Is God A Being Or A Non-Being ？

Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai In Berkeley University, C.A., U.S.A.
Oct. 13, 1989 (Originally In English)
This article was published in Central Daily News, Formosa on October 25, 1995

Good evening my good and wise friends. May we welcome you to this friendly and holy congregation. It is very soon that we see each other again and I'm very happy that your faces look shiny. Maybe you have fewer problems than last time.

Is your life going well. All right? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Well, I may tell you my life also. But I have maybe fewer problems than you, or maybe more. All the problems of the world come to me, and you have only your own problems. So every time I see you, any audience, or anyone, I just want to shed tears because of two reasons. One is happiness, and two is sadness. The happiness is due to the light of God within you, or the Buddha Nature within you, that I happen to see the Buddhas now, or to see God around me through you. But I am sad also because I am thinking you do not know this. Maybe you do. Maybe a few of you do, but most people do not know this and this makes me sad. Why is it so? Because if we know this light of God within us, or if we happen to know the Buddha Nature within ourselves, then our lives will be much happier, our body and mind will be stronger and healthier.

This morning when I was meditating, there was a lot of wisdom revealed to me, and I was overjoyed. I was thinking maybe I could share it with you this evening, or whenever I might happen to see you. But then, you know what? When I sit here, I feel helpless, because these things are so intangible. Yes, so subtle, sometimes abstract. And it's not easy for me to convey them into the human language. And so, I think this is the problem with all the good practitioners, or all the prophets of old, of all times. And that's why we have so many religions, so many sects, so many different scriptures. People believe in one scripture, and do not believe in the others; have faith in one religion, and do not have faith in the other religions. They even go to the extreme as to destroy other faiths, or try to make difficulties for other people in different faiths. Therefore sometimes, we have religious wars. But tonight, I will try to say something a little bit more concrete, more kind of logical and intellectual, so that you might be able to understand what I mean. And this experience is difficult to convey, so I might just leave it.

We Can See Much More With The Wisdom Eye

You see, everyone asks me the question about God or Buddha Nature -- "What is God?" or, "What is Buddha Nature?" So people find it's very difficult to understand. "Is there a personal God?" or, "Is there not a personal God?" and, "How come we can not find the Buddha Nature?", "Is Buddha a being or a non-being?" Now, we see in the universe, there are many different beings.

Some beings are visible like humans, animals. Some beings are invisible like what we call angels, ghosts, or Buddhas. On our physical plane, we have already experienced some invisible beings. We do not talk about ghosts even. You know the virus - too small for our eyes to see and we must use the microscope to look at. So these we called "invisible beings". Even to our naked eyes, we can not see.

When the Buddha was alive, He said to His disciples that inside a cup of water there are 84,000 invisible beings. So when we drink the water we must use something to filter it in order not to harm these sentient beings. He didn't use the microscope and He could see this. He used His wisdom eye. Only one. In the Bible it is said: If your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light. That is the single eye, the wisdom eye, the Buddha eye, or the heavenly eye. And if we open this eye, we can see much more than we see now with the two eyes. So we know that there are many things in our world which are invisible. And the more invisible, the more powerful even.

For example, we human beings are very powerful. Or the elephant is very powerful, but the elephant can be conquered by human beings which are even much smaller than it. But human beings can be conquered even by viruses. Just one or two bad ones in our body and we are 'kaput', we are finished. This is very logical and we can understand it through today's scientific proof and research. Now there are many more invisible beings, even more invisible than this. Even if we use a microscope, we could not see. They are just finer, more subtle. They are just a kind of energy, and then because they are too fine, too subtle, we would not believe that they are beings with intelligence, with feeling. So nowadays, we have proved that even plants have feelings and intelligence. And ants and any kind of animal also have intelligence.

Now, we'll talk about conception. I'll go a little bit further to something very modern and interesting, so that you will not go to sleep with my speech. If I speak about Buddha all the time, everyone will leave and go home. I will talk about something more mundane and concrete like conception. Mostly we think that conception happens accidentally and out of the control of the egg, or we think that the woman's egg is being penetrated and the egg is helpless. And now recently a scientist has proved by his own understanding, wisdom and research, that it isn't accidental, and that the egg does choose what it wants to absorb - maybe one, two, three or five. So even these very, very invisible beings, which we don't see with our naked eyes, have feelings, decisions even, and choice.

