knows nothing. Then Hes' a stupid guy; there's no need to worship Hirm or go find Hirm. So just relax, know that God is all-knowing, and ask for whatever you really need. I always know you are here, and if you're more relaxed, I will come around. If I feel your relaxed atmosphere, maybe I will be attracted to it. Because I love this kind of cool atmosphere. And then I will probably inch myself in your direction and ask you something, and then we can be a couple of good conversationalists. We can talk about things that you would never probably dream we could talk about - instead of grabbing me for two seconds, getting scolded, and putting your tail between your legs to run away like a dog. You're not dogs; I'm sorry, don't be offended. But you do have a tail somewhere; some of you have! (Master and everyone laugh.)
Anyway, just relax; whatever happens will happen. Many of you are always like that. Spiritual practice is not like doing business out there, where you have to climb on top of each other to get the glory. You don't have to snatch the profit from the next person to get it. Everything you do outside to get attention, to grab glory or success, drop it before you come through the gate. If you want that way of being busy or bugging people for yourself, then you can pick it up when you go out. But once you come in here, you can relax. Remember, you are a saint or saint-to-be; behave like one. You're noble, you're good, you're protected, you're loved, you're noticed, you're welcome, and you're cared for - 24 hours. You are the ones the world should look up to. Walk like that. Then you will be like that.
Believe me. Whatever you think, you get; so think of yourself as a good, good saint. Even if you don't believe it that much, try. Keep thinking like that because you are. You are in the process of remembering again that you are a saint, anyway. You were a saint before you came here. It's just that you have chosen to forget, to be a human and do whatever silly things you have to do for the role you play here. But now, once you go into a Center, that is the time to forget your role and to remember your real Self. So every time you walk through the gate of the Center, remember: You are a saint, you are a Buddha, and you are reclaiming yourself now. "This is a time all for myself, all for my sainthood; nothing else comes between that and me. I'm OK; I'm great; I'm going to practice during these two, three, or four hours I am here, as a saint. I'm going to practice and rehearse again my role as a saint in this world." Because if you want to be an ordinary stupid person again in the Center, where else can you be a saint? Where else can you remember yourself as great, as holy, as flawless, as intelligent, as enlightened, as all blessing, all grace, all glory, all God-like?
You may ask me questions; that's OK. You may ask them to satisfy your brain. But don't act like a stupid nuisance. Don't lower your level of dignity. Don't lower your consciousness. Don't be contented with the lower self. Don't be a habit-driven creature, going everywhere and being a nuisance, grabbing and greedy, bugging people and making a fool, a stupid 'you-know-what' of yourself.
The law of God is: "As you think, so shall you become." Keep thinking until your thinking power becomes very strong, and then you become that. Whatever you think you are, you will become. It may not be in one day that you think and you become a saint, or that you will remember yourself as a saint right away. But keep thinking in that direction, or at least whenever you go to the Center. That is the time for you to be a saint, at least.
The power of creation is within your sight. It's in your head, in your brain, and in your mind. Because you're God, you have this creative power. So you can create what you are. Create yourself with dignity; create yourself as a saint; create yourself as a Buddha. Keep creating, until it becomes reality. How do you think we became like this? Because we have been thinking and creating ourselves like this - until we became it. It took time, but it happened. That's why we have to meditate every day: to create, re-create, and remember - until we are firm in our remembrance of our original Self. Then we are assured that we are Saints. We have just forgotten, and now we have to try to remember, again and again.
Every time you walk through the Center's gate, remember that you are a Saint. The more you remember, the more you will be one, and the more enlightenment will come to you and be nearer to you. It is already there; it's just that the more you remind yourself, the more you realize you have.
