Most of us don't concentrate and have no time to devote ourselves to the Tao， God or Buddha. We just focus on business， chase girlfriends， boyfriends， etc.， therefore， we believe that our hearts are not pure enough， that we are not devoted enough.


So we look for those who are devoted， such as monks and priests， and ask them to pray for us. We think that God listens to them more and not to us. This makes sense too. It makes a little sense and is somewhat right. They do have more time， understand？


They devote all their time to God or Buddha if they are real monks or priests. It should be this way， to a greater or lesser extent， understand？ They are devoted in this aspect. I am referring to the real practicing monks and priests of different religions.


We are talking about monks and priests. We all know this. Monks and priests are those who leave their families in order to practice in some other places. Now，if we want to communicate with God， we have to have some time， right？ We concentrate in that direction， like a professional has to concentrate on his studies， right？


Then we will succeed. It's the same. That's why I tell you to meditate every day. The time we spend here is for us to concentrate on studying God， the Truth， while setting aside everything else in the meantime.


Even a monk can only concentrate so much. He has to take care of his temple， understand？ He has to attend funerals， chant mantras and sutras. No， no. He has to deliver the souls of the dead， right？


He is very busy. Moreover， he has to renovate the temple. He also has to keep records of donations. Thus， he's very busy. So he does everything. His job is like ours， no different， right？ - keeping money and records，


If he has to write a report or record of everything， he is like a secretary. Right？ How much money the temple needs， and what needs to be done， so on and so forth. He is like a general manager. He needs to do everything.


We know a general manager is very busy. A monk must be very busy doing so much work too， right？ Renovating the temple， like fixing this here today， repairing that tomorrow， and cooking for the worshippers. Some do. So they need to take care of many things. It's like managing a hotel. Understand？


So we can't say a monk or a priest is not busy. It is the same for a priest. Right？ Am I right？ Catholics told me about them， right？ Priests are busy too. Yes， they have to report to the Pope on how much money they collect， how it is spent and whether it is enough or not， etc. He has to record how much money he spends and let the Vatican know.


The Buddhist temples Probably do not need to report to the Fo-guang-shan monastery， do they？ No？ Good！ Even though they don't， they still need to keep a record for the government. A temple is a non-profit organization.


What do you call it？ A nonprofit organization？ Sounds so great！ It means that it is exempt from paying taxes， but it still needs to report its revenues and spending to the government: how the money is spent， if it is legally spent， etc.


We do the same here. We have to report to the government our revenues and spending too. Not because we are afraid of the government， but because it is the law. We want peace， right？ We have to do the same. Why should we be different？ Understand？ Why trouble the government？ Wherever we live， we cooperate with the local government. It's the same.


That's why we can't say that a monk has ２４ hours to go seek God. He is busy too. Let me tell you the secret method of how to be a monk at home. Understand？ Yes. Married or not， it doesn't matter. Shakyamuni had ５００ wives， remember？ He became a Buddha. It didn't matter. Physical exercises are nothing. Don't pay too much attention to that.


If nobody gets married， what will happen to the Republic of China？ It will become a nation without citizens: no people， no public， no republic. A country without people. Understand？ It becomes a republic without a public. No people. So it won't work.


However， once we begin to practice， everything in this world becomes remote， unlike former times when we were lost in passion， fame or fortune.  Understand？ Yes！


Nothing can upset us or restrain us. Having children is our responsibility. We have to do it. Sometimes our bodies need it. But we are not lost in it. We can see very clearly. Understand？


Just as I said earlier， given two different levels， the viewpoints differ. They were the same two or three fingers， but the two people viewed them differently.


One was a practitioner and his level was very high. He had seen higher realms. He used his human eyes to look at people， while the other person saw people through his 『dog's eyes.』


We Chinese talk about looking down on people with a dog's eyes. That means this person's level is too low. His state of mind is too low， very， very low，so he sees everyone else at his own level. That means we Chinese people are great and enlightened， but have put our wisdom aside after enlightenment and let it rot.


We have not developed our wisdom further. That's why I have come here to remind you to get your wisdom back. Polish it every day. This is only talk because wisdom is not material.


So how do we polish it？ True nature is without anything， right？ Everyone knows this. Don't say you are not enlightened. I didn't make it up. So I teach you this method of stopping the wandering mind every day.


If I teach you to sit like this every day， close your eyes， your nose， your ears， and not see， hear or smell anything， you will be enlightened for sure， right？ This is very difficult， understand？ We can close our eyes， nose， ears， but we can't close our minds. That's why we need a way to control it.


What method is that？ Many people teach many different methods， but these external or outside methods cannot easily control our minds. Why？ Because our minds are inside. Understand？ The mind wanders around inside. We can't catch it， hold it down， or make it stop.


So， if you want to be enlightened and to concentrate， you have to use an inside method to catch hold of the mind. Understand？ That's why we have initiation.


