In some of the Holy Books, God said to humans that you should never eat until the angel calls you. Meaning if you’re not hungry, you should not eat. (Understand.) It doesn’t taste good and doesn’t digest well. (Yes.)
Alright, good. Now you know, sometimes I talk about such important things like kimchi. And you came to me thinking you’ll learn something about Buddha and Buddha’s Noble Path. And She talks about kimchi and sweet potatoes. Very earthly.
Alright now. I thought you might have tried it, but you didn’t. Did you have any today, or yesterday? Kimchi or sweet potato? (No.) They didn’t give you? (No.) The kitchen didn’t give? (No.) Really? Wow. (French Fries.) (That’s the only potato we got. Yesterday, yes.) French Fries yesterday, right? (Yes.) And the day before? (No other potatoes, no.) No potato? (No.) No kimchi? (No.)
Oh, I guess you have it, like permanently already, that’s why. You have it in your kitchen. (Yes. We have kimchi in our fridge. Yes.) Or you have it in like a big jar for you, and you eat anytime you want. Right? (Yes. Yes, Master.) Maybe that’s why. Nothing new.
It’s only in my memory, I remember I ate that before. Just like also one time I recommended to the girls to eat kimchi with vegan gluten protein and basil. (It was good.) It was good. (It was delicious. Yes.) You can do it again. No? (Yes.) You don’t want to because you have too many things to eat, already. (Yes. That also.)
Mostly I told you I invent things because I’m hungry. Because I have nothing else to eat. (Yes.) And then I just do something quick and then it comes out. Many times like that, in my whole life. But I don’t remember much anymore of what I have done. I did not think.
Also, I did not have Supreme Master Television then. (Yes.) So many beautiful inventions are gone with the wind. It’s a pity. But when you’re in a situation you can invent many things. (Yes.) You have more resolution. And it’s also a good thing. (Yes. Yes, Master.) Because, when you have too many things, sometimes it doesn’t taste all that good. (Right. Right, Master.)
I don’t know if I told you already about the king of Âu Lạc (Vietnam) and the clever royal scholar Trạng Quỳnh. No? Did I tell you? (Not yet, Master.) No? (No.) Maybe I did, but in Chinese or it’s an old lecture and you don’t have time to research them.
There was a king in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) and that royal scholar Trạng Quỳnh. He always made fun of the royal household and all the big officials in the court, because they are snobbish. He never liked them. Most of them just either say, “Yes, sir.” or “No, sir.” So he always tried to make fun of them.
One time, the king complained that he could not eat very well. Food didn’t taste good, even though he had all kinds of delicacies from the nation or even the whole world offered to him. Trạng Quỳnh, his name is Quỳnh, and Trạng means these royal scholars who passed with flying colors the royal exam. So we call him Trạng. Means royal scholar, the best in the country.
So, one time the king asked his royal scholar what kinds of food he eats, because he complained that the food doesn’t taste good to him. And he asked Trạng Quỳnh whether or not he had any problem with that. He said, “No, every day, I eat and sleep well.” So the king felt very envious and said, “What did you eat then? Can you tell me?” He said, “Oh, I eat all kinds of good stuff.” So, the king said, “Oh, can you make some for me?” He said, “Of course, sure. Please come to my humble hut and then we will prepare it for you.”
So the next day, the king came, but the scholar said, “You must not eat anything in advance. Otherwise, it won’t taste good.” So, he didn’t eat anything. The king came with an empty stomach, with high expectations. The king went there, and then he let the king sit there and drink some tea. And then meanwhile, behind the house, the kitchen area, they “boom, boom, bang bang, chop chop, chick chick,” all the time, and you hear the wood fire cracking, and hear the water boiling even next door. Wow. The king was so happy and waited very well. He sat from morning until noon, nothing happened yet.
So the king asked, “When will the food be ready? I am hungry.” So, the royal scholar said to him, “Oh, please be patient, Your majesty. I’m sorry. This is very special. We have to prepare for a long time. It won’t taste good if we rush it.” So, the king said, “OK, OK. No problem. I’m just asking, I’m just asking.” So he sat there and looked at the clouds, the leaves and whatever around him, and talked about the weather forecast.
And until afternoon already, nothing! And still hearing all this kind of “kog, kog, cang, cang, bang, bang, chop, chop” and the boiling and cracking fire in the kitchen. The king said, “Can I go and have a look at what you’re cooking there?” He said, “No, no. No. You don’t go there. No. It’s too small an area. Too many people and it’s dirty. And the fire and all that. It’s not good for a majestic king like you. No, don’t. Please stay here and be patient. It will come. It will come.”
OK, so until evening, the king almost died already. The king said, “OK. Oh, whatever. Never mind. Just give me anything. Even if it’s not yet well cooked, I’m hungry. I can bear no more. I didn’t eat anything all day. And the tea made me feel more hungry. So, please.”
