Spiritual Guide, Spiritual guidance, meditation guidance, guide to God-realization

"A Spiritual Guide is one who has the key for you to become a Master... to help you realize that you are also a Master and that you and God are also One. That's all... that's the only role of the Spiritual Guidance."

~ Supreme Master Ching Hai ~
 

Q: How can we tell true Spiritual Guides from false spiritual guides?

M: That I don't know; I haven't met any false ones. I've only met true Spiritual Guides. False or true, it's up to you. There are many ways to discern a true Spiritual Guide. When a so-called spiritual guide just clings to one part of the Truth and forsakes the rest, and then teaches the disciples only one part of that from the whole Truth, then we call him a false spiritual master. But actually the name is not correct. Maybe he is a kind of "partial spiritual master", a part-time job, a part-time spiritual guide, but not false.

And when a spiritual master guides you the whole Truth that is with yourself and awakens that which already exists within yourself, that is the true Spiritual Guide. Because He/She awakens the true Master within yourself, that is the true Spiritual Guidance. And what is your true Nature, what is the true Master within yourself? That is God, that is the Holy Spirit, which dwells within your church, your temple. And when that God manifests, we can hear the teaching through the heavenly Music, we can see Hirm through visions or through abundant illuminations like a thousand suns, sometimes. That is our true Nature when It is awakened.

 

An Enlightened Master's Guidance Is Necessary for Spiritual Practice

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, USA, June 8, 2001 (Originally in English) Videotape No. 716

Q: Master, I just wanted to let you know that in medicine, people are waking up. I don't know if you saw that Newsweek and Time recently published "The Power of Yoga." Also, they're studying the physiology of ecstasy and spiritual experience.
M: It's about time!

Q: So it made big headlines; you may have seen.
M: They had difficulty, but they kind of admit indirectly that God exists.

Q: In that article it was funny because they said kundalini yoga was the easiest yoga and that hatha yoga was the most difficult.
M: These are all exercises; we have to go beyond that. Actually, when you practice the Quan Yin Method, sometimes you also feel the kundalini awaken. It's more natural than having it start right at the bottom of everything. We start at the top, and everything has to go up. It's better than starting at the bottom, and climbing. If you happen to have a bigger bottom, then it can take a long time! (Laughter)

Q:  But it's becoming an issue because so many people are going at it blindly, and then having problems. They come to physicians because of all kinds of symptoms and issues. So it takes a whole way of organizing to make sure that there's no negative effect from the people's practice. They practice on their own because they hear about all of this, and they're doing whatever they want to do.
M: I know. You guys are lucky. How many people have gone "cuckoo" because of spiritual malpractice? I have told you and everyone many times: Either don't do anything, or go and find the real Teacher to learn it correctly, the one who can be behind you and support you all the way through, from here to Heaven. Otherwise, you'll get lost in some "nihilism" or void somewhere. The void is big and the universe is vast; where will you go without a Guide?

And, of course, you are bound to bump into some astral entities or a black hole. You could get lost forever, and that would be terrible! It's better not to fool with the universe, especially spiritual power. If you fool with atomic bomb power, that's scary enough already. But even that, you can handle; that's physical. But something invisible or unknown, if you tamper with it: Oh, my God, I can't even begin to think about it!

Q:  In the article on ecstasy, the issue also is that people get certain glimpses, and then they get frustrated because they don't have guidance after that.
M: Yes, it's true. Well, they should search. Nowadays, if you don't find a Master, it's your own fault. There're e-mail and websites; there's everything, everywhere. The Supreme Master is everywhere, all over. Whenever I turn on a computer, I stare directly at myself. "Who's that? My God!" (Master and everyone laugh.)

It's so easy to question today. But I don't know. Maybe it's not easy for lay people to understand who is who. And they don't know whom to trust, and so they just go with the wind. It's a pity, though. That's why you guys are there. You're all over; you're omnipresent. You can tell everyone what is what and who is who. You are the thousand arms of Quan Yin Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy) and the thousand eyes of Quan Yin Bodhisattva. You're everywhere. You do things, you talk and you walk.

