No? Feel good? (Feel good. Good!) Are you feeling good? (Good.) Of course you’re good. What can be not good? (Yes.) What is there that’s no good in life? Everything is so good. If we see it’s no good, then it’s no good. If we see it’s good, then it’s good. I’m happy to see you. I’m happy to see you. Are you happy to see “me”? (Very happy.) Happy. Are you very happy to see “me”? (Yes.)
OK. Now. Today we… Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu? Which one do you prefer? (Both Masters are…) You like both of Them? I don’t have time to invite Them both for tea. There’s too much; They spoke too wonderfully. Let me see; it was Lao Tzu last time. So it’s Chuang Tzu today. (OK.) Or, we can finish with Lao Tzu, and then go to Chuang Tzu. It takes a long time to explain a book like this. Just to let you know that I’m knowledgeable. Otherwise… Alright. We’ll chat with Chuang Tzu today and see what He was talking about. Come here, you college graduate. Come and read this; I can’t read Chinese.
Translation, behind. [ Do you have earphones? Please go and get the earphones for translation. Please translate into Indonesian for them. [You] know Chinese. Go, get the earphones. Can you connect it all the way up here? No? Can it be done? (It’s not installed yet.) It’s not installed yet. (The earphones aren’t installed yet.) What time is it? Eight o’clock then isn’t it installed yet? Why? They have not fixed the earphones yet. So please fix it. There are three languages here and I’m in trouble. What do we do now? Where do the Indonesian people sit? Have they all been seated? Please, don’t speak too loudly like the other day. I’ll be distracted. If you don’t understand Chinese or English, Chinese, (If they don’t understand English?)
How many people speak English here? Please raise your hands and I’ll decide. English speaking please? Who understands English? One, two, three, four. That’s all? Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. I thought it’s forbidden to speak Chinese here except English. I thought all of you understand English. I thought speaking Chinese here is forbidden, because you all can learn English and Indonesian. Don’t speak either of them? (Chinese is OK.) You understand Chinese, of course. If you understand Chinese, please raise your hand. Those who understand Chinese, raise your hand. Oh, my God! I lose. It’s frustrating. I like to speak English, but here, I don’t know why the Chinese are always with me. I cannot escape from them. You see? So please go behind in case you can have translation. You can bring the chairs over there for the ladies. Please get organized. No one is organizing this for me.
When will be the initiation? (Two people have just arrived and have not gone up yet.) Who is doing the initiation today? (Tong […].) All the people who want initiation, please go upstairs. And I’ll see you later, here. (Those who want initiation, please go up quickly.) (Those who want initiation, please go upstairs.) Those who want initiation, please go upstairs. I’ll go upstairs to see you later. I’m chatting with the old initiates here; I’ll go upstairs later. If you want initiation, go upstairs right away. I’ll be there. If you do not, it’s alright. Some people came here to enroll to learn meditation from me, so I told them to go up there. If you are not one of them, then it’s OK. You can stay.
(May I ask Master?) Yes? (If we have sought the Tao in other places.) Will you please be quiet? What did you ask? (If we have sought the Tao in another place, can we learn it again here?) (Yes, you can.) (Yes?) Here it may be different from other places. (But, can we or can we not?) Of course you can. I have no discrimination. (I am also yearning for it.) I don’t have any discrimination; I won’t forbid you anything. I just worry that you’ll dislike me. (No. I worry that I am not allowed to join in.) Why not allowed? (Am I allowed?) Why can’t it be allowed?
If you have already learned the same thing, the Quan Yin Method, then you don’t need to come learn again from me. If not, then of course you can join us. (We have sought the Tao and have been connected.) If what you learned has nothing to do with the Quan Yin Method, you can go upstairs. If you’ve already seen the (inner Heavenly) Light and heard the (inner Heavenly) Sound, then there’s no need. That’s what I mean. (Oh, I see.) It’s not forbidden. (It’s not forbidden, OK. Thank You. Thank You.) Go upstairs now, if you want. Otherwise, it’ll be too late. (Quick. Quick.) I’ll go up there very soon. Those who want initiation, go upstairs. I’ll come up later to join you for initiation. Because they’re now giving some instructions and I don’t have to be there. I’ll come up later. Those who have already been initiated, stay here for the lecture. If you want initiation, go upstairs now, understand? (Yes.) Yes.
