Please wait

Xem bài viết bằng Tiếng Việt

What is spiritual perfection 24/24?

Extract Video 1986 – Vi-Kien Meditation Center – 5 May 1986

Question: 

Practicing the silent invocation of Nam-Mo-A-Di-Da-Phat 24/24 is true spiritual practice. In the contrary, practicing meditation 24/24 is not yet true spiritual practice. Dear Master, please explain to us the above.

Answer by Master Vi-Kien:

We must use our mind and our consciousness in our spiritual training. Similarly, we must use our mind and our consciousness in the silent invocation of Nam-Mo-A-Di-Da-Phat. We should invoke Nam-Mo-A-Di-Da-Phat until the three spheres in our body: high, middle, and low become One. At that time, our energy will concentrate on the top of our head, i.e., we will meditate 24/24.

Where will our soul leave the body in the future? Here, right at the Sacred Mountain (the forefront), here, at our forefront, right here, 24/24.

We must practice the silent invocation of Nam-Mo-A-Di-Da-Phat until our 3 spheres (high, middle, low) become One. Only then will we be able to exit our body easily.

At that time, we will perfect ourselves spiritually 24/24. We will constantly remember the mantra Nam-Mo-Di-Da-Phat. We will no longer need to invoke it. To constantly remember Nam-Mo-A-Di-Da-Phat means an infinite invocation.

At the beginning, we learn the silent invocation, then we practice it regularly until we attain a constant and infinite invocation. At that time, we will only invoke the mantra Nam-Mo-A-Di-Da-Phat, i.e., we constantly remember it. Our head will be brightly illuminated.

On the other hand, if one sits and meditates all the time, if one sits like a rock, it is like sitting in prison. This is not good!

The important thing is our spiritual consciousness, our soul. We must perfect ourselves spiritually with our mind and our consciousness.

There is a specific time for meditation. If you can sit from 1am till morning, it is already a lot. This hour is the most difficult time. It is the time when the soul detaches from the body. One uses this time to exit from the body.

For example, at midnight, this is the hour when the soul can detach from the body. You naturally feel sleepy. You detach yourselves from your body and you use this opportunity to leave. On the other hand, if you sit all day long and avoid all activities, if you sit at home the whole day, this is not correct!

This is not the right way. Everyone has karmic debts on this earth. If one does not have a karmic debt among husband and wife, one is still indebted towards one’s parents. Everywhere, there are debts to be resolved. We must live together within this society which has provided for us, and we must live in harmony with other people.

During our meditation hours, we must keep in our mind that wherever we go, regardless of how much agitation, we will still bring spirituality there. Our consciousness must always direct toward the spiritual path at any time, in order to spread the path everywhere. Sitting in meditation alone does not mean to follow the spiritual path! 

Are we willing to perfect our consciousness spiritually? Are we willing to rectify ourselves? Are we willing to shave the dirt in our consciousness? If we only shave our head, but our consciousness remains dirty, this is useless. So, are we willing to cleanse our consciousness? Are we resolute yet? If we resolutely abandon all seven passions and six desires, it means that we already accept to shave our consciousness.

When a spiritual adept shaves his head, it’s because the meditation practitioner feels itchy on his head, and wants to shave it. The fact of shaving one’s head is not important. To shave one’s consciousness is important. Are we resolute in abandoning our sexual desires? Are we resolute in abandoning our agitated thoughts? Are we resolute in abandoning our gossiping? Are we resolute in abandoning our ego/ arrogance? When we are resolute to abandon them, it means that we have shaved our head figuratively.

A person can wear casual clothing, but if they are able to discuss about spiritual matters thoroughly and fluently, this is a righteous adept!

On the other hand, a person can wear sophisticate clothing, but if they are teased a few times, they would become angry and vengeful. This is not the behavior of a true spiritual adept.

Therefore, our goal is not to sit in meditation 24/24, but are we willing to forge our mind and consciousness to perfect ourselves spiritually 24/24?

You must perfect yourselves spiritually with your mind and your consciousness, not with your physical body. You should remember this point in order to progress rapidly. At the beginning, we force ourselves to meditate, then we strive to meditate for one hour, then two hours. This is plenty already. We feel healthy and successful, but this is not the way to go.

Let’s ask if we accept to perfect our mind and consciousness spiritually. Do we accept to perfect ourselves spiritually continually? Do we accept to overcome all obstacles?  Do we accept to eliminate all agitation to return to serenity? If we stand in the middle of all the perturbations in life, but our heart remains serene, if nothing can tempt us, then this is the righteous heart.