Master's Words
The Au Lac Refugees - A Blessing For The World
Spoken by the Supreme Master Ching Hai Au Lac people have great blessings spiritually, but not in the worldly sense. Some of them are saints. Some have practiced very well, to a very high level. They have sacrificed their attained position and descended as refugees in order to help the world, sowing spiritual seeds in many countries, only Master knows. Therefore, I strive everywhere to help them, not only because they are my compatriots, but for the whole world. However, whom can I speak to about these things? Who wants to listen to me? I offer all my property. I bow down to each president, as well as all the high officials, petty officials, even the doorman. I lower my dignity and receive a lot of humiliation. I am not ashamed to face the Au Lac refugees, (as I've done my best) but I feel sorry for the world. Eventually, the refugees will "go back". They will still have their high position (spiritually). It's a pity that the world is still blind, ignorant, uncompassionate. They don't understand loving others is loving themselves. They don't know helping others is helping themselves, helping their country. They do not realize how much blessing the refugees have brought to them. The world is blind, deaf, deaf to my words, blind to understandings. They cannot clearly see things that are so obvious. Never mind! All is ephemeral. Good or bad are just like this. We save the world if we can! Should we fail, we will still "go home", no big deal. None of our business. There is nothing we can do. I have really tried very hard! I was half way through my Asian preaching tour when I heard that two Au Lac people had tried to commit suicide, because they were about to be sent back. They have not died yet, but are dying, burned. They burned themselves with petrol. Though they are not dead, their injuries are very serious. Death is better than half alive and half dead, which is very painful. This is really true! I immediately rushed to the Philippines from Japan. I was supposed to rest in Japan for a week before I went to Korea. However, on my second or third day in Japan, I had to go to the Philippines begging them. Preparing to offer all my property, I explained to them: We are only investing to provide employment opportunities for the Au Lac refugees. The subsequent profits will stay in the Philippines, to be used by their government, for their people. Apart from paying the wages of the Au Lac refugees, all the profits yielded later, no matter how much, I won't take a single cent. All the money will stay in the Philippines. I won't even retrieve the capital or the interest, because we are trying to help the world! Most people think that they are helping the Au Lac refugees. The truth is the opposite! It is the Au Lac refugees who are helping them! They don't realize it. The Au Lac people have great blessings, so their country is rich in natural resources and produce. Simply sow the seeds and food will grow. The fruit smells so fragrant. I have been to many countries, but I have not seen such good fruit. Rice is easily grown. If there are no calamities, no wars, the rice produced by Au Lac is more than enough for Asia's consumption! Our farming produce grows easily, without using advanced machinery, but we still reap more than enough. As well, they have the inclination for spiritual practice. On the map, you can see that the physical shape of Au Lac is unique, like the Tai Chi figure in Taoism, an S-shape, isn't that right? Isn't it the shape of the Tai Chi figure in Taoism? There is an S in the middle, right? You see, Au Lac is the only country appearing in this shape! Backed by the mountains and facing the sea, there is a whole mountain range. Long mountain ranges produce talented people, spiritual land bears great people! Age after age, many great spiritual practitioners, big heroes and great philosophers have been born in that country, but the world does not recognize these facts. Why do we have so many war disasters? The country is a spiritual land, therefore many demonic forces want to grab or occupy the place. They want to stop the spiritual atmosphere from developing. Therefore, even though I was born in Au Lac, I still had to leave before I could develop. Even then, I had to be born in Au Lac. The land there is highly spiritual. I was born in the middle region of Au Lac, attracting all the spiritual energy from across the nation. (Master laughs.) I was born in the middle part of Au Lac, yet I still had to leave to spread the Truth. Otherwise, why should I be born in Au Lac? Isn't that right? I only lived there for over ten years. Before the communists came, someone had arranged for me to leave. Otherwise, I would be one of the refugees, very troublesome, and you would not have seen me. So, I still had to leave when the time came. I was born there, but I am okay. (Master laughs.) I was born there because the geographic features there are good. Most people do not understand these things. Au Lac is very spiritual. Many people in the world, many prophets, fortune-tellers have prophesied that there would be a Buddha from Au Lac. However, they did not know where to look! There were prophets in Japan who had predicted the same. Then, some Au Lac people also knew that a Buddha would appear in Au Lac. They knew, so they searched everywhere. Our fellow initiates also know of a person who looked for the Buddha everywhere. When he finally read Master's book, his search was over. This is what I heard! (Laughter and applause.) Tolerance And SacrificeExtract from the Supreme Master Ching Hai's Lecture in Bangkok,Thailand June 7, 1994 (Originally in English) All the Masters in the past, present or future will try to demonstrate to us the good qualities of a true human being. They try to teach by example not only by talking, and they try to teach us to always be loving, tolerant and always put other people's advantage before our own benefit. That's why when Shakyamuni Buddha was a king, even though He had the highest position in the society, the most respected position, and He had the most power in the country, and He commanded the loving heart of all His subjects, He still sacrificed all this to preserve the lives and peace for His people in His country. Not only for His country alone but also for the uncle's country, because if the two countries fought each other then both countries would have damage in people's properties and lives. That's why He tried to avoid it, avoid the war, not that He was afraid of the other country. Some people always ask me, the Au Lac people, they ask me whether I should fight the communists or I am pro-communist. They think because I help the Au Lac refugees, I should hate the communists and go over there and kill them, get the gun and shoot them. I tell them I help the refugees because they need help, because some of them are afraid to go back home (go back to Au Lac) so they commit suicide. They die in here and Hong Kong, etc. Because their lives are in danger, I have to help them. But if I save some refugees' lives and go kill another person's life, then what is the meaning? Also, if we make war in Au Lac then many people will die, the good people and the bad people. And I say doesn't matter who dies, they are all brothers, same countrymen. So I say to them doesn't matter how bad a government, sooner or later that government will die, will change. The time will come. I think it's better to change people's hearts than to kill them, and I am trying to change the people by teaching them good things, a moral standard and teaching them to find their own wisdom. And if more Au Lac people are wise and moral and good, then even bad government has to change into good government, right? It is better than killing each other, because if you kill a person, his heart is not changed. He will reincarnate again and make even more trouble for you, because he is stronger in his determination. It's just like you put money in the bank, the longer the time the more interest. So most of the people do not know the best way of destroying the enemy. Just destroy their evil hearts and then they'll be destroyed forever, not destroy their bodies. Besides, sometimes we have made bad karma, good karma with each other. And they come back to revenge and then we come back to revenge. It is always the devil's circle going on. So in this story the Shakyamuni Buddha wants to help us to understand, to be tolerant and to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of other people; it's the best way. In this respect, we can see that Jesus Christ was also Bodhisattva, a saint, very clearly. Because many of His disciples wanted to go against the government and save Him, but He said, Don't do that.At that time, He had a lot of followers, many people believed Him, many people could die for Him, but He did not use this power to make bloodshed. Actually everything will take care of itself in time. But meanwhile, we try our best to make life better. But, always try to avoid violence. That is the lesson of all these Shakyamuni Buddha stories, that we have to surrender to God's will, to be tolerant and be patient. When the time comes, everything will change. |