News Magazine NO.38

Letters Between Master And Disciples

Rely On The Eternal Wisdom Within

By Fellow Initiate Ritzau in Germany
(Originally in German)

Dear venerable Master,

I am very grateful for the love that You have bestowed on me. I could feel this never-ending love developing continuously through my daily meditations. All along, I could also recognize this almighty power that is guiding me, as well as developing my wisdom everyday. I am so grateful to You for all of this.

I had so many questions at first after the initiation, but I found the answers by myself. I was not used to meditating attentively for a long time, only within these last two years. I started learning meditation with Reiki, a method of healing through spiritual power. In this course, people could through practice acquire seeing and hearing magical powers, and communicate with invisible beings in nature. We had to persist in meditation during this period.

In this course, we also learned a kind of fortune-telling with cards. I was fond of this kind of fortune-telling, because I could know more about different situations before I made decisions. However, I was told that I should not use fortune-telling. But am I wrong just to get some guidance with the help of the cards? Unfortunately, I didn't get any answer in my meditation. May I ask You to show me another feasible solution?

I love You, Master, and I pray that Your efforts for humankind will bear fruit!

Dear Fellow Initiate Ritzau:

I feel happy for you knowing that you have attained a lot after initiation. Keep on practicing diligently, you will experience more incredible benefits and results in your practice. On the path of spiritual practice, in whichever method, you will always have some experiences if you practice seriously. However, do not be attached to these trivial experiences, otherwise they tend to obstruct our spiritual level from getting higher, and hinder us from attaining the ultimate achievement. No matter what you see, keep on meditating. Our level of practice will naturally get higher.

Fortune telling is just a little technique. We must not rely on these ephemeral techniques to make our decisions in this material world. God's power is within us. Pray inwardly, rely on your inner eternal wisdom. Simply follow Master's instructions entirely, meditate sincerely each day, purify your actions, speech and thoughts. Our true self within will guide us in handling each matter naturally. The results will also be naturally perfect.

Whenever possible, spend more time reading Master's books and listening to Her tapes, discover Her teachings, and attend the group meditation frequently. This is very helpful to your practice.

Wishing you progress in your spiritual practice, and an abundance of bliss from God.

You Have Stirred
My Longing Heart To Excel

By A Fellow Initiate in Beijing, Mainland China

My most respected and beloved Master,

After receiving Your reply, I was so moved that tears fell like an overflowing spring. Reading Your letter over and over again, I could feel Your compassionate love was full of boundless power.

We've learned a lot from the inspirations of the inner Master. We have learned to put down the world and contribute without ego, have learned to make use of Yin and Yang, have learned to obey, and have learned to work at an elevated spiritual level. We know we have entered the Golden Era. We are one with You. No matter what, under any difficult situation, at any location, at anytime, You are with us. God Almighty is with us. Having faith in Master and depending on Master's power is my only weapon to overcome all of maya's hindrances.

You have made us see a new order for the world. Our work accords with the path of the universe and is forever in a positive atmosphere. It is You who reminded me that the objective that brought us down to this world is to become the good tools of God Almighty to offer completely without ego, to take the pains of the beings as our own, and to devote selflessly all the merits we possess to all the beings.

God Almighty arranged for me to return to Your side. Though it has been only a short period of eight months, You have made me excel again and again. I and all the fellow initiates in Beijing under Your special care, have received a lot of fruit. Some fellow initiates have grown up and have learned to let the 'Master' be seperated from the brain, have depended upon the observation power of the 'Master' to correct the old habits, to guide our work and to let us all see hope. But I know clearly that the beings are suffering from pain. I do not have the full enlightenment. I have not completely found the real Master, no wisdom, have not found the middle path, no power to help them. Thus I am truly unsettled.

I do not have much time left in this world. Every second and every minute is very precious! The sooner I become fully enlightened the sooner the beings will benefit. Master, only You possess the great compassion, the great power to lead us to excel again, to be fully enlightened, to have full wisdom, and to find our own Master. You will know that we are worthy of what You have bestowed upon us.

Respected and beloved Master, under Your loving care, a few other fellow initiates and I have plunged into the work of preaching the Dharma wholeheartedly. We will make use of the limited time left in our lives to delve deep into the highest and greatest task of mankind and bring Your love to every corner of the world.

We deeply understand that all these were given by You and God Almighty. We are still learning the lessons of growing up, learning to win over ourselves again and again. We have learned that whatever amount we give, God Almighty rewards us with the same amount. Now, I truly thank You for putting me in Beijing in the first place. You have reserved the best training opportunity for us. With the good fellow initiates having the same ideals by my side, I am not going anywhere now. I am staying in Beijing working very hard, practicing diligently.

Respected and beloved Master, we, Your disciples, while reading Your 'Silent Tears', were awakened by Your sincere longing for the Truth and with our tears moistening the floor and our cries reverberating around the room, we went to the foot of the big mountain praying earnestly to Master for the highest attainment. Our sincere praying changed the weather greatly, such that, 'the heavens shook and the earth moved'. You must have felt it too! You have already stirred up our longing hearts to excel. From then onwards, we have never felt settled. Days have passed by, minutes and seconds have passed by. We, in Your care, have again and again excelled. I am a rather dumb person in the group depending upon Your help for everything. However, I am not willing to be an immature child forever, just depending upon You. My inner Master should grow up and become a good tool of God Almighty so as to help You share some of the worries. But please help me excel once more, I sincerely beg You.

Master, You are the most compassionate and the most loving being. In order to know the disciples' painful experience of seeking the Truth, You have had to also have gone through the painful process of learning the Truth. You must have felt my feeling of longing for excellence. In order to save the sentient beings, in order to have power and wisdom, please don't let me wait in pain.

Wishing You all the best!
Missing You the most,

September 1, 1994 in Beijing

The Revelation Of A Piece Of Holy Cloth

By Fellow Initiate Li, Pintung, Formosa

Always so much unspeakable gratitude is lingering in my heart. Endless appreciation towards Master ever multiplies in my mind...

I recall in the days as a new initiate, I didn't practice well because my faith was fragile. Fortunately, Master did not forsake me. Under Her immaculate arrangement, I met a fellow sister who encouraged me to return to the path. One evening, I dreamt of Master, She was holding a piece of sacred cloth, standing there for a very long time without uttering a word. I understood it was my accumulated dirt that Master wanted me to wipe clean.

I am grateful that Master did not toss me out of the Quan Yin Method. In all these years, whenever I was lazy, encountered obstacles, or was having improper thoughts, the vision of Master holding the sacred cloth would always reappear vividly in my mind. Master! Your tear drops accompany me on my spiritual path. Thank You so much for always enlightening this ignorant fool, dissolving my stubborn ego with Your loving words of wisdom, and ridding me of the greed within. I have learned to broaden my mind to accommodate everything in the world. Under the persistent bathing of Your love and patience, I learned and matured in silence, and have borne fruit.

Early last year, on the eve of Your departure from Formosa You went on the stage to speak to the fellow practitioners. While walking, You said, "Your efforts have not been wasted." Master! Do You know how hard I struggled to hold back my emotions. How I longed to rush forward to embrace You. For Your never-ending love, I wanted to say, "Master! Your efforts will not be wasted!"

Master's Words

The Au Lac Refugees -

A Blessing For The World

Spoken by the Supreme Master Ching Hai
at Hsihu Center, Miaoli, Formosa, on
April 3, 1992
(Originally in Chinese)

Au Lac people have great blessings spiritually, but not in the worldly sense. Some of them are saints. Some have practiced very well, to a very high level. They have sacrificed their attained position and descended as refugees in order to help the world, sowing spiritual seeds in many countries, only Master knows.

Therefore, I strive everywhere to help them, not only because they are my compatriots, but for the whole world. However, whom can I speak to about these things? Who wants to listen to me? I offer all my property. I bow down to each president, as well as all the high officials, petty officials, even the doorman. I lower my dignity and receive a lot of humiliation. I am not ashamed to face the Au Lac refugees, (as I've done my best) but I feel sorry for the world.

Eventually, the refugees will "go back". They will still have their high position (spiritually). It's a pity that the world is still blind, ignorant, uncompassionate. They don't understand loving others is loving themselves. They don't know helping others is helping themselves, helping their country. They do not realize how much blessing the refugees have brought to them. The world is blind, deaf, deaf to my words, blind to understandings. They cannot clearly see things that are so obvious.

Never mind! All is ephemeral. Good or bad are just like this. We save the world if we can! Should we fail, we will still "go home", no big deal. None of our business. There is nothing we can do. I have really tried very hard! I was half way through my Asian preaching tour when I heard that two Au Lac people had tried to commit suicide, because they were about to be sent back. They have not died yet, but are dying, burned. They burned themselves with petrol. Though they are not dead, their injuries are very serious.

Death is better than half alive and half dead, which is very painful. This is really true! I immediately rushed to the Philippines from Japan. I was supposed to rest in Japan for a week before I went to Korea. However, on my second or third day in Japan, I had to go to the Philippines begging them. Preparing to offer all my property, I explained to them: We are only investing to provide employment opportunities for the Au Lac refugees. The subsequent profits will stay in the Philippines, to be used by their government, for their people. Apart from paying the wages of the Au Lac refugees, all the profits yielded later, no matter how much, I won't take a single cent. All the money will stay in the Philippines. I won't even retrieve the capital or the interest, because we are trying to help the world!

Most people think that they are helping the Au Lac refugees. The truth is the opposite! It is the Au Lac refugees who are helping them! They don't realize it. The Au Lac people have great blessings, so their country is rich in natural resources and produce. Simply sow the seeds and food will grow. The fruit smells so fragrant. I have been to many countries, but I have not seen such good fruit. Rice is easily grown. If there are no calamities, no wars, the rice produced by Au Lac is more than enough for Asia's consumption! Our farming produce grows easily, without using advanced machinery, but we still reap more than enough.

As well, they have the inclination for spiritual practice. On the map, you can see that the physical shape of Au Lac is unique, like the Tai Chi figure in Taoism, an S-shape, isn't that right? Isn't it the shape of the Tai Chi figure in Taoism? There is an S in the middle, right? You see, Au Lac is the only country appearing in this shape! Backed by the mountains and facing the sea, there is a whole mountain range. Long mountain ranges produce talented people, spiritual land bears great people! Age after age, many great spiritual practitioners, big heroes and great philosophers have been born in that country, but the world does not recognize these facts.

Why do we have so many war disasters? The country is a spiritual land, therefore many demonic forces want to grab or occupy the place. They want to stop the spiritual atmosphere from developing. Therefore, even though I was born in Au Lac, I still had to leave before I could develop. Even then, I had to be born in Au Lac. The land there is highly spiritual. I was born in the middle region of Au Lac, attracting all the spiritual energy from across the nation. (Master laughs.) I was born in the middle part of Au Lac, yet I still had to leave to spread the Truth. Otherwise, why should I be born in Au Lac? Isn't that right?

I only lived there for over ten years. Before the communists came, someone had arranged for me to leave. Otherwise, I would be one of the refugees, very troublesome, and you would not have seen me. So, I still had to leave when the time came. I was born there, but I am okay. (Master laughs.) I was born there because the geographic features there are good. Most people do not understand these things.

Au Lac is very spiritual. Many people in the world, many prophets, fortune-tellers have prophesied that there would be a Buddha from Au Lac. However, they did not know where to look! There were prophets in Japan who had predicted the same. Then, some Au Lac people also knew that a Buddha would appear in Au Lac. They knew, so they searched everywhere. Our fellow initiates also know of a person who looked for the Buddha everywhere. When he finally read Master's book, his search was over. This is what I heard! (Laughter and applause.)

Tolerance And Sacrifice

Extract from the Supreme Master Ching Hai's Lecture in Bangkok,Thailand June 7, 1994 (Originally in English)

All the Masters in the past, present or future will try to demonstrate to us the good qualities of a true human being. They try to teach by example not only by talking, and they try to teach us to always be loving, tolerant and always put other people's advantage before our own benefit. That's why when Shakyamuni Buddha was a king, even though He had the highest position in the society, the most respected position, and He had the most power in the country, and He commanded the loving heart of all His subjects, He still sacrificed all this to preserve the lives and peace for His people in His country. Not only for His country alone but also for the uncle's country, because if the two countries fought each other then both countries would have damage in people's properties and lives. That's why He tried to avoid it, avoid the war, not that He was afraid of the other country.

Some people always ask me, the Au Lac people, they ask me whether I should fight the communists or I am pro-communist. They think because I help the Au Lac refugees, I should hate the communists and go over there and kill them, get the gun and shoot them. I tell them I help the refugees because they need help, because some of them are afraid to go back home (go back to Au Lac) so they commit suicide. They die in here and Hong Kong, etc. Because their lives are in danger, I have to help them.

