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A Little Message: In speaking of God, or the Supreme Spirit, Master instructs us to use original
non-sexist terms to avoid the argument about whether God is a She or a
He.
She + He = Hes (as in Bless)
Her + Him = Hirm (as in Firm)
Hers + His = Hiers (as in Dear)
Example: When God wants, Hes makes things happen according to Hiers will
to suit Hirmself.
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One cannot learn the qualities of "Truth, compassion and beauty"
in one year, or two; it is God's wisdom, the power of the universe, and
one can never learn it all.
/By Fellow Initiate Stone, Kentucky, U.S.A. (Originally In English)
I am a new initiated disciple. Recently, I had a strange experience and
would like to share it with you.
A Recent Experience
I came to the States from mainland China in the summer of 1996, and I was
initiated in December of the same year. My father was an educated urban
youth and went to work in the countryside in the early 1960s. He was an
enthusiastic materialist. He was good at debating and also liked to argue
with others. Recently, he retired because of his leg disease, and began
to read all kinds of philosophy books that I left at home before I went
abroad. Occasionally, we wrote to each other exchanging what we had learned
from our studies. My father is a kind of difficult to persuade person.
One year ago when I wanted to become a vegetarian, he was the one who opposed
it the most intensely. Therefore, this time, I did not tell my parents
and relatives about my initiation in advance.
However, one month after my initiation, I received a letter from my father.
In his letter, he said, "...I do not quite understand the 'Tao' that
you are pursuing. But it was strange that one day in mid-December 1996,
I sensed a kind of immediate enlightenment and my thinking had a sudden
change. I felt that the 'materialism' that I believed in before seemed
not to be quite true, and that there might be an unknown element (might
be a spirit) that exists prior to the so-called coming of material into
being."
After reading his letter, I was surprised. In Chapter 25 of the "Tao
Te Jing," Lao Tze said, "There is a certain thing that existed
before the world came into being...It is the origin of the universe. I
know not its name, so I inadequately call it the 'Tao'..." In fact,
my father realized some of the "Tao" by himself. Although he
might have not been enlightened, his level of consciousness has been elevated
at least. The fact that he could suddenly give up the materialistic thinking
that he firmly believed in for decades and that this happened right around
the time of my initiation is truly an amazing thing. I think that this
is part of what is referred to by "liberating the five generations"
or "elevating the level of consciousness" that Master has talked
about.
During the 5-day retreat last Christmas, I talked with a sister initiate
about my father's stubbornness. I never thought that he would change. In
fact, ever since I met Master, this is not the first magical incident that
has happened to me. I feel deeply grateful to Master for Her compassion
and great power.
Since my initiation, I have found that things go much more smoothly. Every
day when I drive my taxi, it's as if Master is sitting in the car with
me. So, I feel very safe.
Early one morning after meditation, I was getting ready to leave for work.
When I put on my jacket, Master's picture fell out of the pocket together
with my car insurance card. I bent down to pick them up, feeling rather
puzzled: "The pocket is very narrow and Master's picture has never
fallen out before, so could this be a warning?" Then I smiled: "What's
the use of car insurance? Without Master's invisible protection, how can
we really be safe in this impermanent world?"
Later, at about 10am, four men asked to be taken to a local dam. On the
way there they looked nervous, so I felt very anxious. After we got to
the dam, they asked that I continue further down a narrow, deserted dirt
road. The road was so narrow that it was difficult to maneuver the taxi.
The road became narrower and narrower so I decided to stop the taxi after
explaining to them the difficulty in continuing. There was total silence,
then the person sitting in front signaled several times to the others in
the back seat.
One man from the back stepped out and came to my side. Taking out a knife,
he pushed it towards my chest. The others inside the car also took out
knives to threaten me. Maybe it was because of Master's blessing, but I
wasn't nervous at all. I took out the money I had and gave it to them.
They hesitated for a while then decided to let me go.
The four men began to walk away hesitantly, as if they had lost their souls.
After about ten or so meters, one of them turned around and viciously said
to me: "We remember your car number. Don't tell the police, or else
we'll kill you!"
On my way home, the more I thought about their behavior and facial expressions,
the funnier I thought the whole situation was. That afternoon, a policeman
stopped me on the road and asked me to go to the station to identify four
people that had been detained. They had confessed that they were intending
to steal a taxi and murder the driver, but they didn't know why they had
changed their minds. Obviously, I was shocked.
That night during mediation, I saw Master's injured head wrapped in a bandage.
She looked very tired. I quickly observed my chest and noticed that I was
still wearing Master's picture, without even a scratch on my clothes. I
realized that it was Master who had taken the knife for me. Whenever I
look back at that situation, I say to myself: "If it weren't for Master's
incredible power, I would have lost my life."
/Narrated By Sister Initiate Lin Fin Lan, Yunlin, Formosa
/Recorded By Brother Initiate Yang Zhung Jin, Yunlin, Formosa
Every day while sister Lin works, she plays Master's Buddhist Chanting
tape. One day she noticed that whenever the Buddhist Chanting was played,
a pigeon would listen quietly to Master's voice. Recently, the number of
pigeons listening to the recording has increased to six and they have become
more lively. Master's soft and uplifting voice chanting, with the pigeons
playing harmoniously together makes one feel very happy. So sister Lin
knows that Master's Buddhist Chanting tape gives bliss not only to human
beings, but also to pigeons.
--------------------★<Master Tells Stories >★------------------- height="450"> /Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Hsihu Center, Formosa January 26, 1992
(Originally In Chinese)
A man rode his horse to a place where there was a waterwheel. In ancient
times, the waterwheel needed to be kept going so that there was water to
drink. The man rode his horse there because he wanted his horse to have
a drink of water. However, when the horse went inside and heard the sound
of "ku-lon, ku-lon" coming from the waterwheel, it got frightened
and ran out not wanting to drink! Then the owner of horse asked the man
who looked after the waterwheel to stop the waterwheel for a while, because
his horse could only drink water when it didn't hear the noise. After drinking
water he and his horse would continue down the road.
However, what happened was once the waterwheel stopped, there was no water
so his horse could not have a drink. The owner said, "Okay, you let
the waterwheel turn again."
But as soon as it began rotating, the horse ran away.
The waterwheel operator then said, "You should force your horse to
drink water now, because when the waterwheel stops although there is no
noise there is also no water. Do you want your horse to have a drink or
not? This is the way it is."
Sometimes when we have no time to meditate, that is when we love to meditate
most. If we live a very comfortable life, like in heaven -- it is very
hard to practice in heaven -- there will be no goals, no motivation to
stimulate us to practice spirituality. Therefore, in a situation with longing
and hunger, our food will be very tasty. Yet if we have too much, we will
have the problems of a rich man who has no appetite to eat anything.
□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□> ?/B>Spiritual Correspondence?
/Initiate Liao, Mainland China
Dear Supreme Master Ching Hai, How are You?
We are an ordinary family in Mainland China. By a rare chance, we saw Your
sample booklet and had the honor of reading Your teachings. Then after
several twists and turns, our whole family finally was initiated.
The moment we got hold of the sample booklet and saw You for the first
time, our hearts suddenly opened and we felt indescribably relaxed and
joyful as if we were bathed in a warm spring breeze. For many years, our
whole family studied various types of Qigong methods but couldn't find
the path to liberation. This time, we have finally found the Home of our
souls.
Since we practiced Qigong before, everyone in our family has a certain
degree of extraordinary power and many magical incidents have happened
around us. Using such power in addition to the traditional Chinese and
Western medicine that my grandfather and father have practiced proficiently.
Many patients have been saved. Some of them were healed, but some were
only cured temporarily and became ill again after they left us. This deeply
bothered us. No matter whether we used modern medical methods, Qigong practices,
or extraordinary powers, we could only cure the physical bodies but were
helpless in treating mental suffering. However, most human diseases are
mentally related. This shows that worldly powers are weak and ineffective.
After being enlightened by You, we understand even more clearly that not
only human diseases, but also natural and man-made disasters are all caused
by the minds. Therefore, if we want to save people, we have to save their
souls. In order to do this, the Quan Yin Method is the only way.
During the period soon after we were initiated, our family members were
all immersed in the joy of self-cultivation. Each day, we only wanted to
meditate, read Your books, listen to Your audiotapes and watch Your videos.
We wished that we could stay in samadhi twenty-four hours a day. All
of our family members became healthier. My parents felt younger and their
faces glowed, and my younger brother and I did much better in school. Everything
became smooth. Although we still encounter some difficulties, we have more
solutions available that are much better.
As time passes by, You continue to inspire us with Your conduct. Therefore,
we pursue spiritual practice not only to benefit ourselves, but most importantly
to benefit other sentient beings too. In order to deliver sentient beings
from the bitter sea of physical existence, You have willingly forsaken
everything. To liberate sentient beings sooner, You even have to bear sufferings,
enormous pressure and malicious slander that have never been experienced
by other Masters throughout history. It is truly difficult to be a Master
in this period of spiritual decline!
When we think about these things, our hearts cannot be calmed even for
a second because we cannot only care about our own practice and attainment
of the Truth. We have to do something. What we do may be insignificant,
but at least it is our contribution towards the purification of this world.
At least in this way, we can bring Your boundless love to sentient beings.
No matter what we do, as disciples of Supreme Master Ching Hai we are all
kindred spirits with You and we strive earnestly for the same goal.
We are looking forward to hearing Your new lectures. Please take care of
Yourself for the sake of sentient beings! We wish You good health and good
fortune.
Sincerely Yours, Initiate Family Liao, Mainland Chinaheight="1408" width="385" bgcolor="#FFF3E8">
?Elevation Of The Soul?
Latest Videotapes
<In English with Thai translation & Spanish subtitles> ◇The Same Mind Attracts The Same Thing Lecture in Bangkok, Thailand Sept 11, 1994
<In English with Spanish subtitles> ◇Love Is The Greatest Law In The Universe Lecture in Singapore Sept 26,1994
<In English with German subtitles> ◇Zen Humor Cambodia 3-Day Retreat (I), Phnom Penh Mar 26-28, 1996
<In English with French subtitles> ◇Fulfill The Role Of Life Group Meditation in Los Angeles, CA, USA Mar 13, 1996
<In English with Korean subtitles> ◇Zen Tales -- A Ghost Story Group Meditation in Austin, Texas USA Aug 14, 1994
<In English with Chinese subtitles> ◇Shiva's 112 Ways Of Concentration Group Meditation, Hsihu, Formosa Dec 24-30, 1995
◇The Holy Golden Mouse Buddha's Birthday & International 7-Day Retreat (I) Phnom Penh, Cambodia May 11-17, 1996
<In Chinese with French subtitles> ◇The Immediate Enlightenment Bird (I) Group Meditation, Hsihu, Formosa Jun 18, 1995
<In Chinese with English subtitles> ◇One Must Have Faith In Master To See God Group Meditation, Hsihu, Formosa Jan 18, 1995
◇How To Practice In The Complicated Society Group Meditation, Hsihu, Formosa Nov 5, 1995
Latest Audiotapes CG13
<In Chinese> ◇Love is The Most High Quality Group Meditation, Kaohsiung, Formosa Apr 14, 1989
◇How To Work For Master Group Meditation, Hsihu, Formosa Jun 5, 1989
◇The Merits Of Keeping The Five Precepts -- How Many Enlightened Masters Are There In The Universe? Group Meditation, Hsihu, Formosa May 20, 1989
◇The Master Who Predicted Buddhahood For Ching Hai -- Everlasting Silver Belt (I.II) Group Meditation, Taipei, Formosa May 21, 1989
To order Master's publications, please contact: The Supreme Master Ching
Hai International Association Publishing Co., Ltd. Taipei, Formosa. Tel: (886) 2-87873935 Fax: (886) 2-87870873 E-mail: smchbooks@Godsdirectcontact.org ROC Postal Remittance Account No:19259438 (for Formosa orders only) Postal
Account: The Supreme Master Ching Hai Publishing Co., Ltd. 19259438
Please visit our bookshop's website to download our catalogue and summaries
of the contents of Master's latest publications: http://smchbooks.com/ (in English and Chinese)
> height="1408" width="215" background="images/q-0.gif">
> ?I>While On The Path?nbsp; ☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆☆ ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ ☆
☆Refreshing Meditation Is Better Than Deep Sleep
/By Brother Initiate Lu Ren, Taipei, Formosa
In the past I held very deep rooted concepts, thinking that a human being
could only feel good if one has a full eight-hour sleep. Also that working
through the night, sleeping too late or poor quality sleep would adversely
affect one's mood and work the next day.
These concepts did not changed until I served in the army. At that time,
because of digging work and preparation for war on the outer islands of
Chinmen, I often did not have enough sleep. During the holidays, many people
put a "holiday badge" on their chests and slept longer. At that
time, I had on average five hours of sleep every day. At times, it was
even less. But during those two years of service, my mind and physical
fitness were in peak condition. I remember once after a night's work without
sleep, the commander allowed us to have two hours of rest. After that two
hour sleep, I was highly spirited with the power like that of a lion or
tiger. It was like having slept for three days. I remembered that Napoleon
had no sleep for several days and yet he was able to command his army,
fully spirited, by utilizing just small periods of time to rest. So I wondered
how can just two hours of sleep fully replenish all one's energy? I knew
the answer probably lay with the quality of sleep.
There was more time for sleep after leaving the military service. However,
I could not sleep when I lay on my bed, although I often had dreams. Very
often, I seemed to be awake the whole night till dawn. Even though I had
lay down for a full eight hours my spirit was poor when I got up and I
could not concentrate. It was like a lack of sleep syndrome that I was
experiencing. It was totally different from when I was a soldier and was
so exhausted every day that I fell asleep immediately the moment I lay
down, without dreaming. Whenever I got up, it was like only five minutes
had elapsed.
After initiation, Master only asks us to do a little "homework"
-- keep the five precepts and meditate for two and half hours every day.
Initially I thought, what's the difficulty with this? However, as a matter
of fact, I often did not do enough "homework". Often, at the
end of a busy day's work, small matters and trying to put my three-year-old
boy with unlimited energy to sleep, my wife (a fellow initiate) and I were
already exhausted. After less than an hour's meditation, we often made
a poor excuse to go to sleep since it was usually late and we had work
the next day. Recently, during meditation, I suddenly realized that we
have been cheated by the mind. In fact, meditation does not conflict with
sleep because meditation is more restful than sleep. The satisfaction experienced
after being in samadhi cannot be compared to sleeping. Even without achieving
the state of samadhi, meditation is still better than sleeping, although
my back is often a little sore and my legs a bit numb because my sitting
posture is not as comfortable as during sleep. Upon asking my wife and
other fellow practitioners how one felt if one meditated or continued doing
Master's work no matter how late into the night, everyone said that the
next morning one's spirit would not only be rested, but also one felt very
stable due to Master's nurturing.
So, brothers and sisters, meditation does not rob us of sleep but instead
enhances the state of rest, making us feel more satisfied. Therefore, isn't
it true that the less sleep we have the more time we will have to meditate?
When I was translating Your lecture last night, I read this sentence: "Unlock
your heart, release your love!" Since childhood, many people have
complained that I do not have any compassion. I never dared to tell other
people that sometimes I really cannot love this world or anyone, because
I cannot love myself.
There were several occasions when I was so touched in Your presence that
I could not help but cry. I felt the infinite love of God from You that
melted my entire being. Even those very cold, hard and sharp areas hidden
deep in my heart, so deep that I did not even notice them myself, all melted
just like ice under the sun.
In the bible, God said to Adam: By the sweat of your brow you shall eat
bread, till you return to the ground. Obviously, this world was too distant
from my ideal. Not knowing why, I really felt hurt. I did not know whether
it was the world that rejected me or whether I was rejecting myself. I
also did not know whether it was my environment that was harming me, or
whether I was harming myself. I often felt that God and my real Self were
close and yet so distant. It's only through Your love that I can love the
people of this world.
For a long time, I could only accept the apparently strong and open part
of myself. I could not possibly face the weak, hurt and sensitive self.
In order to protect myself, I used layers of barriers to lock away a part
of me in a well hidden corner. However, as long as I refused to accept
all of me, I could never really love myself. I could never be a complete
person and I could not love any other person. Although Master had already
given me the Golden Key, as the master of the old castle, no one else could
possibly open it until I agreed.
Last night, I faced the timid, frightened and weak child for the first
time and embraced it. Now I know I can really start to love myself.
☆Aphorisms★ Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai (Originally In English)
★We have the choice to live the life of ordinary beings, or to become saints.
Heaven and Earth are less than one hair apart. Therefore, the suffering
in this world and all the unfulfilled feelings are not God's fault, or
God's intention, they are our own choice.
★If we cannot help the world in a different way, then we should meditate.
We better ourselves; we moralize our standards. That is also a great help.
★The best glory that you'll find is in meditation, in bettering yourself,
in making yourself become a very beautiful citizen of this world.
★Only alter enlightenment will we know, more and more each day, how to accept
the things that are assigned to us while we are here, and at the same time
in heaven.
★The more we develop this world, the more heavens there will be. We create
a new heaven.
★Have self-confidence, respect yourself, and make yourself become one of
the noblest, the strongest, the best, the most worthy beings ever to grace
this Earth.
★We provide for the people and God will provide for us. That is the way
of working in the universe.
★In order to do great things, we have to perfect the small things. Great
people are very attentive to minor details. That's how they became great.
☆★☆ ★☆☆ ★★★
Selected Questions & Answers height="60">
/An interview by Ms. Helen Stone from KLOE Radio Station with Supreme Master
Ching Hai at the Quan Yin Vegetarian Restaurant, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
November 14, 1993. (Originally in English)
Q: What is immediate enlightenment? I don't know.
M: Enlightenment implies light. When anyone helps you to see Light from
heaven immediately, that is called immediate enlightenment. That's what
we help people to do. When people can see Light or hear the heavenly music
it means the message of God. It's what is called the Word in the Bible:
...and the Word was God, and the Word was with God... Remember? The Word,
that is what we can hear from God. The moment we hear that, it is called
the moment of enlightenment.
