“Why are you provoking me? I don’t want to give you.” He said, “Please.” And I said, “No.” Those are smelled by devils. He said he used to do that. I said those things are not good. Some people who are possessed like to go to the temple to smell sandalwood. Nothing great about it. I told him, “You’re possessed.” Sometimes we don’t know that we are possessed. Why indulge in those things? Here we’ve practiced this much, why do we still have to rely on superficial things? Burning sandalwood, and then worship, and then sit down, and then “Ohyo ohyo.” And then devils appeared from the smoke. Sandalwood generates smoke. I tell you, some of you are really funny in spiritual practice. Love doing romantic things; you have been watching too many movies.
(Since you can’t smell what’s inside, you just smell the outside. If you can’t smell the inside, you smell the outside.) Yeah. Just “insert” and burn the incense in the burner. So I told him, this is the incense burner. It looks very much like it. (Yes.) It looks very much like a burner, no? (Yes.) You have to burn it first, and then will you see the Dharma Realm is permeated with fragrance. Otherwise, you just insert the incense burner, burn it until charred, it still won’t permeate the Dharma Realm. Sometimes we get used to relying on certain things. We’ll put a few flowers here, an incense burner there, a flower over there, and place something in the middle. And then perform hand mudras or whatnot. You have been watching too much TV.
Have you been watching those kinds of TV shows lately? No. (No.) (The most we watched is that “Ninja Turtles.”) Ah? Warrior Turtles. (“Ninja Turtles.”) “Ninja Turtles.” Didn’t he burn the incense? (No.) (They only made pizza.) His first word after enlightenment: “Pizza, pizza.” Scaring people. “Ah! Why can a turtle(-person) talk?” Everyone can say “pizza.” Our beginners in spiritual practice are also like that. They talk nonsense at home to scare others. Actually, it’s meaningless, just like people saying “pizza.” It’s a kind of minor eloquence. Very difficult to teach. If you’re as innocent as children, it still can be excused. You’re not innocent enough. If you are like children, a bit naughty, a bit immature, it’s still fine. But you’re too complicated, not children anymore. We can’t say that you’re still children. It’s troublesome because you’re no longer children. When it comes to practicing the Tao, you are just like little children. Meaning, you’re only at the very beginning. I can say you are too clueless. But your mind is also not pure enough. What a pity.
Let him sit over there and give him something to eat. Sit anywhere. (He looks very much like…) Like what? (Very much like…) (A TV actor.) Looks like whom? (A TV actor.) (Like that TV actor.) No. Oh. Maybe it’s like that. I didn’t see him that day. I thought he was Taiwanese (Formosan). Can Tong speak good English? (Cannot.) Cannot. Forget it. Tell him to try his best to listen. Listen with his Wisdom Eye. It’s cold no matter how many quilts you cover. The wind keeps seeping into the gaps between our teeth. Oof! So cold! My teeth will keep chattering. Can’t help it. Have you ever seen those Tibetan people? This part of their face is very wide. This part of their face is very wide, very special, very thick. Because it’s too cold there and their teeth are always chattering.
(Hi.) Is there anything else that’s less…? (The session of listening to Master’s teachings, followed by answering questions which fellow initiates more often ask.) What about the female initiates? (No one asked questions today.) Today. What about the day before yesterday? (They asked the day before yesterday.) (The day before yesterday.) (The question about examination.) For example, if you have anything that you don’t understand, and you can’t help or support each other to solve, then you can write it down and ask me. (OK.)
(Master, on Sunday two weeks ago, at the service desk for spiritual practice, one initiate asked a question. He said he was a master in playing Go [Weiqi].) Afternoon? (Go. Playing chess, playing Weiqi.) A Go (Weiqi) master. (He’s very good at it, claiming to be the champion in the whole of Taiwan [Formosa].) Oh! Champion of Taiwan (Formosa), and then? (He asked if he could continue doing it. Will it obstruct his spiritual practice? I told him just don’t be attached. Is that a good answer?) Did he have progress in spiritual practice? Is it good or not? He should be able to feel it. (He didn’t ask the question himself. The one asking was also a master of Go. He said they have a group that plays Go, and he had this confusion.) OK. They can play. It doesn’t matter. But they should know, it’s not the most important thing. Because we don’t have much time. If we want to play Go, and work, and meditate, I’m afraid there’s not enough time. It’s better if they can concentrate more on meditation. If he doesn’t feel there is any obstruction, then he can continue to play. Because I personally think playing Go is not very important. It won’t help anyone, either. Does it?
