In the old times, there was a Zen practitioner. He chose a rock over a cliff to meditate so that he would never fall asleep because he would be very worried that he’d fall down. But then, because you sit on a cliff like this, facing the whole canyon down there, deep ravine... […] Deep ravine, you might be worried that you’ll fall down, because if you fall down, you’ll die. So then, in that case, even so sleepy like me, I would always try to be awake. But then, finally, he fell down. I think he’s one of our fellow practitioners. […]
Thank you, honey. But it’s so low. OK. Can you hear? I think because of the two-day retreat, they look better. (The microphone) does not work. What’s the problem? Too low. OK. It’s OK. But then I have to put it near my mouth. Cover my beautiful lips. In case you did not notice, actually, I wanted to come here and “sleep” with you. You look good because of the two-day retreat. Because they “sleep” for two days already. So... You always told me that retreat is good for you. Every time, after a retreat, you look better, you feel better. I agree. You just “sleep” much more, “sleep” a few days. I want to come here and look good after.
Just by accident that I know you are here. I just came back from Cambodia. I came down from the airport, and then somebody invited me for (vegan) food. In the central hotel. And I paid. And by the way, I have the extra bonus: knowing that you are “sleeping” here. So I passed by. I thought, “Oh, that’s excellent. I’m also very sleepy.” Because the night before yesterday and the night before that, I could not sleep due to some of the emergency problems. And then I went to Cambodia, and I worked right through, from night to morning, then morning to night, and night to morning again. So, I did not have enough sleep at all. So, when I was reported that you have a retreat here, I thought, “Wow. Perfect background. Everybody will ‘sleep’ together.” So I’ll come and join you.
Yeah. It doesn’t matter how many problems I have, if I come to group meditation like this, I would just “sleep” right away. Because like attracts like. So that’s why I was very happy to be in the near, and I just came right away. But when I came here, you were all woken up. Why was that? Now I feel too embarrassed to sleep alone. So why doesn’t everybody go back to sleep? Or you had enough sleep already, right? Yesterday. Yes, huh?
OK. So how is your meditation? Everything OK? Alright. Can? Or cannot? Can? Or cannot? (Can.) (Can, can.) (Master said can.) “ได้ (Dị̂)” means dead right? (Yes.) Why do you “kill” people so quickly like that, the 70 of them? It’s against the precepts. Yeah, I don’t know. I can’t speak Thai.
So why do you have a “sleeping” session today? What’s the reason? Just have a rest, huh? (Tomorrow is the quality…) So tomorrow you’re also here? Three days. (It’s Mother’s Day.) Tomorrow you will be here? (Tomorrow…) Go to another place? (Another place, yes.) Wow! (The old Center.) Why is it a moving retreat like that? Mobile retreat – like mobile phone. Why not here? Just for a change, huh? (No place to sleep.) No place to sleep. Over there, they have a place to sleep? Then you sleep right here. (Everybody goes home.) Ah. OK. Go home and change the place? I don’t understand. You talk in Thai. (Go home to sleep, and tomorrow go to a retreat at a different location.) (Oh, she said that today after finishing this, they just go home.) Oh. (Because tomorrow they can go to the other place.) Oh, that’s different. Oh, so anyhow, doesn’t matter where they go. (Right.)
Changes every day. What kind of retreat is this? Change shoes, change clothes, change sleeping place, change retreat place. Yeah, what’s so different if you “sleep” here or you “sleep” in our Center? OK. Anyhow, when they “sleep,” they don’t care which place, so it’s OK to change it. But in the old place, it’s only enough for some people. Is that enough, so many… Enough? (Tomorrow is the regular group meditation. Less people come.) (They expect to have less people.) Oh, because tomorrow is a regular “sleeping” time. Right? “Sleeping” session. Not the “retreat sleeping,” but regular “group sleeping.” OK. How many people will go there tomorrow? Raise hands. Oh, almost all will go there. Some of them might have to “sleep” on the lawn outside. Or on the mango tree. Yes. What? Yes. Oh, you know that already. Also, there are some other places to “sleep” over there. Like on the roof. But you have to hang, hang on very tightly. Hey, that’s a good place for mediation. You don’t know. Because if you keep hanging on the roof like this, you cannot sleep, at least. You know, awake all the time.
In the old times, there was a Zen practitioner. He chose a rock over a cliff to meditate so that he would never fall asleep because he would be very worried that he’d fall down. But then, because you sit on a cliff like this, facing the whole canyon down there, deep ravine... OK. English is crazy. They invent all the words that I don’t know. Deep ravine, you might be worried that you’ll fall down, because if you fall down, you’ll die. So then, in that case, even so sleepy like me, I would always try to be awake. But then, finally, he fell down. I think he’s one of our fellow practitioners. Or maybe like me.
Anyhow, when he fell down, the Bodhisattva, an angel, caught him midair. The Protector, Dharma Protector, caught him midair and then put him back on the rock. So, he said, “Oh, thank You very much. Why did You rescue me?” So the Dharma Protector told him, “Because we protect good practitioners.” So the practitioner felt very proud, and he said, “How many excellent, sincere Truth-seeker practitioners like myself are in the whole of Thailand?” Yes. So, the Dharma Protector felt disgusted. He said, “You are so arrogant. Real practitioners, excellent practitioners, are plenty in the universe. But some lousy [ones] like you – sleepyheads, oh, we have them anywhere! It’s even more, the majority.”
Photo Caption: To Remind All of More Beauty Inside, Is the Purpose of the Creation!
