How is everyone? Still recognize me from last time? Is there anyone from last time? Please raise your hand. (Some of the audience rise their hands.) Oh! Fine! So, I don't have to start from scratch. No?! Is this still very early for you? (Audience: No!) No, ha? You don't work today? (Audience: No.) Oh, fine. And I have to work.
I had a lot of inspiration about what God is, and how to better our world, and how to better ourselves, and how to be in samadhi, etc,.. but I lost them all when I came to Colorado. I guess because Colorado people are very spiritual, and the environment here, it looks like Himalayas. So, I thought all of you are yogis, (laughter) yes. So, you don't need to prove that to me by any funny gestures, okay, or mudras or anything. (Master laughed.)
This is one of the places that I might consider to stay, and make myself at home. Consider only! Ha, Consider (Master and everyone laughed.), because I have many other people who consider that I should stay at their hometown. And I can never win because I am alone, and there are so many people.
But today maybe I would like to take some of your time to introduce you to our real hometown , or maybe invite you to have a look at it.
Many people believe that God creates only goodness. And then other people believe that God creates also evil, because they say everything comes from God. Ah, what do you agree? The first one or the second? (The first one) Ah? The first one. Right? Then where does evil come from? Ah? (Audience: Image.) Image? (Humans) Ah, humans. Oh, so you're very enlightened indeed. (Master laughs.)
You see this place which is called our world, it's not the original plan of the universe. And it has become this and that and others, with all kinds of suffering and all kinds of undesirable situations, because of the by-products of humans and other beings' inter-relationships. If evil has truly existed, then it couldn't have changed from one place after another, or from one country to the other, or from one period of time to the other.
As you see, in the old time, we did not have guns, and we did not have atom bombs and all kinds of these things which could destroy mankind in no time. So, actually the evils that exist in this world are not God-made. It was not already there. Therefore, it changes from time to time, and from different countries, yes.
Why were we talking about this? Because we must realize that if evil is man-made, then man can also stop it or avoid it, instead of blaming God all the time, or waiting in a corner of the church for God to descend and do something about it.
For example, between I and Mr. Smith, whoever that might be, we never met each other and nothing happened between us. And suddenly someday Mr. Smith came to see me, or I came to see him. Suppose we are both very ignorant and then, we both wanted to do something. We both wanted to arrive at a position which is very lucrative and profitable and famous and all that for ourselves. Then both of us are in competition about that object. And then if one of us wins, of course the other will feel very frustrated. And if he is a bad tempered man, he might try to revenge in some kind, or make trouble for me. And therefore, in this process we breed another kind of atmosphere between us and apart from us.
Originally both of us had no hatred and then, now we have hatred. And that hatred is the third energy which is born from both of our energies. So, you see, this is not necessary. It wasn't there in the first place. If we come to think about it like that, we couldn't blame God for anything that is unfortunate in this world. Most of the people think God has made everything including evil. I used to think that way. But I think, as I am getting older, and you know I have more sympathy for the Old Man. You get more understanding, you know, for old people as you grow older. (Master laughs.)
Yes, it's just like you and your wife or husband. Normally both of you have no children. But then, you got together, and then the third kind was born. Those are your children. And your children may be exactly like you in character, in intelligence and in ambition or virtues. But, they might not be. And they might cause you a lot of trouble and headaches. So, these are not your making, not entirely. Maybe some of it is your making. But, if you are very virtuous parents, and very exemplary, and your children are the opposite, then it is not your making.
Similarly, our world has become, sometimes, intolerable. It is our own making. So now, in order to improve this or repair the world, or the house, the big house that we live in, with so many rooms which are the nations, then we should know that evil is avoidable. Evil is avoided by doing good, by keeping the commandments, by loving thy neighbors. But because our mind is so used to an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, it is difficult to do what we think we ought to do, or to treat others in a very loving, kind way. Therefore, we need a stronger force to help us, to pull us out of our habitual thinking and actions.
That is why enlightenment is necessary. It is just like a woman who is already very beautiful, and if she dresses herself up, and wears a little bit more jewelry, and learns to walk in a graceful way, then her beauty is more enhanced.
Everything in this world is actually also good for us, even evil. Evil is our mistakes, fine. But, then we don't have to stay in the mistakes forever. At least the mistakes are a kind of shock. When we receive the effect of our mistakes, we will be shocked into realizing that this is not a proper thing to do. And they cause us misery and unhappiness, therefore, we turn around. And even all things in this world which are beautiful, enjoyable, are reminding us of our true happiness within, or in our true home.
Therefore, it's not a sin to enjoy the things that God created for us. But if we always feel very attached to these things, and God will remind us that this is not proper. And therefore, we will sometimes experience unhappiness, or misery from the things that we cherish most.
It is wrong to deny the world. But it is not right to sink deep into the world all the time. Because we miss the better half of life which is spirit, which is more enjoyable than anything in this world could afford. Everything in this world is just a reminder of the true happiness, the true glory and the true life that we should have, and that we should know, because we have forgotten.
Many people ask me about a kind of woman and man relationship and sexual pleasure and that. Whether it is sinful. I say: It is not. But you should know there are many more pleasures than that. And for example, sexual pleasure is only a copy of the true pleasure when you are in union with yourself, when both forces within you, the feminine and the masculine aspects within yourself are united. And the union between man and woman is just a duplicate of that one.
