We are cheated by the concept of time and space, that’s all. Understand? (Yes.) But actually, space is also together. You cannot separate space. So we are in the same space even. (So what is the problem? And time: Time is also a kind of illusion. When you sleep, you don’t know the time. (Yes.) And when you’re happy, time flows very fast. (Yes.) And when you’re miserable, time drags very slowly. Why? It’s all conception, preconception. It’s all concepts; it’s all illusion. […]
So, you understand now: the mind is tricky. It blames everything, except itself. The self-righteous person says, “It’s because of you I have not become the Buddha in seven days. In the past, I used to become the Buddha in seven hours!” You know it all. (Yes.) So after you heard some complaint like this, you can only shake your ears, and wash them. You might get an infection. You understand very well what I’m talking about? (Yes.) Is there any indigestion, constipation? Nothing. (No.) OK. Very simple. Very, very simple. You have grown up. And especially such a person who has been in a few retreats already, and if he doesn’t want to grow and he wants me to bathe him like a baby all the time, I have no interest in doing that. You have to grow by yourself. I cannot grow for you. It is impossible. Right? (Right.)
I think you prefer my lousy English. That is kind of a punch, so you relax. Understand? (Yes.) A lecture must not be constipated – like Vincent always said. You learn many things from me but in such a fun way and relaxing way. But you know what I’m talking about, and you understand, and you have a deep impression from it. (Right.) And you’re free from many preconceptions. And this kind of prejudice. So you know that, huh? (Yes.) Yes. So, to learn to be free is very fun and relaxing. If you don’t flow with the river, it’s very difficult. You get stuck somewhere, and it’s your choice. But don’t expect me to stick with you. Understand? (Yes.) Yes.
You come here; you are serious. You want to be enlightened. You want to reach Buddhahood. Buddhahood – but it’s your hood. You wear it; I don’t need to. Understand? (Yes.) You want to be serious? Alright. You can wear any kind of clothes you want, as long as you’re comfortable and you can be inward. That’s alright. But do not expect the neighbors to do the same. You may suggest, yes, or you may think it’s better and all that, but you don’t expect, you don’t criticize people.
And a teacher, of course, should not be the same as the students. Have you ever seen a teacher come home and study homework until midnight? (No.) (No.) And try to solve riddles like the students? No, of course not. How can he be a teacher if he’s like that? Understand? (Yes.) He must have all the qualifications, all the answers to the problems of the students. That’s why he’s teaching them. Right? (Yes.) So, the teacher can go out dancing, can go for coffee, can have girlfriends, can race cars, can do whatever he wants. Understand? (Yes.) Because he knows everything already that he has to teach. He might not know about other things maybe, but he knows what he’s teaching, and that’s enough. That’s the only requirement of a teacher: that he knows what he’s teaching. Anything else he does doesn’t affect that. And as long as the students get the result from his teaching, that’s perfect. So, the fruits speak for themselves.
Anyhow, if you’re too narrow-minded and too inflexible, then you only harm yourself. So try to be open but cautious. Don’t open for just anything. But try to be open and judge with the perfect inner judgment. Then, you won’t go wrong.
I have told you many times – it’s not the first time. I can do everything, but I know when to stop, and I’m never caught in anything. But you cannot, yet, because you’re caught in everything. Yes? (Yes.) Therefore, you are addicted to coffee, to tea, to whatever thing in the world. I can drink, but I’m never addicted. Understand? (Yes.) Today, I drank one cup of coffee because the Aulacese (Vietnamese) lady who cooks for me made one, so I just drank it. But I’m never missing coffee again, before or after. I can drink it every day, but I can stop anytime. And I can drink tea every day, just when necessary. For example, [during the] retreat, I drink. You see me drink tea every day. But you’d never see me drink tea otherwise. For example, these two months I am on retreat. I only cooked… Well, I will not talk about two months. This month, I only cooked tea once or twice. You ask… because he wanted it. Yeah, and that is the reason. Even that, understand? (Yes.) So, OK. We cooked tea, and we drank together. There were three or four persons, and most of them were drinking; I drank only one cup.
But in this retreat, every day, I ask the Indian lady to come and cook Indian (vegan) chai for me. It looks like I’m addicted to it. Every day, you have to cook Indian tea for me – just because you love to cook it for me. When I passed by, she said, “Can I bring some Indian (vegan) tea for You?” I said, “Yes!” And then every day she cooks and every day I drink. I’m a very obedient Master. But after you’ve gone, I won’t drink anymore. Or maybe I’ll never drink again. I can drink, or I don’t drink. Understand the difference? (Yes.) So don’t learn anything from me when you cannot afford it. I’m doing things for people, for you, not for myself. I drink because she loves to do something for me. She loves to cook Indian (vegan) food for me, but now the Aulacese (Vietnamese) are cooking, therefore I share. The Aulacese (Vietnamese) cook the food, and the Indian makes tea, so both are happy, shake hands together, working in the kitchen.
