Therefore,
I do not come to elevate you only when you are dying. No! At every moment
there is every dimension: Earth, Pure Land, and Heaven. It depends on how
we feel inside. When you see light, it means you are in the Pure Land. But
when your level falls, or when you are scolded by me, you have returned
to the physical world. When you leave this physical body to go to the eternal
Pure Land, it is unnecessary to scold you, but you should practice well
now in order to attain the eternal Pure Land.
Suppose I can
die for you, go to hell for you, or suffer for you; I would be willing to
do it. But I can't. I can do only half or two-thirds of it; I cannot take
on everything for you. It's not that I like to scold you. No, I don't. If
I can suffer for you to make you happy and practice well soon, I love to
do it, and it has always been my wish to do so. I pray for more suffering
when I suffer. However much I suffer alone does not matter, as long as it
benefits sentient beings, and you feel more relaxed and practice well.
Therefore, you
should not mind my anger. I can bear it alone. If you make progress here
during the retreat, then my suffering is worth it. I don't care if I shed
tears in pain. I can bear it even if the suffering is multiplied many times.
You won't cherish it if I treat you casually or let you relax too much.
I should use many different methods to teach you.
You all know
the saying that a strict teacher has excellent students. I care about your
progress, so I am strict with you. Now you understand this saying. Most
of the situations in this world spoil you and make you degenerate and reincarnate.
Do you want me to pamper you? You are already pampered by outside praise,
beguiled by people's sweet words, and bound by human emotions. Do you want
me to treat you in the same way?
You should understand
what true love is. It's not using sweet words or human affections to bind
people. It's giving you real training, cleansing you of dark karma, and
helping you to mature into a responsible and graceful person. Those who
complain and pity themselves every day only think of their ego selves and
forget their almighty power inside. Actually we need nothing. Maybe you
still need a little now because you have not grown up yet. But you should
know that those things are not important. We don't need sweet words. How
can we mature if we always rely on sweet things that are apparently friendly?
If we can't bear any scolding, it means we are still obstructed, and attached
to sweet words.
It is definitely
helpful for you to take part in retreats occasionally. There should be some
quiet place at every center, where fellow initiates can come and have group
meditation, or hold one- or two-day retreats each week. You meditate all
day long here and watch or listen to my tapes. Then you will truly progress
and find yourselves different in a few months. If you really obey the rules
of meditation, and hold one- or two-day retreats at your local center each
week, it also benefits you. I don't have to be there. Actually I am there
as soon as you think of me.
You
will see how different you are after you practice a lot. You will be happy
at that time and you will feel encouraged, knowing that spiritual practice
is really helpful. However, if you practice in a careless and sluggish
way, it won't help you and someday you will give up because you cannot
find a good result to inspire yourselves. This is like someone who fails
to be promoted after he has studied at school for a year, then he might
think, "Why, studying is useless, and I have studied for one year
for nothing!" Other fellow students are in higher classes, and they
will become more educated and perhaps lawyers and doctors after graduation.
They can help others as well as themselves, and they will feel confident
and happy about it because they have accomplished something in their learning.
If we practice sluggishly, we are just like those lazy students who cannot
graduate, and we will feel that spiritual practice is of no use.
Master Says: The Real Meditation
