In this episode, Supreme Master Ching Hai joyfully reflects on African hospitality, poetic speech, and the beautifully written letters She received from Bambi Baaba and one of His disciples.
Oh, this is beautiful, the way you speak. Most of the Africans I have met, they spoke like that. They speak like poetry, and it pleases me so much. I think I’ll send my disciples to Uganda to be taught by your Master how to have manners and how to speak. (But in Africa, we also think that we would be learning high manners from Taiwan [Formosa].) Oh, really? No. In Taiwan (Formosa), we only work. We probably do not pay too much attention to the poetry side of spiritual life. Perhaps because I’m too impatient with the mission that I have to do. I want to have it done fast and retire, go to Uganda and find a bush next to your Master and pass my time. And the manners of the world, let them learn. (You are welcome.) “You’re welcome,” huh?
Yes, yes. I like that life also. Sometimes when I can escape for a while into the forest alone or so, I would stay there next to the river, more or less in the bush also, but with a tent – in a tent. But sometimes I don’t sleep in the tent, but when it rains. Otherwise, I sometimes sleep on the rock or meditate on the rock next to the river and such, and it’s beautiful. (Except when it rains, in the tent because of the mosquitoes.) What? Yeah – mosquitoes. We can have mosquito net. (Mosquito nets.) I like that life, that you can feel the air, and you see the Moon and the stars and all that.
The African people, they have so good manners. (Yes.) So you learned something or not? And you pay them some… (Tuition.) Huh? (Tuition.) Tuition fee. One banana, one hour. Your manner is excellent. I like it very much. But we are just like a group of children here. They play around. They just want their candy, food, and story before they go to bed. I just hang around all the time. That’s what they want. If I let them, they just hang around all 24 hours. So, wherever I go, there’s a long tail, and it takes a lot of scolding to separate them.
And the Master is busy. This is also a very beautiful letter. Of course, when your Master takes so much effort just to invite me to Africa, I’ll feel ashamed if I don’t accept. Because He sent the two beautiful delegates here to charm me and to convince me. Of course, I will come. But please convey to the Master there’s no preparation needed. There’s nothing that we need. Just do it the way... Just do it the way the Africans like to do it. I like to enjoy a change. (African hospitality – we call it.) What? (African hospitality.) Oh, yes, yes. You do whatever the Master thinks is fit. And, of course, we will enjoy that. We will enjoy whatever is there. We will like it very much.
And do we need to bring anything from Taiwan (Formosa) or from other countries to add it to the color of the ceremony? Is anything needed, symbolic-wise? Does Master mention anything? No. (Not really. Not really anything in particular. But we think that, apart from knowing something about Uganda’s climate, there is not much special that is actually required. If people can really stay, what is important is to know about the problem of the mosquitoes in Africa.) Oh, no problem, they’re all equipped. (So, people will be coming with the tents and mosquito nets.) Yes. They come with tents and mosquito nets, they’re used to it. (And water purifiers) Oh, yes. Yeah. (because there’s no) No water. (running water.) Oh, I see. I see. OK.
(And maybe you should, maybe take in advance some pills for malaria.) Oh, yeah? (…for prevention.) Oh! (There is a… It’s very well known...) How to do it? (You just go and get shots.) Get a shot. (Or you can get pills.) Pills – pills are better. (We took malaria pills when we went to Hong Kong. You can take them very quickly.) Even in Hong Kong you have to take? (Well, we wanted to make sure.) Oh, yeah? OK, everybody three pills. How many pills? (Do you remember?) And how long before? (There’s usually a prescription you have to take for two weeks, usually prior to leaving.) Oh. And once a day? (You have to take it two weeks prior to leaving and the whole time that you’re there, usually. I mean for a few weeks after being there.) (It’s only rules.) Oh, my God.
(It’s not very complicated. We will find out here because in Belgium…) (Yes, that’s true.) (In Belgium, there are a lot of people traveling to Africa. And we are going to find out the best brand that exists, and what is the prescription. We’ll be able to inform You.) (Usually, in most countries they have free clinics where you can get it for free.) Don’t make trouble for the free clinic, you should bring things there. You don’t take it from the people. We should bring the medicine there instead of waiting. (Before they leave, we have to take it at least a week before.) Yeah, two weeks before. (Two weeks before.) Oh, you didn’t tell me all this before I accepted the invitation. Now what to do? So I send you there.
I don’t think it’s any problem. I’ve been in India. (Oh, yes.) It’s similar climate. (Similar.) Similar surrounding. Yes. I don’t think any problem. (No. But still it is… I mean preventive measure.) I never prevented, but if you say so, maybe. My God, if you didn’t say I would just rush there. I know nothing, and God will bless me. Oh, I don’t go with (…) because she’s too complicated. She would tell me all this and that prevention. I don’t actually need anything. I’ve been to India, and I needed nothing. Did I need any injection? I don’t remember. No, no.
This is just so beautiful letter, they say. So beautiful letter. The way they look, everything is so spiritual. (The letterhead has been made especially for the Sseesamirembe program.) What is it? (The letterhead.) Yes. Oh, is that right? (Yes. That’s for our conference in July.) Beautiful. So, it is very organized by you. We have never been doing any special thing for anything. Very organized. Your group, very organized. They make the letterhead especially for the conference. We never did that. You never treated me so good. You never give me any special letterhead. Whenever I want to write something, I look for the paper tissue. I often have to write on my paper tissue because I have some inspiration and note, and I find no note around me. They make me no letterhead. Oh, I complain.
