In this episode, Master discusses the noble duty of journalists in reporting the news.
(Master, will You celebrate Lunar New Year here this year?) I don’t know. (If we celebrate the Lunar New Year here, could You have the cultural program from Hawaii performed again?) That sounds great. (That would be wonderful!) Do you all like that?
(When will You release the videotape, Master?) It’s not that easy. (You promised to…) They did it on their own. I didn’t ask them to do it. That program was put together by the disciples. (Yes.) Some of them are professionals. (Yes.) (The performance by the children of…) (No, I haven’t finished work yet. I’ll come back to work tomorrow.) Happy family matters, huh? Sweet, huh? Warm and cozy, right? (Kent asked me, “Are you done already, Dad?”) Ah, OK. Then let them know. (He knows I am working on the newspaper tonight.) Oh, really? (So why am I not working on it?) Oh my goodness! Really? Is it urgent? (Well, I’ve told the printing company that I’ll bring it over tomorrow morning.) Oh, really? OK.
(The entertainment program was wonderful. If You would allow it…) They just did it spontaneously like that. (If You had them perform here again, it would be so much fun – especially during the Lunar New Year.) Should we sell tickets? Sell tickets to raise funds for our relief work? (Yes, that could work too.) (Sure. We wouldn’t be keeping any of the money ourselves, so what is there to worry about?) That’s the problem. People would still criticize as usual. It’s my own money that I put in, yet they still criticize me. Isn’t that strange? (Master is a taxpayer! You’ve already paid Your taxes to the US.) I have to. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have to. (Whenever Americans ask, You can immediately say, “I pay taxes, you know!”) If they ask me to pay, I’ll pay. (Yes.) It’s not like I… (You don’t have any income, so why would they ask You to pay taxes?) No income. It’s all money that I put in myself. Every dollar I have, I put it all in.
(Master, this year, next year, or sometime in the future, You should make a major public appearance before the Aulacese [Vietnamese] community.) Oh dear! (So that they can…) What for? (It’s not that we want to show off or anything.) Oh. (But the point is, we need to have it first so we can expand our activities.) But the other day, I did go out to give a public lecture. Whoever wanted to come could come; whoever wanted to listen could listen.
(Yes, but it wasn’t widely publicized.) (It wasn’t publicized. Only the disciples knew about it; it was just among us and Master.) But it was all over the newspapers. How could you say it wasn’t publicized? Some time ago, I gave a talk at a very large auditorium. (Anaheim, right? Oh, yes.) (Anaheim.) There were about 7,000 or 8,000 people. There were Aulacese (Vietnamese) people there too. (There were people from Âu Lạc [Vietnam], and quite a lot came from Texas and places farther north as well.) (Didn’t the [overseas] Âu Lạc [Vietnam] newspapers publish it?) Maybe they just didn’t bother to publish it. What can we do about it? (No, it’s because…)
(Master should also have some kind of press team…) (There has to be a team that can contact the press.) Oh, really? (How would they know if no one contacts them?) Oh, is that so? (Because America is such a vast country.) (How would they know if we don’t spread the word?) OK.
(Just like when You published something, the Register found out about it. Someone must have informed them. It’s not like they went looking for it themselves.) Oh, I see. (For example…) Because they have local branches. (Yes. For example, when police catch a thief somewhere, they call the press to come.) Yes, that’s right. Well, I guess that’s how it works. So someone who knows them or has connections with them tells them. Ah, OK. (Supreme Master must have a press secretary.) Oh, is that so? (For example, right now…) Then you can tell some of my disciples to take care of it. Who else would do it? I wouldn’t know how to handle all these things. It’s a bit much for me! I’m not familiar with those kinds of things. OK. Is that so? Having a press secretary, that seems a bit much? Wouldn’t it look like I’m showing off?
