(Master, I have a question. My son was initiated at the age of 15, and now he’s 17, studying at a high school in the U.S. After he got initiated, he thinks all knowledge in the world is like garbage, so his grades weren’t so good at one time. Later, after we taught him, he’s been studying more diligently. But now he doesn’t meditate as diligently anymore. Sometimes he only meditates for half an hour every day while playing Master’s Buddha’s Chanting. Just half an hour. He has very good inner experiences, though he wouldn’t tell me.) Of course. And you said his grades were not good. You’re out of your mind.
(Then I told him, “Since your spiritual level is higher than mine, why don’t you do as Master asks and meditate two and a half hours every day?” He said, “You have no idea. Whenever I meditate now, I forget everything I’ve learned, and can’t do well on exams.” I said, “According to the other fellow initiates’ experiences, if your meditation is good, you’ll do well on exams.” He said, “My situation is different. You don’t understand.” Whenever he talks, there seem to be a lot of things inside, but he won’t tell me. He rarely reads Master’s magazines, but everything he says seems to be… I feel there are a lot of things which I don’t really know. So I… His mom is also initiated, but scolds him all day long, saying that he doesn’t work hard enough at school. But he’s still very serious about things he’s interested in. He just feels most of the worldly knowledge isn’t really that useful. He just studies in order to manage the exams.)
Don’t care too much about his exam results. Just let him learn what he can. But you can tell him that if he does well on the exams, he’ll be able to get a better job and live a more stable life. (Yes.) A stable life is good for meditation, if that’s what he wants. Or how is he going to live his life in the future? You ask him that. (Yes.) Let him know the pros and cons, and then let him make his own choice. Don’t keep scolding him. He will rebel even more. Children’s minds are all like that. (Yes, he won’t listen.) Young people are all like that. The more you scold him and force him, the more he rebels and makes you look bad. (But he’s still keeping the Five Precepts. He has been keeping the vegan diet, and when he’s outside, he doesn’t…. He’s pretty good at that.) OK. Then he is already a very good boy. Why are you still scolding him? (But there’s another problem. He’s very skinny now because he’s been picky with food since becoming vegan. Even when fruit and things are there in front of him, he won’t eat them.) Maybe your cooking is too lousy. (Anyway, that’s how things are.) Try your best to learn and cook better, then he’ll eat. (OK. Thank You, Master.) Is he still healthy? (He seems…. His stomach is not very good.) Really? (He sometimes suffers from stomachaches.)
You talk with him more and try to be closer to him. Be his friend. (OK.) And he’ll trust you more. Then when he eats together with you, he’ll feel more comfortable. Maybe you scold him all the time, so he doesn’t feel like eating. (OK.) The cooking is lousy, and you keep scolding and forcing him. Even I wouldn’t feel like eating. I already lost my appetite listening to you. You have to understand your child more. (Yes.) They are young. They don’t have enough endurance, (Yes.) or enough experience. That’s why sometimes their way of doing things makes your heart ache. (Yes.) But he’s not doing them on purpose. Remember when we were young? We all forgot. When we were young, we were also so careless and so stubborn like that, more emotionally sensitive. Therefore, you have to train him more, to be more patient, love him more and help him grow. And do things with him, work with him, and try to understand his feelings more. Why doesn’t he want to study? What he says on the outside isn’t everything. Is there other pressure on the inside? There are other reasons. Talk with him more. (Yes.) Trust him like a friend. Then he’ll eat more and meditate better as well. And he’ll do better in exams. OK? (OK.)
He has no friends in this world. Mom and dad are what he has. And if you scold him all the time, who can he talk to? And it’s even worse if he talks to outside people, who are also young and ignorant. And if they don’t practice spiritually, what can they teach him? (Right.) He can only rely on you, so you have to be more patient. (OK.) I understand teaching young people is truly not easy. Truly not easy. But since you already have him, you cannot abandon him. (Yes. OK.) You can only nurture him more, be more patient, and love him a lot more. (OK.) Some children are very, very sensitive and need a lot of love. Some children can survive anywhere you leave them. He still eats even if you scold him. And he’ll grow up. OK? (OK.) Maybe your child is more sensitive. Be more patient. (Yes. OK. Thank You, Master.) You’re welcome. When you don’t have enough patience, you may take stronger measures at times. Don’t scold him. You should be more loving for a period of time, and let him know it’s good for him. And then after he becomes more compliant, you teach him more things. OK? (OK.)