(He said that some of them play it as a profession. Professional.) (He earns a salary from it. Yes.) Then it’s considered a kind of gambling. (I’m not sure about that. But some do play Go game as a profession.) Is that so? (Yes, yes.) If they win, they get money. A kind of competition? (Yes. There is something like an award, prize money. The kind where the first-place winner receives some prize money.) Really. OK. I think it doesn’t matter; it’s like a hobby. (Yes.) When they play some hoop game, or running races, or whatever. If when he wins, he doesn’t feel proud, and when he loses, he doesn’t feel angry or upset, and when he goes home, his mind won’t be occupied by the game, then it’s alright. If he feels very disturbed, and when he meditates, it’s all chess in his mind, like what, like “Horse” and everything comes out, then he should know that it’s time to stop. Because it’s already difficult for us to still our mind. If one more thing is added to make him struggle, it’d be very tiring.
Just like when you sometimes watch TV, you can’t quit immediately. Is that right? (Yes.) Yeah. But from time to time, I will also let you watch it. Some TV programs have spiritual inspirations and human feelings, or are related to you. So I let you watch. Sometimes it’s harmless watching it and relaxes your mind a bit. Relaxes your mind. Right? (Should be correct.) Meaning… adjust your mind and body, from being too wound up. Sometimes when your work is urgent, you are more tired or stressed. Then you watch some funny movies in the evening. It’s also fine. Do this occasionally, but not very often. Even if we see it this way, knowing it doesn’t matter, but later when we meditate, those things will emerge. Is it not so? (Yes.) Those things will stay in our mind. It takes a while or a couple days for us to forget, depending on how deep the impression is. Therefore we can’t…
Sometimes everything in the world is making trouble for us. But it also depends on whether your mind is very stable or not. Whether it is very stable, and determined to find the Tao. Otherwise, even if I don’t let you watch TV, you’ll watch secretly, or you buy random books to read, it’s just the same. It depends on whether you miss them or not, love to watch or not, whether you love to watch or are addicted. Right? (Yes.) More or less, there’ll be some influence. Sometimes after you read random books, your mind will be thinking of those things; even if we’re not influenced, but we will still think of it. Such thoughts will delay you a few minutes or a few hours in focusing your mind. (And it took a few hours to read.) It’s difficult for you to meditate for two hours, and then you keep on thinking about things like Jin Yong or whatever. Or any dog(-person); a dog(-person) in your home, or anything like… I don’t know. Maybe “Ninja Turtles,” then it’s not good.
But in “Ninja Turtles,” there’s something about spiritual practice. There is a master with a spirit body and things like that. So I let you watch it. Meaning they also practiced some kind of Quan Yin Method. Otherwise, there won’t be the master’s spirit body. It’s very interesting. Turtle(-people) can also attain enlightenment. Yes, rat(-people) can also become Buddhas. They are all here. You are either rat- or monkey-, turtle-, and pig(-people), and then chicken-, duck(-people). What’s that? (Ox- and sheep[-people].) Ox- and sheep(-people).
Wow. It’s brought here from Âu Lạc (Vietnam).) Is it? (Yes, Master.) Is it reliable? “Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Pa Hum, Hum Hum Hum Hum.” This is nothing. How do they dry it over there? (Under the sun.) Under the sun. These things are more… It can be machine dried. It can be done by machine. Maybe it’s by machine? It looks clean. If it’s sun-dried, it won’t be so beautiful, right? (Yes, yes.) Yes or no? (Yes.) Wow, it’s the whole set, including the skin – it’s also dried. Is it done by machine? Do they have machines there? (I don’t know.) (We didn’t see any.) (Is it invested by foreigners? Possible.) I don’t know. How did they pack them? (They pack the whole bunch in a bag.) Ah… (Might as well not eat it.) Recite the Five Holy Names more, praying for the inner Master to help. I can’t just eat anything now.
Photo Caption: How Happy to See Such Rare Lovely Presence!
