Rise to the Realm of Enlightenment Together

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hong Kong July 8, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)

Q. There are many religious sects in the world today. How do we know which one will lead us to the Truth?

M. You will find the Truth only when you have found an Enlightened Master. The problem is not with the religious sects. All of them are good, but it is best to find an Enlightened Master. [Applause] There were many religious paths in ancient India, but why did people follow Shakyamuni Buddha? It was because He was an Enlightened Master. By following my teachings in spiritual practice, you don't have to change your religious belief. Catholics may continue to believe in Jesus Christ and God; Buddhists may continue to believe in the highest Buddha, who is also God. The highest God is the highest Buddha; the only difference is the name by which they are known. All we have to do is believe in the Supreme Power within; there is no need to change anything.

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai

Costa Rica December 16, 1990 (Originally in English)

If everyone truly practices what the Bible or the Buddhist Sutra teaches, they will never quarrel with each other, and all religions will be happy with each other and celebrate in the same church. The Pope will come to the temple, the monks will go to the church, and there will be no problems.

There's only one religion - that is the religion of God, of love, of understanding. There's only one church, one temple - that is the temple of enlightenment. Come to that temple, and then we will know all religions of the world.

¡@

The Esoteric and Exoteric Paths

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hong Kong July 8, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)

Q. In spiritual practice, what is the difference between the esoteric and the exoteric paths?

M. First, spiritual cultivation will be perfect only if it incorporates both the "esoteric" and "exoteric" aspects. However, most people do not practice the esoteric path because they have not found the lineage or met an Enlightened Master who can transmit the method. So, they choose the exoteric path, which is taught openly and can be followed without a change in deportment or moral standards. People who worship the Buddha statue and offer red envelopes (containing donations) at the temples are considered exoteric practitioners, even though they slaughter pigs sometimes. People devoted to the esoteric practice must have high moral standards, strictly observe the precepts, and know many secret methods that have been passed down through the ages. However, the most difficult thing is to find an Enlightened Master who has acquired the esoteric method that transcends worldly language. He can transmit the method to us only after he has graduated from this school of intangible teachings and attained the true method that "can be neither described nor named".

In the exoteric path, practitioners must study many scriptures and learn a lot of Buddhist terminology before they can graduate. They must know what the Buddha, Mahayana, or Mahaprajnaparamita means. They must learn and know all these things to be able to answer people's questions. Only then can they preach the exoteric path. It is more difficult to practice the esoteric path because there are no scriptures to learn from. We rely on our life-after-life spiritual practice, our intense aspiration for the Truth, as well as our sincerity, precepts and diligent practice. We rely on ourselves until we find our own Enlightened Master. Therefore, it is very difficult to graduate from the esoteric path. Shakyamuni Buddha was accomplished in both the exoteric and esoteric paths. He could teach anything and elaborate on any scripture, including the four Vedas. He had no difficulty debating with Brahman believers, or anyone, for that matter. He had also attained the esoteric teachings that cannot be transmitted through words or expressed in writing. Since He had graduated from this school of intangible teachings, He could transmit them to His believers.

The difference between the two paths is that very few people have accomplished the esoteric path while many have accomplished and graduated from the exoteric path. Ordinary people who have studied in a Buddhist institution for several years are also considered graduates from the exoteric school. So, even lay practitioners can preach and explain to the masses the definition of Mahaprajnaparamita; the Great Mercy Mantra; or the origin of Amitabha Buddha, the meaning of His name, and why we should repeat His name.

In contrast, the esoteric school is very difficult. There are no scriptures to rely on. We can only depend on our God Nature and wisdom to uncover the path. We yearn and practice diligently every day until we attain it completely. Then only can we transmit the path to other people. It is really difficult because it is the true and intangible scripture, the Muni Pearl, our intangible possession that we can only earn intangibly and silently. Not even the Master can help us; He or She can only guide us on the road. We have to devote our own efforts and know-how to use our Wisdom.

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Taipei, Formosa March 6, 1988 (Originally in Chinese)

Q. There are 84,000 methods in Buddhism. The Diamond Sutra says that all methods practice benevolence and they are all equal. However, in the Surangama Sutra, the Buddha said that sentient beings of the "Dharma Ending Period" should practice the Quan Yin Method. Is it because the Quan Yin Method is more suitable for sentient beings?

M. Not only more suitable, but sentient beings should be practicing the Quan Yin Method in the first place. Let's make this point clear. We are born as humans in order to practice the Quan Yin Method and if we do not, then we will not realize what we should do in our human lives. We miss this precious opportunity because we miss this vital point, and then we go somewhere to practice the 84,000 methods all over again. But when we finally reach the gate of the ultimate method and we are born again as human beings, we are reluctant to be detached. We refuse to practice even when we have met the Enlightened Master, and we have to transmigrate again and again.

