| | Most Blessed Beingsing an Era of Advanced Visual Communication | A New Link in Master's Global Communications Network: Video conferencing with Initiates! | Make Use of Your Wisdom | | Suffering Makes Saints | Nourish the Seed of Inner Wisdom | Ignorant Beings, Upside-down World | Faith is the Origin of All Merit | The Right Concept of Spiritual Practice | | A Surprising Suggestion | Please Reverse the Charges! | Only In It for the Money | Compensating for Our Mistakes | | Dissolving Guilt in a Positive Way | | Let Your Heart Be Your Guide | The Connection between Master and Sentient Beings | | Sympathy Is Also A Prayer | We Are All Part of the Universe's Great Work | | Natural Insect Repellent | Great Ways to Prevent Mosquito Bites | Stories of Life with Master in the Early Years: Master Reads My Mind | | Timely Rescue | Silent Romance | The Inner Connection | A Transcendent Transmission | Her Loving Reminders Finishing Today's Work Today | Entering It into the Account | Picking Up Nails | | The Calming Effects of Spiritual Practice |
I am very happy that we have this opportunity to see each other through the Internet; so, we can get together to discuss questions related to spiritual practice. We truly have great blessings to be born in this era, when we can pursue spiritual practice easily and expediently, and have all kinds of conveniences. Although we can't meet in person, we can talk to each other like this. This is really comfortable; we are really blessed! Let's be thankful to God! (Applause)
Apart from that, we ought to be more diligent in our spiritual practice. This does not mean just crossing our legs and meditating; we always have to remember our noble ideal and remember God. Care not about fame, gain, wealth or the good or bad qualities of other people. Also, do not pay too much attention to your physical needs, or be deceived by the desires of your minds for fame and gain. We only need to persist in spiritual cultivation, and then we will be increasingly able to forsake these material things, and become nobler people.
We should endeavor to be monks of modern times -- monks in civilian clothing -- because we are blissful and unrestrained at heart. Regardless of what people say, we will still know ourselves and know who we are. Only this is most important; only then will we be people with the greatest blessing. Others may praise or insult us, but it does not mean anything to us. The main thing is that we know ourselves and we know our own qualities. Only this is the happiest blessing. It is only we spiritual practitioners who can have this kind of blessing, which cannot be acquired through wealth. Once we have it, we will never lose it because no one can steal it from us. However, no one can bestow it upon us, either. We can only earn it through spiritual practice, and then we will be able to keep it and use it. In this sense, we are truly the most blessed people in the world!
[Los Angeles] On July 21, 2002, an exciting new era in worldwide communications between Master and disciples began with the first-ever videoconference involving our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai and initiates from Los Angeles, Austin and Ohio in the United States, Nepal and Macau in Asia, and Austria and Poland in Europe.
On the day before the videoconference, initiates from the Los Angeles Center received a message that Master would be "calling" the Center on Sunday, but did not anticipate that Master would arrange a videoconference to make Her "call" more exciting and fascinating for everyone, even initiates in other cities and parts of the world. Prior to the conference, the L. A. technicians worked feverishly to set up a video screen and projector, a computer and telephone hook-ups to make the videoconference a reality. Meanwhile, a large crowd came for group meditation, as local brothers and sisters looked forward to hearing Master's voice in person for the first time since the celebrations for Her in May of this year. The L. A. Center's meditation hall was filled to capacity with fellow practitioners who eagerly awaited the sound of Master's loving voice.
When the technical details were in order, Master began the conference with the humorous and warm question, "Are you practicing well, eating and sleeping well?" to which the L. A. audience responded with an enthusiastic "Yes!" She then began answering initiates' questions.
The first question was: "Is there any way to direct disciples to use our power from spiritual practice to lift our world to a level that people can communicate without language, in order to reduce misunderstanding, even wars, among each other?" Master replied that we need to meditate more, but it is not possible that everyone will attain the same level; hence, we experience misunderstanding. People's levels are not all the same so humans repeat the same mistakes and stray from the Truth. However we should refrain from worshipping or judging others. Until we have all reached the level of telepathic communication, we have to be tolerant - love always prevails and we can come back together some day.
Another sister asked, "Recently there have been more wars, fighting and natural disasters in the world. What should we do to help the situation other than meditating more?"
To this question, Master replied that Love is the only solution, but most people conceal their love in their hearts and withdraw it; otherwise, everyone was born in love. When we interact with others we become hurt emotionally, remember these experiences and harbor negativity. We have wars because we always live in the past. Instead, we should be like animals and live in the present. Also, children do not remember what was done to them a minute ago. The past and present influence our future and so we become unhappy. People live in the past in their practice also, and forget to become Saints. So the world has to forget the past - past hurts and bad events, and learn and grow from them. This is how we can stop war, fighting and struggles. But we still live in the world, and most people do not practice as we do; so even if we practice well, we still have to share their sorrow and misunderstanding. We need to practice peace and know how to contact peace at any moment by meditating harder in order to generate a noble atmosphere within ourselves, and transmit it to the world.
A young American initiate was concerned about pets and wondered, "As we grow spiritually, is it possible to learn to communicate with animals," and "where do animals go when they die? Are our pets elevated spiritually because of our practice of meditation?"
Master reminded her that communicating with animals is not the object of our spiritual practice: "We can communicate with animals at the soul level but mostly it is not necessary." Because animals are very simple, and if we practice well we can feel what they want or how they feel but that's not our aim or the goal of our practice. Do not concentrate on and wish for that. We don't need to do that, but in some types of emergencies it is possible. Regarding where pets go after death, Master said that they go to Heaven, where they came from. We all came from Heaven and we always go back there.