So, actually God sends us into this world not without any instruments to remind us of the Kingdom of God. It is just that we have forgotten that these are the reminders only, and we just love the copy and forget the original. And that's what makes our life miserable. And even then, we could not enjoy the copy completely.
Therefore, many of the man and woman relationships even, are rocky, and the sexual relationship between you is not that holy, not that mutually respecting. But it's a kind of sometimes abusing, and just a frustration release; a kind of instrument.
Therefore, if we truly want to enjoy this life even, we should enjoy the true life which is a hundred thousand times better than the life that we know on earth. And by knowing that life, we can also enjoy this life.
Just like one of our friends just expressed her opinion-that after initiation or enlightenment she enjoyed life also. She would feel whatever is there, in very intense awareness. And when you are happy, you are truly happy. And you have no reservations for your laughter. You are not constrained and not feeling ashamed for laughing very loud, very heartedly with your friends, or even alone. And when you feel sorrow, you truly can weep. You weep all of your emotions out, and then you get relief. Not that after enlightenment we become like wood or stone, and have no feelings whatsoever.
Some people keep asking me whether I fall in love sometimes. Are you interested, by the way? No, ha! If not, I don't talk about that. It is private. Are you interested? (Audience: Yes.) Okay, okay. I thought it was too personal. You come here to talk about Buddhahood and God and all that. And here I bring things which sound very mundane, yeah. Never mind.
You see, and I say yes, yeah, off and on, now and again. Or maybe I don't know if that is falling in love or not. Well, when I see a person probably I like him, and then after he is gone, good-bye. Is that in love or not? Steve, you have more experience. (Laughter.) Is that falling in love, Steve? (Yes.) Yes? Really! Okay! But not in Colorado though. I haven't... okay.
But before that, before enlightenment, I didn't know this kind of feeling. You understand? I never missed anyone. I didn't love anyone. I didn't care about anyone. I did not enjoy the friendship with the people. I was a very lonely child, very quiet. I did not feel lonely though. I was just a very alone person, until now, until I was forced into this job. (Laughter.) I was a very quiet person. I could not talk. I mean I didn't speak. I didn't make friends. I enjoyed myself. I felt I needed nothing. And you know what it's like in our society. You work and then one month a year, you have a vacation, right?! Even if you don't want to, you have to. It's the law.
So, when I was alone there, I wasn't married then. And then, this forced one-month vacation was the time I had trouble. I didn't know what to do, because I had no friends and there was no where I wished to go. But you had to go because if you didn't come back with a tan, people would not respect you that much. So, you come, you spend all your money and go to Costa Bravo or whatever. And laying there, bake yourself to death, spend all your time in the sun, and get burnt, get peeled, get scorched, and do whatever you can with the cream and all that to comfort yourself.
And then go home, to show people, Here I am . Yeah, from Costa Bravo, cost a bomb , cost a lot of money . [Laughter] Yes, so that was the kind of life that I had. Probably some of you experienced the same up to now.
And then, after I became, you know, the "Main Bro" in this 'office', I became more talkative. I changed, I became an entirely different person than if you knew me before. Might have been five, six, seven years ago, you wouldn't recognize me now.
When I was married, and my husband had a lot of friends from his medical doctors' circle. And they talked a lot to him about many things, yes. And also they talked on phone a lot. But I hardly could speak anything to him. And sometimes I stood around and felt very envious with these friends. I said, Jeez, if I could just talk half of the time like them, I would feel already very good. I felt a little bit inadequate because I couldn't speak. I mean, I am not a talkative person. I'm always quiet, do my job, and have feelings, but nothing more.
And even the love for my husband, I don't know it was a love or not. Well, I missed him when he was away. And I was happy when he was around. But that was it, that was just about it. It was not very kind of passionate thing that you read about in a novel romance or watch movies, things like that. I thought, oh, looks like I am not the person of this world, don't belong here. The Fabulous Network Leading To God
But after enlightenment, you feel that your feelings and your emotions and your affections, and your... everything are very sharp. You know, you realize more that you are truly living beings. Many people fear that maybe after enlightenment they would shave their head, and yeah, cast off their beautiful clothes, and go into the Himalayas, or find a cave in Colorado somewhere. But it is not true, it is not true. Maybe you do that in the beginning because you are too fanatic, too eager, too eager to know God, and forgetting all the while that He is always here.
Because you are God, you are the representatives of this God power, and we are all connected together in this marvelous network. And should we forget that, we will be very lonely. Deep in our heart we will never be satisfied. Doesn't matter how many friends we have, and how much money we earn, or how busy we are. Many of the moments of our lives will be in loneliness, dissatisfaction.
We just don't know what is it that is lacking in our lives. So we do feel something missing. That is because we have forgotten to tune in with this network which connects us as the whole, with the whole universe. And therefore, whatever we do, we do alone. We work alone and we feel great burden on our shoulders.
That's why Emerson says: A great burden falls from our shoulders when we let God run the universe. To let God run the universe doesn't mean we sit there and wait for bread to fall from the sky. It means that we work together with the whole universe. And whatever we do, it will be blessed, watched over, and helped by the whole power. Therefore, we will be the great beings.