Human beings are born to practice the Quan Yin Method; it is our obligation to do so. We are born as humans for the purpose of attaining sainthood and the great Wisdom. Our final, most precious, and one and only chance is to be born as humans for the goal of attaining this great Wisdom and being liberated from the other 84,000 methods that bind sentient beings. However, because we don't understand this truth, we don't know what we should do as humans. After practicing the Quan Yin Method, we slowly come to understand why we are born as humans and what our goal is. You may be skeptical right now but you give me no choice. Since you asked, I have to tell you about it. All the other 84,000 methods are useless; they only bind us within the three realms. They bring us blessed rewards, power, and supernatural powers, but still chain us within the three realms. The Quan Yin Method is the one and only method that will take us beyond the three realms. This is incredible, which is why we rarely hear about it.

¡@

Breathing Practices Are Not the Ultimate Method

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Harvard Univ., U.S.A. February 24, 1991 (Originally in English)

Some people asked me if I could teach them a meditation method that will stop the breathing and the heartbeat. I said, "No need to be such a hurry. Wait a while; when you die, all this will happen." This is not a necessary thing to do. We have no need to intervene with nature's functions. This is not a way to enlightenment. Then, they asked me if I would teach them a meditation method, which would increase their body heat, so that it becomes like a flame of samadhi - samadhi power through heat. I said, "No need, just jump into the oven!"

This is nonsense! It has nothing to do with enlightenment. Maybe the Masters or the practitioners in the Himalayas don't have enough heat, and they must practice what we call "tummo" heat from the solar plexus to develop heat to warm the body during the cold Himalayan weather. But here, we have central heating and heaters; we have everything, and there is no need for that. And I cited an example of the Buddha. One person came to the Buddha and boasted that he could walk across the water to reach the other shore. The Buddha asked, "How long did you practice before you could reach it?" He said "Twenty-five years." The Buddha said, "Why waste time and money? I only pay 5 cents and I can cross the river by boat."

These are wrong conceptions. We practice to enlighten ourselves: to know what else we can do for humankind, how we are related to the universe, and how we can offer anything to the universe, which offers us so much; or to free ourselves from suffering, to free ourselves from the slavery of birth, death, and reincarnation. But we do not practice to show off. There is no need to increase heat or cold, no need to stop the heartbeat and breathing. These are ephemeral phenomena, the working and functioning of nature. We do not bother.

The God Nature is not in the breath; it's not in the heartbeat or in the heat from the stomach. The God Nature is also in them, but they are only one small aspect of God Nature. We should find the whole, and then we will understand every detail. We should not just bother about details and forget the whole. So, the wrong conception needs to be changed in order to raise our level, at least our intellectual level, in order to understand further. If we keep attached to this kind of conception or worn-out prejudice, we have no hope of being more civilized, more intelligent.

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Panama January 28, 1991 (Originally in English)

No doubt, when you practice Pranayama you will have many benefits. You might have health, maybe a little bit longer life, you might have some magical powers, or maybe you will feel calmer. There is nothing without benefits. But Pranayama alone brings you nowhere because we live eternally without breath. What we call life must not mean the body. If you mean life is the body, then you practice and the breath is important for the body, for the ordinary people only. Many people don't need it. Did you read "The Autobiography of a Yogi" by Yogananda? When his Master was in samadhi, he didn't even breathe. Do you think he had no wisdom at that time when he had no breath? Where had his wisdom gone? How does he attain wisdom then, when he has no breath to practice Pranayama with?

I know many people who practice with the breathing method, not Pranayama, but they count the breath. There are many practices concerning the breath and using the breath as a concentration method. And so far as concentration is concerned, it helps. It helps some people, but I would not advise anyone to use it. There are many better ways than relying on the ephemeral breath. You must train your mind to concentrate by itself, by the soul force, and not by relying on external aids. Otherwise, when you are in an accident, when you faint, when you die, or when you are sick or asleep and not aware of your breathing, how would you practice? We cannot practice just when we are awake or when we are aware of the breath. We must train to practice all the time, 24 hours, and that can be done only by the soul.

I know many people who practice the breath up to the level that they can go without breathing and that is the highest by these methods. If someone can stop breathing, they would congratulate him because that is the highest they can go. But when they stop breathing, that means breathing is, after all, not that important. You can live without it.

Actually, the breath, if I may tell you the truth, is not to be touched. There are two currents in the body: one is what we call life force or "shabd" current and the other one is called the "motor" current or life current. The shabd current is the one from God, vibrating in all kinds of life, with or without breath, animate or inanimate. The shabd is the one we hear. And the other current is the motor current, which takes care of the heat, the cold, the digestive and respiratory systems, and all kinds of things, including the breath. That is regulated already, and we should not bother about it. We should not make it short or long, or stop it or control it by any means because it is arranged by the Most Intelligent. If we mess about with this machine, it might go wrong. When it is having trouble, then we should fix it or take care of it; otherwise, we should not bother or we might touch the wrong button and it will go wrong altogether.

