This is a one-sided oppression and bullying. One-sided. Because the children have no say in it. (Yes, that’s right.) They don’t even ask their permission or agreement, nothing. This is outright, how you say… (Abuse.) Abuse, of course, but that is not enough of a word for me. I cannot find a better word. “Abusing,” “molesting” is nothing. This is evil.
I’m so angry. I told you I’m an angry Master when it comes to the animals and the children, because they’re the most helpless, most vulnerable. (Yes, Master.) I could not do the video conference today. I almost could not do it even by the phone, but I had to.
I had to talk to you about this so that you can understand more why I am angry. (Yes, Master.) And why these things are the cancer of the society, of the world, the big world, big cancer, big, big, big, big, ugly, filthy cancer that has to be cut off. Otherwise, it infects the whole world. And nobody will believe in the teaching of Jesus if it continues this way. There will be more harm done. Do you understand? (Yes, Master.)
To deny a cancer is to not seek the cure and not try to heal it. So, they have to do something more obvious than this, more obvious than just here and there, a little bit, here and there, and all that, and just promising and doing nothing all these years, all these decades already. And how many more tens of thousands of children, little boys, little girls, have to suffer, until they open their mouths and do something?
I remember a poem, some priest in Japan wrote it. Well anyway, I read it from a Japanese Buddhist book. But it could be a Japanese priest, it could be Chinese. I don’t remember which country’s priest. But they have even a little reverence for the street girls, these so-called prostitutes. (Yes, Master.) They are doing it openly and honestly. They sell only what they have, if they have nothing else to sell. Society pushed them into this corner already. Everybody looks down upon them.
But look at the holy, holy of all the holy people who are supposed to lead the faithful into virtues, morals and God realization. Look at what they are doing behind closed doors, forcing little weak children, towering upon them, squashing them, squashing even the little children’s dignity and peace. And they will be traumatized all their lives, these little kids. And don’t wonder if they became criminals even, (Right.) for hating this system of “holiness” and which is just betraying their faith and their innocence, and destroys their lives. Do you hear me? (Yes, Master.) Oh, I’m just so breathless, I’m just so angry.
This is a one-sided oppression and bullying. One-sided. Because the children have no say in it. (Yes, that’s right.) They don’t even ask their permission or agreement, nothing. This is outright, how you say… (Abuse.) Abuse, of course, but that is not enough of a word for me. I cannot find a better word. “Abusing,” “molesting” is nothing. This is evil. You understand me? (Yes, Master.) This is criminal!
I remember the poem written by a Buddhist priest. I don’t remember exactly everything. It’s just something. (Yes, Master.) Like, “The Buddha sells the Dharma; the monks sell the Buddha; she sells her body; all to satisfy sentient beings’ different desires.” I read that, I felt very touched. (Yes, Master.) It seems not reverent to the Buddha and the monks, but it is so. He is a straightforward and honest person. He does not look down upon the prostitute. (Yes, Master.)
And long time ago, long, long, long, many ten years ago, I still had enough time to recite poetry. And I recited one of the poems for the Aulacese (Vietnamese) disciples. Not a lot of them at that time. It’s something about one of these courtesans, the prostitute. She’s having, of course, a night with one of the clients, a man, on the river, on the boat. It was so romantic with the boat and the moon reflecting in the water, and it was in the night and quiet. And then the girl who worked as a prostitute felt very lonely, and maybe she liked that customer of hers. And she begged him to stay with her for a while longer, “Why so hurried? Because the moon is so bright, as if Heaven is having a party, a festival. So if you leave, my heart will feel too lonely, too lonely.” Something like that.
I remember all the Aulacese (Vietnamese) words, but I’m not in a mood to recite for you right now. If you can, you find it. It’s an old-time recitation. Maybe in LA they will have a copy somewhere, privately preserved. I’m not sure if they recorded it.
“Stay with me longer then, ye my fond guest. Why hurry ye? The moon is bright, my gentleman. It's full tonight to light up heaven's feast; Walk not away to leave my heart wan. Come sit by me! This here my welcome knee, My arm and this here my soul. With due respect, my prince, I place them at your feet. The rooster crowed under the moon's cold glow, The maiden behind blurred eyes beheld the river flow. The guest is gone. The guest is gone forever so.”
How pitiable for them! Who would know the courtesans' feelings, right? There were many men, but none loved them, right?
And one of your brothers, Aulacese (Vietnamese) brother, asked me, “Why did you recite such things? You are a monk. Why did you recite poetry talking about a prostitute woman?” So I said to him, all very clear in my mind, that she is a Buddha, inside. I said, “Inside her, she has also Buddha Nature like you.” When I spoke like that, it was very clear to me that it is like that. It is true like that, with all objectivity and reverence. (Yes, Master.) For all beings at all. And I still do that.