So do not obstruct yourself with those stupid habits. You are a Saint. Don't make a fool of yourself. It looks silly, it looks funny, it looks stupid, and I'm not proud of you when you do that. I'm proud of you when you walk with your head high, when you're in very noble spirits, when you're self confident, knowing that you are Saints, or at least knowing that you are Saints who maybe doesn't realize it yet. At least you can say, "Maybe I haven't remembered it fully yet, but I know I'm a Saint." Each time you think and walk like a Saint, you are a Saint - there's no question about it. Because you are already! It's just that you always forget it. Each time you remember, that is the time you are. My God, it's so easy to be a Saint. It's easier than eating, sleeping, or anything else. Just remember it.
Q: Master, I just wanted to let you know that in medicine, people are waking
up. I don't know if you saw that Newsweek and Time recently published "The Power of Yoga." Also, they're studying
the physiology of ecstasy and spiritual experience.
M: It's about time!
Q: So it made big headlines; you may have seen.
M: They had difficulty, but they kind of admit indirectly that God exists.
Q: In that article it was funny because they said kundalini yoga was the easiest
yoga and that hatha yoga was the most difficult.
M: These are all exercises; we have to go beyond that. Actually, when you
practice the Quan Yin Method, sometimes you also feel the kundalini awaken.
It's more natural than having it start right at the bottom of everything.
We start at the top, and everything has to go up. It's better than starting
at the bottom, and climbing. If you happen to have a bigger bottom, then
it can take a long time! (Laughter)
Q: But it's becoming an issue because so many people are going at it blindly,
and then having problems. They come to physicians because of all kinds
of symptoms and issues. So it takes a whole way of organizing to make sure
that there's no negative effect from the people's practice. They practice
on their own because they hear about all of this, and they're doing whatever
they want to do.
M: I know. You guys are lucky. How many people have gone "cuckoo"
because of spiritual malpractice? I have told you and everyone many times:
Either don't do anything, or go and find the real Teacher to learn it correctly,
the one who can be behind you and support you all the way through, from
here to Heaven. Otherwise, you'll get lost in some "nihilism"
or void somewhere. The void is big and the universe is vast; where will
you go without a Guide?
And, of course, you are bound to bump into some astral entities or a black hole. You could get lost forever, and that would be terrible! It's better not to fool with the universe, especially spiritual power. If you fool with atomic bomb power, that's scary enough already. But even that, you can handle; that's physical. But something invisible or unknown, if you tamper with it: Oh, my God, I can't even begin to think about it!
Q: In the article on ecstasy, the issue also is that people get certain glimpses,
and then they get frustrated because they don't have guidance after that.
M: Yes, it's true. Well, they should search. Nowadays, if you don't find
a Master, it's your own fault. There're e-mail and websites; there's everything,
everywhere. The Supreme Master is everywhere, all over. Whenever I turn
on a computer, I stare directly at myself. "Who's that? My God!"
(Master and everyone laugh.)
It's so easy to question today. But I don't know. Maybe it's not easy for lay people to understand who is who. And they don't know whom to trust, and so they just go with the wind. It's a pity, though. That's why you guys are there. You're all over; you're omnipresent. You can tell everyone what is what and who is who. You are the thousand arms of Quan Yin Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy) and the thousand eyes of Quan Yin Bodhisattva. You're everywhere. You do things, you talk and you walk.
That's why I tell you to walk like a Buddha. If you can't walk like that every minute of the day, at least walk in the Center like a Buddha. Here we only have Buddhas, and nothing else. So, just be one. Otherwise, you stand out like a sore thumb in the forest of Buddhahood here.
Q: So the only thing that prevents us from becoming our Buddha Nature is believing
that we are not Buddhas?
M: Yes, that's the only thing!
Q: And it's as simple as that?
M: Yes, it is. But it's not that simple, because your mind makes it very
complicated. You make Buddha or God something far away, something untouchable,
something unapproachable. And as you think, so you become. If a fish doesn't
know where the ocean is while she's swimming in it, there's no one who
can help her. If she doesn't know where the ocean is, in which she's swimming
right now, she'll never know anywhere else, no matter how far she travels.
It's the same as what I've told you: Going to the Himalayas is of no use.