(It’s not showing off. It’s just an administrative matter.) (It’s just informing the press so they can write about it.) Oh, really? Oh, really? OK, OK. Alright then. I’ll ask them to start taking care of the press tomorrow. (Just to let people know what You’re doing.) Oh, really. OK. We don’t know all these kinds of things. Too complicated. I only know that spiritual practice is enough. Why does everything have to be so complicated? A press officer, and then later what other kind of officer will there be? Political, and then what else? Really? OK. Because usually… (But Master only has Dharma guards, right?) Oh! The Dharma guards are there to keep the disciples in line, not to keep outsiders away. Otherwise, they’d all come crowding around me! They keep wanting to hold my hands and feet.
(That’s really important for getting the word out.) Ah. OK, OK. You hear? (Yes, yes.) You talk to the people… (Yes.) You heard that, right? (Yes.) Talk to (…) and the others about setting up some kind of press committee, OK? (Yes.) (Master already has a line of contact now – a connection.) Yeah. (So now, whenever they want to write about something, they can just get in touch.) Oh. Really! If anything comes up, call them. Call the Aulacese (Vietnamese) people, right?
(If anything happens, one way is by phone; another is to fax…) (One is by phone or fax to let them know immediately.) (Let the press know immediately.) Tell (…) to set up a press committee like that, as you requested. (Yes. If anything happens…) (Whatever Master does, the press doesn’t know about it. But as the press committee, we can let the press know about what Master has done.) (Meet with the reporters.) Oh, really? (Then we can get the word out.) OK. (We can get the word out right away.) (To keep them updated.) Or whenever you want to meet me, just come and see me. Why would you need to… (No, there are too many…)
Let’s go through the press team, then, OK? (Yes, and it’s quick. Just like Master said: “Now I’d like to meet with those reporters who came the other day.”) Really? So I can meet them right away? (Yes, You can meet them right away.) Ah, OK, alright. Then I’ll go through that press committee. (Go through that press committee, and the reporters can come see You right away.) Alright. OK. Now that you’ve requested it, I know about it and can do it.
Before this, I had never thought about these things. As a spiritual practitioner, I should really just stay in the mountains and practice instead of running around. (Why meet with the press?) That’s how it should be. Why meet with the press? (Getting mixed up in all that.) Why get mixed up in all that? (Getting mixed up in it.) But it had already happened, and the matter kept getting bigger and bigger, so eventually you all came to know about it. And now that you know about it and have come to visit, I’m telling you about it. Actually, as spiritual practitioners, things shouldn’t be so complicated like this. (Master’s spiritual practice has become so well-known that people are taking notice.) But I bet now you guys will finally be willing to do it. Back then, if I called on you, who would even bother listening?
(But Master, don’t You see, how beneficial Your recent trip to Hawaii was? You see?) (For example, if someone invited You to an event, You can just go straight there.) Ah. Really? (Like today, Master is low on energy, yet You’re still sitting here receiving guests over tea.) Ah. Really? (Why must they see Master, let Master rest.) OK, OK. I understand. (One affinity led to another, You see, Master? If we hadn’t met Master in Hawaii last time, there wouldn’t have been this meeting today.) Yeah. Really? (Master, did You know? To meet You today, we had to start making contact at least two weeks ago.) Really. (It wasn’t something arranged just now.) Oh. Really! (Yes.) I only heard about it in the last few days. (Yes. Because they…) Three or four days ago, something like that. (They kept asking about it.) (They also had to make contact repeatedly before we could finally get here.) That’s because I’m not always here either. I just came back from Houston. (Yes.) So it’s also difficult to get in touch with me. (We contacted (…), but he didn’t know either.) Oh. I see. (So there was all this back-and-forth. We only found out the address this morning.) I see. (At 10:30 AM.) Yeah. OK. So they finally let you in on the secret, huh? (But the thing is, the road here is really difficult.) If the disciples find out and come crowding around here, we’d be done for.
