Actually, we have many kinds of people. Spanish origin and Chinese, and Aulacese (Vietnamese)… All kinds so… It’s very difficult to speak Aulacese (Vietnamese) here, also because I don’t know who’s Aulacese (Vietnamese). Yeah. I have trouble. Sometimes I spoke to a person, and I thought he’s Aulacese (Vietnamese) and I blah, blah, blah, blah a lot in Aulacese (Vietnamese) and then he just, open his eyes and open his mouth and he said, “Oh. Master, what did You say?” That you understand. He said, “Master what did You say?” Then I have to say it all over again in Chinese, or in whatever language. Sometimes… It’s OK. It’s good, huh?
I don’t know why the Aulacese (Vietnamese) people like me. Why do you like me? Why? (We love You.) You love me. But why? Why? What’s the problem with me? What is it? Because I teach you something? (Because You love us a lot.) I love people. (After listening to Master, I came home not eating a meal but still feeling full.) Feeling full even without eating. (Yes. I’m so happy.) So you say that to get invited to eat? (True, I was so happy that I even forgot to eat.) (Master, You’re so beautiful!) I didn’t eat anything. I also haven’t eaten anything yet. Since this morning… I only had a little something… (vegan) cream, that’s it. Why eat? Every day, we are eating all the time. Eating costs money, right? Eating and sleeping aren’t necessary, right? OK. Let’s speak Aulacese (Vietnamese) gradually, then I will add more. If you speak…
(I miss You, Master.) You miss me. What’s your name, auntie? Oh no, what’s your name, sister? You’re so young! What’s your name? A fortune teller? Why do you miss me, strange, huh? I’m very sorry. I really don’t know what’s all this… I don’t know about your emotional stuff. Miss me, love me, isn’t it kind of strange? I have been in America for... probably many weeks already, and I don’t miss anyone at all. It’s because your attractiveness is too weak, so what to do? ([We need to do more] spiritual practice.) Yeah, you should know. In our relationship as Master and disciples, it should be like “romantic lovers.” Right? Both sides have to attract each other to go visit and see each other. Otherwise, if only one side is attracting and the other isn’t, then it doesn’t work.
I said that this is like a lovers’ story, we – both you, the group and me – it’s like lovers. Both have to have a kind of interest, mutual interest. Otherwise, do you ever waste your time to go see a boy that you don’t like, every day or often? No? Do you? Or the girls? Or the boys? Do you spend your time with a girl you don’t like? (No.) No. Even if you don’t have a girlfriend or you don’t have a wife or even you fight with your wife or your husband, you don’t go out and spend time with people that you feel not attracted [to]. (But that is so different, Master.) It’s different, but… (We love You.) You love me fine, but I don’t love you! That’s the problem. OK. I don’t mean it that way. I do love you but just kind of a general [love]. No attachment, no conditional love. I don’t know why you have to see me all the time. I really don’t understand. If I did understand, if I truly understood, I would come see you. But I don’t. I thought I’d just leave you. You have to get on with your life. And you have to do what you do. You work every day. You take care of your family.
Can you hear everything? Can you hear? (Yes, we can.) What about those who can’t hear? (We all can hear. We can.) (There are speakers out there, Master.) (There are speakers outside.) Speakers? There’s also outside? (No, no. These are the speakers.) Is it crowded in here? Is it crowded over there? (Yes.) (There are still plenty of empty spaces, Master.) If there are empty spaces, why don’t they all come in? (It is not possible.) Not possible? (Right.) Sit closer together. If you sit behind the glass, you can still see. Behind the glass, you can see. This house was not meant to be a meditation hall. (Yes.) For a temple, this size is already big, isn’t it? (Yes.) Usually, the main hall isn’t that big. With three Buddhas sitting there, they take up all the space already.
If you don’t understand Aulacese (Vietnamese) or English, you have to pair with other people who understand both. In case I switch around. Or you have to pair with people who understand Aulacese (Vietnamese) and English so they can help you a little bit. Have a little fun. And the Chinese also. Find those Chinese who understand Aulacese (Vietnamese) and Chinese well. And then translate both Aulacese (Vietnamese) and English at the same time. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee.
Then, you know what? Some of the temples are not so big. Most of them, no? (Just like a house.) Just like a house. Right. Oh, what’s that for? Namo Ching Hai Wu Shang Shi Am I supposed to recite that? But the churches are big. (Yes.) Churches, they have more sense. Because the church is the place where people sit together or come together for meditation or praying. Our meditation is also praying, but praying in silence. Like the Bible say you have to pray to God in the closet. In the closet, in silence, and then God will know it and reward you openly. And you don’t go outside and sit with a big loud voice in the street and things like that, and let people know you’re praying. You see, that’s praying. That’s true praying. Because when we’re very deep and sincere and quietly pray, that is true prayer. So, the church and the mosque are really having kind of more sense, because I think they truly meditated when the Masters were still alive. You understand? (Yes, Master.) Or I speak Aulacese (Vietnamese)? (Yes.) I don’t know what I speak, really. I speak Chinese all day through and now I have to speak Aulacese (Vietnamese) and I have to speak English. This is kind of confusing for me, too.
