The Supreme Master Ching Hai,
the Quan Yin Method,
and the Chinese in Southeast Asia

Chairman: I think that the members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association have a deeper understanding of the Supreme Master than we ordinary people do. Let us quickly scan pages 29 and 30 of the notes, which mention Her major accomplishments. They mention, "Awakening humankind and elevating the human's level in body, mind, and spirit." The first achievement is that the disciples, after leading a spiritual life of over a decade, have begun to coagulate into a mighty force that is advancing toward the new era. The second achievement is their efforts in international humanitarianism and disaster relief. We have just heard the testimony of their former director, Mr. Ke. The third achievement is the promotion of vegetarianism, and the fourth, of course, is the furtherance of a concept of life built on Truth, virtue, and beauty. Let us go on to discuss the difficulties that Her Association has encountered in two areas -- perceptions of religion's significance and the aspects of life. Perceptions of religion's significance means, "understanding the true essence of religions." The notes here mention some differences, on which we hope Supreme Master Ching Hai will elaborate. Here is mentioned the experience of being one with God. How can this be achieved? This is one question.

SMCH: Suppose you are eating out in a restaurant, and you know very well whether it serves delicious food or not. If you tell someone who is reading the menu outside just how delicious the soup is, how tasty the mixed vegetables are, and that you will definitely come back to the restaurant again, will he understand what you are saying? Most likely, he won't. This is the trouble. Everyone talks about God and praises Hirm, but very few can actually communicate and chat with Hirm, or ask Hirm questions. We are able to do that because we now remember our Original Self. We are not this ordinary human body. We existed before this physical body came into being and we will continue to exist after we leave this body. That is our Original Self. We have established contact and a relationship with this Original Self, which we call the "God within" or the "Buddha Nature within." Therefore, we are aware of how God loves and protects us, teaches us every day, helps us to solve problems, and develops our compassion. We can consult Hirm when we have a problem. The person reading the menu outside praises God all the time, but he has never spoken to Hirm, so, of course, it is difficult for him to understand our explanation. Before he has tasted the food, it is hard for us to prove to him how delicious the dishes are. I might not be as knowledgeable as the professor; I am only capable of speaking simple words.

As for how "we become one with God," that cannot be explained in words. During the time of the transmission, the two of us just sit in silence, while the transmission is done from heart to heart. God talks to the God within us, and there is no place for words. We do speak before that, but only to tell you how you should sit, that it doesn't matter if you sit cross-legged or not while in meditation, and how to relax and where to put your concentration, so you can see God and communicate with Hirm. These are merely verbal instructions. Later, when the true initiation takes place, no one says a word. Such is the initiation, the heart-to-heart transmission, and the "transmission beyond teachings." It is so called because it cannot be found in the teachings. We have had God and the Buddha within us from the very beginning, so who is entitled to teach a Buddha or God what to do? It is possible only after our Original Self wakes up. This is like taking two candles, one of them already lit . When we touch the other candle with this one, it too lights up. The quality of light is originally latent in the candles; they just need someone to light them. This process needs no words or teachings; all it needs is a lamp to light it. Without a lamp, no matter how you talk about it or beg it for hundreds of years, it still won't light up.

Chairman: Thank You! Another difficulty mentioned here concerns daily life, because Supreme Master Ching Hai demands a full vegetarian diet. (Master: Yes) If you ask people to follow a strict vegetarian diet, they may hesitate to come to You because they may have difficulty putting it into practice. This is a difficulty. Suppose You say, "Never mind, just do your best to be a vegetarian," and then lots of people will join Your group. How will You overcome this difficulty in Your future development?

SMCH: We don't really want to overcome it! [Laughter] He is a Buddha and he is God. If he wants to wake up, then we give him a hand. He is a candle that is supposed to shine. If he wants to shine, then he should come closer so we can light him. If he doesn't, he can stay there in the darkness for a few thousand years; we won't disturb him. It is the obligation of a Buddha to be a vegetarian. To be a Buddha, one should act like Shakyamuni Buddha: Be compassionate, love all beings, and eat only vegetarian food. We eat some vegetables only because we have no other option. Therefore, we don't eat much, just enough, about 80 percent full, not filled to the neck. I take only one, or at the most, two meals, a day. I eat more only when I am really exhausted. Therefore, it is the people's own decision whether they become vegetarian or not; I just said that we don't want to exercise control over anyone. We stand by the side ready to help. If they want to come, we tell them what they should do; if they don't, it is all right for them to come next time, and to spend more time thinking over it. They are God; they are the ones who decide when they want to wake up.

Chairman: This part is shorter, as our main objective is to further clarify some points from the academic and religious viewpoints. We are grateful to the Supreme Master for Her answers. We will proceed to the second session, and let us again ask Professor Ruaan to give us his comments or responses to Supreme Master's earlier discussions.

