Sometimes, when encountering a situation, we have to rely on ourselves. We have to use our brain, and not ask Master all the time. (Yes.) The mindset of relying on others isn’t good. (Yes.) We can ask for help, but we cannot sit there praying all the time. (Yes.) For example, the evidence is that we have to go to work every day to make money [for a living], right? We have to take care of our children. We have to do the best to fulfill our duty. In extreme cases, then we could call on Master for help. Or you can say that you already did your best, but still need help, understand? (Yes.) For example, that father was a skilled thief; wherever he goes, he brings the son with him all the time in order to protect him. Whenever people locked him up, he would open the chest to let him out. Would that be OK? (No.) In the future, the son would not be able to do it for himself, right? (Yes.) But this father was very cruel. (Yes.) Cruel, huh? I would not open the chest, put you in there, and then lock it and say, “Now, use your wisdom to get out.” I didn’t do that, did I? (No.) No. (No!) (That’s why Master is so special.) Special, huh? (Yes.)
Ah, this story is also very funny. Fairy tales, ancient stories, these stories seem to have spirituality and moral teachings. This story is called “Two Blankets.” You already knew that the practitioners, the true ones, have very simple clothes, they dress properly and must, must, must... not like me. It means they have to dress very simply, in a very austere way. Not like me, understand? Looking at me, they would know that I am not a spiritual practitioner. I only come here to tell you stories.
So there is a “real practitioner,” a so-called true practitioner. A true practitioner, not a false practitioner. So, that true practitioner, he renounced all the name and fame, the power of this mundane world, and went to the Himalayas to find the Truth. In the Himalayas, he was very famous, because he often let others know that he practiced asceticism, so he was very famous. Each day, he sat in the cave and waited for others to come and know his name. He practiced very well and lived very simply. He was very generous and his clothes were very tattered, so he was very famous. One day, the king heard about this very famous spiritual practitioner who is humble, gloomy, with tattered clothes and dirty. So the king personally went to the cave to find the spiritual practitioner to seek enlightenment. Not to get his head shaved!
While the king and the practitioner talked about spiritual stuff, suddenly the king’s palace caught fire. It was burning violently, burning fiercely, burning noisily... But the king was still calm and listened to the Tao (lecture). The king wore luxurious clothes, shiny and sparkling-sparkling, his crown was also shiny and twinkling-twinkling. The king was sitting there and calmly listened to the true practitioner who practiced asceticism in order to lead the king on the path toward enlightenment. While the fire was raging noisily like that, the king calmly sat and listened to the Dharma. But that monk, his eyes were darting around. He was nervous and kept looking behind his back. Do you know why? (Because the fire was burning so fiercely.) Because he practiced asceticism, and he had only two blankets. One blanket he wrapped around his body, which he was sitting on to give a sermon. And the other blanket he hung to dry behind his back near the burning palace. He was afraid that his blanket would be burned completely.
So what do you think? Do you understand or not? (Yes, we do.) How do you understand? How much did you understand? How many kilograms? Do you know? (Yes, we do.) Enlightened yet? (Yes, we are.) Enlightened how? (Yes.) Enlightened, right? (Yes.) OK, thank you very much then. (I was exactly like that.) Understand? (Yes.) What did you say? What are you blah-blah about? If you talk bad about a spiritual practitioner, be careful... He was afraid his blanket would be burned. It’s his problem, nothing to do with you. Yeah, was it you that said it? (Yes.) Ah, what does that really mean? You claim you are a spiritual practitioner, but still are afraid that your blanket gets burned. Why? Huh? Therefore, we cannot tell by the outside that people have really renounced things. Only when the situation is challenging will we know if a person can let go or still wants to hang on to it, understand? (Yes.)
