Is it OK now? Hey, kids. I’m sorry to have woken you up at this late hour. But there are (vegan) cookies and candies. The small microphone. (Yes.) Wow! Why can’t I lift it? Help me. Can any of the kids help? Come, come, come, let’s… (Help out.) You go away. (You also go help.) Oh, great! (Great.) Kids first. The boys are over there. Put it down there. Help yourself. You mix it altogether. I wonder if there’s enough. Hey, boys, come over. Flat Nose. Help out. Just help carry it over there. Ah, the two of you together. (Help them and carry it together.) Be careful. Be careful. OK. You guys lift it up. You guys lift it up. Take it away for now. I forgot the small microphone. OK. Take it back. Take it back and get some for yourself.
Do you feel sleepy? (No. We’ve all slept already. We just woke up.) You’ve all slept already. Ah, you just woke up. In a few more hours, you’ll be leaving. One hour… not yet? (Not necessarily.) You are the ones staying. Do you want to stay longer? OK. (There are also some short-stay ones.) OK. OK. Those who are staying longer, raise your hand. Those who are staying longer, raise your hands. (Stay longer.) Only one family wants to stay longer? (Yes.) Oh, is your child so young? (This one.) Two. (This one.) What about him? He wants to stay. Is he alone? (There’s one more.) (He said he wanted to stay quietly.) Oh. You alone? (Master, our family too.)
OK. Are you all going home? Those dance troupes have all gone home. They danced so beautifully today. Wow. Those little ones, Cambodian boys, were mesmerized by you. I saw it. They sat here, “Wow! The little one is the most beautiful.” How old are you? (Nine.) Nine years old! Wow, today a boy said that you are only six years old, just because he’s seven. He’s Cambodian. You danced so beautifully today. Where are the older ones? Those two plus the other one, total three. A boy, and what about the two older girls? Ah yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh yes, yes, yes. It’s always your group. But you’re becoming prettier.
This is only for the children. Adults don’t mess with it. You can only beg him to give you one piece. If he considers your status as fellow initiates, he’ll share a little with you. You can’t grab it by force. He has the same Master. It’s difficult for me to handle. Personal feelings are not the same as that between brothers. I heard them always calling you “brother, sister.” Is there such thing? You don’t call them “Dad,” “Mom” anymore. You still have to call them “Dad,” “Mom.” It’s alright. Such is the language of the world. If you go to school and tell your teacher, “That initiate brother at home, the initiate brother who is my parent…” Wow, then it’ll be trouble. Or, “My initiate sister ignores my initiate brother” or whatnot. They won’t understand. So you still have to call them “Dad,” “Mom.” That way, the world won’t be too complicated. Do you understand what I mean? (Understand.) It’s good enough that we know we are spiritual practitioners. We are fellow brothers, but… since he is “Dad,” then he is “Dad.” Don’t tell your teacher…
Do you know the story? (No.) They don’t know? (They don’t.) OK. I’ll tell you. There was a kid like you, small and clumsy one, who went to school, kindergarten. He was going to go to school the next day. He asked his mom, “Mom, tomorrow our teacher will give us a test. He will ask us, for example, whose son I am. How should I answer?” The mother said, “You just say that you’re GOD’s son.” Then the kid nodded the same way as you. After nodding his head, he went to school full of confidence. When the teacher asked him, “Whose son are you?” He forgot. He forgot because he had eaten too much blessed food. He thought for a long while. The teacher asked again, “Just say it. Whose son are you?” He did more of “Um, so…” Just like what Flat Nose was doing. He said, “Strange. Originally, I thought I’m my dad’s son, but yesterday my mom told me I’m the son of another person, but I’ve forgotten his name.” Is it funny?
And there’s another kid who came home from kindergarten. This is just for the kids to listen to. The adults have heard it before, so no need to laugh again. He told his mom, “I don’t want to go to school anymore.” The mother said, “Why? What happened?” The kid said, “Nothing. I think my teacher probably is not right in the head.” The mom said, “How can you speak ill of your teacher like that? How could he have a problem?” The kid said, “Yeah. Yeah. Yesterday he told me that five plus four is nine, and today he said three plus six is nine.” That’s not very consistent.
I forgot about it. There are many stories about children. But I just forgot them. Maybe I should go get my book. Can anyone help me get the book? Go get my book quickly. The book of jokes, with a very fat girl on the book cover. (Get the book. Go get it from the back.) I have many stories, but I just forgot them. Strange. Just like you, forgetting the name of the second father. How many of you are leaving tomorrow? Raise your hand. Wow, so many people are leaving me. Are there any stories for kids? Ha. This one is great.
In a very, very crowded bus, a passenger caught the hand of a thief, “Hah! I got you. Hah! Hah! You. You’re trying to steal my money. You, you. You are trying to steal money from my pocket. I know. I’ve got you.” The thief said, “Shame on you. There isn’t even a penny in your pocket.”
I have many stories for children. Why have they all disappeared? That’s it. Let’s not think about these things anymore. Did I ever tell you the story about a kid who went to see the dentist? (No.) No? Really? You know seeing the dentist is kind of fun, isn’t it? He will give you injection with a needle this big. Yes. Have you ever had an injection? (Yes.) (Anesthesia.) It’s fun. Isn’t it? (Anesthesia.) (No.) It will swell up. Have you ever had an injection? And did you thank the doctor afterwards? No. No? Uh-oh. You are so “ungrateful.” He gave you such a big needle. Why didn’t you thank him? If he doesn’t give you the injection, you will have greater pain. Do you know? (Yes.) OK. (Brush your teeth.) Brushing your teeth? Have you? You have to brush them well, otherwise your teeth will decay. Do not brush like this. Brush like this and this. OK? And also brush your tongue.
Photo Caption: “Anything Trying to Copy the Heavenly Glory Fails!”