But if I save some refugees' lives and go kill another person's life, then what is the meaning? Also, if we make war in Au Lac then many people will die, the good people and the bad people. And I say doesn't matter who dies, they are all brothers, same countrymen.

So I say to them doesn't matter how bad a government, sooner or later that government will die, will change. The time will come. I think it's better to change people's hearts than to kill them, and I am trying to change the people by teaching them good things, a moral standard and teaching them to find their own wisdom. And if more Au Lac people are wise and moral and good, then even bad government has to change into good government, right? It is better than killing each other, because if you kill a person, his heart is not changed. He will reincarnate again and make even more trouble for you, because he is stronger in his determination. It's just like you put money in the bank, the longer the time the more interest.

So most of the people do not know the best way of destroying the enemy. Just destroy their evil hearts and then they'll be destroyed forever, not destroy their bodies. Besides, sometimes we have made bad karma, good karma with each other. And they come back to revenge and then we come back to revenge. It is always the devil's circle going on. So in this story the Shakyamuni Buddha wants to help us to understand, to be tolerant and to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of other people; it's the best way.

In this respect, we can see that Jesus Christ was also Bodhisattva, a saint, very clearly. Because many of His disciples wanted to go against the government and save Him, but He said, Don't do that.At that time, He had a lot of followers, many people believed Him, many people could die for Him, but He did not use this power to make bloodshed.

Actually everything will take care of itself in time. But meanwhile, we try our best to make life better. But, always try to avoid violence. That is the lesson of all these Shakyamuni Buddha stories, that we have to surrender to God's will, to be tolerant and be patient. When the time comes, everything will change.

Suara Pembaruan (Voice of Reform Daily News in Jakarta, Indonesia) June 9, 1994 (Originally in Indonesian)

A New "God" Appears In Formosa

Preface : Five Indonesian news reporters, were invited to Taipei, Formosa to attend the International Human Rights Conference jointly organized by the International Federation For Human Rights, USA and the World Cultural Communication Association, USA. The conference itself was the highlight of the International Seven-Day Retreat. The seven-day retreat was organized by a certain spiritual group in Taipei, Formosa. The following report was by Moxa Nadeak of Suara Pembaruan. -The Editor

Taipei - If someone asks you : "What is the definition of God?" The answer might be that He or She ought to be heavenly gifted, have a deep understanding of the doctrines, the ritual rules, and finally have many believers. In this way that person is considered "God" or a new "spiritual leader". In conclusion, the name of God could be Ching Hai, a beautiful lady.

Last Wednesday evening, (25/5) She appeared at a banquet attended by hundreds of people, wearing a golden colored evening gown. Upon Her arrival at the spacious dining hall of the International Convention Center, the guests all stood up and welcomed Her with applause. She then personally greeted the guests at each table, who came from all over the world, including the reporters from Indonesia.

After the dinner, guests and reporters from different countries entered the Conference Hall to witness the International Human Rights Conference. The conference issued a World Human Rights Proclamation, reinstating righteousness and humanity, in supporting the Au Lac asylum seekers.

The demeanor of the Supreme Master Ching Hai was attractive. Aged about forty, and petite in size, She speaks English fluently. Her speech is pleasant and well-enunciated. She can also speak many languages.

Her disciples call Her 'Shi Fu'. Her proper title is the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Everyone believes that She is a true saint.

She has a very good memory and could remember guests whom She has not seen for a long time. Who is She actually? What kind of teachings does She propagate?

[A brief biography of Master is omitted at this point.] By the ever increasing propagation from person to person, the Quan Yin Method has become widely known. Everybody comes to see Her. In order to become Her disciples, one has to be initiated. The writer and all the reporters were unable to witness the process of the initiation. According to our guide, Marianne Chao: Initiation is the baptism, but it is a formless procedure. The one initiated could see light, receives the power, thus attaining a level of selflessness. Only enlightenment can truly save and liberate sentient beings.

Everywhere is a Pure Land for those who have been initiated. During the initiation, Master and disciples sit quietly in meditation. There is no conversation, only heart to heart communication. That is their so-called heavenly sound and light. It is claimed that through this kind of meditation process one can communicate with God.

After initiation, the student must follow the Quan Yin Method to meditate diligently to attain full enlightenment. Marianne Chao said that disciples of Master must meditate daily for two and a half hours. However, it is not necessary to do it at one stretch. One could meditate at different intervals of the day. A Quan Yin practitioner, Chew, also said he and the fellow initiates in Jakarta often meditate four hours daily. (More than the two and a half hours.)

The teachings of the Supreme Master are those of wisdom and compassion, quite similar to those of other religious groups. It is much like the Buddhist and Taoist groups whose aim is to save the suffering sentient beings. Her disciples are trained to be peaceful, calm, compassionate and wise and their daily homework is just to meditate according to the Quan Yin Method . Are you willing to join to follow this new "God"? The requirements are simple. Firstly, you have to be a vegetarian (no meat is allowed). Not killing includes not taking the lives of any animals, including insects. (There is karma even when we cut plants. However, their level of consciousness is low, their soul is dormant, therefore this karma can be repaid through meditation.) Vegetarians are often identified as spiritual practitioners. They love peace and detest violence.

According to Her teachings, people of this world are often compelled to kill. For example, killing an earthworm or other insects is also killing. Even washing your hands daily is inevitable killing. It is still sinful although you do not kill deliberately. If we have sins, we have to repent. Therefore, we have to meditate to clean the karma we create unintentionally. You do not have to change your religious devotion to be Master's disciple, no matter if you belong to Christianity, Catholicism, Islam or Hinduism, etc. It seems that the Buddhists can more easily become Her believers because meditation is also their main daily task.

Apart from not killing, the practitioners of the Quan Yin Method must refrain from sexual misconducts, not steal, not tell lies, and abstain from consuming alcohol or intoxicants which are detrimental to the mind and consciousness. In the books of Master's lectures and questions and answers that were distributed to us, many of Her teachings are also those found in the Bible. She once expressed that She dislikes being adored like an idol in a temple. If She is like a nun, then Her disciples would imitate Her and would forsake their families. The Master often teaches them to continue with their worldly tasks. She often appears to be just an ordinary lady, styling Her hair, and often wearing a variety of clothing. She said that the present day's religions retain only the ceremonial forms, which cannot save mankind. Religious doctrines are only the experiences of past enlightened masters, and their teachings. Therefore, we can only use the scriptures to prove that our spiritual experiences are identical to those of the past enlightened masters. This is the only purpose of the teachings in the holy scriptures.

Her disciples are all over the world, including Indonesia, but most of them are in Taiwan. (They prefer the name Formosa. It means a beautiful island.) Her disciples are propagating Her teachings extensively.

She was given the World Spiritual Leadership Award by the United States government, and received congratulatory messages from previous U.S.A. President Reagan, President Bush and the current President Clinton. She is also the Honorary Citizen of the U.S.A.. The official name of Her group is "The International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations". A Philippine news reporter, Joe Lad Santos, the chief editor of the Weekly Pilipino Reporter in Quezon city stated that: After practicing the teachings of the Master, he realized the divine meaning of life. He and his father are Catholics, and his mother is a Christian. This is very common in the Philippines. Although he is not a disciple of the Master, he likes to follow Her and respects Her.

The guide of the three news reporters from Indonesia is a disciple of the Master. Her name is Marianne Chao, a beautiful lawyer. She put aside her busy schedule to participate in the seven-day retreat activities.

The activities during the seven days in Taipei were aimed at praying for International Human Rights and World Peace. The International Seven-Day Retreat was conducted personally by Master. Over five thousand disciples, and also VIPs from over thirty countries participated.

Another eye-catching activity was the exhibition of the Master's exquisite work, including oil paintings, fashions, painted fans and stones, They were all created personally by Master. There were also more than a million signed letters supporting the asylum seekers facing forced repatriation. Marianne explained that: The Master has never learned painting. Her excellent works were created merely by spontaneous inspiration. The Supreme Master Ching Hai organization is financially solid. She has widely helped to relieve numerous victims of many natural disasters, like the big flood in the U.S.A., and the disastrous earthquake in the Philippines, etc. However, Her foremost concern is the Au Lac refugees scattered in many countries. She was very upset over the violent measures taken by the Hong Kong government, and the obscure attitude of the Philippine government towards the Au Lac asylum seekers. She has tried Her best to support and aid the "boat people" detained in those countries. She is even willing to rent an island or a piece of land to provide a stable home for the asylum seekers. They will then be provided with vocational training. However, Her plan has not yet been successful.

The above are the teachings of this new "spiritual leader". She teaches people to be compassionate towards all human beings, (more accurately, towards all sentient beings), to be harmonious, and not to use violence. We expect, the number of disciples of this new "spiritual leader" will increase day by day.

Sunday Chronicle Hong Kong May 15, 1994 Sunday

The Supreme Master Ching Hai:
Quan Yin Bodhisattva Of A Thousand Faces? Ever- Changing Mysterious Nun?

Unique Ways Of Bringing Salvation To Sentient Beings

Editor: Chi Hue Lien
Photograph by Yie Hue Min

In another one or two years, the communists will come here. Then they will be together with you in the same boat, escaping; so, be patient for a while. For one reason to damage the reputation of the Hong Kong people, huh? Not so much money, right? Why be so callous and oppress people to the point of death? The Chinese are very sympathetic towards the people who are suffering. They are not so cruel as to attack and rebuke people.

.........On the way to the mountain top, there were crackling sounds everywhere; at the base of the mountain, there were the tents of the fellow practitioners. It made me recall 28th April 1994 when, led by the Supreme Master Ching Hai, more than one thousand members of the International Meditation Associations from China, Taivan, Vienam, Canada, America, Germany, France, New Zealand, Singapore etc., held a peaceful sit-in demonstratio outside the office of the Government Secretariat in the Government Secretariat in the Central district, appealing to the Hong Kong government to treat the boat people with humanity and not to forcibly repatriate them. The intense momentum of the day of the demonstration, as compared to this presently quiet and peaceful mountain trail, inevitably inspires people to believe in the swift and motionless style of the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Her handling of the protest proved the 'Sun-Tze Military Strategy' which claims that the highest state is "Swift as the wind, motionless as a forest".

The mountain trail was dark and winding. As we walked on, we thought about the current report: Who is that mysterious person who can donate five to six million US dollars all at one time for the resettlement overseas of the Vietnamese boat people? Where does the money come from? They claim it is earned from designing clothes and lamps. Is it possible to have earned that much? A person who meditates and practices spiritually, always dressing in striking colored outfits and eye-catching gowns, and wearing make-up whenever there is a formal occasion. All these issues leading to controversy... "Less gossip and more meditation" - a glimpse at the note on the notice board. Unwittingly we had reached our destination.

A male disciple from Taiwan who had followed Master Ching Hai for six years. He said that if it were not for the Master, he would never have come to Hong Kong to protest for the refugees. He used to think that it was enough to take care of his own needs. The male disciple said that he had never met such an open-minded Master before. The way he spoke was soft and full of tenderness, just like an innocent little lamb. Suddenly, a person passed by, tapped him, and said, "What are you saying!" Then that person swiftly moved towards the kitchen.

Offering: Six Million US Dollars To Be Donated To The Boat People

We turned our heads and saw the Supreme Master Ching Hai coming towards us. She did not carry Buddhist beads, but a basketful of bread. "Okay, relax, don't work so hard on the interview."

Almost instantly the red checkered table cloth was filled with Vietnamese bread, butter and vegetable soup. It is rare to eat such food in a Vietnamese restaurant. Master Ching Hai said that as long as She has the time, She can cook anything. (A brief biography of Master is omitted here) The donation of five to six million US dollars this time from the Supreme Master Ching Hai is the entire wealth of the Meditation Association - "Monetary donations are, after all, not a final solution to resolving a problem. Every time, after the world has suffered a disaster, there is donation. Don't you know the money will be used up one day?"

"Right, but we don't do the same every time. Just like in the Philippines, when there was a fire or a flood, we gave one million or looked at the situation to gauge how much to give. Those disasters will ease very soon, but this refugee issue has dragged on for a long time. They are trying to commit suicide and the situation is serious, so we are willing to donate our entire assets."

