Sometimes, when we look at the world, people’s concepts are upside down. They say it’s good when it’s not so good, and they say it’s not good when it’s good. Having your parents killed is not right. Is it? (No.) He let his mother die without any reason – not sacrificing for the country, or protecting the country. (Yes.) He just wanted to protect his reputation, just for a little integrity. What is so great about integrity? There is no particular reason, and he just killed himself for the sake of integrity, and forced his mother to die. I think that was just too ignorant. Therefore, we can’t follow these examples. (Yes.) We only respect him for one aspect, but he had committed too many mistakes, and only did one correct thing, which was cutting his flesh for the King to eat when the King was starving to death. For that we can still say that he was very loving and loyal. Afterward, he didn’t want to get any award, didn’t want to claim any merit, and for that he was good.
But since he knew Heaven’s Will, why did he run away when Heaven brought things to his doorstep? Heaven’s Will has many aspects. Heaven’s Will is not only for the King. This meant he had also violated Heaven’s Will. (Yes.) If he himself went out to claim his merit from the King, saying that he wanted such and such award and prize, or if he wrote to the King saying, “You are ungrateful” or something, we can still say that he was greedy for fame, or he purposely forced God to give him things, that he was claiming his merit. But, he didn’t! He didn’t, and then for this, he even ran into the mountains, giving his mother more hardship. She had been waiting for him for 19 years, 19 years in loneliness. Living alone was already very hard, and it was even harder after he came home. What kind of son was he? What kind of son was he, not loyal to the King, not filial to his mother, yes! Do you see that? (Yes.)
Had he understood the true meaning of loyalty and filial piety, he should have been filial to his mother. His mother had lived a long, hard life. He could have made some sacrifice to make her life a little easier; that would have been OK. Not to mention, he wouldn’t have been sacrificing anything; he would be receiving the merit he deserved. We are not saying that we should claim merits, but in this world whatever we do we all get… salary. No? (Yes.) Therefore, suppose we sell a piece of our flesh to someone, and he gives you several thousand dollars; it’s also considered a normal transaction, without anyone gaining favor from the other. Is it not so? (Yes.) It’s not that he, empty-handed, went to the King to take anything, right? (Yes.) The human body is very precious. If he could sacrifice a piece of flesh from his body for the King to eat, however much the King gave him wouldn’t be enough. Especially when the King personally went there to reward him, and we don’t know how much he’d reward him. Besides, he could always refuse. (Yes.)
So, you see, the logic in this is wrong. He was not only not filial, he even let his mother suffer more. She had waited for 19 years, and she suffered more after he returned. That was not good. Her son was not filial. And then, when the King asked his presence to grant him a reward, he did not obey the King’s order. He was not loyal to the King. (Yes.) Therefore, he was not loyal or filial. So then, I don’t know what exactly it is about him that we are supposed to admire? He was just a stubborn fool. And we worship him like that. I don’t say that we can’t worship him. People can worship him as they want. Everyone has their own views. Just that I feel… In my not so important opinion, he was not right! And… Wait a moment.
Because he said that he knew Heaven’s Will. He spoke very well, saying that whatever the King gained was a gift from God. Ah, we thought he was amazing, that he truly understood Heaven’s Will. Then why didn’t he know that Heaven’s Will also intended to bestow something upon him? (Yes.) The King personally went to his house, asking him to come out, and his neighbor wrote a letter on his behalf. All these were also God’s arrangements. (Yes.) Why didn’t he think that way? Therefore, he also had no respect for Heaven! Not loyal, not filial, and had no faith in Heaven; all he could do was talk. You see? That’s why you spiritual practitioners have to be careful. Those who talk about teachings all the time, that’s useless. They have to practice it properly. They have to really understand the meaning.
It’s like the story I told you before. There was a person, kind of a spiritual practitioner, sitting by the road. Suddenly, a lot of people ran past him, telling him, “Run quickly. There is a crazy elephant(-person) chasing us, and killing everyone. Run quickly.” The so-called spiritual practitioner told them, “I believe in God. That elephant(-person) also has God inside him, so I’m not afraid.” Then the elephant(-person) came and killed him. Since he believed that there was God inside the elephant(-person), why didn’t he believe that there was also God inside those who warned him? Why didn’t he believe in this more peaceful God, but believed in that “crazy” God? Therefore, it’s just illogical.
Then another time, there is another story in India, which is: At one time in India, the government decided that their people should all get vaccinated in order to prevent some plague. At that time, there was a very dangerous plague spreading throughout India… (Infecting everyone.) Infecting. In areas not yet affected, the government decided to enforce vaccination. Some Indian people resisted. They didn’t know what vaccination was, and they resisted it. So the government or those charity organizations, those doctors, decided to go at midnight. They would sneak into their houses, hold them down, and give them injections. Because if one individual caught a contagious disease, the whole city would be contaminated. You all know it very clearly. (Yes.) Therefore, if there is one person who doesn’t get the injection, it’d be very difficult.