It's difficult to hear that, the Word from God, the message from God; difficult
to see Light. Nevertheless some people see them, in deep prayer, in deep
sorrow or in a blackout kind of situation where they contact with the higher
world instead of this physical world. But rarely. So when you cannot see
the Light or hear the message of God yourself, you find someone who can
help you to do it quicker. That is called the process of seeking the Truth,
seeking the teacher. Whoever can help you to see the Light and hear the
Sound immediately, that is a so-called spiritual teacher.
Q: A friend once told me to never judge a person by their physical appearance
and their physical trappings, because amongst us, in our midst are individuals
who are of a higher calling or of a higher soul. And that we are daily
walking amongst people who are more spiritually advanced than we might
ever guess that they are.
M: Yes, see all these are very advanced people.
Q: I recently saw the movie about the tragic life of rock and roll singer,
Tina Turner, "What's Love Got To Do With It?" And they opened
the movie with a Buddhist saying, which I can only paraphrase now, about
the most beautiful lotus flower finds a way to grow through the thickest
mud. Do You believe that there is some merit or something to be said for
struggle, suffering and tragedy? Is there goodness to be found in bad?
M: No, I don't believe it. Goodness is never to be found in bad. Of course,
for some okay. Suppose this suffering awakens us, and makes us realize
the ephemeral nature of life and the suffering kind of existence that we
have to lead sometimes. I suppose that is good, but it is better if we
don't have it altogether. Better that we are awakened, that we avoid it
altogether by not sowing the suffering seeds.
Q: Is it possible to have a balance in life by having the yang and the
ying, the good the bad, the suffering?
M: Yes, sure. Now we have to do it, because we live in this world. It's
too late to say I can avoid it altogether. So we have to accept suffering
as a part of our ying-yang, balance of positive and negative. But nevertheless,
we don't sow more for the future, first. Second, we don't sow suffering
for our neighbors. Also we will minimize the result of our past actions
by adding more strength of the positive spirit into our daily lives through
meditation, by thinking of God. You know, the right way. Everything has
a way, actually.
Q: Do You believe in the anima and the animus -- the male spirit and the
female spirit -- within each of us, and having a harmony and balance therein?
M: That's what we call positive and negative forces. Yes, female is supposed
to be a negative force. Whatever is weak, slow or kind of inert, we call
it negative. The other, a little bit kind of outgoing and strong, we call
it positive. Many people call it different names, like creative power;
that is also called negative, actually. But then it has side effects, because
when you are created then you're supposed to be demolished one day. But
in the whole, when they're both balanced, then we are in equilibrium with
the universe, in harmony; and we don't have much suffering.
Q: Another question, we do hear so much about child abuse, and of course,
that refers to the branch Davidians. But in terms of us as a society of
abusing our children sexually or physically with violence and also emotionally,
how should we regard children? We basically touched on children, and how
innocent and free they are, but what would You have to say about abusing
children, mistreating them, and not giving them the environment to develop
into their highest selves?
M: Well, fortunately, there are not many. Sometimes we read it frequently
in newspapers or hear it on the news. But even though as frequently as
it is, it is just individual cases repeated. So it looks a lot. But actually
our society is still okay, still clean.
You can't help if some people have mental disturbances and they don't know
it. If they knew it, they would go to psychiatrists or treat themselves.
These, we can just look upon as disasters, accidents -- the individuals'
lives which they cannot grow out of, cannot help themselves, or the time
has not come for them to realize their mistake.
Besides, when we talk a little bit deeper, then there are many things that
contribute to these crimes, as well as many other disasters. There is a
root cause for all this retribution. You know what I mean? (Q:Yes.) So
no one is truly as innocent as we think, except God is innocent, except
our soul is absolutely innocent. But we collect so much not innocent information
with which we live, through which we grow, and with which we die. We bring
it back again, again and again until we are fed up with it, until we learn
to grow out of it. That's the negative side of life. Fortunately we don't
have that many, I think.
Q: And is that the purpose of reincarnation, to return and conduct unfinished
spiritual business with God or with ourselves?
M: Right. Until we find the right way, the right purpose of our life in
the universal plan, we always are miserable, because we will be doing wrong.
We don't do it exactly the way it is planned, therefore, of course, it
is chaotic. So we have to come back, re-do it until we touch the right
"button". Then we are satisfied.
That's the way. When we're enlightened, we find God. Then daily nourish
this knowledge of enlightenment until we're completely sure and discover
all the things that we have to discover, so we don't have to come back
again. We can come back as a teacher, a spiritual guide.
Q: I don't know some of the spiritual realities that were revealed to You
in Your studies in the Himalayas. In my constructing these questions, I
was thinking about an audience out in radio-land listening on Sunday morning
who might not be familiar with Your teachings and who might want to become
initiated, who might want to better understand the Quan Yin Method or the
Quan Yin route to spirituality.
M: So you mean I should talk about the inner realizations?
Q:Yes, please.
M: There are too many to talk about. First, because the universe is vast
and it's contained within ourselves, I can only tell you a few. For example
like, for an ordinary person to get enlightenment, you normally will see
Light and hear Sound -- Light of different colors or brilliance, sometimes
more than a thousand suns. Some people will see less than that. Some people
just see kind of moving black clouds until some time, but very rare. Most
people see immediate Light from God. Light represents wisdom, represents
the super consciousness; the Light without shadows, the Light that you
don't see with your eyes but you see with your inner awareness. That is
called enlightenment when you see that.
Then you hear the Sound, the silent Sound from God, which brings you the
message from heaven. The more you hear that...even though without language,
it's kind of like music, but without instruments. You can't make out what
it is; but it is so beautiful and melodious, it lifts you up above the
mundane level of consciousness and brings you back to where you are supposed
to be. From that higher standpoint you direct your whole life into a more
righteous direction. Then we clean all the mess and entanglement that we
don't see when we are too low here below. We see better when we are higher.
So to say higher, it doesn't mean we have a ladder of something, just higher
in consciousness, in awareness, in intelligence. We are back to the true
source of wisdom, our true Self, which is God-like. We're back to God,
who dwells within our holy temples here. So we truly recognize ourselves,
who is who, and we stop occupying all the habits and all the knowledge
that bind us from the outside.
The more you contemplate on this inner wisdom, the more you remember your
real Self, the wiser you become, the more your life becomes smoother, and
everything goes better and better until you completely know a lot of things,
or all things, and you become like omnipresent, omnipotent. Everyone who
prays to you, in any corner of the universe, you will know. You will help
them immediately, according to the situation and according to what is beneficial
for that person. That is the highest achievement of a so-called Master.
Q: I heard, many years ago, that Quan Yin -- I received a statue from a
little shop at home in Buffalo -- was the Japanese goddess of love and
happiness or goodness and health; and I was confused as to how we might
now have the Quan Yin Method and have it span numerous cultures and go
beyond Japan?
M: Quan Yin is not a goddess of the Japanese alone. She is a goddess of
the Chinese, of the Au Lac people, of the Indian, of the Tibetan; and they
called her different names. Avalokitesvara, in India. And they call her
something in Tibet, I've forgotten. And when in India, it's a "he,"
and in Tibet, is a "he". Come to Japan, China and Au Lac, it
becomes a "she". (Master laughs) So I don't know who that is!
Anyhow it's just a mythological figure. She was one of the masters of the
past, just like Moses.
When she was alive, when people prayed to her, she responded. Only when
she was alive, all her disciples and the non-disciples who were sincere
had benefit from her presence and her blessing. Then people just continued
like that even after she died. The same with Jesus, Buddha. That's why
we don't have responses so much, because all the masters have ascended.
We have to pray to the living master, suppose to! But then after a master
dies, people continue to pray because their grandfather prayed and it helped.
The grandchildren continue to pray and forget the essence, that the blessing
field, the magnetic field of the master is gone.
You can pray to a master after he has died, for a few hundred years, but
not longer than five hundred years. After that, no use, because his magnetic
field is gone! What causes the magnetic field is the devotees hearts. They
are connected, spiritually. The disciples still stay for a few generations
after he has died. Their hearts carry the magnetic field, the loving atmosphere
of the master because they still love the master. They love the master
and they were already connected with the master while he was still alive
-- at least the very advanced disciples.
Therefore, the living lineage, the living blood-line still continues after
the master dies and passes it on to a few generations. That would be at
most five hundred years. It's because of the disciples, because the master
is still living in the hearts of the disciples. Therefore, his blessing
and love are still there, through the disciples. But after he has gone,
the connections are all gone, the disciples are all gone, and you don't
have good disciples to keep the lineage alive, you pray to that master
-- no good. (Applause)
Q: How do we begin to rid ourselves of the materialism and all our accoutrements
that might keep us further away from our spiritual Selves? How can we become
more selfless, and not want to have this and be this?
M: It's difficult if we water the plant from the leaves and not the root.
The basis of all these misunderstandings, the ignorance and greed is that
it came from the root, that we have not opened the power of understanding.
Therefore, we misunderstand. We are seeking the Truth which is the eternal
happiness but then we misunderstand. We think money will make us happy,
or beautiful girls will make us happy. The true thing that makes us happy,
that we seek is the Truth. It's our real spiritual power, the real God
Self! But because we don't know that, we keep wanting this, that and the
other. As soon as your understanding power, your real source of understanding
is opened for you, then you understand differently. You say: "Ah!
This is what I want, not that!" Then all these things will fall apart!
You don't need to do anything to it! Just like you water the plant from
the root, then all the leaves will be green.
Q: Are we to consider that we are on this Earth to make a contribution
as good human beings, as caring human beings, as loving creatures?
M: Yes. But that is a side effect. The most important is that we are happy
within ourselves, we are satisfied. Only when you are satisfied then you
can satisfy others. Only when you know how to love yourself, you know how
great you are, then you can make others great, or respect the greatness
of other people. Therefore, all the masters say: "Know yourself."
"Seek you first the Kingdom of God which is within you." That
means yourself. "Seek the Holy Spirit which dwells within you."
"Know you not you are the temple of God, and the holy spirit dwells
within you." "Seek your Buddha nature, the highest Buddha nature."
It's the same thing. >
Supreme Art height="60"> (Oil Painting 70.6 x 50.8cm, Tai Yin Mountain, Formosa, 1990)
Hearing The Leaves, Trees And Breeze
In Supreme Master Ching Hai's Painting "Retreat"
The painting "Retreat" not only gives one a unique perspective
on a 'gorgeous, mysterious, serene and special mountain forest,' but also
allows the observer to almost hear the sound of branches and leaves happily
vibrating in the fresh mountain breeze...
The thick, compact branches and leaves of the mountain forest seem to vibrate,
just like tens of thousands of birds fluttering their wings in retreat
to their warm, pleasant, safe nests. The whole of this painting diffuses
the humble yet overwhelming beauty of a quiet mountain forest.
In the upper left section of the painting, a naturally colored sky-blue
tent that seems to have existed since the beginning of the cosmos lies
calmly under a broad shadow. The earthy color of the ground seems to be
baked dry while the crystal clear green leaves seem to emit a fragrant
aroma. Although there is no bluish sky in the painting, the observer is
still able to see the light radiating out from each and every green leaf.
Just like an uninhibited artist boldly playing with colors, Supreme Master
Ching Hai concludes the painting in a light-hearted, happy manner. The
shapes of the branches and leaves reveal the swift, unrestrained handling
of the paint-brush. The deliberate strokes in the tree bodies using many
varied colors, with an occasional twisting and leaning upon one another,
creates lush greens among the forest as well as a forest among the greens.
The leading and supporting colors both appear to happily return in unison
to somewhere special, leaving the observer with a sense of lightness and
a desire to dance like an elegant, serene swan with the radiating green
foliage.
Those unfamiliar with the art of painting might say this about "Retreat
"Oil painting is very easy. Where is the difficulty!?
It seemed that the artist Supreme Master Ching Hai finished this painting
in an hour's time. This is both correct and incorrect. Some renowned art
college graduates may not produce even one piece of art with spirit in
all their lives. Some others might diligently study and spend lots of time
researching the different methods of famous artists, both present and past,
local as well as foreign; or humble themselves to become disciples of great
artists, and yet never produce anything with artistic value. On the other
hand, there may be someone who has never held a paint-brush since childhood,
nor studied at an art college, never read an art book or studied under
the guidance of a painting master, yet may produce outstanding oil, watercolor,
crayon and pencil paintings. Such a person is the legendary artist Supreme
Master Ching Hai. Her paintings prove that She is definitely a painting
genius. This is obvious, just like Her talents in other areas like music,
sculpture, drama and film.
/ By Brother Initiate Ho Cam Tam (Artist), San Jose, U.S.A. (Originally
In Au Lac Language)
Between February 21st and 24th, the biggest
jewelry exhibition in Germany, Inhorgenta, was held in Munich. Since the
news about the exhibition was received very late, the deadline for applying
for an exhibition booth had elapsed. Thanks to God's arrangement, after
some twists and turns, we finally secured a booth.
This exhibition is a "heavyweight" in Europe, and only professionals
and traders in the jewelry industry are allowed to participate and make
purchases. Participating exhibitors included almost a thousand manufacturers
who were divided into thirteen sections. Every day, there was a flood of
visitors. Though the Celestial Jewelry exhibition booth was small and situated
in a remote corner, it received lots of praise and cheers from experts
and designers.
When our workers were decorating the booth before the exhibition began,
they played a videotape of Master reciting Her poems. A stout security
officer came repeatedly to look at our booth. Unable to resist, he asked:
"Is it Supreme Master Ching Hai on the video tape?" He knew about
Master through his friends, and had only seen Her photo once, yet he was
deeply impressed. He is Syrian, and he didn't know why he loved to see
Master so much. He enjoyed talking to us. Although strangers, we became
like old acquaintances very quickly. Distance cannot keep people with affinity
apart. Early on the first morning of the exhibition, just as the Celestial
Jewelry was being placed in the display windows, a group of young jewelry
designers gathered around and earnestly discussed the jewelry. They truly
appreciated the magnificent craftsmanship, the exquisite designs and all
other aspects. The Celestial Jewelry, with its highly evolved designs,
continually mesmerized jewelry experts during the exhibition.
Most booth owners in the same section as us were jewelry traders. A young
trader in Australian opals was very interested in Master's design called
"The Hidden Force Connection". He studied it repeatedly and praised
Master for Her daring and elegant design. This delicate piece that accounted
for the perfect combination of gold and opals really impressed him. He
also felt that it was fantastic and special to see the Heavenly Dragon
Cutlery that portrayed the nobility of an ancient royal dynasty in modern
times. Apart from the Celestial Jewelry, Supreme Master Ching Hai's paintings
were also displayed. So when he learnt that Master designs clothes and
paints too, he admired Her even more. We gave him some magazines and the
sample booklet so he could understand more. An artist was looking for unique
and elegant works of art to be exhibited in his gallery. When he saw the
Celestial Jewelry, he remarked that even one bracelet alone was an exceptional
piece of art, not to mention the entire collection. He left only after
he had obtained all the information that he wanted.
A lecturer from an art institute asked for a brief introduction to the
Celestial Jewelry. He was very interested because he found the Celestial
Jewelry for children embraced the qualities of innocence, humor and the
feeling of being carefree.
After appreciating the Celestial Jewelry, a kind jewelry trader offered
some advice to us on how to develop our market. After a brief conversation,
we discovered that he was a vegetarian since childhood and hates seeing
animals being harmed or tortured. Despite being a vegetarian, he is tall
and broad. When our topic changed to Supreme Master Ching Hai's artistic
ideas and Her spiritual mission, he nodded with approval and said, "I
love it!" We couldn't help deeply admiring God's arrangement. In many
natural ways, people are given the chance to tap the real source of their
infinite treasure.
It is difficult for us to mention all the ladies and gentlemen who visited
our booth and made inquiries. We do wish to express our gratitude to the
fellow initiates in Germany for their assistance. They eloquently explained
to people the divine and transcendental meanings behind the Celestial Jewelry,
and so served a spiritual meal to spectators as they gazed at the jewelry.
We are even more grateful to the Chef of this spiritual feast -- Supreme
Master Ching Hai. It was because of Her that we were able to have such
a successful exhibition.
During preparations for the jewelry exhibition "Inhorgenta" in
Munich a female Quan Yin messenger explained each piece to us. That very
night I dreamed of glittering rings that flew through the sky and turned
into sparkling stars. They floated away from me until they disappeared
into the dark infinity. At that moment, I understood why Master only uses
the finest materials of this Earth to remind us about the glory of our
true Home.
I wondered if the spiritual charisma of the SM Celestial Jewelry would
touch people even in the commercial atmosphere of the exhibition? Feeling
a little insecure, I first approached visitors who seemed sufficiently
wealthy to afford the jewelry. Supported by the messenger and goldsmiths,
who were always there to help me when it came to details I didn't know,
I tried to enthuse potential customers: "This jewelry is very special.
Each name and each piece of these treasures was created with precious spiritual
knowledge. Gold, for example, symbolizes our best inner qualities whereas
diamonds stand for everlasting wisdom." Mostly women were attracted
by the jewelry, though even the men noted the high quality and workmanship.
All the while, "Little Buddha" lay in his showcase, his golden
belly shining, decorated with coral and jade. He was smiling calmly. Again
and again he made me look at him until I started smiling myself.
An East Indian woman, who now lives in Germany, working in the booth opposite
us became interested in our display. "Who is She? Is She a leader
of some spiritual organization?" she asked as she watched one of Master's
fashion show videos. I told her about Master's work and how She only works
as a designer occasionally to gain financial independence to fulfill Her
spiritual mission. I gave her a free sample booklet and later on I saw
her reading it with great interest.
The next day she gave it back to me, saying, "It's quite interesting
but I am Christian."
"So am I," I answered happily. She thought Christians should
be contented in their poverty and help the poor.
I responded, "The designer leads a simple life and She shares Her
money with the poor. Besides, it is very important that this kind of beauty
is in the world because it was created by the designer's deepest yearning
to touch people's souls. 'The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci has been
pleasing generations and who thinks of a price while hearing Johann Sebastian
Bach's cantatas?"
In the evening our Munich Center celebrated Ching Hai Day with initiates
from all over Europe. We showed the jewelry to the initiates and guests.
