Now, I just want to tell you, just want to remind you. Because all of these stories and the merit that you acquire when you take care of the Buddha’s stupas, or you offer to the living Buddhas or the past Buddhas or the sangha - all of this is for the ordinary people - the people who want to be reborn again as gods in Heaven - maybe small gods, big gods, depends on their merit - or people who like to become humans again, with richness and power. But always being chased by the (bad) karma…. So mind you, all the merit that we dedicate to be a god, or angels or divas or humans with position, power, and money, brings us nothing, protects us from nothing. (Bad) karma is still there chasing after us, life after life, until somehow it’s dissolved. So it’s no safety. No safety at all for us to stay in the Heavens or stay on Earth with all power, merit, whatever it is. It’s all impermanent. So it’s better we practice, like immediate enlightenment, and then from then on you will never worry about anything else.

So that's why we should never, never ask to be born again, or even in this lifetime, to become a king or anything. You have enough food to eat, you have enough clothes to wear; that is the best thing already. And whatever's left, maybe you can spare it, then you give it to the poorer people. Whatever you can. Even just a little bit of something, some food. The food that we've wasted on our planet in every rich country, we could use that to nourish the whole planet three times over. We must organize together. The food organizations, the food ministries of all the countries have to sit together and tackle this intelligently, compassionately, or else. Or else we all have consequences. This story's about somebody named Đại Thí. He's the one who tried to empty the ocean. “Thus I have heard.” At one time, the Buddha was in the country called La-duyệt-kỳ (Rajagariha) in the mountain Linh Thứu (Ghridhrakuta). “Kiều-trần-như (Kaundinya), and then Mahakasyapa, and then Sariputra, and then Maudgalyayana, and another 500 big monks came out one by one, one by one, wanting to be His attendant. But He refused them all.” It's not easy. Everybody wants to be the Buddha's attendant. But you have to be able also.

At that time, one of the monks, he somehow intuitively knew that the Buddha wanted Ananda. And other people also understood that. And then Sariputra and Maudgalyayana came up to me and said, “Annada, I think the Buddha wants you to be His attendant. Come, get up quickly and then ask the Buddha to allow you to be His attendant.” “I don't know what to do. So I said, ‘If the two great elderly Reverends think thus, then please come and ask the Buddha for me. But in order to be the Buddha's attendant, I request three privileges.’” What do you think he asked? “Number one, if the Buddha had old clothes, he will not want to accept it.” “Number two, whatever the Buddha ate that's left over, do not give it to me.” “Number three, it's meaning that, depending on the season and time, only he himself will take care for the Buddha.” So the two great disciple monks came up and told all that to the Buddha. Then the Buddha explained like this: “But you should know it's not just this day. It's not just in this lifetime that he asked for this.” “A long time ago, past life, he also serve me and also did this.” Maybe that's why he knew everything. He knew about what Buddha wanted and what time he should give what. He was very pure and good. He was unconditional.

“Obeisance to the World Honored One. In the past life how did Ananda serve You? How did he know when to do what and when to give You what?” So the Buddha said, “A long, long time ago, limitless time past, at that time there was a king who ruled a very big country. In that capital city, there was a Brahmin man, Brahmin. And the king respected him like a teacher.” “So his first wife got pregnant. She gave birth to a son… I give him the name Great Charity.” “And this boy was very, very diligent and he loved to study. And he was also very intelligent already, so he learned everything by heart so quickly.” “One day, he said to his father, ‘Respected father, I’ve stayed in this palace a long, long time already. Please can I go out and have a look outside to see what the other people are doing?’” “A bunch of beggars…a group of people killing and preparing animals…farmers…hunters…the fishermen….” “Since then, since he saw all that, he saw that everyone was so ignorant and doing such terrible karma, he became very sad. And then he was thinking how to help all beings so that they had everything, not just physical contentment but also spiritually and mentally and everything.”

Then he came up to his father and said, "Respected Father, just now I went out into the suburban areas, into the rural areas, and I saw that our citizens, because for survival, are doing many things that are karmically heavy. After they die definitely they will fall into the Three Evil Paths." "Please, can you give me one of our stores of food so that I can go and give it to them." After a while of charity, many of the stores in his house had gone down. And then Great Charity thought to himself, "So, what can I do now so that I can continue to give to the citizens so that they are happy and contented?" "OK, maybe I'll go deep into the sea to find precious stones. That should be the best." And then 500 people liked to come with him. They were just walking and then the robbers came and took everything. They came to a citadel, a city, called Supara city. In this city, there was a noble person, a rich person. His name was Kapali. He had one daughter, very, very beautiful. Now, the Great Charity man came in front of the city wall, in front of the house, and knocked at the door and wanted to borrow some money. She came in and told her father, "Ba! Outside, there's a person knocking at the door. He's my husband!" And, of course, the noble rich man was so happy. Everything that he lost, he replenished them all.

