Anyone else? (Me, Master.) Go ahead, speak. (Yes, it’s me, Master.) Who are you? (I’m over here. I’m over here, Master.) Where? Raise your hand. (Over here, over here.) That side, this side… (Yes, I’m the one talking, Master.) OK. (I’m really happy this year to come here to celebrate Tết [Lunar New Year] and Christmas with Master, and to thank Master for saving my life. Just a month or two ago, I was bitten by a cat with rabies, Master. Yes, the cat[-people] at my place. But we put out so much food that wild cat[-people] and the neighbors’ cat[-people] also come to eat and stay, and they started breeding. I saw one was sick and felt sorry for it, so I cared for it. One cat scratched me, and ran away. And another one bit me and ran. But this cat bit my finger and held on tight.) Oh.
(So the rabies virus entered me and I didn’t even know. I thought it was nothing and waited nearly six weeks before going to the hospital. I went thinking I’d just ask for medicine, since I was too busy during the day; I didn’t think I’d have to be hospitalized. By 2 AM, I told the nurse, “Please let me go home, I’m so tired, I can’t take it anymore, I’m really sick.” She said, “The doctor said you have to stay two or three more days before you can go home.” I asked, “Why?” When they drew my blood, Master, it was red but also blackish. It was thick like coconut cream we use for the banana dessert, thick like that, Master. It looked so strange to me. The first tube came out OK, but the second took forever because it was so thick. I stayed two or three days, then went home, but I got terribly sick, I nearly died over the next few days. Then I prayed to Master and said, “Master, I don’t want to die yet, because I haven’t finished my will. Let me finish it first, then I can die.”)
Have you finished it yet? (Not yet.) You just keep putting it off and won’t do it. (No, Master, I really want to do it, but it’s taking me so long. Then one day, I finally found a lawyer, I met him at his garage with the will documents. He accepted it, but hadn’t done anything with it yet. That night I had a dream, I saw You, Master, and another man. That man suddenly laid down and started convulsing. I asked, “Master, is it his time to go?” And Master answered, “He’s overdue already.” I knew I was sick but didn’t realize I was dreaming. So I asked, “Master, when is it my time to go?” Master answered, “The 13th.” When You said that, I immediately woke up. It was around 1 or 2 AM. I grabbed the calendar to check. The 13th was only three or four days away on the Lunar calendar. If by the Western calendar, it would be October – still two more weeks. I said, “Oh no!”) Forgot to ask.
(I just gave the will documents to the lawyer, and now it’s almost time [for me] to go. How will I make it in time? And my relatives, my siblings, parents, aunts back in Âu Lạc [Vietnam], how can I divide the money [among them]? What a mess! Master, I’m not ready to go.” Then, the 13th passed, I was still alive. So I thought, “Maybe I’ll pass away on October 13?” Oh my gosh, I was in so much pain for many days, I thought, “I might not even make it to the 13th.” It got so bad, it was unbearable. Then I prayed to Master, “Master, I have a life insurance policy that expires in 2003. I even bought a backup one for my family. If I must go, please let it be after 2003, Master. I really can’t go now. The documents aren’t finished. I am not sure how my family would divide things. Who here will send money home? And who can I trust to handle it? Nothing’s done yet how can I leave it with anyone?” So I prayed like that and got through that scare. Then at a performance event, I said, “What if today is the 13th? what if while singing I suddenly collapse and die?” But nothing happened still. When I got home, I thought, “Maybe it’s alright now. Maybe Master has agreed. So whenever the time comes, I’ll just go, it’ll be fine.” So I told myself, I won’t ask Master to let me stay any longer after that. Because I made a promise to Master, I don’t want to break it, since maybe my time is really near.
Back in July last year, I was meditating at home. I wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t go out. After the meditation, I somehow saw myself in the meditation hall. And some fellow initiates there said, “That sister over there looks OK, she’s clearing a lot of karma. Her time is near.” I said, “What?! Why would they say that about me?” Then later I got bitten by a cat, and that’s when I started to suspect maybe what they said was true. Then I thought, “It’s fine. I will go with Master. Why should I be afraid?” A lot of people asked if I was scared. “Scared?” I said, “Scared of what? If I’m going with Master, I’d be happy, not scared at all.” I’m really not afraid. When the time comes to go with Master, I’ll be so happy. Thank You, Master!) So many postponements. It’s alright. Stay as long as you want. If you want to go, then go. How long do you want to stay?
