Are you awake yet? (Yes, we’re awake.) How can you wake up without rubbing your nose? It seems like no one is awake today. Nobody’s smiling at all! Come on, smile! Anyone who doesn’t smile gets fined five hundred. We’ll keep you here and don’t let you go home. You don’t want to go to the new economic zone. Why go back home anyway? There’s nothing over there. Huh? Just five days? That’s practically a week, isn’t it? (Yes.) Ah, OK. So a week like that ends up costing a few hundred dollars, right? And on top of that, the plane ticket too, right? And then you still fall asleep? Falling over again and again. Oh my God! What a loss, my dear!
(I went back to Âu Lạc [Vietnam] for a month before returning to the US, Master.) Really? You’re going back to Âu Lạc (Vietnam) tomorrow? (Yes.) You’re not afraid to go back to Âu Lạc (Vietnam), why are you afraid to come here? This place is quite near Âu Lạc (Vietnam). (When I came here and arrived at the airport, I felt very relaxed. But when I got to the airport over there, I was scared.) Why is that? (Every time they see Master’s picture, they give me a hard time.) Then don’t bring my photo with you. Just keep my picture in your heart, that’s enough. Right? You keep your beloved in your heart, no need to put in your pocket for them to take away. That’s silly. (I was carrying Master’s picture.) You’re that foolish and still blaming those officials over there too – those poor people. Huh? Oh my, if you like my photo when you see it, how could the officers not like it? If they like it, just let them take it home to look at it, why be so selfish? (Yes.)
(The fellow initiates over there long for Master’s pictures, so they asked me to send some back. I sent them, but it still wasn’t enough, Master. There are hundreds of people.) I know. (Oh!) My God! The umbrella fell over. It’s OK, just let it fall. If she falls, that’d be even more trouble. She fell asleep sitting there and then tried to blame Master. It takes you years to come here, but when you’re here, you complain about everything. The umbrella’s too short, too small, and you’re nodding up and down. Next time, we’ll have to build a whole house for her so she can sit inside. Sitting with four walls all around, no matter which way she falls, she’ll be fine.
Ah, if you complain too much, I’ll send you to Myanmar, OK? Over there, when people go into the temple to practice with the monks, they give you a box, a wooden box. It’s only just big enough to sit cross-legged. If you’re wearing high heels, you can’t even sit – they’re too long. You can only sit cross-legged in it, that’s it. You can’t move around at all. You just sit there the whole time. They say, “You want to meditate? Alright, we’ll give you meditation.” Then you sit inside that wooden box, all cramped up like that. And then you know what happens? When your legs get really sore, you say, “Master, why are they so sore? What should I do now?” The teacher says, “Oh, they’re sore, huh? Poor you. Alright then, I’ll teach you a method, just keep chanting, ‘Sore, sore, sore, sore.’ Keep reciting until the soreness goes away.” That’s it.
And when you say, “Oh my God, Master, I’m so exhausted.” Like the Aulacese (Vietnamese) ladies, “Why am I so exhausted!” Then the monk says, “Tired, huh? Oh dear, poor you. Alright, let me help you.” “Yes, yes, please help me, Master.” He says, “Alright then, now recite this mantra. Just say, ‘So tired, so tired, so tired, so tired.’ Repeat it until the tiredness goes away.” So now, if you doze off, I’ll tell you to recite the same thing. Just keep reciting until the sleepiness goes away. (I feel that Master’s spiritual force is so powerful. When I hear Master speak, I can’t even keep my eyes open, I just close them.) It’s OK, it’s OK. (I kept trying to open my eyes but couldn’t, but I heard it all.) I understand. OK. Don’t pretend and show off.
Someday when it gets more crowded here, Master will just move here and live with everyone – that would be more fun. This time there are only a few people, very few. Just a few people from Taiwan (Formosa). Scattered like a few strands of water spinach and a few bean sprouts. Yeah, and then they say, “Why do I miss home so much? I love Master, but I still miss home. How strange.” Then after a while they say, “Alright, I’m going back.” What home? Originally, it was the house we lived in back in Âu Lạc (Vietnam), right? (Yes.) Back then, we didn’t even know what an American house was. Then everything got all chaotic, they ran over to America, bought a house over there, and then ended up missing that house over there. That’s not fair. So then who misses the house in Âu Lạc (Vietnam)? (Yes. That’s right.) Right? (Yes.)
