The
retreat was held in Thailand, on a golf course with a beautiful landscape.
As far as the eyes could see was a huge expanse of verdant green, well-trimmed
and dotted with bushes and mounds. The large dome of pure azure high above
opened our hearts to tranquility. Among the colorful flower patches and
towering trees, thousands of fellow initiates walked in serenity, realizing
in an instant that here was a likeness to the global village of the golden
era.
Large
numbers of fellow initiates from Mainland China attended this retreat. In
the afternoon on the first day, a Chinese sister initiate saw a beautiful
lady in the women's camping area. A short while later, many fellow sisters
crowded around Her shouting: "Master is here!" Only then did she realize that
this pretty lady was the Master that she had long yearned to see. Master was
dressed in a pink outfit cut in western style. Her cute and charming short
hair gleamed like gold under the sunshine. She was driving a golf cart by
Herself, and was immediately surrounded by fellow initiates who got the news.
Many initiates from Mainland China greeted Master and burst into tears right
there and then. What a touching scene it was!
In
the evening, Master came to see us again, this time wearing a dress with
blue stripes. The place reverberated with thunderous applause. Master revealed
that a sudden illness, on the night before She was to leave for Thailand,
almost prevented Her from getting there. She felt as though She was completely
immobilized and bound to Her bed by adhesive tape. Initiates were upset
to learn that She had to shoulder so much of their heavy karma! Master explained
that perhaps it was because many Mainland Chinese disciples could not get
permission to leave their country that She felt as though She was pinned
to the bed. Despite Her illness, however, She boarded the plane alone. The
fact that She almost couldn't make the trip made Her all the more happy
that She was finally there to see us.
Fellow initiates from
Mainland China revealed that they encountered so many obstacles when preparing
to go to the retreat that on one occasion they felt so very desperate, they
prayed together to Master for help. Immediately, they saw Her appear to
help them. Her manifestation form was covered with a lot of dust, especially
Her hair. Obviously She had to suffer a great deal for them so that they
could make the trip smoothly.
Master stressed that words
are unimportant in spiritual practice and that such a gathering was a rare
opportunity, so She meditated with us every day and taught us how to say
the Holy Names properly. As the Thai retreat venue lies close to the equator,
Master knew just how terribly hot it was to meditate in the marquee. She
thoughtfully instructed that the schedule be changed so disciples meditated
only in the cooler hours of the morning and evening, and relaxed in the
shade during the day.
★Seeing
The Long-Missed Mother
A huge number of initiates attended the retreat. To give each disciple a
chance to see Her at close range, Master received the disciples in small
groups. She met us in the "Forest Hall," so named because the
green meadow bedecked with flowers was shaded by umbrella-like trees. It
was here that we poured our hearts out to our Mother.
As arranged, the first
two groups to see Master were fellow initiates from Mainland China. Rich
in inner experience and having seen the manifest form of Master frequently,
they saw Her in person for the first time. Most were exhilarated and eager
to ask questions. They came from all parts of China and spoke with different
accents. Although their questions were mostly fundamental ones, Master patiently
answered them to their satisfaction, ignoring Her own fatigue. She had a
cold, yet She endured the scorching sun to speak to group after group of
initiates and answer their questions. Our hearts ached for our dear Master,
who had entirely forgotten Herself for the sake of Her children.
In the evening, a cool
breeze sailed in, and Master came to meditate with us. Fellow initiates
basked like infants in the love of the compassionate Mother. In the meditation
hall that night, Master observed that initiates from Mainland China and
Au Lac are practicing under the most austere conditions. She encouraged
them with the heartening message that if more people in their countries
practiced spiritually, the ambiance of their homeland would improve, just
as the cold winter gives way to the warm summer. The initiates should first
purify and change themselves, and perform good deeds. Then, bad things will
go away naturally.