     "If more refugees continue to come, how can You help?"
     "Money already spent can be earned again, furthermore, they

may not want to come to Hong Kong. In another one or two years, the communists will come here. Then they will be together with you in the same boat, escaping. So, be patient for a while. I said, it was not reasonable. Already more than ten years. The money to feed them comes from taxes from the Hong Kong people, not from the British Government or the United Nations. So whatever the Hong Kong people want to decide, it is best to let them decide it for themselves. Only one or two years more and perhaps Vietnam will become better, and they will quickly return. It is only because some bad news has come out that they are frightened, and dare not to return... For one or two years there is no reason to damage the reputation of the Hong Kong people, huh? Not so much money, right? No reason huh? Why be so callous, and oppress people to the point of death? Only one third of the refugees are left... perhaps at times the Hong Kong government gave some bad news to their people, and the Hong Kong people have been brainwashed only. Otherwise, the Chinese are very sympathetic towards people who are suffering. They are not so cruel as to attack and rebuke people."

Boat People : Only Three Years Left, Hong Kong People Should Be More Tolerant

"The Hong Kong government has refused to accept the proposed donation for the resettlement of the refugees. What is Your next step?"

"For the next step, we'll have to see the situation at that time. If they are rioting, committing suicide, then we will, we do not have any advanced plans."

"Being a person who has the power of rallying great support, is there any nation that does not welcome You?" "Not that power of rallying... I think China and Vietnam, but because they are communist countries which are not that accepting of spiritual groups."

SAMADHI :
To Allow One's Enlightenment And Wisdom

The Supreme Master Ching Hai returned to Her seat and told me briefly, "We are not here to create a new religion. There are already too many religions. We tell people, if you are a Catholic, you keep your ideal, teachings and precepts, and if you are a Buddhist, you have many precepts already, that is enough, get to know and understand the precepts and teaching, and we are here to teach only 'Meditation' (more literally speaking, Samadhi), which allows you to have much deeper spiritual power, much deeper wisdom, much more understanding of the benefits of your religion, to be a good person, and much deeper intelligent, able to serve your country. It is just like that, so simple.... every religion also teaches people to be good. Enough, teachings are enough. It is okay in this manner.

"What about other religions which are unable to guide people to enlightenment?"

"Not the same. For example, when we learn to be a doctor, on the one hand there is the theory, on the other hand we must learn to give injections and to operate. Just learning the theory is not enough. Nowadays the religions mostly teach only theory, but we have added putting it into practice. Shakyamuni Buddha taught people to give charity, keep precepts, be tolerant, practice diligently, meditate, and then have wisdom. Only keeping precepts, without meditation, is not enough."

"After meditation which level of consciousness can we experience?"

"A very peaceful and quiet level. Our mind becomes more and more open and expanded, our loving kindness increases, we are much more tolerant, and have much less materialistic desire. It's not that we don't work and earn money. We also earn, perhaps earn more than others, but we don't work only for the sake of earning money but also in order to serve others. We treat others as our brothers and sisters. When they are suffering, we will also feel the same suffering. These are natural changes occuring from within, and not asking that you change from the outside. This 'asking' will not work. People are very stubborn, huh? Very difficult to change. Opening our wisdom from within, naturally loving kindness will blossom..."

According to our understanding, Samadhi (Meditation) originated from Boddhi Dharma, and according to the assistant of the Supreme Master Ching Hai, the meditation method of Boddhi Dharma in China was lost and discontinued. The meditation method obtained by the Supreme Master Ching Hai, i.e. the Quan Yin Method, which is also the original meditation method of Boddhi Dharma, is from the transmission of a high level practitioner living in the Himalayas. "Through this Method one is able to be enlightened. Some to a small extent, some to a greater extent. So we must nurture this enlightenment to help us to fully understand ourselves. We understand others, but we don't understand our own selves. We run around in circles and don't know the greatness of our souls, our capabilities, and our rich wisdom. ...This is difficult to fully understand in one day. We are just as great as the Buddha. (According to Mahayana Buddhism, every human being can attain Buddhahood.) Enlightenment means from the beginning of awakening to the limitless and indefinite realization. ...When your door of ignorance is opened, you can see your quality of brightness, your greater side. So whoever sees you will like you more and more, and because of that you will discover that your love within will expand more and more. Loving power will attract him."

Transfer Of Method From
A High Level Practitioner : Quan Yin Method Is Initiation From
Mind To Mind

"You have just said that you came across a high level practitioner in the Himalayas who transferred the Method to You. How did he do this? Isn't this somewhat mysterious?" "It is not by touching something or chanting something, but it is by a power within. No external display. Very quiet and silent, it enlightens immediately, without any speech. It is unspeakable." "Is that what Your disciples mean by, 'transfer from mind to mind' (Initiation)?"

     "Right, right, 'mind'  meaning our own true self." 
     The Supreme Master Ching Hai said that sometimes Her disciples

travelled to other places to provide relief in times of disaster. She would not go, but She would transfer the power within, to them. She said this is very difficult to explain. How could it be possible? Just like romance, if you haven't experienced it, how to explain it to you? You would need to follow them on the same path so that you could understand.

Supernatural Power :
To The Rescue
Of Disciples
Who Are In Trouble

"All Your disciples say that You have supernatural power. Is that right?"

"Ha....Yes, but also no. Yes- because the disciples say that I have. No - because I don't feel that I have. Sometimes I have, because when they are in trouble, they immediately see Master come to their rescue."

"Do You experience any kind of pressure, possessing this supernatural power?"

"No, because I don't know I have it. I don't know I have it so I will not consider myself very great. Having equals not having. Not to have is the same as to have. I just mentioned a few great sentences. Ha...."

The so-called supernatural powers are the powers such as the ability to foretell the future, etc. But two of Her disciples told the journalist that gaining supernatural power is not the ultimate aim of spiritual cultivation, and focusing too much on them would be a waste of time and energy which could be better used for spiritual practice in this life. Therefore, they would not talk too much on this matter. Nevertheless, among them was one male disciple who commented that spiritual practice must be "initiated" by a Master, although each one must personally make continuous effort, check themselves and meditate. One of the female disciples even said that everyday she records her wrong doings and corrects them accordingly.

"Since You say that all human beings are capable of attaining Buddhahood, which means that everyone has this power within, why is there a need for a Master to enlighten you?" The male disciple repeated once again the explanation of "transferring of mind to mind". He stressed that a Master's power is necessary (to awaken our dormant power).

More Than A Hundred Thousand Disciples Worldwide

"According to what you say, what about others who don't have an opportunity to meet your Master. Will they not be able to be fully enlightened in this life?"

"There are also other high level practitioners in the world," replied a male disciple. According to some reports, the Supreme Master Ching Hai, after She was fully enlightened, travelled to Taiwan and began to transmit the Truth. According to one report, there are more than a hundred thousand disciples throughout the world. But Her assistant said that because there is no official registration or recording of names and addresses, and no intentions of organizing the group, it is actually difficult to tell. "Are You afraid Your disciples will worship You as an Idol? They wear Your photographs on their bodies, and when You appear in person, their eyes light up!"

"Is that so? No! Whoever you like, you will wear his photograph on your body. Some pin their lovers' photos on their clothes, some pin photos of their husbands' or of movie stars. This is a very common phenomena. They know that when they come here they cannot worship me, cannot stick to me, or see me often. They see me once in a while, so they are so happy..... this is such an ordinary psychological feeling, it is not idolizing the Master." "All right, have all questions finished? Satisfied? If you still have any questions, you can think about it and I will give you a few minutes again sometime. You can come again anytime." "But the door is hanging a 'No Trespassing' sign. I'm just a trespasser," I said jokingly. After that the disciples told me that the fruit garden was bought by the Supreme Master Ching Hai." "One more question. In some of your 'Supreme Master Ching Hai News Magazines', I have seen that you always attend the formal occasions dressed in very elegant attire. This would probably be regarded as 'Non Attachment' (According to Buddhism, following the flow of streams and waves; and in Taoism, of according with others but not losing one's self). If this is true, why is it mandatory to be unmarried?"

Marriage : Act Naturally According To Affinity. See A Mountain
As A Mountain

"You can be married!" She was pointing to the female disciple beside Her, "She has no desire to be married. Since following me, she doesn't feel marriage has any meaning, or perhaps she didn't find a lover. If I find one I will marry too. Now forget it." The way She said it was simple and relaxed. "You had married before. Since there is no difference between getting married or not, why did you choose to divorce?" "I didn't know it was the same before I was... if you said earlier, I would be thus enlightened. It was ten years already, he (Her ex-husband) had remarried... Originally you see a mountain as a mountain. At the time of initial enlightenment you feel this world is not okay. You see the mountain but not as a mountain. After full enlightenment you will treat things with an ordinary mind, then you see a mountain as a mountain again." On our return trip to the base of the mountain it was nearly 11:00 p.m.. The whole duration of the visit and conversation took more than three hours. I raised my question again to the disciple who was guiding the way, " What is the name of this mountain?" She replied that Master has named the mountain 'Tien-San' (Heavenly Mountain)...

"The Supreme Master Ching Hai News magazine" On every cover, the Supreme Master Ching Hai is elegantly dressed in various attire, Her appearance always bright and beautiful. In one particular case, she is dressed in an Arabian costume on the cover, under which there is the caption: "With glowing charm, this esoteric and beautiful Arabian Goddess comes alive from the age old memory of the people, She is the Supreme Master Ching Hai".

Overseas Xing Yun Biweekly Mainland China, July 22, 1994

w Report from Hong Kong , Macau and Formosa. w By Columnist Yeh Zhong Han

An Incomprehensible Wonder Woman

She accepts no donations, but She can provide five million dollars on a moments notice to aid the Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong.

She has more than a hundred thousand disciples all over the world, but they have no church or organization.

What type of a person is She really? She is truly incomprehensible and mysterious.

Incredible Charismatic Power That Worries The Authorities

People call Her the Supreme Master Ching Hai. She is petite in stature, but Her mobilizing ability is extraordinary. One summon from Her and one thousand, five hundred disciples flocked to Hong Kong from all over the world. After the peaceful demonstration outside the Whitehead Camp, they moved to Tsimshatsui, launching a signature campaign. Her disciples were found at almost every junction, especially crowded near the three flag posts.

A team of security guards at the Ocean Terminal glared at them, maintaining a tight formation, keeping them within the boundaries.

After a whole day's activities, the group returned to their base at the Baptist Garden in Fanling. It was already 11:00 p.m., yet hundreds of them still gathered together in the dark. On a grassy patch they found a place to sit down where they excitedly awaited for the Master to come.

Finally She appeared, the petite Supreme Master Ching Hai, carrying a white umbrella. Accompanied by several 'significantly bigger' men, She walked onto the stage in the middle of the grassy patch.

"I am so tired today that I can hardly speak." Her words immediately attracted the thundering applause and laughter of a thousand people.

They called the gathering that evening, a "discourse", meaning a warm conversation with the Master.

Their meeting lasted half an hour. There was no religious ritual, only some people meditating on the ground. It was entirely different from ordinary religious gatherings. This is not a religion, but the charismatic power is so great. This is really beyond our comprehension. Even the Hong Kong government is shocked. Feeling they are a significant threat to their authority, preventive measures have been taken against them. A close disciple in Hong Kong said, "Until today, the Hong Kong government has not allowed us to serve in the refugee camps, nor will they accept our donations. We can only enter the camp individually to visit friends and relatives. We have no idea why the government is so frightened."

[A brief sketch of Master's life has been omitted here.]

"I am an ordinary person like everyone else. I eat when I am hungry, and sleep when I am tired. Each of us has our own expertise. I know something that is unfamiliar to you. If you wish to learn, I will teach you, just like a teacher." This is what the Supreme Master Ching Hai has said. According to some of Her disciples, She has a group of working staff members called the "Quan Yin messengers". To follow Her as a disciple, one must go through the procedure of an "initiation". It resembles registration to enter a school. After this, one becomes Her disciple.

She has liaison centers in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe. The one in Hong Kong is called the "branch center". The number of disciples is increasing everywhere. It is estimated that they have over a hundred thousand disciples throughout the world.

Where Does The Large Sum Of Money Come From?

She strongly stresses that She will not accept any donations from anybody. She meditates at least two and a half hours each day. She is a vegetarian, eats no meat, and is used to living in a "tent".

However, She recently expressed that She is willing to donate six million U.S. dollars to aid the boat people in Hong Kong, hoping they would not be forcibly repatriated.

     So actually, where does the money come from?
     Her explanation is:  She loves oil painting, and is good in

fashion design. "When the people know that I have newly accomplished works, they come to buy them." The money is earned by selling Her works of art.

The disciples acclaim Her as a fashion designer. Her way of dressing is indeed unique, which also adds to Her charm. Each time She appears, She wears clothing of various ethnic origins, blending the characteristics of the Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese and Chinese costumes very attractively.

This "wonderful person" of unknown whereabouts, staying in Hong Kong for a period of time, is putting the Hong Kong government on full alert. She simply smiled regarding this point, leaving us mysteriously bewildered.

