Anybody has become a Buddha? Why are you laughing? Buddha business is very serious. It’s no joke. No, you haven’t become Buddha yet? Take so long? What? (Not everything...) Not yet? What? (Everybody is a Buddha.) Everybody is a Buddha? “Āmítuófó.”

All right. OK, what do you want? Working Master. Welcome. Who’s new one? Newcomer? Really? Very new? Brand new? What is the purpose of your coming here? Oh, I’m sorry. Really, a working Master is like this. You see the work going on? (Yes.) So, I’m the most busy boss in Miaoli. Good that I can see you sometimes, cheer me up. If I’m only working labor camp, you know labor camp? Then I’d go crazy. Any news? Any question? Good news, bad news? No news? So, all have a good look and then I’ll go work again. It’s OK to be busy.

You all right? Not too much disturbed by the work? (No.) No? Really? Sometimes? What? What’s that? (Everybody says it’s always too noisy.) Too noisy? (I think it’s OK.) No. Who said it’s too noisy, raise your hand? You mean you disturb the workers? You’re too noisy, is that right? You come here, no need to stand. There are places here. Come here. The standing ovation come over here. I don’t need your standing ovation. Just come over. I’m just a working staff, one of. Well, every time you come, there will be… Yeah, sit here, there are places. In front here, around here. I can’t stand it that you stand. Come here, yogi. Come up, here. There are places, anywhere.

Oh, what’s wrong? You don’t tell me you work too hard? (A big rock just dropped on my feet.) You dropped the rock? (No, I…) Did you kick the rock? Sit anywhere. It’s all right. Or sit there. Just all right. So, you mean you hurt the rock? And it hit back at you or what? What happened? You practice… (We were loading rocks and the rocks dropped on me.) The rock can drop on your feet by itself? That’s rock magic. It’s on the rock. But it didn’t hurt so much? You’re OK? (I’m OK.) Did it break or anything? (I think I broke a bone.) Broke the bones? (Yeah.) Oh! And that’s all they gave you? (Yeah.) Who gave you? Who? (A Chinese lady.) Chinese lady is not good enough. I will ask a doctor to come and look at you. OK? (OK.) Maybe we will take you for an X-ray tomorrow and then they put a cast on it. It’s better. You don’t run to Olympic game tonight, all right? (Thank You.) You’re welcome.

Is Chen or Hong around? Later, when I finish talking, go find Dr. Chen. It’s Dr. Chen, not Tong. (OK.) Ask him to take a look at this person and see if his bone is broken. If it is, he will need to go to the hospital for an X-ray tomorrow. (OK.) Please take good care of him. Understand? (Yes.) Maybe go to the hospital today. (OK.) May need to take him there today. (Yes.) I said maybe tonight, if necessary, we have to go and take you to the hospital. You don’t stay there, I guess. No? (No.) You like to stay there, better? (I’ll stay here.) No work, no work. Good excuse to just lay in bed and many beautiful nurses run around you. Good vision. Even if you meditate, you can’t see that much. You consider my offer. Don’t tell me that I don’t do anything for you. Anybody else with broken... spirit or something?

It’s OK. All of you, all right? (Yes.) When I see you here, I feel a little bit guilty that I haven’t seen you earlier. Because I saw you were very happy and welcoming when I come, like a big movie star. But when I work, sometimes I forget. You know I’m very forgetful. Do you know that? You remember in Australia? In the middle of the lecture tour? I forgot all about the lecture tour. I came about two hours late. And, last night, just because we talked about that yesterday, last night. And one of our disciples reminded me that “You did that also in Seoul in Korea.” I said, “When? I didn’t do that.” She said, “Yes. Yes, You did.” Because, it was an afternoon lecture, something like that, and I was very tired. I said “OK, let me have a little rest.” So, I rested for around three hours. She said the lecture was supposed to be at two o’clock. I showed up at four. I said, “You didn’t call me. Why didn’t you call me?” She said, “Everybody walked up and down, but saw You snoring.”

