You can go to the church, but then you have to concentrate. The same when you go on retreat and all that. If your energy, your mind is not concentrated on here, then you will be a kind of disturbance, because our energy has to be like one, everybody – one goal, and everybody has to think in the same direction, concentrate and let go of all the mundane stuff.
Actually, it’s getting better. Even the Pope (Benedict XVI) is helping somebody in Peru. Had he done that before? I mean, personally like that? Yes? It’s the first time I heard it, but maybe I didn’t hear much before. Normally they just, like… maybe they have it over there, they do something or not do, but this time, the Pope is sending his aide to Peru. The Pope! (I didn’t hear about that.) (No, we didn’t.) You didn’t? (No! We didn’t hear.) You work on (Supreme Master) TV, you didn’t read it? (No.) That was on Fly-in News. I found it for you! (Wow!) (I haven’t seen it for a few days.) No, it was when you were still there. (Oh.) I guess when you’re cooking in the kitchen, you don’t eat everything.
I saw it on TV, he’s sending his aide (Wow.) to Peru. At that time, he said he was going to send his aide to Peru. He’s probably sent it already. Just after we did it, after our Association did. I heard that he would send some aid. That’s a good sign. He’s been trained in his school up to now, and trying to do his best, but it’s a difficult position. You can’t move too much. And once you are in that position, you can’t change too much. Just stay there and be a holy father. I don’t know if I’d like to exchange anything for that position. Nope! Because it’s not a very real life. It’s not real enough. You just study the doctrine and then you go out and preach it. I mean, interpret that or repeat the doctrine, and day by day like that, and then somehow you get to the top, and you are holy. And they say, you’re finished. Once you’re holy, you’re finished. You can’t do much.
There are some short, short stories, but nice stuff. There’s another story. All this is in the Sufi teachings. There was a man, they called him a crazy guy, and he had never been to church or prayer congregation, or done anything so holy like that. So the people felt very sorry for him, so they gathered together and decided they had to really induce him to go into the prayer, holy congregation. OK, he went there, but as soon as the leader of the prayer started to recite, the madman started to bellow like an ox-person, “moo-oo” and all that, all the time. And the people who dragged him there felt very, very bad about it. So, they were shaking their heads, thinking, “This man is too mad to be of any good, to convert him into anything. It’s not possible at all to convert him into anything, because he’s too mad.” So they dragged him out. And afterward, after the congregation and prayer ceremony finished, they still had a little compassion, so they came and tried to teach him, teach the madman something.
And they said to him, “You, you really have no idea about God, that you should make such a noise like a cow-person in the middle of a holy prayer congregation! Why did you do that?” The madman said, “I was only doing what the prayer leader was doing, because when he intoned the prayers, he was buying an ox-person, so I spoke like an ox-person.” You don’t understand, huh? (No.) It’s coming. So, when this strange remark was reported to the leader of the prayer, then he admitted, he confessed. He said, “Oh, when I was saying ‘God is the greatest,’ I was thinking about my farm. And when I got to the phrase like, ‘Praise to God,’ I was thinking of buying an ox-person. So, it was true. And at that moment, I suddenly heard something strange, bellowing like an ox-person.” So, that was the madman.
So, do you understand what it is? Yeah? No? Why you knit your brow like that? What is it that you don’t understand? (I’m not sure if I understand.) You’re not sure you understand. Anybody understands? (The madman was a master, a wise man.) Oh, come on! Give me a break! (How else could he know?) (Just reciting the words is not enough. Your heart has to be in the same place.) That’s right, that’s right. People think he is a madman, but maybe he is not, you see? He’s just not like them, so they think he’s a madman.
Whoever doesn’t go into such a congregation, doesn’t go into the church, doesn’t offer prayers together with everybody, they think he’s mad. And they’re all trying to convert him, take pity upon him, want to save his soul, save his understanding about God and all that stuff. “Love thy neighbor.” But this madman, actually, he could not bear it. If he goes in there, he would moo like a cow-person, because probably that’s what they do. Or another day, maybe he would “cheep” like a bird-person. If the prayer leader was thinking of buying a bird-person or feeding a bird something, then maybe he’d just attune to that. So, because he is so sensitive, he can see through people’s hearts, and people think he’s a madman because he doesn’t do what they do. Like going to the church, singing out loud, and praying like those people. And those people were supposed to be very holy, leaders of the group and priests, and all that, but they did not truly concentrate on what they were doing. That’s what it is. So, the bottom line here is that, it’s your heart that counts.
You can go to the church, but then you have to concentrate. The same when you go on retreat and all that. If your energy, your mind is not concentrated on here, then you will be a kind of disturbance, because our energy has to be like one, everybody – one goal, and everybody has to think in the same direction, concentrate and let go of all the mundane stuff. But if your mind is not set on that, then you will be like a sore thumb; you’re sticking out and then disturbing other people, the sensitive ones. The non-sensitive, maybe not, but the sensitive ones, maybe. Because you’re not one with what you’re doing, you’re not one with the congregation. You are here, but you’re not here.