I was glad when I saw them touching and trying on the jewelry, which most
of them had only seen in pictures. "The main goal of exhibiting the
Celestial Jewelry is to reach as many people as possible to remind them
of their original Home which is glorious and brilliant," the Quan
Yin messenger had once said.
During the last days of the "Inhorgenta" exhibition I talked
to all those who stopped in joyful astonishment when they saw the jewelry.
We talked about the world's lost innocence. We agreed that much has to
be done to save this world and the jewelry is an inspiration to us all.
I was sad when the exhibition was over. But at night, in my dreams, "Little
Buddha" smiled at me again.
/By Sister Initiate Heidemarie, Munich, Germany
(Originally In German)
—Supreme Art?/FONT>
—Supreme Art?/FONT>
height="60"> —The Meaning Of Master's "Future Buddha"
/Narrated By Brother Initiate Chen Tai Yi, Taoyuen, Formosa
/Organized By Sister Initiate Wang Shiu Ching, Taipei, Formosa
Every piece of Master's Celestial Jewelry is designed as a symbol of the
many landmarks on the way to heaven. Of all these symbols, brother Chen
liked the lightning most. He savored the exquisite nature of the celestial
designs after several months of spiritual retreat and believes only through
diligent meditation will we better appreciate the efforts and thoughts
devoted to, as well as the subtle implications of, Master's Celestial Jewelry.
What follows is brother Chen's understanding of Master's "Future Buddha"
design after his retreat. Master uses the symbol of lightning in Her design
called "Future Buddha". As a physical phenomenon lightening is
created by the collision of positive and negative electrical charges. In
terms of spiritual practice, Buddhahood is attained through the balance
of Yin and Yang forces. If we look upon everything through enlightened
eyes, we can transform negative qualities into positive power. This is
what Master means when She says, "Greed, anger and infatuation are
Bodhi." Master selected gold and sapphires to create "Future
Buddha". Gold stands for perfect spiritual vibrations, while sapphires
represent assiduous spiritual practice that can turn flaws into perfection,
negative qualities into positive power and ultimately into Truth, virtue
and beauty.
Why did Master name this piece of jewelry, "Future Buddha"? Well
the Surangama Sutra reads, "Tathagata (a Buddha) travels downward
against the stream. Bodhisattvas follow the stream upward and when they
meet the Buddha on the rim of complete enlightenment, they are called equivalent-enlightenment
Buddhas." In the Amitabha Sutra, it is stated, "Sariputra, those
who are re-born in the Western Paradise are all avinivartaniya (never-returners).
Many of them will become Buddhas in their present lifetime. They are innumerable
in number..." This "one-lifetime Buddhahood" is very similar
to what is meant by "equivalent-enlightenment Buddhas," which
means that it takes them just one lifetime to attain Buddhahood. They are
what we refer to as "Future Buddhas".
For example, Maitreya Bodhisattva became a candidate for Buddhahood after
Shakyamuni Buddha. Also, in the Western Paradise, those who have achieved
the level of triple non-regression will be put on the "waiting list"
for Buddhahood. Therefore, everyone who practices the Quan Yin Method sincerely
and diligently is already a future Buddha.
The hollow part in the center of this celestial piece of jewelry is symbolic
of the wisdom eye. Some day, when our wisdom eyes open and see the inner
Light radiating in all directions like the lightning in the design, we
will become a "future Buddha".
A Buddha is complete, well-rounded and unhampered. But because it is a
"future Buddha" that Master has in mind, She adopts the shape
of a polygon to represent the six imperfections (five senses and the mind),
which are yet to be refined through spiritual practice.
Master's "Future Buddha" not only points to one-life liberation
by practicing the Quan Yin Method, but it also means one-life attainment
of Buddhahood through this method. We can be very confident of this as
long as we follow Her teachings and live up to the six perfect virtues.
In the scripture "On Detachment from Outer Appearance" by Bodhidharma,
it is stated, "The Buddha conveys His teachings with infinite convenience
and signifies the intangible through the tangible, as sentient beings,
dull in aptitude, might not understand the inner significance of the teachings.
If they do not pursue spiritual practice but instead turn outward for blessed
rewards, nowhere can they possibly get what they are after."
Master's Celestial Jewelry may seem like mere gracious ornaments to the
mundane eyes, but they actually hint at secret signs of the heavenly abode,
with which Master reveals the "intangible through the tangible".
For this reason, be sure to seek first the inner Kingdom of God, then when
you observe the Celestial Jewelry you will surely feel Master's infinite
grand love within yourself. >
<Munich> From February 21st to 24th the jewelry exhibition "Inhorgenta"
took place in Munich. As Saturday, February 22nd, was also Ching Hai Day,
we decided to organize a celebration followed by a retreat on Sunday. Fellow
initiates and guests from all over Europe gathered together. We were especially
happy that many sisters and brothers from the "new-born" East
European Centers could celebrate with us.
The Au Lac initiates from the Munich Center prepared for this event in
advance. Without a sound the decoration team decorated the room and the
puppeteers arranged their stage. Then the doors opened and an impressing
buffet was presented to the hungry Bodhisattvas. They indulged themselves
in Au Lac delicacies. When asked about the recipes the cooks answered:
"We always just think of Master then everything tastes very nice."
Afterward some of our fellow initiates presented a multi-cultural program.
Disciples from Munich narrated a spiritual fairy tale by the German poet
Novalis in German, English and Au Lac. They illustrated it with self-made
puppets which were quite extraordinary. Even the guests took part in the
program. A female initiate from Berlin very gracefully danced an oriental
dance and the Czech initiates sang a song about Master. After the performances
the artistically made five-layered cake was cut. It was so beautiful that
some had thought it was part of the decorations.
At the end there was a great surprise. The team from the jewelry exhibition
unpacked the jewelry and arranged it so that everyone could see it at close
range, touch it, and try it on. It was the climax of the celebration.
On Sunday we meditated from four o'clock on. At noon an initiation was
held and in the afternoon the retreat ended.
<Scotland> The annual Grand Spiritual Exhibition was held in the beautiful city of
Edinburgh on the 23rd and 24th of February. It was a spectacular event
comprising all the religious and spiritual bodies in Scotland. With Master's
love, British fellow initiates also participated.
High above our exhibition platform was an oversized photo of Master dressed
as "Quan Yin Bodhisattva," the divine radiance of which attracted
every spectator who then stopped and gazed at it. The thought-provoking
book entitled "I Have Come To Take You Home" stirred everyone's
heart. People earnestly asked for sample booklets, and asked all sorts
of spiritual questions. Soothed by Master's loving blessing, every visitor
left with a smile of satisfaction.
One visitor was very surprised and happy upon hearing Supreme Master Ching
Hai's name. He had learnt about Master from his friends and thinks highly
of Her. During this unexpected encounter with Master's teachings, he quickly
asked for a sample booklet and said he would read it carefully at home
to know more about Her and the Quan Yin Method. There were many people
who really cherished this rare opportunity to discover a living enlightened
Master, and many repeatedly returned to our exhibition booth. Not wishing
to miss this rare opportunity, many of them requested a copy of the initiation
form at that time.
Another exhibitor was introducing a meditation method to still the body
and mind. When they discovered there was an exhibitor promoting a great
master and the peerless Quan Yin Method, these "meditation teachers"
gathered around our booth and asked fellow initiates to tell them more
about Master's teachings. Touched by Master's discourse, so full of love
and wisdom, a lady immediately requested to learn the Quan Yin Method of
meditation after watching Master's videotape. When she learnt that the
Quan Yin Method could only be imparted through the power of a living enlightened
Master, she was deeply impressed by the preciousness of a living Master
and the Quan Yin Method.
During this two-day exhibition, Master established affinities with thousands
of earnest and benign Scottish people. Like gentle rain, Her teachings
brought nectar to Scotland and soothed the hearts of her people like a
spring breeze.
<San Jose>With blessings from our loving Master, a three-day retreat was held recently
at the San Jose Meditation Center on the last weekend in February. About
130 Quan Yin practitioners, including those from Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Fresno, Philadelphia, Georgia and Canada, participated this time. A Quan
Yin messenger also attended. This retreat provided spiritual practitioners
a much cherished opportunity to turn inward in a pure and supportive environment,
away from the hustle of their daily activities and accompanying demands.
Although it was still winter in Northern California, the weather could
not have been more perfect. Under the sparkling sunlight, the verdant hills
were glorious. Nine deer came from the surrounding area, grazing leisurely
in the Center. Although the deer were only a short distance from their
human cohabitants -- Quan Yin practitioners who were having a picnic lunch
-- they did not seem to be afraid or even timid. These creatures of God,
so magnificent in their beauty, brought simple joy to our hearts. At night,
we were accompanied by a full moon and stars which decorated the clear
sky. As it got cooler, we built a bonfire for warmth. True to the caring
spirit of Quan Yin practitioners, the kitchen staff prepared a huge pot
of porridge to help keep their brothers and sisters warm.
During the retreat, we also had the opportunity to learn from Master via
some of Her videotaped lectures. As always, Her spoken words reflected
Her wisdom and compassion. It is indeed our great fortune to have affinity
with Her, to live in an era of civilization when technology is readily
available to transmit positive, spiritual messages.
Master often uses parables and stories to teach Her disciples. In one of
Her lectures viewed during the retreat, Master told the story of the Spirit
of Cholera, which claimed 25,000 lives in one town. An additional 25,000
people had also died, not from cholera, but from fear of the disease itself.
Supreme Master Ching Hai often encourages us to live without fear, which
only befits our dignity as God's children.
The three-day retreat was followed by an initiation on Sunday afternoon,
the 23rd of February. That evening, we celebrated Ching Hai Day -- an honor
bestowed upon Supreme Master Ching Hai in 1994 by the governors from the
six Midwestern states in the United States for Her humanitarian contributions.
The festivity was complete with beautifully decorated vegetarian cakes
and a raffle drawing with three lucky winners. In our hearts of heart,
we thanked Master for being a selfless teacher and for showing sentient
beings the way Home.
Sharing Master's Teachings
The San Jose Center has been engaging in efforts to share Supreme Master
Ching Hai's teachings, which have brought tremendous benefits to our lives.
Beginning on the 16th of February 1997, a radio program in the Au Lac language
can be heard from 5 to 6 every Sunday evening on AM 1450. The English language
broadcast is aired Monday to Friday at 5 in the morning, starting on March
3, 1997. At 5 every Sunday morning, there is a broadcast in the Chinese
Mandarin language.
Furthermore, Supreme Master Ching Hai's lectures in English can be seen
on Cable TV Channel 15A every Friday at 5 in the afternoon, beginning March
1, 1997. There is also a broadcast on Channel 25 (Concord, Northern California)
of Supreme Master Ching Hai's teachings in English, every Wednesday night
at 8 o'clock.
<Stockholm> Mr. Sonam Yamyang Ling, Chairman of the Swedish-Tibetan Society for School
and Culture, visited the meditation Center to learn more about Supreme
Master Ching Hai. When Mr. Sonam Yamyang entered the Center he showed his
great reverence for Master by closing his palms and bowing slowly many
times in front of Her picture.
At present, apart from taking care of more than two hundred orphans in
Tibet, the Association has also established a Lama School called "Sino
Swedish Friendship School," and arranges spiritual lectures. Last
August the Dalai Lama was invited to Sweden by the Association to spread
the dharma. More than ten thousand people attended. Mr. Sonam Yamyang repeatedly
expressed his sincere wish to invite Master to spread the Truth in Sweden.
In addition, after reading the sample booklet, he affirmed that Master
is a true Master of great enlightenment. He said, "We need a great
Master like Supreme Master Ching Hai to guide people in this world."
During the discussion with fellow practitioners, Mr. Sonam Yamyang said
that he felt at home at the Center since everyone is united in sharing
the same ideal. Later, sincerely offering flowers and fruits to Master,
he closed his palms and said goodbye to us with a face glowing with joy.
<Mexico>To further their understanding of Master's teachings and to encourage each
other to practice diligently, fellow initiates in Mexico held a unique
evening event at the Mexico Center on March 8th. The occasion, featuring
many historical highlights, was attended by Convenient Method practitioners
as well as the general public. The program theme was Spiritual Quest and
Soul Elevation thus was approved and praised by everyone present.
The program was divided into three parts. Part one presented a recital
of poems; part two presented an interpretation of teachings by enlightened
Masters, both ancient and living; and part three included drama and musical
performances.
In the first part of the program, two fellow initiates -- one a child --
recited the works glorifying the meaning of life by famous Mexican poets.
Their excellent performance won thunderous applause from the audience.
Part two was the highlight of the evening because it correlated and explained
the teachings of three enlightened Masters, namely the ancient Indian Master
Quetzacoatl, Jesus Christ and Supreme Master Ching Hai.
In the teachings of Quetzacoatl, three chapters from the "Conversation
of Truth" were selected. The first chapter introduced the real meaning
of giving and receiving; the second chapter talked about the true meaning
of Light and explained that, after initiation, the Master is forever with
us. So instead of searching outside, we should first seek the Kingdom of
God within us. The third chapter was a compilation of words of wisdom and
clearly indicated that two thousand years ago, Master Quetzacoatl encouraged
the native Indian people to become vegetarians and to pursue spiritual
practice as well as not to obstruct others from becoming spiritual practitioners.
Fellow initiates pointed out that the teachings in these three chapters
coincide with Master's teachings. For instance, Master teaches us to forget
quickly after we have given in charity; also that we should thank the poor
people because they arouse our conscience and touch our hearts, allowing
us to realize that sometimes it's the poor who give us the opportunity
to develop our compassion and generosity. Master has also said that She
will never forsake us after initiation. She is constantly watching us grow,
protecting and taking care of us in every way. Fellow initiates also quoted
the teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible, which are identical
to Master's teachings.
Finally, the article, "A Saintly Way of Living," that was published
in Suma News No. 72, was read. Highlighting the main points: be consistent
within and without, as one's outer behavior reflects one's inner qualities;
practice sincerely to develop one's love and wisdom, then one will progress
and become more loving, compassionate and humble. The presenter emphasized
the fact that the two ancient Masters have left us, so the gate to heaven
can only be opened for us by a living enlightened Master. It was pointed
out that we must cherish this rare opportunity of a lifetime to follow
an enlightened Master and be certain not to miss this greatest blessing.
The drama performance was about the transmigration of a spiritual practitioner.
At first, the main actor played the role of the devil, after which he transmigrated
and became an animal, then finally a human. Even when he was a human, he
still could not escape the sufferings within the three realms -- old age,
loneliness, illness, helplessness and sorrow. Fortunately, he finally met
a living enlightened Master and practiced the Quan Yin Method. Deeply touched,
the audience showed their appreciation with loud applause. Then fellow
initiates gave a performance on guitar and flute, followed by spiritual
songs, which brought a delightful atmosphere to the venue.
Throughout the two-hour program, Master's infinite blessing power was tangible.
Many people in the audience saw the entire venue engulfed in a vast light
that was full of harmony, peace and vitality.
Being a wonderful way to spread Master's teachings, the event was very
helpful to fellow practitioners in understanding more about each other
and about Master's teachings. After the event, fellow initiates all wished
that there could be more of these grand activities in the future, so that
they could integrate their spiritual practice with daily life and have
more opportunities to broaden their minds and cultivate their spiritual
nature.
<Tokyo> After fellow initiates were greatly encouraged by the success of a vegetarian
feast convened to introduce vegetarian foods to students of a Chi Kung
class run by fellow practitioners, they decided to hold a similar event
for students of a Chinese class that's also run by fellow practitioners.
Some people who attended the feast were unfamiliar with vegetarianism but
they were very curious about the preparation, cooking and seasoning of
vegetarian food. Of course, they did not forget to practice their Chinese
while watching the cooking demonstration.
Fellow practitioners and would-be initiates patiently explained to them
the nutritional value and cooking methods of all the ingredients. Very
soon, the serving table was full of tempting and delicious dishes that
amazed visitors, especially those who were unfamiliar with vegetarian foods.
After tasting the food, all they could do was put their thumbs up to acknowledge
how delicious it was. They never dreamt that, in the absence of meat, fish
and eggs, it is still possible to create so many delicious dishes.
Being a Chinese naturopath, a fellow initiate introduced vegetarianism
from his professional viewpoint. He stated that a vegetarian diet helps
prevent three major adult illnesses. When his talk was over, everyone rushed
to purchase the vegetarian foodstuffs we had available, to cook at home
for their families. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough so some people anxiously
asked where else they could find the foodstuffs because they planned to
cook vegetarian food from that time on.
A couple who have been promoting friendship and cultural exchange between
Chinese and Japanese people for over thirty years made a special visit
to the vegetarian feast. The husband had been ill and confined to bed for
a long time, yet he wanted very much to go to the feast, which happened
to be held on his birthday. It was a struggle for him hard to attend, but
with help from his wife it was possible.
As soon as he entered the venue, he was immediately fascinated by the harmonious
ambiance and by a very strong energy that inundated him. After a short
while, he felt much more comfortable and revitalized. Deeply touched, he
spoke for all visitors by expressing his gratitude for having the opportunity
to attend such an event promoting vegetarianism.
Fellow practitioners truly realized, through their repeated experiences,
that they really grow faster and are more united with Master by working
towards the same ideal.
Seoul Center invites a Red Cross expert to teach fellow initiates emergency
first aid.
<Seoul> Seoul Center recently invited a professional volunteer on emergency first
aid to teach fellow initiates how to rescue victims properly and efficiently.
This event was arranged in response to Master's previous request to all
Centers in the world to prepare for emergency situations. Seoul Center
has prepared many items to meet those needs such as blankets, raincoats,
rainboots, medicine and equipment to move victims. We are now planning
to purchase a HAM radio system and an initiate is going to take a test
to get a certificate allowing him to use the HAM system.
About forty sincere initiates gathered together to learn how to take care
of patients in emergency situations. The expert from the Red Cross, volunteering
for this event without pay, was very happy to see our willingness to learn.
We studied for two days and got an official certificate for attending the
class. We are sure our knowledge will be very useful in emergency situations
both in entering the emergency site and helping the victims.
We discovered that the class was good not only for real emergency situations
but also good for keeping our daily safety as we realized how many wrong
ideas we had about first aid. We, therefore, decided to learn those useful
methods regularly from now on. Seoul Center invites a Red Cross expert
to teach fellow initiates emergency first aid.
