We can change our world. We can save our world, instead of killing others for our own survival. We should rebuild our way of life - live a moral life, be a vegetarian, cultivate ourself mentally and physically; and there will be immediate results. Our world will be changed at once if everyone is planting trees instead of cutting them down, then we would be saved very soon. Within ten years, the world would never be the same, without any problem. Truly there is Hope, but only with the cooperation of everyone.
We have to set a good example for the world in every aspect, including the relief missions, spiritual practice, handling friendships and the relationship between Master and disciples. Only when absolutely necessary, then we use stern methods. Is it not better if we can treat each other in a refined and noble manner? The creation of heaven should start from here!
People in high positions in particular, should care more about their qualities. As an official, one should be honest and upright. A government servant must work diligently for the nation, sacrifice for the well-being of her people. Spiritual practitioners or the liaison persons for Master, etc., should also mind the manner and quality in their acts and speech, sacrifice for others instead of enjoying personal comfort. Parents, they should take care of their children of course, make them comfortable, but not spoil them badly. Children, naturally they should be filial and obedient to their parents and elders.
The teachers should fulfil their responsibilities, provide moral and ethical lessons for the students. The basic A, B, C lessons, that everyone can teach, are not enough. The greatest responsibility of a teacher is to teach the children about ethics, the superior qualities. This also applies to the parents. Just feeding and dressing the children are not enough. If everyone fulfills their responsibilities - the parents protect their children well, the children are filial - the world would be in great peace, beginning with the family. Then, all the natural disasters and war calamities would diminish.
Q. Hi. I see so much destruction going on around me, environmental destruction.
M. True.
Q. Cruelty. Cruelty to animals.
M. It's true.
Q. I just wonder how You perceive this and what You can recommend to people who are trying to release themselves from this world in the spiritual fashion, to help them cope with their surroundings and cope with all the devastation that is going on around them. And do You think that going beyond this world is enough for us to recognize what we are leaving behind, or do You feel we in this plane have a duty to try to alleviate the suffering? And will it do any good?
M. It will. It will. At least for us, for our conscience so that we feel we are doing something and we have tried our best to relieve the suffering of our fellow beings. I do all the same. Whatever you ask, I am doing. I did, I do, and I will. I have told you already, our finances are distributed to different organizations, sometimes, or different countries, when there are in disasters. And I would not like to boast much about it, but since you ask... And for example, we gave one million dollars US to Philippines last year for their release of their... relief of their Mt. Pinatubo. And we helped the flood victims in Vietnam, and the flood victims in China etc. And we are trying to help the Vietnamese refugees now to release...to.... to help with the U.N.'s burden, you understand, provided the U.N. wants us to help. But we are trying. Yes, understand now? We help them with financial support, and also we could relocate them if the U.N. lets it happen - with the blessing of the U.N. Understand? Yes, so we do all these things that you have requested and also because, since we are here, you understand, we might just as well clean our environment as much as possible. Therefore, we help with the suffering and we help with the moral standard of the world. Yeah? Both spiritually and physically. Yes. Because some people don't want to take spirituality from me. They only want to take physical help. So we help them physically. And that's what we do, that's why I have to earn money. That's why I don't want to live on people's donations. Understand? All my monks and my disciples have to work, just like you do. And then, apart from that, we help spiritually also, understand, and help with the suffering of the world, help to relieve the suffering of the world. We have to do this. Doesn't mean we sit in samadhi all day long and enjoy ourselves. That's a very selfish Buddha (enlightened being). We don't want to have him here. (laughter)