All right, so you want to ask any questions?



*At one time, I felt very light, very... It was beautiful, the feeling I had, and it was becoming too strong - I was going, my body was moving, really - and I couldn't control it. So, I don't know… I was scared a little bit. I asked the [Quan Yin] messenger, and he said, “Don't worry, it will pass away,” and it passed. It stopped, and now I miss it. I miss it. It doesn't really... it's not the same, and I'm just worried.



I see. What to do?



When you have a good experience, or whatever experience, just stay cool, stay cool. Otherwise, you complain, and then God says, “She doesn't want it! All right, all right,” and take it back. You don't have to have it, okay? Don't have to ask the [Quan Yin] messenger about the things that are not harmful to you. As long as you feel light and happy, it should be a good experience. Keep it. Zip it up. No good to get excited over things that do not matter at all because God is inside you.
 
 
Hes hears everything that you want, so you'd better keep it. Or, next time, if it's too much, then you just pray, okay? If it's pleasant, better don't talk. Sometimes it's also like this. If you share a good experience with other people, sometimes they don't like it. Not because they don't like you to have it, they just feel heavy, “How come she has it, and I don't have it?”
 
 
And the negative energy that she generated - the depressed feeling, the envious vibration that she sent at that time or later on - will also make obstacles for our meditation. That's why the Master advises you not to talk about it, okay? - not that any Master is so “dictative” or so unreasonable. “Why the good things can't we share?”
 
 
The good things cannot always be shared. Would you share your husband with somebody else? That's a good thing to you. No. Also, good things also depend on people's opinion. And something that's good to you, it might not be good to someone else, so that's why we should not talk about our experience, unless it's very unpleasant and disturbing. Then, of course, we seek the Master's or the teacher's guidance. If it is good, keep it. Keep it, otherwise you'll have a lot, a lot of obstacles. The more people you tell, the more troubles you invite in.
 
 
Same with spiritual practice. It's the rule. Once it's registered in the brain or something, it will send out a signal, “That's no good. That's no good for me. I don't like that she has it better than I do.” Similar with all the kinds of material possessions, if you have a car and the neighbors don't have, they also feel envious of you, and sometimes the agitated atmosphere, also you can feel it. All right? That's the reason why we don't have the same spiritual experience once we've disclosed our best. All right. You are welcome.
 
 
But you will have it again, okay? Rest assured. Meditate more often and pray to the inner Master. From today, you will have it, okay? Not every day, but you will have it the way that you did and more, okay? - more. That is not the best experience anyhow, so don't worry about it.
 


*I have to say thanks very much that I can see you, Master. When I was reading your books two years ago, I didn't know how I could contact to find more about your books. I just feel that's my whole life I'm waiting for. Before meeting you in my life, everybody thinks my life is so good, but I felt depressed. I felt my family had a lot of problems. “How can I take care of my husband and daughter?” When reading your books, I felt everything, the problems were gone naturally. After I read your books and teaching, I just felt like crying. I wanted to see you. So today, I can see you. I feel very, very happy.


(What did you do?)



*Two years ago, I went to the Edinburgh exhibition and got your book, the small book. I didn't know where I could buy more books, so I waited for the second year. I went to the exhibition again, so I bought all your books. So I understand more and more. My life, questions, problems - all you talked about. So I said, “That is life. So I understand life more.” So that's the story. I said, “That's what Master tells me, teaching me how to take care of children. I must have patience, she is only three years old.” So you teach me a lot of things anyway. Thanks very much. It's more peaceful, everything, now.


Thanks God. (I am more happy.)

I'm also happy for the sake of that kid.

*Wonderful… some books…



*You helped through my meditation - so wonderful! When your magazine came, my daughter said, “Mom, you are always in the magazine.” So she asked me who the person was, because my husband and my daughter said that I look like Master. (You are more pretty.) My husband said that “yes, you look like sisters.” So afterward he meditates, too. Everything… my husband, so I feel… my family, everything, is much happier than before.

Good, good.



*Because he has a disability, I didn't have the patience, so how can I take care?
So, after reading your seven, eight books, it's like everything… I learned a lot, a lot. Thank you very much for teaching me how to solve problems in life and the love with my children and my husband, my family.



I am glad to hear that my books helped you and your family.



*Now my dream becomes true.



Even though as a spiritual practice, if we do not introspect ourselves, we could still be very selfish. That's why we must remember the precepts and the noble idea of a greater love, of a greater job, a greater sacrifice. Otherwise, everything disturbs us; we would want to destroy immediately just to free ourselves. But that's not real freedom. Maybe momentarily we are free, but later we are not, okay? So whatever the situation we are in now, we better just bear it, okay?
 
