Vamos começar falando do som que normalmente ouvimos para depois abordar o som que transcende este mundo – o som de Deus. Desde a antiguidade, a música desempenha um papel importante em nossa vida. Seria difícil imaginar um mundo onde não houvesse música. A música clássica é mais suave e delicada; deixa os ouvintes mais felizes, pacíficos e benevolentes. Essa é uma das razões pelas quais as pessoas eram mais nobres e bondosas antigamente. A música moderna é mais estimulante. É mais difícil ensinar quem sempre se expôs a esse tipo de música, que simboliza a personalidade e o comportamento das pessoas de hoje. Em instituições de saúde mental, geralmente os médicos indicam música suave para acalmar os pacientes. Quando estamos aborrecidos ou estressados, ouvir música vai, aos poucos, relaxando nossa mente.

Tudo vibra no universo

Tudo o que há no universo vibra, e essa vibração se transforma em som, da mesma forma como as ondas eletromagnéticas de uma estação de rádio são convertidas em som pelas emissoras de rádio. Todas as coisas que existem no universo, sejam elas pedras, plantas ou seres humanos, vibram, cada qual numa freqüência própria e específica. E é justamente essa diferença na freqüência vibratória que dificulta a comunicação entre animais e humanos, humanos e humanos, e até mesmo entre marido e mulher.

As vibrações de algumas pessoas são inferiores; por isso, sentimos um grande mal-estar quando entramos em contato com elas. Ao contrário, há pessoas cuja vibração, aura e fala são bastante suaves; quando estamos próximos dessas pessoas nos sentimos felizes e confortáveis. Ficamos muito satisfeitos quando vamos a um lugar onde a freqüência das vibrações é semelhante à das nossas. Quando alguém com uma aura ruim adentra um recinto, imediatamente as pessoas ficam bastante agitadas e inquietas. Isto ocorre porque as vibrações da pessoa que chega são baixas e pesadas; ou seja, ela é rancorosa, encontra-se sob influências demoníacas e sua carga cármica é pesada. Essa pessoa está mais carregada de energia Yin (negativa), enquanto a energia que prevalece em nós é Yang (positiva); daí a incompatibilidade. Por conseguinte, ficamos agitados e inquietos.

Nem todos os lugares deste planeta vibram com a mesma freqüência. Metais de diferentes densidades estão distribuídos pelo mundo. Portanto, há locais que provocam desconforto em pessoas não dadas à prática espiritual. Mas, para o verdadeiro praticante, todo lugar é o Paraíso, qualquer lugar é a Terra Santa. No entanto, é mais fácil falar do que fazer. Quantas pessoas realmente conseguem atingir esse nível? A atmosfera de desarmonia pode ser percebida até por pessoas do senso comum, que não cultivam o lado espiritual. Só não conseguem percebê-la as pessoas muito rasas, muito pouco instruídas ou tão insensíveis quanto uma pedra. Quanto mais a pessoa avança na prática espiritual, mais aguça sua sensibilidade, e quando finalmente atinge o nível mais alto, passa a não fazer distinção de lugar: todos os lugares são iguais para ela.

Somos influenciados por vibrações de todas as pessoas que nos cercam. Se a aura dessas pessoas for tranqüila, a tendência é nos tornarmos mais tranqüilos. Se for agitada, também ficaremos agitados. Freqüentemente ouvimos falar que os Santos assumem o carma dessas pessoas porque podem atrair para si as más influências ou vibrações geradas por pessoas, que são os carmas, trocando essas vibrações por outras, mais elevadas. Utilizando o poder adquirido com a prática espiritual, eles podem rapidamente limpar esse carma. O tempo necessário para realizar essa limpeza depende da carga cármica que coletaram. Entretanto, antes de limpar o carma, Eles podem sofrer suas influências, contraindo doenças, sofrendo calúnias ou até mesmo sendo assassinados.

Exemplo disso foi Jesus Cristo, crucificado por assumir o carma de seres sencientes. No caso de Shakyamuni Buda, podemos não ter ouvido que Ele assumiu o carma das pessoas, mas está registrado nas escrituras. Um homem matou noventa e nove pessoas e estava prestes a assassinar Buda também. Mas, em vez de matá-lo, foi salvo por Ele e acabou se tornando um arhat (santo liberto). Se Buda não assumisse o carma desse homem, o que ocorreria com o carma que ele acumulou matando noventa e nove pessoas? Não obstante o fato de haver matado tantas pessoas, ele se tornou Santo! Isto não contraria a lei da causa e efeito? Não, porque Shakyamuni Buda tinha méritos imensos e graças infinitas, o que bastava para limpar todo o carma daquele homem. Não que ele tenha ficado isento de retribuição cármica; a questão é que Shakyamuni Buda assumiu o carma dele.

