OK? Finished watching? Have you watched enough? (No.) I forgot. It’s never enough even if you watch till tomorrow. Perhaps I should sell tickets. I’ll stay longer if you pay for the tickets. That’s all there is to it. You’ve all seen enough. Foreigners have less chance to see me. In case you get tired of watching, will you? (No.) You see me a lot every week. That’s why this week someone even told me, he could not come due to traffic jam, and that he’ll come on the 22nd or what. Are you tired of watching me lately? (No.) You are sitting here; are you Chinese? Why? (Sitting in the wrong area.) Why are foreigners sitting here? How? OK. The Aulacese (Vietnamese) people like it most. Aulacese (Vietnamese) people like this the most, right? (Yes, yes. Thank You, Master.) The colors of the homeland. (Yes.) (You’re so beautiful, Master!) Just look, then go home and have one made. (Yes.) Can you make it? (No.) Why not? (The embroidery won’t look the same, Master.)
For embroidery, you have to find someone who really knows how to embroider. (Yes.) Even this embroidery, I had to give instructions; otherwise, they’ll just embroider it in one color. Otherwise, it’ll come out ugly. I also had to add a bit of “soy sauce,” too. (Adding it makes it look so beautiful.) Adding it makes it different. (Yes.) Just adding a little color already makes a difference. (The colors are beautiful.) Even the people who do the embroidery said they’d never embroidered anything like this before. I said, of course not – only after Suma Ching Hai came along did this exist. Before that, how would anyone know how to embroider like this? Anyone can embroider. Anyone can learn to sew. But how to harmonize colors, and what to embroider with what – that’s very difficult. (Yes.) You have to know it naturally; just going to school won’t teach you that. At school, the teacher only teaches what she herself knows. She’s not Suma Tzu, so how could she know that much? (Master, You’re so beautiful!) Beautiful or not, go home and sew one. Just look carefully and you’ll know, that’s all. (Master, teach us.) Stand there a bit longer so you can look closely. (You’re so lovely, Master.) I said I stand here longer for them to see and do it themselves at home. Because they said they didn’t know how to do it. I said this is an Aulacese (Vietnamese) garment.
(Master, You even look beautiful in dresses.) Dresses look beautiful too, right? (Master, You look beautiful in anything.) I don’t know why, it’s strange. Why does everything look good? (Yes, Master.) This scarf is beautiful. This scarf only costs a few dollars. They sell it here. (The scarf Master is wearing looks so beautiful.) Beautiful? (So beautiful, Master.) This scarf is one you’re supposed to wear inside. Usually, this scarf is worn on the inside. Then you wrap another scarf on the outside and it becomes a crow-beak style. But I thought: normally there’s no phoenix beak or dragon beak. No phoenix beak, no dragon beak, so why is there a crow’s beak? So I told them to cut off the crow’s beak. Just wear this one inside and this one outside, and it looks different right away, that’s all. (Yes.) It’s still just those same tools, nothing different. This piece is usually worn on the inside, right? (Yes.) It’s the northern style. People from the north know this. Is there any northern guy here? (Yes.) Any northern ladies here? (Yes.) Do you know the “crow-beak” headscarf? This one is supposed to be worn on the inside. Then you wrap the scarf on the outside. Wrapping it like that turns it into a crow’s beak – it looks too ugly. Forget it, I don’t want the crow’s beak. You understand now. (Yes.) Well then, I wish you all a lucky New Year, success, and progress in your spiritual practice. (Yes.) (Wishing Master good health.)
Where are the Aulacese (Vietnamese) people? Where are the people from Âu Lạc (Vietnam)? The ones who came from Âu Lạc (Vietnam), where are you? Those people there? You’re from Âu Lạc (Vietnam)? (Yes.) As for outsiders, don’t talk to them. I mean the Aulacese (Vietnamese) people. Where are my Aulacese (Vietnamese) comrades? Here? Oh, my goodness, why are there so few men this time? There are thirty-something people this time? Why so few this time? (Thirty-three people.) Last time 66? (Thirty-three people.) (Last time 32.) Last time 32? No way. (Last time 32 people.) (This time 33.) Oh, so there’s one more person this time? (Yes.) That’s quite a lot already.
(Master, people say that when they see You in person, You’re very beautiful.) Really beautiful when seen in person? Who would lie to you about that? I really am beautiful. Thank you! (Yes.) You should all go rest now, it’s late. Tomorrow you’ll meditate again. See you tomorrow. (Yes.) See you tomorrow. (OK.) See you tomorrow. I wish you a Happy Chinese New Year. That’s all there was. And everything else is concerning fashion. Goodbye. Thank you.
