Not too long ago, about four years ago, I saw my sister off the airport. That’s not a usually see-off parting, I have known for sure that after that time, we would not have a lot of times together with the normal activities any more, since my sister had decided to leave home and become a nun. Since then, she would commit herself into the life of a cultivator who would search for the true meaning of her life, to look for her own original fundamental (bản lai diện mục), the absolute peace in her mind…
For me, I had to go back to my normal life with all of the craziness, of fun and hate, of problems, of karma acts, of all thinking and activities that I have got from the habit, from stereotypes, or maybe from karma of previous lives.
Life passed by, winter went away and spring came, flowers blossomed and then ruined. Life never stopped changing in the cycle. But in my mind, some feelings of love and hate; selfishness; competition; arrogance; .., all are always there. Worst of all, the settled erroneous thinking (vọng tưởng chấp trước ) were stuck my head and thus building up the imbalance in my mind. They all were like the cloud to cover everything in my view and affected badly to my life. My every move, from walk, stand up, lie down, talk,.. or some abstract feelings like thoughts, conception,.. , everything, was controlled and conditioned by that cloud of Dark Ignorance (đám mây vô minh). I felt hopelessly like puppet that got moved by the imaginable strings. Usually, people in my situation would try to get away from the constraints. But it’s not easy to do that. From wish to reality is a far distance. Not everyone can keep himself or herself from hate, anger, selfishness, and greediness.I have learnt and realized that all of troubles that I have got were the effects of all the causes that I have made in the past. I have tried different methods to convert all miserable, stupidity and wrong desire into peace and joy but I have failed.The hard shell of Dark Ignorance was still there in my mind. All of the acts and thinking were habits that were stuck in my mind from life after life or I could say that, I myself was that shell of Dark Ignorance. Maybe I did not try hard enough or I did not find the right spiritual method that was really suitable for myself.
In a very peaceful morning, right when I was thinking about my sister, she called me. That was the very first time she called after the last see-off, it was very importance event for me. What she suggested me to do on the phone had changed my life.
She introduced me to UHBE.
Before she became a nun, she used to be a level 1&2 disciple of UHBE.
Most of people who come to UHBE have similar purposes, to look for peace in mind and to cure the difficult disease.For me, I only have problem in my mind. I know that mind is most important. If I have peace in my mind, there is no trouble. Sad, hate and miserable would not develop hence there is no cause for physical sickness. What I worried was if this method can help me find peace in mind?
I have joint UHBE by April 28, 2008. I took the class of level 1&2 at Canoga Park Center by instructor Truong and instructor Lam.The more I studied and practiced, the more miracles I have found of the method.
The rules are pretty simple but effective. They are so simple that almost everyone can follow.
1. To meditate everyday
2. Do not cure for others energy transferring or meditate within 4 hours after alcohol or stimulant use.
3. To cure patient for free ; no pride; no arrogance
I think rule number 1 is to make disciples to try harder on meditation. It’s very important for the new disciple. Rule number 2 is not to forbid people of the habit of drinking alcohol but to help people to minimize and eventually to stop drinking alcohol or drug abuse. Rule number 3 is to get rid of the greed.Greed, Hate and Desire are the causes of all troubles.
About energy transfer to cure the sickness, it looks so simple, but it helps to develop all good deeds and characters. Anytime we help healing people, we start to break out the ego, we take commitment to help people regardless of relation, race or level. It also helps to share the hard feelings of sickness of the people and help them feel better physically and mentally. To do those acts, we are doing the acts of giving and sacrificing. They are Paramita Acts of Bodhisattva (Ba La Mật).
That’s the miracle of the method. You only need to focus on meditation and follow the rules, try hard to help patients. Wisdom would develop gradually by these simple acts. By meditation, by the simple rules, and by love, we can find the precious hidden miracles. To perform those acts are also the three acts of Buddhist, Discipline, Meditation, and Wisdom (giới-định-tuệ). Discipline wards off bodily evil; Meditation calms mental disturbance; Wisdom gets rid of delusion and proves truth.
The method is extraordinary and miracle. But decisiveness and karma of each individual will help people goes faster or slower. For me, I know myself that due to Dark Ignorance and bad karma, I would have to try a lot harder in order to get rid of bad elements in mind, of wrong thinking, wrong stereotypes. Completely stop doing the bad and evil things, and start doing all good things. To cultivating is the work of the whole lifetime. As long as we are still breathing in and out, we still have to study more and improve ourselves by every second. Stop doing one minor bad action, bad thinking, we stop to get a little more bad karma. To make even only just a little joy for a person, we start paying back a little bit of the loan of bad karma that we have been building by life after life.
Also by the birthday of Dasira Narada, I really want to say thank to the good favor of Dasira Narada who had compassionately led us to get over miserable and hardship. I also would like to appreciate the help and teachings of the masters, instructors, who had taught me this practical method. I wished all disciples have peace in mind and get more good deed daily by dharma practices.
September 17, 2011
Tâm Võ