That's why I tell you to walk like a Buddha. If you can't walk like that every minute of the day, at least walk in the Center like a Buddha. Here we only have Buddhas, and nothing else. So, just be one. Otherwise, you stand out like a sore thumb in the forest of Buddhahood here.

Q: So the only thing that prevents us from becoming our Buddha Nature is believing that we are not Buddhas?
M: Yes, that's the only thing!

Q:  And it's as simple as that?
M: Yes, it is. But it's not that simple, because your mind makes it very complicated. You make Buddha or God something far away, something untouchable, something unapproachable. And as you think, so you become. If a fish doesn't know where the ocean is while she's swimming in it, there's no one who can help her. If she doesn't know where the ocean is, in which she's swimming right now, she'll never know anywhere else, no matter how far she travels. It's the same as what I've told you: Going to the Himalayas is of no use. You should stay here, and work with your own Himalaya. (Master points to the wisdom eye.)

Stay wherever you are; you have to know God right there. Because Hes is everywhere. I keep telling you that God is omnipresent and omnipotent. Is that just a joke? And "The Kingdom of God is within you." Is that a joke, or did Jesus tell a lie? Or, "Buddha is within you." Did Buddha make a joke about emotional trust? No! They all told the Truth. So you just have to remind yourself every day, "I am a Buddha." And if you don't know that you are Buddha, do something Buddha-like. For example, help other people to get enlightened. The more you help people in any way, the more enlightened you become and the more you realize, "Yes, I have this power."

Once you talk to other people, your Buddha Nature will come out and talk to them. You will realize, "My God, can I talk like this? Look who's talking! (Laughter) I never knew how to talk like this before." The more you use this Buddha power inside you, the more you sincerely wish other people to be enlightened naturally. Not like you're coercing or forcing or blackmailing them, but naturally. The more it comes out, the more you realize, "I do have this power! Otherwise, where else does it come from? How could I talk like this?" Once you recognize your eloquence and your convincing power, you'll convince yourself, too. Well, thanks to you, I became a Buddha. That's what it means. Because if you didn't need me, I would probably just put my Buddhahood to the side and go play football. (Laughter)

 

Persist in Your Ideal

Q:  We know there are people in the world who aren't enlightened. They're just pretty much walking with their blinders on and don't know the divine creatures that they are. Are there ways You might suggest that we don't become discouraged by the overwhelming numbers of these blind people, other than just to recognize that they are divine, and love them for what they are anyway?

M: Love them for what they are, and do your own thing. They can do their thing, and you should also do your thing. If you cannot influence them in any way, then just keep to yourself and protect yourself, at least so that you do not become dispirited.

That's why we have to keep together -- through group meditation, retreats, lectures, videotapes, books and so on -- reminding yourself until you're strong on your feet and can walk by yourself and aren't influenced by anything. Then you become a master of yourself and a master of the world, instead of the world becoming your master. You don't have to teach anyone to be a master. You're the master of yourself. That's the hardest thing to do.

It's no problem, in the hospital there might be only two or three doctors, or ten at the most. But they aren't overwhelmed by the number of patients in the hospital, because they know what they're doing. They've studied for years, and they treat the patients instead of letting the patients infect them with their diseases or misery.

 

Concentrate on One Method in Order to Achieve Sainthood

Q:  I hear every Master say when they teach, "Don't go to another teacher." I know You said if you're riding two bicycles, you can't learn to ride one. At the same time, I understand that we are One, somewhere, somehow. So why is it that this Oneness doesn't override the individual Master?

M: Because you're already separated. It takes time and power and concentration to become One again with all beings. So while you're separated, you'd better just concentrate on what you know and study what you have, first. Otherwise, you'll overwhelm yourself with many seemingly contradictory theories and teachings.

