He told me that he wanted to come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to serve Buddhism. I saw that he had a bit of sincerity. However, I still gave him a little test since my principle is, "Every thing is a test to see what you will do. If you fail to recognize it, you will have to start anew." I asked him, "How many people you have got in the family?" He said that he had a wife and a child. I said, "It doesn't seem suitable for you to go to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas." He asked how it was. I said, "In the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, men and women don't talk to each other. Can you take it?" I forget whether he said he could or could not. In any case, he still wanted to come. So I said, "You have a wife. When you get to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you and your wife will have to live separately. Men and women are not living together there. Each person works on his or her own cultivation." Now, I do remember he said he could do that. I said, "All right, it will do since you have such a determination. However, you should ask your wife if it is okay with her."

He went back home to talk it over with his wife and came back the next evening to say that she had also consented. This was the test I gave him in Malaysia. When they arrived here, I still let the family stay together. Why did I do that? It is because if I made the situation a little difficult before hand, he would be prepared mentally. If, on the contrary, I told him how wonderful it is here, he would feel it is in fact bitter and be very disappointed when he came. If I said this was a bitter place, he would not feel such psychological sting when he found that it is actually not that bitter here.

After he came, he did all sorts of work, mowing the lawns, trimming the trees, every thing. His wife also did a lot of things that she never did before, such as sweeping the streets, etc. She works a lot. However, some people are still not happy with her and criticize her. You must know that being criticized is being tested. People want to see if you can endure the hardship of the City. Just remember, "Everything is a test," then you will not have any problem.

There was an American girl when we were in Sutter street. She was the only one there. He made a robe and gave it to her. There were also many American guys there and they didn't give her anything. After we moved to Chinatown, during the first summer session, there were both guys and girls. This person took the girl to his place and showed her his collection of sutras which filled up the whole room. I don't know whether he actually reads the sutras or not. That's the way he is, always wants to be the number one. He claimed that Buddhist Lecture Hall had depended entirely on his support. The fact was that he kept all other Dharma protectors away. It was because of him that they stopped coming to the Buddhist Lecture Hall. He was both jealous and obstructive of others. What he liked to do? When there's no one around he never did any meritorious deed. However, when there were people, he would immediately take money out and say, "I donate this much money for you to do such and such a thing." Aside from that, he never paid any attention to the temple business.

He has not been coming for a long time. Why? It is because in here, what's improper will not survive what's proper. Being the only Chinese guy among so many Americans, he can't possibly be the number one. Besides, he probably is not happy with the fact that he is not allowed to freely and casually wander around in here. Since he can no longer be the number one, this professor has stopped coming. Though he has stopped coming, there are some new ones who want to act like that Chinese guy, showing off their wealth. They take money out and order this and that to be bought. This is not in accord with Dharma because all Dharma protectors must give their donation to the person who is in charge of the temple's financial affairs. If you don't give your money to the manager, you will have made the donation in vain. Besides, you are not supporting the Way-place since it doesn't help the Way-place. From now on, if any one wants to give money to a particular person, whoever that is, it will not be accepted. Your donation will only be accepted if you give it to the temple.

I have been wanting to bring this up for a long time but I was not able to find time to do so. Today, I take this chance to mention it. People come to a Way-place to render their services to the public. Therefore, don't be afraid of hardship. Don't say, "This is so troublesome and that is such a trouble," and refuse to do this and decline to do that. Eating is the most troublesome matter. How is it that you never dislike doing it? Wearing clothes also takes a lot of trouble but you still want to wear them and never complain about it. We are never afraid of eating, wearing clothes, and sleeping being too much trouble. Now, if we can treat working the same way, it won't be too troublesome.

