♥ Supreme Master Ching Hai's TV Programs
Supreme Master Television goes GLOBAL on Nov. 16, 2007 Launching on 10 New Satellite Platforms

♥ Panorama of Events
USA  /  Ireland  /  Japan  /  Korea  /  Thailand  /  Formosa  /  China  /  Canada  /  Togo  /  Mongolia

♥ Poems
To Our Most Beloved Master On Ching Hai Day  /  Dear Our Beloved Master

♥ Special Reports
The 14th Anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day  /  Three-Day Paris Retreat – Everlasting Moments for the Soul

♥ Story World
A Heavenly-like Retreat in Paris  /  The Unforgettable Moon-cakes

♥ Master Tells Jokes
Just Ask the Boss  /  Lose Something, Anyone?

♥ Positive Improvements on the Planet
European Cities Quietly Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future

♥ Beautiful People and Beautiful Events
The Heavenly Bridge Builder - Living a Life of Humility and Selflessness

♥ Shining World Leadership Awards
Shining World Leadership Award Presented to Lorri Bauston and Animal Acres  /  The Boy Who Started an Environmental Movement

♥ Shining World Compassion Award
Master’s Timely Contribution Warms the Bodies and Hearts of Stray Dogs

♥ Feature Report
The Dogs in My Life Brings New Excitement to Book Lovers

♥ Master Says
Animals Can Help Us Develop Our Inner Love

♥ You May Not Know
The Gifts Animals Bring to Humans

♥ Positive News for a Better World
Taking Care of Street Animals with Love

♥ The Sentient World of Animals
This Other Language–A Message from the Animal World Exclusive Discussion with Pascale Dozité and Khéops

♥ Pearls of Wisdom
The Way to Treat Animals

♥ Master’s Wonders
Master Saved My Life with Blessed Candy  /  Celebration under the Golden Moon

♥ Love in Action
Nicaragua  /  Au Lac  /  Philippines  /  China  /  Formosa

♥ Elevation of the Soul
Supreme Master Ching Hai’s latest DVDs  /  Supreme Master Ching Hai’s latest CDs

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 Dears)
Example: When God wishes, Hes makes things happen according to Hiers will to suit Hirmself.

News No. 192
Published: November 24, Golden Year 4 (2007)
Founded: August, 1986
Published By: The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association
Publisher: Hsieh Hsin-Lin

The Supreme Master Ching Hai News magazine is published on the Internet in the following languages:
Aulacese, Chinese (in both traditional and simplified versions), English, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Spanish, Portuguese and Thai. Please refer to the "Quan Yin WWW Sites" of the News magazine for related websites.

As a creator of artistic designs as well as a spiritual teacher, Supreme Master Ching Hai loves all expressions of inner beauty. It is for this reason that She refers to Vietnam as "Au Lac" and Taiwan as "Formosa." Au Lac is the ancient name of Vietnam and means "happiness." And the name Formosa, meaning "beautiful," reflects more completely the beauty of the island and its people. Master feels that using these names brings spiritual elevation and luck to the land and its inhabitants.

Launching on 10 NEW Satellite Platforms!

Enjoy positive, inspirational and entertaining programs

With over 30 languages and subtitles!

FREE-to-AIR Satellite TV channel

also LIVE online  www.SupremeMasterTV.com

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/links

With deep compassion for animals and concern about repeated outbreaks of epidemic diseases among animals and humans as well as the severe consequences of global warming, Master has offered the world a fundamental solution by personally designing the friendly and convincg “Alternative Living” leaflet, which reminds people to stop killing and choose the vegetarian diet in order to overcome medical crises, prevent climate change, and thereby save our fellow beings throughout the world. Master has also instructed all initiates to share this message with brothers and sisters everywhere on the globe. In response, fellow practitioners have initiated an all-out effort to share Her uplifting manifestation of love.

[Austin] On the weekend of November 3, Golden Year 4 (2007), our Association members from the Austin Center premiered Supreme Master Ching Hai’s books at the annual Texas Book Festival. This event, drawing upwards of 45,000 visitors in recent years, was located within the beautiful grounds of downtown Austin’s State Capitol Complex.

Making its first appearance at this festival, the Austin Center wanted to introduce to the public Master’s various literary works, including the new books─The Dogs in My Life and The Birds in My Life, in addition to promoting Supreme Master Television.

The response to the messages was extremely positive. The brilliant pictures of Master’s birds and dogs captivated animal lovers of all ages. The visitors eagerly shared with the fellow initiates their experiences with their own animals and agreed wholeheartedly that our animal friends have noble qualities. One local couple, who had quietly rescued numerous dogs, said that their dogs were “just humans in a different type of body.” A bird owner noted that her parrots were so sensitive to her moods that she had to be careful not to come home with a frustrated or sad frame of mind because the birds would mirror her own feelings and display some behaviors that she did not want them to exhibit. A little girl was immediately attracted to the vibrant colors of The Birds in My Life, and as she happily flipped through the pages exclaimed how cute, beautiful and playful the birds are. All the guests were given the Alternative Living and Supreme Master Television flyer, a DVD of vegetarian cooking shows and a copy of The Real Heroes. Many people sincerely commended the noble work of Supreme Master Television and hoped that the world would continue to have more positive news.

At the venue, reporters from Supreme Master Television were able to conduct an interview with Tacy Ellis, the author of the book Goat Tales: The Izzy Journals, which teaches people that all living beings are connected. Told from Izzy’s viewpoint, the story unfolds Izzy’s memorable life experiences and her growth as a loving member of Tacy’s family. The author even brought a few of her rescued goat pets to the festival. The Austin Center and Supreme Master Television were very honored to share with Tacy Master’s books The Dogs in My Life and The Birds in My Life. Tacy was very happy and looked forward to reading them. All the fellow initiates felt elated at having such an opportunity to spread Master’s teachings and can’t wait to participate in future festivals.

[Ohio] On October 13 and 14, Golden Year 4 (2007), the Ohio Center joined the 19th Annual Universal Light Expo, the largest of its kind in the Midwest, to spread the good news about the Alternative Living Vegetarian lifestyle and Supreme Master TV.

The many people who were attracted to our booth had a chance to view Supreme Master Ching Hai’s lecture tapes and to browse through the spiritual books including the latest publications The Dogs in My Life and The Birds in My Life. A lot of them asked spiritual questions and were happy to hear about the all-positive television channel and Alternative Living Lifestyle. Many people said things like “This is awesome!” and that they agreed with the compassionate concept of the non-killing diet. A lady from another booth said that she told her husband the day before that she wished they could hear about only good and encouraging news. Then, surprisingly at the expo, her wish was granted. Some people returned to our booth to pick up books or DVDs, to learn more about Master’s teachings. One said that there was something about Master that made her feel she had to come back. A fellow initiate was overjoyed when a handicapped person who came to our booth and watched Master’s video attentively, accepted a DVD that he had offered to her.

Mr. Ken Harsh, Chairman of the Expo’s organizing committee, told us that he was happy that our group joined the Universal Light Expo to share and exchange ideas, and that our contribution made this expo even more unique. Our Association members were also very happy to have had the chance to share the message of a compassionate and positive lifestyle at the Expo. As more and more people are uplifted through noble living, our planet will be a beautiful and loving home for all.

[Florida] Central Florida VegFest is an admission-free, family-friendly, alcohol-free and smoke-free event held annually in Orlando, Florida to promote vegetarianism. This year it was held at beautiful Loch Haven Park in Orlando on Saturday, October 27, Golden Year 4 (2007). Over 100 vendors joined this year, offering a diverse cross-section of vegetarian cuisine and lifestyle. Thousands of guests came to visit these unique and colorful exhibits on this warm day.

As a participant of this event, the Florida Center was allowed to set up two separate tents as their exhibition booths. One was dedicated solely to the display of Master’s books, DVDs, CDs, News magazines, Celestial Clothes, etc. The other was beautifully decorated with Supreme Master Television banners and posters, and reserved for the distribution of information brochures, flyers, leaflets and magnetic stickers. A variety of delicious vegetarian food for guests’ sampling was also nicely displayed in this booth. Between these two tents was an eye-catching banner bearing the title “The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, The Quan Yin Method of Meditation.”

The delicious vegetarian delicacies attracted many passersby to sample the tasty food and very quickly, a long line of veggie enthusiasts appeared. The fellow initiates offered each guest a bag filled with Master’s magazine, Alternative Living flyer, cooking show DVDs, and a Supreme Master Television promotional leaflet and magnetic sticker, which were well received. Looking at Master’s picture on the magazines front cover, one lady said to a brother initiate in amazement that she had seen Master 10 years ago. When asked if it was in her dream or in person, she refused to give the answer and walked away with a smile on her face!

The Celestial Clothes display booth also attracted a huge crowd, where many visitors enjoyed trying on and buying T-shirts with colorful graphic pictures of cute animals on them. Numerous guests volunteered to be interviewed by the camera crew, to express their views about Supreme Master Television. Some showed interest in spirituality by inquiring about the Quan Yin Method of meditation. The fellow initiates all greatly enjoyed being part of the overall activities of serving the public on that beautiful day full of excitement and positive atmosphere.

Panorama of Events

Ireland

[Dublin] On October 6, Golden Year 4 (2007), Ireland celebrated its annual World Vegetarian Day at the Cultivate Center in Temple Bar, in the heart of Dublin. The fair was a wonderful success with an attendance of around 2,000 people. The Dublin and Cork members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association were very busy distributing sample booklets and Alternative Living flyers and bags to enthusiastic guests. Visitors were very delighted to receive these free gifts. Many expressed interest in becoming fully vegetarian and learning the Convenient Method of meditation. Throughout the fair, attendees were treated to a wide variety of delicious and healthy food served by some of the top vegetarian restaurants in Dublin including: Café Fresh, Govindas, Veggie Planet and The Happy Pear. World Vegetarian Day, a celebration of the diversity of the vegetarian diet, gave visitors an apt reminder that it is high time to become vegetarian, for healthy living, animal compassion and to save our planet!

Panorama of Events

[Gunma] Hoping to provide the general public more opportunities to become acquainted with Master’s teachings of love and understand the ideal of love for animals and respect for life, the Gunma Center recently contributed Master’s latest DVD -- The Dogs and the Birds in My Life -- to local libraries equipped with audiovisual facilities. Stickers of the DVD’s cover photo were printed and affixed to the parcels, so that the librarians would know what the packages contained upon delivery. They believe that viewers of this DVD will be deeply inspired and understand the precious message conveyed.

Caption: Appreciation letters from libraries receiving the Master’s DVDs.

[Tokyo] Tokyo Center has been working very hard, uniting their energies in order to spread Master’s love throughout Japan. So far, two advertising agencies have offered to publish the Supreme Master TV announcement for free in a flyer insert in their newspaper Asahi Shinbun. Asahi Plaza was responsible for the June issue and Asahi Media for the August through October issues.

At the end of October, Golden Year 4 (2007), two fellow initiates visited the agencies, bringing with them our thank-you letter as well as Master’s DVDs, books, sample booklets and some sweets. The representatives were surprised and delighted to receive these wonderful gifts. However, they were so modest that they reluctantly agreed to be photographed. Through watching Supreme Master Television, they understood the importance of Master’s work and said, “It is our honor to be given the opportunity. We feel grateful.” Both agencies are willing to continue to promote Supreme Master TV and even have promised to place the next announcement in their newspaper soon.

Caption:
1. Representative of Asahi Plaza agency, Mr. Iseya.
2. General affairs manager of Asahi Media, (left) Mr. Ikeda receives the publications from our Association member.

Panorama of Events

[Korea] To promote Master’s teachings, Centers in Korea have distributed a variety of Master’s publications to different places. The Seoul Center has recently placed The Key of Immediate Enlightenment

In a library in Gyeongnam Province, a lady looked through The Key of Immediate Enlightenment book and was so attracted to it that she took it home to read more carefully. Discerning the Truth in the book, she applied for initiation at the Busan Center. Now she is sincerely practicing the Convenient Method.

As The Dogs in My Life and The Birds in My Life are soon to be published in the Korean language, Korean sisters and brothers plan to more actively spread Master’s teachings by books.

[Busan] In August, Golden Year 4 (2007) two reporters from News Focus magazine attended a video seminar held by the Busan Center at the Red Cross Hall and learned the Convenient Method. After that, in the September issue of their magazine, they used two full pages to give detailed positive coverage on Supreme Master Ching Hai, the Quan Yin Method of meditation, Supreme Master TV, and our International Association and its humanitarian work. The magazine’s distribution includes major government and public offices, libraries as well as the Presidential Residence – Cheongwadae. It turned out that their September issue’s sales were record high.

