In this episode, Supreme Master Ching Hai discusses why the world is the way it is with hell, Heaven, and the physical world.
Tomorrow at initiation, I will show you at least where Paradise is and how to get it. And the other people who do not come to me, I cannot help. We cannot force people to go into Paradise, mind you. We must know that. Otherwise, (Lord) Jesus would have forced them all into the Kingdom of God. Buddha would have forced them all into the Buddha’s Land. No. We can only reason and persuade some by logic. And if people believe, then they’ll come.
“Whoever comes will get Paradise.” “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.” That’s what (Lord) Jesus said. He didn’t say, “The whole world will walk in Light when I am here.” No! “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.” I cannot make the whole humankind walk in the Light by force or by sheer mental power, no. That’s the first question. We do it only silently, and just whoever has affinity with us will come and get help. Regrettably, it’s like that. Because you must know also God’s Plan. This world must go on. We have hell; we have the (physical) world; and we have Heaven. The Three Worlds are interrelated and important to each other, important to people. Many people like hell, many people like Heaven, many people like this world You cannot just make this world into Heaven. And where do the other people go? People like to go to Heaven. Right, good, and we take you to Heaven. People like to live in the world – we have to also allow them the opportunity and the freedom to live in this world. Therefore, this world has to be like it is. Only a few people who want to go to Heaven, then the Master will come and take them. Because different classes of people want different things. Some people like airplanes, then the airplane company is responsible for them. And those who like to walk or go by car, then they have to go a different way.
We cannot force people to only go into the airplane just because it’s the best, the quickest, the fastest and the most comfortable. Even the most comfortable, not everybody wants. Therefore, you see people like smoking or drinking bitter coffee, that they think is very good, making them feel dizzy and convulsive, yet they think alcohol is excellent. People like different things. So hell, Heaven, and the world are choices, places for different temperaments. We cannot force people to live in a different world if they don’t want to. Now the second question is when and how you’ll get global Peace. It’s already answered, half of it, in the first answer. You want to know when people die or what? When the world is destroyed or what?
When the world is destroyed? Is that what you want to know? (Yes.) (…in terms of the Hour. Too much accumulation of killing karma.) Yeah. (Thus….is stating that we are prone to the Last Day.) Oh, I understand. (Yes, whether we’ll really overcome death, or eventually we’ll get there.) Wow. (When?) When? Well, you know what? When we die, that is the end of our world, doesn’t matter by what. Suppose I die tomorrow, that is the end of the world, because I don’t see the world anymore. So that is the end of the world. So, we don’t need to worry about the whole end, because more or less we will end one way or another, sooner or later. Now the question is after the end of our world or the whole world, what to do?
So I have the answer, which is that we go to another plane which is better. So, we prepare from today. We prepare. Whether it ends for yourself or the world will end it altogether, matters not! Matters not! We’ll go to a different place. (There is a micro, individual approach, I would say, as the…) How to save the whole world, right? (Yes.) Well, they have to save themselves. You see, for example, I always keep telling people: “I have the way to go to Heaven.” But if people don’t want to go to Heaven, what shall I do? Not everybody comes and listens to me like you. Understand? (I understand.) You still like me to force them to go to Heaven or come to listen to me?
(Well, Master, You said that we can question the world. But in enlightenment, there’s no big difference between individual differences and…) Right. (Or from the world or inner…) You will know that after you get enlightenment. (Is there individual…?) You will know that. (Is there a world fate?) There is no fate. There is no world. It’s all our own illusion. You will know that after Great Enlightenment. All your anxieties, worry about the world will fall apart. Alright? (Beautiful. Thanks.)
You will look at the world with different eyes. Of course, you will be a good citizen still and try your best. You see, what we are doing now is also helping the world. Because when we meditate in the correct way, and we radiate love and Light, that will benefit many people. Because there are always people in this world who practice the (inner Heavenly) Light; therefore, the world stays as it is now. If there is no one who practices the (inner Heavenly) Light and virtues at all, the world would’ve become hell already long ago. So, what makes the world different from hell is that there are many enlightened, great Saints in the world, who radiate Light and Love and benediction. And what makes the world different from Heaven is that there are only a few of these people and not the whole world. When the whole world practices, then it would become Buddha’s Land. But because the whole world is not practicing, so it’s the (physical) world. And it’s not the hell because there are still people who are good and who are evil. That’s the difference, and the world stays as it is.