The Father Of All Beings

Furthermore, we go to the Buddha's-land and the Kingdom of God, we think God or Buddha maybe doesn't exist. Some people say, "God is nothing, is only the void. Buddha is a void. Buddha Nature is a void and when we meditate, we will encounter the void." Well, to my experience, it is not the void. It's a being, full of love, wisdom and everything else you need and can ever imagine, or can even not imagine. This being is powerful, is unimaginably powerful out of anything that our worldly brain can understand. But this being is not a being like our being. This being just has a different being, but we just have to accept that this is also a being. We may call that energy also. But if we only call that energy, then we may have a misconception; misunderstanding that it is just a very - no feeling, no compassion, no wisdom, nothing, like electric energy, like magnetic energy. No, no, no, it isn't like that. It contains within, everything in the universe. It contains all the germs that later can germinate. These germs are, what we call the seeds of the universe, are dormant in this being. So from that, everything comes out and later goes back in.

But behind that being there is another power which we call Godhead or the Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. It's the Buddha of all Buddhas, the Father of all beings. But that power doesn't germinate anything, doesn't contain anything but it contains everything, it doesn't produce anything. Producing things is another being, you know, behind that. For example, when I eat this banana - maybe I'll just eat to let you know. So, when I take this banana, it looks like my hand takes it, or my mouth consumes it? But for what? The one who wants to eat bananas is not my mouth. It is something in the brain and in the cells; the feeling of the body cell, the stomach and the brain. It makes me eat, makes the mouth eat the banana. Therefore, it's the same with God, Godhead, and God power. Similar thing.

It is of course difficult to speak about God, but there is definitely that being, so powerful, we could not ever imagine what it is. But we could experience that, some of it, some fraction of it. And even if you just experience a fraction of it, it makes you different altogether, makes you become very grandeur, very wise, very friendly, very unaffected by any ups and downs of the world; makes you able to solve every problem that comes your way. Even when you're lying unconsciously from a car accident, you are still able to solve that to help yourself. And that happens when we are in contact with this so-called being. Unimaginable is that being, that almighty, all powerful being. Because we originally come from that being, we are a part of that. And if we are separated from that being, or that power, or that energy, then we are very small indeed, very weak indeed. But if we are reconnected again, then we become powerful and wise and that's the only mystery about God realization, or self-realization. That is, we realize, we come to know this very, very invisible, but very, very, very powerful being.

Now, that being doesn't look like a human being, it doesn't look like an angel, or it doesn't have a beard so long like that. You just happen to be inside that being and you just enjoy the love, protection, power, and compassion, and you have no words to express this when you come back to Earth. I mean when we come back to the Earth consciousness, not that we go anywhere, or come anywhere. It all happens within ourselves. And when I had such experiences before, it didn't make me grow two horns (Master and audience laugh), or it didn't make me so excited that I couldn't sleep, or anything like that. It was so peaceful. It was so ordinary, very, very smooth and harmonious. It's like you eating the banana, so very easy. But this kind of experience doesn't happen often to the average person. It needs a lot of self-discipline, sincerity, and longing to become reunited with God, or with that Buddha Nature within ourselves in order to achieve it.

God or Buddha, no doubt can give us, very quickly. But everything we earn by ourselves is more valuable. Also, it isn't fitting to become God or Buddha if we still have our anger, lust, desire, attachment altogether. Then when people look at us, they think, "Oh, what kind of Buddha is that?" And then they have no respect for the Godhead or the Buddha. Therefore, for anyone who is fit to have this experience, that means to become one with God again, or to know this Buddha Nature, or to become Buddha, one must go through a lot of discipline. The experience of God and Buddha Nature we can have very easily through the proper guidance of a master who already knows this Buddha Nature who already has become one with God.

