OK, look here. You know about Shiva? Any one of you heard about Shiva? (Yes.) Yes? (Yes.) Can you talk louder? (Yes.) I cannot “ear” anything. What did you say? (Yes.) What? (Yes.) OK, yeah, exercise your lungs. Alright. It’s pretty cold here today. That is the fact, and I hope you survive. You don’t have a hat? Hat? You don’t need? Tough guy. No, you don’t have to take the hat off to listen to me. You listen with your ears only. OK, now, we have some “earring” problem. Can you hear me? (Yes.) I can’t hear myself. I can, of course.
We’ve heard of Shiva, huh? The God of Destruction, of India. Oh! By the way, there was an Indian man last night. Where is he right now? No, not you, the other one, with beard. Why didn’t he come up? You’d rather sit there? You prefer the Asian company? You don’t understand English? You do, huh? Come over here, brother. You don’t have sleeping bag? No, no, no need to take shoes off. We’re not an Indian temple here. Take your shoes… Oh, my God. OK, OK. You have your sleeping bag? (Yes, Master.) You’re warm enough like that? (Yes.) And your seat, I mean your cushion. You alright? (Yes, I’m alright.) OK, I mean the Indian people, they’re used to sitting anywhere. No problem.
OK now, we’ve heard of Shiva, the God of Destruction of India. I think it’s a great misunderstanding of Shiva. He wasn’t the God of Destruction, according to what I read, what I know. He might destroy the negativities of people. He might destroy all the ugliness, which sometimes accumulates within ourselves, and within Him at that time, perhaps. But not to destroy any beautiful things on this planet. He’s not the destroyer of goodness, virtues, and beauty. He’s a destroyer of all that is undesirable, to clear the planet. Mind you, all the gods have tried very hard since ancient times, but our planet is still like this.
Except for Hsihu, I don’t see anywhere more beautiful. So, I hope you know. Spread love and not garbage. And the poor old woman, I have to clean up after everybody all the time. Yeah, we have enough garbage to clear off, to clear away, what with you coming, and (vegan) cakes and (vegan) candies, and vegetables and (vegan) noodles, and all these wraps. All these have to be cleared up. And I seem to never have enough space here in this Center. They always spread around. Ah, it’s terrible. And it makes me very tired, when I’m dragged down into the physical existence of garbage. And it’s very difficult for me to climb up again, and to talk about things that are more noble, and purifying, and more loving. That’s why I hate garbage. And that’s why I try to keep clearing them all the time.
But sometimes, human nature, very, very difficult to cleanse. And that’s what makes all the Masters run into the Himalayas. Not the devils chase them, just the garbage of humankind! So you see how strong it is, the garbage? The visible garbage is that strong already, not to talk about the invisible garbage that we like to keep in all the storerooms of our heart and the body parts. OK, so forget about the garbage. Now, let’s talk about something else better. I hope so. Amitābha Buddha, bless me. Bless me, bless me harder, so that I have the inspiration and wisdom and courage to continue to live in this world, and to do Your job that You don’t want to do. OK, it’s a deal?
Shiva had a consort. I don’t know what does “consort” mean to you? It means nothing to me. I don’t have one. Perhaps it’s a companion, or wife? No, it’s not a wife. Is it a wife? (He had a girlfriend.) Girlfriend? Oh! Ho, ho, ho! So He had one, Her name was Devi. Devi means “Goddess,” no? Is that right, in India? Oh, yeah, in India they have beautiful names. Maybe that’s what we should learn. All their names are holy: Devi, Deva… (Krishna.) Purusha, Krishna, Lakṣmanjula… (Parvati.) Huh? (Parvati. Shiva’s wife was Parvati.) (Parvati. Shiva’s wife was Parvati.) His wife? (Wife’s name was Parvati.) (Parvati.) Parvati. Oh, Parvati. But He named Her Devi, right? (He was living in the mountains. Parvati means “mountain.”)
