“If a fish(-person) is in the water, it lives, but if a human is in the water, he dies. Since there and here are different, likes and dislikes are also not the same.” Therefore, dear auntie, “The ancient Saints were not alike in their abilities, so They were not alike in Their professions.” So, auntie, are you clear? Do you understand? (If it is like this, then only Master understands.) So I want to add a few Aulacese (Vietnamese)- Chinese expressions that are refined; very high-level Aulacese (Vietnamese): “A title depends on the true substance,” dear auntie. Meaning it should fit the context. That is what we call true understanding, and it is how one attains happiness in life.” Understand? (Yes, we do.) That’s why I keep saying, whoever wants to practice spiritually, then let practice. But if they don’t want to, we cannot force them. (Yes.) And there’s no need to force yourself either; that just makes life exhausting. Everyone just goes their own way. And someday, when we die, you’ll go your way and I’ll go mine, right? (Yes. Excellent!) That’s the extent of our shared ideal; that’s it! In life, we have to be like that. (Yes.)
Now there’s a commentary – this is not by Kim Thánh Thán, but by someone else, I don’t know who: “In this world, is there anyone who is so stupid like the Marquess of Lu?” My God, slandering him like that. Luckily, that king passed away already, otherwise if he were alive, he would have killed all three generations of the person who slandered him like that. “However, nowadays, that kind of ‘Marquess of Lu’ people are everywhere.” (Yes, I know.) “Especially in all schools, all hospitals, all temples, all churches.” Oh my God, they even slander temples, churches! Oh God, then what standards are left? “In the legislative institution, the executive branch, the judicial house, the public law department. The ones who are fathers, mothers, brothers, husbands.” Oh my God, he slanders the whole clan. Oh God! Luckily, I am not a father, mother, brother, or husband, so I am not included in this. “Everyone judges others using their own mind. People dream of a unified society and a universal world, where everyone can live together under one common rule. Writer William Blake once said, ‘One common law for all the cow-, horse-, tiger-, and fox(-people) is tyranny.’ Nowadays, these kinds of ‘Marquesses of Lu’ are all over the world, so how can we avoid the problem of dictatorship?”
Do you know yet? You know already, right? (Yes.) Therefore, the dictatorial regimes cannot last long, (Yes.) because they go against the will of the people. (Yes.) We cannot force everyone to follow the same rules. Whoever wants to follow, then they follow, then it’s OK. But we can’t force people. (Right.) We can’t use force, bribery, or threat at all. (Right.) Did I bribe, threaten you? (No.) Don’t falsely accuse me! But since everyone here is vegan, is that dictatorship? (No.) You choose to come here and voluntarily eat vegan. (Yes.) No one forces you, no one can put food into your mouth. (Right.) (Yes.) This story is also a lesson for us. We can’t force anyone to follow our wishes, they can only follow our ideals if they choose to. We just let it be natural. (Yes.) Natural, natural.
Here we have a story which is similar, titled, “The Arrogant Blind Man.” There was a person who was born blind, and lived in a room. Because he couldn’t see anything, he denied everything that people around him said existed. He said, “I don’t believe it because I can’t see it.” A compassionate physician took pity on him and went to the Himalayas to find a miraculous medicine to heal his illness. Overjoyed, he proudly said, “Now I see all the truths around me.” But someone said to him, “My friend, you only see what is inside this room. That is nothing! Besides, other people can see the Sun, the Moon, and all of the stars, as many as the sands of the Ganges River. There are also many beautiful things, as well as ugly things, splendid things, glorious things, colorful things... which you have never seen.” The man refused to believe it, “Those things cannot exist, impossible! I didn’t see them, so I don’t believe them. If I haven’t seen it, I don’t believe it. I have seen everything that needs to be seen.” What he meant was that inside his room, he’d seen all the objects there already. He’s seen everything already, he doesn’t need to know anything else.
Another physician went up to the high mountains and met the mountain deity, who showed him another miraculous medicine. He brought it back to help the man’s eyes become brighter and see farther than just the objects in his room. Now, he could see the Sun, the Moon, and all the stars in the sky. He was so happy but at the same time, his arrogance grew even stronger, “Aha, before I didn’t believe but now I see, so I believe. Now, there is nothing that I haven’t seen, or do not know. I know everything already. There is no one who can be better than me!” But then a sage with divine eyes told him, “My friend, you are no longer blind, but you still don’t truly know anything. What you see and know is actually very little. Why are you so arrogant? Just like when you were inside your room, your eyes didn’t see past the four walls, so you didn’t believe there was anything outside your room. Now, your eyes can see beyond the four walls, allowing you to see many things farther away. But with the limits of your vision and your senses, how could you possibly know about things thousands of miles away that your eyes and ears cannot perceive? Did you see the causes that shaped you when you were still in your mother’s womb? Beyond this small universe you are living in, there are countless other universes, vast and innumerable like the sands of the Ganges River. Why do you dare arrogantly say, ‘I see everything, I know everything!’ You are still a blind man, you are still mistaking darkness for light That’s it.” OK. Finished.
