You see, we have prepared the lucky red envelopes for all of you. […] In case, for the foreigners, It is according to the Oriental tradition that the first days of the [Lunar] New Year, the elder – elder – should give some kind of a lucky symbol for the younger generation. So in China or in Âu Lạc (Vietnam), we give the children red envelopes with some money inside, just a symbol of luck for the [Lunar] New Year. But since I have too many “children”, the money has to be kind of diminutive. Normally when we give to the children, we give a little bit more, generously for the [Lunar] New Year, but these are all very wise and old “children”, so all they need is wisdom, not the money. […]
I have told Tong to prepare it, but I don’t know; she’s a “financial minister,” so the budget is always her most concern. If I put, I will probably put a little bit more. But for her, symbolic is symbolic – US$1. I just asked her, therefore I know. Wow, that’s pretty cute. How many did you prepare? Can they take more or just one? Just one, really? Oh, God. So, what I said it really came true. Only one for one. Well, never mind. You also have to understand that we are not in our quarter, and nobody works with her, not too many team members, until the last days before the retreat. She has to work with very limited manpower, a few. So, we cannot always prepare many things the way we would or could do in our own quarter. But I hope you enjoy and you are satisfied with whatever we can offer, because our reward is not always material, right? (Yes.) It is spiritual.
I hope tomorrow I can uncover my face so you can have a look at my original beauty. It will be better tomorrow. The swelling has already gone down 80%. So tomorrow I think you can look at me without fainting, without collapsing. OK, now, anything else I can do for you? Normally, you have eaten? (Yes.) OK. Everything taken care of? (Yes.) Well, tomorrow we will have a very swell – not swollen – a swell party, perhaps with my little swollen face. But I hope you will enjoy. Actually, on such an occasion… It will not be here. All of you know? (Yes.) You know where it is? (Yes.) OK, tomorrow they’ll take you anyhow. Take with bus? Take people there, or in the morning, or tonight? (Tomorrow.) No, tomorrow. (Tomorrow.) Tomorrow, right? How can we take care? It’s enough time? OK, so tomorrow after meditation. You tell them in advance when this will end and so on. Let them be prepared, mentally prepared. Tomorrow after they finish meditation time, you probably will be informed and transported in time, sometime in the afternoon. Right? Sometime in the afternoon to the party place. And of course, you wear your best suit. Do you have? (Yes.) Oh, they told you? (Yes.) I thought you have magical powers. You just go like this, and then… This time, no mud, no mud. So you might look better than last time, even. (Yes.)
So anyhow, the party is not that important to us, the practitioners, but it is important for the world. And also, maybe it’s also important to us sometimes in the sense that we have a change of environment, a little bit of a change in our program. And that’s refreshing to the mind a little, so that whenever we have to attend group meditation or retreat, it (the mind) will not rebel and say, “No, no, you stay home and go out with girlfriends instead.” So it’s OK to have an occasional treat for the body and the mind and to make us feel more relaxed and more… not too much pressure. Like every day you just meditate, meditate, meditate… da-da-da-da, and nothing else. And sometimes the mind will break. And it’s a good instrument; we cannot afford to have it broken down. So tomorrow as usual, just like maybe in Hawaii, we will have some ceremony and some kind of official proclamation or awards going on. And all this is not important to us, as you know very well, and also not important to me, especially. But it is important in a sense that perhaps our endeavors, our good work, our goodwill have been recognized by the world people at large. And therefore, it will benefit the world more. You know what I mean? (Yes.)
For in the future, wherever we go, our presence, our reputation will help the world people to come to us with more open minds, more faith, and more willingness to let us help them. And in that sense, it is very important. You understand? (Yes.) Well, the rest, I’ll let you know tomorrow for a surprise. I don’t disclose everything to you because I will steal the performance then. The rest you’ll know tomorrow. Alright? So the most important is, just as last time, in case you have not attended the Hawaii official banquet, I would remind you – in case I don’t see you tomorrow morning, I perhaps will be busy or recuperating – that we behave gentlemanly: nice dress and decent manner and sweet talk, soft manner. Like last time, or like every time. Like the first time and the last time that we could ever be nice anywhere on Earth. We are good guests on this planet. So that we add more to the beautiful and loving atmosphere of the ceremony, and make a deeper impression on our fellow practitioners and brothers and sisters of other faiths or no faiths or self-faiths, so that we can work together better, now and in the future, in harmony, to serve this world, to serve the people who need our help. OK. That’s it. If you have to fight with each other, close the door and finish it and then come out smiling. So, so far, so good, huh? (Yes.)
I’m mostly very pleased with you, except for one or two who are “bombing” us, occasionally, now and again, yesterday and the day before. The rest of you are having a good time, I mean, feeling good inside, feeling spiritually uplifted and benefited from this occasional retreat. And that’s what the retreat is for. And then the more we do the retreat, the more we become habitual with this kind of retreat atmosphere, and then we draw inward. Most of the time, we are mixing with other people who are not in the same level of understanding like we are. So the retreat is not only for that occasion, but it’s for all time, so that we remember to withdraw ourselves, to retreat within ourselves while interrelating with other people. Not that we are cold and cut off from everybody, but we concentrate within while dealing without, and so therefore bringing this inside happiness, inner bliss, into the relationships – whomever we are related with, we will, because of our going inside, within, withdrawing inside, we can share this bliss from inside. Therefore, the people who come to us, they will feel also happy and at ease with us. That is the true retreat. It’s not only the three days, seven days, or four days that we are together. And that you know, and I have spoken perhaps many times, but you need to eat again and again, perhaps the same (spiritual) food, in order to grow in different dimensions.
So, I guess… What time [do] we finish the meditation? Nine? Nine. Ten? Alright, if you want, I’ll meditate with you for a while and then I will leave. So, close the light and close the eyes. We meditate together. And I have to thank you for the last time that… not last time, but last time today, for your trust and your love, your sincerity and your endeavor to work for yourself. The best gift you can give to me anytime is that you are happy with your meditation, and you progress inside, outside, and you become a better person. Every time I hear that you become better, you feel better, you appreciate your life better now, every time I receive a big gift of my life.
Thank you very much. You sacrifice yourselves for the public. (Thank You, Master.) You’re a big help. (Thank You, Master.) For you. (Thank You, Master.) Happy [Lunar] New Year. If they don’t come today, forget it. Have those guards come? Don’t kneel. Just stand. Kneeling takes too much time. They think that in my whole world, only he exists. Can’t offend them. One for your wife. (She has it already.) Where is she? Has she got it? (Yes.) OK. OK. Have you all got it? Have you all got it? (Yes.) Really? Great. Why are they going over there? (They can’t see You.) (In the front.) No need for so many of that. (Thank You, Master.) Tell them to come in first. Tell those people to go out quickly. (Those over there go out first.) Alright. Go out. OK. (Thank You, Master.) You’re the working team, meditating very little. Is that right? (Yes, yes.) OK. Done. Now you can meditate over there in a corner. Sit against the wall. (Thank You, Master.) (OK. Thank You, Master.)
Photo Caption: Welcoming, Bringer of the Light!
