| | We Are Catching Up with Heaven | Developing Positive Qualities | The Truth Behind Fear -- Zen Tales - A Ghost Story | Indian Tales Another Ghost Story | Guiding Youth through Spirituality | The Importance of Keeping Our Thoughts, Speech and Actions Pure | Youth and Spiritual Life -- The Universal School | | Read good books from a young age and cultivate good ethics | | Youth and Spiritual Life | | Overcome the Distractions of Youth | Usher Our Youth into the Golden Age | How to Cultivate Young Practitioners | | "Attending" to Master -- Stories of Life with Master in the Early Years | | A Night on the Lecture Platform | Great People and Little People | | Wishful Thinking | Antique Car, Antique Date | Potato Punishment |
Many decades ago, when I wasn't on this "job" yet, I read in the newspaper that, one day, people would be able to talk together and even see each other's picture through the telephone. So this is what we have; the prediction came true. And soon we'll have much more exciting news. I'm not sure how we're going to realize it. But a lot of things you already know, like when I told you about the other planets where people don't need to carry babies in the mother's womb.
In this world, we'll have the same thing. It won't take long. The technical advances are so awesome that we have no time to even catch our breath before something changes again! In Japan, I heard that they've already developed a kind of box in which they put some liquid that corresponds to the natural liquid inside a mother's womb when she's pregnant with a baby. And they'll try to raise the baby that way.
So maybe in the future, if you want to have ten babies, it'll be no problem. (Laughter) For nine months, you can come see the baby every weekend or every day, whenever you have time, even after work. They can even make the shape of the baby, the way he or she looks, and choose the sex and whatever. It's very exciting; we're catching up with the advances of the higher planetary systems.
And right now we're also using laser and light to heal patients. Remember, in one of my earliest lectures in Formosa (at that time, I didn't even speak Chinese well) we mentioned the light therapy used on other, more advanced planets. Those scientists have been born on this planet now, and they're bringing their treasured memories with them. So they're making our planet a better place in which to live, as far as physical comfort is concerned.
And also, maybe soon, or not very far in the future (we're talking about years only) we'll probably have flying cars and so on. And it'll probably be easier to see each other, with less traffic congestion. And we'll have a faster commuting service.
All of this is very exciting for me, too (referring to Her view of Centers in a worldwide conference). Seeing your pictures right here, thousands of miles apart, is really good. So, it's because we're also practicing very well, thanks to you, all the beautiful, lovely, happy yogis. (Applause) All of this has to do with us. So as much as I'm excited about this news, I also want to thank you and many other groups of practitioners. Maybe they don't belong to our group, but they're also doing their meditation on the Light and Sound, or maybe some other less advanced techniques. But they're trying their best to contact God. And that's how we uplift the ambience of this planet.
And so, because the planetary vibrational frequencies have been lifted up into the higher levels, those highly developed scientists from the higher planets are able to reincarnate into our world with less suffering, without losing much of their memory about where they came from. And hence we have such wonderful advances in technology nowadays, thanks to you.
This is beautiful. So we should continue to practice, even if we're not scientists or computer wizards or anything. But as long as we meditate diligently, to purify ourselves, our aura, our environment, we indirectly contribute to the progress of our planet. And that's really the great contribution we can make to our society. This is wonderful. So all the things you enjoy right now are not only the labor of the scientists and the laboratory people, but also the fruit of your own spiritual endeavor.
It's so wonderful to see the outcome of spiritual practice. You see how we didn't have anything before! And suddenly, in just one-and-a-half decades, everything has developed and we even have a hard time keeping track of our technical developments. But you can see the difference.
So this is a practical outcome of our spiritual practice. It's not just spiritual enlightenment, it's not just individual happiness and blissfulness, it's worldly development as well. We're catching up with Heaven. We're catching up with the more exciting and more advanced planets. Can you imagine? And soon, if we live that long, we're going to be traveling to other galaxies, other planetary systems live: not just sending a robot, not just going to Mars to pick up some dirt, but going to some populated and spiritually advanced planets to say hallo. And we can even teach from here; we can even say hallo from here. And we can see each other from zillions of miles away, light years away. We can say hallo then like we're saying hallo to each other right now. Won't that be wonderful? (Yes!)
So keep on your Golden Path and never doubt for one second. You're on the right track. I guarantee it. (Applause)
Do not be afraid of your fearful feelings because the more we're afraid, the stronger will these fearful feelings become. The more we think about something, the more powerful the thing will become. So, let's just think about "love." At all times, we should simply think about "love," the "love power," and always maintain positive thinking, then the Master Power will naturally take care of everything. Gradually, we'll get used to it and then there will be no more obstacles, and all our fears will vanish. We should trust the power of God and strengthen our faith in God's love power daily. Then, we will grow stronger and stronger.
This is the night I will tell you a ghost story to test your courage, and see how you will sleep tonight. You will know, OK?
Now, there was a very young and beautiful wife, who became sick and nearly died. She was on her death bed and told her husband, "I love you very much, and I don't want to leave you. Please, after I die, don't marry another person. You promise me! Okay?
Then she worried that her husband would not keep the promise, so she threatened him. She said, "If you marry another wife, I will become a ghost and take care of you." It's terrible! That's what she said to her husband, "I will make you suffer, always, forever, and eternally!" So the husband was maybe afraid of the wife. But here (Master points to the book) they say, "respected the wife." We always respect the wife, do we not? We respect the wife, but we're not afraid! So the husband respected the wife and didn't think of remarrying another person.