On October 24, representatives from the Busan Center met reporter Hwang Ji Yeon and a team leader of the Subject Selection Department from the News Focuss magazine in a teahouse in Seomyeon to present a letter of appreciation and gifts of Master’s books, CDs and DVDs, sweets and a beautiful bouquet of flowers on behalf of Master Ching Hai.

Reporter Hwang was surprised at Master’s thoughtfulness and expressed her gratitude many times. She said that this is the most honorable and worthwhile moment in her life. She also mentioned her and the other reporter’s good blessed experiences after practicing the Convenient Method and their willingness to continue with this meditation. At the interview, Ms. Hwang and the Subject Selection team leader congratulated Supreme Master TV for the launch of its satellite broadcasts in Korea. It is wonderful to have a magazine like News Focus to join the ranks of positive media reporting on the beauty and wonders of this world.

[Gwangju] On October 13 and 14, Golden Year 4 (2007), the fellow initiates from the Deajeon and Gwangju Centers participated in the 53rd Baekje Cultural Festival and distributed Supreme Master TV and Alternative Living flyers. The festival was held in remembrance of the ancient kingdom Deajeon that was established in 18 BC and thrived politically and culturally for 700 years.

The festival has gradually turned into an international event where 2,600 foreigners from seven different countries such as Japan, China, Cambodia, France and the Philippines gathered together to show their traditional performing arts and build friendship between the participating nations. Many people showed great interest in the flyers, studying their content carefully. It was very special and meaningful for the fellow initiates to be able to share the messages that will help local citizens create a new harmonious way of living in an area where the ancient civilization once bloomed.

Panorama of Events

[Bangkok] To spread the message of Alternative Living and Supreme Master TV, all fellow initiates in Thailand have coordinated their efforts to send the good news to all corners of the country. So far, they have:

* Printed 100,000 Thai and English Alternative Living flyers.

*  Printed Alternative Living and Supreme Master TV messages on 40,000 document folders.

*  Put up Alternative Living and Supreme Master TV posters on the initiates’ cars.

*  Made 110 Supreme Master TV banners.

*  Placed Supreme Master TV announcements in daily newspapers such as The Universal Daily News (a Chinese newspaper with a wide distribution throughout Asia), Matichon, Khao Sod, Kom Chad Luek, Krungthep Thurakit and The Nation.

*  Posted e-Newspaper at: www.SupremeMasterTV.com and www.bangkokpost.com

*  Placed Supreme Master TV announcements in various magazines including HIFI, AV, Car Audio Entertain and TV Pool.

Matichon newspaper offered to publish our announcement free of charge for five days. On August 29, Golden Year 4 (2007), in order to thank them, the Thai initiates went to the newspaper to present a letter of appreciation on behalf of Master along with other gifts such as Master’s books and DVDs, promotion folders and flyers as well as a vegetarian cake. Ms. Chutiwan Kesarak, the Advertising Manager, was very surprised and happy to have such wonderful gifts.

The fellow initiates obtained a lot of blessing while promoting this news of compassion and peace, which was well received by Thai people. They are grateful to Master for elevating the planet and leading human beings into the golden era.

Panorama of Events

[Hualien] Recently, our Hualien Center contributed Master’s new book, The Birds in My Life, to more than 70 elementary schools, universities and libraries. All the recipients were very much delighted and repeatedly expressed their gratitude.

After reading the book, Principal Yang Chih-hsuan of Syuetian Primary School said that it would be listed as supplementary teaching material, a theme for art classes and extracurricular reading material. Some school principals and teachers were deeply touched by Master’s genuine love for animals. A university professor bought several copies and requested our Haulien Center to send them to students in remote areas. He said that this book by Master would be very beneficial for the early character development and elevation of students. When Principal Yang knew that the Hualien Center would also share with them Master’s latest DVD—The Dogs and Birds in My Life, he said enthusiastically that the moving and vivid images of the DVD would be even more effective, and he planned to show it to the whole school in the main hall.

Captions: Notes written by Syuetian Primary School students after reading Master’s new book.

Panorama of Events

[Gansu] To preserve our “Mother River,” fellow initiates from Lanzhou, Gansu, recently launched a cleaning operation at scenic points along the Yellow River. They split up to work in two regions: east to Zhongshan Bridge and west to south of the Yellow River Bridge.

Their activities attracted much attention and acknowledgement from the public. Some people waved to show their gratitude; a group of innocent and lovely children came to say hallo. With great emotion, an amateur reporter said, “Your actions have really touched me. You might be doing a small task, but the impact is great. If every Lanzhou citizen refrained from littering, everything would be so clean and the environment would definitely improve a lot.”

*Note: In China, the Yellow River and Yangtze River are the longest and revered as the “Mother Rivers,” because for many centuries, they have nurtured innumerable Chinese people.

Panorama of Events

[Vancouver] On October 13 and 14, a two-day Health Show was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The local fellow initiates rented a booth to share the wonderful news of Supreme Master TV, and the benefits of meditation and the vegetarian diet. Large Supreme Master TV and Alternative Living Vegetarian Lifestyle posters were displayed, which drew a lot of sincere guests to our booth, asking for more information. Some people showed great interest in spiritual practice, after the fellow initiates explained about Master and the Quan Yin Method of meditation. There was one booth with a biofeedback machine. One gentleman was diagnosed by the machine; it said that his health was okay but that the spiritual aspect of his life was lacking. Right after that he came to our booth and when the fellow initiates talked to him about the benefits of meditation, the importance of adopting the vegetarian diet, and having a positive attitude, he became very enthusiastic. Hundreds of sample booklets, thousands of Supreme Master TV and Alternative Living flyers and bags were distributed and very much appreciated by all.

Over 200 profit and non-profit companies and organizations participated in the event, many of them also promoting the compassionate vegetarian lifestyle and environmental protection which was very encouraging. The atmosphere of the show was very peaceful and the theme of many exhibitors displayed a caring attitude. It was great to see so many non-profit and spiritual organizations offering information freely to the public, and that the concept of spirituality could be included as a means of promoting overall health in our modern society.

For more information, please go to: http://www.healthshows.com/vancouver/

[Montreal] On a sunny autumn Sunday, the fellow initiates from Montreal and Quebec City gathered in the Yuan vegetarian restaurant in downtown Montreal to commemorate the 14th anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day. The preparation for this event began two weeks ago, when invitation cards were sent to local media and other supporters, as well as some politicians. The Montreal Center was honored to welcome on this occasion the Mayor of Borough Villeray, Saint-Michel and Parc-Extension, Mrs. Annie Samson, and her immediate assistants; Mrs. Ruth Koo Lam, the President of the Chinese Program, La Voix de Chine; and her husband, Mr. Benny Lam; as well as various local Aulacese VIPs. The beautifully decorated restaurant was full to its capacity. Master’s artistic creations were displayed and much appreciated by the guests. They took time to admire the ethereal expression of beauty on Earth, and asked numerous questions about Master and Her heavenly talents.

All the fellow initiates and their guests enjoyed the vegetarian delicacies as well as the performances of our brothers and sisters. There was an African song dedicated to God, enlightening songs in French, and the children also contributed their talents that  enhanced and uplifted everyone’s spirit. Excerpts from Supreme Master Television shows were played during the event, and the announcement of 10 more satellites effective on November 16, Golden Year (2007), received loud applause from all. The fellow initiates are thankful for God’s loving arrangement in making this celebration a memorable one for everyone.

[Lome] Ten years ago, in 1997, the Lome Center, in Togo, West Africa opened its doors to the public. It was on October 25, a Ching Hai Day. This year, as in others, fellow initiates and Convenient Method practitioners took this extremely great opportunity to promote our beloved Master’s teachings to the public.Various activities were conducted all week long from October 22  to 28, through radio, television and the setting up of a Quan Yin booth.

Information about Master’s teachings and the Quan Yin Method as well as a fun question-and-answer radio game on vegetarianism were prepared and broadcasted on a local radio station. The audience’s interest in the question-and-answer game was so great that the station was willing to conduct it for another week. One of the most popular television channels aired Master’s lecture and an introduction of our Association’s humanitarian activities.

A booth displaying Master’s publications that was set up downtown Lome in front of our information Center, attracted many visitors. Alternative Living flyers, News magazine and sample booklets were distributed. Master’s celestial music played in the background, and inside the Center, Her lectures were played non-stop, creating a peaceful and uplifting atmosphere.

On Saturday October 27, a group of our fellow initiates went to the pediatric area of the Lome public hospital to offer gifts to the children, which touched the hearts of the children’s parents and hospital staff. On the last day, brothers and sisters of the Lome Center concluded the celebration with a picnic on the beach together with their guests. They enjoyed delicious vegetarian dishes and happily danced like children in heaven.

Through organizing these activities, the fellow initiates learned to put their trust in God’s power and had the chance to experience again the powerful grace of our beloved Master. They would like to say, “Thank You Mummy and Happy Ching Hai Day to Master and all the Quan Yin family.”

[Ulaanbaatar] On October 21, Golden Year 4 (2007), a concert entitled “From the Steppes of Mongolia” to celebrate “Supreme Master Ching Hai Day” was held in the Nomin Entertainment Hall in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. The performers included members of our Association, would-be initiates as well as a youth club named Gerelt Bambar (Light Torch). All were adorned in their most beautiful traditional Mongolian attire. The dances and music varied from the traditional long song of Mongolia (a world cultural heritage that has been enshrined by UNESCO) to a stunning troupe performance of folk dances, a graceful ballet and memorable classical piano and violin performances. The guests were pleasantly surprised to see that among the performers were eminent scholars, poets and renowned performing artists, most of whom are active members of our Association. The drama, “Master is Coming to Mongolia,” performed by the young initiates was wonderful. The atmosphere of the concert was absolutely joyful; the faces of everyone present radiated happiness, as if they were elevated to a different realm. Through this concert dedicated to Master, the Mongolian fellow initiates extend their most heartfelt greetings and love to Supreme Master Ching Hai.

A vegetarian buffet with an array of sumptuous international cuisine was served at the concert. Other social activities were arranged after the performance to further foster the Quan Yin community and its positive role in Mongolian society.

On October 25, Association members invited their two most famous TV channels to introduce “Supreme Master Ching Hai Day” and our beloved Master. This news was broadcasted all over Mongolia and thus conveyed Master’s blessings to the whole country.

Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, celebrated annually on October 25, is one of the most joyous days of the year for many people in the world. Established 14 years ago by Mayor Frank Fasi in Honolulu Hawaii USA, Ching Hai Day was inspired by Master’s compassion and selfless devotion in, as the mayor said, “bringing peace and harmony to the lives of many.” Ching Hai Day is cherished as a time to celebrate our gratitude for Master’s presence in our lives. This year, acknowledgements of the day’s meaning came pouring in. Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, the Executive Director of National Commission for Culture and the Arts, sent her best wishes from the Philippines. The office of the Mayor in Honolulu also sent a message full of well-wishes. Initiates from our Centers worldwide organized gatherings, shared vegetarian treats together, and enjoyed a special Supreme Master Ching Hai Day program prepared by Supreme Master Television. On this special day, Master Herself was present at a retreat, where She gave Her time, patience and boundless love to disciples as well as participating in not one, but two Formosan videoconferences. One marked the Taipei launch of Master’s book, The Dogs in My Life, while the other was an interview with a prominent Taipei journalist. Thus, even on the day intended as a celebration in Her honor, Master continued Her ceaseless efforts to bring comfort and upliftment to all beings.

For this joyful occasion of the 14th anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, we thank Master for Her example of greatness in our modern era and for inspiring us all to find the greatness within. Finally, a respectful wish: “Long live our beloved Master of Peace!” May our world continue to progress toward shared harmony and peace, with Your loving guidance, compassion and grace.

To view the worldwide Ching Hai Day special celebration program, please visit: http://video.Godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/AJAR406.php

To view the special program on the 14th anniversary of Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, please visit: http://video.Godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/EE406.php

Two months after the August Paris retreat, European initiates were blessed with another retreat opportunity in the Paris Center from October 25 to 27, Golden Year 4 (2007), this time to celebrate Supreme Master Ching Hai Day with our dearest Master. It was almost unbelievable that we would be able to see Her again so soon.

Autumn nights in Paris were getting quite cold. Before the retreat, Master kindly called the Paris Center and told them how to prepare heating and order extra toilets for the additional brothers and sisters who would participate in this retreat. On October 24, Master arrived. As always, She brought lots of chocolates and sweets for Her big kids, and as always, we enjoyed them so much, as if we’d never had chocolate before.

