don't OWE OTHERS
Hsihu Center, Formosa, October8, 1995.Anenlightened Master only gives and never takes. Once you have receivedthings from others, you become subordinate to them. Is it nottrue that upon meeting him next time, you will be too self-consciousto handle things properly? When he demands you to do something,you cannot really treat him fairly. You know he is wrong, butyou are too self-conscious to scold or refuse him. Therefore,our internal Code of Ethics guides us against corruption for thesereasons. Do not sell ourselves for anything, and do not owe anyfavours or money to people. Once you are indebted to them foranything, you owe them a favor. Having eaten any food offeredby others, you cannot hold your head high anymore.
IT IS BEST TO EARN YOUR own daily bread andtake care of yourself independently. Then, we don't have to lowerour head upon meeting anyone, and our words will have weight whenreasoning with people. Only then can we become a model of Truth,a model of an incorruptible personality. We should be incorruptibleeven when we are ordinary people, not only when we are governmentofficials. Otherwise, it is hard to rectify the habit when youhave already become a government official! If you are corruptwhen you are an ordinary citizen, how can you be honest and cleanafter you have become an official? Is that not correct? Once youhave gotten used to it, you will simply forget blindly!
THIS IS WHY I TOLD YOU not to make offeringsto any monastic practitioners here. I will confiscate the InitiateCard of anyone who does so. Although I have repeated the samewarning for years, people still commit the same mistake. Shouldyou find something that you think is very good, buy it and bringit here, we will pay you for it. You must not stealthily offeranything to one or two persons to bribe their feelings. I am warningyou for the last time. If you stealthily offer anything to anyone,both of you will be asked to leave. Offer him more, if you wantto bring greater disaster to him.
I HAVE TOLD YOU SO many times that we lacknothing here. Even if we do lack some worldly items, it is nothing.Many people outside are in greater difficulties than we. Herewe have enough to eat, comfortable places to sleep, and everythingis very nice. We are not in need of anything. Being spiritualpractitioners, our life should be simple in the first place. Ifwe have more, then it is fine. If we have not, it is also okay.Why should you make offerings to particular persons with thisand that, buying off their personal feelings? This is really senseless!
SHOULD ANYONE DO these things again, I willsimply close the Center. I would rather forbid you to come, thanto let you contaminate each other. Do you understand? Here weare not in need of anything!
BEFORE I BECOME a Master, I had even fewermaterial things than they have now. I had only a few sets of clothes.When I was in the Himalayas, it was very cold; yet I had onlytwo sets of clothes, a stainless steel cup, a spoon, and two pairsof socks. The socks were later worn out and thrown away, so Ihad only a pair of shoes and two sets of clothes for changing.Sometimes, they could not be dried in time, but I still wore them.And I didn't have need of anything else. It is not important ifwe lack some material things. Do not spoil our people here! Letthem live their own lives freely and naturally. You cannot dolike them (leave home), so you come here randomly bribing andcontaminating people. Do you think that your few pennies are sogreat? Do you think that they cannot earn money outside? Do youthink that the people here are handicapped, without limbs, andhave no ability to earn money? They don't want the money! Therefore,they come here to live a simple life. As you practice more, yourspirit will become satisfied, and you will not need those materialthings. Do not think that material things can nourish you to becomefat! Your body may become fat, but your spirit may not be thatfertile. Few people can make offerings with a pure intent. Whenyou meet him later, he will demand favors for this and that; hewill want a special relationship. He will want you to talk tohim and greet him more often, do more things for him, give himinformation, and expect you not to obstruct him anytime he wantsto come in. Don't let these things happen again to make me angry!Understand?
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