 
If we cannot… after our best, we cannot avoid it, then bear it. Don't try to destroy things or people just to be free, because we will not be free - our conscience will bother us the whole life. So my advice for some of you who have not been initiated, or initiated people, before if you have done such thing, like, against your conscience or something like that, okay, now forgive yourself. And now we know, we don't do it again.
 
 
Whatever we made a mistake in the past, we don't make it again - and that's very important. Mistakes are not bad, as long as you don't do it again. As long as you recognize it and finish with it. Because the saints say, “To err is human” - to make mistake is human - and to repent is saintly. It's not that we are not allowed to make mistakes or are not allowed to think bad thoughts sometimes; it's not controllable.
 
 
But at least we are human: we have a brain, we have wisdom, we should know which one is good for us and we choose always the best one. Because by our choice, we can make ourselves more noble, more loving, or less noble, less loving, and make a miserable, useless life out of our existence. So we always have to think before we make a choice. And that's the purpose of keeping the precepts and the vegetarian diet and all that, because it's reminding us of the more noble choice that we should make. Otherwise, we can do anything we want in our life, even the police catch us or not catch us, it's not the question.



This is just to show you that even such a sweet and beautiful lady like that can be forced by pressure and by circumstance into a very negative being. So that's why we have to always take care that we don't have the situation and the pressure to trouble us.



We have to always know where to go and what to do. Even though under pressure, we still have to know something because we have wisdom. That's why we have to practice meditation. Not that after meditation, you would never think bad or do bad things again - you still think because of the habit, but at least you have the wisdom to control, to know which choice is best, is the noblest and the most human, the most saintly for us to make. All right?
 
 
Karma (retribution), situation, pressure are terrible on humans' soul. We struggle to survive in this kind of pressurized society and atmosphere. We always have to keep ourselves together, otherwise we can break down any time and forget our noble purpose. Sometimes people have to do something, and you look… it's so hard and so trying for them but, actually, it's good for them. It trains their spirit, trains their mind, trains their body, and they grow up by that. So, actually, we should not be too fanatic about everything in life. Otherwise, I tell you, vegetables also have feelings and then what shall we do? After initiation, we all starve and die, and don't breathe, either, you know?
 
 
Because in the air, we have beings, invisible viruses and bacteria; you kill them all when you breathe them in. The ground that you trample on with your feet, every step kills something. And when you wash your hand, you disinfect things - kill a lot of beings, even though invisible to the eyes. So what shall we both do? We go to the Himalayas, freeze ourselves, say good bye. Okay, we have to live under circumstances, not to be too hard on yourselves.


 

*It just used to calm my mind before starting.


 

You can, you can. Yes, do some exercise, and breathing normally, like breathing a few deep breaths. It's all right. But don't concentrate on that breath, all right, honey? Because it is material still; it is not permanent.


 

* I just want to say thank you for putting a smile on my face. It made me very happy.



Really?



*I was very miserable before, but now I can smile.

Why? But you are happy now?


*I want to cry now.


Yes. Cry, honey, cry.

*Thank you for everything you've done for me, Master.



You should thank yourself for bringing yourself this kind of gift of life, thanking yourself for being so wise to choose this kind of noble practice, thanking yourself for letting me help you.



*Thank God for putting you on this Earth and helping us all.



Yes. We do that sometimes. We do go here and do something. (I love you.) Thank you. I accept that. Yes, yes. It's nice to hear some feedback, (Thank you so much.) it's very welcome. Thank you. It's very nice and encouraging for me always to hear some feedback, even though sometimes I do not allow it for the reason that we don't have time, for all the people with more urgent information or urgent questions. For people who are already happy, I normally just cut them short. I say, “Okay, okay. That's enough. What's the question?”
 
 
Not because I don't like you to talk. It's just sometimes I think if people are already happy, let them. Then it's okay. I don't have to worry about them. Just people who are in trouble, then I should know. That's all. Okay? But it's really nice every time to hear some feedback.



Hearing from you like this, it's very encouraging for me. So, it's very nice always to hear some feedback from you. Also nice for the initiates; they also have the same, and also they have encouragement, or if the one who doesn't have it yet, okay, have more faith. “Yes, it helps her. It must help me, too,” some new ones. So I thank you so much.



*We, the new initiates, to us, you are our mother. What can we do to give back, for you to have something to feed on and get positive energy and healing and all these things that we get from you?



