Master’s New Year Wishes – part 2

Wars and natural disaster are not always caused by geographical complications, but generated from the atmosphere of the world. When human beings treat each other unjustly and with hostility, an irritating and vicious warlike ambiance is generated, and from this many disasters and wars are created.

Of recent, more disasters have been happening on earth. This is a reminder from God that we should go back to our original qualities of truth, virtue and beauty, instead of being intoxicated in negativity. We humans have two kinds of power, one is positive, the other negative. The positive one gives us and others comfort and bliss. This is the quality we should always maintain and develop further. If we were to be stuck in the negative sphere, the world would become more and more chaotic.

Suppose the whole nation becomes vegetarian. Because of the gentle atmosphere, due to no killing karma, naturally, there would be no disasters, and life would be comfortable and healthy, the country would be rich and strong. Being physically healthy, our mental would also be full of energy. Many wise ideas would emerge benefiting the country and the people. If this is the case with all countries, the world would be peaceful. There is virtually no need for all the conferences that consume so much champagne and steak, without rendering much peace to the world. Perhaps, there is peace today, but not tomorrow. Peace is restored here, but war breaks out in another country the next day. Therefore, the world is not to be managed by empty talks. Instead, each person should put into practice the lessons they have learned.

Until now, Singapore is the only government I know that advocates vegetarianism to her people. Of course, it is rare to find such a government that treats a problem from the root and not the fruit. Perhaps there are other governments advocating the same, but I am not aware. Singapore seems to be the only government being so clever to care about the ethics and health of her people. I hope other governments will follow their example.

We say that with the guidance of a virtuous and enlightened friend, our life will improve and become more noble. Our fellow practitioners can be that virtuous and enlightened friend, a very good friend. Even the non-initiated people outside can be our teachers sometimes, reminding us of some beautiful things. For instance, observing them doing good deeds or speaking some good things, our heart will become more open. Even if we saw them doing bad deeds, at least we can learn a lesson and refrain from doing the same!

That was why the ancient sages said, “In the company of three people, there will be one who can be my teacher.” I would say all three of them are our teachers. Each person living in this world has their particular obligation and mission. If we are close or related to a certain person, definitely he has a mission concerning us. It might be good or bad, but he is responsible for giving us a lesson. So, please keep your eyes and ears open, detect what God is trying to teach us through that person close to us. However, we should use what we have learned, and not keep reciting it like a parrot or a tape recorder, which is useless of course.

Recently, I have often asked you to help do, or organize disaster relief work. Of course, we are trying to help them because of our compassion, and our uneasiness when seeing others in a suffering condition. However, we are not doing it only for the victims. Participating in the relief work, we are also helping to develop our own compassion, fulfill our obligation, and learn how to respond to a situation.

Distributing the rice is not all there is. In the affected area, you will come across people whose emotions, feelings and urgent living needs are similar to yours. You might have to face the problems they are facing also. After talking to them, you can find out more about the inner needs of the individual. Then, you are tested on how you react and how you comfort them, counsel them, help them overcome the problems in their life. That is your lesson to learn. Without putting it into practice, it is useless listening to my words for years, because you have not experienced it in benefiting others.

Okay, I have said too much, so I won’t say any more. I wish everyone a happy and successful new year, achieving early enlightenment and liberation.

Love for All Beings Begins with Vegetarianism

Spoken by Master Ching Hai
December 4, 1993
Portland, Oregon

It is good not to eat fish or meat. Actually, if we can love a dog, why not love a cow or pig; because they are the same. [Applause] This is one of the reasons why we should be vegetarian – love for all beings, extending love. Enlarge our love, enlarge ourselves, to the whole universe. We shouldn’t even cut the flowers or eat vegetables, but still we have to do what’s minimum, what’s less suffering. The flowers when we cut them, they can sprout again and make more flowers. Vegetables when we cut a branch, they can sprout a few more branches. So, it’s not that bad.

Even though all beings have feelings, plants have the least feelings, because ninety percent of the constitution of vegetables is water. That’s why they have less consciousness than animals or human beings. We human beings are a combination of many things, and that gives a good environment for intelligence to activate. For example, even though you are very intelligent, you need a good computer in order to program some intelligent things – some distinguished program.

Similarly, God Power needs this body which is a composition of different elements, in order to manifest inside into the outer world. That’s why we have more feelings, more intelligence, because God Power can make use of many of the tiny instruments within ourselves in order to spread out the blessing, the message and the intelligence. In that plant, God Power cannot do that, because there are not enough instruments. That’s all.

Just like the bulb here. If the electric bulb is a 100-watt, then its electricity can be brighter than in a 20-watt. If we damage the 100-watt bulb, it is more expensive, more of a waste than a 20-watt bulb. This is why we try to economize. This is why we should eat the least conscious thing possible, like vegetables. Is that logical to you? [Audience: Yes]

I don’t try to push you into guilt or things like that, but we discuss the possibilities of why and how. That’s why to kill a human being is the most terrible crime, to kill animals is second to it, and a plant is not much. They can grow again, even from the root. But the animal, even if you cut only half of its head, it won’t grow again. Therefore, we have to believe things when they’re logical; not because it’s the guilt-inflicting theory or because we have to do that because some of the teachers say so or some of the religions say so.

I do not feel that we are unintelligent beings, that we could swallow anything, especially the Americans. They are no-nonsense folks. They don’t just “eat” anything. So, we have to tell them whatever is logical. Even if people do not accept it today, they can think about it later.

Sometimes I believe also, that during the course of my speaking, sometimes it’s too fast – you sometimes listen to one sentence and you miss the next, and also it’s difficult. So, if you want to listen again, you can get the tape. All the tapes we sell are without profit, because we don’t believe in selling God for profit. We make profit other ways, by mundane talents like dress designing, lamp producing, painting pictures. All these things we are allowed to make. It’s our mundane talents, so we get the mundane profit; but not to sell God for profit. We don’t even collect money, get a member’s fee, or anything to do with God’s teachings; because it’s all free for every of His children. It was free for me. It will be free for everyone, as long as I can afford it. If I cannot afford, then I stop.

Now, can you see why we are God? God Power is omnipresent, is all-pervading everywhere; and we are just one of the beholders. Just like my swimming pool – the water came from the nearby stream, led in by a pipe, and we have a hole underneath or on top so that it will flow out again into the river without stopping a portion of the water. the water in the pool, even though it’s surrounded by stones and cement, is still water from the river and is connected in some other way.

If our swimming pool is blocked from connecting with the spring for some reason, then we have to unblock it. Maybe the pipe is blocked, the pipe is damaged, or the hole is blocked; so we have to unblock it. Enlightenment is the unblocking of our obscurity to our own nature, to the God connections within ourselves, and to the whole Power of the universe.

Changing Ourselves Changes the World

Spoken by Master Ching Hai
December 4, 1993
Portland, Oregon

We are stepping into the Golden Age, so we have to change. We have to leave behind all these old useless conceptions of how a Saint should be; or we should leave behind the dark thinking, the negative expectation of the world and ourselves. Do something!

We start from ourselves – we clean our house. If our house looks filthy, we clean it first. If there’s anything we don’t like about ourselves, change it! Replace it with more positive, more virtuous qualities. For example, before, when we saw any homeless person we didn’t bother about him. He could stand there on the highway for hours under the sun, wanting to work for food. You’d say, “Oh! No! I cannot take a stranger into my house. That’s dangerous!”

Yes, but we could give him food. We don’t need to ask anything from him. Then sometimes we pass by a homeless person, we feel nothing. We don’t want to help because of our slow reaction, habits, so we don’t help him. When we get home, we feel something is wrong, “I should have helped.” But then we cover it up quickly, “No!” and watch television or do other things.

We don’t want to listen to our conscience, that’s why the world will never get better. If it is the case, whatever we think makes the world better, at least a more comfortable place for ourselves and neighbors, we can share. Begin with sharing, then we will feel a subtle change in ourselves, more love will pour into our consciousness. We will be aware of something that is the beginning.

That’s why the five precepts are just a suggestion that we should change some of the corners of our lives which we do not like. It’s not that we should feel so guilty or blame ourselves, should we fail some of it. But it is a goal so that we go forward. For example, we try to be more loving instead of violent or angry; be more giving instead of trying to take; we should be more faithful to our partner instead of having another mistress, or it could be mister. [everyone laugh]

You always blame the man, I don’t know why. There are women also, who want to play Madam Butterfly [Laughter], flying from one “flower” to the next. There are two kinds of “flowers” – male and female flowers. You know that! These brighten our world more and create a calmer atmosphere around us so that makes us better. That is all good, also a kind of meditation.

We meditate anytime anyhow in our lives. We just meditate mostly on the wrong things. So now, we just use that meditation Power, switch to the right thing, that’s all. When we think too much about how to make money at the expense of others, that is also meditation; we meditate on money. [everyone laugh] We use all our concentration power, or our mighty thinking power in order to get that piece of paper, and on that piece of paper is printed “In God we trust.” [Master and everyone laugh] Isn’t that paradoxical?

Our God is money sometimes! You see, “In God we trust” means we have to know God. If we don’t know God, how could we trust? It’s very easy to say, “In God we trust,” but how? Who is He? What does He look like? What did He do for me? What will He do for me that I have to trust Him? So, we must know that is what enlightenment offers. We have to be enlightened in order to know what God is, who He is, and what does He do to help us every day in all details of our activities. That is the thing we know after enlightenment. We know more and more.