Regain The Complete God Wisdom For Yourself

It's easy. Just like the one who can speak English can teach you on the first day already some phrases in English. After you go home from English school, you can speak something already. You may say, "How are you? My name is so and so. What is your name?" etc. A few phrases, yes. Similarly when you go to a master who knows God, or knows the Buddha Nature within him or herself, then that master can share with you a little bit of that God experience. But then you have to practice more and more everyday in order to gain the whole, the complete God wisdom for yourself. Just like after you can speak a few sentences in English, you have to come back again, and you have to be diligent at home studying until you can completely understand, read, and write English. So the experience of God sometimes, even though it's easy to find, it's hard for most of people because we do not find the right guide.

So we think God is something very mysterious that we could never reach hirm; or Buddha is something for Shakyamuni Buddha and not for me, not for us. No, it's not true, Jesus said: We are all children of God. He said that whatever great things, great miracles He did, then we could do even greater. In the Bible it says: Whatever I do today, you can do even better tomorrow. And John the Baptist baptized people with water, but He said: The one who comes after me, even mightier than I am, can baptize with the Holy Ghost. So as our human race advances towards civilization and intelligence, the techniques and the wisdom within ourselves also advance faster, and the things we do can be even advanced also. So if Jesus said that we can do greater miracles, then why don't we try? Buddha also said: I have become the Buddha, but you will become Buddha also. He did not say: "I'm the one and only and never anyone else before or after me."

No doubt to become a Buddha or Christ like, it is not a matter of a joke. It's not easy, but we may try. It's not mysterious, it's not out of reach at all. I have tried it and I have succeeded. So if you try, you might succeed too. If I'm so small and so weak and I could try, then you may try as well. Why did I try these things? I wanted to experience the God inside me, or the Buddha Nature within me. It was because of the suffering of our world that brought me to this decision. So I owe it to you all to share this, the result of my practice. Otherwise, my life was so smooth and happy. I did not think I needed anything.

When you are so satisfied in material comfort, it is very difficult to think of spiritual fulfillment. We do not think about that. We're happy enough. Therefore, the Buddha said, "When one is in heaven, it's hard to practice, to meditate, to become a Buddha." In heavenly worlds, people live a very happy life and therefore they do not desire further progress. It happens in our daily lives also. Sometimes we are too happy and comfortable in our own lives. We do not want to advance in our position, or do any more business adventures. We think we're happy enough.

Many Ways To Practice And
Become Self-Realized

Now there are many ways to practice and to become self-realized. But for the average person, the most important thing is we pray. We pray to God Almighty within us, pray to the Buddha within to help us. And also make a self-effort, "I will keep the discipline". We train our compassion and love to all beings, and begin with cutting down on the killing of animals, etc.

Yesterday I was in a radio program called, "See Beyond", and the lady announcer asked me, "What is the solution for the world's hunger today?" People think, if there is God, why should people have to suffer hunger so much in the world. I said, "In the Bible it prescribes charity. Buddhism also emphasizes charity." Means give to others what they need. But I said, "Nowadays, we don't even need to do that." If you have your money, you can keep it. If you have your property, enjoy it. If everyone in this world did not eat meat at all and we didn't raise cattle, pigs and chickens, then these protein products and all kinds of corn could be distributed freely to all the hungry people. That would be enough because we over use these proteins, soy beans, corn and all these kinds of stuff - staple foods which are necessary for human beings - in order to feed animals. And we gain only one kilo of beef steak and waste at least hundreds of kilos of staple food, besides all the medical care.

Yesterday some friends gave me a statistic about a research: half of the national (U.S.A.) antibiotic medicines go to animals; half of the national. Understand that? And it costs a lot of money too. So before we have to give away our property, we can give away the meat. If we do not eat meat, no one will kill, no one will raise cattle. And all the food will stay where it is and they can eat it and become healthy and strong. It's good for every nation, and it's good for our nation as well. We waste a lot of money on arms and on raising animals. All the arable land is wasted nowadays on raising cattle, pigs, and the like, most of it. So if we use these to cultivate wholesome, healthy food, I think the nation will benefit more and our nation will have more peace and no need for arms defense.