Next, a Korean brother stated that, once when he was meditateing at home he fell asleep and in his dream he saw a very bright golden Light and his body was pulled into it. He was surprised and didn't know if he should follow the Light, so he just recited Master's name and got himself out of the Light. He asked what he should do if this happens again.
In this case, Master gave the brother to relax and enjoy it and recite the Holy Names. It's a blessing event. The Holy Names thus will always be in his mind, so just relax and blend into the Light - the essence of our being.
The next sister who asked a question worked in a vegetarian restaurant and said she could not meditate as strongly on the Light as she could in the past, and wondered if the problem related to her diet or her work environment. This sister also said that her 17-year-old daughter enjoys doing good works for humanity but it is getting harder each day for her to meditate, and she hardly ever wants to go to group meditation anymore. The sister wondered what she should do to encourage her daughter.
To the first of these concerns, Master responded, "It's easier for some to concentrate on the Light and for some it's easier to meditate on the Sound. In your case, it's probably that you prefer something musical, so the Sound is always there anyway. It's easier for you to focus on it. And the Light is flickering, and depends on your concentration to come. Therefore, maybe you don't feel like you are doing very well." But you have to persevere. It's OK, just do your job, the portion of the time. And whatever happens, let God take care." And regarding the woman's daughter, Master asked, "Does she have fellow practitioners of her age to go to group meditation with? They can go with her and she will feel helped - sometimes the same generation has better communication. They might help each other."
Then another sister asked about dealing with a non-initiated family member who chooses to indulge in a negative lifestyle and says, "This is my life and I will experience and select my own path." She wondered if he could eventually be changed, or if he is just a lesson for her on her path of practice.
In answering this question, Master said, "Just ignore him and try your best, but if he doesn't listen, then you take care of your own life, and later he will come around; you must be strong yourself first, then people follow you, and if they don't, it's OK. Everyone has God inside! It's up to that God to decide what he wants to do with this life."
The final question of the day came from an Aulacese practitioner who asked, "God is an invisible power. When we walk, stand, lie down, sit, eat, drink and work, everything is in God. If I want to think of God all the time, what should I do? How can I know God's form so that I can think of God?"
Master's brief reply was, "Keep doing your meditation and you'll know it. Not everyone can detect God's essence within him or her.. It doesn't matter. God knows you're there. Sooner or later you will perceive Hiers presence everywhere; that's your aim and the goal of your spiritual practice."
After this answer, Master asked if everyone was happy and assured the audience that we would do more videoconferencing in the future. She then asked about several of the fellow practitioners She could see on the video screen, some of whom had practiced with Her for a long time. Master said that She appreciated the devotion of the long-time initiates, adding warmly, "Thanks for your unconditional love for me. It makes me feel very good and elevated." She added that She remembers people from the Los Angeles Center well because of their "elevating" love for Her, and joked with some of the initiates She has known for many years, assuring them that they would look younger on the video screen the next time we do a videoconference because the technical problems will be worked out!
Finally, the assembled initiates said in unison, "We love you," to which Master replied, "I love you, too!" And with this exchange, an "on-line reunion" between Master and disciples from around the world ended, to an enthusiastic round of applause by the Los Angeles Center audience.
When we're independent, we're aware of our abilities, intelligence and shortcomings and thus know how to deal with them. Otherwise, we have no chance to use our wisdom, so it may become blunted. Hardships and uncomfortable or imperfect situations are just what benefit us most.
You should not think that crossing your legs and meditating is all there is to spiritual practice. No, it's not true! In this way, we cannot utilize our wisdom, which only makes sense when it's being used. Suppose you live in this way: You stay in the mountains and lock yourself up in meditation, which takes you to very high levels and beautiful visions, and then you eat after meditation, and go back again to your high levels. Does this kind of life benefit our society in the physical aspect? No! Does your wisdom benefit anyone? No! It's said that working is also a kind of Zen, and so are eating and sleeping.
Whenever you work, it's your inner Master who works, not your physical
body. So, when working, we should be aware and bear in mind that it's our
inner Master who works with our hands the whole time. For instance, if
we see that there is no water here but there are many people who have to
use the bathroom, the inner Master will think of a solution. This place
should be enlarged; the grass over there has to be cut, and some more bathrooms
and several faucets need to be installed.
You always spoil yourselves, which is why your wisdom doesn't develop. You see, all the enlightened Saints throughout history have trained themselves or have been trained in unfavorable situations before getting enlightened. Even if they did not train themselves on purpose, they would be trained by the situations in their lives in order to become enduring persons.
You may find it hard to believe if I tell you all the hardships I have undergone since I was a child. You've heard that I was born into a well-to-do family and remained wealthy after being married, but these are just a part of my life. For example, people asked me, "Where are you from, Master?" Of course, I answered, "I'm from Au Lac." "What did your parents do?" I said, "They were doctors of Chinese Medicine." Then they asked, "Were you married?" and I said, "Yes." "Any children?" I said, "No." "What did your ex-husband do?" I said, "He was a doctor." Then they ask, "What kind of doctor?" and I said, "He was a dentist and a surgeon as well."
So people assembled these answers and wrote my biography. But the information in it wasn't complete. As for my "real biography," you wouldn't believe it. So it's enough to be like that; otherwise, it could make a big book! Actually, I have suffered much since I was very young, not because of the circumstances, but because I liked to train myself in unfavorable situations. At the time, I did not really feel any pain, but now when I look back, I find them very torturous!