You should stay here, and work with your own Himalaya. (Master points to
the wisdom eye.)
Stay wherever you are; you have to know God right there. Because Hes is everywhere. I keep telling you that God is omnipresent and omnipotent. Is that just a joke? And "The Kingdom of God is within you." Is that a joke, or did Jesus tell a lie? Or, "Buddha is within you." Did Buddha make a joke about emotional trust? No! They all told the Truth. So you just have to remind yourself every day, "I am a Buddha." And if you don't know that you are Buddha, do something Buddha-like. For example, help other people to get enlightened. The more you help people in any way, the more enlightened you become and the more you realize, "Yes, I have this power."
Once you talk to other people, your Buddha Nature will come out and talk to them. You will realize, "My God, can I talk like this? Look who's talking! (Laughter) I never knew how to talk like this before." The more you use this Buddha power inside you, the more you sincerely wish other people to be enlightened naturally. Not like you're coercing or forcing or blackmailing them, but naturally. The more it comes out, the more you realize, "I do have this power! Otherwise, where else does it come from? How could I talk like this?" Once you recognize your eloquence and your convincing power, you'll convince yourself, too. Well, thanks to you, I became a Buddha. That's what it means. Because if you didn't need me, I would probably just put my Buddhahood to the side and go play football. (Laughter)
Q: We know there are people in the world who aren't enlightened. They're just pretty much walking with their blinders on and don't know the divine creatures that they are. Are there ways You might suggest that we don't become discouraged by the overwhelming numbers of these blind people, other than just to recognize that they are divine, and love them for what they are anyway?
M: Love them for what they are, and do your own thing. They can do their thing, and you should also do your thing. If you cannot influence them in any way, then just keep to yourself and protect yourself, at least so that you do not become dispirited.
That's why we have to keep together -- through group meditation, retreats, lectures, videotapes, books and so on -- reminding yourself until you're strong on your feet and can walk by yourself and aren't influenced by anything. Then you become a master of yourself and a master of the world, instead of the world becoming your master. You don't have to teach anyone to be a master. You're the master of yourself. That's the hardest thing to do.
It's no problem, in the hospital there might be only two or three doctors, or ten at the most. But they aren't overwhelmed by the number of patients in the hospital, because they know what they're doing. They've studied for years, and they treat the patients instead of letting the patients infect them with their diseases or misery.
Q: I hear every Master say when they teach, "Don't go to another teacher." I know You said if you're riding two bicycles, you can't learn to ride one. At the same time, I understand that we are One, somewhere, somehow. So why is it that this Oneness doesn't override the individual Master?
M: Because you're already separated. It takes time and power and concentration to become One again with all beings. So while you're separated, you'd better just concentrate on what you know and study what you have, first. Otherwise, you'll overwhelm yourself with many seemingly contradictory theories and teachings.
The real Masters teach the same Truth, but one may express it differently to certain individuals. And the affinity that this Master has with His students is different from the kind you have with other masters. But if you overwhelm yourself with too many factors, then you can't digest it. And that will make you slow to progress. Because you confuse yourself and you have doubts about this path. Yet you can't go to that other path because it seems similar. Because you're not yet developed enough to discriminate which one is which, or assimilate that all are One. So you might just as well stay with the level of your truth, until you go above it. And then, of course, you can go to hell, not to mention going to another human being's same level or a higher level or a different level.
Stick with one thing at a time. It's not that it's forbidden; it's just that while you're studying with one professor in English, there's no need to go to another English professor, because he will probably give you a different kind of teaching or lesson. Just like he would give a mechanic different terminology than you. You are studying to become a plumber, so he would use different terminology for you. Both teach English, but you learn about one thing at a time.
If later you want to, you can join the other teacher. But by then it won't be necessary. So it's not necessary now, it won't be necessary later, it never has been and never will be necessary. Stick with one teacher. If you believe this teacher teaches the whole Truth, then stick with that. If you don't believe it, then you can leave this teacher, go somewhere else and stick with that teacher alone. But be careful before you move. Otherwise, you'll waste your time shopping around.