[Shue Mei Lien, the editor, has modified part of this article.]

Recalling Our Origins Magazine, Formosa - Issue No.42 July, 1994

Save The Vietnamese Refugees

earnest response to the "Empty Pocket Operation"

Article and photos by the "Quan Yin Lad"

Today, places on both sides of the Taiwan Strait - Hong Kong, Singapore etc. - are very prosperous.

Nonetheless, in some corners of the so-called "free world", some of our compatriots are still confined behind bars, leading a life without any future. At present, it seems they will not even be able to keep their last ground within the barbed wire fence. On this vast planet, they have nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. Only the roaring and churning ocean is waiting to swallow them up.

These people who are in great misery fled in large groups from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Of the twenty thousand something refugees now trapped in Hong Kong, more than half are overseas Chinese. Even the Vietnamese refugees are kin brothers, of the same race and culture, of the ethnic Chinese.

Ever since South Vietnam was "liberated" by North Vietnam twenty years ago, the overseas Chinese there have been the most ill-treated and discriminated against. Consequently, large numbers of Chinese people in Vietnam, and also native South Vietnamese, have continuously tried to flee abroad. Very few of them have survived the churning sea and succeeded in resettling in a third free country. They have been accommodated in "refugee camps" in Asian countries, in places like Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, etc. The largest refugee population is in Hong Kong, amounting to over twenty thousand. Those in the Hong Kong refugee camps are the most unfortunate ones. Using tall wire fences, the Hong Kong government restricts the actions of the refugees, who are addressed by the camp authorities by their numbers instead of their names. Despite all the ill treatment, the refugees still tolerate it and live amicably in the camps.

According to the Constitution of the United Nations, nobody should be stripped of their freedom unless they have been convicted of a crime. The refugees have committed no crime. They have lived in exile in the hope of gaining freedom. However, they have even lost their freedom in this so-called "free region", which is indeed the greatest irony in the free world.

Financial Support Terminated, Executing The Forced Repatriation

The expenditures of the Hong Kong refugee camps were originally paid for by the UNHCR who has been receiving, for a long time, donations for the refugees from some member nations. Some member nations have ceased giving donations during these past two years, so the United Nations is running short of funds for the refugees. Because it owes the Hong Kong government one or two hundred million dollars, the United Nations announced this year that they would terminate their contributions to the refugees. At the same time, the UN is continuing to use the established CPA policy of screening to decide the status of the refugees. Those screened as non-refugees face repatriation back home. This screening process is unfair. Only two to three percent of the refugees ever pass the screening. Many have been classified as "non-refugees" even though there is proof that they would be persecuted if repatriated. This screening process is simply a guise in order to force the refugees back into the inferno.

Using the excuses of no available funds and of the implementation of the CPA screening policy, the Hong Kong government has decided to repatriate the refugees by force. This is a death sentence to the refugees who have risked their lives and have succeeded in escaping. They prefer death to be repatriated back to Vietnam. Many of them have resorted to hunger strikes and suicide as a means of protest.

On April 7 of this year, to suppress the protests of the refugees, the Hong Kong government sent more than a thousand armed police into the Whitehead Refugee Camp trying to execute the forced repatriation. Many tear gas shells were fired at the refugees who resisted the repatriation.

How Can The Free World Face Its Own Conscience?

Many of the overseas Chinese Vietnamese refugees, either they themselves or their fathers and/or brothers, were drafted to join the combat before the fall of South Vietnam. If they were to be sent back now, it would be like driving them into an abyss more agonizing than death. How is the free world supposed to face its own conscience? How can we Chinese people just sit and do nothing to help the suffering refugees, our own brothers and sisters of the same blood lineage?

Chinese And Vietnamese Are Of The Same Ancestral Lineage

The Chinese nation was once esteemed as the "central nation" in history, and has long been a main leader of the world. The reason being that it adhered to the ancient doctrine of "the treasure of the nation lies in treating the neighboring countries well". They protected their neighbor countries and treated them with courtesy. Vietnam is a nation built by a tribe of the Southern Chinese people. For a long time in history, it was a protectorate of China, offering tributes to and receiving protection from her. The Vietnamese were intelligent and peace loving, and have maintained harmony with China for many thousands of years. They have also shown great courtesy to the Chinese migrating to Vietnam, and helped them to settle down. Enormous "China Towns" were formed. The Vietnamese used to address the Chinese intimately as "third elder brother or sister", which aptly described the harmony between the two groups of people. Looking back into our mutual history, and observing the large number of overseas Chinese in the refugee camps, how can we, the Chinese descendants, exert no effort to help?

Seeking From The General Public Lost Noble Ideals

So far, we have heard nothing from government authorities about helping the refugees. On the contrary, there are many supportive voices from the ordinary people. On April 29 of this year, more than thirty governmental representatives of the Taiwanese people jointly signed a protest letter against the violent suppression of the refugees by the Hong Kong government. In early May, over 1.3 million people from more than thirty countries signed to support the Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, encouraging them, "Be brave! Don't die!" Among this 1.3 million signatures, a million of them were from Taiwan. This clearly shows that humanitarian ideals and the love for fellow compatriots is still a prominent concern of the general public at large.

The One who inspired these million loving hearts, and called upon the consciences of the world to care for the refugees, was the Supreme Master Ching Hai, of Vietnamese origin, along with Her disciples from all over the world. On many occasions She has been honored by the United States government, being given with the World Peace Award and the World Spiritual Leadership Award, etc.

Empty Your Pockets To Save The Refugees, Human Lives Are More Valuable Than Money

Of Vietnamese origin, the Supreme Master Ching Hai studied in Europe, and sought the Truth in India. Apart from teaching people to reach enlightenment, and practicing spiritually for liberation, She also endeavors to aid disaster victims throughout the world. She has exerted Her utmost efforts in helping the Vietnamese refugees in particular. For years, She has repeatedly extended to the Hong Kong government Her wish to help the Vietnamese refugees, but there has been no response. She has also negotiated with the governments of more than thirty countries, hoping they would accept the Vietnamese refugees. In a proposal that She submitted to these governments, She offers Her entire wealth of about five to six million U.S. dollars, supplemented by fifty to sixty thousand U.S. dollars monthly, which would be contributed by the members of the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Association. This money is to pay for the living expenses of the twenty thousand Vietnamese refugees. The Meditation Association would also provide vocational training and counseling to the refugees, until they can stand on their own in the society. In this way, the accepting country would spend no money on the refugees, and gain twenty thousand workers to help develop the country's economy. This project is beneficial to both sides, and at the same time solves the long-standing international problem of the Vietnamese refugees, which has lasted over 20 years. This "empty your pocket campaign" to save the refugees is still awaiting the response of some compassionate nations. To spread this saving message, the World Cultural Communication Association held an International Human Rights Conference in Taipei on May 25 of this year. Participants included people and reporters from more than thirty countries, who have since spread to all parts of the world the appeal and proposed project by the Supreme Master Ching Hai to save the Vietnamese refugees.

Master Says

Toughness And Gentleness

Together Make Perfection

Spoken By The Supreme Master Ching Hai at Tien Shan Center in Satin, Hong Kong April 6, 1994 (Originally in Chinese)

Confucius And Four Of His Disciples

Liezi had written a story about Confucius and his disciples. There was a person named Zixia who asked Confucius, "What kind of a person is Yenhui?" Confucius had many disciples, one of them was called Yenhui, right? (Answer: Yes.) Confucius said, "Yenhui is more compassionate than I!" More compassionate than Confucius, not I! I don't have anything, anyone is more compassionate than I! (Master and everyone laugh.) He continued to ask, "What kind of a person is Zigong?" Confucius answered, "Zigong is more eloquent than I." Meaning more eloquent than Confucius, not I. I don't have any eloquence to be included. I worry that sometimes I say "I", "I", "I", and you don't know who "I" refers to. (All laugh.)

Zixia continued to ask Confucius, "What about Zilu? What kind of a person is Zilu?" Confucius answered, "Zilu is more courageous than I am!" meaning more courageous than Confucius, don't you mistake it for me. (All laugh.) I am pretty courageous. (Master laughs.) If anyone beats me, he'd know how courageous I am, because I'd run away immediately! (Master and all laugh.) Zixia inquired further, "Then what about Zizhang? What kind of a person is Zizhang?" And Confucius replied, "He is more solemn than I." Meaning he was more serious, unlike me, telling jokes all the time! We laughed for quite a while in the cave before I came down to see you.

Then Zixia stood up and questioned Confucius, "Then why do the four of them come here to learn from you?" (Master laughs.) The four of them were better than Confucius in a certain way, why do they come to learn from him? Confucius then said, "Sit down!" (Master laughs.) He was so disturbed that he stood up. "Sit down and I'll tell you why. Don't you understand, that Yenhui knows about compassion, but doesn't know when not to be compassionate." That is being compassionate without knowing when not to be. "Zigong who is articulate, but doesn't know when to be silent." He meant being a person who doesn't know arguing, understand? Not to act like one who knows everything and argues all the time to bore others! Right? But let me finish reading before I make comments. It may be more satisfactory or I can just comment freely. Whichever, I am not "Jin Shentan" who added his comments under every article he saw. I'll just make comments freely, whether under or over, head or top.

Confucius continued to say, "Zilu knows about bravery, but he doesn't know when to be afraid. "Understand? He did not know when to pretend to be fearful or when to be afraid. Well, not really "afraid", but to be meek at times. He doesn't know when to be meek. And "Shih!", means Zizhang, "Shih is serious and stately, but doesn't know when to accommodate and compromise with others. If you were to add all of their talents together and exchange them for all of my imperfections, I wouldn't take them!" Since they were so great, then add up all of the parts which were better than Confucius; and exchange them for the parts which were not as good as theirs. Confucius said he would not take the exchange. Therefore, those four people should come and bow to him as their teacher; they followed him wholeheartedly, without any thought of losing faith, without any thought of regret.

To be Or Not To Be Compassionate

This is a great story! Have you read it before? Why do you think it is this way? Why should we know about being compassionate and also know when not to be compassionate sometimes? Who knows? In our world, we all respect the compassionate people, right? Then why does it say here that sometimes we should be unmerciful? Who knows why?

What does being compassionate mean? It means that a person is very loving towards all, is that right? He is very generous, very understanding, ready to forgive others, never blame others, and is always loving. This is being compassionate. When we see others in difficulty, we love them and help them; when others make mistakes, we forgive. Then why shouldn't we uphold this quality? Why shouldn't we do so every time? Isn't this a better way? Why did Confucius say that we should know when not to be compassionate? What does it mean? Who knows? Quick! (Someone answered: When we deal with bad people.) (Another answered: It means capable of being a loving person and also being able to treat someone unlovingly. Being unkind to people means being unmerciful. We should have both qualities.)

Right! We should have both; yin (negative) and yang (positive) must be balanced. Be compassionate when we should be; but when we need to be unmerciful, we have to be unmerciful, this is what I mean to be truly good.

Under what conditions should we be or not be compassionate? For example, if we have a friend who is having difficulties. Being his good friend, of course we should help him, give him some money to run some business. Later he may become independent. If he has money, he may return to us, but even if he doesn't, we don't really care. If we have a lot of money, we don't mind if our friends use it, or if our brothers and relatives use it.

But if that person does not use the money to run a business but to do some bad things such as gambling, smoking, drinking and all kinds of terrible things, and he comes to us for more money, then at that time, we cannot continue to be compassionate! If we help him to be a bad person, a dependent person, then the more we are compassionate towards him, the more we hurt him. He will gradually become a person without an independent spirit and will not develop his abilities. Eventually he becomes a person who relies on others, a weak person, someone without a sense of shame or guilt, without conscience, without any integrity, and is not worthy of being our friend. Thus we not only lost a friend but we also hurt him. His life will become more vanquished and he will not be able to stand up on his own.

The Story Of How A Scholar

Mercilessly Helped His Friend

There is a Chinese story, I am not sure whether it is a Chinese or an Au Lac story, a story about Liu Ping and Yang Li. Whether they are Chinese or Au Lac people, anyway, there were two friends who were studying to take the Imperial examinations. One studied diligently, and he was selected to be the top scholar after the examination. He was given a high post in the Imperial Court and returned gloriously to his hometown. While the other friend, who enjoyed playing around and did not study as diligently, and even though he was very talented, as talented as his friend, he did not succeed in the Imperial examinations because he was lazier and did not study much. The friend who became the high official was very good hearted. He remembered his friend for they used to be close buddies. He thought his friend must not be in good shape now, so he sent for him.