¡@

The Messiah Has Come!

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
California, U.S.A. May 19, 1991 (Originally in English)

Q: What do You think about the Old Testament and the Jewish religion?

M: It's good, but don't wait for the Messiah, please, because He comes all the time. Pray that you will recognize the present Messiah; don't pray and wait for the Messiah that you are waiting for. He will never come if you expect Him the way you do. Just like when Jesus came, they also expected the Messiah, and killed the one that they had at hand. We do all the same stupid things.

It is not that the Jewish religion is bad; it is we who are ignorant. Even Jesus promised to send comforters; this means that after He left, someone else would come. Someone who can comfort us means someone who is equal to Him, but we still are waiting for two thousand years already. Many Messiahs have come and gone and we are still here waiting for the one from the sky. He will never come if we wait in this way.

We hear Jesus will reappear; how do you think He will come? - With wings, a beard, or with the cross so that we will recognize him? How will we recognize Him if He ever comes? We don't even know what Jesus looked like. We were not there; or maybe we were there, but that was two thousand years ago and who has such a good memory any more? [Laughter]

Jesus comes, not in appearance, but in spirit. Jesus can come to anyone who is perceptive enough and who opens the right door to let Him in. And then we will become like Jesus or like the Father. Then, at that moment, Jesus came back again. He comes back all the time; whenever we are ready, He comes. He comes through any Master, who is capable of housing Him, of housing His mighty power. That person is also Jesus - different hairstyle, perhaps, or maybe high-heels, but He is still Jesus. [Laughter and applause.]

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Sydney, Australia March 17, 1993 (Originally in English)

Q: Do You believe that the Supreme Messiah of the universe - Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, said, "I am the way, the Truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me"; that no one can enter heaven, God's home, except by Jesus?

M: Yes, it is true; every Master has said that. "Jesus" is the name of His body; "Christ" is His title. Every Master should have this Christ power; therefore, in a sense, Jesus never died. Jesus works through all the Masters, through all the centuries, through all the ages, to liberate and enlighten us, the ignorant still left behind. Jesus alone cannot enlighten us if He's gone. Of course, He can, to some degree, but we are human. We can't get in touch with Him when He is in a higher sphere. Therefore, a physical Master is necessary. But the Christ power works through any physical Master, who is destined or posted at that time. Therefore, when Jesus said that He was the only way and the only one, He spoke the absolute truth. But so does any Master, when the Master is alive.

I know it is trouble with clinging to the Bible. The same is true with many of the Buddhists. The Bible and the scriptures are excellent evidence of the past Masters, but also excellent stumbling blocks for our intellectual attachment. I know it's very difficult. I only can wish you the best, and I can only be patient to wait until the time comes that you understand. The Bible is only a record of a super Master who has graced our Earth, but what about those before Jesus, and after Jesus? Those after Jesus probably will say: "Okay, we hear His name and we will be redeemed." But a billion, trillion years before Jesus, was there no one to rescue them, or what? Is the Father so merciless just to send only one Son and only one time? Could Hes be so stingy?

If Jesus really redeemed all of us, can you truly answer me, why we are still ignorant? There are many things we don't know; heaven, we can't contact. Some people can; when they pray very deeply and sincerely to Jesus, probably He will appear to them and teach some of them, but very few. He doesn't appear to all of us. But to our disciples, He does, because we know how to contact Him. We can ascend up to His level and get His teaching directly. I'm not teaching anything different. If you would like to see Jesus and God, I just will help you. If you would like to see Buddha, I will help you, that's all - but if you believe it, instead of clinging to the past record of a great Master, most of which we do not understand.

¡@

The Truth in Islamic Doctrines

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Taipei, Formosa March 6, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)

I came across a very meaningful sentence in the Koran. It says: "Be a good guest on Earth. And live a very rich life." This statement in the Islamic Koran really impressed me. We used to think that only Buddhism stresses the ephemerality of this world in which we live for a while and will soon depart. We do not know that the Koran mentions exactly the same idea. So, why are we still engaged in heated debate about which religion is better? We read this one sentence and find it very meaningful. It is short but perfect! While we are here, we should live a very meaningful life that is free and enriching.

The Koran also mentions the Sound. Their Master Mohammed mentioned it, and so did His disciples. When they heard the sound of the flute, their wisdom opened and they knew everything. They became very relaxed, happy, free, and liberated! They were not referring to the sound of the flute in the outside world. We Quan Yin practitioners know that it is a reference to a superior level. However, suppose we are Moslems but have not heard the sound of the flute inside, then we cannot understand what the Koran is referring to.