It’s funny, isn’t it? Somehow you go over there, and then suddenly you become homesick. If we had stayed in Âu Lạc (Vietnam), we would have had only one house; we wouldn’t be missing a house in America. Therefore, we have to train ourselves. We train ourselves to get used to it. (Yes.) (Yes, thank You, Master.) It’s better if we train ourselves so that no matter where we go, we can still live comfortably and adapt. Then it’s easier. (Yes.) If you keep training yourself to miss every place you visit, it becomes very exhausting. In one lifetime, sometimes we move around a lot and meet many people. If you become attached and miss every person you meet, pining away like that, it will wear you out, dear. You won’t be able to live like that. Tell them to meet with the Burmese monks, and they will tell you, “Alright, then you recite: ‘I miss it so much! I miss it so much!’” They have you recite until you no longer miss anything, then they let you out. Sitting inside a box. Sitting like that, there’s no way to run back and forth. Trying to curl your legs or whatever, you just sit in there with only that much space. Like the solitary confinement cells for criminals, you know?
(Like a tiger[-person] cage, Master.) A tiger(-person) cage? (You stand there locked up and can’t move at all.) Oh, is that so? There’s such a thing too. Why lock them up like that? That’s strange. (It’s punishment.) That’s being locked up; a cage is different. This one is a box where the head can stick up out of it. In a tiger(-person) cage, I guess you’d have to crouch all bundled up in there, right? (There’s a tin roof on top.) Is that so? Then what? (Very sunny. Hot…) Can’t endure it, right? Were you locked up once before? (I saw someone being locked up.) You saw someone being locked up? My goodness, what kind of person practices such extreme asceticism? Before even coming down here, they’d already vowed to practice in a tiger(-person) cage. That’s why it’s like that. It’s like wanting to practice spiritually just to suffer. Practice the suffering way. Whatever happens to us is all because we wanted it. “All is created by the mind.” It’s not that now you remember wanting it, but you wanted it before, and now you’ve forgotten. (Yes.) Before coming down here, we said: “I can endure whatever hardships, as long as I’m able to practice spiritually. As long as I can realize that I am God.” (Yes.) Then after coming down here, all that “GOD, GOD” stuff gets forgotten completely. So pitiful, right?
Since I don’t know if we will see each other tomorrow, I’m taking this opportunity to speak with you all today. Otherwise, those old betel-chewing ladies will feel very sad when I leave. Why are the older ladies getting more and more beautiful? Strange, huh? See? Do you see those ladies sitting there? Aren’t they beautiful? Aren’t they very lovely? Their hair is completely white, like immortal sages.
(Without Master, I would have died.) Why is that, auntie? (If Master hadn’t blessed us, I would have died.) You would have died, auntie? Why is that, auntie? (Master blessed us so we live very healthily.) Is that so, auntie? So you were supposed to have died already, auntie? Now do you know whether you’re really dead yet, or still not dead? How do you know you haven’t died? (Living here is already a straight path; how could we die anymore?) Oh, is that so? Yeah. Now you look extremely beautiful. Did you get eyebrow tattoos or eye surgery or anything? Look at this old lady, so beautiful. Do you remember how she was before? (Yes. Yes.) Skinny and frail and all that, wheezing wherever she goes.
(Before, I was very sick.) Very sick, and lying here groaning “huh, huh.” (Master made the pain go away.) Now you look like two apples. So rosy, huh? We would have to put on blush to have her rosy look. Oh my, is there any gentleman admiring you, auntie? Yesterday that lady was 78; how old are you? (Seventy-five.) Seventy-five? Too bad, you’re one year too old. Seventy-four would be the right number. “An old lady, already seventy-four years old,” remember? Yeah. (“Sitting by the window.”) Alright, don’t say more. That’s enough said. Literary people say little but mean much.
Really, there are many people in their 70s who still get married. Yes, yes, yes. (Yes, that’s right, Master.) (Even in their 80s.) Even in their 80s, auntie? Oh my, how do you know everything like that? What? (People say so.) People say so, auntie? Well, it was in the newspaper, not just rumors. Look at you so beautiful, no need to worry about the number. There’s still hope, right, auntie? The more the old lady practices spiritually, the more beautiful she becomes, right? (Yes.) Those who practice spiritually can be recognized right away, right? All of a sudden, they look more radiant and beautiful. (Yes.) It’s not ordinary physical beauty. There’s just something about them – some kind of presence or energy that’s naturally attractive. (Yes.) Auntie, be careful. Just don’t go around charming everyone, alright, auntie?