Who else wanted to ask just now? Go ahead. (Master, I’d like to ask, how to conquer my fear and anxiety?) I can’t hear you clearly. (How to conquer my fear and anxiety, and very sorrowful feeling?) What do you fear? In which aspect? (For example, I’m pregnant for five months now. I had terrible experience during my first pregnancy, and so I’m very scared. And so, I have been afraid of being pregnant again. But I am pregnant again this time, which makes me very, very afraid. Then I’m trapped in a very fearful state. Then I myself…) What kind of experience? (It’s… It was the same experience before, also feeling very anxious and fearful. I don’t know what I am afraid of and anxious about.) What you’re afraid of, right? What kind of experience? (I don’t know. After I gave birth to my first baby, I fell into a kind of very fearful state.) Meaning you had difficulty giving birth to your baby. (Not difficult in giving birth, but after giving birth, for about two to three months I fell into a very fearful, anxious, and very sorrowful state, which is the state I’m now afraid of.) Now you’re pregnant again, and afraid again. (I’m afraid again. Yes.) Afraid that that kind of state will happen again. (Yes, yes.) That’s not right. It’s already over. Rarely does anyone experience the same situation again. Impossible.
(But in the past, for several months I was in this kind of situation, very fearful.) What kind of situation? (A very fearful situation, a very anxious state.) Without any reason? (No. No reason. Just being afraid of the… the first time.) No reason, then it’s silly. Told you. Since it’s over, don’t think about it again. Otherwise, you’d be immersed in that kind of feeling. Then of course, the more you’re immersed, the more you think; and the more you think, the more you’re scared. Now you know, we have fellow initiates. We have a good method and a good Master. You always carry my photo, and a “Walkman” to listen to my teachings, my tapes and music. Find good movies to watch. And you may read those positive and interesting books. Make friends with positive people. Keep yourself busy every day, eating, drinking, having fun, and working, busy reading and watching movies. Do a kind of… How to say “constructive” in Chinese? (Constructive.) (Constructive activities.) Do constructive work, helping others. Then, you’ll have no time for silly thoughts. Can you do it? (I can.) Yeah, when they have too much free time, those wives either gossip, or imagine all sorts of things, and then curse themselves. Don’t be like that. Get busy, OK? Provide a positive power of hope to your baby, so that when he comes out, he won’t be in your kind of state.
(I have another question … I’m sorry, Master.) It’s alright. (I have a great sense of guilt. Because sometimes I would think very bad about Master.) Of course. Everyone is a little bit like that. I know it. It’s just I don’t say it. You’d have such thoughts whether I wear bad clothes or good clothes. If I don’t wear lipstick, you’d think, “Master must be bad in spiritual practice. Her face is so pale.” If I put on some lipstick to make myself look more vivid, you’d think, “Master dresses up!” I don’t care. I’m telling you. It doesn’t matter, whatever you think. Just meditate, keep the precepts, and be vegan, then it’s OK. (I’ve asked Tong this question. I asked, “Will I go to hell because of that?” She said, “Are you really thinking like that?” I said that I didn’t know. I said that it’s not the real me that’s thinking, then who is the one thinking? I said that I didn’t know. She didn’t…) It’s the devil who thinks, not you. Never mind about it. (OK.) Next time if the thought comes up again, you can say, “You are a devil. Leave me alone. Go away! Go away! Go away!” (Yes.) OK. Because whether I’m good or bad, if you keep thinking bad about me, it’ll be bad for you. Understand? (Yes.) Even if I’m truly bad, and you keep on thinking bad about me, it’ll truly hurt your mind. Don’t think!
I have a lot of good qualities which I haven’t told you yet. Yeah. Look how nice I am, very loving, very patient, and very confident. Right? (Yes.) Yes. Very sacrificial. And very patient, listening to your nonsense. Listening to you talk about those silly scary feelings, will make me also feel scared after going back. Then, what to do? Karma will affect others. I’m very good. I’m very good at taking care of others. We don’t know each other. I don’t owe you anything. I don’t take any money from you. Still, I endeavor to make you happy. I do whatever I can for you, and also for other people. Be it strangers or poor people, I will also try my best to help. If people have problems mentally, I also try my best to help. If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, I will also answer you with all I know. So I am a good person. Why am I bad? And I’m so pretty.
