Children's Day Special Column

Children's Inspirations

Story Of The Revival OF Baby Silkworm

By Young Fellow Initiate Ho, 9 years old, Taipei, Formosa

Due to our class curriculum, we were required to breed silkworms and to record the observations made on them. Reluctantly, I had to start breeding silkworms.

The mulberry leaves in the silkworm box bought from the school's supply store had long since wilted. One of the silkworms didn't moved, except for its head. After reaching home, my father and I went to pick some mulberry leaves to feed the silkworms. (There was one mulberry tree nearby.) All the silkworms ate with relish except that one; it did not eat. We all thought that it looked hopeless. The next day happened to be Sunday. I heard that there were mulberry trees in Hsihu Center; thus I, conveniently, brought the silkworms along.

After reaching the Center, I put a few mulberry leaves into the box and placed the box by the Nectar River waterfall. After a while, I went to look at the baby silkworm. Wow! It had revived. I could not recognize which one of them it was. Everyone felt it was truly marvelous and also believed that it was Master's miraculously power!

Happy Dream

By Young Fellow Initiate Hsu, 10 years old, Taipei, Formosa

Recently I saw a video tape entitled 'One Must Have Faith In Master To See God'. It made me think about a dream I had.

There was one beautiful angel who came to ask me if I wanted to go up there and play. Because I was very curious, I told her 'yes'. She held my hand and we flew to a very high place. There was a very beautiful garden there as well as a lot of interesting toys. There was a seesaw, an elephant-shaped slide and a candy house. The candy house was made of all sorts of beautiful and delicious candies. The beautiful angel brought me to play on seesaw. I played a lot with the toys and ate a lot of the candies. She also took me to the place where she lived. She opened the refrigerator and took out a loaf of bread and told me, "This is vegetarian, you can eat it." I ate it and felt very happy. We played for a very long time. Then angel said, "We have to go back now. Next time I will bring you back here to play again." Once again she told me to close my eyes. She held my hand and we flew home. This was really a very sweet and happy dream.

I know the lovely angel must have been sent by Master.

I Eat Vegetarian - I Am Healthy

By Young Fellow Initiate Lan, 11 years old, Ilan, Formosa

I have been eating vegetarian for several years, since I was little. My body is strong and my resistance is also very good. I remember when I was little, I fell down from upstairs and nothing happened. At that time my father said humorously, "You are so tough and so fat, how can you get hurt!" The bystanders all laughed.

My father used to operate a seafood restaurant. Ever since he met Shih Fu (Master in Chinese), he changed it to a vegetarian restaurant. Many customers came and went. Some believed that a vegetarian diet is not nutritious. My mother would start talking to them about me, "She is my daughter. She has been a vegetarian since she was very little. She is so chubby." Hence, I became the advertisement for a healthy vegetarian baby.

A Fulfilling Life at Hsihu Center

Narrated By Little Resident Disciple Lan, 12 years old, Hsihu Center, Formosa
Recorded By A Resident Disciple, Hsihu Center, Formosa

Previously, my family kept a bicycle store, and my mother made clothes for other people. Everyone was very busy, so most of my time was spent watching TV at home. One day after initiation, I said to my mother, "Why don't we go to live with Master?" Intuitively I knew that it would be better to live there. Later my father and mother agreed with me; and with Master's permission, my whole family moved to Hsihu to become resident disciples.

After having coming here, everything always seems so new to me. I no longer feel bored; rather it is great fun, especially when we are with Master! From time to time we hear someone call: "Assemble!" And, wow! These are the happiest moments. Master accompanies us in watching videos, eating biscuits, and drinking tea; or She gives us a talk. Sometime I dare not sleep, for fear that I might not hear them call: "Assemble."

Previously, when I was at home, I used to ask my father to buy me lots of toys; but now I am no longer interested in having anything. Those outside toys seem too childish to me. The life at Hsihu Center is so fulfilling and full of fun that I do not even think of going outside to play. When I have time during the holidays, I read story books or play basketball with my companions here.

The daily schedule is very full. We wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning to meditate, and then go to school at six. The first thing we do after school is meditate on the inner sound. Then we eat, take a shower, and wash our clothes if we still have time. Later, from six to eight in the evening, we have group meditation. Then we go back to our tents and do homework, until late sometimes. Every night before we go to sleep, we always meditate for a few minutes. I prefer to live such a full life. Otherwise we tend to be lazy and lose our alertness.