The beautiful Celestial Clothes, suitable for both work and social occasions
become more outstanding when coordinated with matching handbags.
At the most auspicious time, firecrackers thundered, symbolizing good luck.
Flower baskets and wreaths offered by different companies adorned the front
of the joyous boutique.
<Taipei> The latest S.M. Celestial Clothes and Jewelry boutique, managed by a professional
fashion agent, has opened. On opening day, numerous guests crowded the
venue and the thundering sound of firecrackers filled the air. Out of admiration,
day and night visitors came like an endless stream. Staff were attentive
and courteous. Tray after tray of "Holiday-spirit dumpling soup,"
glutinous rice and specially prepared non-alcoholic cocktails were served
to guests like a non-stop banquet. The atmosphere was incredibly joyous.
In the shop there are three parts to the Supreme Master Ching Hai Supreme
Art exhibit: celestial clothing, jewelry and bags. All are heavenly works
exquisitely exhibited for the world. The celestial fashions are all produced
with three-dimensional cutting techniques. The newest jewelry designs include
a brilliant SM ring, earrings and bracelets inlaid with small diamonds,
which are so delicately crafted that everyone simply loves to look at them.
The SM logo symbolizes the perfect combination of spirit and the physical
body. Wearing it reminds one to evolve spiritually in the physical world.
All these works of art are designed by our world renowned master artist,
Supreme Master Ching Hai. Each has it's own special meaning specific for
spiritual development.
The fashion boutique is decorated very elegantly, creating a soothing and
very pleasing atmosphere. Not only is it spacious, but there is also the
delightful sound of a small fountain. Supreme Master Ching Hai's personally
designed Longevity lamp and Stone lamp entitled, "The Four Aspects
of Gratitude" and "Longevity Turtle" are also displayed.
When guests admire the colorful Celestial Clothing and listen to Supreme
Master Ching Hai's songs at the same time, they are elevated into the heavenly
realms. Those who have an affinity bring their families and friends to
visit the boutique. Certainly the experience will brighten your eyes and
enrich your souls.
<Taichung>Supreme Master Ching Hai has suggested that fellow initiates in all Centers
to learn first-aid. Then, in the event of an emergency, we could go to
the disaster area and assist the regular rescue team, offering whatever
help the disaster victims might need most.
In order to develop our first-aid skills, the Taichung Center held a weekend
first-aid training camp at the end of January. We invited a professional
from the Red Cross to come and instruct us. During the camp, enthusiastic
volunteer instructors gave comprehensive demonstrations.
First-aid means giving injured or sick people emergency treatment on the
spot before sending them to the hospital. Instructor Zheng from the Red
Cross told us that people in Formosa do not have the correct understanding
and skills regarding first-aid. Consequently, many people have been seriously
injured or have died because of this. So having the proper understanding
about first-aid and learning first-aid skills are tasks that are extremely
important in our modern society. He said that even if a patient is not
breathing or is unconscious, we should not stop treating him until a doctor
officially declares that he is dead. "Cure a dead horse as if it were
alive" is the motto of first-aid workers, who do not easily give up
due to their respect for life and sincerity in helping people.
Instructor Zheng cited one example about a little girl who saved her grandfather's
life by doing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) continually for four
hours. This story moved us all. We deeply realized that we can let nature
take its own course only after we have tried our best.
The training classes were tightly scheduled. We even had a test after the
course ended. The fellow initiates who attended the camp all concentrated
diligently, reading and practicing during the classes. After two day's
training, we learned a lot and felt very happy. We not only learned how
to rescue ourselves and others, but also learned a lesson of love once
again when we saw the devoted spirit of the Red Cross instructor who sincerely
did his best to serve people.
Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai, San Jose, Costa Rica February 4, 1991
(Originally In English) background="../plain/set1/back5.jpg" height="1">
Perhaps no one, including any master, has the right to blame us. It's just
that probably we have to come back to learn again, or probably we have
to learn in a hard way or through suffering. Or probably we have to wait
a while, many lives, to see another master again, because we have refused
the golden opportunity when it is easily available. That is not very convenient
All day long we work -- eight or ten hours -- just to do a little
bit of worldly things, which are ephemeral and not lasting; and we don't
complain. And we even earn just a little bit of money -- enough to eat,
enough to clothe ourselves, and enough to have a roof above our heads.
But when we want to become a perfect person, to become God-like, we work
only two and a half hours a day and we don't want it. It's too much. So
what kind of logic?
If you come from San Jose up to here -- one hour, half an hour -- to see
your so-called Master, if you call me even Master, you say: "Too much."
Why have you invited me from Formosa up to here? Thousands and thousands
of miles and thousands and thousands of dollars! All from my own pocket,
effort and time. I never complain. Then if you come to see me, you say:
"Ah, it's too long. Ah, too far. Ah, too much. Aye ya, too tired,
no car. Ah, the bus, the bus is lousy."
The government has to pay for the bus, maintain the bus, make beautiful
roads and you cannot even go to the bus station and step on. Then you blame.
Maybe you say the government doesn't look after you. You don't want to
use the service just because you have to walk about five or ten minutes
from the bus station to here.
But I tell you, I have to walk too; from the aeroplane to the Customs
Office and sometimes it's very long, ten, twenty minutes -- no problem
-- and I walk to the airplane too. I walk everywhere. Yeah, I walk from
the airport gate to the aeroplane and vice versa. Walk to the luggage place
and take the luggage out and in, back and forth, check-in, check-out; walk
to the ticket office; and walk to the Ambassador's Office. I beg everywhere
so that I can come here.
Do you ever consider all this or not? I don't think you do. Otherwise you
would not tell me the bus is too far, or think it is too long and too cold
or whatever. Or that you don't have the money to buy a cushion for meditation
-- you're joking with me. If you have money to buy coffee and tea, you
have money to buy a meditation cushion. Don't make any excuses with me
because I'll be sick -- that you have so little understanding.
You call yourself doctor, professor, teacher...master, secretary
of the . . ., manager of such and such a big government office and a lawyer
of broken marriages -- all kinds of titles you clothe yourself with. You
don't even treat a good friend the way she deserves. And you expect God
will shower all favors on you, and whatever you ask. God must immediately
give you, even give you yesterday. Would be better that God gave you when
you were born, born with all kind of favors.
Now you say you don't need to learn with any master. Do you? Or you don't?
Do you have enough wisdom? You are a human of perfection? Already born
with perfection? Know how to be a human? You don't even know how to be
a human yet, let alone to be a saint. You don't know how to be a good friend
yet and you want to teach humankind. You don't have enough logic to teach
yourself how to have a good manner within the society and you dare to teach
anyone. How can you serve people in this way? What kind of intelligence
do you offer with this logic?
Oh, I suppose you don't think I am good enough to be a master. I accept
it. I don't ever say I am good enough to be your Master. Maybe not.
True Love Is Transmitted In Silence
All because they have too much intelligence but too little love.
Those with much wisdom and intelligence know how to take, how to protect
themselves, how to get, how to invade, how to rob but know not how to give.
So, intelligence doesn't serve us in a good way. So we come to someone
who has love -- to learn how to love, because love cannot be taught in
schools, it cannot be read from books. It can only be transmitted in silence
and by example, by the vibration, by the energy of the one who possesses
love.
Now, if we think we have enough intelligence, we know everything, we can
take care of our life, and we don't need to learn anything, then we make
mistakes. Yeah, mistakes, because when we examine our way of life, we know
we lack many things, we lack much love.
If we only earn enough money to feed ourselves, to clothe our family, to
have all our comforts and we care not for the service of the public, care
not to examine our inner purity, then we still are not yet complete. We
are not yet perfect, we lack much of the so-called compassion. We still
lack wisdom because should we look at the lives of the animals, don't they
do the same? They take care of themselves, their immediate family members
and they're happy. That's why they are called animals.
But we are hu-man -- human. We should be a little different, don't
you think? Just because we have a car to go to work and the animals have
to walk on foot that doesn't mean we are better than them if our motives
are not better. Now if we learn meditation, we want to be vegetarian, we
want to be a saintly person, and then we feel better than other people
-- ah we don't have good logic. What is the good of all this external show?
Now if sometimes you organize a kind of big meeting and you want
all kinds of great masters or international yogis or something to come
to Costa Rica so that you can serve them, you can see them, and you can
learn from each other, that's very good.
You even want to give them money to come. Some of them don't have
money to come, you would feel sorry, you would care, and probably find
some way to donate some money so they could buy aeroplane tickets to come
here. That's very touching. And now you care not for the one that has already
come with his own money and ticket. So what kind of logic? Especially if
you have come and learned something with that person and you have accepted
that person as your friend.
Is there any good person who only cares for another country's citizens
but cares not for his own country's citizens? Is there that kind of person?
You would go and take care of your neighbor's country but you never care
about your country? Is that okay? Should the president do that kind of
thing? Would you send a lot of money and care, doctors and nurses to maybe
a very far country friend but you care not when your neighbors next to
you are dying? So, this is the kind of logic that you might take around
with you every day and never think whether it's logical or not.
So it's good that I am not here very long otherwise I'd trouble
you. You'd have to come and see me everyday or sometimes or often. But
humans are like this. Sometimes when the person is not very near then we
appreciate his or her beauty more. Just like a mountain over there is clearer
than when we climb up. But then, when we climb up, we discover many beauties
that we could not see from afar. So do not think that from afar it looks
better. It might look clearer generally, but we cannot discover many beautiful
details that please our eyes and ears, and make our hearts feel very pleasant.
For example, we have hills in front of our house full of beautiful
wild flowers. When we pass, we can only see a little bit. We see that there
are flowers there, there are flowers on the hill. But when I walked, I
climbed up the hill and saw the panorama for myself, it was so breathtakingly
beautiful. So beautiful, so beautiful. So much different than when you
look from afar. And that we can only know and appreciate when we go in
the heart of it, into the garden on the hill.
So beautiful that I tried to paint but failed for three days now.
I couldn't paint. Maybe God didn't want me to paint. (Master laughs) Hes
is afraid I'll make a mess of Hiers beautiful garden. Hes didn't trust
my talent. When I went up it became rainy and windy, and when I came down
the sun shone -- making fun of me all the time. When I came down Hes laughed.
So tomorrow I will try again and if it's no good then I'll thank Hirm and
then goodbye.
God Always Hears Us
But We Sometimes
Ignore Hirm
In any kind of science, if we want to be perfect in that science
we must learn, we must practice, and then we must be near to those who
teach us if we are interested in that field. Of course, if we are not interested
then no one can say anything. But then, do not blame the teacher or do
not blame God that we are not expert in that field.
So many people stumble in life and have many difficulties; or many
feel exhausted and frustrated in body, speech and mind and they wonder
why, or say: "God doesn't help me," or "God doesn't hear
me." But it is not true, it is we who don't hear God. We don't care
to listen to Hiers message every day.
For example, we have to go to school about four or eight hours
a day in order to learn what the teacher wants to teach us, to become wiser
and more intelligent each day, and to get our graduation or masters degree.
Then by each day we learn. Each day we're more intelligent, we know more
things, we can do more things, we can tackle more things, our lives are
more organized, we have more understanding, and we have a more comfortable
job and a more comfortable life. So now, just like if we don't sit in meditation
for one, two or three hours a day and listen to God's teachings, or come
to be near our teacher who represents the teachings from God, bringing
the message of God to us, then how can we get wiser and how can our life
get more comfortable?
Sometimes we pray, we say: "Oh God, why don't you come to
me? If you exist, please come!" But if God comes, do we have time
for Hirm? I doubt it. I don't think we have time for God. So don't blame
Hirm if Hes doesn't come. We will say: "My mother just came. My father
just died.
My children are ill. My job! My boss! My bank account! My electricity
bill! Oh God, my God, please go away, I don't have time for You! Oh my
God!" (Master laughs)
Can you imagine how we would treat God if Hes came? Hes has come
many times to us. Hes comes all the time in the garb of the fleshy body,
in the garb of humans. It's the same when we are with a wise person, then
we'll be wiser. If we are with stupid people all the time, we get more
stupid. We have to accompany that person's level otherwise he doesn't understand
us and that's how we are dragged down. Therefore, we choose a friend. Therefore
people come to wise masters in order to awaken the wisdom inside themselves.
That is very, very logical.
If I already know English and now if I stay in England, in America
or always among English speaking people, then my English improves each
day. But if I am among non-English speaking people or speak English like
chopping vegetables, then of course my English will become like theirs.
I've already notice that my English is getting like chopping wood -- wood-chopper
-- because in the last twenty years I have not been in England. I have
always traveled around and everywhere people don't speak perfect English.
So my language talent has become stunted -- doesn't grow. Every day I speak
Chinese, Spanish or the Au Lac language! (Master speaks Spanish and laughs)
You see, these are very clear things. So if we think we are already
too wise, then we don't need a master. But if we think, if we cross-examine
ourselves and know that we have something missing, then we should go and
find someone who has that quality and try to make up for it. If God can
teach us directly from within then we don't need a master. But we know
that it's not possible for God to be in touch with us directly even though
Hes is within us. Therefore, Jesus had to come, Buddha had to come, Mohammed
had to come, Socrates, et cetera.
It is true that we can learn from everyone, but from someone maybe
we can learn more and from someone we learn less. From someone we learn
good things, from someone we learn bad things or at least not to do bad
things like them; they're also our teacher. At least they teach us not
to do bad things provided we have enough discriminating power to know what
is good, what is bad.
Some human beings are with God, some human beings are with the
world, some human beings are a little bit inclined towards the negative
aspect of humankind. If we are with those persons who are with God then
we become influenced by their Godly qualities. If we are with those who
have the worldly qualities then we're imbibed more with the worldly qualities.
If we are with those with negative tendencies, then we're also affected
by their negative traits.
Every day we are in touch with so many personalities, so many persons and
we do not really know who is with the negative -- sometimes we don't know
clearly -- and who has human tendencies. Therefore, we are sometimes confused
and we are affected by them, with or without our knowledge. Therefore sometimes
we feel tired and confused and our spirit feels very depressed.
So, if we know someone with Godly qualities, saintly wisdom, we
must by all means, any time possible, be near such persons in order to
be affected a little bit in a different direction and get pulled up instead
of pulled down or stay in that low level all the time, every day. Especially
when this kind of occasion is very rare, because we can be in touch with
anyone, but with saintly persons, how much time? How many saintly persons?
How many occasion that we meet such persons? And how many saintly persons
in this world?
It is okay if we don't believe in that person, if we think that
person is not good enough for us. But if we do believe, if we know that
person definitely is beneficial for us, for humankind, is saintly, is wise,
then we must run. We must make excuses to come, not make excuses to stay
away because it's good for us, for us and us alone.
A Hungry Soul Needs To Be Fed
If we know that food is good for us, should we make excuses to
stay away from the kitchen? We can be hungry one or two days but not too
long. When we are hungry, when we don't have enough nutrition, we know
what happens. Our body becomes tired, we get dragged around, we cannot
move, we cannot think so much and we cannot work. Our soul also gets hungry
sometimes if we don't look after it properly.
And how do we know when our soul is hungry? When we cannot survive well
in this world, when we are tired mentally, when we are depressed, when
we cannot think correctly, and when we cannot cope with the pressure of
this life. When our body gets sick, that's also because the soul is oppressed;
when our bad tendencies overpower our goodness.
If we are honest with ourselves and cross-examine every day then
we know that our soul is very, very tired, exhausted and hungry. When we
cannot recognize what is good from bad, what is the most important issue
in life and what is the second important issue in life, then we know that
our soul is oppressed.
Do not think that those who go out and murder people, steal, do
all kinds of violence, or violate the neighbors are the bad persons. No
doubt we don't say that they are good, but they can be awakened in no time
or they may change when their situation improves. But if we do violence
to our soul, that is the most serious crime. By denying our soul good teachings,
by denying our soul it's spiritual food, by denying our soul the presence
and the company of virtuous, saintly persons, we are doing violence to
ourselves. Just like when we make an excuse and deny our body the food
that it deserves that makes our body strong and healthy. The same, we retard
our spiritual progress by denying our soul the food that it badly needs.
To do violence to others is more pardonable than to do violence
to ourselves because sometimes we do violence to others because we cannot
help it, because that person annoys us, makes us angry or denies us something
and we have an excuse; and because of our ignorance and because sometimes
it's difficult to love others because of the differences between personalities.
But, not to love ourselves -- that is a terrible thing.
When we work, when we feed ourselves, when we clothe ourselves,
we only love our bodies alone, we do not love the soul, and the soul is
our real Self. How do we improve our spiritual progress if we are not all
the time mixed and in the company of the spiritual group, with spiritual
people who have the same motive, same ideal, same goal, same way of life,
same way of thinking?
We are not yet strong enough to walk alone or else we would have
become a saint, become a master. If we check ourselves, our behavior every
day, we know that we are not yet masters, if we're honest. We know we are
much too selfish, much too self-centered, much too ignorant to reach the
level of so-called master, of Jesus or Buddha.
Walking The Spiritual Path Requires Effort
If after examining such and we know our level, then we must learn,
we must practice more, we must open our hearts to all kinds of noble influences,
all kinds of noble company. We must take advantage of these chances. If
we still believe that to improve our purity, to improve our wisdom is the
highest purpose of humanity, then we must make an effort. But if we do
not believe in this, if we think being human beings means only to grow
up, to eat, to work, to earn money, and to die, then okay, then we don't
need to make an effort.
Then we just live like that and carry on day after day, day in,
day out: working, eating, sleeping, making love, producing children, earning
money, and then dying. No need to meditate, no need to be vegetarian, no
need to read ethical books, no need to do any of these mentioned items.
And don't tell anyone, don't make excuses that it's too tiring, it's too
much, it's too this, too that and the other.
Don't we make effort in all undertakings? Effort is necessary in
all kinds of transactions. Effort is needed in studying, needed to work,
needed in maintaining marriages, needed in maintaining our bodies, needed
in maintaining even our hair! A few strands of hair take two hours in the
beauty salon. Don't you tell me that you don't need an effort for meditation
and you don't need to go see a master because you're too tired, too long,
too this and that and the other. How about your hair?
