In a catechism class at a convent school, the teacher asked the children, “Do you know what sin Adam committed?” One child said, “Yes, I do! Adam’s sin was listening to Eve and disobeying God.” Then the teacher asked, “So do you remember how God punished Adam?” The little boy replied, “Yes, I do! God punished him by making him Eve’s husband.” So young, yet knowing so much! You men know it, you understand it. You understand that kind of uncomfortable punishment. That’s all, that’s all. There are still a few parts here that I can’t read. Alright. Thank you. It’s a lot. Goodbye to the story.
Who’s going back tomorrow? Everyone’s going back already, so tomorrow everyone’s going home, right? (Yes.) It’s almost over already? Ah, OK. Did you receive the gifts earlier? (Yes.) (Not yet.) Not yet? (Not yet. We haven’t had time to receive them.) Ah, not yet. They’re coming soon, they’re coming soon. Did (…) come down? (Yes, those who left earlier received gifts.) Well, those who left earlier received theirs earlier, because there weren’t enough. I had to split them up. I couldn’t split them up in time. It’s alright, there’s more. We’ll bring them down in a little while. But for those who already received them earlier, then no need. Do you understand? (Yes.)
Is there anything in there that you don’t know? (Yes, we understand.) Alright, good. Those who already have one, that’s it, OK? (Yes.) Because there are so many students, you see. (Yes.) Because this time you all came especially for the (Lunar) New Year, I’m giving it to you; that’s all. (Yes.) Other than that, there’s no particular merit at all. It’s not because you deserve it or anything that you’re receiving it. (Yes.) Like I said, some people have been coming for 17 years and still received only one scripture and didn’t even take it home. And this time you only traveled 17 hours; it’s nothing! Just a few hundred dollars. If you book the plane ticket in advance, it’s cheap anyway. It’s nothing at all.
OK. Is that finished now? (May I ask for permission…) But why do these two want to go back? Are you going back tomorrow? (Yes, we’ll stay for a few more days, Master.) No. If you want to leave, then leave; if you want to go, then go. No problem at all. (Yes, we're not going home yet.) Why is that? What happened with the flight? (Only one of us is going back.) But you said you were going back tomorrow. Are you going back tomorrow? (No, Mr. (…) has already taken care of everything.) “Taken care of” means you can stay, right? (Yes.) Are you staying because you want to? (Master,…) Is there anything going on with your family? (No.) Why do you want to stay? If you want to stay, then stay; if you don’t want to, then forget it, OK? (Yes.) Actually, I recited everything yesterday already.
(…) is staying as well? (If Master doesn’t need me, then I’ll go back.) What are you going back for? Are you going back because there’s something urgent? (No, it’s not urgent.) It’s not urgent. Alright, OK. Whoever wants to stay can stay; whoever wants to leave can leave. (Sorry, Master.) No, no, no, no, forget it. Just say it and that’s it. (Yes.) You’re going back tomorrow? (Yes.) Everyone’s going back? It’s OK. Anyone who wants to go can go; if you want to stay, you can stay. No problem. Except for those who are too rough – then go somewhere else to demonstrate your power. As for those who are gentle, it’s fine to stay here and meditate. How many people are staying? Raise your hands and let me see. Ten-something, maybe around 20 people, right? How many are there? Ah, OK, OK. OK. OK. No problem. OK. Yeah. I know already. OK. Good.
Ah, probably… It’s OK, it was likely just a misunderstanding. (Yes.) Because (…) misunderstood. He always misunderstands. (…) always misunderstands me. He’s just too enthusiastic and misunderstands, that’s all. (Yes.) I said that if there is free time, then if I have some unfinished work, it can be continued. (Yes.) But I was just saying that; I didn’t mean that there is any special requirement to work a certain number of hours or at any specific time. (Yes.) While people are meditating, if we keep doing that, it’s noisy. (Yes.) I didn’t mean that doing it is inappropriate. (Yes.) For example, if you want to revise those pieces, you can go to the other house and revise them there as well. (Yes.) Because those pieces have already been read through. If I want to revise them, it just means rereading one or two of those pieces. Reading them over and over again in front of the public, repeatedly, feels a bit awkward. (Yes.)
If you want to revise them, just quietly revise them upstairs at my place or somewhere else, that’s all. (Yes.) That’s what I meant. (Yes.) He misunderstood. What did he tell everyone to gather and sit here for? But when I said revise, I meant revising the poems; I never said revising the songs. He only hears bits and pieces, missing the beginning and the end. It’s exhausting! The human mind is really exhausting – you all know that, those of you who went to university. You say just one word, and by the time it goes from the first person to the fiftieth, it has already turned into a different word. They whisper it softly into your ear. Universities have that kind of test, you remember, right? (Yes.) For example, the professor says just one word into your ear. Then you pass that word to the second person. The second person passes it to the third person. The third person keeps passing it on, and by the time it reaches the fiftieth person, it’s completely wrong. It turns into a different word – “rooster” ends up becoming “hen.” That’s how troublesome it is!