Words From A Mother's Heart

The Whole Family Walks Together On The Path Of Love

Ever since I got initiated, I have been following Master wholeheartedly. In the early days, Master often joined the disciples in group meditation sessions all over Formosa. I almost had to see Master every day, as if I were deeply in love with Her. Even when I was at home, I often cried like a baby until contented, while holding Master's picture. I also cried whenever I saw Her. Therefore, She used to call me "The child who loves to cry."

After a few months, I was so happy when my whole family were also initiated. Then, the tests began. My husband couldn't sit still and my three children would look at their watches every few minutes while meditating. It was quite a challenge for me as a new initiate. What could I do to keep the whole family on the Path? I could only repent for my sins and beg Master to bless my family to practice and progress better. I often heard Master say, "Attending group meditation often is very helpful in your spiritual practice." Therefore, I would not casually give up any chance to attend group meditation, especially the big one in Miaoli. I remember the time when Miaoli was just being developed. The weather was so unpredictable and transportation was very inconvenient. (No tour buses were available from each small center then.) Therefore, to travel to Miaoli from the South each Sunday required some prearranging. But, with my love for and faith in Master, nothing mattered.

I remember one Saturday, we were preparing to go to see Master. (There were very few initiates in the old days; and we were allowed to bring children to Miaoli, and camp out overnight.) I tried to arrange a ride all morning, but couldn't get one. However, I didn't give up. I continued to pack. At noon, when the children came home and found that we couldn't find a ride, they started to cry! They really cried their hearts out! I comforted them and encouraged them, "If you sincerely want to go, then start meditating and pray to Master." A short while later, a fellow initiate came over with a car to take us to Hsihu. We all jumped up. My children were in tears and said, "Thank You, Master! That's wonderful!"

Later, the schedule at Hsihu meditation Center was changed to opening on Sunday. We now had to leave home around midnight. Sometimes, just before we started out, it would pour rain or a cold front would move in; but we kept on going. A woman with three children leaving home in the middle of the night, carrying cushions, blankets, rain gear, luggage and so forth certainly would be a cause for concern by some taxi drivers. They thought we were running away from home! Little did they know that we were leaving this material home to visit our home in heaven! Each time we went to the group meditation in Miaoli, we were tested. But, this was also a good learning experience for the children. I hope this will make them braver while walking on the Path as they grow up. No matter how bad the conditions are, they will have strong faith to break through the obstacles and continue upward. They will always place spiritual practice as their first priority.

I, myself, also try to be a good role model. In ancient times, the mother of Mong Tze moved her home three times, so that her child could have a better environment in which to learn. But, nowadays in our world, where are we going to move? Therefore, I take them to Master's place for group meditation every Sunday to enhance their spiritual progress and to be with more virtuous people. Besides, Master very often says, "The more people meditate together, the brighter the world becomes." If so much good can come from a single action, why not do it? It's worthwhile even if it takes a little more effort.

I often pray to Master to bless this world with peace, and also to bless our family to have more faith. Normally, I meditate together with the children morning and night, no matter how busy I am, to help them form a good habit from young. I also try to find time to read Master's books and listen to Master's cassette tapes with them, as well as to tell them stories Master has told. Even when they have a lot of homework, I still insist that they meditate. After school, they are all very tired. If they don't meditate right away, they will be in a bad mood. My third child is the most sensitive one. If he attends group meditation often, he is very gentle and easy going. Particularly when he has just returned from the large group meditation in Miaoli, his temperament is very good. A few days later, he gets worse, as if he is running out of energy. Therefore, group meditation is also very important for children.

Children all have times of disobedience. Whenever they get out of line, I let them listen to Master's lectures on a portable cassette player, afterwards they do Quan Yin, and then they calm down. As for TV watching, I try to choose only the good programs for them to watch. Over the past few years, we have been through struggles and tests. Now, the children get up on their own between 4:00 and 5:00 A.M. every morning to meditate. When they have school exams, they will set the alarm clock accordingly in order to start meditation earlier. It has become a habit.

Thank You, God and Master, for sending these little Bodhisattvas and big Bodhisattva to develop my courage and sincerity. It has been a very good lesson for me. I pray that the Bodhisattvas from the ten directions and three periods of time will bless us. I will try to do my best to be truly triumphant on the spiritual path!