If every nation lives according to the Bible, according to the Buddhist teachings, Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, etc., then the world needs no more peace conferences, wasting so much coffee, champagne and cakes on a round table, and go no where with it. The more we talk about peace, the more war we have. It is because we go about it in a different manner. If everyone practiced meditation and ate a wholesome diet without any killing involved, the world would have long already been in a peaceful state and long already we'd have no hunger phenomena. No need to give away your property, just give away the meat diet. That's enough to save the world and to save your own health and the national health.

As we all know, most of the sickness comes from meat, because of the antibiotics fed to the animals, because of the anxiety which produces toxins in the animal meat, because, because, because, and because. Because we eat all these antibiotics, our body loses its self-resistance to the disease. Our body normally can fight the disease, but because we are fed so much antibiotic meat, our body becomes weakened, and the resistance system becomes out of order.

Therefore, any kind of disease affects us and kills our lives. It is a pity. We should rely on ourselves to help us, to help the nation, not rely on peace conferences. I haven't seen any peace conferences which have done much good to any nation. They sign many papers, but then they transgress them tomorrow. Maybe the people who sign are very sincere at that time, but there are others behind, in the front, left, and right. And after these people who sign die, or the presidential position changes or the king changes, the policy changes. We can never rely on these things. We must rely on ourselves to save our lives.

Open This Power Within
Through The Correct Technique

Now, most people think if we pray to Jesus or Buddha, that is enough. But I think we should add to it meditation and a virtuous, wholesome way of life. Then, we speed up our wisdom and liberation. For example, if we practice together in our method, we call the Quan Yin Method, we just listen to the instructions of God within, see the wisdom of God with a heavenly eye, and keep a vegetarian diet and a virtuous way of life, then we fear no sickness. Many of our initiates overcome sickness over night. I mean dangerous ones, mostly needing operations, or dying. Some people just come back from the death bed, out of the power of their virtuous life and the power of the Godhead that protects them. If we open this power within through a correct technique, then that power which we call Buddha Nature or Buddha within us or God within us, will protect us twenty-four hours, and will protect us even after we leave this body.

Someone asked me, "Why don't we use some kind of breath control or breathing technique or something like that to reach God? Can we realize God through this?"

I said, "I have my doubts, because the breathing is going on only when we are conscious; and when we faint, we have a heart-attack or something, the breathing stops. Or when we die, the breathing is no more. So what do we practice then, what do we rely on then, to become conscious, to become awakened. And when we sleep we're not even aware of our breathing. So how do we rely on that to keep us twenty-four hours."

Therefore, I have found that the technique that we practice now, it is all powerful twenty-four hours protecting us, and we are awakened within. Even when we sleep, the God power looks after us. Even when we die, that power doesn't die. That is more secure. It is safer to rely on the eternal power, not to rely on the ephemeral breath. Don't you agree? Yes or No? (Audience: Yes.) Yes.

So, what I want to share with you is that very simple technique to keep ourselves in tune with this protective power, almighty power, in order to save our lives, the lives of our nations, and the harmony of the universe. And it is so simple that no one could make any excuse that it's too hard to do it. It's easy. It's much easier than chewing bread. But to do the meditation which I may share with you if you are interested, which is also free of charge, is even easier than to take a bath. To take a bath is difficult sometimes. When the electricity is gone out we have no hot water, or have no gas and no hot water. Or sometimes the tap goes wrong and rusty, you have no good water, or the water doesn't come out. But to practice meditation on God, to open your wisdom and God power to use in your daily lives is much easier than that. Even me, I am so surprised that it is so easy.

Before I encountered this easy technique, I tried many other techniques, like the technique of the secret doctrine, of the Tibetan Buddhism, and all the Thai, and Burmese, and all these. It was so complicated and so tiring for me. Maybe I am too small. Maybe for you it would not be so tiring. But it was very time consuming and very tiring. And you need a lot of equipment, and instruments in order to carry on this kind of practice, but not with the Quan Yin Method. I've found this is easier than anything else. You can sit on the train, on the bus, or in the park, anywhere, and you can be in tune with that God power, you can feel the protection, and you can see God face to face. You may be in contact with Jesus, with Buddha, with whomever you love most in your heart. They will appear to you. They might teach you something. They might protect you, guide you, hold your hand, so that your lives will never again be lonely.

