Now this is the second power. She has 14 different other powers, apart from manifesting bodies for different purposes. “Second: since my knowledge and views have turned around and come back,” meaning turned inward already, “I can make it so that if living beings are caught in a raging fire, the fire will not burn them.” If someone believes in Her, in Quan Yin Bodhisattva, and reveres Her all his life, and calling Her for help, maybe with all sincerity, in desperate situation, She will help him. “Third: since contemplation and listening have turned around and come back,” back to the origin of the source, not the ear, but the inside, the hearing, true hearing faculty, true hearing ability, “I can make it so that if living beings are floundering in deep water, the water cannot drown them.” “Fourth: since false thinking is cut off,” means She has no more false concept, only pure, correct truth, “and my mind is without thoughts of killing or harming ever, I can make it so that if living beings enter the territory of ghosts, the ghosts cannot harm them.”
(I want to ask Master that if we give money to charity, can we ask the benefit for the ghost and demons, or no? The benefit goes to the ghost? Yeah. Is it possible?) Ah, can do, can do, of course. You give in their name, can do, if you know the ghost. People do that all the time. Like somebody died and then they take their clothes, their possessions, and give it to outside people in their name, for their benefit.
You can do it for the ghost. You can wish, no harm. Even if you don’t know the ghost, you may wish for your surrounding ghosts, their benefit. Even if it doesn’t benefit, at least they feel comforted and they feel grateful that you think of them. I cannot guarantee if they benefit or not, but at least you have a good heart. Good for you.
When I was younger, I was still married, I recited the sutra every day in Germany. And the weather in winter was very cold. It snowed outside, but I opened the window. I sat in the room, but I opened the window. I wished the ghost to hear it. I wished other living beings, invisible, to hear it and all the animals around to hear it, so that maybe they benefit. Because there are other living beings around, invisible and visible. Also, the animals around in the yard or in hiding, they can hear the good words from the Buddha and maybe they get benefit. That’s what I was thinking. And it was cold. I covered myself, still cold. You know, in Europe, it can be very cold in winter.
I was young. I was just thinking like that. And I asked my Buddhist teacher if it was OK or not to do that; whether they benefited or not. They said, “Sure, they benefit. Anyone who hears Buddha’s teachings benefit.” At least it’s positive words. Remind them to be positive, to have hope, and to pray – of course benefit.