(But Master, did You know? The road here is really difficult.) Yeah. (We got here in one go!) And yet you managed to make it here? (We just went straight through.) And just like that, you arrived. (And today was especially unusual – there was no traffic jam. No obstacles at all. (No obstacles at all and no traffic jam.) (It’s never happened before – there’s never no traffic.) (Usually the traffic is terrible.) (Today is really unusual.) Wonders from all over? (Yes.) (I’m true. It’s hard to believe, but it really happened.) (Hard to believe, but true.) Well then… (No, but it really was extraordinary, Master.) Alright, now you know. (There wasn’t even the slightest traffic jam.)
Yeah. Now that you members of the press have requested this, next time something happens, let those people know about it, OK? (Yes.) I’ll inform these two; they can help notify the others, and those people can help notify the rest. Like that. What’s this? Why do you have to write it down? (Open up one of the newspapers.) (Yes.) What do you need business cards for? These newspapers are so famous – how could people not know them? Alright.
(It became famous after it printed Supreme Master’s photo.) Really? (Yes. Master, do You think the book printing is OK?) Huh? (The one printed by Vietnam Post.) Ah! It’s very nice! Wow, it’s huge! It looks so beautiful. (The black-and-white issue.) The previous issue and then the next one – the apology issue, right? (The previous issue didn’t look very good.) Really? (The previous issue was done in too much of a rush.) It’s so big, so big! And it was on the front page too? That must have cost a lot, huh? I’m embarrassed. I am very embarrassed. I’m so embarrassed, so embarrassed!
(Vietnam Press is very famous now.) Tell them to send the money over, and we’ll print more copies. Since we’re on the subject, I might as well mention it. (6,000 copies.) And they printed them all and gave them all away. Ah! How much does it cost to print 6,000 copies? (6,000 copies.) How much is it now? (For 6,000 copies of our newspaper? About 1,600 or 1,700, Master.) Really? (Yeah. About 1,700.) Ah. (If it’s printed in color, it costs even more, Master.) Oh really? (If it’s in color, like that recent Vietnam Post issue, then it costs even more.) Oh really? (Yes.) If anyone wants some more copies, then later I’ll… Print more. If anyone needs more copies, I’ll provide the money to print them and give the copies to them.
Is this newspaper free, or do you sell it? (It’s a free newspaper – we give it to people for free. But with the Aulacese (Vietnamese) now, Master, it’s like this. If we put a price of 25 cents on the newspaper – only about 25 cents – they’ll take one look and move on.) It’s only 25 cents, yet they still won’t buy it. (But if we give them away for free, they’ll grab a whole stack!) Exactly. (And then they just take them home.) (If you give it away for free, they’ll take it.)
(Color printing is tricky; it has to go through the press four or five times.) That’s right. (You have to separate the colors, Master.) I know, I know. (Tiring.) Tiring. (That’s why, when we were doing the cover, we had to sit there at night – watching it to make sure it didn’t shift out of alignment.) Oh my. We couldn’t have Master’s picture coming out with four eyes.) I only have three eyes! (Sometimes, we would stay up late at night just to finish the work and get it done.) I understand. (If we leave it until the next morning to pick up the newspapers, it’ll really take up a lot of our time.) It’s the same with me. Sometimes I work all night. (Yes.) I don’t rest until the work is done. (We have to finish it; otherwise we can’t sleep peacefully.) Exactly. (Publishing a newspaper is very hard work, Master.) It’s really hard work, huh? (It’s really hard work, Master.) Really? (It must be destined karma.) Doing the work of a silkworm, huh?
(But right now, for example, writing an article about Master is more difficult than writing about other subjects. First of all, we have to consider it carefully so that, from Master’s side, You would also agree with what we write. And from the readers’ side, we also have to make sure they don’t feel uncomfortable because what we write may or may not accord with their point of view.) Oh! Yes. (And we have clear proof of that.) (Because, from the public’s point of view…) (That’s where the difficulty lies.) Yes. (Most people are paying attention to Master now, so they’re very curious about articles written about You. They like reading them.) Yes, yes. That’s right. We have to let them know the truth. (But then there are all the stories they fabricate.) And no one contributes even a single cent to me.
