(Master.) Some are leaving today? Leaving tomorrow? Tomorrow? Do you have any testament, before you leave? You want anything? Any questions? (So, I just want to thank You for this period at the Center, for Your hospitality, and at the same time I would like to bring the love of the fellow practitioners in Montreal, from Montreal.) Thank you. That’s it? How many are leaving tomorrow? In the morning or all together. The morning? Morning? (At night.) (Afternoon.) Afternoon? PM, eleven? Eleven is AM. PM? PM, evening? (Yes.) Oh, really? Tonight? No. Tomorrow night.
Well, time in this dimension is always like this. Doesn’t matter how long you stay, it’s never forever. I just hope that I have made you comfortable during your short stay. Besides, there is no such formality between us. Right? You know me very well, that’s why you come. And some people don’t know me very well and that’s why they come. In either case, we try to accommodate each other. Of course, there are always technical mistakes here and there. But otherwise, you enjoyed yourselves? (Yes.) Really? What? Sophie? Did you say something? (No.) You are leaving tomorrow? (No, Sunday.) Sunday? Sunday, after a few days. Today is Friday. (No, Thursday.) Thursday. I’m getting old, you know, and working too hard. Perhaps. I think. Don’t look. Forgot to drink water. It’s dry.
Anyhow, you know what? Those who are staying a little longer are enjoying more special privileges. I think, huh? (Yes.) Those who left early just had very normal treatment. Right? Is that not so? (Yes.) No party, no tea party and no scolding. No special pepper and all that, just plain food. And these days you have a little bit of spice. Spicy food. Sweet and sour. Hot, sharp, and what else? Bitter, a little bit. I didn’t give you the full dose yet. If you request… special spice may be added to your food and then you’d probably not like it. Everything OK? (Yes. Yes.) I don’t know what else to do to make you happy.
There’s nothing else you want? Rock and roll or roll and rocks? You want? (Rolling stones...) (Rolling rocks.) You want rock and roll? We have a lot of rocks here you can roll around. Can take turns to roll the rocks to the hill. We are making some garden. You know that? (Yes.) And we need some rocks. And you can roll them around. Especially those who have strong bodies and a lot of energy, may roll some rocks for the females to do gardening. We’re trying to make use of some of the places. See like, for example, the higher hill slope. You see? See that? Next to the bamboo grove. Grove or groove? (Grove.) Grove.
The bamboo grove that used to be the tent area for the children, and women who have children. So now we convert it into a kind of garden with flowers, soft grass, hard rocks, and a paved walkway. Things like that. So, in case you ever come back again, you can have a stroll in the garden. Feeling that you’re at home. Because it looks more European that way. Otherwise, in Taiwan (Formosa) you hardly see flower gardens anywhere. They have some? Did you see some? (No.) Rare, huh? Rare. Here in Taiwan (Formosa) they grow people. Twenty-one million in such a small island. Very prosperous. Nearly half of America’s population. No, huh? (No.) Two hundred… How many? (One tenth.) One tenth? (Two hundred and seventeen million.) Two hundred seventeen million? Half of the population I think is Japan, not Taiwan (Formosa). I get mixed up. But Japan has more islands.
One tenth of the American population? (Yes.) Phew! That is a statement. Because Taiwan (Formosa), you know, so small compared to America, just like one point. If the map is too small you don’t see it either. You don’t see; as if the nation just simply doesn’t exist. Some of the old maps, when I want to find Taiwan (Formosa), I don’t know where it is. You know, Indian maps, things like that. They print it in India; they just simply forget Taiwan (Formosa). Too small! They make small maps; you don’t see it. So that is a lot for a small island. But luckily, we still have enough space to welcome you. (Yes.)
I tell you what, you say you want to see around here but I don’t think you’ll want to because if you walk from here to there, back again… woah, I think you will wish you never made such a wish. It’s very tiring. Even me, I’m very tired, even with my golf cart. My golf cart is tired. He complains all the time, and says, “What? You make me go up and down the hill all the time.” Luckily that cart is very strong. I can take a few people with me running up the hill and down again. So, every day I take care of my small “country” here. It’s enough for me.
I wish the people who are leaving tomorrow a very good journey. And maybe we’ll see each other again. I hope you’re satisfied with our treatment here. And the little, whatever little things you have. Are you or are you not? (Yes. Yes.) Yeah? Satisfied? (Yes.) Truly? (Yes.) I don’t mean the ones who stay so long and eat all my stuff but… I mean those who just come and go. Are you satisfied? (Yes.) Even just a short time? (Yes.) You’re alright? I’m asking the leaving, I’m not asking the staying. The staying ones, you don’t know what comes tomorrow yet. (More spice.) What? (Spicy, I mean. Bitter.) No, no, no, no. Don’t ever suggest yourself into trouble.
But really, you’re satisfied? (Yes.) OK. I don’t have anybody here, because all the monks and nuns are very, very busy. Let me see. Can you go into the… not the Australian, maybe they don’t understand you. (Yes.) You run into the telephone place (Yes.) and bring a box of (vegan) candies or something. I’ll give them to the ones who leave tomorrow. The other ones can just stand by and donate some clapping hands and mouth water. Be quick. That’s also a big help. Can you see me, all of you? See some? Well, meanwhile, I’m just sitting here so you can look at me a little bit more. See how many lines I have.
You’re all looking very beautiful and healthy, even with no makeup. Looks like you’re having a good time. You have enough love and exercise. Right? (Yes.) What’s wrong? Why are you laughing? Because you roll the rocks? I told you, didn’t I? I told you. We have all kinds of activities here. Rocks and rolls and all that. So, don’t you ever complain that you follow the (Supreme) Master Ching Hai, and you have no more fun in life. All the rocks and rolls you have to leave out. No. no, we… Here we have a lot of rocks that you can roll all day long. Really? You are working? (Yes.) What did you do? (Roll the rocks.) Roll the rocks. Really? That’s fun. But you can bring some music along and make it lively. Anyhow, I have written some rock ‘n’ roll music for you – just for the occasion! Live rock and real rock. Well, you can’t find that in any nightclub in the world. It’s real rock and roll. Strong.
Where did you roll the rocks? (In the garden.) In the garden? All of you had to work? (Yes.) I thought they had finished. (Not, not yet.) Not yet? (Almost.) (Almost done.) (That’s why they’re nearly finished.) What’s that? (That’s why they’re nearly finished.) Because they roll all of you up the hill? That’s a big job because of all these rocks. My God. It’s difficult to roll you up. (Yes.) All of you, even small and big. (Yes.) But how many rocks did they have there? (A lot.) A lot? Big rocks? (Yes.) (Small rocks.) Small rocks. (Boulders.) What? (Boulders.) Boulders! Maybe some of you came from Colorado.
Oh really? I dare not walk into there yet because I surely will find something wrong. So, I don’t walk there. I have enough places to be angry with; I dare not walk there even though I pass by. Every day I pass by, they put some rocks in front of my car. And today, they have no more rocks because you rolled them all, so they put dirt. A big heap of soil on the road, right in the middle, no more, no less. So, I had to always back up my car and find the other road. We have only a few roads here, and then I find another road, and then there’s a big truck standing there. Oh, my God. Today… just traffic jam; you talked about traffic jams. I had trouble jamming my golf cart down here. Good that we don’t even have too many people, it’s a small village here. Otherwise, just to reach you takes an eternity.
Photo Caption: Home Is Where the Soul Belongs!
