When I was very little, before primary school, in our small area, we had only one monk, but he came often to the temple. And during some festivals, like the Vu Lan Festival, he also made some drama for the faithful to play, to remind people to be good and vegetarian, vegan. I also met some Taoist priests at home. Not like they went to the temple and shaved their heads or anything – the monks did, the Buddhist monks did, but some Taoists just left their hair long, and lived right next to my aunt’s house, for example. They probably did not teach me anything personally; I was a kid then. But who knows? They probably taught me something inside; from the spirit, from the soul, from the heart, from their energy.
So since I was young already, I could not drink milk even, and I vomited and had a lot of stomach problems because my house didn’t always have vegetarian (food). I ate whatever vegetables I found. And I ate whatever fruits in the garden; before they were even fully ripe, I ate them. That’s how I survived. And my father always made fun of me, said if he gave me 10 dollars, I would go out and buy all bananas or corn. He never said that I would go out and buy fish, animal-people meat or shrimp, because he knew.
Just be thankful to all the monks in the past, present, and future. You might meet them, you might notice them, or you might not, but they are something to keep some balance in this world with all the mundane worry and all the ambition for worldly gain engulfing people. You don’t know if that monk is good or bad. You don’t know their inside. Even if he eats three meals a day, he has a car to drive around, do not think too much. These are just material things. He couldn’t do much with it; he couldn’t harm anybody with it. He didn’t steal anything; he asks for donations. The Buddha also said, “Donations for the temples, for the monks, are good for you.” So, he (the monk) didn’t say anything wrong, for example like that.
And I told you I donate to monks. I still do – to build some huts for the monks in India. And afterward I gave more money so that they can buy more (vegan) food, more blankets and stuff – not just the initial money to build huts. So anyway, whatever I tell you, I myself do it. It’s not like I’m trying to coach you into doing things and I myself do the opposite. By the way, you don’t have to do it; I’m just saying, but you don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to. It’s your choice, your life – to choose to be good or not good. You have God within you – Buddha Nature or God Nature inside you. That is one and the same. And if you choose to be God-like again or Buddha-like again, then you do it. It’s good for you, good for the world, good for the planet.
Our world is in terrible danger right now. Any moment, it could collapse. I’m telling you now because I’m not sure if I could last also. I’m still not fit to work yet, because inside I’m not well enough yet. So I have to recover. Just because many of you worry so much, so I tell you a thing or two, to keep reminding you whenever I can. I’m not fit enough to work all-out for Supreme Master TV, for example.
Now, monks, as I told you, they’re also human. They might not be on the same level [as the Buddha] yet, but they are trying to. They are aiming to be there. That is important also. This energy of longing, of wanting to be Buddha again – to be one with the Original again, be one with God again – that is a very good energy to balance our world. Now you see, like when you were a kid, you were learning just the ABCs, but you wanted to learn to go to college later, and that’s very good.
Now by the way, talking about God, many would think that Buddhist followers do not believe in God. It’s not true. Because for example, in China, to everything not good, they would say, “我的天啊” (“Wǒ de tiān a”), meaning, “Oh my God!” It’s just like you say it in English, just a different expression, different language. In India, anywhere you go, even just a poor, uneducated farmer girl would greet you with “Ram Ram” or “Hare Krishna.” That is the name of God; that’s what they believe in. Krishna is one of the Masters, a Representative of God; and Ram also, or “Rama.” Now, there are too many things, I don’t expect you to know all this. But if you want, you can. It’s very easy nowadays – tap into your Internet, and you’ll know many things about religion; many books which have not been available easily to all monks and nuns before – I’m just talking about Buddhism.
I know that many people who followed the Buddha to become a monk were next to Him every day, because there was no other way they could hear the Buddha’s teaching. That’s why they went out begging once in the morning, ate at noon, and then in the afternoon, they were ready to listen to the Buddha. The same with the Buddha also; He ate like that. So they all would have time for the greater need – the true Dharma (Teaching). So, if you think Buddhists do not believe in God, it’s not true. It’s not true.
In all religions, all mention God. When somebody asked the Buddha, “Is there any God?” the Buddha said, “I cannot say whether there is God or there is no God, but there is Something from which all things come into existence, and to Which all things will return.” And if it’s not God, then tell me what is it? In other religions, they say it more straight. They say God made us in Hiers own Image. That’s our Origin; we’re God’s children, and we will return to that God-ness.
So, do not argue with me anymore about whether there is God or there is no God, or worshiping God is not Buddhism. But in all religions, mostly they follow the Masters who are the Representatives of God – whatever religion that professes they have God or True Dharma teaching in there, they respect the Masters. They follow the Masters; they worship the Masters; they believe the Masters. And some even proclaim, “If God and the Master are standing next to me, Whom should I bow to? Whom should I follow? I follow the Master. Because the Master is the One who taught me, who lifts me out of misery, lifts me out of the cycle of birth and death.”
They emphasize that in most religions – at least in India. In India, they respect the Master very much. So, they call the Buddha “the World-Honored One,” “the Maharaji,” “Guru,” whatever. That is because they only see the Masters; they don’t often see God. Not all are so fortunate to see God. So, when Lord Jesus was alive even, He preached about God, and told people to believe, to worship God. But they also followed the teachings of Lord Jesus, they followed Him. The same when Buddha was alive; they all went and praised the Buddha and loved the Buddha. The same with other Gurus in the Sikh religions, or the Islam religion, the Hindu religion, or the Jain religion. They all went and worshiped the Masters of their own religious representation at that time. And it’s all like that. So, the followers, they always worship the Masters of their choice, of their period of time. But in the back of their mind, they all know there is God.
And I’m telling you now, I’m just preaching the universal religion. We have God, and then we have Masters. So, even, the Master is the One Who personally teaches us and brings us teaching and blessing and is helping us in any way, but there is God. It’s just like your parents; they’re very rich and powerful, but they have to work in different fields. Or in the house, they have servants, they have even a wet nurse to take care of you from small. And, of course, you love that wet nurse because she spends a lot of time with you. She plays with you, she spoils you, she loves you and she does anything you want. But that is because of your parents’ authority, because of your parents’ prestige, because of your parents’ salary. So, you have to be filial to your parents, no matter what.
So, whatever religion you follow, you must remember there’s God behind it. Because before the Master came down to Earth, who has given that Master’s existence? So, do not ever forget God Almighty – the Origin of all things, and of your existence as well. In Âu Lạc (Vietnam), when we pray – normal people, they don’t have to be Buddhists or anything, or don’t have to know much about Buddha’s teachings – we say, “Oh, God and Buddha, please bless me.” Or, “God and Buddha know what I’m doing.” They mention God also. And the Chinese also. I don’t know much about other countries because I don’t speak their language, but I’m sure they would do the same.
Photo Caption: Small or Big We Help and Enhance Each Other