(But Master, You see, when something good happens, praise doesn’t spread nearly as fast as criticism and bad talk. That’s always how it is… that’s life.) Journalists have a duty to educate the public a little, guiding them toward a path of goodness and a more positive outlook. Otherwise, if someone gossips or criticizes others, that negativity also affects the speaker themselves. That’s why there’s an Aulacese (Vietnamese) saying: “Spitting blood at someone only stains your own mouth.” (Yes.) Exactly! It stains your own mouth.
(Of course, that creates karma through speech.) Right. Yes. So we should also contribute to educating the public. Especially children, the young ones – we should guide them toward nobler ways. (Yes.)
That is the duty of journalists. The press is one of the best means of educating people. Then there’s television and radio. These mediums are incredibly important. So we should write in a way that helps society become better and better, purer and more noble. If the press doesn’t take on this responsibility, then who will? In schools, they can only teach a certain group of people, you see? But the press reaches the general public at large.
(I have been following Master since Hawaii, but up to now I haven’t had a single photo taken with You. I’ve only been taking photos of other people.) Ah! Really? OK, go ahead and take one. Ask one of them to take the photo for you. Take a picture of them together with me. They like to take pictures with Master. This is automatic. Just press it once and that’s enough. Understand? Ah, your English is excellent! Your English is getting better. (Stand next to Master for the photo.) Yeah. OK. You didn’t take a photo that day? (Not yet, not since that day. I’ve just been holding the camera like this the whole time.) (That’s many already. There was a time when I took lots of pictures up close to Master.) That day in Hawaii, when we had a meal together. (In Hawaii and in Waikiki.) Why are you taking so long to press the button?) Hold it a little longer. (Hold it a little longer.) You take it for him. Are you taking all five people in the photo? Move back a little. (Then let’s stand behind Master.) It’s fine. That works too. Just be natural. Make yourselves comfortable. OK. You sit there. However you want to arrange yourselves is fine. No problem. (Hold it down a little longer. Press…) Hold it down a little longer, then the flash will… (Press– hold it down a little longer and the flash will come on.) If the pictures don’t turn out, we can take them again next time. (No, hold it down a little longer; then it’ll come on. Press it firmly.) Press it and hold it down for a while. See? Oh dear! Amateur… (Very amateur.) OK. OK. This one looks pretty rugged, huh? This is serious equipment. Do you want to take a picture with this one? (Professional.) Professional, huh? (This is really convenient for traveling far.) Ah, right, right. (It’s easy to carry around. Yes.) Otherwise, if there’s too much stuff, it just becomes burdensome. (Yes.) It’s tiring.
Do you have any more questions? Any more tough questions? You poor thing. On one side there’s public opinion… caught between the hammer and the anvil, huh? If what you say doesn’t please the readers, they won’t buy the newspaper, they won’t even bother reading it, and they won’t support you. (Yes, that’s right.) (They don’t support us.) But then, if you speak frankly – “honest words offend the ear,” huh? (We’re journalists – we run a newspaper. Well, it’s a business, after all. (We run the newspaper; we’re the ones who print it.) Courageous, aren’t you? (If we can’t do it, then we’ll shut down.) Courageous, indeed? (We started it ourselves, and we print it ourselves.) Oh, right. That’s what makes it difficult. (It’s not as though they’re the ones putting up the money.) (It’s not as though they’re giving us anything.) Oh, really? But what about the advertising fees? Don’t they pay you to place advertisements?
(If they advertise, they have to pay us.) Ah, is that so? (But if they don’t advertise now, then we… Master knows the saying, “Even without that person, the market is still crowded.”) Oh, really? (One person leaves, another comes in.) (Yes, so we just keep doing what we’re doing.) (There’s nothing to be afraid of.) OK. We don’t know if they’re on our side or the enemy’s side, right? Alright (Who knows? Maybe one of Master’s disciples will come along one day and say, “Let me place an advertisement.”) That’s very good.
Photo Caption: “It’s an Honor to Perfume the Feet of the Crown of Creation”
