With the system you meditate six hours; that’s very nice too. So, you’re not going anywhere, you just sit here. And even if you sneak out to eat in the kitchen, you would feel guilty and that’s good. You know that’s the thing you should not do. Nobody scolds you, but you feel bad, and that’s good, so that you come back and meditate more diligently. I hope. I’m just talking about myself, if I do that.
Are they busy downstairs? (Some of them are still downstairs.) What are they doing downstairs? I am here, and they are downstairs. Please send somebody to go and get them upstairs. Anybody go? Anyway, it’s nice to have more room, no? Slowly, dusty! No need to do all that, just sit. Wow, my God, so much equipment. But when you sit down, don’t see too much. But when you begin to take it all out, and then I see… My God, like a whole apartment, for each of you. I didn’t have so much in my tent, in my camp area. I have a sleeping bag and a tent. But I’m going to take the tent away anyway if I have a chance to go back there. OK, anybody? Not yet honey, nobody there. Now that you have a lot of room, how do you feel? (Good.) Good? Comfortable. (Comfortable.)
You’re still recording? It’s OK? It’s OK. It’s OK. Don’t worry. You can always cut it. Actually, I’m too strict with you guys. I just don’t want to waste your time to have to edit later about some nonsense. That’s why sometimes I say, “Turn it off. Turn it on.” But it’s no sin, no big deal, because I know you have to run it and then check it, “Oh, it’s 60 minutes and one. OK, cut it.” And then, “Five-50 minutes and two. Cut it.” It is very difficult to sit in front of a computer and edit all this. Not difficult, but it’s not very fun. (Yes.) So that’s why I ask the people, “If you have something really good, then ask. If you don’t have, then please shut up.” That’s the English word. Because some people, they just want to drag on and repeat the same thing. Even though we already answered or said it’s done, they still repeat again and again. And the poor cameraman has to sit in front of the small, little, winzig (tiny) computer screen trying to cut his nonsense out. And he has to go through a lot of hours of work again. So a lot of people are wasting our time.
(Sorry, goodbye, Master.) Bye. You are going where? (UK.) Oh, come here. Here, good boy. Good boy, UK, you go alone? (Oh, no, Master.) With a lot of cars. (No.) A lot of people in the car. (Yes.) Oh, good. How long does it take you to come here? (Only about two hours.) UK to here? Fly? (Fly.) Oh, fly. Flying is only two hours, of course. Oh, now everybody’s coming up, like a party.
And the men are not here because they’re helping downstairs, right? Oh guys, you’re too dusty. Wow! Too dusty. What are you guys doing downstairs? Eating? (Eating.) Eating? (Yes.) At this time? I thought the rule is only two meals a day – one in the morning and one in the evening. It’s only 2:30(PM). What are you eating? (This is our first time today.) First time today? (Yes.) No breakfast? (I had breakfast. A little bit of drinking.) You’re only drinking! My God! How poor? Poor Master’s house. How come only drinking in the morning? You didn’t want to eat. (No.) Because you ate late last night. (Yes.) Ah-huh! You’re not supposed to eat late, either. Never mind, I’m just kidding you. But I think the system is good. I mean, you eat all day anyway. (Especially when they cook and offer such good food, then we eat more.) You eat more. OK, it’s fine, it’s fine, as long as you meditate to digest it. Must have a rest after eating. You are very good anyway because some of you meditate all night, right? Very diligent. (You’re right, Master.) Huh? (You’re right, Master.) Yeah, I know. (Did you hear us snore?) I do. In my dreams. No, no. It’s OK.
The thing is just to simplify matters. Morning, you eat whatever’s simple; evening, cook one time, like Ramadan every day. Huh? (At home, I can only eat once a day.) At home you eat only once a day!? (Yes.) Jesus Christ! Warum (Why)? Why so ascetic? (I’m not hungry.) You’re not hungry. Once a day but you have little snacks and drink and juice and all that also? Or just… (Yes, I drink.) Just once a day really? (Yes.) OK. That’s also fine. Why not? You get older and no need a lot of food. You don’t work, why eat a lot? Once or twice, it’s OK. It depends. No need to force yourself too much. But I think twice a day is reasonable. Breakfast, because you have to go to work all day and you don’t know when you’ll have time to eat again, so you eat breakfast. Also, to be more energetic for work. And then evening, you come home and eat one more time. That’s enough, right? But anyway, everybody cheats, snacks here and sucking up there, and they don’t count that as eating. They say it’s munching. “I eat twice a day, but I munch all day.”
Anyway, who cares. But the food is good? (Yes.) How come it doesn’t taste so good to me? (It’s good.) It’s really good? (Yes.) Truly, everybody? (Yes.) Alright, then I’m happy. Maybe you eat all for me, that’s why I don’t feel hungry and… I can eat, it just doesn’t taste as good. I remember when I went to Germany and the same people cooked; it tasted delicious. Over here, no. Por qué (Why)? (Different. A little bit different.) Not as good, right? (Different.) (Yes.) (Slight difference in the taste. I realized it as well.) No, not as good. It’s too sweet for me. Come in, brother. Knock, knock, who is there?
I think because there are different helpers or something, also. (Maybe.) Not the same crew. Here, they take turns or something? I don’t know. Well, for me, the food here is not that good. Ah, maybe like, 10% good. Ten percent – some things are good and the rest are not. And how many times you eat a day? Tell me. Honestly. (Whenever there’s food available.) Whenever available. Shameless. They’re still laughing about it. At least you’re honest. Who can blame an honest guy. It’s OK.
