Only if you don't remember anymore that you're man or woman or bisexual or lesbian or gay or transvestite or not transvestite, you transformed yourself. And then you really transcend all this, then you can become Buddha.
Hallo. Is it too heavy? Tough guy. Now I know why there’re men in the world. They’re here to carry those, because you girls can’t do it. Hallo! (Hallo, Master.) Hallo. I’m sorry that my eyes are not feeling well, so I have to wear eyeglasses like this. Can you still see me? (Yes.) Can you see my eyes? Love you. The number of boys is increasing, isn’t it? (Thank You.) Getting competitive. Hallo. (Hallo, Master.) Fine. Âu Lạc (Vietnam), huh? Right? (Yes.) China? Âu Lạc (Vietnam)? Yes, Âu Lạc (Vietnam). Hallo. (Hallo, Master.) How are you? Hallo. (Greetings, Master.) Greetings. Greetings, Monks.
Can most people see me when I sit here? Yes? (Yes.) I am very, very impressed, the way you’re running your lives. I don’t know how you do it every day. I only do it one Sunday and I feel very, very effortful already. How do you do all this every day? You go to work and you come back; you cook, you wash, you shop; you kiss the husband, you kiss the wife, you go to bed, you kiss the children. You mow your grass, you water your garden. You’re doing all that. How do you do all this? And every day. I mean, every day you go to work, but you come back, you do another work, and you survive. And you still meditate two and a half hours a day? No. Two and a half, maybe, hours. Wow. No wonder it’s very difficult to go up. The Buddha, when He was alive, His disciples were all monks, two thousand strong, two thousand plus. Everybody did nothing. No working, no wife, no kids, no worry. I don’t need this. Can you still see me? No? (We can see You.) You can see here but they can’t.
My eyes hurt, my nose starts running, as soon as I said, “OK, I have to go.” I mean, I have to come here, and my nose starts running, my eyes start to hurt. Last time wasn’t too bad, but the initiation karma comes after, slowly. Sometimes it comes before; sometimes it comes right on the day of initiation; sometimes it comes half or a quarter beforehand, and it comes during the initiation, then it comes some more after. Sometimes it comes after. And wow, I truly make an effort to come here, with all this cravat and everything. I think I am Super-woman considering how I felt. I was really trying to bargain. I kept asking everybody, “How many people? How many Westerners? How many new people? Anybody who did not see me before and stay for a little while, maybe another few days or another week?” I’m bargaining, trying to see if maybe I can see them tomorrow or next day, when I feel better. But no, somebody is going tomorrow. Two or three of them, and then another two go next day, then another five go another day. I lose. You win, you win, you win. I think I want…
Maybe it’s better if all of you shave your heads and become like this for me. Then every day, I send all of you out walking to go for alms, and then come back, and I take a nap already, and then I wake up, I talk to you. Then I will also shave my head again, just to accompany you, so you don’t feel too bad. Anyway, there is not much I can do. Sometimes, I can get out of samadhi easily; sometimes I cannot. And it’s very difficult to get out when I cannot get out, like today. Today, I am like a walking, talking automaton, something like that. Well, I am here already, so let's get down to business. I think today I was doing some makeup and tried to button something, or hook up something, and put on my jewelry, or whatever. And then these things don't work, that hook doesn't work, some button is too new, it doesn't clasp, and the other – the trousers don't fit, or whatever, and the shoes open mouth, laughing at me. They’re new shoes! Not these ones, not these ones. These ones are other ones. These are old ones. In the old times, when people made shoes, they lasted a long time, a lifetime. Today, many of my shoes keep opening mouths and laughing. Maybe happy shoes. Before, I designed some clothes that say, “Happy Yogi.” And now they imitate me. They designed these happy shoes – Happy Yogi shoes or something. This one looks better, I can see you. I just need a little bit bigger to read, but I could also read like this. Just with the glasses, it's easier, that's all, reading glasses. Considering my age, my eyes are still not too bad. When they’ve been harassed all these years and still not bad. Thanks to Quan Yin Method.
