Also, there was a student who went to the capital to take the exam to become a doctor or something, and he took with him a servant. A small student of his served also as a servant to carry his luggage and stuff like that. In the old times, we didn’t have cars, of course, so a lot of stuff ‒ you know, sleeping bag, metal cup, and books of Immediate Enlightenment, all kinds of stuff. A lot of luggage! In the old times, they just took like a teenager to become their student, to serve also as a servant and learn with the master till he grows up. So the kid was very young and not used to taking so much luggage. So, he put it on his shoulder, in a bag, and then they just kept falling onto the floor. So, every time he picked it up, he’d say, “How come you keep falling and falling like this?” All the time.
So the master student said, “Hey! I’m going to take the exam. The most feared word is ‘falling.’” You know, fall. “We cannot fall, so it’s not very lucky to say this word. From now on, please don’t mention any such word, any ‘fall’ or ‘fail,’ anything like that. OK? You have to say ‘pass,’ ‘succeed.’” The student said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, master. I won’t say it again.” So he put all the luggage, he strung it together with a rope, and then he bound it all over his shoulder and waist and tied it with a dead knot. And after that, he said to the luggage again, “Now I have knotted you so tight like this. Even if we go all the way to the exam area, you would never succeed.” He wanted to try to avoid the word “fail.”
Well, this is a joke, but in many cases, people do similar things. Doing the right thing at the wrong time is also no good. Say the right word at the wrong time, no good. We are also like that. If we do the right thing, but in the wrong place and wrong time, it is also not right, no? Doing the wrong thing is certainly wrong. But sometimes… Sometimes, we make a careless mistake, but it turns out to be right. It could be like that. But we cannot make mistakes to the extent of stealing others’ belongings. We cannot make mistakes to the extent of violating the Five Precepts. Got it? We can’t make mistakes that hurt others, that’s all. We’d rather make a mistake, meaning that we make a wrong judgment without hurting anyone else. Understand? Regardless of whether our judgment is right or not, at least we should avoid hurting others. Then it is fine. Whether we end up doing right or wrong, if we don’t hurt others, it is the right decision. If a spiritual practitioner has not yet reached a high level, sometimes, he still makes mistakes, but at least he cannot violate the Five Precepts. Got it? Making small mistakes is alright. “Mistake” means it is a small thing. But purposely doing wrong things to harm others is not good. Understand?
Over the next few days, let go of everything: all your wandering thoughts and distracting thoughts, or any small talk, big talk, or gossiping. Let go of all that, OK? Let go of all those from this moment and concentrate your mind on God, on Buddha, on spiritual practice. Only then can you progress quickly. Except for the basic things such as eating and going to the toilet – the most basic and essential things – avoid anything else and just come in to “work.” Do what you should do, like cleaning, things like that. Those things you must do. If you have been assigned a job, you’re responsible for it. For those who don’t have work, eating, sleeping, brushing your teeth, washing your face, going to the bathroom, etc., are the basic needs. Then, just come in and try to meditate. OK? If it’s too noisy for you to sit still, then do the (inner Heavenly) Sound meditation, and you’ll be fine. We have the solution, no? While you’re here,… We don’t have strict rules about when to do (inner Heavenly) Sound meditation and (inner Heavenly) Light meditation. Maybe it’s best if we check the time ourselves. Don’t just sit there without doing any Sound meditation. It’s not good.
Otherwise, we can say when to do the Sound and the Light. We can also announce it. (Yes, we can. People in our neighborhood are all going on vacation.) Are they all going on vacation? (Yes, yes, we paid for their travel expenses. They won’t come back until after our retreat.) Really? (They are going on vacation starting this evening.) Where to? (To their relatives.) Oh, really? (Just going to have some fun… so that we can…) Did you talk with them? (Yes, we did.) But will anyone come and go? (No, they won’t.) So nobody will be walking by, right? (No one is walking near this area.) Yeah, OK. You can cover yourself with a piece of cloth when meditating. (OK.) OK. Then what time do we… Give me the schedule. Do you have one? (Yes. I’ll give it to You.)
Never mind. The first hour… How many hours do you sit every session? I forget. You have it? Great. Give it to me. Give it to me now. Why wait until later? From 9 to noon is our meditation time. Is that right? OK. Then, from 9 till… Do the (inner Heavenly) Light meditation from 9 to 10. Understand? (Yes.) When you hear a bell ding, then you start doing the (inner Heavenly) Sound meditation. OK? Can they do the Sound meditation for two hours? (Yes.) If not, then, of course, take a break. But it’s better to try doing it for two hours. OK? (OK.) (OK.) OK, then from noon to 2 PM is lunchtime.
Meditation. At 2 PM… From 2 to 4 PM … No. From 2 to 3 PM, do the (inner Heavenly) Light meditation. Then, from 3 to 5 PM, do the (inner Heavenly) Sound meditation. If I come, of course, you stop. If I don’t come, you try to do it that way. Because you often meditate more on the Light than on the Sound. So this time, we make up for it. OK? Each meditation session is three hours. The first hour is for the (inner Heavenly) Light, then the next two hours are for the (inner Heavenly) Sound. Except when I come, got it? (Yes.) The same, three hours each time. That’s it. If I come to visit you, then you will get a bonus.
OK. You prepare a bell for them – a small one or a big one, whatever. Just make it one hour for the Light meditation. Each time coming in, you do the (inner Heavenly) Light meditation immediately. An hour later, there will be a ding: Do the (inner Heavenly) Sound meditation. Whether it is two or three hours, just continue doing it till I come. If I don’t come, then just continue doing it. OK? Understand? (Understand.) Thank you. It is very simple. The first hour, do Quan Quang (meditation on the inner Heavenly Light) and the rest, just Quan Yin (meditation on the inner Heavenly Sound). OK? The first hour, meditating on the Light. And the rest… (The Sound.) Good boy, good girl. Good, good.
Try to forget your worries and concerns so that you can succeed. So that you can be on the list, OK? To be on the list of the Gods is also very difficult. It’s harder than passing an exam. OK. Now, I’ll meditate with you here for a while. They are supposed to be resting, right? It is… in the evening? I don’t see it. At midnight, they’re going to sleep. Now it’s 10 PM… No, 9 PM for sleeping. It is 10 PM, and you’re still awake. (Today is not included here because the retreat doesn’t start until tomorrow.) Only tomorrow the retreat begins? OK. (Check-in is until midnight tonight.) Ah, check-in is until midnight. Consider this your good luck. You get a bonus even before the retreat begins. It’s really a happy New Year, a prosperous New Year. Happy, prosperous, and on top of the list. Progress, diligence, contemplation. Oh, these are all very auspicious words. Alright, I’ll meditate with you for a while. Or do you want to go to sleep? (Meditate.) You want to go to sleep yet? (No.) Alright, then, I meditate with you for a while. OK? (Yes.)
Photo Caption: God Shows Us All Love With Beauty!