Professor Ruaan: From this question and answer session, I seem to find a gap here, between one who is talking about Her personal experience as a spiritual practitioner and another who is trying to obtain an objective understanding and knowledge of an issue. The problem seems to be that there is a gap between the insiders and the outsiders. [Laughter]

In this second session, I am personally more interested in this part on "Looking back and looking ahead." Here, we have some literature about ideas and concepts. Being a scholar of history, I think that there have been wars among humans down the ages in recorded history. Despite the fact that war brings massive disasters and suffering to humankind, we still have not been able to eliminate it, even today. Superficially, war is a military conflict; from a more profound angle, the conflict concerns economic benefits and political power. At an even deeper level, we find that it is a conflict of civilizations. And religious factors, differences and antagonism, have, at least at times, been the cause of such conflicts among civilizations.

We notice that Supreme Master Ching Hai has, for many years, been promoting religious reconciliation and the concept of universal harmony. Some of you here today may have been long-time observers of the Supreme Master, but some may have just read about this in the information sheet. I have noticed that She has been promoting religious reconciliation and the concept of universal harmony. She has raised the concept that there is only one religion for humankind. A few days ago, in the China Times, we read a transcript of Her interview with a South African radio station. She mentioned that humankind has only one religion and the various religions are actually worshipping the same God, except that Hes is known by different names in different cultures, and the names are different because of the different languages. I think that this is a superb and excellent concept. If all religions could accept this concept, they would respect each other, and slowly learn to love and become united with one another. That will be a blessing for humankind. Supreme Master has advocated and expressed Her support for the convening of a world religious congress that will bring together the leaders of the world's major religions, as well as other spiritual leaders, to pray for world peace and raise suggestions for the welfare of the international community. This would be very helpful to advancing religious reconciliation and world peace.

I have read from recent world news reports that Pope John Paul II, during a mass at the Vatican Basilica on the Day of Pardon (March 12) this year, openly confessed to the world the sins committed by the Roman Catholic Church over the past two millennia and asked for God's forgiveness. Such an open confession and plea for pardon by the leader of the world's largest religion on behalf of his church was unprecedented in two thousand years. It required great sincerity, courage, and wisdom! When we heard this news, we did not feel the slightest condemnation or contempt in our hearts. Instead, we felt touched and encouraged. This good news in the first spring of the first year of the 21st century gives us a reason to embrace an optimistic view toward the future of humankind and the world. Our Supreme Master often talks about the coming of a new era and the golden age. Perhaps it is not just a dream, after all.

I'd like to raise another point after reading the chronology of the Supreme Master's major lecture events in Southeast Asia. Even though this is only a summary, it covered several pages. After reading it, I find it difficult to believe that an apparently fragile and petite lady could, within such a short time, lead, initiate, and bring together such a massive driving force; and this covers Her activities in Southeast Asia only. It does not include similar activities conducted in other parts of the world. If this is true, then it requires immense love and perseverance to accomplish. I have mentioned in the first session that there are many scholars, experts, and religious people here who specialize in the study of Chinese and religious beliefs in Southeast Asia. We also have scholars of "comparative religion" who can ask better questions than I. Here, on behalf of the many people who may share similar thoughts, I'd like to ask Supreme Master two questions that are related more to the Quan Yin Method.

Question number one: We notice that in Your address to the World Religion Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in December 1999, You did not emphasize the teachings. Instead, You stressed the method of experiencing oneness with God every day. Recorded history shows that very few Enlightened Masters have been able to impart this method of immediate enlightenment. My question is, if You have this method, would You, as They did, transmit it only to a handful of disciples? Apparently, before the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng, the Master would transmit the method to only one disciple. Even the Sixth Patriarch imparted it to only about ten disciples -- I am not quite sure about the exact figure. Masters of the past transmitted the method to very few disciples, and their disciples had to go through tremendous hardships before they could learn this precious method. However, the Quan Yin Method today, if it is such a method as You have described, is available to all Truth aspirants. As long as they are sincere, You will teach them generously free of charge. You let them get it very easily. We'd like to know why You are doing this. Why is there such a big difference?

SMCH: In ancient times, they also taught many disciples. Shakyamuni Buddha, for example, had tens of thousands of disciples. However, several principal ones, like Ananda and Rahula, were responsible for passing down the lineage. These principal disciples, just like the Quan Yin messengers, were specially trained and had memorized the verbal instructions that they could impart to people outside. However, most of the other disciples were laypersons, and they too had no problem. For instance, there was a lay practitioner named Vimalakirti; he didn't go out preaching, but everyone was afraid of him. He didn't have to go out preaching, because it was powerful enough for him to do it at home. Actually, Jesus Christ also had a lot of disciples, but twelve of them always followed Him and received training that enabled them to help Him accomplish His preaching mission later.

