And the more you practice, the more you do not care about how much you have or not have. You just want peace, tranquility, stability in your life, so that you can continue discovering your inner great Self, because that is the most important thing and we are happy to grow with that.
Similarly, even when the Master comes into this world, She/He has to also respect the law, least of all, the disciples. We have to adhere to the Five Precepts. Otherwise, I just give you initiation, “Ah, do what you want, you are free!” You are free. You are free, of course, if you walk the straight path. Both sides… You know, there is some country, there are land mines. If they’ve already cleared the road for you and they say, “This road you can walk, the left you cannot, the right you cannot, behind you cannot,” and you should not, because you will be dead or maimed, or lose your limbs. Similarly, in this world it’s similar to a landmine field; you have to walk straight. The Master cleared the road for you, but you have to walk. It’s very risky in this world, dangerous world. You look around you.
Sometimes even I was scared. When I was in Europe, sometimes I had to go out in the car, somebody else driving, so I didn’t have to look at the road. Sometimes I looked around I saw advertising for meat, so big on the board, next to the street, and I shuddered. I was thinking, “What kind of world am I living in?” Before, they even killed people to eat, also, a long, long time ago. And now they kill animals to eat, sometimes kill the animals alive. Or kill dogs even, or skin them alive, it’s horrible. It’s very difficult to live in this world.
And I am very glad that you still can come to group meditation, that you can meditate at home, with little obstruction. Despite your busy schedule and your family obligations, your job duty, you still can do what you can to protect yourselves. I’m so glad, and I appreciate your effort. Because I know how difficult it is already to live in this world, uninjured emotionally, or physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually even. So, count your blessings. Always count your blessings, and do not complain. I am also having to count my blessings every day, so I don’t complain, so that I don’t break down, because sometimes it’s really hard to be a Master. It doesn’t always look rosy, like I am sitting here talking to you in peace, not like that. I cannot list it all for you.
We count our blessings. Every day we thank Heavens, thank Gods, Godses or Goddesses, to help protect us, so that we have such a fortunate life. Many people don’t have what we have. No matter how little you have, you still are very lucky. Yes. And the more you practice, the more you do not care about how much you have or not have. You just want peace, tranquility, stability in your life, so that you can continue discovering your inner great Self, because that is the most important thing and we are happy to grow with that.
Like your brother, he asked for only one thing before he died. He didn’t ask, “Master, give me riches, give me diamonds, give me gold, give me a house, give me cars, give me a better wife.” Nothing. He asked just for proof of enlightenment. You do have, you do have. It’s just that maybe you are looking in the wrong direction, you are expecting different things. Whatever you have, continue, it’s good. You just misunderstand. But it happens also if your mind is somewhere else.
In the Buddha’s time, there was one monk who also imparted the (inner Heavenly) Light and Sound from the Buddha. Then he went to the forest to meditate alone, but he had no experience of the Sound, and he came back and asked the Buddha why. Other people asked for him, and He said, the Buddha said that because he doesn’t concentrate on that, he concentrates only on the Light. It’s not that you say, “OK, I will concentrate on the Light,” and then you can. It’s not like that. It’s your mind, sometimes is a wandering tool, it’s a troublemaker. But without the mind, you also cannot practice.
And then there is another guy, another monk, who also got the Light and Sound, but he came back, he said… because he went near a village to meditate, and his hut was destroyed by weather, and he asked the villagers to build him another hut. They said they would, but then days after days, weeks after weeks, months after months, they did not do it. So, during all that time that he stayed there, in the summer retreat, he had not an iota of Light come to him. Meaning not even a flash of Light came to him. The same thing, because he has no concentration, he can’t. He is exposed to all these kinds of elements. He has no roof over his head.
Imagine, he’s a monk, he doesn’t have much to do, and still just the weather’s bothering him, then he could not have the Light. Not to talk about you, you have so much work to do, everything just wants to take your attention away, thus you are in difficulty to concentrate. I sympathize very much with you, but nevertheless, I’m still very proud of you, and very glad that you still hold on to your faith, and continue your road to enlightenment. The Master Power will bless you, will help you, no matter what level you are. As long as you don’t harm others, as long as you continue to have faith, when you die, Master will always take you.
