"You
cannot always be intimidated by the greatness of any master or any
person and stay in the shadow of that person. You have to grow up
and be yourself. However great, however small, it's you, but with
the knowledge of yourself - that I am that person. And of course
whatever undesirable habits, you try to cut down, and whatever you
think good for you, more ideal, more noble, then you try to fulfill,
in your capacity, in your time, in your own sincerity and endeavor.
But don't always look upon a master, a teacher, or any great person
and forget to grow!
That's
why I cannot always be around you, or telling you everything that
you must do or not do. That's no good, no good for you! You have
a brain, you have a mind, you have the wisdom, and you have to use
them. Every time you use them, they become better and better. Otherwise,
I can never tell you everything. Of course, you can learn something
from me, if you think it's good for you, if it's suitable for you.
You learn something as an example, but not as something that you
always rely on or look upon and then forget your own talent and
your own intelligence.
All
questions will solve themselves when we meditate more and go within.
As soon as you go within, you concentrate within yourself, focus
yourself, then everything goes easier. And we understand everything
so clearly. Everything we do is quicker, smoother and more natural.
That's the way we teach ourselves and that's the way the master
teaches us from inside. If we are stable inside, everything outside
is easy. That's why I can do many things and it does not require
much effort - because I'm concentrated.
I'm
just naturally concentrated because I'm not attached to any outside
thing. I'm not seduced by any beautiful phenomena. Even though you
see me wearing a nice dress or something like that, I'm not conscious
of the dress I'm wearing. You could put a cheesecloth sack on top
of me, and I'd still feel the same. And if anyone wears a beautiful
dress or something like that, they will not catch my attention completely.
I might notice that person is wearing a nice dress, but that's it.
Just one of those things. I record it but that's it. It doesn't
bind me there. Therefore, I'm always concentrated and I use the
greatest percentage of my own ability and power to solve the problem,
to work, to function, to help people, and to help you. So, that's
the way. Very natural!
We
have everything inside. But as soon as we're attached outside, we
are caught somewhere. Our attention is devoted completely or mostly
somewhere, and then we're finished. Then we're off-balance. That's
it. That's the only secret. So the meditation is a way for us to
practice often and more consistently the art of controlling ourselves
- controlling our input-output power in order to make good use of
it, and in order to be the master of ourselves. That's the way of
the master, not to be a master of people."
From "Put What You Learn Into Action"
News 95, Pearls Of Wisdom
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
3-Day Retreat in Chicago, Illinois, USA • February
19, 1994
(originally in English)
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