You Are Buddha

I hope that the more you are enlightened, the more you are natural. But the problem with us is, the more you kind of respect me. I don't know why that is. Respect is okay, but being natural is better. Respect in your heart, and just a very ordinary respect, like you would respect another Bodhisattva next to you, because they all are. Just the way I respect the nurses and the doctors, that's it. That's enough. I respect them but I still require them to do the things for me that they should. I still ask them the questions that I am not clear about -- what their special skill is and how it's going to be done. You understand what I mean? Not that I respect them so much that I dare not ask them anything, from the doctor or let him do what he wants, or don't tell him I'm not pleased with this and that, in a polite way. Respect we do have but the self-respect must also be there, and the naturalness. We have to live together. We must live our life, together or alone. We must live, we must be natural so we can breathe, we can move, we can enjoy life as long as it lasts. Otherwise, we restrict each other too much, or build a prison for each other. Then what is the good of becoming Buddha, becoming imprisoned and isolated like that? No more fun.

I don't feel disturbed that I live among you at all. At the moment I do. Please don't try to find out where I live, and that's the best for me and you. Otherwise, I will be in trouble again that you are concentrating on that spot and thinking that's a holy ground and go and collect the dirt from there, things like that.

Everywhere is holy, because everything is God-made. Nothing is man-made except the terrible atmosphere that we try to create with our own habits and the wrong choices or no-choices. The choices in our lives make a difference. We are all God and Buddha but because of the choices in our lives we have become different individually. So now, if you have made the choice to become a Buddha again, or to recognize your own Buddha again, it's very simple! Just turn around. Turn your life, make a different choice now. Think what the Buddha would do now, what a loving being like a Buddha, what a compassionate being like a Buddha would do in this situation, in this kind of circumstance. Every time like that. Just act like a Buddha, think like a Buddha, speak like a Buddha, and that you are a Buddha.

You already are! It's just that you make yourself different, because you choose not to act like a Buddha. You choose to act like an idiot or devil, or whatever. Oh, that's your choice, it's all right. But don't blame God or Buddha when you suffer from the consequences of your choices. Don't blame me that you have not become a Buddha after you have been imparted the Quan Yin Method and you have not found your nature. You already have it, why do you have to find it!? There's nothing to find anymore. You already are the Buddha! It's you! You just have to recognize it and act it out.

Choose the Buddha's way. Choose your original way of being. Be a quality person. Be something that you want to be, like a Buddha. It's all right if you don't want to be a Buddha, for me; because it's your choice. You do what you want with your life; but if you really choose to be a Buddha, then you must do it. You must act out that Buddha quality. That's all there is. There's no need to become Buddha anymore because you already are a Buddha. You must act out that authority. You must realize your quality, and that's all there really is to do.

Now, the five precepts, for example. It's not a must that I impose them upon you. It's a measurement so that you know what you are, where you are going, where you have reached up to now. This is a kind of Buddha's quality, or at least noble human being quality. You would not like to kill anymore. If you were a Buddha, you wouldn't like to. You wouldn't like to take lives that you have created, or maybe God has created. God has created life not to be taken away, you know that. If it's your own creation, because you are a God or Buddha, then the more so you don't like to destroy what you have created. So, that means no killing, under avoidable circumstances. If you still think, if in your heart you still have this vicious quality, still like to kill people, or even kill, disturb their mentality just for your own good, then you must know that you have not reached the state of Bodhisattvahood or sainthood. That's all there is, it's a measurement for you. If you've found, by chance, by thought or by any habit, that you have kept the precepts during your life, or up to now, or at least after initiation up to now, then you know your qualities have been refined. You have become more noble now. You have reached the state of near the original quality that you have, like Buddha nature or God quality.

There is nothing like, if you don't keep the precepts Buddha will punish you. You will punish yourself; because as a Buddha you know what is right, what is wrong, and if you deliberately have done something against this kind of Buddha quality or God nature, then you'd feel terrible. You'd feel like you are Buddha-less, Godliless, and that's what makes you suffer. That is hell. It could be long, it could be short. It depends on how deep is your deliberation in judgement, against your own absolute purity. That is what hell is. There's no hell ready-made for you. There's no God who sits there and pin-points a finger saying you're good, you're bad, you're all this. You are Hirm. So make sure that you do not commit anything that is less noble than God, and less noble than a Buddha. That's how you are a Buddha. That's how you become Buddha, the master of your own self. Get the choice that you must make.

