If you have pets, it’s your responsibility to be good, so your pets don’t get too much trouble. But they do willingly, whether or not you’re bad or good. They’ll share it willingly. They’ll die for you willingly. That’s what pets are.
In India, as we know, they also have four castes of humans in their country. The first is the Brahman, meaning the priest, because they follow Brahma who is the creator of our Three Worlds, including this. So they call them Brahmans. The Brahmans don’t just become Brahmans because they are learned or erudite or anything like that. Maybe they’ve just been born into a Brahman family and they inherit the title. So you don’t touch these people, because they think if you touch them, their class will be gone. They will scream at you and you will think, “What have I done wrong? I just want to shake your hand?” Don’t shake hands, nothing. Even your shadow, they avoid. If you go in their kitchen, cast your shadow on their food, they’ll probably throw this food away. They won’t let you go in the kitchen anyway. They don’t know if you’re good or bad, if you are pure or not. Only Brahmans are pure, that’s what they think. All right, so now, there was the caste like that. And then the next caste is the Kshatriya. These are warriors and royalty, soldiers’ type, and royalty; like king, queen, princess, or general of the army, etc. The third caste is the business. And the fourth class is the Shudras; these are the lowest class in India, lowest caste, because they used to be rooming toilet, and take away the human waste, and go somewhere and throw it away.
One time, Buddha met one of them, one of these Shudra class people and he was carrying his human waste on his shoulder. There were two buckets; one on the back, one in the front, with a stick or something to carry. And then when he saw the Buddha, he was so ashamed because he knew he was not a high class. And he was doing a very lowly job and smelly and dirty job. So, he saw the Buddha, he was so scared that his buckets stumbled around and sprayed all over, even on the Buddha. And he was trying to hide himself. And he was so ashamed and he was crying, and the Buddha came, touched him. Nobody would do that. Buddha is the first class, you see? The royal caste. Nobody would touch a Shudra caste, the lowly, the laborer, especially the scavenger with the human waste around him. But Buddha touched him. And even, I think He made him a monk also, right? He let him become a monk, right? And all the other disciples − the big people, big shots, like king, queen and royalty people, thinking, “Oh, the Buddha made him a monk, so now I have to go and bow to this Shudra first?” At that time there were many controversies within the Buddha’s followers. Because the Buddha sometimes made beggars into monks, and made a Shudra, the one who roomed toilet stuff, human waste stuff, into a monk. And many of the Buddha’s followers were king, queen, princess, prince, general, high officials in the court, etc. They were not very happy. But later on, these so-called lowly class people like beggars or Shudras, became Arhats in a short time, because they were so pure, so humble. Because in India, that’s the lowliest class that you can be: the beggar and the Shudra. Therefore, they’re so humble. They have no ambition. They have never dreamt of becoming anything. Because in India, the caste is the caste. You don’t get out of that.
But it was, I think, a misunderstanding. But nobody has been able to change it. Maybe in the beginning, a group of Indian practitioners somewhere, when the first settlers grouped together in India somewhere, and they probably were practitioners like us. And then of course, “I am the teacher, and you are the monks, so-called royalty, three of us.” Only three of us against all of you. Ooh, scary! And you do some service in the kitchen, and you, clean the toilet. But at that time, we didn’t have this beautiful toilet. So, it was in the bucket. You take the bucket, you go out, throw somewhere, in a designated area. And then that’s how we do the job in the ashram. Some people are drivers. So, we make a different kind of duty organizing system. And then slowly, more population comes out and then it just continues like that. And then you’re fixed in this kind of box, square and dead. And then it continues until this day. But nowadays, I think India is more liberal, right? (Yes, Master.) Yes. Mahatma Gandhi or other Mahatmas and presidents and prime ministers, they have been educated more and they have seen Europe, they have seen America, they have seen other countries, whereas a more freedom system. And they came back, and they infused that idea and way of life into Indian society.
