“At that time, the World Honored One spoke in verse, saying: ‘I’m entrusting to Your care, the multitudes of gods and people, both now and in the future. Use great spiritual powers and expedience to save them. Do not allow them to fall into the evil destinies.’”
“‘Earth Store, I now earnestly entrust the multitudes of gods and people to You. If in the future among gods and people there are good men or good women, who plant a few good roots in the Buddha Dharma,’” meaning the teaching of the Truth, of the enlightened teaching. Doesn’t necessarily always mean in Buddhism, but because at that time it was Buddha, so He said Buddha Dharma. If it was Christ, then He would say Christianity. “‘Be they as little as a strand of hair, a mote of dirt, a grain of sand, or a drop of water, then You should use Your powers in the way to protect them so that they gradually cultivate the unsurpassed way and do not get lost or retreat from that. Moreover, Earth Store, in the future, gods or humans, according to the responses of their karmic retributions, may be due to fall into the evil destinies. They may be on the brink of falling or may be already at the very gate of those paths. But if they can recite the name of one Buddha or Bodhisattva, or a single sentence or verse of a Great Vehicle Sutra,’” Mahayana Sutra, “‘Then You should use Your spiritual powers to rescue them with expedient means. Display a boundless body in the places where they are, smash the hells, and lead them to be born in the Heavens and to experience supremely wonderful bliss.’” These lucky people, if they found Earth Store Bodhisattva. Meaning, before people fall into the evil habit or evil temptation again, just place yourself in between it, with a big body, so they cannot pass or do something. But only if these people recite the name of a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, meaning an Enlightened Master or an Enlightened Saint, or recite some Great Vehicle Sutra, like this one, for example, and then the Bodhisattva Earth Store should intervene then, has an excuse to intervene. So the Buddha implored the Earth Store Bodhisattva that if anyone can do that, then if you do even just a little bit of good, if they even can recite one sentence from this sutra or any, then please help them. “‘Smash the hells even and lead them to be born in Heavens and to experience supremely wonderful bliss.’ At that time, the World Honored One spoke in verse, saying: ‘I’m entrusting to Your care, the multitudes of gods and people, both now and in the future. Use great spiritual powers and expedience to save them. Do not allow them to fall into the evil destinies.’”
Wow! Once we do something bad, something evil, then that will attract us to another evil path, and we will continue to do even more and more all the time, because like attracts like. The Buddha knows that. Therefore, He finds all these excuses to help beings. Because it’s so difficult not to fall, so difficult to break away from evils once you enter into that area. Just like many people who were not drug addicts, but they tried one time. And then, of course, how can they try only one time? Somehow you encounter some drug people, drug sellers, and then you already made acquaintance with these people. Next time, they’ll come again. And, “Just try, it’s free, come on.” And then again and again, and then they became addicted. Once you try, you can’t get out. Same, the first cigarette is harmless. “OK, can try.” The second may be harmless. The third, maybe you still didn’t want it, but it looked cool on TV. In the ‘50s, ‘60s, many of the movie stars always, not always, but some of them had cigarettes and looked cool. So, they imitate it. So, the third one you even don’t like so much, but it looks cool, and you’re already in the company of smokers. And then slowly, slowly, they make you take a fourth and a fifth and the sixth, and then you’re done. Then for the rest of your life, you can never get out of that habit. I’m trying very hard to speak a little slowly. Because you know me. Normally, I’m… So that everybody can translate.
“At that time, Earth Store Bodhisattva Mahasattva knelt on one knee, placed His palms together, and said to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One, I beg the Buddha not to be concerned. In the future, if good men and good women have a single thought of respect, even one single thought of respect, toward the Buddha’s teaching, I shall use hundreds of thousands of expedience to take them across and free them.’” Take them across, you know already? Across the other side to freedom. Because the Buddha likened this world or other lower worlds to the sea of suffering. So “taken across,” you know already, or “ferry across,” meaning, liberate them. “‘They will quickly be liberated from birth and death. How much more will that be the case for those who, having heard about all of these good matters, are inspired to cultivate. They will naturally become irreversible from the unsurpassed way of the Dharma.’ After He finished speaking thus, a Bodhisattva named Empty Space Treasury...” How can you be a treasury when it’s all empty space? What are you guarding? Normally, the treasury is somebody who keeps the money for a company, right? Or an organization, right? He’s Empty Space Treasury – so cute. But it is a treasure. From the empty space, everything sprung out. It’s just a name, I guess, from Sanskrit. They translated it like that. …“who was in the assembly, spoke to the Buddha, ‘World-Honored One, I personally have come to the Trayastrimsa Heaven and have heard that Thus Come One praised Earth Store Bodhisattva’s awesome spiritual strength, saying that it is inconceivable. If in the future, good men, good women, gods and dragons hear this Sutra in the name of Earth Store Bodhisattva and if they behold and bow to His image, how many kinds of blessings and benefits will they obtain?’”
