Soon afterwards, most of the disciples went back to the local center to weed the grass and plant trees to beautify the environment, and only a few stayed behind with Master at the beach. By then, the high temperatures had given way to rain and everyone sought shelter under the tarp. But the shelter could not accommodate everyone; so Master instructed us to take off our outer robes and hang them around the tarp as an extension, much like the eaves of a building. When the sun came out, there were many wet clothes had to be dried. So Master fashioned a steel wire and a piece of driftwood into a clothes hanger.

One night, before one of the resident disciples went to bed, he remembered something that happened between him and Master, and thought to himself, "We're great people, and we do great things. You're little so you do little things." He even found this thought funny and went to bed with a smile. The next day rain came again and the winds blew. When the rain stopped, Master asked this resident disciple to fasten the robes tighter on the tarp the way one would fasten a curtain, but he did it carelessly. When Master went about re-fastening them, She said in a casual tone, "You're a great person, so you do great things. I'm little, so I do little things." Her words came as a shock to the disciple!

Sometimes things like this happen so that we stay alert. We thus need to be ever conscious that we are in the company of an enlightened Being, and not an ordinary person. From Her external appearance, Master seems to be very ordinary, affectionate and close to our hearts despite Her revered position in the Universe. When we have been with Her for some time, the initial nervousness and awe fade and often give way to carelessness. This is also true in any human relationship as it develops over time. We have lived in this mundane world for so long that our habits become very entrenched. We have to trouble Master to use different opportunities to teach us to grow out of the bad qualities that have controlled us life after life.

When traveling with Master on an international lecture tour, we often have to move on to a new location every two or three days, and every residence has its share of problems. For example, once I had to wash Master's clothes in a sink that had been used by many people. To make sure that everything was clean, I lined the sink with a plastic bag before filling it with water. But the sink was very small and I had to fight to cover it with the slippery plastic bag, which was supposed to go completely over the sink, making my job all the more difficult.

I thought that if I cleaned the sink a few more times, I could do without the plastic bag. But just as I was about to put this thought into action, Master appeared behind me. "You can't do that! The sink is dirty," She said. I knew very well that I should not let Master's clothes touch the sink, but my impatience had gotten the better of me. I was surprised that Master had sensed such a minor detail. She insists that however difficult things may be, we should not lower our standards. I sighed in relief that Master had caught me before I slacked off.

During an international lecture tour, local disciples at every stop generously offered their homes for Master and Her touring group to stay in. One night, when everyone had gone to bed, I took my pad and sleeping bag to the living room and lay down beside the telephone, thinking that, if necessary, I would be able to pick up the phone as soon as it rang. Just as I was lying down, however, Master appeared. When She learned that I was planning to sleep in the living room for the sake of convenience, She said, "The living room is for public use. If you sleep here, this living room will become your personal space, and others will hesitate if they want to get a glass of water or do something else. We cannot occupy public space for selfish purposes. You can unplug the phone temporarily or move it to your room." Master's words were impressed deeply on my mind, especially since I had not felt comfortable about sleeping in the living room in the first place. Until this day, I still remember this rule: Never spread out your personal belongings in a public space and always keep it clean.

On another occasion, I was on the phone reading telephone numbers to someone. I thought that since he was an American, he should be able to understand me even if I read them quickly, and did just that. After hanging up the phone, Master immediately corrected me, saying, "Could anyone understand you at the rate you were reading?" I bit my tongue! This was the only time that I had slurred on the phone and Master caught me in the act!

After having been taught and corrected by Master about many minor details in life, I have found myself slowly leaving my crude qualities farther and farther behind and becoming more and more elegant. Regarding this topic, Master once said, "I've met many so-called 'great' people, truly great people, and I've seen how they take care of minor details with great attentiveness, and with such a natural spontaneity that it is like second nature to them. I think that's how they became great; they do not neglect anything. They know everything without having to pay much attention. For some ordinary people, even when they want very much to pay attention to something, their so-called attention is so minimal that when they say they have paid their whole attention, it's not much. Therefore, they neglect some corners, and that's how things become spoiled and not completed. I've seen many so-called great people. They are truly very humble in their manner and truly take care of things in a very joyful way, taking care of other people and the tasks that are entrusted to them." (Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, April 10, 1992, originally in English, Videotape No. 240)

From these few simple examples, it is not difficult to perceive the differences between great people and little people.

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