They take turns by themselves. When one has finished speaking, another one can raise their hand. Take turns. Don’t make me keep asking. (The people who arrived here yesterday got initiated by Supreme Master Ching Hai, but there are many people outside who want to get initiated. Is there a way to do that?) (He said those sitting here are all initiated disciples. But many people outside still want to get initiation. What to do?) What to do? It’s their own business. We’ve spent so much money, so much manpower and time to come here and invite them at their doors, yet they didn’t come; it’s their business. We also advertised it in all the newspapers, distributed many sample booklets. There must be tens of thousands of them, right? (Eighty thousand.) Eighty thousand booklets. Also, how many tens of thousands of flyers? (Fifty thousand.) Fifty thousand flyers. And TV. (Six thousand posters.) Six thousand posters. (Big and small posters.) Including big and small posters. Plus the ads on TV. (Newspapers. Nine newspapers.) Newspapers. Nine newspapers. (Banners.) Banners. People can’t say that they don’t know me. Alright. If you have a loving heart, you tell them slowly. Therefore, the Buddha said it’s very difficult to deliver sentient beings.
Luckily, my disciples are enthusiastic and I have money; otherwise even you cannot come. You have to practice well. Otherwise, we’ll calculate one by one, to settle the bill with you. Our cost, wages, and interest, all have to be included. How much for each person has to be counted clearly. If they practice well, I’ll cancel their debt. It’s expensive for each person. We spend our own money to save you. This world is upside down. There has never been this kind of enlightened Master. Even Sakyamuni Buddha didn’t do such things. He is your greatest Buddha. The most famous, most revered in the world. Someone had to pave the ground with gold in order to invite Him, before He would come. You have to practice well. Or else there’s no way to save you.
(Yes, I understand that this is the first time Supreme Master Ching Hai has visited Busan, Korea. Is that correct?) (He says that it’s the first time Master comes to Korea.) Yes, but I’ve passed by a few times, in transit. I only looked out from your airport. I bought some ginseng, kimchi, and then left. (Thank You for visiting. There are many large cities, including Seoul. What motivated You to visit Busan for the first time?) (Thank You very much, Master. There are many big cities in Korea, why did You choose Busan?) Because of this man here, he’s so bored teaching here. He invited me. He’s here. He invited me, and so I came. No one invited me to other places. Therefore, if one person practices spiritually, he can save many people; it’s not a losing business. It’s useful, useful. You look at his example. Each person has to save at least two hundred people. Otherwise, you have to return the money to me. Including interest.
(I would like to say to Supreme Master Ching Hai that I am truly grateful for Your great sermon for the Buddhists in Busan. And next time You visit Busan, I wonder if You could learn a little Korean before You come.) (He says that he’d like to say thanks on behalf of the people in Busan. Next time when You come, please practice a little bit of Korean, and speak a little Korean.) You really are demanding too much. Demanding excessively. I alone have to take care of the refugees and poor people in the world. I have to earn money myself and preach the Dharma (True Teaching). Where can you find such an enlightened Master? Where? And still have to learn Korean. Yes, and have to run to your country to teach you. And then, I have to earn money and spend my own money. I alone have to take care of many things. And then I have to learn your language. Has there ever been such an enlightened Master since ancient times? I’ve already spoken in six or seven kinds of languages and you are still not satisfied. You yourself can’t even speak one foreign language, and then ask me to learn many. How can it be like that?
And I’m much busier than you are. Ordinary enlightened Masters, even if They can transmit the Dharma, They wouldn’t have time to earn money. Earning money. For example, an artist like Van Gogh, he was busy only in painting and could not do other things. That’s why most monks have to go out collecting alms or have disciples to support them so that they can go preaching. I, a small person, you ask me to do everything. I want to retire. You tell him to learn Aulacese (Vietnamese). (He wants to learn Chinese.) Also OK, also OK. It is OK to learn either Chinese or English. Since you know Korean, it’ll be quick for you to learn Chinese. I think I can also learn Korean, but I’m afraid I don’t have time. I’m here only for a few days. I don’t know any soul. But every day my room is full of people. From morning till midnight, and now I’m still here. Later, there will be some more visitors. How do I have time to learn Korean? What do you think?
A person’s ability is limited. Can you imagine? Time is limited. There’re only 24 hours a day. Plenty of work. If I don’t see you, you’d say that I’m very arrogant and not friendly, not wanting to talk with others. Now I see you, then it’s never ending. Everyone wants to go inside to see me in person. I have a lot of things to do. You don’t know, and you think that every day I just sit there like Sakyamuni Buddha, your wooden statue – every day sitting there for people to worship. Only the wooden statue of Buddha has free time. Who else has free time? It is not busy, and it even makes people busy. It just sits there doing nothing, and people have to clean it and the altar every day, changing water, flowers, and fruits, and whatever. And “ko-ko-kiang-kiang” reciting sutras for it to listen. Wait a minute. Done?
This morning several Korean monks came to visit me. There were three or four of them. They sat for a while and asked a lot of questions. Then, they said that they lived very far away, and still had to go back afterwards, and then, maybe would come back again. He lived very far away, needed to go back and forth like that. I said he didn’t have to go back; he can just stay here. No need to go back and forth. He said, “All people of our temple are away. The temple is empty, and the Buddha will get hungry.” I said that the temple wouldn’t run away. And since the Buddha is hungry, it could not run away, either. After going back tomorrow, offering two more cups of rice, then it’ll be fine. You see, the wooden statue of Buddha doesn’t do anything, but makes people so busy and binds people so tightly. They’re absent for only one day and were worried that it will get hungry. You are used to worshipping wooden statues of Buddha, and you think I’m also the same.
But I’m very busy. If you want me to learn Korean, Japanese, and also Thai, then I can never finish learning. However, if you meditate well inside, you can see me appear inside. I’ll speak to you in Korean inside. No problem. This body has not yet been trained to speak many languages. But inside, the Master can speak all languages. I have many (transcendental) bodies, doing different kinds of work. The physical body is limited but the spiritual body is limitless.
Photo Caption: No Matter Where One Is Placed by God, Just Grow Happily!