And everything within us including so-called human emotions will be very alert. We feel for the first time in our lives that we are truly alive, that we truly enjoy everything that God gives us in this life. Not the denial of the world. Not truly. Not like that. I don't think an enlightened person is so negative in his attitude. Because I feel, and I see, and I know that my fellow initiates, people - you can call them disciple, that's your word, yeah - they are very alive, they are very alert, and they are happy. They know that life is alright.
Eh, not that all of them are. Very seldom that they want to run away from life. Maybe in the beginning because before I used to wear nun's clothes, and looked very serious. So people thought to be serious and become a monk is the end to all means of Buddhahood.
After I realized that, I changed because that was a wrong conception. It's okay I wear the clothes if I want to. But that is not the leading motive of enlightenment. That is not the condition for enlightenment.
Enlightened people are very happy. And they accept the situation whatever it is. And I have a very positive knowledge that if all people are enlightened, then we don't need to change the world at all. We don't need to make India become rich, we don't need to change communism into capitalism, because everyone will be contented under whichever circumstances they are in.
And we don't have to change anything. We don't need to even vote for a new president every four years. And Mr. Clinton can stay there forever, (laughter) whether he is good or not, because we are good. That is important. You see, one president however good can not do much. But the whole nation is strong when people in that nation are altogether, at oneness, because of the connecting network. And the whole world is altogether in unison because they're all connected with that network. And then, the president cannot help himself but to be good. He has to behave, right. I don't mean Mr. Clinton, please don't tell him. He might not give me visa next time. (Master and everyone laughed.)
So the problems in this world are not to be blamed on politicians, not to be blamed on the economic system of any country or any ism of any nation, but to be blamed on the ignorance of our self-nature. That we do not know how great we are, that we do not know that we are the contentment incarnate, that we do not know that we are love personified. Therefore, enlightenment is a cure for all illnesses, for all worldly problems, for all wars, and is once and for all finished! And as long as all of us are enlightened, the world will never come to an end.
Everybody predicts about the end of the world. I mean not everybody, everybody worries about it, just some people predict, and make many people worry. But even if the world comes to an end, the enlightened people will never feel bothered, because they know this world comes and then it will go one day. But the life eternal always goes on, and that nothing can affect it.
Life eternal is what we are. Wisdom is what we possess. Love is what our nature is. And that cannot be destroyed with any bomb at all. It cannot be limited by space and time.
Therefore, the masters initiate disciples without the limitation of the space and time. The master doesn't have to always be where the disciples are, but can help the disciples and bless them. And the disciples will grow into mastership, and also can do the same, yeah. So whatever I do you can do also. That was what Jesus said to us.
But can we do it? Can we do what Jesus did? No, not yet, because we did not learn what He learned. We have not tuned into the Kingdom of God. We have forgotten our Father who is perfect. Therefore we live in imperfection.
Now to correct this is very easy. Yes, if we want to go northward, then we have to face north, and continue, begin and continue to walk or to go northward. But if we want to go south, then, of course we have to turn back and face south and begin to go there. It's very simple.
Therefore, everyday we face the world. We walk toward the world, we think toward the world, we merge ourselves in the world. All our attention, energy, emotions, best talents face the world. We don't face God. Now, it's very simple. Turn around. I will show you how at the initiation and there you are. Very simple.
But you will ask me the question is that, If you face God, then you have to turn your back to the world? It is not so in the Kingdom of God. Because actually if there is no Kingdom of God then there is not this world. This world is only a copy of the real thing, of the real life. Therefore, you do not have to forsake the world in order to know the real. But you have to know that the world came from the real by realizing the real.
Just like you get to know a beautiful lady instead of chasing after her shadow. Then you have both. If you want the shadow that much, you can include, because the shadow comes from this beautiful lady. It's no good always clinging to the shadow and not knowing the real. But soon as we know the real, the shadow also belongs to us.
Since ancient times we have always heard many stories about how fantastic a master is. Just like Jesus, yeah, Jesus, He is great, fantastic. He can do many things, and we admire Him. But He should not be the only one in this position, because it is said in the Bible that Know you not that you are the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit dwells within you.
We house God. You understand that? We house the almighty within ourselves. And here we are having nothing of this almighty glory. It is because we face the other way. We face the shadow, we chase after the shadow, and try to correct the shadow to suit our taste-that the legs were too long, the head is too flat, or the ear is too pointed. It was because of the light which projected the real and made it become the shadow. And if we chase that all the time, and trying to make it different, of course we make trouble for ourselves. We exhaust all our energy and we achieve nothing. We might be able to adjust a little bit here, a little bit there, but this is only a shadow. Right? Tomorrow it will become ah, ear, the ear will be pointed again. Therefore in order to truly enjoy we have to correct the real... we have to know the real one and adjust accordingly.
If you know the beautiful girl, where she stands, then you can even make the shadow become more beautiful if you wish. See, you can make the light behind her go a little bit above or under, and then her shadow will become very much like the real person; or do some technique to adjust the shadow. But if we do not know the real and try to adjust the shadow from the shadow itself, then we always have problems. That is the problem with the world. That's why our world is always in trouble, because we try to correct the shadow and not the real object.
