|   | Uphold 
                the Spiritual and Let It Shine Above All
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,Four-day International Retreat,
 Washington DC, USA, December 24, 1997
 (Originally in English) DVD #604
In this world there’s nothing more 
                worthwhile than reaching the state of being one with God. Suppose 
                you became the king of the whole world, then what? Would you eat 
                six or more times a day and get fat? You’d have other problems 
                then; you’d have to go get liposuction, or diet and exercise 
                and sweat a lot and it might not even help. And suppose you became 
                president of a country, then what? What else do we have? We still 
                go out empty-handed.  It’s OK to work and earn money and 
                strive to be successful as long as we do it as a sport. For example, 
                if we go onto a football field or a basketball court, we have 
                to play the best we know how. But that doesn’t mean it’s 
                the only thing we should do in this world. That’s just by 
                the way. If we don’t remember this, then even if we sit 
                for a long time we will not have experiences. The people who do have experiences also 
                have to remind themselves not to be too proud or too relaxed because 
                there is a lot farther to go. There are always higher levels. 
                There is no end, no “roof” to our attainment. It’s 
                not that you hit the top and then you are finished; that’s 
                not so. There is always more happiness, more bliss waiting for 
                us at every step on the way, at each level of consciousness. So we always have to continue, and that’s 
                what’s worth living for; otherwise, even if we live another 
                hundred years, then what? Eat, sleep and watch TV; that’s 
                it. There’s not much to do; sometimes it’s very boring 
                here. So actually, when you thank me, I think I deserve it! (Master 
                and everyone laugh.) Because I have taught you some ways to pass 
                your time in this boring world. Suppose you did not have meditation: 
                How boring that would be! |