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Fighting the Spiritual War
Spoken
by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Whatever happens in our lives, it is a kind of maybe unbalance between the negative and positive. It is the negative force at work and that we have to reckon with. So we have a choice between the negative and positive. It's very simple. Every time we think negative, we switch back to positive. Every time we want to speak negative, switch back to positive. Every time we want to hate someone, think twice and switch it to love because it doesn't help you to hate someone, right? (Answer: Right!) (Applause) And we can enjoy all richness, all luxury and all the beauties that God has bestowed on us, but we must remember the owner. We must remember God, and God is ourselves, our highest nature, nothing more. (Applause) Always Think Positive Therefore, we have the choice to think positively. Everything that is beneficial to other people and ourselves at the right moment, that is positive. And everything that hurts you and hurts other people, that is negative. So every time we have to consider what is negative, and what is positive and that is how we fight. And when we always think positively, speak positively, and love people, and always act in a positive way, which means properly, in the right time and beneficial for ourselves and to other people, that is when we are siding with the positive force and the positive force has one more storehouse of power to overcome the negative energy in this world. (Applause) Now if we have more positive energy in this world, then we have more beauty, more fortune, I mean, not in a moneyway but in environmental atmosphere and in all the things that we do, it will be smoother and more successful for us. And if we have more negative force, then we add to more disaster, more trouble, more wars and more bickering amongst neighbors. We have the choice, so don't think that the disaster here or anywhere is maybe the karma of the people here alone; we also are responsible. Every time we think negative, we are responsible for disaster in the world, understand? Or our neighbor's. So try to think positive all the time. Try to be loving and kind, and try to control our negative thinking. I know you know it, but sometimes you forget to make use of it. That's all. So try to make more use of it. Think positive. Speak positive. Do things in a loving way. Think in a loving way. Every time there is a negative tendency, you switch it off, and pull yourself back again. That's the only way. I have no other secret. I am trying to do the same. Sometimes disaster is also good for us, good for humanity. Yes, like they learn to work together, protect each other, love each other, and share the hard times together. And people's hearts become more tender. And hatred dissolves between misunderstood neighbors and all that. And so people in disaster will begin to reflect the ephemeral nature of life. And then they will begin to understand that material security is not everything reliable that we need. Look at millions of homes, just six minutes finished, five minutes. When I read the newspapers lately, there were many things that were very interesting. For example, even the doctors, they admit now that people with religious faith sometimes heal better, or at least they have more strength in endurance and acceptance of their health conditions. They are more optimistic, more cheerful, because they trust in God. Even if they don't see God like we do and they don't see God helping them, but they still have faith in God, and this faith helps them with their diseases and the doctors know about that now. Also, in times of disaster, when people have faith in God, they feel better. Like this fire; some of the victims because they have faith in God, they just accept what it is and they feel better within themselves; more acceptance and not too much misery. But most of the people in times of disaster, they get into some kind of a shock, and it will be a long time before they can recover. Practice Loving Kindness And Compassion America is getting better. I saw in the newspapers, like on TV programs, now they're cutting down on violence. And on the music radio programs, they want to cut down all kinds of violent music, all kinds of music that glorifies gangs, drugs or sexual tendencies—something like that. And I was very happy. For the first time, they did right. No, I am sure there are many other things that the Americans have tried to do right for a long time. But it takes some power behind that to push them. So we try to supply a little power, together with other spiritual groups, to make the world a better living place. But that doesn't mean that we don't have disasters any more. That doesn't mean we don't have disease in the whole because the majority of mankind is still clinging to the negative habit, even though many of them know it's not good for them. And therefore they probably need some kind of shock like that to shock them out of their dream. But I don't like it. I don't like that, because it's too painful for the people. Therefore we try to minimize their pain, with our care, with our material comfort and spiritual support. Otherwise, what are we here for? What are we in this world for? If we always blame God for everything and say it's their karma, it's their bad retribution, then what are we here for? Just like your children, if they did something wrong and they hurt themselves, of course, you know that is a consequence of the bad doing of the children. But still you help them when they get hurt, when they are wounded, when they are sick, even though it's due to their own foolishness, their own actions. Still we help them and we love them all the same, right? So similarly, this is also good for us, to practice loving kindness and compassion. Everything we do is for the whole, not for ourselves. The world is getting better, it seems, everywhere. But it looks chaotic at the moment. Why? On one hand, it seems like the world is getting better. Every nation has more freedom. All the restricted countries are open now, have become more free. And the people of different nations have