Anymore? (Master.) Yes. Where? Where? (Here.) Oh. Yeah. OK. (Master, I wanted to ask You one question.) Yes. (Is it better to meditate individually, or is it more beneficial to meditate in a group?) Both, both. At home, we have to meditate individually. And in a group, the power is very strong, it can help us lift a lot of karma. Also, cleanse the karma of all day that we have been collecting. Because you never know who is strong in the group. You never know how strong you are. If you happen to sit next to a Bodhisattva of the Seventh Level, then, wow, good for you! But if you’re already a Master of the Eighth Level, then don’t need group meditation.
It’s just like money. Just like money, honey. Money, you have 1,000. But you can’t open a business. If four or five people put money together, each one only 1,000, but it becomes five or six thousand. And for 5,000, you can borrow 50,000, for example, and then it’s strong. Then you can open a business together, and each one gets back the 1,000 and more interest. (Yes!) And sometimes you have only 2,000, and the other person has 5,000. Nevertheless, when you put money together to work, then you share the profit. Even though the profit will be divided into the percentage of 5,000 or 2,000, but still, if only 2,000, you can’t make a business. You have to put it together with the 5,000 and make more, then you have enough to rent a house or to do a business. (Yes.) And then from that, you get the interest. Yes?
(Master, we only have about 100 practitioners down at the San Diego Center.) Oh, that’s good enough. “Only”! (But You can come down and visit when You get a chance.) I wish. I will come when time is more relaxed. (Thank You, Master.) You’re welcome.
Yeah? (Dear Master, I have a question on behalf of a would-be-initiate from Âu Lạc [Vietnam]. This year, she is 72 years old and has been vegetarian for 27 years. A few months ago, she submitted an application for initiation, but the Quan Yin messenger refused because she is over 65 years old. The Quan Yin messenger said that he wouldn’t dare giving initiation unless he got Master’s written permission. So she asked me to help request Master’s permission for her to be initiated. Since the day her application was denied, she has been crying constantly, being afraid she might pass away without receiving initiation. Please, Master... She says she wants to get initiation to achieve a higher level of liberation.) I will see that Quan Yin messenger and sort it out later. I need to understand the circumstances before making a decision. We can’t just make generalizations like that. Then people will go back and say to everyone, “72 years old can also get initiation.” Understand? (Yes.) We need to consider the individual case. Because no one has asked about this issue before. And also, there isn’t a Quan Yin messenger there at the moment. I will ask about it when I get back.
(Now, we go eat.) Is there anything else? Finished, right? What? What do you say? You didn’t eat yet? (We invite You to go eat with us.) Ah, I am going to eat? (Yes.) Ah, I forgot that I was hungry. (Please rest, Master.) It is alright. I am going to eat after noon time. I am practicing ascetic, only eating after noon time. Now, it is not noon yet. Wait until noon tomorrow to eat then. No problem. Finished, right? (Yes.) Oh, if you’re finished, then you should go home. Actually, you should because it’s 12 (AM). And then, the ones who don’t have a car, please others take care of them. Whoever has no car should hold on to the tires of other people’s car, so that they can take you home. And you just sit here. Or we go to the next room. We will see each other tomorrow. (Yes.)
Don’t, please. No. (This letter is from…) Oh, please, I don’t take presents. A letter, I receive. (OK. This [present] is from the foundation. You can give it to somebody else if You want.) Please, you give. (I give it to somebody else?) Yes. (OK.) You give, to whomever you like. Thank you. I will read it (the letter) when I go home. Now it’s too noisy, and I have to see some other people.
Who are my “boyfriends and girlfriends”? (Yes.) Stay behind. I have something that needs your help with. (Yes.) But are you really “boyfriends”? Do you already have girlfriends outside? Alright, wait a bit. Let me talk to these people first. You can eat or do something. But if you have to work tomorrow, then it’s fine. (No work, Master.) No work? Because sometimes many people want to follow me, but since they’re still in school, it would be a pity to quit. So, those who follow can’t help much, and those who could help aren’t able to follow. It’s troublesome sometimes. Alright. Where are the other two? Where are they? Go inside there. No problem. Let’s go to that room.