Again, I beg your pardon. Don’t worry, I have something inside. I’ll prove it to you. Don’t try to criticize me. And if I don’t, well, it’s usual, no? Everybody has similar. It’s only skin, why worry? Today, you know what I was thinking? Today, I really wanted to go to India. Because in India, even women can also become a Naga Swami, no? They call it, right? In Spanish, they will say Nada Swami, mean it’s nothing! Nothing Swami, wearing nothing, nada.
“He asked, this Bodhisattva asked, ‘If somebody hears this sutra and then, in the name of Earth Store Bodhisattva, and if they behold and bow to His image, how many kinds of blessings and benefits will they obtain? Please, World-Honored One, say a few words about this for the sake of beings of the present and future.’” Too fast for you? You need translation? “The Buddha told Empty Space Treasury Bodhisattva, ‘Listen attentively, listen attentively. I shall enumerate them and describe them to you. Good men or women in the future may see images of Earth Store Bodhisattva and hear this sutra or read or recite it. They may use incense, flowers, food and drink, clothing and gems...’” precious stones, “‘... to give gifts and make offerings. They may praise, behold, and bow to Him,’” to the image. “‘Such beings will benefit in 28 ways.” Twenty-eight ways! “‘First, they will be protected by gods and dragons. Second, their good roots will increase daily. Third, they will amass supreme causes pertaining to sagehood,’” it means they will get nearer and nearer to Buddhahood, somehow. “‘Fourth, they will not retreat from Bodhi,’” from enlightenment. And they’re going, going onward now, or forward now. “‘Fifth, their clothing and food will be abundant. Sixth, they will never be infected by epidemics.’” Wow! That, we could do (with) some! “‘Seventh, they will never be in disasters of fire and water. Eighth, they will never be threatened by thieves. Ninth, they will be respected by all who see them. Tenth, they will be aided by ghosts and spirits.’” That also means angels, but here they translate it as spirits. In the Western terminology, we would say angels and others.
Yes, sometimes it’s funny. Like, in Christianity, they say the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Why Ghost? Ghosts are supposed to be not so positive, right? Ghosts are from dead people. They shouldn’t use that for the Holy Trinity, methinks. How can ghosts be holy? If it’s holy, then it’s not a ghost. Yes, so we should say Holy Spirit or Holy…whatever. Holy Essence or Holy Spirit at least, yeah? But even then, these two words are not very positive, right? Not like high-sounding, spiritual rank, ghosts and spirits. Mostly, we also use in the medium, right? So they should say like, maybe, the Father, the Son, and the Saintly Assemblies or something, yeah? Or Heavenly Deva Beings, yeah? Or Holy Beings, yeah? Holy Ghost? Here, so the Buddha also used the same, ghosts and spirits, meaning invisible beings who are benevolent. But still, I don’t like the term. Probably from Sanskrit (it was) translated to Chinese, and then (from) Chinese translated into English, then it’s all different. Yes. I’m telling you some examples. For example, Newton was a great scientist, right? In Chinese, they say “Niu-don.” It is similar. But that means “stupid cow.” It sounds like, you know? It’s not written like that, but… And then massage, massage for health, and they translate it into ma-sha-jee, meaning “horse kills the chicken.” It sounds like that. So, if somebody goes and sees some building, beautiful, says, “What is in there?” And (they) say, “Ma-sha-jee.” And the police would be very scared, and immediately surround it because the horse is killing the chicken. What for? Why do they do that? Have a look. So, maybe it’s like that. And if it’s translated into English, then it’s horse kills chicken, or stupid cow. My God, one of the most intelligent scientists becomes a stupid cow. Translation is sometimes funny.