Faith can move mountains. And I can promise you that whatever I teach you is wholly true. If not, I fear God's punishment. If I were not able to teach, I would not dare. Because I'm also a lady and a woman; I'm a human, and I also fear God. If I weren't "there," I wouldn't dare. Maybe you would dare, but I wouldn't. Because I fear God. Why would I do that, if I didn't know? Because I don't feel that I need anything. Looking into my heart, I realize I don't need anything.
So if I teach you, it's because I should and because I know. And what I know, I give to you, the highest Truth that I know. If I teach you because I need you or need money, fame or things like that, then maybe I do it wrongly or maybe I just do it for the sake of having the fame or the profit. But when I look into my heart, I see I don't need anything! And whatever I know, I know it's the Truth. Many of us know it's the Truth -- we can testify to it again and again.
Even if I'm wrong, all of you can't be wrong. And I've been searching Heaven and Earth: There's no better thing than what I've taught you. (Applause) This is not meant to convert you. It's just to tell you because you ask. But of course, as is your level, so will you understand me or not understand me. I can't force you. I'm just telling you as a promise, as a vow, as a statement, so that if you need this confirmation, you have it.
Below is a story from the Internet http://english.hongkong.com/chain_email/shake_it_off.html that I would like to share it with everyone.
One day, a farmer's donkey fell into a dried up well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided that the animal was old, the well needed to be covered up, and retrieving the donkey just wasn't worth the effort. So he invited his neighbors to come over and help him bury the donkey in the well to put him out of his misery.
They all grabbed shovels and began to scoop dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and again cried pitifully. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down into the well and was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel load of dirt that hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He shook it off and took a step up!
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped triumphantly over the edge of the well and trotted off! As with the donkey, life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each setback we encounter is like dirt shoveled on our backs. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
What seemed like it would bury the donkey actually blessed him-because of the way in which he handled his adversity. This is a key to one of the mysteries of life. If we face our problems, respond to them positively and refuse to give in to panic and bitterness, the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us!
It is up to us to remember to develop the ability to forgive, forget, and press toward our goal. We need to keep developing our faith, our hope and our ability to love unconditionally. These are the tools that will help us "shake it off and step up" out of the wells in which we find ourselves.
Remember these five simple rules for being happy:
There was a Japanese man who wanted to learn the famous national martial art of kendo. The man visited a sword master and wanted to become his student. But the master didn't want to accept him; so he begged the master sincerely, "It doesn't matter if you don't teach me. Please let me stay, and I will sweep the floor, wash the toilet, cook, sew and polish your shoes for you. I look up to you very much. Teach me when you want to, and if you don't want to, it's okay. I won't ask for too much!" Therefore, the master let him stay.
The man lived there for a period of time, and the sword master didn't teach him anything, but told him to do the daily household chores, which were boring. After some time, in spite of what he was doing, be it cooking, washing, cleaning during the daytime, or even sleeping at night, the master would suddenly appear howling, with sword in hand, ready to duel with him. So the man had to be on constant alert. Even when he was cooking or cleaning the toilet, he had to be on the lookout. (Laughter)
That's what it's like when you "train" me. I have to be ready at all times. (Master laughs.) When I go to the bathroom, I have to check if there are any cameras around, or if there are any disciples nearby. I am so "tense" that it makes me be in "Zen" for twenty-four hours! (Laughter) I couldn't bear it before, but now I'm getting used to it. Sometimes it happens to you as well, like when I come to see you without informing you. So you have the expectation all the time. You might see me around the stairway or when you're eating. Then we will always miss each other! (Master and audience laugh.) Because I'm constantly afraid of being seen by you, and you expect me to appear suddenly, we are ready to communicate at any time. That's nice! (Master and audience laugh and audience applauds.)