Thus, in unfavorable situations your wisdom lights up, and becomes quiet and thoughtful, then you know what the Truth is. It's your real Self who thinks when you're thinking. And so does your real Self arrange these situations. Why? Because at such times you suffer from your previous karma, which was caused by you. For example, your true Self "arranges" that someone comes to punish you or scold you by creating an unpleasant condition. Actually, this is caused by your own karma. It's arranged in this way by your true Self.
Let's say you physically attacked many people in a previous life. If you're going to be liberated in this lifetime, the previously attacked people will complain in their souls, and you'll know it in your soul. Your true Self knows it by recording the condition with a special machine, which records everything in a fair way so you understand that you should let the previously attacked people seek revenge. That's the way it is. Therefore, you should know it's you scolding yourself when someone else scolds you, and you shouldn't blame anyone else.
Sometimes people come to see me, and look sweet and humble as if they prostrate
themselves as soon as they see me. But I still scold them whenever I see
them. You don't understand this, but it's OK, because you can't penetrate
the subtle karma and ego, or the delicate causes and effects. You only
see the superficial instead of the essential. That's why you think these
people are good. On the contrary, some of you may look coarse outside,
but are very good inside. We come to know about this after we spend some
time with them. Have you ever had this kind of experience? (Audience: Yes.)
That's what I said.
Nevertheless, we should not worry about this - no matter how the person is - good or bad; with ego or egoless, all will be liberated after practicing the Quan Yin Method. This is the best news. It's said in the scriptures that the seed of inner wisdom is planted at the first time you are awakened by the inner Sound. But most people have no idea what the Sound is or what "contemplate the original Self" means. You will understand this more and more after you believe in and practice the Method. The pressure on your shoulders will become lighter, and you'll feel more and more relaxed. This means that your seed of Wisdom is gradually growing and you will one day become a Sage.
The Quan Yin Method is too simple to be considered an ultimate method for gaining enlightenment. People would cherish the Method if it were more complicated. So, although Buddhist sutra chanting and pilgrimages require much effort (some of the Tibetan ceremonies require 1008 instruments in order to make a service for their Lord and are very demanding), many people are still fascinated and piously worship wooden statues.
You proclaim that I'm a living Buddha, but I don't believe it! You don't really know who I am. Because if you did, you wouldn't be as relaxed as you are when you come here. You would be different. But since my vibration is not too intense, you don't feel that a living Buddha is here. That's why some woman rolled her pants legs high and rested in an impolite way when she came here. Would you do that in a solemn temple? (Audience: No) As soon as people see Buddha's statue, they immediately chant, "Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha ...," and bow all the way in from outside the temple.
In countries like Thailand, Burma, Au Lac and Sri Lanka, there's a gate
far away from the ashram. People have to take off their shoes before they
enter and then go inside with bare feet; sometimes you even have to bow
all the way in from the gate. It's already like this to bow only to a wooden
statue. For the purpose of looking cool, some of you behave so vulgarly
here, even before me. I recommend that you wear long pants so that you'll
look more dignified. What sense does it make if you wear long pants and
then fold them high? Why bother?
Thus, sentient beings are very ignorant. They show their respect in the wrong place and wrong way, and worship whatever is not deserving instead of what is deserving. Think about it with your wisdom. Is what I say true? Everything is upside down in this world. That's why Shakyamuni Buddha was hurt, attacked and falsely accused; Jesus Christ was crucified; Confucius was slandered and driven away from as many as six countries.
Nevertheless, in each and every temple, offerings of incense, flowers and fruit occur nonstop, and it's the same in any era. Some temples have only one statue, but they still make it into a solemn ceremony. Even if a statue of the god of the earth has its special honor, every day you can see people come in with fresh flowers, clean water and fragrant incense. And people do the cleaning voluntarily; sometimes they even bathe the statue, and do it very well. Many temples of the god of the earth are very big, and no one talks about waste or anything, but it happens to me, and I live in only one room.
And the god of the earth never stays in a hut like mine. It has to be put
in a very solid place, which is colorfully decorated, carefully cleaned
and filled with fresh flowers. As for my room, sometimes my attendants
used to do the cleaning and leave the used water there for three days.
At that time, there was no electric light so I used the water to rinse
my mouth at night because I thought it was clean! This is a true story
from my own experience. But you see there's always clean water before Buddha's
statues in every temple, and the poor guy doesn't even need it. Don't you
think this world is upside down?
So you should understand that the Truth is simple and you should cherish
it. The more you cherish it, the more you understand it. The more you believe
in my real Nature, the more you find your own real Nature within. You can
never realize your own real Nature if you don't believe in an enlightened
Master. If I'm not an enlightened Master, who is? None of you here can
realize your own real Nature. Because you come to learn from me, if even
I'm not an enlightened Master, who is? When can you realize your own real
Self? Thus, the more we respect the Truth, the more quickly we find it
and the more deeply we understand it. The more we believe in the enlightened
Master who teaches us the Truth, the more quickly we find our own real
Nature within. The more people we help to step onto the spiritual path,
the more merit we obtain. So, I say," A spiritual practitioner has
no merit if he only practices in mountain caves, because he doesn't benefit
others." We receive wisdom from God but we don't make use of it to
help others. So we say it's OK to practice spiritually as either a layperson
or a renunciate. It's only best if we practice hard and truly want to benefit
sentient beings - it doesn't matter if we've attained Sainthood or not.
If we have good intentions, we'll become a fully enlightened Being, who
looks like an ordinary person. As long as we fully realize our own real
Self, we become a fully enlightened Being.
We should not be too serious about spiritual practice, but regard it as something interesting. Seriousness is something inside and is an eagerness to become an enlightened Being, which we all know, but should not show outwardly on purpose, as in dressing specially or displaying oneself solemnly, saying, "I'm practicing spiritually and care nothing! I must achieve sainthood. Everyone, leave me alone!" We should not behave like that. We should be natural.