Ask yourself how many hours you spend on your ephemeral body --
all the eight, ten hours working just because of this body. All the study
-- many years -- just because of this body. You study for ten, twenty years
because you want to have a good job, maintain your body and your family's
bodies. What else? And you work for thirty more years after studying, also
just because of the body or maybe for the bodies of your family members
or the bodies of your beloved citizens. So now, how can we say we don't
need any effort?
We refuse the effort for the soul -- it's not logical! And the
soul is the most important thing. Without the soul the body is no use!
Go to the cemetery and find so many bodies there. When people die they
also make them up, make their lips beautiful here, and make coiffeur and
beautiful clothes. But what is the use of that body then?
Now, effort is needed or not? It's needed just even for your lips.
If you want to have rosy lips you have to go to the beauty shop and choose
the beautiful color that you need. It sometimes takes two or three hours
and you bear it because you like to be beautiful. And this is an ephemeral
thing. It's here today maybe gone tomorrow. And if for the soul, for something
eternal, we take two, three hours a day, or come to see the teacher and
we say it's too much.
Suffering Or Liberation Is A Matter of Choice
Then we ask ourselves: "Why did God make the world like this?
Why you -- we the people -- suffer so much? Why do I suffer so much?"
It is very clear. We choose it! We choose suffering, we choose ignorance,
we choose not to move, we choose not to improve, we choose not to change,
we choose not to be pushed, not to be civilized. That's all our fault.
The world suffers because it wants to suffer. Because we make effort --
too many hours spent for the ephemeral things and too little hours spent
for the eternal wisdom. That's why we are not wise, that's why we do things
with topsy-turvy wisdom, that's why we cannot get away from the circle
of birth and death.
If everyone made a little effort to learn in wisdom, to learn to
recognize our greatest intelligence inside and then use it in everyday
life, the world would not be so suffering like this and everyone would
become wise. Everyone would know what is the right thing to do, how to
have consideration for other people; all people would cooperate in wisdom
and no one would suffer at all.
If everyone waits for the neighbor: "Oh why doesn't she go
to meditate? She didn't find a master, why should I? Why should I go to
study with a master? Why should I meditate and be vegetarian, no one else
does it?" Everyone then waits for each other and that's it.
Now, everyone else is supposed to be ignorant, you are supposed
to be the better ones. You already know how to meditate, you know to be
vegetarian, you strive towards Light and wisdom. You're supposed to be
the better half of humankind, and you also stay there and sleep away your
time! How can you expect others to follow your example?
Am I too harsh with you? If I am, please forgive. If you forgive me, God
will forgive you -- good karma. But if no one tells you, you will not tell
each other.
Manage Our Time Wisely
Everyone likes to skip school. No children are willing to go to
school. All the parents have to push, teachers have to be stern. Otherwise,
if you just allow the children what they like, then they will never do
the right thing because they don't know. Left alone, children will go play
in the park all day, watch television, or do this kind of video machine
-- ping, pong, pong. No doubt, the teacher is not always strict and also
takes the children to the park and plays with them; and the mother, father
also play with them sometimes. But there are times for playing and times
for learning. Time for your family, time for your friends, time to work,
earn money, and take care of your bodily needs. But time for spiritual
aspiration must be included. Of course, we cannot do that twenty-four hours
or every day, but when the occasion arises we must take the opportunity.
We already do too little for our spiritual progress. You see, for
any job, for any study, for any bodily comfort we put in the full time
-- eight hours per day, ten hours per day and sometimes extra work in the
night. Sometimes, you have to take supplementary schooling at night --
extra, apart from your ordinary schooling -- and just to have a master's
degree in English or Chemistry. And that's one or two subjects for just
a very short time, just a very, very ephemeral thing. Learning to be in
eternity, learning to be a saintly person, to be God-like, and we put only
one or two hours a day, see the teacher only occasionally, and we already
make excuses. So what kind of logic do you think that is?
To be a disciple or to be a practitioner suffices not to be vegetarian
and suffices not to be initiated. Vegetarian -- a cow is a vegetarian since
inside the stomach. And initiation -- even cows came for the initiation
when I gave it. They come for initiation anytime. Whenever I'm here the
cows come to see me. They come all that way, very far from the other field
up to here, and stand or sit in front of the meditation hall, waiting for
initiation. Yes, they did! People said they didn't ever come until I came.
They also filled in the initiation form! They filled it in their way! They
cannot write so they swallowed them. You know the story. When I was here
the first time and the pickup truck was full of vegetables and some initiation
forms behind, they didn't eat the vegetables they just swallowed the initiation
forms and some of my lecture notes. They stole them and our initiates chased
after them wanting to take them back. They were so nervous that they just
swallowed them. (Master laughs)
We could not take them back so they think they are also initiated.
Any time I come they also come for group meditation. (Master laughs) They
have darshan, they look at me. When they came here and our disciple tried
to drive them away, they didn't go, they just looked at him as if to say:
"You and I are equal -- fellow initiates -- why do you drive me out?"
Something like that.
Do not feel that you are initiated and you are vegetarian and that's
enough. If you think that is enough, it's just like you think that to enroll
in the university is enough and no need to go to the university or see
the professor every day, every week or every two or three days. Or like
the cows, just swallow the initiation form, be vegetarian, and that's enough.
But they are even better, they come to see me any time I am here -- very
faithful disciples (Master laughs) and vegetarian all the time. Never fail.
This, I never need to worry.
They would never pretend to make a mistake by eating cake with
eggs, or drinking something with a little bit alcohol in it only. And they
do their meditation every day, with or without Master. After they eat --
full -- then they will sit there and meditate on their food on the grass.
That's their meditation.
The same like us, just after working and eating we sit there and meditate
on television, or meditate on our worldly desires and problems. So what
is the problem? No problem. Everyone meditates on their own beloved object.
Like this I really should retire. No need to come anymore. No need to bother
you. Both of us happy. Mm?
Do you think a master is only there to fulfill your needs when
you want it, and you don't need to have any obligation? That's also okay
as far as the master is concerned, but you don't progress. You waste your
human time, the precious time to develop our wisdom -- no, to recognize
our wisdom. Wisdom cannot be developed, wisdom is already perfect and there,
we just need to recognize and use it.
But if we do not give time to recognize and use it, then we waste
it. God has given us the human body and entrusted us with wisdom in order
that we serve ourselves and this world while we are here. If we do not
do this, then we fail in our duty towards God and towards ourselves. That's
all.
Perhaps no one, including any master, has the right to blame us. It's just
that probably we have to come back to learn again, or probably we have
to learn in a hard way or through suffering. Or probably we have to wait
a while, many lives, to see another master again, because we have refused
the golden opportunity when it is easily available. That is not very convenient
for us, that's all.>
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height="60">
?/SPAN>Love In Action?/FONT>
A New Year Of Love
While the joyful atmosphere of the Chinese New Year filled every street
and lane, and everyone was busily preparing for their family reunions,
Master was concerned about the lonely and destitute. She reminded the disciples
to actively help groups that worked for the disabled and families in need.
Fellow practitioners all over Formosa immediately launched a fast and efficient
survey, hoping to deliver Master's love to each needy person.
Report From Nantou?
Fellow initiates in Nantou visit poor orphaned children.
Besides visiting families whose husbands and fathers were severely disabled
or had passed away the Nantou Center especially visited children who were
orphans. They discovered some children were forced to work at a young age
to sustain their younger brothers and sisters; some even lived with their
grandparents in very unfortunate conditions. Older people without family
support were also visited.
The Center especially sponsored a compassionate person who silently took
care of homeless animals. She was born in a poor family, so hunger was
common during her childhood. She often had only one meal a day, so she
deeply felt the pain of starving animals and people. She helped homeless
people, deranged wanderers and stray animals. She spent all she earned
on feeding and healing animals. Every day, she searches each part of the
city for homeless animals and feeds them. Currently, she is caring for
almost a hundred of them. Whenever she sees helpless, homeless people on
the street, she often buys hot meals for them. We regard her as a very
special person in our work to help those in urgent need.
During the Chinese New Year season, the comforting financial assistance
from Master has brought tremendous warmth and encouragement to this benevolent
person, who has never stopped serving others despite her own unfortunate
circumstances. Fellow initiates in Nantou visit poor orphaned children.
Report From Hsinchu?
When conducting an experiment in his university laboratory, a graduate
student, Mr. Ma, was hit by a concrete pillar weighing almost a ton, seriously
injuring him. His vital signs were almost nil when rushed to hospital.
After going through seven operations, he was discharged. However, since
the hospital doctors were mainly concerned with saving his life, his dislocated
pelvis was not properly aligned so this continues to cause him serious
problems. Apart from having to go through another major and complicated
operation, the recovery time is expected to be long.
All the teachers and students at the university, and even others not connected
with the university, are concerned about him. The accident also instigated
an unprecedented thorough review of safety procedures in university laboratories.
Coincidentally, brother Chen of the Hsinchu Center was also a student at
the same university, so he promptly informed the public about the mishap
that befell Mr. Ma. Subsequently, the amount of donations collected reached
a sizable figure.
The Hsinchu Center also helped in this donation drive. Since learning about
this accident, fellow practitioners understand better the ephemeral nature
of this world, which further strengthens their faith in working hard on
their spiritual practice. While praying for the early recovery of Mr. Ma,
we hope mankind will work together to uplift our planet's spiritual level,
so as to attain eternal safety within.
Report From Changhua?
The founder of Erhlin Happy Christian Home, Ms. Joyce, express her gratitude
to Master on behalf of the Center.
This time, members of the Changhua Center visited the Erhlin Happy Christian
Home, and about thirty destitute households near the seaside in Da Cheng.
When we arrived at the Children's Home, waiting at the entrance to welcome
us was the founder, Ms. Joyce, who is an American, with the Superintendent
and staff members.
More than thirty years ago, Ms. Joyce left America with a missionary and
medical group to spread the gospel in Formosa. She was saddened to see
children near the Zu Xui River who suffered from polio and could not afford
to go to school. Immediately she went back to her hometown, sold her properties,
and raised money from her friends and relatives to build a home for these
children, thus founding the Erhlin Happy Christian Home.
Their main objective is to accommodate and educate children suffering from
medium, serious or very serious mental disabilities; and they are working
hard to build a sanatorium for mentally retarded old folks. They follow
the loving spirit example of Jesus Christ to serve people in the world.
The most endearing characteristic in this Children's Home is their loving
way of educating the children. The teachers and volunteer workers care
for and educate the children as if they were their own, helping them overcome
both physical and psychological obstacles. They teach the children to appreciate
God's love in their daily lives, and to learn skills with an optimistic
attitude in order to be independent, strong and helpful to other people.
About four hundred students have graduated and most of them can now be
of service to society.
Fellow initiates also visited about thirty destitute households. Most of
them were devastated by physical disabilities or illnesses. Some people
were painfully alone as they had no family members left alive. Watching
them struggling for survival in such a painful way, no one could refrain
from feeling sad. Once again, fellow initiates fully appreciated Master's
compassion that conveys God's glory and love to every corner of the world.
The founder of the Erhlin Happy Christian Home, Ms. Joyce, expresses her
gratitude to Master on behalf of the Center.
Report From Tainan?
Mr. Fu Yen-Hsiung of the Tainan Association for Spinal Injury Victims accompanies
fellow initiates during visits to households affected by tragedy.
The Tainan Association for Spinal Injury Victims provided the list of families
that fellow practitioners visited. The Executive Director, Mr. Fu Yen-Hsiung,
even accompanied fellow practitioners when they went to the families homes.
Most of these households faced financial difficulties because working family
members were injured in traffic accidents or were chronically paralyzed
and therefore could no longer work. Thanks to the enthusiasm of Mr. Fu,
our team members promptly delivered the much needed money to them.
Our visit extended to the desolate regions of Liu Jia, Hou Bi, Liu Ying,
Dong Shan and Jiang Jun. Worth mentioning was the Village Chief of Shi
An Village in Hou Bi. Touched by Master's virtuous actions, he personally
joined in the relief work.
In some of the destitute families, both parents were handicapped and couldn't
take care of their children. In other families, all children were either
physically or mentally disabled, imposing an extremely heavy burden on
their parents.
Living in a crude little house, a grandmother over seventy years old had
to raise her granddaughter alone. When she heard that Master was giving
her a traditional Red Envelope for the New Year, she cried with joy and
felt that this year was much warmer than those past.
Among those visited was an old war veteran whose pension was completely
gone because of swindling by others. His present abode was practically
a heap of ruins. His wife and two children were all mentally disabled.
This family of four lived entirely on the ten-thousand N.T dollars a month
from the government. The timely donation from Supreme Master Ching Hai
helped them to enjoy a happier Chinese New Year.
Under the Liu Jia Bridge was a transport container in which an unfortunate
family lived. The old mother could hardly walk, and her children's legs
were deformed by polio. Upon receiving the donation, a delightful smile
lit up the face of the old woman.
A couple was rendered jobless because they were injured in a fall. When
fellow practitioners came to convey Master's concern to them, they were
deeply touched and continued to hold the fellow practitioners' hands. The
tears in their eyes reflected how grateful they were to Master for caring
about the poor in Formosa despite being aboard. They hoped that they could
also care for others when they get on their feet again. There was an old
lady who was over seventy. She had raised seven children, but was eventually
abandoned. She sustained herself by making handicrafts. When fellow practitioners
saw her, she was feeling very dejected and refused to say anything. Our
team members told her that there were still people in the world who cared
about her. Then, Master's love warmed her heart. When the team bid farewell
to her, a rare smile finally appeared on her face.
In Liu Jia Village, there was a single, homeless man who collected scrap
materials for a living. When he knew it was Supreme Master Ching Hai's
fellow practitioners coming to visit, he was so happy that he exclaimed:
"Thanks, Master!" He said that no one ever cared for him, so
he was very surprised and emotional to have someone visiting him on New
Years eve.
All fellow practitioners who joined the visiting team said that they felt
God's supreme blessing that helped them accomplish their mission successfully,
and spread Hiers love to the people in need.
Mr. Fu Yen-Hsiung of the Tainan Association for Spinal Injury Victims accompanies
fellow initiates during visits to households affected by tragedy.
Report From Kaosiung And Pintung?
Fellow practitioners from the Kaosiung and Pintung Centers visited the
Private Kong Tuo Children's Home located in a remote country area. The
children accommodated by the Home included orphans, the handicapped, those
having only one parent and those from dysfunctional families. Their ages
ranged from four to twenty-six. Half of the residents suffer mental or
physical disabilities.
The person in charge told us, when he first took up charitable work he
only compiled cases of children lacking proper care and disseminated the
information to various Homes. Later, he found that the number of cases
that were not accepted increased continuously, so he thought of establishing
a Home for these children. During these twelve years, all the children
in this Home have been well taken care of, and the normal children were
provided with a good education.
Fellow practitioners also visited several destitute families. Some of them
collect discarded materials for a living. Some have financial problems
because working family members have died, or because tragedies suddenly
struck. Upon receiving Master's material and spiritual assistance, they
saw light in their gloomy future and knew that they were no longer alone
in life.
Report From Peng Hu?
There are many poor villages in the countryside of Peng Hu. During our
visit, we appreciated the assistance from village executives, police officers
and passers-by who eagerly showed us around.
Most of the places visited were fishing villages. Many families experienced
difficulties because of sea disasters. We were deeply touched by some strong
willed and hard working women we saw. Some of these households might be
poor, but they managed to live a happy and contented life within a very
tight budget.
With the implementation of government welfare policies some families have
been well taken care of. However, there were others, though listed as destitute
families, who have not yet received their entitled subsidy. Before making
our visit, we first tried to get a clearer picture of the living conditions
of these families, and then calculated the amount of relief money to be
given.
Families receiving our help were both surprised and delighted. We told
them it was all due to Master's love. We hope their lives will somehow
improve from the financial donation bestowed by God! We also encouraged
them not to feel too look down upon themselvs but to take good care of
themselves and their families.
Report From Yilan?
Master has mercifully allocated some money acquired through Her charity
sales to provide relief for the poor and needy people in Yilan. Immediately
upon receiving the notification, fellow practitioners launched an investigation
into how to best distribute the money.
In a cold wind and rain, the Executive Officer of Su O Town Office drove
us to the designated area while briefing us on the situation. In this fishing
port, there are many single-parent families because the husbands have been
lost at sea, leaving behind wives, children and old parents in a helpless
situation. There were also many disabled and lonely senior citizens. When
the visiting team distributed traditional envelopes (containing good luck
money for the New Year) to the needy, they were very thankful.
Because we wanted to cover the whole Su O region quickly, the team was
split into several groups. Guided by a worker from the Nan O Village Office,
fellow practitioners visited the desolate village of Bi Hou. The inhabitants
there are mostly native people living in dire poverty. One thing common
about these poor families was the enormous burden shouldered by the matriarch
alone, since most men often lost their lives while working or were serious
disabled. However, they were optimistic in nature and were able to live
a happy life despite the difficult situation. They even managed to keep
the environment tidy and orderly with very limited resources.
Report From Hualien?
When the Hualien Center received money from Master to help poor people,
fellow practitioners braved heavy rain and promptly visited the destitute
households conveying Master's love and concern to them. Upon receiving
this helpful money, they were extremely grateful to Master for Her mercy
and care.
Several families could not afford to pay their children's school fees.
When Master's timely financial assistance reached them they were so touched
that they thanked Her repeatedly.
The Hualien Family Helping Center is an organization working for the benefit
of children. For thirty years, they have been providing financial help,
emergency relief and counseling to destitute families in the Hualien region.
Their experience and skills in social service enables them to provide a
reasonable service to families in need. These families are often hit by
a chain of mishaps. Consequently, they are heavily in debt and this puts
enormous pressure on them. Therefore, the Hualien Center often gives practical
help to needy households recommended by the Family Helping Center.
Fellow practitioners also visited several mountain regions. Most of the
mountain people work outside the region, away from their wives, children
and old parents. To make things worse, some mountain citizens are alcoholics
because they have no purpose in life. The hygienic conditions and environment
are far from satisfactory. Yet we realize that their material poverty is
secondary to their spiritual poverty, which is the real cause of their
distress.