The Source Of Love
- Little Angels In Kindergarten

By Fellow Initiate Cheng, Taipei, Formosa

In a kindergarten in Taipei, where vegetarian food is provided, many of the children are initiates or are future initiates who come from families that practice the Quan Yin Method. This has aroused the interest of fellow initiate, sister Cheng. She is trying to understand the special qualities of these little Quan Yin practitioners through the daily observations of their teachers, who also are vegetarians and yoga practitioners. This delightful visit provided initiate Cheng with comforting and satisfying conclusions.

Ms. Yeh, a teacher at the kindergarten tries to go above the barrier of spoken words to allow me to understand her real feelings. "I have many thoughts, some of which I don't know how to express. The differences are very subtle, but you know they are different...."

"Once we went to Chin Tien Hill for an outing. The day before, I told them that we were going to Chin Tien Hill where there was a large field of grass and we could drive our car all the way into the clouds...." One of the little Quan Yin angels said innocently, "So tomorrow we can eat cotton candy and it's sweet!" Ms. Yeh recalled with a satisfied expression, "Yes, that's how she said it, so innocent. She went into the 'state of clouds' immediately."

"Little initiates are much easier to take care of. They are very calm and peaceful. Later I found out that my gloomy days often occurred on Saturdays and Sundays because I didn't come in contact with the children. It seemed that I wasn't getting enough love. The little initiates seem to emit some kind of love, some kind of loving power." She added, "Very beautiful."

When I asked if the children ever mentioned anything about Shih Fu, Ms. Yeh answered, "They know who Shih Fu is." When they talk about Shih Fu, they are very happy. For instance, they would tell me that they went to the meditation center yesterday and saw Shih Fu. They were very excited as they mentioned Shih Fu even though they don't use many words to describe or to introduce Shih Fu." When little children talk about Shih Fu with overflowing joy, it is, in fact, the best way to introduce someone.

A few minutes each day were set aside for children to learn a lesson in imagination. The children would close their eyes and follow the teacher's words to imagine good things, such as the sound of flowing water, the warm and beautiful faces of their mothers, the singing bird on the tree tops or a most memorable place, etc.... It is very easy for the little Quan Yin practitioners to get into a meditative state with their eyes closed. Some even saw Shih Fu's manifestation form taking care of them at school. Some even continued to keep their eyes closed after the lesson, to enjoy their inner paradise as if they were not affected by the noisy and chaotic outside world. "It's quite unusual for children to automatically meditate without others asking them to do so," one of the monastic teachers in the kindergarten said.

Ms. Yeh compared the differences between the little initiates and the other children. She said, "The children from the Quan Yin families feel more secure, have more confidence, and are full of love. They have fewer physical conflicts than the other children. They are more likable, other children like to be close to them.... They are more consistent in their behavior both in school and at home. They are less affected by the outside environment and their emotions do not change easily with the surroundings; they are very stable. Besides, they are more opinionated."

Ms. Yeh also mentioned that the little initiates have more influence. She said, "Many of the children from the meat eating families have been influenced by them and have stopped eating meat. Some parents, after giving-in to their children's insistence and after having communicated with the teacher, have started preparing healthy vegetarian food for them. Even after their children had graduated to the first grade, they continued to keep the vegetarian diet."

This interview has enlightened me in that the little initiates are full of Master's blessing and love, and have become a source of love in their surroundings.

Respect Life

"Congratulations! You are pregnant!" These are the first words that almost every doctor would say to a pregnant woman. It conveys a message - the bliss of 'New Life', and the hint of 'New Hope' bestowed by God to humans. Undoubtedly, it is the glory and obligation of all people on earth to ensure each new life coming to this planet will receive love and care, and grow up happily. Therefore, please let our love towards the children begin from the foetus!

The Right To Live Is Beyond The Law

Historically abortion is more prohibited by morality than law. Abortion is a kind of killing, a termination of a young and innocent life so it is prohibited by most religions. People, the old generations may possess a kind of guilty feeling towards abortion, as if a human being has been killed. This alarming feeling forces them to take measures to avoid abortion. This feeling limits abortions in society as a whole. That is why the abortion rate before the 60's was lower than nowadays.

But now suppose you want to legalize abortion. This is teaching people, the future generations that it is alright, feel free to take the life of an innocent being without any reason. But, before doing so you have to consider the following consequences:

This is a big burden for you, the legalizers. All the sins due to the abortions in society or the world may falls on your shoulders, as it may not be the fault of the people who commit the sins because it is permitted by you.

