My tent is a little bit harder because they bought me some kind of army tent. But their tent is just an ordinary tent, and it still lasts three years. So, what they do is they can go and pick up those wooden blocks that people throw away after they use it for goods. Yeah, sometimes they throw away, and you nail it off the ground, so to avoid the water and animal-people, insects and things like that. And I put the tent on top, and then you are in Heaven, just zip in and zip out. No cleaning, no worry, no nothing. And here we are already in Heaven. We have electricity, and we have water. Water is already up, and electricity – you just draw the line in. It’s already very lucky.
When we were in Miaoli – at the headquarter of Taiwan (Formosa) – the first time, we didn’t have that much electricity. We had some, but not enough for 200 monks and that. And then we had to apply, apply many times with different reasons because Taiwan (Formosa), they restrict electricity. And we had no water there even, a little, small tap for thousands of people. Must be joking. So, we had to dig a well and build a water tank. Everything for people’s comfort and our comfort comes next. Otherwise, we would use all this money to build our house, build our room, build beautiful place for us and build all the beautiful... even at least the office for us to work in. Like this is a lousy office. We don’t have a table for the monks or for me to work sometimes.
So anyhow. But we are not uncomfortable with that because it’s not the material that makes us happy. I truly know this all my life. I had riches and I had everything, but I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t as happy as I am now. I know how to live my life without the crowd. It’s not that I don’t know how. It’s just that because you’re happy, I’m happy. It’s just because you came already, so I just help you and serve you. If you don’t come, I wouldn’t have bothered. But since you have come, I also would not throw you out. So, I work according to the demand and circumstances, and that’s all. Nothing I want and nothing I dislike. Whatever is there, I try to make the best. So, I tell you this, so that it may help you in your daily life.
Check your living expenses and don’t complain that you don’t have enough money. It may be that you spend too much, and you don’t organize your income and outcome, and that’s how you’re in trouble. We have only to spend what we can. And what we can save, even one penny, one dollar, save it. And that’s the money you earn extra. You don’t need to go to have an extra job to earn money, you can save it. And that’s how you earn. And we have more money to help other people just because I live in this way. I work in this way, and I understand. I control the financial situation and don’t let the finance control me. That is the secret. I’m not extravagant. I will not waste or spend money when not necessary. I’m still the way I was. And the other day I was still going around the house and thinking how to make more toilets out of that one and do it ourselves. Because it’s fun to do it yourselves. Also, the money you save, you can help the more needy people.
But sometimes most of the people in the world don’t know how to help themselves. That’s why they’re in trouble. And therefore, even the so-called religious people, many of them don’t have money. They keep always asking for donation, even though you went to see their churches are very big. And their cars, they have many expensive cars and that. But they still want money, why? They build everything just in a luxurious way. And they don’t know how to live a simple life. They think they have to impress people by expensive churches or furniture or the appearance of wealth, so to attract people to come and to feel proud of their church. But it’s not true. You all came to me, and I had nothing, in Taiwan (Formosa) even.
And you came to our Center. Before I told you this, you didn’t even know that all our property is paid off, and you didn’t even know I have how much money. You didn’t know this. And when you came to Taiwan (Formosa), it just looked like you came to maybe a refugees’ camp or something. We have only the roof, very great, big one, and the big pole to support that roof and no walls. That’s the best way to build a temple. It’s very hygienic, air-conditioned, natural, and no noise of opening and closing doors. When you sit about up to 10,000 people inside, even the best air conditioning is not good enough. You know what it’s like when you walk into this room when people are already seated inside. Smells terrible, no? When the doors are all closed. And even that hall is very tall and very big.
But sometimes it smells even, because too many people. Always thousands of people, always packed inside and outside. Therefore, if we don’t have doors and walls, it’s the best thing in the world. So, in the winter, they just cover themselves from top to bottom with a sleeping bag. So, when you come inside, you only see sleeping bags. Covered with it and everything. And in summer, you see only mosquito nets. Each one, one. They invented everything to suit the circumstances. But when you come inside, you see all kinds of things, all kinds of hats. Mexican hat, Chinese hat, with the mosquito net cover on top of it. And they sit there just like Quan Yin Bodhisattva, with all the frames and frills. Beautiful. And they leave all the mosquitoes for me to take care of, because I don’t have a mosquito net. I couldn’t bother to bring one every time I come down. So, all the mosquitoes come to me for charity. I’m a blood bank, occasionally. Anyhow, we had fun. Therefore, we don’t need to have a lot to impress people and to live a happy life.