The World That Is Forever Lasting

But that is not even the highest. Even if you see Jesus or Buddha it's not the highest state. The highest state is you become like Jesus, you become like Buddha yourself, and then have all the power to save the world, and to be saved from the misery and rounds of births and deaths. You become all wise, all knowing, and omnipresent. That's the highest stage we can reach. What is it about this highest omnipresent state? Well, I can not tell you exactly. I can just tell you that it's very nice, very wonderful! But, I can not tell more. It's difficult to tell. It's easy to experience.

I can only invite you to come and share with us the wealth that is forever lasting, that never goes out of stock, never rises up and down with the market price, never gets inflation, never gets any tax, no one can steal it away from us, no one can force us to leave it, and no one even knows what we have. That's the secret treasure which Jesus said: Lay you not your treasure upon Earth, where moths can corrupt; but lay your treasure upon heaven. He means we find the treasure in heaven. He also said that His kingdom was not on Earth, but His kingdom was with His Father. So, He meant that He had found this endless treasure.

So, this treasure we may also find, because He promised that we can also do what He did, and even maybe greater. It may not be that we are greater than Jesus. No, no. He means that, maybe in the future, like in our modern time, techniques, civilization we'll become much greater. So, we have to use more power from the Godhead in order to satisfy the desire, the need of the modern man. Whereby Jesus did not need all this, it was enough for Him to do a few miracles and people ran after Him. Nowadays, it's not enough just to do a few miracles, you need more. You need international appearances like me. (Master and all laugh as Master was wearing a Chinese typical Buddhist monk outfit.) You need the knowledge of different countries' languages or cultures.

Jesus did not need all this. He didn't have to learn that much. Even though He had to learn, but He only went around in Jerusalem. So He did not need to use anything that much, just a few miracles. Nowadays, we need to use all kinds of transportation, telephones, televisions, video tapes, all these kinds of miracles, you know, long ear, long eye miracles, (Master and all laugh), in order to serve the people in the modern time.

◆ Question & Answer Session

What Reincarnates?

Q: Some people go overboard in understanding reincarnation which sounds like myths. Please explain what does reincarnate after death? Knowing the personal "I", the personality, body, environmental and cultural mind doesn't reincarnate. So again, what does?

M: Oh! It is the personality that reincarnates. Reincarnation doesn't mean we come back again in the same body, but our thinking, our desire, our attachment to something which could not be solved in the present life will come back again, packed together in another body, and that is what is called reincarnation. And so that body continues to enjoy, to suffer whatever was left behind, left over from this present life. Maybe in a different body, different shape of body even. Maybe this life we are black and next life we will be white, or yellow, or red. Or this life we are in this human body and next life we are in a different clothing of body like the animal clothing-body.

Because everything we think, speak, desire, and attach to, has energy, it formulates itself into a very concrete type of atmosphere and then that atmosphere evolves again in a different environment and different circumstance in order to fulfil, to dilute all these concrete forms which already exist. Everything existing must be destroyed, must be changed, must be fulfilled in one way or another. This is what reincarnation means.

For example, we see, we grow the flower, the plant, and the plant produces the flower, then somehow nature one day will destroy the flower because it has been in existence and then after sometime, it has to be dissolved. So if our thinking, our attachments and desires are not able to be fulfilled in this life, they have to be in the next. It's very logical. It's nothing mysterious. There's no myth about reincarnation.

Q: Is reincarnation a choice of the soul or spirit, or is it something that will occur automatically without choice by the control and decision of the higher power?

M: We have choice and we do not have choice. For the average people, they have no choice. For the Buddhas, saints, Christ, they have choice. They consciously choose their parents, date of birth, the place of birth, and the date of death, date of leaving the world; they have choice. They are conscious in the womb of the mother already. They are conscious before they came to the world. They came by choice, they came to save the world, to help some of their friends, to help those who pray to them for help. They have choice. But other people, they are compelled to reincarnate by their own deeds, actions through the past life.