The next day, Master came into the meditation hall, radiant in a peach-colored silken dress, Her eyes full of love and magnificence. A live videoconference soon began, with Master’s image appearing at the official Book Launch venue of The Dogs in My Life in Taipei. During the conference, She and VIP speakers from different animal organizations in Formosa enthusiastically shared their personal experiences of animals, discussed constructive ideas on animal protection issues, and most of all, sent out a noble message together to the world, that animal cruelty should stop and treatment of animals should be equal to human beings.

After the videoconference, Master left and returned after a short while in a shimmering orange dress, Her hair elegantly and care-freely up with a small orchid in it. She was then connected to one of the most prominent TV host journalists in Formosa for an exclusive video interview. Master praised the beauty of the lady journalist and patiently answered her questions about the Quan Yin Method, vegetarianism and her personal curiosity about aliens, outer space and even Master’s past lives and Her pilgrimage in the Himalayas.

When the journalist asked about the planet Mars, Master revealed that this planet used to be as full of life as our Earth, until one day technological development prevailed over moral and spiritual values, and the so-called “civilization” destroyed everything. If human beings don’t turn back now, it is possible that our Earth would become like that.

After the interview, we enjoyed the Ching Hai Day special programs on Supreme Master TV with Master, who expressed Her pleasure when viewing them. The festivity reached its peak when Master was invited to cut our three-layer celebration cake. Suddenly it seemed that lovely vegetarian cakes, snacks, sweet non-alcoholic champagne and juices were being passed around everywhere. We toasted each other for having the greatest Master ever in the universe and praised Heaven’s mercy on Earth for this very special Ching Hai Day.

Over the following two days, Master appeared in more splendid dresses and Heavenly jewelleries, feeding us with not only spiritual nectar but also a celestial visual feast. As in many other gatherings, She told us spiritual stories. One of them was about a poor tradesman who was given a Philosopher’s stone from a merciful Saint. The stone could turn any metal into gold, thus bringing him wealth. But the tradesman couldn’t make the decision to buy the ever more expensive iron, one month after another. So, at the end of three months time, when the magic stone had to be returned to the Saint, the tradesman was left as poverty-stricken as before.

Master said this kind of thing happens in our daily lives. For example, some initiates may say that they want to work for Supreme Master Television, but they keep postponing because of financial excuses or various other reasons and miss the precious time to join this noble work. Master said She can’t think of anything else better than working for Supreme Master TV, because it serves the whole world. But if we don’t seize the opportunity now, maybe later the help is not needed any more and we would regret.

One time during the retreat when Master was telling a story, an urgent report came in. After reading the report, She announced that Her book The Dogs in My Life had reached the Top 10 of the world’s biggest online bookstore, Amazon.com – an extraordinary gift indeed to celebrate Supreme Master Ching Hai Day! Master said Her books about animals will bring great benefit to humankind, and they are the best gifts we could give as Christmas presents to our families and friends. Later, our professional brother and sister vocalists and musicians dedicated beautiful compositions to Master, which She greatly enjoyed, saying that they brought Her back to Her teenage dreams of becoming a singer.

On another occasion, Master opened a sealed envelope and incredibly shared with us the notes She had jotted down during Her personal retreat. Listening to those universal Truths that Master had brought back from the secret closet of Heaven, we were totally enchanted, realizing that they had never been revealed to anyone before in the history of humankind.

On the last day, Master came out to see us three to four times. She read Rumi’s poems to us, connoting the practice of Sound and Light, and commented that Rumi was a high level Master who taught the Quan Yin Method in his time. Unfortunately, not many people understood the messages his poems were really trying to convey. After that, She shared more jokes with us.

Time always seems to fly by when we are with Master, even before we realize it. However, as She once said, although we may not see each other that often, we are all working towards the same noble goal, so we can always feel together inside.

We sincerely thank our brothers and sisters who organized, shopped, cleaned, and cooked during the retreat, some working so much that they didn’t even get a chance to sit with Master. We also thank God wholeheartedly for bestowing upon us these precious moments that will forever nourish our souls.

In the evening of October 24, Golden Year 4 (2007), I went to the Paris Center to join the silent retreat. I was so happy to be able to see the other brothers and sisters again and of course, I was hoping to see Master if it was God’s will. Before I went to Paris, I read Master’s book Secrets to Effortless Spiritual Practice and silently prayed to God, “Dear God, can You please give me the strength so that I become dead to the world during the retreat.” And Hes granted my wish and much more -- Hes gave me Heaven too.

When I arrived at the Center, I found a place to sit in the tent. Soon the great news came that Master was there! Although, it was a little cold that morning, I told myself, “It’s better to be here, where I am near Master than anywhere else.” The next morning, Master held a videoconference with Formosa. Even though She was very busy, She still took the time to see us here and there. As usual She put on beautiful clothes for us. But one of them was special for me. It was yellow and Master radiated light as bright as millions of suns put together and shone upon the universe.

In the middle of the tent was the room where Master gave lectures. Every time She went to this room, She would take a detour to allow everyone to see Her. One day, a sister came to ask me if I had been in the lecture room. I said no and that it was fine to stay where I was. However she urged me, “Don’t worry about the comfort of the physical body, when you have a chance to see the Almighty.” So I went with her and thought how stupid I was. But I was so settled down that I didn’t desire anything at all; I just enjoyed wherever God seated me. After a while Master came. She read us poems and then explained their meaning. I learnt a great deal. All the brothers and sisters took turns to sit in the room to see Master.

The atmosphere of the retreat was heavenly, with everyone so nice and friendly. Although there wasn’t a lot of space, we managed without any problem. Thank You Master for giving us such a wonderful retreat and for showing Heaven to me. Thank You from the bottom of my heart!

There was a guy who went into a shop to buy a parrot. There were three parrots in the shop. One was $5,000; another one, $10,000; and the third one, $30,000. The customer asked the owner, “How come this guy is $5,000? That’s so expensive for this kind of parrot.” The owner said, “Because I have trained him and he can talk.” So the customer asked him, “How about this guy? What can he do that makes him so expensive?” The owner said, “Well, apart from talking, he can also do some amusing actions, like dancing and so on. That’s why he’s so expensive.” Then the customer said, “How about the third one? What can he do that makes him so expensive?” The owner of the shop said, “I don’t know. Normally, I have never heard him talk, nor dance, nor whistle, nor sing, nothing at all! But the other two call him ‘The Boss.’”

To enjoy the original sound track of this joke: Go!!

There was a man who was drunk and was “zig-zagging” as he got onto a bus. As soon as he was on the bus, he said, “Who lost a bunch of 100 dollar bills with a rubber band around it?” A lot of people ran toward him and said, “Me, me, me!” And he said, “Here’s the rubber band.”

To enjoy the original sound track of this joke: Go!!

“Climate change is a global problem but the origin of the problem is very local.”

       Pedro Ballesteros Torres, Manager of EU’s Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign

Many European cities have brought environmental responsibility to the local level. They have come up with programs that are both practical and effective, quietly leading the way to sustainability -- meeting goals beyond those of the Kyoto Protocol and inspiring green initiatives around the world.

The most notable of all is a quiet, small city in southern Sweden called Växjö. It has become a “green” resort, attracting world political leaders, scientists and businessmen who come to admire and be motivated by its highly successful environment programs which have won the city the Sustainable Energy Europe Award from the EU.

Växjö’s environmental efforts began in the early 1970s! A clean-up of the nearby lakes heavily polluted by local industry and agriculture had started the city on its environmental journey. Since 1993, the emissions of carbon dioxide from the city have been decreasing continuously, achieving an impressive 30 percent reduction by 2006 and a far below global average per capita yearly carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission of 3,236kg. Växjö is targeting a reduction of 50 percent by the year 2010 and 70 percent by 2025 (compared to 1993) to become a fossil fuel-free city.

The biggest reduction in emissions has been with the municipal district heating and power plant. They have replaced oil with wood waste from the local forest industry which is burnt to generate electricity. The cooling water that warms up in the process is then used in a district heating system. The ashes from the furnace are sent back to the forest as added nutrients.

In 1994, Växjö began replacing all street lighting with energy efficient bulbs. The city will have completed this retrofitting program by 2009, which could reduce CO₂ emissions by 6,000 tons per year.

Caption:
Sample of energy efficient lighting Provided by Top Tower Technology Co., Ltd.

Alternatives to Fossil Fuel Usage

Initiatives have also been introduced to reduce fossil fuel usage in public transport in the city. Biogas produced at the local sewage treatment plant is used by the public transport system. People are encouraged to buy environmentally friendly cars through government subsidy and are offered free parking anywhere in the city. Subsidized by the municipal council, Växjö Taxi reduced the number of kilo meters driven by 20 percent thanks to a high-tech positioning system that can keep track of cabs by satellite, so that the nearest car can be sent to pick up a passenger. The drivers have also been on an “eco-driving” course to learn how to handle vehicles in the most fuel-efficient way, and the company has hybrid, ethanol-powered and biogas-powered cabs in its fleet.

Many other efforts are made in all areas of the city. They include community grants for private property owners that install solar panels, wood or pellet furnaces to replace oil; individual metering of electricity in student dormitories; and construction of a new residential area with Europe’s tallest all-wood apartment buildings. Växjö is in the middle of a timber industry region where it requires less energy to produce and transport wood than steel or concrete.

Yet this tiny city of 800,000 thousand residents is certainly not alone in its great efforts to tackle this global issue. In 1996, Stockholm successfully piloted a European initiative—ZEUS (Zero and low Emission vehicles in Urban Society), which led to a full roll-out of clean vehicles across the city, starting with all public vehicles. These environmentally friendly means of transport either use bio-fuels or emit less than 120g CO₂ /km, typically hybrid or extremely small cars. The city council worked with the fuel industry and the EU to expand the supply of bio-fuel. Collaborating with the national government, NGOs and other cities, they were able to provide incentives and tax benefits to the buyers of clean vehicles. Green vehicles now constitute 20 percent of total car sales in the city, and Stockholm now has the highest percentage of these vehicles in Europe which contribute to 200,000 tons of annual CO₂ reduction.

Caption:
Stockholm–a cleaner city. © Photographer: Harryfn, Agency: Dreamstime.com

The port city, Göteborg, Sweden, has also made its mark on the path to a greener planet. Normally, most ships get their electricity supply through onboard power generated by auxiliary diesel engines–a highly polluting and energy-consuming method. Göteborg developed an onshore power supply system by using renewable energy from wind turbines to power ships at berth; it has cut port-side emissions from ships by 94-97 percent! The scheme won the European Commission’s “Clean Marine Award” for outstanding environmental achievement in 2004.

Wise Energy Efficient and Money Saving Options

Copenhagen, Denmark gets 97 percent of its heat from clean, reliable and affordable waste heat captured from the electricity production process. The system was set up in 1984 by five Mayors in partnership with the Metropolitan Copenhagen Heating Transmission (CTR) who run the system jointly with an affiliated company, VEKS. Coupled with the combined heat and power plants switching from coal to natural gas and bio-fuels (straw and wood), the system has cut average household bills by 1,400 EUR annually, and has saved the Copenhagen district the equivalent of 203,000 tons of oil every year, or 665,000 tons of CO₂ emissions.

Copenhagen also has the world’s second largest offshore wind farm with 80 wind turbines and a total capacity of 160 MW, enough to power 150,000 Danish households, or 2 percent of Denmark’s total electricity consumption. Offshore turbines produce one and half times more electricity than land-based turbines. The facility contributes to 660,000 tons of CO₂ reduction annually.

Caption:
Offshore wind farm providing power to onshore households.
© Photographer: Rodiks, Agency: Dreamstime.com

Cleaner Air and Healthier Body – What a Deal!

In addition to that, Copenhagen is a cyclists’ haven by providing a safe, secure and efficient cycling environment. In 1995, the city introduced a public bicycle service that lets people pick up and return bikes at 120 bike racks throughout the city center. Financed by sponsorships and advertisements, the public-private partnership program is run by a non-profit organization, The City Bike Foundation of Copenhagen. It also provides work for inmates and the unemployed who have to maintain the roads. Now with 36 percent of its residents cycling to work or school, and a goal to increase this to 50 percent by 2015, Copenhagen is truly a “City of Cyclists.” In France, the Vélo’v scheme was launched in May 2005. With a prepaid membership card, which costs one euro for a week and five euros for a year, you can rent bicycles around the city. Over 3,000 bicycles are available from over 350 stations situated around the cities of Lyon and Villeurbanne.

