If we want to become a Buddha，we have to follow the Buddha's road，the Buddha's method，of enlightenment. So in the Buddhist scripture，the Surangama Sutra - 『Leng Yan Jing，』『Kinh Lăng Nghiêm』- Shakyamuni Buddha said we have to practice the method of turning the hearing inward and hearing the inner Nature，the Self nature. How can we hear the inner Nature？Then it must have some Sounds.
 
 
So，exactly， we come to that point. Inner Sound vibration we can hear，but without the ears. To open the inner ears is a job of someone who knows how to open it. It is like to fly an airplane is the job of some pilot who knows how to fly it.
 
 
He has learned it and he has been capable and he has obtained the permission to fly. Not only he can fly himself back home but he can take along so many others with him. And so the same with a so-called master or enlightened saint - they can go Home and they can take a lot of others who want to follow them.
 
 
But to follow a master or to go on an airplane，we must buy some ticket，and it costs some money. Now，to follow a master you don't need any money，you don't need any ticket，but you need some virtues，and that is the 『money，』that is a property of Heaven. We want to go to Heaven，we must use the virtues as a ticket. Therefore，an ethical life is emphasized in all kinds of scriptures，by all kinds of past，present，and even future masters.
 
 
No master who is worth his salt would teach people to lead an indulgent life in sensual pleasures，because if you worship the flesh，then you cannot worship the spirit. You cannot worship God and mammon at the same time，that's what the Bible says. Now，in the Bible it also says，『Forsake the flesh for the spirit，』『Those who abandon life will find it.』That means we must sacrifice，or we must control our life，to some certain extents，to measure up to the Buddha's or Heavens' standard. It is just like people when they want to immigrate to America，they must be up to Americans' standard. Is that not so？
 
 
And it is better when you could speak English，then you must have a green card. All these conditions demand some disciplines on our part，demand some self sacrifices. We must sell our property in our country，we must learn to be disciplined like the Americans' way of life，and we must adjust ourselves to this kind of life.
 
 
For instance，we drive a car and it's a little bit… 『flying style，』yes？Flying style，and the taxi，it goes like this，yes，on the highway，『zoooop！』and then he'll go in ５minutes，and in no sight，because he wants to be in hurry，he wants to earn money. Here in America，taxis couldn't go like that，no？For example，when a New Yorker comes to California，he has to obey Californian rules.
 
 
When I go to California，I feel so comfortable. Everywhere I'm surrounded with saint: Santa Clara，San Jose，San Francisco. It is truly a saintly atmosphere. I feel so welcomed，so relaxed. And all the cars have no black smoke behind. I love that. I love that. I feel it's so good for my health.
 
 
If we want to become a Buddha or enter Buddha's land or the Kingdom of Heavens，we must be born again. 『Except you be born again，you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.』What is meant by 『born again』？That means，『I die daily.』How to die daily and be born again and yet living？Yes. 『Learn to die so that you may begin to live.』  
 
 
How to die，anyone know？Kill yourself？Kill the ego？Yes，that is right，but how to kill the ego？We don't only kill the ego，we truly die; we truly die in a physical way. We 『die』for a moment or two，we 『die』 for a few hours，and then we go back to work. That's what it is by dying. And what happens when we die in this way？ We don't die in an actual sense，but we are still connected with our physical body by the so-called silver cord. 
 
 
Only when we truly die，then the silver cord is broken; our connection with the physical body is severed，and then you've gone for good. But only those who are enlightened and saved by enlightening themselves and by the God power within them can go forever. The others just go for some time，maybe to Heavens，maybe to hell，maybe to the 『animals' clothing shop，』yes. Some shops are selling 『animal clothes』and you can wear it for few decades and then change it into human clothes. Understand？
 
 
So now，if we stray into those animal clothes shops，then we can wear animals' clothes for some time. Or we go to Heaven，then we wear heavenly clothes. Or if we go to hell，then we wear very hot clothes，so wear hot-fire，barbeque clothes. So we can barbeque for some time and then go back to human life again. So this is what happens to people who are unenlightened. The virtuous ones will go to Heaven，the so-called un-virtuous，they go to hell.
 
