True Masters
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu Center, Formosa, December 30, 1991
(Originally in Chinese)
If
we see a person bound by affection for another, we know that he is at
the astral level. If he is eloquent but with no affection for others,
we know that he has gone beyond the first realm and has reached the second.
If a person has no feelings for others, and does nothing good or bad,
or has great creative talent, we feel that he has gone to the third realm.
We do not know his inner visions, but we can tell a little by what is
shown outside. What if he possesses all three qualities? For example,
if he has affection for others, he is eloquent and creative then we know
that he is at the third realm. But if he is very clumsy and cannot accomplish
anything, we know that he is still at the astral level. It does not matter
how good he is with his words.
Then,
is it true that a true master who has reached the fifth realm has no
affection for others? I mean that he has passed the third realm and
reached the fifth realm, and then does he not have any astral sentiment?
Is he not the same as those who are ignorant? (A: He can control it!)
Since he can control it, why does he still have it? Why does he need
affection? (A: In order to understand others!) In case he wants to teach
the people at that level, he can use it.
For
example, now that we walk on the spiritual path, we have no desire for
money. We do not really need much money. We do not want to be high-ranking
officials. However, in case we are already high officials, we need not
throw away our positions, but we should use our positions to help others.
If we have plenty of money, we can use it. There is no need to throw
it into the sea. We can give it to the needy. Therefore, it is not that
sentiment is not good. It is not that eloquence and creativity are not
good. We can use them wisely and should not discard them.
If
a person only has those abilities but does not have countless transformation
forms and does not do any good deeds, then we know that he is not a
true master. He is merely an astral being. If he also has astral sentiment,
or he seems to have affection for or have whatever relationship with
people, as well as billions of transformation forms, transcendent powers,
great compassion, and indiscriminate love, then we know that he is not
stuck at the astral level but possesses those qualities and uses them
as the situation requires. This is the difference between true masters
and people who are ignorant or at the astral level.