Once, she told me over the phone that she had undergone too much suffering and born too much flak that she almost wanted to quit believing in Buddhism. I said, "That's the best! Quit believing in Buddhism quickly. You will have to take losses if you continue believing in Buddhism. If you don't believe in Buddhism, you will be well." She didn't know how to respond when she heard what I said. This time she came, she complained about having to take too much abuse. I said, "Now you realize how hard it is to take abuses, why did you abuse others?" She said, "What?" I said, "If you had not been abusive to others, how is it that you are bullied by others now? Such cause such effect. You have believed in Buddhism for such a long time, how come you still don't understand the principle of cause and effect? If you don't scold people, you will not be scolded. If you don't hit others, you will not be hit. You are being bullied now because you had bullied others before. Therefore, you deserve to be bullied now." She just stared at me. I continued, "If you don't want to take any more abuses, just quit believing in Buddhism. As long as you believe in Buddhism, you must take it. Just continue with your cultivation and don't retreat!" That was what I said to her during a class.

Why did this person take refuge with me? It was because he wanted to become rich. He wished to strike it rich after taking the refuge and vowed to build a Buddhist hospital if he did. So he took refuge. Afterwards, he asked me to calculate his fortunes according to the hour and date of his birth and study his physiognomy. I said, "Even if you had the physiognomy of a wealthy person, if your mind is evil, you will not be able to become rich. However, if you don't have the physiognomy of a rich man, if your mind is good, you will make money and be well off. Therefore, physiognomy is not real. Don't take it seriously." He also asked me to tell him his horoscope. He read in a book that I knew all about medicine, astrology, physiognomy, and divination, everything. So he asked for my commend on his horoscope. He wrote me once the hour and the date of his birthday and asked me later whether I had calculated his fortune. I said, "Oh! I lost the piece of paper." He quickly wrote me another one. I said, "I don't have time now. I am too busy." He said, "I can wait. Later will be fine." After one month, he asked me again whether I had done it. I said, "Have I done what?" He said, "My horoscope." I said, "The cleaner burned your paper." He still didn't get it and wrote me yet another one and insisted that I calculate his horoscope. He gave me five or six times his birth date and I still didn't do it for him.

Telling fortune is something a left-home person should not do. A left-home person is not allowed to figure people's horoscope or analyze their physiognomies. That is street hustlers' business. A true cultivator doesn't do these things.
Recently, he planned to move to New York. Somehow, he wanted me to calculate and commend on his horoscope again. This time I did not want to be polite. I said to him, "You took the refuge with me, now I want to give you a lesson. There are a lot of left-home people in New York. Whomever you meet, you must not ask him to study your physiognomy or analyze your horoscope for you. If you have the horoscope of a dog, you won't become a tiger no matter what. If you have the horoscope of a tiger, you won't turn into a dog either. What's the use of having your fortune told, or your physiognomy studied? If you are meant to be poor, even if I say you will be rich, you won't. If you are meant to be rich, you will make money even if I don't say so. Why are you treating left-home people this way? This is the same as insulting left-home people. You are being very rude."
He said, "But many people ask left-home people to tell their fortunes." I said, "Those are street hustlers. True cultivators of the Way don't talk about this type of things." This time, he dared not to ask me to calculate his horoscope any more. He said, "But...but...it's been many years since I made the vow to build a Buddhist hospital and I have not been able to make much money. That means I won't ever be able to fulfill my vow." I said, "If you want to fulfill your vow and he and she also want to realize their vows, the Buddha would be kept too busy to take care of them all. Take schooling for example, from elementary school, through high school to college, how many years does it take for one to get a Ph.D. degree? And now you want to have your vow fulfilled just two and a half days after you made it? If it could be done so easily, everyone would want to make vows and you would have a hard time waiting for your turn." He said, "Oh...Oh..., I think I really understand it today."

"So you see, one should have perseverance in making vows. It can never be the case that you make a vow today and tomorrow you vow is realized. You should make this vow that I vow to build a Buddhist hospital this life. If I don't have enough money, I will continue in my next life. If I still don't have enough money in next life, I will wait until the life after. I will continue to cultivate blessing and wisdom no matter what and I will build a Buddhist hospital when I have enough money. I want to make this vow in life after life. That's is a true vow." He said, "All right, I will do that." Finally, he had come to a little understanding.

