- Let's start with an easy one.
- Okay. What did the Buddhist monk say to the man at the hot dog stand? Okay. "Make me one with everything." - Yeah.
- Alright, well. Some topics are hard to approach. Either the subjects are inaccessible, or people are uncomfortable discussing them. So we found those subjects in person, rented a space in Los Angeles and invited our audience and strangers to come in and ask them anything. My name is Gyokei. I'm a Buddhist priest. I'm here to answer some questions. - Hi.
- How are you? - Good, how are you?
- Good. - Gyokei. Nice to meet you.
- You too. Is there any life form that you would like to reincarnate into? When i was younger, I used to joking with that. I want to be dolphin and I don't know why. Regarding rebirth and like reincarnation. What are your beliefs on that? We say maybe the person that you're not getting along would- could have been your mother in- in a previous life. That's one example of expressions, but that's also an important way for us to look at other beings. Yeah. Those were really good answers. So it's more of a way of living. Like if you look at reincarnation being a possibility, it kind of inspires compassion, correct? - Yeah.
- Okay. I've read that Buddhists believe that suffering is necessary for life. What is an instance in your life that you've suffered from that you had to learn about? Hmm. Thank you, good question. Yeah. Yes, we say suffering is essential. I mean, even without going to sort of make it sound like Buddhist teaching. I mean those who have gone experienced the pains, difficulties, and understand from their own experience the pains and sufferings of others, too. I lost my mother when I was 12 from a stomach cancer. So, I kind of had, actually to be honest, sort of grudge to my own tradition. Like why? Isn't Buddhism supposed to liberate us from this pains and suffering? And why is it causing so much pains and suffering to my family? We compared it to the mud in a lotus pods. So I am going to talk to the Buddha's teaching. So the beautiful lotus flower is often symbolized. We say it is a symbol of Buddhist teachings, the Buddhist wisdom. And lotus flower, beautiful lotus flower only comes out of this muddy water, and if not muddy this wisdom would not (- Yeah.) manifest. What are your thoughts on forgiveness? I myself, right, was married and I went through divorce. I always felt like what I value, the treasure were somehow, taken away. And being a Buddhist, being exposed to Buddhist teaching, I fully, fully understood it was because of my attachment, because of my delusions. Because of whatever it was that I was supposed to this- supposed to be entitled to. And that was fully fully showed me, but nonetheless I had a hard time achieving that sort of forgiveness. You expect life to turn out one way, and you make an idea. You see your friends with their, you know, their parents, their cousins and aren't families (- Yeah.) and friends- and when your life, it's a little different than that. It- In your young it's kind of hard to process. So that was a perfect answer. - Thank you.
- Yeah, thank you. Do you believe there are truly evil people out there in the world? And do you think they can ever redeem themselves? The evil is, a war I guess we contemplate quite often. There are so much more that I am failing to see and there's recognition that how did that form of struggle, suffering came to take form, shape. I have a son with Down syndrome. So, there was one crime in Japan where one person came and stabbed a bunch of people who are in the facility. This person who stabbed the people with disability think he was convinced that people with disability should not exist in this world. If it was my own son, and it has happened, I- Just forget about the Buddhist part. As a parent, as a father, I- I think it will be very difficult. Yeah. But still, I can't define the person. After all what do I know about him? So that's the best, I guess, I can- I can do. Thank you. Do you have anything to say to someone who's struggling with finding peace in this world? People used to tell me that when you're in a dark tunnel, there's always the end of the dark tunnel. But then, I think I'll kind of help me was, I was sort of deceiving myself with this clear image of this bright light coming at the end of the tunnel, but it was more like finding the light. However small, whether it's a candle-light-small or something small in this darkness. It's duality. We're in misfortune and there's something else waiting for us. It would be nice to just know more from you and like listen to more of what what you have to say. I just want to say, thank you. I feel like very calmed. - Can I give you a handshake?
- Of course. Okay. It's nice meet- (-Oh, can I?) oh, I don't know if I can go around. (-Oh, Okay.) Handshake, yup. Okay. Yup, nice meeting you. Thank you, same to you. Nice to meet you. Nice meeting you. Hey guys, thank you for watching the video. I hope you got a lot out of it. Please comment below your thought and if there's any other episodes you'd like to see. And we hope to catch you next time.