Diligent practitioners are those who do not forget the "Truth" at any time, who really want to know their true Selves, and who really want to be liberated from life and death. They think about these things even at work. It doesn't necessarily mean they're reciting the Holy Names all the time. It's OK if they occasionally forget, but they truly want to be liberated inside and they think of everything related to spiritual practice, such as the Master, the Quan Yin Method, and the group of fellow initiates. They only want to become wise, enlightened people. These people are the diligent practitioners or those who are always in Zen.
Spiritual practice doesn't mean meditating all day long. If you're distracted during meditation, it's no use. Beginners concentrate more easily when they sit for meditation. Say if we stroll around and look at things we encounter and our attention goes outside, we forget to be concentrated. Therefore, when we begin to practice, we had better sit longer and be more concentrated. Then, afterwards, when we go anywhere else, we'll be concentrated inside at any time. At that time, even when we're not sitting, we won't be distracted. It's the same when we're working.
I've told you clearly that you can rely on each other among our fellow initiates, instead of relying on ephemeral worldly relationships, especially with those who aren't initiated. When it's time to leave this world, they'll go their own way, and we'll follow Master and the initiates. You shouldn't rely on those who cannot go with you at the time of departure. That's why we say, "Be one with the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha." The Buddha means the living Masters, the Dharma means the precious Quan Yin Method, and the Sangha refers to the whole group of our fellow practitioners. Sangha doesn't mean saints. It means "a group who seeks the Truth," "a group knowing the Truth." We should rely on them because they are our eternal friends.
Don't spoil yourselves too much; don't give others excuses to pity you. It's useless! There are many miserable people in this world. You're the most fortunate! Your life is comfortable enough! You have a living Master and the Quan Yin Method, and you're destined to be liberated in several years or an even a shorter time. But those people who don't practice the Quan Yin Method have to reincarnate again and again, and suffer a lot.
There was a couple who had been married for a long time, and one day, they were walking through the park together, when they saw a young couple sitting on a bench, kissing each other very passionately. So the wife said to the husband, "Honey, why don't you do that?" And the husband said, "How? I don't even know that lady!"
There was a lady who took a taxi home, and when the taxi driver approached her house she told him to stop, saying, "Okay, here, here is good." Then she asked the driver, "How much is it?" And the driver replied, "Ten dollars." Then, after searching in her purse for a while, she said, "Could you please go back 500 meters? I have only seven dollars on me!"
There was a couple that was having an argument in their home over financial problems. And the wife finally got very mad, and exploded saying, "You should know that if it weren't for my money, this television set wouldn't be here. If it weren't for my money, that easy chair that you're sitting on wouldn't be here, either. And, if it weren't for my money, this house wouldn't even be here!" And then the husband said, "Are you kidding? If it weren't for your money, I wouldn't be here, either!"
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/137/jk1.htm (USA)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/137/jk1.htm (Formosa)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.net/eng/news/137/jk1.htm (USA)
Once, when Mahatma Gandhi was on a fast in India, a Hindu came to him and said, "I will surely go to hell and no one can save me. But I still want to offer you some food because you are fasting for us. I don't want you to starve to death and make myself responsible for yet another crime when I go to hell." The man then offered Gandhi a piece of bread and asked him to eat it, saying, "Please eat it. I won't be ready to go to hell until you've eaten this."
Gandhi asked the man why he thought he was going to hell. The man replied
that he was a Hindu, and that his child had been killed by Muslims during
a fight between the Muslims and Hindus. So, in revenge, he cruelly killed
a Muslim child, but felt very guilty afterwards. Gandhi then said, "I
know one way to save yourself from going to hell. Find a Muslim child who
has lost his parents, or any child without parents, take him home, bring
him up and educate him so that he grows up as a Muslim. Then you won't
go to hell."
I don't think Gandhi's suggestion would have immediately erased that man's karma, nor do we know if such a method could really have saved the man from hell. However, this idea is very good. At least his feeling of guilt might have been alleviated while he was alive. What's more, while raising the child, he may have experienced the happy bond between father and son. It would have given him comfort and a sense of personal worth to see a child grow up and learn, and adopting an orphan would have given him more self-confidence and contentment; thus, it was a remedy to assuage his guilty feelings.
Had the man continually complained about his guilty feelings, it would not have helped in any way. Who would it have helped? It would have helped the man even less! No matter how severely we reproach ourselves each day, we cannot erase the guilty feelings in our hearts when we know we have done something bad unless we experience a happier feeling to dilute the previous guilt, and weaken it as if it does not exist. When we achieve something or feel happy, our attainments can dissolve and melt away our guilty feelings.
For instance, when the sunlight is very strong, even if there is a large patch of snow on the ground, it will melt. I once had such an experience in Japan. Sometimes it snowed for three to four days there. It was very cold and the snow was very thick. But when the sun came out, the snow disappeared in a few hours! Originally, the whole area had been covered with white snow due to several days of steady snowfall, but when the sun came out, all the snow gradually melted and disappeared.
Thus, we should dissolve guilt like melting snow. Otherwise, if we indulge ourselves in feelings of guilt, it is not only meaningless, but also makes us depressed and stressed. In addition, it brings stress to the people around us. When we sink into darkness, we cannot communicate with others; we become indifferent to whatever they say. Even when they say something funny, we manage a smile at most and then bury ourselves again in our negative feelings, being unable to make ourselves happy; because that joy has nothing to do with our guilty feelings. So, only by doing something to compensate for our wrongdoings can we truly feel happy. There is thus a cause for every effect.
