Selected Questions and Answers

The Soul Views All Experiences
as Opportunities


Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Videoconference with initiates from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
August 4, 2002 (Originally in English) Videotape #746

Q: Any rational person does not seek suffering and pain. So why would the soul come back if just the habits and desires have to be reincarnated?


M: Because the habits and desires were inhabited by that soul. So that person has to come back to learn that it’s not desirable for these things to be attached to the soul. He or she has to come back again to learn that they don’t belong to him or her. For example, if your husband leaves your house to go to work and you tell him, “Honey, there’s a bag of garbage over there. Please, on your way, throw it in the garbage container outside of the park for me.” And then he takes the garbage to work with him in the car. However, he carries it on his shoulder and then he forgets. So he brings it into his office. Then he realizes he has a bag of garbage, only the garbage needs to be disposed of elsewhere. So he has to take it out, dispose of it and then come back to the office.


This is just the way the universe works. The soul is very willing to do all of this. But because we’re sitting here in the physical dimension discussing things in terms of the physical imagination of our planet or our expectations about the limited human capacity to understand, we view suffering and sorrow and happiness as the completely opposite picture. We view suffering and sorrow as undesirable qualities and always aspire for happiness.


But from Heaven, from the higher dimensions, we view all things as just opportunities to exercise different abilities and different strengths within ourselves. So, we never mind reincarnating if we need to, or doing certain chores or errands on any planet in the universe. So don’t worry about all this. In the universal picture, sorrow and suffering are just a fraction of everything. Just like when you watch a movie, the actors don’t mind undergoing all kinds of suffering and danger in the film, to make the film exciting and action-filled for entertainment. They don’t mind because they don’t view that as real suffering.


Similarly, in the big picture, if we know our Self as a soul or as an actor, we don’t mind. It’s just that now we’re sitting here in the physical dimension, and we worry about suffering. We fear death and abhor sorrow. But when we’re in our real Self, we’re outside of the picture and we know that the real Truth is different. I hope I’m making myself clear? (A: Yes) This is very abstract, and I’m happy that you understand. If not, just continue practicing. I know you’ve been progressing very well.