In this episode, Supreme Master Ching Hai explains that enlightenment is the only way to escape the trap of Maya, and the Master is always standing by to help us.
OK. Now, the hell is created in your mind, but it’s also outside your mind. Why do I say in your mind and outside? It is because everything is created by our own mind, but then we do not perceive that. And we think that is outside of us, and it causes us to suffer. And we still feel that we suffer very much from the hell or from whatever situation we create. But that is the trick of Maya. That is the trick of illusion. That is why people can never get out of them. Otherwise, no need for Buddha to come, no need for (Lord) Jesus Christ to come. Because it is so terrible, so unimaginable, the tricks of Maya – the great magician. He makes things like that. It’s Maya. It’s not a person, it’s just a force of nature to entangle, to enchant people, to trap people in this world. But at the meantime, we must struggle to go out of this illusion.
Well, if you read “Water Margin” – “All of the Four Seas are Brothers.” “Water Margin.” Have you read it? If you read all these kinds of Chinese stories before, they were kind of… “Mê Hồn Trận” (Labyrinth of Souls). Do you know it? “Mê Hồn Trận,” how do you say that in English? …To confuse your soul, this kind of… (Like some fantasy island, some…) You know… (A maze.) A maze, a maze? Is that right? Maybe. You know, in which you come in, and you don’t know how to go out. Everything looks real, and when you approach, it’s not real. These masterminds in Chinese battle, they sometimes create this kind of illusion to lure their enemies inside and kill them without having to kill. So, even if the mind of an ordinary being can create such strategy to trick people into it and see things as hallucinations with their own eyes and ears in normal condition, how would you think the creative force of the negative nature would create and trick us in this world?
The only thing to know all about this is enlightenment. No one can ever answer you in black and white what it is, and how it is made, and anything else, and how to get out. The only way to get out is Enlightenment! It’s our own illuminated mind to shine through all these corners of miseries.
(“Master mentioned that the sutras are just the stories of experiences of Buddha. However, is it true that what is written in the sutras is what the Buddha said after it is verified by three of His disciples?”) Yes, it is true. It is true. The sutras– the Buddhist scriptures – are true, and you can experience them again, these kinds of beautiful worlds. For example, Amitabha’s World, the world of the Medicine King, the world of other Heavens, etc., you can go there and visit now.
(“If you cannot be physically with the Master every day, how can you find the strength to stay on the path to enlightenment?”) Yes, we have faith and the inner experience every day to sustain our strength and our faith. Also, the Master is not the physical body. The Master can appear anytime, anywhere, and every day, every minute, by your side and help you. If you do not see the Master, at least you will feel the Master’s presence and you feel reassured of your practice and your progress. And also nowadays, you do not need to stick to the Master. You can write, you can telephone, you can use fax. Quick answer, quick reply. There is no barrier anymore. Moreover, as I told you, the Master can appear any time. And after the initiation, the Master looks after you at every step. You may sleep, but the Master will not. You may make mistakes, but the Master knows.
You may be in accident, but the Master will take you out or help you to lessen the intensity of the accident. You may be in sickness, but you don’t feel that much pain, because the Master will help you to soothe some of your suffering. And that is the duty of a real Master. And the Master does all kinds of things, all kinds of tricks to help you. That’s what’s good about having a Master. Otherwise, what for? We’re already helpless; we can’t do anything. We don’t know anything, and the Master just stands by and says, “Hey, you are so funny!”
The Master is everywhere, any time and helps you in any circumstance without you being physically near to the Master. But if you can be near the Master, of course, you take more advantage. In India, they say, “If you can be with your Master every day, then come every day. If you cannot be every day, then at least once a week. If you cannot be once a week, then once a month. If not once a month, then once a year. If not, then at least once in a lifetime, you must see the Master before you die.” But that is not truly necessary with everyone. Some people never see me, never know what I look like, but when they pray in my name, they get the answer, and they also see me appear over there.
I am so shy to talk about this, very embarrassed. But I have to tell you because it’s the truth. I am very embarrassed to talk about these things. I do not know why I talk about it. I generally do not mention these things. But just the question inspired this string of answers. And forgive me if I talk too much.
(This one is written in Chinese. I will repeat in English later. “If someone earnestly practices the Tao in this life, can he instantly clear the karmic obstacles brought over from past lives and change his destiny of this life?”