Now let's go back to the sword master. In the end, the disciple became a very famous sword master. His success came from the special teaching method of his master, and not from the common kind that begins at 7 A.M. and ends at 9 P.M. and everything is taught in a common way. The master used an uncommon method. He often attacked the disciple when the disciple was not prepared, like when he was cooking, bathing or sleeping at night. So the disciple had to be on constant alert, and later he became a very good and famous kendo master!
It is the same with our spiritual practice. We have to be prepared at all times. We should not say, "Well, I'm happy now and I want to hang around here and do nothing." This is an ephemeral world. We have to be ready to handle any sudden situation. Why is this world ephemeral? It is for us to learn the spirit of preparedness, and to learn to be cautious at all times. This world is neither good nor bad. It just depends on how we make use of situations, and learn the lessons that are good for us. We have to always be learning. We should be in Zen twenty-four hours a day.
There was a young man, a first time driver, who tried to park a car between two others. He put the car into reverse and "bang" ran into the car behind him. And then he put the car back into forward gear, and "bang" hit his front end into the car in front of him. And so back and forth he went, banging both cars each time he went into reverse or forward. So the woman next to him couldn't resist asking him, "Do you always have to use your ears to park?" "Bang! Bang! Bang!" - parking by ears!
There was a man who came to his friend's house to pick up a little child for preschool, and he saw an elderly woman hugging the child before they left the house. So, the man said, "Who's that?" and the child responded, "It's my grandmother. She came to visit us for Christmas." Then the man said, "Oh, that's very nice. Where does your grandmother live?" and the child replied, "She lives at the airport." And so the man asked, "How come?" The child answered, "Every time she says she wants to see us, we go there and pick her up!"
There was a 75-year-old multi-millionaire who had just married a beautiful 18-year-old blond girl. So his friends asked him, "How did you manage to get an 18-year-old girl to marry you, when you're 75?" And the old man replied, "I told her I was 99, so she would marry me quick!"
Please visit the following web sites to enjoy the original video versions of these jokes, and you may share the joy of Master's humor with those around you as well:
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/136/jk1.htm (USA)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/136/jk1.htm (Formosa)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.net/eng/news/136/jk1.htm (USA)
We have to learn to be independent because who is going to accompany us at the moment of death? There was no one with us when we were born, so of course, there will also be no one else with us when we die. Therefore, we have to learn right now to be independent. The more independent we are, the more worthy we feel, and then we will not be defeated or shaken. At that time we will know who we are, and know our own abilities and what we can accomplish.
After we are put to the test, drilled and polished, we will have experienced everything. After that we will not be easily cheated or oppressed. Also, our hearts will not be easily swayed. Therefore, every situation is meant for us to learn, and the more we learn, the better we become. This is the reason I do not want to spoil you.
I can feel that you are progressing, becoming more and more confident, more independent, and gaining more of a sense of responsibility. You are becoming responsible for yourself and are able to take care of yourself. When we are not being spoiled, we feel great! Perhaps when we newly arrive at the center, we have a sense of strangeness, feeling that no one is taking care of us. The fellow practitioners all seem very cold. No one greets us. We have to set up our own tents, and fill our own bowls with rice. (Master and audience laugh.) Nevertheless, after we endure it for a while, we feel, "Yeah! It's great! I can bear it, and it's nothing." At that time we know we can take care of ourselves. What we were unable to do before, now we can do; whatever situation we were unable to endure before, now we can. Before we would care about this little 'I,' but now we care no more.
Enlightened people are confident as human beings. They are truly human beings. They do what they should do, they do what they want, and they know what they're doing. At the same time, they know that they are not human. But they're also OK being human. They don't contradict themselves; they don't have any problems or struggles like, "My God, I'm a Saint! I can't do this!" It's, "I can! I can! All right!"
