Those who raised hands, where do you come from? One at a time. (Canada.) (Canada.) Canada? Jesus. You just risk your airfare or go by car? (Car.) Car? (We flew here, Master.) Oh, geez. (Yes, we love to see You very much.) Alright. You can come up here later and... (Thank You, Master.) Those who came from far away. The L.A. people, Riverside people, just stay at the riverside. OK? If you have any questions, do you want to come up here? The Canadians? Yes, come up here. Will you make a little road for them, please? Canadians can come [sit] over here, or sit over there. Sit around here.
Where else? Where else is far? Canada, where else? (Dallas.) (Dallas.) Dallas is far? Let’s see how much space we have here first. (Yes.) Can you make a kind of nice space for people? Make some nice space. (I’m fine, I’m fine. Sitting here is fine.) Make space for people. Yeah, you can sit here. Oh, you’re not from Canada? (Yes, I live in Canada now.) But you came to see me many times before. Don’t cheat. Don’t cheat. (I’m from France.) You may sit. You can sit down. Canadians, and how many from Dallas? I don’t know. Dallas, how many? A lot? Only one? Come up. If we still have space, it’s OK. You can sit around here.
You want to ask anything? Any questions? Too late, too late. Oh. Do you have any questions? (I’ve got.) Yeah? (I’ve got a question, Master.) OK, give him a microphone. Anyone else who comes [from] very far can sit around here if you want to, you can see me clearer. Come here. Bring the microphones for them. Come over here. Hey, sit here. You can have the carpet if you want. Get a microphone for them, dear. (Yes.) Where is the microphone? (Yes, it’s here.) (Yes.) What happened? Yeah, it’s alright. You just (It’s on.) put it next to your mouth. (OK. Yes. Thank You, Master. This is the first time I see You.) Really? (Yes. I came from Dallas this morning, and the Dallas people... Let him come.
(The Dallas people miss You very much, and they wonder, me too – I want to know – do You have any time to go to Dallas?) Maybe, yes. (Yes. And...) Maybe. How far from here? How many hours? (Three hours’ flight.) Oh, that’s not much. (Yes.) Yeah, and then? (And are You going to stay in the United States for the next maybe one or two weeks?) Well, you are not a policeman. You’re not supposed to ask me anything like that. (Yes.) (I just wonder if I can join the meditation again, if You will be here in the next...) Well, I hate to promise anything because I break it anytime, so... (OK. That’s the only question I have. Thank You.) OK. You have to play it by ear. (OK, thank You.)
OK. Anyone else who is from far away and it’s the first time seeing me, and wants to see me more, can come over – if you want to. And be quiet and slow. Any other questions? Yeah? No? If you have a question, you raise your hand and they’ll bring the microphone to you. Hi. (Hi, Master.) Hi. (Mexico.) Mexico. (Yes.) You can sit there or if you… (Thank You.) Yes. Just don’t... Yeah, OK. Be careful with the lamp. So how is Canada? Very cold? (Not now, Master.) (Not now.) Not now? (Not now, it’s summertime.) (It’s very nice.) Summertime. Very nice? (Very nice.) Where are you from in Canada? From where? (Kingston.) Kingston. (Yes.) Kingston. (It’s between Montreal and Toronto.) Oh, I see. How far from here do you have to fly? (It took about six hours, Master.) Six hours? (Yes.) That’s far!