Anyway, sometimes I see people stick their heads through the window there, but they’re not really looking at me. After a while I look at him, he’s not there. He’s looking, hoping the cloud will fly through the ceiling or something – looking at the ceiling, or the scaffolding, something like that. So what’s the point of sticking their head through the window there, like the customer of the barber today, “How long is the wait?” Makes sure that the barber is busy, and then he’s doing something else. Sometimes I tell you as a joke, but in reality it’s like that. Some people don’t concentrate on what they’re doing, they don’t value what they have got. Sometimes come in just for fun, or just to be in the crowd, or just to spot a blonde, or something, who knows? Or maybe a choco, maybe looking for a choco. So, this is like a funny thing that we have read, but it can apply to us also.
Of course, sometimes your mind wanders. Your mind wanders, it’s normal, sometimes. But, it’s not like you come here with that intention, on purpose; come here just to be in the crowd or to have fun, or “why not,” or nothing better to do, or bored or something like that. Do you understand me? (Yes.) Then it is very bad for you, and bad for other people as well. You come here, and you ruin the good atmosphere of other people who’ve been working hard to achieve it. You come here with a low intention, and it’s very disturbing. It can be like piercing your skin, that kind of energy. Or very disturbing, like, you would touch people with your hand, or pulling them or punching them or poking them, things like that. It’s that disturbing, disturbing like that! I mean, almost physically like that, and makes people feel not right, agitated. So sometimes, even though you see the person doesn’t do anything, but that’s only physical. If you see what he’s doing inside, then it’s the worst thing you can see. Because sometimes people’s minds are very, very coarse, not very pure, and it can be very disturbing.
Especially when all things are calm and pure in a retreat like that, then you can feel it more acutely. Like if the brother’s clothes are white, if you just sprinkle a drop of ink on it, it will show right away, because it’s white. So, like in the retreat, the atmosphere is very pure and quiet, and if one or two or three or four of you are not pure enough, or came here with a low motive, just to join the crowd and things like that, or something else in the head, then it’s very, very disturbing for other people. And for me also, of course. And these things, you don’t see. These things, you don’t see.
If somebody like stabs somebody with a knife, then you see it. It’s blood coming out and people are screaming, and you can see the wound. But if somebody does similar things with the energy, you don’t see. That’s the problem. But do not think that stabbing with the knife is worse than the thing with the energy. No! The energy stabbing is worse. Because nobody sees it, and no sympathy, nothing! If you should stab somebody in the arm and it’s bleeding, everybody will come, “Oh, sorry! What’s wrong? Let’s take her to the doctor. Let’s help her. Let’s be careful.” And everybody takes care with tenderness and all that. But if you are disturbing people with your low energy or coarse energy, nobody sees anything. And when that person gets agitated or something, you blame that person, you say, “Why you get mad for nothing? Nobody did anything to you!” Because the energy is the thing you cannot see. Sometimes you can see, it depends on how open you are. So, make sure your inside is clean. OK? Not just the clothes, not just wash your face every day, but wash inside. And if you have any low motive to come here, you’d better check it out and change it. Any questions? No. OK, good.
You know, I just forgot one joke in that book. I don’t know how I forgot it. So, maybe I’ll tell you. It’s getting too serious! We’ve got to joke a little bit. There were two people who went on a blind date. You know what a blind date is? Sometimes in a computer: “My name is so and so, how tall, how big. I’m looking for a man or a woman, blah, blah.” And of course, they don’t know each other very well. Or sometimes friends arrange two bachelors to meet each other, and they didn’t know each other before. Sometimes they didn’t even see their face before. Just a blind date. It’s really a “blind” date.
So there were two people who went together on a blind date, a man and a woman, of course. And after a while, they were so bored, so bored. It’s a boring blind date. Suddenly, one friend, a friend of his, called him on the phone, and he stepped from the table of the restaurant, went outside and talked with the friend for a while. And after he came back, he said to his female blind date, “I’m sorry, my grandfather died. I have to go.” So the woman, very understanding, said, “Oh, of course, of course. Very good! If your grandfather didn’t die, mine must die.” Good, huh? I thought that was a very good one.
Alright then, meditate again or sleep, whatever. Are you OK still? (Yes.) Not very tiring, sitting all day, all night? (No. It’s OK.) No? (It’s getting really good now.) Truly? (Yes.) And you all have the leaning (chairs), that’s why, right? The sleeping has been good, right? No, actually, only when I’m in here, with a lot of light and a lot of people, and you don’t meditate, so your temperature rises up. But if you’re alone in here, without the interference of this woman, and no light, then your temperature sinks down, and then you’re very calm. Just the right temperature. This weather is very nice, really. (Yes.) It’s just very nice. The first day I came, I felt so nice, so peaceful. OK, have a good night, good sleep. Thanks.