That's because you know everything already. You know that even though you are Saints, you are here. You are here and you are there. (Master points Heavenward.) It's OK; the two states don't contradict each other, and we live both lives at the same time. We feel good, confident and happy, knowing who we are. And that is correctly so. Otherwise, if you keep thinking of yourself 24 hours a day as, "I'm a Saint! I'm a Saint! I'm a Saint!" it's no fun! And then you won't enjoy your food or your drink.
Part I:
Our Master, who is one with all and senses the joys and sorrows of all
sentient beings as though they were Her own, cannot bear to see even a
tiny being hurt. The following anecdotes show how the tender and meticulous
care and boundless love of a Saint are naturally revealed through Her daily
words and deeds.
In the forested mountains surrounding the Hsihu Center, dead trees and dry twigs were available everywhere. So we seldom used gas for heating and cooking. Once when Master saw a resident disciple making a fire, She immediately came over to tell her to withdraw the wood from the fire, saying, "How can you be so careless? I've told you to check and see if there're any worms or tiny creatures hiding in the wood before burning it. Ants, especially, love to hide in bamboo and tree holes, so please check very carefully!"
When sentient beings were hurt by the fire, Master felt the pain at once.
When the inviting, golden-red persimmons were ripe in the persimmon garden where Master used to live, She would call the disciples over to pick the fruit. But She gave us special instructions: "Do not pick all the persimmons; leave some for the birds." Birds were regular visitors to our kitchen, too. Master also told us to prepare a bowl of fresh water and some cooked rice for them every day.
While at Hsihu, Master said with a smile that Shakyamuni Buddha had four kinds of disciples, female and male monastic disciples, and female and male lay disciples, but She had a fifth type; that is animals - the birds and stray dogs that visited time and again, and the neighboring cows, sheep and chickens that often transgressed the boundaries of the Center to graze there.
Not only do human beings love to be around Master, but animals love to
see Her as well. During Master's lecture tours and short stays in various
countries around the world, some of these "fifth-group disciples"
have visited Her on occasion, becoming attached to Master and refusing
to leave.
Once Master was taking us for a stroll around a mountain near the Hsihu Center, and we were talking and laughing as we walked. Suddenly, Master stopped and bent Her head, so we all stopped, too. Master then tapped the ground gently with Her bamboo stick and told the disciple behind Her: "Be careful, there's a butterfly here." For some unknown reason, a butterfly had stopped in the middle of the road and showed no intention of moving. Luckily, it had met our Master, who is one with all beings. Otherwise, it could hardly have survived after being trampled by the herd of "blind elephants" that we were.
On another occasion when Master was walking around the mountain, She suddenly
called out the name of one of the resident disciples who was not present.
When we later mentioned this to the disciple, she revealed that at that
moment, she had been struggling in great pain in her tent and had prayed
to Master for help. Only when Master called out her name did she get out
of the perilous situation!
Once Master was cooking in the kitchen while I was watering the vegetables some distance away. With the tap turned on and the water running, I was humming some popular songs as I worked. Though the running water was louder than my singing, I heard Master's voice coming all the way from the kitchen: "Instead of reciting the Holy Names, what nonsense songs are you singing!" I then shut up right away. What sharp ears Master has! She could hear me over such a distance!
Everyone has a particular vibration and magnetic field. Especially after being initiated by Master, the "brain waves" from our slightest thoughts can disturb Her. Master is like a great receiver that constantly picks up vibratory signals from all directions. So, if our minds are not in the Tao all the time while we are around Master, we can easily affect Her.
Master has said, "The inner Sound can take us to higher realms and then we will develop in all respects. The higher we go, the more clearly will we be able to see, until finally, we can see every corner of the Universe. At that time, we will be able to communicate with any being, because we have already become one with the Universe." (Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Japan, October 18, 1993, Originally in Chinese, videotape No. 382) This indicates that, by practicing the Quan Yin Method, each one of us can reach the level of being "one with all."