Caption:
Bicycles used in the Velo’v scheme.
© Photographer: Jakezc, Agency: Dreamstime.com

Paris’ Vélib, launched in July 2007, is a replica of Vélo’v, only much bigger. With 10,600 bikes from 750 hire points each with 15 or more bicycles, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe hopes Vélib will cut car traffic in the city by 40 percent by 2020. Community bike programs are also run in Stockholm, Barcelona, London, and some German and Dutch cities.

Caption:
Paris–encouraging its citizens to ride bikes more to reduce pollution and traffic in central areas. © Photographer: David Hughes, Agency: Dreamstime.com

London has implemented “the central area congestion charge.” It is a daily charge of £8 for driving or parking a vehicle on public roads within the congestion zone between 7 am and 6 pm on working days. In February 2007, the zone doubled to 38 square km, the largest in the world. According to official statistics, traffic levels inside the original charging zone have been cut by 20 percent, equivalent to 75,000 vehicles per day, bringing about a 20-30 percent, or 60,000 tons, annual reduction of CO₂ emissions. The main response from car drivers is to switch to public transport and/or ride bicycles.

Caption:
London–reducing traffic in central areas with a congestion charge.
© Photographer: Stephen Finn, Agency: Dreamstime.com

In August 2007, Stockholm became the second European city, after London, to introduce the congestion charge. Its seven-month trial run in 2006 has cut CO₂ emissions by 14 percent and traffic by 22 percent.

Another good example of successful environmental action at the local level is Barcelona’s solar power project. Being the first European city to implement a Solar Thermal Ordinance (STO) in 2000, Barcelona has made it compulsory to use solar energy to supply 60 percent of running hot water in all new buildings, renovated buildings or buildings changing their use. The ordinance applies to both private and public buildings, and is designed to harness the city’s 2,800 average hours of annual sunshine. Managed by the Barcelona Energy Agency (BEA), it is estimated that over 25,000 MW are saved annually due to the implementation of the ordinance. The scheme has been followed by dozens of cities across Spain, inspiring national legislation with similar, although less stringent, requirements.

Caption: Giant solar panel in Barcelona.
© Photographer: Andrew Chambers, Agency: Dreamstime.com

Climate change is indeed a global issue that demands international and national collaboration and action. Yet, as quoted at the beginning, the origin of the problem is local, and the social responsibility lies with every level of government, all kinds of groups, right down to every single citizen of Earth. Thank you and congratulations to all these European cities that have courageously taken the responsibility and come up with so many effective initiatives to help sustain this beautiful planet God has bestowed upon us. Hopefully all of us will be inspired by their actions and spirit, to bring environmental concern to our daily life and give any assistance we can to help restore our wonderful planet.

Twenty years ago in 1987, a severe earthquake struck Ecuador. A teenage boy watched this disaster on TV from the comfort of his own living room in a small Swiss mountain village. His heart was moved to do something and he told his father that he was going there to help, but his father didn’t support him. The boy then took his youth’s savings for the airfare, received contributions from his neighbors and flew to South America with only his heart as a guide.

Upon reaching the disaster area, he realized how useful bridges were to the local people. He saw that medical supplies and food couldn’t be delivered across the river. Rewarding his sincerity, God sent him an angel - a Dutch engineer married in Ecuador who taught the boy simple bridge building over the next five months. Later he invented a method of building suspension bridges by hand with the local communities and went on to become “The Bridge Builder from Heaven.”

After he learned to build simple bridges, God sent him another angel so he could improve his work, an Ecuadorian welder named Walter Yañez.♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ They became friends and traveled throughout Latin America as “partners for the poor.” This partnership evolved into a golden practice as the two servants improved the lives of over half a million people over the years! Toni’s actions bring a sense of pride and confidence to the local people because he always needs their help to build the bridges. Therefore he also helps people become more independent.

With time, Toni became very wise to the ways of the world. He built hundreds of bridges in the most remote areas of Latin America and South East Asia, and learned to do it for a tenth of the price of building a commercial bridge! He doesn’t accept money from governments but will accept financial donations from individuals that support his mission; and he personally goes to Argentina, Italy, Mexico and Ecuador to humbly ask donors for their leftover steel pipes, and the Swiss mountain cablecars for their used wire rope.

In 2007, Toni was awarded a third-grade Labor Medal by Aulacese President Nguyen Minh Triet for assisting over 100,000 inhabitants of Ben Tre province.

With building bridges on two continents, Toni is a man that truly lives in the moment. His schedule is so spontaneous that he hardly sleeps in the same bed more than three nights in a row! He doesn’t own a car, a house or a comfortable life. He only has a laptop computer and a bag that allows him to travel the world helping those in need of his expertise. He is also asked to give lectures on various topics including the reality of direct action and aid, politics and logistics, prefabrication and transportation, communities and values, and engineering and construction procedures. Remember that Toni started out as a young boy without any experience or knowledge!

A sudden paralysis struck him in Cambodia in 2002, but he fought back against the odds and recovered – after 1-1/2 years of patient exercise! Toni looks at this recovery as God’s mercy and blessing so he can continue his work, and commented, “I only see as far as the next bridge. I have no future. In fact, I shouldn’t even have a present.”

Supreme Master Ching Hai has always reminded us to lead a noble life through acts of selflessness and humility. Toni Ruttiman ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ from Switzerland, a young boy who followed his heart, exemplifies the life of a humble person, one who knows how to help people without seeking acknowledgement of any kind. He isn’t interested in fame, money or personal rewards. He leads the life of a courageous person who doesn’t worry about what the next day holds. His heart is his teacher and his desire for a better world his inspiration. He once said, “Building bridges for poor people is the way I express my love for this world and the people who live in it.” If everyone could live a humble and selfless life like Toni, the world would definitely be a better place.

Caption:
1. Toni Ruttiman (right) and his friend Walter Yañez
2. One of Toni’s unique bridges in Veracruz, Mexico. The steel tubes were donated by the steel company Tenaris. Photo courtesy of Tenaris
3. Toni has brought smiles to thousands of villagers.

♥♥♥♥♥♥
 

If you love animals called "pets," please don't eat animals called "dinner."

~Animal Acres

Lorri Bauston, recognized as the pioneer of the farmed animal sanctuary movement, is also the founder of Animal Acres, a Los Angeles-based animal haven that is “a refuge for animals and a sanctuary for the soul.” On August 25, Golden Year 4 (2007), Animal Acres held a celebrity-filled gala fundraiser, with all proceeds going to the Animal Acres Emergency Rescue Fund. At the event, Ms. Bauston was presented with the Shining World Leadership Award from our Association member on behalf of Supreme Master Ching Hai, as well as a grant of US$10,000 to further the noble work of Animal Acres in providing shelter and care for animals.

At the age of 16, Lorri decided to stop eating meat and adopt a vegetarian diet, which was her first step towards what has become a lifelong passion of protecting farmed animals. In 1986, she co-founded the first shelter for farmed animals in the USA, and 18 years later established the nonprofit organization Animal Acres. Today, Animal Acres’ living center accommodates over 100 rescued animals and sponsors a variety of programs and special events to promote compassionate living and help people understand the situation of farmed animals.

During the presentation of the award, Jane Velez-Mitchell, an award-winning journalist and animal rights advocate, had the honor of reading the award letter from Supreme Master Ching Hai to Ms. Bauston:

“…This award recognizes your outstanding efforts to protect and nurture our animal friends, as well as your enlightened leadership in creating a brighter future for all humanity and animals, through your exemplary heroic acts, which serve as a beacon of unity among all sentient beings.

…For passionately advocating cruelty-free customs on behalf of animals, for publicizing compassionate living concepts, for providing a heavenly home for animals, and for being a dedicated and munificent role model for all humankind, we hereby applaud and celebrate the noble deeds of Miss Lorri Bauston, pioneer of the Farmed Animal Sanctuary movement.”

Ms. Bauston was so touched by Master’s letter that tears came to her eyes. “I’m so honored to receive the Supreme Master’s award. That someone like Her, who has done so much in the world to promote compassion, would recognize my work, to also promote compassion, it’s just the greatest honor you could ever have.”

Upon receiving the award and check for US$10,000 presented by an Association member, Ms. Bauston said, “Thank you, thank you, so, so much! And I accept it on behalf of the 10 billion cows, pigs and chickens that live tormented lives from the day they are born until the day they are cruelly slaughtered, and the 45 billion animals worldwide.” Ms. Bauston added that after 21 years of speaking up to protect animals’ rights, she is optimistic about the movement, and within the last 10 years has seen positive improvements.

Congratulations to Lorri Bauston and Animal Acres! Thanks to the continuous efforts of Animal Acres and other like-minded organizations and individuals, the world is changing for the better with more humane farm animal treatment and vegetarian food sales in the USA becoming the fastest growing sector in the food industry.

To view the live interview of this event’s broadcast on Supreme Master Television, please visit the following link:
http://video.godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/AW383.php

To know more about Animal Acres, please visit the following link:
http://www.animalacres.org

Photo credits from Animal Acres

Caption:
Ms. Bauston happily browses through the pages of Master's latest books.

About two years ago, one person’s environmental movement—an aluminum recycling program—began in Toluca, Illinois. That person was 11-year-old Tayler McGillis. Every day, Tayler would walk city streets and rural roads picking up discarded cans, and early on many Sunday mornings, he retrieved cans that littered a local golf course. He later organized his efforts by setting up bins in business areas where the cans could be collected. Earlier this year, with the help of family, friends and the community, he gathered more than 16,277 pounds of aluminum cans. The material, valued at over $9,000, was later used to pay for every door and window of a new Habitat for Humanity house in Marshall County.

Tayler’s work did not go unnoticed. In 2006, he was awarded the Governor’s Green Youth Award by Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich. In April this year, he was selected the 2007 regional winner of the President’s Environmental Youth Award and was called the “Tin Can Scout” by his local media.

On September 29, Golden Year 4 (2007), initiates from the Illinois Center presented Tayler McGillis the Shining World Leadership Award on behalf of Supreme Master Ching Hai at the 13th Annual Harvest Pow-Wow, a Native American event that took place in Naperville, Illinois. At that time, Tayler’s total collection weighed in at 22,000 pounds.

The Award was arranged as a surprise by Tayler’s mother in conjunction with the Pow-Wow, where one of the coordinators organized a Native American dance in Tayler’s honor. Dressed in his Boy Scout uniform with all the badges he has earned, Tayler was a little shy and somewhat nervous about receiving the Award. However, when the letter from Master was read, he was visibly touched, as was the audience who cheered him. In addition to the Award, the Association presented him with a financial gift of $2,000, a tent, sleeping bag, sweets and Master’s publications. The response from Tayler’s family as well as others was very touching, with many asking about Master. The event was also very colorful; participants wore Native American cultural attire and everyone, including initiates, was invited to participate in the dancing.

Tayler said that he began this venture in order to earn a Boy Scout badge. However, in the process of collecting the cans, he became aware of the environment and was inspired to continue the work. His efforts, according to his mother, sparked the community’s interest to join him. We wish Tayler much success in his continued endeavors, which not only help our planet and other people but also raise awareness about the benefits of working together to save the Earth’s environment.

Thank You Letter from Tayler McGillis

To view the Tayler McGillis award presentation aired by Supreme Master Television, please visit the following link:
http://video.godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/EE413.php

♥♥♥♥♥♥

On October 26, Golden Year 4 (2007), representatives from The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association went to visit Mr. Jin Dan, a renowned animal lover, at his dog accommodation center in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, China. (For details of Mr. Jin Dan’s compassionate actions, please refer to “Dribbles of Love Converge to Save Stray Dogs” in News magazine #189.) On behalf of Master, our representatives presented to Mr. Jin Dan the World Compassion Award and a gift of US$5,000, giving him the means to improve the environment of his accommodation center for stray dogs. Recently, Mr. Jin Dan was very anxious and worried about sheltering the dogs from wind and snow in the coming winter, so he was overjoyed in receiving Master’s timely support. He was very grateful to Master for Her love and concern. He promised that he would use this money well to help more stray dogs and ensure that all the animals taking refuge in his center would survive the cold winter.

When we visited the dog accommodation center, we noticed that the animals’ living environment had improved a lot. Previously they had to crowd together inside a few temporary sheds, but now each dog has a lovely and sturdy dog house, and the environment is very clean and tidy. Observing the happy dogs, we were deeply touched by Mr. Jin Dan’s great compassion. He also mentioned that most of the dogs had been adopted by compassionate people, only the sick and weak were left behind to continue to be taken care of by him and the volunteer workers.