I told you all this from my own experiences, how to live a happy life and don’t depend on money. Money is the last thing you should depend on. I did not ask for all this fame and wealth. I only asked for God. And God gives me everything when necessary. Whenever I need something, ideas will come. Or it naturally comes. That is what we call God’s Blessing.
And always keep your independence and dignity intact. Never ask for anyone’s help except if you’re in a desperate situation, concerning life and death. And then you would pay them back later. Then it’s alright. Better like that. To keep your dignity is more valuable than all the treasure of this world. If you lose it, nothing can buy it for you. And people won’t respect us if we come to them for help. I know this from experience. Never ever train yourself in this kind of habit of relying on others.
We have owed too much to this world and the society already. Since we were born, we’re born naked, cold, empty-handed into this world. And we grow up so big, so intelligent, so well-equipped, well-clothed, well-fed. Who gives all this? Even though God gave it, but through people’s cooperation and sweat and tears. That we have food, that we have shelter, that we have roads, that we have airplanes, trains, cars, every comfort that we have. We earn it, but we owe it to the society, to all the hard workers on the road, to all the laborers that are sweating in the manufactory with very little income. Even they earn income, but that debt, our gratitude to them, should not be measured by money. Therefore, we have to contribute something, as much as we can, just to be fair with each other.
If everyone just sits there and doesn’t work, and relies on others for alms and for charity, what do you think society will become? Do you think we will have food? Do you think we will have roads and clothes and everything else? So, I cannot allow you, my disciples, to be such lousy citizens of the world, and don’t blame me for that.
All my monks understood this, and if they don’t, I invite them to go home, so they know what struggle is like to be in the society, when you have to work and earn money the ordinary way. Even though the monks who live with me work, it’s not under pressure. They work when they want. And it’s not only for the money purpose, it’s just for the productive quality from human to human. Also to keep our mind busy in a noble way, and not in a destructive way. That’s the purpose of working. Also to keep our body and mental equilibrium in order. It is beautiful to work.
I only regret sometimes that I’m too busy with you, that I don’t have time to work in my creative talent. Sometimes I’m itching to use them. For example, sometimes I’m in the middle of a very busy lecturing schedule. I was so yearning to go to the riverside and paint something. But after, I tell myself, “OK, later you can do it.” But after, the inspiration’s gone. After that moment, it’s gone, and I was so busy I couldn’t go right away. Or sometimes I want to write a poem, for example. And then after the busy thing is gone, my inspiration is also gone. Or sometimes I want to create something, do some new handicraft or some artwork, and then I was too busy, too busy, and with headache and all that, many things. And then after I had free time, I forgot about it. And I had no inspiration, no desire to do that again. So, I’m regretful that I could not sometimes work, not regret that I have to work.
To work for you like this is also a work, no doubt, no doubt. But I think that God gifted me with a lot of talent after I got some kind of enlightenment. So, I think I want to put them all into use, not just do one kind of work, like mental work, lecturing every day and scolding people like that. It’s not ladylike. That’s why most of the masters in the world are men. Because when a man scolds people, they don’t think anything. But when a woman scolds people, they say, “Oh, it’s not very ladylike.” And then people don’t love you anymore. They think you’re not feminine. But I am very feminine. Because I’m feminine, therefore, I can scold without ego, without worrying about illusionary reputation and people’s false praises and love.
Anyway, try. I think the purpose is to try to understand what you need. Therefore, if you buy so many furniture for me, don’t get hurt if I don’t accept it. If I need them, I would have bought them. It’s OK, you buy me one. Alright, I accept it. Alright. But not the whole set of a Hyatt Regency Hotel’s suite. No need for that. I need only one seat at a time. And other people, we have already seats. And if you want to provide 100 seats for people, then you have to provide the room as well to put them in. Here we throw people out even for the disciples, “throw” monks and the Master out in the forest, so that we have room for disciples. How would we invite this furniture in?
Here the disciples are more important than the Master even. Never mind the furniture. Is that right? (Yes.) I moved into the forest, not because I love it so much that just a short time here, I could not bear to live in the room, but because it’s more convenient there. When I live in there, if you make noise here, I don’t hear. So, I moved there so you’re more free. And my room, it’s supposed to be a private room, now it became a public living room so I can have guests, receive disciples or some of the important people who come for refugees’ issues and things like that. So it becomes a public place, one more place for receiving guests. Otherwise, if it’s my bedroom, well I wouldn’t like to invite people to come in all the time.
Photo Caption: Being Strong for Others