In the Bible, Jesus Christ said: "You listen to the wind. You don't know from where the wind comes, and where it goes!" This sound represents the omnipresent quality. When we hear this omnipresent sound of the Divine, we are perceiving part of the Omnipresent (Tathagata). Another part is Hiers light; we don't know where it comes from and where it goes either. This light is also an omnipresent quality. Being omnipresent means that we don't know where it comes from and where it goes.

Beholding the Omnipresent (Tathagata) does not mean that we have to actually see someone - the Amitabha Buddha or Shakyamuni Buddha. It is true that Shakyamuni Buddha called Himself the "Tathagata", but He also explained that He was only the finger pointing to the Truth. Tathagata is an inner experience, the quality of being omnipresent. When we behold the Omnipresent quality, our wisdom is opened, our karma is all gone, we are absolutely free, and we can understand the Universal System and the secret of the entire Creation. Finally, we will realize what it is really like to be one with the Creation. We will know the level of Lao Tzu, and we can really praise Him. It is because then we have the same experience, and can testify to the truth behind His statement, "All of Creation is one"!

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Surabaya, Indonesia March 1, 1993 (Originally in English)

Q: If a Moslem becomes a vegetarian, but in their religion, it is the understanding that they should give sacrifices every year......

M: The offering. Offering doesn't mean sacrifices. Actually, sometimes the translation is wrong. For example, some of them misunderstand the teaching of the Master. No Master wants any blood at all! What for? What kind of Master is that who serves for the blood of sentient beings? Can you believe it? Would you do it, even if you are not a master?

What someone else has already killed, so maybe you eat it; but to ask you to kill the chicken or the goat yourself, you could not do it. How would a Master ever expect a disciple to do such a bloody thing? It is just a misunderstanding. I will tell you why. For example, every Master says you have to offer everything you own to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita, it says, "Give all things to me; remember me alone; love only me; surrender only to me and no one else besides me; give everything you have to me: your life, your family, your possessions, give everything to me." But did Krishna ever take one penny from Arjuna, whether he needed it or not? No, he never took it! So, it's just a saying from the Master. "Give me your ox, give me your car, give me your goats, give me your gold, give me your wife, your children; give everything to me. I will take care of them." But he never touched them.

It is just in the spirit that you offer everything at the feet of the Master as a sign of devotion and surrender, as a sign of belief and faith in the Master, as a sign of egolessness: "that I have nothing, including myself; everything is Master's." So now, centuries, thousands of years later, people have translated it differently: you have to make the first sacrifice of the first lamb, the first anything. Whoever wants this kind of bloody sacrifice? Can you believe a human being only, not to say the Master, of an average compassionate mind, would ever, himself, kill a goat and drink the blood or eat anything out of it, and feel happy? - Very seldom! Nowadays, people just pay for them in the market and don't see the killing and don't see the suffering. They buy them just like a piece of chocolate, and eat without feeling much about the suffering of the animal. But if a Master, a so-called Master who has love for all kinds of beings, demands sacrifices of blood, would you believe it? Anyone would not believe it!

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Paris, France April 25, 1993 (Originally in French and English)

Q: This question is about the Holy Scriptures: I very often have doubts about the Bible or Koran. It is said in the Bible, "I am a jealous God," and Christ said, "I did not come here for peace, but for war." It says in the Koran that we can engage in war and have many wives. Are these mistakes?

M: I tell you to follow the Five Precepts: you shall not kill, no sexual misconduct, vegetarian diet, no stealing, no gambling. And that's very simple for your life; just follow that, and meditate two and a half hours. Any other books you read, I am not responsible.

But if they are already Moslem, for example, of course, I will not tell them to change their life. For example, if they already have ten wives according to their tradition before they knew me, should I tell them to separate from their wives? They are in harmony with each other; the ten wives live together, and they do no harm to anyone.

We are not here to change the world, but to change ourselves. If the Moslems are like that, leave them alone. And now, they don't have to "faire la guerre" any more; they don't have to make war any more, so they can follow me. Should they want to stay in a warlike attitude then they can stay outside of our circle.

Not only do the Moslems make war, but also the Christians and Buddhists, also everyone else, because they misunderstand the doctrine of their origin. The Buddha never made war, but some of the Buddhists make war. Christ did not say that He came to make war. What He meant is that He did not come with peace, but with a sword. He said that He would set the son against the father, etc. What He meant is that the karmic bonds will be cut asunder; that He came with the sword of wisdom; and, that even all the attachments with family ties will be as if they did not exist. Therefore, even if the father believes in eating meat, the son will become a vegetarian. And before, for example, if the family was attached to each other and bound each other in a very limited love, after initiation, they just will love each other as they love any other initiates - all brothers and sisters. That's what He meant.