Report From Taitung?
Fellow initiates in Taitung spread Master's loving care to needy people
hidden in unknown corners of society.
The Chinese New Year fell within a cold winter, and the weather was very
unpredictable. Fellow practitioners visited some poor families in desolate
areas, taking with them Master's compassion and a variety of Spring Festival
couplets exquisitely written by resident disciples. Apart from the relief
money and materials, what these poor people needed most was love.
Most of the families visited comprised of elderly folks who are lonely
and forgotten. Many of them are disabled or bedridden and live under miserable
conditions, lacking material and spiritual help. Apart from giving them
financial relief, fellow practitioners also expressed their concern for
them with loving words. In our hearts, we prayed to our merciful Master
to bless these old folks, so they could live their remaining years cheerfully.
Some younger people we visited were victims of accidents that left them
physically disabled or suffering from long-term illnesses, which caused
major upheavals in their families mainly due to a lack of income. When
we saw them on our previous visit, they looked extremely dejected, but
with the encouragement and consolation of fellow practitioners, the dark
clouds hovering over their gloomy faces slowly dispersed. When we visited
them again recently, they cheerfully talked to us about their daily lives.
Having realized the ephemeral nature of this world, a person we visited
even said she would become a vegetarian. It is the hope of all fellow practitioners
that this group of people will have a brighter future.
In one family, we visited a person suffering from major decompression sickness.
When we saw him four months ago, he had completely shut himself away from
the outside world. This time, we found him full of gratitude. Touched by
Master's boundless love, he was filled with bliss, and has recovered his
long lost smile. Reluctant to part with us, he walked us to the door, supporting
himself on crutches, and waved farewell to us.
After this activity, fellow practitioners more earnestly seek out those
forgotten by society, hoping more people can benefit from Master's infinite
blessing of love. Fellow initiates in Taitung spread Master's loving care
to needy people hidden in unknown corners of society.
Report From Taipei?
Master often reminds us that when we do spiritual practice, we should not
only meditate, but we should also have love and compassion. By participating
in the activity of visiting poor families, our fellow initiates had an
opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the endless suffering in
the world, and hence develop our love. We realized that the aged people
who were extremely in need, and the sick women who touched us deeply, could
be Buddhas who were helping us to develop our love and thus helping us
progress toward the attainment of Buddhahood.
There was one elderly person in Taipei, Mr. Chen, who frequently suffered
from apoplexy and had been confined in bed for a long time. His son had
quit his job and was staying home to take care of him. They had used up
all their savings, and depended on help from their relatives, which was
limited. When we visited them, they were in the process of applying for
"low income family" status. Since this process took time, the
government had not yet provided them with the support they needed.
When the new year came, Mr. Chen junior wanted to find a nursing home for
his father to ensure he would have a good new year. Master's emergency
relief fund helped him to fulfill this wish. Now Mr. Chen junior can go
back to work and his younger sister can also have money to continue her
school studies. Once the government subsidy is approved, their family life
will be improved further. Therefore, a little timely help sometimes can
have a significant effect.
Ms. Ho is a single mother. Due to a brain tumor that presses against her
optic nerve, she is almost blind. She has an aged mother and a daughter
to support, so she is in a very stressful situation. Our fellow initiates
conveyed Master's loving care to her. We also told her that, although she
could not see the rights and wrongs of the outside world, our inner world
is more beautiful. We encouraged her to pray often to the Buddhas for help.
She said to us in an emotional tone, "Thank Master!" Fellow initiates
also sincerely prayed to all the Buddhas as well as Master to bless her
so that she could get good medical care and quickly recover her vision.
Our fellow initiates in Taipei also specially supported the Friendship
Handicapped Welfare Society and distributed goods to poor handicapped people.
In total, we contributed 284 bags of rice and 568 bottles of oil. These
goods were distributed to 176 poor handicapped people. Among them, some
suffered from facial injuries, some from brain paralysis, some from polio,
some from spinal injuries, some were quadrapalegic, et cetera.
Report From Taoyuan?
Recently fellow initiates in Taoyuan visited a couple, whom they thought
might have an inadequate life-style and diet. Therefore, they made several
nutritious vegetarian dishes and delivered them with Master's loving care.
In a delightful atmosphere, they told them that a vegetarian diet not only
provided enough nutrition, but also had all kinds of benefits and causes
no harm. Before they left, they encouraged them to take good care of themselves
and not to neglect their nutrition.
When they visited them again to give them relief money, they happily told
the fellow initiates that they were ready to begin a vegetarian diet. Since
they did not know how to cook vegetarian food, they specially bought a
vegetarian cookbook. They even put Master's sample booklet and News magazines
on their bedside stand to read before they went to sleep each night. They
had never followed Buddhism before, but they began to play the Amitabha
Buddha chant audio tape twenty-four hours a day. Later, they found out
that among their old friends were some of our fellow initiates, who were
also silently doing good deeds.
This couple's true happiness affected us. We felt so happy for them, for
they had the affinity to listen to the supreme teachings of the Buddha.
This was truly a reflection of the adage, "Worry is Bodhi (enlightenment)
and illness is a blessing!"
Report From Taichung?
Recently, we distributed urgent relief funds in mountainous, coastal and
urban areas in Taichung. At one location, there was a woman who had recently
been released from prison. As soon as she saw Master's News Magazines,
she was touched and kept shedding tears. She said that she often read Master's
magazines and sample booklet when she was in jail. She was surprised that
Master continued to take care of her even after she had been released.
There was also a man in the area who was a painter. Due to his profession,
he suffered from an unknown illness and had to stay at home for a long
time. He and his six little children had to depend on his wife to earn
money by doing handiwork, along with support from some charitable organizations.
Therefore, he was very depressed and felt abased. Our fellow initiates
lovingly comforted and encouraged him, and sincerely hoped for his recovery.
Many people live in acute privation in the Tungshi area, especially some
helpless aged people. So we tried to go to remote areas and look for these
needy families. Among the destitute households that we helped, some had
members who suffered from illnesses or had been in car accidents; and some
had encountered financial difficulties because of a family member's mental
illness, business bankruptcy or compulsive gambling. Having contacted these
unfortunate people, fellow initiates on the relief team cherished their
own blessed rewards even more and wanted to practice wholeheartedly to
leave the bitter sea of the physical world.
Supreme Master Ching Hai's contributions for the urgent needs of the Formosan
people: breakdown of expenditure for February 1997 (Currency: NT dollars)
Item
Income
Expense Appendix Supreme Master Ching Hai's total contributions (from sales of personal
belongings) $1,814,808.00Taipei: Youai Handicapped Welfare Society (176 households)$108,450.00 A 13 destitute
households 66,150.00 BTaoyuan: 2 destitute households 10,000.00 CHsinchu: 2 destitute households 49,300.00 DTaichung: 21 destitute households 88,000.00 EChanghua: Erhiin Happy Christian Homes50,000.00 F 30 destitute
households 154,000.00GNantou: 19 destitute households 86,908.00 HTainan: 20 destitute households 105,000.00 IKaoshiung: 2 destitute households 10,000.00 JPingtung: Kongtuo Children's Home 50,000.00 K 3 destitute
households 15,000.00LPenghu: 15 destitute households 50,000.00 MTaitung: 17 destitute households 85,000.00 NHuallen: Family Helping Center (50 households)160,000.00 O 23 destitute
households 105,000.00PYlan: 141 destitute households 622,000.00 QToTAL
By Sister Initiate Leina Leong, San Francisco, CA USA (Originally In English)
In front of the San Francisco community Convalescent Hospital, Quan Yin
practitioners Got ready, with gift bags and News magazines, to visit the
elderly patients and staff. One of The sister initiates handed out small
laminated photos of Master to each of us, each photo with a different look.
I stuck my head out of the car and heard myself say: "Wow! Look at
this one! Master s expression is so precious." "You like that
one, huh?" "I like this one."
Then it was time for us to go inside. We greeted everyone and gave out
the gifts and News magazines. In the community room, brother Joseph played
classical music on the piano to entertain everyone. A newly admitted patient,
alert and friendly, told us to let brother Joseph know that most of the
patients are too weak to clap or talk. However, they really do appreciate
the music and our visit very much.
As we greeted the patients, their faces lit up immediately. They were eager
to reciprocate our visit with a few words and gestures of gratitude. Those
who were up to talking shared stories of their lives and were interested
in hearing about ours.
In that place, death was so near, yet so was life. We felt their suffering,
their appreciation, their delight and vice versa I'm sure. Most of all,
Master s unconditional love filled every corner and every soul.
Later on at home, I noticed that Master's photo on the kitchen wall was
simply perfect. The picture in the meditation room was exquisite, so was
the photo in the bedroom, not forgetting the one that the sister initiate
had given me earlier in front of the Convalescent Hospital. I thought that
little photo of Master seemed ordinary then. And now, it is simply perfect
in every way as well. The discriminative chatter in my head had quit somehow.
"When did it stop?" I asked myself. Perhaps it was when I held
the hand of a very frail woman at the Convalescent Hospital. The incredible
silence between us was so filled with gratitude and love. At that very
moment, I realized that I was holding Master s hand.
By Musician Nhat Ngan, USA (Originally In Au Lac Language)
Musician Chau Ky (left)
After attending an Evening of Music and Poetry –Traces of the Previous
Life and Love Songs hosted by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association, Los Angeles Center at the Long Beach Convention Center on
December 29, 1996 with an audience of over 6,000 of both Au Lac and foreigners
(nearly 9 hours of performance) and making a good contribution to the success
of the performing arts, we said good bye to the performers with the utmost
enthusiasm in our hearts. It was even more exciting when Supreme Master
Ching Hai, before leaving, said that She would instruct the event coordinators
to send all the proceeds from the show back home Au Lac to the writers
and musicians who have been forgotten during the upcoming Tet (year of
the Bull). According to Her, these writers and musicians are very worthy
of the public s admiration and gratitude for their great contributions
in hard work and creative thought to the enrichment of literature and arts
of Au Lac over many decades without any compensation.
Amidst my busy schedule in preparation for the upcoming Tet program, I
was quite surprised and exhilarated to be contacted by a representative
of the Suam Ching Hai International Association in Los Angeles with an
invitation to join their team to travel to Au Lac to distribute gifts to
the writers and musicians during Tet on behalf of the performers of "An
Evening of Music and Poetry Traces of the Previous Life and Love Songs".
After making the necessary arrangements and preparations we left for Au
Lac on February 2, 1997 (december 26, Lunar year). The team consisted of
two representatives from the Association, a treasurer and a cameraman,
as well as myself who represented the performers. Before leaving, the treasurer
informed us that the total amount of money to be given to the writers and
musicians from the Association was US$50,000 (US$20,000 from the proceeds
of the show and $30,000 donated from Supreme Master Ching Hai).
Poet Bui Gian (left)
After a long 16 hour flight, we touched down at Tan Son Nhat Airport in
Au Lac. It was steamy hot in Saigon during the days before Tet which was
not much different from the Summer months in Los Angeles.
In order to save time and to get the money into the hands of the writers
and musicians in a meaningful way in time of Tet, immediately after getting
to Saigon from the airport, we made contact with the musicians who represented
the former Association of Musicians in Saigon -- Thanh Son, Mac The Nhan,
Chau Ky, Hoang Trang, Bao Thu. We asked them to help us contact the remaining
musicians in Saigon and in the neighboring areas to get together the very
next morning (05/02/97) to receive their gift of money.
When members of the artists circle had finally gathered, the number reached
over 50. On behalf of the show's host, we delivered the opening remarks
and began the distribution ceremony. One by one, these brothers and sisters
were extremely touched and happy. (The money was allocated according to
each person's situation which was the recommendation of those present,
from $200 to $1,000).
In the opening remarks welcoming folks in the artists' circle, we informed
them that these gifts were from Supreme Master Ching Hai Herself and the
Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association in Los Angeles after
an Evening Of Music and Poetry entitled "Traces of the Previous Life
and Love Songs". This special vening was designed to introduce Ching
Hai s poetic works which were composed into music by the prominent musicians
abroad like Pham Duy, Thu Ho, Le Dinh, Nhat Ngan, Phuong Vu, Le Vu and
Supreme Master Ching Hai Herself. These songs were performed by the top
artists abroad, with singers Duy Khanh, Khanh Ly, Le Thu, Mai Huiong, Xuan
Phat, Duy Quang, Thai Hien, Thai Thao, Tuan Ngoc, Phuong Vu, Le Uyen Phuong,
My Huyen, Kieu Loan, Dan Hung; musicians Duy Cuong, Duy Minh, Duy Hung,
Hua Bich Thuan, Ta Nhu Viet; the traditional instrumentalists in the legendary
Nguyen Dinh Nghia family; actor Tran Quang, actress Mai Phuong and comedian
Van Son, Hoai Linh.
From left to right, musician Nhat Ngan. singers Huyen Tran & Hong Van,
and poet To Kieu Ngan
Poet Hoang Cam
After the ceremony, musician Chau Ky, the doyen of the artists circle in
Saigon, on behalf of these folks extended his thanks to Supreme Master
Ching Hai and the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. He
said: "Every year, in the Tet approaching days like these, we often
receive gifts from a representative sent over by brothers and sisters of
the artists circle abroad for us to enjoy Tet. But this year, the latest
report tipped us that due to many set backs in the organizing work no gifts
would be available.
Amidst our being unhappy due to this dispirited report, we suddenly received
and invitation from Suma Chng Hai and Her Association to come and receive
the special spring gifts. Frankly speaking, we were extremely surprised
and touched by Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her Association s concern.
This year, You indeed have brought the unexpected spring time to the writers
and musicians in the country. We don t know what to say besides extending
our sincere words of gratitude and our prayers to the Most High to bless
You in the new year.
The number of gifts of money distributed to the artist circle in Saigon
and vicinity was roughly over 100. The artist circle inculded musicians,
singers, poets, writers...conunting those that had already passed away
like Le Thuong, Hung Lam, Duong Thieu Tuoc, Y Van, Truc Phuong, Minh Ky,
Hoai Linh, Thanh Vu, Vu Hoang Chuong, Dinh Hung, Nguyen Trung Cang, Tan
An... Their families were also entitled to receive their gift just like
the writers and musicians who wre still alive. A number of special gifts
were also distributed, as recommended by the former Association of Musicians
in Saigon, to those artists who had been through more difficult times and
circumstances, like musicians Do Thu and Khanh Bang who are completely
blind. Musician Thang Long is so poor that he has to work as an umbrella
repairman around town. Poet Bui Giang is anormal and lives the life of
a wanderer. In the case of poet Bui Giang, we had to spend many days searching
every dead end street and alley in Saigon and Gia Dinh to find and give
him his gift of money. Poet Tuong Linh has poor eye sight from illness
and while waiting for surgery he was not allowed to go outside. Therefore,
we had to go to his home.
Widow of musician Van Cao
Widow of poet Vu Hoang Chuong
In the case of the deceased poets Vu Hoang Chuong and Ding Hung, since
they both had been forced to the new economic zone for many years right
after 1975 then came back to Saigon, no one knew their addresses any longer.
In order for us to be able to locate the families of the poets, we had
to rely on the help of some famous voices inpoetry recital in Saigon like
to Kieu Ngan, Hong Van, Huyen Tran to help us search for them. We finally
found them after a week of looking and were able to give them the money.
Singer Da Huong had just gone through a cancer surgery and was still receiving
therapy. Musician Giao Tien, (composer of the son Co Tham Ve Lang) whose
house had just burned down, had almost no money and was making sticky rice
rolls for a living at Cam ranh bus station.
Musicians Hoang Thong drifted from the new economic zone to a business
in selling lottery tickets at Go Cong bus station. Singer Tuyet Mai, a
famous singer in the era of Duy Khanh, Moc Lan, Chau Ha, Kim Tuoc... was
sick and living in poverty. She received her gift of money with tears of
deep emotion of an artist who had long been forgotten by colleagues and
life. Musician Hoang Bao, who had been released from communist jails after
11 years because of the anti-authority songs he wrote after 1975, was also
visited. He was so touched upon receiving the money that he said: "Have
you ever thought that this money is the largest amount my family has ever
had since1975? It is really like a dream."
After completing our work in the Saigon area and vicinity, we went to Ha
Noi to distribute the remaining gifts to the once legendary artists there
since the prewar era. These were the muscians and composers before 1954.
However, since the Communist took over the North, their works were discontinued
for many reasons. Their prewar songs have been extremely popular and loved
by the whole country for the past many decades. Thses are musicians: Van
Cao (since musician Van Cao was deceased, Mrs. Cao accepted the money on
his befalf with her sincere thanks); Hoang Giao, composer of the songs
"Ngay Ve" (Day of Return) and "Mo Hoa" (Dream of Flower);
musician Nguyen Thien To, composer of the song "Giao Duong Im Bong"
(Cathedral with Receding Shadow); and poet Hoang Cam, who had written many
very popular prewar poems. He and musician Van Cao were the ones who were
previously condemned by the communist during the case of the Literary Work
of Humanity. All the musicians and poets accepted their gifts of money
with great surprise and emotion.
Leaving the North, we entered the Central region and distributed gifts
to Nguyen Van Xuan, a writer who had created many valuable works before
1975. He is now 75 years old but still healthy and continues to write.
His latest work is "Duy Tan Movement". He is currently living
with his family in Da Nang. Also while in Da Nang, we distributed money
to musician and teacher Hoang Bich Son. A well known musician in Da Hnang,
Hoang Bich Son has also contributed a lot of effort in the field of promoting
music in the Central region of Au Lac.
Upon entering Hoi An, money was given to Nhu Pham, a poet who has written
poems really praising life. However, he himself is living in seclusion
like an austere monk, practicing in a run down temple in the subrurb of
old town Hoi An.
On our way South, we stopped over in Nha Trang to distribute gifts to Vo
Hong, a writer who made his name by writing a series of long and short
novels befor 1975 -- La Boi, An Tiem, Van, Thoi Moi... Writer Vo Hong expressed
his deep feelings when accepting the money and said that this gift was
full of meaning, something he never thought that he would receive.
