Master was concerned that, every Sunday, when initiates from all over Taiwan (Formosa) gather in Miaoli for group meditation, the kitchen team works too hard to feed thousands of people. So, Master instructed we split into groups to grill sweetcorn, sweet potatoes, taro, vegan meatballs, dried tofu, vegan ham, vegan pizza, and even cook vegan hot pots, etc. Everyone is grilling vegan ham, vegan strips, and vegan meatballs, etc. Not only does the food taste delicious, but it is also free from any killing atmosphere, so everyone can eat with peace of mind and enjoy a carefree picnic.
This Sunday’s recipe is “Baked vegan pizza.” Here’s how to make it:
1. Slice the vegan ham and grill it until it’s cooked.
2. Take some toast or French, baguette, slice them diagonally and spread some tomato sauce on top. (Mix in some cilantro and mixed herbs.) Top it with the grilled vegan ham slices, some mushroom slices, and sprinkle shredded vegan cheese (especially for pizza).
3. Place it in the oven or on the stovetop, and bake it until the vegan cheese shreds are completely melted. Once the aroma fills the air, it’s ready to serve.
Didn’t you eat enough last week? (Yes.) (Very full. Very full.) Are you full this week? (Very full.) Then, what about next week? Wow! You’ll have to crawl back. (Thank You, Master.) Let you… eat until you bow down. (Has Master eaten the vegan pizza?) (Has Master eaten that?) Oh! Watch out. Don’t come near my car. It doesn’t have feelings. My car is heartless. Don’t get too close or anything. And my driving skill is not good. I don’t have a license. No license. Even the button wasn’t done properly. Be more serious. We have so much of this and that, reserved for whom? Have you really eaten? (Yes.) Eat one by one, like that. This is called the speed of a turtle(-person).
(Hallo, Master.) Have you all seen me? (Yes.) (Here comes Master.) You saw my car, right? (Yes.) How come nobody said I look very pretty in my outfit? (We did.) (Very beautiful.) (Master is beautiful.) Ah, that’s right. (The outfit is beautiful, too.) The person is not beautiful. We stay quiet about that, but we can praise the clothes, right? Watch out for the kids. You guards, don’t be so fierce. Be careful when walking. You kids, have got to protect yourselves. (Hallo, Master.) Hallo. Actually, you don’t have to use any force. This is for the elderly who have difficulty moving around. Did you know that? This turtle(-person)… Not here. Be quiet.
How many kilos do you weigh now? (One is 30, and the other 28.) Wow! Almost like me. How old are you? Only eight years old? (First grade already.) What is first grade? (Eight years old, grade one student.) Yeah. I was correct. I was correct. (The same.) (He is vegan.) Vegan? (Yes.) (He has been a vegan since in the womb.) What are you doing? Oh! Be careful. I dare not let you come to see me in future. (Hallo, Master.) Oh, so many people. I can never finish looking.
Alright. Is it fun, everyone? (It’s fun.) This is good enough. Why bother to listen to someone’s lecture? It’s nice as long as you have food to roast. (Your lecture is spiritual food.) I said that today you can barbecue till one o’clock. How come no one is roasting? (There is.) You’ve roasted… (We’re very full.) Really? (Yes. Really.) Do you really have enough food today? (Enough.) (We were full before the food was cooked.) (There’s too much.) (There are still leftovers.) You’re full and there’s nothing left? What did you say? (We were full before the food was even cooked.) Before… (No. No. No.) Great supernatural power. That only happens in our Center. You’re already full before the food is roasted.
Are you all full? (We’re all full.) Really? (Really.) Nothing… Really? Is there anyone who’s not full? I’ll tell them to cook some noodles for you. (No. No.) (We can’t finish eating it.) (There’s leftovers, there’s leftovers.) (Still a lot of leftovers.) (Can’t finish the food and we even have to pack some home.) Really? (There are sixteen slices of toast.) Sixteen slices. Seven or eight slices. (Five, six, seven, and eight slices.) Kids, how much have you eaten? Did you eat… (He still has a pack in his hand.) Is there enough food for you? (Enough.) Really? (Really.) Almost finished. And you still said it’s enough? Before, you still could play. (Hallo, Master.) Otherwise, I dare not come down. Why are you always so talkative? Just eat when you eat, walk when you walk. (Hallo, Master.) Has the bus gone back? (Hallo, Master.) Wow, why did you bring such a small kid? (To see Master.) (Hallo, Master.) So young and still here at the vegan barbeque, what can he roast? Just enjoy the fire.
Wow! There are people even here! (Yes, yes. It’s more convenient.) Why? (It’s like that. Because when an outside guest arrives, we know where he comes from and where to bring him to, which makes it easier to locate.) This way it’s more convenient. (Yes.) Are you going back today? (Yes.) (Bye-bye, Master.) Bye-bye. (Bye-bye.) (Bye-bye, Master.) I’m here, and you spoke facing that side. Hallo, everyone. (Goodbye, Master.) You’re going home today, aren’t you? (Hallo, Master.) (So cute. So cute.) (Very cute.) What a lovely child. Who says kids don’t know any better?
