Why does ego it exist?

Q. During meditation do we need to keep ourselves awake so that we know that we are meditating? If I fall into a state of not fully being awake or I fall asleep, is there any good in my meditation at all?


M. Yes, it's a good sleep. (Laughter.)


Q. I have been on a vegetarian diet for three months, but I can't cross my legs because there is a problem with my legs. So, am I qualified for initiation? And can you comment on posture in meditating?


M. Then don't cross your leg for God's sake. Do what you want with your legs. I don't want your legs. I just want your enlightenment, okay.

Q. After initiation and if Master is not with us, if I have any problems with my meditation, what should I do?

M. The Master is always with you, hm. Master is not the body. We are wisdom. We are connected with the whole universe. And the master who is worth his name is omnipresent. So, whenever you are in trouble, the Master knows. And the Master is always helping you to progress. Whether you see the Master or not, it depends on your power of samadhi. Otherwise, Master is twenty-four hours awake and taking care of you. So don't worry, okay?

Q. Master, You are very beautiful and have much to offer. I am glad to be here. My question has to do with the ego. What are we to do with it, if anything, and why does it exist?


M. I see. The ego doesn't exist actually. The ego comes from the information that we collect during our time, and during our inter-relationships with others or with all things around us, yes.
For example, when you were born, you had no ego. But when you grow up and then you know yourself to be beautiful or handsome, yes, then, the ego begins to grow yeah. And everybody praises you. Wa! you're beautiful! And then, You have a Ph.D.! You grow more in pride, and that is the ego, yeah. But, don't worry about it. It's just a good accessory sometimes. And you can throw it away anytime you don't need. But, you have to have enlightenment first in order to know when to wear it, and when to put it down. Okay?


Initiation Is The Only Way To Reach The Fifth World


Q. What kind of light and sound can I hear when I reach the fifth level? I mean what symbol will let me know if I come to the fifth level of meditation?


M. That I tell you at the time of initiation. Because I cannot just tell you like that at random. I don't know what kind of meditation you do. If you want to elaborate further, maybe it's better, um. The fifth level is meant for the initiated people only, not for other disciples. They couldn't even reach the first.

Q. Dear Master, I'm married, but I sometimes have dreams of being with other beautiful girls. How do I prevent these dreams? Am I creating heavy karma? Please tell me.

M. It's alright! Just enjoy your dreams okay?! (Laughter.) Just don't do it in the reality. Otherwise, your wife will not let you enjoy it. And keep it a secret. What can we do with dreams? Right? Forgive yourself. It's okay!

Q. When does the soul enter the body? Is it before our birth or after our birth? How can it happen if we are born as a twin?


M. No, because you like to stick together, I guess, huh! You have affinity with each other, um. And you want to go out at the same time to have companion. No problem about twins, yeah. We are twins ourselves. We have both feminine and masculine aspects inside. And we, if we reunite that, we're happy, um. Forget about the physical aspect.


Experience Is Better Than Empty Talk


Q. Dear Master, please let us know more about energy, the relationship between energy, peace and love. The only thing we know from science is that energy can not be destroyed or created. Energy can be transformed from one kind to another kind. Some say God is energy, God is love. What do you think?


M. I think these are only sayings. Before you experience that, all sayings are empty. I do not like to be a living dictionary but an example of the true knowledge. When you are enlightened, you understand this energy and all the metaphysical questions. Energy is many kinds, negative and positive. When we are enlightened, we balance both and make use of them for the purposes in life and in the right time, the right situation. I told you already. If we are enlightened, the world will be at peace. No need to change anything. Of course, that is peaceful energy that we radiate after enlightenment.


Q. How to affect our beloved, such as husband or wife, to be a more moral person. Is there a special method to help them?

M. Yes, enlightenment. Enlightenment helps you to be sharper in all feelings, yeah. And you'll be a better wife, be better husband even. Many of our initiates claim that their married life became much better after both of them practiced God's presence, yeah, the light and sound. Before that they just had a kind of very lukewarm relationship, or cold to ice cube. And after enlightenment they know how to care for each other and then feel more toward each other, um.


Q. Dear Master, I had a lot of nightmares in childhood. Now the nightmares are gone, but, I still dream frequently every night. Please tell me are these dreams involved with my karma?


M. Maybe you had a very rough life before, um. You lived in truly nightmarish life . Therefore, the influence still lingers up till now. Well I sounds like advertising manager, but enlightenment is also for everything. If you want to live a fearless life, and dreamless life, then, of course enlightenment is the answer.

Why Budhi Dharma Sat Facing The Wall For Nine Years

• Q. Do You Have Homosexual Disciples?
• M. Yes. Do I have to report to you their private business? You see, homosexuality is just a misconception about their awareness. They misunderstand their body's function. And when they become enlightened, this will be less and less, because they will identify themselves less with the body, but more with the spirit. Therefore there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, when the children are very young, they play with plastic models and they cling to their teddy bears, but when they grow up, they will leave them. So do not worry about your misidentification with your body or with your birth appearance. It's alright, just get enlightenment, and everything will fix itself in due course.

