A Secret Way To Achieve Immortality
Spoken by The Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu Center, Formosa
Oct. 27, 1995 (Originally in Chinese)Once upon a time, there was a person in China who often told people that he knew a secret way to achieve immortality.
The emperor of Yan State sent his attendant and chancellor to look for this person, who knew about immortality, to bring him to the royal court, so as to learn his secret way. However, that attendant was much like our Quan Yin messengers here, or my attendant! He went very slowly. Instead of driving a Mercedes Benz or a Buick, he drove a Yu Long, so he went very slowly. Oh! He was not driving a Yu Long even, he drove a horse-drawn carriage. Thinking even that was too luxurious, he rode a horse. Later, he thought even a horse was too much, so he simply went on foot! It was so slow, so slow!
He enjoyed all kinds of pleasures throughout his journey, and was sidetracked to Paris and many places. Therefore, he took a long time to reach the place of the man who knew the secret way to achieve immortality. Because he was too slow and too late, the man was dead. (Laughter)
The emperor of Yan State was furious. (Master pretends to be angry.) You know, it was just like when I roar, but he was even worse than I because he didn't practice the Quan Yin Method. (Laughter) He didn't roar as loud because I have the chi through practicing the Quan Yin Method. I can roar much louder than he did. It is great fun to be angry this way. (Laughter)
The emperor was so angry that he wanted to execute the attendant. Then, a chancellor begged the emperor to forgive the attendant and spare his life.
He said to the emperor, "In this world, all human beings strive to live, and fear death. If we kill this person because of a way to achieve immortality, this is against our ideal. Besides, the person who boasted that he knew the secret of immortality is dead -- he could not save himself. That means his secret is useless! Therefore, please do not kill our useful person for a useless man."
The emperor of Yan State felt that his words were reasonable, so he started to chant the Holy Names, observe the Five Precepts, and followed The Supreme Master Ching Hai's principal of not killing! (Laughter)
At that time, there was another state called Qi. There, a person named Hutzu had also heard about the man who knew the secret way to achieve immortality, which he was also keen to learn. When he knew about the death of this man, he was extremely frustrated, and cried sadly.
His friend Futzu laughed loudly and said, "You stupid fool! That man said he knew the secret of immortality, yet he is dead now. Can't you see that he was actually a fool? What are you crying for? This shows that you have no wisdom, and have no idea about what you want to learn."
Hutzu retorted to his friend Futzu, "Futzu, you are very wrong! Some people know some secret ways, but they do not know how to use them, so they cannot use them. There are also some people who know how to use the secret ways, but they do not know where the true method is being imparted.
"For instance, previously in Wei State, there was a person who was an expert mathematician. When he was dying, he imparted all his calculation methods to his son. This son heard all of it, but he couldn't calculate as well as his father. A person from another place came to this son and asked to learn the calculation methods. When he went home, he could calculate exactly like the father, and solve any mathematical problem accurately. He simply acted according to the words of the son, who didn't know about mathematics, and practiced them step by step. As a result, he did it as well as the deceased father.
"The man who knew the secret way to achieve immortality might have known the method himself, but he didn't use it or practice accordingly. It would have been wonderful if we could have learnt the secret way from him, and practiced it ourselves!" This is what Hutzu said.
Do you think he was right? Is it right? (Applause) So it is with the Quan Yin Method. Is it not so?
Observing that you can sit for such a long time -- sit for ten hours without moving, and have such good experiences, it shows that this method is the right one. This secret method is orthodox. So, if you can carry on practicing by following Master's instructions, you cannot go wrong!
Sometimes, I send Quan Yin messengers to teach you, then you practice by following the verbal instructions of the Quan Yin messenger. It does not matter if I am not there. Just follow the method to meditate, and you can have very good experiences. Is that right? (Answer: Yes!)
The Quan Yin messenger may not be superior to you in spiritual practice, so you don't have to worship him. When some Quan Yin messengers were sent to your countries, especially Au Lac or mainland China, the people there could not see me in person so they worshipped the Quan Yin messengers.