Thank you so much. Okay, just your nice thoughts are already healing. You can send me nice thoughts like that. It's fine. When people think nicely about you or worry about you or pray for you, that is the healing power, okay? So that's why we always have to be nice to each other, so they'll send you positive energy. Well, anybody can do that.



*Thank you, Master, for being here. We've been waiting a long time to see you. You know, video, and start watching the video, waiting for you.



*I like your realistic view. When you have other Masters, there's a romantic kind of view painted on life. They don't feel pain or everything is graceful, everything is blissful, but you talk about your pain, you relate to others, and I… I really thank you for that,



(I'm just honest.)

*because you bring the truth home and I'm really grateful for that.



I swear to God I'll always be truthful. That's what it is. You don't romanticize about Mastership.
I tell you, it's the hardest job in the universe; but it's okay, you don't even understand it. I tell you, you understand me but you don't realize it anyhow, so it's all right. I have pain, I have pleasure, I have everything that you have except that I know them for what they are.
 
 
I value them or use them for specific purposes, instead of letting them control me or drag me down. That's all. That's the purpose for all of us when we practice the wisdom, so that we can choose what is better for us and for the people around us. Not that I become Master and all my passion annulled, finished - no. That is like talking about a Buddha statue.



*Thank you, Master. (Yes.) My wife was initiated three years and nine months ago. When I talked to her by international call yesterday, I said, “I will be initiated today,” she cried immediately.



Why is that? So happy?



*She has waited for so much time, so long, three years and nine months.



*You have been very bargaining: next year, next year, next year. Good for her, good for you. But you take your time to consider, make sure that the path you follow is correct and that you will keep it later.



*Actually, that's what I told my wife. My son also was initiated last year in Formosa (Taiwan). So my whole family… actually, we are already a whole family now.



Congratulations!



*Actually, I have a question. Because, normally, especially during winter, there are quite a few homeless people on the street. So, we would like to show our sharing with them. So sometimes we give them money or sometimes we give them some other… But sometimes, apparently they just need money to go to the pub to have a couple of drinks. At that time, if I think that he is, normally his intention is bad, I would not give him money.
 
 
If I have something instead, like a bag of bread or cookies or sweets, then just I pass to them. (Yes, fine.) But the problem is, there are so many homeless people on the street, I would not prepare a lot of bags like Santa Claus. So what you recommend we should do?


 

You give what you want. Be spontaneous. I always prepare some money in my pocket. Whenever I see a homeless, I just give him a bunch; I don't care what he does with it. But it's up to you. Of course, you have to give to whomever you feel good about it. So when I give, I don't think. I always respect the people that give me the chance to do this honor, to honor myself and to honor him. I would not think negative about the person who gives me such an honor of loving kindness. So give, don't think - don't think of the result. (Thank you, Master.) Okay, pray to God for him and then give him as you'd give to God, and God does whatever God wants with God's money, okay? Yes, you can. No problem.



*What would be the karmic (retributive) implications of spending one's free thoughts on sending loving kindness out to all people? Is there any responsibility that would go with that, or would you recommend that?



When we meditate, we already have a very noble purpose in mind. That's why we meditate: we want God. And that is the most loving kindness we could send out to anybody, to the world.



They benefit automatically, but in some cases, for our own good, we feel “okay, I send today loving kindness to this person specially - special gift, more personal.” It's fine too. People always benefit from a very loving and friendly vibration anyhow, but meditation is already good in itself. When you always think of God in your mind and contact with God, the benefit just comes out automatically. God knows what to take care.
 
 
At that time we don't need to send, but of course, when someone is sick or ill or needs our help or needs our prayer, we direct to that and that's very quick and beneficial. At least to ourselves, we'd think, “I am kind.” At least you've done your duty and your conscience feels good. Okay? So whatever we give, it benefits us immediately.



*Thank you, Master.



Welcome.



*I am very glad to be initiated, but I have a question. What do you think about the modern science? I do some research on computer science. I found nowadays many people do their work, do research in academia. It's a game, just games, as I think work is to… it's not necessary, just for some games. If I write a paper to attend the international conference, I found that to do this game, it is nice. Just for me it's not useful.



Why? Then why do they make the conference?

*Yes. Many professors or some research scientists in this world are doing these kinds of things. I have met many… some very famous professors, scientists in UK.



Well, they are doing their job.



*So what do you think about the science for this world?



It's not about the science that we should think about, it's about the individuals who operate in science. Sciences are vast, and we, of course, should pursue and research a lot of things for the benefit of mankind, but if some people choose not to do it, or just do a little short while for the sake of having a Ph. D., well, that's their choice. People can choose to be more noble, more dedicated, or choose to be just ignorant and selfish. What can we do about it? But that's not science; that's individual quality, okay?



