M. Because that is our own real self. Light and sound is the manifestation of our wisdom inside, which is invisible to our eyes and ears. Hearing the sound doesn't mean you hear with the ears. Seeing the light doesn't mean you see with eyes. It's just the inside awareness of your own self, of your own glorious nature, that we are light; that we are a beautiful melody and that we are not the body. And the more you hear of this invisible, inaudible sound, the more you'll see this invisible light or heaven, the wiser you'll become; the more loving you'll become; the more satisfaction you'll gain; and the more efficient you will be to serve the world.
It's not because the light and sound are important; it
is because it is ourselves. It's just like food, we don't eat because of
the taste only; it's because it will give nourishment that will later manifest
as strength and energy, so that we can work for the family; we can think;
we can read books; and we can do other things. That is the importance
of food. Similarly, the importance of the light and sound is that it makes
us wiser, more loving, more capable in all aspects. Alright?
.....
Q. What is the real practical purpose in our everyday life of following this meditation? Where will You lead us?
M. Because we don't use our complete wisdom, we have a lot of anxiety, and sometimes we do things in an unsure way. Sometimes, we are unhappy and feel many external pressures, and also we are frightened of situations; therefore, we are not peaceful and stable no matter which position or how much money we have. If we find this greatest Wisdom inside, we can do things better and clearer. We are happier, more stable, and peaceful, and this is good for daily life already. Also, we love others more unconditionally; all hatred and envy fall away.
.....
Q. Are you saying that the initiation is where you bless the person, and this opens them up for new possibilities?
M. Actually, we are the greatest in the universe, all of us. We came from the greatest source. Therefore, we must be the greatest. We can't just come from trees, rocks or anything we think of. So anyhow, the process of initiation is to immediately kind of shock us back into this highest position, which we have forgotten all along, because we have been too busy with daily mundane activities.
Q. Master, if the Quan Yin Method can help me avoid reincarnation, how about my karma in my past lives?
M. Oh, I burn it. I throw it in the dust-bin and set fire to it and finish. Okay? You know where karma comes from? Comes from your reactions. Actions and reactions, of course. But where does it come from? It is stored in your subconsciousness. There is a button. I just push it and it's gone. It's like your computer or your record player. You can play it, you can record it, or you can erase it. Just know how.
Q. What are the steps to enlightenment and what level of enlightenment does this technique take you to?
M. It will take you to the source of all beings, where you came from and where all beings will return. Between this earthly level and that absolute level, there are five levels of consciousness or different planes of existence, and if we, through the practice of the heavenly light and sound and the guidance of the experienced teacher, pass through these five levels, then we arrive there, at the house of the masters where all masters came from and return after the mission, and where we also will come from in order to help other beings should we desire to return to Earth or any other planet in the universe. So the first step is to get initiation and then everything else will come.
Q. If one attains the highest level after practicing the Quan Yin Method, what would it be like, and have any of Your disciples attained that?
M. If one attains
the highest level in Quan Yin practice, then one becomes like Bodhisattva Avolakitesvara,
you know, Quan Yin Bodhisattva, who can hear everything, can see everything,
and can help people in different corners of the universe, without having to
be near them or without having to know their names or person. And this is of
course the goal of every follower of different religions, to become omnipresent,
to become a source of blessing for all the suffering beings. And some of our
disciples have attained near this kind of level, but they are very humble. You
will not be able to discern them. It's just sometimes other disciples can tell,
or during meditation then
you can see, who is which level.
.....
Q. Master Ching Hai, please explain our relationship spiritually to You. After You die, and one has been initiated, is our flight back Home still guaranteed by Your soul spirit?
M. Guaranteed. As has been said earlier, we are not the body; we are the spirit. So when this body goes or comes, there is no difference, no distance between us. And I have told you already, at the time of initiation, the Method is explained to you so that you can use it for life. There is nothing that can come between anymore, unless you don't want it and you leave. But the seed is still there for next life.
Q. Master, if the level of spiritual development is individual, why are parents and families saved without any sacrifice?
M. They are saved, but they are not to be masters. They are saved because God's grace is boundless. I've told you, you are all connected together as family and relatives. If one is free, one is glorified, the whole of the relatives get good benefits. For example, say you are a very beautiful girl, and the king of a certain country loves to marry you. Now, after he has married you, all your relatives and friends aren't they also glorified? Yeah? Won't they have the chance to go to see the king in the palace and enjoy all the luxury? Not so? Yeah?
Q. Dear Master, explain that if one person gets initiated, five of their generations would be saved. How about living family members who eat meat and drink alcohol, will they also be saved?
M. They will also be saved, sadly but fortunately. (Master and all laugh) That is, if they deliberately do not want liberation, then the master will not force it upon them, of course, because each one is God. You must remember, each one of us is God. No one can tell God what to do, even another God. How bad he is, how good he is, that's his own decision, his own path in life to choose. He chose to play this role. He is okay, even if he is bad. That's why the Bible says to us Judge not.