If we did know God before, in some of the blessed incidents, then we’d know Him more and more everyday through a meditative attitude, through a very scientific way of maintaining our enlightened awareness. If we are enlightened once or twice, we still feel not yet there. If someone is hungry for a long time now, and you give him just a little bit of water and bread, will he be satisfied? Of course not.

If you want to learn free meditation method from Master Ching Hai. Please visit  http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org

The Best Way To Worship God

Spoken by Master Ching Hai

The Quan Yin Method (free mediation method from master Ching Hai) is for you to realize that God is you, the way you make Him.  God can be as low as a worm, if you are that.  If you don’t raise yourselves higher than the worm’s level then God will forever stay as a worm. If you raise yourselves higher, the higher your God is, the higher God is glorified. So glorify God by your own power of meditation and realization. That’s the best prayer. That’s the best glorification for God, the most significant prayer and the most significant job that you could ever do for God.   If we say we worship God, Buddha, Allah or whoever you say, and we remain in ignorance, then we truly despite God; we truly disgrace God and Buddha.

Therefore, Buddha said, “If you believe in Buddha, but do not understand Buddha, you disgraced Buddha.” That is the truth. How do you disgrace Buddha? By remaining in ignorance and letting others see that you are an ignorant God, that you have no belief in God anymore, because God is ignorant due to your own ignorant thinking and view point. You think God is like that: “I pray to Him, but He doesn’t hear. I am crawling here, but He doesn’t see.” It is not God who does not see. It is you who does not know that God sees, and who does not directly receive God’s blessing, because you build a lot of obstacles around yourself. You, yourself, deny the benefit and the blessing from God, because you think, from a conditioned mind, from many generations, that you’re not worthy; that you’re wrong; that you are ignorant; that you do all the wrong things against your God’s nature.

Therefore, even now, when you pray, this kind of thinking subconsciously prevents you from knowing you are God, knowing the benefit of God. Then you think God is only that. God is only for you to pray to, to complain to and to demand from, but it is not so. Every God is truly different. Depending on how you think and on your level, God is different. Not that there are so many Gods, but our point of view differ, so God differs. Do you understand now why we must understand and realize God in order to say that we truly worship God? (Applause) Therefore, what the Buddha said is not wrong.  If you don’t understand Buddha, don’t just blindly believe in Buddha or you’ll disgrace Buddha.

The Heavenly Grace of Noble and Selfless Motive

By Master Ching Hai

Every time you think nobly and you act nobly or selflessly, the results are always fantastic, visibly and invisibly. And it affects the whole world, not just that person that you did a favor for, or not just yourself or your family or your five generations. It affects the world and even the universe, depending on how big your action or how grand your noble thoughts are.

It always works because when you’re thinking nobly or acting selflessly, you are one with Heaven. And then you’re adding more power to Heaven to overcome the negative power in this world. So, that’s why you and Heaven are connected, and it’s like teamwork. It’s teamwork because Heaven is invisible and you are visible. The invisible and the visible connect together: It’s very strong. The negative power is also invisible, but it has equipment here which is visible through the people who work for negative power or think negatively. So, if the world is full of these negative instruments and connected with negative power, then of course, it’s bound for doom and trouble.

Use God’s Love and Power for the Best

Spoken by Master Ching Hai
December 4, 1993
Portland, Oregon, USA

 

There shouldn’t be any Master; there shouldn’t be teachers; there should be only spiritual friends, spiritual brothers and sisters; because we inherited the same portions of great wisdom from God. There is no difference between any Master and any of the audience who sits here, and no difference between him and any child or any older citizen; because we all have the same portion of Love and Power within ourselves. If we don’t use it, it’s the greatest waste on Earth. It doesn’t matter how much we recycle materials, we still waste. The greatest waste is that we don’t know we have wisdom, we don’t know we have God’s Power we forgot that we are the children of God.

It’s okay, you say you know it already, you read the Bible everyone knows they are the children of God. But, what makes the difference whether you know that or you don’t know that? Because you are just the same as yesterday, you don’t truly know. You only intellectually heard about it and that makes the difference.

If anything I said today makes sense to you, it is because I recognize this wisdom within myself and I know you have that within yourselves. It’s just you don’t want to use it. You reject it, you deny it, or you feel too inferior about yourself. We didn’t do anything that wrong. If you did or if we did, it was because we did not know. Now it’s time to know what is the righteous thing to do, so we can change very quickly.

How much time do we spend every day in order to take care of this body? We know it won’t last long, but still it’s necessary to take care of it. Now, if we don’t take care of our real body, then we are in even more trouble.

Most of the suffering in this world is due to ignorance of the greatness of our position. No other reason! Because we’re ignorant of it, we identify ourselves with the habits that we learned from maybe TV as a youngster, or maybe from neighbors, from books. We do many things that our conscience within us tells us that this is not correct, but we still do it because many people do it. Then we run into many problems.

Sometimes, we know we shouldn’t take drugs, for example; but we feel empty within ourselves, we feel frustrated. Sometimes we have talents we don’t know how to use them, or where to use them. Society sometimes rejects us for some prejudices, race problems or our appearances don’t please them. So, we fill this void with all kinds of cheap substitutes which, in the long run, ruin us mentally, physically and spiritually. It is because we do not know that we are great, or how to make use of our greatness.

I’m not here to collect your money, tell you what to do, or make you into any condition that is difficult for you. I just want to help you find your great wisdom, your greatest ability again, in order for you to better your life. Because when you better your life, I better my life, too; and my children my friends’ children, my sisters’ and brothers’ children. We have a better and better environment to live in because we are all connected with each other.

Suppose you don’t keep America clean and safe. Could I sit here and talk to you? So, we owe each other everything. I cannot say that I come to teach you anything. We came from the supreme Source before we descended into this physical body and we’ll go back to the supreme Source when our time comes. There is no denying our supreme status. If you don’t want to acknowledge it because you are humble, or because you feel you are not up to it, it’s up to you. But I don’t want to deny my status because I know. There’s nothing arrogant about it. It’s just admitting you are, without any pride, without any fuss, without false humility; because false humility is also false, it’s not true.

We should be true, beautiful and virtuous in spirit, speech and actions. That is a perfect human being. Even if we don’t want to follow this method of immediate enlightenment, we can try other things; at least to think, so that we can focus back again within ourselves, to remember who we are, and to truly understand the sentence that, We are the children of God, or for Buddhist, We all have Buddha Nature within ourselves. That means we are equal to the Buddha, instead of worshiping the Buddha.

We should worship in the right way – to recognize ourselves so that the Buddha (enlightened Master) has less work to do. If we truly want to worship a Buddha or any Saint, we should become one; so that they have less burdens, less worry and one more companion to uplift humankind. That’s why some people don’t like it when I say, “Don’t worship the Buddha. “Be one!” And I can show you how to be one. Not by sculpturing or carving, but by pointing into your own Buddha qualities; and you have to recognize them day by day until you’re fully convinced that you are Buddha. That is the time when you are equal to all the Buddhas (enlightened beings) in the ten directions and three periods of time – past, present and future.

Make Our World into Heaven

By Master Ching Hai
Dec 4, 1993
Portland, Oregon, USA

We must make our world into heaven, not run to heaven; because everywhere is heaven. God created only heaven, until we messed about with our computer-brains – kaput one; I mean damaged, or not very in order. Enlightenment is the way to put ourselves back in order. It’s not a kind of far-fetched heavenly mythology the way we think, but it is just daily experiences of our great resource of love and wisdom which God bestowed upon us before we arrived in this physical dimension. If we think that heaven is somewhere high above the clouds, then we are in trouble; because we have to wait at least sixty or a hundred years in order to go there. With suffering and all kinds of misery in this world, we don’t have to do that.

Life is meant to be joyful for the children of the Most High. If you are the children of the king or the president, now you go to school, how do you feel? You have guards, you have a special Rolls Royce, you have all kinds of privileges, even all the school looks upon you with reverence, love, admiration, envy and many things. You feel you know your status.

In the Bible, it is stated that, we are children of God, and He is king of all kings. Now, we live in this kind of life and we worry about pennies, everything frightens us into losing our sense of dignity and even begging for life. We’d do anything just to be alive, just to keep this physical body functioning. This is not a life of dignity. This is not the life of the children of God, if we truly understand what God means. God is the owner of the whole universe and we are the children. Can you believe it?

Just talking about it and never knowing it, is not the way of enlightenment. And we think we are okay! As long as there is one person suffering in this world, as long as there is still war and famine going on in our neighborhood, we are not okay; because we share the responsibilities of this “house” that we live in. It is a big family, extended, because we can’t live together in one room and we don’t have to. We need variety. We need different talents in order to make the world colorful and interesting. That’s what God wants us to do.

We have so much talent, each one should contribute something. Even with all our talents we can’t contribute as much as we’d want or we cannot be as useful as we’d like to be; because we are not yet okay. We lack something. We lack the true wisdom, the true love which lays sleeping within each of us.

For Little Angels – Lesson 1

By Master Duy Tue
Originally in Vietnamese

FOR ANGELS TO ASPIRE TO THE GREATEST HEIGHTS

The key to open the treasure created by your light of seeing

You are born with two unlimited abilities that will be with you your entire life: the ability to see and understand and the ability to love. You need to be aware that you have these two abilities. The way to get the most out of these abilities is to remember them and use them all your life.