During our interview with Mr. Jin Dan, he repeatedly praised the dogs for having very deep feelings, selfless love, great loyalty towards humans, as well as other noble qualities that are not even found in some people.

God has miraculously taken care of these animals through a local vegetarian restaurant that has pledged to provide vegetarian food for the dogs free of charge, so that they can become more healthy and beautiful. Mr. Jin Dan was extremely moved by this miracle and felt very happy for the dogs.

Apart from presenting the plaque and award money to Mr. Jin Dan, we also shared with him Master’s latest books including The Dogs of My Life, The Realization of Health and Coloring Our Lives, which he gladly accepted and promised to read carefully to understand Master’s teachings.

The day after we left Inner Mongolia, the local temperature dropped to minus four degrees Celsius. Master’s timely help has warmed the bodies and hearts of these stray animals. We hope that with God’s blessing, this stray dog accommodation center will provide greater and better care to our animal friends, so that they can enjoy a happy life on Earth just as we do!

Appreciation Letter from Mr. Jin Dan

Personally written and compiled by Supreme Master Ching Hai, The Birds in My Life was officially released in Formosa in August of Golden Year 4 (2007) and has, for the first time, appeared on the Bestseller List in several different categories. On the afternoon of October 25 (Ching Hai Day), at the Taipei City Youth Recreation Center, the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association Publishing Co., Ltd. announced the release of another new book by Master -- the Chinese edition of The Dogs in My Life.

This event attracted large crowds of earnest readers, including many local and foreign distinguished guests, with whom Master held a videoconference in which animal intelligence was discussed. From the Philippines, Archbishop Diosdado A. Talamayan D.D. of Tuguegarao (photo 1) sent a letter to Master expressing his admiration for Her impartial and unconditional love for sentient beings. He wrote, “In spite of my very hectic schedule, I have managed to read The Dogs in My Life and The Birds in My Life. I have learned to be a lover of all living creatures, but what we truly have in common is our love for dogs and birds. May everybody learn to respect each other and protect our environment, especially the animals, which are part of God’s creation too.” Taipei City Councilor Li Ching-yuan also congratulated Master on the launch of Her new book by presenting a Chinese calligraphy, bearing the message: “Love, understand and treat animals well.”

Master’s Loving Care for Her Animals

Besides participating in the Su-Pet Angels Spiritual Forum on Animal Protection, Master also entertained questions from the Formosa media. Reporter Pang Wei-rong from the Government Procurement Gazette asked Master how She took care of Her dogs, especially those in poor physical and mental health at the time of adoption. Master said that She took them to see the best veterinarians, and then played with them and gave them love. For instance, when Lucky was placed in an isolation ward, Master went to play with him wearing protective clothing, which helped him recover faster. Initially he had no teeth, so Master cut his fruit into tiny pieces and fed him. Later he became very fond of fruit. At night, Master kept him company to ease his fear. She said, “My dogs love to sleep on my bed. Sometimes I sleep with five or six dogs. Later, when I had more dogs, I slept on the floor and let them have the bed... Dogs are very noble and grateful beings. Treat them a little nicely and they will never forget you.”

Just a day prior to the occasion, former Haiti Ambassador to Formosa, Mr. Sonny Seraphin (photo 2), had received an invitation to the new book release event from a fellow. In response, he said, “This telephone call is the answer to my prayer of many years. I have always wanted to stand before Supreme Master Ching Hai, or even be at Her feet, to offer my greatest reverence and gratitude for Her contribution to making this world a better place. Her teachings have helped many people to improve their lives. I really love the positive energy coming from Her teachings.”

Deputy Director of the Taipei City Civil Affairs Bureau, Mr. Yeh Chieh-sheng (photo 3), said that the interaction between Master and the guests gives the impression that the world is without borders. He greatly admires Master for Her influential leadership in animal care. “If only we could all follow Her example, society and the world would be full of love.”

Animals Are Angels Sent by God

A famous veterinarian and animal literature author in Formosa, Dr. Du Bai (photo 4) has spent every day of his past 21 years in the company of dogs. He has found that animals often help people in a direct and natural manner, yet human beings frequently forget about their existence. He said that many ideas expressed in his book The Living and Dying of the Companion Animal were similar to Master’s ideal. Dr. Du Bai believes that animals are angels sent by God, and from the Buddhist perspective, they are our fellow practitioners. Their responsibility is to help us unconditionally, to grow stronger and develop our wisdom. However, we often forget that we have such a precious treasure.

In her speech, Ms. Wang Li-ling (photo 5), President of the Help-Save-A-Pet Fund, said that she was extremely touched by the love and bliss radiating from every photo in the book. “The Supreme Master is really a loving Mom,” she added. When Ms. Wang shared her experiences in taking care of stray dogs, Master commended her for her compassion and immediately contributed US$10,000 to her, with the suggestion that she switch the diet of the more than 700 stray dogs under her care to a vegetarian one.

Mr. Sean McCormack (photo 6), the founder of Animals Taiwan, also shared his experiences with stray animals. Acknowledging his compassionate actions, Master contributed US$10,000 to his association as well.

A Book on Noble Ideals and Life Education

Ms. Patricia Kortman (photo 7), representative of the Gardens City community and cultural program curator of the German Cultural Center, shared her experiences in protecting stray dogs in her community. She said that helping these abandoned friends has raised the spiritual consciousness of her neighbors.

According to Mr. He Cheng-qian (photo 8), General Secretary of the Formosa Animal-Assisted Activity and Therapy Association, dogs can heal psychological ailments in humans. “Sometimes when we are worried, a dog makes us feel secure with its strong loyalty. It is like our best friend keeping us company, which has a healing effect.” Mr. He thanked Master for publishing the book, which he hoped would help people learn to love and care about other living beings.

Mr. Wu Bo-bin (photo 9), Director of the ROC International Health Promotion Society, shared his many years of experience in promoting the vegetarian diet. Ms. Liu Xiang-lan (photo 10), Director of ROC Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection Society, presented a plaque to express her gratitude to Master for Her encouragement and support as well as for the US$10,000 contribution to her organization at The Birds in My Life book release event in August. Mr. Yan Yi-feng (photo 11), Director of the Taipei Municipal Institute of Animal Health, said that he was extremely touched by Master’s new book. “The dogs share the world with us. This is a book about noble ideals and life education,” he said.

Making Formosa a World Champion in Loving Animals

Before the forum ended, Master expressed Her best wish for Formosa. She suggested that it would be better to spend money on implanting chips in all dogs and sterilizing stray dogs rather than killing them. Also, the government should minimize the number of stray dogs by passing a law prohibiting their caretakers from abandoning them at will. Master said, “I hope everyone will strive together to make Formosa a world champion in loving and protecting animals. Let us work together towards this goal and bring peace to the world. Then we can live together in Heaven. That would be wonderful!”

Master later granted an exclusive interview to Miss Chen Ya-lin from SETTV’s “Brighten up Formosa” program. She shared some rare stories about Her spiritual quest, and discussed Her enlightenment, Her mission to teach people, as well as Her affinity with Formosa.

The book release was covered by several major newspapers in Formosa, including the Apple Daily, China Times, United Evening News and Government Procurement Gazette. Among the television networks, ETTV broadcasted news about vegetarian dogs in its regular news program, while TVBS aired a special report on Master’s new publication about Her experience with dogs and Her message that dogs can be vegetarians and meditate like humans, which is beneficial to their health. The news report included an overseas survey on vegetarian dogs, showing that 82 percent were in very good health and had an average lifespan of 12.6 years, which is the equivalent of 70 human years. This proved that vegetarian dogs enjoy good health and longevity.

Widespread Acclaim

Soon after The Dogs in My Life was officially launched, it soared to the top of the Bestseller List of non-categorized books at the Kingstone Online Bookstore. On October 29, Volume 1 of the English edition reached number five on the Animal Care and Pets Bestseller List at Amazon.com—the world’s biggest online bookstore. Both Volume 1 and 2 have received the highest five-star rating. And, even more delightful news was received on November 11: another book personally written by Master--The Birds in My Life, English Edition, had also reached No.1 on the Bestseller List on Amazon.com. This shows that Master’s books have attracted widespread attention and acclaim. We thank Her for bestowing this precious gift on the world and hope that everyone will have a chance to enjoy it.

Captions:
1. The launch of The Dogs in My Life was covered by several major newspapers in Formosa: The Apple Daily, China Times, United Evening News and Government Procurement Gazette.
2. Through simultaneous online broadcasts, guests remain abreast of developments at other venues of the new book release.
3. Honorable guests, including friends from abroad, participate in Supreme Master Ching Hai’s new book release event.
4. Many dog-lovers and their vegetarian dogs arrive at the venue to wish Master a Happy Ching Hai Day and success with Her new book.
5. Upon its release, readers beam with joy once they acquired their own copy of The Dogs in My Life.

Please visit our exclusive website for The Dogs in My Life (Chinese):
http://www.loveocean.org/dogs/index_ch.htm

Media reports (Chinese):
http://www.loveocean.org/dogs/media.htm

Kingstone Online Bookstore Bestseller List (Chinese):
http://www.kingstone.com.tw/book/Book_abscissa4.asp?C1=%AC%EC%BE%C7

To order The Dogs in My Life:
Books.com.tw (Chinese):
http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=0010385258
http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=0010385256
Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-8350592-0757662?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+dogs+in+my+life&x=9&y=17

Other websites:
http://www.thecelestialshop.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=in+my+life (English)
http://www.edenrules.com (Chinese)

Thank you for taking the time to join us on this grand occasion. To the representatives of the government, the honorable guests and Archbishop of the Philippines, let me express my appreciation for your support for this event today. This shows that every one of us has a loving spirit in wanting to protect animals, which we express in different ways. I hope that this book will awaken the love power that lies within everyone.

Because each one of us has God, or the Buddha Nature, within us, surely we have love and compassion as well. However, due to our busy life and excessive pressures from the need to survive in this world, we often lack the time to recall this love within. Some people are able to express this love and remind themselves, while others are busy or have forgotten how to bring out this inner love power.

We ought to remind and love each other, including loving animals. They appear weak, small and helpless, needing our worldly and material help, love and protection. However, if we truly understand animals, we will realize that they are on a high spiritual level.

Loving the Weak Is the Way of the True Hero

If we love and protect animals, in return, they will help us in many ways. However, we should not help animals because we expect benefit, but because we love the weak and small. This is the way of the true hero. Heroes do not have to go to war or perform spectacular deeds. The heroic quality lies in the heart.

If we can love and protect small animals, that means we can also love and protect other sentient beings. Someone said to me: “If a person can love a dog, a bird or any other weak and small animal, that person definitely can love other humans too.” Thus, by loving animals, we help bring peace to the world. If we do it together, there will be no more wars among us.

When we love and protect animals, our compassion will develop naturally. If any of you have a dog, a bird or other pets, you will have noticed this change. When you hug them or look at them, your heart will naturally fill with love and you will not think of anything else. By loving and pampering them, this loving aura will pervade our house, our whole family, and emanate beyond, extending the positive atmosphere to the world.

When every family is full of love, there will be peace in the world, because of the atmosphere. You all know how important that is. When we see people living in harmony and loving each other, we will also feel very happy. Suppose we enter a house where people are quarreling or fighting, we immediately feel uncomfortable too. Is that not so? (Audience: Yes!)

Therefore, animals can help us develop our inner love, change our ambiance, and make us happy; and this happy atmosphere will affect the whole world. Imagine if every family could be so happy and loving; of course the world would be a wonderful place, wouldn’t it? (Audience: Yes.) We don’t need to talk about whether animals are of a high spiritual level or of any significant benefit to us. At the very least, they can help us develop our compassion. That alone would make us feel very comfortable.

If we have time to sit with a dog, pat it, and show our love, very soon our whole body will feel very comfortable. Even our body feels comfortable, not to mention our atmosphere. Our whole body feels the presence of a serene electrical current that is very soothing. We can feel it distinctly. Therefore, dogs can really help us in this way; it is not necessary to communicate with them through supernatural means or use telepathy to understand their language. Just the sensation in our physical body is enough to prove that dogs are truly helpful to humankind.

God Created Animals to Help Humans

In the Bible, it is said that God created animals to help us. We should give some thought as to how they help us. My personal experience is that they have helped me. Scientists have proved that if you love animals and keep pets at home, you will be physically healthier and mentally happier. When you are happy, you attract good luck and a happy atmosphere to your home because like attracts like. Also, seeing your pets every day, your love will develop, and this love will attract more love. For instance, when you go outside, people will love you more, dogs won’t bite you, and you might attract more love to your home.