And one time, one of the Quan Yin Messengers went to Texas to give initiation, and… the Chinese one went to Texas, and in an Aulacese (Vietnamese) family, and the Chinese (Messenger) said to the translator, Chinese-Aulacese (Vietnamese) translator, said, “The owner of the house, he looks like a cowboy.” Because he was probably wearing some cowboy boots or something. And then the translator said to the owner of the house, “He says you look like a cow.” That’s how war is started, you know? 「Yes.) And I told you the jokes already about the French-speaking. So these are the things you should never say in French, OK? The guy, the American went to a French cafe and ordered a (vegan) coffee, cafe latte. Yeah, had a drink. And the one next to him said, “No, no, no, no, fourmi, fourmi.” Means there’s an ant, an ant is crawling. Don’t drink, fourmi! Fourmi!” He said, “‘For me?’ No, it’s for me! It’s not for you, for me!” And then the Frenchman was so scared and ran away. Tomorrow, the American came back again and then… he already understood. After the Frenchman ran away, many people who knew English explained to him, “No, no. He was so kind. He told you there was an ant, don’t drink it.” He felt so sorry, so tomorrow he came back to the same coffee shop, he wanted to find the French guy to apologize. And then he came in, and he saw the French guy, and he came in and he said, “Oh, come here, come here!” But in French it’s similar to “comme hier,” means “just like yesterday.” “I’m going to punch you again.” And the Frenchman ran, ran for his life again. And the American said, “What have I said?” OK, enough.
OK, “‘Eleventh, women who want to can be reborn as men.’” Why? Do you want to be a man? (No.) Why not? Just today, I was thinking if I’m a man it would be better. You know? Then I don’t have to wear so much stuff. I saw many gurus, he just wrapped a piece of cloth around him and sits everywhere and all the disciples (Yes.) also bow at his feet. You know right? Many photos. From the East to the West, For men it’s easy, right? (Yes.) And we can never wear enough clothes, but they don’t need to. I was wondering, because at home, I like to wear this t-shirt. It’s long and tight, so at night it’s like a sleeping… Also, it warms your body when you wear it tighter. You know, some tighter, like, a long john and a t-shirt, but also (in the) daytime, when I’m lazy, I don’t take it off. I just wear that at home. But normally, I can never find the one with the neck up to here. I don’t like the turtleneck, of course, but the neck up to here, can never be found for women. That’s always cut so deep, I don’t know why. We have a lot and they want to show it, and men have nothing and they make it right up to here. And even cravat, tie and everything, hiding. What is it they are hiding inside? They have nothing at all. Nobody even wants to look at what they have in there. They have nothing! I don’t understand! And the women, even in cold winter, have to wear so deep necked. And then the robe’s so short. I don’t know why. And they must shave in order to show off. So, I always have to, mostly, if I can, I tell my assistant or whoever goes to buy for me, “Go to the men’s,” I said. “Buy me the one without the deep neck. I want it warm here.” They cannot find it. And then I said, “Why you have one, the one like you wear?” And he said, “That’s in the men’s store, Master.” You see? All the men’s, the t-shirts, you saw that? You saw? All the way up to here. And we, women, are cold like crazy, and must wear like this. Deep, the deeper the better. Yeah. I wonder. Crazy world.
“‘Twelfth, women who want to can be daughters of national leaders and officials. Thirteenth, they will have upright and proper appearances. Fourteenth, they will often be born in the Heavens. Fifteenth, they may be emperors or leaders of nations. Sixteenth,’” you know, these people who respect the Buddha sutra, etc., etc. “‘They will have the wisdom to know past lives. Seventeenth, they will attain whatever they seek. Eighteenth, their families will be happy. Nineteenth, they will never undergo any disasters.’” I was thinking of men and women. Such a ridiculous… They have nothing at all and all have to cover it. Nobody cares. I can’t believe it. And we should hide something, otherwise they would say we have temptation for them! And all the clothes are cut all the way up to the navel even. Oh, my God! It is funny, right? (Yes.)
