When I am here, you should also concentrate, as if you were meditating. This is also a kind of meditation, one of the methods. Therefore, the Buddha said, “There are 84,000 methods for meditation.” It does not mean that you meditate differently every day. There is only one, that is the Quan Yin Method. But there are many ways to focus one’s concentration, and use the method well to practice the meditation.
When it comes to work, you are not here, not together with me. When it comes to work, you’re not with me. You’re somewhere else. I don't understand this. I always have to work alone. Today, it’s just an example for you to see. It’s not only that the machine was kaput, like what I told you yesterday, the camera didn’t work or the light went out – it’s people also. I do not understand why you cannot concentrate. I don’t understand this. When I’m around, you should concentrate just like when you meditate. Concentrate on what you’re doing. And that’s also a form of meditation.
When I am here, you should also concentrate, as if you were meditating. This is also a kind of meditation, one of the methods. Therefore, the Buddha said, “There are 84,000 methods for meditation.” It does not mean that you meditate differently every day. There is only one, that is the Quan Yin Method. But there are many ways to focus one’s concentration, and use the method well to practice the meditation.
Like I had said before: if you see a beautiful flower, then you say, “Ah! I have to cultivate my own garden, too.” When you wear something nice, then you look at yourself and say, “Ah, I look beautiful!” This also reminds us that we should cultivate the beauty in ourselves. This is also a form of meditation. We don’t always have to sit here in the lotus position, etc., and look so holy. Yes, but it is OK. You are already holy. A little bit holy; better than nothing.
This group is very... sincere. (Ernsthaft.) Ernsthaft. “Ernsthaft” is serious. Diligent. (Yes.) My God. When you work seriously, how do you say that then? Also “ernsthaft”? I am very focused when I do one thing seriously. But that is too serious. (Yes, that is German, it’s expressed in this way.) I don’t think that. There’s no better word in German. The German language is very, very rich. “Reich”, right? Rich? (Reichhaltig.) Reichhaltig? Alright, thank you, thank you. Sincere, yes. (Aufrichtig.) Aufrichtig? It doesn’t sound good, but OK.
Anyhow, “aufrichtig.” OK then. Why not? Maybe you cannot find the right word now, but maybe later. When you go home later, you may suddenly say, “Ah! I know the right word!” But then Master has already left. But it’s OK. Are there people from different countries today? Or only from Germany? France? (The Netherlands.) The Netherlands. Which language do you speak? Dutch, of course. That’s why I always say English is better for all, because it’s easy to speak. It’s easier than German. It’s not that easy, but easier than German. And Aulacese (Vietnamese), you can forget it completely. With all these tones, high and low, you’d have a headache. But Aulacese (Vietnamese) is a very beautiful language, very musical.
OK, where were we? (We will soon have an English course here for our group, Master.) Very good, very good. That’s good. Then you have progressed. And do you speak English now? No? (I have only gone to the course a few times.) What can you say now? (Wie geht es dir? [How are you?]) This is German! I understand. I am just joking. And just “How are you?” and “It’s hot,” “It's cold,” “I’m hungry,” “I want a drink,” that’s it. (The basics, yes.) It’s the basics. The most important, no?
Anyhow, I like this group. I’m satisfied. When it comes to the translation, it’s not serious, not so “sincere.” Everything else is maybe OK. Meditation, OK. Did you sleep well here yesterday? Normally, I wanted to come down to meditate together with you, but the snoring was so loud. I was scared, so I went upstairs again. I said that normally I wanted to come down here and meditate with you guys, but you snored so loud, and your heads were going in all kinds of directions, and you snored so loud. I was so shocked, I ran back upstairs. No, I know you try your best. It’s very good already. It’s very good. It’s very good. It’s very good that you can sit all night. Even if you sleep sitting, it’s already better than me. I couldn't do it. When I sleep, I just sleep. I don’t pretend to sit there and meditate.
Anyway, it’s OK even if you sleep. Before you sleep, you meditate, it’s also OK. During sleep, you’ve also gone up. I hope! I said that it’s OK even if you sleep, because before sleeping you have meditated a little bit anyhow. During sleep, maybe you also go to a high level, I hope. We can always hope, it costs nothing. It costs nothing to hope. So, I’m always going in that direction with you: Hoping, hoping, hoping, hoping!
But anyway, I’m happy that you are very disciplined, which really helps. I don’t mind forgiving you when you’re not disciplined, or you break a precept, or you don’t meditate. I forgive you all the time. I’m never angry or anything, because I know it’s very difficult in this world to keep on going where you’re going. But that’s what makes you great, because you can do things that other people cannot do. I want you to be great. I want you to make me proud. So, it’s not that I cannot forgive you or anything, but it’s good that you’re disciplined, and you really meditate, and you are a good practitioner, because this is good for yourself and good for the world. And I’ll be proud.