And, as you know, the same thing happens within our group, also. Even if the parents use their parent-power to force their children to eat meat, they will not eat it. So, that's a kind of "being against the parents." In that case, it is like that. But Christ never advocated war. That's why He said, "Give Caesar what belong to Caesar," and when people crucified Him, He did not fight back, even though He could have done so. He had the support of many disciples, and they wanted to make Him the king of the Jews, but He did not want that. He said, "My kingdom is not on this Earth." So you see, Christ was a man of peace. The war he talked about was the war in spirit that we, the disciples, fight against the illusion of Maya, the tricks and traps of Maya, the force of Maya, the illusion, the king of darkness that keeps us in bondage - we fight with that.

Normally, I don't like intellectual debate, but I understand that you are new, so I will try my best to come down and accompany you. Otherwise, I hate debate and intellectual wrestling. Now, according to the Koran, people can fight, not make war, but can defend themselves. You have to consider the time and the circumstances in which the Prophet Mohammad found himself as well as his own disciples. They were persecuted because, at that time, not many people understood what a living Master was. It is the same reason why they killed Jesus, and slandered and tried to assassinate the Buddha.

The same is happening nowadays, also. Some people also slander me and make a lot of trouble because of misunderstanding. They don't take time to learn what I try to teach. They just take one or two sentences, maybe misprinted or misinterpreted, or they have only heard what other people say, and then they try to make trouble. But this is only a very few compared to the good majority, like you, so it is no problem.

But when the Prophet Mohammad was alive, it was terrible. They were followed and persecuted everywhere, so they had to defend themselves. And the consequence that followed the war is that they married many wives. Because many men died in battle and left many widows and children unattended, the Prophet or the leader would say, "Take them in hand and take care of the weak and orphaned. Love them just like your own wife or your own children." Of course! But it must not always be physical.

For example, sometimes our initiate's husband dies or something, or the wife dies, and then the children are left, and we take them into another initiate's house and take care of them, also. But it must not be physical contact; it is just looking after them like brothers and sisters, like their own children, their own husband or wife. Therefore, the Prophet said, "If you take many wives into your house, you have to take care of them equally." Under that condition, you can take many into your house. For example, if you give your wife one set of jewelry, you have to be able to give the other the same. Then you can take them into your arms and take care of them.

That is just like the security system these days - very civilized. If you want to adopt a child, then you have to declare to the government whether you have enough money in the bank, how much property you have, to see if you can take care of the child. You see, it was very civilized, even though at that time there was no security law. Moslems are like that. So actually, if we want to study a religious scripture, we should study it to the end until there is absolutely no doubt. But if we just take one or two sentences and say: "It is no good; the Moslems are no good," then we will have prejudice.

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Paris, France April 24, 1993 (Originally in French)

Q. Is Your teaching compatible with Islam?

M. Yes, why not? Islam teaches people to be good guests on Earth, and that it is necessary to find Heaven while we are alive. I also offer the same thing. I tell you to respect the Five Precepts, which give us nobility, wisdom, and peace on Earth. I also offer you the Path by which to find God immediately. Therefore, our Path is compatible with all the good religions.

¡@

The True Meaning of Church, Mosque, Temple and Pyramid

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Singapore March 9, 1993 (Originally in English)

The church, the outside church, mosque, and temple, are symbols of the kingdom of God within us, which are built to remind us of our own temple, of which Jesus said, Know you not that you are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit lives within you.

I think that the church and the temple are very holy, sacred symbols of our devotion to God. Every time we pass through a church, a mosque, or the temple of any religion, we should truly remind ourselves of the reverence we have for these symbols of worship. It probably would be better if the people who come to these temples, churches or mosques truly could find their God within, within their temples also, not only in the brick temple but also in the true temple of God.

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Thailand December 7, 1994 (Originally in English)

Just sit anywhere -- on the bus, in the park, in your living room, close your eyes and do your meditation. And more importantly, have group meditation every week. Maybe we can arrange different days for different people's convenience, like one on Wednesday, one on Friday, or one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Whenever there is a great occasion, then we can celebrate and gather together in one place. If it's not big enough, maybe we try to look for a bigger place. Don't bother to build a mosque for me, just a storeroom or something will do. So, you know now where the temples, mosques, and churches come from -- from group meditation!

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Malaysia June 4, 1993 (Originally in Chinese)

The Buddhist ashram was originally a place for group meditation for the initiated practitioners. That's what it was originally intended for, just like our group meditation Center. After they were initiated, they would group together to meditate once every week or every two weeks. They would listen to the Master's teachings and ask questions. The Master would then send some disciples to answer their questions. Thus, they encouraged one another to practice more diligently. During group meditation, the blessing power is very great and they could progress faster. This is the original purpose of the Buddhist ashrams.

