So when we are baptized by any person whosoever claims that he can baptize you, he must also give you at least some inner Heavenly Light. It’s like this dove that came from Heaven. Or the (inner Heavenly) Light, like a big flame which is mentioned in the Bible. Or you can hear the (inner Heavenly) Sound of God like thunder, the thunderous voice of God. Or the voice of many waters. Then you are sure that you are baptized.
To see our Buddha Nature means to become one with God or to see God. Now, how do we know if we see God or if we have not seen God? Or will we see God, or won’t we see God? Or whenever we see God, how do we know? And what is God? Or what is Buddha Nature?
Now, we have to refer again to the Bible, the Hindu scripture, the Sikh scripture, and whatever scripture, the Tao, Taoist scripture, and the Buddhist scripture. In the Bible, it is said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So, if the “Word was God,” then if we hear this Word, then we may say that we have heard God. Or we are in contact with God.
In the Buddhist scripture, it is said the Buddhas speak only with one language, but every being can perceive it according to his own understanding. Now, this language is not the ordinary verbal language. It is a kind of sound – the inner Vibration that everyone communicates with each other, and the Buddhas can use that to communicate with sentient beings. If it means the language of our world, then it is impossible. Because the Buddha, however intelligent He is, He can only speak one language at a time. And it is impossible for all beings to listen in different languages at the same time. Even here we have two translators: one Chinese and one Aulacese (Vietnamese). But even so, only three languages, not all languages. And even all beings, including animal-people and lower existence, also understand. That must mean “the Word” in the Bible.
And in Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu mentions that this Name, we cannot name. And the Tao, we cannot explain, but we can hear it without ears, and we can see without eyes. We can perceive without sense organs. Now, this Word or this inner Heavenly Sound or this Vibration is the Creative Force of the Universe. Every scripture, if you read carefully, all mention about this inner Heavenly Sound or so-called inner Music. The “unstruck Music (Sound),” it is said in the Sikh scripture.
In the Hindu scripture, it is also said the same thing. “In the beginning was the Vak.” I mean this V-A-K that we pronounce “Vak” in Sanskrit. And this all means “The Word,” exactly like in the Bible.
In the beginning was that Vibration, and then the Vibration was with God. And so, we say in the Bible, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” The “Word” means the (inner Heavenly) Sound, but in ancient language maybe they say it in a different way. They don’t say “(inner Heavenly) Sound”, they say “Word.” Of course, when we speak a word, it becomes vibrating and becomes a sound. So now, if we somehow can get in touch with this inner Heavenly Sound or “sound stream,” or “the Word,” then we can know God’s whereabouts, or we can be in contact with God.
But what is the proof that we are in contact with God by just being in contact with this inner Heavenly Sound? There is a lot of proof. After we are in contact with this Word or (inner Heavenly) Sound or the inner Vibration, our whole life changes. Changes for the better. We know many things we never knew before. We understand many things we never thought of before. We can do many things, accomplish many things, we never dreamed of before. We’re getting mightier and mightier, in one word. We become mightier and mightier until we become Almighty. We become more capable, more enlarged, our being, until we are everywhere, until we become omnipresent. And that is the proof that we become one with God, that we have God-realization.
If we just listen to the Music inside for fun, then of course there is nothing to talk about. But this Music, this inner Vibration, does change our life. No one who came in contact with this Word or (inner Heavenly) Sound or Vibration will not experience a great change in his or her life. This is what we call an enlightened person. The more we are in contact with this Word or (inner Heavenly) Sound, or the Quan Yin Method, the wiser we become, the saintlier we become, and the less vexation, the less attachment, the less anger, hatred, and lust we will have. We will have more freedom, more love, more peace, more wisdom, and everything we wish to have. Including the comfortable life, a material style of life. Not only spiritually will we develop. We will feel more comfortable in life, materially, and in all things, in all aspects. We will feel much different than before. Actually, in our poor worldly language, every time I would like to speak about this great treasure within us, I feel I’m so ashamed. I feel I make a poor job of it. But I have to try somehow to convey a little part of this great wisdom to you in order that you might feel interested somehow, and then find it out for yourself.
And then you will know what it is without any language. Because when we are transmitted this Method, we don’t speak even. And that is even the best time. Then you will get enlightenment. You will get something you never had before, and you will feel something you never felt before: so light, so relaxed, so beautiful, so sinless. That is the meaning of baptism. That is the meaning of taking refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sanga.
