Master Says

International 4-Day Retreat in Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, December 26, 1997 (Originally in English)

There are some things I want to share with you, but these things I have told you a lot of times. Some of you seem not to have understood or not to remember so I will try to remind you again about how to sit for a better, peaceful meditation. Number one, you meditate in a group. You do group meditation either in your house or in the Center, the official Center. It is always helpful when you sit together in meditation. Some of you, if you find sitting face to face is stronger or more assuring, then you could do that. And before that, you should wash your face with cool water, then you'll be more awake during meditation. Before or after washing your face, you could walk around for a while, preferably in the fresh air. For many of you, my teachings verbally are still very, very useful, so please try to watch more videos or listen more to the tapes, and put them into practice.

The reason many of you don't have the desired result in meditation is that you do not put my teachings into practice. Many times, I have seen that. For example, I tell you that when you come here, put everything else behind, forget your families for a while, forget everything else for a while. But then the next minute, you come and tell me, "My kid is like this, my mother is like that, my father is sick, I am sick"; everyone, you bring the whole village here. (Laughter) I mean some of you, not all of you, thank God. But just one or two persons are enough to spread dust around here, make trouble for me, and then in turn I infect you with my temper - the "Lion Roar" method.

You have read in the Buddhist Bible that the Buddha sometimes used the "Lion Roar" method. He was supposed to have used eighty-four thousand methods to teach the disciples, and one of them was the "Lion Roar" method. A lot of people keep asking me, "Master, why don't You use that method on us? You seem to be missing something, like You teach only one method." No, I teach eighty-four thousand methods. And the "Lion Roar" method, you often experience, so don't ask me anymore. The Buddhist people think it's some mysterious method that I don't teach, and keep asking me all the time. They read too much of the Bible, the Buddhist Sutra that says "Lion Roar" method. Didn't you experience that during all these fifteen years? Yes! You still want some more of that? (Audience: No!) Okay, enough. I don't want to teach it often, either; it's energy consuming.

The reason why I talk a lot is not because I like to talk. If you know some of my friends from before, some of my colleagues or some people who studied sometimes with the same teacher or in the same class with me, they know I never talked. And if people tried to talk to me a lot, I would tell them off. "This is not the place to talk, especially during eating," and all that. Yesterday I saw one of my old "fellow practitioners" and she reminded me that I used to tell people not to talk to me during eating or meetings, unnecessarily. I remember that is true; I didn't talk. I was a very quiet person. Not only in the family, but in any ashram or in any gathering I kept to myself. She said I used to meditate 24 hours. She remembered me, but I did not remember her yesterday. She invited herself to lunch with me (laughter) and that's how I came to remember her. But I do remember her now, because she was very lovely. She didn't talk much, and she was a very good fellow practitioner. After she reminded me, then I remembered. I don't remember them because I don't talk or interact too much with them anywhere. I apologized to her for not remembering her, because I really didn't notice people. I've told you also that I don't notice you so much unless you have worked with me for a long time, and then of course I remember you. I apologize again, sister. You should call me "sister" not "Master" because we used to have the same teacher at one time. I have had many teachers, as I've told you.

Be Concentrated, One-pointed and
Respect the Master's Teachings

She said to those at lunch that I used to meditate kind of 24 hours and I didn't talk. That is the truth, and this is the way you should be if you want to be like me. If you think I'm your idol, your idealistic woman or practitioner, that is what you should do. There is no secret. You have to be concentrated, one-pointed, and respect the teacher's teachings as long as you are still with him or her. Suppose one day you think that I am no good, or for any reason you walk out, this is fine. But as long as you're here, you should be concentrated, one-pointed, and pay attention to what I instruct you to do. Then you will have a good result. If, after you do all this and you don't have a good result, I don't blame you if you walk out on me - anytime. But if you don't put my teachings into practice, you do not pay attention to what I advise you, then if you walk out on me, I will feel sorry for you. And you should feel sorry for yourself because you did not do your homework properly and you missed out on the great opportunity to grow and to achieve what you so much desire to achieve.