If you want to help the world, then we practice virtues; we practice the (inner Heavenly) Light. That will help somewhat. The end of the world or not the end of the world, I will not say. It depends on the heart and will of the people and the Will of God. We do not know what is good and what is no good. For example, if a house is too rotten, dangerous, unsafe to live in, would you still, out of love for antiquity, preserve it in that condition? No, you have to pull it down and make a new one. Or else you have to do something about it, put something up and renovate the whole thing. Similarly in God’s Plan, we must know God’s Will. Whatever God wishes to do, that is correct.
Anyhow, after Great Enlightenment, you see there is no world, no people, just Light, just bliss and happiness. Everything else is just a shadow of that Light. For example, I am here, my shadow is on the wall. If you destroy the shadow, it means nothing. You can put something behind my back, so you don’t see the shadow. And that doesn’t mean the shadow is dead, because it isn’t there in the first place. It’s only a shadow; I am here. The souls never die! Whatever disaster or dying is only illusion. Don’t worry about dying. I “die” every day, and I’m still living, and living well.
I’m sorry. I do not mean to take your question as a joke, but I do not know what is the more serious way to answer you. I’m truly sorry. Thank you. (We can talk more later.) Oh, right! You can ask me more later. Thank you very much.
Please, ma’am. (I have a question about vegetarianism [veganism]. And I understand, or it seems logical why we don’t eat meat or living animals. But why is it alright that we kill fruits and vegetables?) You compare. You know, fruits have very little consciousness. And plants, 90% are water. The consciousness – very little. Of course, we should not pull grasses or kill plants without purpose, I mean, just by cruelty or without any reason. But we need to survive in order to know God. For that purpose alone, we have to eat some vegan food. If you can go without, then welcome. (Thank You.) It’s not alright to kill plants. It’s just that we need it. Because (animal-people) meat is not necessary.
Without (animal-people) meat, we could live by vegan food. But without vegan food, we could not live. Therefore, it’s the least, the minimum harm. And the most necessary. We don’t do it just because of taste, or because of joy. It’s just the necessity that is forgivable. “The one who steals for bread is not guilty.” Please remember the Bible. “The one who steals for bread is not guilty.” The same, if we eat vegan because of absolute necessity, we have nothing else then. No (animal-people) meat, now what do you eat? You have to eat vegan, vegetables. So that’s the least; the most unavoidable thing. So that is not very guilty. God is merciful.
(Master...) Yes. (I understand it this way… You said hell or Heaven exist. Each individual will create their Heaven or hell, it depends.) Right. (So that means, so many hells or so many Heavens, including the dog, the cat, can they create their own, too? And, I would like to understand, if hell or Heaven you’re talking about, if it’s the hell or Heaven in each individual’s mind, or that’s either hell and Heaven after each individual dies. So, thinking about that, it confuses me about reincarnation.
In some cases, like the Buddha said, sometimes people, after this life ends, we will be reborn in another planet, or we may be reborn in this planet – but not anymore as people, maybe a dog, a cat or whatever. So, that means in that kind of situation, there are no hell nor Heaven, but they’re just reborn again in another planet. So how about some... that makes me think that hell or Heaven are just made differently in other planets. Maybe some planets are happier than this planet, that people call it “Heaven.” Maybe. So, I would like to know that.) You say the Buddha did not mention hell? (Ah, …said about that, but I’m still confused. I don’t know.) He did. (We are talking about reincarnation? How about reincarnation?) Reincarnation is the transmigration. (Yes.) The law of transmigration. After you die, you might transmigrate into another form of life. That is called luân hồi (reincarnation) in Aulacese (Vietnamese). (Yes.) Now, the hell the Buddha mentioned. You go home and read the Earth Store Bodhisattva Sutra. The Kṣitigarbha Sutra. In the Kṣitigarbha Sutra, the Buddha did talk about hell – why you said no? He did. (Yes. I understand that.)
OK. Now, the hell is created in your mind, but it’s also outside your mind. Why do I say in your mind and outside? It is because everything is created by our own mind, but then we do not perceive that. And we think that is outside of us, and it causes us to suffer. And we still feel that we suffer very much from the hell or from whatever situation we create. But that is the trick of Maya. That is the trick of illusion. That is why people can never get out of them. Otherwise, no need for Buddha to come, no need for (Lord) Jesus Christ to come. Because it is so terrible, so unimaginable, the tricks of Maya – the great magician. He makes things like that. It’s Maya. It’s not a person, it’s just a force of nature to entangle, to enchant people, to trap people in this world. But in the meantime, we must struggle to go out of this illusion.
Photo Caption: “Knowing Life Here Is Ephemeral, Try to Find the Lasting One!”