And so many heros have come and gone. So many great kings have reigned the world, but the world is still the way it is. If you have fixed some problems here, other problems will breed themselves elsewhere. If you have enough medical care for the people, now you have incurable diseases like AIDS for example, troublesome. And so we never come to an end without problems, if we always try to fix the world.
I have known one person, he is very much interested in our teaching and wants initiation and that. But he told me that he would like to stay in the world, to remain in the world as worldly people, in order to understand their problems and in order to help them. Many of the heros of our history have thought the same thing, and the world has not become a paradise. Even though we have a lot of better equipment, more civilized society, but then we have other more troublesome problems.
So you see, our brothers and sisters, what the conclusion should be. It's not that after enlightenment we forsake our political career. Or leave the President alone in white house and all the aids will go out, because they're all enlightened. But we stay there, and we do better job because we know how to adjust the shadow now. Or we don't bother at all to adjust the shadow anymore. Whatever the shadow may be, fine, because we know it's not important. We may feel amazed at the shadow, of its changing shape and size and color, of different time of the day. We might watch it with amazement, but we no longer chase after that, and we no longer put great importance upon this shadow.
That's why everyone should be enlightened. And the world will be at peace. No other thing needs to be done. I don't know if you agree, yes or no? (Applause.) I tell you from example, not sheer talk. See, for example. Now you look at me, I'm wearing beautiful clothes. Actually we designed ourselves, I designed myself and I have seamstresses who are monks and nuns, together yeah. I mean we are those who live together and do not have family ties and that. So we work everything together without wanting any wages or any position anyhow. So, now it's very inexpensive anyhow. But it looks beautiful, right?! So now I am happy because I am beautiful, fine.
But when I am alone and I have not to see you in such a great event and important greeting like this, then I just wear whatever it is, right - very old clothes but very comfortable and old shoes flat. And I don't even care to wash them very carefully because I would just pitch my tent next to the river and put my clothes in the bucket and some soap in it, river water and I use my feet to stamp on them and while I clean my teeth at the same time, yeah. I use my feet to just, you know, walking on the bucket, walking on the clothes after a while and then let it be in the sun for a while. And then after I clean my teeth or I bathe, and I swim, and then I just shake them loose, yeah and get the river water to clean them. Then I throw them on the rocks and after some time they are dry. And that's a life of beautiful enjoyment that I most cherish.
But nevertheless when I go out I stay in, sometimes, hotels, sometimes stay in a very beautiful mansion which some of the disciple lend us for few days, and I also enjoy that. You see, I also enjoy the freshly cut lawn and the beauty of the flowers that you plant around in your gardens and every so-called luxurious thing that you have. I enjoy. Yes.
Therefore enlightenment affords us the enjoyment, not the situation. So I enjoy in both cases. I do not deny luxury, and I do not cling to asceticism, because both have its beauty. Whatever it is there, you accept it and that is the simple life. Some people ask me, Simple life means going to the forests and living in caves and eating weeds, and all that? I say no no no. Simple life means you stay where you are enjoy whatever you have. If you are rich, you enjoy your rich life and share whatever leftover, too much, with other people. If you are poor, enjoy your simple life and be happy that you don't have to worry about thieves. [Laughter] And that is simple living. You see, simple living, yeah - stay where you are, enjoy what you have, that is in my thinking a simple living. Do you think that's alright? (Applause.)
Because if we try to change our life it makes us not simple. Right? You are so used to with clean bath rooms and all that. And now you have to punish yourself and adjust yourself to kind of outside open toilet and it freezes in the winter and maybe you are not used to with the cold. You'd get cold and you'd get sick. And then is that simple? No, then you have to be administered to in a hospital and get all the needles in your tongue, in your knees and wherever necessary. (Master laughs.) And that looks very complicated indeed. At least from the outside. Therefore simple living means you are comfortable where you are.
But of course there are somethings we adjust to life. For example if we meditate a lot, then we cannot afford to eat meat too much because that excites our energy, stimulates the passion, and we would like to sit still in order to know our own treasure and wisdom. Therefore if we do not follow a simple diet then it will have some side-effects. Therefore, some people meditate at random and do not adhere to the vegetarian diet they come into a kind of disturbance, you see? Many people have mental derangements. It is because of violating the law of nature. The law of nature teaches us to be vegetarian.
You know all of this. And I think in the sample booklet that you were given it has already been proven scientifically that we humans are vegetarian species. Because our teeth and our intestines... is that right? yeah? okay - are made for vegetarian beings, yes. And the meat-eaters beings are different in the body construction and the inner organs and the digestive system are all different. Anyhow I'll be long about enlightenment and short about diet, okay? Because in case you are allergic to vegetarian diet I won't mention anymore.
But be enlightened anyhow, by all means and by whatever you can afford
in your environment and in your mental state of preparation. There are
many ways to enlightenment. But there is best way, quickest way, or longest
way, yeah, safer way or a little bit risky way. Just like you climb the
mountain there are many roads, but some roads are even and some roads are
more rocky and some roads are dangerous.
So I have found that the Quan Yin Method, the method of observing the inner Word, the inner sound and the inner heavenly light is the best, and is the ultimate because ultimately we have to arrive to the light of God and to the Word of God in order to get the wisdom. All other roads are leading you to that state - that you could hear the sound of God and could see the light.