(May I ask Master, after the initiation, can we still cut meat?) (Cutting meat.) (Like when we cook for our children, and have to cut [animal-people] meat.) If your children would like to eat vegan, of course it’s better. If you are forced to cook meat, it would make you feel more uncomfortable. Of course it’s not comfortable. You’ll feel some karma. I don’t teach you to ignore your family; I’m just teaching you which is better, and you choose on your own. But you cannot force others.
Yes. (Yes. Could You tell me what’s the age limit for initiation?) This you don’t need to ask me, you can ask anyone. (I help my father-in-law; he is interested to be an initiate.) First day? (Your father is how old?) (Seventy. Seventy.) Oh, 70… It depends. This you can ask at information. (They rejected.) Rejected? (Yes. [Rejected.] They rejected because it’s over...) (Refused.) (They refused because it’s 65, so...) Then maybe that is not special case. (So can he see You instead of being refused, like an exception.) Sure, he can come, anytime. Please bring him in. (No, no. He’s out of town, but he should be here by tomorrow.) If tomorrow I’m here, he’s welcome. (OK. Thank You.)
Everybody is welcome to see me, (Yes.) but the initiation and the meditation have some requirements. (OK.) Just like you attend college or university or high school, you require something. (As long as physically, he’s OK, it should be OK.) (His physical is OK.) No, not always. (Not always.) There are many other considerations. Please contact the initiation responsible person. (Yes, but they refuse because of the limit.) if they refuse then it’s refused. (I see. I thought You are the boss.) No, no. I treat everyone, every case equally. (OK.) Yes. Yes. (Thank You.) Yes. Some people who have father and mother, they are initiated, but their mother also wants to be initiated, but their age is too high. Also, we feel sorry, but it is no good. (But he is quite sincere for people of old age.) I know that, I know that. Everybody is sincere sometimes. OK, now. I make no exception.
Therefore, today some reporters, they interviewed me. They told me that some people claim that we want to snatch the followers from them. I don’t know, Buddhist group or whatever group. This is what they said to me. I said, “This is nonsense, it’s very difficult to be my disciple. The disciple snatches me, not me snatching them.” Today there were some reporters who interviewed me. He said that some Buddhist groups seem to have complained that I am trying to snatch their disciples. I said there is no such thing. It is very difficult to become my disciple. If I really want to snatch their disciples, I won’t ask them to keep the Five Precepts. No need to eat vegan, and make things difficult for them. Also, there are age limitations and many other things. (Yes.)
If I really want to snatch their disciples, I’d easily give you initiation, and then everyone will say that I’m his Master. Isn’t that nice? Why do I have to go through all that trouble to snatch their disciples? And why do I snatch Buddhist disciples? Why not disciples from other religions? Right? (Right.) And are the clothes I wear Buddhist? (No.) No. They’d run away the moment they see my clothes and my makeup. They’d run away if they’re not sincere. No need to snatch them at all. Is it not so? (Yes.) I said it’s difficult to be my disciple. I don’t think you can handle it. There’s no need for me to snatch you. (Right.) So I said it’s just a misunderstanding, a big misunderstanding. (Right.) Don’t worry. It’s difficult to be my disciple. You see, many people want to be my disciple, and I refused. I refused them. You understand that? (Yes.)
I said today to the reporters, “This is a misunderstanding. Even if I want to ‘catch’ the Buddhist followers, why should it be the Buddhist followers? There are many other sect followers. Why only the Buddhists?” (That’s right.) And also, it’s very difficult to be my disciple. If I want to “catch” disciples to have more numbers, then I wouldn’t have the Five Rules which make it difficult and I wouldn’t have the vegan Precepts. And it’s very difficult for people to follow the vegan diet, and that means I don’t want to “catch” disciples. They just have to be worthy of it and have to fit the conditions. Like your mother, if the age is over the limit, well, I have to refuse, even though I love the person. So that means that we don’t try to “catch” the people at all. It’s the people who try to “catch” me, keep making trouble for me. Therefore, it’s a very big misunderstanding and now you know it. If I just relax the vegan diet, then all the people would follow me. Many people love me and like my Teaching, but they cannot be vegan and that’s the big test for them. Therefore, I don’t have as many disciples as you would expect.
Photo Caption: “Growing in the Wild, Everyday Is Always NOW”