Once when a monastic disciple went to mainland China, all the inhabitants of a village took the initiation. As she entered the village, everyone prostrated to her - what a spectacular sight! No one ever prostrated to me in Miaoli Village. (Laughter) Not even a dog. (Laughter) Perhaps a kitten did! It is because she walked in this way.
It was even more funny in Au Lac. There they did not only prostrate to the Quan Yin messengers. Even when some of our lay fellow practitioners went back to Au Lac from U.S.A. - who had only seen me once, the people there also prostrated to them. (Laughter)
Don't worship those people! Worship your original nature instead; worship the almighty Master power within, which is originally latent in us.
Through the Quan Yin messengers and proper practice of the method taught by Master, we can definitely attain the Tao that we aspire for. However, though we say it this way, the method is not the most important! Our electric power inside can only be activated when there is a live current transmitted into us.
The truth is, this person just happened to know this secret method; perhaps he learnt it from a master who had attained the Truth. Therefore, it is all right for another person to learn from him.
Take our Quan Yin messengers for example. Not all of them have attained the Truth, but when they transmit the method to you, they are doing it according to Master's instructions. The Master is still here! You will definitely reap fruit by following the method taught by Her, and this has been proved.
In mainland China, Au Lac, Tibet, those remote countries or places where the Master cannot go due to political reasons, the fellow initiates there, after they have received the transmission from the Quan Yin messengers, also have great power and many incredible experiences. Therefore, it is not a rumour, the benefits are true.
These secret methods are not to be found everywhere. Why no one else, except that old man in Yan State knew about the secret of achieving immortality? And, why did he die despite his knowing it?
There are two explanations. First, perhaps the people of Yan and Qi State misunderstood his words about immortality. Immortality doesn't mean that our physical bodies will exist forever, but that our souls will be liberated in eternity. When we have attained the state of no birth and no death, no destruction and no deterioration, no contamination and no purity, then we are really immortal. However, when ordinary humans hear about immortality, they will think of the material aspect. Therefore, they were disappointed upon knowing about the death of that person, or they laughed at others for trying to learn immortality from him - "If the teacher himself dies, why are we learning from him?" I think this is a more accurate explanation.
Another explanation is: perhaps that person had learnt the secret method, but he didn't practice it. Perhaps, there really was a way for people to live without getting old, live for several thousand years, or tens of thousands of years. We should not jump to conclusions about what exists and what does not. Before we really know, don't deny anything. Should we really not know, then we say we don't know. If we know, then we say: "Yes, I know."
If that person knew the way to achieve immortality, then why did he have to die? Perhaps because he didn't continue to practice according to the method his master taught him, or he didn't practice this method seriously; so he gained no result. This is also very possible.
For instance, many people know how to practice Tai Chi Chuan, or how to dance Tango, Rumba or Cha Cha, which they can learn from books. The first step is with the right foot, the second one is with the left foot, and then turn left, and then right, forward, reverse, and so on. He knows it all; he has the illustrations of the dance steps. However, he does not practice it, or he practiced for only a day or two, and doesn't go to the club frequently to dance, so he forgets. However, he knows the method, and he has the illustrations of the dance steps. It has been written clearly how to dance; which kind of music is for Cha Cha, which is for tango - he knows it all. If we obtain these illustrations from him, we can practice them. Perhaps it is not really perfect, but once we learn the basic steps, we can practice and get better.
Maybe we can practice with an expert, then we will improve further. Later, adding our intelligent personality, and demonstrating our talents, we can dance even more beautifully.
Why during that time in China, only that person was known to know the secret way to achieve immortality, and no one else knew the same method? Perhaps it is just like our Quan Yin messengers - not every place can have several of them. For instance, there are only one or two masters, and not many of their disciples are capable of transmitting the method, and it is not always possible to send dozens of them to each place. Of course, there are many Quan Yin messengers here at the headquarters, but only one Quan Yin messenger can be allocated to each country. Therefore, it is very difficult of know about them.
Furthermore, owing to the visa formalities, the long distances or because they are required at the headquarters, they cannot stay at that place for a very long time. This is why, at that time, in that country, people hear that "only that person knows." (Applause)
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