When they were doing this, one time, at night, a group of doctors and nurses went to one household and forced the whole family out for the injection. Of course they resisted very fiercely. Despite the resistance, the doctors still did their job and gave them the injections. They were released afterward. Then the head of the household, the man stood up and told them, “Alright. We’ve fought enough. Now that the matter is finished, I don’t fight with you anymore. Now I have only one cucumber to offer to you.” He told those doctors like that.
Because, he said, according to his religious belief, he didn’t want to receive the vaccination. “But because you used force, you forced us, we could not resist; we’ve already tried our best to resist. But the matter is now over, now you are my guests. There is nothing else in my house, but a cucumber that I can offer you.” That’s it. Because according to their customs in India, when you come to someone’s house, you are God. They should treat you like God, and offer you whatever food and drinks they have. So he offered water and cucumber to them, because those were the only things they had at that time.
Because he told those doctors, according to his religious belief, if God wants someone to be sick, that person will be sick. We should not violate God’s Will. That’s why he refused to get the injection. Alright. Those doctors stood there and felt ashamed after hearing this, feeling that this person was really religious. But I feel that that person’s belief was more like a one-way street. He couldn’t hear what God said. He just believed that’s what God said, that whoever God wants to be sick will be sick. God also sent those doctors, which meant it’s God’s Will that they should take the injection. It was more obvious. (Yes.) He didn’t even hear what God had to say, yet he already refused those people. If God had really told him, “Don’t take any injection! Because I don’t want you to get sick. Whoever I want to fall ill will fall ill.” Then that’s also acceptable. But God also sent him some doctors, which meant God had another plan to help those who don’t want to get sick by providing injections, etc.
Therefore, we, the so-called spiritual practitioners, should not be too stubborn, or obstinate. Depending on the situation, we should go with the flow and handle it accordingly. When we are sick, in addition to meditation and praying hard, we should take medicine if it is available. When there is no medicine, of course, we must rely entirely on prayer. Then we see how God arranges, and accept it. God has arranged for doctors to come to your house, yet you still say no! How do you know it wasn’t God who sent them? Didn’t you say that everything is God’s arrangement? Since they are here, it means God has arranged it. (Yes.) So, why do you create so much trouble and reject them? So stubborn. There are many similar stories. That’s how the world is. Many people think that they have great faith. But talking is easy; when situations arise, they’d cry out. Like that family. If they refused the injection at that time, and got sick later, they’d suffer greatly before they died. At that time, they’ll definitely be crying out, asking why God didn’t come to save them, take care of them, and why God allowed them to fall ill, etc.
We, as spiritual practitioners, must be agile. We shouldn’t say “I believe in God” as an excuse for everything to hide our laziness or stubbornness, and then do nothing. If that’s the case, why do you have to eat? Why do you even wear clothes? You can just go out and believe in God. No one will see you naked. You can just believe in God, and your stomach won’t get hungry. This is illogical. It’s too convenient for us. We just say whatever is convenient for us, we just say it that way. Because we don’t want to do anything else. We just say that we believe in God, and then blame God for everything. Always use God as a shield. We spiritual practitioners must be careful. This is why I tell you these stories today. Alright? Now you clap so loud, which means, “Great! Master is going to end the lecture.” OK. Good night. (Good night.)
Yeah. Today you are also like that. I’ve arranged for you to sit in the house, but you said you didn’t want to. Your God is more powerful than mine. You didn’t even mind the rain, making those… The rain god dared not rain too heavily. They couldn’t take the responsibility. It’s all because you sit here. Originally, he was going to rain heavily, but seeing that you insist on sitting there, he dared not rain. When many people need rainwater, there is no rain. People like farmers, etc. Alright. Good night. (Good night.) Take a look at the “flower.” Sleep well. Did you look at my eyes just now? (Just now…) Very little? (Yes. Very little.) (Hallo, Master.) If I look here, then they can see me. Perfect timing. It’s good to do it this way. Tomorrow, I’ll let you look at me more. Because it’s dark now, you can’t see me. Is it OK now? (OK.) OK. Good night. (Good night. Thank You, Master.) How can you see me from here? Only those with the greatest blessed rewards are here. How did you choose this place? (Guards.) Ah? (Guards.) (Mobile guards.) Can the guards sit here? (Yes.) (We could be deployed at any time.) To be deployed at any time. (Good night.)
Tomorrow you’ll have red envelopes. (OK. Happy New Year.) Because you came here too late this evening. Too late. It’s dark. You can’t see the red envelopes. Tomorrow you’ll see the red color. OK? (OK.) (Hallo, Master.) Fine. Not bad. (Master, Happy New Year.) Your Mama came? Oh, yeah, I saw her. But she is skinny, lost some weight, no? No. No. OK. Good night. (Hallo, Master.) I have things, but I don’t know how to give them. This. Tell them to come and get it. And then go up there. After taking it, come down. OK? (Yes, yes.) Hey, take mine. (You can go and get the blessed [vegan] food. Each one take some.) You will get your things here. (Line up, each one take some.) One per person. (One per person.) (One per person. One per person. Line up. Please line up.) (Take and go. Take and go.)
Photo Caption: “Don’t Let ‘Down’ Get You ‘Out’”