But He named Her Devi, perhaps the title? (Perhaps that’s the way they addressed each other.) Yeah, sometimes He addressed Her “Devi,” and “Lotus eye,” and “loving one,” and “sweet princess.” My God, the way He spoke to Her, I’d like to marry Him. Too bad He’s already gone. In the language of such sweetness and Heavenly blessing, that I think we should all learn to speak with each other. The way Shiva spoke to His girlfriend or wife, it is really incredible. Such language today we hardly hear. Yes, so beautiful. He always called Her all the best names that you can think of, and spoke to Her in such a sweet and gentle voice. Well, I imagine it was a gentle voice, if He called Her “sweet princess,” “Lotus eye one.” He cannot say, “SWEET PRINCESS!” So it must’ve been very gentle, romantic, and kind. That is the way each husband should speak to his beloved. Well, it takes a long way to learn.
Now, we see, Shiva’s supposed to be the God of Destruction. But, it’s not so. As I told you many times already, we have a lot of prejudice against something that is new. Shiva, perhaps He was a very liberal spiritual leader of His time, too advanced for the people of His own generation to understand, and too liberal for the conservative Indians to bear. So they called him the God of Destruction, perhaps. Many bad names have also been unfortunately addressed to the God Shiva. So, today, in the most reverent mood and respectful heart, I’m going to tell you the way Shiva taught His disciples, so that we clear the bad names for Him, forever. And then we will learn in the future, again, to respect and to try to understand whatever gurus tried to teach us. Whether it is good, then we keep it; and if it is bad, then at least we learn something, that we’re not to do it, not to do the way He does. And in my understanding, Shiva was teaching goodness, kindness, and beauty. So later we will prove it, by some of the proof that I have searched for you, and try to make it as understandable as possible, in ordinary language. I cannot express them as beautiful, as romantic, and as sweet as the way Shiva did to His wife, or His consort, but I’ll try as best as I can to make you understand the Teaching of the Great Master.
Now, one time, in a great assembly, like this perhaps, His wife, His consort, the great Devi, Mataji, and what else? “Supreme Matress,” “Matriarch” of the house, asked Shiva about spiritual practice. She, Herself, has been greatly enlightened, and more or less as enlightened as Shiva Himself. But for the sake of other people who have not been wise enough to even ask a meaningful question, so that the Master can be inspired or can have the opportunity to teach them the Truth, the highest, noblest ideal. So His wife had to ask the question for their sake, not that She did not understand. Being with Him all Her life, She must have understood. So now, She asked Him thus: “Oh, Shiva! What is our True identity? What is this wonderful Universe? What makes the karma? What constitutes the karma? Who is in the center of the universal revolving wheel? What is this life beyond form? How many can understand the Truth fully, above space and time, above names and definitions?” Wow, it’s cold! “So please explain, so let my doubts be cleared.” What She meant was the doubt of other people, right?
I want you to understand that Devi Parvati at that time was absolutely enlightened, just like Her husband. Well, if we read their stories, we’d know. Because just like the story of Kabir’s wife, you remember? They were both Enlightened Saints. But as a true Hindu wife and Goddess, She would never in a dream put Her foot in front of Her husband and let people know how great She is. It is enough that He is enlightened and is the Teacher. She doesn’t care to be the second one, or the equal one. All the Hindu wives never in a dream do such things. They are very humble. They always stay behind and do whatever the husband told them to do. That’s why since ancient times we have so few women Masters. Because, as you know, most of the sacred literature of practicing spiritually is well preserved and revered in India. And many of the great Masters came from India. And many of the great Masters came from different lands, but have Their root of spirituality from India.
Photo Caption:
Sun: “PEACE is zeroing in, You are the PEACE MAKER.”
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s reply: “GOD is.”
(True conversation)
“True photograph, enlarged only, for easy to see image. But have you ever seen the Sun with the rectangular rainbow around it?!!!”
Sun: “You are a Noble Being.”
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s reply: “Thank you. It’s GOD’s gift!”
(True conversation)
“No touched-up photograph, presented as is here (enlarged only for clear image).
Notice the white spots around the Sun: That’s some words from the graphic language of the Sun-Beings. All appearances and words from the Sun up to now are from the King of Sun. We feel very honored. Tk u SIR.”
Photography and caption-notes by Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) ~ May 9, 2026