It's important for us to be repentant and humble, but it's more important to love ourselves. How can a person love anyone else if he can't love himself? Loving ourselves doesn't mean selfishness; it doesn't mean snatching everything for ourselves, or only thinking of ourselves in all circumstances without considering the feelings or convenience of others, or doing nothing to make others happy, or only caring about our own happiness and blaming others when we are unhappy. That's not loving ourselves, but displaying despotism, autocracy and selfishness! That's different.
Loving ourselves includes understanding that our spiritual level is not high so when we meditate we can't concentrate well. Maybe, in our past lives, being without the guidance of an enlightened Master, we were rather ignorant, and incurred more karma than others did. So, in this life we can't practice well or we progress slowly, and that's why we should love ourselves more. When we see anyone like that, we pity him, so should we not pity ourselves? Thus, we should try to do as well as we can and improve ourselves as much as possible instead of only saying, "I am remorseful; don't you see? I've repented. Isn't that good enough?" No, that's not right. True repentance is teaching ourselves, helping ourselves, encouraging ourselves, and reminding ourselves to do better in the future. We should write down all that we know that's good for ourselves and for others, and do it as well as we can. Meanwhile, we should change our bad habits one by one until there are none left.
So, we need to take care of both aspects rather than focusing our minds on our guilt every day and staying in darkness without applying some positive remedy. That's of no use and of no good to us. We should think of ways to apply remedies, and when we do good deeds, we will feel comforted and encouraged and gradually forget our sins. In this way, our bad habits will naturally change and we'll forgive ourselves.
Otherwise, we won't be able to forgive ourselves. It's not that others don't forgive us, but that we're pressured to death by our own guilty feelings. Hell is created in this way. The wrongdoers cannot find a remedy so they can't forgive themselves; it's not that God or anyone else will punish us. We are the masters of all beings; no one can punish us except ourselves. We allow ourselves to sink to such a degree just to teach ourselves.
We hear that evildoers go to hell in order to be taught a lesson and make up for their wrongdoings. But there's a better way, a more positive way. For example, if we have stolen money from others in the past, now we should not only stop stealing, but we should also give; we should perform charity and help the needy. We shouldn't just be passive and negative. Instead, we should be active and positive! If we simply stop doing the negative action, it's still very passive. We should do good things to make up for our past mistakes. That's active and positive, and it can erase our sins.
The following is a new list of movies for children of various ages, youth and adults as recommended by Master and categorized according to the standard US ratings indicated below:
(G) General audiences; all ages admitted.
(PG) Parental guidance suggested; some material may not be suitable for children.
(PG13) Parents strongly cautioned; some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Movies Acped by Real Persons.
PG-13 Music from Another Room (1998)
G The Country Bears (2002)
PG-13 Blue Crush (2002)
PG Stuart Little 2 (2002)
PG The Master of Disguise (2002)
PG Oh, God! (1977)
PG Mr. Magoo (1997)
PG-13 Mr. Destiny (1990)
PG Seems Like Old Times (1980)
PG Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
PG-13 XXX (2002)
PG-13 K-19, The Widowmaker (2002)
PG-13 The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
PG My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
PG-13 Minority Report (2002)
PG-13 The Bourne Identity (2002)
PG Like Mike (2002)
Q: Please, Master, I would like to ask You, my mother and I have gotten some
children to adopt who are orphans, and we want to get more. But people
in Brazil from certain religions have told us that this is wrong because
you can't change the karma of those children. How can I know if I am doing
the right thing?
M: You are doing the right thing when it makes you feel good. (Thank You!)
When your heart tells you it's good and it makes others happy, just do
it; and don't worry about the karma. Jesus died; He probably didn't like
it, but He felt good doing it. Because He did it for humankind, for His
disciples, He didn't care.
Q: So we aren't causing problems or trouble for the children?
M: If they need you and you feel good and you can afford it, just do it if
it makes you feel good. Because you also have to be able to live. If you
want to adopt them and you can take care of them, then adopt as many as
you can take care of and feel good about it. God never forbids you to do
things like that. Even if you take their karma, so what? We are here to
take karma. If we can, we do it, and we aren't scared.
Q: Thanks a lot.
M: Yes, do it; no problem.
Q: Master, I just wanted to thank You. We talked about the people who can't get off the Earth, or who can't find a glimpse of their true Self. Recently, my father passed away. I never had lost a family member before, and it was pretty hard. (M: I know.) Thank You.
He used to call You "the Asian Princess." That was his name for
You because he had seen Your picture in my car. And so he knew that you
were my Master. He was OK even though he didn't follow the path. One time,
I was at my father's house and I had the sense that he was dying, and then
before he died, he looked around and said, "Oh! That's the Asian Princess!"
And I just feel so grateful that he at least has the taste of that freedom.
He knows the freedom, even though he never knew he was looking for it when
he was alive.
M: Oh, the Master takes care of him; no problem.
Q: Well, that's one of the greatest gifts.
M: He's not excluded; I told you already. If he knows the Master when he is
alive, so much the better. But even if people don't know the Master, the
Master power also takes care of them, and much more so if he knows and
even likes me and gives me a name. (Master and everyone laugh.) "Princess"
is not a bad name. I like that. That saved him! (Laughter)
Q: I just wanted to ask You, but I don't know how to put the question. How
are we all related to You? Is it from previous lives? Because we have this
strong connection. Did we follow You before?
M: Some of you did; some did not. But I cannot count. One, two. too many!
Some of you have a connection, and some don't. Some of you have an indirect
connection. Like OK, you read the sample booklet and throw it in the dustbin,
saying, "Hocus pocus." (Laughter) Even a bad connection is still
a connection.