In this lesson, I will show you how to use the ability to see and understand to get focused again when you are studying and thoughts pop up in your mind, making you distracted. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Notice that you are thinking. You have to know that you are losing attention because of some thoughts in your mind

Thoughts that come to your mind and you cannot control are the root of all troubles for everyone in the world. Uncontrolled thoughts cause you to pay less attention to what you are doing. When you are not attentive, you cannot see things as they truly are. If you don’t see clearly, you can’t act correctly. Understanding this harmful side of thinking is important to removing unwanted thoughts. Putting your thinking under control is impossible without this understanding.

2. Stop your work for a while

3. Recall and look at your thoughts

Try to remember what thoughts have made you unfocused. When you are able to see the thoughts, start to observe it. When you look at a thought in your mind, you will see it is like a video that records things that happened a few moments before. The video tells a story. Looking at it, you see the scenes, the people, the time and place of the events. This movie has been made out of your imagination and you are the main character of the movie.

4. Watch the movie but don’t judge it

When you watch the movie, try not to have any ideas about it. There are two reasons why you shouldn’t do that. First, if you think the movie is lame or interesting, the scenes in the movie will get you emotional. You may fear of something or hope for something. Either fears or hopes are not good for the health of your body and your mind. Second, if you judge the movie you are watching, it will take you to another movie. This way one movie will come after another and you just cannot stop it. That’s why you shouldn’t judge. Only watch it. Also, you shouldn’t believe what is happening in the movie in your mind is real.

If you believe it is real, you can’t improve the power of your brain. Your ability to see and understand will be limited. Your love will not grow. Your limited intelligence, visions, and love will make you feel unconfident. And it will be hard for you to avoid risks in your life.

4. Shift your focus of attention

Shift your attention from the movie in your head to something outside of your head. Instead of sitting and thinking, you can play with your little brother or sister, or play with your pet.

5. Go back to your work

After you have shifted your attention, you can get concentrated again. Now it’s time to go back to what you were doing. Full attention is perfect for studying. You can learn the most in the shortest period of time if you are concentrated. When you are paying attention, your ability to see and understand is at its best. When this happens, you can work for a long time without feeling tired.

The five steps above together are the key for you to increase your span of attention and cut off thoughts that “pop” into your mind. You have to remember and use this key as much as possible. The more you use it, the more clearly and precisely you can see and understand. If you can manage to follow the five steps all the time, you will raise your intelligence beyond what you can imagine.

The Perfect Beings from Heaven – part 4

We have to help also with social work. Whatever we can do to help lessen the suffering that is the noblest work which will not only be recognized in this world, but also praised by heaven. That’s why when you give someone who needs it, needs the love or needs some material comfort, at that time you are one with heaven. You’re doing heavenly work. You’re doing the correct work and you’re truly representing heaven in doing all this charitable work.
Maybe these people also are spiritual beings. They have sacrificed themselves, they were born poor so that you could learn the lesson of love. That’s why all the Masters from ancient times advise us that when we give something, we do good to someone, we should not be proud. We might feel good, okay; but we should be thankful that we have had the opportunity to do it.
There was a very famous book published recently in America, in which a person who died, went to heaven and she was shown many different functions of the human beings in this world. In one of the things she was shown was a man – dirty, drunken, old and lonely – who was kind of sleeping in the corner of the street. The heavenly being asked her if she knew who he was. From heaven, she looked down, she said, “Why, it’s a drunken, stupid man.” Because he really looked drunk, stupid, ugly, dirty, filthy, old and worthless.
The heavenly beings revealed to her his real identity after that. Then she knew that this person was a very great heavenly being, respected by all heaven. He was sacrificing his time on the Earth existence to help his friend. His friend was a lawyer, about a block away on the same street. The lawyer was always doing some good work for poor people and for the injustices in the country. But every time he saw this drunken man, he was determined to do more. Otherwise he would forget or slacken in his efforts.
But both of them had forgotten their promise with each other, to help each other, before they came to Earth. They were good friends in heaven and that’s how they helped each other. Of course the lawyer will get all the glory and credit, and the drunk gets all the cursing and all the despising from the people. Knowing and not knowing both of them are doing their jobs very well until the time comes, then they will go back to heaven. Being a drunk man just laying there, just always reminding his friend to try to fight for the poor, for the desperate people, the homeless and the like…

The Perfect Beings from Heaven – part 3

The most important in this world, regardless whatever our mission, is love one another, love each other. If we do not do that, then we lack a lot of things. Whatever job we do, we have to do it wholeheartedly. Moreover we still have to help our fellow beings in whatever way we can, make them happy, make them feel loved. Whenever the situation needs, we have to show our love; and we have to show some actins, speech and thoughts always in loving kindness. That’s the best for our spiritual growth and best for our fellow beings.

Many children if they didn’t have enough love from the parents or family when they were very young, they grow up not very loving persons. Sometimes become very bad persons. Then that in turn will affect other people that they contact. So the reactions, the influences are very big, not only personal. Sometimes, we see a group or families, their personalities are very similar, the whole family; or a group or a tribe, they have their own character and personality; or larger, a nation, they have their own character, whether they are very loving or they are very fierce.

Of course, there are always good and bad persons in any group. But, the outstanding major characteristic is sometimes very distinguishable from one group to another or from one country to the next. Sometimes when you meet one or two persons in a country, if that one or two persons don’t treat you nicely or something bad happens between you, then you will always have a bad impression about the whole country. If that experience keeps repeating too many times, then you will think that the whole country is no good; you can never change your attitude, never change your bad impression towards that country. But if you meet one or two nice persons, then a few more nice persons in that country, it doesn’t matter what happened, you still tend to think that country is nice or the people of that country are nice.

That happens also for religious things. Sometimes in the group only a few persons do something wrong or cause misunderstandings, then the whole group is affected by this and are being persecuted for the things a few people did. So actually we have to be careful how we act in everyday life because it’s not we alone that get the full scale of responsibility of what we do, what we say, or what we think; but we might affect other people.

Actually our thinking is very important. We should take care that our thinking is always good. It’s better, because thinking is the material for the physical appearance of all things in this universe. If it’s too strong it will materialize right away. If it’s not strong enough it takes some time to materialize. If it takes too long we forget it. We think it happened alone, it had nothing to do with our thinking; but actually it was from our thinking that it happened. That’s what is meant by karma – As you sow, so shall you reap.

Be careful that our thinking is always pure, because many people can read our minds even. Most of the time people are protected from other people, so they don’t know who is thinking what; it’s better for them. But sometimes some people have this ability to read our minds, and the heavenly beings can read our minds. We are an open book to the whole universe, so be careful. Whenever we think something bad, better cut it out right away. Otherwise very embarrassing.

Also because of our thoughts, we create good atmosphere or bad atmosphere for this world and the next. If our thoughts are very strong, then one individual’s thinking can make things happen, can make things good or bad happen. If not too strong, then a group of people who think the same thing will make things happen.

That’s why we see, as mentioned before, sometimes a group of people or a tribe of people have very similar traits or personalities, have similar things that happened to them, or similar things that happened to their country. That’s collective karma, because the same minds attract the same things. That’s why in our practice we are advised to keep our body, speech and actions pure; so we can keep at first our personal atmosphere pure; and we can create also a pure atmosphere for the world in which we live, for heaven, for the universe also.

The more people practicing like this, the purer the world will become, or at least it’s balanced, it’s not too bad that no one can breathe and no one can stay inside. That’s how we can fulfill our mission on Earth to bless this world. So do you see how important it is to keep our speech, mind and actions pure?

The Perfect Beings from Heaven – part 2

Many heavenly beings never want to come here. They don’t have courage.  For example, you are staying in a beautiful place like this, so clean and nice. If you had to go into a filthy place where people put the waste water, garbage and things like that, and lock yourself in there every day, would you like it? A small place, a small confined space with a lot of filth and garbage everyday like this, could you like, would you like? This is what happens to a spiritual being from heaven when they come down and take the confinement of this body.

Some come because they want to develop this planet into a more beautiful place.  Because you remember when you read the history of the planet, the planet was not like this before. It was like a big, dense jungle and no one lived. It was not comfortable and not beautiful.

Because this planet is connected with heavenly plan of existence, therefore we have to work together. Because this planet is connected with heavenly plan of evidence, therefore we have to work together. Because we are also heavenly beings connected with other heavenly beings, so whatever we do here affects them also. A spirit if it’s too high it’s not affected, the lower a little bit affected. Therefore if we do something good,  they are very joyful and very happy.  If we do something damaging to the world and then affects the universe, they are very worried and also very disturbed.

That’s why everyone of us have some so-called “Guardian angels,” who are supposed to help us to do our mission in this world. Depends on what kind of job we do, we will have more angels or less angels, stronger angels or just ordinary angels, etc.

The Indian people have a tradition to respect everyone they meet. Perhaps because in their mythological stories they were told that all the human beings here are spiritual, are great, wise beings, from heaven. Sometimes when we meditate we also can see that. But sometimes we are “covered” so we don’t think too much, so we don’t feel too homesick.  Some of them when they meditate they can visit their Home, at least have a look and come back here to work again. Other people they forget, they don’t miss their Home. They just want to stay here all the time. God gives them enough money, enough instruments to work for this world; but then they use the money, they use the instruments to enjoy. They forget. These people are very difficult to get liberation.

That’s why since ancient times there are always Masters and spiritual friends. They also sacrifice, they come here and wake up the people of the world; but it’s difficult. Once they come here, they forget everything from heaven. Sometimes the Master feels very sorry for these brothers and sisters. Sometimes the Master wants to run day and night just to keep calling them, waking them, and bring them back to their spiritual glory; because they suffer too much.

