I just can’t list it all out, but I’m so busy, so if I eat more often, then I don’t think I can work at all. (Oh.) No time. No time to cook, to prepare or… Even raw food, you don’t cook but you still need to prepare a lot. (Yes. That’s right.) Wash and chop, and chew and digest, and there’s no end to problems in this world. If you don’t have food, you have problems. If you have food, but you don’t have time, you have problems. Just do what you can to survive, to continue. But I’m glad that we are still OK. That I’m still alive and OK, so that I can continue to do God’s work.
(Hallo, Master! Hi Master!) Hallo! How are you guys? (Yes, we are good, Master. How are You, Master?) Yeah. Yeah. That’s how I am. (Oh, dear!) Sometimes I’m just coughing. I guess some allergy. (Oh, dear!) Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Wild weeds won’t die. I told you. (Oh.)
It’s kind of getting cold in your area, no? (Yes. Yes, Master.) I looked at the weather forecast. Then you guys must turn on the heater, central heater, whatever economic-wise. (Yes.) But you must have the heater on if you feel cold. (Yes, Master.) Last time, I asked one of you guys – you said you did not have the heater on yet, because it’s still not cold. But don’t wait until it’s too cold. (Yes. Understand, Master.)
And how about the food? You guys eat enough nutritional food? (Yes, Master. It’s very nice. It’s very nice, yes.) And you have all the food you need, right? (Yes, Master. Yes.) It’s supplied to you. (Yes.)
(How’s Master’s one meal a day?) What do you mean “how”? What is it exactly you want to know? (I just want to know how is Master. Is everything OK?) I am OK. If you want know really, then you try it yourself. (OK.) Only when you try then you would know. (Yes, it is.)
Actually, one meal a day is not my favorite. But nowadays, it’s the best solution, because it’s a lot of work. Sometimes I can’t even afford to eat it. Some days I don’t have even one meal. It’s OK. It’s OK. Many people don’t have as much as I have. It’s just that… it’s just a habit. When you don’t eat enough you feel like eating something that you used to like before. (Yes.) One meal is already kind of a challenge, because for one meal sometimes I eat so many times to finish. Because sometimes in the middle of it there is a lot of other work coming, or urgent things. (Oh right. Understand.) Or some other thing I want to finish or want to find out and to research, and all that. And this life, there’s always something going on. (Yes.)
So, actually one meal is quite cool. I told you I eat sometimes fruit or drink juice after, sometime later if I feel the need of it, but that’s rare because when you work a lot, you just can’t afford it. So, I let it be like that. (Understand, Master.)
Don’t do what I do – do what I told you. (OK, Master.) That’s the rule of being a boss: “Do what I told you, not what I do.” Try to have enough meals, enough nutrition for you. (Thank You, Master, we do. Thank You, Master.) Also, you’re a boy, probably you need more muscles. Try to run around in the garden also sometimes when you can. (OK.) Do exercise. Or standing exercise like I do. I’m standing and walking in one place while I am doing my work on the computer. (Oh, wow.) Yeah. Otherwise, the legs will become stiff. No good, is it? (That’s true.) And I can’t afford to go outside. Because sometimes it’s inconvenient. Many reasons.
I like to be in retreat as much as possible, meaning not seeing anyone, even by chance or on the street, or maybe some people anywhere, or neighbors. Because you concentrate better, somehow for me. There are so many things I have to even think of or maybe how to solve this and that problem with the team and with the business. Sometimes residents, they’re sick, old age or don’t listen to me, don’t wear the mask when they are together with others in the new… not their own place, not their own home, but with other people in other people’s house and they got problems and all that. (Oh.) I have to take care of many little things.