You see. Oh, I think your Master is very much organized, in such a circumstance and in such a country, and He made everything so beautiful. And we have everything in Taiwan (Formosa), and we don’t organize anything. (Taiwan [Formosa] is more developed.) But we are not developed – we still live in tents. Never mind. I don’t care for building. That’s all. Not that we cannot afford it. We can. You see, for some time, the thing that we help outside, we could build many buildings. But we didn’t want to.
I think I am very much like your Master, do not care much for building. Whatever you have, you just stay in. But it doesn’t mean that I cannot enjoy the building and all that. If I have them, I enjoy them. If I don’t have them, I don’t build them. I don’t make trouble. Because when you build a house or a temple, it takes many years. And it’s never perfect the way it is in Heaven. So, we don’t bother. Beautiful. Sure. That should be July 7 to 14, right? The place is very big, right? And each one takes their tent, so no problem. And the water and everything is… (Clean.) Yeah. I think we are OK. We can organize. We do that all the time. Sometimes we also have a seven-day retreat, and we camp ourselves next to the river, and we make temporary bathrooms and all that. Very nicely. No problem. But that has to be prepared sometimes one week in advance to accommodate thousands of people.
They know everything. They write just like the people in India would write. They know about Kali yoga, karma, nirvana, samsara, and the lotus feet of the Master. I think my disciples are the ones who know less about all these words – beautiful words. Did I ever say something like “the lotus feet of the Master” (No.) in my lecture? You hear me for seven years now. Have you ever heard anything like that from me? Never. All I teach you is food and tea. But that is not the food, that’s a spiritual food. So, it’s beautiful. And when I read all this letter, I feel ashamed. I feel like we have no culture at all.
It’s so beautiful. I think we will print this on the newsletter. Can we do that? Can we print the two letters on the newspaper? I’ll give it to the news department because it’s so beautiful, so beautiful. It’s like a lecture in itself. It’s beautiful. So beautiful that it writes like poem. And she writes without correcting. Must be a very highly spiritual person. You know this person personally. (She’s a member of our community.) I know. But you know her? You work together? (The one who wrote the letter?) This one. (Yeah. She’s an American. She has come from…) Oh, is that right? (…but she’s living in our community.) Oh, because she follows the Master. Oh, understand. No wonder. (She committed to build that.) Understand. So beautiful. So beautiful. (But almost every week, there is a letter coming from our foundation to Taiwan [Formosa].) Oh, yeah? (Yes. Every week there’s a letter.) Oh, yeah. (Almost one day a week, He’s writing to Master Ching Hai.) Oh, really? I think the staff must have taken the liberty to answer them for me while I was away. Every week a letter? (Yes.) Oh, it’s like a love story. (They even gave some words for posting to Master Ching Hai.) Oh, really? You know that? You know everything. They give it to you, even personally, in your suitcase? (Yes.) This one already here. Two. (But You have others.) More? Oh my. They have nothing to do there except writing letters to Master Ching Hai? (No, we still have time to…) Time to do that.
They’re very romantic, the Africans. Oh, so beautiful. I wish I have some disciples like this. How about we exchange with your Master. He takes mine and I take His. (Exchange is possible.) Exchange is possible, huh? (We are looking forward to the exchange.) But mix is better. Oh, my God. That is true. It’s true. It’s true that Africa has not the Master for a long time, for many millions of years. It’s true. Now they put the burden on my shoulder. They say, “The Africans have not been blessed with the presence of the highly evolved Being for millions and millions of years, and now they await You.” Can you believe that? All the burdens.
No. Why are you clapping? Like, am I responsible for these big millions of years? What am I to do? Despite the title of “The Supreme Master,” I am a very ordinary person. Just like some being that wears a crown on their head… but they must not be the queen. What for take the responsibility of being a queen. Just take the crown is enough. I’m sorry, I joke too much or not? It’s OK with you? You’re used to it or not? (It’s OK.) We should send some joking tapes first to your community. (We are accommodated.) And then let them be prepared. (It’s OK.) Cracking jokes is my talent. That covers for every shortcoming that I have because I cover them.
So, this is really a strong letter. You can’t say no – to a thing like this. But because I love the people, your people. That’s why. I met many of them, and I had a good impression. And I love your Master. He’s beautiful. Therefore, I am kind of more or less used to the vibration of your group already. So this is nothing very strange or new. Invite in Palmyra? Ah, New Jersey – that’s a small place in New Jersey. Oh, that’s where we have our Center.
But Bambi Baaba is very famous. Many people know Him. Many of the people – for example, I was in the United Nations. (Yes.) And quite a few know Him. He’s famous. (But not at home.) What? Not at home. (Not at home.) Yeah. A prophet is without honor in his hometown, huh? (Yes.) But it is funny. It’s funny. OK, I’ll come and teach the people of Africa how to respect their Master – that they have a diamond mine at home and they don’t dig. And they go abroad buying a small piece of diamond, expensive, so very costly. She’s so devoted.
Photo Caption: “Keeping All the Beauty That GOD Gifts to Our World in Humble Gratitude”