Due to their ignorance they forget their origin, they forget their noble purpose in this world, and they forget that whatever they are given in this world are only instruments so they can fulfill their task. They forget and then they are entrapped into these beautiful instruments or situation and get bound here. They cannot go Home. Sometimes it takes a long time until they wake up.

Meanwhile all the spiritual beings in heaven are feeling sorry for them, want to help them, want to pull them up; but it’s sometimes difficult. So it’s good that you wake up.  It’s good that you realize that you are not the physical body of this world, that you have a Home in heaven.

Actually we should treat all our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, like spiritual brothers and sisters; because that’s what we are. Before we came here we made a covenant with each other saying, “Oh! You be my parents, you be my son, you be my sister, you be my teacher, you be my friend, and all that.” Everyone would come together to help each other to achieve the purpose of their mission and also to achieve a higher position in the spiritual world.

It’s not because of a higher position that we come here. Just that we have been courageous, we want to try, we want to take the challenge. Of course, the greater the challenge, the greater our spiritual understanding and growth. Then we become, of course, a higher spiritual being through our knowledge and labor that we have offered to the universe. Heavenly beings, of course, respect us more and then give us more, eve higher responsibilities.

For example, if you were born in a rich family, if you didn’t work, if your parents spoiled you too much and didn’t let you go out and learn and work in different jobs to have experience of your growth, your talents, your intelligence and your physical power, then you just hang around in the house eating, sleeping, doing something, but not having the experience and the capability of a grown up and mature person. Then even your parents cannot entrust you with their great possessions.

So if the parents go away, then maybe you inherit the possessions because you are the only one. But then you don’t know how to manage the business, you let the business fall apart, and then you become poor also. That’s why God let us come here, to study and to strengthen our abilities. The more we work, the more we try to help other people, the more we grow.

THE PERFECT BEINGS FROM HEAVEN -part 1

Spoken by  Master Ching Hai
Sept.11, 1994

All of us are great beings from heaven.  All of the human beings born in this world are great heavenly beings, and the most courageous. If we were not great, we would not be courageous, we’d never have enough guts to come down to this world. We never could come, we’d never dare come.

That’s why if one of us here does something good for humankind, then all the heavenly beings rejoice, praise, and have so much respect. The more we can do this, the more respect we earn in heaven. Even though sometimes we have trouble by doing good to humankind and we probably have persecution from our fellow beings and other obstacles in this world, but that is just temporary. Truly the universe rejoices in every good deed and loving kindness we can send to our fellow beings. And if we already have been given enough equipment, enough opportunities to do good to humankind and we don’t do it, then it is really a case to feel very sorrowful about.

Before we came here we came with the high ideal, with the best intention, with the good heart and a mighty determination to help and to improve ourselves spiritually, even also by helping people in this world. But when we got here, most of us forgot; and we prefer to sleep, eat, and go around playing. We prefer to take care of our own interests and sometimes forget what was our purpose before we came here, why we came here.

If we meditate, then unconsciously our soul will remember. Then we don’t have to feel too much suffering because we live in this very confined, very unhappy surrounding. We feel more settled down, not attached to the world but settled down in the world. We know that we have to finish our mission. Whether we realize or not, inside we will, the soul will understand that we have to accomplish our mission on Earth and then we will go back Home very soon.

There is a story of a women.  She died and went to heaven, and came back to this world. In between time she was shown a lot of heavenly places, the intelligence of the universe, the purpose of creation, and she was shown great beings like Jesus or maybe a part of God’s representatives. She thought it was Jesus, because no one knows what Jesus looked like. [Master laughs] Because that being had love and a great Light around him, she thought it was Jesus Christ.

Now after she saw all this, she just felt she was at Home, of course. She felt very happy and loved, and she never wanted to go back to this world again. The heavenly being told her that her time was not yet up so she had to go back. She said she didn’t want to; but then the heavenly being showed her  her mission, what she has to do later in the world . Then she agreed to come. The heavenly beings told her that after she has seen her mission, they would erase the memory, so when she comes back again to her physical life she will not remember anything about what she has to do. She truly forgot.

When she came back here and saw her ugly body lying there, she said, “Oh, I don’t want to go into it.” [Master and everyone laugh] And when she went back in, she felt so tight, so confined and so locked up inside herself. She felt so miserable she cried. It took a long, long time, many months, before she became settled down with her body again. Then, she remembered the beings told her that she has a mission on Earth; but she didn’t remember anything about that mission. After thinking for long time, she thought it was good that she didn’t remember. God knows that if she remembered, then she would try to do it very quickly so that it’s done and then she will go back to heaven. [Master laughs] Yeah, and she would not do it properly. She would just try to finish it fast, then she could be free.

Most of us are also “covered up” – God doesn’t let us know. Even though after meditation, after initiation we are only shown a little bit, so that at least we have just a little bit comfort to carry on in this world, and not to feel too proud of our heavenly qualities.

Also most of the time when you meditate, your soul goes out of the body but you don’t feel the difference between going and coming, because the Maser Power tries to “lubricate” it. The Master Power makes the transition between the physical world and the spiritual world smooth, so that you don’t feel the sickness of having to come back into these small “boxes” after being so free and roaming the whole universe at will.

But most of the people when they die, or when they nearly die and they come back again, they feel the terrible difference between the spiritual and the physical world. Therefore they suffer a lot. They suffer like that woman who came back to this world, and she suffered for many months from depression.

Therefore many times while meditating, we went outside of the body; but sometimes we felt like we didn’t know that. We came back we felt like, oh, something. Sometimes we felt like we came back from somewhere but the transition was not so great and it didn’t disturb our ordinary lives too much. Otherwise, if every day, too much of the differences, sometimes you cannot bear it. If we remember how beautiful, how relaxed, how loved we are in heaven – one more second or one millionth of a second, we’d never want to stay here.

The Way to Always Be in Nirvana

Spoken by Master Ching Hai
December 26, 1992

When nothing yet rises, nothing stirs from the consciousness of the Universal Power, and when we stir, then things become created, then it has Vibration and has flashing Lights. So, that’s where we come from. We come from Light and Sound, that’s when we are created. But beyond that, absolutely nothing.

In my early days – you know I had other kinds of experiences, so many, and really nothing to say. And now I don’t have any experiences. You are the ones who experience me. I become the experiences for everyone. It’s not “I.” I don’t have  any more “I” to experience the experience. I became ignorant. Maybe that’s why they say the sage, the wise, look like the ignorant.

You say I help you in this and that. I know nothing about it. I tell you the truth. Do you understand what  I mean?

We are the Absolute. We are the greatest of the universe but because of our attention is attached to one corner or the other of somewhere, so we cannot return to the Source. That’s why most people who are too intellectual, too successful in business or in life, or in too high a position in society – very difficult to calm their minds and to go into Samadhi. They try very hard maybe, but they only try with the mind. They don’t even go beyond the mind yet. They think, “I am sincere,” but only the mind is thinking. It’s the devil’s trick. Understand? (Audience: Yes).

Just like they tell you to kneel  in the temple, in the church, to worship this and that, it’s just a kind of cheap substitute for the real Buddha Nature, for the real Almighty Power. And then the mind is satisfied. It thinks, “Oh! I am worshipping the Buddha. I am busy. I am building temples. I am practicing, virtues.” All the tricks of Maya, of the mind, make you busy and then satisfy the mind alone. You haven’t gone beyond that. Beyond the mind there is not even satisfaction of any kind. You feel nothing. You are absolutely satisfied, that you don’t even know there is such thing as satisfaction.

Only when you think or when you compares, you are in the dual world of yes and no, good and bad, then you know you have satisfaction or dissatisfaction. When you are in one with satisfaction, do you know you have satisfaction? No, the eye cannot see itself. The sun, cannot know that it’s hot or bright. It is the quality of sun. So the quality of Absolute is Absolute.

Absolute means no comparison. You cannot say the Absolute is good, or the Absolute is supreme even. When you say Absolute it’s already relative. It’s already comparative. But because in human language we talk nonsense all the time, we always have to blah, blah, blah about everything. We have to compare, we have to value, we have to identify, we have to give a name to everything. But the Absolute, if it is the true Absolute, you couldn’t even speak about it. Don’t talk about it. Cannot even think about it. Cannot imagine. There is nothing.

It’s my own experience. So, now you know why I am not proud when you say I am a living Buddha (a fully realized being). I couldn’t care whether people say I am egotistic, or full of ego when I accept the title of Supreme Master. These are nothing to me. I am above all of this. These names are only garbage. But because in this world we have nothing better, so we accept it. We accept it or not accept it, it makes no difference at all. The sun could not care whether you blame it or praise it. It is the way it is. It doesn’t even feel proud of its own greatness or brilliance. It’s just like that. So, we praise it or we blame it, it doesn’t move one inch.  It doesn’t shine brighter, or it doesn’t shine less. You cannot, we cannot judge the Master, or praise the Master. We can only recognize in our own way, in our different level, of understanding, and then slowly we understand the Master and I are one. I and Master are not different. We are in the same source, we’re from the same source. We have same treasure. It’s just that our ability to use the treasure is different by now. Maybe later we know how to use it better.

Just like a child, he is born in a very rich family. He has same rights and same inheritance like other children. But he is too young now. He doesn’t know. The same family, the same rights, the same treasure but the brother knows better – who is grown up – knows better, and knows how to use it better. That’s all.  That is the difference between the two children, nothing else.

