While On The Path

When I was young, my father had a chronic illness. While receiving medical treatment, he actively sought the true meaning of life. Having personally experienced the ephemerality of the world, he yearned for spiritual liberation. At that time, I often heard my parents talking about the "Home of Growth". Even at a young age, this invisibly affected me and inspired me to try to search for and understand the true meaning of life.

After my father passed away, the concepts of birth, aging, sickness, death and suffering frequently dominated my thoughts and lashed at my heart. My perplexity about the ephemerality of life and my struggle against ignorance made me even more thirsty for the eternal Truth.

When I was about fourteen years old, I started to participate in Catholic Christmas activities. This was the first time I experienced the warmth of holy love and compassion. I grasped at the hope and vitality that had been bestowed upon me. I felt that God almighty had held my hands and silently planted a Bodhi seed in me so that I could one day practice the Quan Yin Method and directly meet God.

Later, during several years of studying nursing, I was influenced by Western Christian culture. Inspired by Florence Nightingale's spirit of universal love, I devoted myself to nursing and went to the remote countryside to serve people.

At that time, Swiss Catholic priests and nuns came across the ocean to remote areas in Formosa to spread the message of " God is love ". By coincidence, I was invited by my friend to get in touch with the Catholic church, and I started to attend a Bible study class. After studying for several months, I was formally baptized during the Christmas season of the same year and became a Catholic with the guidance of Father Ai, a Canadian. From then on, I started my spiritual journey of returning to the original Home, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of heaven, and I cried with joy.

I was rather shy, reclusive, lonely and quiet, therefore, I often encountered difficulties when socializing. However, I found a space of my own in this returning process. I felt grateful to the rich spiritual inheritance of Catholicism as well as to the priests and nuns in the missionary team for having let me experience the holy love of God and His wonders in the vast and boundless universe.

Since I was not good at reasoning, but rather preferred direct experience, Catholicism suited me perfectly. After the Council II in the Vatican, the Pope appealed for " Inter Religious Dialogue, " so I was inspired to contact the Pure Land aspect of Buddhism and practice meditation as taught in Zen and other traditions. I would not miss any retreats. These activities broadened my mind. I was very grateful for the open attitude of these religions and for giving me the opportunity to learn their teachings and practice various methods of meditation. Therefore, after I got the sample booklet, " The Key of Immediate enlightenment " from my younger brother, I decided to get initiation and practice the Quan Yin Method in order to be liberated in one lifetime.

After initiation, Master let me experience the state of unity with all creation. She has solved many of my doubts and let me go beyond the realms and obstacles that I had experienced during my earlier spiritual practice. The door of my wisdom has been opened. With the Quan Yin Method, I am constantly realizing the Truth, and receiving the grace and baptism of God all the time. I do not feel lonely anymore. Whenever I meditate and listen to the perfect holy Truth, am in contact with the goodness and the beauty from God, I become one with God and become my own Master. This makes me become filled with bliss and joy.

Deep in my heart, I have truly realized that all religions reach the same goal by different routes. I understand that language is not a barrier between races, and that all things in the universe originate from the same source because we have a common language, that is, the Light and the Sound.

Since my initiation, I often recall the various experiences on my spiritual path, which I wish to share with my Catholic friends, or those who belong to other religions and have not practiced the Quan Yin Method. Some priests and nuns are still concerned about me and try to understand me. They ask me whether I feel any different after practicing the Quan Yin Method; whether I will keep practicing the Quan Yin Method; and whether I am still a Catholic.

Well, after practicing Quan Yin Method I have constantly experienced the true meaning of the Word (the universal Sound stream) as stated in the Bible: "the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) And I realize the meaning of the Light: "The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men." (John 1:2-4) Also, I am so pleased to encounter the inner Master in daily life. I know this is the last journey Home.