But as God always makes trouble for human beings, he met another beautiful woman, younger, charming, sweeter and more attractive, and richer even! Rich! Oh, terrible! And she even loved him very much and maybe more than the wife. Oh, too bad! That was only three months after the funeral service. Now what can we do about that?
So he got engaged to her. After the engagement (the engagement happened during the daytime), that night the husband saw the ghost of the wife coming. "Ah ha! As promised, here I come." She appeared in front of him and scolded him and nagged him, saying that he had broken his promise; that he did not love her; that he was not sincere; that he was a bad husband; that he had no conscience; that he was a lousy man; that he was a terrible human being; that he was not a virtuous Quan Yin practitioner, etc.
Then the husband got very scared! Because this ghost was so terribly intelligent; she knew exactly what had happened between the husband and the new fiancée. She told him what time he did what with her, and what time he gave her what, and talked to her about what. She knew everything, everything! So he couldn't deny it. But he was very scared.
He was so scared that he could not sleep, he could not eat, and he dared not go to see his fiancée often. And their love affair nearly went on the rocks. So some people told him that he should go to a temple and talk about his suffering to a Zen master, and maybe the Zen master could help him. Oh, my God! The Zen master takes care of everything, including ghosts and marriage.
So the Zen master truly helped him. He said to the husband, "Your ex-wife has become a ghost." (This we knew) "And she is very intelligent. So she knows everything that you did with your fiancée. Actually, you should respect such a ghost. But there is a way to drive her away. Now, next time if the ghost appears, you have to make a bet with her." The Zen master said that she knew everything; she knew too much already. But probably there was something she didn't know. If she answered incorrectly, then she should not come back and bother him any more. Then he could marry the one he loved.
Because she was dead! She could not serve him in any way. She could not cook for him. She could not take care of anything. So the husband asked the Zen master, "What can I do? What should I ask her?"
And the Zen master said to him, "Next time when she comes, take a handful of mung beans in your hand and ask her how many beans are inside. She surely cannot answer that. And then she will disappear. Because, if she cannot answer that question, you will know this is only an illusion of your own mind, your own conscience or your own imagination because you're already too scared, afraid of the wife and imagining, an illusion of your mind. If she doesn't answer, if she cannot answer, then you know it's an illusion and she will vanish."
So, the next night, truly, the ghost appeared. And the husband told her, "Oh, yes, you know everything. You are very intelligent; I cannot do anything about it." And then the ghost said, "Yes, I know. And I also know that today you went to see a Zen master and you talked about us."
So the man said, "Okay, since you know everything, now, can you tell me how many beans are in my hand?" As soon as he asked this question, the ghost disappeared.
So you know, was there a real ghost? No! Then you shouldn't be afraid tonight.
There was once an Indian woman named Devi. Indian people usually have sacred and great names related to God. A "Devi" is a female Deva (Heavenly being), and the name bears great meaning. Sometimes, Indians name their children after Indra (the mythological king of the abode of the gods) in hopes that they will be better humans.
This Indian woman Devi had a young son named Lahuve. The mother and child had to flee their home, which was occupied by an evil spirit that had killed many members of their family, including Devi's parents-in-law and Lahuve's six uncles. Therefore, she decided to take her teenage son away from the haunted house for they were the sole survivors in their family. Devi took her son to another place, where she ran a business for a living.
Several years later, Lahuve, now grown up, asked his mother: "Mom! Where did we come from? My friends always ask me this question and I don't know how to answer them. They want to know why we left our ancestral house." Indian people, like the Chinese, the Aulacese and other people in Asia, highly treasure their ancestral homes.
Thus, his mother told him this story: "In our old abode, eight members of our family were killed by a ghost. Fearing that we would be his next victims, I decided that we shouldn't live there anymore for it would bring us harm." And Lahuve said, "Well! What's so strange about people dying in a house? Where there is birth, there will be death. People die when their time comes. They have already died. Why should we leave our ancestral home? We should return; nothing will happen to us!" His bravery was so convincing that his mother finally consented. They then packed their luggage and went home.
Nevertheless, fear dwelled in Devi's heart. Every day, she would make offerings to the ghost before each meal, and Lahuve was very curious about her behavior.
One day, Devi prepared one of her son's favorite dishes, and he wanted to have the ghost's share as well. Of course, his mother forbade him. So he asked, "Why? For whom is this food reserved? I like this dish very much and I didn't have enough." Devi said, "This is an offering to the ghost. He has already killed eight of our kin. If we don't offer him food, he will kill us, too."
Lahuve was unconvinced by his mother's explanation, and said, "How could this be? Why do you pay so much attention to the ghost? He might not have been responsible for our relatives' deaths." Devi firmly believed that the ghost was behind the family tragedy, for her eight relatives had died one after another. But she had never seen the ghost; she just imagined everything. Her disbelieving son insisted: "Just let me eat it! There is no ghost!" He wanted the food very much, despite his mother's disapproval. She then said, "Please! Don't eat it, don't! Let the ghost have it. If you eat it, the ghost will kill you. What will I do then?"
That day, the ghost really came to enjoy the food. Lahuve sat there waiting for him to appear. When he did, Lahuve asked, "Hey! Ghost! Who are you?" and the ghost told him, "Young man, I am the third brother of your grandfather. After I died, I killed your grandfather and your uncles, because they robbed me of my wealth and let me die in poverty and pain. Therefore, I took my vengeance by killing them all."