gotten together now. The worst enemies before are becoming friends now. That's very good for our world. Very, very good. But why, why does it look chaotic at the same time? Who knows? (*Audience: People can't handle the freedom.) You got that from me last night. (Laughter) Who else? (Audience: The karma works faster!) Yeah, it could be that also. It could be that the karma works faster for them so that they are cleansed. In the same sense, it is like when you want to build a new house or you want to clean the whole house, it looks messy, right? It looks messy at that moment, but then it becomes better in the future. Or sometimes you go to the doctor when you are very sick, and he gives you medicine. Then it has a counter-effect and you become worse than before, it seems like for a very short period of time and afterward, you get better. So that's it. God Is Eternally Reliable We can never be sure how to protect ourselves from this world. So now the most protection we can get is from where? From ourselves, from God. That's the most permanent, because at least we know that we have something else besides all these material possessions. Then sooner or later we will return to that where we have everything, we have the whole kingdom. (Applause) So at least even if we encounter any misfortune, we are secure; we don't go berserk; we don't go into shock, have mental problems, or things like that. So at least even that, the society has less burden with people like you. You are capable mentally to stand up, to grow again. I'm glad to inform you that none of our disciples who live in that area have any problems. I mean no houses were burnt. Because many of our people are living in that area, Santa Anna and all that. So it's good for you; you have to help those who are in need. Otherwise it would be you that we have to bring food, toys and blankets to your house. Now if we have a very simple life, it's easier to help people and to help ourselves. And also we have security from our spiritual practice. So we never fear, very seldom we fear. I fear sometimes, when I go into that tube for a medical exam. It looks like a tunnel, like a coffin, like the tunnel before you go back to this world that separates this world and the other world, the life and death tunnel. A long tube like that and it's very low. And when you look, it's right in front of your nose; you feel closed in. But then I made it. After the third time I said, "That's it. I'm going to lie here and it's done." It's okay to have fear, because it's a habit. And sometimes you collect the fear feeling from the atmosphere also, it is not necessarily yourself. Sometimes because we are practicing and we become more sensitive, we collect it from other people to share with them the difficulty, the fear, or the feeling of that place or at that moment. But that's what we are there for. Share The Responsibility Of Cleaning The Planet Nevertheless our fear is not the real fear. We can conquer it. That's the difference. And we know how to do it. We know how to conquer it. But we are made like that, so that we help in cleaning the planet. Every Quan Yin practitioner shares the responsibility of cleaning the planet in some degree or another. Therefore when you're sitting here meditating together in a group, it's not that you do it for yourselves, for your five generations' liberation, for America or for your family alone. It's for the whole planet. And the more people that do that, the better. Unfortunately not everyone realizes that. Their level is only up to thinking of the immediate benefit. Therefore sometimes it's difficult for them to join us in this noble task force. It's not that we don't care. It's hard to care sometimes. But that's the karma. So we have to be patient and wait until one day the karma is over and then we can help. We can't force the issue. We can't step over the Lord of Karma's head and then do what we want, because it's not good for the people. Just like in the family, our big world here is like a family, and there are some parents who watch over the children - us, like the children. So now whoever is nice, quiet and good will be rewarded, so that they develop more and make a shining example for the others to follow. And the children who are naughty, repeatedly naughty, then the parents have to do something like spanking or no ice cream for one week, for example, like that. Then the children will learn to behave better. Right? Now, the Lord of Karma is like our parents, who represents the highest Almighty to take care of the children here. So he has to do his job. Because people don't remember the karma of their past lives, they sometimes blame God, saying, "I am doing good this life. I am not doing anything and you still burn my house." They forgot just 30 years ago, before they were born what they did; something like that, or where they have been. Understand what I mean? It is very easy to forget what we have done last year; never mind last life, many lives. Do Everything Unconditionally So when you practice for enlightenment in a spiritual way, you have to know we do it with no conditions. Even if we follow the Quan Yin Method, practice the highest way, we still have to accept some minor or sometimes even major problems or disasters that come to us. But luckily they are fewer than ordinary people who don't practice. Yes. If you come to me with a kind of contract, then you are in for a disappointment. Some people misunderstand our motive. I never promise you riches. I never promise you a life of ease, a bed of roses. I never promise you you'll get anything you want, even when it's bad. So
we practice to eliminate the ego. The one that wants everything even
when it's nonsense, when it's not possible, the one that always wants
to push everyone else to work for him, wants things for nothing, wants
things when he doesn't work for them, wants to serve himself first
and does not consider in that circumstance whether it's correct or
incorrect, that's the ego. Also God doesn't owe us anything. It's
only for us, for our benefit that we should meditate, that we should
become good; because that's good for us.
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