After he brought the gold and everything back, he told everybody to buy a good boat and everything had to be very thick. And then after everybody arranged to go home, he said, "I'll stay here. I want to go down to the King of the Ocean and ask for the Wish-Fulfilling Gem. Then I can give to all the world's people. And it's never, never finished." "I do not fear the long distance and the dangerous journey going to the sea to take out the treasures, to help other citizens, so that they will not be hungry and thirsty anymore. This merit I dedicate to all the Buddhas in the ten directions. I want to forward it only to my Buddhahood in the future." And then he went down to sea now. Then he saw the King of the Ocean, sitting there on his jeweled throne, a seven-jeweled throne. And he saw Great Charity come in; he was so surprised. He was thinking, "How can he come here? He must be full of merit." And then the King of the Ocean felt very respectful. "But you stay here for one month first so that I can make some offerings to you. And then you preach to me." And then the King of the Ocean took the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel from his tuft of hair, and give it to him, and then he said, "Great Charity, Sir, your merciful heart is so great, so big. Your willpower is so incredible. In the future, you definitely will be a Buddha. After you become Buddha, please accept me then as a disciple with wisdom."

Walking for a while, he saw another citadel with walls all like green diamonds. And this, another Ocean King, sat on his seven-jeweled throne. So he asked, "Bodhisattva, is there something necessary that you have to come here?" So he said, "Your Majesty, I come here requesting of you the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel to help my people." So the King of the Ocean said, "Sir, this one can rain down food for all beings within 4,000 square miles. If you want to have it, please stay here two months. Every day, give me a lecture." After a while, he saw another citadel. And then the king, another King of the Ocean, sitting on his seven-jeweled throne. So he said, "This jewel can rain down seven kinds of jewels in the vicinity of 8,000 square miles. If you want it, you stay four months, preach to me, so that I know some of the Buddha's true Dharma." There were some dragons around there, knowing that Great Charity had come to the Ocean King, and had gotten the best Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, so they became greedy. And he thought to himself, "So it can only be the dragons that stole my jewels. I spent so much time and went through so much hardship to get them so that I can rescue other beings, to fulfill my wish of charity to give it to others. Even if I die, I will not go back home empty-handed. I will scoop all the water from the ocean until I see you down there."

“And then at that time, there was a person in the peaceful heaven. He looked down and saw that Great Charity was so determined to do good works to help all beings in the world. So he asked many of his friends in heaven, heaven friends to come down and quietly help. After the dragons saw that the water level kept lowering, they were so scared. …They returned the three jewels.” “So when Great Charity came back, he came and prostrated in front of the parents. Both of them were so touched, so in awe.” “And then, from then on, the whole planet, everyone had everything they needed, including jewelry and precious substances. And then he asked someone else to come in, announcing something again, ‘Now, I would like all of the citizens to try to practice the Ten Wholesome Deeds, and keep your speech, action and thinking pure and merciful, compassionate, loving and kind, filial and protective of each other….’” “At that time, on the planet here, everyone relying on his blessing had everything they needed, and also diligently practiced the Ten Wholesome Deeds. Because of that, after they died, all of them went to Heaven.” “Now the Buddha reminded everybody, ‘The Great Charity person was my former incarnation. And the Ocean King, who stayed in the golden citadel now is Ananda, who treated me generously and respectfully.’”

“Thank You, Master, for reading these beautiful sutras for us in the last days. And this really enlightens our minds to understand the Buddhists, and what Shakyamuni Buddha has done for us, for the living beings.” “We are very happy there are also ways for the people, if they pray to the Buddhas or Christ, they have some ways to liberate.” “Because it’s difficult for all to be initiated, or meditate.” So just tell them to read the sutra. But they have to believe sincerely also. So that, this belief, this sincerity will connect with the Buddha power. Not just blah, blah, blah, blah. Connecting from inside. So they have to be sincere, humble, really request. Even though you say reciting the Buddha’s name, and the past Buddha, and then, or do something, then finally you will be Buddha. But meanwhile, there are so many thousands, hundreds of eons passed already. And then, even then, you might be led into temptation and having suffering meanwhile. So no matter what. Of course enlightenment, immediate enlightenment is the best. So you have the one lifetime, finished. If you practice directly, the (inner Heavenly) Light and the Sound of the universe, then you are directly in. Don’t have to be reborn again, and enjoy the merit or suffer the sin. It’s the best.

“But it’s just the problem. One problem is that, even at the time of death, before you go into the Three Evil Paths, just before that, even if you remember Buddha’s name, just one Buddha’s name, or one sentence from here, then the road to hell is closed for you, even if you’ve done a lot of bad things.” “Of course, you don’t have to remember any of them. If you have one Master, it’s good.” “Try not to complain a lot. Try to see things positively and accept the situation. But nevertheless, all the Centers should work together. Every time we do things without love, there’s a hole in our protective layer, personally as well. Only peace and love can protect you more, apart from the Holy Names, and the Buddha’s power, and all that. When you’re practicing, all the Buddhas in the past, meaning all the Masters in the past, and present, are helping you also. Blessing you all the time. All the angels are protecting you. But you have to be really sincere, so you can connect better.”