Or other methods are having this same goal, but we are right here, - the teaching directly and you immediately experience the enlightenment taste, you see immediately. So you get this light and sound right away at the time of initiation. Whereby other methods, you have to take a long time or many years or many ascetic kinds of sacrifice in order to arrive there.
Therefore, actually this is not a method. It's just a fruit and the meal is already prepared for you hungry guests. The others, maybe they are not hungry so they try to mess around with their food or cook all the time and not eat it. Many of our people who stay permanently in many of our centers around the world, their life is very simple, but they are very happy. Our life is so simple that when compared to the most simple life styles in other countries, theirs seems pale!
The other day we were speaking with some of the people who work with the
government in Au Lac. They are not the governmental officials, they are
just working in a businesswise and so we had a chance to talk about this.
And then, I said, Actually the Au Lac people in Au Lac if they were enlightened
they wouldn't feel so troubled about communism even.
I say because, actually I am a true communist. Because whatever I earn I share it all with people. Communist means you have everything not for yourself, but for the community, you see. You live in a community. Therefore, actually I don't talk communism, but the communists should give me the best medal for it, yeah, because I live what they preach. (Laughter.)
I live in tent. I live simple life. I don't earn money for myself. All the money runs around the world for the sake of my disciples, for the enlightenment of others, and for the poor and needy. And even my clothes I design for myself so it's cheaper. [Applause.]
Therefore, it's not what we should have in life but to what degree we are contented with life. To tell you honestly I have no better life than any of the people who live in the communist system. For example, from thirty-six or forty hours up till now I have only had one meal and that wasn't much. There was only maybe half a bowl or one bowl of rice, just a few tofu and a few vegetables. That's all there was. And I am working so, very... you can not say it's not hard. It's hard work because we run from one place after another and we are always packing and unpacking and talking to hundreds of, thousands of people all the time. I seldom rest with my voice, very seldom.
I'll tell you my schedule. For example yesterday, the night before, I was in Seattle, yeah, talking to thousands and after that talking to the disciples and non-disciples, etc. And then, I did not go to bed until about five o'clock in the morning. And before that, I meditated for a while and then slept a little bit. And got up again at nine or something, got ready to go for the airplane.
And then, at the airport I had to speak to hundreds of people and make them happy, right. And then, went to the air... (Laughter.) What, you're laughing at? It's not true? It's true, yes. Because, if not, then they are not happy. And then, in the airplane, I have to talk again to the neighbors because they will ask me where I come from and what I do and all that. Fine, I enjoy also. And then I had a little rest, maybe ten minutes.
And then, again, came down to the airport. And hundreds of people were already there awaiting for me to talk again. Okay, I talked, until nine or something, huh? And then we went home. And then I had a little rest. And then came the telephone, and I talked again for about one or two hours, one hour at least. And then came out, and then all my disciples, their immediate friends, the Americans, they wanted to be exclusively treated. So only Americans were around, and I talked only in American language. Ah, that was about, yeah, just for a while, yeah?
And then, I came and took that meal that I told you. Yes, and that was it. Up till... I had nothing from that meal until now. And before that I didn't have meal. Before that meal I nibbled two mouthfuls of bread and two mouthfuls of milk. That was before I left Seattle. And I came to last night and had that meal. The only meal up till now. So, therefore, I had in forty hours or fifty hours, actually only one meal. Nothing more.
And if the communists are proud of their teaching, they should be more
proud of the action, and they should give me a best medal. (Laughter &
applause.) Actually I am too proud of myself. It's my ego at work, you
see. (Master laughs.) Don't worry, I'll put it aside later. (Laughter.)
So, the problem is not to change anything of this world but to change ourselves you see. I would have complained before. Without enlightenment I would have complained. I would have loved to have my beautiful house, my lovely husband and my, whatever is mine. You understand? And I can't just sacrifice like that. But by the way doing this, I do not even feel sacrifice. You understand what I mean? Just very natural, very happy to do it.
Of course I am tired and I complain sometimes. Because of some of the unnecessary tiresome questions or demands from people and disciples. And sometimes it agonizes you. You understand what I mean? Having to accompany kindergarten children while you are teaching in college, yes. It is very difficult also, but I get through, I get through. That's a reasonable complaint, no? Is it not? (Laughter & applause.)
Thus, if the people in any poor country or in whatever situation if they
get enlightenment, they would not feel suffering. Some of our disciples
are relieved from even the most dangerous sicknesses after initiation or
after they practice for a while. Yes, it depends on also their sincerity
and karma. And some of them have to undergo sometimes this retribution,
but they go with smiles on their faces.
Yesterday while I was in Seattle, even one of the women told me she had to undergo operation, but then she had prepared herself already to go to play in heaven while the body was undergoing operation. She told me: Ah, fine. I know already. I will go and let the doctor inject me and then meanwhile I will go to Buddha's land and have a look around. (Laughter.) Yes, that's what she did. And she had no fear of whatsoever.
Yeah, yesterday some of you had heard it. Any of you from Seattle yesterday? Yes, you heard this, yeah. That was an Au Lac lady.
She is about my age, maybe younger. But don't make me feel very old. (Master laughs.) Yes, that's what they do.
And sometimes some of our fellow practitioners, their lives are not rich like you perhaps in Formosa. They drive taxi. Okay, they are taxi driver but while driving the taxi they can see Buddha's land or heaven, Kingdom of God at the same time.
