You May Not Know

Some people are not content with seeing my transformation body, so they still come to see me. I don't know why they act like this. Perhaps it is because the physical body is very rare; every enlightened being has a manifestation body. (Laughter)

It is easy to see the manifestation body, but more difficult to see the real body, which only exists when an enlightened Master is living in this world. After the Master passes away, only the manifestation body is left. Of course, it is more desirable to see both the transformation body and the real one.

Ordinary enlightened beings have only manifestation bodies but not a real physical body, so they cannot help sentient beings. Likewise, Shakyamuni Buddha still has His manifestation body, but He cannot initiate us nor give us any help. Perhaps He can guide us to a living Master, who has a physical body, to get initiated.

Everyone loves the real body because it is rare! There are too many manifestation bodies the universe is full of manifestation bodies of enlightened beings, who are omnipresent. Physical bodies are rare - there are only a few. Only when the enlightened beings come, then sentient beings can see their real physical bodies.

To manifest in the physical form, a very complicated procedure is required, integrating many aspects in the universe -- causation, the merits of sentient beings, and the will of the Almighty. Therefore, it is more precious to see a real body than a transformation one.

However, my words are only for you; don't tell anyone else. (Laughter) I don't know why I have told you these things today, which normally shouldn't be told! Hearing this statement, people might think that you are very arrogant, praising the physical and belittling the manifestation body.

When you enter the inner worlds during meditation, you can see many transformation bodies; not only that of the Master, but also those of previous masters such as Amitabha Buddha or Quan Yin Bodhisattva, etc... Depending on where you have reached, you can see the light bodies of the enlightened ones.

It is very difficult to see the real physical body, therefore Shakyamuni Buddha said that it is extremely difficult to see a real fully enlightened being. It is already so difficult to secure a physical body for oneself, much more so than to see a fully enlightened being in the body. This is why everyone loves to see the physical body of an enlightened being; it has always been the same since ancient times, not only in this era.

Should you observe someone who many people love to see, that person must be a spiritual practitioner who has attained the Truth. Regardless of what he looks like, whatever language he speaks, whether he gives lectures or doesn't speak, whether he touches you or gives you anything, if everyone still loves to see him, then he must have attained the Truth!

It was mentioned in Zhuang Tzu's book: one day, a disciple of Confucius asked him, "In a certain place, there is a certain person who is a lame hunchback, yet he has as many disciples as you do. In his daily life, he never says or teaches anything, but everyone wants to stay with him; men want to be his friends, and women want to be his wives. Everyone loves him. Would you explain why, master?"

Confucius replied that it was because that person had attained the Truth.

The insect that kills the greatest number of human beings is the mosquito; it kills millions of adults and children each year. The number of human beings killed by mosquitoes far exceeds that of any wars, natural disasters or assassinations. This tiny but extremely vicious demon kills at least four million people every year! Many more people get all kinds of strange diseases because they are infected by the mosquito.

We have to protect ourselves, because there are more mosquitoes in the world than we could ever kill! We could not kill them all even if we wanted to, so don't be "silly" ("kill" and "silly" in Chinese have a similar pronunciation.), we should just endeavor to protect ourselves. Cover the children with mosquito nets when they sleep, just like you would cover a wok, (Master and everyone laugh) and let them sleep inside. You can do the same for the bigger kids as well -- it is convenient.

You don't have to kill the mosquitoes, just use mosquito nets and window screens! Your window screens are most inviting -- with mesh holes so large that even I can go through. (Laughter) I heard that even Master's transformation body can go through those small holes, not to mention the mosquitoes.

When buying window screens, choose those made of a fine mesh to prevent the tiniest mosquitoes from entering. There is a type of screen made of very fine mesh that can stop the mosquitoes while still maintaining ventilation. What is the use if the mesh holes are so big? At night, mosquitoes can see very clearly from outside the mesh just like looking through binoculars. So in they go. They would say, "Since the door is open, I'll just go in easily."

Even when you have installed window screens, do not switch on the lights too early. Try to see things with your naked eyes or use a flashlight, and switch on the lights later in the evening when the mosquitoes have gone to sleep.