As I have just explained before, our thinking and habits form themselves into an energy and that will force us to come into a different environment, to fulfil and to eradicate if necessary. This already formed concrete energy has to be diluted.

As You Sow, So Shall You Reap

Q: What is karma and what is the association between karma and enlightenment? Is there such a thing as immediate enlightenment within the concept of karma?

M: Karma is what we call cause and effect. Whatever you sow, so shall you reap in the Bible, that is karma. Now, we can sow and we can reap, but then we can wipe off also. Therefore, Jesus, Buddha had to come to earth in order to help us to pay this terrible debt that we could not pay ourselves, which is called karma, which we sowed so many, now we reap so much. So some people like the Father, Son or the Buddha come down with unlimited merits, understand, and they can give anything you need, they can pay the debts for you. Because God is all merciful, limitless of grace and blessing, whatever you ask, you will get. If you knock, it will be opened.

Now mostly, we don't ask, we don't knock and we just knock our heads against the wall, (audience laughs), so we get not much grace and blessing. And we think God is not merciful. God is. Hes always sends some of Hiers messengers to the world like Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, etc. to save us, to lead us back home. Despite our karma, in spite of our heavy debt, they can take us home and we can get immediate enlightenment through such persons' grace.

For example, now we are born in a very poor family. Our family, generation to generation, has been poor like that and we can never have any hope to get any richer or to get any better situation in the society. But then along comes a prince or a very big officer, and he has so limitless wealth and he happens to chance on our family and he happens to like us or like our daughter, wants to marry her. Then, we become different people, we become a different family, our position will change. However much debt we owe to the neighbors, or to the landlord in our region, he will pay with his own money and take us to the palace.

God is similar to a very rich, wealthy, billion, billion, billionaire. Whoever calls on Hirm, Hes will cleanse all the sins and make us angels, make us God-like. Why is it possible? Because there's nothing impossible with God, anyhow. If Hes can create the whole universe, Hes can just take us home if Hes so desires. But then because we do not know where God is, and between God and us, there exists a very thick curtain of so-called karma, so Hes needs to send someone looking like us in order to go through and shake hands with us and say, "Hey, come."

God is so intangible, so abstract. Even though Hes appeared to us, we would not see. We are used to seeing illusion, we are used to seeing concrete forms. If God appeared, we could not know, we could not recognize. So we need someone who is expert to tell us, "Oh! Yeah, what you saw yesterday, that is God, or let me make you see God in a moment, or in five minutes you will see Hirm. When you see such and such and such, that is God who appeared to you in such a form, or in such energy, in such wisdom." Then we understand.

So, you can get immediate enlightenment for sure. No doubt about that. We can see God immediately because God is within us. In the Bible it is said: Know you not, that you are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit dwells within you. If Hes is within us, then we could immediately see Hirm, no doubt. It's just a question of know-how. In American we say, "know-how", hah?

Meditation

Q: What is the first step one must take toward reaching God?

M: We must pray that if God exists, please guide me, please help me. And stick to your religion and pray to that religious head that you believe in to help you. If you're Christian, pray to God, pray to Jesus, Santa Maria. If you're Buddhist, pray to Buddha, to Bodhisattvas, Quan Yin Bodhisattva, Amitabha Buddha, etc., to help you. That's the first step.

The second step is, we must lead a virtuous life as prescribed in the Bible and in the Buddhist scriptures or in any other religious scriptures. I haven't seen any major religion which teaches people to do bad things. So follow your own religious ethic, as the second step.

The third step is, we must find someone, and very importantly, who has known God, who has realized God, to show us something, to share with us the wealth that he or she has got. Just like if we want to speak English, what is the first step? Prepare the money for it, so that the teacher will accept you and then go and find a teacher -- one who can speak English. If you find one who speaks Spanish, then no good. (Master and audience laugh.) It's very easy.

Enlightenment

Q: According to what You said, is meditation the only way to see Buddha or to reach enlightenment?

