My room, please use it. It’s very big. Very big. You can sit in there and meditate. OK? Don’t reserve it for me. I will be happier if you use it for meditation and keep yourself warm and you can concentrate. […] In any Center – I told you many times, but because of respect for me, you don’t use it. That I understand also. I appreciate it very much. But because of our situation, our space is small. Make use of anything you have. […]
So, you see, I have a lot of property. All for you. I’m glad that you use it. Even if I don’t use it, it’s good. And I earn money, by different means of painting and all that. But I never have any. Even when I invited you for (vegan) ice cream in Honolulu, they (assistants) had to pay for my ice cream. Sometimes I don’t have the money inside (in the pocket/bills). Oh, I’m not used to paying for it (with bills). I don’t have private use, so I hardly touch money. It becomes like a habit. So, I have no idea how much is an American dollar [compared] to a Taiwan[ese] (Formosan) [dollar]. I always have to ask them. You know what I mean? And today I signed a check – they put some money in my private account in case I go outside; we go out and their money cannot be used. Their check cannot be used. Then I use mine. Because I’m a foreigner, and I’m not always in Taiwan (Formosa), so, they put some money in my account.
And today I signed it. And for a long time, I didn’t sign it. The first time I signed it, I gave $5,000 to the agriculture costs in Costa Rica, and I requested to buy a machine for doing farm work. $5,000 only. They are modest. And I signed the check the first time from my account. Today is the second time, but it’s about five years apart or something. Normally, all my money will go into the public account. And whatever help we need for other people, always the disciples sign it and get the money out. I don’t have to do anything. I nearly forgot how to handle all this. So, today I signed a check because we didn’t bring much money here. We want to relieve the victims, so, I signed all the money, signed that [for a withdrawal] from the bank account. And I signed it.
I didn’t know how to sign it. I said, “Where and how to write.” I truly don’t know. So, I’m afraid to make a mess of it – cross it back and forth and that, so I said, “You write it down and I just sign it.” And I don’t even know where to sign it. So, he said, “Here, Master, here.” And I can’t remember how I signed it the last time because you have to sign it the same (way) in order to get the money. And they didn’t let us get money because it was $70,000. They thought it was too much. So then I said, “We have to put it in our account here at the center and draw this money out first, and then they will put it in later.” So even then, my own check, I don’t know how to write. So, you know, what for do I have money? So actually, we don’t have to desire money because when we have it, we can’t use it. What for?
And all my clothes are very cheap because we do it ourselves. We design ourselves. Clothes, the most expensive (costs) are the design money and the labor money, the working, sewing money. Right? We do all this ourselves. So, it costs only the material. And the material is the cheapest thing. So, no problem, I look very glamorous and rich, but I have nothing. That’s the fantastic thing about it. So actually, you don’t desire for so much money. If you have enough, it’s OK. Because when you have money, it’s OK also. It doesn’t change you. It doesn’t make a different person out of you. And you can’t eat more than your stomach can digest. And you know how much I eat. Right? Once or twice a day is the most and that’s it. So now what for do you want money? Just remember that. But you have to work hard and earn it. And save it for other people. And that’s OK. It’s OK. You can earn money and save it. It’s OK.
But don’t desire too much. It’s natural. It will come naturally. God will give you ideas, talents, how to finance yourself if you truly practice well and have no greed for anything. Things will come alone. Right? (Yes.) Because if you have so much money, you’re also like me, what can you do with it? Of course, I want to buy this and that for you, build a hall for you or something like that. But there’s always disasters. If it’s not in the United States, then it’s in the Philippines. If it’s not in the Philippines, it’s in China. If not in China, in Âu Lạc (Vietnam), in Africa, anywhere. So, we never win. Right? So, I think you have to sit under the plastic sheet for I don’t know how many more decades. I can’t promise anything because I can’t keep money.
And if you want to build the house, you can’t just every day build one bridge. As soon as you have $5, you buy a brick and build. That’s the only way that you can build the house. Otherwise, if I can gather some sum of money, then something else will come, then I will spend it all. And then you will have a plastic sheet again. But that’s OK? (Yes.) How about winter? (Same. Still not bad.) (It’s OK. Not bad.) Not bad. You wear a parka. Alright? And you put your sleeping bag around. (Yes.) But when it rains, it’s difficult. Huh? (No. Meditation Hall.) It’s OK. Yes.
My room, please use it. It’s very big. Very big. You can sit in there and meditate. OK? Don’t reserve it for me. I will be happier if you use it for meditation and keep yourself warm and you can concentrate. You sit outside here and reserve a big and empty room for me – it is illogical. And whenever I want to use it, I’ll tell you, and you can leave it for me. OK? (Yes.) Yes. In any Center – I told you many times, but because of respect for me, you don’t use it. That I understand also. I appreciate it very much. But because of our situation, our space is small. Make use of anything you have. Don’t reserve anything for me. Even if you reserve, I don’t go there often. It’s a waste. It’s expensive. So please make use of every corner you can.
