62/Selected Questions & Answers


Selected Questions

 & Answers


Answered By Supreme Master Ching Hai
in Malaysia (Originally In English)
February 24, 1992

Q: If God is within us, why does evil prevail in so many men?

M: It's the misunderstanding of God's law. We have the free will to choose. Sometimes, when we descend into this world, due to circumstances, we collect many information and experiences; some of them are very good and useful, and some of the information and experiences are harmful and useless. If we are not strong, and we pick the bad one, discarding the good, then, of course, we are unbalanced, we are more inclined to the bad side. Then, we have more bad, we are trapped, and it becomes worse. The nobility and strength of the soul is weakened, until we become totally enveloped by evil, and act against the law of God. So, take heed that we choose the good information, and regain our strength of the soul.

Cling to God, pray to God for protection and for the opportunity to accumulate only goodness. We forget God. That is the problem. We do not call for help. We choose everything, decide everything on our own, like the children who do not take the advice of the parents. But, we can change. No matter how much evil, how much misunderstanding, the moment we understand, the moment we want to rely on God, the moment we want wisdom, the moment we want goodness again, at that moment, all the evil will fall away.

So, if we want to go back to God again, we just have to know our weakness and repent, and then there is an opportunity. If you want to prove God's forgiveness, then come for initiation. It will be proven to you that no matter how bad we have been, God always loves and forgives us. Immediately we will have light, and we will have the sound of God. That's the proof of Hiers unconditional love.

Q: Yes, I would like to ask You that because God is so pure, but we still commit sins, how can God dwell within us. If God dwells within us, definitely there is no more sin.

M: Yes. That's a paradoxical thing the Bible says. On one hand, it says we are so sinful, we are so bad. On the other hand, it says God dwells within us. So, I will advise you to come directly to Hirm and ask Hirm why. Otherwise, if I answer you, you will think I am a blasphemous. I am not God. How can I know that God dwells within you.

Q: Do you have the answer to it?

M: I could, if you press me, if you believe me. We were originally not sinful, and we never are. It's just our experiences in life, our interaction with other species of life that makes us react in different ways according to circumstances, and according to our judgement at that time, whether bad or good. Then, accordingly we feel that we have done that badly and we have done this wrong. Then we say we have sinned. And accordingly, we think we have done that very well and we think that we have merits. Maybe according to God both are merits or both are sinful. We can only know when we know God. Once we know God, we see differently; because we see with the eyes of God, with the eyes of indiscrimination, with the eyes of love and understanding.

Q: Do you mean to say that there are no evil spirits; because evil spirit is sin, which actually to You is an illusion?

M: Yes, there are evil spirits; but they are also illusion. Therefore, no sins; because sins are all illusions. But, as long as we live in this world, we cannot say, These are all illusions, so I can do what I want; because we still have a bad conscience from it, we have guilty feelings. Anyhow, even if we live in the illusionary world, we should behave also accordingly.

Why shouldn't we kill someone else because we know it is an illusion? He doesn't know it. He will suffer. Therefore, we have to spare other people's feelings and other being's feelings; even if we know it's all illusion. Avoid evil and do good, because it's good for other people. We have to live together whether you are enlightened or not.

Q: Yes, thank You.

M: Just like you are a father. Do you have children?

Q: Yes.

M: Yes. Okay. When your children play with toys, you will not scold them when they break the toys into pieces, because these are nonsense. They are toys. They are plastic. They are childish. You even play with them and say, Wow! This car is beautiful, fast! It is a small plastic car and you run Voom! Voom! , and say, Wow! Beautiful and fast! You and I race together. And the children are happy. All the while, you know this is a children's game; but you don't criticize. You behave accordingly when you play with your children. Is that not so? Yes.