When the friend arrived, the scholar pretended to be busy inside and let his friend wait outside for a long time. When his friend asked for him again, he purposely sent a little clerk out to entertain him and serve him a lousy meal. He was given the same kind of food given to the lower class workers or the very poor people, and was not treated well. When the friend asked to see the scholar, he pretended he was busy again and told him to wait or come back another day etc... On another day, the friend came back to see him, the scholar treated him the same way as before. Later, the poor, discouraged friend was very upset and felt very angry and insulted, so he did not come to see his scholar friend anymore. He went home feeling very disturbed! (Master laughs.) He felt very upset everyday. When he was feeling very down, didn't want to do anything, didn't even want to live, then, unexpectedly he met a girl. She was very beautiful, very graceful and noble, but was dressed in ordinary clothes.

She appeared suddenly from nowhere. After they met, she encouraged him and she understood his feelings, knew his difficulties and how he was betrayed by his friend, etc. She decided to support him and told him, "Don't worry. You continue to study, and I can weave and make lots of handicrafts to support you. I will also pray to the inner Master to help you. Don't worry." (Master and all laugh.) Therefore, the young man was able to focus his attention on his studies. He promised her that he would study hard and succeed in the Imperial examinations and marry her. The girl didn't say much, she only said, "We'll see at that time! You study hard first. This is a minor affair, we'll talk about that later!" She always said that and refused to let him get close. She always said that he must study hard, not to divert his attention on love affairs, that this matter is still very far away, and he must prepare to take the Imperial examinations first! She continued to work and supported his studies, and at the next Imperial examinations, he was selected as the top scholar!

After he also became the top scholar, the first person he wanted to see was his ex-friend, the other top scholar who was mean and wicked and betrayed him. He went to see him immediately, bringing along many subordinates to show his friend that he was also a top scholar now! He wanted to scold this bad friend on how he mistreated him before. While he was lashing out his anger, the old friend whispered something to his subordinate. The subordinate went inside and came out with a girl. The new scholar immediately recognized that it was the girl who worked and supported him while he studied for the past three years! He asked her, "Why are you here?" The previous scholar replied, "She is my wife!" (Master and everyone laugh.)

Do you understand? He sacrificed his wife to help his friend. He sent his wife there to work and support him, to encourage him to study so that he would not degenerate, waste his talent and bury his brilliance. This friend of course couldn't understand his scholar friend's good intention. He kept thinking that his friend had mistreated him and wanted to scold him in revenge. Later he understood. He kneeled and bowed down to him and they hugged each other and cried touchingly. You must know this story; is it a Chinese story? It is very famous in Au Lac. (Master laughs.) This is the mercilessness of a gentleman. Sometimes, the compassion of a mean person might hurt others instead. But the mercilessness of a gentleman is truly hard to come by; it can help many people, help himself and others. It is the true compassion. Therefore, sometimes we need to know how to be merciless. Do you understand what I mean?

The Truly Good Person Knows
When To Be Tough And Gentle

Through this story we can understand Confucius when he said, Know compassion and have compassion, but also know when not to be compassionate. This means that we should know how to manage toughness and gentleness effectively. Otherwise, we get attached and get stuck in our compassionate qualities. But it is also not good if we cannot let go. Sometimes we must let go! For example, we have some treasure. When a war breaks out, of course we will gather all of our diamonds, gold, agate, coral, etc. into a pack; we carry it on our bodies and do not want to let it go. Wherever we go, we carry it with us until we reach some safe place. But after we have arrived at the safe place, we have to put the package down. Or if our friends or relatives are hungry, we need to take some out to sell in exchange for money in order to buy food for them. We cannot hang on to the treasure and not care about others. Therefore, compassion and mercilessness should be used accordingly. If we know how to use it appropriately, mercilessness is compassion; otherwise, compassion becomes mercilessness, compassion becomes malevolence.

Many people misuse the word "compassion". They think a person should be compassionate and merciful all the time. Everyday, they smile and say to whomever comes "Good! Good!" (Master and all laugh.) That is stupidity; only a wooden Buddha would do that. Human beings shouldn't be this way. A gentleman should know how to deal with others; he should know when to go forward and when to retreat, when to be tough and when to be gentle. That is a truly good person. Therefore, Confucius said here that he was not as compassionate as Yenhui. This is the reason; because he was not compassionate sometimes. There were times that he seemed to have let go of his compassion and was rather merciless to some people. That's why he said Yenhui was more compassionate than he was. Perhaps Yenhui was compassionate all the time, and didn't know when to say "no", "I don't understand", or "I cannot". Understand! To take everything as "yes","yes" "yes", is not compassion, but stupidity.

A Higher Form Of Compassion

Therefore, even if Yenhui was very compassionate and very loving, he lacked the part of mercilessness and didn't know when to let go of his compassion. So in order to have a truly loving heart and greater compassion, he must come and learn from Confucius. You now understand what I mean! It is not that Confucius didn't know how to be compassionate, but he knew a higher form of compassion. Therefore, we say that a fully enlightened person is not all compassion. He is not as compassionate as we human beings imagine him to be; his behavior and methods are not what we expect them to be, within the framework of morality, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and faithfulness. Understand? He has transcended this level. When he should step inside this framework, he will come in. When he should step outside in order to help more people, to fulfill higher ideals, then he will step out, understand? He comes and goes freely. Most of us can only stay within this framework, do not know how to get out or come back. If we don't know how to get out, then it is not the same; it is more rigid, like a one way street, we only know to go forward and don't know how to come back!

The same way like Zigong. He was very articulate, very good at debating; but he didn't know when not to argue and be a simple person. When he didn't know, he should say he didn't know, for he shouldn't know about everything anyhow. All that we should know, we know; that which we should not know, we don't need to know. If I don't know, I can say that I don't know because I don't need to know about that, and I will not die because I don't know about that! I know all of those things that I should know, and all that I should do; for those that I shouldn't know and shouldn't do, then I leave them alone!

Even if we say that we know, but sometimes we don't really know. There are some people who always have an answer for you regardless of what you ask. (Master laughs.) Understand? Nobody can convince them otherwise; sometimes, people are just too tired to argue with them, but it doesn't mean that they know everything. They are too curious, too fond of winning. They wanted to know everything and understand everything. Thus it becomes a big burden sometimes, understand? And then you cannot afford to lose, you cannot become someone who sometimes is very ordinary, very simple, just like a child who does not know how to debate, and does not care who wins.

The Ordinary Way Is The Tao

Reading this story today, I feel rather comforted. It's because sometimes when I got into a debate, I could not convince the other party. The other party kept citing a lot of sutras and a lot of theories, that I thought made sense also. (Master and all laugh.) So I lost. After I came home, I felt, "How can I be a Supreme Master yet lose my face?" (Master and all laugh.) Oh, then I thought, "Well, since I didn't have a face anymore, who cares whether it got lost?" (Master laughs.) Today I read about what Confucius said that when we talk, we need to stumble for words once in a while. What he meant was, Zigong was very eloquent, he had excellent articulation, but he didn't know when he needed to stumble, understand? What good is it when we stumble for words? It does not mean that we don't have the eloquence, but just that we don't have to win every time, we don't have to be so great every time. Understand? If a person has to be so fantastic at every moment, then nobody can stand him! And he can't stand himself either, understand? If we don't know that we need to stumble once in a while, we are not used to that way, and we always win, then one day if we lose just once, we would commit suicide, because we are not used to it and we cannot take it. This type of person is just too rigid!

Therefore, in this world one cannot be too perfect, understand? Slightly imperfect is perfection indeed! This means to know when is a good time to do what; when we should explain and when not to argue. It is alright to be a deaf mute; it doesn't matter. Then, we can truly be uninhibited and free! If we try to be a good person all the time, try to keep our good names in perfect order, and are able to argue back no matter who says what, then this is too boring and too inflexible. It is not perfect and not fun. (Master laughs.) When things are the same all the time, then it is not fun anymore!

An Enlightened Master Handles

Situations Humbly And Accordingly

Confucius said Zilu, who was more courageous, but he did not know that he needed to be a meek and timid person sometimes. Sometimes it should be this way, really should! I have told you about what happened in the Philippines last time, that they tried to control us by force. There were a large number of us, and of course we could have reacted; but if both sides got tough, a fight would have erupted. Do you think the result would be good? Certainly not! Isn't it so? First, I was a guest in their country. Second, we are a spiritual persons. Third, we were there to help, not to complicate the situation and cause further misunderstandings. It would not have been beneficial for either side, right? Therefore, at that time, if I was not meek and did not leave, if I did not pretend to be afraid of their power and gave in, then there would have been big trouble! It would have become very complicated and terrible, and may not have been beneficial for the Au Lac refugees. What would have happened if we won? We still would have had to buy plane tickets to go home after a short while! (Master and all laugh.) We were not meant to stay there forever. We must not be too impulsive, and not judge a true hero merely by the outcome of an incident.

Since ancient times, all the martial arts practitioners, teachers or masters in China always forbade people from showing their martial arts randomly. They were instructed to be patient and tolerate it until they had to defend themselves. They were not to provoke a fight, accept a challenge to fight, or to show off. Am I right? It is not that they were not brave or had no ability to fight, but the true martial arts is tolerance and not fighting.

When we are being pushed against the wall, then of course we have to fight back. But it is not for us to show off any time, so that others know that we are not afraid of anyone, or to show how terrific our martial arts are, how talented, how powerful we are. Therefore, in this world, sometimes an enlightened master handles matters according to the natural flow of the situation and in a humble way. Such as Shakyamuni Buddha, even though he possessed great miraculous powers, he refused to compete with others when challenged. Jesus Christ was also full of miraculous powers. He heard that he would be crucified, He knew that was his destiny, he should be crucified to be able to save sentient beings, so he allowed himself to be crucified. It was not that he couldn't escape; he could have run away without using any miraculous powers, because he had a lot of disciples, and he knew his time was up beforehand. It was not that he did not know, and he could have simply run away without using any miraculous powers!

MASTER'S WONDERS

A True Master Is Hard To Come By

Narrated by Fellow Initiate Lin, Taoyan, Formosa Recorded by Resident Than in Hsihu, Miaoli, Formosa

A would-be initiate was very grateful to Master for saving his life. Just before the Chinese New Year, he was involved in a serious car accident. His skull was fractured. He was sent to a hospital for emergency care and was unconscious for several days. When he was put into the intensive care unit, his wife unexpectedly discovered some of Master's sample booklets on a table by the bedside. She used to see a doctor who was an initiate. The walls of the doctor's office were covered with Master's photographs. Some of her relatives were also initiated. Therefore, she recognized Master. When she saw Master's sample booklets, she had a special comfortable warm feeling. She couldn't help holding the booklets close to her heart and started to pray to Master for help while sitting outside the room.

At the time, she heard a loud and clear sound and the sound of knocking the wooden fish (an instrument used in Buddhism). When her husband regained consciousness, he also heard that sound. They realized that they had encountered the most precious real Master, a true savior. They decided to become vegetarians right away. Because of his vegetarian diet, the poison and spots which he had accumulated in his liver over the years had disappeared. When he was moved to the main ward, he could feel that Master was taking care of him all the time. Like a miracle, everyone could clearly see the Master's image imprinted on the lamp shade which hung in the ward. After a brain operation, he recovered quickly and completely as if he had never been injured. Besides expressing their utmost gratitude to Master, they are studying Master's teachings and eagerly await initiation.

Master, Please Come With Me!

Narrated by Resident Wu in Hsihu Center, Miaoli, Formosa Recorded by Our News Group

An initiate in Mainland China, while she was purchasing Master's photographs, suddenly saw a row of Master's manifestation bodies appear - one alongside each photograph. She originally wanted to purchase all of the photographs, but she saw that some initiates-to-be like them very much, so she let them make their purchases first. Whenever they purchased a photograph, one of Master's manifestation bodies would follow it.

One day she introduced Master's teachings to her daughter, who was a practitioner of the Pure Land method. When she heard Master's name and listened to the cassette tapes and watched the video tapes, she immediately confirmed that she had found the greatest Master.

On the day when she was initiated, her daughter was meditating at home. During her meditation, she saw Master give each new initiate a five-colored lotus flower.

Miracles at Initiation

Narrated by Resident Wu in Hsihu Center, Miaoli, Formosa Recorded by Our News Group

Before each initiation, we always arrange the time with Master. Therefore, Master's blessings are always present during each initiation. Once during initiation, someone saw Master descend from the sky, carrying a magic bag. Master took something from each new initiate and put it in Her bag. Then She left immediately.

Master is omnipresent. Even when She is not there in person, Her power is unlimited.

