Question:
Dear Master, the Quan Yin Method
tells us to concentrate on the inner Light and Sound. But how can people
who were born blind or deaf practice?
Master:
Oh!
These are not the light and sound from outside. It is the real one that
is inside us. It is the Kingdom of God. You don't need the physical
eyes and the physical ears to hear it. You understand? So blind people
can see, deaf people can hear it, the Kingdom of God. It's not the physical
body that we are talking about.
Q:
Dear
Master, Enlightenment is a journey every soul has to take. The role
of a guru or master is to help a person progress through spiritual growth.
You had to go through the same rigors of dedicated practice that Buddha
and Guru Nanak (the first Sikh guru) and many others went through. So
how can you, in a moment, claim to enlighten your disciples? With due
reverence, Master.
M:
You will see. You will see how. Try me. (Applause)
Q:
Dear
Master, as an Enlightened individual, how do you get past the obstacle
of knowing who you truly are, to have that peace and joy, when seeing
so many around you who are still asleep-who refuse or reject or ignore
the way which you hope to show them?
M:
Oh! They have their own choice. Everyone has the freedom to choose to
go back home now or tarry around here. So, it is no problem. You leave
them alone. If you want to go Home, you go. If they don't want to go
Home, let them bear it and be there.
Q:
Dear
Master, I have a cat and a dog and I feed them meat. What is your opinion
of this?
M:
Ask the cat and the dog, not me! (Laughter and applause.) Well, I don't
decide what you want to do in your life, least of all with cats and
dogs. But some of our disciples feed them vegetarian food and they are
OK. I have five dogs and they are all vegetarian and they are all very
excited, healthy, beautiful dogs. Yes, it's no problem. I have also
fed cats vegetarian food; they were OK, too. They didn't complain. In
the shop also, for pet food, they have vegetarian food for dogs and
cats. Maybe you can inquire about that. I feed my dogs "Wysong"
(a brand of veggie dog food). It's good. But my dogs don't eat dog food.
They eat human food. I cook a lot; I feed them first, and whatever is
left over, I eat. At first, they eat dog food, later on after they eat
my food, they don't want dog food anymore. They just sneak around and
they look at me as if to say, "What, what's that?" (Laughter)
So after that, I have to feed them food every day. They just eat dog
food, when I don't have time to cook. They just eat a little bit, symbolically,
just to make me feel good, and wait for goodies from the kitchen, from
the real food.
Q:
Dear
master, you said that all of the inventions and ideas that come from
the universe are garbage. I have a lot of these. So being initiated
and practicing, will I improve?
M:
Oh sure! You will invent some better garbage! (Laughter.) I don't mean
garbage. What I mean is, whatever we have here, even the best inventions,
are left over from other, more highly developed societies; but, as we
are not as developed as they are, this garbage is excellent for us!
So, please, do collect some more! We need them.
Q:
Dear
Master, if I have been a vegetarian for a long, time, but I have eaten
eggs, may I still be initiated?
M:
OK, no problem! Just don't eat them anymore. Eggs attract negative energy
and make you slow in spiritual progress.
Q:
Dear
Master, what is the difference between God and Jesus?
M:
There's no difference. I and my Father are One. Didn't He tell you?
(Applause) Well, there is a difference because we saw Him, people saw
Him in the physical body and we don't see God in this physical body.
So we think God and Jesus are different. But God manifested within Jesus
to show people the Way back to themselves.
Q:
Master,
why do we have physical ailments? Do they teach us something, or are
we to struggle to overcome sickness?
M:
Sickness is some malfunction in our spiritual, mental, emotional or
physical body. Some sicknesses come from spiritual "dis-ease,"
some come from emotional imbalance, and some come from physical discomfort.
So we have to check what kind of sickness it is. Most diseases come
from karmic background, but other than that, we also do not take care
of our body very well. A body is like a car: You have to refuel it,
you have to polish it, you have to wash it, and you have to change the
oil and add gasoline now and then and check the engine periodically
so that it runs well. But many of us take rotten care of ourselves.