(I know that Master is the greatest benefactor of my life. And so each time I had those bad thoughts, I’d have a very guilty feeling.) No need. No need to think about guilt again. Just pull yourself back. Think about those good qualities that I said I have, then it’s OK. If I still haven’t said enough about my good points, I’ll write a list for you. I have even better qualities, but I’ve forgotten. I have no time to tell you. But fellow initiates can tell you. They all have a… A detailed list telling you how good I am, so good, so good, so good. If you think it’s not enough, each of you can compile the lists into a book for her. Then when you read the book you’ll have no time to think bad. Even if I have a bad point, it would be very little; just one line of words is enough. Other questions. (OK. Thank You, Master.) OK now? No more questions? OK.
Wait a second. Wait. (Hallo Master. I have two questions. The first one is that I see [inner Heavenly] Light during meditation, but it doesn’t last. Whenever I see the [inner Heavenly] Light, I can’t see it continuously.) It changes very fast, right? (Yes. Just a flash and then it’s gone.) Yes. I know. (Then I cannot enter samadhi. What should I do to enter samadhi, to settle my mind?) Continue to sit. Continue. (Sometimes during meditation I recite the Five Holy Names from the beginning to the end, but nothing happens in the end.) Do not recite them too quickly or too many times. (Yes, yes. I recite them too quickly.) You have to recite them very slowly. Later, after answering all your questions, I’ll recite the Five Holy Names one time to show you. (OK. Thank You, Master.) Not necessarily today. What I mean is if time is enough.
(My second question is how to cut off the energy of other people missing me?) Longing for others? (Yes. This problem has been troubling me, even before initiation.) For how long have you been longing for that person? (He had been longing for me, and so both… He misses me, and I miss him accordingly.) Ten years? (I have this kind of ability to receive energy from others.) OK. Does he miss you? (And I miss him, too.) Then why don’t you two get together? (I am married!) Oh! So silly. (Yes, so silly.) OK. OK. Don’t miss him again. (Can I cut it off by reciting the Five Holy Names?) You cut it yourself. (I cut it by myself.) Each time you miss him, you scold yourself for being stupid. (Yes.) That way you’re violating the precept. (Yes. I also think so.) Because your husband is better for you now. The one in the past cannot help you at all. When you miss him, it will confuse him and you even more.
(I consider him my soul mate.) What about him? Where is he now? (Supporting each other.) (He is also here.) Is he also an initiate? (Also initiated.) You two don’t be like that. (He brought me into this Quan Yin practice, for which I’m very grateful to him.) Is he married? (He’s not married.) Ten years, and he’s still waiting for you? (No. It’s all memories of the past. We both share those memories.) I know. But you said it’s ten years. Ten years. Correct? (In past lives.) (Past lives, her past lives.) Past lives! (Of past lives.) If it’s past lives, why are you still missing each other? (Yes. I thought meditating more would…) No. No. How do you know it’s past lives? Did you see it yourself? (I didn’t see it. But Master came to help me. I kneeled in front of Master… Master’s Light body came to me.) And then… (I was not initiated at that time. Master’s Light body came to help me.) And then told you that it’s him… (I cried and begged Master. Master wanted to help me cleanse those memories. But I cried and asked Master not to.) Maybe that Master was wrong. It’s before initiation. (No. It’s my fault. It was my fault, and now I will not do it again.)
Alright. I tell you. (Now I hope to cut it off. There’s the sword of wisdom and I’d like to borrow it from You to cut it off.) Has the other person cut it off? (No. My attachment is fading, and so is his. He has progressed and his attachment has faded.) Strange enough. How come you knew each other in previous lives? I thought it happened in this life. It’s like that because you’ve known each other for ten years. For instance, if you’ve known this person for 15 years, Then I can understand. But you’re missing a ghost. A ghost. (Yes. I thought it is the devil working.) Both of you are possessed. (Maybe I am possessed.) Stop those silly thoughts. OK? (OK. Thank You, Master.) This is being unfaithful to your husband, and also harasses the spirit of the other person, which is bad for you too, the greed. No matter what, you’re already married. Your husband is good now. Right? OK. Then you take good care of yourself. Take good care of your husband. Repent more often. (Yes.) OK? (OK. Thank You, Master.)
Photo Caption: Having Good Company, Lucky, Enlightened and Happy