Master also spoke on the
karma of these people, saying that perhaps God has arranged for them to
live in a strictly governed country because they had failed to learn discipline
in their previous lives. Another possible reason could be that they are
very strong both within and without, so God lets them practice under such
conditions. Master mentioned that when policemen in some control-restricted
and non-religious countries showed their families some of Her books and
videotapes which they had confiscated from fellow initiates, they found
that their own children later became vegetarian. Master's humor had everyone
bursting into laughter. In conclusion, She encouraged us to always view
things in a positive light and to grow strong in adverse situations.
★Pilgrims
Who Traveled Thousands Of Miles
The
next evening, Master dressed up elaborately to meet the initiates. Wearing
a golden evening gown with a black cape, and the latest collection of Celestial
Jewelry -- a "True Love" necklace of glittering diamonds, She
was a picture of nobility and grace! She moved around the venue to let everyone
see Her and jokingly said that while the Buddhist custom is for devotees
to walk in circles around the Buddha, yet here She "a Buddha, was walking
around in circles" instead. Loud cheers resounded through the hall.
Master went on to say that although fellow initiates came from different
countries, they acted like one big family as soon as they met each other.
This showed that spiritual practice really worked. How nice it would be
if the whole world could act the way we do!
Some initiates from Mainland
China fell on their knees as soon as they saw Master. Master bowed in response
and said, "Elder brother! I am young enough to be your daughter. Please
don't treat me like this." Nonetheless, some people wept so hard that
they could hardly utter a word. Master told us that, although fellow initiates
in Mainland China and Au Lac are living in miserable conditions, they have
plenty of inner experiences. Their situation may be far from ideal, but
they should be happy that they have found the way back to their home in
Heaven.
In the times of Sakyamuni
Buddha, Jesus Christ and Mohammed, it was much more difficult to see an
enlightened master than it is now. Although no restrictions were imposed
on religious faith then, people had to cross icy rivers and risk hazardous
journeys to see an enlightened master just once. In contrast, people today
can see a master as long as they can afford to. Indeed, the modern era has
been immensely blessed. All types of videotapes, books and magazines are
easily accessible and we receive visits from Quan Yin messengers.
It was extremely difficult
to find an enlightened master in ancient times. People would worship even
the picture of a master drawn on a flimsy piece of paper. To be able to
see a master in person or to listen to his or her discourses would be an
unreachable dream. And the transcripts of the lectures could be filled with
errors. In contrast, we can listen to audiotapes and read books today. This
is the time for spiritual practice. Since it was so difficult to find a
master in the earlier times, the people cherished their masters, who have
thus remained well-known and revered until the present time.
Today, despite the convenience
brought by advanced technologies, there are still people who do not cherish
the masters. It is because of their faith and sincerity that most initiates
in Mainland China and Au Lac, who practice under a restricted situation,
have more profound inner experiences than people in a freer and more convenient
environment. To comfort the Chinese initiates, Master revealed a secret
long buried in Her heart. When She had just become enlightened, She did
think of Mainland China, where She observed a large population struggling
in pain. So She sought guidance from God on whether She should go to China
or not. With absolutely certainty, She said: "We will meet again in
China some day."
★Heaven
And Earth Rejoice On Ching Hai Day
Ching
Hai Day fell on October 25th. Soon after midnight, an unusual phenomenon
occurred -- rolls of thunder resounded through the sky for half an hour.
It was accompanied by blinding lightning that illuminated the meadow as
though it was daylight. A short downpour followed. This symphony of Mother
Nature chased away the stifling heat of the last few days. Perhaps it was
the grace of Heaven responding to our sincere prayer for world peace. Or
was it an overture played by God heralding the coming of Ching Hai Day?
As soon as the morning
meditation session was over, Master came alone in a small, elegant, black
electric golf car and drove around the meditation hall. She was wearing
Her newly designed Celestial Jewelry -- a necklace and ring featuring moon
stones from the True Love collection. Initiates moved to the two sides as
they greeted Her, and She responded with a delightful smile. All were reluctant
to see Her leave when She finally drove back on to the road.
