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By Sister Initiate Tsuchiya Mika, Gunma, Japan After I had been married for about a year and a half, I was told by the obstetricians and gynecologists that I had a body structure making it "difficult to conceive". Then, I started to receive treatment. At the same time, a fellow initiate whom I had known for years encouraged me to become a vegetarian in order to improve my health. She also introduced me to Master. On reading Master's sample booklet, I immediately became a vegetarian. I also started to question the unnatural ways of treatment by the hospital. After discussions with my husband, I stopped the treatment. After being vegetarian for two months, I learned the Convenient Method. A month later, amazingly I got pregnant! Needless to say, I was really happy. That my wish could be fulfilled in such a short time was really unbelievable. With my tummy getting bigger and bigger, my concepts also changed. Instead of saying that it was my child, it was more appropriate to say that it was a life given to me by Master's grace and I should try my best to care for it. On the other hand, since there was no one else who was vegetarian during pregnancy, my husband and his parents, who were living with us, could not understand. They often tried to persuade me to give up eating vegetarian for the sake of the child. Their concern could not shake my determination to practice spirituality. Instead, I often prayed in my heart to be initiated as soon as possible. At that time, the Gunma Center had not yet been established. I often meditated with fellow initiates for thirty minutes and studied Master's teachings with them. The discomfort at the beginning of pregnancy disappeared immediately with my meditation. The baby's excitement was most obvious whenever I meditated. As to Master's teachings about what to do during pregnancy, I of course followed them accordingly. |
When I was eight month pregnant, I finally received the long awaited initiation. Being able to have the precious experience together with the baby inside made me very happy and touched me deeply. I was moved to tears when I remembered that during my expectation for this important date, so many people had offered their unceasing love. After initiation, for the sake of both the family and the baby inside, I was determined to use love and sincerity as the base for all my actions. Three weeks before the expected date of birth, the membrane ruptured and there was periodic pain. When I was suffering from the pain, I felt that my whole body was protected by Master's supreme great Love and there was a limitless sense of security surrounding me. A baby boy was born with no problem. Now he is already nine months old and is very healthy with a good appetite. After going through the worldly lessons of marriage, labor, bringing up a baby, as well as the enlightenment from spiritual practice in daily life, I reflected and realized there was a lack of love in the way I treated my family before. That I could continue to practice spirituality was all because of Master's love, the support of Gunma Center fellow initiates and the understanding of my family members. Since the initiation, my whole life has been moving towards the good. I wish that I would never forget this sense of gratitude in my heart; that I would always watch my attitude, speech and thoughts; and that I would walk the road of spiritual practice with humility, love and sincerity.
Master, thank You most sincerely! |