Therefore, in helping animals, we truly benefit ourselves as well. No matter whom we help, we always benefit. We often think that when we help others, it is the other party that benefits. This is not necessarily the case! That person will reciprocate with love. So, when we help someone, he will be grateful and pray for us, and our lives will be more comfortable and happy. Prayers are effective!

Animals communicate directly with Heaven. So, if we help them, they will surely report to Heaven that this person is very nice. We can say that they pray for us. If not, Heaven has eyes! If we have been nice to people and helped them, Heaven will record it. When we help animals, Heaven will also record it.

In Au Lac, we have a legend that says if you have been benevolent and treated dogs well, when you cross the bridge (to the other shore) after you die, the dogs will not bark loudly. This is because, if they bark loudly, you will become frightened and fall into the hellish river, where there are many crocodiles and snakes, which is almost like hell. However, if you have been nice to the dogs, they will greet you, love and protect you, and let you pass safely and smoothly into Heaven. That bridge separates Heaven and hell. That is what the legend means. I have not been there, but it makes sense. Whatever the ancient people said always makes sense. Why would they lie to us, right? (Audience: Yes!)

Exhibiting Our Noble Heart

Whether this story is true or not, we should love and protect the small and weak when we see them, for in doing so, we show the magnanimous heart of a hero. As such, we are already a noble person and would not wonder whether they will help us or not. Of course they have helped to bring out our noble heart, which is more important than wealth or social status. Thus, we ought to love animals. In every country, there are animal shelters or similar facilities. We should do our best to help them in any way we can. If we cannot adopt any animals, we can make a financial contribution or help these organizations take care of animals or find good families to adopt them.

Although we do not expect reciprocation from animals, there is a saying in Au Lac “Save the animals and they will repay your kindness.” This is indeed true. Sometimes, animals can bring lots of good luck to you; perhaps it is prosperity to your business, perhaps good health, or more love and joy to your loving relationship or family life. Each animal brings a different gift; you have to perceive it quietly.

In San Francisco of the United States, there was a very rich man. Previously he lost all his wealth and became a homeless wanderer. One day, he came across a dog that then accompanied him all the time. After adopting the dog, he began to feel much better; his mood as well as his health improved. From there he stood up and worked again, and finally became a very rich man, a billionaire. After he died, his property was all left to that dog. A very big house was built to accommodate stray dogs and take very good care of them. Most probably you’ve heard this story. That dog had brought him great wealth.

In addition to bringing happiness to people, many dogs also bring prosperity. Each animal that comes to your house will definitely bring a gift. You have to observe carefully and quietly. I don’t mean it will bring you a book or a cookie, no! It is not like that. Instead, it will gradually bring you all kinds of delightful spiritual surprises from within. However, if you cannot communicate with it, you might not think that it is the one who brought that to you. For example, after adopting a dog, if your life suddenly improves and your business booms tremendously, then you should begin to wonder. (Master and everyone laugh) Perhaps it was the dog that brought you good luck; try to observe carefully.

I have a bird that brought me lots of money, but I am not telling you which one. (Master and everyone laugh) (Applause) I never imagined that this would happen when I adopted it. I only discovered it later. It was because, after it came to my home, we began to understand each other slowly. Through our communication I realized that it had brought a lot of money, but I used it all to help needy people, and other birds, dogs and animals. I didn’t adopt the bird because I wanted the money. When I first met it, I did not know that it would bring any money. Usually, animals won’t immediately let you know; they’ll first find out whether you treat them nicely or not, before revealing the gift to you. It is really like that. The better you treat them, the greater the gift they have for you.

Animals are also from Heaven. Some of them are highly developed spiritually, even higher than some humans. Don’t think that they are ordinary beings just because they are wearing an outer appearance of a dog or bird. You have often heard stories of animals transforming into human form to help their human caretakers. Those stories were true, but we need to use our spiritual eye to perceive it. Unfortunately, many people cannot see this.

We should remember clearly what God has thus said in the Bible: I have created all the animals to befriend you and to help you. God wouldn’t tell lies. Therefore, I cannot be wrong when I say that the animals are bringing us gifts. Besides, I have personal experience. More and more I realize that all my animals have brought me different gifts. Some brought me good friends; some brought me good helpers. I don’t mean that they called them on the telephone and asked them to come. (Master and everyone laugh) It is just that, when the animals are living in my house, naturally they attract those good friends to come, or the money, or helpful persons. Or, suddenly my life becomes more free and easy. Some previous karmic hindrance, the bondage related to some people, would suddenly be severed. These are brought by the animals.

Animals are really born to help human beings. Later, when we have the opportunity to publish the book, The Noble Wilds, I may reveal some of the secrets to you. (Applause) Originally, I dared not reveal it in writing, because it belongs to our inner communication. So, I really dared not reveal it all, in the books about the dogs and birds; I just wrote a little bit. In the first place, I only wanted to write an ordinary book on how humans and birds should live with each other. For instance, to every day enjoy meals, play games, and have fun together. I had no intention to write about the heart-to-heart communication. However, sometimes I had no choice, so I had to write a little about it.

Even some wild animals will also help us. For instance, there might be some wild animals near your house, and you might have fed them occasionally, then they would also help you. Even if you cannot communicate with them, they would still help you. Of course it would be better if you could communicate. I once communicated with a swan and it told me a lot of things that I didn’t have time to think about. Not that I wasn’t aware, but I had no time to think about it. After communicating with the swan, I remembered those things and that I had to do this and that.

Really, all animals are born to help human beings. The Bible is correct! We should remember that they are our helpers. Unfortunately, some people are not aware. Be patient and calm down, then we can communicate with animals and understand what kind of help they are giving us. What a shame if they have helped us yet we are not aware of it! It is not necessary that we must help them first and then they will repay us. Regardless of whether we have helped them or not, if we interact and communicate with them, they really will help us. In this way, it is really good for us. Not only good for them, but also really good for us!

The concept of animal protection and caring for lives has been increasingly recognized. It has become an international trend. In Formosa, animal care and protection are not only advocated by government officials, but also openly supported by many private organizations and individuals. These societies and individuals have tried their best to promote the welfare of our animal friends. Here are some examples.

The City Government of Keelung encourages its citizens to adopt more homeless dogs in order to reduce the number straying on the streets. The city government has increased the compensation paid to the adopters for dog sterilization. It is several times more than before, which has ranked Keelung the top for animal sterilizing compensation among the local governments in northern Formosa. In addition, the Tao-Yuan County Agricultural Bureau, together with the Tao-Yuan County Animal Immunity Bureau, hosted a festival entitled “Love Me Always – 2007 Tao-Yuan Pet Day” to promote animal care and environmental protection.

Mr. Lin Hong-chih, a public official of Taipei County who has been a vegetarian for 16 years, has already made many ardent speeches at public vegetarian events to encourage people to go veggie. As an earnest activist for animal protection, he also hosted voluntary clinics for street dogs who had just been adopted during the community service events. The services he provided at the events included basic dog physicals by veterinarians, free veterinary consultations and free parasite treatment. His love and thoughtfulness for the animals won him a lot of praise from the participants of the events.

To fulfill their mission of “Have Love in Your Heart, Care for Dogs and Cats,” the Taipei Society for Dog & Cat Care has been the first organization to rescue the street dogs and cats in emergencies and dangerous situations anywhere in Formosa. This Society provides year-around emergency “Dog & Cat 911” services 24 hours a day. The services include detentions, shelters, professional veterinarian treatment and sterilization, and happy home hunting for the animals, all of which are offered free of charge.  (The web site for the Society for Dog & Cat Care is: http://www.lco.org.tw/info/view.asp?id=1 )

To help more street animals get adopted, the Society for Animal Welfare & Environmental Protection, the Republic of China has opened an “Animal Care Stop” at Taipei Subway Station to provide services that include detention and adoption of animals. Ms. Liu Xiang-lan, the Chairwoman of the organization, stated that the subway station is an ideal location because there are many mini-stores which attract a lot of people, which would help to increase animal adoptions from their 24/7 adoption service. The “Animal Care Stop” has been managed in accordance with the health regulations of the businesses in the subway station. With its various facilities plus an independent air conditioner, it is really a “five star” animal adoption center.

To prevent over population of street dogs, Mr. Chu Tien-i, who is a writer and also a dog lover, established a “Mobile Service for Free Dog Sterilization” with several veterinarians to provide free sterilizing services among the cities and towns in Tao-Yuan County. They are planning to extend the services beyond Tao-Yuan County, should it work well.

♥♥♥♥♥♥ For eight years, Mr. Lee Ho-chuan, a businessman in Chiayi, has donated more than NT$50,000,000 (US $1.51 million) to adopt more than 3,000 street dogs. Each dog has been sterilized and registered in the “dog database” that he designed. Mr. Lee Ho-chuan, Chairman of a mechanical manufactory, has devoted almost all of his spare time to street dogs. Besides taking care of his own adopted dogs, he often brings food in his luxury car to the major parks in Chiayi to feed the dogs. He also hires people to feed them at the scheduled hours at the dog gathering locations, so that the dogs won’t suffer from hunger.

♥♥♥♥♥♥ Ms. Huang Qiu-gui, a 67-year-old lady, has adopted more than one hundred street dogs. She feeds them with the leftovers picked-up from the flea markets. She also bathes and disinfects them, to bring a sense of dignity to their life. She has done this on the daily basis for over a decade.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Mr. Hou Hsiang-cheng and his wife Ms. Lin Mei-ling, living in Shalu Township, Taichung County has adopted many street dogs for the last 20 years. In order to take care of them, the couple has sold their three houses. Now they live in their vehicle for the convenience of caring for the dogs. They have never felt regret for spending all of their money on those destitute animals. They said that animals treat people with their utmost sincerity, without any pretense. Therefore, they will continue to look after these dogs so that they may live a happy life.

“In spite of everything that you subject us to, as well as to the Earth which is home to all of us, in spite of your endless cruelty, we are ready to assist you in healing that which you have insisted on destroying within and around yourself. Will you accept our help?”

Spoken by Khéops in “Cet autre langage”

Khéops, a female dog, and her human companion Ms. Pascale Dozité, a life-long vegetarian, have an exceptional connection that allows them to share messages from the animal kingdom with humankind. Their relationship is like that of close friends and the language Khéops and Pascale use to communicate is called the language of the heart that goes beyond words.

The Beginning of a Friendship and their Mission

A few years ago, Pascale’s husband found Khéops at a campsite and brought her home. Pascale soon discovered that she could understand Khéops’ feelings and communicate with her. In an interview aired by Supreme Master Television, Pascale explained how they communicate: “We have a direct connection. It’s truly a heart-to-heart connection. Anything pouring in Khéops’ heart is poured immediately into mine and vice versa.” Pascale further explained that they don’t rely on any mental capabilities in the communication process, but simply, whatever message Khéops receives, she also receives it; and yet, she always knows what comes from her and what comes from Khéops. Both Pascale and Khéops are vegetarians. Pascale said, “We strongly invite everyone to become vegetarian, at least vegetarian. Vegan is another stage, but at least vegetarian so that animals do not have to suffer from the violence of human beings who do not realize that they feed themselves with anxiety materialized.”

Soon after, it became apparent to Khéops and Pascale that they had a mission to complete–to team up and render therapeutic help to the human companions of animals and write a book–which according to Khéops, is a warning cry to open up the consciousness of human beings so that the immense suffering in the animal world will stop. In their book, This Other Language (Cet autre langage), Khéops unveiled many extraordinary aspects of animals that human beings are ignorant of and earnestly calls upon humans to open up their hearts and spirits to this unspoken language.

The Special Role of Animals

One of the important messages from Khéops is that animals can no longer be considered the way they are now. Human beings must realize that each animal has a special role to play in the evolution of humanity and has a message for the person she/he lives with. If that human ignores it, both animal and human being will suffer and the message might be lost forever. A typical example occurs when an animal lives with a couple that constantly fights and it develops a problem with her/his ears. So the human’s problem is revealed through the animal’s physical suffering. If people don’t get this message and only resort to consulting a vet and medicine, the pet might recover but most of the time there will be a reoccurrence or a manifestation of another physical problem. Only when the couple stops fighting, then the animal will fully recover. Therefore, human beings should always check themselves first, if they see a problem with their animal companion.