If I teach you anything bad at all, you should tell me right away. If you doubt me, ask me; that is correct. These days, some of you have expressed your doubts and your opinions about me, and I have not gotten angry about that. I have explained to you why. Any criticism, I welcome; any doubt, I understand. And after I explain to you and if you still do not believe me and don't understand, it is all right to go. But if you believe me, and you want to try, then you must try all your best in order to get the best result for yourself. Since you have come already, you spent so much time, effort, money and hope, then you might as well do the best. That is all there is. It's not that it is a must for me, or if you don't do it, it is a sin or anything. No. It is a sin to you, yourself; you have wasted your effort and money.

Should you think it is not worth it, then don't come; don't bother in the beginning. Spend your time and your energy pursuing something else, someone else that you think will be more beneficial to you. It is all right, because everyone has affinity to different teachers. Different levels of understanding will meet different people, different teachers. If you meet a bad teacher, that is your own karma, your inner quality that attracts this kind of Master. Your inner aspiration doesn't deserve a better Master, so don't blame the teacher; blame yourself. Anytime you find some teacher is wrong, you change, and know that was you, who attracted this kind. (Applause)

If Obstructions Occur During meditation

If you should have any obstructions at home, like you feel some invisible being disturbs you and that you cannot meditate very well, or if you feel restless or agitated, you have two kinds of solutions. You can put on my chanting, music, or teaching tapes, in the background - not at the back of your "ground," but in a low volume in front of you. Never put anything behind you because your attention will be pulled backward and it will be more difficult for you to concentrate in the front. It is not that you cannot do it; it is just not favorable for you. Put the tape, TV, music, everything, in front - whatever you want to hear anytime, even the telephone, fax machine, anything. If you have to sit in an office, face the machine. In case it rings, it will ring in front of you, and doesn't pull your attention backward. That would make it very difficult to pull it back to the front again. And when you listen on the phone, listen with the right ear. Make it a habit; don't listen with the left ear. Everything that pulls the attention to the left or behind you is not advantageous to you. Remember. That is one thing. Another thing is that you can recite the Holy Names loudly for as long as necessary, or an hour every day, until the situation improves.

This is another prevention method for you, if you are fearful, sometimes you feel invisible beings around you or behind you, or if you were possessed before you came to me and you're still fearful. You can put my pictures around you like a circle. You have plenty of pictures; they don't have to be big - just small. It's not the size that counts, it is the person. Even with small pictures, just make a circle around you. The Tibetan tradition of the mandala is a leftover from this kind of practice. They always drew a circle. That was the beginning of it when the teacher taught them to sit in a circle with some of the artifacts that the Master had blessed and given to them for souvenirs. Full of the Master's love and blessing, they just surrounded themselves. Later they got more fanciful. They added all kinds of things - flowers, incense, sand, color, and so forth.

You can do anything else you want as long as you feel good - as long as you feel safe, secure, and protected. Put my pictures around, put flowers as well if you want, incense or whatever, candles also. But don't make too much smoke and then you cough all the time. (Laughter) The incense or smoke from the candles, even though it's romantic and it looks spiritual, many times it can cause irritation. Then you will have a sore throat or some congestion in your chest later. It is a long-term side effect and no good. But if you can tolerate it, it's okay. I don't forbid anything in our practice as long as it makes you feel good. You can even do the beads or recite a rosary, whatever; but then you become too attached to those beads and that habit and you forget to concentrate here. (Master points to Her wisdom eye.) It's difficult to call back again.

Every day we are already attached too much to the outside world. In the morning, we get up, we have to wash our face, clean our teeth, and put on makeup or put on a tie. That is already too materially conscious. In the job, we put our consciousness on money and even when we go home, we still think of money. So, every day we meditate on woman, man, ties, jewelry, make-up, or money already. That's why when we have time for ourselves to meditate, we should put our attention inward. It is not that any master or I, myself, forbid you to do this or do that because we are fanatic, because we are authoritative; it's not true. We should just forget everything else; just concentrate inside the wisdom center. But when you concentrate, you look right in the front.