There's no need for me to sit every time in retreat and remind you to be good, to be holy, to be Buddha, and things like that; because you must do it. There's no choice for you. If you want to become Buddha, if you want to recognize your noble quality again, there's no other choice for you but to discipline yourself to return to the noble road that you have strayed away from.

There's no need for anyone to tell you what to do. You know exactly what to do. Just ask yourself. Always check inside, and always have to be integrated within yourself to see what kind of quality you have. That's why the spiritual diary is there for you, so you know everyday how far you have gotten and how much further you want to be. It's very easy.

To be a Buddha is very easy. Just act like one, think like one, speak like one, because you already are. All you have to do is be it! If you refuse yourself, you deny your own compassion, your own love, your own mighty power, your own highest position, then of course even if there is a true, a one and mighty Buddha, or one mighty God, the one and only, could not even save you if you deny yourself. That's why we have strayed from Godliness. That's why we have strayed from Buddhahood and we descended into a lower existence. We get into hell, we get into suffering, etc., because we deny ourselves. But it's all right. This is a process of learning. You wanted to learn that way, it's okay.

But if you are ready to return, you're fed up with it, you don't want it, then you must know now it's time to change, to return, to turn your head and walk back. Walk back to where you have come from and that's all there is. Like before, we behaved badly, we killed people, we stole from people, we slandered people, we did all kinds of bad things; now we have to return. Just don't do anymore of these kinds of things and you become Buddha again. That's why you can become instantly Buddha, can become instantly enlightened. That's why the Buddhists say if you just throw down the butcher knife, you become Buddha. Just turn your head, that's it. Walk back, very easy. There's nothing more to do to become Buddha than just return to where you are, because you already are Buddha. How many times do I have to tell you. I will continue until you realize this. It's like a mantra, "I'm a Buddha, Buddha, Buddha..."(Laughter and applause) But it doesn't help much, it might help me only. Keep on saying, "I'm a Buddha, I'm a Buddha!" Then (only) I become a Buddha. (Master laughs.) Well, try to remember. Try to remind yourself that you are a Buddha and nothing less.

Of course, it's difficult. I wouldn't tell you, I wouldn't cheat you that it's easy, because your mind won't let you think that way. Your habit is all-binding because you would think, "Oh, I'm so lowly. I'm so sinful. I have been so bad, how can I be a Buddha or how can I become a Buddha?"

You can! Just return. Just walk back, that's it. Doesn't matter how far you've walked north, just turn your head and walk south. One day you'll reach. If you don't turn your head and walk back, you never will. Doesn't matter how long I accompany you and tell you to walk south, you will never reach south if you continue walking north. Very simple. Just return.

Before we had bad habits, now we have to have good habits. Before we thought lowly, now we have to think nobly. In any situation, act just like a Buddha. Be noble. Be yourself. That doesn't mean you have to give your head to everyone to chop if they want to. It's not that way. You have to know what a master should be in any situation; what he would do; what a master like yourself would do in that given situation or those given circumstances; what a master of the universe would do. Think about it and then do it. Maybe it's not exactly as a master would do but at least you proclaim yourself that you are a master, because you are. What else are you? You think you came from the devil like some doctrines has stated? What do we have a God for? Doesn't Hes have enough power to create us that Hes has to leave it to a devil to do it. Does a devil have more power than God that he can create human beings like this and God cannot? What does God do then, all Hiers daytime, nighttime and lifetime? What does Hes do in eternity? Nothing? What kind of useless God is that? So, don't recognize the devil as your father.

We have to recognize God. We do not have a God as a father even. We are God! We are a divided nature of God. We're just one part of God, but still God. You have a birthday cake and you cut it into ten pieces because you invited ten friends to come together. Do you think one piece of the birthday cake is different from the next? No! You cut it maybe a little smaller because you are not skillful, or bigger than the next piece, but it is all birthday cake, the same cake, the same quality. That's why you invited all your friends to share it. Similarly, everything around here, everything about you, everything under you, behind you, above you, underneath you, around you is God. Just divided into different ways, just like a birthday cake. Sometimes it's written "Happy Birthday" and then one person gets an 'H,' the other one gets a 'y,' the other gets a 't' or 'u,' something like that. Or, "Happy Birthday to Michael" one gets 'Mi-' the other one gets '-chael,' but that makes no difference. It's still the same cake, and same quality. Nothing different from that.