É por este motivo que, desde sempre, qualquer pessoa que deseje se libertar deve primeiramente encontrar grandes Mestres. Sendo novatos na prática espiritual, é muito difícil pagar um carma tão pesado, confiando tão-somente na nossa própria capacidade. Os grandes Mestres acumularam preciosas bênçãos através da prática espiritual em várias vidas. Enquanto nos mostram o caminho, podem carregar nosso fardo porque têm poder suficiente para isto. Os seres humanos têm o poder humano e os que se dedicam à prática espiritual têm o poder espiritual. Ainda que este poder seja indistinguível para nós, é de uma grandeza infinita e nenhum poder físico se compara a ele. Você já ouviu falar que as suas cinco gerações serão elevadas depois de você ser iniciado por mim. É esse poder espiritual que os eleva. Por isso, o poder advindo da prática espiritual tem valor incalculável; não pode ser comprado e tampouco "confiscado" por nenhuma autoridade, por mais alta que seja.

Às vezes, dependendo do lugar onde dou palestras, sinto-me bem e consigo falar com naturalidade, e outras vezes, sinto-me oprimida, cansada e não consigo falar. O mesmo ocorre quando realizo a iniciação. Às vezes, a iniciação flui sem problemas, e outras vezes, sinto-me como a desfalecer. Isso se deve ao fato de as vibrações das pessoas presentes nas palestras ou na iniciação serem diferentes. A vibração de cada um chama-se "carma". O que, na realidade, gera essa diferença nas vibrações? Elas são criadas de acordo com a lei do carma e têm relação com o carma que acumulamos nas nossas vidas passadas.

No começo, nós éramos todos Santos iluminados. Jesus Cristo também disse que somos todos filhos de Deus. Então, por que alguns são tão ricos e outros tão pobres, alguns tão inteligentes, e outros tão obtusos, alguns tão bondosos e outros tão perversos? A primeira razão para isto é que, embora originalmente sejamos Santos iluminados, degradamo-nos enquanto vivemos neste mundo de ilusão e nos esquecemos, em grande parte, de nossa sabedoria. A segunda é que somos influenciados pelas situações externas.

Tangible and Intangible Worlds

This world is different from the higher dimensions. The superior realms will help us progress spiritually, becoming more relaxed and noble. However, the situations in this world can easily make us regress and become more foolish and evil. In the paradise in Heaven, we will have whatever we want without the least suffering, while in this world we must struggle against nature in order to survive. Even Shakyamuni Buddha had to beg for food or use the things in this world to survive. This is a tangible world with forms, and there are discriminations. There are such things as cold and heat, beauty and ugliness, man and woman. This world is different from the paradise in Heaven, which is an intangible world with no form or discrimination.

Therefore, when we come into this world, we become outwardly inclined sentient beings. When we see food, we have thoughts about eating it; when we see anything, thoughts of like or dislike arise. Since our mind is constantly occupied by things that we like, we forget our great wisdom. On and on, we become more and more alienated from the almighty power of the universe, and become lonely beings.

Originally, all things are ours, but because we think only about a couple of things that we like, unknowingly we confine ourselves within a small boundary. From an entity without any discrimination, (in the paradise in Heaven, all beings have the same golden body, and there is neither man nor woman) we become full of discriminations. As we wholeheartedly love a couple of things or persons, we become more lonely and severed from the almighty power of the universe. Our power grows small and will be completely drained in no time. For instance, a person living in the middle of the Ganges River is surrounded by water and has an inexhaustible water supply. Suppose that person is attracted by something ashore, he will leave the Ganges to go after that thing. As he is too fascinated by the situation, he forgets how to return to his original abode. Then, when he is thirsty, he can only look for water nearby, and of course, that would not be enough.

As a result, we become weaker and weaker as our wisdom runs out. When we do not have enough wisdom, we become greedy. Insecurity makes us want to grab more things, and from this greed, wrath and infatuation emerge. These thoughts form a special magnetic field that engulfs us. Since the situation of each person is different, his magnetic field is also different. Since like attracts like, greedy or easily excited people will naturally attract excitement to their magnetic fields. Similarly, gentler people will attract gentler situations. This is the cause of the so-called karmic hindrances.