Therefore their lives pass very quickly. And whatever they do, they do it in joy. They enjoy the real life and the shadow of the real life, because both will blend together-there is no separation, no rejection of any kind.
When I was in Indonesia or some other country, some people said, Oh, you
look beautiful. Would you consider to re-marry? Yeah. What do you think?
Do I have time for that? (Master and everyone laugh.) Yes, but I said to
him, Why do you ask this question? He said, because he thinks that enlightened
people would not care so much about these things and no love and very dry
and all that. I said, No, if you consider you should propose first. Yeah,
you propose and I will put you on the marry list. (Laughter.)
But then, that's the last I heard of him. (Laughter & applause.) Probably after a close examination of my face and figure and whatever, and my life style and he thought he had better not take adventure. (Master and everyone laugh.) So, my disciples everywhere are enough to scare the biggest hero on earth. (Master laughs.) They would run away you know.
When you are at home, and you have only one husband and wife and if the third person comes, you already feel very scared, right, very frightened that your love would be shared. How much more if they see my disciples! They hang around twenty four hours, they eat everything with me, and they interfere with all kinds of privacy, except when I am in the bathroom. (Laughter.) My door is never be able to lock. Always coming up and down and my room is just like a restaurant. So whoever dare to be my husband should prepare for war. (Master and everyone laugh.)
So, that's the life it is. You see whether you have or you don't have it's
fine. It's very fine with you because you are contented within yourself.
You do not reject life. But you do not sink into life deeply so that you
know nothing else except the material existence of life. And that's the
beauty of enlightenment. (Applause.)
Alright, I am ready for your questions, because there will be more talk
by the way. You can ask anything, yeah. And I am free to answer or not,
so don't worry.
It is a very good atmosphere today, huh! Right? Yes, for the first time and then you can laugh so much. I think we don't charge the lecture with money but we charge the laughter because this is very rare. (Laughter.)
You see, homosexuality is just a misconception about their awareness. They misunderstand their body's function. And when they become enlightened, this will be less and less, because they will identify themselves less with the body, but more with the spirit. Therefore there's nothing wrong with that.
Yeah, when the children are very young, they play with plastic models and
they cling to their teddy bears, but when they grow up, they will leave
them. So do not worry about your misidentification with your body or with
your birth appearance. It's alright, just get enlightenment, and everything
will fix itself in due course. Q: Master, I often see that in meditation it is my mind watching my mind,
I lose faith that I can't go beyond this technique. Any advice? Thank you!
M: Oh, of course, it's not the very suitable technique for you perhaps. Because
if we use the mind to watch the mind, we are still inside the mind and
inside the creation's destroying and nourishing process. We should go beyond
the mind. Therefore in our meditation, we don't use the mind at all. Yeah,
and that is the most advanced technique. So, maybe try ours, Okay?! Um.
Q: What happened to your husband?
M: Oh, thanks for your concern. We've lost contact for, I think, several years
now. Well he waited for me six years, alright? And then, he remarried after
six years. And during the time we wrote off and on, half a year a letter,
or one year a letter. And after six years, he got married again, with a
vegetarian doctor wife. And then he got a son and he reported that to me.
That was the last I heard of him. If you are interested to know, maybe
I'll go into the second level and have a look at his future. (Master and
everyone laugh.) Q: Master, how important is it to see the light eighteen inches in front of
me. I only see it close to my forehead. Thank you.
M: It's fine, It's a good beginning. Don't worry. It will grow further.
You see. If they have things to do, they would do them whole-heartedly. If they have nothing to do, they just do what they want to do. Yeah, that's it. And if He loved the wall so much, why not? (Laughter & applause.)
You see actually, of course I make a joke about it. But you see, to elaborate it further, you should understand that an enlightened person is very contented within him or herself, and does not desire to do anything when it's not necessary.
For example, if I don't come to you or if I don't lecture or if nobody requires me to come out to see them or talk to them, I am always in my room. Yeah. Of course sometimes I like to take a walk in the garden or in the forest whenever it's there. If not, I stay in my room. I do nothing, I am just happy. Yeah, I may read books, or not read books. I might meditate, or not meditate. I may sleep, or I may feel awake. I may eat something or not eat something. I'm fine within the walls. You see!
That's the problem with the prisoners. Because they are not enlightened, therefore they feel walls separate them. If they were enlightened they would sit pretty well in there and they'd never probably want to leave prison at all. Yes, it is because we are very contented within ourselves. You see.
That's why the patriarch, He sat there and felt good. At that time, probably
there was no lecture hall for Him, and not many people understood Him.
So, He just sat there and enjoyed Himself. He could have done other things,
but it wasn't necessary at that time.
There was a story about a Zen master and his disciple. I am afraid to lose your time. Is it okay to tell? (Audience: Yes.) Okay. One Zen disciple, yeah, very enlightened perhaps, came to see his master after some time, and then his master asked him, Ah, well, well, what did you do all these months? Yeah, you had a summer vacation, now what did you do? He said, Oh, in my backyard, there is a big piece of land. I cultivated it and planted some vegetables, and they tasted so good, they looked good. Yeah, and I feel very good about it. So, the master praised him and said, Oh, well, well, you did not waste your time, huh! You know how to use your time, it's very good, yes.