Similarly, if anything we do in our life we think it's wrong then we just change it, and that's all. Okay, we might suffer from the consequences, but the earlier we change the less grave consequence we have to bear. That's the best repentance. There's no need to sit there and pray to Buddha, to God to forgive you. No one will forgive you. Whatever you did, you did. There's no need to ask for forgiveness, just change it. That's the best repentance, the most sincere, because then you forgive yourself because you are God. Who else can forgive God but God Hirmself?

If you are repentant within your heart the God in you knows, "All right. Good that we're returned. We've come back to where we belong. That's all right to go to the south instead of continuing to the north." Then you will face the south and you'll be nearer to the south. That is the forgiveness that you've made for yourself and you created for yourself.

No one can force you to turn south if you don't want, even if you pray on the road for a hundred years, "Please, please, please lead me to the south. Please lead me to the south." What is the use of that? Just turn your head and walk back. Is that not easier? Yes, that's the way to do it with us. If anything we think is not God, everything we do is wrong, just forget it, don't do it again, and do the opposite. Before you were stealing and hating people and now you're giving, you're forgiving people. That's it! That' God. God is love. God is forever forgiving. It's that simple. No need to repent and all that kind of trouble and starve yourself for seven days in order to clean your sins. There's nothing to clean your sins except yourself, your determination to change. Very simple to clean your sins, by acknowledging them -- that they are wrong, they are unGodly, they are not like what a Buddha would do, and you just change them and do the opposite.

That's the only repentance that I recommend to you, and that's the only effective way to do it, there's no other thing. No need to tell me how bad you are and ask my forgiveness. I don't forgive you. I never will, because I have nothing to do with your badness or goodness. I don't own you, your life. I don't owe any judgement to anyone; but it's you, yourself.

Whenever you want to change, the situation will change. If you turn and walk southward, you will see more and more of the south. Has nothing to do with my forgiveness, my turning you, helping you, or blessing you. Nothing! You just walked the other way and that's when your life changed. That's why after initiation you have been determined to change your life by measuring yourself according to the precepts. You know why after initiation your life has changed for the better? Because it's you, you're determined to return. You walk back to the south so, of course, you see more and more of the south's scenery everyday and then say, "Oh, wow! Now I'm in the right direction." Of course you are in the right direction. If you turn and walk to the right direction then you are in the right direction, and that's all there is. Of course, with the precepts and then trying to quiet down to remember your quality inside by meditation everyday, you remind yourself. Then you become more and more Buddha everyday.

The Buddha deserves the best, and that's all there is. The nearer you're to the Buddha yourself, the more noble you become, the higher position you'll reach. That means you are nearer and nearer to your original position, the most high, things like that. Of course your life will become better, what else can it be? That's very simple. No need my blessing, anything! I will bless you anytime you need. If I have any blessing, please take it. But remember, the great blessing is you, that you are determined to bless yourself with your noblest quality, with your highest position in the universe that you are.

If you don't do that you will always be a beggar, begging for my blessing, begging for the dead Buddhas' blessings, anyone's blessing you have to beg for like a beggar. But if you return to your own original nature and you keep your noble purpose in your mind -- always trying to remember your noble position, noble quality, then you deserve only better, better, better and best.

That's very logical. No need to think that I'm the Buddha and I bless you so that your life is better. There's no need to be like this. We are all one. I bless you, you bless yourself, is all the same. If you don't bless yourself and allow me to bless you, it's the same -- it's also Buddha. So the Buddha nature blesses you, it's not from me, not from anyone, it's the Buddha nature in the whole universe that we make use of and bless ourselves.

So, no need to worship me and make me become an idol to you or things like that. You can if you want to because I will not take the liberty to interfere in your process, in your growth or in your time, and tell you what to do; but I just tell you that finally you will have to admit that you are the Buddha and that's the best for you. In the infancy state, you probably have to seek Buddha's blessing or any master's blessing, and that's all right, too. But you will remember the total and then you'll know who you are. That's the best for you, instead of always seeking the blessing from me.