So then, when I was doing all this dressing up and buttoning down, and then I was thinking, “Oh, Shakyamuni Buddha, He was so right. He was so right.” He said, “Only men can become Buddha, be happy.” That's what you think. I guess if you are a man, you cannot also become Buddha, you also cannot become Buddha. You know why? I told you before already. If you're a man, you cannot become Buddha; if you're a woman, you cannot become Buddha; if you are gay, you cannot become Buddha; if you're lesbian, you cannot become Buddha; if you're bisexual, you cannot become Buddha. Nobody can. Only if you don't remember anymore that you're man or woman or bisexual or lesbian or gay or transvestite or not transvestite, you transformed yourself. And then you really transcend all this, then you can become Buddha. But I was thinking about a physical way. Men, you don't even have to wear anything, you just show up. In India, many Gurus, some enlightened Gurus also, didn't wear much. Some I saw, didn't wear much. Or maybe just a loin cloth or something, or just wrapped something. How convenient. And then I can do away with all of these Cinderella shoes and all this jewelry and all that stuff. Then it will be very convenient, time-saving. I thought Shakyamuni Buddha was so right. If I was a man, it would be better for me. I can always show up in anything or nothing even. You know, right? Indian people, you know, right? Gurus, They don't care. In India, they don't care. And if I don't look… Suppose I am a man and if I don't look as beautiful as I am right now, all I do is just grow some hair on the face, then I will look OK. Look dignified like a Guru.
That's that for gossiping. I am here already. The most difficult part is to get ready. And when I am here already, I am awake. I feel better now, feel more awake now than when I first came. I thought, “I don't know what I am going to do.” In my state of being this morning, I wanted to wake myself up, truly. I did put an alarm clock and everything. I did get up OK. I went to try to be normal. I even made some (vegan) toast, and then I thought I’d have some toast to calm my stomach. I didn't feel too well these days. And then I made one toast; I burnt one toast. I made another toast; I burnt another toast. I made another one, third one, burnt. Four toasts all burnt beyond recognition. I said, “OK, today is not my toast day.” And then I just grabbed whatever and drank. Tried to make a tea, but then I forgot. I put tea, but I forgot to drink.
It's a new place. I’ve been moving, and very messy and tiring and chaotic, because I had no time to organize my stuff yet. And I am afraid to ask anyone to help. Because sometimes, when I ask them to help, I'd better do it myself. Or I have to take some other garbage from them instead, and it just doesn't pay. Therefore, I feel like I’m surrounded with material things. I wish my destiny was a little lighter than mine right now, like being a Baba, or Babu, or whatever, or Mataji in India even, and just sit there, and hugging people or rubbing their heads, and that's all I had to do. My destiny in this lifetime, alas, is so complicated: too much work, too difficult, too little time, too complicated. And I thought I left home, then my life would be like her or her – very simple. Two, three pairs of clothes, that's all you have to do; you don't even have to comb your hair. Having hair is another problem. You have to put oil on or something. Otherwise, it goes bzzz, bzzz like that. And have to design the jewelry. I thought I am there already, but I am not yet there. Very difficult sometimes for me to stay on this planet. Very difficult. More difficult than you think.
There’s still a lot of space. More people can come up and sit here, OK? The Aulacese (Vietnamese), can come up and sit here. If there is no space left, then don’t come up anymore. If the tickets are sold out, then stop. I said, “There's no more place. Tickets sold out.” What is that? Tickets sold out. You like? Every week it’s sold out. Lucky I'm not a dancer or singer or something. Otherwise, other artists’ dancing and singing, maybe just probably have to find another job. How long can you stay with your visa? (We’re leaving on Wednesday.) I know, but how long is your visa allowed? (Only one month.) One month! Not bad. And how long will you allow me to stay in India if I go there? British passport. (I think one month.) One month? Equal. Before we used to have like six months. And then we could extend to one year, long time ago, when I was a little yogi somewhere, and now it's difficult. You have to go to the embassy, get visa. Before, you just got a landing visa or something. Actually, many people can stay if they want to, but nowadays, it's difficult. That was because there were some incidents, like some foreigners came and abused the kindness of the Indian people. Because Indian people are very hospitable. Even if they don't have much, they give everything. They give you everything that you need. So, the government kind of tried to stop this kind of misuse. I don't blame them. The thing is, maybe the foreigners did not really want to misuse their kindness. It’s just they did not understand the traditions of India. Because they are given and given and given, and they thought that's OK. They love to give, and they still have, that's why they can give, but it's not true. It's not true. It's like sometimes, I keep giving and people think I have a lot. Sometimes it's true, sometimes not. It doesn't matter. I love to give anyway, whenever necessary. The Indian people, they just give. Necessary or not, they treat you like God. It's tradition like that. And it's still like that. It's still like that in India. So many of your Indian brothers and sisters keep asking me to go to India. So how do I go there? Stay one month and then fly out and come back? Go back and forth, back and forth like that? (We're not sure, Master. We are not sure how long You could stay with a British passport. Maybe we can check…) Maybe three months maximum, no? (Maybe.)
