Q : How do we begin to rid ourselves of all our attachments that might keep us further away from our spiritual path? Can we become more selfless, and not want to have this and be this?

M: Yes. It's difficult if we water the plant from the leaves and not the root. The basis of all this misunderstanding, ignorance and greed is because it came from the root -- that we have not opened the power of understanding. Therefore, we misunderstand and we think money will make us happy. We are seeking the Truth which is the eternal happiness. But then we misunderstand, we think money will make us happy, or beautiful girls will make us happy.

The true thing that makes us happy, that we seek, is the true happiness. It's the Truth. It's our real spiritual power, the real God self! But because we don't know that, so we keep wanting this, that and the other. But as soon as your real source of understanding is opened for you, then you understand differently. You will say, "Ah! This is what I want, not that!" Then all these things will fall apart! You don't need to do anything to it! Just like you water the plant on the root and then all the leaves will be green.

Q : Suppose I'm doing something. How do you know it's karma causing you to do it or you're making new karma?

M : It's hard to tell now because we are very deep into the trouble; so just try the best to avoid what you can avoid and to finish what you have to finish -- what you can not avoid. You can tell, also sometimes, whether it's a new or old karma, like this. If something happens to you and you can not avoid it, doesn't matter how much you dislike it, that is the old karma. Surely the force of karma is forcing you to do these things. Something you can avoid, but you like to do it by your own will, then you know you're creating trouble, new karma. You know that is wrong and you can avoid it, but you still want to do it; then you know you're getting into trouble. If it's a good thing, of course you do it and forget it, thinking that it's God who is doing a good thing to benefit others through you; then it's fine. But you know it is a wrong thing and you still deliberately wanted to do it even though you can avoid it, that is a new karma and surely you'll have trouble.