 
This is according to the Buddhist explanation. But we must not believe it，actually，if we don't want to. We can prove it ourselves by opening our wisdom eye. Therefore，people say we have the third eye or the Buddha eyes or an extra eye.
 
 
Therefore，the Hindu custom，every morning they make devotion，then they put an eye on their forehead，and that is the custom before to remind yourself to remember that eye. Now we only have custom and no essence. Everybody heard about the third eye and the wisdom eye and nobody knows where it is. It is here. And nobody knows how to open it. We can open it. I know how to open it. I can help you to open it yourself.  
 
 
If I can open mine，then you can yours. We are not physically any different. The wisdom eyes are same from the just-born infant to the ８０-，９０-year-old man. Once it's open，it is the same. When it isn't opened，it is all thus，all the same. It just that we couldn't use it，that's all. It is like a magnifying glass，if you don't take it up，you can't see the small words. If you forgot where it is，then you are helpless even though you have eyes，you cannot see.
 
 
Our wisdom eye at the moment is clouded with some obstructions made by our own ignorance and our previous deeds of un-virtuous actions. And now，to clean it，we need the hand of someone who knows. We need a great power from God，and this great power we have within us. We only have to open the tap and it runs out.
 
 
Like the water tank，full of water，but the tap is obstructed，and if the plumber，he comes and he clears it or he changes into a new one，and then the tap is in order again. And you just open it and the water will come rushing out，because water is already there. The plumber won't give you water; it is the water already in the pipe，it just needs adjusting，repairing，the tap. So if you wish，I could 『repair the tap』for you，free of charge and free of any condition.
 
 
But on one condition，yes，you should purify your life: you should follow a virtuous diet. From today we vow never to take life，flesh，again; never to take any life，never to tell a lie，never to steal. Exactly like the １０commandments of the Bible，or the five Buddhist householder precepts: you don't kill，don't tell lies; don't steal，don't commit adultery，don't drink alcohol or gambling or drugs，cigarettes…
 
 
We are to be intoxicated by God power and not by these cheap substitutes. Before we are allowed to do that，or we may do that in ignorance，because we are unhappy，we are craving for something，we don't know what is empty.
 
 
It's so empty inside，and we're unhappy. Despite all this money and civilized comfort，we feel somehow unsatisfied，so we look for cigarettes，we look for drugs，we look to gambling，we look for，maybe what we call sex or whatever，in order to satisfy.
 
 
We think that will satisfy us. And the more we use them，the more we feel exhausted and empty，and meaningless. So no one is truly happy after these things. So the more you take，the more you crave it，and the more you feel abused from body and mind.
 
 
So the real intoxication will substitute all this and make you satisfied，and you won't want even that，you won't even want it. So many of my disciples，smoking，drinking，５０years of their lives，just come，get initiation and nothing more，and just stop automatically. And God knows why，I know why: because they are happy within.
 
 
They're joyous. They've found it，they've found the joy，they've found the true satisfaction that they have been always longing for，life after life. And now the time has come，they must get it in order to feel good and feel happy，be one with God and go Home.
 
 
Other people，the time is not up. They still have to run around in this life doing some of their missions，or fulfilling whatever is needed to be done，for their part，for their evolution. And when the time's come，they also will look for an enlightened master，they also will look for a true path，and then they also will go Home.
 
 
And they'll also quit with all worldly attachments and desires. And 『to die』means truly die. When we meditate，we may see Heavens - that means you die. Only the dead ones can go to Heaven，understand that？Yes？The dead ones go to Heaven. So when we meditate，we may go to Heaven，visit for a while，or we may go to Buddha Land. Heaven is a little… I say it a little bit loosely.
 
 
Actually，Heavens are lower than the Kingdom of God. People use it loosely - Heaven and Kingdom of God is the same - it is because when Jesus goes around，people are used to with the word 『Heaven.』If he used other words，like Nirvana (the highest paradise)，nobody would understand.
 