Sometimes, before the initiation begins, Master's power has already manifested itself. Someone saw Master appear in the meditation hall and saw Her photograph move. Another time during initiation, while the Quan Yin messenger was explaining the procedure, many people felt the strong blessing power of Master. Someone saw Master's photograph appear as a real person with body and even eye movement. The curtain behind the photograph emitted an array of golden beams, each approximately three to four inches wide, filling the entire meditation hall with light. Someone also saw Master walk amongst the new initiates during initiation.

You may not know

An Elderly Monk Gets Initiated

Narrated By Resident Wu in Hsihu Center, Miaoli, Formosa Recorded by Our News Group

There is an elderly monk in Mainland China, who entered the monkhood when he was very young. He followed many masters and studied the Buddhist Scriptures constantly. Presently there is no true method in Buddhism for one to reach true enlightenment, therefore the monks could only recite the sutras and prostrate to the Buddhas. Why is he so famous? He only recited one sutra, the Diamond sutra. Of all the sutras, this was the only sutra that could give him an experience of the power inside. Whenever he recited the Diamond sutra, light would shine from the sutra. Especially during the night, when he recited it, the entire room would light up. Other people thought his room was on fire!

This elderly monk practiced very diligently. He practiced all day long and slept only two to three hours a day. He spent the waking hours working and meditating. Whenever he meditated, it would take him only one to two minutes before his soul would rise to higher levels. He said that a palace and house was being built for him to live in there. Therefore, he felt that his practice was gradually bearing fruits. Other people also recognize him as a high level practitioner.

An initiate, prior to receiving initiation from Master, was eagerly looking for a true and beneficial method. He heard about this monk's high level of practice. He went to learn from him and sincerely asked the monk to accept him as a disciple. The elderly monk replied, "I can feel your sincerity. Alright, I will accept only you as my disciple. I don't accept other people as disciples. But there is only one condition. You have to be a virgin." However, that initiate was already married and had a teenage daughter. How could it work? He was very disappointed. He set out to find other virtuous and high level monks at Jio-Hua Mountain, and other holy mountains and famous temples everywhere.

In Jio-Hua Mountain, he met a Quan Yin messenger. He learned the Convenient Method and received initiation. He felt that Master's Quan Yin Method was transmitting the same power as transmitted by the founders of any religion. Anyone who follows any of these religious leaders should practice this method. Thus, he introduced the Quan Yin Method to the elderly monk.

That same morning while the elderly monk was meditating, he suddenly heard a woman's voice say, "I want to save you!" When the initiate later brought some of Master's cassette tapes, photographs, video tapes, and sample booklets to visit the monk, and he saw Master's photograph and heard the cassette tapes, he realized immediately that the wonderful voice which had spoken to him that morning was Master's voice. Thus, Master's power had already been transmitted to him.

On the day the elderly monk received initiation, he truly felt that every word spoken by Master was the Truth. During the initiation, as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw Master standing in front of him, looking at him silently with tears in Her eyes. The elderly monk was very touched, but he held back his tears for fear that he might disturb others. Since then, he has felt that Master is really great. Whatever Master says all comes true. He said, "I am already so old and Master still takes care of me constantly." From that day on, he has been very, very happy.

They Are All Given
By My Master!

      wNarrated by Initiate Chang in Taoyuan, Formosa 
                     wWritten and Edited by Initiate Lu in Taoyuan,

Formosa

Before her initiation, initiate Chang had just been through her fourth heart operation. Because her eldest son was killed in a car accident, she was entirely responsible for the livelihood and debts of the whole family. These past few years she never received any assistance, and was able to pay off all the debts by herself. At the same time she made use of her time at work to help Master locate quite a few lost sheep. How did she do all of this?

Perhaps my past fate was not good. I believed in the Tao religion for a long time hoping to use my sincerity to move the gods to bless me and my family. After the operation, my eldest sister who believed in my religion invited me to her home to convalesce. My sister has been a vegetarian for over ten years, thus I naturally had the opportunity to eat vegetarian food. The room I was staying in happened to be the bedroom of her married daughter. In her room I had the chance to read 'The Key to Immediate Enlightenment' left behind by her daughter. Immediately I felt that Master is truly the Master I have been looking for. That very day I gave my niece a call telling her I wanted to be initiated.
Since the initiation, Master has been taking really good care of everything for me, subduing my temper and helping me with my livelihood. The most important thing is that everything happens so naturally, invisibly, miraculously and ingeniously that it causes one to be truly convinced. At the time of convalescence after watching some of Master's video tapes, my state of mind changed from darkness to brightness. I also understood better that all my misfortunes were tests given by God Almighty and that the objective of my life in this world is to practice spiritually. Because I was deeply in debt I gave up my job at the factory and took up the courage to try to get a taxi license. Not long after, with Master's pictures, sample booklets, magazines and cassette tapes, I started my life as a taxi driver.
Due to the fact that I listen to Master's tapes everyday, I get to understand more and more about Her teachings and become more and more convinced. Therefore, when I meet anyone who is interested in Master's teachings I try my very best to propagate whatever I know about Her teachings. In meeting those who misunderstand Mster, I can usually make them change their view. Once I met a passenger who could not understand why Master dresses up so beautifully. I said, “Because the times have changed. During the time of Shakyamuni Buddha there was a lack of material things. Most people did not have shoes to wear. Thus he went barefoot begging for food and preaching. Nowadays material things and civilization have advanced so much, and the foreigners respect formal wear at formal functions. If Master were to have a shaven head, to be barefooted, or wearing old torn clothes, that would be very inappropriate, right?” That person said before he alighted, “Miss, you have helped your Master find a new believer.”
Some passengers, when riding the taxi would immediately tell me to pass other vehicles, ask me to carry luggage, and even scold me for not being as capable as a male taxi driver. I thought about Master wanting us to practice tolerance, so I endured. Consequently, not only was the matter over without incidence, but also my temper has become more and more mellow. Sometimes some passengers would jokingly say, “Miss, you do not look fifty at all; so young and beautiful. How do you keep yourself so well?” I would tell them from the bottom of my heart, “It is all given by my Master!”
I have to have a minimum daily income to pay back my debts. Fortunately I have been able to reach the daily target ever since I took on the job of a taxi driver. I have just reached the second anniversary of my initiation. The bliss and happiness of the past two years has surpassed all the joy I have ever experienced in my entire life. Now I only wish that I could finish paying all the debts soon so that I could work less and meditate more, to be closer to Master. 

Poems
Quietly, You Embraced Me

When I was most anxious
You did not come.
Yet when I didn't pay attention,
You embraced me quietly.
What broke into this cold, rigid heart of mine? And made me
the one who never sheds a tear,
Now cries like a babe!

I have trodden alone on the path,
And watched life's sorrows along the roadside. I soared high into the sky,
Carrying with me a lonely heart,

My eyes filled with melancholy.
I ran and I screamed in the wind,
Complaining to Heavens and Earth,
Who took no notice!

Yet when I was most unwanted,
You embraced me quietly,
Giving me all the love and warmth I needed, Soothing all the ruffles deep within my soul. Now I am set free!
Tears of joy flow endlessly,
My heart forever fulfilled.
wBy Moye from Taipei, Formosa



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Spot Light

The Way To Save The World From Doomsday

Spoken by the Supreme Master Ching Hai at the Japan Airport on September 8, 1994 (Originally in Chinese)

Be A Saviour To The World

I feel much more relaxed in Japan this time. [Applause] You have been initiated for a longer time now! You have also practiced and meditated diligently, purifying yourself. This is very helpful to the atmosphere of Japan. We are helping the world in this way, so I say you are the saviours of the world. In this world, many of our brothers and sisters have forgotten their original duties, forgotten their Buddha nature, the quality of God. Instead, they have done many harmful things to the world, to the universe. If everyone were doing so, and doing nothing to counter balance, our world would be in great calamity. Many mishaps have already happened, but more disastrous ones are yet to come. Until now, these calamities are affecting mostly one country or part of a country. Should everybody keep on disregarding spiritual practice as before and doing bad deeds instead, neglecting other people's life and feelings, and ignoring human rights, greater disasters will happen, even affecting the whole globe. Without using miracle powers, we can see into the future. We can know it without using miracle powers, because it is logical, it is cause and effect.

Many of the so-called clairvoyants and prophets anticipated that many grave disasters would simultaneously happen in the world. In different countries and different ages, different people have had the same vision. Those people could really see into the future, they were not remarking casually. There have been such persons in many countries in all ages. They were not rare. However, perhaps we are practicing well. Our practitioners are in many countries, setting up big group meditation centers. Grouping together, our power is very strong. So, I think the world can still be saved. If we sincerely pray for something together, or practice together, we can generate an enormous atmosphere of peace, and it will have a great effect.

It is not limited to that specific place. For example, there is no river in your land, but there are rivers in other places. The water in the rivers and seas would be evaporated to become steam, and then become rain. Subsequently, your land will also be affected. Another example: you may have run into trouble today on the road or in a certain place, you may have had a car accident or another accident. Then, you met two very compassionate people who cared and helped you, making you feel loved, safe and very comfortable. Later, you left when everything was alright, or after spending a week in the hospital and that loving feeling was still affecting you. Whomever you saw thereafter, or in a conference with many people, you would be very loving and patient to them and then, those who you treated compassionately would continue spreading the love outward, also treating others with love. And then, those whom they had lovingly treated would again spread this love to more people. The transmission would go on and on, just like a drop of oil, spreading outward continuously.

The Pure Land Exists If The Mind Is Serene

Similarly, if a person has sufficient time to practice, he would be serene within and then, his serene attitude and atmosphere would further influence the people he sees, the neighbors and people around him. Upon seeing him, the people would be affected by his aura and become peaceful. They would think, "Oh! This is right! We ought to be peaceful and loving!" As the influence spreads out, many people would be affected. Therefore, our spiritual practice is truly beneficial. This is simply logical, nothing esoteric or beyond comprehension.

Many undesirable things happen in the world because the people are not happy and lacking love. For instance, we often read some remarks in the psychological books or in the newspapers: Most of the more troublesome and violently inclined persons are those mistreated or neglected in childhood. Without receiving any love, they grew up in a bad mood and developed a negative personality. This is the cause for most of them. Now, our meditation centers are providing places where people can rest and calm down. Sensing the tranquility, they know this place is safe. No one would annoy them, abuse them, so they become more peaceful and calm at heart. Subsequently, they are no longer afraid or nervous, or feeling dangerous. Besides, we can also teach them to communicate with their almighty power within themselves. Gradually, they realize their real greatness, and improve. They would definitely feel increasingly serene and peaceful. That was exactly what happened to you! [Applause]

So, you see! Spiritual practice is very logical! You can understand by logical reasoning. These places of spiritual practice are necessary for people to introspect and seek their peaceful corner within. This is why your lives are getting better as you practice. You are feeling increasingly more intelligent, realizing more, you are more relaxed, it's easier to forgive others, and you are more compassionate. Previously, you didn't know the way to nurture yourself, so you felt uncomfortable, weak in both body and mind.

Miraculous Effect Of Quan Yin: Rejuvenation

In Heaven above, they heal with light instead of with medicine. I think, perhaps we will also heal illness with similar light in the future. There are also some illnesses which can be affected by sound, say like music. This method we are practicing include the light and the sound. Many agonies and pressure minimize naturally, and eventually disappear. We are originally highly intelligent beings. However, in this world, we are excessively oppressed, and have no time to rest. Even when we find time to rest, we don't know the proper way. Outings and activities simply tire us even more after spending much money. We just feel even more uncomfortable. Now, we have the time to practice, and the power of light and sound that heals all illnesses, and we also have wisdom. In serenity, we can find our original wisdom, so it is simply natural that we are becoming better and better.

Ordinary people, after being loaded with heavy work, go for a rest by the seaside or in the mountains for a while, if they can afford it. Then they feel refreshed and are ready to carry on with their work. However, it is much better that we have a brief rest each day than taking a week off after a long time. Our two and a half hours' meditation is our everyday rest. Besides resting, we are also saving our life! The light and the sound purifies our mentality and bodily cells, etc. Therefore, the more we practice, the younger and more comfortable we feel. Most illnesses disappear.

I have read in a magazine lately that they are using a special sound to heal cancer. Have you read that? They have started experimenting on it, and it seems to be effective. Having read this news, I felt that our "contemplating on the Sound" is really the best. Many fellow initiates, having practiced the Quan Yin Method, have gotten rid of their cancer unknowingly! However, this is only a natural bonus effect. We do not practice for healing. In another sense, we are also practicing for healing! Our illness of ignorance is the worst, from which many other illnesses are born.