Our minds are so difficult to use. Once we come down here, we can’t stay focused anymore. Sometimes we want to use our minds, but it’s very hard, right? (Yes.) It’s not that we intentionally want to do things wrong. (Yes.) Who would deliberately want to do things wrong and make it so difficult for themselves? Because our minds are used to thinking in a certain way, we end up hearing things as that. Whatever we want, we naturally hear it as that. Even if someone says the opposite, we still hear it the other way. That’s exactly how it is. I’ve had plenty of experience with this over the past ten-plus years. If someone is sleepy, you tell them to open their eyes, and what they hear is “sleep.” Yes. If someone is hungry, you tell them to go outside for a walk, and what they hear is “go eat.” (Yes.) That’s how the mind tricks us like that. OK. Good, huh? Alright. I’ll see you around.
Are there vegan cookies and candies? OK, there are? Are there vegan cookies and candies? (Yes.) Are they over there? (Yes.) OK, OK, I’ll go there. I have some more vegan cakes and candies if you want to bring some home for your relatives and friends. You can come ten at a time, and don’t push together. This is too messy, and you can’t get it. There will be enough for everybody. Just take what you need only. This cream you can…. they sell them at the counter. It’s very cold. You must use… the chapstick, lip cream. They sell them at the counter there. So, [for] the ones who leave tomorrow, I wish you a very nice journey. And I wish [that] we see each other again some other time. Also, remember to take me with you. I don’t take [up] a lot of space.
(Master, I would like to thank You for the initiation on the 18th.) No problem. You’re welcome. No questions? (I have actually a message from the indigenous people of New Zealand. And they gave me a message for You, a gift for You.) No, I don’t take gifts. You know. A message I take, but gifts, no. Too much trouble. If you give me a gift, then I have to remember you, and I have to give you another gift. And I don’t have time for all this nonsense. You know the rule here: nobody’s allowed to give me any gift, finished! (Greetings, Master, I will go home tomorrow evening.) Hallo, Auntie. Did you make the (vegan) sticky rice cakes yesterday? (Yes.) Ah, it was very delicious! I don’t have space for gifts even. I have already too much garbage from this world that I have to wear all over already. I don’t have space for gifts. I’m already worrying about space for you. If I have gifts, gifts from everybody, thousands of them, where do I put them? I need nothing. You know all this. All your love I know. There’s no need to use material things to express it. Material things cannot express enough love anyhow. Besides you can’t give anything to me. I have everything.
These days you know we don’t have enough space. You know you squeeze together. Even to put a tent, it’s already a problem. And we don’t have enough rooms. Every one of my rooms you built is only for things: books, tapes, storeroom for cooks, candies. Everybody comes with a lot of... Everybody expects something to take home. I don’t mean I could not give you, but still even then, that is the problem already. Because we live very far away from the city, and if we have to buy some things, we cannot go every day and buy; we have to buy a lot and put here. And even if we go every day, we can’t buy every day for thousands of people. So, you know. Don’t make trouble for me.
And don’t think that if you give me something and I don’t receive it, I am no good. It’s you who are no good; you don’t consider. I don’t have space here for things. Whatever space it is, it’s for the people; it’s very precious. I can’t store every garbage that you want to throw here. Sometimes people give it to you and then you don’t use it, and then you want to give it to me. Sorry. Forget it. Besides, I don’t need anything, you all know. (Yes.) Alright. Goodbye.
The white flakes don’t have any questions? Really? Yes. What is it about clothes? Ask about spiritual practice, not clothes. Question, question? (I know that we must purify ourselves, that we must have a lot of love for everyone.) For whom? (For the people. Also keep the Five Precepts. But is there something else?) It’s fine, it’s fine. (Is there anything else? And then, which of these things will lift us up the highest, help us the most?) You have intelligence? You can decide for yourself. (Yes.) Which ones. Right? (OK. Thank You.) The love for everybody, it doesn’t mean that you have to do everything they want. You must see whoever needs you, and then you help them if they need. It’s not that you have to listen to everybody and then do everything they want, that means loving; it’s not true. The best love is to give them spiritual knowledge. Spread the news. Got it? (Yes.)
So, goodnight. Tomorrow, here’s empty, nearly empty. Yeah, almost. I also feel a little sad that you go. But it’s always like that. It’s always like that. When you came and then when you left, something is also missing, for a while. It’s like some part of myself has gone with you. But it doesn’t matter. The ocean is always full. And a little bit of water missing, absorbed into the sand, it makes not much difference. The same with you. So, take me with you to your home.
Photo Caption: “Anywhere One Is Placed, Just Grow!”