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu, Formosa June 4, 1995 (Originally in Chinese)

The pyramids were not built to be used as tombs. They found out later that this was not the purpose. I think they built the pyramids for spiritual practice. Just now I told you it was very difficult to get the 'Instruction Manual of Wisdom' in ancient times. This is one of the reasons why they built the pyramids. It was because spiritual practice was very difficult in olden times for fear of being discovered by others. Where can you sit when holding a group meditation in the desert? [Laughter] Even with the guards around, everyone can still see you.

........In the empty desert, you roast to death by sitting there in the daytime, and freeze to death at night. The temperature in the desert is extremely hot in the daytime and extremely cold at night. Two extremes - that is why they built the pyramids. They are very, very quiet inside. It was very difficult for people to locate the entrance later.

........The entrance was known only to their own people. They were very spacious inside, and completely empty. Of course there was nothing; they were built for people to meditate inside, for initiation, etc., without being seen by outsiders.

........A real place of spiritual practice is only for people to meditate. There won't be anything inside, or at the most a Buddha statue or the Buddha's photograph. They used the Buddha's statue before, but now perhaps it is faster to take photographs or use a portrait. It was empty because people needed to sit in there, about the same as our place here.

Whatever We Have Is for Distribution to Others

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Taipei, Formosa May 23, 1994 (Originally in English)

I wasn't born with any gold, so I won't go out of this world with any gold. Whatever I have is yours and belongs to the world, just like taking it from here and giving it there. It's the same for every one of us. We take water from the river, put it in a water tank, and the water tank will distribute it to the whole village or town. We should live our lives just like the water tank. Whatever we have is for distribution to others. We are only the receivers. Therefore, I may have a lot of money but I never feel that I have any. It's very relaxing this way. You don't worry because you already don't consider that it's yours, so whether it is there or not there doesn't matter.

¡@

True Giving

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Taipei, Formosa May 23, 1994 (Originally in English)

If you give someone something, give it and forget it. Don't ever regret it, because if you give it and regret it, you lose the business. You also lose the money and the merit and waste your time. So it's better to just give it and forget about it. That's why Jesus says, "If you give someone something from the left hand, don't let the right hand know it." Also, the Buddha says that when you give and it's just like you aren't giving, that is true giving. He means that when you give, don't be attached to the giving. Give just like you never gave anything, just like it never happened. That is true giving, to give without attachment. Otherwise, we still think we are great if we give something. We think we are better than another person because we are in a position of power if we give to him. That's why I always tell you, whatever you do, you must understand that it is for yourself, really, not for the one who receives. That is better, because that means you give for your own growth in compassion and loving kindness.

Group Meditation is for the whole Planet

¡@

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Laguna Beach, CA, U.S.A. November 6, 1993 (Originally in English)

Every Quan Yin practitioner shares the responsibility of cleaning up the planet to some degree or another. Therefore, when we are sitting and meditating together in a group, it's not that we do it for ourselves or for the liberation of five generations of our families, or for America, or for our families alone. It's for the whole planet. And the more people do that, the better.

Aphorisms

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai (Originally in English)
Hsihu, Formosa June 6, 1995

Always, always, be attentive; otherwise, it's easy to just pass a day, pass two days, pass three days, pass your whole life in self-illusion, in bad habits, and not get into a higher level of consciousness, not be able to understand the deeper meaning of spiritual life.

Hsihu Formosa June 6, 1995

If we are truly honest within ourselves and want to improve or train our sensitivity to the suffering and happiness of others as well as to our own purity and well being, we must always be vigilant.

¡@

Los Angeles, U.S.A. April 3, 1993

True happiness is not offered by the high positions of the world, by the knowledge that we gain from books or from society, or from the possessions that we have. True happiness can only come with self-realization, with enlightenment.

Sydney, Australia March 17, 1993

Certain kinds of things in the material kingdom will affect us more or less. Therefore, the food we take also affects us mentally, bodily, also spiritually, and this has been proved since time immemorial.

Washington D.C. U.S.A. April 14, 1993

Fortunate are those who meet the Master who is still living, but who also is the inner Master at the same time.

Hong Kong May 28, 1993

We are not the body, we are not the human beings that we think we are; we are Wisdom, we are love, we are extreme holiness.

Pusan, Korea May 15, 1993

There is one place, one center, in our being, which is the center of all communications. If everyone turns to that point, we will be in touch with each other from inside.

Munich, Germany May 1, 1993
(Originally in German)

Since early times, we have called those beings "Masters" who are able to use their own potential fully. That's why the world of the Masters is a world of perfect wisdom, virtue, and eternal beauty as compared to our world. To become a Master in this sense is within the reach of all of us. The people in so-called "paradise" use a great part of this power. It is through this power that they are even able to turn their environment into paradise. The more they use this power, the higher the level of the paradise.

