“Ask a monk” (4 min video)
Ter Kadamba Das presents his “Ask a monk” new video channel, website and project.
Ter Kadamba Das: Some of you have asked about the questions I received. Here are a few of the more entertaining ones (paraphrasing of cause):
Atheist: When will I die?
Monk: Any moment now, because whenever an old person looks back on his life, he always thinks it went by in a moment, so regardless of how long it will be, compared to eternity, it will still only be a moment. Therefore you should enquire about your real identity now, instead of wasting time with external things.
Teenage boy with flashy sunglasses: Will I ever find love again?
Monk: You are made of love, that is what you are, so you don’t need to find it, it is already there. The reason you are not in touch with it, is because you are focusing on these external things you see around you. When we focus your energy on making other people happy, then love will naturally flow through us uninterrupted. But if you are thinking of beautiful girls, then that is not love but lust. The two are not the same, and they are mutually exclusive.
Well dressed elderly man: What can you tell me about the stock-market?
I can tell you that whether you win or lose has nothing to do with how happy you will be. You have rich people who are happy and rich people who are miserable. You also have poor people who are happy and poor people who are miserable. These things are not related.
Well dressed elderly man: What a sophisticated answer.
Elderly lady: What do you ask a monk?
Monk: Okay, I guess that is also a question… You can ask him anything. Like what is the meaning of life? You see, many people think the meaning of life is something beyond our reach, but it is actually very simple. If we stop being selfish and devote our life to God, then our lives are meaningful. Now, devoting our lives to God means devoting our lives to Gods creation, because that is how He manifests, so basically just make sure that everything you do, you do for the benefit of others. Then you will be happy for the rest of your life, and it is completely free of charge.
Man: What is the northern most town in the world?
Monk: Since our perception of this world is illusory, the question is equivalent to asking how many drops of water there are in a mirage. Since it doesn’t really exist, the question is superfluous. If something should be said to exist, then it must be eternal. Consciousness is eternal, not these temporary forms of matter we see around us, so we should focus our attention on that. (He then told me about “Longyearbyen”, which is a town on the island of Svalbart north of Norway. He happened to live there).
Woman: Who will win the world cup in football?
Monk: Nobody. Those who are engaged in the world cup are chasing after a temporary result. Everybody knows it will be taken away from them again, so in the end they will all lose. Monks only work for spiritual results because spiritual results are eternal. Anything material is temporary and therefore not worth the effort.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Xjnl3b