I don’t mean restrictions or anything. It’s just if we come for retreat, and if we keep eating a lot, then we have to go to bathroom a lot, and we have no time to meditate. (I’m sorry, Master.) It’s alright, love. So for three, four days, we kind of restrain ourselves a little bit during retreat. That’s all. So the kitchen (team) also have a chance to rest and meditate. Otherwise, they just come and cook and go home. My God, poor guys. That’s considerate for everybody like that. It’s good. And with the system you meditate six hours; that’s very nice too. So, you’re not going anywhere, you just sit here. And even if you sneak out to eat in the kitchen, you would feel guilty and that’s good. You know that’s the thing you should not do. Nobody scolds you, but you feel bad, and that’s good, so that you come back and meditate more diligently. I hope. I’m just talking about myself, if I do that. But I’m not sure you guys, thick-skinned people, if you feel anything.
It’s OK. It’s OK. It’s the idea, to save time for meditation, because at home you don’t have enough time, and you don’t meditate enough. So here, just eat in the mornings, because you have to get up anyway, for meditation, for washing, bathing, so you have breakfast. And then you settle down and you meditate all day. Then in the evening, you must get out maybe, refresh yourself anyway. So OK, then we eat. And then we walk around a little bit, and that’s a very good system, I think. From now on, just morning and evening. And whoever sneaks out, feels guilty for himself, then we are not responsible. We don’t do anything, but he will feel guilty, and that serves him right, or her. If we eat, then we must go wash our hands, wash our mouth, and then go to bathroom again and blah-blah-blah-blah. That’s the only problem; it’s not about food.
But the kitchen team is here? (Yes.) Do we still have enough money? If not, you tell me. I give extra, OK? (Yes, we have, Master.) How much left? Is it still OK? Because we have the marquees also, we have to pay extra, not just the food. So, if not enough, just tell me. OK? (Yes.) You have enough still? (Maybe You can ask [the brother] about that because…) Ah! He’s the one who took the money? No wonder he never came up here. I never saw him show up here, very rare. (For debt.) Go ask him how much money he took. How much does he still have? Why doesn’t he show up? I am suspicious about this guy. He never shows up, up here or anywhere nearby; only when I call him. It’s good that we can trust our own people. Otherwise, who knows? You give all the money to him, and he goes to Brazil or something. Anyway, I just want to know if we have enough still. And if it is too much, then we return it to you, or we do something for everybody, like more (vegan) cakes or have another marquee.
Hey! (Hi, Master?) How much money did you take? How much did we spend? And do we still have enough for people? (No.) No! Oh, OK. I will give the rest. I’ll give the rest. Probably the marquee, that’s what it is. How much is the marquee? (One thousand something.) Oh, that’s it? And they eat more than they paid... Oh gosh! Expensive children! (Air conditioner and...) Oh, you bought new stuff, that’s why. (Yes.) Oh, don’t worry! I’ll pay for all that. (Thank You, Master.) And normally the food money would be enough, right? (Yes.) How much do you need more? I mean apart from the five… But I gave you a lot more money anyway. Did you pay it all out? (Yes.) Or you still have some with you? (It’s all gone, Master.) All gone! My account is zero now? Trust him? Just like that, gone? No record, no… (I have records.) OK, good.
(I asked [the sister] already, she said she doesn’t want to give me any money.) She doesn’t! Of course, she can’t trust you. How can trust a guy like that? Gave him a lot of money, and he just spent like that. OK. I’ll give you later. (Yes, Master.) Just tell me how much. (Yes, Master.) Give me the number now. How much? I’ll tell her to go out and get from the bank and prepare. I don’t have that much. I didn’t bring much because I spent all the way on the road for two days in so many taxis, long distance and (Understand.) everything. And with the money, I got a new ticket for an, airplane (Yes.) and all that. So, I don’t have much left. Normally I have more, it’s just that I don’t have it this time. Cash. I don’t have cash this time.
How much money do you want now? (Five thousand or so.) Only five thousand? (Yes.) But how about the food for these people? (We’ll pay.) How long you will stay? You pay every day? (Yes.) (I pay only ten euros per day.) OK. OK. Good. Then we don’t need to worry about more food for them but… (No, we actually already bought the food. That’s part of the 5,000. We went shopping.) Oh, is that right? So, you’re OK now. (We’re OK.) Then you don’t have to pay any more. (Only if they stay like another week.) Only if you stay longer and no food, then you pay. Right now, everything’s paid. How much money do you have with you? (Altogether, we have 6,000 left.) Six thousand. Give him 5,000. Five thousand something or just five? (No, just five is fine.) OK. Five. OK. Give him 5,000. Go, go get money. Get your money, or my money.
God! It’s really all gone, the money? I mean, my account is all gone? (Yes, Master, a lot of expenses – insurance, cars, all those sorts of things.) OK, understand. What insurance, car? (Car insurance, houses insurance.) For here? (Some for here, and other...) OK. OK, never mind. I trust you. Five thousand for now, and maybe I’ll give you some more later if… I don’t have it right now, but I’ll give more. (You have overdraft facility. You can spend now and pay later.) Oh. That sounds a little bit better. But if “don’t pay later” it’s even better. I’ll give you later. But never mind now. I overdrew 5,000! Oh, dear God. Can you believe that? I even borrowed money. No, I didn’t know, because here it’s so hot. Austria is so hot. We have to buy new equipment and all that. Coolers and stuff. That’s OK.
