Why did Supreme Master Ching Hai say ‘Becoming Buddha is very easy and something that can not be smelt’? And why did Shakyamuni Buddha say ‘For me, Buddhahood is as simple as a flower in the air’? Supreme Master points out that the power of Buddha, or the power of the great Tao is incredible. When we have truly attained the Tao, become Buddha or become the perfect being, we can use this power to the fullest extent to save any sentient being. A great master himself represents the great power, the great God, and the great wisdom; he has the power of the entire universe within him, he can break karma as he wishes, it is noting for him to save anyone from hell to heaven, not to speak of liberating our five or nine generations.

We ordinary people also have this kind of great power, but we haven’t developed it yet. When we’ve developed it, we will be the same with Buddha. That’s why we say ‘see your own nature and you can become a Buddha’. After becoming Buddha, even if we come here, we will live in a way different from before. We will no longer be reborn again and again ignorantly for hundreds of thousands of years. Bodhisattva does many things which seem to be ordinary but actually different. He eats and sleeps, but in a way totally different from our eating and sleeping. He may have many ordinary behaviors, but his aim is to benefit all sentient beings, bring them enlightenment and cleanse their karmas. His behaviors look the same with ours, but are actually different.

Why do we want to become Buddha? Becoming Buddha is to benefit sentient beings. After becoming Buddha, anything we do will be beneficial; we will understand everything; we will be enlightened even when we see flowers, stars, the moon and other people; we see everyone as Buddha; we will be happy and free; we will have no anger, jealousy or hatred towards others. That’s why Jesus Christ said “if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also”. That’s because he doesn’t mind whatsoever at that time and knows any action is the same; he does not discriminate. Only after becoming Buddha can we be that clear. Spiritual practice is to get free from our own greed, anger and ignorance. Only then can we lead others out of the life and-death cycle.