(Can one visit You in Taiwan [Formosa]?) When I am in Taiwan (Formosa), yes. (How can one know that?) Ah, you have to stay in contact with the contact person. He will know and will inform you. (Can one buy such clothes there?) Clothes? (Dresses.) Yes, yes, yes, can, can, very reasonable, very beautiful. You mean like this? No, this is only for me, I make it for myself. But there are other, similar things. (But those blouses similar to the one you wore yesterday, that white blouse, I liked it a lot.) The what? Pink blouse? (White.) White, oh, like this one? (No, yesterday.) Oh, yes. I have different ones. There is something similar, yes. But I don’t know whether it is the same style, because I have my (own) design. My design is special. (And do You find this design...)
But it’s not the clothing, it is the people... (Yes, exactly what I wanted to ask just now.) I do not know whether you can wear that. Meaning... (I do not want to wear it. I just liked it. But I am asking why this clothing is so important.) Not important, not at all! You asked about that, not me. It is not important. I found that when I make it myself, then it is cheaper and nicer! Why should I spend more money to buy bad things, when I can make it cheaper and nicer? I want to beautify this life! (And the clothing...) But it is not the clothing, you don’t know yet. In any case, I wear… It is not important what I wear! I can wear just anything, and people always say that it is very nice. Sometimes I wear such... very bad clothing. Nothing new. Here and there… People, they always like it. They always want it. It is not (because of) the clothing, not the clothing. It is nothing at all! It is only... (The colors?) What? (The colors?) The colors... you can buy that, too!
(For example, this evening – will you be wearing red again?) Red? What is red? What should I do? The red... you can also wear red. I also wear green, or anything. (So colors have no meaning?) No! Whatever I wear, it just looks good. Sometimes I wear rags even, the monk’s clothes, it’s with many patches and old. It still looks good. When I was wearing rags, people imitated me and wore rags also. And they look like rags. And when I wear like this, people try to wear the same, but they don’t look the same. So I don’t know what to say. People have different manners, different characters, and they wear different clothes. It suits them better. I have tried sometimes to give my disciples my clothes for them to wear, but they make a mess out of it. And they make the clothes lose their value.
(Could You please repeat that in German? Those last ten sentences, in German.) Ah... it is hard. Sometimes I gave these clothes, the same clothes, to the other disciples so that they could wear them, but they wear them so badly. That gives a bad impression of the clothing which I in a very artistic way... (Sewn?) Not sewn, but designed. Designed, yes. And when they wear it, it looks so bad. When other people wear it, it looks so bad. It is not important. Never mind what I wear, it is always beautiful.
(I will speak German now.) Oh yes? (What is the meaning of the Five Holy Names, please?) We already talked about that yesterday. (Maybe I was not there. I only came later. Please, just briefly.) It is not important either. You have to remember them, that is better. When we know so much, that is not so good either. When dealing with the intellect, we are blocked there, we cannot go above. But if you would like to know more, you can ask him. (OK, thanks.) You are welcome.
(And now I am in a… I’m at a stage of life where I’m at the crossroads, and one has to make very important decisions on the work front or choice of career. How does one really know which is best for one’s spiritual energy and karma, like which employer, which organization, or what type?) We cannot worry about all this. Whatever is given to you at that moment, and you feel you need it, you take it. And take it as God’s Gift. (And if there are two choices at the same time, two alternatives which are in front of you? That’s what I mean, the crossroads.) Understand. Then, you know what you have to think deeply about what appeals to you most. What is more advantageous, and what offers you more advantage and more satisfaction. (Yes, I’m thinking from the spiritual point of view, spiritual satisfaction.) Oh, any work that offers you an honest earning, it’s OK.
Yes, please. (For the last two years…) Speak in here, so people can hear you. (Oh, I’m sorry.) It’s OK. So people can hear you. (Thank You.) Is the sun too strong for you? Then you sit here. It’s OK? (For the last two years, I was following spiritual energy, and then there is one teacher who I followed for some weeks, and now he wanted me to follow very quickly, for the things, etc. But he is charging a lot of money, and I’m hesitant because of that.) Of course, he wants you to follow quickly. More! You answered yourself. That’s your choice, it’s your choice. (Well, my choice is just, I’m not interested if it is for more business or something business-like.) Then don’t. Then don’t. (Yes.)