Q. Master, I often see that in meditation it is my mind watching my mind, I lose faith that I can't go beyond this technique. Any advice? Thank you!
M. Oh, of course, it's not the very suitable technique for you perhaps. Because if we use the mind to watch the mind, we are still inside the mind and inside the creation's destroying and nourishing process. We should go beyond the mind. Therefore in our meditation, we don't use the mind at all. Yeah, and that is the most advanced technique. So, maybe try ours, Okay?! Um.

• Q. What happened to your husband?
• M. Oh, thanks for your concern. We've lost contact for, I think, several years now. Well he waited for me six years, alright? And then, he remarried after six years. And during the time we wrote off and on, half a year a letter, or one year a letter. And after six years, he got married again, with a vegetarian doctor wife. And then he got a son and he reported that to me. That was the last I heard of him. If you are interested to know, maybe I'll go into the second level and have a look at his future. (Master and everyone laugh.)

Q. Master, how important is it to see the light eighteen inches in front of me. I only see it close to my forehead. Thank you.
M. It's fine, It's a good beginning. Don't worry. It will grow further.
Q. I don't know if it's my business to understand, but I would like to find out about Buddha's message when he came from India and sat facing the wall for nine years.

M. Oh! The patriarch, the Budhi Dharma? Facing the wall for nine years? Because He had nothing else to do. (Laughter.) If it weren't for you, I would probably sit and face the ceiling for nineteen years. (Laughter.)
You see. If they have things to do, they would do them whole-heartedly. If they have nothing to do, they just do what they want to do. Yeah, that's it. And if He loved the wall so much, why not? (Laughter & applause.) 
You see actually, of course I make a joke about it. But you see, to elaborate it further, you should understand that an enlightened person is very contented within him or herself, and does not desire to do anything when it's not necessary.

For example, if I don't come to you or if I don't lecture or if nobody requires me to come out to see them or talk to them, I am always in my room. Yeah. Of course sometimes I like to take a walk in the garden or in the forest whenever it's there. If not, I stay in my room. I do nothing, I am just happy. Yeah, I may read books, or not read books. I might meditate, or not meditate. I may sleep, or I may feel awake. I may eat something or not eat something. I'm fine within the walls. You see! That's the problem with the prisoners.

Because they are not enlightened, therefore they feel walls separate them. If they were enlightened they would sit pretty well in there and they'd never probably want to leave prison at all. Yes, it is because we are very contented within ourselves. You see. That's why the patriarch, He sat there and felt good. At that time, probably there was no lecture hall for Him, and not many people understood Him. So, He just sat there and enjoyed Himself. He could have done other things, but it wasn't necessary at that time.



There was a story about a Zen master and his disciple. I am afraid to lose your time. Is it okay to tell? (Audience: Yes.) Okay. One Zen disciple, yeah, very enlightened perhaps, came to see his master after some time, and then his master asked him, Ah, well, well, what did you do all these months? Yeah, you had a summer vacation, now what did you do? He said, Oh, in my backyard, there is a big piece of land. I cultivated it and planted some vegetables, and they tasted so good, they looked good. Yeah, and I feel very good about it. So, the master praised him and said, Oh, well, well, you did not waste your time, huh! You know how to use your time, it's very good, yes. And so the disciple asked the master: Then what did you do during this time that I was not here? What did you do? And the master said, Oh, in the daytime I ate and read books, in the nighttime I slept, hm. So, the disciple also nodded his head and said, Oh, well, well, master, you also know how to use your time, you didn't waste your time, you are very useful! You understand? Yes, it's very comfortable, huh! It takes an enlightened mind to understand an enlightened mind. So, that's what it is, with the enlightened people. If they have work to do, they do it. If they don't they don't miss anything. So, whenever we are on tour, we are sometimes in a kind of very famous place. You know? Like when we were in Mexico, we were next to the pyramid, yeah and of course people would like to go there. It was about one hour from our place actually, and my room was in the middle of the city, with all the noises and all the narrowness, everything. But still I didn't long to go to the pyramid. So, we never did go.

Even though I stayed there six days, and lectured only one day. But I saw people every day of course. But I had no longing to go to see pyramid, or anything else. I stayed always every day, every minute of the day in my room.

And so, I told you again and again, enlightenment is the only way for the cure of everything in this world. Otherwise, if anyone else, you put them in the room like that, yeah, and don't let them go to see pyramid, something, they will be unhappy. But we are not. I and my disciples, the immediate crew, you know, nobody wanted to go to the pyramid. I asked them, If you want to go, you are free to go. Don't have to wait for me or ask my permission. But nobody wanted to go. They are just happy to serve. They sleep when they have time. And when they wake up, they go and prepare for the lecture-equipment and all that. No one longs to go sightseeing, nothing. It's because we are very contented within ourselves.


Therefore, the first patriarch, Bodhi Dharma, the Buddhist who came to China and faced the wall nine years, it was the same situation, um.

Is Abortion An Offense To The Precepts?

QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION


Q. In the Bible Jesus Christ said: I and my father are one.
M. Yeah.
Q. But, how can I reach this state?
M. Get enlightenment, yeah. Get initiation. That's what we are here for, to help you.
Q. Dear Master, I have never eaten vegetarian. However, after I listened to your videos and read your magazines, I started to eat vegetarian once or twice a month.
M. Wa, big deal, big deal!
Q. Can I Meditate? If Yes, Is There Any Danger?
M. Fine, it's already a big improvement, yeah. From thirty days to twenty-eight days.
Q. Dear Master, how to live a happy life?
M. Didn't I tell you? (Master and everyone laugh.) To get enlightenment is a sure way of a happy life. Okay, I am very patient.

Is Abortion An Offense To The Precepts?

Q. Could you please explain your precepts against killing. Specifically against abortion.M. Wa! You get me into trouble. Ah, Thou shalt not kill is the precept of all religious scriptures, not only Christians. It's even in Jainism, Hinduism and other religions also. If they truly take this thou shalt not kill in a true sense of the precept, abortion, of course, should be avoided. And the doctor should be very precise in determining what is the special situation that people should undertake this. Because maybe sometimes it's dangerous for the mother, yeah, or dangerous for both. So, the doctor should be fair in determining that situation. Otherwise I think we should save life in any way we can. Whatever special circumstance with you, that you have to answer, your self-conscience, and the doctor has to determine that. Okay? I am not here to condemn anyone, because I know life is very hard, and very difficult to say which is right and which is wrong. Because we are also all under the sway of karma, of the law of cause and retribution, and sometimes it is very difficult for a person to go above that, to be saintly, and to be decisive about anything in life. But, bear in mind that if you have faith in God, and in all our wisdom and if we are enlightened, no circumstance is difficult, no situation is hard to handle. So, I just propose enlightenment, and no condemnation for anything.

Q. Is it okay to receive initiation from more than one master?


M. Yeah, it's okay. But why is it necessary? For example, if your master has already taught you the light and sound within you, and you are satisfied and you're making progress with that path, then you don't have to be initiated by another master who will teach the same method. But nevertheless, if you are not completely satisfied and you would like to have more, I mean you are more convinced in some other master, of course you may do so.


Respect The Talent And Qualities Of Other People


Q. Jesus ate fish, why do you not?


M. You always put fish in Jesus' mouth. (Laughter.) Alright, suppose he ate fish, he is Christ, he can do many other things that you cannot do. Why you look at the piece of fish only and not at his qualities and his holiness? As soon as you become holy as he is, and powerful as he is, you can eat human beings, okay?! (Laughter & applause.) If you are that desperate for meat... Oh God! We always compare the things that other people do to suit our taste. But we do not respect their qualities and their talents, yeah. We have to know what we have and other people have, hm, and then we can say what we can do or not. The president he can stay in the white house, he has a lot of bodyguards, he has power over the whole nation. So, somethings he can do, we can not. Okay, right?!

Q. Are pain and illness always the result of present karma? If so, how do we clean them out?
M. We clean it out by enduring it. Alright? Because it's already too late now to reverse the wheel of karma. But we could minimize it, we could lubricate it by being enlightened, by meditation on the perfection of the Father every day through the guidance of a teacher, through initiation. Then, we minimize a lot of things. Yeah, um.

Q. Do You Feel This Initiation Is Important? Why Can It Not Be Done On Our Own?


M. The question answers itself, um. If you have done it yourself, then it's not necessary to get an initiation. But if you couldn't do it, if you haven't seen the light of God and the sound of heaven, then, initiation is necessary. Besides there are many steps to heaven that you must know, verbally, the instruction, and so many pitfalls that you should avoid. And if you do not know that, you'd waste a lot of time, and sometimes it's dangerous, um.


Q. Who Was Your Himalaya Master And What Lineage?


M. I think I talked about that already in some of the tapes. You go and have a look, okay? Now I'm here and you keep asking about my master all the time. I am jealous. (Laugher.) I am so beautiful, and you don't care about me. (Master and everyone laugh.) You care about an old man with wrinkled eyes and cranky mood and doesn't talk to any one, doesn't accept disciples. (Laughter.)



Q. Master, specifically what is the difference between enlightenment and the power to initiate, and which one does the patriarch of the Bible have?


M. The power to initiate came first. You will have the power of initiation also if you are pointed by the master, because a master will initiate through you. And also you have the power, the true power, the perfect power, not the borrowed one, when you become a master. When you reach the fifth plane of consciousness, then you become Christ or Buddha, yeah. At that time you can initiate. But enlightenment is a part of it, part of the power. And you will expand this, and get to know more of your greatness, more and more until you realize your complete self. And that is the time you'll know God. That's the time you'll be able to initiate people.


In The State Of Samadhi


Q. Dear Master, is it right that we have to be at or beyond the second level of spiritual practice to have a samadhi experience?


M. No, no. It's not true. It's just that deeper or shallower samadhi. If you see the light or hear the sound, that means you're already in samadhi. It's just a little bit not very deep. And sometimes you're in very deep samadhi, and you sit there and only aware of the inside, and sometimes aware of both, inside and outside.