When afternoon came, everything
was set for the grand celebration of Ching Hai Day. The flush green meadow
became alive with beautifully dressed performers. When a group of fairies
dressed in ancient costumes and colorful streamers moved nimbly across the
grass, the whole place was all at once transformed into a paradise on Earth.
Fellow initiates in the audience were also gracefully dressed for the occasion,
as though ready to usher in the golden era. A thunderous applause announced
the arrival of Master, dressed in a sleeveless tight-fitting gown in beige.
Celebrations began with
the compere reading out congratulatory messages from overseas initiates.
Then came the show, which opened with a traditional Thai dance of blessings
performed by dancers resembling dazzling deities on temple ceilings who
had descended to celebrate the occasion. The next program was the "Galaxy
Of Jubilant Stars" presented by Formosan initiates who, carrying golden
chopsticks in their hands, depicted a universe in joyful exultation.
Then, wearing translucent
yellow costumes and holding pink lotus flowers, fellow initiates from Pusan,
Korea performed the Shinpuri dance. The compere jokingly remarked that it
was a Korean style jazz dance. This was followed by a traditional Au Lac
dance, and then an instrumental recital "A Trip To Lanyang" by
Formosan initiates.
A sister initiate from
Mainland China gave a stunning performance, waving a big red flag and demonstrating
her adept manipulation of the sword. Firm in their faith, fellow initiates
from China were strong in physique as well. One after another, they displayed
their exceptional skills and command of martial arts, winning many rounds
of applause from an awe-struck audience. Mainland China, home to one billion
people in the world, boasts many hidden talents.
The Chinese initiates
contributed a number of other shows as well, including "Blossoms And
Youngsters," "Rice-sprout Dance," "Fairy Dance,"
a soprano solo, and a Peking opera. These unique performances so impressed
the audience that even Master, when cutting the vegetarian cakes later,
waved the plastic knife in imitation of the sword-brandishing sister initiate
from Hebei.
When Formosan initiates
performed the Mongolian Dance, a brother initiate fell off his "horse".
Little did they know that they would be performing before initiates from
the Mongolian plain. To this, Master commented with a touch of humor, "The
Formosan people love to imitate others." A brother and a sister initiate
from New Zealand sang a duet especially composed for Master entitled "Have
I Told You Lately?" Then, following the compere's lead, the audience
said in unison: "Mommy, I love You!"
Next was the presentation
of a Chinese song "Thank You, Mother" by fellow initiates from
Singapore, who appeared on stage dressed in costumes of different cultures
and holding lotus-shaped candles in their hands. Initiates from the United
States sang "Lucky To Be Enlightened" to the accompaniment of
long drums.
Two Thai brother initiates
played a tune with a bamboo flute and an electric organ. "There Is
Still Hope" was the theme of a dance by Au Lac initiates from U.S.
dressed in traditional yellow costumes and carrying yellow umbrellas. In
the "Golden Peacock Dance," Formosan initiates sported self-tailored
costumes and choreographed the rhythmic movements which were so peacock-like
that they left the audience deeply impressed and screaming with laughter.
The sensational "Drum
Percussion" dance by fellow initiates from Seoul, Korea pushed the
show to a climax. The show drew to a close with all the performers appearing
on stage to sing to the melody of "Edelweiss," a hymn of reverence
and admiration for Master and a prayer for blessings for our homes. The
whole audience joined in the chorus.
Master then went on the
stage to cut two vegetarian cakes with nine tiers. The curtain was falling
on the Ching Hai Day celebrations. Master noted that the cakes were taller
than a person and it was fortunate that She was wearing high heels. She
cut the nine tiers of cakes in one stroke and offered them to God, the living
saints, and a large crowd of "hungry Arhats". Master greeted and
shook hands with each guest, thanking them for coming to enjoy the performance
despite their busy schedules.
