That’s all I have really. I could not stay in a cave even, anymore. (Oh.) Wherever I go, whatever happens, just happens. I don’t care. I couldn’t care less. I’m happy. I don’t have time to be sad, except when I’m suffering because of the pain of humans and all beings on this planet. I don’t have time to lament anything. I’m always happy and grateful for what I have.
Why have I told you all this? So, this is just a manifestation kind of a palace and environment. It’s made by Heaven, by the Protectors of Heavens, or by the merit of this couple, or by the magical power from his master, (Yes.) manifested through the physical gift that he gave to them. (Yes.)
It’s possible to do that. It’s possible to manifest things, but they won’t last long. (Oh.) Either they disappear after you’re done with your needy situation, or the magic will wear out. (Yes.) It was just for emergency use because the couple did not have any residence and did not find any populated area, (Yes.) did not find a human settlement anywhere yet, and it’s so dark already, dangerous for them.
So, the magic just manifested like that for them, according to also their worth. (Yes, Master.) If they are not that worthy, then probably it would just manifest a hut or a tent, like what I had, or a 2x4 (meter) residence ‒ I call it a palace, where I live.
That’s all I have really. I could not stay in a cave even, anymore. (Oh.) Wherever I go, whatever happens, just happens. I don’t care. I couldn’t care less. I’m happy. I don’t have time to be sad, except when I’m suffering because of the pain of humans and all beings on this planet. I don’t have time to lament anything. I’m always happy and grateful for what I have. (Yes, Master.)
I truly am very grateful and happy for what I have. I couldn’t ask for more. Because wherever you have, if you have a roof and the walls around you to protect all the computers and equipment and all that, that’s good enough already. (Yes, Master.) If the rain and the elements won’t destroy the computers and won’t make you sick, then it’s very good already. What else do you want? (Yes.) You’re only a small body, however big. The biggest guy in your group is how many meters? Two meters? (Yes, almost.) Even then, that’s all he needs. Right? (Yes.) The walls and the roof, and electricity, of course, and that’s all he needs. He needs also a heater, of course, and he needs only a water dispenser with hot and cold and freezing water, of course. And he needs also people to cook for him, of course. And he needs people to bring food to him, of course, and he needs a computer, of course. (A washing machine.) He needs a washing machine only, of course. (Sometimes a tumble dryer.) He needs a tumble dryer only, of course.
I mean, you don’t need much, this is just basic. I’m just making fun of you. But that’s the basic nowadays. (Yes, Master.) We could also do without, but then it takes much longer to wash by hand and to wait to dry. (Yes.) In that case, you need more clothes. Like this, even though it looks more of a luxury, but then it’s economical in some way. (Yes, Master.) So, you don’t have to waste too much precious time because we need to work for the Supreme Master Television. (Yes, that’s right, Master.) It’s a more important thing than our comfort or our show-off of ascetism. (Yes.)
We could do without all that, I’m sure you could. I used to do without all that and I don’t even mind to cook with the little three stones, in the forest even. In fact, I long for that. I love that kind of style where you don’t even need electricity to cook anything. You put the three stones, or you dig a hole in the ground with both ends open, and then you put your pot on it and you can cook. Because in the forest, there are a lot of dry twigs (Yes.) falling around. Even you can cook with dry leaves. You know that? (Yes.) And it’s such a wonderful life. I love that so much. Just I cannot afford that poor life. This is the problem. People say they cannot afford a luxury life. I could not afford the poor life. Because that poor life is the life I want. More independent, more simple, and it’s such fun, (Yes.) such a peaceful feeling. (Yes.) I lived like that before. I love that so much.
When we first went to Hsihu, we didn’t have electricity, not at all. We just cooked like that. Even for the hot water to take a shower, we cooked with a big pot and with the cheap wood that people discarded or with all the branches that fell all over in the forest. But before we had a lot, about four or five hundred people. So, the forest could not produce enough leaves or branches. We went and asked for some wood that they did not want, from the wood company. (Yes.) Those cheap wood, small, or you pay a cheap price. They wanted to get rid of them, also. So, it’s good for both. And we cooked to shower. Like that. And we dug wells to make water. I love this kind of natural life.
Like in the Himalayas, I told you before. (Yes, Master.) The water is in abundance from the mountain. It comes down, and people put it into a pipe, and it runs all day, all night, and I wash my clothes with it. And I cooked chapatis with some collected wood from the forest nearby. I didn’t cook a lot anyway, just some chapatis. But it feels fun. (Yes, Master.) It’s so peaceful, so good, so good. Because when you don’t have any responsibilities and you have such freedom, then nothing’s better than that in this life. (Yes.) Believe me. (Yes.) When you don’t have any responsibilities like what we have now. It was the happiest time there. (Yes, Master.)
If you have responsibilities, you don’t have freedom anymore. And you have anxiety and worries. That’s how you get old quicker, and you don’t feel as free and happy. Of course, we’re happy to serve the world, but it’s not the same. (Yes, Master.) Nothing compared to when you have nothing to worry about. Even with the very little money I had, I had to stretch it. That’s why I could only eat chapatis and self-made, and some cucumbers and peanut butter, because I know that’s enough nutrition. A wholemeal chapati and peanut butter and cucumber. Stuff like that. Simple, but enough nutrition. I knew it was enough. Oh well, if you don’t work a lot, it’s enough.