Lahuve then asked, "What power do you possess?" The ghost said, "I am extremely powerful. I killed your uncles and grandfather as easily as you swat flies. No problem at all! I could have killed your mother as well, but she fled. Though she has come back, she offers me food every day, so I spare the two of you. Listen carefully. I can fly to Heaven, the abode of the angels, in an instant. I can also fly to the abode of the ghosts. Don't you think that I am terrific?"
Lahuve said, "If you are really so powerful, can you take me to the deities and angels?" The ghost said, "No, I can't." Lahuve said, "Then, can you convey a message to them for me?" The ghost said, "Sure! What do you want to say to them?" The young man said, "Please ask the angels how long I will live here? How old can I live to be?" The ghost said, "Okay, I will." Then he left.
The ghost came again the next day and said to Lahuve, "The angels said that you can live to the age of sixty." Lahuve asked, "Please ask them again if it is possible for me to die earlier, say around forty to fifty? Can I be killed earlier? If this is not possible, then can they let me live longer until I am a hundred years old?" The ghost said, "Okay, I will ask again for you." He then departed again to ask the angels.
The next day, the ghost came back and said to Lahuve: "I have conveyed your request to the angels, but they wanted me to tell you that it is not possible. You can die neither a moment earlier nor later, because the length of human life is predestined."
Upon hearing these words, Lahuve immediately swallowed the offerings set aside for the ghost and rushed into the kitchen. He picked up a big piece of wood, lit it, and used it to beat and chase the ghost away. He said: "If you do not get out, I will kill you; I will continue to beat you." The ghost displayed his deadly fangs and claws trying to scare them. Devi implored her son to stop doing that. But Lahuve said, "Mom! Don't you worry! The angels told me that we can't die any earlier or later. So, why are you still afraid of the ghost?" The ghost threatened to kill them both if they did not offer him food. However, he had also heard with his own ears the angels say that it is impossible to die earlier or later. Therefore, he had nothing more to say, and was beaten out of the house by Lahuve. After Lahuve had learned the truth, the ghost could not threaten him anymore, and the ghost was aware of that, too. (Applause)
If we have God and Buddha in our heart, will we still fear ghosts? God and the Buddha are the highest. If we are still afraid of ghosts, that shows we do not have enough faith in God or Buddha. Our faith is still too weak. Therefore, ghosts can only intimidate weaker people; they fear those people who practice spiritually and have stronger willpower.
When we grow up a little bit more and become teenagers, we always have various kinds of pressure: from school work, from competition with classmates, from girlfriends, boyfriends, or girl and boyfriends together and from family members as well.
And sometimes we share the pressure of our parents, too, or that of our brothers and sisters if they have problems. Even if they don't tell us or if they only tell us a little bit, we perhaps know the financial situation of the family or the marital atmosphere between our parents, and so on. All of these things add to the pressure on our soul. And thus sometimes children feel suffocated.
So children may take pills, take drugs or kill themselves. Or they may run away from home, or have all kinds of bad company just to escape the pressure. That's what they think, to substitute these things for the happiness that they have lost or that they cannot find.
And I think the pressure on children is sometimes of a greater intensity than that on adults. Because when we're adults, we're more or less trained and more or less strong enough to be able to take of these problems. But children are a little bit sensitive, innocent and helpless; therefore, they don't know where to turn. And they don't know how to express themselves: They're fearful or timid and shy and all kinds of things. So I don't think being a child or being young is as terribly beautiful as people describe in novels.
That's why when children do something wrong, it's not entirely their fault. It's the situation, the pressure of the society, the circumstances and the family background; there are many things put together. So it's lucky for those children who have good parents or a good family and who feel happy and loved within the family. I didn't feel it that much when I was young. But those who practice with their parents on the path of Truth are better, much better. They have inner comfort to rely on. And that will give them a lot of the strength and wisdom they need to grow and to survive the pressures of this world.
Sometimes our parents or family members alone cannot give us enough satisfaction or inner strength to go through life. Because there are also many things we can't talk about with our parents. Parents have their own problems and their own pressures. Even if they wanted to love their children more or share more of their children's pressures, they could not by human effort do so in a complete way.
So I think all the children should come and learn the Quan Yin Method and eat vegetarian. And if they have problems, they can talk to me. That's better than going and talking to bad friends! I can be their father, mother, friend, lover, teacher or anything so that they will survive the young period. And then later, when they grow up, they can do things for themselves.
There are many ghost stories in China from earlier times; for example, Liao Zhai Zhi Yi (Tales of Fox Fairies and Ghosts, a book of Chinese ghost stories), and so on. Some of the ghost stories are not completely fictional; there is some truth in them. Because the human psyche is funny; it can create a lot of things. That's why people can have psychic power.
It is said that, in Tibet you can practice devotion to a kind of deity. And then one day you will see the deity appear as a real person; you can create it. If you don't have a deity that you already like, you can create one in your mind: as a deity, a monk, a woman and so on. After a long period of practice, these imaginary personages will become real. And each has a reality and a personality of his or her own. And sometimes if you're not powerful enough to control this created apparition, it will even harm you.
Similar to ghost stories, many things happen in our life because of our mind. So if people say, "Everything comes from the mind," it means that our thinking affects our living standards and everything around us. If you think the flu is contagious, you should know that the thought process is even more contagious than that.
