Master's Words

Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Group Meditation, Singapore
April 26, 1997 (Originally In English)

The group meditation center, the retreat, are the places for you to come and reinforce your self-realization and to make up for the sometimes lack of effort in your home due to work or any other things. It's not the place where you come and wink at each other and try to get someone else's -- opposite sex or same sex -- attention, depending on what kind of tendency you have.

I understand fully your physical, emotional and mental needs. But don't use the Center or the retreats for such kinds of flirtations or this will bounce back on you, because people can smell it and later they'll lose respect for you. Then something will happen. It'll come out that you are not allowed to go on retreats or to group meditations. Then you'll blame that person, you'll blame the Master, you'll blame the headquarters, you'll blame the contact person, or whatever. No one is to blame but yourself. You have to take care that you're pure.

I have nothing against falling in love. I don't like flirting. I don't like people who play with other people's sincere, raw and honest emotions. You're playing with a human being's raw emotions and mental tranquility. You're not just playing with a guy, a fool, a stupid one, an ugly one or one who no one wants. Don't play like that.

Don't rely on your face or your beauty, because God will take it away very soon if you abuse it. If you abuse your physical power to cause suffering to anyone, you will get it very soon. So be careful. Take care that you're pure and then everything will become nice for you.

Remember, it's not only for Singaporeans. It happens in many Centers. I don't mean everyone is like that; the majority are not. Just sometimes, in some cases; and you forget who you want to be and what you are. So choose the more noble way of bearing better character. Be representative of more beauty and goodness and then everything just happens naturally.

Falling in love is a very beautiful thing, provided that it's mutual. Don't force people and don't try too hard. The harder you try the more repulsive people will feel, because it's just like a torch light -- you're searching everywhere and people just try to seal themselves from your smell (laughter) and your searching light. When you're too obvious, you exude a kind of repulsive energy that people just run away from. And whoever comes to you is not sincere because they don't love you. They know. They just want to use this kind of pastime, temporarily, just to abuse you, and then later you have more troubles than you started with. You will be more lonely than when you started.

Take care of your inner beauty and then everything will come. "Seek you first the Kingdom of God and everything will come to you." If it doesn't come, it's fine. You're liberated. (Laughter and applause)

Be sincere with yourself and whomever you're dealing with. Don't flirt, don't try to show off your whatever physical appearance. It doesn't last long. You just cause more troubles for yourself in the long term if you try to attract people with your outer appearance, and not with your sincerity and mutual attraction. It's different. Don't forget what you want to be and what a great person you are. You have to represent, outwardly, all the goodness, noble qualities, sincerity; and the people who approach you will be sincere and nice.