Fix your teeth. (Yes.) You’re very young. Fix it. Don’t complain to me that you get no wife. Or your wife leaves you. Teeth are very important. Have to take care of the tooth. We’re all here for the tooth (play on words with “truth”). How long have you been initiated? (I have been initiated since 1993, Master.) Ninety-three? And your teeth are still like that? (I went to see a dentist recently, Master.) You saw a dentist recently? (Yes, Master.) Why didn’t he fix it for you? (I ordered the dentures.) Too much money? (Yes.) How much does it cost? (Eighteen hundred dollars.) Eighteen hundred dollars. (Yes.) One thousand eight hundred? (Yes.) (Yes, Master.) That’s all? And you can’t afford it? (No. [I've] been waiting [for the dentures,] Master.) Huh? ([I'm] waiting for the dentures. It’s ordered already.) Ordered already? (Yes. We’ve been waiting.) Why did you wait so long? From 1993? (No, Master, it just happened.) (It just happened.) The tooth, we have to take care of quickly. Just happened, huh? You can afford it? (Yes, Master. I can’t afford it, but I do all my best. You cannot? (Yes, I can’t, but I do all my best to get the dentures. I don’t want to be looking like this.)
Well, actually, you look cute. (It looks like… Thank You, Master. It looks like a 60-year-old man, Master.) Sixty? No! You underestimate your look. You look like 80-something. Early 80s. Never mind, I’m just kidding you. (I know.) Get it fixed. I think I have some money for you. (Oh!) You can fix it. I don’t have too much. I think I have to borrow from the driver. Do you have money? (They give some for sample.) You have how much? (Just to give a dollar.) How much do you have? (Just a dollar, I’m happy, Master.) One dollar is not much. One dollar anybody can give you. (Just a sample, Master.) Sample (Yes.) is no good. Big deal. How much do you have there? (A thousand.) A thousand, give it to him. OK. That’s to help you. To help you with half of the teeth. The other half you have to take care of. (Thank You, Master.) Fifty percent is enough already. Master takes half of the karma, enough, right? OK.
Anyhow. Is your wife here? (Yes.) (She’s right there, Master.) Oh, this is… Oh, all your teeth are good! You took it from him! You should lend him some. What did you do to him? (She beats me up every night, Master.) She beats you up every night. Oh, Jesus. That is a warning for all the single men who are going to get married very soon. Why did you beat him up? I mean, why over there? Why not over here? It’s only the lower teeth. You should do it on the upper part, it shows better. Yeah, you’re naughty. He’s naughty. You don’t understand English? (Not very much, Master.) You understand what? (Aulacese [Vietnamese], Master.) Why did she punch the lower jaw and not the upper jaw? (I didn’t punch him, Master.) If you hit the upper jaw, people can see it more easily; the women would all run away. (Yes.) If you hit the lower jaw, you can hide it; just smile with your lips closed and nobody can tell. (Thanks to Master’s guidance, I was able to dodge it. If Master hadn’t told me, I would have been hit on both jaws.) Is that so? Oh my God, you look so gentle, yet you’re that fierce? Alright, don’t hit him anymore, OK? No, if you’re going to hit, hit somewhere else – don’t hit this place. OK, you behave yourself. (Thank You, Master.)
What do you do over there? What do you two do over there? (Master, I work over there doing “đẳng xô.”) What? (“Đẳng xô” – pumping gas, Master.) Pumping gas is called “đẳng xô.” Stop playing word games with me. I’m not very educated. I’ve been away from Âu Lạc (Vietnam) for so long, I don’t know these words anymore. (No, I’m not…) What do you mean by “đổ xăng”? What is that? (Pumping gas, Master.) Pumping gas for someone’s station? (Yes.) Ah, I see. And what about her – what does she do? (She stays home and watches over me, Master.) She stays home and keeps an eye on you. She sees those ugly teeth and punches you. (Whenever I do something wrong, she “knocks me” right away.) That fierce, huh? Well, that’s how it should be. Thanks to your wife, you’ve improved up to now. (Yes, truly I rely on…) Otherwise all your teeth would’ve been gone already. (It’s because of Master’s blessing. Otherwise I wouldn’t have survived until today.) Why? Go where? (Nowhere. My wife keeps pecking at me; I can’t stand it.) Is she very fierce? (No, Master, she’s very gentle.) OK. (Thank You, Master.) Any questions? (No.) If any Aulacese (Vietnamese) don’t know how to speak English and want to ask something, you can ask in Aulacese (Vietnamese), it’s OK. (Yes.) OK.
