In this episode, Master discusses free will, the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Associations’ charitable endeavors and answers questions from the listeners.
Bonnie: Master, You talk a lot, and You have certainly talked about that today, about what You call Providence. (Yes.) Some of us could use the word, I suppose “fate” for that, although Providence seems to me to have a more kind of spiritual ring to it. (Yeah.) What about free will?
Master: Free will. That is the choice before our physical birth and during our physical life. But after death, we can’t choose unless we have merit accumulated during this life. For example, before we’re born into this world, we have the choice to be what and what person. (Yes.) But then, when we come here we shift that according to the situation and the persuasion of society. (OK.) And then we lost the free will as well. We think we are free, but we are not.
(Alright. So the true free will, the true choice, talking about pro-choice here, the real choice comes before we ever come in, then we are behind the veil of Maya, as Jared said,) Right. (and we do not remember the… would You call it the agreement or the contract?) Right. Right. (Yes.) The covenant with our own conscience.
(And yet, just to share a story here, Jared and I had experienced in our lives, for example, He moved from a place in Northern California to Santa Cruz without knowing why.) Yes. (His dreams were directing him, “Go back to Santa Cruz.” He kept saying, “Why?” and he was never given the answer, but he had the faith to just follow that. Is that the kind of thing that You’re talking about?) Yes.
Sometimes we are moved by past relationships, past strong karmic power that’s beyond our will. Sometimes we are moved by the Providence in order to fulfill some mission in some places. I guess he’s better in Santa Cruz, where he’s doing a great job now. (He had no idea he was going to become a radio talk show host.) Sure, he didn’t. (Is that a reading there?) Yes. So now he knows why, right? Or not? OK. (Yes, I do.)
By the way, I forgot to tell you, we also sent people to Russia as demanded. I forgot. (Wonderful.) It’s all over the place now. People are very spiritual, very thirsty for the knowledge of the Greater Self. (Yes.)
Bonnie: Master, we have talked to so many people. Our non-profit organization is called Global Family, and they do a lot of work in Russia. (Yes.) And that’s what they come back and say every time, the people there are so hungry (Right.) for the spiritual in their lives.
Master: Yes. Yes, good. You do a great job. (Yes.) Yeah.
(I know that You are the recipient of the World Peace Award. It was an award that was recently given to You in Honolulu on October 25, 1993, and I’m going to get it correct this time. It was given to You by Mayor Fasi, at least he was the one who presented it, the Mayor of Honolulu. Maybe You could describe for us, please, a little bit about the activity that Your organization has done to actually help people all around the world.)
We have helped many countries when they are in need, as well as individuals or organizations who are in charitable activities. (Yes.) And I cannot just name them all; they’re plenty. As well as, you know already, the Pinatubo [eruption victims], somebody told you, and the recent flood victims and the fire victims here. (Yes.) And most of the money came from my earnings, as well as the earnings of the so-called monks and nuns who are immediate followers. I mean, who dedicate their lives to the cause of the Greater Self. (Yes. Yes.) So, the members sometimes donate; in the case of disasters, they donate directly to the victims.
(Well, I think that gift was marvelous because I think many Americans really didn’t see with their eyes, obviously, what happened there with Mount Pinatubo and the blast. I happened to see a long special on it on television.) Well, our disciples were directly five kilometers from the mount.
Jared: Well, it was incredible. (Yeah.) It made anything like even Mount St. Helens look fairly small by comparison. And, of course, I think also, many of these countries are dealing with building situations and homes that aren’t of the same quality, and that all of a sudden, they’re out of a home. So, bless You for Your gift and Your people who are with You (Thank you.) for what they have given here (Thank you.) to these victims of... (Yes.)
Master: We set aside US$1 million this year for Americans. (That’s incredible.) It’s not the money. This is our love because the amount is very insignificant compared to the suffering of the world. But that’s all, that’s what we can do. (We do what we can do) Right. (in the moment, don’t we?) Right. Right.
(We’re going to, Master, be once again, taking our final break here on Seeing Beyond, and we’ll come back.)
Jared: So we want to welcome our guest by telephone from Southern California today, Supreme Master Ching Hai. (Hi.) Hi. We have a listener calling in from Pacific Grove who wants to know a little more about what initiation means, what it means to You as the Master? Does it involve a contract? Does it mean that the Master becomes one’s personal guru?
Master: Well, actually, we don’t have any guru in a sense, but only until the so-called disciples are able to recognize their own Mastership, then a so-called Master is necessary to guide them until then only. But we don’t have a contract or anything. Of course, you have a contract with yourself that you should stick to the end. This is for your own benefit. And initiation just means the moments of first recognition of your Greater Spirit. That’s it.
Jared: So what it sounds like to me, You’re saying, until you can find the Master inside yourself, (Yes.) you’ll need to have it outside for a while.
Master: Oh, that’s it. (Aha.) But also, the Master is also the inner Guide, not only from the physical level. (Yes.) Because otherwise, the Master will not be able to help the disciple from thousands of miles away, (Yes.) and all over the world. The Master must be at a very elevated level in order to help all the people at any time of the day and night. And it doesn’t matter where that person is. That is a real Master.