Q. If initiated, can one practice meditation an hour in the morning, half hour in the middle of the day and an hour at night? Does one have to meditate two and a half hours continuously a day?


M. No, no. You can separate it. You can do it on the bus, in the park, on airplane and the train, etc. to make up for the hours that you need.

Q. Please explain the reason for not eating or using eggs, and how do eggs represent life and death?

M. Because egg is a symbol of life and death. In it contains life, yeah. And many of the black magicians or white magicians they use eggs to withdraw some of the negative possessive spirit within some people, yeah. Therefore, if we eat eggs too much we tend to attract this negative force toward ourselves. Yeah, that's one of the reasons why we should not eat eggs, hm.

Changing Ourselves Is Changing The World

Therefore, it's not what we should have in life but to what degree we are contented with life. To tell you honestly I have no better life than any of the people who live in the communist system. For example, from thirty-six or forty hours up till now I have only had one meal and that wasn't much. There was only maybe half a bowl or one bowl of rice, just a few tofu and a few vegetables. That's all there was. And I am working so, very... you can not say it's not hard. It's hard work because we run from one place after another and we are always packing and unpacking and talking to hundreds of, thousands of people all the time. I seldom rest with my voice, very seldom. 


I'll tell you my schedule. For example yesterday, the night before, I was in Seattle, yeah, talking to thousands and after that talking to the disciples and non-disciples, etc. And then, I did not go to bed until about five o'clock in the morning. And before that, I meditated for a while and then slept a little bit. And got up again at nine or something, got ready to go for the airplane. And then, at the airport I had to speak to hundreds of people and make them happy, right. And then, went to the air... (Laughter.) What, you're laughing at? It's not true? It's true, yes. Because, if not, then they are not happy. And then, in the airplane, I have to talk again to the neighbors because they will ask me where I come from and what I do and all that. Fine, I enjoy also. And then I had a little rest, maybe ten minutes. And then, again, came down to the airport. And hundreds of people were already there awaiting for me to talk again. Okay, I talked, until nine or something, huh?


 And then we went home. And then I had a little rest. And then came the telephone, and I talked again for about one or two hours, one hour at least. And then came out, and then all my disciples, their immediate friends, the Americans, they wanted to be exclusively treated. So only Americans were around, and I talked only in American language. Ah, that was about, yeah, just for a while, yeah? And then, I came and took that meal that I told you. Yes, and that was it. Up till... I had nothing from that meal until now. And before that I didn't have meal. Before that meal I nibbled two mouthfuls of bread and two mouthfuls of milk. That was before I left Seattle. And I came to last night and had that meal. The only meal up till now. So, therefore, I had in forty hours or fifty hours, actually only one meal. Nothing more. And if the communists are proud of their teaching, they should be more proud of the action, and they should give me a best medal. (Laughter & applause.) Actually I am too proud of myself. It's my ego at work, you see. (Master laughs.) Don't worry, I'll put it aside later. (Laughter.)

So, the problem is not to change anything of this world but to change ourselves you see. I would have complained before. Without enlightenment I would have complained. I would have loved to have my beautiful house, my lovely husband and my, whatever is mine. You understand? And I can't just sacrifice like that. But by the way doing this, I do not even feel sacrifice. You understand what I mean? Just very natural, very happy to do it. Of course I am tired and I complain sometimes. Because of some of the unnecessary tiresome questions or demands from people and disciples. And sometimes it agonizes you. You understand what I mean? Having to accompany kindergarten children while you are teaching in college, yes. It is very difficult also, but I get through, I get through. That's a reasonable complaint, no? Is it not? (Laughter & applause.)

Enjoy The World Within And Without

Thus, if the people in any poor country or in whatever situation if they get enlightenment, they would not feel suffering. Some of our disciples are relieved from even the most dangerous sicknesses after initiation or after they practice for a while. Yes, it depends on also their sincerity and karma. And some of them have to undergo sometimes this retribution, but they go with smiles on their faces.

Yesterday while I was in Seattle, even one of the women told me she had to undergo operation, but then she had prepared herself already to go to play in heaven while the body was undergoing operation. She told me: Ah, fine. I know already. I will go and let the doctor inject me and then meanwhile I will go to Buddha's land and have a look around. (Laughter.) Yes, that's what she did. And she had no fear of whatsoever. Yeah, yesterday some of you had heard it. Any of you from Seattle yesterday? Yes, you heard this, yeah. That was an Au Lac lady. She is about my age, maybe younger. But don't make me feel very old. (Master laughs.) Yes, that's what they do. And sometimes some of our fellow practitioners, their lives are not rich like you perhaps in Formosa. They drive taxi. Okay, they are taxi driver but while driving the taxi they can see Buddha's land or heaven, Kingdom of God at the same time. Therefore their lives pass very quickly. And whatever they do, they do it in joy. They enjoy the real life and the shadow of the real life, because both will blend together-there is no separation, no rejection of any kind.