But there's no need for alarm. Besides reciting the Holy Names, you can pray to God, meditate and think all the time of the good side of things. You must check your psychological lifes as well, such as being too obsessed with some kind of idea. For example, if your body is very healthy, and you live in an environment that is always propagating or encouraging people to have intercourse with the opposite sex, then the cells in the body will sometimes listen to that message.
So you have to keep your mind at a different level (Master points to the wisdom eye) and tell the cells the opposite. If you can't do that, then sometimes the bodily demands are greater than your mental ability to control them. And then sometimes you see a ghost appear to you, like a beautiful lady in your dreams or not in your dreams, making more trouble for you. In that case, you should know that this is a psychological apparition. It's not real.
So in that case, if you want to deal with this kind of ghost, you can ask something that he cannot answer. Anything you think in your head, the ghost will know, because he is you. So make sure it's something that's puzzling. For example, if the ghost comes again, you can hold a handful of rice in your hand and ask him, "How many grains are inside?" and surely he can never answer; then he will disappear. In that case, you'll know it's your own psychological apparition that appeared to you because you suppress yourself too much. So try not to suppress yourself so much. Get married, or do something legal. (Master and everyone laugh.) So you don't have to make trouble for yourself and invite a ghost.
we have to check our thought processes. It's not the action alone that counts; it's the thought inside. For example, sometimes you hug someone, and if you love him or her, they will feel different than when you just hug out of social etiquette, like, "Yes, hallo, how are you?" And the other person freezes. So similarly, with the family relationship or husband and wife, don't think that you can cheat on her and she doesn't know it. She feels it. And there will be turmoil in the family; you just won't know why. You think that she doesn't know anything, that she's become moody these days or she's become lousy. It's not true. Inside, the knowledge is transmitted through space, through time, and is recorded.
Everything is recorded. It's funny how we think that we're alone all the time. We're not alone. Everything is recorded and transmitted. For example, television and radio or CDs - they're nothing, just pieces of metal and plastic with everything recorded on them! How can the ether or God power not be able to record an even finer version than that?
So we should be aware all the time of the naked visibility of our inner thinking, not to mention our actions, which are coarser and more visible. That's why we must always try to keep our thoughts, speech and actions as pure as we can control them. Because we'll affect the next person.
Human beings are the most precious and wisest beings in the world. Therefore, you can go to school at such a young age, understand what the teachers teach, and become increasingly intelligent and better. If you were to put a bird in school, would it learn anything? (Children: No.) However, we humans should be worthy of our behavior, otherwise, we're no better than animals.
We humans also have the qualities of animals; for example, when we enjoy bullfighting or cockfighting. What do we look like when we sleep too much? (Children: Pigs.) And what do we look like when we eat too much? (Children: Pigs.) Still pigs? (Laughter) Are pigs so bad? They have both of these qualities. (Laughter) I mean we human beings also have animals' qualities, but that doesn't mean we are lousy. Why do we have these animals' qualities? It's because we have bodies like theirs. Animals also have eyes, noses, ears, and mouths. Some animals also have hands, and some don't have hands, but they have wings. So, we just can't get away from animals' qualities.
However, human beings have an advantage: We can control these qualities, increase or decrease them, depending on how strong our willpower is. For example, sometimes when we eat too much, we can retrospect and tell ourselves, "Oh, you don't have to eat so much. Eat just enough! Otherwise, you will soon get sleepy, or you may lose concentration in school. When the teacher teaches, you will begin to snore." We can warn ourselves like this, and then we'll eat less. Or when it's time to go to school, but we have not had breakfast, we can tell ourselves, "It's time to go to school. That's more important. I can eat when I have time."
But a pig can't do that. If a pig goes to school, it has to eat until it's full before it's willing to go. Even if you put the food aside, it will rush to get it. Therefore, although we humans have animals' qualities, we still have wisdom and willpower, with which we can control ourselves and develop other good qualities in ourselves. But animals can't do that, not even the intelligent ones. They can't learn as much as we humans can.
People are different in terms of intelligence and talents. Some are smart; others are awkward. The difference comes from their knowledge or inborn talents. Some are born clever; some have to study long to catch up; others are still awkward even if they go to school. Although they can become a little more intelligent than before, the difference is barely perceptible because they don't study hard.
However, since we practice spiritually, we understand everything very quickly. That's why some schools also teach their students meditation. But the meditation has to be very short, because they are mostly not vegetarians. Of course, they practice ordinary methods only. But they still benefit a lot, even if they practice like that. Their intelligence grows and they become smarter.
Originally, we humans came from very high dimensions, where we already knew everything. Our minds are full of all kinds of materials and they'll be of use if we know how to operate with them. Our brain is just like a computer that's full of all kinds of materials from the universe. It's just that most of these materials we can't utilize because we don't know how to operate it.
We practitioners have to find the right "keys" and then we can understand everything, we can do anything, and we can do everything much better than ordinary people. It's because after we practice, our inner wisdom adjusts itself automatically and the inner Master presses the right keys for us whenever we need anything. It provides us with the necessary materials. This is nothing mysterious! If anything we request comes true, it's because we have it originally. It comes out when we press the right keys. There's nothing mystical about it!
Sometimes we don't know how to choose the right keys because we haven't learned how. Thus, we pray to God for help because the we will know how to choose the right keys, and miracles will happen. Every request is answered because we've found the right keys. After we practice well, we don't have to pray to God for anything. We have everything we want because we know how to find the right keys.
