Extract from the Cassette Tape “Finding Joy in Spiritual Merit at the Meditation Center –– “Tân Nguyệt” (New Moon).

Lecture by Master Vĩ Kiên - San Jose, 13 April 1988

Why does Mr. Tám call himself “a torn piece of rag”?

This torn piece of rag can be used to wipe and scrub.

At this moment, the piece of torn rag is still working for you:

It keeps wiping and scrubbing all that is dirty,

This piece of torn rag does not want you to be soiled by any ignorance!

This piece of torn rag is always, always at your service!

This piece of torn rag has built a path for himself to remind everyone that it always keeps its position of a torn rag. It does not lament about its hardships, it  defies all hardships and remains fearless, it defies any kind of mistreatment on this earth! In spite of all, the torn rag remains a torn rag, it keeps providing service to others. Even if it is shredded to pieces, its spirit of service never fades.

It neither uses water from rivers, nor water from oceans, but only its own tears to wipe the true consciousness of humans! It has used its own tears many times! The piece of rag has done it. The piece of rag has provided infinite guidance. Regardless of the wear and tear of his own body, he (Mr. Tám) has always nurtured his virtue of sacrifice, his commitment, and his vow to die for spirituality!

This is a pure and noble task that everyone could do. Not specifically the piece of torn rag only. Therefore, my path is your Path in the future. We remain as humble as possible in order to learn and work constructively at the maximum.

If we do not want to lower ourselves we will never see our position. The whole universe is also just a piece of torn rag. It works tirelessly to provide the pure air to humanity for their breathing, it cherishes the humans and exhorts them to awaken their consciousness in order to restore their equilibrium.

Today, from the point of view of material science, humans have created an order based on competition and financial interests, and they have built a world with comfortable means like the free world. People have been called upon to work on this world, but it is still imperfect because of rivalries and intransigence.

Today, we live in a two-directional material world. But today, we also see that the spiritual path and spiritual sacrifice are more valuable, since this could clearly bring peace to the world. If everyone is aware of their true consciousness, and direct their mind toward their true consciousness, if they see their character and their mistakes, if they rectify themselves by their own efforts, they will be able to contribute positively to the community – through their practice, and not through theories!

Therefore, we have encountered many challenges: we have analyzed the scenes of possessed spirits, the scenes of agitation and superstition, to dissect the truth. This piece of torn rag has analyzed fully for you in each stage. I led you to this place, but you complained that it was dirty, so the torn rag wiped it clean so that you could see its infinite purity. From eating to sleeping, I have discussed and analyzed everything, so that you can understand.

Today, the torn rag has no possessions: I use the sky as my roof, the earth as my bed, and my consciousness holds to nothing!

Many Vô-Vi friends loved me, so they wanted to give Mr. Tám a house. They wanted to give him a home. But alas, do you see him living in peace anywhere? Even if his residence is a palace! However, he never stops working on the sacred work from the World Above. He continues tirelessly, regardless whether his heart or his brains hurts. He keeps his fearless spirit of service to advance further. 

Therefore, today, more or less, you are receiving the services of this torn rag every day, at each hour, at any time: I am always at your side, and I will never abandon you!

There are times when you are no longer able to march further. You want to abandon everything, you want to abandon this torn rag, but once you are soiled, you need this torn rag to wipe it clean. Having a torn rag is better than nothing! Even though it is a torn rag, it is always willing to serve others! The other rags are undamaged, but they are only used for display.

The other rags praise whatever is beautiful. But they refuse to work, they do not serve others, they argue, they theorize, and generate evil thoughts unknowingly. They label people with certain sins, or place people into a certain position. Why? They only bring sufferings to these people, i.e., they cause sufferings to themselves!

In this earthly world, I was able to communicate with you through my lectures based on the experiences I have gained with my spiritual practice. We should thank technology for allowing us to record everything, and leave to humanity my words and my practical experiences. I am walking along with you with an open consciousness, so that you could see the weapon of compassion which is infinitely lively in all circumstances.

Among Vô-Vi practitioners, no one dares to travel and make sacrifices like I do. With no money in the pocket, I travel here and there, and think hard how to work and earn money so that I could travel. I do not cheat our Vô-Vi friends, I do not ask for money from them. I can live in all circumstances, eating just rice with salt is fine, as long as I have the Love of the Lord!

If you want to receive the Love of the Lord, you must make a lot of sacrifices. God is present in every corner. You can see God in a worm, in the smallest thing, but you can also see God in the most beautiful thing. Only when your consciousness is in equilibrium, will you be able to see God. If your consciousness has lost its equilibrium, you only know how to make critics. What a pity for your own body and mind! There is no need to pity God. Even if we slander God, He will only be equanimous with us and says: “It’s because my child does not yet understand His Father!”

However, this period is a period of urgency, where we need to build a number of people able to tell the truth of their consciousness, and help humans understand their position in the universe. They need to turn within to examine themselves, criticize themselves, and advance on their own in order to follow the current cycle. Then, the coming era will be much better. The immense love of The Lord is always alive and near us, if we are dedicated to our spiritual cultivation and know how to make sacrifices.

The sacrifices you are making today will pay back in the future. If you look at me, several decades ago in Vietnam, I have sacrificed a lot. Even a Saturday or a Sunday, considered to be most precious for working people, does not exist for me. Till today, I do not have any free day. I don’t even know which day is my free day. Because of you, because of my love for you, I am always near you, I am always walking along with you, so how can I have any free moment?

Therefore, if you come back to the weapon of Compassion and Spiritual Merit, you will see the Love of the Lord. God does not have any free moment. The Immortals and the Buddhas also have no free moment. So, if you are asking for a break from work, this is wrong… It’s very simple, go ahead and work! Your heart is still beating, i.e., you have the opportunity to learn and advance. If you lack serenity, you won’t be able to see it!

Brothers and sisters gather in a meditation center, we meditate within serenity to become aware of the hindrances that cause our agitation, and how to overcome them in order to ascend higher. We ascend higher to contribute our pure energy to the Lord and to everyone. Inside a meditation center, if everyone directs their mind toward the World Above, the atmosphere is light and pure, and the universe will also receive the same blessings!

The Divine Law resides within yourselves. If you offer your purity and lightness to the universe, the universe will also enjoy a good part. From there, it will evolve toward infinity. “From One, thousands are generated, then the thousands will return to One.” We keep doing this with a benevolent consciousness, and not within agitation.

If we sow hatred and revenge among each other, “The One” can also generate “the Thousands”, and “The thousands will return to One” but this position is narrow and limited, because it is heavy, while spiritual adepts have a light and pure position, which evolves toward infinity, and is full of joy and freshness!

Today is a happy day at the Meditation Center “Tân Nguyệt” (New Moon). I don’t know what else to say. I send you my deep love, I embrace all of you in my heart, I live with you, and I hope that you will march, march, march…You will sincerely march with your true consciousness, within serenity, and you will carry the weapon of infinite patience in order to guide all beings with your spiritual practice.

I sincerely thank you for your presence today!