Just the same, I asked God why most of the ancient Masters were men: “Why do You tell me to do this difficult job now?” And Hes said, “We will surprise humankind.”
Today, we are pleased to present some excerpts from The Supreme Master Ching Hai’s 1999 European Lecture in the Netherlands, in Her book, ‘God’s Direct Contact- The Way to Reach Peace’.
“You Don’t Have To Go to the Himalayas for Enlightenment!”
“In the ancient times, the communication system was not very efficient, and the transportation system was almost nonexistent. So finding someone who could show us the way to achieve the Grace of God or the way to return to the Kingdom of God within ourselves was almost impossible. That’s why most of the religious scriptures mention these spiritual subjects in a very precious way, in a very mysterious way, as very hard to find and very hard to achieve. They don’t even write down the method for us.
But nowadays, because of all the convenience of scientific discovery, we can share with each other anything we know in a matter of hours or minutes. Anytime we want to see each other or want to see someone who knows the way, we can always fly, or go by car or by bus. In just a few hours or days, we can know whatever we want to know about spiritual practice. Even if we can’t see the person who knows it, we can see a person who is delegated by this so called spiritual guide or spiritual friend. Thus, we waste no time, and we can always learn from anywhere in the world.
This is very lucky for us. I did not know that. I thought I had to go to the Himalayas. But that was my destiny. I had to go there in order to come back and tell you that you don’t have to go there. So it wasn’t a waste of time; it was the working of God.
“A Living, Chosen Spiritual ‘Pole’”
But it is not going to the Himalayas that makes us enlightened; it is the spiritual power that is transmitted to us, through a living, chosen station, a living chosen spiritual “pole.” If God has chosen you to act as this electrical “pole,” Hes will transmit the power through you and then to another person. It’s very simple. Because God is nameless and invisible in some way, it is difficult for us to know Hirm. But if Hes has chosen someone to transmit this power from Hirm, then it is easier for us to relate. Then we can assimilate this God power gradually, until we become one with God and we know God completely. That is the process of complete enlightenment.
The person who is chosen to be a transmitting “pole” for God’s power is no better than anyone else on this planet. He also eats vegan cheese. It’s just that in order to light a torch, another torch has already been lit, and then you use that torch to light another, and then light another, and light another. So in order to light many torches, one torch, one fire must be made in the beginning. That is just the chosen transmission “pole.” Someone has to begin first, and everything else comes from that.
“Jesus Told Us that Whatever He Can Do, We Can Do Also”
So in my experience that God has shown me, there is no mystery about how to know God. It’s very, very simple. Even children can have the experience of God, exactly the experiences that are written about in the Bible. For example, Moses saw God as a big bush of flames, and other Saints have heard God like the sound of many waters. We can have experiences exactly the same as that, and more. That’s why Jesus told us that whatever He can do, we can do also. Because it was not He that was doing it, it was the Father.
We can see Heaven truly, with our Heavenly eye. Literally speaking, we can enter Heaven as a place. And we enter it not by the physical body, but by a spiritual body. Then we can come back again to the physical body and continue our daily activities. No one ever suspects that we are a saint. That saves a lot of problems. People don’t flock to our house and start worshiping in the dirt at our feet, or make our home their free hotel.
“God Can Appear as Man or Woman”
Because we always talk about God in terms of the masculine, I also go with this way. But God has no specialty. I have seen Hirm, and Hes has no differences like we have, like you and I. It’s different, very, very beautiful. Hes is sexless. Hes has no male or female qualities as we think of them. Sometimes for the sake of contacting us, He can appear as a woman Saint or woman angel inside, to give us advice and share with us the secrets of the universe. Sometimes God appears as a man also to make small talk with us, or to tell us the wise way to live our lives and to take us up to Heaven. But that is up to us. Sometimes we human beings love to see a woman’s appearance, and sometimes we love to see a man’s appearance. Accordingly, Hes will fulfill our wish and appear as a man or woman.
Just the same, I asked God why most of the ancient Masters were men: “Why do You tell me to do this difficult job now?” And Hes said, “We will surprise humankind.” (Audience laughs and applauds)
“God Can Appear as Man or Woman” Question and Answer Session
“Do we have to be open to receive enlightenment? “No, no. You are not open. That’s why you need to be opened. You don’t need to be open now. We will help you to open.” OK. “If you are already open, you don’t need me.” Yes, that’s what I mean. “All you need is just to want to know yourself.” Thank you. “Actually, we don’t have to do anything to receive the Grace of God, because the Kingdom of God is within us. It is just that you don’t know how to access it. So at the time of transmission, we just sit quietly and God does the rest.”