Maybe it was a good connection, like if your friend followed the Master and you didn't abuse Her or say anything bad, but you didn't believe. But your friend prayed for you; for example, "Oh, please, she's so ignorant; help her." But because in that lifetime you were so stubborn, you didn't want it; also your time had not come. So the next time you come back, the Master follows you. You don't follow the Master, the Master has to follow Her promise to the disciple. (Laughter)
So, if you had a good connection before; for example, if you didn't believe in the Master but maybe you read a book and thought, "Oh, She's cute," or something like that, or you wondered who She was, or maybe the Master was there and you gave Her some water or something, then the Master will help you more, and it's easier. And the relationship is good when you are reborn again. Because you might not want to get liberated during that lifetime. Not all of your relatives want to be liberated. If they do, the Master will immediately take them. That's no problem. But you cannot force a God to go up there against their will, because we are all God. So we look like so many, but we are one God together. We're just separated. It's like a hand with many fingers, but it's still one hand.
So whatever a disciple wants, that's God's will. Because he's God, too. But the mind can interfere. So sometimes you want to, but the mind says, "Oh, no, no. Eat meat, drink wine. It's good for you, and have a boyfriend you don't like, and blah, blah, blah..." But at least if when you see the Master and you give something or you say hello respectfully, then even though you don't want to go back to Heaven in this lifetime - you're too busy enjoying your worldly heaven - the Master remembers that. So next time that's good karma that you have sown.
And then in the next life, when you come back, you meet the Master, and you feel something familiar. And whatever She says, you believe. Because you already have the impression from the last life. And that's good karma. Or maybe your relative or friend believes in a Master, but you don't want to because your soul doesn't want to go yet. But then the next time you're ready. And the Master comes, and you believe right away. Because you already have good karma or a good connection.
But bad karma is very difficult. Sometimes the Master has to suffer in this life in order to save that person. Even if it's a bad connection, it's still a connection. Any connection lasts and lasts until it is resolved in a good way.
Q: Master, I don't pray a lot for myself. Life just happens and I meditate. And if it's not positive, I meditate more. But I have a question about praying for others. There're often bad circumstances happening to people we love, or people we don't know, and we say, "Oh, let's pray for them." (M: Yes.)
So I sit down and think, "OK, I'll pray for them." But then I
think, "But they're God, and they chose this and they might learn
something from it." Anything I ever perceived as bad that happened
to me was a tremendous learning experience. I changed and grew in so many
ways. So I can't say it's bad. And I think that might be true for them,
too. So my question is, how can I use prayer to help people? And what does
it sound like?
M: If you feel like praying, then you should just pray automatically. At that
time, you can't help yourself. Because you're praying not just for them,
but also for yourself so that you can bear that situation.
Q: You comfort yourself.
M: Yes, because sometimes you see people suffer so much, you can't do anything
else but pray, "Please, do something, if it's Your Will." Or
at least you can pray, "Please, whatever happens, let him benefit
from it so he can learn and know You better." But who cares? They
will all know Hirm in the end.
Q: I think to pray, and then I think, "Just meditate."
M: You have to! You have to pray.
Q: I don't know what to say. Because I think, "Whatever's happening,
they're going to know more; it's going to be more of the Path."
M: Then that's OK. If you realize that, then don't pray. But if you have to
pray, you can pray. If you don't want to, don't pray. It depends on you.
If you think God takes care of everything anyway, then you don't have to
pray. But your sympathy is already a prayer. Do you see what I mean?
Q: OK. I do feel all of those feelings. But I'm not sure about making a request.
I don't feel comfortable with that.
M: Yes, you wish somehow that this person didn't suffer so much and that he
didn't have to go through this. Nevertheless, he has to. You see it, that's
all. Sympathy is also a prayer. Because the moment you think of that person
with love and sympathy, you transmit your good thinking. And who is it?
It's God in there. God looks upon the suffering of Hiers own and Hes feels
sorry, from Hirmself.
Q: Maybe the best prayer is just "Love, love, love."
M: Yes, yes. That's a prayer, yes.
Q: Master, I heard You say on a tape that sometimes a great soul can separate,
and that You were collecting all the souls back to Yourself. Is that different
than 'God is everything?' Can it also be a great soul? And I just remembered
that on the tapes, because I felt so connected with You that I thought
maybe You are collecting all of Your Self unto Yourself in some way.
M: Possibly.
Q: Can one great soul be so much and then collect others unto itself again?
Is that different than God as just one great Being encompassing everyone?
That's what I thought you meant.
M: That's another one, yes.
Q: But it was so beautiful that I just wanted to know if it's true.
M: In a sense, it's true. Because we're all but one. It's just that we have
to play different parts in order to make up the whole. The body needs the
fingers and toes and eyes and nose. The whole body cannot be just one big
nose, for example. (Laughter)
Q: So when they see You, they feel very much at home, like coming back to
You as souls.
M: Yes. Some of them have been part of the great work, like a group consciousness,
working for the great cause. So they come back again to do the same thing,
or to further evolve themselves by doing a better thing.
Q: Because I feel so at home .
M: Yes, but after initiation, whoever comes and is sincere will feel at home.
Because we all have the same goal and we're all one. We've become connected
again, because we have never been separated. So if you're connected, then
you feel you are me, or at least a part of me. That's normal. The Master,
of course, can divide Himself or Herself into thousands, millions of beings
and make the whole world. But it's not only that.
Q: The Master does that?
M: Also, yes, sometimes the Master has to take some of Her/His own 'dividedness'
in order to help Him/Her with Their work. So whoever you see working a
lot, who is sincere and has good experiences, must be one of the small
parts of the Master.