 
So in Buddhism，we use 『Nirvana.』If I go to the Buddhists，I say it is Nirvana，but when I go to the Christians，I say it is the Kingdom of God. Then people understand both mean the same thing. Now，when we visit these Heavens or the most high Kingdom of God，that means we die for a while; we leave our body and go to the blissful sphere. That is what it means by dying daily.  
 
 
We can die like that any time we want，and come back to life at will. We can control this，we can even control our heartbeat，control our breathing - everything is done by us. So we can also go to Heaven，go to Buddha's Land at will，if we know how，if every day we practice. It is like we learn how to fly an airplane，and one day we fly to America just like that，because we can. We have done it，we practiced it，and we are used to it. Okay？Now，it's time for questions. Thank you for your undivided attention.
 
To have undivided attention is the real respect.
 
 
 
*You mentioned on Saturday that some sects got a partial enlightenment that ate meat. Wouldn't this be a way for us westerners？
 
 
『You mentioned Saturday that some sects got partial enlightenment，』means a little bit of enlightenment only，yes， 『that ate meat. Wouldn't this be a way for us westerners and gradually do without meat？』I understand. You want to bargain. Yes，then you go there，yes？Go there and get partly enlightenment，if you ever get one. Even to be partly enlightened，you must find a partly enlightened master，and these are very rare even. Because those who eat meat and drink wine and mess up with worldly pleasures hardly can leave them. And if you can't leave these，then you can't go to the Kingdom of God. God demands undivided attention.
 
 
If we worship meat，women，and other things before God，then God leaves us alone. 『Okay，enjoy.』Yes，God wants us alone. But the thing is，I don't mean you have to all become monks，yes？At least you don't have to become monks. You can still have wife and husband，just lead a little bit chaste，controlled sex life，and no other adultery，and that is easy to do，no？
 
 
And now with the meat diet，if you can't leave meat，then meat can't leave you. 『Meat for the belly and the belly for the meat，』and God shall destroy them both. You remember that in the Bible？Yes，don't say I preach Buddhist doctrine; it is in your Bibles，they say the same thing. And the Buddha forbade any kind of meat to the Buddhist practitioners. If you want to be partly enlightened，I may teach you also，or you may go find these partly ones.
 
 
But it is difficult，yes，and then if I teach you in this way，I'd feel a little bit irresponsible. Why is it so？Because I feel I have left you halfway if you just practice at home，with meat. And without a master，sometimes you run into difficulty. Yes？And then I could not completely help you out of this because you can't leave meat alone and the meat will cause a lot of disturbances when we go higher in consciousness. It's kind of a struggle，understand？
 
 
If you want to go very high is good. It's terrible. What is good about eating meat？Tell me. Don't you feel it is so bloody？Okay，think about it. Read my book about why we should be vegetarian and then think about it again. Maybe next year or next life I come back and we will discuss about that. This is a long subject so I could not really discuss here now.
 
 
 
*My name is Thục Minh， ６３years old. I have been a vegetarian for almost ７years. Being able to see you today，I really wish to receive the initiation from you. With reverence，please accept my plea. Thank you.
 
 
 
Okay. This woman，she's ６３years old，and she has been vegetarian since seven years and she begged me for initiation，and she says if I accept her，she thanks，and that's it. That's all there is. She wants to get initiation. Sure，sure. No problem，okay. Yes，no problem. Tomorrow，tomorrow. Another one？Seventy-two years old！
 
『My name is Bùi ThịBẩn，７２years old. I have been eating vegetarian food for a long time. Now I want to get initiation，vowing to be a vegetarian from today.』
 
Are you sure？
 
She's old and she also wants to get initiation. She promises to be vegetarian from today. So I say，『Really？Can you do that，to switch so quickly，so old？』She says， 『Oh，no problem.』
 
 
『Jesus told the apostles it was okay to eat meat，that all that God created was good，that it didn't matter what we put in our body through our mouth，but what matters is what we put in our spirit. So why is being a vegetarian a requisite for enlightenment？』Nonsense. Isn't it that eating vegetables like a ritual？No.
 
