Interviewer, Sheree: We’re running out of time. If You could give us maybe a couple of words of wisdom. I know that a lot of people may not really grasp what we’ve talked about the past few minutes, and other people know very well (Right.) where we’ve been heading. Leave us with some kind of inspirational thought, could You? As far as maybe both kinds of people – (Understand.) those who are kind of on the path and those who say, “What path?”
Master: Well, there’s no path because you are already God-like. It’s just that you forget what you are because you’re too busy with money, with position, with fame, with all kinds of illusion. But once you quiet down and you look within yourself – and once you can forsake all this for some moments, not to leave them – you can pursue them at the same time, but you must know this is not all there is in life. And look within yourself, close your eyes, pray deeply, or think of God, or think of whomever you believe, or believe in your great Self, and use some quiet moment to think about that. Then you will get clearer and clearer each day. And then you will know many things that I don’t have to explain to you – the quickest way, the best way, and the most convenient. And then if you want to know deeper and if you’re not so sure you can go find a Master that you trust and go further with it. (Great.) Or come to [Supreme] Master Ching Hai, maybe.
Interviewer, Sheree: Sure. We are out of time, unfortunately. [Supreme] Master Ching Hai has been my guest. You were just in Houston recently. Please call us next time You’re going to be in town, and we can do this again.
Master: OK, we’ll make lectures some other time. (Thank You.) Thank you very much. (Well, thanks. Thanks)
Q: She has a magazine also that goes out all over the world. She’s going to give a chance just to sit around and ask Her questions. She’ll be around here for a while, if you’re interested. And She’s also giving an initiation tomorrow afternoon, if you become interested. […]
In the second half, we present the opening segment of a meaningful interview on enlightenment with Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan), conducted by Elma Barrera of ABC13 Houston TV Station. Upon meeting Master, Elma expressed a heartfelt eagerness to receive initiation.
Interviewer, Elma: But I heard about You. I read just one of Your speeches (Right.) that You made, and it was very good. And here, two days later, they said, You’re going to do the interview.
Master: So that was good. (Can’t believe it, huh?) Yes. That’s His arrangement. Yogananda’s arrangement. (Alright, come.)
(There are papers about You saying that You offer spiritual Enlightenment.) Right. (Tell me, first of all, what “spiritual Enlightenment” is, and how we can attain it.) Right. Enlightenment is when you know yourself, for example, when you know God. People just talk about God, but they don’t know what It is. So our duty is to immediately show them God. So God could be in any form, but the most persistent is the (inner Heavenly) Light, the radiance, the evoking (inner Heavenly) Light, (inner Heavenly) Light that’s more than the Sun, more than sunlight, and also all kinds of musical (inner Heavenly) Melodies that teach you without language. OK? So when you get these two, then you are enlightened.
Interviewer, Elma: When people start searching for Enlightenment, what exactly are they searching for? Where do they go, is there somebody physically involved in? Because today, there are millions of churches in the United States, (and temples) and they have them all over the world.) (Yes.) So everybody that believes in God, goes to church or doesn’t go to church, it’s the thinking of God. (Yes.) What is that step that takes you beyond the “Let’s go to church on Sunday. On Saturday night, I’ll be with my wife. (Right.) And then on Sunday morning, I’ll go to church.” (Right.) Where is the division? I mean, how do people take that extra step?
Master: OK. Could we talk on the individual level? (Yes.) Because your question could be many people’s question as well, but we have to have some kind of solid proof. For example, you know Master Yogananda. OK. So let’s go from there. So people have some kind of solid step point to start from. Now, what’s the difference between a Master like Yogananda and other masters? OK, now, what does He offer? Now, we can also say, “Everybody knows God. Everybody goes to church, goes to the temple, anything like that.” And many people talk similar as Yogananda. But what’s the difference between He and the other ones? He has something that is non-verbal, that you can’t buy with money, and you can’t explain in language. He has the contact with God, which is already within ourselves. And not only He can contact God, but He can give you that also. I’m doing the same job. I can contact God, and I can help people contact God.
(How do You contact God?) How? Well, this is not... (We’re not giving any of it, of course. And so, tell me how...) “How do you get in touch with God?”
Interviewer, Elma: Yes. And can a normal person who truly loves God but has never met a Master, (Right.) has never read the readings of a Master. (Yes.) Can that person reach, contact God?
Master: Yes, he can also, but very rarely. First reason, because he’s probably also too busy with many mundane life things. And then even though he loves God, but he forgets how to concentrate on that. And so he loses the point. So if he has a Master, it would be better for him, because that Master would say, “Yes, since you already love God so much, this is what you have to do – forsake some of this, that, and then concentrate on this. And then you’ll know God quicker.” So that’s the job of a Master.
(But the readings that I’ve read from the Masters, and especially Yogananda, say that you don’t have to give up your material possessions in order to...) No, you don’t have to; you don’t have to forsake it. Just forget it for a while. For example, there’s time for material possessions and work, and there is time for God. Otherwise, you just waste all your time. Even when you don’t pursue material possessions, you also waste your time – you don’t know how to get in touch with God. But if a Master is there, He knows. He says, “Now is the time. Now you have done all your job. Your children are all asleep. Now you sit and think and do this, and then you’ll see God.” For example.
(So the Western civilization has really done very well, but we have not meditated very much.) Right. (This is something that is done in the East.) Right. Understand. (Now, it’s coming to this country, and it has been seeing stuff. A few American writers started writing about it.) Yes. (But now it’s coming. Tell me about meditation and why some people are so drawn to it. What is it about meditation that people should pay attention to?)
OK. Actually, we meditate all the time – whether East or West. But we meditate on the wrong things. For example, we meditate on money, on problems, on any other things. And we pay attention. When we pay attention to something deeply, that is when we meditate – whether on God or on financial problems.
So now, the thing to do is that: instead of always paying attention to the material things, sometimes we have to take part of that attention, turn inside and find our greatness, in which we can solve all these problems outside. Because we always pay attention to the problem, and we forget to pay attention to the solution. That is inside – the Enlightenment will gives us all the solutions to all the problems that we are now meditating upon. So they’re only turning around, that’s all.
(Enlightenment is knowing God?) Yeah, knowing God.
(What is Your definition of Enlightenment?) Actually, it’s not easy to talk about Enlightenment in our language. But it’s just that you know yourself. When you have the (inner Heavenly) Light – “Enlightenment” implies “Light.” You see? So when the (inner Heavenly) Light sparks in you, at that moment, at least you can say you’re enlightened. And then you have to continue nourishing that Enlightenment and make it greater until you know a complete Enlightenment. And you become like a Master, or you’re one with God.
Photo Caption: Earth Could B Eden if Humans Take Good Care