Oh! How embarrassing. I didn’t know if I snored or not. I was sleeping. How do I know? I said I needed a rest. You know, I’m very tired. Or when I rest, I rest. I don’t mess about. And people asked me, “Master, how can You sleep? You know, at such a time. Other master, before the lecture time, they couldn’t sleep for many nights.” For fear of Saturday night fever, you know? Fear of the limelight fever, they call it. At least they couldn’t sleep for one night, before the lecture night. “How can You always sleep like that?” I said, “I don’t know. When you’re too tired, you sleep anywhere.”

I forgot. When I work, I forget too. I know that already. I thought when I worked… I was watching the clock. It was around…. a little bit after eight. I said, “I still have about 40 minutes, so I can do some other work. And then I can come to see you later. I still have about 20 minutes to warn the people down there. Like a quarter to nine, then you get together, and then I come at nine.” But then when I looked at the clock, it’s five past nine already. I was thinking maybe you all ran home. Did anybody go? Not yet? You are so in deep samadhi? Really? I’m really encouraged.

Anybody has become a Buddha? Why are you laughing? Buddha business is very serious. It’s no joke. No, you haven’t become Buddha yet? Take so long? What? (Not everything...) Not yet? What? (Everybody is a Buddha.) Everybody is a Buddha? “Āmítuófó.” So then why do you sit there like idiots? And listen to a non-Buddha like me?

What’s wrong with your eye? Your wisdom eye opened and you don’t need it? (Suffer a little stye.) Here? (Little stye. Eye stye.) (She has a stye in her eye.) Her stye? (Yeah.) What? Is there a Japanese, or I mean... No. (It’s a little infection.) Infection? From here? Here or from home? Where? Miaoli? Miaoli? Why? You do something? You work or something? Is there any translator there? You talk there and the translator will tell me. What’s wrong? (I don’t know.) You don’t know. Is it very bad? (It’s just a little bad. A little bad.) A little bad? (Yes.) OK, we’ll take you together. Oh! Welcome.

(Please, I took care of her eyes because her eye was something wrong. A stye, you know the stye?) Yeah. (There is some inflammation around the eyes.) Is it very serious? (Not too bad, but she had some treatment at home in Seoul.) Oh. She already had it there, she said it’s here! (She didn’t understand. I’m sorry.) OK. She told me, “Here.” There’s a little difference. (So, I put the antibiotic ointment in her eyes.) Is that enough? (I think it is enough.) OK. (Because I gave her antibiotic ointment.) How long does she stay here then? (She stay...) How long will she stay more? (Maybe one more week.) Oh. Then better take to eye specialist or something. You think it’s serious? (I don’t think so.) You are not the…the… eye doctor. You are a den… You’re a Zen doctor. Teeth doctor! It’s a little bit far from each other. You treat the teeth and the eyes differently. What can I do? She’s funny. OK. I wish maybe the doctor will look at her later. (All right.) He’s an infant doctor, you know, like for babies but perhaps he would know something about eyes. Eyes are very tender, you know, like babies, so perhaps.

You just arrived? (A few days ago.) A few days ago? I haven’t seen you at all. (I was standing in there,) Oh, translation. (a lot of translation.) Oh! But the other guy, is he not there? (Yeah, he is around here.) OK, OK. She just arrived, you know. Immediately you take her to work and then you sit there (She volunteered.) like nothing happened. She volunteered? (Yes.) Really? (I didn’t tell her.) OK, OK. Never mind. It’s your own business. It’s Korean people business.

All right. So later when the doctor comes, make sure he looks at both of them to see whether they require more treatment. If he doesn’t know, just say he doesn’t know. (OK.) Just because he is a doctor doesn’t mean he knows anything. You know what docs are like. Why are you laughing? You’re funny. Aren’t you all very funny! I talk perfect English and you always laugh at me. (I think it’s all right now.) Something wrong? No? Did I speak the wrong thing? (No.) Correct. Yes, of course.