In fact, if what you said is true, we are now in a less favorable time. We ought to share the Truth quickly; otherwise, it will be too late. I am not a stingy person; I contribute money and everything that I know. Perhaps it is my character.

Professor Ruaan: Perhaps we should broaden our view further. We cannot just be concerned about the situation in China ; we should hold the whole world in perspective.

SMCH: When there is good news, we ought to spread it; but this is a laborious task, of course. I'd rather behave as you suggested, hiding in a corner and waiting for people to seek me out. It would make me feel more valuable. When you share the Truth in society in this way, people rebuke and misunderstand you. You lose face. However, it doesn't matter; this is not our "Original Face." We lose this face, but we will have a better Face inside.

Professor Ruaan: I have a second question, which is also my last question. From this information sheet, I learned that apart from working as a spiritual leader guiding sentient beings to find God and become one with Hirm, You have a dream for this world; You aspire for world peace. This is a common aspiration of all human beings. However, although ordinary people love peace, wars are often initiated and provoked by the politicians in power. Therefore, logically speaking, if politicians in power can become enlightened sooner [Laughter], it should be a faster and more effective way to achieve world peace. Supreme Master, do You think this is a reasonable idea? (Master: Very reasonable.) Do You have a special way to achieve this goal?

SMCH: It is only too reasonable; the problem is that they won't cooperate. Look at me: a petite woman. Would it be easy for me to see them? You bring them here and I will enlighten them. The two of us can work in cooperation. [Laughter] This world has greater respect for men than for women. A person elected to power would not care to see us. We should be grateful already that he doesn't kill us! Some governments are afraid of people who are well-known and have popular support, and whom they regard as competitors. Politicians think that we are also in the political business, trying to gain fame and profit. Therefore, spiritual practitioners like us, who are more open and famous, face the danger of losing our lives. If any government can tolerate and understand us, and let us teach freely, we are already extremely grateful. We never dream that they will come to us. So, this dream of yours is a very beautiful one. [Laughter]

Professor Ruaan: This dream has to rely on the Supreme Master to realize it.

SMCH: It is not easy to deal with this world. As you know, it is difficult to establish contact with those in power. They are so well protected that it is difficult for them to contact us even if they want to. The people around a person in power shield him from contacting whom they think he should not; they give him inappropriate information and different views. He, himself, cannot break through this barrier to contact people; therefore, he, too, is confined. It is rather difficult, but we will try to think of a way, although I am not inclined to. We should just let things develop naturally.

Chairman: Thank you very much for your exchange. I think we should come back to this agenda. Does anyone want to ask any impromptu questions? Actually, we have a distinguished guest here. He is very humble, and declined our invitation to sit up here. He is Mr. Ko Wen-Fu, former magistrate of Pingtung County and former vice minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission. He is sitting in the last row behind you. He is now chairman of a telecommunications company. Shall we invite Director Ko to say a few words?

SMCH: A great person ought to be so humble. He is very humble; that's why he is a great person.

Director Ko: Mr. Chairman, Supreme Master, and Mr. Professor, ladies and gentlemen. I am so honored to be here. The Supreme Master may have been to my hometown in Pingtung, where She has a Center in Chaochou. I was born and raised in Chaochou township. (Master: I like Pingtung; it is very warm in winter.) I have been to Your Center, which is located at a site contributed by former Chaochou Mayor Hung. When I was magistrate of Pingtung County, he was mayor of Chaochou, so he was like a brother to me. Regretfully, he has passed away. When I went to his grave to pay my respects, I saw the Center. It is still there and it's well maintained. In my opinion, it was a pity to see Supreme Master leave Formosa, because it is such a nice Center. When You were around, the Center was like a sacred spiritual place, a sacred place of Buddhism. This Method purifies people's minds and guides them toward goodness. It is a force that our society needs most today. My question is, since You began Your mission in Formosa, is there a chance that You will come back and resume this most meaningful activity? [Warm applause from audience.]

Chairman: Will You come back to Formosa again?

SMCH: It depends on God's arrangement. People in every country ask me to stay, and that makes it difficult for me to decide. I have to be on the move all the time so I can share my time with everyone. Perhaps I will leave the matter until I am older; when I have nowhere to go, then I will come back, begging you for a place to live. Thank you very much for your loving concern and suggestion. I miss my homeland very much, but sometimes our destiny is not the same. We have to do what we can. I do miss Formosa very much. Here, I feel I am a native, and everyone loves me very much. Therefore, if there is a chance in the future, of course, I will come back.

Director Ko: Let me add a few words. I like the way You look now. You didn't give me as good an impression before as You do today. Perhaps I will follow You, too. [Laughter and applause.]