We meditate, keep a vegetarian diet, carry out charitable acts, and observe the precepts. All of these things are part of spiritual practice. The more we practice, the more we know how to handle our own things, the more we know how to use our abundant inner materials, and the more we know what to use in various situations. You have heard many miraculous stories about great practitioners performing magical feats or performing miracles in the Himalayas. They can do these things because they practice, not because they have magical power. Each one of us can have this power. Whatever Jesus can do, we can do also, provided we know how.
The same goes for school. Before you started going to school, you couldn't even read the ABC's, but now you can. Why? There's nothing miraculous about it: It's because you have learned them. Those who have not learned them can't read the ABC's however simple they're.
Spiritual practitioners go to a different school, one that's higher than universities. Our worldly knowledge ends at the universities. Secondary schools are higher than primary schools, and universities are higher than high schools, but that's the end of worldly knowledge. If we want to know greater things, we want to know about the universe or other mysterious things, we have to practice spiritually.
After we graduate from the university, we should go to Buddha's or God's school if we want to enhance our wisdom. It's just another kind of school. But this kind of school is different from ordinary schools because it doesn't involve organizational work. There are no written tests, and there are no tuition fees, and students don't have to go to school every day. That's why people don't think it's a kind of school. Of course, we can do as ordinary schools do, but I think people who can go to this kind of school are already mature. They are good enough and don't need the kinds of disciplinary methods that are used to control children. So, this kind of school is freer.
Although this kind of school is freer, students have to study very hard. They have to meditate at least two and a half hours a day and strictly observe the precepts. It's stricter than ordinary schools in this respect. And there are still tests although they are not in written form. Ask your parents. They have a lot of tests. Sometimes, if they can't pass the tests, their levels drop. But that doesn't matter since they can take the tests again! We have no deadlines for the tests. It doesn't matter when or how many times you take the tests! You can continue to take the tests as long as you have patience and sincerity. In this school, you also learn a superior kind of knowledge.
Therefore, it's also a kind of school here. I teach different knowledge, which is superior to that of the university. Worldly knowledge cannot compare with this knowledge because there are many mystical things that cannot be explained through worldly knowledge. Universities have their good points; many different subjects are taught there. However, we teach everything here, and it's taught inwardly without the use of language. Our school is thus a superior school.
Now you're still in primary and secondary school, so you should study hard and do your homework carefully. But you shouldn't do it for fame or fortune. You shouldn't do it because you want to become a boss, run a big factory or become a president. You should do it as part of your responsibility, to please your parents and teachers, to fulfill your duty as a member of society. After we complete our education, we go wherever God arranges for us to go, and do whatever God arranges for us to do because we know God will take care of everything.
When I was a student of about your age, I loved reading books. We should not only read books from school, but also other books that are worth reading, such as scriptures and books about ethics or life philosophy, which are very nice and interesting. If we read many books, we won't misbehave outside, and we won't have too much free time, so our minds won't be misled. You're still young; it's okay. After you grow older, you should read more books and do more research. There are many kinds of books in this world. Some are scientific books and some are medical books or theological books. We can read and research any books that are beneficial to us.
If we learn to be a good person at a young age, we won't bring trouble to other people when we grow up. Therefore, we should learn basic ethics from childhood. If there's anything you don't understand, ask your parents first. I think your parents are very good. They practice spiritually, and they have good morals and common sense. They're older than you are and have learned with me longer than you have. Ask them first about things that you don't understand. Ask before you grow up; otherwise, it will be too late.
Some initiates come to learn with me when they are old, and I become tired when I teach them. There's an Aulacese saying that goes, "Bend the bamboo when it's tender; you cannot bend it as you like when it grows up." Similarly, my parents trained me strictly when I was young. Sometimes I didn't like it, and I'd say, "Oh, I'm just a kid! Why are you so tough on me?" However, after I grew up, I appreciated my parents very much because everything I do right is to be attributed to my parents' strict discipline. If I do anything wrong, it's my own fault.
Although you're still young, you'll grow up very soon. I felt I was like you yesterday, but I became like this very quickly (Master laughs); I've gotten a few extra strands of white hair. Time really flies! When you're still a student, you have plenty of time, so you should study hard, and look for good books to read; otherwise, you won't have time for it after you grow up. Ask your parents if it's true that they don't have time to read books. They can't be absorbed in the books when they do read, because they're always dealing with this and that, busy with financial problems, and busy with daily troubles so they can't concentrate on reading.
If you're not a good child now, who can help you after you grow up? Bad kids become bad adults, and they make families and society unstable, and bring chaos to their country. Therefore, for society to be sound and stable, it has to depend on you, the future pillars. You should behave well from now on, and cultivate your manners.
Do you remember the story about Mencius' mother moving her residence three times? (Children: Yes.) If it weren't important to study well at a young age, Mencius' mother wouldn't have exerted so much effort to move! Now that you have such good parents and a good learning environment, you should really study well. Read any good books you know of. Ask your parents if you don't know of any. Ask them to find some good books for you. When you have free time, don't play too much. Have enough fun. Do some physical exercises to keep fit. That's enough. Read some meaningful and moral books. You should learn basic ethics from a young age; otherwise, it'll be too late.