So, the royal scholar brought out… you know what? Something? Boiled spinach, simple white rice and some, we call it tofu ru, the fermented tofu. (Yes.) That’s it. So, he said to the king, “You eat the rice with this spinach, you dip in the, fermented tofu sauce.” So, the king did that and he kept eating, wanting one more rice bowl after another rice bowl and after another rice bowl. He enjoyed it so much, and then he was full.
Trạng Quỳnh said to him, “So, meanwhile, you just eat this first to make your stomach calm down. And don’t eat a lot so that you can still enjoy the main course.” It just tasted so good. The king was hungry, and ate one bowl after another and kept asking for more until he was full, and then he lay down there, tired.
The king asked him, “What is it that is so good?” He said, “Oh, this is what I eat every day.” So, the king said, “This is what you call all the precious things? Delicacies?” He said, “Yeah, for us it’s like that. Because I don’t have a lot of money. I don’t take bribes or anything. So, I live by my means. And whenever I’m hungry, all these things taste delicious to me.” (Ah, right. Yes. Right.)
The king said, “Oh, so, do you have the stew of stones still cooking or not?” He said, “No, sorry. There was nothing there. Just it’s your hunger that makes these things taste good to you. There’s no such thing as stew of stones.” Because he was telling the king before that the stew of stones takes a long time to soften, to cook. Stones, rocks. (Yes.) He named it. The delicacy that he was preparing for the king is called “The stew of the stones.” He invented the name. Afterward, the king understood. So, they both laughed, and he didn’t punish Trạng Quỳnh at all. He was thanking him for a delicious meal, and he was so satisfied like never before. (Yes.)
You see, being a king is not all that good. I’m glad we are not kings at all, because the king has to eat cold food. First, the eunuch has to taste all the food before the king. So, you eat second-hand food. (Right.) Just in case somebody poisons him, the eunuch will die first. So he will know, he won’t eat. But he has to wait for the eunuch to taste all the food before it comes to him. (Right. Yes.) It’s already prepared on the tray and then the eunuch tastes them one by one.
And then when it comes to the king, it’s far away from the kitchen. (Yes.) And then they bring it all there and wait until the eunuch tasted all of them already. Can you imagine, is there anything more hot or appetizing? (Yes.) Also, too many things and he forced himself to eat every day three or four meals like that. So, he tastes nothing anymore because he doesn’t eat when he’s hungry.
And not fresh, like natural things, like you go in your kitchen and you cook and eat right away. (Yes, Master.) And you’re already hungry, your stomach’s prepared. (Yes.)
In some of the Holy Books, God said to humans that you should never eat until the angel calls you. Meaning if you’re not hungry, you should not eat. (Understand.) It doesn’t taste good and doesn’t digest well. (Yes.)
Actually, I read somewhere in a scientific article, they say that vegan people are healthier and live longer and not just because of vegan food. But, if they eat their meals with a window of 11 or 12 hours in between, then they will be healthier and live longer. (Oh.)
We cook only two meals a day, right? (Yes, Master.) But too close to each other. But I cannot ask the kitchen to cook for you earlier and cook later to make it 11, 12 hours. No, I cannot. (Yes.) It’s too much work for them and the time is different. Besides, you have a lot of snacks, so you never keep 11 or 12 hours. Your window is very small. It doesn’t matter. You’re happy. It’s OK. Food is all you have. You have nothing else here anyway with you. (Right, Master. Yes.)
So, for that, I feel a lot of love and respect for you also. But don’t spoil yourself with my comments. (Yes, Master.) Whatever is good about you, I say it’s good. But, whatever is not good, I always have to say it’s not good. (Yes, Master.) When I point out something is not good, that doesn’t mean that you are not good, just something that’s not good. Some habits are not good, or some ego portion is not good. It doesn’t mean you are not good. (Yes, Master.)
Just like you have a boil on your skin. That doesn’t mean your whole body is no good. (Yes.) Just treat the boil only. Put some medicine on it. Beat the boil out of it, then you’ll be better. (Yes, Master.) Some medicines are not comfortable, like the medicine that I’m telling you to take right now for prevention. Some medicines are bitter. (Yes. Right. Yes, Master.) Some medicines are horrible, and long even. Like some Chinese medicine, they give you a big bowl of water with medicine in it, of course. But it doesn’t taste good, and then so much you have to drink. (Yes, Master.) It’s not like a pill you can swallow quickly. Some medicine you have to take a whole lot, and the taste is terrible. That is the problem. If we’re sick, we have to cure ourselves. That’s it. (Yes, Master.) Comfortable or not.
Alright, any other things at all? Any questions? (No, Master.) Very good.Alright then, I will talk to you next time. (Yes, Master. OK, Master. Thank You, Master.) It’s time for you to meditate and then go eat. (Yes. Thank You, Master. Thank You.) Good samadhi, good appetite. God bless. (Thank You. God Bless, Master. Thank You, Master.)