That guy wants to come back. He said that when he went outside he understood the importance of being inside. After he left the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, he realized that the City is different from other Way-places. When he was in the City he ate one meal a day but after he went back, he could not continue doing so. Therefore, he compromised to not eating after noon. Probably, he could not take being outside any more so he wants to come back. He said that when he returned to Malaysia and mentioned the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to people, he could tell from their eyes that they all longed to come here. But it is not easy to get here, he said. Therefore, all of you who have made it here should not feel that it is bitter here. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is the happiest place can be.

You see, in here, some people scold me and treat me badly, but I never want to leave. Some people are disobedient to me and others give me trouble, but I won't leave. Therefore, all of you should understand the importance of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

The Buddha took pain in teaching and transforming living beings. How many can truly understand the Buddha's teachings and cultivate in accord with them? How many? There are still more deluded living beings then enlightened ones. Many listen to Buddhadharma but few practice it.

For instance, all of you here are investigating Buddhadharma. However, you are still so inverted, still so ignorant, still meddling around, still sowing discord, and still harboring deviant views. You haven't changed a bit. From this we can understand that it was the same situation when the Buddha taught and transformed living beings. It was not easy. Those who can truly practice in accord with the teaching are very few. Every one, from this we should understand that it is not easy to teach living beings. If you tell them to take a walk on an out of the way path, they will be delighted. But if you tell them to walk on a broad and proper path, they become suspicious. They doubt this and that and whether it is real. They believe instantly when you tell them something false; but they will never take it when you tell them something true. People are just such a strange creature. Very strange, indeed.

Though they don't believe you when you tell them the truth, later, they will regret it when they find that they are wrong. And they will come back to admit that they are wrong. Living beings are really pathetic. In studying Buddhardharma, we must put it into practice and do it right for it to become useful.

Buddhists must not on one hand believe in Buddhism and on the other create offenses. We must continuously refine and purify ourselves so that we become truly refined and pure. In terms of our believes, we must have proper faith and not be superstitious, deviant, or biased. What does it mean to be deviant? That is to say one does not believe in proper Dharma but in heterodox paths instead, such as the religion which believes in the heavens, for instance. Being biased means their doctrine is lop-sided and not correct. They are obstinate in their believe and cannot be transformed. They are like someone who is holding a piece of dry turd and won't want to exchange it for a donut. They believe their principle is right. This is being biased.
Buddhists must not have deviant or biased views and knowledge, we must have proper views and proper knowledge. Having proper knowledge and views means one is not arrogant and haughty. A trace of arrogance can be found in people who are superstitious, deviant, or biased. Some people heard about patriarch "mi" (secret) and become attracted because they think what's secret must be good. This is being deviant and biased. They end up being one-sided.

In Great Vehicle Buddhism, we should universally pay our respect to all disciples of the Thus Come One. That is to say we bow to all Buddha's disciples pervading the Dharma realm and through out the empty space. It is not the case that since I believe in the Buddha so I bow to the Buddha but pay no attention to his disciples. We should be especially reverent to the disciples as it is said, "Revere the disciples for the sake of the Buddha." Take another simple example to illustrate this point. For instance, you believe in me so you are very respectful and sincere toward me. Now, if you don't treat my disciples with respect, that's the same as not being respectful to me. You should revere all of my left-home disciples and all left-home people just because you respect me. If you don't, that mean's you don't respect your teacher. If you revere the Buddha but don't treat his disciples with respect, that means you don't revere the Buddha at all. Buddhists should know this. We should universally pay our respect to all Buddha's disciples.

It's said, "Utmost sincerity brings about a true mind." Utmost sincerity means there's not the slightest bit of falsity or casualness. When the mind is sincere and earnest, every thought is true. Every thought comes from a genuine heart and not from a pretentious, deviant, biased, or superstitious mind. With this true mind, we bow universally to all disciples of the Buddha. If we can be like this, we can say that we really believe in Buddhism and truly revere the Triple Jewel.