When I was little, I liked moral books very much, such as books that teach us not to steal under any circumstances, or not to take what doesn't belong to us. After I grew up, there was a time when I drifted. But I wouldn't steal even if I had no money on me. Once, when I was in Au Lac, a friend let me live in his house, but he didn't know that I had no money and I didn't tell him. One day, I was very hungry, but I had no money. It was wartime, so I couldn't receive money from home, which put me in an urgent situation. My friend put all his family's food on the table, and it looked delicious and smelled good. I didn't eat it although I had gone hungry for days because they had not returned home by that time. I didn't tell them about my situation. I tried to get a job or find some other way to settle the problem. I did so because I had been trained that way from the time I was young.
My friend's family trusted me very much, and they left me at home when they went out. I didn't touch their property or steal their food because I had learned that from when I was young. My parents didn't wait to teach me only when the circumstances arose, which might have been too late. Just like when you learn Chinese, you should learn when you are young, and then you can speak it fluently later. You will learn how to use all kinds of words, and then you will speak Chinese very well. There was another time when I lived in Paris. I didn't have much money with me, because I was an overseas student. I lived somewhere first and then I had to move to the other place for some reason. I needed money to move, but I didn't have very much money at the time. You know, things are very expensive in Paris! The rent is much higher than in Taipei. So you can imagine how difficult it was for me, a foreign student, to be forced to move immediately!
One evening, I was looking for a job, one that offered living accommodations, so that I could resume my education. It was OK for me to study at night and work during the day. I went to look for a job, but did not find one. On my way home, I passed by a park, and a man thought I was a "street girl," so he showed me a lot of money and wanted me to go home with him. Of course, I said, "No!" He first showed me 200 US dollars, and then raised it to 400. I said, "No" again. Then he raised it to 600, so I warned him, "If you say another word, I'll call the police!" The man became frightened, and then he finally realized I was not that kind of woman so he ran away. Six hundred dollars was a lot of money at that time.
Why didn't I forget my honor or morality for the sake of money? Because I had read good books from the time I was young, and it became a habit of mine to resist worldly fame or fortune in any situation. I liked to read moral books such as Zhuan Tze, Lao Tze, or the Buddhist scriptures. Others like The Story of the Gods, Spring and Autumn, Tales of the Three Kingdoms, Tales of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, The Thousand Flower Mansion, and tales of Chengyaojin (a humorous and loyal character in Chinese folklore) are also books containing moral lessons. In these books, good people obtain good consequences, and receive special protection or help whenever they encounter disaster. Bad people are found out sooner or later, and are punished in the end. These stories teach us and firmly build up our ethics.
If we cultivate our basic ethics at a young age, we'll not waver in any situation; otherwise, we'll fail our first test. We'll harm other people or seek fame and fortune in dishonorable ways. We'll not mind even if we sell ourselves or hurt our honor.
Therefore, I think you should form the habit of taking care of the moral aspects of your life since you are little and not just read your textbooks, or just learn foreign languages or math. That's not enough; although they make us a little more intelligent. They make us know how to do business, or teach us how to find good jobs, but they cannot build up our moral concepts or protect our souls or dignity. Therefore, if your school doesn't teach you about ethics, you should train yourselves, or read some good books. When you have free time, don't indulge yourselves in meaningless games. You can play games, but don't overdo it; otherwise, you'll waste a lot of precious time.
You remember and absorb everything you learn at this age, so it matters what you absorb! Keep away from immoral books and violent movies. Choose the right movies or books so that you can develop a good spirit, and nourish healthy ethics. You should cultivate this habit at a young age and refuse immoral publications and films. You don't have to wait for your parents to forbid you and then protest against it. You should be responsible for yourselves. Even if you're still young, you're human beings. You have eyes, a nose, and ears, just like I do. So if I could read good books when I was young, you can do it, too.
From now on, you should begin to discipline yourselves, and get prepared for your future life; or else, you'll have no time for it after you grow up. At that time, you might make boyfriends or girlfriends, and concern yourself with romance. You might also be concerned with taking on family responsibilities after you get married. You might be involved in earning money after you find a job. So how can you find time to train yourselves? Therefore, this is the best time to train yourselves because you don't have much responsibility now, and your parents take care of you very well, buying clothes for you and cooking for you, so you have nothing to worry about.
So, cultivate your moral concepts from now on, and make them sound and healthy. Then you'll become a good citizen after you grow up. You'll become a good husband or wife, and you'll be good in every respect! "Cultivate yourself, discipline your family, govern your country, and bring peace to the world." You should undergo all this training when you are young, otherwise when will you have the time to do it later? You should learn from our ancestors, you should learn from the good scriptures passed down from the ancient Masters, you should learn good morals and precepts, and you should train yourselves from childhood!
Q: I'm a student, and I've lost my motivation and ability to concentrate. How can I get this back? With the Quan Yin Method maybe? I can't really start with my studies yet, and am suffering very much. Only You, Supreme Master Ching Hai, can help me and other students as well.
M: When you start to grow up in your teenage life, there will be many distractions. That's why it's difficult for you to concentrate. But you can also practice a little bit of meditation.
If you want the Quan Yin Method, that's fine. If you don't, then you can practice a simple method of concentration to help you. Also, try not to watch too many distracting movies. And try not to look around at beautiful women or handsome men too much.
After you finish your studies, of course you can do anything you want. Think of your parents and your benefactor, who have worked very hard to pay for your studies, and try to fulfill your obligations. Because the student time of your life is actually the best time; and later you will regret it. Tell yourself you must finish the studies in front of you first, and everything else will come later. Be determined to finish.
Q: Some of the teenagers of this generation have no respect for their parents.