Back to Da Lat, money was given to Buu An, a prominent musician of the
highlands, who has created many songs dedicated to Buddhism and the Au
Lac youth before 1975. Leaving Da Lat, we made a short stop in the city
of Ba Ria to search for musician Tran Quang Loc. He and his family were
quite touched by our sudden appearance. On this occasion, musician Tran
Quang Loc told us that recently, his newly written songs have been recorded
by many artists abroad. For example, such songs as: "Tra Loi Thu Em"
(Response to Your Letter), "Tinh Co Gap Nhau"(meeting Each Other
by Coincidence)... He said, "I hope that this early spring time gift
of yours will inspire me to write more new songs to send abroad."
On the road West, we distributed money to musician Nhat Le, composer of
the famous pre 1975 song entitled "Goi Nguoi Gioi Tuyen" who
is currently living in Can Tho; and Thien An, an actor in Thep Sung (Gun
of Steel) TV program of Cuc Chinh Huan (Political Instructional Department)
of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces before 1975. Also while in Can
Tho, we visited poet Hong Quy, a man with many poems full of the fighting
spirit published in the RVN Armed Forces magazines before 1975.
Leaving Can Tho, we went to Long Xuyen and distributed gifts of money to
musician Lieu Hoang Anh. He is the one who wrote many heroic songs for
the RVN Armed Forces before 1975.
We returned to Saigon after more that 10 day nonstop journey across the
country from north to south. The number of writers, poets and musicians
who received gifts of money was 128. Before returning to the U.S.A., we
held a get-togther party with all brothers and sisters of the artist circle
in Saigon and vicinty to say farewell. At this party, the artists extended
their sincere thanks to all the artists abroad in the performance of poetry-reciting
and songs event, Supreme Master Ching Hai and the Supreme Master Ching
Hai Intenational Association. Everyone longed for a day to be able to meet
Supreme Master Ching Hai in Au Lac.
I'd like to extend my most sincere feelings of gratitude to Supreme Master
Ching Hai and the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. Thank
you for giving me an opportunity to be part of a journey that brought a
spring full of love back to the artists at home.
~ To obtain the best results, we suggest using Microsoft Internet Explorer
4.0 or better, and setting your monitor to 800 x 600 resolution to view
the News. ~
A Little Message: In speaking of God, or the Supreme Spirit, Master instructs us to use original
non-sexist terms to avoid the argument about whether God is a She or a
He.
She + He = Hes (as in Bless)
Her + Him = Hirm (as in Firm)
Hers + His = Hiers (as in Dear)
Example: When God wants, Hes makes things happen according to Hiers will
to suit Hirmself.
eNews
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Online Subscribers will receive the latest e-magazine, as well as selected aphorisms,
"Pearls of Wisdom", etc.
Download E80 Files One cannot learn the qualities of "Truth, compassion and beauty"
in one year, or two; it is God's wisdom, the power of the universe, and
one can never learn it all.
January 28th, 1997
Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is alway with immense recognition that we would like to express our
deepest thanks, for the most generous bestowal of the following:
Blankets
Pastes and Rice
Underwears
Oil
Soaps
Tea
Razors
Peanut butter, etc.
We would also like to take this opportunity to extend our most sincere
thanks to all the members of your association who participated in the gathering
of these articles.
Kindly acknowledge, ladies, gentlemen, our best regards.
The General Director
Father Albert Brierley, o.ss.t. AB/dl > height="60">
—Center Events?/FONT> By Sister Initiate Endah, Surabaya, Indonesia (Originally In Indonesian)
In the middle of March, fellow practitioners in Indonesia as well as their
relatives and friends who longed to see Master finally had their wishes
fulfilled. It had been fours years since Indonesian fellow initiates (the
earliest ones) had last seen Master.
This unexpected visit by Master to Surabaya brought tremendous delight
and encouragement to fellow practitioners here. Upon receiving the good
news, everyone joyfully and quickly launched into preparations to welcome
Master.
The eventful gathering was held in the Rainbow Hall of the Shangrila Hotel.
Fellow practitioners and guests cherished these four precious hours and
had a wonderful time with Master.
That evening, Supreme Master Ching Hai wore a traditional royal Javanese
costume, which made us, the Indonesians, feel proud. Master looked so noble
and graceful, like a gentle and charming Javanese princess. All the Indonesian
guest were mesmerized, and they hoped Supreme Master Ching Hai would stay
longer in Indonesia to help more Indonesians.
Master let us ask questions, and patiently resolved all our doubts, until
fellow practitioners and guests were fully satisfied. Our thirst for so
many years was finally quenched!
Later, there was an initiation which lasted until after midnight. Due to
the large number of people requesting initiation, some of them could not
get initiated until the next morning. Though we all hoped Master would
stay longer so we could benefit from Her personal teaching, She could only
grace us with one night.
The next day, before Master left Surabaya, She squeezed in some time to
visit the Vegetarian House operated by the Surabaya Center. We are very
grateful to Master for Her love and blessings. Till we meet again!
By Brother Initiate Alex, Jakarta, Indonesia
(Originally In Indonesian) >
Jakarta Center received the news that Master was going to Surabaya. This
long-time dream was destined to finally come true. One after another, fellow
initiates hastily went to Surabaya and I was no exception. Deep in my heart,
I believe that Master is a living Buddha, so the extent of my longing to
see Her needs no mentioning.
At six o'clock sharp in the evening, Master walked into the venue wearing
a traditional Indonesian dress. She looked just like an exalted figure
from a past dynasty of the nation.
While listening to Master's lecture, I was wondering what difference there
really is between a living Buddha and an ordinary person. All of a sudden,
Master seemed to casually gaze at the corner where I sat. At that moment,
I saw an extremely bright white light emitting from Master's right eye.
The light was very much like the dazzling radiance from a white diamond
but its intensity was infinitely stronger. I felt as if I was in an eternity
beyond universal time and space, and that Master's form was the representative
of Almighty God indeed.
I cannot describe my feelings at that moment. I can only express my gratitude
to Master for the lecture. I wish that fellow initiates throughout the
whole world, as well as all human beings, could experience such a feeling
and hence respect and more fully understand Master to grasp this rare opportunity
to walk the Path that She outlines.
Footnote/By Free Boy, Indonesia
Once I told fellow initiates a short story about Master. I told them that
Master used Her right eye to bless people and used Her left eye to collect
karma from sentient beings. Similarly, there's a Buddhist term "ci
bei" (merciful) with "ci" meaning "offering happiness"
and "bei" meaning "taking away suffering". Without
doubt, Master is truly infinitely merciful. After he heard this story,
Alex wondered whether it was true. He practiced many methods in the past
and was diligent in Zen practice, so he considered himself to be at quite
a high level. This time, after he personally had such an experience, he
was truly convinced of Master's greatness.
By Brother Initiate Rongtser Teng, Surabaya, Indonesia
Master has come and brings Light and love, which fulfills our longing hearts.
The new initiates are filled with elation; and some old fellow initiates,
who have not grown up for a long time, also come, like bamboo shoots after
a spring rain.
Master has come and brings a unifying force. Fellow initiates work together
with one heart to welcome this glorious and splendid moment.
Master has come and brings boundless joy. The audience, spellbound by Master's
wise and humorous lecture, feels very satisfied and happy!
Master has left with our endless admiration and precious memories. How
quickly the time passed! Oh, Master, we truly want to be with You forever!
Although we are ignorant in many respects, which upsets You, and we have
many lessons to learn, we are determined to comply with Your teachings
and work diligently on our spiritual practice. We wish that the blooming
of our wisdom and the fruit of our enlightenment could begin to repay You
for even one ten thousandth of Your toil.
★<Media Reports> ▓ Formosan United Daily News February 12, 1997 ★
★Cat News
Cat Fosters Orphan Squirrels!
It is a cat's nature to catch rodents. However, when a big tree in South
Africa collapsed, three squirrels living in it were rescued and took a
cat named Gilcat as their foster mother. Gilcat also fulfilled her duty
by allowing the three squirrels to share her milk along with her two kittens. —Front Line?/FONT> height="43" width="15" bgcolor="#BEACDB"> >
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/By Brother Initiate Jacky Chantraine, Brussels, Belgium (Originally In
English)
Master's sample booklets tie an affinity with the local people at the airport.
Master's Blessing To Accelerate Customs Clearance
When we received official approval from the police and the Ministry of
Security to be able to distribute the sample booklets in Turkey, we immediately
flew from Brussels to Istanbul. The night before taking the booklets from
customs, I saw in meditation that the two main historic sites of Istanbul
-- the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia Mosque -- were surrounded by a shining
golden light and that Master Herself was coming to the custom buildings
to ask them to accelerate the formalities. This vision helped me a lot
in accomplishing the job.
I went to the old and historic Sultanahmet at night. Even though the sample
booklets were in Turkish, and all these people spoke only Turkish, to be
sure that they would understand me, I had some sentences translated by
my Turkish students in Belgium and put on a small plastic board: free bedava;
take it aliniz; then have a good time reading okumalar. For the first time
I saw people who had never heard of Master's teachings begin to read them
in their native language. They were like children, very happy to have discovered
something new.
The blue Mosque is a spiritual refuge for Muslim. The shines brightly in
the light of Master's word of Truth.
Mr. Hasan Kosucu, owner of a book shop, was very surprised to see a Westerner
entering his shop at night with a lot of small books. He was sitting and
next to him his friend was praying to Allah. After having a look at Master's
books, he invited me to have some tea. I explained to them that God is
one and that Allah, Jesus Christ and Buddha all came from the same source,
from the same universal entity, whatever you want to call it. He agreed
to take some sample booklets to give away free in his book shop.
Truth Is The Essence Of Religions
I met some people by chance on my way back to the airport. They worked
for a travel agency, a subsidiary of Istanbul Airlines. They took some
of the free sample booklets and began to read them. After having a look
at some inside pages they said: "In fact, this philosophy is a kind
of Taoism." We explained to them that Master's teachings encompass
all religions. Then Mr. Attila Celik asked us to send the Supreme Master
Ching Hai News magazine to a group of them.
Master's Booklets Welcomed By The People Of Istanbul
We gave a sample booklet to a security policeman at the airport. He was
so surprised that he didn't say a word and immediately began to read it.
Then we began to distribute sample booklets to Turkish emigrates. After
an hour Master's sample booklets were present everywhere in this area.
Before taking the plane and during the return flight, Istanbul Airlines
air hostesses kindly accepted Master's sample booklets which began circulating
in the plane. But some air hostesses were forgotten and came to us to ask
for additional copies. They looked very happy and could not believe that
the sample booklets were bedava.
Little Dictionary For Vegetarians
Eating vegetarian is not very difficult in Turkey. They are not used to
it, but restaurants will kindly prepare you vegetarian dishes after a short
explanation. The following are some basic words:
vegetarian -- vejeteryen
without meat -- etsi
without fish -- baliksi (pronounce baleuksiz)
without eggs -- yumurtasi
The usual Turkish baguette bread is without eggs. The local specialty sold
everywhere in the street and called simit (looks like the pretzel + sesame
grains made in the U.S.) is also without eggs.
Thanks To Master For Such An Experience
To feel the bliss of Master beginning to blossom in a country where She
was unknown before is an unforgettable feeling; you feel fresh and light.
People's smiling faces and interest in reading Master's works was surprising.
Then you feel like you absolutely want to share Master's teachings with
more and more people, to give them the chance to know the Truth. Thank
you, Master. We will come back to Turkey again, because the touchstone
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One night just after the five-day retreat, I took a big bag of chocolates
to my husband. Since he was in the mood of going out, he suggested that
we take a walk along the beach in Long Beach. We walked to the end of th
beach and as we are facing the ocean and enjoying the cold, fresn ocean
breze of a foreign country, a man with long hair came towards us on a bicycle.
He told us that he had no job and no home. I immediately realized that
he was a "beach angel" - a homeless person. Since we had decided
to leave the hotel at the last minute, we did not take much money with
us, except some small change and the big bag of chocolates, which were
a snack for my husband. Therefore, we gave him the bag of chocolates and
change. The man opened up the bag of chocolates right away and asked us
whether we would like to eat some. He was not greedy and did not want more
than he needed. He even wanted to return half of what we had given him.
I told the man to take the chocolates and share them with his friends.
He was pleasantly surprised and expressed his gratitude to us before leaving
on his bicycle.
Looking at his youthful receding figure, I sighed and remembered that during
the closing lecture of the retreat a day before, Master had mentioned that
even though some human souls are highly evolved they choose to be born
poor, as refugees or the homeless. These kinds of choices are the most
difficult sacrifices. They came from heaven, yet they want to create opportunities
for us to develop by humbly choosing to be one of the unfortunate. The
ocean wind on the beach was really cold - much colder than winter in Formosa.
It was already midnight, so we intended to quickly go back to the hotel.
Then from the other end of the beach, there came another man with tangled
hair down to his shoulders. This time, I immediately realized that he was
also a homeless person. As he got closer and closer to us, we noticed his
embarrassment to request offerings while being obviously fearful of being
rejected. My husband and I quickly gathered all of our remaining change
together, put it into his bashful hands, and told him to go and get a cup
of hot coffee. He was a little surprised and then happily said, "Happy
New Year!" This time it was our turn to feel surprised because we
actually realized that tomorrow was going to be New Year's Day. In a foreign
country, the first "Happy New Year" greeting actually came from
a homeless person. We did not know who had given whom warmth. On our way
back to the hotel, the cold ocean wind was still blowing. However, I felt
the unmistakable warmth of the night.
Fellow practitioners in Formosa have not seen Master for a long time. Of
course, Master is well aware of their longing hearts. So, one day, when
Master had Her hair cut, She instructed that the cuttings were to be delivered
to disciples in Formosa...
No matter whether it is a clear blue sky, or a dark cloudy wind-swept day,
Master! You are the everlasting brilliant star and shining lighthouse that
leads me through the uncharted sea of people.
Your love for me is just like showering in a spring breeze, bathing in
the sea of love. There is nowhere that Your love cannot reach; boundaries
are unseen and limits are unknown. "Hair of love for the beloved ones"
-- at that moment, holding Your hair, my heart was overwhelmed, tears just
kept pouring down. Master, Oh! Master, You are my most beloved.
No matter today or tomorrow, sunrise or sunset, spring ivy is forever green
and sunflowers always faces the sun, Your motherly love forever lingers
in the deepest recess of my heart.
/ By Sister Initiate Chang Sau Mei, Kaohsiung, Formosa
I have always been regarded as someone mild in character. Never had I imagined
that there was such a violent streak latent within me.
Ever since I was able to drive, whenever people or cars came across my
path, very strangely, an idea would automatically emerge in my mind: ram
him/her down! When this idea first sprouted I was totally shocked because
it was not the me that I thought I knew. I had always thought that I had
no intention of hurting anyone, because I believed I would do my best to
avoid hitting people. However, each time I drove, the same situation would
occur as if it was a replay on a tape recorder, and gradually I got used
to it.
Then one day in the car I laughed and said to myself: "I want to see
when this idea will be erased." I treated it as a memory left over
from a past life, and realized that I was, deep within, a very over-bearing
person. However, this was only a superficial realization because the violent
thought still stalked me and walked out of the door with me every day.
The turning point came after I read Master's discourse called "Maya
Is Also The Buddha". When I drove on the road, and the same evil idea
came to me, I suddenly reflected: "Why don't I bless these people
instead?" Thereafter, when I met them on the road, I would nod at
them and say in my heart: "God (Master) blesses you!", followed
by the Holy Names. Then I realized that the so-called evil thoughts are
meant to remind us to be concentrated and therefore can lead us to the
benevolent. After that day, the violent thought in me vanished without
a trace.
If, in the future, every person can send blessings to the people they meet,
how wonderful the world would become! Let us pray that this will happen
one day.
/Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai, Paris, France
January 26, 1997(Originally In English)
>
When God give us some disadvantages, Hes also gives us some advantages.
For example, many gays or lesbians are extremely talented artists. So if
you think you have some disadvantages, try to find out what advantages
God has given you to balance your life. God does give. Don't dwell on your
disadvantages and dampen your spirit. Instead go into your advantages,
go into your talents, go into the positive side of life that God granted
you, and uplift yourself.
Whenever you feel very depressed and really cannot bear it anymore, you
have to treat yourself good. Go into the best coffee shop that you've always
liked but always feared to spend money, buy the suit that you've always
wanted but you thought was too expensive. Treat yourself nicely at that
time because you need it. Just like someone else in time of need -- you
have to comfort him, give him the best, give him the best support and love,
and spoil him. You have to spoil yourself, give yourself the best support
when you need it most -- like when you're depressed, when you feel you
really cannot live anymore, cannot go on anymore. At that time you must
treat yourself nicely. If you can afford anything, afford it. You can earn
money later again, you can earn your time again, but you have to put yourself
together first. You have to stand up first.
I don't say you go out and do shopping every day and spend all the money
on the big coffee shop, on the best clothes. But, when you are the most
depressed and you can't go on anymore with life, then you cannot afford
to economize anymore. You have to spoil yourself, love yourself the most,
then you pick up very fast. Yeah, go out and talk to people, treat yourself
like a queen, spend money, whatever, to make yourself feel good. At that
time only, not every day, if you can afford it. And if you cannot spend
a lot of money, then go to somewhere that is not a lot of money but you
can also find something that you like. It's not always necessary to go
to expensive places to find the things you like. Just some new clothes,
some new hairstyle, new perm, everything would make you feel different
right away. New makeup. These are not expensive. Same with the men. But
sometimes because we get into the habit, like always wearing dark clothes,
always wearing a turtleneck, then depressed, just stay there, don't move,
don't change. Try something new to take your mind off the depression, that's
already something. If normally you always wear black, brown and blue then
try white, cream, lighter colors, or pink. Just boost yourself up.
The reason why sometimes we are sick and we feel we are weak and defenseless
is that in this life sometimes we feel we are very lonely and we feel no
one understands us. No one really supports us, I mean supports our ideas,
forgives us when we are wrong, and really loves us the way we are. So we
just feel lonely and we just want to shut ourselves in somewhere, then
pretend that we are unable to communicate or to do this or that...ah. Don't
want to do anything anymore. That's how we get into a kind of let go of
everything, let go of our body, our spirit, our joy; let go of the enthusiasm
and the positive hope for life and for the future.
