Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai, Taitung, Formosa
May 27, 1988 (Originally In Chinese, unabridged)

　Why is an enlightened master so lonely? It is because, even though there is someone who understands the Truth, he doesn't understand it completely; he can only understand after he has practiced for a period of time -- which could be a very long time. The enlightened master must educate and care for him painstakingly and laboriously before he attains this fruit. Before reaching this attainment, this person is still not stable. He may believe today, but he may change his mind the next day! That is why it is so arduous to be an enlightened master.

　When we read Milarepa's story, we know how his master (Marpa) treated him, very unkindly and sternly. However, by doing so, this master also felt very pained. Even his wife didn't understand him and was always on Milarepa's side. She even helped him to cheat the master -- her husband, because he refused to impart the method to Milarepa at that time. Milarepa was the greatest and most prominent enlightened master of the Esoteric Sect. Before meeting his master, he had practiced many methods -- heretical paths and magical powers. He harmed many people and so incurred very heavy karma. He followed Marpa with strong faith. Dreading his heavy karma, he was very earnest in seeking the Truth. He was very anxious and agitated, and pressed his master to impart the method to him. However, his master refused, because Milarepa was still impure then. His karma was so heavy that even if he had been taught the method, he would not have been able to practice it.

　Therefore, Milarepa's master tested him for seven years before transmitting the method to him. In these seven years, the master had a bitter life. Everyday he had to punish Milarepa, tell him to build houses and then to demolish them. To his master, whatever Milarepa did was wrong and bad, and he was rewarded with scoldings and beatings. The reason was not that his master was vicious by nature, but that Milarepa's karma was exceedingly heavy. Therefore, the master had to first cleanse his karma thoroughly by instructing him to practice ascetically; by imposing humiliation, scoldings and beatings on him; and by letting him work laboriously. In this way, his heavy karma and vicious character was cleansed, after which his master transmitted the method to him. However, Milarepa felt extremely painful during these seven years. Anything he did he couldn't please the master and make him impart the method to him. From the views of outsiders, it seemed that Milarepa's master was very cruel.

　The truth is, his master was also in great pain himself. He didn't like to punish his disciple; but, to cleanse Milarepa's heavy karma, he had to use very stern methods. Though very pained within, he had to carry on. Even his wife did not understand his ways and blamed him everyday. She said, "Milarepa works so hard, and is so pious and good. Why do you still refuse to transmit the method to him, and treat him so severely instead?" Here, we can see how lonely an enlightened master is. Marpa's wife spent her entire life with him and they practiced together. We would think that she should understand him, right? (A: Yes!) In the end, even she couldn't understand, not to mention the outsiders or the other disciples.

　Therefore, Shakyamuni Buddha said that only a Buddha can understand the wisdom of a Buddha. Even a Bodhisattva cannot understand; only a Bodhisattva of high level can understand a little. Jesus Christ also said: Don't give pearls to swine. He told His disciples: To you people who understand, I'll explain clearly in words and ways; I won't tell the people outside. I'll only tell them stories to help them understand, but I will not tell them everything. Therefore, Jesus Christ was also lonesome. Shakyamuni Buddha said that only a Buddha can understand a Buddha, but how many Buddha's can you find in this world? So, He was really lonely. Only after He had practiced for a very long time did He then find His first disciple -- Mahakasyapa. He trained him for a long time to make him a Buddha, and to succeed Him. Other people simply didn't understand.

　Ananda was closest to the Buddha by attending to Him for over twenty years, yet he didn't understand the Buddha. He didn't achieve the great enlightenment. Only after Shakyamuni Buddha had left, and he was scolded by Mahakasyapa, then Ananda practiced hard to reach enlightenment. So, even Shakyamuni Buddha's closest disciple didn't understand Him; no one did. I read from the scripture that, when Shakyamuni Buddha was dying, only Ananda was by His side. Shakyamuni Buddha told him, I will soon enter nirvana! Quickly tell the five hundred disciples outside, so that they can come back to see their Master for the last time. Ananda hurriedly went to summon them. At that time, these five hundred disciples were having fun outside and doing their things, unaware that their Master was to leave the world soon. He was about to leave them! Receiving the message from Ananda, they hastily went inside to bid farewell to Shakyamuni Buddha, and then went out to play again. They were really like children, ignorant of everything. When reading this scripture, I almost shed tears. A very great Buddha, famous even today, had only Ananda by His deathbed. He summoned the disciples to come back, but they soon went out again! Shakyamuni Buddha told Ananda that He could stay in the world of samsara, but Ananda didn't understand His implication and so didn't request the Buddha to stay. Since Ananda didn't ask, the Buddha could not stay; so He had to leave the world.

　From this we know that, even the closest disciple cannot understand the master, not to mention the people outside. Therefore, it is natural for a spiritual practitioner to be lonesome. However, we have never thought about this. We think that attaining Buddhahood is the greatest happiness, the most glorious position. It is true that they are happy; but as long as there are sentient beings in pain, the Buddhas cannot be happy. They are happy when they enter nirvana. In this world of samsara, they can never be happy, because when sentient beings suffer, I suffer; when sentient beings are ill, I am ill. It is stated clearly in the Vimalakirti Sutra. Originally, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have no pain or illness; but because sentient beings have illnesses, they are ill, too. When reading the scriptures, we fail to catch the main points or grasp the profound meanings in them. We only worship the Buddha and pray for His help and blessings, and so on. We never pray to Him to give us Buddha's wisdom, and that is why we have not gotten it.

　The Tao Te Sutra also mentions that the Truth is not to be explained in words. Though Lao Tze understood it, he could not explain it to many people, only to a small group. Therefore, Lao Tze was also very lonely. When the Master Dao Sheng gave lectures, no one listened to him. It was said that not more than fourteen persons had listened to him. Therefore, he went into the mountains and talked to the rocks. Have you heard of this story? Do you know about it? (Someone: Yes!) People said that he was a heretic. Master Dao Sheng lectured to the rocks on the mountain, and then asked them whether they agreed or not. The rocks nodded. (Master and audience laugh.)

　Therefore, do not think that we, humans, are the cleverest. Sometimes, rocks are smarter than us. We, humans, are not enlightened; but a dragon girl became enlightened. We learned from the Buddhist scriptures that only humans can become Buddhas, isn't that right? However, in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha told us a story contradictory to this. He said that a dragon girl had also become a Buddha, and immediately -- that quick (Master snaps Her fingers). The dragon girl was not an adult; she became a Buddha at the age of eight!