Is it because we're not good parents?
M: No, I don't think so. It depends. I wouldn't say that all parents are
good, but most of them are good. You see, the teenagers of this generation
probably have not been groomed enough in morality, in seeing their parents
as representatives of God on Earth, who take God's place to raise the children
and to educate them.
If the parents somehow hinder or obstruct the children when they want to realize God, then we can say these are not very good parents. But otherwise, there are no such things as "no good" parents. Maybe the different outlook of our teenagers nowadays is because of the influence of bad news, violent pictures, many undesirable means of communication, bad company, bad influences and bad friends. That makes the teenagers the way they are today.
So the solution again is that we have to go back to the Golden Age. We have to live the way the Bible teaches us to do, through the way of non-violence, the way of love, the way of enlightenment. Then we can bring our children back to their innocence, back to their ethical way of life. And even children can get enlightenment, too. Then they can know for themselves, and they will change their way of life.
So, if all the children know the way of Truth, maybe they will choose it. And then they will discover love within themselves. Then they will respect their parents more. And then in turn, if the parents are more enlightened, they will be more understanding and clearer about how to raise their children.
Q: With children who practice, when should we start and how should we
help them not become attached to materialism from an early age?
M: Well, you can tell them about the ephemeral nature of all things and make
them see some examples from books, from others, or from nature.
Q: Will the child's mind naturally become detached from material things if
we don't pollute it, or do we have to train it that way also?
M: We can train it, but still, if they go to school, if they go out, they
will be affected by the society. But at least if they have a good background,
they will be able to withstand the pressure and disappointment that life
and company will bring to them. It's not that they won't have the disappointment
and pressure and loneliness that the company will bring. But they will
be able to withstand it. They will be strong enough to understand and overcome
the sorrow or unhappiness that arise from these circumstances.
Q: Thank you for that, Master. (Applause)
M: You're welcome.
Q: Many of us have children and they are practitioners and half initiates,
and it's always very difficult for us to know how to raise them. The guidelines
for us are quite clear, but raising children is transferring your thoughts
to someone else. It's very difficult, so thank You for Your advice.
M: You're welcome. I hope it works. In this world, it's never a thing that's
absolute or 100%. You can only do your best and be proud that you're doing
so. Everything else also is the effect of karma, of society, of the collective
consciousness, and God's will, and weather, and the country where you live,
the traditions, and the friends that they have and everything else. You
can't control everything. So do your best. And be a good parent. Be loving
and good. And that's good enough already. These are very fortunate children
who are born to spiritual, saintly parents like you are.
When Master takes care of people, She is always very thoughtful and sincere, leaving the recipients with an indelible impression. Yet when disciples attend to Master, they are often extremely careless and crude, and have to rely on Master to remind them at every possible opportunity.
On the mountain summit in Hsihu there was a wood cabin where Master once lived in Her earlier days. Outside the cabin was a high deck, where Master sat to deliver lectures in full view of the audience. So soon the deck came to be called "the lecture platform." One day, Master told her attendant that She wanted to spend the night there. The cabin, which was still under construction, had no water or electricity. Nonetheless, the attendant heeded Master's words and immediately brought a folding bed and hung up a mosquito net for Her. Thus, Master spent the night outdoors.
Early the next morning, when the attendant woke up, she saw through her
still drowsy eyes that Master was already sitting in meditation inside
the mosquito net. She felt ashamed, but on closer observation, realized
how careless she had been the previous night. In the dim light, she had
hung the mosquito net too high, leaving it free to be blown higher by the
wind. She had not noticed that it was several inches above the ground.
Up on the mountain at night was mosquito country so the attendant wondered
what a difficult night it must have been for Master.
Episode one:
After the seven-day Christmas retreat in Costa Rica in 1990, Master and disciples went to a nearby secluded beach for a further retreat. In the heat on that isolated beach, Master led the disciples in setting up a tarp with a piece of driftwood so that we could have some shade. We placed our cooking utensils, fruit and vegetables under the tarp away from the scorching sun.
A miracle then occurred on the beach. A freshwater pool was found not far from shore. Strangely, however, soon after our retreat ended and Master left for Panama, the sea suddenly rose high and flooded the little pool. No fresh water has since been found on the beach. We could not figure out where the fresh water came from, but it flowed into the pool and then out to form a little creek, which meandered into the ocean. Every morning, we carried water from the pool and filtered it through six or seven layers of cloth before storing it for food preparation. Mornings were the best times to collect the water for the debris settled at the bottom of the pool during the night.
During the retreat, Master led us in fortifying the sand embankments nearby, which showed signs of collapse. We also dug a deeper riverbed for the creek. However, the uneven bed obstructed water flow and Master decided to dig a new canal for the water to flow into the ocean. Barefooted, Master toiled hard with a shovel in her hand. She also asked us to work hard, but we thought it was fun and did not take the work seriously. Darkness was about to fall, and when Master saw that we were working too slowly, She chastised us severely and urged us on, telling us that building this creek would have a tremendous impact on the universe. Only then did we hasten to complete the work. Master's attendant offered to take over Her shoveling job, but She insisted on doing it Herself. Even though the disciples did not understand why She had to do it Herself, they knew somehow that this was a very important task.