I don't know what else I can tell you. What now? But did you understand anything? (Master laughs.) You say it but you will forget. (Applause) If only you really understood it, it would be so good for you. Never mind, take your time. If you want to play the fool, it's okay. Play around, play around it's okay. Also gives me some job to do. (Master and audience laugh.) The problem is even though all the masters say the same thing, "You are sons of God. Whatever I do you can do better. You are the future Buddhas. You and I are equal, etcetera, etcetera." We still cannot realize it. That's the most difficult part. Not that we don't know; but we cannot masticate it, we cannot digest it, we cannot make it become the whole Truth within our being because of the mind, because of the accumulated worldly knowledge about everything about ourselves -- how bad we are, how bad we have been and things like that.

So, you just have to forgive yourself, forget the whole journey that you have done, just return. You have not been anything sinful that can not be forgiven. Just forgive yourself. Because you wanted to experience that way, so now you know it's no good and you want to experience something else. That's all right. You are God, you do what you want. You have the right to experience suffering, badness, worse situations, if you want to; because you are free, you are God. Can you imagine a God that is not free to do what Hes wants whether it's bad or good in the eyes of the mortal? Of course not.

God, Buddha are free. So you do what you want, but then you know it. You know the consequence is different, that's all.

Now you don't want that kind of consequence, you just leave it. You don't need to take the karma for it. Probably if you still linger there, you'll take some of the effect; but if you jump out right away, you won't. You set the house on fire, you say, "Oh, now it's a mistake! Terrible!" The house is burning, it's hot. Jump out! At least you save yourself. So, anything you have done bad in the past, just forget it. You have suffered some consequences, but that's done. Let's not suffer anymore. Let's not stay there and suffer more than that. That is good. Then, once you jump out of a situation you're free. No more consequences will affect you. Understand that? So, no karma. (Applause)

Sorry I didn't give you a chance to clap, it's to (Master laughs) exercise; but I wanted you to concentrate, to listen to all this because it's good for you. Good for you, better for you than to praise me with your applause, clapping hands, and loud hurrahs. Better that you concentrate and understand. It is difficult, I know, sometimes. But don't make it more difficult than it is by telling yourself that you cannot do it, that you are sinful, that you are bad, and things like that. We're not! We're the Buddha. Okay, we made some mistakes, now we just begin anew. Whatever consequences we have suffered, that's gone. We don't suffer anymore if you walk out, turn. Many people cannot do it, I know it; and that's why you have come here. That's why the world is suffering as it is, because they cannot tell themselves to return.

That's why Buddhas are rare. Not because everyone is not Buddha. They are. They just don't make the choice, don't make the effort to get out of the water, to get out of the mud, clean themselves, and be renewed, refreshed. They think they cannot do it. The mud is too far, the water is too much, their efforts are too little, and they're too weak, etcetera, etcetera.

The more they remain there, the weaker they become, the more dirty they get, and the harder to convince themselves to get out. That's why the Buddha must come, to rescue another Buddha (Master and audience laughs) out of the mud and tell him to go wash, "Go wash and see yourself in the mirror. You're not like that. You're not dirty like that. Take some vitamins, eat some food, then you'll be strong again. Look at yourself, you're okay."

Sometimes the people remain so long in the mud, so frozen in the water that it takes some time to recover. That's all there is, that's the problem with us. After initiation, it takes time. Sometimes it takes a longer time because we have remained too long in the water, frozen ourselves. All the systems have become rigid, difficult to revive it. Difficult doesn't mean impossible. So, just get on with your job of recovery and the doctor and nurse are there to help you. But you must take the vitamins, you must eat the food, you must take the medicine that the doctor has prescribed for you.

Even like I was hospitalized the last two weeks, I had to take the medicine, too. Whatever the doctor said, I did it. No problem. Then you get better, no problem. But if you don't take the prescribed medicine or the advice from the doctor then it takes a longer time, that's all. Not that the doctor will kill you or do anything to you. He will not do that. He probably feels sorry for you and he probably has to work harder, longer to nurse you back to health again. That's the problem with some of us sometimes because we don't try to help ourselves. Either we are lazy, we think we are too weak to do it, or we like to stay sick. Some people like to stay sick, I don't know why. So that they get sympathy, get attention. (Perhaps.)