On the occasion of the Lunar New Year in February 2007, a grand celebration was held at Hsihu Ashram in Taiwan, also known as Formosa. Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association members (all vegans) from around the world joyously gathered to meditate together for spiritual elevation and world peace with Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan).
This event also featured Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) expressing Her sincere gratitude and appreciation to special guests, including compassionate former dignitaries from the Philippines. They had opened their arms to thousands of Aulacese, also known as Vietnamese, refugees during the 1990s. Former President of the Gusi Peace Price Foundation, Mr. Manuel Morato; former Politician and Environmental Secretary, His Excellency Heherson Alvarez and former Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, His Excellency Thelmo Cunanan were among the honorable guests present.
Additionally, the event featured a colorful parade in traditional costumes, uplifting multicultural songs and performances by Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association members (all vegans), joy-filled vegan parties, and much more.
Before the Lunar New Year celebration, Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) had a warm gathering with residents at the Ashram. She also graciously shared wise stories about enlightened Masters from the past with everyone.
Master: For example, before, there was a group called “White Brotherhood,” the Essenes which (Lord) Jesus belonged to. If you wanted to enter that group, you had to wait for three years. In these three years, you’d come and go, and they’d observe you to see whether you’re qualified or not, and then you could join as a member. But nowadays, I’m giving a big sale, so everyone can come in, good or bad. Before, our group was kind of not in order, so it was harder for me. Now it’s not that easy to join us anymore. What’s “The Grace Period” called? God’s Grace. (God’s Grace. The Grace Period.) The period is over. So, it’s more difficult now for anyone who wants to join. But as it is the case now, you are already not bad.
Look at the story of Hui Neng. Have you read that? (Yes.) For example, in the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch of Zen, passed the Dharma lineage only to Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch. He took His Master’s robe and bowl, and then 200 people chased after Him wanting to get the robe and bowl. But the robe and bowl were no big deal. It’s not just by having the robe and bowl, you will become a monk or Master. So later, when Hui Neng wanted to give them to Huiming, he didn’t dare to take them. Finally, there was one person who chased after and found Him. Huiming caught Him and wanted to harm Him. Then Hui Neng said, “Go ahead and take the robe and bowl. They’re nothing.” In the end, Huiming regretted it and dared not take them. He said he just came for the Dharma (Teaching).
What happened to you? Are you sick? (No.) What happened? (I was moved.) Oh, you are moved. You’ve been a monk and still feel moved now. You’ve joined for half a year and eaten a lot of (vegan) chocolate and still feel moved. Why so long and still moved? Maybe you still want more (vegan) chocolate.
Hui Neng wanted to give them to Huiming. Huiming didn’t take them and said, “I come here only to ask for the Dharma (Teaching).” Later, Hui Neng transmitted the Dharma to him, and told him to go to another place to continue preaching. Just one transmission and he could already go to preach. You see how great the Power is. So, no matter, you kittens and puppies can all go out to preach. But I’m kind of strict, I choose those who are better. (OK.) Of course, you’re all enlightened to a certain degree, but you also have to tweak yourselves a little bit. Because people sometimes only look at your appearance. Only look at the appearance. Yeah, that’s it. There’s more karmic hindrance when you go out in public; if you’re not strong enough, you’ll be even more disturbed. A lot of people have been dragged down, understand? (Yes.)
Do you know how much effort it takes to turn iron into a spoon? How much energy has to be put inside, and how hot the fire must be. Thousands of degrees. Only then can you make a useless, boring, and ugly piece of iron into a beautiful, useful utensil that even royalty would like. Royalty use it, Saints also use it; the poor use it, the rich also use it. It’s beautiful now, but you don’t know how it was before. You can’t see how it used to be. The same with you. Now you’re more beautiful, inside you’re quite nice. It’ll be OK if you recite (The Gift.) The Gift.
Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, He told His disciples to write a Buddhist verse. Then Shenxiu wrote the verse in which there’s a tree and a platform, and wiping and mopping something, a lot of that kind of thing. His Master knew that it was not correct, and quietly told him to come in and said, “You’re not there yet. You’re still outside the door.” But it’s alright. Even though He knew that, He still told other disciples to worship that verse in order to save themselves. Of course, whatever you worship can save you.
If you recite “Amitābha Buddha” day and night, maybe your level will also somehow rise up. Or there are some who recite Hare Krishna and the like, and they will also rise up, though not high. People outside can reach the lower Fourth Level at most. For example, I categorize the Levels into three ranks, low, middle, and high rank. People of other practicing groups, on average, the highest they can reach is the low rank of the Fourth Level. Understand? (Yes.) Only the low rank, not even the middle rank. I look at the whole world like that. But it’s already good.