But at my time, when I was in India, I almost got slapped because I tried to help a Brahman 10 or 12-year-old girl, to carry a bucket for her from the Ganges River. And she screamed and she threw the bucket and she ran away. I said, “What have I done? What have I done?” And the master who told me to meditate one week in the middle of the Ganges, he said, “Don’t touch her. Don’t talk to her even. She is a Brahman.” Then I understood. I said, “Sorry, really sorry. I just wanted to help.” You see, so in India, don’t just help. Don’t. Even if you see an old woman alone and carrying something, you say, “Let me.” Don’t. She might scream murder! And some police might come and ask, “What did you want to do with this old helpless poor woman? You, foreigner! Passport! Where you come from? How long you stay? Why? What do you do here? Leave the woman alone!” You just, “OK, OK, sorry.”
In America, Europe, or even in Asia, if we see an old woman, an old man, we give our seat on the bus for them. We help them, hold their hand to go across the street, and we help them carry their maybe heavy bag or luggage, for a short period of time wherever she is going, until she gets somebody else or a taxi or something. That is encouraged and praised as good behavior, good gentlemen manners. But in India, not necessary. So be careful. Ask first, far away, “Can I help you?” Using a microphone is better, or call her number, “Can I help you? I just want to help you. Can I?” If she’s OK, then you come over. If not, just stay where you are. Don’t even go near. She will run away and maybe throw all her things on the street, and then you can’t even touch it. In India you should not go alone as a woman also, still nowadays. It’s still not very safe. I was blind. Love makes you blind. I was in love with God. I was in love with humanity and animals, all the suffering beings. And I was blind. I went all alone. Some little things did happen, but nothing I couldn’t handle. I just told them I had kung fu, for example. I did have kung fu. I didn’t lie though. I don’t know if it’s still working with my flabby muscles nowadays, but I had kung fu. That’s it. Just a little note and I talked so long. Never mind. You love them, right? You love my notes. (Yes.)
Any questions? (You just mentioned that pets will dilute our trouble for us.) Yes. Some do. (If they do that, will they have some bad things happen to them? They have to share some bad things?) They do. They do share your karma. Make sure you have good karma then. If you have pets, it’s your responsibility to be good, so your pets don’t get too much trouble. But they do willingly, whether or not you’re bad or good. They’ll share it willingly. They’ll die for you willingly. That’s what pets are. But there are some cases, very special case, like the dog I just mentioned. He went there just to help me, not to help that caretaker. Very young, already powerful. Just do something secretly. Nobody sees, nobody knows. It’s just like you, sometimes you’re angry, you emit some kind of anger energy. People nearby they feel it. Dogs they can also emit some benevolent energy, or absorbent energy to absorb these impacts, so that it doesn’t go far. They have the way to do it. It’s just a special agent. Not every dog does these kinds of things. Most dogs they only do things that are good for the caretakers. But this is also good for the caretaker; that means it lessens the karma of that caretaker, because if they harm me, that is terrible for them. Even I cannot rescue. I have told you that I can rescue the worst, but not my disciples when they are the worst, because they have been taught right from wrong. And they have been nourished in love, spiritual education, and blessing. So that if they turn against somebody harmless like I am… I don’t harm anybody. Even if I am not a good teacher, or bad teacher, we don’t talk about that yet, I am harmless. I only remind you to practice. If you come to my house, I make sure you’re comfortable as much as I can afford.
I would like to build more mansions for you, but what for? You won’t stay long anyway. You just come for a few days and you go home. You have homes. You are not homeless, number one. Number two, I use my money for more desperate people. Sorry to say that. I do love you, but I feel that you are not as desperate as so many people. You can see some on TV. Children that are only bones and skin, women being harassed and molested because she has to walk ten kilometers to have some water, to fetch some water to bring home to her children to use. Or some refugees, they came into a cold country and they have nothing. Children walk bare feet and they just cover themselves with a little plastic. No walls around, no chimney, no heater, nothing. These people, they are more desperate. Or some people in disaster, they suddenly have no home, no money. Even if they have a credit card for example, it’s gone already with the flood. They cannot prove anything immediately. They are hungry, they are thirsty, they are cold. These immediately we help. Relief work. Relief work, meaning emergency help, until they get back on their feet.
