And dogs, they have intelligence like children. You heard about that, and they also behave like your children. Always loving, always welcoming, always waiting for you, always loyal to you and needing you. So, you have to treat them like children.
So I’ll tell you about my dog. He had never been in a house. The last dog. The last dog that we rescued. He had never been in the house, and he never knew what comfort is. So, you would think he is used to a hard life, he would like to stay on the cement floor outside instead. No! He loves my house, and he loves the sofa. He was sick. Because we were still nursing him - some problems coming and going. And then sometimes we have to separate him. Because of many dogs, so we have to keep separating them to see which one is compatible with what (dog), so everybody is peaceful and sleeps and nice. Normally the first, when they first came, they gave (him a bed) before he met me. Because he was sick, so I didn’t let him, come to me immediately. I intended to rescue him, and give him to someone. But later I didn’t have the heart, so I kept him. So originally, they gave him a big bed, so he liked that bed, it’s fine. But when he came to me, I said, “You can sleep on the sofa, if you want.” Because he looked at the other dogs, they were all on the sofa. I said, “You also can.” So, he jumped right away and stayed there. He also loves his bed, but the sofa is better. It’s higher. You don’t have to lie down, you just jump on it and it’s perfect. So I buy sofas now, just for my dogs’ comfort. Sometimes, I can sit on a corner at night, just to sing them to sleep. Pet-pet, night-night, sing-sing, and then I go. But they’re very polite. If they see me sit, they try to stretch in the other direction so I have more room. They know it!
So coming back to the separation: sometimes he’s sick, or sometimes the dogs, they go out and have problems, so we separate them. And then one day, we bring him back from the other room into the room that he likes. You know, my dining room. And normally, the other rooms all have sofas already. The dining room, because nobody was there at that time, so we moved the sofa outside, so that we had more room for all the dogs. And so, I just put a smaller sofa which I normally used before, before the dogs. It’s small like this, and it’s bamboo. Those delicate stuff that I used to have before? Small and about this long, and bamboo. Those oriental types. Because my dining room is very small, so I buy those small chairs.
And in the night we bring him back, because he is already good, we don’t need to watch him, he has just some scratches, some wounds, and needs to be... We don’t want him to be with other dogs. He might jump and then hurt himself again, sometimes, so we separate him. And then now we bring him back into the dining room, forgot to bring the sofa. So when I’ve finished my work upstairs, I come down to sing them the song before they sleep. Sometimes I come earlier before they sleep, sometimes I come a little later to see if they’re already asleep, and I still sing songs. You know what happened? That big guy, he’s like a small horse - he’s stretched on top of that small sofa like this. His nose is outside of the sofa, his tail is hanging down on the other side of the sofa. And he’s so big, all his legs are coming out in the air! And his bed is over there, he doesn’t sleep on it. And I have only one arm and a half, I couldn’t move the sofa right away. Normally, I would. So, I said to him, “OK, I’ll move it tomorrow. Just bear it, or go to sleep on your bed. Because it’s already midnight, I don’t want to bother the assistant to come up to move your sofa, OK?” I said, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow, I forgot. I came down again, again, he was hanging all over. All the legs were in the air, only the stomach was on the sofa, and the tail was hanging down there, the nose was outside (of the sofa). So used to the sofa!
And then I had to leave. I have to leave at midnight sometimes. So I had to call back: “Please, I know it’s late, but please bring the sofa in. Change it, change the sofa quickly now. Because I promised him, and I forgot.” The bigger sofa, it’s more comfortable, longer for his size. Before, he slept on the other sofa. But now the other guy occupies that sofa, so he just goes on the smaller sofa. He doesn’t fight. He’s a good boy. I feel it’s so funny! The big guy sleeps on such a narrow sofa with all his legs hanging in the air like that!
So, they do know the difference. If you give them the choice, they know it. So even pigs, if you give them new straw, they will go and lie on it. So, don’t think pigs are dirty. Because you give them a dirty situation, they have to live in it. It doesn’t mean they like it! So, because they have to be in the cold, of course, they’ve developed their resistance, or maybe they have to bear it and then slowly they get used to it, maybe. But they know the difference between warm and cold, and they would prefer the comfort, just like us.
