Hallo, everyone. (Hallo, Master.) Happy, happy New Year. (Happy New Year.) Good Fortune. (Happy New Year.) (Good Fortune.) Good Fortune. Good Fortune. I told you to sit under the roof, but you didn’t want to. Do you like the nectar water? It’s cold and wet. Originally, I told them, “Don’t organize any retreat in February, because it’ll be very cold.” And they told me, “No. Master, February is spring.” From what I see, I’m the only representative of spring here. Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. (Yes.) I wear something a bit flowery, to give you a taste of spring. Did you meditate well? (Good.) You don’t like that roof, right? You prefer sitting here. Is it damp? Was there any rain? (No.) No? So amazing. (We have umbrellas.) You have umbrellas? (Yes.) Ah, how pitiful. But you yourselves like it. Yes or no? (Yes.) If you like it, then this is it.
I’m going to tell you a Chinese story. A Chinese story again. You all know it. Today is not the time yet. The time should be the 3rd of March. Do you know that “Tomb Sweeping Day”? (Yes, we know.) Is it called “Ching Ming Festival?” (Yes.) Jie Zi… Jie Zi what? (“A drizzling rain falls during the Ching Ming season. The hearts of travelers on the road are breaking with grief.”) I know it. But the one who died before, what’s his name? (Qu Yuan.) No. Qu Yuan was another person. He was Jie Zi… what? (Tui.) Jie Zitui, that’s right. But I don’t blame you. Because there have been too many good people in China. Is it not so? (Yes.) That’s why we can’t remember all of them. Can’t remember them all. Although it’s not his time yet, but it looks kind of cold, so I’m going to tell you this story by the way.
He was a very good person. So nice that Chinese people, on the 3rd of March… Is it the 3rd of March? (April. Fifth of April.) April? (The 5th of April.) Oh! No. April 5, maybe it’s according to the solar calendar. (Yes.) Is it March 3 according to the solar calendar? (It’s the lunar calendar.) Lunar calendar. Yes. It’s 3rd of March in the lunar calendar. (Yes.) Yes, I was talking about March 3. April 5… I don’t know if I’ll still be here. So I might as well tell it first. If you feel that it’s not the right time, wait until the video tape comes out and watch it on March 3. Or April 5. I think that next year, we won’t organize any retreat in February or December again. What do you think? (OK.) (It doesn’t matter.) It doesn’t matter? (Yes.) I’m afraid that it’ll be too cold for you. (No. It won’t.) It’s better today. Yesterday it was 10 degrees Celsius. Did you know? (Yes.) “Ten degrees Celsius” means you’re going to “die” (Chinese pun for “10” and “die”).
Let’s talk about this Jie Zitui. You all know clearly who he was, right? In the old time, there was a king. Before he became king, he had been chased by opponents who are after his life. Was he prince… Prince Chong’er, right? Was His name Chong’er? (Yes.) OK. He and a few loyal officials wandered everywhere in exile, living a very, very difficult life. There were days they didn’t have enough food to eat, no place to sleep, etc. One day, they didn’t have anything to eat and didn’t have any money left. Their money completely ran out. They were forced to beg for alms like beggars, but even then, they often didn’t get anything to eat. Because sometimes, the Chinese certainly are very kind-hearted, very benevolent, but, seeing this group of people who were in good shape, young and good-looking, not handicapped, looking dignified and very healthy, why should they beg for alms? Therefore, many people didn’t want to give to them. It’s a matter of course. That’s why they were all very hungry.
One day they were so hungry that they were completely powerless. Everyone just lay there, not able to move. Prince Chong’er also lay there. He rested his head on the lap of a loyal minister, using it as a pillow and fell asleep. Then their subordinates searched around and found some wild vegetables, and they brought back some to fill their stomach. However, Prince Chong’er couldn’t swallow that. Probably because he was born as a prince in the royal family, and had been used to eating gourmet delicacies. That’s why even when they were in such a miserable state, his noble palate wouldn’t give in. He couldn’t lower his taste, and just couldn’t eat it. He just sat there and couldn’t eat. He was very weak.
Suddenly Jie Zitui brought a bowl of very hot, steaming hot meat broth for him to eat. Prince Chong’er, after eating the meat broth, felt much better and regained his vitality. Feeling that it was very tasty, he asked him, “Where did you get such nice meat?” Pointing to his leg, Jie Zetui said, “It’s from my leg. I cut a piece for my lord to eat. Because I’ve heard that a filial son would sacrifice his body when serving his parents. A faithful minister, being loyal to the lord, should sacrifice his body. Today, seeing my lord starving without anything to eat, I am obliged to cut a piece of meat from my leg to feed my lord.”
Loyalty to this degree was too much. Very rare, isn’t it? (Yes.) I don’t know if I can cut my flesh for everyone to eat. I’m not reluctant to part with my meat, but I couldn’t bear the pain. If I can cut without feeling hurt, I will cut. Just that it’d be too painful. It’s not… I’m afraid of the pain, not of you eating my flesh. I’m also very loyal. But you are keeping the precepts, right? Not eating meat. Since I know that you keep the precepts and do not eat meat, so I talk like that.
After Prince Chong’er heard that, he felt very, very touched and shed tears. He told Jie Zitui, “When will I ever be able to repay your favor?”
Then, after the prince and his officials had succeeded, and were returning to their homeland, they took a boat on the Yellow River. When they were taking the boat back on their way home, some officials who had been following Prince Chong’er, toiling around for a long time, going through all the hardship and arduous effort, began to count their contributions and merits on the boat. For example, one time, when he was about to reach Jin State, about to enter his country, Prince Chong’er told his subordinates to dump those miscellaneous things. Because his subordinates were used to having a hard life, they always kept, for example, broken pots, bowls, chopsticks, and whatnot, and were reluctant to throw them away. Prince Chong’er laughed and told them, “We are about to reach home and I’ll be the king soon. We no longer need these things. Just throw them away.”
Then, those subordinates seemed to begin counting their contribution and told Chong’er, “All these days till now, we have been relying on these broken things to survive. Now our lord will be the king soon. Before becoming the king, he already wants to dump these things. Then for us, these old subordinates, will our lord also forget about us after going back?” So they were crying and making a fuss there, worrying that the king would forget the old after having the new; they were claiming their contributions. Jie Zitui, seeing this situation, felt that those officials were kind of lousy, and he felt frustrated. He sighed and talked to himself, “When I’m with these officials who are greedy for fame and fortune, I feel very ashamed.” Since then, Jie Zitui seemed to keep a distance from Prince Chong’er and those subordinates deliberately.
After reclaiming the country, Chong’er became the king. We all know that he was called “Duke Wen of Jin,” (Yes.) He was the King of Jin. Everyone was waiting for the reward. Those who had been following Chong’er for a long time were waiting for their prizes. Only Jie Zitui, he went in to congratulate him, and then bid farewell, and went back to his hometown. Many people who had followed Prince Chong’er for a long time all got their rewards. Some got such and such official positions, some got wealth, and still some got lands. A whole bunch of people were granted high positions, royal titles, and official titles. Except Jie Zutui, who got nothing. He resigned from his official position and returned home, doing what he should do. It was very hard because he was poor. He relied on repairing others’ broken shoes to earn a living to provide for his old mother.
Photo Caption: "Embrace the World, Gift It a Warm Winter"