Oh, I forgot! There are still a lot of issues here. How about you come back tomorrow? Today there isn’t enough time. If you can come tomorrow, come; if not, then it’s OK too. No problem. Tomorrow, around 7 or 8 (AM) o’clock. (Yes.) Let’s make it 8 (AM) o’clock; 7 (AM) is too early, isn’t it? (Yes.) 8 o’clock, alright? (Yes.) Tomorrow, we also need to have an internal meeting. There are many matters to decide, to discuss. Not that. It’s because [he] alone can’t handle all the work. So tomorrow, we’ll have to talk more about this matter, alright? (Yes.)
Now there are too many of us, so having just one contact person is not enough. We’ll need to discuss this tomorrow, OK? So we need to recruit a few more people, or I will select a few people to help [him]. So if [he] isn’t available, there will be someone else. Because sometimes looking for [him] is like looking for a king – you can’t find him. Even I can’t find him. He’s blocking the signal, and I don’t know where to signal to. But overseas, there’s no way to signal. Yeah, that’s the trouble.
Yeah! Come in here. Go in here. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about… Tomorrow we will talk about our own internal change. (Yes.) And some help or some problems. Tomorrow if you want to come, you come. Do it again. It’s democracy. Where’s the voting? But must change (contact persons) after a few years; it’s not forever. There are new people who might be more capable. And the old ones need to be given a break. So every two, three, or four years, it depends, we vote again. Change it. If they keep the position too long, they might think they’re too great. (Yes.) OK? (Yes.) And the ones who live in Texas will go home tomorrow, right? (I am staying here.) Staying here? (I am staying until next Tuesday.) Ah, so tomorrow. We see each other tomorrow. (Yes, tomorrow.)
OK, whoever wants to go to Hong Kong, can go. (Yes.) And this year, I said that you shouldn’t wait to see me again on my birthday. This year, we should not organize birthday celebration, because the [refugees] are suffering. I have no heart to dance like a dragon, like a phoenix anymore, forget it! Yesterday, we should not have been singing, but since you already prepared, I just sat there and bore it, like a puppet. Next time, do not organize any more entertainment. Wait until we resolve the refugee issues, then we can think about it, OK? (Yes.) Not only you that I refused, so don’t feel sad. This time, I went to Korea, because I left Hong Kong a little earlier, so I stopped by Korea to visit the initiates a little bit. Please translate for the English people. One by one. Whoever knows English, bring one man and one woman up here. (There’s a microphone, Master.) There’s a microphone, but these guys are in the front anyway. OK, you take your earphones up. Take your earphones, please.
What I meant was that when I was in Korea, and you already knew how the Koreans were treating me – so respectful, so loving. They organized a very special entertainment program, which they had practiced for a long time already. They just waited for me to come, so they could present it to me to see. But that day, I had to return to Hong Kong urgently. Standby. There wasn’t any airplane, so I had to standby. But even a first-class ticket, I could not buy, because it was so rushed. Truly, I knew the next day… Because in Hong Kong, they sent an urgent message. They knew ahead of time, supposedly, but they thought I would not return to Hong Kong anymore, because I was already on my way to USA, so they just reported to me, as a courtesy. It said: “Dear Master, tomorrow we have to attend a meeting inside the Hong Kong Legislative Council.” Because tomorrow, they would discuss about the refugee issues, the repression incident on 7th of April, when the [policemen] threw 500-600 tear gases, and sprayed from the helicopters the gas which caused the refugees to bleed in their eyes, in their noses, and in their mouths. (Oh!)
That’s why I was burnt with impatience, otherwise I normally didn’t criticize any government at all, because I understood their situation. But understanding didn’t mean to let them oppress people barbarically like that. This is the 21st century already, we can’t do that anymore. The refugees just came to beg for some little food and clothes, why did they oppress the refugees so much like that, understand? I am for equality. If the communists are doing bad, I will tell them. If the democrats are bad, I also scold them. I didn’t just criticize the communists only. They didn’t understand, and thought I am against communists. I am against the injustice, not against anybody.
So when I heard that message, I immediately went back to Hong Kong, worried that my disciples would not speak well. He came from Hong Kong, so he didn’t know the suffering of the refugees. In Hong Kong, they have all kinds of jobs you can do. Except if you want to be a president, otherwise, you can work any job and earn enough money to live, any job. Any job, any profession, you can apply and get it, any profession.
Photo Caption: Find the Beauty the Eyes Can’t See!
