Selected Questions & Answers

E V O L U T I O N

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Brisbane, Australia March 22, 1993 (Originally in English)

Q: Dear Master, one question that has worried me for a long time is about evolution. With my limited knowledge about evolution, I don't know how to answer the students I have been teaching for many years. My question is whether life on Earth has taken many forms and has evolved from our common ancestors, or did God create all at the same time?

 I am very confused between religious and scientific knowledge. If I stand on religious belief, I say that God created everything. Then we go home and sleep; no further questions. But if I explain it scientifically, I say we all share a common ancestor, branching, like Charles Darwin proposed. So, with my limited knowledge, I can't answer. I have said to my students that I have to wait for my great Master with the knowledge of Heaven. Maybe then I can explain it to you later.

M: You see, religion and science don't conflict. They just use different terminology. And sometimes science doesn't point out, or they have not found out the underlying principles of all things. For example, science would say the same elements exist in you and me and are present in all things -- in plants and wood and all that. The religion, for example Christianity, would say that all are created from one substance, from God. And Buddhism would say all beings have the Buddha Nature. And Taoism would say we are all one. But this is the same as science saying that the elements in me and you are present in the plants and trees and woods and all that.

 But then what makes our elements move, talk and think? The elements don't make the plants and trees talk. And if we have the same elements in all things, then, of course, we need the same force for this movement. Is that right? Yes! Therefore, actually we're all created from God. You can call it God or the cosmic energy, it's all right. In the beginning there was only the cosmic energy. Don't call it God or Buddha Nature; it confuses too many people. We will talk in scientific terms. Cosmic energy just rested dormant with all the seeds of wisdom, and all the seeds of matter capable of expanding and growing. But when the cosmic energy stirred somewhat within itself, then all the seeds sprouted forth accordingly and became all that exists today. So, we can call that God, or we can call that Buddha Nature.

 If we do not know the source of our being, then we do not live according to the cosmic law, and that makes trouble for us. Therefore, we have to meditate now and ponder, trying to find the source of all this intelligence. And when we return to it, or at least we tune in with it, our life is in more harmony with the cosmic whole, and therefore, we are happy! We have no obstructions. We don't drive all over the place, but drive in the proper lane, at the proper speed. This doesn't conflict with science at all. But maybe science doesn't point out the force that moves all things.

 Science just talks about matter, the elements present in you and in me and in all things. In that, they have discovered a great deal already. But how can they use the scientific method to discover the things that are without substance? That is our cosmic force that moves everything, and we so-called souls are part of it; part of this cosmic force.

 The things that come into being differ according to how far they were from the central force of this cosmic whirlpool at that time of the great stirring movement. Therefore, we differ in shape, size, energy, wisdom, and the ability to move and to think. [Applause] Therefore, all things will come back to that central force, and then they evolve. If they want to come closer, they must be wiser, because at the center is wisdom. Therefore, they evolve. That is the reason for evolution, you see. They have to evolve, becoming wiser, greater, wiser, greater, wiser, greater, and then they can get closer to the center, because the center has a great magnetic force, to suck all things back in and then later push them out again, evolving all the time.

 But, sometimes this cosmic power will also rest, and all things will stop. And then, when it wakes up again, all things start to work. That takes place over many eons. It's a little difficult for me to explain these things, but just try to understand what I say.

Q: If God created the universe and Earth, was the universe created before or at the same time as the Earth?

M: In the universe, there are many earths. We are not the only one. You can take time to visit! Therefore, we see many UFOs and things like that. These are definite things. There are many earths that look like ours, with people and life. Some have been glimpsed by scientists, but they have not disclosed it, because they lack enough evidence, the planets are too far away, and they are not sure what is what. Some of these planets are more like Earth; they have people like us, with a lot of farming and all that. Other planets are not like Earth. These are more spiritual planets, where there are people, but they are angel-like and invisible to our naked eyes, to the eyes of the scientists, and to the eyes of all the telescopes. Therefore, we have to visit them in our spiritual body and use our spiritual eyes to contact or to see them. This, the scientists cannot do. So, for example, yesterday and the day before, many people said they saw beautiful places and castles and people, but not on Earth. We can travel in a flash to any planet, if we train enough. But that's not our true aim anyhow. Come what may; we have no desire for particular things.

Q: How can we know our purpose, be sure what our purpose is? When others ask, can we help them know their purpose in life? What work are we personally meant to do here?

M: I have mentioned somewhere already that we are here to bless the world and to know our greatness. When we know our greatness, we are one with the whole universal cosmic power. And whoever comes in contact with us also has the blessing from this universal cosmic power. The earth will get more developed as more people like us practice and bless the world quietly with our spiritual merit and wisdom. That's our purpose. Otherwise, what else do you think? Are we here just to eat two or three meals a day, have a few children, and then kaput? That's not the true purpose anyhow! It would not be logical for God to take so much trouble to create us, then put us here for a few decades and let us die in misery, sometimes with cancer, agony, disasters, earthquakes, and so on. This is not logical.

 So, the purpose of human life is to know God. Knowing God means knowing our own greatness, knowing the whole cosmic power of which we ourselves are a part. Even when we say a part, it's a whole, you see. For example, if my finger is cut off, then it's only one finger. But when it is attached to my body, it becomes one of the parts of my body, it belongs to my body. Even though I say it's a part of my body, actually it is also the whole of my body. Therefore, we are part of the cosmic power, but we're also the whole, if we are connected again. The little gap in between is reconnected at the time of initiation. We turn inward, we tune inward, we plug in, and then we are whole with the universe. Therefore, we bless anyone who comes around, without having to lay a hand on them or do anything to them. Anyone we sympathize with or share blood lines with, they are saved or are blessed in some form or another. It depends on their karma, and it depends on our love for them.

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Practicing is reviewing oneself daily, keeping precepts clearly, doing good deeds and not doing bad deeds, meditating daily, observing our own wisdom, cultivating our own compassionate heart, and realizing the Truth silently. This is then considered practicing.
~ Spoken by
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
News No. 115 Contents