The Beauty Of Enlightenment

When I was in Indonesia or some other country, some people said, Oh, you look beautiful. Would you consider to remarry? Yeah. What do you think? Do I have time for that? (Master and everyone laugh.) Yes, but I said to him, Why do you ask this question? He said, because he thinks that enlightened people would not care so much about these things and no love and very dry and all that. I said, No, if you consider you should propose first. Yeah, you propose and I will put you on the marry list. (Laughter.)


But then, that's the last I heard of him. (Laughter & applause.) Probably after a close examination of my face and figure and whatever, and my life style and he thought he had better not take adventure. (Master and everyone laugh.) So, my disciples everywhere are enough to scare the biggest hero on earth. (Master laughs.) They would run away you know. 


When you are at home, and you have only one husband and wife and if the third person comes, you already feel very scared, right, very frightened that your love would be shared. How much more if they see my disciples! They hang around twenty four hours, they eat everything with me, and they interfere with all kinds of privacy, except when I am in the bathroom. (Laughter.) My door is never be able to lock. Always coming up and down and my room is just like a restaurant. So whoever dare to be my husband should prepare for war. (Master and everyone laugh.) So, that's the life it is. You see whether you have or you don't have it's fine. It's very fine with you because you are contented within yourself. You do not reject life. But you do not sink into life deeply so that you know nothing else except the material existence of life. And that's the beauty of enlightenment.


Alright, I am ready for your questions, because there will be more talk by the way. You can ask anything, yeah. And I am free to answer or not, so don't worry. It is a very good atmosphere today, huh! Right? Yes, for the first time and then you can laugh so much. I think we don't charge the lecture with money but we charge the laughter because this is very rare. (Laughter.)

How do she feels before and after enlightenment ?

Everything in this world is actually also good for us, even evil. Evil is our mistakes, fine. But, then we don't have to stay in the mistakes forever. At least the mistakes are a kind of shock. When we receive the effect of our mistakes, we will be shocked into realizing that this is not a proper thing to do. And they cause us misery and unhappiness, therefore, we turn around. And even all things in this world which are beautiful, enjoyable, are reminding us of our true happiness within, or in our true home.

Therefore, it's not a sin to enjoy the things that God created for us. But if we always feel very attached to these things, and God will remind us that this is not proper. And therefore, we will sometimes experience unhappiness, or misery from the things that we cherish most.

It is wrong to deny the world. But it is not right to sink deep into the world all the time. Because we miss the better half of life which is spirit, which is more enjoyable than anything in this world could afford. Everything in this world is just a reminder of the true happiness, the true glory and the true life that we should have, and that we should know, because we have forgotten.

Many people ask me about a kind of woman and man relationship and sexual pleasure and that. Whether it is sinful. I say: It is not. But you should know there are many more pleasures than that. And for example, sexual pleasure is only a copy of the true pleasure when you are in union with yourself, when both forces within you, the feminine and the masculine aspects within yourself are united. And the union between man and woman is just a duplicate of that one.

So, actually God sends us into this world not without any instruments to remind us of the Kingdom of God. It is just that we have forgotten that these are the reminders only, and we just love the copy and forget the original. And that's what makes our life miserable. And even then, we could not enjoy the copy completely.

Therefore, many of the man and woman relationships even, are rocky, and the sexual relationship between you is not that holy, not that mutually respecting. But it's a kind of sometimes abusing, and just a frustration release; a kind of instrument.

Therefore, if we truly want to enjoy this life even, we should enjoy the true life which is a hundred thousand times better than the life that we know on earth. And by knowing that life, we can also enjoy this life.

More Intense Feelings Toward Things After Enlightenment

Just like one of our friends just expressed her opinion-that after initiation or enlightenment she enjoyed life also. She would feel whatever is there, in very intense awareness. And when you are happy, you are truly happy. And you have no reservations for your laughter. You are not constrained and not feeling ashamed for laughing very loud, very heartedly with your friends, or even alone. And when you feel sorrow, you truly can weep. You weep all of your emotions out, and then you get relief. Not that after enlightenment we become like wood or stone, and have no feelings whatsoever.

Some people keep asking me whether I fall in love sometimes. Are you interested, by the way? No, ha! If not, I don't talk about that. It is private. Are you interested? (Audience: Yes.) Okay, okay. I thought it was too personal. You come here to talk about Buddhahood and God and all that. And here I bring things which sound very mundane, yeah. Never mind.

You see, and I say yes, yeah, off and on, now and again. Or maybe I don't know if that is falling in love or not. Well, when I see a person probably I like him, and then after he is gone, good-bye. Is that in love or not? Steve, you have more experience. (Laughter.) Is that falling in love, Steve? (Yes.) Yes? Really! Okay! But not in Colorado though. I haven't... okay.

But before that, before enlightenment, I didn't know this kind of feeling. You understand? I never missed anyone. I didn't love anyone. I didn't care about anyone. I did not enjoy the friendship with the people. I was a very lonely child, very quiet. I did not feel lonely though. I was just a very alone person, until now, until I was forced into this job. (Laughter.) I was a very quiet person. I could not talk. I mean I didn't speak. I didn't make friends. I enjoyed myself. I felt I needed nothing. And you know what it's like in our society. You work and then one month a year, you have a vacation, right?! Even if you don't want to, you have to. It's the law.

