The third question:

Question 3

IF, FOR BUT ONE MINUTE, I COULD BE BEHIND YOUR EYES DURING MORNING LECTURE! WHAT DO WE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

You all look to me like Buddhas pretending not to be Buddhas, except for a few; except for the few who don't know that they are Buddhas, so they are pretending to be Buddhas.

You will be surprised if you look from my eyes. Two types of people are here: the first type, the majority, who are pretending not to be Buddhas, and the minority who are pretending to be Buddhas. And both are wrong! -- because you are all Buddhas. Whether you pretend this way or that, it makes no difference. Both attitudes are out of ignorance.

A disciple came to a Zen Master and said, "Now I have realized! Now I know I am a Buddha!"

The Master was very angry and said, "Get out of here!"

The disciple had come with great hopes that the Master would reward, recognize. And the Master was very angry. He had been angry before, but never so much. And the disciple said, "What is the matter? Why are you getting so angry? I was thinking you would be happy because you were always telling us, 'You are Buddhas, you are Buddhas! Right now you can become Buddhas!' And now, when I have become, I say to you I have become a Buddha!"

And the Master took his staff and he said, "I will beat you! I will beat the Buddha out of you! You get out of here! First throw this Buddha away!" -- because to think you are not a Buddha is wrong; so is it when you start thinking you are a Buddha!

You are a Buddha, so there is no need to think that you are a Buddha. The very thinking shows that you have again missed. When one understands, one simply relaxes and becomes ordinary. Then there is no point in talking about Buddhas.

You ask me, "IF, FOR BUT ONE MINUTE, I COULD BE BEHIND YOUR EYES DURING MORNING LECTURE! WHAT DO WE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?"

You simply look great! -- playing a thousand and one games, hiding, covering yourselves, and all in vain, because whatsoever you do is not going to help. You ARE Buddhas. You remain Buddhas.