Q. Master, will I be able to find my dead relatives and communicate with them if I practice the Quan Yin meditation?
M. Dead relatives? Oh, sure, sure. But
I am afraid maybe you don't like to go there. Some of your people
are difficult to get in touch with. If you want to go such place,
you need a Master. Otherwise you will be in danger. So it's not
always good to see dead relatives. Now you practice the Quan Yin
Method, and some of your relatives, dead relatives will be immediately
released from whatever suffering they have. If they are already
in heaven, they will go to a higher level of heaven. If they suffer
light punishment, they can go immediately, quick. If it's too
heavy, then we have to negotiate. Then the Master must negotiate
or has to suffer for that person. But it won't be too long. For
example, if those people have to suffer for thousands of years,
the Master wouldn't have to suffer for thousands of years. Just
maybe a few hours, or sometimes a few seconds, sometimes a few
minutes, sometimes prolonged but not a big deal sickness, things
like that.
So it's not always ideal to see your dead relatives. It's better
to see live relatives. Love them, serve them, and encourage them
before they are dead. But you can see them, you can see them. Many of our
practitioners see their dead relatives and friends coming to thank
them that due to them, they are liberated. That is no big deal,
no big deal.
Q. Do we pay karma in our dreams? How do we pay karma?
M. We pay karma in our dreams only if that is the grace of God. Otherwise, most of the time, we have to pay physically, like an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. When initiated, or enlightened, then we live by the grace of God. We don't live so much by the law of karma anymore, except for some already fixed karma, like we have to have some certain karma in order to exist in this life. That karma we have to continue with. But then, it can be erased to a certain extent, it can be lubricated, it can be lessened a lot of degrees, or it can be paid in dreams, only at that time.
Q. Master said that water in the cup is the same with water in the ocean, but because of our egos which separates water of the cup from the ocean. Is it right that meditation means making a hole at bottom of the cup to have the water merge with the ocean?
M. Initiation means that. Yes! Open the connected hole and so the water can come in and out all the time. So the water in the cup is the water in the ocean, and the water in the ocean is the water in the cup. Yes. Everyday when you meditate, it's just like water flowing in and out all the time, making it fresh so that the water in the cup does not become rotten.
Q. In what way can we get energy from meditation?
M. The effortless way. The energy from meditation is already within ourselves by the power at the time of initiation through a Master, it is awakened. Therefore when we do the meditation in our so-called method which has no method at all, we get the direct energy without doing anything. It's a very effortless effort. That is the best way, the natural way because we get what we have. We don't borrow. We don't try. We don't steal, we don't force things to happen, but things coming and happening because it's already there.
Q. My mind is hard to quiet for meditation, it's like a monkey who wants to run and play but not sit quietly. How does your meditation help quiet the mind to realize the true self?
M. I just put the mind to sleep (laughter) by the light and the sound. The music will nurse him to sleep. The light will comfort him, and then he is fast asleep. Only the soul is awakened. But nevertheless, continue with your meditation if you don't want to join us and you will get used to it a little bit more. But the thing is, if you sit in meditation, you use all your effort, concentrate on the breath, on the heart chakra, or whatever chakra, all over chakra, and you get nothing in return; then of course the mind would get bored. He will say, "Hey, what you're doing? You make me sit here for what? I want to see cinema. It's even better than this. I want to go and drink coffee and talk with friends. It's better." You see what I mean? I had a fellow practitioner, she is pretty old, about sixty. Oh, no, fifty something . And before she met me, she had many other masters and they taught her many methods -- continue with the breath, sit in Zen for fifteen hours a day, and all that. Eat one meal. And she said she sat and sat until she can't sit no more and she can get nothing. Therefore she can't bear it. And after she got enlightenment, she said, "Oh, sometimes she sat for four hours." And she was so happy, tremendously happy. Because of her happiness, her whole family of eight members are all happy, and they told me this. Even though they were not initiated. And they tell me how beneficial it is, my work. So they encourage me to continue. The non-initiates.
.....
Q. Is meditation necessary before initiation? How will initiation help me in my everyday life?
M. Meditation and experience about meditational practice are not required. If you have it, it's okay. If you don't have it, it's okay. You might have to start all over again because you didn't meditate in the right way anyhow. We start to help you from A, B, C. And after your initiation, you will see miracles every day. It helps you in all aspects in your life. Whether you work better or you take better care of your family, you're more loving toward your family members, more loving toward yourself, more self-confident, everything, one thousand and millions of things. I cannot tell you all. You have to experience it. It helps you; otherwise, what is the good of meditation and suffering every day waiting for Heaven? We have to bring Heaven to Earth by meditational practice. We enjoy some part of Heaven here, and then when we quit this Earth, we will enjoy even more.