We are in a practitioner group. We are not like the government’s law or police, where once somebody commits a crime, he gets worse and worse, down the drain all the time. He has no chance to come up because of prejudice, because of a jury, because of evidence or whatever against him, or because of society’s condemnation. So, we forgive people. Forgive people. But once he comes in, really forgive and forget. Don’t say, “OK, you know you’ve been very bad. You have done this and that, and I’m just watching you.” Don’t make him feel nervous. Really forgive and forget. […]
So, I also don’t really know the situation, how bad he was and how impolite he has behaved. But the fact that he still wants to join, to meditate again with us, should give him one more chance. If he did not break any precept and if he became better, you should give him a chance and truly forget, not trying to remember the incident again, then maybe he can try one more time. Of course, men sometimes talk more tough and rough than women. It’s difficult to get by, man to man.
We are in a practitioner group. We are not like the government’s law or police, where once somebody commits a crime, he gets worse and worse, down the drain all the time. He has no chance to come up because of prejudice, because of a jury, because of evidence or whatever against him, or because of society’s condemnation. So, we forgive people. Forgive people. But once he comes in, really forgive and forget. Don’t say, “OK, you know you’ve been very bad. You have done this and that, and I’m just watching you.” Don’t make him feel nervous. Really forgive and forget. Love him, make him feel like nothing happened, then he’ll change. It may be difficult, but you are the Buddhas. You do difficult things.
Sometimes, if some brother or sister has something against you or offends you, you try to reason with him first. Don’t just always report to a contact person, and then the contact person doesn’t know anything; he is protective. If it’s really, really bad, then, of course, we sit together and discuss why he’s so bad and if it’s possible for him to change or not. If not really, then “fire” him. Remember, we are a group of practitioners, a group of saintly people. More loving, more tolerant.
Next one please. (It’s a pleasure to meet You. I’m a new disciple initiated at the Yeoungdong Center on May 14th. I’m going to ask You some silly questions. But these are still important to me. When I practice Quan Yin [meditation on the inner Heavenly Sound] and Quan Quang [inner Heavenly Light], it’s very difficult to concentrate. How do I concentrate well? That’s the first and…) (I am a new initiate, and it’s difficult for me to do the Quan Quang [meditation on the inner Heavenly Light] and the Quan Yin [meditation on the inner Heavenly Sound]. It’s difficult to concentrate. How can I improve my concentration?) Try more. Practice makes the Master. Remember how hard it is when you try to ride a bicycle for the first time. Try again and again.
(And then, secondly, I know that in Christianity and Catholicism, there is the Lord’s Prayer, and then in Buddhism, there are sutras and things like that. The practitioner can keep chanting those things to get the mind focused. Do we not have such a good mantra in our Quan Yin Method?) (In Christianity and Buddhism, they have some mantras to recite for concentration.) Yes. (Don’t You have anything like that, prayers to God, something like that?) How about the Five (Holy) Names? Try that.
(And then I will ask You another question. We know that Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days, and Shakyamuni Buddha practiced in the wilderness for a long time. Could I ask You to share with us Your experience as the founder of the Quan Yin Method?) (The great Masters, such as Jesus Christ and Buddha, had practiced, for example, many years in deserts, something like that. Do You also have some experience stories for spiritual seeking?) Experience for…? (Experience stories for seeking the Truth like Them.) Experience what? (Experience stories for…) Stories! (Yes, stories.) Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t have much. I got enlightened too quick.
(Master, I understand that there are two lineages of Shakyamuni Buddha – one that was passed down from Bodhidharma to the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, Master Huineng, and another one that was secretly transmitted to the Buddha’s son, the Venerable Rāhula, and is called tantra. There are two kinds of tantra: one that is done by the practitioner’s will and one that is done at the level of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In Volume 3 of your Questions and Answers book, on page 97, it states that the real tantra is the Quan Yin Method, which is the Dharma [Teaching] of enlightenment. I’d like to know if that means it’s the tantra done at the level of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.) Difficult? (In Questions and Answers, Book 3, You said…) Here, here, she has the book for you – the whole book. (Do You know about tantra?) Tantra, yes. (In tantra, it is said that the enlightenment is done by the practitioner’s will power or it is done by the Blessing of the Buddhas.) Yes. (In Questions and Answers, Book 3, You said the real tantra is the Quan Yin Method. Now, is this method done by the Blessing of the Buddhas?) Yeah. Also, yourself, both combined. Because you have to meditate, you have to quiet yourself down; then the Buddha can bless you. Combined, yeah.
Next one. Today we have everything – tantra, Yogananda, Babaji, kimchi. It’s OK, sit down… so people can see me. (I opened a made-to-order vegetarian [vegan] restaurant about six months ago after losing a lot of money last year. I don’t know whether it is because of their [guests] karma, but it has been really hard for me. The business wasn’t going well, so I started reciting the Five Holy Names for an hour a day. Please translate until here.) Everybody is hot. Put there. Yeah. OK. (I opened a small vegetarian [vegan] restaurant. I recite the Five [Holy] Names in the restaurant.)
(So, I recite out loud for one hour a day. Before I opened the vegetarian [vegan] restaurant, I didn’t have any problems. But now, after reciting for about 20 minutes, there are a lot of tears, yawns, and things like that. Although I can get into samadhi at the end, I want to know if it’s because of karma.) (Before I opened the vegetarian [vegan] restaurant, it was easy for me to recite the Five [Holy] Names, for example, for one hour. But after operating the restaurant – maybe it’s because of the karma of the guests – it’s difficult for me to recite the Five [Holy] Names. And if I recite for 20 minutes, I feel sleepy, or I start yawning. Anyway, later on, I can get into samadhi, but it’s very difficult compared to before opening the restaurant. Why is it happening?)
Opening anything, making a business is always a big responsibility and a big risk and big worry. So, maybe your mind is more scattered than before. Any position of responsibility brings a lot of burden. And that’s why you feel less concentrated than before. But for that, a lot of people benefit, so make it the price you have to pay. But don’t worry. It’s OK. Try. A restaurant is a very tiring job. I hope you have success and make some profit.