Q: I just want to say, thank you for helping in all the bad moments of my
life. That's it.
M: The bad moments or the best moments?
Q: The bad moments and also the best moments.
M: OK.
Q: Thanks.
M: You're welcome. Thank God!
How do we take care of bugs and insects in order to keep our houses clean and hygienic? Master recommends the following practical tips, which are also good for the environment.
You should just clean your house thoroughly with water and vinegar, 50/50. This will disinfect and deodorize everything, and neutralize all the odors that attract insects. Clean whatever is infested once and for all, put it in the sun, shake it out and clean it every day or as often as possible with 50 % vinegar and 50% water. You should use more vinegar, if possible, if you can bear its smell. And you have to spray your window frames and door frames with an insect repellent, a harmless one, outside your house. Then the insects won't come in later. Otherwise, they will keep coming in all the time. You should spray them once a week or every once in a while, and then they won't come in. And you must keep yourself washed and clean and hygienic. Then they won't have the grounds to breed in your house.
The insect that kills the greatest number of human beings is the mosquito; it kills millions of adults and children each year. The number of human beings killed by mosquitoes far exceeds that of any wars, natural disasters or assassinations. This tiny but extremely vicious demon kills at least four million people every year! Many people get all kinds of strange diseases because they are infected by the mosquito.
We have to protect ourselves, because there are more mosquitoes in the world than we could ever kill! We could not kill them all even if we wanted to so don't be "silly" ("kill" and "silly" in Chinese have a similar pronunciation.); we should just endeavor to protect ourselves. Cover your children with mosquito nets when they sleep, just like you would cover a wok (Master and everyone laugh), and let them sleep inside. You can do the same for the bigger kids as well - it's convenient.
You don't have to kill the mosquitoes, just use mosquito nets and window screens! Your window screens are most inviting -- with mesh holes so large that even I could go through them. (Laughter) I heard that even Master's transformation body can go through those small holes, not to mention mosquitoes.
When buying window screens, choose those made of a fine mesh to prevent the tiniest mosquitoes from entering. There is a type of screen made of very fine mesh that can stop mosquitoes while still maintaining ventilation. What's the use if the mesh holes are so big? At night, mosquitoes can see very clearly from outside the mesh just as though they were looking through binoculars. So in they go. They say, "Since the door is open, I'll just go in easily."
Even when you have installed window screens, do not switch on the lights too early. Try to see things with your naked eyes or use a flashlight, and switch on the lights later in the evening when the mosquitoes have gone to sleep.
About five to seven in the evening, it is dinner time for mosquitoes (laughter), so there are plenty of them around. They disappear at about nine or ten! If possible, do not switch on the lights when they come out to eat. Switch on the outdoor lights instead of the indoor ones; so even if there were some mosquitoes inside, they will go for the light outside. Should you switch on the lights indoors, mosquitoes will come in even if there were originally none inside!
One day, Master stopped by the office at Hsihu unexpectedly, walked up to my desk and asked, "Do you have anything to report to me?" Overjoyed at Her sudden appearance, and still struggling to finish my work, I replied spontaneously, "Yes, I do." I didn't want Her to leave right away, so I began to search through the files on my desk. Strange! The document had been lying right in front of me. But where had it gone? I flushed with embarrassment at having to make Master wait. At that moment, She swiftly lifted Her umbrella and lightly tapped a document on my desk. Her hand moved so quickly, so lightly and unexpectedly that before my mind even had time to react, I saw the file, lying right before me! I looked at it and smiled. My face must have been filled with reverence at the time, but Master smiled casually as if to say, "This is nothing great, really!"
Sometimes, Master suddenly thinks of assignments that She has given previously and asks how things are proceeding. Thank God that She asks, for only then do we find that something has gone wrong; for instance, documents that may not have been carefully filed and are about to be destroyed. Her seemingly unintentional inquiries give us a chance to stop many impending mistakes in time.
Once She gives an assignment, She rarely intervenes unless it is absolutely necessary or something is about to go wrong. When we pray for help, She is by our side, asking about it before we even have had time to consult Her. Once we get Her advice, we can proceed with our work smoothly. And it is actually Master who does everything!
Master once returned to Hsihu feeling sick from a trip abroad. After a few days of rest, She felt much better and came to the office to see us. Her magnetic field is so serene that it never disturbs anyone. That day, She strolled down the middle of the office blessing everyone, while some of us at work were still talking loudly and did not notice that Master had just passed by.
Master looked stunningly beautiful, with long hair, rosy cheeks and clear eyes. We were dazzled! But She smiled bashfully and moved away from our adoring eyes, silently blessing the whole office. Master was really beautiful that day. When She left, a unique fragrance began to float around the office, as we were elevated to a state of exalted relaxation, and hummed romantically as we worked through the rest of the afternoon.
When the great Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda gave his first lecture in English abroad, he did not know how to express himself on stage very well and stood there speechless, while from within, he silently asked his master for help. Then his master in India immediately transmitted his blessing, making Yogananda suddenly eloquent. Today, Supreme Master Ching Hai's disciples have similar experiences.
For instance, a monastic disciple once told Master that when he went out to share Her teachings, many people asked him questions. And to some questions that Master had never answered before, he did not know how to respond. But the disciple quickly prayed for Master's help, and suddenly, to everyone's surprise, he became very articulate. When asked why he knew so much at such a young age, he answered that he could not figure it out either. He said it was miraculous that he could provide wonderful answers to questions that Master had not taught him about previously. Actually, Master has taught us everything already, but inside, not outside.