About five to seven in the evening, it is dinner time for the mosquitoes, (laughter) so there are plenty of them around. They disappear at about nine to ten! If possible, do not switch on the lights when they come out to eat. Switch on the outdoor lights instead of the indoors ones; so even if there were some mosquitoes inside, they would go for the light outside. Should you switch on the lights indoors, mosquitoes will come in even if there were originally none inside!

To train a child you must start from the embryo. During pregnancy, you should say good things to it - positive things. Read books to it. Read a dictionary! Read a few pages a day, then when it is born it will be able to talk to you right away. (Master and everyone laugh.) That's right! Its IQ will improve. Sing songs often, good and positive songs; then its IQ will also increase, perhaps by 20 to 50 points.

During pregnancy, if you stimulate the baby's potentials, its nervous system will develop more. When the baby is born, it will be very intelligent - smarter than if you didn't sing or talk to it. I heard that if you put a piece of iron under your pillow, it helps too. I don't know why, but it seems to work. I just heard about it - you can give it a try. (Everyone laughs.) This, I can't guarantee. (Master and everyone laugh.) It's just hearsay.

Today's children are very smart. Do you know why? It's because most pregnant women watch TV and give the babies lots of information. A baby can absorb such information because its brain has started to develop. Therefore, whatever an expectant mother absorbs, the baby also absorbs. Don't think that just because the baby is separated by some flesh, it can't hear. Because of the intimate relationship between the mother and the baby, you can have a great influence on it. Whatever you eat and think can affect it. You should eat more food that nourishes the brain; food like spinach and other green-leaf vegetables. The baby will be born beautiful and intelligent.

If you want the child to be good-looking, then hang pictures of beautiful, good-looking and moral people everywhere in the house - the baby will be very good-looking. The effect will be there. Whoever you think about, the child will look like that person. Most babies look like the father, (Master and everyone laugh.) because you love your husband most! You also dislike him the most! (Master and everyone laugh) Therefore, the child looks more like the father because you think about him everyday. Most babies look more like the father than the mother. This is fine, it's God's arrangement. No matter how the baby looks, the mother always knows it's her child. But, the husband doesn't know for sure. When he sees the baby looks like him, he will be pleased; he will take better care, and love the child more. This is God's arrangement.

Therefore, don't be jealous and say, "How strange! The babies always look more like my husband than me." This is only natural.

Many years ago, when Master went to India on pilgrimage, She was seriously ill twice -- first infected by mosquitoes, and then food poisoning. Master ate very little then, so Her bodily resistance was weak. Infected by mosquitoes, She suffered from malaria and often felt cold.

At one point, She was seriously ill when passing through Mrgadava (Deer Garden -- the place where Shakyamuni Buddha first preached the Truth). A group of lamas lived nearby, and one of them could speak some Chinese. However, Master didn't communicate with him verbally. That lama was a vegetarian; he pointed at a piece of beancurd to show that he was a vegetarian. He took good care of Master and gave Her medicine. Later when Master came to China, She continued to send gifts to this benevolent lama.

It was a tedious pilgrimage for Master then; She travelled fourth class by train, because She could not afford to travel second or third class. Later, when going on a pilgrimage to Bodhimanda (Shakyamuni Buddha's ashram), Master was again very ill.

April and May are the hottest months in India. Despite the hot weather, Master was extremely devoted and made the pilgrimage even though She was ill. When She eventually got too sick to walk anymore, the people in a Chinese Temple offered food to Her, but She couldn't take anything. The people in the temple cooked some porridge to feed Her with salty beancurd, then She gradually recovered.

Wherever Master went, the Chinese She met always liked Her very much. For instance, She remembers the General Secretary of the Buddhist Association -- Master Liao, dearly favoured Her. The Chinese treated Master very well, so She also did a lot for them.

When seeking the Truth in India, the food that Master mostly ate was Tibetan bread and butter mixed with Job's-tears powder, salt and water. (Wealthier people would use tea, but Master couldn't afford it, so She used water or got the water from the Ganges River.) Master didn't eat much then, but She looked wonderful.

Many great Masters gather at the Kumbha Mela (a grand spiritual fair held every twelve years in India). Though Master was wearing lay people clothes then, many people tried to bring Her home to take care of Her. After She changed into monastic robes, many people still wanted to care for Her and wanted to give offerings the same way as before.