So, any more complaints? (No.) Of course not. And you’re OK. Even more people, you have enough food? (Yes, a lot.) Actually, I don’t want to rush you all to come here together at one time like this, but I never know when I will stay here for a long time or not. Even sometimes I’d like to stay longer but then something unstable makes me go, or some necessity in other places. So, I only know for sure this time that I stay one and a half months, until the middle of this month.

But if I stay longer… well, you may stay. I don’t care. As long as I have enough food, it’s OK. You have no problem? (No.) Really? You must tell me. Is the food enough? (Yes.) (More than enough...) More than… Because we eat only twice a day. Is that enough for you? (Yes.) More than twice? (Yes.) Three times? (Yes.) Wow, you eat in between? (Yes.) That’s all right. Don’t be cheated because the monks eat only twice a day, no, they have their (vegan) snacks, you know? They have their allowance; with that they buy extra, so they eat what they want in between, like (vegan) snacks. And besides, there are a lot of nutritious (vegan) food free in the kitchen. Do you have them here too? (Yes.) Like… (Lychee.) (Lychee, rice, mango.) Oh, lychee, mango, that’s different. That’s fruits. But there are some drinks, nutritious drinks, like vitamin drinks and a lot of… mineral drinks. You know those?

With a lot of sesame powder, whole meal wheat powder and things like that, mixed together. They call it the eight precious ingredients. So, when you mix it with hot water or cold water, you can drink it. Those are always available in any kitchen. In the monks’ kitchen, nuns’ kitchen, and in your kitchen, perhaps. You have outside? You eat freely. You take whatever you can and eat whatever. Eat as much as you can. Right? What? In America they advertise something like… (All you can eat.) “All you can eat.”

All you can eat, and all you can drink. But because last time, last time I heard that… You don’t understand? (No.) “All you can eat?” “All…you…can…eat.” In America, they have such restaurants, where they don’t have the menu, but they have like a buffet counter. So many things there, hot and cold. And then you go there, and you eat as much as you want and pay only five dollars. I went in one of them. And then... Chinese restaurant… but help yourself and eat as much as you can. But you pay only the same amount. Doesn’t matter if you eat much or you eat little, it’s up to you. But you pay cheap, the same price. Five dollars or ten dollars, whatever the price there is. So, I went in one of them. I told some of you? Did I tell? Perhaps in Chinese, no? I went in one of them. And that’s it: they have the sign “All You Can Eat” outside. That means you eat whatever you want. Anything you can stuff in is yours. And you don’t pay more. You see? You pay five dollars; it’s five dollars. But, inside there is a sign, “If you take too much and you can’t eat it, then it’s ‘fine’”. You know, the “fine.” One dollar for how much. How much left over, etc., something like that. But I don’t think every restaurant is the same, it's not the same.

But you’re OK? Because last time I heard that... like, they say if they cook for you especially already, and then you always look at the Chinese section there… The workers’, whether there’s something else, and then you also try? And then when the workers come, there’s none left. Is that true? Maybe you don’t know, maybe a language problem, right? “How do I know that is Chinese?” The food doesn’t say anything. So later, I said “Well, then you bring your food down there and eat there.”

Because they eat at different hours. Sometimes they work a lot and they don’t eat. Then they eat later. So the food is lying around there, is inviting, inviting the foreigners’ “hunger ghost.” Hungry ghosts. But does the food taste better here or not? Somehow? Does it? (Yes.) I hope so, because I worry that you’re not used to the style here. You know what? You can volunteer and cook Western food. No? (No.) Why not? No? You’re OK? Yes. It’s all right if you accept it. Yes. Maybe it’s less trouble for you. Otherwise, I tell you, it’s not fun to mess around with the fire in such a weather like this. It’s very hot. They’re all sweating. But they’re very dedicated, the people who cook, they cook with love. (Yes.) Whether they come here for one day, or they cook every day. They’re really dedicated, because they love to eat themselves. They’re very sympathetic to the fellow eaters. Anyhow, if you really cannot eat this kind of food, you may organize one or two days and cook them yourself, or cook yourselves. And cook yourselves well.

