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Excerpted from the Supreme Master Ching Hai News No. 135

On Thin Ice Master's Unfathomable Skills Lessons from Some Ginseng

By a resident disciple from Hsihu, Formosa

When working by Master's side in the early years, we often observed Her taking on heavy workloads and working under great pressure. To keep pace with Her, we disciples had to stay focused in our work at all times. Even so, we could only work in shifts to cope with Master's enormous workload.

When by Master's side, I was both focused and quiet because this is the way She Herself works. Her vibrations create a relaxed, tranquil, and peaceful ambience, and naturally help one to concentrate on the wisdom eye. We were thus able to think incisively and act swiftly when working with Her. But when we were away from Master, this ability slowly faded away, and we returned to our old, lazy, unfocused selves. From these experiences, I now understand the goal that I should always strive for.

On the spiritual path, we reap what we sow. The word "luck" is not in our vocabulary. One day, Master taught me how important it is to be persistent and serious in our spiritual practice and not to rely on luck. On that day, She summoned me to Her cabin. She was having a meal, and invited me to share it with Her. As we ate and chatted, our conversation touched on a brother initiate who once told us that he had truly gotten rid of his jealousy, together with bitterness, anger and all the other negative emotions that came with it. I thought to myself how wonderful it was, and was very admiring of him! I myself had always been a jealous type since I was little, and wanted to become free of this trait, but repeatedly failed in my efforts. While admiring this brother for being able to break free from this bondage, I also felt sad for myself.

But Master did not agree with me. I was surprised and perplexed. Then Master said, "Having only knocked down one enemy, he stands up and cheers, and just at the next minute, he gets shot by another bullet." What Master meant was that he was being too complacent and thus would lose his vigilance. As a result, he would soon develop another undesirable quality without being aware of it. I was stunned for a while, but then immediately realized that even if I struggled hard to surpass myself, I needed to practice constant vigilance, as if treading on thin ice. I could not be complacent or relax my alertness.

This analogy cited by Master made me realize that pursuing spiritual practice in this world is similar to battling on the front lines of a war. Whether or not we can protect our inner spirit and diligently improve our character depends on how truthfully we make demands on ourselves. In those days, my biggest misconception was thinking that maintaining vigilance meant staying tense physically and mentally. Of course, I got very tired from being so tense, so I wondered when I could relax my vigilance a bit. I asked Master, "Then when does the battle end?" She nodded and answered, "It will! It will! It will end when we die."

Master's reply reminded me of how demanding She was on Herself. One day Master met with a crowd of disciples and later that night asked me, "I answered such and such person today in this way. Was I being too harsh on him?" I was puzzled, thinking, "Everything Master does is perfect. Why is She asking for my opinion?" One of the reasons that Master is so perfect is that She is harsh on Herself and always practices introspection. She often reminds us to think three times before we act, and hold our tongue seven times before we speak. Not only do we have to think and plan well prior to our actions, but also examine ourselves afterwards. Master truly does what She says. Just these few words from Master had a great impact on me, and even today, I still benefit from them.

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I once heard from Master's attendants that She reads documents very quickly, and thought that this was incredible! Later, I had a chance to witness it myself. One day, I delivered a rather long report to Master and walked back to my office nearby. As soon as I stepped into the office, I was told that Master had already gone through it and given Her instructions, so I should go to pick it up. Master not only reads quickly and thoroughly, but also remembers every word She has read. After a long time, when Master talked about the details in that report, She could still recall them accurately, as if She had it right in front of Her!

On other occasions, when I spoke to Master on the phone, She already knew what was on my mind before I had a chance to tell Her my thoughts. Once, for example, She asked me to dictate something and I wrote an incorrect word. I was surprised that Master knew my mistake even at the other end of the phone, and immediately told me the correct word, as if She had been standing next to me watching me write!

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By a resident disciple from Hsihu, Formosa

In 1992, Master visited the Philippines to meet with then-President Corazon Aquino about the future of the Aulacese refugees in that country. Coincidentally, former First Lady Imelda Marcos happened to be giving a speech at the hotel where Master was staying. Master invited her to Her room, personally put a clean cover on the sofa for Mrs. Marcos to sit on, and thanked her for her kind treatment of the refugees.

At that time, because of Master's excessive workload in helping the refugees, She was physically exhausted. Being Her attendant, I had brought along only one piece of superior white ginseng, and thought that a drink containing a few slices of ginseng in boiling water could help revitalize Master. But when I saw that Mrs. Marcos had almost lost her voice and looked fatigued after her speech, I thought she also needed some ginseng tea. On second thought, however, I dropped the idea, thinking, "No! Master has to take care of innumerable sentient beings, and work intensely every day almost without rest. She needs that ginseng more."

Just as I was thinking this, Master suddenly told me to take out the ginseng, specifically, our most precious white ginseng. I was shocked and quickly fetched the ginseng. When Master gave the ginseng to Mrs. Marcos, She explained in detail about how good that particular ginseng was and how to take it. Mrs. Marcos smiled heartily and innocently, and all her weariness seemed to vanish. This incident showed that the power of Master's love is truly incredible, and can revive a person immediately.

After Mrs. Marcos left, Master told me with a smile that She had picked up the idea from me and thought it was a good one. It proved that Master can naturally receive any idea that emerges in our minds. Master's indiscernible power and spiritual level are beyond human imagination!

This event provided a very effective lesson for me in my spiritual cultivation. Each time I think that Master can perceive my impure thoughts, I find myself in a cold sweat. In the years since, in order to enhance my spiritual practice and purify myself, I have tried to keep my thoughts constantly pure and in check.