The Therapeutic Consultation

In the book, Khéops further reveals the greatness of animals and their ability and wishes to wholeheartedly help humans. Some animals radiate either healing energies, or an extraordinarily deep peace or joy. Each of them can bring their small light to wherever they are. Khéops and Pascale’s unique connection to each other and their celestial guides enable them to form a therapeutic team and bring solutions to souls in need of healing.

According to Pascale, Khéops plays a special role in the consultation. Her work actually starts from the moment an appointment for therapy is made; at that time, she is already connected with that soul. As soon as she receives the agreement, the explicit request of the person’s soul, with her guides of light and those of the person requesting consultation, she will detect in the person’s DNA, the deepest blocks, the deepest sufferings, to which the person, no matter how hard she/he tries, won’t have access. Further to that, she treats the problem by using the strong power of her love, with her guides of light, to transform the hidden blockages giving them a first cleansing. After the consultation the person will have access to these parts of him/her self, and thus will be aware of and can work on eliminating the problem(s).

However, Khéops and Pascale never do anything beyond the wishes of the soul, even when sometimes they feel doing a little extra is good for that person. In order to serve their mission responsibly to help people and heal the wounds of the soul with absolute respect, they never do less or more than what is asked of them.

The Love of Animals

In one chapter, transmitted entirely on her own, Khéops said the love of animals for the people they live with is more abundant than the love of human beings for their animals. Animals can forgo so much since they don’t see death as a sacrifice but rather a stage in the evolution of a living being. Therefore, they can sometimes substitute themselves for a human being to allow this person to live longer, which often happens. For example, there was a little female cat named Irma who used to live in a family with several children. One day, she was hit by a car and was badly injured. Before she died, she communicated to Pascale, “In this accident, one of the children was supposed to die, and I love the members of this family so much that I took the place of this child.” And if she did not complete this arrangement, other circumstances would take the life of this child who was supposed to die at that time. Unfortunately, not many human beings are aware of what animals are doing for them.

Khéops’s Message

When asked what message she wants to share with the world, Khéops said:

“... it’s time for humans not to waste time on unimportant things. ... what is important, is the respect that a human being owes to himself. … Human beings took possession of the planet at the expense of all its inhabitants, whether in the plant or the animal world; and therefore, it is through human beings that all this has to have meaning again, because we, the animals and the plant world, have already begun this transformation which is necessary for humankind. Only human beings are lagging behind. Therefore, human beings must open their hearts, rediscover the values that will make him a real human being and not be this kind of puppet who wants to have everyone under his control.” And the values are “Love and Respect.”

Due to their amazing work together, Khéops and Pascale have received immense interest from prominent international media, but in spite of this have never accepted any invitations for interviews. However, they did consent to an interview with Supreme Master Television, because they believe it is a TV channel of very high quality. During the interview, Khéops said that although she has never met Supreme Master Ching Hai, Master’s soul and her own are connected, and that their respective missions are closely linked. They work together in a different manner but with totally similar values, and particularly with the same purpose, to serve humankind.

Khéops and Pascale’s work is extraordinary and makes us realize how little we as human beings know about animals and our other co-inhabitants on this planet. We sincerely pray to God for the day when human beings rediscover their greatest values within and cherish all these amazing friends we have around us.

To view the Supreme Master Television interview coverage of the exclusive discussion with Pascale Dozité and Khéops, please visit the following link:
mms://video.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/smtv/aw365-367.wmv
rtsp://video.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/smtv/aw365-367.wmv
http://video.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/smtv/aw365-367.wmv （For download the program）

To read more on the beautiful message of love that Khéops wishes to share, their book, This Other Language, is available through its publisher, Agorma, located in Switzerland, through its website at:
http://www.agorma.ch (French)

Our pets should live in happiness and be assured a comfortable and dignified life. Like us, animals also need dignity; if you can communicate with them, they will tell you so. Treating animals with respect is very good and beneficial for them. For instance, if you respect them, they will also respect you; you can feel it. For them, it is very important to live with dignity; food is not everything. They really do not come to this world just to eat; it only appears that way from the outside.

As spiritual practitioners, our faith in our Master grows stronger every day. Our beloved Master Ching Hai has told us, in the same fashion as Buddha, that She looks after every hair on our head. Here is a true story to illustrate the power of prayer.

For months now I have had a cough. Some days it would be worse than others, especially when I was eating. A couple of weeks ago, I had just come out of the shower and had not eaten anything at all as it was morning time. I was standing in the kitchen with my husband John and I began to cough. I coughed and coughed. It started to become quite severe, so I lifted both my arms up in the air to give my lungs more of a chance to grasp some air. My husband gave me some water. But the coughing just got worse. A point arrived when I felt like I was dying. In fact I knew that I was dying. I simply could not breathe. It was a strange feeling having death look me in the face.

I silently and sincerely prayed for Master to help me as I didn’t know what else to do. Instantly, and I really mean instantly, my intuition gave me the word “candy!” I remembered that last November in Thailand, while on stage at the retreat, Master had given me a candy. I had placed it in my desk to bless all the other candies in the drawer. I asked my husband to get me a candy from the drawer. He said “No, are you crazy. You will choke.” Gasping for air, I argued with him and said, “No, I just prayed to Master and She has told me to have a candy.” He quickly unwrapped the candy and gave it to me. Instantly, and again I mean instantly, as soon as the blessed candy was placed in my mouth, the coughing disappeared. And at that moment, I felt the loving presence of our Master filling my lungs with the gift of breath, the gift of life.

This event meant two things to me:

When we pray with the deepest sincerity,
our Master hears us instantly and does
everything possible to help us. The message
of “candy” felt like it was brought to me on
angel’s wings because it was very, very clear.

The more we meditate, the more we serve humanity, the environment and the animals through our work with Supreme Master Television for example, and the more we celebrate what Master has done for our planet thus far, the greater our own faith in Her increases.

Thank You Master for loving me.

Thank You for showing me that You truly are my “best friend.”

This year, 12 Quan Yin fellow practitioners celebrated the Moon Festival together in a home for the elderly. Though we didn’t have many moon-cakes or fruit, with our purest heart, we toasted Master from afar with a cup of tea.

The evening sky was hazy and we could not see the moon, but that didn’t affect our cheery mood and remembrance of Master. Together, the twelve of us sang in praise of Master and prayed for Her blessing with an open heart, hoping that we would be able to see the moon that night. Instantly, a sweet fragrance and a joyous and peaceful ambiance pervaded the retirement home. Master had mercifully answered our prayer. Soon after the evening party began, a golden rising moon slowly broke through the clouds looking down at us like Master’s smiling face. Delighted and surprised, we looked up at the sky and said, “Thank You very much, Master!”

The moon became increasingly radiant and hung in the night sky until the party was over and everyone left. Before leaving we meditated for an hour, to thank Master for this wonderful golden evening of light and love.

Note: This home for the elderly was opened by a sister initiate five years ago, mainly to serve as an abode and meditation venue for elderly initiates. Its current residents include 12 fellow initiates over 65 years old.

Our family celebrated the Moon Festival this year with a barbecue on our terrace. While enjoying the aromatic food and the warmth of the fire, my husband recounted an unforgettable experience that happened when he was newly initiated many years ago.

That year in Hsihu Center, Master dressed up as the Moon Goddess to celebrate the festival with fellow initiates. After dinner, everyone received two moon-cakes that had been blessed by Master. My husband got his share and gobbled them down in a minute! But feeling unsatisfied, he wandered about near the dining area, hoping there would be more moon-cakes in the kitchen. At that moment a sister initiate who went to the same school as he did walked by. Suddenly, my husband heard an inner voice saying, “Give him the moon-cakes!” He saw the sister take on an expression of astonishment and hesitation, indicating that she had also heard the same voice. Then again, he heard the inner Master speaking almost as if She were giving an order, “He is serving in the army. Give him the moon-cakes!”

The sister regained her composure and asked him smilingly, “Are you serving in the army?” Feeling embarrassed, my husband nodded and said, “Yes.” So the sister generously gave him her two moon-cakes. Later, when my husband was savoring these two very precious cakes charged with love, he felt extremely grateful to Master. No one knows the disciple better than the Master. While in the army, my husband had a very good appetite. So Master had to satisfy his palate by giving him two more moon-cakes through this sister. Although many years have gone by, each time he recalls that incident, it is as vivid as if it had just occurred, and he is always extremely touched by the care and consideration given to him by Master.

On October 20, Association members from Costa Rica and the USA formed a disaster relief team and traveled to Nicaragua to render aid to the flood victims. Heavy rain had fallen for 12 continuous days, with many homes and roadways destroyed, leaving countless people in desperate need of food, water and basic necessities. As soon as Supreme Master Ching Hai heard about the disaster, She immediately contributed US$20,000 to help those in need.

When the team arrived in Nicaragua, they contacted the government offices in the flood-affected communities to find out the number of families needing assistance and the supplies that would be most helpful. With the information they could obtain, the relief team prepared packages of rice, sugar, beans, flour, water, milk, oil, salt, spaghetti, instant noodles, cookies, matches and candles for each family. They worked together with the mayors of the counties and rented the appropriate vehicles to enter those areas.

Mayor Juana Teyllez of the County of Puerto Morazán was especially helpful. She accompanied the team personally to all five communities that they visited in her area despite long trips in the scorching sun. She wanted to check on the people as well as introduce Master in each area visited. Her touching words of appreciation about Master’s love and compassion on several occasions moved the team to tears. Overall, 27 communities were visited and 1,307 households received much-needed food. The relief team intentionally chose to travel to the very remote communities over roads that were so damaged that access by even the government organizations had not yet been made.

At times the team members were tired after the many hours of traveling to reach these distant communities, but as soon as they saw the happy faces of the people, their fatigue disappeared. Even three weeks after the initial flooding, our Association members were still the first group to enter many of these areas to provide flood victims with food. In some places, the people chanted “Ching Hai, Ching Hai, Ching Hai!” because they were so happy and grateful that Master had sent food to them. It was touching to see that they hadn’t lost faith in God despite their desperate situation; they knew that in time God would hear their prayers. They were also very interested in Master and her teachings so we barely had enough samples booklets for everyone. Upon receiving the booklet, one person read it aloud for more than an hour. After that, he came to ask what he could eat to become a vegetarian.

During the relief work, many lent the team a helping hand. A local journalist, Luis Alberto Umaña, accompanied us to all of the communities. In addition to helping obtain necessary phone numbers, he also contacted two local TV channels to report the help Master was rendering to Nicaragua, and he conducted a radio interview with Mayor Juana Teyllez about Master’s timely, thoughtful and generous relief contributions. Another man charged a lower rate to bring our relief team to Chocolata Island because he wanted to help with the relief work. There were also two kindhearted men who came every day to help pack all the food for the next communities, even though they were also victims of the flood.

Another amazing experience was that wherever the relief team went, the rain would stop. Sometimes right before their arrival, the sun would come out, allowing them a smooth trip, even to the more distant communities, without getting stuck in the mud. The initiates are grateful to Master for giving them this opportunity to be the messengers of Her love, care and compassion. We pray that all affected by the flooding will soon be able to rebuild and restore their normal lives.

Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai
and Her International Association
for the Flood Relief Work in Nicaragua

In October 2007, Typhoon Lekima, the largest storm in 45 years to hit Au Lac, caused extensive flooding in the northern and central parts of the country. Upon hearing news of the disaster, Supreme Master Ching Hai immediately provided US$10,000 to aid the victims, along with the contribution from the follow initiates. The greatest damage occurred in the northern provinces of Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh, while the areas most affected in the central region were Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue Provinces. With Master’s blessing, from October 13 to 30, fellow initiates from Northern and Central Au Lac brought Her love and relief items to the local people.

In Ha Tinh Province, our Association members distributed rice and other supplies. Because this area had been in the eye of the typhoon, many houses had collapsed, floated away, or been damaged. Thus the local citizens were deeply touched and sincerely grateful to our beloved Master for Her aid. In all, the fellow initiates visited, encouraged, and gave Master’s pictures and relief items to 20 disabled orphans, more than 30 elderly people who had no financial support and 179 households.

In Thanh Hoa and Ninh Binh Provinces, although many houses were relatively unaffected by the flood, all the crops were destroyed. So Master’s gifts were eagerly accepted by 309 local families.

In Hue Province of Central Au Lac, before the flood waters had completely receded, the rescue team helped 16 households. In the days that followed, they went to many towns in other districts and distributed relief supplies to 634 families. Upon learning that there were nursing homes and other places that feed the homeless and elderly, as well as indigent mothers, the relief team helped them with urgently needed supplies.

