Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat,Hsihu, Formosa,
August 13-18, 1989 (Originally in Chinese) MP3-4

My secret in spiritual practice is: There is no secret! (Master and audience laugh.) I am really very naive! In the past, I gave myself totally to God and to my Master when He was alive. After He was gone, I began to regard everyone as my Master. I believe very much that my Master takes care of me at all times. Wherever I go, He takes care of me. No one can hurt me. Therefore, I trust everyone.

I treat everyone well, in the way I treated my Master, not because I respect him as a person, but because I can see the Master inside everyone. Very clearly I can see one's inner God Nature. I see God's Light shining everywhere. All sentient beings possess God's Nature. Everything is the manifestation of the highest Master.

But this you cannot imitate, because you have not yet reached this level. So it is better to be discreet. I am still around! Having faith in me is enough for you. If your heart gets too distracted, you cannot practice with undisturbed attention. If you do not believe in me, then sever the connection. Go believe in someone else, and serve him with undisturbed attention. Follow his words. Try and see if there are any results. It is better this way. Do not stand with your feet on two different boats; you will fall into the sea after a while.

I cannot speak of the secret in my spiritual practice. The fact is that I have no secret. Perhaps the only secret is my naivety! God looks after naive people. Because they are as helpless as a baby, everyone wants to protect them. When we see an abandoned and helpless baby, we quickly pick him up even if we are not his parents. Seeing him cry, we pat him. Seeing that he is hungry, we quickly feed him. This is because a baby is too innocent and clumsy. Therefore, everyone wants to look after him.

Perhaps my secret is just "naivety." When we are so naive, God takes care of us. Then we are always by Hier side, because Hes will not leave us. We are just too naive. We will die if Hes leaves us. We look after a baby who is too little, innocent, and unable to do anything, and are constantly by his side, protecting him twenty-four hours a day. If we are like babies, then we are together with God always, and everything is done by the "grown-up."

I rely on God's power to transmit the Truth to you. Everything I do is done by God, not by this layperson. It is safer, because the layperson may make mistakes, but God will not. As the saying goes, "The wise looks like a fool." If we are foolish to that degree, God cannot ignore us. Hes will do everything, and we will not err.

When I was a disciple and was misunderstood or framed by fellow practitioners, I would just ignore them. I thought, "My Master knows all. He will handle it." I had great faith and did not complain or try to explain myself. I completely placed myself - thoughts, words and actions - and my life - past, present and future - in the hands of my Master. So I felt safe, like a baby, without having to do anything on my own initiative. Perhaps this is my secret. At that time I felt very safe without having to take responsibility. Therefore, I was very relaxed, with no sorrow or worries "because my Master knows all. He is the greatest." I felt like that in my heart.

I have never felt sorrow until now. Previously things were perfect when, as a student, I left everything to Master's arrangements. There was nothing to complain about because I knew in my heart that He would take care of me. This is the only secret I have: total faith. If you do not have faith in me, then have faith in the highest God, the highest Buddha. Hes can see all the actions of us sentient beings and will take care of everything. Hes really will!