When you look right to the front, that is physically speaking; actually, when you look with the wisdom eye, it is inside. Besides, we are not inside, we are not outside; we are not anywhere. It is just a matter of speaking so you know how to do it physically. Otherwise, when you close your eyes and shut your ears, everything else is inside. Then you have no contact with the physical world that much. You will be inside and alone with yourself, and then know yourself, realize yourself again - that you are the spirit, that you are God, that you are the Buddha. That is why all the rosaries, beads, etc. at that time will be more detrimental, more obstructing, to our concentration. It's not that it is no good. Everything that reminds you of God is good - a picture, a rosary, a cross, a Buddha statue, anything is welcome. Except when you meditate, it is better to put down everything absolutely, because you are the Buddha, you are the cross, you are God. There is no need for any other reminders.

But the mandala is just to protect you when sometimes some of the people, some rare individuals, fear the invisible beings that disturbed them before and the haunted memories that still disturb them, or they fear the darkness. That is why in the old time, they lit a candle to meditate, so that person did not feel fearful. So, sometimes I advise some of you that you can leave the light on, and that is all right. However, it doesn't mean that we have to do it all the time or everyone has to do it. But then, one learns from another and says, "Oh, I feel good after the candle is on," and all that, and everyone does it. It just becomes a habit. It should not be that way.

When you sit, you should be alone - no need of any artifacts, no need of candles, no need of flowers, no need of incense. Everything is distracting anyhow. The candle flickers, flickers, flickers; the incense smells and, "Ahchu!" (Master pretends to sneeze.) (Laughter.) And you sit there and think, "This is frankincense. I don't like it; I like sandalwood better." (Laughter) You argue with yourself back and forth, and then two hours are gone. Next time, you put some other flower, "Oh, roses! I'm allergic to roses. I prefer chrysanthemums," and blah, blah, blah. Then you spend all your time going out to buy chrysanthemums just because the neighbor told you that when he meditated, he put chrysanthemums and it looked like Master came, it felt so good, he meditated better, and so forth.

Blind faith is a detriment; it is detrimental to your practice. Everything everyone tells you, including my speech, you should prove it. You should analyze it, whether it is logical, before you accept it. I think you accept most of my teachings or all of my teachings because they are logical to you; they don't defy your intelligence. They're in accord with your intelligence, with common sense, with the most logical thinking you can think of, and that's why you accept them. Should they not be logical to you, you are free to deny them, or tell me right to my face, write a letter to me, or whatever, and let me try to explain to you if I can. If not, and if you still don't accept them, then that means you think differently. That is okay. We all have different choices to live our lives and different choices of thinking. That is all right with me, but don't waste your time if you already know it is not for you. And if you're here, try all your best to do it, so that you get the best out of your money, your effort, and your time.

You can also massage your wisdom eye with a little oil, or alone. If it's too dry, then with the oil, it goes smoother. It also helps with the wrinkles in some old persons, like me. (Laughter) I don't do it often; I just do it when I put on make-up. If you have difficulty in concentration, you could massage a little with your thumb or with your fingers up to the wisdom eye, and then you stop right there. (Master points to the area just above and between the eyebrows in the middle of the forehead.) Stop like this, or you just massage it, and then stop afterwards.

Love and Practicing

When you come to a retreat or group meditation, it's better not to look around too much. I know I told you if you don't look at women, you are not normal, (laughter) but that is for that guy only, just to let him know that he is normal. He is single, a bachelor, and, of course when he sees beautiful women he looks. But the less you look, the better for you. Especially when you are already married or have a girlfriend, or have a husband or boyfriend. The less turbulence, the more you can concentrate to work on your relationship, and you will derive much more benefit and happiness from that relationship. It will boost your confidence and your enthusiasm to go on with everything in life, including the practice of spiritual meditation. Just don't indulge in all these physical pleasures too much and then you'll be too tired to sit in meditation, too little time to devote yourself in spiritual practice. That is why everything in moderation is fine.