///

So that’s why the children must have the parents together who meditate, and who guide them and who watch them all the time. Because it is very difficult for children to survive in such a violent world without guidance. Even the teacher cannot always control it.

Any complaints about food? (No.) I mean, I don’t mind if you tell me, so I can arrange something. No? We have a few foreigners here. Three or four. They can cook some salad. You know, very easy. Put in the machine, chop it, and then, “Everybody, OK, come. Feeding time.” We are all vegan. It’s easy to do. It’s really OK? Because I know not everybody likes Chinese food, even though it is very famous.

But if you’re happy, you will eat anything. That’s the secret. When I was running around, having no business like this, I’d eat anything and it was always good. So good that I can’t believe it now that I cannot eat. It is a different taste now. I always feel a lingering nostalgia for the food. In the olden times when I had no business, when I was not taking charge of this job, I ate better. Now we have a lot of food. Food before was a little bit less, but it tasted better. Now, more food, tastes no good. Every day I eat maybe once, or twice or one and a half. And still I have to force myself. That’s it. End of food business. You have any questions? New ones? That you want to ask me? Otherwise… (No.) No? Really? Good. That’s good. I don’t like questions.

The other day, I invited all the children. I do like questions sometimes. I must tell you. Intelligent questions, you know? It’s very good. Give me some kind of material so that I know what you need. Give me some clues as to what you need, then I can tell you. Because I don’t need anything, so I don’t know your needs. It’s very difficult for me to know your needs. I mean material-wise. I do know sometimes, but I can’t always put it into words. Whatever you say inside, then it will manifest itself without me doing anything. So you cannot say that I know anything. And then, but again you’ve seen me doing it inside, so I cannot always say that I don’t do anything. But truly, do without doing. I do but I don’t know anything.

So if you need something, you don’t understand, you must tell me. I like intelligent questions. It helps you. It helps me to tell you, to talk to you. Otherwise, it’s very difficult for me to find the subject to talk. That’s why sometimes I have to read books, and to read sometimes newspapers, something like that, to see what the world people are really swimming in, then I can explain somehow. But I’m fed up with newspapers and books sometimes. You can’t just read all day long. It’s tiring. But I don’t like questions when it’s nonsense.

The other day I invited all the children up, you remember? (Yeah.) Yesterday. And I said, “You meditate well?” “Yes.” “Do you have any questions?” “Yes.” Some of them asked me. First one: “Master, did You make the vegan cake Yourself?” I said, “No.” And later: “Master, do You make the jewelry Yourself?” I said, “No, not this one.” I can’t tell lies. I made some down there but not this one. These are fake. So, they asked later, another very important question: “Master, the clothes You wear, did You make it Yourself?” Oh! Very good for me. One question I can say, “Yes, I did it, I did it.” So both of us are very happy because I can’t sit there and say no, no, and disappoint them. Because they think I am omnipresent, omnipotent, and I can do anything and everything I do. Because the parents keep telling them, “Master can do anything.” Even make cakes for you in a dream, something like that. So, they keep asking me all these kinds of questions.

And sometimes it is not good to tell the children like this. Right? You have to specify something, like Master can do everything when necessary. When it’s really necessary for you. Otherwise, they come and ask everything. “Do You make the cloth?” “Do You make the cups?” You know, that kind of things. And also, some people when you tell your children, make sure you tell them in a logical and truthful way. Don’t exaggerate things, just for your own sake.

Like some people threaten their children like, “If you don’t do this and that, Master will come and spank you right now.” And of course Master doesn’t come and doesn’t spank him. So next time he would not believe. I mean not believe in the parents, or perhaps he will not believe in the Master. Both are no good. Or sometimes they make a promise like, look here, if you are very brave, if you’re good, if you’re quiet, then Master will come and take you to such and such paradise. You go to sleep now, Master will take you. The child is very excited, expecting, and goes to sleep. And the next morning he says, “Master didn’t take me anywhere.” And again, again. So when they come here on Sunday, they say, “Master, why didn’t You take me to such and such a place?”