We often see people who always make a mess of their work. It is because their magnetic field always attracts destructive power or obstructive energy, foolish energy, or devilish energy. They simply cannot attract the great wisdom to them. Some people have very strong animal instincts, also because of their magnetic field. Or we can say that their life-after-life habits have not been rectified. When our magnetic field improves, it indicates that we are beginning the ascent. The time required for the rectification is related to our purity at heart. It is mentioned in the scriptures and the Tao Te Ching that we must have the heart of a child in order to return to the Heavenly Kingdom.

It is not easy to change our habits or magnetic field, which absolutely cannot be done by practicing some breath-counting method or yoga exercise. Since the development of habits is controlled by the mind, we must change the mind in order to change our habits. Methods contemplating on the solar plexus, on bones, water, or breathing are simply not enough. Only the Quan Yin Method is the ultimate method.

Sound of God

This Sound is the "Sound of God", the sound of our original nature, which existed even before anything in this universe came into being. This Sound is the "sound beyond this world," therefore, it is inaudible to the hearing faculty of ordinary humans. However, all sentient beings can listen to it, except that they will hear different sounds according to their individual levels. Everything in the universe vibrates, and so they have sound - even stones have sound. But it is too subtle to be heard by the human ear; we can only hear it with our wisdom. Therefore, we say contemplate on the sound rather than listen to the sound. If all sentient beings have this sound and wisdom as well, then why can't they contemplate on this sound? It is because they don't have the key and so do not know where the sound is. Therefore, we must first find a Master who can open the door for us.

Why is this sound so important? It is because all things in the universe are linked together by this sound. All the realms, from high to low, are linked to each other through this sound. Just now, we mentioned that the vibrations of some people are incompatible with others', so they have difficulty accommodating with each other. For the same reason, our vibrations are not accommodating with the animals or certain places, and we find it difficult living with animals or staying in those places. If there are people who can live in those places, it does not mean that they are better than we. Most probably, their vibrations are very low or close to the animals, so they do not feel anything.

Pigs and frogs can live happily in very filthy places, and this amply illustrates why some people can live happily in unbearable places without feeling anything. Their auras can cope with those places; our vibrations are higher and gentler and cannot accommodate those lower vibrations. Therefore, we cannot live there, but that does not mean they are more capable than we are. So, benign people often have difficulty staying with vicious people.

Should anyone want to change his destiny, he must rely on this highest sound. Now we only have a very small portion of it and it is not very high in vibration. Precisely because our vibrations are low, we are living in this low-level world together with the animals. After all, birds of a feather flock together.

However, there is a type of sound that encompasses all sentient beings. This is "God's Sound", the sound of Original Nature. By contemplating on this sound, we can elevate our vibrations and spiritual level. Superficially, we may look the same as we did, but our body will emit light. Everyone loves listening to our lecture and it is easy for us to deliver people, because our vibrations have become gentler, putting people's minds at ease and leading them to liberation. Their vibrations will be enveloped by ours; we will provide them with good vibrations that dissolve their bad vibrations. When the blood of a patient is not functioning well, the doctor will replace his bad blood with good blood. When the water in the bucket is dirty, we have to empty the filthy water before filling it with clean water. However, before our vibrations have become good enough, we cannot exchange them for other people's bad vibrations. Otherwise, the result would be terrible. We must first practice spiritually if we want to deliver sentient beings.

Just now, we mentioned that all things in the universe have the "Sound," and all things are created by this Sound. In the "Tao Te Ching," it is mentioned as the "Name" or the "Tao." Lao Tzu said: "The way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way; the name that can be named is not the constant Name. The Nameless was the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the named was the mother of the myriad creatures." This Name or Tao refers to this sound or vibration. Perhaps the ancient Chinese usage was different, but it actually means the same thing. I think you will be able to understand this.

Tune In to More Superior Sounds

Everything in the universe is born from this Name or Sound; we are also part of it. But because we are human beings, we possess the highest part of it, and we are most likely to possess all of it. Animals are not high enough in level to possess this sound completely. Through practicing on this sound, we can elevate ourselves incessantly, we tune in to more superior sounds until we are in total possession of it. Then, we will be able to coordinate with all sentient beings in the universe. Since all sentient beings are part of this sound, which we have in total possession, to us every place is the Pure Land, every person is a Saint, and all sentient beings have God Nature. Only then do we attain the true realization; otherwise, all we have is hearsay or "thus have I heard;" we cannot distinguish whether they are true or false.

Having personal experience is different from reading the scriptures or about someone else's experience. We read about others' experiences when we read the scriptures. Practicing the Quan Yin Method, we will have our own experiences. We may compare them with those recorded in the scriptures and see whether we are having the same experiences as those of the ancient people. Sometimes our experiences could be even higher than theirs; it does not mean that we are superior to them, but that their spiritual level might not be very high when they wrote of this experience. So, we may be slightly higher than their level at that time.