(Master’s beauty attracts everyone.) What? (Master’s beauty attracts everyone.) Attracts everyone? (Master attracts everyone.) Now that we practice the Quan Yin Method (meditation on the inner Heavenly Light and Sound), we have very strong attraction power. Do you know that? (Yes. Yes, we know.) You can clearly feel it, right? This girl laughs like a horse. What did you eat that makes you laugh like that? You’re really different from everyone else. Why do you laugh so much like me? Are you enjoying it that much? No matter what is said, she’ll laugh at everything. Even when someone speaks in Korean, she’ll also laugh. Don’t understand anything, yet laugh anyway.
Now listen – as we continue practicing the Quan Yin Method more deeply over time, more people naturally become drawn to us. But be careful – this does not mean they like us in a romantic or worldly way. (Yes.) Don’t flatter yourself too much, alright? (Yes.) This is when the inner Master within you begins to attract others naturally. (Yes.) Don’t get the wrong idea, OK? (Yes.) Even at 80 years old, if people are still clinging to you, then you know it’s not that kind of attraction. You know it’s not that. Try to guard yourself well.
Some people haven’t even begun the Quan Yin practice yet; they’re only thinking about starting. They only tried eating vegan for two or three days, then they said, “Ah, this seems good. I think I’m going to follow Master Ching Hai.” Before they even finished speaking, someone already followed them. Then they got swept away and disappeared. That’s usually how it goes. So when you practice, remember to be careful. (Yes.) In the past, we begged people to come visit our home, and no one came. Now people beg us to come visit theirs. Right? (Yes.) We don’t have anything special, yet people like to follow us. Sometimes they follow us without knowing what to ask. Sometimes they ask nonsense, sometimes just say, “You’re so beautiful!” But in truth, that wasn’t really what they intended to say. They don’t realize that their soul is sensing something deeply pleasant and comforting for them – something very joyful and uplifting.
For example, when a man meets a woman, sometimes they misunderstand that feeling. They think, “Oh, I’m in love with this woman.” Or the woman thinks, “Oh, I’m in love with this man.” In truth, that is not the case. Very often, people are touched or uplifted by our spiritual aura generated through our spiritual cultivation. (Yes.) That’s why sometimes our fellow practitioners, some are even less attractive than Chung Vo Diem. Oh my God! People come running after them in droves. Three or four men, five or six women, you know. Sometimes even I am surprised: “Oh my, how is this person so romantically popular?” But in fact, there is nothing special about them. They’re even less attractive than I am.
Some people outside say that I’m not attractive and wonder why so many people admire me. They say I must have used some kind of spell. I tell them, “Oh my! You haven’t seen my disciples yet. They’re not even as good-looking as I am, yet everyone’s crazy about them when they go out – let alone me! There’s no need to cast spells – it would be too costly.” Right? (Yes.) When we go out, everybody wants to cast spells on us – don’t go saying that we’re the ones casting spells on people, no need. (Yes.) Because when we practice spiritually, there is a kind of power – a transcendent spiritual energy – coming from our Master within, our Original Self, that is, our Buddha Nature. As time goes on, it becomes brighter and more revealed, so wherever we go, people can feel it. Because they too are Buddhas. (Yes.) A Buddha can immediately recognize the presence of another Buddha. How could they not? (Yes.) Do you understand? (Yes.)
Just like animal(-people) of the same kind recognize one another. (Yes.) Right? (Yes.) So how could human beings not recognize each other? (Yes.) You can’t possibly look at the lady sitting next to you and say she’s an elephant(-person), right? Even though she’s quite overweight. I’m not referring to you. This is just an example. Don’t feel bad, alright! I’m just giving an example here. No matter how overweight she may be, you still can’t call her an elephant(-person). Her nose is not that long. Her ears aren’t that big either, right? So when we look, we know she’s a human being. That’s the visible side. The invisible aspect – the Buddha Nature – is the same. No matter how evil or mentally disturbed a person may be, their Buddha Nature within remains intact. (Yes.)
Photo Caption: “Transforming the Unpleasant to Pleasant Landscape”