Typhoon Lekima caused landslides in Central Au Lac, where Quang Binh and Nghe An Provinces suffered the most damage. Our Association members provided three schools with money to buy fans and repair their chairs, tables and equipment after the typhoon. Furthermore, gifts and Alternate Living flyers were distributed to the local children and families.

In Nghe An, the roofs of many houses had been blown away and others were severely damaged by the storm. Hundreds of acres of crops had also been inundated and many completely ruined. In addition, a lot of roads were eroded, making it difficult for relief organizations to distribute the much needed supplies. Our fellow initiates went to one town where numerous people had died or disappeared. There they visited local families to share God’s love and comfort them in their time of suffering and loss, as well as to give them Master’s pictures, Alternate Living flyers and relief items, including instant noodles, medicine, cakes and financial aid.

Overall, with Master’s love and blessings, the relief teams visited nearly 50 different places and helped almost 1,242 families in Northern and Central Au Lac. Thank You, Master, for arranging for the fellow initiates to participate in helping the Aulacese disaster victims. May God’s love and grace help the citizens of the affected provinces to quickly overcome their current difficult situation and return to their normal lives.

Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai
and Her International Association
for the Flood Relief Work in Au Lac

Supreme Master Ching Hai’s heartfelt love and care to people in need is always timely, thoughtful and thorough.

On October 10, Golden Year 4 (2007), Supreme Master Ching Hai sent a group of representatives to convey Her unremitting love to the retired bishops and priests in Tuguegarao, Philippines, by presenting a further contribution of US$100,000 for the clergy’s retirement home project. It was the third time Supreme Master Ching Hai had financially assisted this endeavor. In Golden Year 3, during the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the Philippines, Master gave US$15,000 to the retired bishops and priests. After knowing the construction status from a reply letter by Archbishop Talamayan of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao, She offered a further US$20,000 to support the project. (Please refer to News #185 and #189.) Recently, when it came to Master’s attention that the home had not yet been finished and that more funds were needed, She immediately provided the additional US$100,000 to speed up the completion of the retirement home.

The plan to build this much-needed place of rest for the retired clergy in Tuguegarao began 10 years ago. Although insufficient funds initially slowed the process, thanks to the unrelenting efforts of Archbishop Talamayan and the heartwarming generosity of our beloved Master, the project is now in its final stage and is expected to open in January 2008. Formerly, the elderly clergy, having left their family to devote their entire life to serving God and selflessly helping others, had nowhere to go after retirement. Often they had to return to their families, who may not have the resources to take care of the older and less able holy men. Now, with the retirement home, these venerated bishops and priests can enjoy a beautiful, age-adapted environment, including adequate medical care.

During the three-day trip, Master’s representatives visited and interviewed some of the retired clergy who will be living in the home. All are very happy and look forward to the move. Bishop Miguel Purugganan had a stroke several years ago. Because his house is rather small and is not designed for a wheelchair, he has had to spend most of his time in bed, increasing the need for care from his family as well. But with the spacious retirement home and the help of attending nurses, he can be well looked after and will be able to move about. One of the Reverend Fathers said, “It is a wonderful place before we depart on our next journey.” All the Reverend Fathers requested fellow initiates to send their love and best regards to Supreme Master Ching Hai and thank Her for Her generosity to people She has never even seen or met.

The evening the representatives arrived in Manila, the Archbishops and Reverend Fathers were shown a video of the lecture Master had delivered in the city in the year 2000. They were amazed by Her wisdom and insightful words. Afterward, they were presented with a gift of Master’s books, DVDs, some chocolates and traditional Formosan pineapple cakes. This thoughtful act of kindness filled their hearts with love and joy. Later that night, the 82-year-old Monsignor Quinto passed away after he returned home. His family said that he went with peace and happiness. His Eminence Archbishop Talamayan said, “It is wonderful that he could experience Supreme Master Ching Hai’s love and spiritual enlightenment in the last moments of his life. May his soul rest in peace with God.”

As Master said, “The retirement home should be built quickly and strong to offer the reverend priests some little comfort on their earthly sojourn.”

Surprised and overjoyed by the unexpected gift, the Archbishop of Tuguegarao Diosdado A. Talamayan, D.D. wrote a letter to Master on October 11, in which he expressed the deep appreciation of all clergy in the Archdiocese:

“On behalf of the sick, old and retired bishops and priests, I acknowledge with profound gratitude Your personal gift of $100,000 (one hundred thousand US dollars). I understand that this amount comes from Your personal fund raised from Your artistic talents. We, the bishops and priests, are amazed of Your God-given talents. We saw, through television, how beautiful Your singing, Your fashion designs, poetry and paintings are. You are truly an instrument and a reflection of God’s beauty. Your youthfulness surely flows from Your deep communion with God. It is so marvelous how You can inspire a lot of people. Last night, while watching Your show, I was so inspired that I told myself that only a person who loves and shares so much can talk about God’s love. Indeed, Your concrete example of sharing is a manifestation of Your dream to make this world a better place. We thank God for sending us people like You. Your humanitarian help to different nations teaches us to live as loving and peaceful citizens of this one planet.

“Truly, only when we love and share what we have, can we build bridges to unite people. Yes, if only people would heed Your call to live in harmony, this world will be paradise. We would build the Kingdom in our midst. In order to make this dream a reality, we, the bishops and priests in Tuguegarao, unite ourselves with Your goal: to unite humanity as God’s one family. It is our joy to know that we have people like You who share a common vision with us—to defend human rights and make people realize their dignity as children of God.”

Further in the letter, the Archbishop said: “Following Your desire to finish the retirement home as soon as possible, we are glad to inform You that the construction is in full swing. Three months from now, we shall be inaugurating it… It is our honor and joy to have Chairman Lin and his companions with us. They radiate so much peace and happiness. Their presence reminds us of what meditation can do. Their vegetarian diet encourages us to live a healthy lifestyle -- to keep us fit and young. Thank You for sending them to us.”

At the end of the letter, the bishops and priests invited Master to visit Tuguegarao. Their wish is to “continue to build bridges of love and unity so that we can all be one in the Kingdom of light, happiness and Truth.”

Captions:
1. An Association member presents Master’s additional contribution of US$100,000 for the retirement home for bishops and priests of the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao.
2. On behalf of the retired clergy, Archbishop Talamayan expresses his gratitude to Master for Her most generous contributions.
3. Archbishop Talamayan presents a letter of appreciation to be given to Master.
4. The bishops and priests sing the hymn “God Bless You” to thank Master.
5. The bishops and priests receive gifts presented on behalf of Master.
6. A retired archbishop reads Master’s sample booklet attentively.
7. Standing in front of the retirement home site, Archbishop Talamayan praises God for sending timely help to accelerate its construction.

Drilling Wells to Ease Drought

In Jarud Banner, Tongliao City of Inner Mongolia, there is a village located in the mountain area called Caganbaoligao. As the level of the underground water there is very low, the villagers have always lacked water. In 2002, the local government installed tap water for the inhabitants and thus solved their problem of getting water for daily usage. However, the problem of getting water for irrigation remained. Drilling wells in the fields was too costly and the rate of success was very low. Therefore, many farmers gave up on the idea of drilling wells and relied on the weather for rain water.

This year, the village was stricken by a very rare and severe drought, and most crops have dried and died. Upon knowing their difficulty, members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association immediately rendered aid to them. In September, when they delivered some relief materials such as food, oil and vegetables to the villagers, they also drilled five 40-meter deep wells for irrigation purposes. It is estimated that more than 40 farming households have benefited, thus easing their food crisis.

Upon knowing that some inhabitants in the Baoshan area of Yunnan Province were living in poverty, our regional fellow initiates immediately took action to help them. In early October, they visited the local Village Administration Committee, from whom they obtained a list of 24 destitute households. The Committee officials then led them to visit some of the nearby poor households.

Based on the number of needy families, supplies of rice, vegetable oil and salt were purchased. Some villagers lived so far away that they could not come to the site on the day of the distribution. So the provisions were left in the Village Committee Office and the fellow initiates returned early the next morning to hand the supplies to them. In addition, some new clothes were given to two especially destitute households. All the villagers were delighted to receive the relief materials, and the village Chief thanked the fellow initiates repeatedly.

At the new book release event of The Birds in My Life held on August 24, Golden Year 4 (2007), Ms. Liu Xiang-lan, Director of the ROC Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection Association, was among the VIPs present. (Please refer to Feature Report in News #190.) During the videoconference held at the event, Master discussed many issues concerning the accommodation and sterilization of abandoned animals, and put forth many incisive ideas and insights guiding people to treat animals humanely and with love. Having been devoted to caring for and providing shelter to abandoned animals for over two decades, Director Liu was deeply impressed with Master’s brilliant ideas. Furthermore, she was deeply touched by Master’s kind contribution of US$10,000 to the animal shelter.

On October 23, Director Liu personally received the fund at the Love Ocean Arts Center. She said that upon entering the Center, she immediately felt a strong energy field, as if a soothing current had been infused into her arms. Completely aware of Master’s intense efforts in promoting animal well-being and eco-conservation, she said that she would dedicate this fund to producing short films on animal adoption and sterilization to be shown around Formosa in order to address the problem of stray animals.

Caption:
Ms. Liu Xiang-lan (second from right) receives Master’s compassionate contribution of US$10,000.

To view the Humanitarian Relief Activities by the Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association, please visit
http://www.GodsDirectContact.org.tw/humanitarian
(The list can be sorted by year, country/region and type of events.)

DVD-662

(Spoken in English, with subtitles in 37 languages New edition with additional subtitles)

Face Life with Courage

Lecture in London, England, June 9, 1999

Highlights:

In 1999, when the European region of Kosovo was stricken by war, Supreme Master Ching Hai responded to initiates’ invitation for Her to visit 18 European countries’ capital cities. In Her travels, She braved formidable hardships and dangers to disseminate the message of divine love and Truth. On the final stop of Her mission, while She was delivering this lecture in London, a peace treaty was signed in Kosovo. In this brilliant discourse, Master addresses the nature of the divine realm, the means by which human beings can see God, the speed of intergalactic travel in ancient civilizations and why these superior cultures have disappeared, the relationship between science and spirituality, and the question of free will. She also answers these questions: Why is the transcendental bodies of an enlightened Master equal to the manifestation of the highest God? And what is the difference between karmic hindrance and destiny?

DVD-714

(Spoken in English, with subtitles in 18 languages)

Dogs Are Wonderful Beings

Group meditation in Florida Center, USA, June 6, 2001

Highlights:

Master shares with everyone the enjoyable moments that She spent with Her dogs, through which one would realize that dogs are truly intelligent beings and the love of an Enlightened Master is all encompassing. She also shares some secret tricks of cleaning dogs with lemon water, and cleansing the household environment with vinegar solution. She further reminds us of the obligation that comes after we decided to keep a pet, and that we should take care of them like taking care of ourselves. A harmonious co-existence between humans and animals lays the foundation for world peace. To achieve the ideal of this noble lifestyle, our animal friends have set the best example for us with their unconditional love, selflessness, loyalty and ability to sympathize.

DVD-747

(Spoken in English, with subtitles in 15 languages)

Children of the Dragon and Fairy

Group meditation in Florida Center, USA, May 11 & 13, 2002

Highlights:

What is the meaning of “Au Lac”? Why is it a better name than “Vietnam”? What should we do when we have numbness in limbs during meditation? What is the solution if we are disturbed by invisible beings during meditation? How about the origin of the maxim “One day not working, one day not eating”? Laughter is the best medicine, so enjoy Master’s hilarious jokes! Master says we don’t usually pray for too many things, but because we are God, if we really want something, we should be able to get it. If God cannot get what Hes wants, who else can get it? If the Buddhas cannot get what they want, who can succeed? Just that we have yet to realize ourselves; once we know who we are, we will be absolutely amazed!

CD-CG18

(Spoken in Chinese)

What Is a Correct Vegetarian Diet?

Group meditation in Taipei, Formosa, January 10, 1989

Highlights:

In the early years when Master had just started Her mission in Formosa, the pure vegetarian diet was still not popular, and it was difficult to find pure vegetarian food. As such, fellow initiates discussed this problem at the group meditation and reminded everyone to be cautious in their diet. In addition to that, Master also answered fellow initiates’ spiritual questions one by one, such as: How to stay longer in Samadhi during meditation? Why is it necessary to recite the Holy Names? What is the correct way to repeat the Holy Names? What is the true meaning of the chanting ritual at funerals? In what way will such chanting rituals be effective?

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