If you feel tired, depressed, you have to take vitamins, have good rest,
relax, or do some yoga. If you don't want to be initiated here, go find
some yoga group, at least do some yogic exercises, or do something that
is good and relaxing, like listen to music, or watch a good, relaxing
film. Take vitamins; take Vitamin B12 more if you are depressed. That
is what they say; it helps depression, a lot of multivitamins to compensate
for some lacking nutrition in our diet. Because some of us eat junk
all the time and don't realize it and expect the car to run well. You
have to put petrol in the car, otherwise it won't run. And the body
needs a lot of nutrition. It needs protein; it needs fruit; it needs
vegetables; it needs good food. If you keep eating un-nutritious food
every day, not balanced, then of course your body gets imbalanced.
Q:
Dear
Master, is it true that after initiation, one must give up all worldly
wealth and possessions such as money and jewelry in order to attain
enlightenment?
M:
If you want to. (Laughter) But it doesn't cost that much. It costs only
a few hours a day if you can spare that, nothing else. No money is ever
needed. You keep everything that you have right now. I never demand
anything from you, never, ever. Keep everything, enjoy this life, and
be blessed while you meditate. That's it. So you can have both. (Applause.)
Q:
Master,
what constitutes sexual immorality in the Five Precepts? And does this
include homosexuality?
M:
Sexual misconduct means you should not indulge yourself too much in
this physical activity and forsake spiritual practice. If you happen
to love a person of your own sexual identity, then you should just practice
moderately also. Homosexuality is not forbidden. It is just that, you
should have love, if you really love, not just sex. Sex alone is not
good. Love is OK, whether you love a woman, between a man and a woman,
or between a woman and a woman, or between a man and a man. Because
we love, when we love it is with the heart and with the soul. When we
have sex for its own sake, it is just physical. It is not engaged in
emotional evolvement and commitment; it is not involved in spiritual
elevation. Therefore it is not satisfying and it is degrading to our
feelings. Afterwards we don't feel good about ourselves, and that is
what we call misconduct. And if you have one, you should honor each
other and not hurt the other's feelings by including many others, for
example. Because the sexual gift is a gift from God. It is not to be
misused. It is better to accompany sexual activity with love. Then you
feel much better. You feel nobler. Most people, after spiritual practice,
only engage in this physical act once in a while, for the purpose of
procreation. Well, I have gone too far. (Laughter) Go, ahead. Just keep
love. Whatever you do, do it with love, then it's OK. (Applause)
Q:
Master, after 24 years of meditation, my marriage
dissolved. I loved my husband and this makes me sad. Why did this happen?
M:
What kind of meditation is that? 24 years, right? Well, it's not my
fault. I wasn't there. (Master and audience laugh) I've been here only
for 15 years or something. Well, the meditation is not the cause of
your marriage separation. The separation came as part of a karmic solution.
Today you see these beautiful flowers here. Tomorrow they die; if not,
next week. Everything takes care of itself in time, including our life.
We will not last here forever. So if the marriage lasts until the end
of our lives, then it's OK; it's just a couple of more decades. If it
lasts for 24 years, if it lasts for 44 years, there's not much difference;
it's just numbers. If the marriage lasts long or not long, it doesn't
prove anything. Go find another man in short! (Laughter and applause.)
Q:
Dear
Master, I am 14 years old. My mother has been sick for ten years now,
since I was a little girl. I know I should be strong, but a lot of the
time it is very hard for me. Do you have any advice?
M:
Not much. I feel very sorry for you. You are a very good girl, a strong
one. Continue! Pray to God for help, for inside strength. Get initiation;
practice. That will help you feel super, like a superwoman!
Q:
Master,
why is the age limit imposed for initiation? Is it because they are
unfit or beyond the scope of initiation?
M:
Or they don't have enough time to finish the course, if it is the elderly
ones. And if the young are too young, they need permission from their
parents, so that they can help them, so that they don't go against their
parents' will. This world is like that; it goes with the physical law.