Ignorance Creates all Kinds of Illnesses

For instance, being ignorant, we would enjoy all kinds of pleasures, eating meat, consuming alcohol or even drugs. We think these will bring us pleasure, while in reality, we are ruined both physically and mentally. This is a result of our ignorance, understand? We ignorantly take drugs and poisons, and become ill. We suffer from disordered liver, lungs and heart, cancer and everything, all because of our illness of ignorance. Originally, God sent us here to bless the world, so the world would evolve, become more beautiful, as if in Heaven. The outcome is, after we have entered this "tool" (the human body) we abuse it instead of using it to implement God's will. We destroyed this tool given by God, so we are feeling very uncomfortable.

Master is teaching you to do the right thing, to find the proper way of using your "tool", and to remember your mission. Otherwise, each of us would come to this world and then get lost in material enjoyment, fond of this, fond of that, fond of this tool. Instead of using this tool to beautify the world, we are indulged in the tool, intoxicated. Of course the world is hopeless in this way. There must be someone like us reminding people of their original mission, to remember and understand that they must not be indulged and get lost in this world, destroying the world, together with themselves. Therefore, spiritual practice is our obligation.

When an ordinary person is very ill, he will be sent to the hospital, not only for the medication, but also for a rest. His body will then generate a resisting energy to cure the disease. Usually, after taking medicine we feel heavier and sleepy. The purpose is to let us rest more so our body would yield resisting power. We are cured naturally, and medicine is not the only effective substance. Therefore, even though we are not sick, we rest every day, taking the Heavenly prescription--the internal light and sound, in a dosage of several hundred liters each day, [Master laughs] of course we feel better! We have rest and we have the medication, naturally we are healthy and sound, physically and mentally. Therefore, the more we practice, the more we feel that it is hard to quit. We simply enjoy it more and more, like a kid unable to quit drinking milk.

Most people have some problem or another, either physically or mentally. We might be a little too late starting now, but it is better than never. If we have our own kids, hurry and give them this "medicine", so they have no need to take that much when they grow up. Look at the hospitals in the world, they are full of patients eating a lot of meat and drinking alcohol. They are not poor people, right? They are rich people, experts in food and wine, ending up in the hospitals. Also, they recover very slowly, even when their illness is a minor one. On the contrary, those vegetarians who lead a simple life like us can recover from illness very soon, if not immediately. Besides, there won't be any side effects after taking medicine, no adverse reaction. If we practiced only very recently, our systems may not have adjusted or improved so fast. We cannot change fast enough at the initial stage of our practice, should the illness be too heavy. Therefore, we are occasionally sick. If we were not practicing, the situation would be even worse.

The Light And Sound Are Vital Spiritual Food For Our Soul

This light and sound is the medicine and food for our body's body and soul. It changes and renews our body's cells. Therefore, you may observe that good practitioners look younger, at least younger than before. If you see them again after a long time, their skin is more shiny and tender, as if reliving their youth. If our life is not a hustling and nervous one, the change would be even more apparent. It is good enough for us to practice for two and a half hours each day! We can live on. At least the pressure would not be too heavy, to the extent of half alive and half dead. [Master laughs] Not that I need you to practice, but that you truly need to practice. I will also try my best travelling about, reminding people of the benefits of spiritual practice. With respect to the resolution to practice diligently or not, it is your own right and obligation to decide. Truly, I cannot urge you, drag you, pull you, or do anything. All I can say is: the more you practice, the more you will enjoy it, feeling the benefits, feeling very comfortable, feeling physical changes, feeling not the same any more. Really, when I come back to see you after a few years. Wow! You are so healthy! Very different from the first time we met. [Laughters and applause.] You applaud because you understand, is that right?

Our physical body is affected by the spiritual body and our mentality. If our spiritual body and mentality are satisfied with taking the spiritual food, our physical body would also change to become prettier. If we are mentally heavy, unhappy, our physical body would also look tired and frustrated. Then, we are restless and distressed.

Here is a very logical example: don't you look very pretty when you are happy or in love? Or, when your family is warm, comfortable and peaceful, you look cheerful, pretty and bright. When we are worrying about our job, obstructed in business, if our lover runs away, etc. or we lose in gambling, our faces will always show it. Sometimes, people would say, "I am so mad I could die, I am annoyed to death, I am missing my lover...!" Understand? He is not dead yet, but he looks very much so! These are only the worldly distress, not to mention our spiritual body if we fail to let it rest and nourish it each day. The light and sound is our spiritual food. Without nourishment, our spiritual body would wither and become frustrated, upset, and then inevitably affect our physical body.

The Crisis On Earth

The several years between 1994 to 1996 or 1997 is the most sensitive period of our Earth. Many incidents have happened. In the last few centuries, we have done so much harm to our planet. Sometimes, the actions looked like we were helping the world, or making the world progress, but the price is too high! We human beings are too ignorant. Just for earning money quickly in our business, we disregarded the future consequence. So, now we better slow down and consider our situation, and that of our next generation and the background of the world. We have destroyed too much! For instance, we may cut down trees, but we should plant two trees with every one we cut! We can retrieve used materials for recycling, then it is all right! We may also change our meat diet to a vegetarian one, because meat-eating has used up most of the resources on Earth.

Each year, many forests are destroyed just for raising livestock. To raise the animals and provide beef for our consumption, forests and jungles equivalent to the area of England is being felled each year. Raising cattle consumes a lot of water, forage, time, and land and the land cannot be used again. After the trees are felled and the earth is trampled by the animals, you have to wait fifty years to plant things again. Also, with the trees gone, the exposed rich soils are washed away by the heavy rain. Erosion is out of control, and the land becomes barren and dry. There will be a chain reaction of one affecting the other, and the destruction is not limited, but in many aspects. Pure water sources are used for animals to drink and take a bath, leaving only the filthy water for us, and in insufficient quantity too.

We have abused technology and damaged the protection layer of the Earth's atmosphere. This has also affected our planet, Earth is getting hotter. It is hot and there is no rain, and no shading trees. Without rain, trees cannot grow, without trees, there is less rain. Therefore, the climate is becoming hotter and changing unpredictably. All these end up affecting our body, affecting our children, our business, our mentality and other aspects, and eventually affecting the moral state of our Earth. Without sufficient food, prices would soar, many people could not afford it. Business would be bad which would result in bankruptcy. Broke people would go robbing, or become homeless, and do evil deeds. They would even harm themselves and their families.

The Disaster Extends To Our Descendants

You would be the first victim if there were nothing to eat. Very soon, the whole world would be in hunger. The consequence has already affected the children, affected them morally. Therefore, the United Nations and many countries are getting together, resolving to kill the children, the infants. Yes! To have abortion. As the number of people is increasing, and food is insufficient, they want to kill people now. To say it bluntly, they are killing people for food. However, this is really happening. They kill infants, they kill children. It is because they sense the danger; food is getting less and the population is on the rise. They do not change their way of living - to be vegetarian, refrain from cutting trees any more, and to plant them instead; stop raising livestock, but plant crops instead. On the contrary, they are slaughtering children. Therefore, you can see that the influence is like an iron chain, continuously affecting another and another. You can't say, "Eating meat is my business," it affects the whole world, affects the next generation, and your innocent children. You can see this is terrible, the damage is so enormous. Now, do you still ask why Master wants you to be vegetarian?

We have to solve this problem from the root. We water the plants at the roots, not on the leaves. Yes, the more we eat meat, the more we have to produce meat. Raising animals requires vast land area and plenty of water for the grass to grow. The more trees we cut, the less water we get; and then the water is used for the animals and people are left without. Without water, we cannot plant crops, so we have less fresh produce. When the supply drops, they'll be more expensive. When the population is soaring and food production is decreasing, wars are inevitable. There will be more violence like robbery and killing--just for eating, just for food. Finally, they think of murdering--murdering the children to save their own skin.

Previously, nobody ever even thought of abortion, but now they try to legalize and publicize it. I feel that the United Nations and many other countries ought to think in a more logical manner, and find a more effective and correct method, instead of just killing children. If the situation persists, it is not enough no matter how many lives you kill. Many people have prophesied in the future there are some countries that need to eat human flesh to survive. They have reached the stage of eating the meat of dead people. However, there is a way to change the future, but not if they continue in this way.

Act Now To Change The Future

We can change, change our world. We can save our world, instead of killing others for our own survival. We should rebuild our way of life - live a moral life, be a vegetarian, cultivate ourself mentally and physically and there will be immediate results. Our world will be changed at once! If everybody is planting trees instead of cutting them down, then we would be saved very soon. Within ten years, the world would never be the same, without any problem. Truly there is hope, but only with the cooperation of everyone.

For example, you disciples listen to what I say and you will further influence other people you know. However, if that land does not belong to us, we cannot demand the landowner to plant trees! He ought to realize the gains and losses. This news should be propagated to the whole world for everyone to know. They have to believe, and they have to think in a more logical way. Everybody has to be united to save the world. Otherwise, there is no point worrying about Doomsday. We are killing each other already before Doomsday arrives. Since the beginning of Creation, we have never heard that wars are for killing children! It means that our moral standard has been degraded to its lowest point.

Nowadays, if you have killed a person, the judge, the police would arrest you and put you in jail. You have to compensate for the lost life with your own life. However, they are now trying to legalize the massacre, and no one seems to think this is immoral. This is really incredible! I hope the United Nations and the participating countries will keep their minds clearly awake. Otherwise, it is really terrible to put the future of our next generation and the whole world in their hands, and let them decide for us! Do you understand? If they are not enlightened, and incapable of logical thinking, you could imagine how serious the situation is! When there is a cause, there is an effect. God is not going to stand on one side watching them decide the life and death of the people, the children of God. God definitely would not allow it.

We often accuse others, "He kills, he is a murderer!" Everybody would scold him, hate him. We are also disgusted by wars, killing. However, murder has now become a natural course, and the murdered victims are babies, infants. This is truly horrible! It is different if it has to be done due to compelling situations. However, they are now doing it openly, without any urgent reason; just because the food rations are insufficient. The babies have to be killed simply to ensure the adults' food ration. I hope abortion is not legalized. Try our best to think of a way, and don't let this happen.

We can write to them, in about the same content of my speech today. Each of us may accordingly write to the United Nations, to the President of the United States, and the relevant nations. Request them to find another solution, instead of employing this undesirable method! Perhaps they will listen to our advice, perhaps not. I hope they will listen. Otherwise, even if we kill all the children to save the adults from starving, the retribution of the karma incurred would be even worse. It is strange! I don't know what the people of the world are thinking. They cannot solve even such a simple problem. I am sure most of the politicians know about the statistics from the books researching the gains and losses of a meat diet versus a vegetarian diet. They have more opportunities to read these books. They are wealthy, and they have people to inform them, submitting the material to them. They should know better than us. They are obliged to manage the country and work for the people, they should know about these facts. It is so simple, just encourage the people to be vegetarians, and they themselves should also change to a vegetarian diet. The world will soon be saved this way, not to mention going to heaven through spiritual practice, and the incurred merits!

Everyone Is Responsible For Saving The Earth

If a vegetarian diet can save the world, then everyone just sacrifices a little. The political and religious figures have great influence and authority over the people. They are free to use any means. They have television, radio and everything. They can talk about anything at any time. They should talk about good things, propagating a vegetarian diet, and environmental protection. This is the right thing to do for ourselves and our next generation. Is that right? It is very convenient for the major political and religious groups to do so.

We have received many warnings lately. There are natural disasters and earthquakes everywhere. Furthermore, we are terrorized by killing among humankind. Humans are powerful. They could be the Buddha or they could be a demon. As a Buddha, they could save the whole world. As a demon, they could destroy the whole world. Until now, we have been afflicted with many problems. Some mentally unbalanced people have created wars, or invented some bombs, much of which destroy the wealth of the world and people's lives. Sometimes we think a bomb is nothing, to destroy a city is nothing, etc. So much money and effort is required to build a city. If the city is destroyed, the economy of the nation is affected, and pressured. Rebuilding the city entails great pressure. It is a tremendous burden to the economy of the nation. So, there are natural disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, bombs, and strange diseases. Don't say the whole world is destroyed. It is extremely disastrous if only one third or a part of the globe is affected. The situation will deteriorate with a chain reaction.

Therefore, I hope the people of the world will wake up quickly. I wish you would spread the message to everybody, telling them to save this Earth together. Otherwise, what should we do? Heaven only accommodates the virtuous people. If the Earth does not exist anymore, where do all the not-so-good people go? Therefore, we must spend some effort for the less desirable people.

This planet Earth is very precious. Should God wish to punish it, destroy it, there is nothing we can do but to comply with His will. However, if it still can be saved, then we should save it. It's because this world is a very good school, where many souls can come to learn and grow.