I just can’t list it all out, but I’m so busy, so if I eat more often, then I don’t think I can work at all. (Oh.) No time. No time to cook, to prepare or… Even raw food, you don’t cook but you still need to prepare a lot. (Yes. That’s right.) Wash and chop, and chew and digest, and there’s no end to problems in this world. If you don’t have food, you have problems. If you have food, but you don’t have time, you have problems. Just do what you can to survive, to continue. But I’m glad that we are still OK. That I’m still alive and OK, so that I can continue to do God’s work. (Yes, Master. Yes, we are glad Master’s OK, too.)
The Buddha originally ate once a day, and maybe just water in the afternoon. But one time, some of His disciples, when they invited Him to their house, they gave Him some juice in the afternoon, after lunch already they gave Him juice in the late afternoon. And from then on, the Buddha allowed His monks to have also juice in the afternoon. So, it’s not all that strict. (Right.)
Also, it’s more convenient one meal a day, because you have to cook, you have to prepare and then you have to eat. And then you have to wash dishes afterwards. This is kind of work. (Yes. Yes, indeed.) It’s not that simple, is it? (Yes.) Now that you cook for yourself, you know, right? (Yes.) But you guys have a big group.
I am alone all the time. My group is a one man band. (Oh. Yes.) One woman band, actually. And everything I have to do alone – even some little things; clean the house, clean the floor, clean the steel and take care of the garbage, and all kinds of things. I can’t remember right now. Every little thing one person has to do, so it takes time. If I eat one more meal in the day, then, oh God, I don’t know what else. Because maybe if I eat one more time, maybe I will get sleepy and I can’t work either. (Oh, right. Right.) So, I try to save as much time as possible. That’s what it is. (Yes.)
But if I can afford it, time-wise, then I would eat more. Believe it. It’s just when you work harder – you work hard, then you can push it, and then even if you feel a little hungry or desire for food, you just keep working and then it will be gone. And then it’s time that you go to meditate, time to take a rest, time to wash, time to cut your nails. I can only do that when there are some days when there’s not enough work, meaning less than normal. (Yes.) Then I can do all that. I can take a shower or cut my nails accordingly. Otherwise, I am like a really good monk here. I don’t wash during two weeks. Even sometimes longer than two weeks. (Wow.) If I don’t sweat or if I don’t smell badly, then I don’t have to take a shower so often. (Right.)
The Buddhist monks should take showers once every two weeks. But the Buddha made an exception. He said it depends. If your area has a lot of water, then you can take showers more often. It’s not like a sin or anything. It’s just like they were together, many thousands of monks together with him – and if everybody takes showers every day, it’s not very possible. (Yes, right. Understand.) That’s why. And at that time, they did not have … like we are lucky nowadays, we have a lot of taps and many bathrooms. And water could not be just distributed so easily like nowadays. We just turn the tap and the water comes out. (Yes.) Clean and easy. In those days, it was less comfortable than we are now. (Yes, Master.)
But still, I think one meal a day is just fine. Just fine. I am glad to even have one meal a day. Many people don’t have that. (Yes.) So, think about that, and don’t complain. Me. “You” means whoever, myself as well, should not complain. Don’t worry. I’m fine. I’m really fine. (OK. Good to hear.)
Any complaints? Anything good? You wear warm clothes. If you don’t have enough, you go buy. (Yes, Master.) You have enough clothes? (Yes, Master.) So, whatever you lack, just buy. (OK, Master. Thank You, Master.)
Alright then. Do you have some extra radiators in case the central heating is not warm enough? Then you can have one next to you. (Yes, Master.) The central heating is good, but sometimes if it’s too far or maybe it’s not warm enough, then you can have one extra. A small one. (Yes, Master.) The one that heats with oil, but you don’t see the oil, it’s always inside. It’s a radiator, it’s heated by oil but it’s never wasted, the oil. (Right. Yes. Yes, Master.) And it’s automatic – when it’s too hot then it will turn off by itself for a while and then turn back on again. So, it’s convenient, and it’s quite economical, I think. Better than many other devices. (Yes, Master.) I’m glad you’re also still alive and continue working for the world. That’s all we live for now. (Yes, Master.)