I remember a long time ago, I went back to… because I was invited to Pune or somewhere, I forget, I think they give you three months, but you have to have a visa. You have to go and apply for a visa. Even three months is not a lot. I just sit for a few… feel like I’m sitting for a few hours and then it's three months already. It doesn't take long. Time passes so quickly. Like every day, I feel like I have not even slept yet, it's already sunrise. And then I have not even done anything yet, it's sunset already! For example, like that. In this world, we have trouble with the timing, time. It makes us grow old, makes us worry about deadlines, about payments, about going to work on time, about going to school on time. Everything is time, time, time; it gives pressure a lot. And I really admire you that you even can work, raise a family, and meditate, and come here for Sunday, or two, three weeks. I don't know if you are superhuman or what. It's truly very, very good of you. I'm proud of you. I'm not very proud of myself because I also have artist tendency, in my being and sometimes the artist gets the better of me. I prefer to go out somewhere, take photographs, some videos or something, instead of coming here to see you. But today, I'm here. It's good. It's good.
I don't feel like I'm a good dog caretaker, either. Before I used to have all of them around me. Nowadays, I can only take care of two, maximum, at a time; two or three. If more, I will feel easily tired or troubled, frowning, get older quicker with children. I just have to let them take turns. Like at night, who is who, and morning, who is who, and afternoon, who is who. Like that. And then they rotate. It's not too bad. Better than nothing, I'm thinking. I do all I can, but that's all I can.
There's a joke about a restaurant outside. They said, “Eat all you can for $5.” You know, many of them in America or Europe. I'm not sure if Europe has, but America had a lot of… when I was there, I saw a lot of them. And there's a joke about one restaurant, it's written outside, “Eat all you can for $5.” And then the guy came in and ate, ate, ate, and then he came and got more, and then the owner came out and stopped him. He said, “No! No more!” He said, “But you have written outside, it says, ‘Eat all you can for $5.’” And the owner said, “That’s all you can eat.” “Eat all you can. That’s all you can eat.”
OK, we continue with the Lord Mahavira, half of the story last time. “The merchant was moved” to see her plight and saw that she was kind of a noble spirited girl. She was not like low-class or unbecoming, or something like that. So, he said, “‘Child, I am merchant Dhanavah. I am a follower of Nirgranth Shramans and live in this town. Looking at your troubles, I feel depressed. If you do not wish to go with the courtesan, I will not allow this to happen. I will buy you by paying a hundred thousand gold pieces. Would you come with me? Would you live with me as my daughter?’” So, of course. “An orphan princess, sold as a slave, arrived at the house of merchant Dhanavah. But his wife,” again, another one, Mula, his wife, “Mula, became doubtful as soon as she saw the divinely beautiful girl entering her household.” I promise myself to look at the boys and I’ll try to do it today. I always look this way, not fair. “The moment Mula,” the wife, “set her eyes on Vasumati, she saw a rival for the favors of her husband. Sown were the seeds of doubt even for her upright man.” Normally, she trusted him as an upright man and husband, faithful husband. But now she saw such a beautiful girl entering her place, she doubted even him. She thought maybe her beauty has enchanted her husband. It’s possible. It’s possible, because men love beauty.
I also love beauty. I’m not a man, but I love every beautiful thing. I went out and saw all the flowers, and I said, “Oh, you are so beautiful. I will capture you in this camera and you will be immortal. You like that?” And they all said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” And today, all the birds came and somehow, they sang so many beautiful songs. I haven’t seen it ever since I came here, just today. They sang so loud, so loud, and so happy, happy. I thought they’d love to eat something. I put out some (vegan) bread They didn’t eat it. They just kept singing. I haven’t seen that even in Hsihu, that so many birds gathered together. Every little twig had birds on it and they were singing, singing, so happily, so happily, today. That woke me up a little bit more. So, I thanked them.