This is harmful for those who choose abortion. Most of them abort the unborn child without knowing it is a sin at the time of doing it. And it may also be a big burden in their future lives, when they realize they did the wrong thing when they were young. They may blame you, as well as blame themselves. Therefore, it is the government's responsibility to prevent this from happening on behalf these ignorant people. And it is also the government's responsibility, assigned by God, to guide their people to avoid killing as much as possible.

Obviously this is unfair to the unborn child. Every person has the right to live. Of course there are special cases, like when the mother's life is in danger. But this "have to" is very different than "feel free to".

To Help The World, Start With Cherishing Life

Abortion must not be legalized. We are in the twentieth century. People are crying out for environmental and wildlife protection. Could it be that human life is inferior to animal life? If we randomly slaughter our own children, what kind of love is there on this earth? Should abortion be legalized, this is actually giving permission to killing people any time and any where on earth. Furthermore, they are killing innocent souls who cannot defend themselves.

The decision of life and death is in the hands of God, the Creator, not humans. When abortion is illegal, and if someone has an abortion, the karmic retribution is incurred individually. However, if abortion is legal, it becomes a much greater offense to the karmic law, due to the collective nature of the karma. Such a heavy sin is intolerable both in heaven and on earth!

A Letter To The President And Officials In The Whitehouse

By Fellow Initiate Greg, LA, U.S.A.
(Originally In English)

Dear Mr. Clinton,

"If the right to control your own body is not a basic human right, then what is?"

This statement is an anthem for the abortion-rights activists who claim that it is a woman's choice, not the government's. I agree. But the choices is made long before abortion could become an issue. It is a choice for or against sexual activity, and a choice of what methods to use to prevent pregnancy. It is a choice of responsibility.

I have always believed that it is far better for the individual to come to their own moral judgements, based upon earnest self-examination and soul-searching, rather than have a government impose a blanket rule which would preempt this process. However, I strongly oppose the practice of the government of the United States using its international influence to promote the legalization of abortion in other countries.

It would best serve to alleviate the world health and population problems, as well as women's rights problems, if education and birth control were made universally available to both women and men. Men need to take equal responsibility for the situation. Abortion only offers the irresponsible male a chance to "leave it up to her". Women's rights activists should recognize that abortion contributes to the perpetuation of this irresponsible attitude, leaving only the woman to make the difficult and often regrettable decision.

Please promote education. Please promote birth control. Please DO NOT promote abortion.
Thank you for your valuable time.

Greg
Los Angeles, CA

A Letter To The Department Of Humanitarian Affairs, The United Nations, New York, U.S.A.

The compassionate Master also put forward a wise, humane and practical solution for the world population problem. To put this Child Care Plan that transcends country boundaries, into practice is really the first step towards 'World Unification'.

Department of Humanitarian Affairs, The United Nations, New York, U.S.A. March 27, 1995

Dear Sirs, Madames,

The population problem is now of international concern. Some countries are handicapped by their low population, while others, being overpopulated, are carrying out compulsory birth control policies which are causing tremendous resentment among their people and provoking God. (Take the recent incident in Peking for example. A man, provoked by the death of his wife who was forced to have an abortion, became insane with sorrow, and killed people at random.)

Actually, this perplexing problem can ultimately be solved by allowing the children from the overpopulated countries (e.g., China, India...) to be legally adopted by families in under populated countries (e.g., Singapore, United Kingdom, France and other western countries) without much bureaucracy and Red Tapes.

The launching of this scheme will at least bring about the following advantages:

1. Balance the population of the world.
2. Comfort the childless parents, giving their life new vitality.
3. Minimize the vice of killing, as well as alleviating the sorrow and animosity of the parents. (To control the population, some nations are carrying out compulsory abortion and the killing babies.)
4. Bring about economic benefits. (The under populated nations gain a greater working force, whereas the overpopulated countries benefit financially from the adoption fees and less burden.)

   Your establishment may worry about the possibility of this scheme turning into trafficking of human beings. However, this can be avoided if a legal record system is set up, followed by continuous case monitoring and counselling. As a result, the international community can exchange resources (including human resources) with each other, and the ideal of 'The Earth Village without Boundaries' will soon be realized.

   Sincerely,
   The International Supreme Master Ching Hai meditation Associations