*Yes, but the problem is all these works, all the people... For example, for the education for the young people nowadays, many students are studying, spending more time on studying some science. Maybe these things are not useful, comparing with the spiritual life. This world is not good, we should go to high level. (Yes, that's right.)
 


Okay. I understand. I understand. We spiritual people still need food, still need medicine, still need clothing, still need everything. So that's the job of science, okay? And of course you cannot expect that all the science students become excellent, or become great scientists like Einstein or other great scientists. But, well, at least they know how to clean their hands, disinfect their laboratory, and don't make the bacteria jump out of the tube into your throat, for example like that.
 
 
It's already helpful. Just like in the literature class, not all students will become a literature professor later. They will do something else, and they can make use of whatever they learn from the school. We just have to go the middle way. Everything is all right. Science is good. Spirituality is also a science, and then if we have material science, also, it helps people. Many people don't practice spiritually, so they have to rely more on material science.
 
 
We can't just cut off everything, okay? They are doing fine. They are doing fine. Even though out of 1,000, maybe only one distinguished and excellent scientist, but that's the way it is with the world. That's the way it is with diamonds and gold: it's not stone, it's not dust, it's not the leaves in the forest.


*Hallo, Master. Could you talk about the difference of ego and self-confidence?



“Self-confidence” is that you know what you are and what you have. “Ego” is that you don't know anything and insist that you do it your way. For example like that, okay? “Self-confidence” is just you stating the fact, like “I can do this. I have learned it. I have done it before, I can do it again.” That's no problem. That's self-confidence.
 
You're just stating the fact, the ability that you have. “Ego” is just... okay, you argue with everybody, you say no to every question, to every request, even if you know or not know it's right, you just say, “No! That's not possible. No way.” Things like that. Just because you argue for the sake of arguing, instead of you argue from fact or from knowledge for the benefit of others, or just for the fairness of the argument - and that is self-confidence.
 
 
You talk about what you know, you guarantee what you can. The ego is just very troublesome… troublemaker. It just denies everything, even the good things, and damages everything, even when he doesn't know how beneficial that thing is - just insists on being right all the time, or most of the time, despite any fact, any benefit of the knowledge. You just think you are the best when you are really not; you just think you know everything; you proclaim that you know everything when you don't. For example like that, okay? That's ego.



*Hallo, Master. Thank you for coming to England. (Hallo.) Before I was initiated, I used to do breathing exercises and they used to help me to concentrate. (Hatha Yoga?) No, Pranayama, (Pranayama, yes.) with visualization and observation. (Yes.) They used to help me a lot; and… since initiation I've been told that they are detrimental to this spiritual practice, and I'd like you to explain why it would be? Because I felt that would really help me.



You can do a few deep breathing exercises, that should be enough. Because everything that takes your concentration somewhere else except the wisdom eye is harmful to you; it's detrimental to your spiritual practice. You are trying hard now to get back the concentration to where it belongs, at the seed of the soul, and if it wanders to the nostril or to the throat or to even down lower-level of chakras, then it's a waste of time for you.
 
 
You just now try hard for half an hour, sweating like mad to concentrate on the wisdom eye, and half a minute later you concentrate again at the nostril and tomorrow you bring it back again, then you're confusing yourself. Very difficult to bring our attention to the wisdom eye already. 
 

After over twenty years of sharing her knowledge on how to live a balance life while pursuing a spiritual path, Supreme Master Ching Hai continues to dedicate her time and effort to uplift and enhance the life of all beings.
In recent years, she has written and published three animal books – “The Dogs in My Life,” “The Birds in My Life,” and “The Noble Wilds” – to introduce humankind to the magical world of animals. Supreme Master Ching Hai shared that the books she wrote are works of love:

Motivated by her unconditional love and overflowing compassion for our planet and all of its inhabitants,
Supreme Master Ching Hai continues to selflessly accepts invitations to share her insights and wisdom on a kinder, nobler, and more loving way of life at gatherings with our Association members, symposiums,radio interviews,or via videoconferences and the like.

On December 12, 2008 Supreme Master Ching Hai accepted the invitation to be the Guest of Honor for the “Celestial Art: Glorifying Earth with Heavenly Beauty” book release event in Fountain Valley, California, USA. “Celestial Art” is a new book that features Supreme Master Ching Hai’s exquisite art creations, along with excerpts of her profound spiritual teachings.