By the Los Angeles News Group

[Los Angeles] On July 21, 2002, an exciting new era in worldwide communications between Master and disciples began with the first-ever videoconference involving our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai and initiates from Los Angeles, Austin and Ohio in the United States, Nepal and Macau in Asia, and Austria and Poland in Europe.

On the day before the videoconference, initiates from the Los Angeles Center received a message that Master would be "calling" the Center on Sunday, but did not anticipate that Master would arrange a videoconference to make Her "call" more exciting and fascinating for everyone, even initiates in other cities and parts of the world. Prior to the conference, the L. A. technicians worked feverishly to set up a video screen and projector, a computer and telephone hook-ups to make the videoconference a reality. Meanwhile, a large crowd came for group meditation, as local brothers and sisters looked forward to hearing Master's voice in person for the first time since the celebrations for Her in May of this year. The L. A. Center's meditation hall was filled to capacity with fellow practitioners who eagerly awaited the sound of Master's loving voice.

When the technical details were in order, Master began the conference with the humorous and warm question, "Are you practicing well, eating and sleeping well?" to which the L. A. audience responded with an enthusiastic "Yes!" She then began answering initiates' questions.

The first question was: "Is there any way to direct disciples to use our power from spiritual practice to lift our world to a level that people can communicate without language, in order to reduce misunderstanding, even wars, among each other?" Master replied that we need to meditate more, but it is not possible that everyone will attain the same level; hence, we experience misunderstanding. People's levels are not all the same so humans repeat the same mistakes and stray from the Truth. However we should refrain from worshipping or judging others. Until we have all reached the level of telepathic communication, we have to be tolerant - love always prevails and we can come back together some day.

Another sister asked, "Recently there have been more wars, fighting and natural disasters in the world. What should we do to help the situation other than meditating more?"

To this question, Master replied that Love is the only solution, but most people conceal their love in their hearts and withdraw it; otherwise, everyone was born in love. When we interact with others we become hurt emotionally, remember these experiences and harbor negativity. We have wars because we always live in the past. Instead, we should be like animals and live in the present. Also, children do not remember what was done to them a minute ago. The past and present influence our future and so we become unhappy. People live in the past in their practice also, and forget to become Saints. So the world has to forget the past - past hurts and bad events, and learn and grow from them. This is how we can stop war, fighting and struggles. But we still live in the world, and most people do not practice as we do; so even if we practice well, we still have to share their sorrow and misunderstanding. We need to practice peace and know how to contact peace at any moment by meditating harder in order to generate a noble atmosphere within ourselves, and transmit it to the world.

A young American initiate was concerned about pets and wondered, "As we grow spiritually, is it possible to learn to communicate with animals," and "where do animals go when they die? Are our pets elevated spiritually because of our practice of meditation?"

Master reminded her that communicating with animals is not the object of our spiritual practice: "We can communicate with animals at the soul level but mostly it is not necessary." Because animals are very simple, and if we practice well we can feel what they want or how they feel but that's not our aim or the goal of our practice. Do not concentrate on and wish for that. We don't need to do that, but in some types of emergencies it is possible. Regarding where pets go after death, Master said that they go to Heaven, where they came from. We all came from Heaven and we always go back there.

Next, a Korean brother stated that, once when he was meditateing at home he fell asleep and in his dream he saw a very bright golden Light and his body was pulled into it. He was surprised and didn't know if he should follow the Light, so he just recited Master's name and got himself out of the Light. He asked what he should do if this happens again.

In this case, Master gave the brother to relax and enjoy it and recite the Holy Names. It's a blessing event. The Holy Names thus will always be in his mind, so just relax and blend into the Light - the essence of our being.

The next sister who asked a question worked in a vegetarian restaurant and said she could not meditate as strongly on the Light as she could in the past, and wondered if the problem related to her diet or her work environment. This sister also said that her 17-year-old daughter enjoys doing good works for humanity but it is getting harder each day for her to meditate, and she hardly ever wants to go to group meditation anymore. The sister wondered what she should do to encourage her daughter.

To the first of these concerns, Master responded, "It's easier for some to concentrate on the Light and for some it's easier to meditate on the Sound. In your case, it's probably that you prefer something musical, so the Sound is always there anyway. It's easier for you to focus on it. And the Light is flickering, and depends on your concentration to come. Therefore, maybe you don't feel like you are doing very well." But you have to persevere. It's OK, just do your job, the portion of the time. And whatever happens, let God take care." And regarding the woman's daughter, Master asked, "Does she have fellow practitioners of her age to go to group meditation with? They can go with her and she will feel helped - sometimes the same generation has better communication. They might help each other."

Then another sister asked about dealing with a non-initiated family member who chooses to indulge in a negative lifestyle and says, "This is my life and I will experience and select my own path." She wondered if he could eventually be changed, or if he is just a lesson for her on her path of practice.

In answering this question, Master said, "Just ignore him and try your best, but if he doesn't listen, then you take care of your own life, and later he will come around; you must be strong yourself first, then people follow you, and if they don't, it's OK. Everyone has God inside! It's up to that God to decide what he wants to do with this life."

The final question of the day came from an Aulacese practitioner who asked, "God is an invisible power. When we walk, stand, lie down, sit, eat, drink and work, everything is in God. If I want to think of God all the time, what should I do? How can I know God's form so that I can think of God?"

Master's brief reply was, "Keep doing your meditation and you'll know it. Not everyone can detect God's essence within him or her.. It doesn't matter. God knows you're there. Sooner or later you will perceive Hiers presence everywhere; that's your aim and the goal of your spiritual practice."

After this answer, Master asked if everyone was happy and assured the audience that we would do more videoconferencing in the future. She then asked about several of the fellow practitioners She could see on the video screen, some of whom had practiced with Her for a long time. Master said that She appreciated the devotion of the long-time initiates, adding warmly, "Thanks for your unconditional love for me. It makes me feel very good and elevated." She added that She remembers people from the Los Angeles Center well because of their "elevating" love for Her, and joked with some of the initiates She has known for many years, assuring them that they would look younger on the video screen the next time we do a videoconference because the technical problems will be worked out!

Finally, the assembled initiates said in unison, "We love you," to which Master replied, "I love you, too!" And with this exchange, an "on-line reunion" between Master and disciples from around the world ended, to an enthusiastic round of applause by the Los Angeles Center audience.