Part II:
One night, in front of Master's Glass House at Hsihu, She was planning to read us the story of Naropa (Master of the great Tibetan Saint Milarepa). Seeing a thick, hardcover book in English lying on Her desk, we knew that we were going to have another wonderful night! Usually, Master seldom looked up words in the dictionary when reading stories to us. But that night She gave special instructions to Her attendant to bring a dictionary in case it was needed, because the book had been translated from the scriptures of Esoteric Buddhism, which abounds in special terms. Master thus had been very careful and diligent, having browsed through the text before reading it to us.
Naropa experienced all types of humiliations and tests on his Truth-seeking path. Being an expert story-teller, Master made the legend a thousand times more interesting than usual, with one exciting climax after another. As our spirits wandered to the ancient kingdom of Tibet, we totally forgot what time it was.
Master finished reading the story at midnight, and the night air was wet with heavy dew. Then, after having said good night to everyone, Master went inside Her Glass House and continued to read. The small house owes its name to the huge glass panes on all four of its sides. Now that its windows were wet with dew, many tiny streams of water had formed on the panes. A desk lamp reflected Master's slim figure in the faint, softly radiating yellow glow. This beautiful, dreamy scene was like one from the world of crystal!
Part III:
Master likes to work at night when all is still and the tumultuous daytime atmosphere has calmed down. When everyone else is in dreamland, the Saint continues another stage of Her work.
Master once invited a resident disciple to sleep in Her room. The following morning, the sister came back to the office looking thoughtful. The other resident disciples felt curious and asked her why she was so pensive. She said that the night before, Master had given her many instructions about her work, and she was trying hard to remember them. We wondered why she had not brought paper and pen with her, and the sister responded, "How could I have known to bring a pen and paper when I went to bed?" After this incident, we realized that Master doesn't really sleep when She goes to bed, but continues to tirelessly do Her work through the night.
In 1993, before leaving Formosa for Her World Lecture Tour, Master gave a wonderful talk at the Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei in response to the local community's loving wishes. The night before the lecture, Master unexpectedly asked for the book of Chuang Tze, that was stored in Hsihu's Treasure Pavilion. The messenger told us to find the book and have it delivered to Taipei as soon as possible. The next day, the theme of Master's lecture was "Lao Tze, Chuang Tze and the Music of Heaven." Later, Master went to Indonesia and continued talking about Lao Tze and Chuang Tze. Such impromptu situations often occur when we are with Master.
Another time, it was very late and I was working overtime in the office. Just as I began to feel drowsy and was about to go to bed, the phone rang suddenly. It was Master asking for a book about Master Tson-Kha-Pa, founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) monastic sect in Tibet, and where it could be found. I looked at the clock; it was midnight. Knowing that Master was still reading, my sleepiness vanished in no time.
Part IV:
Once when I had a chance to organize Master's bookcase, a small, loose-leaf notebook caught my attention. I casually opened it and Master's graceful handwriting greeted my eyes. I looked at just a few lines, but they were very powerful. I dared not read more and closed the notebook, which was of a very plain, simple style that few people used at the time. But Master used it to write down Her priceless inspirations!
Master is really a very simple person. But because of our complicated and unnatural minds, we often fail to perceive Her needs when attending to Her. For a period of time, Master would occasionally draw out some tissue-paper during Her public lectures, joking that it was Her "wise council." It was actually because we had forgotten to provide notebooks for Master, so when She had inspirations at night, She had to make do with tissue-paper to write on. In order to jot down Her inspirations at any given moment, Master always placed a small flashlight by Her bed for writing at night.
Once Master visited our office. When she saw some yellow post-it notes on my desk, She was as delighted as a child discovering a new toy. She took them and kept them with Her on Her trip abroad. In the office, these convenient notes had been used for a long time, but not a single person thought of getting some for Master! And She was the one Who needed them most!
We also forgot to put a calendar in Master's room, so She often telephoned us to ask the date. Besides, when Master drew Her clothing, jewelry and lamp designs, She had only a few colored pens available and often could not find correction fluid; while in our office, all kinds of colored pens were within easy reach, but we often failed to create anything. Master, the great designer, however, could paint the entire universe with just a few simple pens!