So, when I was alone there, I wasn't married then. And then, this forced one-month vacation was the time I had trouble. I didn't know what to do, because I had no friends and there was no where I wished to go. But you had to go because if you didn't come back with a tan, people would not respect you that much. So, you come, you spend all your money and go to Costa Bravo or whatever. And laying there, bake yourself to death, spend all your time in the sun, and get burnt, get peeled, get scorched, and do whatever you can with the cream and all that to comfort yourself.

And then go home, to show people, Here I am . Yeah, from Costa Bravo, cost a bomb , cost a lot of money . [Laughter] Yes, so that was the kind of life that I had. Probably some of you experienced the same up to now.

And then, after I became, you know, the "Main Bro" in this 'office', I became more talkative. I changed, I became an entirely different person than if you knew me before. Might have been five, six, seven years ago, you wouldn't recognize me now.

When I was married, and my husband had a lot of friends from his medical doctors' circle. And they talked a lot to him about many things, yes. And also they talked on phone a lot. But I hardly could speak anything to him. And sometimes I stood around and felt very envious with these friends. I said, Jeez, if I could just talk half of the time like them, I would feel already very good. I felt a little bit inadequate because I couldn't speak. I mean, I am not a talkative person. I'm always quiet, do my job, and have feelings, but nothing more.

And even the love for my husband, I don't know it was a love or not. Well, I missed him when he was away. And I was happy when he was around. But that was it, that was just about it. It was not very kind of passionate thing that you read about in a novel romance or watch movies, things like that. I thought, oh, looks like I am not the person of this world, don't belong here. 

But after enlightenment, you feel that your feelings and your emotions and your affections, and your... everything are very sharp. You know, you realize more that you are truly living beings. Many people fear that maybe after enlightenment they would shave their head, and yeah, cast off their beautiful clothes, and go into the Himalayas, or find a cave in Colorado somewhere. But it is not true, it is not true. Maybe you do that in the beginning because you are too fanatic, too eager, too eager to know God, and forgetting all the while that He is always here.

Because you are God, you are the representatives of this God power, and we are all connected together in this marvelous network. And should we forget that, we will be very lonely. Deep in our heart we will never be satisfied. Doesn't matter how many friends we have, and how much money we earn, or how busy we are. Many of the moments of our lives will be in loneliness, dissatisfaction.

We just don't know what is it that is lacking in our lives. So we do feel something missing. That is because we have forgotten to tune in with this network which connects us as the whole, with the whole universe. And therefore, whatever we do, we do alone. We work alone and we feel great burden on our shoulders.

That's why Emerson says: A great burden falls from our shoulders when we let God run the universe. To let God run the universe doesn't mean we sit there and wait for bread to fall from the sky. It means that we work together with the whole universe. And whatever we do, it will be blessed, watched over, and helped by the whole power. Therefore, we will be the great beings.

And everything within us including so-called human emotions will be very alert. We feel for the first time in our lives that we are truly alive, that we truly enjoy everything that God gives us in this life. Not the denial of the world. Not truly. Not like that. I don't think an enlightened person is so negative in his attitude. Because I feel, and I see, and I know that my fellow initiates, people - you can call them disciple, that's your word, yeah - they are very alive, they are very alert, and they are happy. They know that life is alright.

Eh, not that all of them are. Very seldom that they want to run away from life. Maybe in the beginning because before I used to wear nun's clothes, and looked very serious. So people thought to be serious and become a monk is the end to all means of Buddhahood.
Source:
http://www.godsdirectcontact.com/lectures/Appreciate_Life_Start_With_Enlightenment.htm#SEC12

Rely on yourself and be a teacher !!!