(You know, Master, we live in the United States, which is an area that is so busy. We’re always bustling around. We are a culture of doing, I think, for the most part, rather than being. And yet, knowing about You, just some of the things that I do, You are also a doing person. You’re very active. You’ve got a lot of that energy out there in the world. Talk a little bit about action versus being. You said earlier that we are not to just go and sit in a cave and meditate, but that we are to be out in a kind of a living, walking meditation in the world.) Right. (Could You go into that in a little more detail?) Oh, I see. After being initiated, then you know how to meditate while living and not to run away from the world, but to integrate this Great Cosmic Power into your daily activities, as well as when you meditate, to accumulate a little bit more consciously and then to disperse it or dispatch it during your life in this world, to benefit our world. Otherwise, there’s no use in meditating and blessing only yourself. Actually, when we know ourselves, we can bless the whole world. So that’s the main point. And… (Master. Oh, excuse me, go ahead.) Yeah. Sorry, sorry. (Please.)
And after we are initiated and enlightened, whatever we do, there is a deeper meaning than just surface physical work, and we’ll be having joy in doing our things, not just a duty, boring duty like before, and we’ll be able to contribute more and more with less work. I’m a very small person, and I don’t eat that much and I don’t sleep that much, but you say I’m very active. It is because of this great energy. I would burst if I didn’t do anything. (Oh, boy, can I relate to that.) Yes, honey, you can. You have it inside you. (Thank You.) Probably you already are. If you are satisfied with what you’re doing now and with your life, you’re happy, and you feel loving towards all, then it’s OK already. If not, then you’ll need to search. OK?
(Master, I think a question that perhaps is in, it’s certainly in my mind and perhaps in some of our listeners’, is: did You have a teacher?) Yes, I did. I had many teachers from childhood on. (Not one particular, but many people who influenced Your life, helped You remember who You are?) Oh, well, it’s you who helps you to remember yourself. You see, the initiation means that is the time when your consciousness is ready to recognize itself. (Yes.) And the Master just pushes the button. (So did You have some button pushers?) Probably, yes. Well, it is not something physical, although it affects your physical body also, but well, I don’t know, it’s just like a love story, and you can’t just describe it.
(Well, speaking of a love story, let’s, maybe, we just have a few minutes left here.) OK. (Let’s talk a little bit about love, because certainly in our culture, and I won’t speak for the culture You come out of, but certainly here in the West, I don’t know whether we understand what love is or not. We watch lots of movies, and we get very romantic, and what do we mean by love? What do You mean by love?) That is a portion of GOD’s Love that binds someone to another. And you cannot live without that person around. That’s when you’re in love. It’s a kind of suffering, but beautiful suffering. (I remember.) And now, if you know GOD, if you know a person who truly is one with GOD or in touch with GOD, you’re also like that. You feel like you don’t have enough of that person. That’s the reason why many disciples like to see the Master, not that the Master imposes that upon them. Until they know themselves completely. When they see the Master, they see their Great Self; they see GOD. And that love is even more, even deeper and more inexplicable than the love between a man and woman. It’s very deep, very profound, and it makes you become a wonderful, a different person.
(Well, I certainly want to say to our listeners that I know the experiences I’ve had at times with some of our Tibetan Buddhist Lamas in exile, is that it wasn’t so much necessarily the words that they had to say, it was rather just being in their presence.) Right, right. (And I have a feeling that people who are just in Your presence feel something similar. Maybe they don’t even have to ask You a question, but just to be with You.) Right, right.
(I want to thank the Supreme Master Ching Hai, as well as Sophie, who’s been here with us in the studio, helping us to hold up the energy for this wonderful Friday. Glad to be with you, until next Monday, God bless you all.) (Adios and Aloha.) Aloha. Thank you.
Bonnie: Hallo. Hallo, Master. (Yes, hallo.) Hallo. Well, we didn’t want to just leave You hanging there. We wanted to say goodbye to You. (Yeah. OK.) And thank You very much. This was a beautiful interview. It was two hours. It seemed like it was about 30 minutes. (Oh, two hours?) Yes. Didn’t it seem short to You?
Master: Oh, I can’t believe it. (Yes.) I hope we have boiled it down to the essentials for the listeners. (I think so.)
(I think it was wonderful, and I think it’s always a challenge when we need to do this over the telephone line, but I think, overall, it turned out very well, and I can tell that people heard it because we had so many callers calling.) Is that right? And I hope you make a good interview next time, again. (Thank You, my Dear.) Thank you. (Well, this is a beautiful photograph I’m looking at of You. I think I’m in love.) Oh, really? Yes. We are all in love with one another, one time or another. (Amen.) Amen. (Namaste.) Namaste. (OK.) Aloha. (Aloha.) Thank you. Thank you and all the best to you (Yes.) in whatever you wish to do, (OK.) (Thank You.) for the benefit of mankind. (Thank You very much.) (Thank You. We will take that Blessing.) If you need us, any help with your program or anything, please let (…) know. (We will do that.) Alright.
Jared: Master, I want to say, I really appreciate Your saying that because sometimes one of the things I know Bonnie and I forget to do is to really sincerely ask for help, because this is a big job we’ve got here, (True.) and we can’t do it alone. (Right.) So thank You very much. I don’t know, I just appreciate Your offering of that, and I feel the energy from You right now to us and Your Love. Thank You.
Master: Thank you. (OK.) So have a good day. (You too.) Bye. (Goodbye.)
Photo Caption: “Coming Autumn, Reminding of Winter of the Soul... Life Here Is Not Covered with MIRACLE-GOLD Like Our BACK-HOME!”