Part V:
One afternoon at Hsihu, it looked as though it was going to rain. The air was heavy and sultry. Then, while working quietly in the office, all of a sudden we heard an explosion coming from Master's kitchen, which was only a few feet from our office. While we - a bunch of sister residents - became anxious and confused, we heard a ripple of joyous laughter, and then sighed in relief! We realized that things must be all right after hearing the laughter. But what had happened? It turned out that Master had asked someone to set off some fire crackers and then sent someone over to inquire, "Were you scared by the blast?" Our mischievous Master had succeeded in entertaining us, and the dreary atmosphere of the day was naturally and easily dissolved.
I want to tell you one more thing for the last time ever again: You are not bad. Even if you have a lot of bad habits, you are not bad. It's your brain, your computer, that records all these things and plays them out again. Don't ever identify yourself with all those bad habits. Just kill them, and say, "It's not me!" Whatever you like about yourself or your way of living, you should keep; whatever is not good for your spiritual development or even your physical reputation, you should kill. Because they are your enemies; that's it! But you are not bad.
Number one, you have to know that you are not bad. It's just your acquired habits that are bad, because you have been associated with some bad people or bad environments. Just like if you come here next to me and I give you some candies, if you go into a fish shop, even though you don't want to buy any, they just touch you or brush against you, and then you feel smelly like a fish.
So that's all there is to your so-called bad self. Don't ever blame yourself. Just get rid of your bad habits whenever you can, one by one. Make a promise that you're going to get rid of a bad habit, like smoking. If you can't do it immediately, give yourself a week or a month to do it. And if you fail, try again. It doesn't matter. You are very good already. You couldn't harm a living thing; you couldn't harm an ant now. You are so sweet, like an angel; you're a walking angel already. So whatever else is there, it's doing no harm to anyone.
For example, before you liked to kill or hit people, and now you don't anymore. So that's all right. Even if you still think about it, it's OK. You are really fine. As long as you do what was instructed at the time of initiation and meditate every day to nourish your soul, that's all you can do. Everything else is just on the surface. The ocean doesn't have waves. The waves come from the wind and the shifting of the planet. You are the ocean. It's always calm and beautiful. So don't blame the waves on yourself. Blame the wind or the shifting of the planet. As long as the ocean is still on this planet's surface, there will always be waves. If you get rid of one wave, another wave will come. So today you think you get rid of this bad habit, but tomorrow you discover, "Hey! What is this? I never knew this before! "
You will always discover things that are not you, which you have recorded. For example, when you were young, you saw your mother become jealous of your father, and then you learned, "Oh, when father does that, it's no good." So the brain recorded that. Then, when you grow up, you have almost the same situation, and the brain tells you, "Get jealous now. It's the time to be jealous. This is a situation where you should be jealous." But it's just on the very surface. All these bad habits are on the surface. They're not you!
You are never anything other than pure beauty and Light. That's what you should know about yourself. I don't know if you understand what I'm saying, deeply. Intellectually you understand, but one day you will realize that you are truly perfect. Even if you do something wrong, it was perfectly wrong! (Master and everyone laugh.) It's just the thing that was wrong. But maybe even those wrong things are meant to be, so that something else will come up. Sometimes you have to go through some so-called wrong situations in order to meet the right person or the right thing. It's really like that.
So just give yourself into the hands of God. Try your best, and that's all. Never blame yourself, and never think anything bad about yourself. Because you are God. They're just some bad habits. (Applause) If you don't like them, get rid of them. You see, you are very beautiful. You have to realize that one day - that you are perfect, just as I did. That's why I am so proud. No matter if you like me or think negatively about me, I still like myself very much. I do not believe you, that I am less than perfect. I don't care how many thousands of you think I am less than perfect; I still think I'm perfect. I not only think it, I know it. And that's freedom; you feel very beautiful about it.