So, make sure you know that you are good and pure, and you are with God. Then people will see that within you.
(Do You speak French?) It is true. Everybody understands French here, yes? How are you, both of you? OK? Speak French or English? (French.) French. It’s good, huh? Meditation. Good, huh? I see some of you meditate very well. Just come to say hallo, and goodbye. Maybe we’ll see each other again. Enough place to sit here. A little bit, push, push. Your house is very big, that’s why you need to squeeze a bit. OK, now? My body is going somewhere tomorrow. My body left but my heart is here. Wow, that is very good. Any last question?
The new people? (Yes, I have a question. It’s about my son. He’s seven years old and I would like to teach him how to pray, because he asked me about God and asked me about meditation.) So how did you teach him? (I told him to pray to God inside of himself. And he believes in God because he says so.) What’s the question? (The question is, when he asks me about meditation, I would like to give him some more ground, probably.) Why don’t you bring him for initiation? Simple, no? (Because when he stays with his father, his father feeds him meat. It’s very difficult for me in the middle. In this position, I can’t force (him) and he’s so young. I can’t really obligate…) So, what do you want me to do? Adopt your son? (Spiritually, but maybe…) You teach him as much as you can according to the circumstances. OK? And if you can, you can talk to the father of the son. And ask the son to talk to him about his heart's desire. Maybe the father will be touched and then come to a compromise. And you pray for him. Tell the son to pray for him, too. I’m very sorry about your situation. Many people meet the same fate as your son. That’s why the world is a mess, as it is. Yes, very, very difficult. Not only for your son, for me. Most of the people, even if they know that the vegan diet is good, they know that to follow God is good, they don’t follow. And they stop other people following as well. That’s why it’s very difficult for us. If you get on well with your ex, perhaps, is that right? Husband, is that right? And maybe you can talk to him and let the son be free to choose his way, even though he’s young, but he knows. Try your best. If your son is very firm in the belief, then maybe he will fight for himself. It’s very difficult. I wish I could decide for your son. But I can’t. It hurts. It hurts you. Talk to the father. OK? That’s why most of the teachers say, “Don’t get a divorce.” When you’re still married, it’s easier to talk. But you never know. OK? Try your best, and pray inside. Ask your son to pray for himself and talk lovingly to the husband. And the son is important. Tell the son, he must insist on his own right and his belief. Then it’s all right. Because every time, if the son is miserable then the father will understand. (I didn’t follow the last...) I forgot. If the son insists on his own right, and if every time when the father forces him to eat meat and fish and he’s miserable and he refuses, then the father finally must understand. In the end. All right. You use your wisdom and find the way for your son. Because I can’t tell you anything. I cannot tell you to leave him or to beat your husband. I can’t tell you really what to do. You have the wisdom, and your situation’s different. Your husband's personality is different. You try your best, OK? Try. All right? Don’t use violence. That’s all. OK. Any other questions?
So quiet. This lady over there, She’s nice, eh? Sometimes, they take a nice picture of me. Most of the time. And then when people come to my Center, they ask me, “Where is the beautiful Master Ching Hai?” Ask me. They ask me where the beautiful Master Ching Hai is. I think, most of the time, people project their own image onto whatever they do. For example, some of the photographers, when they took my photo, my face looked square and big. And some other photographers, when they took my photographs, I looked slimmer and different. Yes. Whoever took my photo, you see my face looks like his. Very much. Yes, I have noticed this. And if some people think beautifully about me, they take my photo beautifully. And sometimes, if he himself is beautiful inside, then he takes my photo beautifully. And sometimes, when he’s not so good inside, he also takes my photo not so good. So, it’s better you don’t take the camera and take my photo, if you’re not sure of yourself. Because then, people will ask, “Who took this photo?” and then we’ll say, “Mr. B, Mr. C.” All right, any more questions? You?
(It is true about the picture. When I was at the 7-day retreat in Taiwan [Formosa], I took some pictures of You, and at that time, I was, a bit nervous and angry. And on the picture, You were looking nervous and angry.) Yes, it’s true. It’s true, it’s true. Because I am the most photographed in our group, for over 10 years now. And I have very much experience with the people who take the photographs. Every time. It’s never failed. If one person takes a photograph, it always looks similar like that; and the other takes a photograph, it’s always the same. One person, he takes a photograph, I’m always moving, doing something. And it looks very terrible. He just took the one when it’s not good, or not a good angle and, not a good corner, from the bad angle, or bad air or bad light. Anything bad. One person takes photos when I always smile. Another person takes photos when I always scold. Another person takes photos when I always raise my hand in some different corner. Something like that. Always I saw that. So, I think people reflect their image in whatever they do. That’s why when someone is a saint, saintly inside, most people can feel it. So, even when they walk, the saintly person, when they walk, people see the difference. Even walking, not doing anything, just walking. Most of the time, it’s not me who advertises for myself. It is you, the people, who know and tell me about my greatness and all things like that. It’s OK among disciples, but sometimes for the strangers, they know too. They come and tell me who I am and all that, and what I do and my own greatness inside, etc., etc. And I don’t tell them anything. Nobody ever told them anything. Even some people meet me for the first time or second time, and they know nothing about us. They told me. I don’t know if I’m great, it’s just people tell me all the time. But me, I think I’m not very great. I think I’m not that great. One meter-fifty is nothing great. Especially this time, I went to Europe. Except for the disciples, nobody knew about me, because when I went out, I put on a lot of jewelry, flowers and looked like… anyone on the street. But many, many people came to me and greeted me and wanted to tell me that I’m a Saint and all that; scares me. Because I wanted to go incognito. But it’s not possible. Not for those who know. Even the first time they see, they know.
So, I wanted to tell you this, not to be proud, but I just want you to know, that whatever we are inside, it’s difficult to hide. Even though we think not many people know, they do. Not everybody knows perhaps, but there are people who know. That’s why we have to make sure that we are pure inside. Because there are saints, there are people highly developed in this world. They know who we are. They know what we think inside, they know what we do. Even though they are not acquainted with our daily life, they know, they can see through. They can see through the clothes that you wear, it doesn’t matter how thick. They can see through all the makeup, it doesn’t matter how good quality the powder and the lipstick. They can see through everything. So, make sure you know that you are good and pure, and you are with God. Then people will see that within you.