And dogs, they have intelligence like children. You heard about that, and they also behave like your children. Always loving, always welcoming, always waiting for you, always loyal to you and needing you. So, you have to treat them like children. When they come in from the outside, you clean them with a wet towel or vinegar solution. I told you already: 50% water, 50% vinegar, clean them. Clean them and let them in. It takes seconds. In the beginning we used kitchen towels, but now we have so many, so I developed a different system. We buy small, small towels, and dip them in water solution, just enough, damp enough, and then take one after another, clean quickly each one, and then go in.
In the beginning, I thought dogs love freedom, so I let all the doors open even though we clean them afterwards, after they go out. Clean them, just to make sure they’re clean and they’re disinfected. And then they are free to go out also, they don’t go out - they just hang around my legs, all over my feet. So I thought they don’t have enough exercise, but they do. Even if I let them be free, they still go out for a walk, every time half an hour. And also, when they hear something, they jump out, and run, run, run and bark, so that’s their exercise. So actually, they have enough exercise. They look all lean to me. Lean and mean! But they are not mean. Even if a stranger comes in, I just train them. Give them some of their favorite food for a few times, pet, pet, “good boy,” and then, “that’s it, you’re a family member.” So, they won’t bite you. No problem. They’re very, very, very quick learners. Oh, why do we talk about dogs now? My God! Of dogs and humans!
You want to ask anything? I mean, that is, before you die. If you know you’re dying soon, then please ask quick. You shouldn’t have any more problems, I trust, but if you do, please ask. You guys were lost or something? Yeah, you two, three. Because you came late, so were you lost, like me? Very difficult to find this place, huh? But they were very organized in just a short time. Everybody knows the phone numbers, and they dispatched somebody outside to greet us. Could you wait a little bit, sister?
I just want to say by the way, while we’re talking about the center, I want to thank you, the Spanish brotherhood. Brotherhood and sisterhood, I forgot. They’re not too many, but they... I mean, you don’t see it, but they must have been working very hard. Now, because it’s all ready, so you don’t see the work. They built houses, even the wood house, but it took a long time. And water system and electrical system everywhere, my God! You made magic. That’s what I call magic. Because, just the land has nothing.
Who is the group that worked for this center, that made this center possible? Stand up. Now. Yeah, yeah. Come over here. Come over here. I want to give you some (vegan) candies. Thank you. Thank you. Come here. Only the Spanish who worked here. Here! From all of us to you. “From us to you. Only for you.” Say, “From all of us to them.” The shirt, the shirt. The T-shirt. There you go! So you don’t lose any. Where are they? Come here. Come, here, here. Bring them here. Oh, kitchen. OK, you go bring. You give them. One, two, two brothers in the kitchen. And tell them to see me later. Your shirt, your shirt. Otherwise, you’ll lose it. There you are. (Thank You, Master.) You’re welcome. Thank you, all of you! (Thank You.) Sit here, so everybody sees you. Sit here. Come here. Never mind, come here. Sit here. Come. Some sit here, some sit there, so everybody can see you. See the heroes. Thank you for that. That’s why I came immediately. You see, when the disciple is ready, the Master appears. Thank you to you.
Wow, it’s a long 36 hours, wow! I must be crazy to do it. I can’t even go by plane, I can’t even go by train. I have to go by car, with my excellent driver, you know. Anyway, even though I suffer many times, but every time I’m kind of happy in my heart, so that I understand you more. Like yesterday, meanwhile, while I walked out of the car, I met the German group, a group of Germans, German and Aulacese (Vietnamese), the whole family, and they drove even farther than me, from Germany. And while he drove, he said, “We can’t afford a bigger van, so we squeeze seven people in seven seats, with luggage and everything.” At least, I have a more comfortable seat.
That’s the privilege of being a Master: I have the whole backseat for myself. Hurry up, be a Master, you can have the whole backseat. Then you don’t have to travel with seven people in a seven-seat car. He even wanted to bring his dog! So that’s eight! So when I talked to them like that, I felt very touched in my heart, because some of them are still students, they don’t have that much money, and the parents just earn an honest and modest way of living, and they rented a car and drove all the way here, just to see me. Could hardly even afford it, because they still study, and all that stuff, and having a baby coming. But the mother is very happy, because she cannot go to Thailand. At that time, she’ll be probably having a baby. So, she can see me now. So, not complain about the long, long distance, but happy.
Why? Why? Too much water......inside.