If you need to go find a boyfriend or girlfriend, if you feel lonely and want someone to talk to, to accompany you everywhere you go, then it's all right. But don't look around anymore. Once you find one, stick with it and work for it because that is how you'll be happy. The more partners you have, the less happy you are, believe me! That is why all the Masters advise you to take only one spouse. It's not because they're jealous of you or tell you anything else. It's not about being moral, even; it is for your own sake that you should be married or only have one partner. Apart from being immoral, of course, it causes harm, hurt and injury emotionally to other people if you're flying around too much, hitting everyone in the heart. It creates unhappiness when you do that - very, very unhappy. You will feel empty.

There is a difference between making love and having sex. I am sorry to have to tell you straight. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Making love is that you are involved - emotionally, spiritually, bodily, mentally - together, to be one, to be united with your partner, sharing all this love and affection you have. All of your being is involved in it.

Having sex is just satisfying this temporary lust for a while, and then you will feel very empty. Sometimes you will feel very guilty and get sick from it, and get terrible diseases also. Because you do it as a habit, any partner will do, you'll forget to be cautious. And your body resistance is not there to even combat the disease, should it be there, because you're low in moral standards, in emotional fulfillment, low in spiritual guard, and low in mental preparation. Everything is low at the time when you just have casual sex. Your body's weak, your mind is weak, your spirit is weak, and so when you catch a disease, you're finished.

Making love to your partner is different. You feel blissful; you feel loved; you feel affectionate; you feel togetherness; you feel trust. Everything is high: Your emotions are high; your mind is high; your spirit is high; your passion is high. Your love is full. That's why you are a different level being. Nothing can touch you. You're equipped with all resistance. Should any little disease come to you, your body repairs it. It doesn't even come to you, because the whole being is prepared for this supreme act of love, dedication, and unification between two persons. You become like one, so everything is all right. Everything is pure. You don't feel filthy; you don't feel guilty; you don't feel empty afterward. You don't feel exhausted. You might be a little tired but just from happiness. This is not like the exhaustion and the emptiness, the sucked-out feeling, when you abuse the act of sexuality just for your own satisfaction physically. That's entirely different. That's why we have to be faithful, to work at our relationship, because it will bring us happiness. For us, it is number one, and everything else is number two.

Any precepts that the Masters in the old time gave to us are the ocean of wisdom. They are not restrictions; they are not a controlling method; they are not a dictating kind of statement. They are for our own sake and happiness, and it would be very, very wise to follow. So, if you don't want any trouble, stop looking around too long. You can be polite and friendly, but don't deliberately look for trouble - especially someone else's. If you know it, don't look. Of course, sometimes you don't know and you look, then you have trouble. But that is something else. If you already know, don't start. It is bad enough that you don't know and you start. Then later you have to take care of it. But if you already know that they belong to someone else, you had better never, ever start because you will get into deep trouble.

Once you have someone else already, the past one, you should just put behind you. It doesn't serve you. Normally when we look at the past, it is always better. We forget the bad parts; we only remember the good parts. But the present is the best. When you look after your present situation, your present relationship, it always brings you immediate benefit. If you always look at the past, or the future, it brings you nothing but worry, sorrow, regret, and illusion. So, always look to the present, whether it is in business, in spiritual practice, in retreat, or in personal relationships, because that is the only thing that brings you benefit right now. The past cannot do anything.

We always have illusions about the past - that it is good. It is not good. The problem occurs when you go to retreats, you cannot put down everything the way you should, the way I always ask you to do. That is why you come up to the stage and ask me all kinds of nonsense. I am patient until I burn out. If you ask a very low-level question, you can bring the atmosphere to a lower level, too - throw dirt on everyone. Somehow, we would be all affected, and I have to clear it in a different way. Please forgive me if I use a "Lion Roar" method sometimes. I could use another method - the "Tiger Roar" method. If it will make any difference to you, I'll change. (Laughter) All right, that is about bettering your meditation.