And sometimes, I taught people to make tea or (vegan) chapatis just to brighten their life on their practicing path. Put some flowers on the rough road to lighten their burden, to ease their tension from too much eagerness to become Buddha. You relax, and you just become. A student in the school has to learn his lessons day by day, a little by little, not too tense. If he’s too tense, he cannot learn. He’s blocked. Just like when you put something next to your eyes like this, you cannot see what it is. Too close. Understand? Too out of focus is also no good, but too close to the eyes, you’re blurred. You blur your vision. So we have to be just right ‒ the middle way. That’s the purpose of singing, tea, chapatis, telling jokes and all that. Understand? (Yes.)
When you teach a child to walk, you cannot kick him so he runs faster. You have to take his hand and clap all the way: “You’re good! OK, OK, OK!” Right? He’s only a child. And if you think you can run, then run yourself. Don’t expect the next child to do it, or don’t expect the mother to kick the other child just like you kick yourself. Alright? Each child is different, and I know how to treat you differently inside, and also outside. So, anyhow, that’s the problem when you have not enough faith in the Master. Or you have too much ego or too much of the dictating mind from habit – from the habit of the outside position, from the successful life in your business, or from the high fame that you earned in society. It’s a habit, and you must learn to control it, otherwise it controls you. It controls your life and controls your enlightenment progress. Understand? (Yes.)
Not that you harm me in any way by not respecting me or not believing me. You cannot harm me at all. It doesn’t matter how much you don’t believe in a medical doctor; he is still the medical doctor. You cannot take it away from him, the knowledge that he learned over the years. Right? (Right.) So, the greatest obstacle in our life is our own ignorance. When we are too proud of our achievements or position or intellectual garbage, we are also classified as ignorant. Ignorance is the cause of everything. If we are enlightened, we don’t think that way. So, everything is concentrated in the word “ignorant.” Make sure you check up on your mental health. And go over your eating habits, thinking habits, thinking diet and reacting diet. Make sure nothing is too extreme. Too much mental exercise, too much intellectual gymnastics, is also exhausting you. And then you have no more energy for enlightenment. That’s it.
Now, I think you should move slowly to the hill over there and then carry your love and your Master with you in your heart. We’re always together. Don’t be cheated. You want to be cheated. You deliberately don’t want to understand that we are together because you also love to enjoy a little bit of illusion now and again. Right? So you want to see me now and again. It’s alright to have a nice illusion. Otherwise, we’re never apart because we are not the person we see. The person is only habit and thought collected life after life or in this life. We are not that person. We are never separated. We are wisdom; we are love. And these things are all over the Universe. How can they be separated by just a layer of skin? Understand? (Yes, Master.) (Yes.) OK, goodnight! (Love You.) (Thank You.) Have a good journey, and remember that we’re always together. (Love You, Master.)
We are cheated by the concept of time and space, that’s all. Understand? (Yes.) But actually, space is also together. You cannot separate space. So we are in the same space even. (So what is the problem? And time: Time is also a kind of illusion. When you sleep, you don’t know the time. (Yes.) And when you’re happy, time flows very fast. (Yes.) And when you’re miserable, time drags very slowly. Why? It’s all conception, preconception. It’s all concepts; it’s all illusion. (Yes.) Understand now, huh? (Yes.) Yeah. So, don’t cry. If you want to, you can cry, but (you) must understand. (Yes.) You can cry, you can laugh, you can say you miss me, you love me, but you must understand deeply the “tooth” (truth) is inside you. OK? Looking inside for the “tooth.” Love you. (Love You.) (We love You, Master.)
And you are the Love. You are the Love that you are looking for. You are the Master that you love. OK? Now I see you are smiling. Very good. You think you understand that we are together? (Yes.) You will understand it – intuitively, not by thinking. (Thank You so much.) Who is staying? Who will stay? Who are the ones who stay? Behind here? You from? I don’t know you. Both of these people? The one behind. I don’t see you. Anyone else? Who else? Who else will stay? You’re going? (Yes, I’m going tomorrow.) OK. Have a nice journey. (Thank You, Master.) (Bye, Master.) (Bye-bye.) (Love You.) Bye! (Good night, Master. Good night. Goodbye, Master. Goodbye.)
Photo Caption: Life Can Be a Garden of Love