“A person who’s alive right now, if he practices very hard, can that get rid of all his karma and change this life, change the fate of this life?”) Yes, you can change somewhat. But the fate of this life is hard to change. You can change the whole karmic pattern from the past, so that you don’t have to go back to be reborn again in the future. But the fate of this life is already laid down and written, so you have to go through with it. But by your practice and by the Grace of your Master, your life will be smoother and more bearable. That’s all.
For example, if you have to have a car accident, you still have to have a car accident, but maybe you will not break your leg with it. Even though the car runs through, you might just get some bruises. And that’s all you get. Normally, without a Master, without practice, you would break the whole leg, and you’d become crippled. But with the Master’s help, you would just get some bruises, that’s all. But you still have to have an accident, and there is no escape from this life’s already-written-down fate. It’ll be smoothed out only. But the fate, the karma of many lives, the Master will burn away and erase, destroy, so you don’t have the karma to come back next life again. And that’s what we call “erasing the karma.” But not the karma of this life. You still get old, you still get sick, you still have to pay your debt, and you cannot become a millionaire in just one night because of enlightenment.
(Can I follow up real quick with what Your...?) Yes, yes, please. (You mentioned that... it seems like your life is written down when you are born.) Yes. (Does that mean the good karma that you do in this life does not affect this life? It only affects the next life?) Yes, it affects the next life, but it also affects this life somewhat. It affects, but it doesn’t change. It doesn’t change that much. Sometimes it affects this life, but not immediately. For example, what you did five years ago will affect you only ten years afterward. If you already have enough in this life, maybe it’s put off to the next. It’s not necessarily always put off to the next. Therefore, whoever follows the path of Truth has to take care that he doesn’t make any more karma that he has no time to pay up. So, we have to live a vegan life so that we owe no debt to the animal-people. We have to live a strict, virtuous life, so we do not incur more undesirable effects for our life, and that makes excuses for the next life. That is the benefit of discipline and virtues. It doesn’t mean if you keep the discipline and virtues, you can then go to Heaven. Oh, it’s not so easy. It’s just to keep our path clean and smooth.
(This is also written in Chinese.) Yes. (“Why is it that when we pray, God sometimes responds and other times not. Why?” Why sometimes when we pray, we got some response from God. Sometimes we didn’t get any response at all? Why?)
It is because our sincerity differs. Our intensity of prayer is different according to our mood. Now, you must know that God, or Gods, or Goddesses or Buddhas are all within us. So, when we pray, if we’re really deep in prayer and sincerity, and our prayer will get in touch with that innermost Wisdom, innermost Power– the Almighty God – then we get the answer. If we do not touch so deep within, then it doesn’t come through. Just like when the rain is not very hard, we just put up an umbrella, or just very thin layer of clothes will protect us from getting wet and cold. But if the rain is very hard, also windy, then even we… sometimes we wear the raincoat, it’ll just be blown away even. So, the intensity of our prayer, that’s what gets us the answer or not the answer.
(“The perfect world that Master mentioned, does it really exist? It seems difficult for people to believe. Does it exist when you believe, and not exist when you don’t believe? Is the perfect world You mentioned the same as the Heaven mentioned by Jesus Christ? Or are there two different worlds, two different Heavens?”
“Master mentioned about the Land of Buddha. Is that real? [Does it really] exist? It’s very difficult to convince people. Do you have to believe it in order to get it? If you don’t believe it, you don’t have it? Is that the same Heaven that [Lord] Jesus Christ mentioned? Or are there two different types of Heaven?”)
There are different types of Heaven. And there is one type of Highest Heaven, that is what we call the Kingdom of God. Now, according to our practice and merit and sincerity, we go to different levels. So that’s called different Heavens. And those beautiful Lands do exist. Do exist. We can go and visit them in order to believe. We don’t need to believe their existence if we do not see them; I do not blame you. So, I offer you the way to believe it. I have to prove it to you. So, after initiation, maybe you’ll see these Lands immediately or may be just sometimes later, and then you can believe. We cannot believe things that we cannot see. That is correct. That’s not atheist. It’s just honest and logical and down-to-earth. So, I never condemn people who are not religious or who lack faith. I just understand that they lack information and lack of practical proof, so they cannot believe. So I offer them a way to believe.
Photo Caption: “Humbly Offer What Can Do”
