(Master, if that trip that You prepared, this retreat, is so splendid, we can help, like You told us today or yesterday – we help some states of the United States. Just sit down together for three days. Well, what do You think if we prepare again another retreat in another place of the world that needs more Light, that needs more help, and God’s help? Could be the refugees that You think, so many of them… You can prepare a retreat in some place near them, and all of us run over there and sit down together and make retreat again.) That’s very kind of you. (It could be that the solution comes from us.) Very kind of you. (No, no, not kind of me. All of us think the same.) Yeah, fine.
You know what? The refugees in Hong Kong are the most desperate, but I don’t know how to get places in Hong Kong for all of you. […] Alright, if you wish, I will consider that and let you know in advance. Alright. You want three days or four days or seven days? (Seven days.) How many seven days? Raise your hands. Oh, really? Don’t be polite. If you can. I have to know what you want. Just don’t raise your hand because the neighbor raises their hand, because the friends of the friends of the friends of the neighbor’s friends raise their hands. So how many? Half? OK. Down. How many for three or four days? Raise your hands. Alright, you are the minimum. (The minority.) The minority. Alright. I will consider it, OK? Because I don’t know what’s in the future.
How far apart from today? You want another retreat, how far [away]? In summer? (Summer.) Summer, right? (May.) May, is that right? May, everybody OK? Raise your hands. No, nobody OK? How many people like to have a retreat as soon as summer, raise hands? I don’t know where it is yet. (Let's do summer.) Summer, yeah? OK, fine. What is that? One at a time. Stop. You, the pink. What did you say? (In June.) June? (Yes.) Why is that? (School holidays.) Ah, school holidays. (Yes.) OK, then June. How about June. How many people can go in June? (Yes.) OK, alright, fine. What is better, May or June? (June.) Really? (End of May.) (June.) End of May? What kind of June, what time, what date? End of June? (Yes.)
Somebody said end of May? Somebody say end of June? (July, more holidays.) July? OK, let’s vote. End of May, raise your hands. OK. End of June, raise your hands. OK. End of July? End of August? End of the year? Alright. So end of June has the most people, but other people, can you make it? (Yes.) No? (We have to…) What is that? (Yes.) Pray to God? (Yes.) Why? You don’t have holidays at the end of June? (No. We need that God gives us money to stay together. And did You know, Master, we can do in a country that is not very expensive.) Oh yeah, Hong Kong is expensive, right? OK, so we go to the Philippines and bake ourselves. Ah, God. You see? Problem. (Yes.) Yeah, yeah, yeah. (Master, if…) You are too many, otherwise I would give you, each one, one ticket.
(Master, I know that Costa Rica is not so near Philippines and Japan, but it’s cheap.) Now we come to the core of the problem. Costa Rica is beautiful, sure. We have the Center there fully paid. It’s all beautiful and just mountains and streams, and mountains upon mountains. And around there are not many houses, only one or two. And mountains, alongside… And you can see the whole capital of Costa Rica from our mountaintop. It’s very beautiful. (And Master, another thing…) But it’s not near Hong Kong; it’s not your purpose.
(But we have to [pray] to God. We have the retreat here because it’s cheaper. We need…) I know. Yeah, I know. If in Costa Rica, then many American people can go. If in Costa Rica – but maybe, if in Costa Rica – how many people can afford to go in June? Afford to go, not too many. Oh yeah, some. Good? Costa Rica good? You talk? Give her [the] microphone. (Excuse me, Master, and no visa problem for Chinese people. For Taiwanese [Formosan].) Yes, they have problems anywhere. But what can I do? (No, no problem.) Not in Costa Rica? (No.) Oh, in Costa Rica, Chinese have no problem.
(Dear Master, I can tell You many Mexicans cannot stay in this retreat because they think the next retreat is in Costa Rica and… How do you say to save your money?) Mexico. (They can save the money and go to Costa Rica for next time.) You mean the Mexicans? (Yes.) OK, OK, yes. Don’t worry, I have not decided yet. So please, please. (And then he said that it’s not only Mexicans, it's also Colombians and Brazil and Chile.) Near there, Latin America, South America. And Panama and all that.
(And that our Center has all the water all ready for next one.) Yes, I know, I know. I’ve built 40 toilets. I know. You don’t have to report to me. It’s all me: I did it, I built it, I paid for it. If I don’t know, who knows? Reporting to me. Because last time we had a retreat and we didn’t have enough water and toilets and bathrooms, so after that I ordered to build about 40 toilets and bathrooms. And many more convenient things in Costa Rica. And we never used it since. We only lend it to other groups to use it, free of charge. Even we cook (vegan) meals for them, all free of charge. Most groups don’t have that much money. So we never used our Center after all the toilets have been built. Forty toilets, I think, very big. (And showers.) And showers. Big. American toilets. Not squat-like in Miaoli.