I say, “I didn’t say I would take you.” They say, “Mama said that You would take me if I go to sleep.” I say, “What mama says is different. I didn’t say anything.” So I have to say... I have to change it a little bit. I say, “What your mama means is if you go to sleep early and if you’re good, behaving well, maybe one day Master will take you.” You have to say maybe, because maybe not. You never know how big her wisdom eye is. Maybe it’s still closed.

When they are children, it doesn’t mean they are completely innocent and clean of karma. So that’s why you’ve seen a lot of what you call “Les Enfants Terribles,” “terrible children” around. That happens. Especially nowadays when television, newspapers and books, bookstores are full of criminal violence records and pictures and news. And they’re always available to children without even any cost, at the library and all that. You can go and read newspapers. You can read the discarded ones. And then television, the children can turn on themselves and then know everything. That’s why nowadays we have teenage gangs, which is a big headache in America, and also in some other places. Children sometimes point guns at parents and all that kind of things, just because they learned bad things from the society. Oh, that’s terrible.

And sometimes our children, after initiation, they go outside and they swap, even sometimes meat, with other children. They don’t even know what’s wrong from right sometimes. So that’s why the children must have the parents together who meditate, and who guide them and who watch them all the time. Because it is very difficult for children to survive in such a violent world without guidance. Even the teacher cannot always control it. Because they come to school for a few hours, just teach, teach, teach, and then they go. After that they’re free. And their parents are busy. What a world! What a world! It’s even difficult for children to survive.

And then, therefore, the children today are not the children of yesterday. And also, some children brought with them a lot of bad impressions from the previous life that have not yet completely shut off or cleared away. So many children, they’re bad from birth. You know that? Even some of the newspapers have printed bad news of a three-year-old boy who killed his sister of six-months. He picked her up and just banged her until she’s dead. And then when the police asked him what he had done. He picked the doll and did the same thing and said, “Dead, that’s it, dead.” He hated the child. Three years old only, already had hatred for the sister. He did it again to demonstrate how he did it. And he said, “Dead, that’s it.” No remorse. Nothing. With such expressions of violence.

And we can’t just always say children don’t know anything. You have seen many children are very, very intelligent, right? Some are geniuses, four years old, like Mozart or other scientific geniuses of this world. Lately one Indian boy, I can’t remember the name; he’s 17 years old. And he was the youngest ever person who entered college. You know that news? (A kind of doctor.) Yes, for medical… (Medicine.) 17 years only. Very bright. And I think the youngest one for medical this year or for a long time. I can’t remember clearly, but I just remember he’s very young, and a genius. Yes. Admitted genius. He’s an Indian boy.

So, you can’t say that people get older and they get affected by the society all the time. In many cases, yes. But not all cases are like that. Is that not so? So actually, children are not always as innocent as we want them to be. That’s why many parents have headaches and teachers have problems too. And they are very quiet in front of the parents. but behind that they play hell. Something like that. So, parents sometimes don’t know. I know one or two like that. Sometimes in front of me… I know a girl, very small, six or seven. In front of me, I never knew that she’s bad. But behind she made all kinds of trouble for anybody. And so much, she played so well that I didn’t believe all these people until I found out myself. It took a long time. Nearly a year. She could even fool me. Six years old only. She fooled me from six years until nearly seven. That’s a long time for me. But of course, I am busy. I don’t always check up and I don’t see her often so I don’t know that much.

Children are not always innocent. Therefore, what I mean is that even the children might not always see the Master. We thought the children are very pure. Most of them are pure, yes. But not all. Not all of them descended directly from Heaven. Some of them ascended from a lower place, from a lower plane of existence. In that case, their memories, their reactions, their karma are entirely different from the ordinary children or from the higher dimensional children. That’s why not all the children can see the Master that easily. Even though many children do. So, if you promise that child that the Master will come after he/she sleeps, I can’t guarantee it. Make sure whatever you say is logical, and then it will happen to the children. Otherwise you say, “Perhaps.” “I think so, but I don’t know.” “I am not sure.” Otherwise, children will lose trust in you and then lose trust in the Master as well. It’s not good for the children.