But it is a surprise that even if you eat a little, but you do a lot of exercise, like labor work, you feel even healthier and stronger, (Yes. Yes, sure, Master.) but you must exercise, somehow. Because the body feels the need, so it produces enough essential strength for you. (Yes, Master.) And produces enough of whatever you need. You’re stronger than if you eat a lot but do nothing. (Yes.) Truly like that. (Yes, it’s true.) Even breatharian people, they need exercise to continue to preserve themselves. (Yes, Master.) Or do something useful.
I really love that kind of life. Living somewhere alone in the forest or even with one or two people but not getting on each other’s nerves. If you live with strangers, even better, because they don’t bother you. If they don’t know who you are, they ask nothing from you. (Yes.) I mean spiritual blessings, all that stuff, or cling onto you because they know you’re a spiritual person.
When I lived in India, I also lived among people, even though in the Himalayas, but among people. (Yes, Master.) Among people and the pilgrims. And next door, there were other rooms. I told you, four or three more rooms. Like, in the whole building, they divided it into four rooms, and I occupied one. It’s small, of course, like maybe two by one and a half meters, something like that. (Wow.) Just enough to put a cot inside, and a little spare to walk. When you walk in, you walk right to your cot. No table, no chair, nothing more. Just that. But I had everything I needed. That’s what I felt, compared to now. I really love that life.
Sometimes, I really long to live like that again, but I can’t afford it. Imagine some people saying “You can’t afford poverty?” But it’s my situation. It’s like that. Something you like so much but you don’t have. That’s what you cannot afford. (Yes, Master.) I can’t afford poverty and a simple life. I love that very much.
My grandma used to live like that. She just collected wood from the garden, or some leaves, and she cooked simple food in a small pot, an earthen pot even. And it tasted like heaven, with a little bit of smokey taste, (Oh, I see.) and from the earthen pot, and small. I could have eaten more, but she said to me, “The less you eat, the more you have.” She meant, if you eat more, then you have nothing - tomorrow, no more left. (Yes.) She didn’t have much. But I was a kid, I didn’t know much. She cooked only a small pot. Enough for only two bowls - one bowl for her, one for me, and done. And, of course, there were some vegetables. But she said, “The less you eat, the longer you will be filled.” It’s true also. If you have only one kilogram of rice and you eat it all in one day, then tomorrow you won’t have any. But if you eat just maybe a quarter of it, and the next day you have more, and the next day you still have it (Yes, Master.) for a couple of days, a few days. That’s what she meant. (Wisdom.) Oh, we have that kind of idiom. She was a very contented person, very simple, and very wise.
I really love to do that. Collect my own wood and cook my own simple food. But it would take a lot of time, more time than what I have now. My time is used for working for SMTV (Supreme Master TV), editing, and then for meditation. Sometimes I need to put some ointment for my eyes, and I just keep pushing it, pushing it. I have to finish the work. And then I thought, “I’ll finish first before I take care of myself.” And then I forgot. (Oh.) Sometimes it’s like that. So nowadays, to live such a simple life, it’s kind of a luxury. (Yes.) But that kind of life, for me, is truly so satisfying, so peaceful, and so good.
Like the life that I had in the Himalayas, because at that time I was alone. I lived among people, but not like crowded in the city or anything. Of course, in the middle of the hill, on top. And then had free water like that, and a very cheap mud house, mudroom. And slept on the roof at night. And I just went out to the Ganges to take a bath. Because I wanted to. Otherwise, I could have bathed there; there was free water up there. And then hang my clothes, or I put my clothes on the rocks to dry. Then went home, singing. Felt so free.
I long for that life again. I’ll probably just dream about it. Cooking with leaves, or with dry branches, free, free fuel. (Yes.) And it tastes even better than cooking with electricity. Although cooking with electricity is more convenient and cleaner. But if you cook only for yourself, a little bit of smoke is not much. And the fire, if it’s good, it has no smoke. (Yes.) It has smoke, only maybe a little bit in the beginning. (Yes.) Or only if the wood is wet or not dry enough. Otherwise, there’s no smoke. And if you live in the forest, or surrounded by trees, garden, they absorb it quickly; there’s no pollution. (Yes, Master.) It’s not like grand-scale industry smoke or anything. Only for one person, how much can you cook? (That’s right.) Because how much can you eat?
How long did I talk? (Total about three hours and fifteen minutes.) Only? That didn’t break the four-hour record yet. (Not yet.) I will try harder next time. I read two stories, two books – one Hadith and one Aulacese (Vietnamese) folklore, from the two books. And still only three hours, fifteen minutes. And all the stories of my life, even. And the dog-people’s and all that.
OK, my love. You asked me a question? I forgot. Did I answer you? (Yes, Master.) I don’t know about the palace that appeared overnight. That’s why they call that place “One-Night Lake.”