And so the disciple asked the master: Then what did you do during this time that I was not here? What did you do? And the master said, Oh, in the daytime I ate and read books, in the nighttime I slept, hm. So, the disciple also nodded his head and said, Oh, well, well, master, you also know how to use your time, you didn't waste your time, you are very useful!
You understand? Yes, it's very comfortable, huh! It takes an enlightened mind to understand an enlightened mind. So, that's what it is, with the enlightened people. If they have work to do, they do it. If they don't they don't miss anything.
So, whenever we are on tour, we are sometimes in a kind of very famous
place. You know? Like when we were in Mexico, we were next to the pyramid,
yeah and of course people would like to go there. It was about one hour
from our place actually, and my room was in the middle of the city, with
all the noises and all the narrowness, everything. But still I didn't long
to go to the pyramid. So, we never did go.
Even though I stayed there six days, and lectured only one day. But I saw
people every day of course. But I had no longing to go to see pyramid,
or anything else. I stayed always every day, every minute of the day in
my room.
And so, I told you again and again, enlightenment is the only way for the cure of everything in this world. Otherwise, if anyone else, you put them in the room like that, yeah, and don't let them go to see pyramid, something, they will be unhappy. But we are not. I and my disciples, the immediate crew, you know, nobody wanted to go to the pyramid. I asked them, If you want to go, you are free to go. Don't have to wait for me or ask my permission. But nobody wanted to go. They are just happy to serve.
They sleep when they have time. And when they wake up, they go and prepare
for the lecture-equipment and all that. No one longs to go sightseeing,
nothing. It's because we are very contented within ourselves.
Therefore, the first patriarch, Bodhi Dharma, the Budhist who came to China and faced the wall nine years, it was the same situation, um.
For example, when you were born, you had no ego. But when you grow up and then you know yourself to be beautiful or handsome, yes, then, the ego begins to grow yeah. And everybody praises you. Wa! you're beautiful! And then, You have a Ph.D.! You grow more in pride, and that is the ego, yeah.
But, don't worry about it. It's just a good accessory sometimes. And you can throw it away anytime you don't need. But, you have to have enlightenment first in order to know when to wear it, and when to put it down. Okay?
Energy is many kinds, negative and positive. When we are enlightened, we balance both and make use of them for the purposes in life and in the right time, the right situation.
I told you already. If we are enlightened, the world will be at peace.
No need to change anything. Of course, that is peaceful energy that we
radiate after enlightenment. Q: How to affect our beloved, such as husband or wife, to be a more moral
person. Is there a special method to help them?
M: Yes, enlightenment. Enlightenment helps you to be sharper in all feelings,
yeah. And you'll be a better wife, be better husband even. Many of our
initiates claim that their married life became much better after both of
them practiced God's presence, yeah, the light and sound. Before that they
just had a kind of very lukewarm relationship, or cold to ice cube. And
after enlightenment they know how to care for each other and then feel
more toward each other, um. Q: Dear Master, I had a lot of nightmares in childhood. Now the nightmares
are gone, but, I still dream frequently every night. Please tell me are
these dreams involved with my karma?
M: Maybe you had a very rough life before, um. You lived in truly nightmarish
life . Therefore, the influence still lingers up till now. Well I sounds
like advertising manager, but enlightenment is also for everything. If
you want to live a fearless life, and dreamless life, then, of course enlightenment
is the answer. Q: Master, were Hermes, Zoroaster, the Essences, the Gnostics masters? And
who were the first masters? And who is the great white brotherhood?
M: All masters, all true masters are one. They come from one source. And the
highest master is the supreme master, the almighty which is in all of you.
When we first came here we were masters before. And we came here, we blessed
the world. And, we forgot all about our power and our glory. And our energies
were also exhausted, because we paid attention to outer phenomenas. So,
all the masters who came here are the ones who are awakened in this awareness
and know their true glory, and they can travel the road home frequently.
And they can lead us back home. So, no need to discriminate between any
master. All the religions are founded after the master has gone. Therefore
we have Christian after Christ, Buddhist after Buddha, etc., okay?! Q: Enlightenment always seems so lofty. In what ways will I be different after
enlightenment ? How will I know? Is it in black and white?
M: Oh, you'll know it, you'll know it definitely. You'll know it, just like
you walk inside the door and when you walk outside the door. It's very
definite and very beneficial to your daily life. You will know it, very
definitely. Just like an educated person and an uneducated person, there
is a great difference. Q: Is it true that to become fully realized one must practice the highest
yoga-tantra and the secret mantra? And if Buddha performed these before
full realization?
M: I didn't see anything like that in the scriptures. I only saw that He sat
under the Bodhi tree for forty days or more. And He saw the stars at the
time of realization. So, if you want to have this same realization as Buddha,
you can have it, right now, um.
And about tantra and tantrum, I do not know. I did not see anything in
the Buddhist scripture referring to the Buddha's practice before He was
enlightened. I only know that He saw the stars and He saw the light. So,
if you want that kind, we have it. Okay?! Q: There is a vow to refrain from intoxicants. What about chemicals on fruits
and vegetables?