The real Masters teach the same Truth, but one may express it differently to certain individuals. And the affinity that this Master has with His students is different from the kind you have with other masters. But if you overwhelm yourself with too many factors, then you can't digest it. And that will make you slow to progress. Because you confuse yourself and you have doubts about this path. Yet you can't go to that other path because it seems similar. Because you're not yet developed enough to discriminate which one is which, or assimilate that all are One. So you might just as well stay with the level of your truth, until you go above it. And then, of course, you can go to hell, not to mention going to another human being's same level or a higher level or a different level.

Stick with one thing at a time. It's not that it's forbidden; it's just that while you're studying with one professor in English, there's no need to go to another English professor, because he will probably give you a different kind of teaching or lesson. Just like he would give a mechanic different terminology than you. You are studying to become a plumber, so he would use different terminology for you. Both teach English, but you learn about one thing at a time.

If later you want to, you can join the other teacher. But by then it won't be necessary. So it's not necessary now, it won't be necessary later, it never has been and never will be necessary. Stick with one teacher. If you believe this teacher teaches the whole Truth, then stick with that. If you don't believe it, then you can leave this teacher, go somewhere else and stick with that teacher alone. But be careful before you move. Otherwise, you'll waste your time shopping around.

Faith can move mountains. And I can promise you that whatever I teach you is wholly true. If not, I fear God's punishment. If I were not able to teach, I would not dare. Because I'm also a lady and a woman; I'm a human, and I also fear God. If I weren't "there," I wouldn't dare. Maybe you would dare, but I wouldn't. Because I fear God. Why would I do that, if I didn't know? Because I don't feel that I need anything. Looking into my heart, I realize I don't need anything.

So if I teach you, it's because I should and because I know. And what I know, I give to you, the highest Truth that I know. If I teach you because I need you or need money, fame or things like that, then maybe I do it wrongly or maybe I just do it for the sake of having the fame or the profit. But when I look into my heart, I see I don't need anything! And whatever I know, I know it's the Truth. Many of us know it's the Truth -- we can testify to it again and again.

Even if I'm wrong, all of you can't be wrong. And I've been searching Heaven and Earth: There's no better thing than what I've taught you. (Applause) This is not meant to convert you. It's just to tell you because you ask. But of course, as is your level, so will you understand me or not understand me. I can't force you. I'm just telling you as a promise, as a vow, as a statement, so that if you need this confirmation, you have it.

 

 

Articles about Spiritual Guide

Thoughts of a Spiritual Guide
... Thoughts of a Spiritual Guide. Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai Group Meditation, Paris,
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www.sm21.net/gdc/m1-6.htm

Trust in the Spiritual Guide
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Chapter5: E. Encounter A Spiritual Guide by Accident, Also Get Enlightenment. Spoken by Supreme
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The Love for a Living Spiritual Guide
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Definition of Spiritual Guide (spiritual master)
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www.sm21.net/gdc/m1-3.htm

Being A Female Spiritual Guide
being A FEMALE Spiritual Guide. Q. Is the way to enlightenment equal for the woman and for
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The Sacrifice Of Being A Spiritual Guide
the SACRIFICE OF BEING A Spiritual Guide. Q. Then this is perhaps Your Christian side because
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 True Master Differentiated from False Master
 True Master Differentiated from False Master. Spoken by Supreme
Master Ching Hai Lecture at Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA, April 14,
1993 (Originally in English). Q: How can we tell true Masters from false masters ...
www.sm21.net/gdc/m1-8.htm

Why Do Spiritual Guides Need Initiation
... Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai Los Angeles, CA, USA, December 14, 1997 (Originally
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www.sm21.net/gdc/m1-4.htm

What makes You the equal of other great Spiritual Guides?
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The Supreme Master
the SUPREME Master. When He whispers into your ears,. to your ears, to your ears.
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Being a Spiritual Guide
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Emotions of the Living (spiritual) Spiritual Guide
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