All right. That’s it. I think you’ve seen me enough. I’ll see you tomorrow. I make sure I come every day. At least. All right? Before, I used to come and see the newcomers every time they come. But I think I will just come here and see them. And then like that the old also can see me. That is more convenient, since I came once anyhow, so... But the trouble is when I come to see you, you expect me to say something. I cannot always say something. (No.) No, huh? I just sit here and look like this. So, I will see you around. I don’t really want you to go. But we’re just like this, I’m very shy. I can’t just sit here forever. What can I do?

What else can I do? You suggest. (Stay there for a while, Master.) Stay there for a while? Oh, my God. I’m very shy, you don’t know. Well, then tell me something. (Sing a song.) Sing a song? You heard all of my songs already. (Can You meditate with us?) Meditate with you. No, not today. Well, another day. You’ve already finished. Sometimes I’ll come and meditate with you. Not every day. All right? You’ve done your job and you deserve to go to sleep. Not always every day is the same. It will be too boring, too routine …for me. Yes, of course. I am not an imitation bird. I can’t just sing when you turn on the clock. I can’t do that. I must survive. I must survive in order to serve you. If I force myself too much, I will have no more inspiration, and I drop dead. You understand? (Yes.) Because of you, I have to be flexible. Not because of myself only. Because of you. You understand that? Understand? (Yes.) All right. Anyhow, maybe I will think of something else to amuse you, but I think you are amused enough here, no? No need to sing songs and all that. We’re not a night club here.

You see, it’s always different. You find yourself something to do or to read. But you, I don’t think you want to read here. Do you? You can read at home. No? You want to read something? (We have magazines.) You want to read Chinese, for example? We have a lot of Chinese books here. We have English books, too. You want to read something? (No.) Should I buy some magazines? (No. No magazines.) Or do you need news magazines? You have some news now? What do you like most now, at the moment? (Your picture.) What picture? Oh, my picture. That you have anywhere. I mean the inside. What is the most popular topic? (“Master Says.”) “Master Says.” What else? (Stories.) Stories. This time, what do they have the best there? What is the best? You haven’t read it yet? (We don’t have it yet.) You don’t have it yet? (It just came out.) Anybody read it already?

(Yes. It’s about You telling the secrets of the pyramids.) Pyramids, you like that best? (Yes.) Anyone else like something else? (“You May Not Know.”) “You May Not Know?” (Yes.) What is it this time? (You drove to Monte Carlo.) (Yea, yeah, Monte Carlo.) Monte Carlo? That’s supposed to be a secret that you may not know? Sure if you were not there, you may not know. So, anything else that you like in there? Something that you really like... (Aphorisms.) Aphorisms? (Yes, a small...) A small sentence. If they translate it well, then it’s good. What else? No? That’s it?

(The magazine every month is getting better and better, and well-organized.) Better every month? Sure. Everything is better with experience, like everything else. And better translators, perhaps. More on time. With me kicking behind their back. Pushing behind. Before, they used to take a longer time. Now I think we have maybe more fellow practitioners, and people who practice more, and they’re more mature. And their sacrifice spirit is becoming higher. They are more willing to do things, you see. With more loving and more willingness. So, things are better. Of course. We mature with time.

///

This is the most beautiful quarter that you’re staying in. And I am still beautifying it. See? We don’t have a river like you have here. The only river in town is where you stay, and my beloved construction. I did it together with the monks for three days and nights, nonstop. So, this is the most beautiful place.