(Excellent story, Master.) This is somewhat similar to our situation. (Yes.) When we haven’t practiced, we think that just by reading scriptures or books, we know everything. Then when we practice a little bit – many people practice a little bit – and know a little bit, then we think we know everything. When people read the scriptures before they’re enlightened, they say they don’t believe. Then there are many people who practice a little and think they know everything. (Yes.) Then, once they are a little enlightened, they start shouting and making a big fuss. (Yes.) Therefore, knowledge has no limit. We can’t say that we know everything. (Yes.) We temporarily call it Nirvana, otherwise if Nirvana has a ceiling, we would suffocate, right? (Yes.) We escape one ceiling only to run into another. OK, it’s done now. You’re going to pay me, right? (Thank You. Thank You, Master.) You’re welcome. Thank you.
Tomorrow, rest. Take it easy tomorrow. I won’t come here tomorrow. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I won’t come then. (Will You come on Sunday, Master?) Then it’ll just be as usual. Tomorrow is Friday? (Yes, tomorrow is Friday.) Do you have group meditation on Saturday? (Yes.) Yeah, if I have time, I will come. (Yes.) If I am not free, then I won’t come. I said “if” only. If. In case. Are you warm? (Yes, we are.) It is OK, huh? (Yes.) Today is a little bit cold, right? (Yes.) You wear a lot of clothes. But this place is very warm. There are other places that are very cold. (Yes.) Like if we are in Chicago, can we sit like this? (We would become ice.) Ice, huh? (Yes.) In this world, there is nothing perfect. (Right.) In other places, it’s so cold that people could die from it. Here it is warm, but there are earthquakes. If it’s a little warm, then earthquakes happen. OK, farewell, we’ll meet another day. Thank you. (Yes.) San Diego. When you are practicing spiritually, you should open up a little, don’t close yourselves off too tightly. (When I see Master, I feel content.) Don’t be too serious; you’re being too serious. Now you have (vegan) congee outside? (Yes.) We have to go. Let’s end the unfinished program. Alright. Let’s go.
(Master, please try to let us see You again, otherwise we’ll miss You so much.) Tomorrow, rest, take it easy. Too tired! Keep coming here every day, what for? Aren’t you tired coming here every day? (No.) (We can listen to the stories all the time, and don’t feel tired anymore. No, we don’t feel tired.) You drive two, three, four hours like that. (No problem, Master.) Do you work on Saturday? (No.) The old ladies, they don’t go to work. They force their husbands to go to work, the women stay at home and do nothing. (Master, please let us see you again.) What day is tomorrow? What is the date? (Tomorrow is Friday.) The date? (11th of March.) 11th, huh? (Yes.) I cannot promise, because I’m so “scared.” (I can only go on Saturday, Master.) Saturday, you come for group meditation, right? (Yes.) Yeah, we will think about it on that day. (Yes.) (Saturday, Saturday, Saturday.)
What’s that? What do you want? Speak quickly. (Dear Master, every time we see Master, we feel that we cause Master suffering. We make Master talk a lot, to make us laugh.) Yeah. (And that, it seems like we have to...) No problem. (Dear Master, every time we meet Master…) I know already, heard it already. (…the time is precious, but we feel we make Master suffer, bear the cold, and speak a lot, then You feel tired.) It’s not true. (But we only receive, and don’t know how to give. But truly, we have a precious gift for You here.) You do? (Yes, we do. All the fellow practitioners here, though silent, everyone loves Master.) Thank you! (Yes, we love You and want to dedicate it to You.) I know. (Yes.) Fine. (Thank You, Master.) There is (vegan) porridge for you too. (Wishing Master a good night, sleep well.) See you in the kitchen. Go to the kitchen. Thank you, thank you. Finished. (Either one is delicious, Master. You put it in, and it is delicious.) Ah. Wow. Yeah. I like this kind. Not too thick. I like it. Alright. My hands’ clean or not? Maybe. (The ladle, where is it?) OK, thank you. Bon appétit. (Thank You, Master.) Already blessed it! Blessed already! (Me, too, Master. Thank You, Master.) So both sides already had it. This one is a little thicker, the other is more liquid. “One side is valued; the other side is devalued.”
Photo Caption: Fragrance From the REAL HOME, With It We R Never Done
