1
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I'm going to visit a monastery in the tradition of Ajahn Chah for a week, end of day.

2
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What would be a suitable gift?

3
00:00:17,112 --> 00:00:19,175
Well, that is a suitable gift.

4
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You're visiting the monastery.

5
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Is it a suitable gift?

6
00:00:25,743 --> 00:00:26,904
It's a horrible answer, isn't it?

7
00:00:28,526 --> 00:00:30,308
Well, nice that you want to give a gift.

8
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It's always nice.

9
00:00:33,242 --> 00:00:34,263
It's a very good tradition.

10
00:00:34,985 --> 00:00:36,547
You go to visit someone to bring them a gift.

11
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The problem is that, you know, I don't know.

12
00:00:49,446 --> 00:00:52,971
I have problems with gifts because it's just more stuff.

13
00:00:56,579 --> 00:00:58,261
That's why I like the wish list idea.

14
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I put up a wish list of things that I need.

15
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The problem is I haven't updated it because I don't really need anything these days.

16
00:01:04,948 --> 00:01:08,833
And when I do, there's someone there to help me out with it.

17
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It's much more local and immediate.

18
00:01:11,335 --> 00:01:17,122
But maybe in Canada we'll start it up again and it's easy to forget.

19
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But if the monastery that you're visiting had a wish list, right, things that they need on a regular basis, then you could go to the wish list and

20
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and find out what they need.

21
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That's the most rewarding on both sides.

22
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Like light bulbs are always useful, especially here where they burn out in every thunderstorm.

23
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So people always give lights.

24
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They used to give candles in the old days, but now they give lights, light bulbs.

25
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Of course, then you have to know what kind of lights they're using.

26
00:01:54,460 --> 00:02:01,167
And there's something symbolic there as well about giving the light of wisdom, giving light that allows them to see.

27
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Razors are always good because it's sharp like the mind of wisdom.

28
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Very symbolic gift.

29
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Also because monks need razors.

30
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Honey.

31
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I know Ajahn Chah coffee.

32
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They drink a lot of coffee.

33
00:02:21,609 --> 00:02:22,510
No, I shouldn't say that.

34
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You have to find out what they need.

35
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That's why wish lists are the best.

36
00:02:28,461 --> 00:02:29,722
But it's just as a gift, right?

37
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Just as a token.

38
00:02:32,826 --> 00:02:37,731
Medicines, like a first aid kit.

39
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First aid kits are good.

40
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Medicines.

41
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But honey, because they can keep it for seven days.

42
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It's always like honey.

43
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Food.

44
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If you're going as a layperson, you can bring food of the sort that you can keep and give to the monks every day.

45
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So you could bring food that you could keep in your room and every morning go and give some to the monks.

46
00:03:13,491 --> 00:03:27,310
I mean, just some dry food or I don't know, like, I know in one monastery, Tanisaro Piku's monastery in Sacramento, no, in San Diego,

47
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And they had fish oil.

48
00:03:31,527 --> 00:03:36,513
So I guess every day the monks eat fish oil, these little fish oil capsules.

49
00:03:36,533 --> 00:03:43,161
So that would be something, if you brought some fish oil and gave a capsule to the monks every day.

50
00:03:44,303 --> 00:03:47,607
There's lots of interesting things you can think of.

51
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Robes, if you can find monks' robes.

52
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I guess that's not so easy.

53
00:03:56,618 --> 00:03:59,001
And it's definitely not easy nowadays.

54
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yeah honey is nice honey is a good idea and medicines yeah