I used to wonder how to have the same experiences of the author of " The Gospel According to John ". After practicing the Quan Yin Method, I finally found the answer! I have truly experienced Jesus' words: "I am the way, the truth and the light; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." I have realized that "me" refers to the great Self of the universe and it is the Sound, the Light, the Way and the Life. The Quan Yin Method is the method to help us experience directly the Light and Sound of God which dwells within everyone of us. With this method, I can meditate on the Light and Sound of God within me every day. It makes me truly enter the Kingdom of God and become one with Him, and I know that God is not forever separate from me, nor am I petty, low and ignorant.

I used to have the misconception that no ordinary person can enter the Kingdom of God. This was corrected after I practiced the Quan Yin Method. Since all of creation is equal and all sentient beings have the Buddha Nature (the inner Light and Sound), once we are initiated by a living master and become enlightened, we will be able to enter the Kingdom of God and return to the origin of life. I finally understand that the author of "The Gospel According to John" wrote about his personal experiences of the inner realms when he entered the consciousness of Jesus Christ during his meditation. Oh! How wonderful these experiences must have been! I have finally found the ancient method of spiritual practice in the 20th century, which will lead me smoothly to the Kingdom of God. Thank God for His merciful grace for allowing me to meet Master, who came to find the lost "Sheep" and lead them back Home.

After Jesus was baptized, "And straight away coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him; and there came a voice from heaven, saying," Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1:10-11)

The Quan Yin Method is the ancient secret method for experiencing the inner Sound stream of the universe. This is what Jesus taught -- the method of contemplation on the Word of God.

When Jesus went into the wilderness I'm sure He meditated using the Quan Yin Method: " And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil...And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. " (Luke 4:1-2, 13) The Bible has recorded in many places that Jesus went into mountains to pray, and to contemplate on the Word of God.

Similarly, when we practice the Quan Yin Method, we purify our actions, speech and thoughts; receive blessings from God; open our wisdom; liberate ourselves from preconceptions and obstacles such as greed, anger and attachment; secure eternal life and union with God; and experience oneness with the Father: "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me and I in you" (John 14:20)

In the Bible, it is recorded that Jesus said, "For whoever shall do the will of God is my brother, my sister and mother." The will of God is our inner Light and Sound. We can be within the Light and Sound twenty-four hours a day. Once we learn the method of contemplation, we can contemplate the will of God, the Vibration of universal love, in all activities of our daily lives -- walking, sleeping, and eating. This is the same state as that which is described in Buddhism: " Zen is in walking, standing, sitting, and sleeping."

Once I went to visit the Shengong sisters in New Jersey and I noticed the Chinese characters "Ch'an ['Zen']" written on a paper umbrella in a living room. Ah ha! Finally, I realized the meaning of these characters, which were composed of a character meaning "Show" and a character meaning "Single". From the Bible: "The light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light...If thy whole body therefore be full of light...the whole shall be full of light." (Luke 11:34-36) These words clearly show that Jesus' method of contemplation on the Light is the same as the Quan Yin Method.

Since finding the Quan Yin Method, I have recognized God and my true Self. I have realized that I am one with God, and this relationship is everlasting. God and I are not opposites, nor am I lower than Him. It is stated in the Bible, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

God has shown His incredible greatness and almighty power to help me to be courageous against the obstacle of ignorance and given me the willpower to overcome difficulties in order to obtain the infinite inner treasure and wisdom, and experience the mercy and universal love of God.

Jesus Christ displayed this universal love when, at the last supper He took unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, and blessed them as symbols of the holy Eucharist. In doing so, He wanted to teach people to love and respect all lives created by God and to be vegetarian. After all, one of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament is " Thou shalt not kill, " which must mean not killing all living creatures if it is to be in the spirit of universal love.

In Catholic, there is also a tradition of vegetarianism on each Friday. As is stated in the Bible, all lives created by God are brothers born from the same parents, so we should be compassionate and love each other without discrimination. To deepen this compassion we should get enlightened because only then can we intuitively realize that killing and destruction are against the will of God and the spirit of love.¡¹