Now I have to prove that I have renounced [everything]! (We love You!) You don’t believe me. I have to … I have to prove it to you. “[Wearing] beautiful clothes like this and say that you’re renouncing. Forget it, Mama!” “[Wearing] shiny pants like that, but you keep boasting that You are a spiritual practitioner. What are You practicing? If She practices, She will sound like a cuckoo(-person).” Yeah, it is what it is. (I am exactly like that.) Exactly like that? (Yes.) (Others tell stories, I don’t laugh, but when Master tells stories, then I laugh.) Others tell stories and you don’t laugh, but when I tell them you laugh, that’s where the money is. I don’t know if this story is good or not. (Even if the story is not good, when Master tells it, then it will be good.) Even if it is not good, it will become good, huh?
A long, long, long, long time ago, there was a seagull(-person) perching outside the city walls of the state of Lu, Lu Country. In the Lu country there was a ruler called the Marquess of Lu. The Marquess of Lu saw the seagull(-person) landed on his city’s wall, and he came out by himself to welcome the bird(-person). Oh my God, that is so nice. It’s better to be a bird(-person) than a Master. The Marquess of Lu welcomed the bird(-person) very solemnly, brought the bird(-person) to the Royal Ancestral Temple, and fed wine to the bird(-person). So you would see that it is deadly! How come to greet and take the bird(-person) to the Royal Ancestral Temple and give wine to the bird(-person) to drink? How come it is like that? What do you think about that? The bird(-person) came to the Royal Ancestral Temple and was so nervous, so sad, fluffing up its feathers. The bird(-person) didn’t dare to eat, didn’t dare to drink, didn’t dare to sleep, and could not get into samadhi when it meditated! Therefore, three days later, the bird(-person) died, but was not enlightened. The Marquess of Lu was so anguished, and did not know what he did wrong.
So Chuang Tzu commented, “If we use this way of caring for humans, and apply it to bird(-people) then it will not work.” You have to use the way of caring for bird(-people) to care for bird(-people), isn’t that right? Isn’t that right, auntie? What is your name, auntie? I forgot. (My name is “desert hero.”) Auntie “desert hero.” “If we want to care for the bird(-person) in the true way, then we should let the bird(-person) remain in the forest, fly about the hills and lakes, and land where it wants, and be free.” Blah, blah, blah... “Whenever the bird(-person) hears the human voice, it is already agitated, let alone listening to human music; it would be so frightened!” (Oh, my God.) And even feed the bird(-person) wine. (Oh. my God.) Oh, dear God, what was that all about? If we bring the karaoke music to play inside the bar, then all the birds(-people) will fly away, but the people will gather there to listen! “If a fish(-person) is in the water, it lives, but if a human is in the water, he dies. Since there and here are different, likes and dislikes are also not the same.” Therefore, dear auntie, “The ancient Saints were not alike in their abilities, so They were not alike in Their professions.” So, auntie, are you clear? Do you understand? (This, Master understands.)
So I want to add a few Aulacese (Vietnamese)- Chinese expressions that are refined; very high-level Aulacese (Vietnamese): “A title depends on the true substance,” dear auntie. Meaning it should fit the context. That is what we call true understanding, and it is how one attains happiness in life.” Understand? (Yes.) That’s why I keep saying, whoever wants to practice spiritually, then let practice. But if they don’t want to, we cannot force them. (Yes.) And there’s no need to force yourself either; that just makes life exhausting. Everyone just goes their own way. And someday, when we die, you’ll go your way and I’ll go mine, right? (Yes. Excellent!) That’s the extent of our shared ideal; that’s it! See that, in life, we have to be like that. (Yes.)
Photo Caption: Moon Greeting to Supreme Master Ching Hai: “The Moon people wish to greet You.”
(Real photos with the Moon: the Moon changed and darkened Her camera, to show inner circle, then multiple button symbols, as the Moon people cannot all fit on the photos. Then the Moon finally nearer focus, brightens itself to allow the camera to show its normal size and lumination!!):
Supreme Master Ching Hai recounts what really happened that night with Her Moon-photography time, which was supposed to be a normal photo-session
Photography and caption-notes by Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) ~ December 4, 2025