Anything else? The foreigners? Anything else you want to say? No? Alright, then go rest and see you tomorrow. You know what? What time is it now? Tomorrow, all the foreigners can meditate here. Or whoever… Tomorrow, anyone who is here today can come again tomorrow. Got it? The others meditate in other places. Because I’m afraid it might rain. Tomorrow, all the foreigners and all the people who are here today, come back here to meditate. And the other people will meditate in different sections; it depends on what they arrange. I told them where to meditate already, in case it rains. And it’s cold. It’s better you don’t sit in the forest hall. It’s very cold. So this retreat, we all sit under the roof, whether here or somewhere else. Stop. Because it’s very cold now, some people can squeeze in here and some people squeeze in other places. I might not come here tomorrow. So don’t always expect to see me just by coming here. (Understand.) This is to let you meditate under one roof. That’s it. There is the Publication Distribution Center and many other places. I’ve told Tong to admit some people here if possible. Other people have to stay outside. (OK.) When I’m going to start, we’ll all gather outside. (Understand.) OK. Bye-bye.
All the foreign disciples, every day come here, understand? (Yes.) Don’t go anywhere else. Do the Aulacese (Vietnamese) understand? (Yes.) Every day, stay here to meditate, don’t go outside where it’s cold. (Yes.) This time, everyone stays and meditates inside this building. (Yes.) Other people sit elsewhere, that’s none of your concern. (Yes.) Everyone coming from overseas sits here. (Yes.) I have divided things into many areas. Because we don’t have enough buildings. (Yes.) Because our place is not big, we have to allocate sitting places. Foreign initiates, all sit here, and local initiates, all sit in other houses. Seat allocation is necessary, because we can’t all sit here. Therefore, you foreigners all sit here, got it? (Yes.) This is for initiates coming from abroad. Chinese, but from abroad, may also sit here. It’s alright. (Right.) Good night. Tomorrow you can sit there also. Anywhere there is a place, you can sit.
Chinese people, don’t squeeze in here too much tomorrow, because others need to meditate. You have other places. Tong will assign places for you to sit. You just sit there. (Yes.) They’ll also inform you when I’m going to give a lecture. Then everyone assembles at a certain place. (Yes.) Because if all of you squeeze like this, you can’t meditate. The place now is OK for listening to my lecture. Tomorrow, go wherever you’re told to assemble. (Understand.) Don’t squeeze together here. (Understand.) If you squeeze together like this, no one can meditate. (Yes.) OK. I’m just telling the Chinese.
Why is it so coarse? This is a rough prototype made quickly for people to have a look. It’s not the finished product. Is he around? Does it look nice? (Yes, very beautiful.) It looks very nice. (The words are written beautifully.) On top is beautiful as well. Only the art team members can do it casually and still look good. What’s written there? “Longevity Lamp.” (Yes.) OK. I don’t need it. I’ll tell him. Don’t you know when he will come here? (No. Up till now no one has seen him.) Strange. Why did they make it so coarse? Could this be the… Where is he? (He’s not here yet.) Is he coming? (He said that someone is coming down. He’s coming down, but no one has seen him.) Everyone has gone back? Have to use the microphone. Otherwise, he may have gone back already. (Yes.) Isn’t it fast to come here from the rear mountain? Could it be glass? (He’s still at the rear mountain. He hasn’t come down to take it yet.) Maybe he can still come down. Is it glass on this side? They all need to be glued together like this. (Yes.)
They’re about to leave soon. Not yet. The one just now didn’t look good. Now it looks better for photography. Just now because the hat dropped off. Who glued this one? This doesn’t look nice either, not as nice as that one. That one looks better. But this one is still OK. Someone will like it. Someone will like it. Great. But I’m telling you, it’s a bit too coarse. These are too coarse. There are visible traces, which is not nice. (Master, Tong will come down in about five minutes.) Does it take 5 minutes? (We sent a car to fetch him.) (A car has gone to fetch him.) Is it OK? All without me. I hide myself. Good night. (Good night.) Good night. You don’t go to sleep? It looks very coarse. Why is it so coarse? Why did they make it so coarse?
What kind of clothes are these? Oh, for selling to fellow initiates. (Yes, yes, yes.) When these Celestial Clothes are covered, everything will… Very beautiful. They all look very beautiful. (Yes.) These are for sale. Alright. Cover them. (Yes.) This one is so beautiful. Why does it look so nice? No touching? (No. Master can touch them.) You… Why is the Quan Yin cloth so big? Oh, the people are all big in size. (Yes.) Quite nice, and it feels very comfortable. The fabric is so soft; very comfortable.
Photo Caption: “Grow, to Beautify All Corners of the World!”