The spiritual way is only for the inner development. So whatever's is good for your inner development, elevating your wisdom and your virtue, then follow that path, even if it costs money. But most of the time, the path that leads you to the Truth doesn’t cost money. There’s a tradition of the great Masters to not take money. They can only give and not take. (Yes.) So, it’s up to you. (Yes. No, thank You, because I referred to my friend, the Indian.) Yes. (I have been in India for five years.) Wow! (And I saw the people, and I met the gurus, etc.) Yeah. (And I am from Africa, and I saw many spiritual people.) Yeah. (They don’t request money, but if someone wanted to give, or something like that, on the side or something, it’s up to them, but it’s not requested. They are generous with them, and they are offering them the things. And that’s what impressed me more.)
We don’t take offerings from people because we have enough. We have more than enough with ourselves, what God gives us. So we don’t need the money anyhow. And people sometimes give because of their nature, their loving nature, so they want to give. Then we set it aside to add it to the fund for the poor people, but we don’t use it for our personal comfort. I’m very frugal, very frugal. I don’t need that much. I don’t eat so much. I’m very small, so I don’t need so many clothes, my clothes... and I do it myself, it’s very cheap.
I’m very frugal. Most of the money, we don’t use that much because we don’t build a big temple or we don’t spend it on any outer decoration, and all that. So even though we don’t have a lot of money, we seem to have a lot because we spend it only on people and not on the temples or ourselves. And the monks, the so-called people who came to stay with me, we all stayed in tents. I also. When I’m not traveling, I don’t need to wear all this. Anyhow. You’re welcome.
Here. So, do you translate into German or not? (I can try.) You need... Do you want to know what he said? Yes. Please go ahead. (Yes, OK. I just said that I have been following this spiritual energy with another teacher for two years. And he demands a lot of money, Very, very much, and I held myself back because I found that is too much. And then again the spiritual leaders such as in India or Afrika they do not ask for much or they do not demand anything at all. If someone wants to give, they can give. And then Master said that normally independent people, when they are spiritually wealthy, have inner fulfillment, then one does not need money, one does not demand money and such. Then one has to work and actually, one does not need a lot of money. And then in the Himalayas, or...) In Taiwan (Formosa). (Taiwan [Formosa]...) In the Himalayas, nothing at all, one does not need anything at all.
In Taiwan (Formosa), we live in tents. (Tents.) (Tents.) Tents, yes. Everyone has their own apartment! So big and built quickly, ready in one day! (Directly in Taipei?) No, a two hour-drive from Taipei. (Tainan?) No, Miaoli, in the middle of Taiwan (Formosa). But we do have a Center in Tainan as well, and also in Taipei. We have Centers everywhere. (At Sun Moon Lake as well?) No, no, it is too expensive there.
(My English is not so good, and my German also.) Also no good? So what do you speak? (I prefer to speak in English. But...) What is your nationality? (Uruguay.) I don’t speak that language, I guess. So you try English or German. (OK. My question is, when I meditate, some ideas or images come into my head, and they don’t... they don’t go away. I can’t concentrate. I lose the concentration. And sometimes I fight with it very long, but the question is, what can I do?) Don’t fight. (And then I only) Just let it… Yeah. (leave myself to go with this idea.) Just let it pass. You repeat the Five (Holy) Names, and whatever comes, let it come. It will go itself. Because we collect too much information every day, so when we sit still, we realize that we have a lot of garbage. Normally, it’s already there, but if we don’t sit still, we don’t know. And sometime later, it will be empty, and there will be less trouble. OK?
(I worked at… I don’t know how to… Butchery, what do you call butchery in... Butchery, butchery.) (Butchery, a butcher.) Oh. (Four years ago... At the same time, I started to meditate, and it was… It was really terrible) Too much trouble. (because) Yes. (when I start to meditate, I only see...) (Animal-people) meat. ([Animal-people] meat, yes.) Blood, yes. (Yes. Is this the way to...) Do you still work there now? (No.) OK, then it’s fine. (Thank You. But,) Yes? (is this a way to keep the karma or something like that?) No, what has passed has passed. And just from today, it’s more important. Don’t worry about the past. Past, the Master takes care. (Thank You.) What we did wrong in the past, it’s just like when we were children. We wet the bed, and we wet our pants; it’s no problem. Now we’re grown up, we don’t talk about our bad habits in childhood anymore. OK? No problem. God is very Merciful.
Photo Caption: Being Beautiful Wherever N Whoever One Might Be