We have some kind of power inside. We all have different levels of awareness and Buddha Nature inside. Have you heard about that？ Yes？ (Yes.) Catholicism talks about the God inside. Yes？ (Yes！)


It says that we are the temples， and God lives inside us. Yes？ (Yes！) Have you heard this before？ (Yes.) Don't say why I talk about things that you don't know. Why don't you know？ God is inside of you. Why don't you catch hold of Hirm？ If the Bible says that there is a ghost inside， then we might be afraid. We have God living inside us.


Why don't we get Hirm out？ Initiation is the secret method to catch the God inside. That's all. Catch the so-called Buddha or God. We catch the Supreme Master inside us. I have a method to catch Hirm！ That is all. You already have the method， but you just forgot. That's all.


I know it already， so when I tell you what to do， you understand immediately. Once we catch Hirm， we can control our minds because they are both inside. Understand？


Trying to beat it from the outside won't work， just like scratching our socks to relieve the itch inside， right？ We should make use of our so-called God within， the one who lives inside our temple， or the Buddha Nature. Make Hirm conquer the restless mind. There is no other way.


Many people use external methods to control their minds; however， the results do not last long， do they？ You can concentrate for just a while. Not too long after， the concentration is gone.


For instance， some methods teach people to sit near a stream to listen to its sounds. And they called it the Quan Yin Method. This is one of it However， it's a lower level of the Quan Yin Method， just like the basic ABCs. Well， it is useful too.


When we were little， we felt comfortable hearing the sound of the rainfall in the night， right？ And we still enjoy it now. That's why many spiritual practitioners like to live near the river or deep in the mountain. They find much comfort in the gentle touch of the breeze and the sound of the stream.


Likewise， many people are attracted to the television. Watching TV is not so good for us in some respects. However， there is some good in watching TV. So after you watch TV， you feel good. You already feel good when you are watching.


Some scientists have conducted a research on this. After we watch TV for a while， it is said that our level of calmness moves to the alpha or beta level. It means that we feel more calm.


Our mind doesn't go wild. Why？ Because we are watching in deep concentration. Our ears and eyes are all focused on the TV so there is no wild thinking or random talk at that time. Therefore the mind becomes tranquil. It helps. That's why people like to watch TV or movies so much.


Actually， there is a lot of violence in movies. It stirs up our blood and makes us tense. We calm down later. The brain calms down again. Both the brain and the vibrations cool down. This is only on the outside.


Sometimes people tell us to stare at a lamp or candle. Light a candle and keep staring at it. This also calms you down. This is a different meditation technique. I admit that all these techniques are useful somewhat and not totally useless， but their effects last only for a short period of time.


Also， the level of purification attained from these techniques is not very high. The highest level in this case is the second realm. They can't take us to level ５， ６， ７， ８， or ９， etc.


Watching TV， staring at a candle or a shiny thing like a coin or a watch or something our eyes can focus on reduces the activity of the brain. It's like watching TV. They all give the same result;. very similar， not much difference. The result is hardly any different. This is another kind of meditation.


However， to control the mind longer， you have to fight with it ２４ hours a day. How？ Have the Buddha inside work for you. Use the God inside， the Master within us. Only that God can control it.


It's just like operating a car. No matter how much repairing we have done， it won't run without a driver. Just wake the driver up and the car will start. You don't have to push or tow the car. It's a different case for a worn-out car.


Initiation has been the only secret method since ancient times. This is a method， an invisible one. It wakes up the Buddha or God within. Then every day we realize that we are the masters ourselves.


It is God， the Buddha within. It's not the hands， the feet， the face with makeup， these clothes， or this body. Once we wake Hirm up， we know that we are the Buddhas， or God. We are the Supreme Master. But we can't realize that so fast as in one day.


We need to practice daily to wake up the Buddha within. Once he is awakened， he will work ２４ hours a day continuously. He will be in charge of everything. So we will be very sure of what we are doing. Because it's the Master that does the job， not the brain， the machine， which does it at random.


The machine is just like a computer. Whatever experience it has recorded， with a press of a button， it gives out the exact information only. It is incapable of distinguishing between good and bad. Do you understand？ It doesn't know the difference or in which situations what else should be added or what work has to be done.


So if the Master is not there or sleeping， and we have not dragged him out， then we'll make a lot of mistakes. Our judgments are wrong most of the time. That's why our lives become so miserable， helpless， and unsuccessful.


I am not talking about economic success， knowledge or social position. We succeed because we have the right thinking， the right idea， and the right concept. We understand all our observations. We observe the truth in any factors or phenomena. Only then can we say that we are successful.


As in the earlier story， the two people had different explanations， experiences， and realizations for the same phenomena observed.


Many people question why we have to be initiated. If everyone is a Buddha， why then are we dependent on the Master in our practice？ You don't depend on me; you rely on yourself. I am only helping you to catch your own Master， that's all.


