Master Lian Xiang Discussing The Year Of The Golden Pig February 17th, 2007

Celebrate the Year of the Golden Pig to be enriched like a pig with good health, blessings, and happiness.

Grand Master Lu (Shi Zun), masters, senior reverends, reverends, dharma assistants, and all participants, Happy New Year! 

It has been a long time since we have celebrated the New Year together.  Is this correct? (the audience responded, Correct!)  Let me ask everyone, what is todays month and date? Some people say it is February 18th, while others say it is February 17th, and yet, according to the lunar calendar, it is the 30th.  So which year, month, and date is it? (as audience laughs)  This evening is considered Chinese Lunar New Years Eve since there are still forty minutes remaining of the old year.  If you are born within the next forty minutes, you will be born in the year of the dog.  After these forty minutes it will be January 1st according to the lunar calendar and babies that are born then will be born in the year of the pig.  So let us celebrate the golden pig as a New Year begins.

Let me ask all of you, do you like pigs?  Some of you are laughing, and yet none of you are responding.  The audience responds we like!  It is you who say you like pigs, so I wish all of you to be as fortunate as pigs filled with good luck. (as audience laughs)

Recently, there was some talk about a conversation with my two friends.  Following the conversation, someone mentioned that one of the individuals looked like... that!  Immediately following this comment, my friends face turned red as if involved with a lawsuit.  They had not realized that this simple phrase could create such an effect.  It is important to be aware of what one is saying when making a wish about someone. (audience laughs). 

Actually, I would be very happy if students also wished me to be like a pig! (audience laughs).  Why is that I would be very happy to hear this wish?  The reason is that for so many years I have been so busy with the schools administration that I did not have a lot of time to sleep or rest.  So, your wish for me to be like a pig implies that I will be able to eat and sleep a little more.  Isnt that correct?  There are also others who are wishing Master Lian Xiang (Shi Mu) to be happy and have good health just like a pig!  In this way one can be very happy because every day one can eat and sleep a lot.  In that case, you would be a very fortunate pig, and a happy one.

Through scientific research on animals, we have found that pigs are actually very intelligent animals, even without anyone needing to teach them.  While I was in San Diego, I went to see a pig performance in which a pig played both the rhythm and melody following the trainers direction.  The pig could even nod when responding to the trainers directions.  Following the trainers direction that the show was over, the pig would exit.  Shortly thereafter, the trainer used the microphone to ask the pig to re-enter, the pig entered to pay its final bow. Pigs do understand human talk.  It is just that people think pigs are stupid because they only eat and sleep (actually this is not the case).  Animal scientists say pigs are intelligent.  After this discussion, I would like to say that pigs are so fortunate and they are not stupid.  In the future, when people say you resemble an animal look-alike, you do not need to turn so red in your face.  Focus on the positive aspects and you will become happier and be fortunate just like a pig, okay? (audience applauds)

Okay, for this Year of the Golden Pig, I wish everyone a good blessing in everything you do, good health, continual improvement in your cultivation practice, and auspiciousness for your family (audiences applauds). Om mani padme hum.  Now it is time for this pig to rest (audience laughs and applauds).

Source:  WTBN