M: Yes. Did you see Buddha meditate? Did you see Jesus meditate? Yes? He meditated and the last time lasted forty days in the desert. Now if someone never meditated before, could he just go suddenly into the desert and meditate for forty days? No, no, no. This is a very experienced practitioner who could do such a thing. So from this, even with so little information, we know Jesus had been meditating all along and that was the last, final time, before He went out and taught the world.

Buddha meditated all the time for six years. But then, the last, final time, it was forty-nine days. Then, He went out to teach the world. So no one reaches nirvana or the Kingdom of God without meditation. Why meditation? To still our mind in order to receive the teachings from heaven or from the Kingdom of God, or from the Buddhas in the higher world. If we always keep praying and asking, "Please give me wisdom. Please give me that. Please give me ...," and whenever Buddha wants to speak, He has no chance any more, because we are busy all the time (audience laughs): we talk, we ask, and we talk and we don't listen. So meditation is a listening time.

Just like when you ask me a question and then you have to be still for a while, quiet, then I have a chance to tell you what I want to say or what you need to know. So meditation is like that - sit still and receive the message. Otherwise, God wants to tell you hundreds of dozens things and you have no time to hear it. You're too busy talking, praying, singing, prostrating, bowing, and counting the rosary. (Audience laughs.) It's all right to do these. I don't mean this is no good. This is very good. But then, we must be still for some time so that God has a chance to communicate. That is called meditation. Too easy, very easy to understand.

The Role Of The Master

Q: Please explain the differences among the enlightenment -- master, Buddha, Bodhisattva. Which of the above fit You the most closely?

M: Fit me? I do not care what you call me. Call me what you want. You see, I'm a 'garbage collector'. (Master and audience laugh.) Yeah, I collect the humans' 'garbage' and clean them, so that the world will be in a better, harmonious atmosphere and people will be in less suffering and more wise. I take their 'garbage' and give them 'jewels', give them wisdom. I take their karma and suffering and give them joy and happiness. So you may call me 'garbage collector'. No need such a big title like Buddha and Bodhisattva - scares me to death. It denotes the glorious position. In fact, I only collect 'garbage'. Collect all the bad, negative atmosphere and you know, all the things scattered here and there which make our world miserable and unbearable. I collect all these and burn them up, clean the world. May I help you? May I ask you also to help me in this 'garbage collecting' program by joining us to meditate on the positive power, on the God power which is almighty? We can clean all the sin, can bestow all the grace. This is my job. You may join also and become the same. No need for Buddha and Bodhisattva, these sound too glorious and honorable. (Master laughs.)

In fact, we work very hard. Whoever reaches this level and are commissioned by God are volunteers to help sentient beings. We work very hard and we suffer. Not much glory here in this world. You might get glorified when you go back to heaven, go back to the Buddha's-land, but here in this world, there is not much for Buddhas.

Q: Will You tell us who will be the right master to learn religions from?

M: It's like this. We do not follow a teacher, we only follow the teaching, so we can never go wrong. In case the teacher goes wrong when the teaching is okay, then we follow the teaching. We have to see if the teaching is correct. For example, you see if my ethics are correct or not correct, if whatever I teach you I follow or not. For example, I teach you not to eat meat. I also eat vegetarian. I also teach you not to steal. I also don't steal. I teach you to give away in charity. I give away myself in charity. I teach you to love people. I do love people and help people unconditionally. I take no money for the teaching I give. I earn my own money. So you have nothing to lose at all, except to gain.

Now also every moral standard which is described in the Buddhist scriptures and described in the Christian Bible, I convey to you again, so I teach nothing new, nothing immoral, nothing unethical, so you may feel safe to know that your teacher won't teach you anything wrong, outside of the scriptures. I teach you everything from the scriptures. From ancient times, the ethical conduct doesn't change. The commandments from God, from Buddha will not change. I teach you the same, and I do the same. So you know at least I'm not the bad type. And now the teaching is correct, right?