Just as Master says, "Even if I talked until I were old and my hair turned gray, I still would not be able to finish telling you all that you have to learn. Publishing a few books is not enough. Since I have inner communication with my disciples, even if you are next to me and I have taught you a lot of things, you are not aware of them. It is because I teach with the "heart," not merely through the outer form of teaching. Sometimes I teach through action, sometimes by scolding; by scolding others to teach you or by scolding you directly. Sometimes I only tell you a brief idea, and sometimes I answer you directly. There are times when I do not say anything, yet I teach you many things. It is from within that I give the most teachings. So, sometimes you might find that you have not learned about a subject, yet you can speak convincingly. You might have never heard about a certain teaching, yet you can answer people correctly. However, as soon as your arrogance emerges, this wonderful ability vanishes. You are stuck there because you are then using the mind, the ego. So do not say that I never teach you anything; I teach you a lot!" (By Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, November 14, 1990, originally in Chinese. Videotape No. 138)
Once, Master summoned all the monastic disciples at Hsihu. She remained silent and just told us to meditate on the floor. With eyes closed, Master was sitting in Her own chair meditating with us. That day the surroundings were extraordinarily quiet and serene. Sitting close to Master, I had a very intense experience. When meditating on the Sound, I experienced a wonderful melody that I had never heard before. I was totally absorbed in ecstasy and felt that my whole being had been swept into a stream of love, until Master gently woke us up. I opened my eyes, still half immersed in bliss. I wondered if this was the way souls communicate in the superior realms. When I looked into Her loving eyes, I found my answer.
When Master teaches us through the "heart," Her teaching surpasses any verbal speech. Though wordless, the effect is perpetual.
During Master's early years in Formosa, She often traveled and hold group meditation sessions at various Formosan centers, thus Her personal attendants would work late into the night alongside Master. Only then would they have time to do their own chores. But sometimes, when the attendants got too tired at night, they did not feel like doing their laundry. When Master noticed this, She would lovingly remind them like a mother, "You never know where you will be heading tomorrow. So finish the laundry while you still have a little time now."
When Master was staying at the Hsihu Center, She instructed the resident disciples as follows: "Always clean up any instrument or tool you have used, and return it to its original place, as if it had never been used. This way, the next user can find it conveniently. No matter how late you stop working, always clean up the site and tools before you go to bed." But occasionally, someone would carelessly leave some tools out in the rain. Master would feel very bad when She saw this, and so She reminded us, "Treasuring public property is treasuring our own merit."
Master often reminds us that living in a group is different than living at home. We should always be thoughtful of others and refrain from polluting them with our undesirable qualities.
Once during a seven-day retreat, I was helping out at a stall selling daily necessity items to fellow initiates from all countries. Then Master came over with a disciple, and told him to take anything he needed. Before She left, She specifically told me to have the items recorded in Her account. I was so thrilled when I saw Master that I virtually forgot about everything. I thought everything belonged to Master anyway, and so She could just help Herself to anything She wanted. Thus, I gave no thought to the account! But Master is always considerate of others, making it convenient for them, and is attentive to every detail. If Master had not reminded me about the account, I would have been my usual disorganized self and not given any thought to informing the next shift of workers about this transaction. In the end, the bookkeeper would not have been able to balance the account. Master's way of handling things is always clear-cut and immaculate!
Behind every word and action of an Enlightened Master, there is always great blessing power. If we can put aside our ego and always follow Master's instructions in our work, many unknown obstacles will be surmounted.
Once, Master and some disciples were busy repairing a building. Master saw some nails on the ground and asked a disciple next to Her to pick them up. For some reason, the disciple did not do as he was instructed. Master told him again, but he still did not pick them up. (He did eventually pick the nails up later, however.) Afterwards, Master mentioned this incident, saying, "Because of this, he will have a very long lesson to learn."
On July 18, 2002, the contact person of Chile's Santiago Center invited me to visit a woman psychologist, who worked in a local prison and was on maternity leave at the time. As we walked out of the elevator on the tenth floor of the large apartment building where the woman lived, the sound of a baby crying echoed loudly down the hallway. We soon discovered that the psychologist's apartment was at the far end of the floor, and that the cries were coming from her newborn daughter. The crying was so loud that it could be heard several apartments away.
As we entered the psychologist's apartment, the baby saw us, immediately stopped crying and smiled sweetly at me. Surprised by this change in the child's behavior, her mother said, "That's incredible!" The infant had been crying for a long time and would not stop even when pampered and fed. But when she saw us, she smiled like an angel and stared intently at me.
We then sat down for a chat, our conversation focusing initially on the baby. As we talked, the contact person held the child in her arms, and the topic switched to spreading Master's teachings in the prison. A few years ago, a Quan Yin messenger had visited the prison and provided gifts for the inmates - a tennis table, some chairs and many other material items. At that time, the Quan Yin messenger also introduced Master's teachings to the prisoners. We were visiting the psychologist to discuss how to continue this meaningful work.
The baby continued to rest quietly in the contact person's arms, but after a while, began to cry again. I thought perhaps she was bored and so I held her against my shoulder. She looked a little tired, and eventually fell into a sweet sleep. Seeing this, her mother was again surprised and said, "That's really amazing!" She told us that her baby daughter did not fall asleep easily, and she was surprised to see the baby doze off so quickly in my arms. She added that there was a very peaceful ambiance around me. I thought perhaps it was because I sleep so much that I was carrying a "sleeping atmosphere" around me. Zzzzzzz!
The baby woke up after a while, and then peacefully sat on my knees, listening to us talk. I took this opportunity to encourage the psychologist to become a vegetarian and learn meditation, emphasizing that meditation would not only be good for her and her child, but also very helpful in her work. She appeared very interested because through her daughter she had seen the extraordinary effect of the magnetic field of a spiritual practitioner!