International Reports

To celebrate the inauguration of the Raising Center, a series of activities was held, including the inauguration of the Compassionate Heart Temple, Roof-Installing Ceremony of the Healing Love Hospital, marvelous and enchanting performances by fellow practitioners from many countries, and a compassionate free medical service. (Over a thousand patients came to this service.)

Many dignitaries and celebrities graced the event that day. Her Royal Highness the Princess Marie - Lady of Cambodia's First Premier - arrived in the company of many ministers and their wives. Many venerable monks also came to wish a prosperous development to the Raising Center. Early that morning, joyous music started to reverberate throughout the Raising Center. All the villages in Kompong Speu, Clokta Seth and five other villages, came after hearing the news of the event. With excitement and innocent smiles on their faces, they stood along the roadsides which were completely decorated with the flags of Cambodia, waiting for the appearance of the honorable guests and The Supreme Master Ching Hai.

There were thousands of guests from all over the world (members and non-members of the The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association) who came to share the joy of this exceptionally meaningful day with thousands of local villagers and VIPs. The celebration began with the playing of the national anthem, to which everyone respectfully stood. After that, they paid respect to the high monks, and expressed their gratitude for the Buddha's blessing. Next, the honorable governor of the province, Governor New Shitong, gave a speech. Amid the warm applause of all the people present, The Supreme Master Ching Hai went to the podium to give a speech to the Cambodian and overseas people. First, She thanked the Premier and his lady, and the governor of the province for their support, which helped the construction of the Raising Center to proceed smoothly. The Princess thanked The Supreme Master Ching Hai for Her contributions to Cambodia, and she sincerely welcomed all the friends from many countries, and wished that they would have a wonderful time each time they come to Cambodia and enjoy a happy stay here.

For the event, The Supreme Master Ching Hai had compassionately prepared several thousand gifts, which were graciously distributed to the villagers by Her Royal Highness the Princess. Afterward, The Supreme Master Ching Hai invited everyone to enjoy the specially prepared program. Throughout the program the province governor and his wife kept praising the brilliance of the program, and the talents and devotion of the performers.

After the performance, delicious vegetarian food was shared with everyone. At the same time, a compassionate free medical service was being offered at the entrance. More than a thousand local villagers received immediate treatment. The Supreme Master Ching Hai provided this free medical service as a heartwarming prelude to the impending opening of the Healing Love Hospital.

Two days after attending the Grand Opening Ceremony of Raising Center, Dr. Liv Ann, a specialist in reconstructive surgery and dermatology and also the president of the Khmer K. K. Association, including the Human Rights Committee, returned to the Raising Center with his wife, Mrs. Lam Vaura Kao, for another visit.

While waiting to see Master, the couple were treated to a delicious vegetarian meal. Both were so surprised to know that there are quite a variety of good tasting vegetarian dishes, and concluded that this was the best tasting vegetarian meal they had ever had. While enjoying lunch, they listened to Master's poem reciting CD. Mrs. Lam Vaura Kao praised that Master is a very talented person, and said that hearing this reminded her very much of her home country, Au Lac.

After they finished lunch, Master came to see them. Upon meeting Her, Dr. Liv Ann, representing the Cambodian-Au Lac people in Cambodia, presented Master a letter asking Her to help 300 families who are in difficulties, needing assistance because they have no jobs, and live meagerly in the city of Phnom Penh and other provinces. Master immediately agreed to offer them job opportunities at Raising Center, depending on their abilities.

Dr. Liv Ann and his wife expressed their gratitude toward Master on behalf of these needy families. In return for Master's kindness and generosity, Mrs. Lam Vaura Kao offered to help find some tropical fruit trees to be planted at Raising Center. Upon arriving at the Center, Mrs. Lam Vaura Kao exclaimed that it was such a beautiful place. She also expressed that she was very happy to meet Master and would love to spend the whole day here with Her. However, they had to leave to take care of their business. Master walked them to their car where they drove off amidst the friendly, smiling faces and the waving arms of fellow practitioners.

Dr. Liv Ann and his wife come to celebrate the opening ceremony of the Raising Center.

Upon breathing in the fresh air, concepts were also renewed. (Morning exercises during the outdoor camping trip, Hsinchu Center.)

[Hsinchu] In the hot summer heat, the Hsinchu Center had tried for the first time to organize a "Clear Stream Trip" camping activity for fellow practitioners and their relatives. The site was the Wu Fung Hsien Valley and Creek. It was completely surrounded by hills and filled with beautiful scenery. The creek was so clear that one could see the bottom. As well, there was a small waterfall and a hanging bridge decorating the scene. It was a wonderful arrangement from Master, giving us such a paradise, and allowing fellow practitioners to recall the taste of the San Di Mun 7-Day Retreat.

The activities included a welcoming ceremony, meditation and praying for peace, vegetarian meals, campfire at night, interesting competitions, vegetarian barbecues, playing in water, and cleaning up of the environment. About two hundred people participated in this activity.

From the planning of the activity at the start all of us could feel Master's omnipotent blessing power. In the search for the site, making the activity information booklet, insurance, purchasing, transportation, preparing the site, building of toilets, digging a garbage pit, and laying out safety road marks, etc., everything went very smoothly with a lot of wonderful incidents.

