Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Group Meditation in Los Angeles, California, USA • March 13, 1996
(Originally in English)

It applies to everyone. Sometimes we come down here and God gives us a lot of “Equipment”, including good looks, robust health, super intelligence, many talents in order for us to protect ourselves in this world, and to have the work done in a more comfortable way; because Hes knows it’s very difficult to work, very difficult to play a perfect role on this stage of the universe.

So, we are allowed to take with us whatever God thinks is fit, or you think you need, for the work of this world. But then, these instruments, like talents, good looks, intelligence, super strength, etcetera, also have side-effects. They will give you vain feelings; and will give you the power to conquer people and draw their attention, love, admiration, respect, for yourself. But, this is the point. You should draw people only so that you can help them to liberation and higher consciousness, not for your own benefit. Not so that you satisfy your own desire of having more women around you, more men to worship you just because you feel good like that.

That is a problem, too. Every instrument has two sides. If you use it well, it will serve you well. Many people come down here to do some work; but then, not many return, because it’s very difficult to return once we come down. That’s why there is a need for an enlightened teacher to come down to accompany you, telling you, “You must not do that, must not do this, if you want to go back home. You must refrain from many of the traps in this world, then you can go back quickly, etcetera, etcetera.”

But then, when we come to this world equipped with all the talents, intelligence, good looks, health, luck, money, everything, we’re too comfortable. We do not remember where the blessings come from. We think it’s due to our own personality, our talent, our good looks, our intelligence, our luck, that we have all what we have. It’s not true. In exchange for this, we have to do work. We must help people. We must use our instrument, our apparatus for the universal purpose. Otherwise, we will fall more than we can ever imagine, after using up the universal blessings.

That’s why many kings, queens, and all that, they fell miserably. They go to very low levels of consciousness. Once they are in power, they have everything, everyone bows to them — to their every wish. Then, it’s very difficult for them to come out of this luxurious trap and try to serve humankind with their power and position. When the king is endowed with all this wealth, power, ability and many helpers, the purpose is that he can use these to benefit his country as well as the world. But, he can also use these to benefit himself. As a king, he has everything.

That’s why we have free will, but it’s dangerous. We don’t know how to use it. It’s very easy for a king to always demand things for himself and to try to take care of himself instead of taking care of his subjects, because everyone loves themselves the most, to be honest: “Today, I have a headache, tomorrow I have a toothache; or today I want this, tomorrow I want that. I’m always occupied with what ‘I’ want. Then, because I am too occupied with what ‘I’ want, ‘I’ inevitably forget what everyone else wants. I don’t have enough time.”

And, most of the people who take care of themselves already have a lot of trouble and are occupied most of their time. Look at most people in the world. They’re working about ten hours a day, to do what? Do you think all of them have a high, noble ideal? They do that for the benefit of mankind? That’s secondary. That is the side-effect. All the schools are teaching people: “You have to graduate with good points, so that you can have a good job, a house, a beautiful wife and beautiful children; then your children and your wife can have this, that and the other.”

That’s the motive that most schools brainwash into the students’ minds. So, they grow up with it, and then they do everything just to fulfill that purpose. It’s honestly so.

There’s not much to be done, not much really that we offer to the world. I don’t say everyone is like that. Just the majority, and the majority is a frightening figure. So whatever we say, it comes just to survival. Whatever we do, it comes just to food and comfort. Whatever job you take, it boils down to that.

Remember, check yourself. It’s not that you have to do everything, go anywhere, and do anything, but think about it. Make a more noble time, pure life, so that you know you’re truly noble. That’s all.

You really came from a noble heritage, from heaven. That should be your self- satisfaction, no one else’s. You don’t need praise and blame because only we know what we are worth. No one can really read our minds. Some people can, but to a certain extent only, and when we are in their vicinity only. When we are alone in our dark night, no one knows. No clairvoyant bothers to look into everyone else’s mind on this Earth and burden himself with all the garbage, with the people’s turbulent thinking inside. So, we are a secret entity, and we’d like to keep it that way. Meanwhile, we have a big show for the world.

You saw the film called “The Mask”? That’s what we are. Most people are like that. We put on a “Mask”; and in a different situation, a different mask. Then, I think there will be the time when we must sit or lie down and inwardly check our own dark corners; see what is there. That’s the best way we can improve ourselves. Otherwise, no matter how long I speak, no matter how many examples I make for you, no matter how much I explain, no matter how many actions I bring up so that you can learn, you won’t; because, the first thing is to be honest to yourself.

You know what you want, you know what you do everyday, not everyone else knows. We have to see whether we live a life worthy of it, with all this food and drink that we cost the world everyday. If you say, “I work, I earn my money,” it’s true too. But, when? Since when did you work? And, the work you do, is that really enough to cover everything? How about the twenty years before, when you cost a lot of paper and pens doodling in school, not doing homework; cheating on the exams; or throwing paper at teachers and putting your hands behind your back and sitting there like a solemn student, a good one? For example like that.

The twenty years before, we did nothing for the world. We just existed. We made demands on our parents, teachers, friends, relatives and anyone. Then, maybe the forty or twenty years of the last period of our life, we cannot do much. Sixty years, you’re finished. Or sixty-five, depends, huh? We have a lot of free time before and after the working period. In this free time, we don’t do much for the world, and during the working time, we don’t do much either. To earn our living, that’s the only motive for working.

Of course, there are some people who do work for the world — research and things like that. Their idea is just to serve the world really, and they don’t profit too much out of it. Sometimes, they do — the commercialized scientists. We have them everywhere. If they don’t commercialize their inventions, then other people would come in and commercialize them for them; then have a lot of money out of it. The motive everywhere is money, to become rich and famous. That’s why not many scientists can offer their inventions to the world.

For example, if you are very famous, or you invent something which is really beneficial to humankind but by your invention you will harm many other businessmen — like Tesla Nicholas, the things he invented some people use them today, but when he was alive, he was rejected, almost prosecuted. So he had to live in hiding; tried to do his best in his own capacity and on minimal finances. That’s why his ideas have not been realized fully. If they were realized fully, many companies would have declared bankruptcy. So they found a way to do away with him, in a different way.

Sometimes we blame God for making our life miserable here: “No conveniences and electricity bills are too high,” things like that; “And why doesn’t God send some genius and help us.” When Hes send some we abuse their power, make them miserable, or damage their property, talents, things like that. So very difficult.

Jesus came down, people killed Him. Buddha came down, many people slandered Him. It was difficult for Him to work too. So we don’t blame God anymore; we must do something in our power to help speed up humankind’s evolution, including our own. Otherwise, what else can I tell you?