 
Jesus，since a child，was a vegetarian. He was born in an Essene family. It is like you were born in a Hindu caste - you eat vegetarian since childhood. It is like you're born in a true Sikh family，you also eat vegetarian since childhood. It also like you're born in a true Buddhist family，you eat vegetarian since childhood. And Jesus，in the Gospel，he said you could not eat meat.
 
 
And even in the Bible，God said…what？You remember？ 『Who told you to kill the bullock，the she-goat，and to make offering to me？Wash yourself from this innocent blood so I may hear your prayer，otherwise，I will turn my head away because your hands are full of blood.』Hes doesn't allow us to kill she-goats and he-goats to offer to God. How would Hes allow us to eat？Hes said，『These are innocent lives，repent yourself so I may forgive you.』Didn't Hes say so in the Bible so？Did you read this part？No？Go back and read the Bible.
 
 
And now，you only read what you want to read and then you，the people，twist it all around; the same with the Buddhists. In the Buddhist Bible，it is mentioned again and again in many places where you never can eat any sentient beings' meat. And then，you see，most Buddhists also say， 『I am a Buddhist and eat meat.』
 
 
So what can we say about this？No，nothing. So，you follow what you think is a compassionate way，you follow what you think pleases God. God created，didn't kill. Everything dies naturally，so if we force life to end abruptly，we take the right from God，understand that？Only God has the right to kill. We can't create anything，why do we kill？  
 
 
Jesus did not say that. Jesus said: Don't care - it means 『don't bother』- much about what you eat，and what you clothe. God will look after you.』That's what he means. What he meant is that his disciples should not worry so much about material comfort but should surrender to God and 『God will take care of you.』Therefore，he also said， 『Seek you first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added unto you.』
 
 
That is what it is. Jesus never told you to eat meat. He ate vegetarian since a child. Besides，he went to India for some ten，more，years，nineteen years or something，according to the research，and when he went to India，he learned with all Hindu yogis and Buddhist monks，and these were vegetarian from birth，you must know. Even if Jesus ate meat，when he followed these people for ten-some years，he could never go back to the meat diet again. I am sorry if you miscalculate this. Now，you read too little，that's the problem. You only choose the meat lines and forget the vegetarian line.
 
 
Question number two: 『Jesus said he sent us one Comforter，the Holy Spirit; he did not say he sent us many men as Comforters.』He didn't say one. 『So why is it said that Buddha or other masters are Christ or Comforters sent by Jesus？』No，Jesus was born after Buddha，so if we say it is 『sent，』means the Buddha sent Jesus. Jesus was 『younger』than Buddha. I'm sorry，you read it wrong. Buddha was not sent by Jesus because Jesus was born after Buddha. But anyhow，they're all the same.
 
 
Please don't argue about this point. God sends many Comforters，not only Jesus. Before Jesus there were Elias，there were many saints. Therefore，when somebody asked Jesus: Are you the reincarnation of such and such past master，like Elias，like so-and-so？Jesus didn't say anything，that he wasn't. He accepted by silence，understand？
 
 
So，before Jesus there were masters，and after Jesus there will be masters. Before Buddha，there were Buddhas，after Buddha，there will be Buddhas. God sends Buddhas，God sent Jesus，not that Jesus sent Buddhas. Anyhow，Jesus is a little bit younger. Number three: 『Are all babies reincarnated souls？』What do you think they are？Yes？
 
 
If they're not reincarnated souls，what are they？Reincarnated stone？Number four: 『How does reincarnation work？Does a soul that wants to be reincarnated waits for a woman to get pregnant？』It is like this: a soul can be reincarnated when his merit is complete for a human standard.
 
 
To be born as a human being，you must have a very virtuous life in the life before，or you have already paid all the bad sins that you have done previously. Now，to be born as a human being you have to possess the human qualities，like you are not killing，you are not committing adultery，you are not stealing，you are not lying，you are not gambling，drinking，drugging in the last life，and then this life you come back straight away，you're born as human again. But if last life you did something wrong according to these five precepts，then you are not born as a human.
 