Soon afterwards, most of the disciples went back to the local center to weed the grass and plant trees to beautify the environment, and only a few stayed behind with Master at the beach. By then, the high temperatures had given way to rain and everyone sought shelter under the tarp. But the shelter could not accommodate everyone; so Master instructed us to take off our outer robes and hang them around the tarp as an extension, much like the eaves of a building. When the sun came out, there were many wet clothes had to be dried. So Master fashioned a steel wire and a piece of driftwood into a clothes hanger.
One night, before one of the resident disciples went to bed, he remembered something that happened between him and Master, and thought to himself, "We're great people, and we do great things. You're little so you do little things." He even found this thought funny and went to bed with a smile. The next day rain came again and the winds blew. When the rain stopped, Master asked this resident disciple to fasten the robes tighter on the tarp the way one would fasten a curtain, but he did it carelessly. When Master went about re-fastening them, She said in a casual tone, "You're a great person, so you do great things. I'm little, so I do little things." Her words came as a shock to the disciple!
Sometimes things like this happen so that we stay alert. We thus need to be ever conscious that we are in the company of an enlightened Being, and not an ordinary person. From Her external appearance, Master seems to be very ordinary, affectionate and close to our hearts despite Her revered position in the Universe. When we have been with Her for some time, the initial nervousness and awe fade and often give way to carelessness. This is also true in any human relationship as it develops over time. We have lived in this mundane world for so long that our habits become very entrenched. We have to trouble Master to use different opportunities to teach us to grow out of the bad qualities that have controlled us life after life.
Episode Two:
When traveling with Master on an international lecture tour, we often have to move on to a new location every two or three days, and every residence has its share of problems. For example, once I had to wash Master's clothes in a sink that had been used by many people. To make sure that everything was clean, I lined the sink with a plastic bag before filling it with water. But the sink was very small and I had to fight to cover it with the slippery plastic bag, which was supposed to go completely over the sink, making my job all the more difficult.
I thought that if I cleaned the sink a few more times, I could do without the plastic bag. But just as I was about to put this thought into action, Master appeared behind me. "You can't do that! The sink is dirty," She said. I knew very well that I should not let Master's clothes touch the sink, but my impatience had gotten the better of me. I was surprised that Master had sensed such a minor detail. She insists that however difficult things may be, we should not lower our standards. I sighed in relief that Master had caught me before I slacked off.
Episode Three:
During an international lecture tour, local disciples at every stop generously offered their homes for Master and Her touring group to stay in. One night, when everyone had gone to bed, I took my pad and sleeping bag to the living room and lay down beside the telephone, thinking that, if necessary, I would be able to pick up the phone as soon as it rang. Just as I was lying down, however, Master appeared. When She learned that I was planning to sleep in the living room for the sake of convenience, She said, "The living room is for public use. If you sleep here, this living room will become your personal space, and others will hesitate if they want to get a glass of water or do something else. We cannot occupy public space for selfish purposes. You can unplug the phone temporarily or move it to your room." Master's words were impressed deeply on my mind, especially since I had not felt comfortable about sleeping in the living room in the first place. Until this day, I still remember this rule: Never spread out your personal belongings in a public space and always keep it clean.
On another occasion, I was on the phone reading telephone numbers to someone. I thought that since he was an American, he should be able to understand me even if I read them quickly, and did just that. After hanging up the phone, Master immediately corrected me, saying, "Could anyone understand you at the rate you were reading?" I bit my tongue! This was the only time that I had slurred on the phone and Master caught me in the act!
After having been taught and corrected by Master about many minor details in life, I have found myself slowly leaving my crude qualities farther and farther behind and becoming more and more elegant. Regarding this topic, Master once said, "I've met many so-called 'great' people, truly great people, and I've seen how they take care of minor details with great attentiveness, and with such a natural spontaneity that it is like second nature to them. I think that's how they became great; they do not neglect anything. They know everything without having to pay much attention. For some ordinary people, even when they want very much to pay attention to something, their so-called attention is so minimal that when they say they have paid their whole attention, it's not much. Therefore, they neglect some corners, and that's how things become spoiled and not completed. I've seen many so-called great people. They are truly very humble in their manner and truly take care of things in a very joyful way, taking care of other people and the tasks that are entrusted to them." (Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, April 10, 1992, originally in English, Videotape No. 240)
From these few simple examples, it is not difficult to perceive the differences between great people and little people.
There was a grandfather who came home with two blessed candies to give to his grandson. One was green and the other was red, and he asked his grandson, "Which candy would you like to have?" So the grandson took the green one. Just out of curiosity, the grandfather then asked the boy, "Why did you pick the green candy and not the red one? The red sure looks prettier." And the grandson said, "I picked the green one because green is the color of hope." So the grandfather said, "Hmmm. That's good. What are you hoping for?" And the grandson said, "I hope you'll give me the red one as well!"
A girl asked her friend Mary, "How was your blind date?" And Mary said, "Oh, it was horrible." Then the girl said, "Why's that?" And Mary said, "Well, he showed up in a 1932 Rolls Royce." The girl then replied, "Wow, that's a collectable, a very expensive car. What's wrong with that?" And Mary said, "The problem is, he's the original owner!"
There was a man who went to a restaurant and ordered some food. After receiving his order, he suddenly called to his waitress and said, "Please, come here." When the waitress came, he showed her a potato on his plate and said, "This potato is very bad." So the waitress picked the potato up, spanked it, put it back down again and told the man, "Sir, if this potato makes any more trouble for you again, just call me."
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/138/jk1.htm (USA)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/138/jk1.htm (Formosa)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.net/eng/news/138/jk1.htm (USA)