We can’t see all the planets in the universe, let alone all the mysteries of Heavens and Earth which are not visible to the physical eyes. They do exist but in different dimensions that our eyes cannot perceive. So now, the only method we have is to use our Buddha Eye, which we call Heavenly Eye. How do you use it? Where is this Eye? Ah, that’s the duty of the so-called Enlightened Masters. They will show you where to find that Eye and how to use it.
In order to successfully listen to the Dharma, as the brother said earlier, we must give up all our prejudices of what we think are right or wrong. Because in this world, except for the wisdom of Buddha and God, there is no one who can confirm what is right, and what is wrong. For you, this is understandable. Sometimes, what is right or wrong is only relative, not absolute. Except for the ultimate Truth of God or Buddha, there is nothing absolute in this universe. As you know, those scientific proofs, sometimes they’re 100% right, but the next day, they’re wrong, is that right? Or someone else proves the other argument, does another experiment, then we see that it is wrong.
A few hundred years ago, when our country was still under the monarchy system – when King Tự Đức reigned, one highly learned scholar named Nguyễn Trường Tộ, was appointed to study abroad in France. You already know this. I just repeat it to prove the relativity of this world. So Nguyễn Trường Tộ was sent by the king to study in France. When he returned to Âu Lạc (Vietnam), he reported that, “Europeans are very civilized. Lamps burn upside down, yet the lamp oil doesn’t spill. Cars moving on the roads don’t need horses to pull. Water comes out from the wall.” Just incredible things that never existed in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) before. Because in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) we used to light oil lamps. It had to stand upward to light up the room. How could any lamp burn upside down? But nowadays, we see these upside-down lamps because those lamps are electric. However, when Mr. Nguyễn Trường Tộ reported these things, King Tự Đức did not believe it, so he ordered his head chopped off. For what crime? What crime? Offense against the king – implying the king was so stupid that you could deceive him however you like. It’s the gravest crime, and your three generations could be executed! Just one person said the truth, and his three generations were executed, or at least he would be put to death.
So, you see how dangerous this world is? He just said a truth that could even be proved, let alone me talking about Heavens and hells. That’s why since time immemorial, they say: The life of an enlightened Master is hanging by a thread. But the laws are very strict these days. So, people’s faith and beliefs are protected to the maximum. That’s why we can give lectures openly like this. In the old times, when Jesus went around to give lectures, it was extremely difficult. He had to hide and gather in secret places, so no one else could see Him.
So generally speaking, in any time or era, there are always places where the Truth can’t be revealed. We say, “Heavenly plans cannot be exposed.” But luckily, we live in America where freedom of religion is protected to the maximum. Human rights are respected. Human dignity is valued. So, we can sit here in this auditorium peacefully like this. We’re so blessed.
Things are changing everyday. Why? Because we have spiritual practitioners, so the world is getting brighter. I feel the more we go on lecture tours, the brighter the atmosphere of the world is, and the easier it is for us to breathe. That’s why I am invited to go here and there, and sometimes I feel tired, I want to refuse. But I sense the incredible benefits to the people, so, I can’t help but sacrifice some of my physical and mental well-being or personal time. It’s OK. I will make use of this body as much as I can, until it’s finished, until we say “out of gas.” We just throw it away. Otherwise, what to do? This world is crowded; one person’s physical body is limited. It has to break down some day. Like even if you have the best car, if you run it too much, nonstop, one day it will, it will what? We say “the bolts get loose.” The bolts.
My bolts are not loose yet, but they’re kind of tired. So sometimes, if you demand of me something that I cannot fulfill, please don’t feel bad. For example, sometimes after a lecture or initiation, I feel very tired already. Still many people want to see me personally to share their feelings, to hold hands together and all that. I refused and they felt bad. But sometimes I was too tired, I had to lay down, so I could continue to work the next day. Therefore, we can’t please everyone. That’s all.
Now talking about the problems of this world. Why is nothing absolute? Because our view of this world is not perfect. We can only see one corner, but not the whole view. For example, our eyes, someone with the best eyesight can only see so many hundreds of meters ahead at most. And looking in the front, we can’t see the back; looking to the left we can’t see the right; looking to the right, we can’t see the left. That’s enough to know that our eyesight in this world is infinitely limited and too insignificant. Even if we use telescopes, we can only see a limited number of stars in the Milky Way. We can’t see all the planets in the universe, let alone all the mysteries of Heavens and Earth which are not visible to the physical eyes. They do exist but in different dimensions that our eyes cannot perceive. Just as there are many viruses, or stars too far away, that our telescope can’t even see. Do you understand?
So now, the only method we have is to use our Buddha Eye, which we call Heavenly Eye. How do you use it? Where is this Eye? Ah, that’s the duty of the so-called Enlightened Masters. They will show you where to find that Eye and how to use it. Just like someone with experience, they can show you how to adjust your telescope to look far away. Otherwise, you don’t know how. You have it there, but you can’t see very well, right? You have to adjust it, to know how to adjust it, what adjustments to look far, and what adjustments to look near. Something like that. Our Heavenly Eye is like a telescope. It can see far away, infinitely. It can see billions of lifetimes in the past and aeons of lifetimes in the future and countless planets in the universe. Only then do we know all the mysteries in Heavens and Earth. But once we already know it all, it feels like it is our own home, there is nothing unusual about it. We see it as very normal.
Two or three days ago, my cousins, after they discovered me, they telephoned and asked, “My God! You’ve become a Buddha, why didn’t You tell me?” “After You became a Buddha, how did You feel? Anything new and different?” I said, “Nothing is new and different.” You get used to it. Just like we nourish a baby every day, and he grows up little by little. We carry him and don’t feel heavy. But people coming from far away, upon carrying him they will feel that he is too heavy. Yes, you get used to it.
Becoming a Buddha is nothing new to us. Actually, as real human beings, every one of us should know that we’re Buddha. Otherwise, you think God is that illogical? He creates such beautiful human beings... It takes so much hardship for a mother to give birth to a child. She has to carry him through nine months and ten days with all kinds of illnesses, fatigue, discomforts, in order to bring a child into the world. She has lots of pain during childbirth and no one can help at that time. And after childbirth, it’s a lot of hardship to bring him up. One cough from the child could make the mother sleepless at night. When he has teething pain, both husband and wife are shaken, understand? They’re not happy. Then they raise him for twenty years till he’s grown up. And then what else? And then he would be engrossed in school for ten or twenty years. And then he would be engrossed in work outside the home for some tens of years. And then “engrossed” in the earth. Is that illogical? Isn’t there anything else? Are we born just to bear all these hardships? No. It’s not true.
We’re supposed to be born happy, very joyful, very rich, very glorious. It’s just that we don’t know how to find it. We shouldn’t criticize a person for being rich, for having a beautiful wife, for playing games and having fun. That’s not to be criticized. They should be rich, should be happy, should have fun. Their life is supposed to be happy, so they don’t need to crave any more. They should have incredibly beautiful people living with them to brighten up their life and to feel secure, so they wouldn’t have to desire for beautiful people. It’s because we don’t know how to look, we don’t know how to organize our life. That’s why it’s dull and dark, it’s hard, it’s poor, and it’s not comfortable.
