Excerpts from Supreme Master Ching Hai's lecture:

To look into the past record is a very terrible journey. It's no good. Like today, I had to look into someone's record, and sometimes that someone involves many others. It's not easy to look into someone's record and then see no one else involved around him. And it brings you into many other connections, and each one offers you whole a lot of... troublesome past lives, and sometimes it's not very good for you, when you're looking, not when you wake up. When you wake up, then of course because of our power of practicing the Quan Yin Method, we probably can immediately erase the depressed feeling or any kind of negative feeling that results from the past life effects. Sometimes the past life is very gruesome, awful and full of depression and suffering. Because we're connected with each other in this past history, and whatever happens to one affects the others as well. Past decades, past generations, past eras of our earth's history are mostly very dark. And if we're earth inhabitants we have gone through all these kinds of events, which are very difficult for us to forget. And should we be able to remember, it will give us such tremendous suffering and depression that we don't want to even know about it. That's why it's a blessing from the highest intelligence that we don't remember our past lives.

1. In many lifetimes, we've done many things and created many causes and effects. Usually we repeat the same relationships and re-incarnate to do the same things. If we can see our previous lives or those of others, we'll see that the same old pattern repeats itself again and again. That's what we call karma. We have to rely on meditation and our sincerity and use the power of our souls to break the negative cycle of re-incarnation. This is so-called "liberation in one lifetime," which is the promise of initiation, and the only way to break out of the cycle of re-incarnation.
2. Sometimes when we go back to our previous lives and know what we've done or what was wrong with us, it might help to heal our diseases. It might help to overcome the obstacles in our psychic being but it won't heal the soul. The soul is never sick and has no past, present or future. In fact, such healing is only useful to our minds, bodies and psychic beings. But this isn't the highest form of healing.
3. Unenlightened people don't know why they force themselves to earn money or grab high positions, even destroying their health and lives. The enlightened people still live in society and do their best to take care of their families and countries. But they feel no interest in "gain and loss" and no interest in fighting for fame, personal benefit and profit. At that time, they don't have egos anymore and can really contribute positively to the world.
4. Master truly loves us whether it's in scolding or smiling at us. They both emanate from love.
5. The power of scolding is stronger than that of love! And the power of Master's scolding is great. Since all the power is concentrated on the person scolded, he'll change very fast, but it's very tiring for Master.
6. Being a Master is not very easy. It's hard to explain but Master is definitely always right. This is Master's experience and the experience of many people around her. A true living Master will never make mistakes.
7. Master talks about the beginning of her pursuit of painting, clothing design and musical composition to illustrate that we have many inner talents. Only when it is needed or we are under pressure will we know how much we gain from daily meditation and how much wisdom we have.
8. Anyone who comes to me already has the connection. We have to take care of you and protect you until you come here. So, before you come and receive initiation, the angels have to protect you; after initiation, there's more protection until you die. The protection also continues after you die. Death means that the physical body dies but it's not real death. We never die and I'll watch you until you go Home.
9. If we practice well, we'll be beautiful inside. No matter what we wear, we'll be beautiful.
10. We don't need to worry about where we live, what we do and what's happening to us. We should always remember that we have Heaven inside. It won't ever disappear. Once we forget, we should try to remember and focus inwardly. Then we'll feel very peaceful and comfortable. No one can take this away from us. This is the real Heaven. We should bring Heaven with us. If we keep Heaven in our hearts, we can bring it with us anywhere and we won't lose it. We can have Heaven with us forever and also help those with no Heaven.
11. Master reminds everyone to clean up his country when he goes home, to go pick up garbage once a month, try to be humble and do good things, to take better care of those in need and help those who are really poor. Master says, "I want the world to be happy and everyone to be equal. The rich will give to the poor. It will make everyone happy and joyful. The givers will feel happy, too." Remember what Master says-we should take care of ourselves and also take care of the refugees and the poor.