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai Brisbane, Australia, March 23, 1993  (Originally in English) Q: I don't quite know what has happened after the initiation. I have been weak for a long time and suddenly I have lots of energy. It's fantastic. I'm quite thrilled. Could You please explain a little more about what has happened? M: You have answered yourself. Great things can happen to you because your own Power has been awakened. Your torch has been lighted by another already-lighted torch. Both torches are lighted, and we are both illuminated. You will feel that I am just like yourself. Whatever I have, slowly you will discover that you also have. In case you haven't discovered or are not yet confident in yourself, you may pray to the so-called Master to help you in the beginning of your practice. But even without praying, you will get it.      Just initiated a few minutes only. I told you, "Immediate Enlightenment." I have told many people, but they don't believe it. Only the ones who believe, like you, will get it. Then you shout with joy, but don't shout too loud and make people think you are crazy. But you would like to do it sometimes, jumping like a baby.             It happens. Because you are very sincere and pure, you will receive the maximum benefit. The ones who are pure at heart, the kingdom of God belongs to them. Blessed are the pure in heart, or except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. That's it. If you are pure, anything is yours because it is already there. To the complicated and doubtful ones, it will come to them also. But sometimes they waste it a little bit, or it doesn't soak into them. They build some protecting wall around themselves and the blessings because they are unwilling to accept them and are stopped outside. So, even God's blessing is not to be forced upon someone. Otherwise, God would force blessings from heaven and we all would be liberated. No need for me to go around and beg each of you to meditate. But you understand that because you know it for yourself and because you're sincere. I am happy for you. Many people are like that. You are not the only one. There is nothing to explain - nothing logical and nothing scientific about it. Just you, your Self, the great wisdom of yours, wakes up and immediately goes to work, and regulates the disordered places in the body and makes them in order again and also makes your mind in order, erases some of the negative tendencies and residues by the great force of the universe. Therefore, you feel alive again. In the mystical sense, we can say this illness or the heavy feeling of pressure for the physical and the mental body is the result of previous karma or the deeds from this life. But now we have turned into the Source of mercy and love and so it is washed away. That is as far as I can say, but more, much more of the things of God, we can't explain at all. Just enjoy and keep quiet. There will be much more that you would like to tell people later, but take care if they understand; otherwise, they will doubt you. It hurts you to think that people think you tell lies. It hurts; it hurts a lot. I am used to getting hurt. I keep telling people, "Please come. It's all for free. I will do everything for you, if you only know yourself and be happy. Don't be ill, don't be so weak, and don't beg for anything, because you have everything. Please just come and experience it." But many people stay outside, and even if they come, they walk out. It is due to karma, too heavy karma, so they are blind to any love that stands in front of them. Therefore, they even crucified Jesus - such a love to sacrifice. That was the blessing that He wanted to point out to the world, but they saw nothing; they felt nothing because they were so blind, so spiritually blind and deaf. The world is like that, so sometimes I suffer. Even though I know everything is God's will, I suffer for them. I feel so much sorrow for the people. Why are they content to live such a life? Why don't they believe in themselves?      Our path is a little bit different from many other paths because I tell you to rely on yourself, to wake your Power and become the Master, not to have to worship me all your life, do everything for me, and rely on me. Therefore, I give you the way to know yourself and then begin to be a teacher of yourself, at least, or whoever comes into contact with you. Maybe I should just let you worship me, and you would get blessings all the same.              Many people just recite my name because they don't want to get initiation. They just pray to me for anything they want and they get the benefits. They also see Light; they also see the Master come to them sometimes. Not that I bar them, but they will not be the teacher. They will forever rely on my blessings and grace, but that's the way they want, so what can we do about it? But I would like all of you to be your own great teacher. That's why I show you this way. Do it every day and you will become greater, and everything you want will just come even if you don't ask for it. Just be pure and sincere.

Bodily Sensations in Samadhi

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai Lecture at Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A.  October 27, 1989 (Originally in English) Q: What was the physical feeling at the moment You found the Truth? What did You feel? M: There are many ways. Sometimes you have no physical feeling whatsoever. You enjoy in a different dimension. It does not always relate to the physical feeling. You do not use a physical body to enjoy the heavenly bliss. It is a different kind of enjoyment which also manifests sometimes in a physical feeling, like you will feel very peaceful, that is, nothing will move you at all: no anger, no hatred will arise in your mind, and your body will feel so relaxed and so beautiful. That is a lighter kind of samadhi. Once you are in a deeper samadhi, there's no connection whatsoever with your physical body, and you can't tell. But when you come back, the manifestations of the Light take place at the physical level. For example, you will be more loving to people, you will do your work faster, you will think more quickly, you will be more tolerant, and you will look at all the books and understand them in no time. In other words, you are more intelligent, more loving, and calmer. That is how it manifests through a physical body. But otherwise, when you are in very deep samadhi, you are disconnected from the body, with no physical feelings.