OK. I’ll talk again about Milarepa. Milarepa, the Master told Him, His Master told Him not to go down into the world, “Just hide yourself somewhere in the mountain, meditate alone, don’t bother about the humans.” He talks like that, but He Himself had disciples. You know, if you are a Saint, people smell it, know it. Even inside, some gods or some angels will tell them. You see? And then they go and find you.
That’s how they discovered me, three times, in the beginning, when I wasn’t aware that I was a Master of some sort. I’m still not aware now, but since you came, I teach you something. Teach you what I know, and if it’s good for you, then you continue to practice. If it’s not good for you, you are welcome to leave. Nobody will ever say anything. Just don’t slander, because you never know, maybe I am really a Master. Maybe I don’t look like (one), but maybe I am a Master. Then you will be in trouble. Yeah, I am warning.
All right. Now. But Milarepa, of course, He normally was hiding in the mountain. I don’t know, somehow people found out, because what kind of real man, what kind of human would stay in the mountain, without any clothes on in the winter, and eat only nettle leaves, until He became all green like a caterpillar? Even growing green hair all over. And so people even asked Him, “Are you real? Are you human or are you preta?” Means, “Are you a hungry ghost? Or are you a human?” And He said, “I am human.” He should have said, “I am a ghost” and scare them all away. Then He would not have had any trouble at the end of His life. I will tell you, or you know the story, I guess. Somehow, people smelled, and smoked Him out. Just like when I was meditating three months, or eating brown rice and sesame alone without anything else, salt of course, and then somebody said that Quan Yin Bodhisattva told them to go to that temple. They’d never been there before, to find the Master. That’s how I was discovered in Taiwan (Formosa).
In India I was discovered already, because I wanted to buy a book and they said they didn’t have it, I said, “You have it.” “I saw it in your shop. It’s such a color, such a size.” And then they thought I was a Buddha already. At least one of them followed me, wanted to be my disciple. So, I tested him and he passed, so I had to keep my promise. My first disciple, so-called, on the bank of the Ganges River. I had no temple, nothing. No shaved head, nothing. I just wore white clothes, like most Indians. All right. That was my first discovered mission.
I went to Taiwan (Formosa), I was discovered again, I just told you. I lived in the temple, behind the temple, a very obscure area where they keep the ashes of the dead people. I lived among the dead. They still found me out; a group, they came in, in such a night; thunder storm, raining. I’ll never forget. They came in because they (were) so in a hurry. Why didn’t (they) come in (the) daytime? Came in the night, knocking at my little dead quarters. I had to give them (initiation). Fine, because they said the Bodhisattva gave them the direction. Huh, for the respect of the Bodhisattva, I had to, no?
And then I ran away to America, and they discovered me again. A group of black and white people came to the temple where I was cleaning the toilets and wiping the floor every day, and cooking for whoever came, and for the abbot as well. They came in and said, “Oh, we know. Someone appeared inside our vision to tell us to come here, this address.” They’d never been there before. None of them had been there before, and none of them had been to that ash room, the dead room before. They found the way to come, and they said that, “Come here and then You will teach us to listen to the sea,” and that, “Your name is Master Ji.”
Actually, Ji is a name that is addressed to any great person, like “great” Ji, means “Great,” Master Ji. I said, “No. You’re looking for the abbot, right?” They said, “No, no, no, no.” They said, “Not the abbot. ‘Master Ji.’” And then the other one said, “No, no. Master Ching, I think, Ching.” They argued with each other Ching or Ji. I said, “No, the abbot’s name is so-and-so. He’s not here right now. Maybe you come back after two months when he comes back to America.” They said, “No, no, no. Not a man.” He said, “It’s a woman.” And over there only me. The abbot is a man, I’m a woman. And other laypeople come and go, come and go, to learn with him. So I also had to teach them. That’s the third time. See what I’m saying? They smell you.
In India maybe they smell you faster. If you just sit on the bank of the Ganges, you will have things. You will have food, You’ll have people come touch your feet, ask you to teach them. In India, people, they are very liberal in spiritual practice. If they see you, maybe they can see your aura, and then they know you are good or not good. Some people don’t see your aura, but if you wear renunciate robes, grow a long beard, a little bit, then I’m sure you can be a Master. So whoever says you already attained Buddhahood, just go there. You will be worshipped in no time. No problem.