(The magazine every month is getting better and better, more well-organized.) Better every month? Sure. Everything is better with experience, like everything else. And better translators, perhaps. More on time. With me kicking behind their back. Pushing behind. Before, they used to take a longer time. Now I think we have maybe more fellow practitioners, and people who practice more, and they’re more mature. And their sacrifice spirit is becoming higher. They are more willing to do things, you see. With more loving and more willingness. So, things are better. Of course. We mature with time. That’s it? That’s all? Then nothing else you like? (Poetry.) Poetry. Anything else you like? (“How to Love Wholeheartedly.”) What is that? (“How to Love Wholeheartedly.”) Oh, but that’s an article. Oh, is it good? (Yes, Master.)

Anyone else? I want your feedback. What do you like most? Every month is different? At least just tell me this month. What else do you like? Forgot? (I don’t remember.) Huh? (I don’t remember.) Don’t remember? (I haven’t read it yet.) You didn’t read it yet. Other people who read it already. You can request from… Where did you request the magazine? You ask them, and they bring it down for you. Because they think you receive them at home anyhow. They didn’t think about that. But you may request how many. And so, organize with each other. You don’t tell me what else you like? If you don’t tell me, I don’t make it anymore. It’s an ultimatum.

I have less than any other masters at all. I don’t build powerful house, I don’t have powerful people behind me, I don’t know any politician, I don’t do anything. I don’t have even rich and famous disciples and all that. I don’t even know if I do have; myself, I don’t know. And we have nothing except sugar and candies here. But who knows that? If somebody wants to make trouble for you, anything could happen. (Yes).

In the olden time, people said that the life of the Master is as thin as a thread that you sew your clothes with. That’s how the life of a Master is: hanging there; anytime can mean trouble. And what happened to Jesus, to Buddha, you know They all had some problems. Even They had people who loved Them, but They had people who hated Them. If you are famous and rich, and many people love you, that’s enough to be guilty; no need for you to do any criminal things. If many people love you, if you’re too famous, then you just had better watch out. Don’t just sit there and enjoy, thinking you are God on Earth. No, no, no. I am not that stupid.

But there is no such thing as my own place. I sleep on a bed of thorns every night. It doesn’t matter how thick the bed mattress is. So, nothing good there to see. If you have wisdom eye, you’ll see how I sleep. You don’t need to see that. You’ll only see karma, bad things. You will cry only. There is nothing beautiful there for you to see, doesn’t matter how the appearance outside looks.

If you want to really see my place, you have to stay with me every day and see how I suffer, how I work day and night, how I take on a lot of trouble, and a lot of misunderstanding, and a lot of bad energies from the disciples, and from the those who don’t understand, from those who misunderstand, from those who meditate less. That’s what you really have to see.

I go anywhere, any places. This is the most beautiful quarter that you’re staying in. And I am still beautifying it. See? We don’t have a river like you have here. The only river in town is where you stay, and my beloved construction. I did it together with the monks for three days and nights, nonstop. So, this is the most beautiful place. Before, we used to come here once in a while, maybe Saturday or something, me and the monks and the nuns, sat next to the river because we loved it and barbequed. But now you are here, you stay here. And also, it’s very hot so. If you come in the winter, maybe we’ll barbeque together next to the river, then you’ll know how I love this place, then you’ll know this is the most beautiful place. Of course, everywhere is a little different. But there is no need for you to be interested in the outside surroundings. Besides, sometimes I do take you near my kitchen and things like that. Don’t I? Did I not? (Yes.) Yes.

So now, everywhere I go, I dare not sleep except in a strange place. Funny. It’s unorthodox but when I sleep in a hotel, I sleep better. No bodyguards. You know. Nobody. Or when I’m in Monaco, oh, I go shopping every day. I go anywhere. People also stare at me, look at me too. They like it but they don’t know me. They don’t bother me. They don’t sneak into my place. The most they want is an autograph. I say, “I’m not a movie star. What shall I sign to you?” They still want it. So I say, “Even if I sign my name, you don’t know.” They say, “Never mind. Sign it!”