SMCH: Welcome! Of course, I look more amicable this way. I didn't used to dress this way, nor did I wear makeup. I used to feel much more comfortable. When I dress up, I feel as though I have something on my face, but I have gotten used to it. It's good that everyone likes it; it is easier to communicate with you then. Thank you! I can feel your loving kindness. If there is a chance in the future, we will come again. I've been here for three days already; about 30,000 people saw me yesterday. The whole of Formosa saw me, thanks to the live television broadcast. In this sense, I have been back to Formosa. I have been spending a little time in each country. Anyway, thank you very much. I will find a way. I like Formosa the most; I lived here for more than ten years, and it's just like my home. I've never stayed in a place for that long, except in Au Lac. In this world, I've stayed the longest period in Formosa.

Chairman: Thank You very much, Supreme Master Ching Hai. Ladies and gentlemen, there is no gathering that will last forever. We are delighted to have had Supreme Master here with us today. In this seminar that has lasted almost two hours, you have witnessed a dialogue between religion and academics, belief and knowledge Of course, there is a gap between them, but we are researchers of the Academia Sinica, so we are seeking answers in the academic and intellectual domains through this seminar. In the exchange, the Supreme Master provided us with some words of great wisdom, which will be very valuable for our future research.

Through today's interchange, you will have realized that the Quan Yin Method, as Professor Ruaan noted, is heading toward educating modern spiritual practitioners. Supreme Master emphasized, in one concise sentence, the return to our original God Nature, which is the goal of spiritual practice. Regarding Her organization, we have found that it is very unique and extraordinary. What power makes people in different places reach out simultaneously and spontaneously to help each other? Apart from studying the issue from the religious and academic viewpoints, there is still much for us to reflect deeply upon. Their method of spreading the message is also very special. The leaders of the Association present have already explained that they accomplish their work mainly by doing things in silence, and this really deserves our admiration!

We had hoped to conduct a more in-depth study of the Chinese in Southeast Asia, but we have discovered that religion knows no boundaries. We cannot restrict Supreme Master to discussions on Southeast Asia only. Perhaps this is a special feature rather than a flaw. In the future, the Chinese world will become one connected by all the seas of the Earth. The concept of the "Overseas Chinese" is an important one that our Chinese research group will address in the future. From this perspective and that of religious activities, we can further prove that the Chinese people transcend national boundaries. When they do, especially when they go beyond Chinese and western cultures, we find that we can rise above politics. From the deeds and words of the Supreme Master, we can see that the cultural power is guiding the economic power, and is beyond political restrictions. This is a beautiful phenomenon in a pluralistic society. Therefore, politics no longer control everything. In this pluralistic society, different community groups have opened up their own worlds.

Today, we are very happy to have received the assistance of our colleagues from the Academia Sinica, who have helped make this seminar a great success. Of course, we are also grateful to our research groups and our special thanks go to our assistant secretary. Her efficient arrangements and the enthusiastic participation and organized cooperation of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association have made the seminar a great success. We would like to thank all our guests from the academic field, the press, and the social sector for their earnest participation. We would also like to thank the commentator for his very profound and wise narration, observations, and questions. Finally, our greatest thanks go to Supreme Master Ching Hai for coming to the Academia Sinica despite Her extremely busy schedule. Her profound and inspirational speech today has left much room for contemplation. Thank you all very much!

SMCH: Thank you very much! Thank you, everyone! [Applause]

Q: May I ask one final question?

Chairman: Oh! Still another question?

Q: Are the majority of Your Southeast Asian disciples of Chinese descent? Are there any local people, for example, Indonesians or Malaysians?

SMCH: Both Chinese and local people.

Q: But, are they mainly Chinese?

SMCH: No, no! We will continue to introduce our Method to everyone who comes. There are a lot of local people, and many of us need to listen to the translation through earphones. Wherever we go, we often need many people to translate our discourses into different languages.

Q: My question is regarding the Celestial Clothes. You have mentioned that the Celestial Clothes designed by You are becoming more expensive. We are curious as to where all these Celestial Clothes have gone after the fashion shows. (Master: Sold.) All sold? Or are they kept for exhibition or other purposes?

SMCH: We sell them!

Q: To whom?

SMCH: To anyone who wants to buy. This is freedom. We also have a boutique in Taipei. Anyone can go in and buy what they want.

SMCH: Then what about the measurements? [Laughter]

SMCH: We have to take the measurements and then you will have to wait for some time. Since we emphasize quality instead of quantity, we must take the precise measurements of each individual customer. Besides, we have at the most two or three sets of clothes for each design. We cannot produce too many.

Chairman: Good. (Master: Thank you.) We now declare that the seminar has officially concluded. Thanks everyone who is present here today. Thank you. [Applause]

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