Invaluable Faith

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at Hsihu, Formosa
January 1, 1995 (Originally in Chinese)

The title of this story is "Guru Bhakti." In Sanskrit, Guru means Master, Enlightened Master. Bhakti means devotion, absolute obedience to the Master, thinking only of Him/Her, and offering all actions, speech, and thoughts to Him/Her. Whatever a master or Enlightened Master says, we obey completely without any argument. That is called Guru Bhakti in Sanskrit.

A long, long time ago, there was a person who was a sincere seeker. Each time he heard that a great Master was giving lectures or a virtuous person was delivering a discourse, he would waste no time in going to the venue with his wife. He learned from the lecturers that one must have the blessings of an Enlightened Master to attain the Truth or sainthood, and become one with God, so he began to search for a perfect Master. He traveled to many places and met one master after another, but always found faults that made them imperfect in his eyes. Therefore, he could not find a real Master.

Those masters were not good enough for him because he had the wrong notion in his mind. He had read too many books, including all the scriptures, which made him very arrogant and put him on a constant lookout for faults in other people. He would, for instance, be dissatisfied with a highly enlightened but illiterate Master who couldn't read and knew little about the scriptures. He would turn away from a Master who could not outdo him in debates or did not know which scripture a particular verse came from. So, he could not find an Enlightened Master. If we still have this critical attitude and arrogant thinking, certainly we will not be able to find our own Nature. Even if an Enlightened Master were right before our eyes, we would not see Him/Her.

One day, the man was feeling very frustrated and dejected at home, thinking that he had no hope of ever finding a Master good enough to deserve his devotion. When his wife came to console him, he poured out all his anxieties. He said that because he had yet to find a Master capable of giving him liberation, he was very worried that he would die unenlightened. Being purer in mind and not so learned, his wife comforted him, saying, "Why don't we simply go into the forest and meditate there? We will pray, chant the names of the saints and God, and beg God to send a Master to us. We will revere the first person sent by God as our Master." Unable to think of a better idea, the husband agreed. The next day, they went into the forest and sat down by a path to pray.

Just at that time, a bandit escaping with valuable booty passed by. The couple immediately pounced on him and prostrated before him, begging him to accept them as his disciples. [Laughter] They implored him to teach them how to meditate and bless their mantras. In India, masters or more advanced spiritual practitioners sometimes grow very long beards, dress in saffron robes, and sit there for people to bow to as their disciples. Although the Indian people are already very familiar with mantras like "Om Mani Padme Hum" or "Nam.... Nam... Nam", the master blesses these mantras at the time of dedication, making their mantra chanting effective from that day on. This is called blessing the mantra. Though they still chant the same mantras, it seems to be more effective after they become disciples of a master. Therefore, many masters in India perform this kind of ceremony.

The couple forced the bandit to be their master and, like everyone else, asked him to bless their mantras. They didn't know then that he was a bandit. Unable to break loose from them, the bandit was both surprised and frightened. The couple then told him about their unsuccessful search for an Enlightened Master, and their vow to sit in the forest that day and become disciples of the first person who came along. They urged him not to run away, for he was their master. Their words touched the God Nature deep within the bandit. He felt that he could not deceive them, but when he tried to reveal his true identity, the couple simply would not listen. If he refused to accept them as his disciples and teach them the holy mantras, they definitely would not let him go. They did not care who he was; they were absolutely certain that he was their master.

Initially, the bandit was deeply touched, but he soon began to feel scared and nervous. If they continued to hold on to him, he would be in deep trouble when the police caught him. In his desperation to break loose, he promised to teach them, and commanded them to kneel down. The couple knelt and prostrated in a solemn ceremony of devotion. He then instructed them, "You will now sit here, put your hands over your ears, close your eyes, and remain still. If you move, God will go away. Keep this posture and do not stand up without my instruction. Then you will definitely see God." He commanded them to do this so he could tear himself away, since they had grabbed his legs with both hands and refused to let go.

The grateful couple sat still, obediently holding their hands over their ears. All day and all night, they sat in the same spot without taking any food or water. They dared not move or open their eyes to see if their master was still with them. After a long time, their feet became numb, their bodies ached, and their hands were sore. However, they had no other thoughts but the sincere yearning to see God. They continued to sit there with total faith.

Vishnu and Lakshmi were extremely touched by them. For the Indian people, Vishnu is one of the divine Lords. In terms of yin and yang energies, Vishnu is yang and Lakshmi is yin, representing the feminine heart. Deeply moved, Lakshmi asked Vishnu to manifest to the couple. Touched by their sincerity and the fact that they had remained seated for so long even though they had been deceived, Lord Vishnu appeared to them. The couple was delighted, but dared not open their eyes or get up to worship Him. They dared not do anything because their master had instructed them not to get up or open their eyes without his permission.