I am not richer than anybody on this planet. I am not the richest. I am not even the medium rich. I just give a lot and then people think I have a lot of money. I do still have. I don’t take your money; I don’t charm you to do things for me. I just tell you to go out and help others. You don’t give me money. You go out and give to the poor people, or open restaurants, help others spiritually as well as physically. Or if you cannot open restaurants because it costs a lot of work and manpower, then you open a small grocery store, VEGAN! Then it’s very good for the world and for other people. Helps them to realize vegetarian (vegan) is easy. Something like that. And we do it together. I mean I do mine, you do yours. So, you do what you can, and keep what you have. I don’t take anything from you.
As far as I am concerned, I know I am harmless. So, if anyone who tries to harm such a harmless person, then of course the karma is very bad. Plus, I am very beneficial to many people, so that will include all your karma inside for that person. That’s why nobody punishes him/her. They have to take it. Because I am working for the world, not just my own karma only. So, if they harm me, they will have to reckon with all the karma of the people, initiated or non-initiated as well. Because obstructing my mission to help people to elevate, that is the problem, not just my personal physical body. That’s why initiates who went against any Master are very difficult to redeem. The soul might not be destroyed completely, but it could be encased in a box forever. That is almost like destroyed. You cannot do anything anymore; you’re not self anymore; you’re finished. No one can help you anymore. You will never remember a name of a Buddha. You cannot even open the mouth to say a name of the Buddha. The karma just shuts everything up from you and just gives you punishment forever, forever and you cannot get out. This is a very terrifying situation. But the people who do bad things, they don’t think. They don’t know all this. They do know, they just think that… they don’t see it, so it may be no problem. It’s a big problem. So, that dog tried to stop that person, it doesn’t look like he’s good for the caretaker, but he is also good in a way. Protecting the caretaker from doing real harm, the less karma for her or him. So, it’s a good dog, good boy.
So, even pets faraway, or you rescued them a long time ago or they died already, if you’re in trouble, they come back to help you. And if your dog is a special agent, wow, then powerful, can help you a lot, a lot, a lot; can help you avoid many dangers or avoid many troubles, physically and emotionally, mentally as well, preventing harm to come to you. Some power is very strong. Even talisman or some photo doesn’t completely help you. But even wearing photos, some people don’t. Some people don’t wear it. Or some people wear but don’t really believe in it. Some people got initiation but don’t really care; don’t practice, don’t have faith in Master Power, don’t do anything. So, they just stay there or get lower because of contamination outside. And then just do anything without thinking of the consequences. Just like, look, the Buddhas teach all people that there is karma, good and bad, so try not to do bad karma. But how many people listen? There are still butchers, there are still liquor sellers, there are still people who lend money and cheat and all kinds of things. And they still go to the temple. Buy a few apples and put them there, and then light one incense and, “Namo, Namo, Namo” what, then take the apples home and eat, and they think they are Buddhist, for example.
It’s the same with initiates; some people are not really there. They’re just in for fun or for some other reason, for chasing girls or boys. But I’m lucky I have 64% plus, are good ones. I mean not all top, but good, or harmless at least, trying hard at least. But the other 36% are not good, truly not good. And I’m working very hard. It takes up a lot, a lot of my merit energy, energy and power and time. Time is what’s precious also. So, I thank you for being good. And if you are not good yet, try to be. From today, make a determination vow: I’m going to be good. I take the Five Precepts seriously at least. And I don’t try to bother people just for fun. I will mind my own business. I keep myself in good shape, good mind, good body to serve myself and others whenever I can. Follow the Buddha’s teaching. Follow Jesus’ example of selfless love. Follow your dogs even. Follow your cat who loves you so much unconditionally, and helps you so much, silently, without claiming any credit or telling you how good he is, she is. Follow any animals. They are really good. They quietly bless our world and take in suffering or harassment or torture in return. Can you believe that? Every time I think about that, I just cannot bear it. It’s so big an injustice.