What happened? What about him? Wait a minute. (He’s wearing new clothes.) New clothes or a new bed? (New bed.) New clothes, huh? (New clothes.) New clothes. (New bed.) What? He seems to have new clothes or a new bed. I forgot. OK. He has new clothes, and he is wearing it, and feeling very conceited. He thought, “Such beautiful new clothes. If no one sees it, it’d be a waste, what a shame!” Then he called his… For example, two people get married, then they have a “father-in-law,” and what is the other one called? (Mother-in-law.) No. The two… (In-laws.) (One from the wife’s family, and one from the husband’s family.) One from the husband’s family, and one from the wife’s family. No. How do they call each other? (Parents-in-law.) The old man called his co-in-law to come. Is that right? (Yes. Relatives by marriage.) “Relatives” is the “relatives” of “relatives and friends.” (Yes.) He invited his elderly co-in-law to come over and have some tea.
He pretended to be sick, lying in bed. Otherwise, he had no reason to invite him to come, because he had just come and left. So, he lay in bed, pretending to be sick for the co-in-law to see. When he came, he took away the quilt, revealing his clothes… He pretended to pat the dust off, to show him. And then, the co-in-law also happened to be wearing new trousers. New trousers. He came and sat down immediately. He sat like this, like how I’m sitting today. Because I have new trousers. He sat like this and then, the other father-in-law was too busy patting off his own dust, to show off his clothes, that he didn’t notice his co-in-law’s new trousers. He then felt rather upset. He just kept patting his trousers out. “What’s wrong with you?” He patted like that. And then the other father-in-law saw it and smiled, saying, “I have the same illness like yours.” “Both of us are sick in the same way.”
Do you know this story? (Yes.) You know it? Then why are you laughing so hard? (Don’t know.) (I know.) You’re experienced. You are more supportive. (Yes.) You have a supportive spirit. Do you know that story or not? You know it? (Yes.) It’s a Chinese story. (I knew it as soon as You told it.) You knew it once I told it. You don’t know it if I don’t tell it… (I forgot.) I told it and then you remember. Strange. It’s not only a Chinese story. I think Âu Lạc (Vietnam) also has a similar story. Though it is not so detailed.
A man was wearing new clothes but no one looked at him. He lived alone, and he did not look so nice. He wanted to have people look at him, but he didn’t know where to go. There’s no one. In the rural area where he lived, there are not many people. So he gave it a thought, and went to the temple. At the temple, there were many people walking around. But people went there just to worship the Buddha. No one noticed him. He thought of many tricks. After a while, he just sat in front of the donation box. Everyone went there to make temple donations. He sat there, and still no one paid attention to him. Then he began to make noise. He asked, “You, have you seen the Buddha?” People replied, “The Buddha is right there.” He said, “Strange. Ever since I wear this new outfit till now, I haven’t seen Him.” He just purposely showed himself off. Same for me. Since I started wearing this outfit till now, I haven’t eaten anything yet. OK. I’ll let you have fun.
I’ll ask you frankly, and you have to tell me honestly. (OK.) Have you eaten to your fill? (Yes!) (We’re very full.) Really? (Really.) You’ll not go to the kitchen at three o’clock… (No.) …to find food? (We couldn’t finish eating the food.) Couldn’t finish the food? (Yes.) Is it true? (True.) Was it not tasty? (It’s delicious.) (Delicious.) (And fun.) (Very delicious.) Really? (Really.) (It’s delicious and fun.) Good food and good fun. (Good food and good fun.) Good food and good fun. OK. Great. I was thinking of coming down to barbecue with you. Eventually, I was busy putting on the new outfit. Can’t help it. Some other day. (OK.)
We can still have fun during the Chinese New Year. (OK!) We’ll play together during the Chinese New Year. (OK.) Let’s plan ahead what we’ll eat for Chinese New Year. It should suit everyone’s taste. What do you eat during the Chinese New Year? Vegan glutinous rice balls. Right? (Vegan dumplings.) Vegan dumplings. (We’ll eat whatever Master wishes.) What is it? (Vegan glutinous rice cake.) (Eat vegan hot pot and vegan dumplings.) Vegan hot pot? Yeah! Vegan hot pot is also fun. (Good. Vegan hot pot.) We can put a big pot on the stove, and place all the ingredients around it. (Yes.) And then everyone brings a steel cup. (Yes. OK.) And then… You don’t have to say that. Everyone knows it, no matter their age. (Eat it while it’s still hot.)
Photo Caption: “We Will Be Reborn Again in the Immense-Space of the Universe”
