"Yesterday
I said that there are two kinds of sound. One of which is negative,
representing the sound within the Three Worlds, and the other one
belongs to the realms above the Three Worlds -- the "liberating
Sound." Listening to the sound within the Three Worlds will
make us transmigrate again, while the Sound above the Three Worlds
will lead us toward liberation. But without the guidance of the
enlightened master we are not able to understand and discern between
the real Sound, the perfect one enabling us to get liberation, and
the false one which is imperfect, not able to liberate us.
The
Light also has two kinds, one liberating us and the other one making
us forever in the circle of transmigration. Therefore it is not
every sound you hear or every light you see will grant you the liberation.
That is why we need the guidance of an enlightened master. He knows
both the negative and positive light and sound, so he can teach
us how to discriminate right from false. Otherwise what is the point
to look for an enlightened master, since we can also meditate by
ourselves? Do not think that it is enough just meditating by yourselves
or reciting the Buddha's name. Of course this is better than doing
nothing, but it is not the best way, not the way to help us attain
great enlightenment. Therefore, since ancient time till now, before
getting enlightened the great practitioners all travelled uphill
and down dale in order to find the enlightened master. What is the
need to find the enlightened master, if it was good enough for them
to practice by themselves? Jesus Christ was said to be born a saint,
the son of God, then why was that He still went to India to follow
many great masters and practice for over ten years? It is said that
Shakyamuni Buddha could walk seven steps right after He was born
into this world, and following each of these steps there was one
lotus, totaling seven lotuses under His feet because He was the
reincarnation of a Bodhisattva. Be it so, He still had to seek for
the enlightened master to learn and thereafter arduously practiced
for six years before He attained the ultimate enlightenment.
The
sixth patriarch of Buddhist Ch'an sect, Hui Neng got enlightened
immediately when he heard someone else reciting the Diamond Sutra,
though he was then just an illiterate woodcutter. But why did he
still go to ask the fifth patriarch Hung Jen for initiation, and
afterward sequester himself from the world to practice for sixteen
years before he got the complete enlightenment, before he could
initiate others? And Jesus Christ followed many great masters in
the Himalayas to practice in order to understand many truths. Shakyamuni
Buddha had six teachers, who all were already dead when He achieved
Buddhahood, though He was going to preach the Truth to them as a
return for their benefits to Him. Therefore we should not think
that Shakyamuni Buddha had no teacher. He had six teachers. Anyone
who is the reincarnation of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas all has to find
the enlightened master in order to attain complete achievement in
practice.
So
there are two kinds of Light. The first class Light belongs to God's
or the Buddha's level and can liberate us; the second class light
will only make us transmigrate endlessly in the birth & death
circle. If we meditate and practice without the proper guidance
of a real enlightened master, sometimes suddenly we will hear that
inner sound or accidentally see light and also get a little wisdom.
But
without an enlightened master's guidance, the light we see or the
sound we hear definitely only belongs to the second class. If we
do not know this, we will think it is very good and turn out to
be bound in the lower worlds by the second class light or sound,
not being able to experience the highest level, not being able to
attain real great wisdom. We will only get the small wisdom, which
is only second class, only the wisdom within the Three Worlds, the
wisdom belonging to the six paths of transmigration. What are the
six paths of transmigration? They are the devas, human beings, Asura,
hungry ghosts, hell, and animals. Therefore just seeing the second
class light or hearing the second class sound we will not attain
the Truth.
Many
people asked me that, being meat-eaters they could also see the
spiritual light, so for what reason had I insisted that people must
take vegetarian diet? The answer is very simple. The reason is as
I've mentioned just now. Understand that? Meat-eaters can also see
the second class light, but they will not find the Truth; they will
just run around within the six paths. But of course they can understand
more than the ordinary people do because they have practiced.
For
example, if this cup were dirty and no one washed it, then whatever
things I put into it would do no good to me. If I still drank it,
then surely I would get sick because since the cup is not clean,
no matter what you put into it will all become like poison, understand?
The milk poured into it will turn sour and bitter, wine will taste
bad, and even water will become with unpleasant smell. Because the
cup is not clean, be that the water is very clean, wine is very
pure, or the milk is aromatic, we will not get any benefit but a
stomach of harmful things.
In
the same way, a practicer who has not purified his body, speech,
and mind will be troubled by the level or achievement he has reached,
no matter how high it is. It's just as the unclean cup will dirty
the water in it. It is we who turn light into dark, and it is also
we who can attain the bright Light if we can keep a purified practice.
The
body, speech, and mind are all very important. We cannot just cultivate
the speech. It is not enough just not speaking ill of others throughout
the day, because we still should speak virtuous things, just as
besides avoiding the poisonous things we still have to eat nourishments.
Nor can we merely cultivate the mind. In addition to keep our mind
from thinking any evil things we should also do good things.
Putting
the filthy things, such as other living beings' meat into our mouths
is also not permitted. Whatsoever we eat will all affect our mind.
You see the piggy has piggy's food, cattle feed on grass, Horses
take their fodders, chickens eat their forages, and we human beings
should hold to the food originally intended for human beings, namely,
the plants. In the Bible it is said that God made so many herbs
and fruits for us and these should be our food.
In
all Buddhist sutras Shakyamuni Buddha emphasized that we should
not kill, should not eat living being's meat. He said, "Those
practicers who eat meat will not become Buddhas, will not become
Bodhisattvas because meat-eaters have no compassionate mind. Eating
meat cuts our seeds of compassion. Therefore the highest of them
can only achieve the fruition of king of Maya (Satan) at the most,
the second the male subjects of Maya, and the lowest the female
subjects of Maya." He said this very clearly.
Therefore
I will advice anyone who cultivates with any method to be a vegetarian,
so that at least there is still some hope for him to have the chance
in the future to reach higher worlds. It is not necessary that you
should follow me to practice Quan Yin method or believe in me, but
whatever method you practice you all have to purify your body, speech,
and mind in order that the bad influences can be washed. For example,
sometimes when we take some medicine, the doctor will tell us, "After
taking this medicine do not drink coffee, because when mixed with
coffee it will cause side effect which will bring bad influence
on your condition." It is just as at times after we take some
pills for the headache, we turn out to have trouble with the stomach
or other parts of the body.
If
we want to practice we should first purify our body, speech, and
mind. Every day we wash our bodies to keep ourselves clean outside,
and similarly must we do to our inside. People forgot that human
beings originally were supposed to eat vegetables, and they have
been used to eating meat, so now inversely it becomes very difficult
for them to go back to vegetarian diet. If we do not want to hold
the pig, chicken, duck, cattle, or the sheep in our arms, why do
we put their carcasses into our mouths? It doesn't make sense."
From
"The Supra-worldly Light"
The Key of Immediate Enlightenment II, English Edition
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Penghu, Formosa • April 25, 1987
(originally in Chinese)