(Respectfully, Master, my name is […].) Oh, where are you? (I just came from Cam Ranh, Khánh Hòa, Âu Lạc [Vietnam].) Ah, hallo. (Respectfully, Master, I’ve only been here for three months. The fellow initiates in Cam Ranh asked me to convey their respectful greetings to Master and to congratulate You.) Thank you. Will you go back to Âu Lạc (Vietnam) again? (No, Master. I’ve only been here three months.) Oh, really? You came to live with your children? You came to live with your children? (No, just the two of us – my husband and I, Master.) Oh, just the two of you – how did you manage to come? (Our siblings sponsored us, Master.) Ah, that’s wonderful. Congratulations! (My grown children all stayed behind; they couldn’t come.) None of them could come? (No.) Then why did you two come here and leave your children over there? (I prayed to be able to come and see Master. I prayed very hard before I could… I prayed to Master – Master allowed me to come here. Master, I’d like to ask a question.) What would you like to ask? (Master, just seeing You makes me so happy that I…) You forgot everything? (Yes.) OK. Alright, sit down for a while. When you remember, you can ask later. (Yes.)
Is there anyone else who came from far away? Any Aulacese (Vietnamese) who are from far away and can’t understand? (The two of us are from North Carolina, Master.) Carolina – where is that, ma’am? (Well…) Ah, I know, I know. Is it warm there? (Yes, it’s warm, Master.) Like Âu Lạc (Vietnam)? (Yes.) What do you two do there? (I work as a contact person.) A contact person, I know that – but what do you do for a living? (My wife is retired.) Retired? (Yes, she’s retired. I’m still working.) What kind of work do you do, sir? (I work for a telephone company, Master.) Oh, really? (Yes.) Is it an easy job? (Yes, it’s easy.) How many more years will you work? (Six more years, Master.) Oh my God! (Yes, six more years…) If you work like that, will all your teeth fall out, sir? (It’s very easy work, Master.) Very easy? (Yes, very comfortable.) She’s still young, why did she retire early while you still have to work? (She retired ten years early.) (Master allowed it, Master.) (Master allowed it.) What do you mean “Master allowed it”? Just say you’re lazy. (Master allowed it.) So you make the old man support you? Well, it’s just the two of you, you don’t need that much money anyway, right? (Yes.) It depends, work as much as you want. OK. (Thank You, Master.)
Yeah, behind. You want it? Yeah. (Respected Master, all the fellow practitioners in Canada would like to invite You to visit Canada. It’s been many years, and Master still hasn’t come to Canada yet.) I know, I know. Six hours away? (Yes.) Oh my, that’s so far. (Thank You, Master.) We’ll think about it later, OK? Later. Alright, thank you. Send my regards to everyone back home. Even if I travel 24 hours a day, I still can’t see everyone. Sometimes I go somewhere and they say, “Why did You go so far, Master? My house is near here, only about two hours away. Please come visit me.” Yes, that’s how it is. The other day when I went to Korea, it was the same. I went to many Centers, traveled all around, and still many people did not get to see me. I asked, “Why?” “Oh, my house is two hours away. I was too busy.” I said, “If you are too busy then forget it.” I already traveled thousands of kilometers to get there, right? (Yes.) Thousands of miles, tens of thousands of miles to get there and when I arrived you were still busy, then forget it. Your house is only two hours away, but you would not come, then forget it.
(Respected Master, we are from Oregon. Portland.) Oregon. Oh, I know. You are (…)’s parents. (Yes. Yes, Tong […]) I know. I met you earlier. Met you and already hugged you. (Yes.) (We came to visit Master. We pay our respects to Master.) Thank you. (Yes.)
Photo Caption: “Peace and Love transformed the Scenery to Eden-like Vista”