And now the water system is OK, but tell them to put some kind of disinfectant because there’s a kind of bacteria in the water there. You get in touch with the Minister [of Health] or something like that and ask them what to do. Or you buy them yourselves, alright? (Use ozone.) Huh? (Use ozone.) Ozone? (Ozone treatment.) Oh, yeah. OK. So did you do anything about it? Give the ozone treatment to the water? (No, we didn’t.) Better do. But that’s fine. That would be enough. One thousand, enough? No, not enough? The meditation center there can hold about 400 people only. But we don’t mind because the weather there is fine. It’s only raining every day, nothing else.
But it’s really beautiful there. Oh, when I saw that for the first time I had to buy it immediately. We paid right away. How much money, I forgot. How much money? How much did I pay for the Center? How much? Any of you know? (I don’t know, Master.) Tong, do you remember how much? How much money have we given to Costa Rica? The Center. Twelve million (NTD) or what? It’s a lot of money, but I forgot. (Tong told me that was about, say, $60,000.) Nah. (In the beginning.) US$600,000. (In the beginning.) You’re joking. In the capital of the city, six kilometers from the capital, $60,000 for 12 acres, you must be joking. It’s no gift. Costa Rica, cost-a-bomb. I remember… (Many millions? Many millions, I think.) Huh? (Some millions, around 20 million of colones.) So how much is that in US dollar? Something, must be $600,000 or... (Six hundred, sixty, I say sixty, not 600. $60,000.) No, it’s not a gift, $60,000 for 12 acres in San Jose, Costa Rica. You don’t dream. Nothing even near.
I forget between maybe $400,000 or $600,000 (US dollars). It cannot be less, maybe $600,000. But it was a long time ago. Now, maybe it’s four times more, because it’s next to the highway, the one and only highway in Costa Rica. But it’s not noisy, it’s not polluted, because all around are mountains. It’s very nice, from our Center, we can see all the mountains, like waves. You can see the whole San Jose, I mean the capital of Costa Rica. It’s only about 10 kilometers, six miles from the Center. So you can see the whole thing, but it’s quiet. You see the city. You’re very near the city, but you’re isolated. Only mountains, it’s very beautiful, really very beautiful. I’m also tempted. Yes, yes. I like it there. It’s really good – you meditate there, it’s very calm. It’s very good for a meditation place, I don’t know why.
(Besides, everything is local there.) Everything’s grown now. We planted a lot of trees while I was there. I told the disciples, mostly Taiwanese (Formosan), they went there. I imported labor, disciple labor from Taiwan (Formosa), and they planted trees all over because there was only grass, and then we planted trees to make it nicer. So, you know I did something. I don’t always sleep and do nothing. Besides paying money, I planted trees as well. So this is a very, very beautiful place. No need, no need for that, no need for that. I just love doing that, because it beautifies the world. Maybe we go to Costa Rica, maybe. I’ll consider it, alright? (Yes.)
How many prefer Costa Rica? How many prefer Hong Kong? Now, Costa Rica, raise your hands. OK, good. Hong Kong, raise your hands. Whoa, it’s similar. So. Philippines. (Nobody wants.) Philippines, nobody wants. OK. Philippines is not very comfortable, not really. I’m afraid for you, maybe it’s too hot and the hotel is not that nice. How about Bangkok? (Yes.) Thailand. (Yes.) We have a big place in Thailand. (Thailand, Chiang Mai.) Not Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai – tourists, mountains. A long way from Bangkok. You have to take another flight. It’s too long, it’s too long, makes trouble. Chiang Mai, we have land too, but I didn’t go there. So, Bangkok for sure we have already. It’s small, but we can rent another place. How about Bangkok? How many? If, if, and this is only if. I just want to know what you want, then I can… So I think… OK, thank you. So most favor Bangkok… Oh no, I mean Hong Kong or Costa Rica, right? Is it OK with all of you? (Yes.) Easy visa. (Yes.) For Americans, don’t need visa for two weeks, right? (Yes.) Good. Oh, no. No need for two months, yeah, two months. OK. Let me see. Alright? (Yes.) Thank you.
So, I let you go now. Otherwise, you might miss your plane, and you have to take care of your luggage and all that. Make sure you don’t forget. (Master?) Yeah. (In Costa Rica, the food in Costa Rica is cheaper, it is cheaper.) Cheaper in Costa Rica? Cheaper of what? Flight? (No. The flight is less.) Flight is cheaper? (Yes.) It depends from where? From Taiwan (Formosa), Hong Kong, no. (Now, no visa is required for Taiwanese [Formosan] passport in Costa Rica.) No need of visa for Taiwanese (Formosa) in Costa Rica? (Yes, visa-free.) Really? (Yes, for half a year.) Half a year? It required visa before. Why is it not required now? Amazing! Congrats. Now Taiwanese (Formosan) can go to Costa Rican visa-free and stay for half a year. Amazing.
Photo Caption: Search to Walk The Ancient Road That Leads to True Home!