And the meditation will provide you with wisdom, peace of mind. Doesn't matter which technique, it will also help you somewhat. So there is no exception about our technique. I only tell you that it's the fastest, that's all. But you may not - you don't have to believe me. I only inform you and now you have your own choice. I only tell the truth. If it is fast, I say it is very fast. I'm also a monk, I'm not allowed to tell a lie anyhow. Even average people will not tell a lie, so what would a monk tell lies for. And I have no reason to do that, because I don't need your money, I don't need anything, and I don't even live here. I profit nothing from you. I may even leave tomorrow or you may leave me and never see again - goodbye. So, I profit nothing.

Ah! So from this stand-point you're safe. You follow the teaching only, don't follow me. The teaching will always be with you, and you don't need to follow me in person. In case you want some personal advise during your meditation progress, you may write to me. Nowadays no need to stick with the master all the time. Or you could go to Formosa or wherever I am staying. This body is only an appearance, a house, an office, so that you may see me. If I used the spiritual body only, you could not see me at all. And when I talked, you couldn't hear. So how could I convey the message to you. I have to use the body. That's the use of the body. This body is not much use in other senses.

So no need to fear that when I go away, you'll have no one. You'll always have someone. You may even see me appearing in your house just like this. If you are sincere and high level enough, you will see the Master come to you and you will see the Master all the time whenever you need. No need to cling to a physical body.

Q: She asks You if You have a dream?

M: Yes, I have dream. I dream that all the world will become peaceful. I dream that everyone becomes Buddha. I dream that all killing will stop. I dream that all the children will walk in peace and harmony. I dream that all the nations shake hands with each other, protect each other, and help each other. I dream that our beautiful planet will not be destroyed by some crazy atom bomb. It took billion, trillions of years to produce this planet and it's so beautiful, so wonderful. I dream that it will continue, but in peace, beauty and love. Yes, that is my dream. (Audience applaud.)

Q: What is the fastest way to reach true enlightenment?

M: Meditate with our method and a virtuous life.

Q: Christ did a few miracles, did not know other languages other than Jewish, but these miracles convinced us. How about nowadays' masters? How do we know that they are holy?

M: You see, the miracles don't secure a holy personality. Many people have miracle power without being holy. This you know: the black magician, the white magician, they all have miracles, but that doesn't mean they are holy. Jesus had to use these miracles because it was in different circumstances. Nowadays we are more intelligent, we are not as barbaric, we are more technological, more advanced, more civilized, and more scientifically minded.

So, there's no need clinging to these miracles. As I have already told you, Seek you first the Kingdom of God. I do not want to use miracles to bait you because I respect your wisdom, I respect your intelligence. I do not think of you as children that I have to use some colorful toys in order to attract you; I think this is not very respectful. Because I respect you very much, therefore I use wisdom, I use logic to appeal to your wisdom, to your logic so that you might get higher in your understanding and not just cling to these physical phenomena such as miracles.

You will know that I have a lot of miracles, limitless miracles. When you reach my level, when you are sincerely practicing, then I'll show you, but not now. Not by force, not on demand, understand? If you respect me at all, then do not demand such, because I respect you. I do not use this "hula-hula-hop" to play with you. I do not think you are such a level. And I do not want to attract this kind of level either. If you are not yet grown up in wisdom, then I'll let you wait. If you already have some wisdom and ideas of how a practitioner should be, why we should practice meditation and virtues, then you come to us, join with us to cleanse the planet, to bless all beings, not to play with miracles.

Miracles don't make a person holy, that is for sure. You will know my miracles in time if you are sincere, if you have a higher ideal. You will know everything about your Master in time. I'm not selling cheap in the supermarket.

Keep God In Mind And Remember Love

Q: How do we understand or in better terms reconcile our dark sides: evil, lust, etc., with the holiness and good tidings of the Supreme Entity?

M: Yes, by leading a virtuous life, changing from dark to light. Use the light to dispel darkness. For example, when the sun comes out, darkness is gone. By practicing the present from God, listening to the instructions of God everyday, seeing God's light everyday, we will cleanse out the evil tendencies, and clean out the worst evil tendency even. The more people in the world who practice, the more peaceful the world becomes, the cleaner the atmosphere, not only for us but for all people. That's how we do it with meditation, with enlightenment.