Mostly people reaching the Third Level are at the border of the Second and Third Level. Therefore, sometimes the negative power can still scratch and hurt them. For example, you’re in the house, because you’re just next to the door, near the door, and then any animal(-person), can scratch you, because you’re close to him. If you’re further away, then it won’t happen. Most people, some of them also reach the Third Level, but the low Third, so they’re not very stable yet; sometimes good and other times bad. They’ll be scratched, since they’re too near. Just like you’re taking a shower, of course you’re all wet. But if someone is nearby, if he’s not careful, he’ll also get wet, sprayed by the water and also get a little wet. Because he’s near you. Therefore, it’s not good enough just reaching up there. It’s good, of course, it’ll be good after you die, but…
Really, you’ll still be affected by karma when alive, and still be scratched by the negative power, sometimes, because you’re at the border. You see, Taiwan (Formosa) is an island, so, we can’t just randomly set foot in Mainland China. But if it’s Mainland China and Hong Kong… Right? (Yes.) Because you live next to each other. Guangdong is near Hong Kong; anytime, they can set foot on each other’s land, coming and going. People in countries with common borders can easily travel to and from. Like those countries in Europe, they’re adjacent to each other. The so-called border is like no border at all. When you walk over there, you aren’t even aware you’re in a different country, because there’s no border. There were borders before, but not anymore, among many countries. You drive there, sometimes the GPS will tell you, “You’ve entered another country.” Only then will you know: “Oh, I’ve entered already.” Only the GPS tells you, but no one is there to check you. Understand? People at the border, they walk just one road apart; sometimes it isn’t even a road. For example, there’s a country called Monaco; between it and France, there’s no boundary road at all. There’s no boundary, on the same road you just drive a bit and then you’re in France. Forward and backward… You drive backward and then you’re in Monaco. The same goes with Italy’s border, which is next to France’s. You drive the car over, just a second, then you’re in Italy. When you reverse for just the distance of one wheel, you’re in France.
So, that’s how it is. If our level is not high enough, we’ll easily get scratched. Sometimes we feel very good, feel proud of ourselves, feel that we’re OK. But then sometimes we feel, “Here it comes again. Why has my level gone down again?” It’s alright. Take it slowly. If you don’t do it slowly, then do it quickly. Now you’re already quite stable; I’m not very worried about that. Just some are not good yet; I have to let them go out to learn.
But let’s think about the old times, like in the time of Lord Jesus. It used to take three years before you could be a disciple. People had to observe you, and let you in only if you were OK, to prevent you from being expelled or creating disputes. But I was in a hurry, so when I first arrived, I offered everyone a big discount, a good bargain. Now, no more discounts. Now, I’m “selling” at expensive prices. It’s not expensive enough. Others demand three years, we only ask for three months; people can wait. If they don’t die before that, they can wait.
But if we look again at those who followed Hongren and Hui Neng, you’re considered very amazing, very amazing. Because Shenxiu, the one who composed such a poem, (Buddhist verse.) Buddhist verse, could also be considered a Master. Even though Hui Neng had taken away His Master’s robe and bowl, Shenxiu still became the leader, because everyone was already used to him. The royal court respected him very much. That’s why Hongren, His Master, told Hui Neng to run away. “If you don’t run, you’ll be in danger.”
He even said to begin preaching only after three years, until the turbulence had subsided. Because when Hui Neng first took away the robe and bowl, everyone was very angry. A man from Âu Lạc (Vietnam), the “Southern Barbarians.” He came and took Master’s robe and bowl and ran away. Who wouldn’t be angry? No one in the whole of Mainland China could get it. Where did He come from? He just came from the Southern “barbarous” area and took it away, and even became the Sixth Patriarch! And the Master gave Him the verification, so, everyone was very angry. Two hundred people chased after Him, and wanted to kill Him. Luckily, they stopped chasing for some reason in the end. Then Shenxiu, since he was already famous, no matter what he did, his Master told him that he still hadn’t got it right. And he also knew that, but he still continued to be a Buddhist Master. Therefore, there’s a saying, “Southern Neng and Northern Xiu.”
So, you’re also not bad; probably, if you write a Buddhist verse, it won’t be worse, right? Do you want to try and show me today? Each one writes two sentences and that’ll be enough. No need to write four sentences; it’s troublesome. Because if the food is delicious, just eat one piece and you’d know it; no need to finish the whole dish. Two sentences are already long. Half a sentence is enough to know how good it tastes.
OK. It’s just at that time, Hui Neng was in a different situation from ours now. People rarely could learn this kind of thing at that time. In the time of Lord Jesus, very few people could learn something like that. Their group was very mysterious; It was very difficult to join the group. You’d need someone to recommend you. It took three years of trials, doing a lot of work or something, then slowly you could be admitted. It was the same in the time of Hongren. One person even had to cut off one arm in order to learn the Dharma. (Understand.) It was like that in ancient times, very mysterious. No wonder, in the whole world, nobody knew what was what. They just worshipped those past founders of religions, religious founders and teachers, and proclaimed that He was the only one in the whole world. Since it was so mysterious, people had no idea who He was, but just spread it out and let the legend become bigger and bigger. Then it became what it is now. They think that there are no others.
Very few people know it; even in the old times, if one knew about a Master, it was not easy to approach Him. He’d not transmit the Dharma (Teaching) to you immediately. Look at Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, He had more than one thousand disciples. He told them to just bow to that verse, and it’d be OK. It’d be enough to save them. So, everyone just bowed to it, feeling very happy. He did not pass on the lineage at random. Because sometimes, if people are not high level, it’s useless for you to teach them precious things. Therefore, you see till now, there are still some people who claim that they’re Buddha, and then set up a sect, and threatening to do this and that, and disturb our Miaoli Ashram. It’s useless. So, refining a stone cannot make a mirror. (Yes, yes.) Polishing a stone cannot make a mirror. That’s what it means.