So, I know, and you do not know yet. Maybe you know but you think you don’t know. Or maybe you’re too humble, to accept your greatness. Never mind. You do whatever you want. You accept it or not accept it, you use it or not use it, you can be proud of the treasure or you don’t care about it. This is your right.

Therefore I am never hurried to go around, and preach to people, or try to convert the whole world into this “business,” because it’s all their right. If they are longing for it, they’ll find their way to search it. They’ll try all their minds to do it. If they feel it’s nothing, that is all right. It’s their treasure. Either way is okay.

So, therefore even though sometimes some of you come talk to me and say, “We are very low, compared to You.”

I say, ”It’s only your feeling.” You cheat yourself. But as long as you enjoy your cheating game, I have nothing to say. But if you truly want to know your wisdom, your greatness, then listen inside. Listen to your intuition. Listen to what to do at right moments. And do not be cheated and clouded by your preconceived ideas or by the social customs and judgment. Listen inside. Try to be always inward and know what’s going on and know what you should do.

Because many times you know it, but you do it the other way. And then you say, “Oh, I wish I would have done that!” Right? (Audience. Right) That is when you are a little bit out of touch with the reality, with the Truth inside, with silent Voice that tells you what to do.

So the more you’re quiet, the more inwards you withdraw, the wiser you become, because you know what to do. And if you don’t know it, you’re clumsy. You’ll still have to do it in the end, but you don’t do it successfully. So you have to transmigrate and redo it. That’s the difference between understanding yourself or not understanding yourself. That’s why we transmigrate. That’s why we have to be reborn again and again, because we have not listened to what we should do, and we have not completed the task that we have come to learn, or have come to do. So, that’s where comes the transmigration. And the soul has to transmigrate with it in order to learn.

You understand everything. I guess. Or maybe I understand everything. As I speak to you, I am so clear. There is absolutely no argument about it.

But it comes spontaneously, because it comes according to your level of understanding. Sometimes I can speak like this to you, and it’s very clear. The other times I cannot, because at the moment you cannot accept it. Therefore you also block my flow. Therefore I also don’t want to speak to you. Not that at that moment, I cannot speak like that. Just like the children when they grow up, you give them all kinds of jewelry or good food, but when they were young, only milk.

Therefore when you come to the retreat or you come to see me, you are not only sitting, but you have sweets, candies, stories, singing and all kinds of comforts, goodies. So, just like the children when they come to see the mother, both of them love each other, but by the way, they will have good things from mother also. But these are just by the way, whether these things exist or not they both still love each other. That is true. That’s all.

So, whether or not you have experiences, you enjoyed these days; you were in Nirvana and that is the purpose. If you keep this memory with you all the time till the end of your life, then you are always in Nirvana or at least when you die. Our last moment’s thought is very important. If all you think about is misery, you will go to hell. (Laughter) If all you think about is Master, happiness and bliss when you are with the Master, you will be in Nirvana in no time. So that’s the secret. That’s the benefit of being with the Master, whether inside or outside, together physically or mentally.

So, keep the Master with you all the time, keep the retreat with you all the time, and you will be in no trouble. You’ll rise above everything, and then all the problems will look small. You rise above all the trouble, look at them as toys. You’ll fly above everything. You’ll pass with all flying colors through all the tests of life, because you remember this happiness. It will last very long time, maybe last forever.

Living the Four Agreements: A life Changing Journey

In the bestselling book The Four Agreements don Miguel Ruiz gives four principles to practice in order to create love and happiness in your life. Adopting and committing to these agreements is simple. Actually living and keeping these Four Agreements can  be one of the hardest things  you will ever do. It can also be one of the most life changing things you will ever do.

As you practice living these four practices your life will dramatically change. In the beginning these new habits will be challenging and you will lapse countless times. With practice these agreements become integrated into your being and every area of your life and become easy habits to keep.

The Four Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

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A KING WITH A LOT OF DESIRE – part 1

by Master Ching Hai
July 11, 1995

This story is called, “A King with a Lot of Desire.”

A very long time ago, there was a king who ruled a very great kingdom, and for a very, very long time, in India. During that time, he was always victorious. He never lost anything. He always won. So he became very greedy and very arrogant, because everything he did brought victory to him.

This King was a kind of practitioner. He had magical power. There were many kings in the old times that were called “Golden Wheel Saint Kings” or something like that, because they had a kind of golden carriage which could carry them anywhere they wanted. Perhaps it was a UFO.

When you read many stories from India, like Rama, it seems like in the old times people got in touch with the UFO’s, extra-terrestrial people that flew with a chariot in the sky.  They didn’t have any airplanes at that time, did they? I don’t think so. Or perhaps they did. And besides, with all these magical powers it must have been the extra-terrestrial people that they had encountered – you know, Rama, his wife and company.

And of course he had so many beautiful and precious things in his life. The first one was a very beautiful, strong magical horse which could carry him one thousand miles an hour. It must have been an airplane. What kind of horse would that have been? But it was a red one. Then he had a beautiful white like snow elephant. He had a precious stone that in the evening emitted beautiful light like the moon light. They didn’t have electricity, they didn’t need to. He had a “car,” like a golden carriage. This one could fly him up into the sky. What could that have been? Airplane or UFO? Do we have a car that can go a thousand miles an hour? Oh, a thousand miles a day.

And also he had a queen who was very  beautiful, as well as very  faithful. So what else could he want? He had a very good prime minister to help him, and a very  powerful army general. So, he had everything. No wonder he was always victorious. Besides, he had thousands of princes – big, tall, strong, intelligent, educated, courageous, all like grand kings.

All these things actually should have made him very, very happy and satisfied. But he was not. Everyday he felt empty, felt like he was missing something.

One day, he was fed up. He felt that he didn’t have enough money, with all that, so he sat there and meditated on money. As he meditated on money, and he recited the mantra for money, he said: ”Dollars, dollars, dollars…American dollars, French dollars, Italian dollars, not Taiwan NT., (Laughter) German Deutschemarks,” etc. He recited all these mantras. And then all the money came down, all the Deutschemarks, all the American dollars, French francs, and all that; you know all the best – oh yen, Japanese yen. Instead of “Zen, Zen,” he said, “Yen, yen.” (Master and everyone laugh)

Anyway, his meditation was powerful. He was very, very concentrated, very sincere, and very devoted to money. The God of money was very moved, and rained down the money for him. Then he saw that the whole palace, outside, all over the tree tops, and everywhere was money. Even next to the toilet, there was money too. He looked and then he told people to pick it up and count it for him. He said, “Not enough.”

He meditated again. Now he wanted something else, so he recited a different mantra. I can teach you right now. (Laughter) “Gold, gold, gold, gold, silver, silver, gold, gold, silver…” (Laughter) And then again, as he was absolutely a hundred percent devoted, the God of gold and silver was very moved, and rained down all the gold and silver as he desired. This time the gold and silver covered all of Miaoli and the surrounding area. All he had to do was tell his people to go out and pick it up and bring it to the store room.

He was satisfied for a while. Maybe a few days, a few months. Actually in the old times people lived a very long, long life. Perhaps that’s why he was bored. So make sure you don’t live too long!

So, many years had passed now since the incident of silver and gold. The king happened felt bored again, dissatisfied with life. So, he looked to the south and he saw that it was a very prosperous country, and very big and beautiful. So he said, “Ah…I wish I also could rule over that southern kingdom, and then I would be happy and satisfied.” Suddenly, as he wished like that, his chariot flew up into the sky and brought him to the southern kingdom. He won immediately, because golden and bright chariot from the sky, they all knelt down on the ground and said, “Hallo.” They surrendered to him, no problem. They treated him very, very well;  very respectfully, and did everything he wanted.

He stayed there for a thousand more years. And then he was bored, so he went up to the high tower and looked again. Perhaps he looked to the north, and he saw that the north was a very nice kingdom – very prosperous, and had very good-looking people. “Now I want that kingdom! Then I will be happy and satisfied.” As soon as he had spoken, because he had the power of, perhaps magic, so whatever he wished came true. Perhaps he had merit for a long time and had not spent it.

So he wished and the chariot flew him up into the sky and delivered him to the north. As soon as he came, all the people in the northern kingdom also knelt on the streets and gave him incense, flowers, fruit, cakes, candies, mineral water, beer and everything; and offered the kingdom to him – surrendered, so no problem. He had not wasted one drop of blood, and he obtained the kingdom. I think that the people who are fighting right now should come and learn his strategy of how to invade another nation without spending any blood or human lives.

So now, he was very happy, satisfied for another thousand years. It did not take much for him to be satisfied!!!

Ah, so, one thousand years passed now, and the dissatisfied king looked over, perhaps to the east. He used his binoculars, perhaps. And then he looked over there and said, “Oh, oh, how come there’s a kingdom there I did not know about? And it’s very beautiful, very prosperous – a lot of durian fruit. I can smell it from there to here.” (Master and everyone laugh)

So he said, “I have to have that kingdom. I have to rule over that kingdom also, so that I will be satisfied.” Said and done, he won without bloodshed or without any resistance. Perhaps because God had favored him. Perhaps because he had acquired a great deal of merit in the last life. Perhaps because those people in the north, the south, and the east were very peaceful, living people. Whoever ruled the kingdom, it didn’t matter. They didn’t want bloodshed. They just surrendered. Perhaps it’s the best way. I don’t know. Perhaps it is the best way in every situation, because one cannot fight without resistance. Perhaps, we shouldn’t fight at all anywhere.