M: Oh, my God! You are fanatic. Wash them with the salty water, yeah, and
eat them. Otherwise, you die, hmm? (Laughter & applause.) Q: Since I started the vegetarian diet, my son who's seven years old asks,
Is it another no-meat day? I realize my son was born with the great nature
of not eating meat. But due to my ill-concept I started his meat eating
habit. How can I restore his greatness and reduce my guilt?
M: Um, then take time. You have taken much time and efforts to force your
son into meat, and now you have to take the same amount of effort and time
to reverse.
As you have asked, so therefore, these people are not to be blamed also, in a sense. But, ourselves are to be blamed. If each one of us leads a life of virtues, keeps the commandments, and refrain from killing of any kind - including the indirect killing, so keeping the vegetarian diet - and the world would never have bred these kinds of dictators in the first place.
These are there to remind us of the virtuous way, and if we are not awakened yet, then these things will continue to remind us until the whole mankind is awakened.
Whatever comes naturally, just let it be. If you cannot control it or you cannot control it completely, just try not to bear hatred in it. Just express what you feel, express it in as best manner as you can okay?! Because sometimes anger, when swallowed too much of the time will breed disease within the body.
So the best is that, first we have the virtues of God, and then other passions
like anger, greed, attachment, will subside by and by. Q: You say only human beings can become a Buddha. I want to know if when a
disciple passes away and he is on the 4th level, does he need to come back
to this world to be a human being and after that to study until he becomes
a Buddha?
M: Oh, no, he doesn't have to. He studies from there. The Master will continue
to teach the disciple and never leave the disciple until the disciple completely
realize himself, hm! (Applause.) Q: You said You denounce immorality. What is meant by sexual misconduct? Is
that wrong?
M: I do not denounce anything. I just propagate correct way of life. And you
are free to follow it, okay?! I do not denounce anything. If you feel that
is a denouncement, it's not true. Just that you go into the wrong direction.
Now you should go back to the right one, if you want to arrive at your
destination which is the Kingdom of God.
Too much sexual abuse and indulgence tires your body, exhausts your mental
power which should be conserved for the greatest enlightenment, and to
help yourself and to help mankind. It's more noble that way. That's all,
yeah.
Sexual misconduct means you have too many girl friends, too many boy friends,
too many husbands and wives. It exhausts your storehouse of energy, okay?!
Q: How do You suggest that a person go about attaining enlightenment when
that person lives in extreme and almost constant pain.
M: There are many drugs that help you with pain these days. You do not have
to endure that. Medicine, you can take in order to prevent the pain. And
then when you are calm and peaceful, then you can meditate. Q: Please let us know if God, the comforter that God sent, the spirit of truth,
is only one comforter or a few comforters? If there are a few, please let
us know how many?
M: You want to shop, uh, shopping for enlightenment! (Laughter.) One is enough
for you, right now, okay?! (Applause.) Because even if there are a few,
who knows if they will come to you and when, and whether you are still
alive when the other comforters come, understand? Okay? Q: Oh, Master, I have a hard time meditating because my head hurts when I
start to meditate. Please tell me how to stop the headaches?
M: Maybe you try too much. You should not have any effort, yeah. But I don't
know what kind of method you study, so it's difficult to tell you. But
whatever you do, relax, yeah. Just do it just like you are mowing a lawn
or eating the breakfast. No need to put strain on your brain for concentration.
In our method we do it without effort. We just sit there and the light
comes. Therefore, it is better. Q: What does it mean when some people are absent-minded when someone talks
to them, and they just don't react, or they instantly forget what you've
just said. Is it because they're too mental or they use their mind too
much?
M: How do I know? You ask them?! Q: Dear Master, when You die where does your soul go and what happens to your
energy and karma?
M: Me or anyone? ( Q: It says when You die.) I'll tell you after I die, okay?! (Laughter &
applause.) It's too early. I mean I am still very young.
But the meat you can avoid it, yeah, except when you don't know it and
you eat it by mistake, then that's fine. But you have to meditate more
on that day to clean that, because that is a very heavy karma. That's what
makes people ill, what makes our body suffer, and what makes us go to hell
afterward to repay for the suffering of other beings. (Applause.) Q: Dear Master, I sincerely thank You for the lecture today. I wish that You
take care of Your health, so that You can continue to give lectures for
the rest of the world, and save people who have the sincerity to find the
way back to God's home. Thank You again. Please take care of Yourself.
M: Thank you, thank you. God takes care of me. You take care of me. Because
you have love for me, you have good thoughts for me, you have loving wishes
for me, therefore you take care of me.
I can't take care of myself. I just flow with the water. Wherever there
is demand, I just have to fulfill it. I have no time or actually no very
fixed schedule to say that I can take care of myself. Never mind, I am
okay. I work hard and I am alright. Q: This question is about discipline. I find that I am very devoted to trying
new techniques for a period of time. When I do not see results or when
I get too busy or too tired, I just give up, I don't stay with the discipline.
How can I push through my weakness and continue with daily routine and
mastery?
M: Ah, of course if you have a method and it doesn't work very well, and also
maybe you do not follow the practice regularly and diligently and sincerely,
then, you lose your faith, yeah. So, try to do what is instructed, and
then your faith will grow more with the results. Of course if you don't
have results, you don't have faith, and the less faith you have, the less
results. So, you'll be in the circle.
Okay. That's it? I am relieved? Ah, fine. Thank you for your attention. (Applause.)