why in this life people are so attached to sex

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu Center, FormosaOct. 31, 1995 (Originally in English Many of us think that we know the precepts, we understand the precepts, and that we keep the precepts. But you must know that the precepts have three parts: physical, spiritual and mental. Most people are married and stay with a married partner for all life long, and they think they are faithful. But Jesus said that even if you look upon the neighbor's wife and have lust in your heart, you have already committed adultery. So make sure every precept we keep is even physically, astrally, intellectually all clean and pure. Of course, we can not help it if the habit rises up again. But we can help by stopping it, not following it, and making excuses for ourselves. If you get married and you stay with one person for a long time and all the time, you think you are faithful; but be careful. Some people use marriage certificate as a shield in order to play to the limit. Sometimes flirt around with people and then people can't say anything because I'm married. So people think that just because you are married, you can kind of flirt around all the time without worrying; because if you don't like that person, say, "Sorry I'm married." If you like then you can flirt a lot more and then use marriage as a limit, so that you can enjoy it to some certain extent; but then no one can do anything, no one can say anything. After all you go back to your husband, or to your wife. But that's not true faithfulness either. True Faithfulness So if you truly want to be faithful to your wife or husband the precept is from inside out. You don't even look at another person. You don't even care what the other person wears or does. You don't care what he or she looks like. And you don't even have one idea of comparing your wife or husband to another persons', or to look for a kind of pleasure in any form apart from your own partner. That is true faithfulness. That is very difficult. But difficult doesn't mean impossible. I did that during my marriage. It was just natural. It was not because I knew the precept or anything like that. It was just natural. When I was married, I was married. I knew that, and finish. So if you yourself make your will become strong and guide your own mind and passion into one direction only,  your life will become more peaceful, your marriage will become blissful and enjoyable. If you don't guide yourself, you will always make excuses, like, "Oh I'm just holding hands. I'm just looking. I'm not doing anything. I haven't gone to bed with her yet." Need you do that in order to be unfaithful? There is astral sex as well, not physical only. I'm sorry to tell you all this so bluntly and not very nobly, but what else can I tell you? Sex is not ignoble, if you have love between each other and between the bond of marriage and responsibility, only if you do it with love, then you should have sex with your partner. If you don't feel love, this is just a machine function, it is abusing each other's physical beauty, and there's nothing there. You will feel very empty, you will begin to look around, and then you'll be in a worse situation. Concentrate On The Love Between Each Other When you're married or love a person, you should concentrate only there, and it will bring you some kind of bliss as well. It will add flavor to your practicing life and this is also one kind of practice. If you concentrate on one thing, if you concentrate on the love between each other it is also a kind of concentration, and it brings you happiness. Whatever brings you true happiness and pure happiness is also adding to your spiritual practice. Whatever strays from that is negative. So the precept is not that you keep it physically only, because there are thoughts, deeds and speech. Everything springs from the thought as well. So if you don't think, you will not do. If you don't think first, you can't speak. Therefore you have to keep the precept from the thought already. Always guide your thought, carefully where it should go. Tell your thought that this is not possible to think that way, it's not proper, you should not even think about it; and slowly your mind will listen to your direction. That's how you master yourself. Not eager to become a master of the multitude and teach disciples and all that, but to master your own horses within, make them go where you want them to go. That's how your life becomes more powerful. You know yourself you are the master of your own destiny and direction. That's when you feel strong, powerful, confident; are able to look even God directly in the eyes and tell Hirm I have nothing to fear. (Applause) Give Your Partner Love And Encouragement If you give your life partner, beloved one or married person your true love and encouragement, day by day you will discover that person grows in different beauties and virtues. Then you will enjoy more and more that companionship, instead of diverting your attention to another direction, giving love to the wrong person. You are not supposed to love that person, or the neighbor's wife, giving all your virtues, attention and blessing to that person. Then you will see your partner more and more ugly everyday. You don't give her any blessing. You have no contact with each other. You have no supporting energy with each other. Of course, she will become less and less attractive, and further and further away from you. Keeping The Precepts From Your Heart I am telling you very bluntly that you must keep the precepts from inside your heart, not the physical. Physical is the least, and is the last thing. Sometime the physical precept was broken, but the true precept wasn't. It has happened too. Like you are forced to steal, or you are forced to do something, but act ually in your heart you are pure. That could be too, and that is excusable. That's why Jesus said: "Whoever steals for the family's bread, that person is not guilty." Now you understand. (Audience: Yes.) Respect Your Partner We practice because we want to be free from worry. We want to be free from anxiety and all kinds of binding in this world. So if a true love between woman or wife could afford you also happiness and forever everyday like this, this also is a kind of bonus. So don't look down upon your partners, but respect them like Gods and Goddesses. And that's the only God and Goddesses to worship beside the Supreme Master Ching Hai Supreme Master Tse. (Master laughs and audience applauds.) In India when Shiva was alive, he taught one hundred and twenty extra kinds of practices for lay people. One of them included love between husband and wife. Like when you embrace each other you should just merge yourself in the embrace, become one with it, with the feeling. Then you'll be oblivious to all kinds of trouble, at least at that time. That's why in this life people are so attached to sex; because it affords them temporary bliss, and affords them ability to forget all the troubles, sorrows and worries for the moment. What the people of this world do not realize is that it's not sex alone that brings you lasting happiness. It is the love before, between and after that, that makes this pleasure gift from God meaningful, and a responsibility with each other to raise children into other Gods and Goddesses to walk on this earth. Altogether, all this, all the shared happiness, joy and responsibility makes the life of a husband and wife beautiful. Treasure The Real Bliss Of True Love That's why the people who go out and seek all kinds of short time pleasure, they often end up in sorrow, empty; so they will not even respect women and do not know the real bliss of true love. Those people who have a lot of women or men, you ask them whether they're happy. No. The more they have, the less they're happy; because they do not know how to save the bliss to enjoy it in one time. They just spend it here and there -- one penny here, one penny there; and they have nothing left. If they saved their money, they could buy an airplane ticket, go somewhere, have a holiday, see something different, and learn and enjoy the whole relaxed two weeks, three weeks together, with their friends or alone, something like that. But everyday they spend, spend, spend. They have nothing left and they can not do anything. They can not buy a house, they cannot do anything at all. The capital is the same, but they spend it in a different way. So they never can enjoy the happiness of the concentrated love and pleasure. If you truly want to enjoy, say the pleasure gift of sex, then you must be very abstinent. You must respect abstinence, then you can enjoy better.