Then, so they gather together and meditate. That’s why the place must be very big. Big and huge. The mosque of the Muslims, when you go inside it’s all empty. And people before, before we are initiated in the Quan Yin Method, we don’t why the church is so empty, right? What for build a church and [leave it] all empty? But that’s the purpose. Actually, that’s how it should be. And people come in and bring their own pillow and they “sleep” in there. Sitting-sleep. You’re trained. And then, our temple, make it so small, because it is kind of duplicated from the Indian system. You know, Hindu, India. India, most of their temples are also very small like that, because the Indian Masters, mostly, they don’t build big places in the old times. Especially in the old times. Most Indian people they don’t have that much money, first. Second, a Master like Buddha... I’ll tell you why. Alright, I will speak Aulacese (Vietnamese) some other time. I’ll speak English now.
The Buddha, He went around all the time, to preach to people and to see His disciples. So, He didn’t stay in one fixed place. Most of the Masters, they just stay in one house. Their own house. Like the modern Masters. You know, the modern Masters if you go to India, if you’re supposed to know any Master then They just sit in Their house, a small house. They sit there and then the disciples from different directions come and see Them. Most Masters, They are very old before They became enlightened, completely enlightened. And also, to be free of family ties in order to devote 24 hours, or maybe at least 12 hours or 8 hours, for the people, before They become very old, so They cannot travel too much. The Buddha was young, so He traveled all over the place and wherever He went He stayed in one disciple’s house. So, the house was small. That’s why the Buddhist people, they don’t know how to build big temples, big and large temples. The Hindu system is still like that, right now.
Oh dear! Did you understand all of that? Did you understand? (Yes, thank You, Master.) You understood? (Yes, we understood.) Really? And what about the other ones outside? Does anyone translate [for them] or anything? Alright, I’ll say it again in Aulacese (Vietnamese). (Yes.) What I said was that a temple, a church... and a Muslim mosque, as well as a Christian church, the people built those in the exact style of the past Masters when They were still alive. Because the disciples would gather there and meditate together. As for our Buddhist temples, why are they so small? Because back when the Buddha was still alive, He often traveled from place to place. Wherever He went, He would stay at the house of a disciple, just like how I do now. At that time, traveling and the roads were somewhat difficult, so they would send out notices ahead of time saying, “On Sunday, the Buddha will be in Santa Ana.” For example. Then the laypeople, good men, good women, those who wanted to meet Him, would go there. For example like that. In Santa Ana, they rented a house, maybe Mrs. (…)’s house. House number so-and-so. For example. (Yes.) That’s how it was in the old days.
Usually, in India, there are no truly large, spacious temples. Sometimes there are big temples, but they are divided into small rooms. They aren’t vast and spacious like the churches or Muslim mosques. Because the people know when they go to those places, they kneel automatically and pray together. So they need a large room for that. That’s similar to us. That’s why, when you went to Taiwan (Formosa), you saw a roof overhead, but it was wide open underneath. Because if we built walls, we don’t have the permit. First, we didn’t have permission to build walls. Second, if we did, it would be too stuffy. Too stuffy. With thousands of people sitting inside, even with air conditioning, it wouldn’t be enough. (Right.) So doing it that [open] way is the best option. But that only works in warm [weather] places. If we did that here, everyone sitting inside would be in samadhi forever, unable to get out of it. They’d turn into stones. And when someone came in and flicked their nose, it’d break off. Especially for those women who had nose jobs, one flick and it’d break. The silicone would fall down with a “thud.”
I also think that if we could build a spacious hall, it would be really nice. (Yes.) But not in Los Angeles. It could be done. We could go to the desert. (It’s cold at night.) (It’s very cold at night, Master.) It’s as cold as it is here. This place is a desert, isn’t it? What’s so great about this place? But going to the desert is a bit far. (It takes about three hours to drive.) Yeah, two or three hours. (Yes, about that.) Two hours, right? But from here, is it far? (Far.) (Yes, it’s about a two-hour drive.) (Quite far.) (From Los Angeles to here is closer than going further up.) We could go to Lancaster. (Yes.) Lancaster is in the desert. (No, going out to the beach.) (Palmdale, Palm Springs.) How far is Lancaster? (Over two and a half hours.) Two and a half hours? (Yes.) After going, you’d need a whole week to recover. (Yes, that’s true, Master.) Going to group meditation every week, you’d never need to work again.
But is this space enough for meditation? Enough? (For now, it’s enough, Master.) Temporarily enough? (Yes.) But what if more people come? (There are two trailers.) There are two trailers? (Yes.) And if more people come, we’ll add another trailer? (Yes.) Ah, that is also OK. But when I come, it might be a little challenging, but no problem. Never mind. It’s still better than other people who have no temple at all. (Yes.) Having a peaceful temple is already great, right? (Yes.) It means you have a lot of merits. You must have been practicing very diligently. (Thanks to Master.) Practicing intensely to have it like this. So, just keep practicing, no problem. (Yes.)
Photo Caption: Spiritual Practitioners, Looking Out 4 Each Other, Looking Up to Grow
