There was a person who had so much debt. He owed all, practically everybody, something in the village. […] One day, he came back home and many of his creditors were sitting all over the steps, the outside staircase, and inside the house and all that. So, he came to one person who sat under the Sun, or the most outside was under the Sun. He said very… like whispering in his ear, said, “Please come back tomorrow, early, around seven in the morning.” […] And the next day, that person came very early, about 7 o’clock in the morning. […] And he sat there and waited for a long time and he didn’t… nothing moved, nothing happened. So […] he said, “Didn’t you tell me yesterday to come early? […] How come you don’t talk anything about it yet?” So, the one who owed money said, “Oh, yesterday I saw you [sitting] in the Sun and very far away, so I told you to come early, so you’d have a better seat.” […]
OK. I think this one you will like it very much. Another one. In some of the countries, the Buddhist monks don’t eat vegetarian (vegan). You know that? (Yes.) And some are going into a vegetarian (vegan) traditional temple but sometimes they eat (animal-people) meat too, occasionally, under the table. No, maybe on top of the table, but behind closed doors, things like that. If he happened to be an abbot, you know – abbot, then it’s very easy for him to eat what he likes.
So, one day, he ate some dog(-person) meat. One of his small monks, novice, came in and smelled it. He said, “Oh, master, what is that you are eating?” So, the teacher, the head monk said, “I’m eating tofu.” So, suddenly at that moment, some dog(-people) were barking outside, in the temple’s front yard, very loudly. And the head monk said, “Oh, what is that noise? Somebody come in there or what?” So, the small monk said, “No, no, no. Nobody there. It was just that our temple’s ‘tofu’ was biting the neighbor’s ‘tofu.’” I’m sorry, Korean monks. Have some Korean monks and nuns here or not? Laughter is very good for you. Good for me too, and I feel relieved sometimes, because this world is too serious for me. Sometimes, it depresses you, huh? You just have to laugh at many things in order to survive.
There was a person who had so much debt. He owed all, practically everybody, something in the village. And every day some people’d come and want him to repay the debts, but he always said, “Cannot. Please come next time again.” One day, he came back home and many of his creditors were sitting all over the steps, the outside staircase, and inside the house and all that. So, he came to one person who sat under the Sun, or the most outside was under the Sun. He said very… like whispering in his ear, said, “Please come back tomorrow, early, around seven in the morning.” So, that person was very happy and went back home. And after all the creditors had nothing from him, also left.
And the next day, that person came very early, about 7 o’clock in the morning. The creditor, the one who sat the most outside, he came and he just sat there waiting, sat in the living room waiting. And the one who had debts gave him water and things like that. And he sat there and waited for a long time and he didn’t… nothing moved, nothing happened. So, he said to the one who owed money, he said, “Didn’t you tell me yesterday to come early? Because I thought you wanted to repay me or something, and not to let other people know. That’s why you told me to come early today. Is that not so? How come you don’t talk anything about it yet?” So, the one who owed money said, “Oh, yesterday I saw you [sitting] in the Sun and very far away, so I told you to come early, so you’d have a better seat. That’s all.” Well, if you have to wait all day, you might just as well sit in the cool shade. Very good.
And another person also owed a lot of money to everybody. And then one day, the one he owed the most money came to him and said, “Now, come on. It’s time that you give me back the money that you promised.” And the person said, “Look. I’m so poor. Can you believe it? I have no money to give back to you. If I had, I would.” So, the creditor… Is that right? The one who gives the money? The creditor, huh? He said to the one who borrowed money, “No, no, no. I don’t believe you. I think you have a lot of money, just that you don’t want to pay me. That’s all.” And the one who owed money said, “Why do you say like this? If I had money, I would. Why do you think I have money? Why do you think I have money and don’t want to give to you?” So, the creditor, the one who lent the money, pointed to the dishes on the table and said, “Look here! You’re eating a duck(-person) for your lunch, and you let me believe that you don’t have money. How would you tell me this?” So, the one who owed money said, “Look! I have only one duck(-person), and I couldn’t even afford to keep him. That’s why I ate him.” That’s no good for vegan. At least, if you eat tofu, people believe that you don’t have money. You don’t have to make any excuses.
There was a person who liked to flatter those in high positions, like officers or mayors, governors, things like that. One day he went to a mayor’s place and immediately came in and said, “Wow. Your excellency, I must congratulate you.” And the mayor, although knew this person was up to no good and good for nothing, but still was surprised and said, “What? What is it that you’re congratulating me about?” So, the person said, “Wow. Yesterday, I saw it with my own eyes, the whole herd of tiger(-people) leaving your district because you know what, you’re such a virtuous person that even tiger(-people) cannot stay in your district. They had to leave to the next one.”
So, the mayor [felt] very bad about it. He couldn’t swallow it but he didn’t know what to say, so just kept quiet. He knew it [was] a flip, it [was] a hoax, but he just didn’t know how bad this person can be. He just had to be speechless, [felt] very funny. So he just laughed a little bit and then forgot it. And at that moment, right at that moment, some of his subordinates came in and said, “Oh. So many of our district people stack in protest outside, because tigers are eating our people. Even last night, three persons were killed by the tigers and they are asking us to do something about it.”
And so, the mayor turned to the flatterer person next to him and said, “I thought you said all the tigers have left my area. How come they still kill people?” And that person was kind of very embarrassed inside, and said, “Well, maybe the neighbor city’s mayors are also very virtuous persons, so the tigers don’t know what to do. They have to return.” See that? So, make sure that you’re a real practitioner and not listen to people who say that you are good and virtuous and meanwhile you’re not. All these stories offer something for us. It’s not just a joke, I think. Don’t you think so? (Yes.) This place is so big.
There was a man who had a son who was already 20 years old, 20-year-old son. But the 20-year-old son was absolutely, terribly, definitely, horribly lazy. Didn’t do anything, didn’t want to learn anything. Would just eat and sleep all day, and ate on the father, lived on the father. One day, there was an astrologer pass[ing] by, and he looked at the appearance of both father and son. And suddenly he said, “Oh, your father will live until 80 years old, but you will live until 82 years old.” Oh now, the son was wailing, crying and beating his chest, and tears rolling down and rolling on the floor, and crying like you know what. And then the astrologer was very surprised, he said, “I didn’t know you are so filial. So, you love your father so much? Or, did you misunderstand? I said your father will die before you, not you, so why is it that you’re crying so much?” He said, “What do you think? My father dies years before me. Who’s going to make money for me in this time?” Terrible. Talking about children.
OK, OK. What time is it now? How long did we blah-blah on already? One hour? (Yes.) You meditate. Alright? I think I’ve done enough, so meditate. Next time. OK? You can meditate.
Photo Caption: Hallo, Spring of the Soul!