Truly if we understand the Kingdom of God is within us, and if we have already tasted the nectar of this Kingdom of God, then probably we do not want to resist anything. If we can live here longer to serve God and fellow beings, let it be so. If we have to go because our time has come, or because someone else wants to terminate our life, let it be, because we have other kingdoms to continue to live in. Perhaps, therefore, surrendering to God’s will is the best. Sooner or later, each one of us must leave this world anyhow. So why complicate things?

I see resistance in different countries. Sometimes it just makes more and more and more bloodshed without having any concrete and finished result. Just cost a lot of lives, time, building construction power, and financial benefit – costs a lot from the people. Besides, as you have seen, every system will collapse itself. Like the communists in Eastern Europe. They collapsed by themselves. Nothing lasts forever if it doesn’t suit the plan of God.

So, I don’t know whether all this physical resistance is truly good or not. I still think, I dare not say too much. People will think I’m pessimist and passive, and things like that. But I think everything will take care of itself. Sometimes, in the course of life, you have experienced that yourselves. Sometimes you try to demand this and that, and you end up the same; sometimes worse than before.

So now, another thousand years came. Ah, he was happy. He swallowed up one nation and was very happy. One more thousand years, and he was fed up again, was bored. So he went up to the top of the mountain, used his binoculars, or whatever, telescope, and then he looked over to the west. Now he said, “America.” Perhaps, before Columbus discovered it, he had seen it. He said, “That land is very big and beautiful – California beach.” Oh, no, no, Miami beach, California earthquake.” Oh no. (Laughter) “Good weather. West Virginia, snow. Oh, we have everything. I must have that land.” So said, wished, and accomplished as usual, as many times before. A thousand years more, and he was bored, unhappy.

I told you, he should have come to Supreme Master Ching Hai, and she would have told him nothing in this world would satisfy him! (Master and everyone laugh) You see the problem with having no Master? If you don’t have a living teacher, it’s very difficult. Every Guru will tell you that. He didn’t have a Master like Supreme Master Ching Hai who would have taught him the ephemeral nature of human life.

We Are Already Liberated – part 3

We get used to where we live and think nothing of it. I feel that living in the cities like you do is not bad. Everything is convenient. When I stayed in the seven story building which Taipei people bought for the book circulation center, I thought it was quite ideal for me. I thought if I was to live in the place where they put the computer, the small place, it would be just right for me. A bus stop is just downstairs, no need to walk, it is very convenient! So every place has its good point.

It is no wonder that you are so captivated by the cities that you do not want to go barbecuing in the mountain. There is not one of you who wants to go up the mountain, living on his own, and leading a solitary life, is there? (Audience: Yes.) It is all right; you can stay wherever you are. I am like that too. I stay up in the mountain when I live there, and I don’t want to go back up after I have come down the mountain. I feel that it is good anywhere. It is just that before we reach a place, we would feel a bit scared. But after we get there, we would not be afraid anymore. Right? Maybe you and I are alike, without any differences? I used to think that I was very special, but actually we are all the same, happy wherever we are, feeling one place is just as good as another. It is great!

Now I think I will tell the monastic disciples to return home and live freely. Why set oneself in a frame of a certain image? However, since some of them still want to continue, and they are worthy. It is all right! Only that one must not force oneself. Any place can be good for us. Fish belong in the water, and tigers belong in the mountains, right? Elephants live in the jungle, and monkeys climb up and down to get fruit to eat. We cannot force everyone to be like us. No! Like the “Ugly Duckling,” he did not belong to the ducks, so he was very unhappy, which in turn made his friends and relatives around him unhappy as well. His different look created pressure for others. By the same token, it is all right for us to live anywhere, as long as it is good for us.

It is not necessarily good for one to live in solitude in the mountain practicing meditation diligently everyday. It is hard to say. It is good for me that way because I like it, not that I am so great. You must not praise me because of this, or praise anyone who does the same and think that he is great, that he has given up everything. He does not like the world, so then what has he given up?

For example, you do not like that woman. No matter how beautiful she is, you do not like her! You like your wife. Then in what way are you so great? It is not that you can put down the desire for beauty; you simply do not like her. You only like your wife. Because you get used to living together, you cannot go on without her. It matters nothing to you going without other beautiful women. Therefore, it is that people have their own different tastes, their own different ways, not who is greater than who. So we do not have to imitate others.

We know in our heart what kind of person we are. Of course, if we have any fault, or character that we dislike, we need to cut it, and make it shorter, smaller. Then we have done it. Right! Otherwise, there is nothing that matters! You have your own living which is good as long as you are comfortable and happy. it is fine feeling that your husband is good looking; it is none of the other person’s business.

Sometimes we cannot simply run away as we wish. For example, if we are destined to be married to someone, it is what we owe from our past lives, and now we think it is a bother and do not want to repay our debt. Taking is nice, and repaying of course is not. Then we say we do not want him or our debts. Therefore, we have to sort out our debts which are destined here. Then, later we continue to settle the account in the heavenly worlds above.

Settling the account when we are in the worlds above is different. At that time it depends on who meditates more diligently, and the level of one’s attainment. We should understand that the place where our true Self belongs, there is neither male nor female, and no love affairs. It is like this in the highest place.

In this world, we are only spectators, like when we go to a movie. Then because sometimes we are moved or excited by the movie, we also cry. Being absorbed in the movie we exclaim, “Hit him, hit him! Kill him, kill him! Go after him, go after him!” At that time we relate to the actor in the movie, right? But at the end of the movie, we know that everything was not real. Some movies are so good, so realistic or so well acted out, that while seeing them, we change our emotions.

Similarly, life after life we are so used to playing the act of a human being that we cannot put it down. We cannot imagine that we are not this act. It is that simple. The act lingers in our mind for such a long time. You can see that after watching a movie, the parts in it which were violent, touching or unfair, stay in our minds and influence us for a very long time. Sometimes after seeing a movie or a play, our lives are changed for a while. Therefore, if we do not wake up at this time, in this life, but continue to play the act, continue to chase after the emotions, the happiness, anger, sadness and joyous living, then we say we have to reincarnate. No! No one has to reincarnate.

Truly no one is not liberated. Truly no one is not free. It is because we are chasing after those emotions, those phenomena, which are like this today and like that tomorrow, good today and bad tomorrow, that we say we reincarnate.

How does reincarnation come about? It is those thoughts which reincarnate! It is those phenomena which reincarnate! It is those emotions which reincarnate! They keep changing and reincarnating. We, the person, do not reincarnate; that witness does not reincarnate. However, because that “person” is not a “person,” “He” will not be affected by anything. “He” will not die if you chop him. “He” cannot be burned or drowned. Then what “person” is there to reincarnate in the cycle of birth and death? Really there isn’t any person! It is this body which reincarnates, not us.

However, if we do not practice spirituality, do not give it serious thought, and do not calm down to understand, then even after all I have said, you only know this is the case. You still cannot be separated from the feelings which have birth and death and which reincarnate. Then you will say that you cannot be liberated. In fact, we are already liberated!

We Are Already Liberated – part 2

Originally there was not one single person in the world. Did you know that? This body is made up of fire, wood, water, metal and earth (Chinese five elements). Sooner or later it will return to the materials it was made up of. What are we, this “person”? All day long, our thoughts develop continuously one after another. Is that the “person”? No! Now “I” am happy, later “I” am sad; then “I” am happy again, and “I” am sad again. Is that “me”? No, they are merely thoughts, like the waves of the ocean, one after another. This is not us, the “person”! Of course waves are from the ocean, yet they are not the ocean. Waves are formed by the wind blowing on the ocean. Therefore if we cling onto that point, we are finished. We should not hold onto anything, let alone clothing!

Originally a “person” did not exist in this world. “He” only knew that “He” was forever a spectator. For example, “He” was there perceiving the situations. One moment “He” perceived the feeling of being happy and the next moment, the feeling of being sad.

For example, I eat this apple and find it very sweet. I know it is sweet, but I know the sweet taste is not “I.”  Or the sour taste is not “I.” “I” am merely enjoying that sweet or sour taste. However, each time we forget, and think that we are the apple. Is this not funny?

Therefore, since there was not any person, we should not put a frame around the illusions, making them more and more solid. So you can wear any kind of clothes. It does not matter. To keep changing clothes is too tiring for me, so I have stopped doing that now. I will remain like this.

We have to understand that there is no “person.” No matter how great, no matter how talented, this “person” is, it is merely a phenomenon. This is the quality he possesses, or he merely knows that he has that kind of quality and then uses it. He is not that “person.” Therefore, we have neither birth nor death. Only the thoughts are created and perish. If we do not put down these thoughts but keep on thinking, birth, old age, illness, death, happiness, anger, sorrow and joy, and feel that we are those feelings, then of course we will reincarnate. We do not differentiate the apple from the person who eats the apple, and attach ourselves to the apple. We are always looking for the apple, from one place to another. We are constantly searching, so we keep on reincarnating. Sometimes it is for things we like, and sometimes it is to avoid things we dislike, that trouble us, that we reincarnate. Otherwise, the original Self does not reincarnate. “He” is a witness, forever without birth and death, forever there as a spectator only.