If, suppose you don’t meditate at all after initiation, you don’t meditate at all, and you break the precepts, and you eat meat, you drink wine, or you do whatever that’s not proper for a saint to do, and you still want to come here, sit here and see me – that's not fair. And then after I’m gone, you go back to your old ways again and just do all kinds of bad things, or even go stealing or do whatever that’s not good for a saint, or even for a normal human standard. Then it’s no good to come here, to see me. You understand me?
So, it’s not that I'm strict and don’t let other people come here, but they have to mend their way first. They have to become good again, then we let them. We don't have enough room here for all the bad people to come! Then, we might as well invite everybody to come sit here. Understand? (Yes.) Why are they special? They are even worse than the ones outside, because they already know what’s good, and they deliberately go in the opposite direction and are being bad. So, they are even worse. They shouldn't be treated special at all!
I treat the outside people better than the bad disciples. Do you understand that? You know that? (Yes.) Because outside people, they have not been taught anything, they have not learned the noble way, so they continue the ignorant way, and they are the ones to be feeling sorry for, because nobody taught them. But the so-called disciples have been taught with my heart, my blood, my sweat, and still go out and don't keep the noble way of a human life, not to talk about being a saint, even! To eat vegan, to not steal, to not tell lies, to not… do all the rest… it’s just a human standard, even! Do you understand me? (Yes, Master.)
A real human standard! A real good human standard. So, if they even break that, then they’re not worth it to come here. Number one, it's not fair for you. Number two, we really don't have room. So precious is a place wherever we are; we have very little space. So, it is fair just to reserve it for the diligent, the good ones, the ones who really try their best, sacrifice their time and their other desires and other conveniences, just to be good. So, I’m not strict. I’m just fair. Is that correct or not? Tell me. (Yes, Master.) You don't think I'm too strict to those people who don’t meditate, don't keep the precepts, do you? (No.)
I forgive them all the time, and maybe I still continue to take care of them, in a different way, if they can get it. It’s just… it’s not fair to reserve any precious place and time, and our convenience for the people who don't even care, who don’t even care to be here! They just come because, OK, I'm here, why not come and have a look. Free space, free meal, free Master, why not? Anything free is good! But it's not like that. You understand? (Yes.)
So, the ones who all these years still hang on to their discipline and work hard, I want to reward you. I’ll be here for you. But the ones who choose, have chosen to leave our noble way of living, then OK, it’s their freedom, but don’t come here and bug us, bug our freedom. Because if they come here, maybe they don’t meditate, and they walk up and down, and they want to ask all these elementary questions again, and waste our time, our space and our energy, and contaminate your meditation hall. Capiche (Understand)? (Yes.) OK.
That was too long, I cannot translate it. You have to translate yourself. But you have already forgotten half of it. (No, I can.) You can? (I have remembered everything.) OK, give her the microphone. That's the second chance.
(f-translator: Master said that when we try very hard, but it happens that we break a rule sometimes, then Master is not angry with us, because it is very important that we try very hard to keep the precepts. Master always forgives us, but we must try. We try to be good people, we try to be saints because we don’t do it for us only but also for the world. And Master doesn’t push us away, but She always forgives us. But what’s not OK is, if people get initiation, and don’t keep the precepts at all, don’t even try to do so, and then come here, take the space of the others who try their best to come here to meditate and to see Master. Then they go home, eat meat, steal, and don't care about the precepts, and don’t try at all to be good human beings and elevate our society. Master said that this is worse than people who are not initiated and don’t know any better, because those who are initiated and have come here, they know how to live a better life, how we should live, and that’s why it is even worse if the initiates don’t care and leave again. And Master is here helping, and wants to encourage all of us to continue on this path and to go higher, so it is unfair that other people, who don’t keep the rules, to come here. It is unfair to Master, and it is unfair to all those who don’t get a seat here, even though they do try their best. Was it OK like this?) Yeah, just as... That’s OK. At least you all have understood the meaning. That’s good, thank you, thank you. Don’t you think so? (Yes.)
If we do something, then we should do it very seriously. If you go to school, you have to learn. If you go to work, you have to work. If you want to eat, then you have to eat, no? If we eat, we can - OK, I’ll eat a little, oh, I don’t want to, or later, eat a little, oh, I don’t want to. Or you don’t eat at all. Then you shouldn’t sit at the table together with other people and then “messing up?” Disturb. “Messing up” is a strong word. “Disturbing” is different. It’s OK. Anyway, you have understood the idea, that is good.