(Dear Master, I’ve had a dream since I received Initiation, which was nearly nine years ago, and I’ve never had Master touch my head.) Always asking for this and that, see? (Maybe between now and tomorrow, could You touch my head before I go home? Thank You, Master.) So many people here, if I touch everyone’s head, I’ll have to stay here forever and cannot leave. Come here! (Wow! So lucky!) (Master, my leg is handicapped. I can only remove one shoe.) It’s alright, come up. No problem. No need to take it off, it’s OK, dear. Practice spiritually with sincerity. Don’t just keep asking for these kinds of things. Just asking for “nonsense.” You do your nails so nicely too… (I did them myself. I’m not a professional, but I did it.) The nails? (Yes.) You do nails? (No, I don’t work as a nail tech, but I do my own nails at home.) OK. Cool. (I saw a design I liked and did it myself. Thank You, Master.) OK. Help her. See that? Always asking for this and that like children. So grown-up, yet still acting like little kids, so spoiled.
OK. Yeah. (Dear Master, I have a question about the [inner Heavenly] Light. Because I just received initiation ten days ago, and there are many things I still don’t understand clearly.) Understand. (I read the book “The Six Gates to the Cave of Shaolin” by Bodhidharma, Master.) Oh my gosh! OK, OK, I get it. That’s the kind of question a beginner would ask. Ask Đồng! Here, here, here! Since you’re new to the path, you don’t know Đồng is a walking encyclopedia of scriptures. I don’t know anything, don’t ask me. Ask him, ask him. (But I really wanted to ask Master directly.) Ah, if you’re asking about scriptures, go ask Đồng, he knows everything. (Yes. Thank You, Master.) Thiếu Thất, thiếu vốn [lack of funds], thiếu tiền [low on cash], he knows it all. Asking Sister Hai is a “waste.” It’s exhausting. Just hearing “scriptures,” already makes me tired. See? I’m already out of breath. Oh dear! Carrying scriptures with you everywhere? How can you move forward with all that information? Scriptures are very heavy.
(Dear Master…) Who else wants to say something? But don’t bring up scriptures, I’m “scared.” (Yes. Yes, Master…) I’m old now don’t scare me like that, alright? (Dear Master, I would like to thank You on behalf of my mother, who was 73 years old when she received initiation. Although she passed away five years ago, she received so much blessing and care from You. For example, one day, I had to stay home to work at our vegan restaurant, only my mother and my child went to group meditation. When she returned from group meditation, she said she saw Master – not in a dream, but in real life. She saw Master at our house and she ran inside to continue meditating. At that time, I was busy with the restaurant, I didn’t have any helper that day. I beg for Your forgiveness Master, I beg for Your forgiveness, Master. I wanted to scold my mom, but didn’t dare to, so I scolded my son instead, I said, “Everyone left for meditation, then disappeared again, no one helps me.” Then my mother came out from the house and said, “Young lady, I came home from group meditation and saw Master in the house. I was so happy I ran in to meditate, but you were yelling so much that I had to come out.” I sincerely ask for forgiveness, Master. I didn’t know. After I scolded my mother, since then, I lost the inner [Heavenly] Light. I’ve been regretful and kept asking for Master’s forgiveness.)
You should apologize to your mother, not to me. (I didn’t know any better, Master. I scolded my mother. Since then, I no longer see the inner [Heavenly] Light.) You should not have scolded your mother. (I am ignorant. I apologize.) Apologize to your mother when you go home. (Yes, my mother had many spiritual experiences about You, Master, but there are many other brothers and sisters waiting for their turn to speak.) It’s OK. Yeah. (I sincerely repent, Master.) It’s OK. You shouldn’t scold your parents. It doesn’t matter whether she practices spiritually or not, especially when she practices better than you, how dare you scold her? Oh, my goodness! No wonder… When you get back tonight sincerely apologize to your mother, beg her for forgiveness. It’s OK. Don’t worry. As long as you repent, it’ll be fine. You were busy and needed help on that day and you didn’t understand what was going on. You acted out in the moment of frustration.
Photo Caption: In the Wilderness Even Mushroom Blooms as Beautiful Flower for LOVE!