It is just the same as going to a movie! Even now I still cry when I see some movies. I watched the “Prince of Stars” in which there are many good philosophical stories. For example, there was a little boy who liked to play the flute. But his father did not allow him to play it, so he cried and wanted to run away from home. Then the Prince of Stars said to him, “Everything will be all right if you put your flute in your heart.” The little boy understood the matter and put the flute down. Later he was able to play the flute because his father realized that although playing the flute could not earn money and food, it could console people’s spirits, which is very important. When the little boy stopped playing the flute, everyone was in a mess. When the Prince of Stars played the flute, which he did not know how to do, he caused people to quarrel with each other, the chicken and ducks began to bite each other and everything, the whole village, was in a mess. However, when the little boy played the flute, everyone felt peaceful and comfortable.

Things like that really happen. Sometimes when we listen to some soft music, we feel happy and relaxed. If we listen to some awful kind of music, we feel troubled, and that we are going crazy and want to throw a temper tantrum. It really is so, that certain things cannot be measured materially for they have their own value spiritually.

Similarly, sometimes people ask us why we practice. They think that by sitting there we cannot earn our daily bread. However, the more we meditate, the more we are able to earn money.  We used to be very busy trying to make money. We could not think very clearly, so we did not make very much. However, after we meditate, we reap a lot of benefits. People in India say, “One person who practices spirituality can benefit hundreds or thousands of people materially.” His wisdom will emerge, enabling him to accomplish a great deal which will benefit many people.

Therefore, not just being very busy making money is good. Not that we do not make money. We can all make money, even more nowadays. I see that your businesses are doing well. They were not as good before, right?

The other day we had a barbecue on the mountain. Some monastic disciples were with me. So I gave them each a tent, a place to barbecue and a pot. Each person gathered his own dry wood, tidying up the surrounding area at the same time. We had a barbecue, boiled water and cooked food for ourselves. I am not saying this kind of life is the best. Other ways can also be good. It is really so! I mean if we are in that situation, we can enjoy ourselves. Like if you are living in the city, you can also enjoy yourselves. If I am staying in the mountain, I do not want to come down. I want to enjoy the quiet, happy and worry-free life.

We Are Already Liberated – part 1

Spoken by Master Ching Hai
November 8, 1992

What impression did you have after watching the cartoon, “The Ugly Duckling”? Sometimes we are rejected by the world, when people think that we are too odd and different from the others. In reality, it might be that we are the very precious ones! That duckling was not a duck, it was a swan. Swans are the most precious. They live high in the mountains and drink the pure dew drops or the cleanest, uncontaminated water from the lakes on the highest mountain tops. I hear that they eat pearls. Therefore, great spiritual practitioners in India speak of themselves as being like swans. When a swan mingles in a flock of ducks, of course the ducks feel that the swan is ugly. Therefore, sometimes, spiritual practitioners and the ordinary people have different concepts.

Mingling with people who are different than we are makes us feel that we are unlike anyone, and we feel sad thinking that people do not like us, etc. The fact might just be that we are more superior than others so they do not like us.

It was also good for those ducks that they did not like that swan, wasn’t it? If they had taken it with them to the south where it was hot, and quarreled every day, what good would that has done? It turned out that it was actually good for the swan to be left behind because like other swans, it was not afraid of the snow. It needed to live in places like the snowy mountains and to drink the beautiful water there. They are very clean and beautiful, and they should not live down there together with the ducks. If it had mingled with the ducks, of course the ducks would not like it nor think good of it. Then the swan would not feel comfortable, neither would the ducks. The ducks could not be blamed though, because they know that they are different from the swan, in whatever way they look at it. The swan has such a long neck, and such a pointed beak, it is not the same.

When I stay in the mountains, I do not feel like coming down. It is because it is so busy, crowded and boring down here; and it is difficult to teach people, to teach the disciples, etc. Why do I need to go down the mountain? It is so good staying up there! It feels good to fry chapattis, boil water for hot baths and watch cartoon videos every day. It is a very comfortable way of living.

Last week there was a little change at Hsihu Center. You knew the meditation hall was being demolished. It is nothing! But some people were hearth broken. That I understand. That was why I phoned to talk to you; and I was touched by you, so I promised to come to Taipei. I was afraid that you might say, “The Center isn’t there anymore, and Master isn’t coming back. She is dropping us!”

Why do you cry? What does it matter that the meditation hall was knocked down? I knew it long ago. You can see that the ground underneath the floor of the hall was not cemented in, because it would have been difficult to deal with now. We can plant trees. It is better without the meditation hall. It is not bad as it is now. We should not be attached to anything.

For the last few days I have wanted to tell the monastic disciples to stop wearing their monk robes. Why? It is because the special clothes make them feel special. I feel they should learn to be more humble. You have held them too highly. In what ways? For example: “They alone are the Quan Yin messengers, and we are the “followers.” It is nonsense. It hurts me hearing that. No one is different from anyone else. Everyone is the same on the outside. The only difference is the inside.

Some of the monastic disciples are not worthy; in fact no one is worthy, but everyone is worthy. If we only consider our original God Nature, or our true Self, then everyone is worthy. If we look at our noisy brains which records and replays everything right or wrong, then no one is worthy. However, it is very difficult to realize this in the depth of our hearts. It is very difficult for us to communicate within, to have self confidence and to know that we are originally very clean. Indeed, it is very difficult! That is why I say not worthy. From Master’s standpoint, they are worthy; from some other people’s, they are not. So, if anyone leaves home and puts on a monk’s robe and thinks he is great, then it is not right! That way they will have many obstacles. If we still feel that we are a “renunciate,” then we are finished. It is all right for us to leave home; originally it is very good, but we should feel that there is no difference in leaving home or not.

That is why I wanted to tell them to change their clothes and to dress like the lay people. Mixing together, everyone is the same. It is enough to know that one is cultivating oneself spiritually within. There is no need to show anything, for it creates obstacles for oneself. Why? Because the more we are bound in the frame, the more serious and firm our illusions will become. There should not be anyone who still feels that there are renunciates and lay persons. It is all right for some of the monastic disciples to wear special clothes because they feel the same being a monastic person or a lay person. A monk’s robe is what they would put on naturally. Some people are not like that. They wear the monk’s robe in order to show-off.

Some of Master’s monastic disciples are not very good either; they do not have the correct concepts. It is best for us to start cleaning our own place. This way, seeing how clean we have swept our home, maybe the neighbor will clean his. By then we can give him some assistance. This is acceptable. We cannot go to sweep other people’s homes without having cleaned ours first.

 

Q & A after Lecture

Excerpt from Master Ching Hai’s Lecture

Q: What are some spiritual benefits that we get from being vegans?

M: I’m glad you asked the question in this manner, because it means you only concentrate on, or care about, spiritual benefits.  Most people would care about health, diet and figure when they ask about the vegan diet.  The spiritual aspect of a vegan diet is that it is very clean and nonviolent.

Thou shall not kill. When God said this to us, He did not say do not kill human beings, He said do not kill any beings. Didn’t He say that He made all animals to befriend us, to help us? Did He not put the animals in our care? He said, take care of them, rule over them. When you rule over our subjects, do you kill your subjects and eat them? Then you would become a king with no one else around? So now you understand when God said that. We must do it. There is no need to question Him. He spoke very clearly, but who understand God except God?

So now you have to become God in order to understand God. I invite you to be God-like again, to be yourself, to be no one else. To meditate on God doesn’t mean you worship God, it means that you become God. You realize that you and God are one. I and my Father are one, didn’t Jesus say so? If He said He and His father are one, we and His father can also be one, because we are also children of God. And Jesus also said that what He does we can even do better.

Why worship God when we don’t know anything about God? Why use blind faith? We must first know what we are worshiping, just like we must know who the girl is we’re going to marry before we marry her. Nowadays, it’s customary that we don’t marry before we date. So why should we worship God with blind faith? We have the right to demand that God appears to us, and to make Himself known to us. We have the right to choose which God we would like to follow.

So now you see that it is very clear in the Bible that we should be vegans. For all health reasons, we should be vegans. For all scientific reasons, we should be vegans. For all economic reasons, we should be vegans. For all compassionate reasons, we should be vegans. As well, to save the world, we should be vegans.

It is stated in some research that if people in the West, in America, eat vegan only once a week, we would be able to save sixteen million starving people every year. So be a hero, be vegan. For all of these reasons, even if you don’t follow me, or don’t practice the same method, please be a vegan for your own sake, for the sake of the world.

Q: Is fish all right to eat for a vegetarian?

M: It’s all right if you want to eat fish. But if you want to be vegetarian, fish is not a vegetable.

Q & A after Lecture

Excerpt from master Ching Hai’s Lecture

Q: Why should I be vegan?

M: Eating meat is against the universal principle of not wanting to be killed. We ourselves don’t want to be killed. If we do that to others, then we are acting against ourselves, and that makes us suffer. Everything that you do against others makes you suffer. You cannot bite yourself and you shouldn’t stub yourself. In the same way you should not kill, because that is against the principle of life. It would make us suffer, so we don’t do it. It doesn’t mean we limit ourselves in any way. It means we expand our life to all kinds of life. Our life will not be limited within this body, but extended to the life of animals and all kinds of beings. That makes us grander, greater, happier and limitless. OK?

Q: Would You speak on vegan eating and how this can contribute to world peace?

M: Yes. You see, most of the wars that happen in this world are due to economic reasons. Let’s face it. The economic difficulties of a country become more urgent when there is hunger, lack of food, or a lack of equal distribution of food among different countries. If you took the time to read magazines and research the facts about the vegan diet, then you would know this very well. Raising cattle and animals for meat has caused our economy to go bankrupt in all aspects. It has created hunger throughout the world – at least in the third world countries.