Lord Vishnu said to them, "Now that you know I have come, you may get up and stop suffering so much." Still, they dared not get up. They were very grateful to Him for coming to see them, but they could not disobey their master in order to obey Him. How humiliating! The bandit was greater than God. [Laughter] Lord Vishnu could not bear the sight of their suffering, so he went to the palace and appeared to the king in a dream. By that time, the bandit had been arrested by the police and thrown into the royal prison. He had committed far too serious offenses to be jailed in an ordinary prison. When Lord Vishnu appeared to the king in his dream, he instructed the king to release the bandit quickly. However, the king, burdened with heavy karma and often haunted by nightmares, thought this was another bad dream and ignored Him. Vishnu again came into his dream, but still the king did not understand. Only when he had the same dream for the third time did the king realize that something must be wrong.

Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu also appeared to the bandit in a dream and asked him to liberate the couple in the forest as soon as he was released. He told the bandit that they were still sitting there holding their ears and had not eaten a morsel or taken a sip of water for days. They were almost dying and God could not stand it. When the king released the bandit after his third dream, the newly free man rushed to the forest as he had been instructed in his dream. He commanded the couple to get up, open their eyes, and let go of their ears. As soon as they did so, the couple expressed their deep gratitude to their "master," because it was due to his grace that God had appeared to them. The bandit then shared with them his own encounter with God in his dream.

Suddenly, they heard a voice in the sky say to them, "I am really touched and delighted by your total devotion to your master without the least trace of doubt. I promise that I will come to see you again. From now on, you shall continue to chant the holy names, worship God, and meditate two and a half hours each day. Do not forget to observe a vegetarian diet and keep the five precepts strictly. I will definitely take you to liberation when you die." From that day on, the bandit turned over a new leaf and joined the couple in spiritual practice. That's too wonderful! [Applause]

There is a comment in the book that says, "When we are truly faithful to a master, even if he might not be a real Enlightened Master, it is still effective. However, if we can have such faith in a bandit, it undoubtedly means that our own Master has come, our wisdom has opened up and we no longer discriminate against others. We will thus certainly attain the fruits, but not because of the Master or the method." That is what the Indian people think. But do not forget that this Vishnu is only from the second realm. It is not easy to see the highest God. Even so, it is unusually great for an ordinary person to see the Lord of the second heaven immediately after revering a bandit as his master!

Your faith in me has touched me deeply, and I too will pray to God to help you. You will definitely be liberated when you die. [Applause] The vital point is that you should meditate well and have great faith, forgetting me as a person. Then you will definitely have spiritual attainments. When you have true faith and devotion in a Master, even God will come. When you meditate, you will behold brilliant Light and hear heavenly music. You will have lots of responses. This shows that it is good enough to have faith; never mind whether the Master is good or not. Whether I am good or not, you will find out when you die.

¡@

Joke

- Live - in Florida, one evening after dinner together
Spoken by disciples and translated by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Florida U. S. A. October 9, 1999 (Originally in Chinese & English)

Always Share!

¡@

An old couple went into a restaurant and ordered something to eat: one Coca Cola and one portion of French fries. The old man sat down and the woman, his wife, sat opposite him, and he began to divide the Coca Cola into two glasses, half for him and half for his wife. He divided all the French fries half-and-half. He gave half to his wife and kept half for himself. Then he began to eat and drink, and the woman just drank but didn't eat. There was a young man who was standing next to the table and wondering why the old man had divided everything in half, and he thought that maybe they didn't have any money. He said to the old couple, "Okay, I can buy you one more portion; you don't have to share like that." So the old man explained, "No, no, no, we have been married for forty years and we always share everything. Whatever we have, we share half and half. Don't worry, but thank you, anyhow." But then after a while, he saw that the woman wasn't eating eat, and only the man ate, and he asked, "Why aren't you eating?" And the wife said, "Today it's his turn to use the teeth."

One Short

¡@

The Titanic No. 2 is sinking, sinking, sinking fast and the captain asks, "Who among you knows how to pray? " And one person said, "I do." So the captain said, "Okay, you kneel there and pray for all of us, and everyone else, put your life-vests on!" They were one short.

Fire in My Kitchen

¡@

There was a person whose house was on fire. He was very, very panicked and urgently called the fire department, "Emergency, emergency, please, quickly, there's a fire, there's a fire! Come quickly and put out the fire!" Then the fire department chief asked him, "But where's the fire? Where did the fire break out?" "It's in my house," he said, "very urgent! It's in my house! Come quick!" "Yes, I know it's in your house. But where?" He said, "It's in my kitchen!" The fire department chief lost patience and said, "Listen, I know that! But how do I get to your house? Do you understand me? How do I get to your house?" And the man said, "Don't you have cars?"