It can get that bad in this life if we don't really have good friends or
we don't try to find good friends. It can make us very lonely and weak.
When the mind is weak, the body looks or feels weak; we don't even want
to move. We cannot move because we don't want to move, because our will
is not strong. Because we feel bad, we feel rejected, we feel refused,
we feel shut out, we feel alone, we feel left out, something like that,
then we become weak. It's not the body, it's the mind.
/Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai, Paris, France
January 26, 1997
—Pearls Of Wisdom?/FONT>
/Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa June 10, 1990
(Originally In Chinese)
There are three kinds of spiritual practitioners. The first one believes
in God and obeys Hirm. The second one works for God. The third one, or
the highest one, becomes one with God. He who is one with God or becomes
God comes spontaneously and without expectations. He comes out of sincerity,
not out of greed. Sincerity is different from expecting something. I don't
know how to differentiate them for you. It comes naturally and is difficult
to explain. Sometimes we may confuse expectation with sincerity, but actually
they are different.
The first kind of person likes to worship God and obeys God. He is very
satisfied and happy with the idea of having a God that he can worship and
pray to, who is higher than him and takes care of him. He does not ask
for anything else but this.
The second kind of person recognizes God and likes to work for Hirm. Whatever
he does, he does for God. After a while, however, he becomes more fond
of the work than of God. He begins to find himself more and more work to
do, but he forgets his ultimate goal is God. This kind of person has a
lot of merit. He does a lot of good things, like delivering sentient beings,
giving lectures, building temples, and becoming a monk, et cetera. But
after he does these things for a long time, people begin to worship and
adore him. They believe he is a virtuous person and keep praising him.
The more they praise him, the more he indulges in the work. Gradually,
he becomes attached to doing good deeds, never able to become one with
God. These two kinds of disciples cannot attain the highest level, one
attached to worshipping God and the other attached to working in order
to please God.
The third kind of person may also worship God and do good things to please
God, but he knows these things are only secondary. He would like to realize,
"Who is God?" He doesn't just want to worship God or please God
by working. Instead, he wants to know who God is. He wants to "catch"
Hirm. This kind of person will ultimately become one with God. Very few
people can attain this level.
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—You May Not Know?/SPAN>
At the time of the Lunar New Year, tormented by physical exhaustion and
inner worries, Master collapsed and had to be sent to the hospital. Her
attendant recalled: "On the way to the hospital, Master regained consciousness
for a short while. Observing that I was perspiring and crying out of anxiety,
She comforted me with Her feeble voice, ''Take off your gloves, they are
too hot!' Then wth some tissue She even used Her weak hand to wipe the
perspiration from my forehead." When talking about this, the attendant
couldn't hold back her tears: "Master then told me to call and tell
everyone that She was all right, so that they wouldn't worry. Having finished
saying these words, She fell unconscious again..."
Knowing that disciples were very worried about Her, Master found an excuse
for us to visit Her at the hospital. It was the third day of the Lunar
New Year, and Master called us on the telephone early that morning detailing
the things that we had to do. Then She mentioned that in the Au Lac and
Chinese tradition the third day of the Lunar New Year is the day to pay
respect to one's teacher. Therefore, She allowed those wishing to see Her
to go to the hospital, reminding us to bring biscuits and candies!
Though suffering in the hospital, Master didn't forget to give disciples
traditional envelopes containing a gift of money for the New year, She
asked Her attendant to give us the envelopes filled with Her love.
When we arrived at the hospital with flowers, evergreen plants, biscuits
and candies, the attendant told us that Master was in the Magnetic Resonance
scanner. Good heavens! Master said that She dreaded this kind of examination
most because She had to be shut inside a long tube alone, and had to lay
there motionless for several painful hours. We were extremely upset thinking
about Her enduring such agony.
In the waiting room, we meditated and recited the Holy names in silence,
praying to God to save Master from further torment.
Later in Master's room, disciples sat around Her bed, their anxious hearts
aching. Master sensed our feelings, opened Her eyes, and struggled to get
up and comfort us. She said that the Chinese New Year is very important
to Chinese people. So, since we were in a foreign country, She felt She
was obliged to entertain us.
Loyal Protection From Master's Manifestation Form
Master told us She actually didn't have to go through this suffering. Disciples
know very well that Master endures physical pain because She mercifully
accepts the karma of sentient beings.
The attendant mentioned: "Master, when You were unconscious, the medical
staff wanted to give an injection to anesthetize You, but You suddenly
sat up and said with a firm voice that You didn't need the injection, and
then You lay down again." Master said that She couldn't remember this
incident, and that it must have been Her manifestation form trying to protect
Her. Because Master's body is so sensitive a normal dose of anesthetic
could be too much for Her. If the medical staff overlooked this and gave
Her the injection, it would cause great harm to Her and perhaps She would
remain unconscious for a very long time.
When Master was being examined in the MR scanner, Her attendant didn't
request to stay by Her side, so She sighed sadly feeling that no one really
cared about Her. If we were concerned about Her, we would have insisted
on staying with Her, watched Her through the glass window, or even carve
a hole in the roof just to be able to see Her! We should have assured ourselves
that She was all right! We always say that we love Master, but what a shame
that Master's manifestation form faithfully protects Her better than we
sometimes do.
The Intimacy Between The Buddha And His Son
Master felt better after a while, so She sat up to enjoyed the blessed
food with us. While eating, She told us about the intimate relationship
between Shakyamuni Buddha and His only son, Rahula. Despite Rahula's noble
position as a prince, after becoming a monk the Buddha treated him very
strictly, even more severely than He would other disciples. Once when Rahula
made a mistake, the Buddha punished him by making him sleep in the toilet.
Two thousand five hundred years ago in India, the toilets used by the monks
were not like the modern ones we have now that are finished with ceramic
tiles and scented with deodorizers. Rahula spent the night in a crude and
roofless toilet, and that was how the Buddha taught His son. As a result,
Rahula learnt humility, and eventually became the fourth patriarch of the
lineage.
Like Husband And Wife, Share The Same Fate
Master took the opportunity to point out some faults common among the resident
disciples, hoping that we would improve. She said that after following
Master, some of us mix too closely with fellow disciples, paying too much
attention to friendships, forgetting our initial goal of coming to learn
with Master. Even a noble one like the Buddha's son had to go through severe
ordeals, how can we be exempted?
Master further expounded on the relationship between Master and disciples.
At present, She said our relationship is still likened to that of girlfriends
and boyfriends, who are only prepared to share happiness. We have not reached
the stage of a married couple -- ready to go through "thick and thin"
together, sharing the same fate.
Attracted by Master's magnificence when She gave lectures on stage, we
threw ourselves at Her out of adoration. However, when we eventually got
close to Her, we couldn't assimilate Her personal teachings. Master pointed
out that we often wondered why She didn't recognize our greatness. She
said, "If you are really great, then prove it to me!" Certainly,
because Master knows that we are great, She spurs us on to find our own
true greatness.
Very often, barriers and misunderstandings are created between Master and
ourselves because we "think" too much. One instance cited by
Master was: One day, She was planting trees with several resident disciples.
They were working and considering very carefully the proper places and
ways to plant the trees. Suddenly, another resident disciple came by, stood
on one side, and asked with 'good intention': "Is there anything I
can help with?" At that chaotic moment, Master could only think of
two words: "Go away!"
Laughing, Master explained: "Everyone was working hard, and I was
worried that the tree might hit him while we were moving it around, yet
he was there expecting me to explain how this tree had grown so big, and
how it was safely brought here. He wanted to know the whole story. Unfortunately,
his ego was hurt!"
At that moment, a nurse came in holding a syringe filled with yellow fluid.
She was surprised to find so many people in the room, so Master told her
we were Her students who had come to see their teacher at New Year's time.
After taking the injection, Master requested the nurses to join us for
afternoon tea. They enjoyed a relaxing moment by Master's side before they
left. Then Master told us to take a big basket of blessed food to the nurses'
station and give it to all the medical staff.
After that, Master let us sing a few songs for fun, so everyone gave their
"best performance" in front of the greatest singer. Since we
had hardly practiced, many of us sang out of tune, but our sincerity must
have moved God, and even Master sang with us.
Master even distributed fragrant flowers to everyone. Instantly, Her love
transformed the little hospital room into a fragrant heavenly palace filled
with the sounds of music.
We knew very well that Master was trying to make us happy, but we were
worried that She might be exhausted. When Master gives, She always gives
unreservedly and selflessly, so we also tried our best to sing, while hoping
for God's blessing to expel all adversities.
Goodbye Jealousy!
Later Master mentioned that She found out that the attendants often didn't
take good care of each other by allowing one another to go hungry, She
was very upset and cried. She pointed out to us that whenever someone gets
close to Her, other people nearby become jealous, and deliberately or unknowingly
put pressure on that person until he or she can't stand it anymore, then
they runs away. What we don't realize is, Master keeps that person by Her
side just to save him. Otherwise, he might have to transmigrate many times
more.
Since we are all Master's disciples, is it possible for Master to overlook
this person? Of course not. Can we bear to see Master come down to this
world of suffering just to save this person? If, because of our ignorance,
we have forced that person to leave, the bad karma incurred would keep
us from seeing Master for a million years, even if we managed to get to
heaven.
Master's heart ached when She saw disciples creating bad karma out of ignorance,
so She painstakingly explained this to us. Perhaps one's karmic hindrances
are so great that we cannot suppress our jealousy, but we still have to
try our best to control it. We are all brothers and sisters, so how can
we treat each other like this?
Master sighed and said that not every person has the affinity to stay by
Her side. Because of our ignorance, we make Her feel so lonely all the
time, because She cannot find a good companion.
Master's tears melted the disciples' stubborn and iron hearts. We are really
too selfish! Master, we are so sorry.
Don't Let The Cross Befall Christ Again!
As we picked up the flower petals from the floor and prepared to leave
the room with a basketful of blessed food, Master stopped us and in a sobbing
voice said, "Thank you very much for your singing! Happy New Year!"
While waiting for the bus, we looked up at the "starry, starry night..."
and recalled the scene a moment ago in the hospital. On Her bed, Master
stretched out Her arms and said to heaven: "Never mind, I have been
crucified anyway." Life after life, Christ has been redeeming people
with His blood. How can we be so cruel to further hurt the gentle, pure
heart of the Holy One?
Now I understand what you try to say to me?
How you suffer for your sanity,
how you try to set them free,
they would not listen,
they did not know how,
Perhaps they'll listen now.
"Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen,
They didn't know how,
Perhaps they'll listen now..."
/By A Twentieth Century Disciple > Introductory Book Note height="60" width="600" bgcolor="#FFFFF4">
/Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Hsihu Center, Formosa January 26, 1992
(Originally In Chinese)
You have read The Little Prince, haven't you? (Audience answers: "Yes.")
That book is very good, noble, elegant and pure. It doesn't force anything
upon people, yet it makes a lot of sense. For example, on the little planet
that the little prince lived on, there grew a kind of tree. The little
prince said that if he didn't pull it out as soon as he saw such a tree,
it would over-take his planet, and then it would be too late to get rid
of the tree. For his little planet, such a tree was too big.
What does the little tree represent? It represents our intransigent, preconceived
concepts inside us. If we let our distracting thoughts grow, it would be
difficult for us to control them. They would bear "offspring,"
wouldn't they?
The little prince also said that there were three volcanoes on his planet.
One of them was inactive, so he covered it with a cup. (Master laughs)
However, he had to check on it every day, because he said, "We don't
know if this volcano is really inactive." It's true! Sometimes we
think that we've eliminated our greed, anger or infatuation, but we don't
know whether it has truly been eliminated or not. So we must cautiously
keep an eye on it.
This story also applies to spiritual practitioners. It means that if we
don't really work hard on our spiritual practice, our greed, anger and
infatuation will return and grow again at anytime.
We can try to be more positive, think about good things, listen to good
things, speak about good things, and be more helpful to other people. Then,
naturally we will become healthier in body and mind, and everything will
become smoother and we will progress faster in our spiritual practice.
Master often reminds us to look at the positive side of matters. Recently,
I read a book called 'A Great Revolution in the Brain World'. In the book,
it is stated that when our thoughts are optimistic and positive, the body
secretes a substance called endorphin which puts one into a good mood.
They feel this prevents aging and raises the body's natural healing powers.
On the contrary, when one is angry or under great stress, the brain secretes
a substance called noradrenaline which possesses a poisonous property similar
to snake venom causing much damages to the body.
Therefore, if every thought is positive, the good hormone secreted by the
brain makes the person feel comfortable. Not only is one more willing to
work, the subconscious mind is also activated giving us power beyond one's
imagination. But if one is anxious and tense, the body secretes a chemical
making us unable to fully utilize our abilities. This is known as the 'inverse
rule of anxious effor'.
So we can see good reason why Master wants us to think positively all the
time. Not only is it good for our body and mind, it also makes working
smoother. If we think negatively all the time, then we will be anxious
in our work. Not only is it damaging to our health, it also hinders our
work. This also supports the idea that "When we do things naturally,
the result will be perfect."
Most substances secreted by the body are counteracted by another substance.
These processes act just like yin and yang against each other to maintain
a state of equilibrium. But when we are using our higher brain to work
hard for society and humankind, the body secretes endorphins continuously
with no counteracting substance. Therefore, the more we help others, the
more happy and healthy we are and our subconscious abilities become more
developed. Therefore, Master often says that to help others is actually
to help ourselves -- to give carries more merits than to receive.
Actually, what Master says is very scientific, it's only that the current
level of technology is not advanced enough to provide complete proof.
There is another interesting point. We all know that human beings have
different levels of needs. Dr. Marslow, the author, divided these needs
into five levels: physiological, security, love and belonging, esteem and
self-fulfillment. He discovered that whenever one of the needs is satisfied,
the body secretes a kind of endorphin, and the higher the level of need
that's satisfied (e.g. self-fulfillment), the stronger are the effects
of the endorphin. Research has shown that the more honest and righteous
one's life, for example like thinking about the community all the time,
one would become healthier.
Many people know about the existence of brain waves. Different brain waves
are produced under different conditions. The wave is closely related to
endorphins. When there are more waves, there is a greater secretion of
endorphins. The author discovered that the wave is most frequent during
meditation. It also occurs during positive thinking. In modern society,
since we cannot meditate twenty-four hours a day, we can try to be more
positive, think about good things, listen to good things, speak about good
things, and be more helpful to other people. Then, naturally we will become
healthier in body and mind, and everything will become smoother and we
will progress faster in our spiritual practice.
/By Sister Initiate Lee Buo-ling,
Formosan News Group
He is a higher form of life born from the miracle of lightning; Lightning
has a tremendous attraction to him; If he doesn't hide when thunder and
lightning strikes, He would get taken away by the lightning. Eventually
he followed his inner longing! A flash of lightning under a clear blue
sky took him away, And he ran, towards his Home. >
Jeremy is an albino, so his skin is whiter than ordinary people. One night,
his pregnant mother is struck by a flash of lightning, precipitating his
birth. Unfortunately his mother dies soon after. His father is unable to
accept his wife's death because of the birth, so he is unwilling to acknowledge
his son. Therefore, Jeremy is forced to live with his grandparents. He
hides in the basement, never goes to school, nor does he have any contact
with outsiders.
After the death of both his grandparents, the sheriff and social workers
take him to live in an educational training center. After testing his IQ
it's found that Jeremy is in fact a genius. His guardians realize he is
exceptionally wise, having intelligence equivalent to a whole library of
books. His physics teacher discovers that Jeremy's body is like an electrical
conductor, hence the reason why his body cannot grow even a single strand
of hair. The teacher believes that Jeremy is a high level life-form extremely
close to a state of pure energy. However, his super abilities prevent him
from fitting into modern society. Even his appearance causes his peers
to reject him. Only one female classmate has a heart to heart understanding
of Jeremy. He talks to her about the distance created by people's inner
feelings that ignore the inseparability of all beings. He explains that
it is only because of our inability to know our past lives and our incorrect
concepts about the interconnectedness among all things that leads us away
from the truth and isolates us from the universal essence. Quite symbolically,
Jeremy touches her with the tips of his fingers enabling her to feel both
of their heartbeats and reveals to her the inner worlds.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's wife has been in bed unconscious for a long time.
Jeremy is able to discern her innermost thoughts that highlight her deep
love for her family as well as her anxiety about the troubled relationship
between her husband and son. Knowing this, the father and son become reconciled
and soon after the woman passes away peacefully.
One day, Jeremy and a group of students witness a policeman hunting in
the forest. A deer is shot and struggles in pain. The policeman tells the
students that the deer's nervous system is damaged so it will die without
too much pain. Hearing this, Jeremy is very upset because he knows that
people very often are not aware of their violent behavior towards animals.
Impulsively, he places one of his electrically charged hands on the dying
deer and grasps the policeman by the hand to transmit the deer's pain to
him. The policeman's face contorts when the deer groans because he suffers,
both physically and mentally, in exactly the same way as the dying deer.
He experiences first-hand the death of the deer as his whole body perspires
and then his heart beat slowly stops. He cries uncontrollably when he realizes
that hunting is a degrading behavior for humans. From that day on, he dares
not to hunt any more.
Although Jeremy had the greatest wisdom, he was unable to fit into society.
Sadly, his enormous power had no way of being released. Finally his dilemma
was solved when, during a thunderstorm, he was struck by lightning that
transformed him into light and he disappeared into the clouds to return
to the world where he originally belongs.
The movie, "Powder," makes one more sensitive to one's perceptions.
It makes us raise questions like: What is it that makes us feel distant
from others? Why is it hard to accept others? How does one learn to feel
the gentle exhilaration in the dance of a butterfly and appreciate the
tenacity of evergreen trees?
Ending Note:
After watching the scene in which the deer was shot, an initiate's four
year-old son decided firmly to be a complete vegetarian and had no more
desire to eat meat even occasionally as before.
All brothers and sisters in the Quan Yin family not only have the potential
to tap the greatest source of energy, but importantly we also have the
ability to store and release it, thanks only to our good fortune of having
the guidance of a living Master.