I went in to Cannes one day because it was the film festival and I had never been there before, and also I had nothing to do, and some of my disciples liked to go see what it is because we heard about it. So we went there one day because we had two invited tickets as well. Might as well, or waste it. I went there and all the photographers, all the video just directly at me. Oh, I was so embarrassed. I didn’t know where to hide. It was terrible. I said, “Never go there again. Never.” They’re supposed to be there to hunt for the actresses and actors. Why they hunt me? And then I ran away, and then they ran after me. Oh, terrible. It was terrible. And people said, “Master, You’ve never been so embarrassed before.” I said, “Yes. I don’t know. It’s different here.”

Because I think they’d mistaken me for a movie star. But I told them, “No, no. I’m not a movie star. I’ve come to watch movies. I came to watch the movie stars.” Still they didn’t believe. They chased after me and they begged me, “Please, I’ll just take one photo.” So sometimes I relent. I say, “OK, OK, quickly.” And then it’s “clack clack clack clack,” and then they’re gone. I say, “One only.” And then “clack clack clack clack.” As much as possible. Oh gosh. So, this is something. But at least they don’t know me. So I feel very assured. And I sleep anywhere. I sleep very well. But in a known place, I don’t always sleep well. The more I’m famous in one place, the less I can sleep very well. I don’t know why. It’s just natural like that.

There are two different distinct classes of people who commit sin or commit transgression of the precepts: two categories. The first one is involuntary, not from inside. For example, that person is too beautiful and he’s weak. Or, sometimes we have the weakness of human nature. That I allow. But with such a weak person, he always feels very guilty. He feels very remorseful. And he always tries to improve himself and tries to get away from the situation. And that doesn’t write on his face. The atmosphere doesn’t write in his eyes and his face. I don’t like that I have to see through sometimes, but in some cases I do. If I have to know, I know. If I don’t have to know, God protects. I said, “I don’t want to know too many bad things because it contaminates me.” I want to stay pure. I am very pure.

I dare not say I am very pure, but God gives me some gift. You know, inside gift. So when I have to tackle something for other people’s benefit, then I know. What I have to know, I always know. If it doesn’t concern me or I don’t have to take care, I don’t have to know. So I don’t necessarily know everything, because it’s not necessary to know everything. Everything is yours. Right? In your house, you have a treasure... like you have a garbage room, and you have a jewelry room and you have a dressing room. Everything’s yours. But you don’t have always to open the garbage door to dump the garbage in, or to take the garbage out. You always do that when necessary. And you don’t always enter your dressing room for an evening gown unless you go to a party, even though it belongs to you.

And sometimes you might forget one or two dresses that you have, because you have too many. Right? I do forget. And sometimes when I look at it, I say, “Wow, did I design that? Did I design that dress? It really looks good.” Sometimes I forget what I have designed, until I’ve seen all of them and I said, “Wow! That’s a lot. It’s really good.” I was thrilled when I saw the fashion show myself, because it looked so good. Didn’t they look good? (Yes.) Really? And some of them I forgot too. Forgot that I have them.

So, likewise, we might not always have to take out the Akashic record, which is on the second plane, in order to know everybody else’s past and present life. We will know if we need to know, then we take it out and look. You know what I mean? Otherwise, why would you always look at people’s garbage, good and bad? It doesn’t concern you. Just because if you are a teacher, sometimes you have to deal with some person. Then it’s written in their face, and in that their book. They cannot run away.

So, wash yourself every day. Don’t let me see your dirty face. I don’t want to, because it’s very unpleasant. Very very unpleasant. When I have to deal with you in that way, I don’t like it. I want to keep my impression of people as pure Buddhas all the time. But unfortunately for me, God has given me this position. And I have to know everything even though it’s no good.

Your personality. Not your inner Nature. Not your Buddha Nature. Your personality, your past records written in the cells, and things like that. The material records of your life, previous life and this present life. That is written there. Not your pure Nature. Your Nature is always pure. But I don’t like to look at your garbage. I really don’t. So, please, clean your house every day. Don’t think that I don’t know anything and then you do anything you want. I don’t know, but I do know. I can’t explain to you but that’s the way it is.

Good night. (Good night, Master.) (Sleep well, Master.) Sleep well, you too.