It's excellent if you can remember and catch your own Master. If you don't remember how， then I know how. That's all. Everyone has his own expertise， right？ So we develop ourselves in that aspect. Then it becomes our expertise.


An artist knows how to paint， the house builder knows how to build a house， because they are all used to their jobs. They are experts in their own fields. They become better and better in their fields because they like their fields and study continuously.


If we want to build a house and learn how to build one with him， then we come to learn. It is as simple as that. If we think we have the talent and ability， then we can build the house without learning. It's still fine. Then go ahead and build a house. But don't blame anyone if the house collapses. It's that simple.


Initiation is the time when we start to awaken the Buddha within， the God within. Then we can control our minds ２４ hours a day. Otherwise， only knowing the teachings is useless. Understand？ It offers very little help.


We cannot even do the fundamental things nor can we practice the basic teachings of the Buddha. Without the awakened Master's control， we just blindly follow our own habits. We are like a car running all over the place without a good driver.


It will die down someday， or hit the telephone pole and stop there， completely wrecked.
As in the case of the ancient chariots， a charioteer was necessary. Right？ Otherwise， the horse would run around anywhere and cause disaster.


Initiation is to discover our inner， invisible Master and the intangible and supreme qualities. It lets us understand that we and our inner Master are one.


Usually our brains trick us into thinking that we are something like this or that. If we are used to sweet or salty food， then we identify ourselves with these traits. No！ This is only a habit.


Initiation does not mean you must depend on me in order to practice. Learning from me does not mean that you have to depend on me. It's not like that. We learn to rely on ourselves by following me.


You depend on me only if you do not learn from me. Only if you bow to your own real Self and use your own Buddha Nature will you be relying on yourself. That's not relying on me.
I just teach you how to do it， then you can do it by yourselves. Right？


Have I asked you to come and see me often after initiation？ Have I？ No. You love to hear stories， but no one tells you stories outside because you are already grown up and no one spoils you like that.


Therefore， I come here just to tell you stories. I am not teaching you anything as such. I do not teach people in this way. I just give you some teachings at my convenience.


Enlightenment is another thing. No words are necessary when giving you
enlightenment. All I have to do is point my finger. Right？ Yes. I enlighten you even without moving my fingers. Is it not so？ I do not need to do anything. You sit there， whether you are asleep or awake， you get enlightenment after a while. Isn't that right？ Initiation is like that.


The Buddha's power is incredible. I do not even need to move my hand or do or say anything. It's because we already have the Buddha Nature inside. Understand？ We already do.


Now you know what initiation means: waking up that Buddha within Because he is asleep. Have you never heard that a Buddha does not speak if you do not ask？Yes， you have.


Ordinary people usually do not ask their Buddhas within since they are busy making money， taking care of children， or pursuing a husband or a wife. Then the inner Buddha falls asleep because he has nothing to do.


Understand？ I just help awaken your inner Buddha at the initiation. Your inner Buddha also forgets to wake up because you have let him sleep for so long. Both of you forget. Your inner Buddha forgets，so he continues to sleep. Finally， you forget how to wake him up.


I know the method to awaken your inner Buddha. Neither hands nor feet are used in this method since it is not a martial art.


This method is to awaken your inner Self inside. It's a tranquil power. That's why we don't even move when we are initiated， except for those who are possessed by evil spirits. Right？


After initiation， those fellow initiates who are possessed by evil spirits struggle because the spirits do not want to leave. The inner Buddha and the evil spirit quarrel inside. The inner Buddha says， "This body is mine." The evil spirit replies， "This body is mine. I have
lived here for many years." The inner Buddha goes on to say， "I have lived here life after life."


If neither one of them yields， all kinds of actions come out. There may be agitated movements， mudras and mantras， but it will be all right after a while. Of course， the inner Buddha wins after a while. The inner Buddha wins sooner or later.


However， he does not win by fighting. Instead， he teaches the evil spirit， and reforms this sentient being of the lower level. Maya is the one who has wrong concepts. Okay， thank you， everyone.



Return to the ancestry wisdom of the Mayan， of the Aztec， of the real Mexican lineage， noble lineage， and remember God in your heart all the time. So when you die， angels will come and bring you to God.


Because whomever you love， there will be attraction to each other. If you love God， you'll be attracted and God will be attracted， you'll meet each other at the end. And remember God made animals to help us， to bless us， to be our friends - not to be our victims.


Join us for Words of Wisdom on Supreme Master Television on Friday， January ２８， for the interview with Supreme Master Ching Hai in Cancún， Mexico， by Agence France-Presse (AFP)， the oldest news agency in the world， and one of the largest， based in Paris， France.


Tune in to Supreme Master Television today for our program 『Interview with Supreme Master Ching Hai by Agence France-Presse』 on Words of Wisdom.