We should know how powerful this sound is. All sentient beings have this vibration or sound, and we influence each other. This world is different from the Western Paradise in the sense that here, we have animals, bad people, good people, nervous people, calm people, happy people, and miserable people. It is a mixture of different atmospheres that makes it very difficult for us to practice with peace of mind in such a confused state. There are always many obstructions or bad influences distressing us. But then if we can persist in practicing with concentration, we will progress very fast.

Many heavenly beings like to incarnate as human beings because this physical body is essential for pursuing spiritual practice. We often think that this body is useless, but then we cannot practice spiritually without it. This body is very precious. Take good care of it. Take enough nutritious food to sustain it, but don't be voracious. Protect the body from excessive cold, heat, exhaustion and overwork. Ascetic practice is not good; it is punishing ourselves, which is the greatest sin. We are Saints of the past, present, and future. We ought to respect ourselves. How can we punish ourselves through ascetic practice? Of course, it is different if the situation is truly unavoidable.

For instance, you may have heard that when I was practicing in the Himalayas, I ate only raw vegetables every day. It was because of the high altitude. The air was thin, the temperature and the air pressure were low, and it was very difficult to cook rice or vegetables. It was much simpler to eat raw vegetables; all I had to do was to wash them in the water of the Ganges, sprinkle a little salt on them, and then eat them. I did not deliberately want to practice asceticism. I once practiced in seclusion in a mountain temple in Formosa, and there I had a summer retreat for three months. Every day, I only ate some coarse rice with sesame seeds and salt, and drank a little water. No one was taking care of me at that time. Should I have gone to the market every day to buy vegetables, what kind of a retreat would that have been? It would have been a "vegetable retreat." (Laughter) It was due to the circumstance. I ate what I could find; definitely, I was not practicing asceticism deliberately. Ascetic practice cannot make one an enlightened Saint; it will only turn you into a bitter person. Our life is bitter enough, so why should we want to practice asceticism?

The "Sound" is the Greatest Power &
Supreme Wisdom in the Universe

To become an enlightened Saint, we should practice the Quan Yin Method, and contemplate on this original sound with our wisdom. This sound creates all things in the universe, and it is the greatest power and supreme wisdom in the universe. What else can we rely on in our spiritual practice if not this great power and great wisdom? Why should we rely on this dark little abdomen (the solar plexus) or our ephemeral breathing instead? What does it matter if our body moves slightly in meditation? How could we practice if we stop breathing when we die?

If we are practicing spiritually with this great power, it does not matter if our body moves a little, or is even injured. Since our own Master has established connection with this sound, Hes has been liberated and has no relation with the body, and naturally, we can continue to practice. Hes will continue to take care of our life and help us to progress. Therefore, we cannot rely on anything else but this greatest, highest and most original sound. This most primitive sound existed before we came into being, and before anything in the universe came into being. And, even after the three realms are destroyed, it will continue to exist. Only by relying on this eternal power can we practice spiritually to reach the state of eternal existence. One can only reach the ephemeral level if one practices by relying on the ephemeral breathing.

In the Surangama Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha said that all other ways of spiritual practice are only temporary methods and not eternal ones. Only the Quan Yin Method is the eternal, ultimate and most correct method of spiritual practice. We will agree with Him after we have practiced the Quan Yin Method.

In the Bible, it is mentioned that the universe, In the beginning was the Word (Sound), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Everything was made by Hirm (Sound), and there was nothing made that was not made by Him (Sound). [John 1:1-4] The "Tao Te Ching" also talks about the same. Lao Tzu said: "The way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way; the name that can be named is not the constant Name. The Nameless was the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the named was the mother of the myriad creatures." It was when this "Name that cannot be named" came into being that the universe and all things were born.

The Upanishad, the most famous Hindu scripture, also mentions the same thing. "In the beginning was the word." This sound existed when creation began. When this sound came into being, everything came into being. This sound is God; this sound is Creation. They all talk about the same thing, because in the first place, Shakyamuni Buddha, Lao Tzu, the Bible, Hinduism, and Islam all raise the same doctrine. After practicing the Quan Yin Method, we can understand the scriptures when we study them. When we have attained the great enlightenment, we will know that all scriptures actually talk about the same thing.

(Reprinted from The Key of Immediate Enlightenment, Volume I, Chinese Edition, Supreme Master Ching Hai, pp. 99-109, 1998)