 
Now，before a child is born，a soul is resting in some intermediate place，yes？And then when the cause is ripe，when a woman and a man have some affinities with this baby's soul，then he can come; not before that，yes？All the conditions have to be correct. You can't just go and be a son of anyone，or a baby of anyone.
 
 
So all of us，family members，are connected by cause and effect and conditions from many lives，according to Buddhism; you don't need to believe me，okay. Yes，another one: 『Or does a soul look at all the pregnant women and decide which one he wants to be born from？』I've already said. 『Or does a person get pregnant because a soul wants to get reincarnated？』I've said already，all the causes and conditions have to be ripe，altogether. Yes.
 
 
And this decided by what？- by the karma，or the so-called cause and conditions in the previous life. This book of life，or karma (retribution)，we can read when we go to a certain level of enlightenment，the Second World. There we have a library; we can get the books of life from everyone and know where he comes from，who he has affinity with，and what his future life is，but for the one who practices the enlightening method， the Quan Yin Method that I may teach you，you don't reincarnate  again except if he is willing to do so by his own will for some purpose to help others.
 
 
 
*This one wants to know how old you are，and is it necessary to meditate two-and-a-half hours every day and why？
 
 
It is necessary. Yes. How old I am，you can never guess. Can you say how old？The questioner may guess.
 
*Thirty-five.
 
So young？Eighteen？Thirty eight？Yes，something like that. Yes，in that way. Now，that doesn't matter. That's only the age of my physical body. I am as old as the world and as young as have never been born. Now，we have to meditate two-and-a-half hours because it is necessary to cleanse our soul，our infected areas，with a lot of elixir. Now，if you are dirty from all-day work，you come home，you need two gallons，no less.
 
 
Every day we mix in the world and are infected by others and affected by everyone around us，and by our own unavoidable misdeeds. For example，we breathe，we kill a lot of invisible beings. We eat vegetables，we kill vegetable life，understand？
 
 
Or we may step on worms and ants，and wash our hands; disinfecting kills a lot of invisible life. Understand？So these two-and-a-half hours is two gallons of water to wash our soul，understand that？Yes. If you wash with one-and-a-half gallons is also okay，but it's not completely clean. Then tomorrow，you add again some more dirt and then you only clean with one gallon. So every day you're not completely clean，and you may smell one day.
 
 
 
*You mention that only God has the right to kill. Can you please elaborate on this？Thank you.
 
 
Yes，because God created everything. Hes knows when a soul should change the clothes，not we. Understand？It's like you're working for a company and your boss is the one who decides which machine is good，complete，and can be sold out with a good price; which machine has defects and has to be broken up again and make it up in another form，understand？You cannot do that. If you do it by yourself… or you do it wrong or you think this machine is not complete， 『Okay，I take it home，』then you've committed a working mistake; your boss will kick you out or fire you，make you pay with money. Yes？That's the thing.
 
 
 
*When I am aware of my discontentment and longing to know a master or guide，how will I come to meet one that can help me and satisfy my emptiness？Also，do I have to come to the point of complete despair before this will happen？
 
 
It happened already. When you are ready，the master will come. It's always like that，not before. But if you think you're not sure，then go home and pray to God，『Please make me feel sure who is the one I may follow？Whom shall I follow？』But I have said already how to recognize a master. A master would not take anything from you for his or her own living.
 
 
He gives，and she gives，everything free of charge; only service and no demand. Then you lose nothing from the beginning anyhow. You don't fear anything. Now，the second sign to recognize a master is that she or he can give you the Bible- or the scripture-mentioned enlightened experience.  Yes？If an enlightened person can see heavenly light like a flame，can hear God's voice like thunder，then at least your master should，must，be able to give you this kind of basic experience.
 
 
Then you know he or she is a real master. Otherwise，how do you know？Everybody can write down here 『I'm a master.』Everyone can say he's a millionaireand never show you any money. The real master，not only she or he has to be enlightened，he or she must give you also the enlightened experience in one minute or two. That is a sign of a competent master，okay？