That evening, Master came
to see us again wearing a red top with thin shoulder straps and an elegant
long black skirt. She invited the working staff of the retreat to gather
around Her and showered them with blessed food. As they tried to catch the
blessed gifts, She said teasingly: "So this is why you work so hard!"
She then went on to reward their hard work with a few jokes.
Many years ago when Master
was in India, she met a cook who was small, dark and stingy. No matter how
many people visited the ashram, he always cooked the same amount of food.
Perhaps he thought he could be like Jesus Christ, who fed five thousand
people with a few loaves of bread. Even when there were many visitors, he
would only prepare one loaf of bread; so people gobbled up everything, even
banana skins. (Laughter!)
Master noted that the
kitchen staff were working hard despite the high temperatures during the
retreat and must have perspired heavily as they stirred the big pots and
pans with the spatulas. She had tasted the food, and found it bland. "Perhaps
the cooks seasoned the food with their sweat," She said jokingly.
***************
Joke No.1 -- Don't Eat Me!
As
Master was in the mood, She told us another joke: A jobless person was starving,
so he tried his luck at a circus. The circus master asked him to pretend
to be a monkey and to swing on a rope. Rather than starve to death, he decided
to accept the offer and did as he was asked. However, as he was unfamiliar
with the task, he fell into a lion's, or perhaps a tiger's, cage. Frightened
to death, he begged the beast not to eat him. Unexpectedly, the beast spoke:
"Keep your voice down. I am just another fake like you."
***************
Joke
No.2 God Is Helpless Too!
Disciples
of Supreme Master Ching Hai have been praying for world peace for a long
time. They pray persistently and attend retreats, but the world is still
not at peace. One day, they complained to God: "Hey! You are not efficient!
Our prayers for world peace did not work." God replied, "I, too, have been
praying for world peace for a long time, and it did not work either."
***************
Joke No.3
What Is God's Faith?
A
Negro had to move out of his apartment because his landlord discriminated
against black people. He complained to God, "I want to live here but they
won't let me. They give all kinds of conditions that I can not meet." In
response, God told him that Hes wanted to live there too, but dared not.
Surprised, the Negro asked, "Why would You be afraid to live there?" God
replied, "What if they ask me what my faith is? How should I answer them?"
***************
Joke No.4
What Can God Do?
Two
nations were at war. The bigger nation prayed, "Oh Lord! The other country
is so small and refuses to pay us tribute. Please help us kill all its people."
God didn't say a word. The next day, the big nation prayed again: "Didn't
I pray to You yesterday? Why did You direct all our missiles into the sea?"
God answered: "Because the other nation said the same prayer as yours."
★The
Invaluable Scriptures
The
Publications Area proved to be the most popular site during the retreat.
It was so crowded that it was almost impossible to get into the area. Master's
works are not easily available in dictatorial, control-restricted or non-religious
countries and even if they were, there was still the fear that the publications
might be discovered and confiscated. Owing to their intense longing, initiates
from certain countries seemed to have struck a gold mine here. They revealed
that after Master switched to wearing western outfits, people outside the
Quan Yin family have not been able to recognize Her even when they put up
poster-size pictures of Her at home. This is yet another proof that an enlightened
Master would do anything to meet the needs of sentient beings. Any change,
therefore, should not be judged superficially.
During the retreat, we
heard many touching stories about spiritual practice, mainly from Mainland
Chinese fellow initiates. All other initiates were eager to hear them recount
their experiences. Initiates from Mainland China had traveled by various
modes of transportation -- airplane, train, boat or even on foot -- to come
to see Master. Not wanting others to know that they were vegetarian, for
fear of persecution, they had nothing to sustain themselves except brine
until they arrived in Thailand. Their faith was truly touching.
The retreat ended on a
successful note under the love of the compassionate Mother, and through
the cooperation and assistance of fellow practitioners. Promising to meet
again at the next retreat, participants parted reluctantly and headed home
with smiles of contentment.