Special Report

Master And Disciples On Holiday

• Developing The Austin Ashram

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By Five Team Members Who Cultivated The Land (Originally in Chinese and English)

Master's artistic talents are not
just confined to the canvas and brushes, but is also expressed in everything She does in Her daily life. She has integrated art into Her life.

The Austin Ashram in Texas, USA originally a horse ranch, is situated on a mountain, about 40 minutes driving distance from Austin, the capital of Texas. It is about 56 acres in size. The slope is gentle. There is a stone house nearly a century old. There are also two stables, a few barns and an abandoned wind powered water pump. Some people called this place a desert. In the distance the landscape is piled with small stones and full of dry grass almost as tall as a person, evidence of the scorching sun.

After the land was bought, it was developed immediately into an ashram so that the local initiates could have a place for group meditation. The local initiates often make use of holidays to tidy up the ashram and pray that Master will come personally to bless the place. Hoping that Master may arrive earlier than expected, they especially contacted the nearby Texas initiates and arranged a 3-day "working retreat." In the morning and evening when it was cooler, they meditated together "to seek first the kingdom of God" inside. In the daytime when it was hotter, they built the roads and tidied the surroundings not only to exercise the body, but also to welcome more fellow initiates to the ashram for spiritual practice.

Feeling the sincere prayers of the local initiates, and also due to the timing being just right, Master arrived quietly in late July.

Before setting off, a fellow traveller said: "There is already a house, water and electricity at the next stop. This time Master is taking us on a holiday for several days. Just bring simple baggage along." In spite of that, a few fellow brothers and I still took all our belongings with us.

There were rows of trees and shrubs on both sides of the road to the Austin Ashram. It was so beautiful. Scattered among the houses were neatly-paved white foot paths. On the way, Master kept saying that this scenery resembles that of Au Lac. That triggered our memories to the relaxing, happy Au Lac times.

Getting out of the car we looked around. What welcomed us was a big, old stone building surrounded by tall trees. There seemed no sign of life there. On the path, there were a few tin sheds painted black; they emanated a cold feeling. The ground was full of unsightly ash heaps, and timber logs of various sizes were scattered all around, not a pleasant sight. Some of the weeds were already burnt-black. The soil was black. There were ant nests everywhere. Seeing these, Master shook Her head and said, "So dirty and messy! I don't think I can live here. Such a big place, it should to be tidy and clean. How can the work be finished? I have just developed one ashram and thought I could come here for a few days' holiday. I didn't expect to be kidnapped here to develop another ashram for them."

We know Master likes the environment to be clean and beautiful. She asks for Truth, Virtue and Beauty both inside and outside. But the places that She sees are always incomplete. Master asked the fellow initiates, "What has everybody been doing all along?" The contact person smilingly led Master and everybody to look around. We saw a metal shed, dimly lit and inhabited by many insects. It was in fact a bathroom which nobody would want to go into for a wash. There was a stable fully grown with grass. The only construction seen was a kitchen with the floor just made. They prepared a piece of land to build Master's house (designed, but not yet built). There was a very big kitchen, half-built (supposedly to be used for future international retreats). Also there were a few big trenches dug for toilets. After hearing all this, Master could only shake Her head and smile.

Supposed Vacation,
Truly Renovation

Master had come here not only for a visit but also to help the local practitioners in the task of cleaning up and renovating this place. After resting for a while Master instructed everyone first to clean up around the house. That afternoon we split up into different work teams, began to pitch tents and to clear the ground around the camp site. The evening meal was served soon after sunset. It consisted of vegetables picked from the garden plus whatever leftover we could find in the refrigerator. Some fellow practitioners, on the instructions of Master, went to buy mobile trailers. They could house people and had bathrooms. Soon everyone would have a roof over their heads.

Master, besides directing the workers, personally flattened the ground and raked the stones. With Master's instructions, the tasks seemed so easy and infallible. It seemed to be so relaxed, yet a lot got accomplished. It was truly like a military operation with cheerful talking. At first we really did not know how to begin. After Master's instructions, from near to far, we had transformed the useless into the useful. Master and disciples, had transformed the storeroom into a pavilion, the lavatory trenches into a lawn, the useless logs into tables and chairs, and the burnt turf into pavement with yellow sand.

The next afternoon, Master personally led us to begin cleaning around the premises, especially those piles of unsightly ashes. After lunch, Master allotted work to each of us and joined us in the work. She carried the trolley full of white small pebbles and then put them around the stone building. Strewing pebbles over the charred ground did neutralize the color. It was then followed by trimming the leaves and branches of the trees, and weeding. Instantly everything had become fresher and much more orderly! The pile of white pebbles placed around this hundred-year-old stone house had made the stone house seem full of energy and look much younger. Master explained that this way it would prevent ants and other insects from crawling into the house. Master wanted everyone to walk on the pebble path and not to step casually on the grass so that in a very short while there would be a green grassy lawn.

Later in the afternoon, the pebble paving was completed. Now the stone house took on a totally different look, fresh, beautiful and clean! The contrast of the pebbles made the monotonous wall look beautiful. A few hours before sunset, Master had the logs scattered all over placed under the trees. Thus they had expressed their new use - outdoor seats and they looked just great. Some cut down the branches, some cleared the wild grass, some leveled the ground and took away the rubbish. The whole crew was working so diligently that we forgot about food! When we remembered, the sun had already set.

The next target was the garage. The four walls were taken off leaving the roof and the frame. Then the inside and the outside were painted green and the floor was made with a layer of white pebbles. A set of white rattan chairs was placed inside and a potted plant was placed in the corners. Instantly a truly classical pavilion appeared in front of our eyes, where one could tie a hammock to enjoy the cool breeze in the day time, could enjoy tea at night, and could listen to the rain on rainy days. Master said, "Most people taking a look at this metal store room would say, 'very dirty and disorganized' and would shake their head and walk away. The most they would do would be to nail the door shut as it would be best not to look at it; or would pull it down. Very few people would try to beautify it and make it useful."

That torn bathroom also received the same cosmetic treatment. The walls were removed and long pieces of wood were nailed horizontally on the three sides. Thus it not only made the pavilion more solid but the long pieces of wood could serve as benches. The ground was paved with white pebbles and the roof was painted green. Master specially had white stripes painted around the rim of the roof and the vertical beams were also painted white. Thus this pavilion looked more lively and was different from the previous one which looked quiet and steady. One male fellow initiate liked this pavilion with the white stripes very much and made a suggestion to Master to have the first pavilion painted with such white stripes so as to make it look better. Master let him add the stripes. However, the next day Master had him change the first pavilion back to its original green color scheme. She said: "It is not necessary that everything be the same! The original colors are more suitable. That fellow male initiate is very young thus he likes that kind of decor."

Then two big umbrellas were set up on the lawn. White rattan chairs and some lounge chairs were placed under the umbrellas. With hammocks strung between the big trees, the whole scene looked like an aristocratic garden. Master also instructed us to have the distant wooden railings removed and the wild grass cleared. The whole ashram looked like a big garden.

Due to the continuous efforts of tidying the ashram for days, Master said Her whole body ached and She could not bend Her body as if She was half paralyzed. Someone at the side joked that it was nothing because there was another sister initiate who was already fully paralyzed! Everyone laughed together. After Master and disciples had dinner, everyone enjoyed tea and some tasty light snacks in the candle-lit pavilion. With abounding laughter and jokes, the tiredness of the whole day's hard work was forgotten.

The moonlight and twinkling stars make a decorative curtain of the black night sky. The big trees around the buildings were decorated with red, blue and other colored lights. A cooling breeze blew from afar, giving everyone a pleasant relaxed feeling.

The Greatest Repair Person

Master wanted us to stop working and take a rest, considering that we had been working very hard. Besides, it was the time for a summer retreat. Master was supposed to take a good rest. But, our motherly Master considered that there would be many initiates here for group meditation over the weekend. The weather was so hot with temperatures ranging from 35 to 37 degrees Celsius (95 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit) in the day time. In order to have more space for the initiates to meditate and rest, Master personally took up the task of cleaning up the largest building, a horse stable, in the ashram with four disciples a few days before the weekend. The old stable was covered with metal sheets and was filled with junk and surrounded by weeds. It could accommodate hundreds of people. Nearby, there were several large hundred-year-old trees which provided shade in the summer. The building originally looked old and dirty. But, with Master's artistic eyes and some cosmetic surgery, it was transformed into an ideal place for meditation. We all worked together to clean up the mess in the building. Master saw some old chairs which could still be used after fixing them. She instructed us to clean them up and put them under the cool shady trees for fellow initiates to use. As Master expected, these salvaged chairs, after being placed at the designated locations, looked beautiful and comfortable. No wonder Master says that She is the greatest repair person, She can fix and repair anything.

The stable already had two sheet metal roofs, but it was still not quite enough to provide shade and keep out of the rain. Therefore, Master had two more roofs put up which transformed it into a place for relaxation, with roofed porches in four directions. A few windows were cut out of the old wooden walls and some walls were removed to provide light and better ventilation. The roofs were painted green and the interior and outer walls were sprayed white. (Master instructed us to buy a paint sprayer, which expedited the painting and saved the staff a lot of hard work.) After cutting and removing the weeds surrounding the stable, it looked bright and beautiful. The fallen guard rails in front of the stable were repaired. In just a few days, all the cleaning was done and the entire building was repainted. It looked new and nice. The roof and porch were green. The guard rails and the pebbles on the ground were white. The whole place looked quite impressive in the cool breeze.

Master placed a few large umbrellas under the trees. Lounge chairs were put under the umbrellas. Hammocks were hung on the trees. Fruit, drinks and a bonsai tree were placed on a large table in the spacious area. One can imagine how beautiful this horse stable meditation hall must look now!

The Life Style Of

A Master Is Art Itself

Again, with a paint-brush, instead of painting on canvas, Master painted stroke by stroke on real objects. She had picked some inexpensive yet pretty tables and chairs and placed them in appropriate locations. It was like making an artistic creation or performing magic. Master transformed a ruin into an aristocratic garden. Just a few days ago, what stood here was an old and broken building. Now, it has become a clean and comfortable meditation area. Viewed from a distance, it looks like a vivid picture. One can't describe its beauty. Master's artistic talent is not just confined to the canvas and paint brushes, but also is expressed in everything She does in Her daily life. She has integrated it into Her life.

Master once said, "When we take a dirty and useless place and change it into a clean and useful one, we are performing magic in reality." Within a few days, Master used Her great magical power to transform a ruin into a wonderland. She changed a dirty place once used to feed animals into a peaceful and graceful paradise. She turned an abandoned horse ranch into a meditation center where initiates are reluctant to leave. This is one of the lessons Master wants us to learn.

There was not enough time to move two large truck loads of pebbles into the building. Master decided to save them for the next day to give the initiates, who attend the group meditation, an opportunity to participate in building their own meditation center. Master also considered the little initiates and guests who may come to visit on the group meditation day. Regardless of the hard work and Her tiredness, She still personally looked around and found an undeveloped forest where the trees thrived and the air was cool. A nearby mobile home was placed there to provide water, electricity and a bathroom facility. It was well situated so that those in meditation would not be disturbed. On the day of the group meditation, following Master's example of designing, initiates took the morning time to cut grass, trim bushes, locate good places to hang up hammocks, and to set up large umbrellas, easy chairs and tables with fruits and drinks on them. A forest park was born.

That day all the initiates who came for group meditation highly praised everything. The children especially enjoyed it like fish in water. Their laughter could be heard from time to time throughout the forest. Just as Master said, "It's wonderful to see fellow initiates have a place to meditate, to rest, and to enjoy a comfortable surrounding. Our work has been worthwhile. Perhaps when we first started, we were not very enthusiastic, but when we see the final results, all our fatigue disappears."

The Story of Cola Cans

When Master saw a large bag of empty cola cans in the storehouse, She asked, "Where did all these cans come from?" A fellow initiate explained that they were left by fellow initiates, for him to sell. He then collected and put them in the storehouse. Master smiled and said, "The refund on those cans can't even fill half a tank of gas." She also said, "After fellow initiates drank the drinks, they didn't want to take the cans away with them, so they used the excuse of getting a refund on the cans, to cover up their own quality of laziness. They came to the ashram to help do some work and then left a lot of garbage for other people to take care of." We should be careful not to do the same kind of thing, helping others a little bit and then leaving a lot of trouble for others to take care of.

During the days that we were here, apart from the renovation work, all the male members also had to take turns to prepare the meals, thus cooking had become a routine job for us. From time to time, in spite of a full work schedule, Master still went into the kitchen to prepare delicious dishes such as curry rice, curry noodles, fresh herbs in rice paper rolls and taro sweet soup. We just could not help eating a lot more than our usual!