What does being baptized mean? When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, as I have mentioned, He saw the (inner Heavenly) Light that came from Heaven, came down like a dove. You remember? So when we are baptized by any person whosoever claims that he can baptize you, he must also give you at least some inner Heavenly Light. It’s like this dove that came from Heaven. Or the (inner Heavenly) Light, like a big flame which is mentioned in the Bible. Or you can hear the (inner Heavenly) Sound of God like thunder, the thunderous voice of God. Or the voice of many waters. Then you are sure that you are baptized.
To take refuge in the Three Jewels – in the Buddha, in the Dharma, in the Sanga – means exactly the same thing. When the Buddha laid down the rule for taking refuge in the Three Jewels, He said when we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sanga, it’s supposed to be that we are free from all hindrance of karma. We will never come back again as a ghost, we will never go to hell. We will see (the inner Heavenly) Light, we will become the Bodhisattva, meaning the saint. Now, to become a saint or to become an enlightened person implies we must see (the inner Heavenly) Light. Because enlightened means light, to have light – “en-light-ened.” We have to be enlightened inside. The (inner Heavenly) Light is within us, but we have to be enlightened. So, if we don’t see any inner Heavenly Light when we take refuge in whatever organization, or are baptized by whomever, then we must doubt in our heart whether we are truly baptized; if we are enlightened, if we are free from the darkness.
To take refuge in Buddhas means what? Buddha means an “enlightened being.” So, whoever gives us the refuge must be enlightened, otherwise, he is not called Buddha. And the past Buddhas cannot enlighten us, however enlightened He was. Or else the Indian people, when the Buddha was alive, could be all enlightened already by just being with Him, being around Him, being under the same sky, same country.
Most people of Buddhism believe that if they worship the Buddha, bow to His statue and light an incense, offering some fruit and flowers, then they are safe, and they are taking refuge already in the Buddha. I think it is a most mistaken concept. Because the Buddha’s statues no doubt represent the past Buddha, but not the present one. And the past Buddha cannot help us in any way except to leave behind some little theory for us to follow, and to examine, to make reference. And some of us, we go to the church and get baptized, and get some cakes, some very tasteless cakes. And we think we are safe from the hellfire.
I’m glad people do that, anyhow. The symbolism of truth at least is kept, well-kept, and I am glad they do it. Why am I glad? Because it shows how innocent people are – how easy to believe, how naive… At least, it means we are so innocent. So pure in the heart. Easy to believe anything. So, I’m glad the Buddhist people go to the temple and offer fruit to the wooden statue, and I’m glad that the Catholic believers go to church and repeat some of the ancients’ experiences, like the Flame and the Voice of thunder, and the voice of many waters and then thinking that they are saved.
At least they show their purity and innocence. But innocence and purity could not help us much if we, in this lifetime, do not see the Buddha; do not experience God ourselves. It is like someone just fakes the telephone in your house without a wire connection. And tells you, here, that is a telephone. It looks like everybody else’s telephone and that’s it. Now every day you can dial a number and talk. But what is it? You are talking to yourself only; the connection is not there, and the other end cannot receive anything. If we believe by talking on one side of the telephone and no answer from the other side, that is alright.
But I think we are the most innocent people in the world. Is that not so? Now, to believe that God hears us and we get no response from Hirm is even more innocent than that. Before, I was that innocent. Every day I also would go to church and go to the temple, believing that was all there was to it. But then, when I grew up and I was feeling empty, I felt God doesn’t respond to anything, Hes doesn’t care if I cry my heart out. Hes doesn’t care. The Buddha doesn’t dry my tears. He doesn’t answer my sincere prayers and questions. He just sits there and smiles. Every day, the ever-smiling. Like this.
And I cried, and I bowed, and I threw myself at His feet – He didn’t move one inch. So then, I became frustrated, and then after a while, I became angry. I thought, “Buddha, how come You can be so impolite?” But it wasn’t the Buddha who was impolite, It was me who was too naive. And after some time, I started to realize that maybe the dead Buddha couldn’t help me much. I had to find the living one. I had to find the living Buddha inside me. Therefore, I started to look for Masters, methods, and the real way to get enlightenment. Not just every day, bowing to a lifeless statue. So then, I have found it. After a lot of struggle, discipline, and effort, I have found it.