It’s not I who is saying this, it is an American citizen who did this type of research and wrote a book about it. You can go to any bookshop and read about vegan research and food processing research. You can read, “Diet for a New America” by John Robbins. He is a very famous ice-cream millionaire. He gave it all up in order to be a vegan, and to write a vegan book against his family tradition and business. He lost a lot of money, prestige and business, but he did it for the sake of Truth. That book is very good. There are many other books and magazines which can give you a lot of information and facts about the vegan diet and how it can contribute to world peace.

You see, we bankrupted our food supply by feeding cattle. You know how much protein, medicine, water supply, human power, cars, trucks, road construction and how many hundreds of thousands of acres of land have been wasted before a cow is good enough for one meal.  All these things could be distributed equally to underdeveloped countries, then we could solve the hunger problem. So now, if a country is in need of food it probably invades the other country just to save its own people. In the long run, this has created a bad cause and retribution.

As you sow, so shall you reap. If we kill someone for food, we will be killed for food later, in some other form the next time, the next generation. It’s a pity. We are so intelligent, so civilized and yet most of us do not know the cause of why our neighboring countries are suffering. It is because of our palates, our tastes, and our stomachs.

In order to feed and nourish one body we kill so many beings, and starve so many fellow human beings. We aren’t even talking about the animals yet. Then this guilt, consciously or unconsciously, will weigh down upon our conscience. It makes us suffer from cancer, tuberculosis and other kinds of incurable diseases, including AIDS. Ask yourself, why does your country, America, suffer the most? It has the highest rate of cancer in the world, because the Americans eat a lot of beef. They eat more meat than any of the other countries. Ask yourself why the Chinese or communist countries don’t have that high rate of cancer? They don’t have as much meat. That is what the research says, not I. OK? Don’t blame me.

Q & A after Lecture

Excerpt from master Ching Hai’s lecture

Q: Eating animals is killing living beings, but isn’t eating vegetables a kind of killing too?

M: Eating plants is also killing living things and will create some karmic hindrance, but the effect is very minimal. If one practices the Quan Yin Method for two and a half hours every day, one can get rid of this karmic effect. As we have to eat in order to survive, we choose food which has the least consciousness and suffers the least. Plants consist of 90 % water, thus their level of consciousness is so low that it hardly feels any suffering. Furthermore, when we eat many vegetables we don’t cut their roots, but rather we help their asexual reproduction by cutting branches and leaves. The end result can actually be beneficial to the plant. Therefore, horticulturists say that pruning vegetation helps them grow large and beautiful.

This is even more evident with fruit. When fruit ripens, it will attract people to eat it by its fragrant smell, beautiful color and delicious taste. It is in this way that fruit trees can achieve their purpose of propagating their seed over a wide area. If we do not pick and eat them, the fruit will become overripe and will fall to the ground to rot. Its seed will be shaded from sunlight by the tree above them and will die. So, eating vegetables and fruit is a natural tendency, which brings to them no suffering at all.

Q: Human raises animals and poultry, such as pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks, etc. Why can’t we eat them?

M: So? Parents raise their children. Do parent have the right to eat their children? All living things have the right to live, and no one should deprive them from this. If we have a look at the laws in Hong Kong, even killing oneself is against the law. So, how much more unlawful would killing other living beings be?

Q: Animals are born for people to eat. If we don’t eat them, they will fill the world. Right?

M: This is an absurd idea. Before you kill an animal, do you ask it if it wants to be killed and eaten by you or not? All living beings desire to live and are afraid to die. We don’t want to be eaten by a tiger, so why should animals be eaten by humans? Human beings have only existed in the world for several tens of thousands of years, but before human kind appeared, many species of animals had already existed. Did they overcrowd the Earth? Living things maintain a natural ecological balance. When there is too little food and space is limited, this will cause a drastic reduction in population. This maintains the population at an appropriate level.

Real Doctrine and False Doctrine (part 5)

Lecture by Master Ching Hai
October 20, 1986 Taipei, Formosa
(Originally in Chinese)

Part 5- That is why the true, holy Buddhists would not do such things. Have you ever heard that the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng recited any mantra for saving ghosts or did the noisy, so-called morning and evening devotion service? He did nothing like that. He just simply turned to face the wall and meditated. Pai Chanf the great Zen Master was also the same. He never did any ‘funeral service’ by reciting all those noisy mantras and sutras, did He? No. I myself also have never heard that Buddha did morning and evening rehabilitation or any of other outward performances.

Even if Buddha did so, He Himself had the power to do these things to benefit others. Whereas you cannot, for you are not Buddha and have not yet reached the highest level as He did. So, what is the use for us to recite mantras or sutras? Actually it is not necessary for Buddha to ‘do’ these things because He could just sit in any corner and accomplished anything He liked without going to any special place to recite any mantra or sutra but just ‘using’ His all-pervading mind. All that was needed was His power, His manifestation to accomplish. Therefore it is said that Buddha had thousands of manifestations (Light bodies), never did He have to really move a finger at all!

To tell you the truth, Master “neither comes or goes,” but surely people have been seeing me coming to aid them when necessary. It is not me, this physical body, but my transcendental bodies that go down the mountain to help them. Right now I am lecturing here. This is a physical Master who lectures you, who will feel the pain if you beat her, but most of the other work is usually done by my manifestations (Light bodies).

After finding our Real Nature, we will begin to really help the world, without moving our hands, without any sense of being grand, being a savior of the race, etc. because there will be no one who would be saved by us, there will be no separation whatsoever between ‘I’ and sentient beings or any of such feeling. Without thinking any particular thing we will have everything be done naturally, spontaneously; hence the saying of Lao Tzu: Doing without doing.

As I have just said, enlightened Masters often became even more famous after they die than when they are alive. Why? Because the Maya king (illusion) would pervert the real Master’s doctrine to cause all things to become chaotic and topsy-turvy, so as to confuse the Truth-seekers. Using the past Master’s great name he would find a seat and a religion with all sorts of mixed superstitions to bind people. People will believe this to be the truth spoken by the prophets and will blindly follow it and be tied up in the wheel of life and death and become the Maya king’s subjects, without knowing anything about true liberation. Like this, they will have false belief, thinking that they have found a religion and their thirst for the Absolute will thus be quenched!

There are many people searching for the Truth without knowing where to find it and how to get it. They would be overjoyed at hearing others telling them that by worshipping the Buddha’s statue and praying to Buddha they will attain liberation and the Truth. They follow this idea and think there is no option but to rely on Buddha who is still so famous now even though He has been gone for more than two thousand years.

These people really love to prostrate themselves at the Buddha’s image, believing it to be the way to attain liberation. Little do they know this is only the tricks of the Maya king, who does not wish us to find our true Self, our inner Buddha which we all possess. He would lead us astray to worship outer images and do any kind of useless worshipping to busy ourselves; and even then he would make us believe that we are great and we have real faith and the wisdom of the way to liberation, that “I am so good, for I am performing worshipping service morning and evening, going to the church every Sunday or to the temple every day offering flowers, incense and fruit to Buddha or to Jesus or to the Father in Heaven, etc…” He fools us into feeling proud of all these stuffs without knowing these are only the bonds which bind us in the lower three Worlds, which keep us forever in the circle of life and death and far away from bliss and liberation.

In that way even the sincerest practitioners would only reach the so-called ‘Second World,’ with very few reaching the ‘Third World,’ not to mention the other higher worlds above. the Second World is still in the Maya king’s domain, and the third is still part of his throne. This illusory world, including our bodies and minds, are all made by the power of the three lower worlds. When we are above the Three Worlds, we do not need any of these instruments such as body, mind, thought, speech, eyes, etc. Here in this world we need so many devices and the more we have, the more complications there are. “No mind” is a better situation for us. But in this world we still need the mind and the body because  without them we cannot exist.

Therefore, if we want to help all beings and if we want to recite any secret mantra to rescue any ghost, we must first become a Buddha, a ‘supra-Master.’ To achieve this end is the ultimate aim of all real Truth-practitioners; and to reach this aim we must find our true Self, our greatest source of Power within, till we become a different class of being, that is, all powerful, all merciful and all pervading, like Buddha or Jesus Christ. Perhaps someone might tell you that some secret words or secret hand gestures (mudras) are powerful and useful, but they will not work when you yourselves use them. These are only things which have no real benefits.

Therefore, a real enlightened Master would never use these to teach a disciple; rather, he or she will show us how to look into our own powerhouse – our Real Nature. After that, anything we wish to do is up to us, because we will have the real Power of our own, the so-called Buddha Power or Master Power. With this inner Power we can accomplish anything, we can save anyone we like, we can appear anywhere with our Light bodies and help whoever in need, whether they know us or not. There is no need to work hard at morning and evening prayer services, no need to pray for hours on end or to do mudras and sacrifices, which are not of real and lasting value. They only serve to separate us from the Lord and make us even more busy and thus have no time for the unification practice to become one with the Lord of the universe. In a way they even do harm to us, as we waste precious time attending to the outer performances and lose some of the merit and virtues accumulated from our previous births, leaving ourselves nothing to take along into other higher worlds. Then we have no required blessings and merit to help us as the booster to soar into the higher domains, and then naturally we will be reborn to this earthly world again to be a human being or maybe a lower being such as animals, ghosts, etc. Is that not pitiful for us?