Where do we find Heaven? Do we need to find a heavenly ladder to reach Heaven? Supreme Master Ching Hai says that being in either Heaven or Hell occurs just in a flash of thought, and that in Heaven there is no greed, hatred or ignorance. When we’re in the Samsara ..(more)

If a person uses means such as wealth, beauty, wine, meat, or fame to bind us to this world and hinder us from practicing and gaining liberation, that person is the subordinate of maya, or is probably himself the king of maya. Don't think that maya is only in hell. ..(more)

Practicing asceticism can help one attain certain spiritual achievements, such as the abilities to see the past, present, and future, to cure people of their diseases, and to wield magical power, but it can never lead to eternal liberation. Shakyamuni Buddha attained ..(more)

Everything originates from the Sound. The Sound is God or the Buddha Nature. God is the highest level and the highest ideal. Hes represents the highest thought or concept, and is called Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi or the Buddha Nature in Buddhism. The Sound or Buddha ..(more)

Sometimes we can also see light even if we have not been practicing, even if we have not been meditating. But either the light or the inner sound we can hear or see only for an instant, not continuously. There are two kinds of light – one is… and the other one…. But without ..(more)

Why do we have enlightened Masters who descend to this world life after life to save sentient beings? Even though all beings have the Buddha nature, we wouldn’t be able to become Buddhas without being given the key to enlightenment from a living Buddha. Thus, Buddhas ..(more)

How can we observe our own subtle arrogance? If we serve the Master, listen to her teachings, and follow her instructions, do we acquire sufficient humility? We’re born as humans in order to become Buddhas and noble beings, but we often lack enough determination, ..(more)

Do you want to know the special reason why Shakyamuni Buddha gave the sermon of the Shurangama Sutra? Is the Surangama Sutra related to Ananda? To find out, listen to Supreme Master Ching Hai talking about the origin of Buddha’s preaching of the Surangama Sutra. The ..(more)

Supreme Master Ching Hai told us that once her great master and his disciples saw a living snake, from whose body many worms came out and ate the snake's meat and eyes. Her great master explained about the karmic relations between the snake and the worms. They used to ..(more)

Ananda was Buddha’s attendant and was pre-eminent in hearing Dharma, but why was he still lacking in wisdom and weak in will power and nearly got lured to break the precepts? What did he ask from Shakyamuni Buddha mercifully teach him? Buddha accepted his request and ..(more)

In Surangama Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha mentioned to Ananda 10 kinds of illusory obstacles created by phenomena during the process of spiritual practice. Do you know what the 10 kinds of illusory obstacles created by phenomena are? Buddha told Ananda: many people would ..(more)

There are many Maya traps on the path of spiritual practice. Supreme Master Ching Hai reminds us that when we practice to a certain degree, we will feel the mind is like a mirror that can reflect anything. We feel we seem to have got something, but cannot make use of it. ..(more)

Where do the ten kinds of illusory demons mentioned in Surangama Sutra come from? Shakyamuni Buddha said that all illusory demons are created by our illusions; therefore, he reminded his disciples to be careful in their spiritual practice and to clear all dark spots in their ..(more)

Why is the relationship between gender and sexuality the root cause of the birth-and-death cycle? Supreme Master Ching Hai explains that without the desire for sexual relations there would be no birth and death, and nothing would be created, which would not be to the ..(more)

Supreme Master tells a story of the first Zen Patriarch Mahakasyapa, one of the ten great disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. Without him compiling and organizing the scriptures, there would be no Buddhism today, and we would not know who Shakyamuni were. We should be grateful to ..(more)