And there’re some other things we can do. Maybe something like that and then we roll some plastic sheet down when it rains or when it’s cold. And then inside the space, you can put a heater because you can’t put a heater in the open space. But you can put a heater when it’s covered a little bit. And when it rains or it’s cold, you can roll it down and knit them together some way. Or there is some kind of thing that you can stick together very fast, like your shoelaces. Some sleeping bags you can clasp together, and it sticks. (Yes.) You can sew that on. They call it “母子袋” (“bag within a bag”) in Chinese. (Velcro.) Huh? (Velcro.) You just stick together, and it’s clasped. OK. You put that on the edge of all the things. This place also you have to use for meditation. Don’t make such a big deal for me. I am very big already. I don’t need all that.
So, for example, like this. When I’m not here, you roll it down and people sit and meditate here. It’s warm. And it also has a roof next to the house. And so you can make use of that space also. You can make similar things and roll it down. So, in case too many people inside cannot be accommodated, you can sit here. Or if it’s allowed, you buy more of that kind of thing. So, you sit separately. And in each place, you buy a small TV for everybody to watch. Right? OK. And if you don’t have enough money for a TV, you can ask Miaoli. Depends on the proportion of the people, we can give you a “grant.” But I think I give you less than I give to other people. But we are less than other people. Right? (Yes.) Our population is less. And we are too well equipped ourselves. I teach you everything. You know how to take care of yourself even in the rain and in the cold. So, you never get cold. (Right.)
The four days’ retreat, even it rained so much, and you sat on the ground, did not even have a plastic sheet cover. Just sat on the grass, but you know how to take care of yourself. Right? (Right.) And you still meditated, and you became a saint, at least for four days. And then I told you how to use plastic bags for everything. Put all your clothes inside. So, when you went to the party, oh, I couldn’t believe it. Just a few hours, you transformed yourself from a Cinderella with black feet and a black head and became a Waikiki princesses and princes. I could hardly recognize, because in the afternoon I saw you still with mud over here and earth, soil over there and all over places. (Yes.) And your hair was wet and unkempt, and in the evening, wow! (Wow.) Oh, I think that’s where the Cinderella story comes from. Maybe she’s a resolute girl, she can turn herself very quick. But that’s what I did before also.
When I used to stay in a temple before I got famous and got into this “lousy” job, I stayed in a temple, and I decorated the whole temple. I rebuilt it all. Some tiles were missing and I put them back on and the ceiling was falling down... I did it all. I did the wood smith and carpenter jobs, and painter job, everything. But I had to take care of work also. I had to cook six meals a day and doing that, and answer the telephone and all kinds of things at the same time. So, what [do] I do? I paint – then I put a hat on. And I put newspapers all over the place when I fix it with cement and all that – then things will not drop on the carpet. So, I don’t have to clean much later. Just squeeze all the papers together and I’m done. And also, I cover myself from top to bottom, just the eyes and the nose come out. So sometimes when I come down to see guests, I just pull the hat off, put the overalls down, take off the overalls and I’m clean. But the nose has some paint on it. Well, I transform into a clean person. At that time, I shaved my head anyhow, so no problem. I don’t need to put rollers or curl or comb anything. So, I just pull the head out, take off the overall clothes, and I’m ready to receive the guests, because I had to do that also in the temple. And when I cook, I change to different clothes, very fast. That’s how we have to do.
But you have never been so fast before, you women. Because women are famous for being late and slow. But look at you in Waikiki. What did you do? You [flew] or you recited a magic formula or something? You did? (Yes.) You recited the Five (Holy) Names, right? Ah, yes. And then you “fly” into princesses. Actually, I’m proud because all of you were wet and dirty, and the mud was all over your body, even on the head. Because I think some of you walked very fast and splashed mud on other people’s faces. Yeah. Looks like we go back to the era before Adam was born. Because I heard that Adam was made of clay. Wait. So maybe after you meditated too much, you became like holy. Like we have to go back to the origin. Right? (Yes.) So you had mud all over the place. What’s wrong? I told you I finished my talk. I said it too early. The devil heard it. He said, “Now, You’ve finished, so I’ll finish You.” Wait, wait, wait. I still have to work. OK? There are some more things I forgot, especially the group, the dancing and the singing group. They had to change their clothes so many times and they had to make up so beautifully. How did they do it? It’s wonderful. But don’t be slow next time. Just because I praise you now, you have to be faster even next time. So it’s very good. Alright.