Before the activity, some practitioners were sent to prepare the site. Since there were stones of various sizes below the ground, they had to do it with their hands. Although they were sweating and exhausted, the spiritual atmosphere of the great outdoors had cleansed their physical dirt. Master had also given them invisible blessings. On the way home, everyone felt uplifted with the joy of grace. When they looked up at the sky, there were two rainbows, and together with some white clouds encompassing the hill tops, it looked like a heavenly scene. Inside their hearts, they felt the extra gift from Master.

On the day of the activity, it was unbearably hot during registration time, due to the midday heat. Luckily, there was a shower. It looked as if the guardian angels were giving them a good reception as well as making it a bit cooler. At night, while meditating and praying for peace amidst the mountain breeze, everyone had better experiences than usual.

The next morning, everyone meditated on the large stones next to the creek. They looked like "stone buddha" statues. Some faced the cliff, some faced the waterfall, and some faced the rising sun. They formed a line of proud upright images. It was an extraordinary scene. After the vegetarian barbecue, they played in the creek water. No matter old or young, they happily enjoyed and took care of each other. The large Quan Yin family, under Master's teachings of love, had manifested the ideal realm of being one with each other.

During the entire activity, all fellow practitioners, guests and family members participated enthusiastically. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious. The surprising thing was that the usually meditating and solemn looking children of the Buddha had all become happy and naive when they were playing. In practicing the Quan Yin Method, isn't it true that the practitioners are immersed in a realm of love and purity?

With this activity, fellow practitioners felt that the children growing up in the Quan Yin family, apart from being serious"about vheir work, practice, precepts and meditation, they were much more open and relaxed at vhe time of relaxation than other people. They could reach the realm of "forgetting the self"!

The city of Corat and Sikiew County in northeast Thailand have long suffered from water shortage. Thanks to Master's mercy, She specially allocated a sum of money to the locals there to dig two wells. All the expenses of the project were undertaken by Her. Furthermore, this well-digging project has greatly benefitted many poor Thai people. Both the Corat and Sikew County officials, as well as Sikew County's refugee camp supervising personnel, all support this project, helping us to gather the locals' opinions and understand their real needs. With Master's blessing, the well-digging proceeded smoothly.

After the wells were dug, the problem of water shortage was resolved immediately. In the past, the locals had tried to dig wells but in vain. Because they did not have sufficient funds, they could not afford to purchase good well-digging equipment. They had to depend on their two hands and simple tools only, and as a result they could not dig deep enough. Consequently, they had to rely solely on the water from the raining season ever since. In times of drought, they had to purchase water from other cities. However, the poor could not afford to buy water, so they had to get water from ponds several kilometers away. Now that they have the well water, they no longer have to worry about water shortage. To them this is a joyful event. While they are wholeheartedly enjoying the water given by Master, the mind of every village had also received special nourishment.

[Palawan] Fellow practitioners in Palawan Center often read Master's magazines, knowing that initiates from many countries, with so many blessings, are happily able to attend retreats with Master in many parts of the world. They envy them so much! For a long time, the Palawan initiates have longed for such a retreat. This time, thanks to Master's boundless love and understanding of the sincere longing of Her children in a far-away refugee camp, She kindly gave them permission to hold a 7-day retreat. The fellow practitioners made arrangements for this special event with such happiness and excitement in their heart.

Even though Master was not physically present at this 7-day retreat, Her love and blessing power was always with them. They left behind all their daily work and problems, meditated, and tried only to be one-pointed toward the Most High.

Looking out to the great sea in the horizon, the soft ocean breeze gently blew from afar. It was a deserted area, without any traffic noises, therefore, their meditation was very peaceful and enjoyable. From time to time, the ocean waves would gently hug the shore, and there were the sounds of the birds lovingly calling each other. They seemed to be rejoicing in the happiness of being within Master's love, melting into the whole universe. They meditated twelve hours each day, feeling very relaxed, refreshed and happy as if they were having a picnic with Master in heaven, forgetting themselves and all their worldly worries and sorrows. Aside from the time for meditation and rest, they also watched Master's videos, read books and beautified the environment, such as cut grass and leveled out the play area onthe beach. They did this by moving sand from high places down to low places. They also discarded piles of seaweeds accumulated for long time by the waves.

The environmental clean-up by fellow practitioners surprised the military officers and the guards in the surrounding areas. The leader came to see the refreshingly new look of the beach and praised that Master is really a perfect living saint. Under Her example of Truth, virtue, and beauty, the world is gradually becoming more elegant and civilized.

During the retreat, the full moon came out, beaming brightly on the sand, and shone gently upon each practitioner in their meditation as they dissolved themselves into the beauty of nature. Sometimes, the rain would fall from heaven, like the blessings from Master coming to wash their souls. The full moon gradually reduced to a half-moon toward the end of the retreat, but the light of wisdom remains with them forever.

[Texas] The practitioners from the Dallas and Houston Centers participated in the 1996 Dallas International Health, Mind, Body and Spirit Exposition. Many different spiritual paths were represented at the expo. This spiritual expo attracted many practitioners to get more information about spirituality and learn more about the different paths. After following Master, practitioners deeply understand that Her teachings and method are the best choice. As the same Truth seekers, practitioners sincerely wanted, through the expo, to share with all brothers and sisters the holy love from God and the teachings of Truth, virtue and beauty from The Supreme Master Ching Hai.

What was very exciting was that in addition to the general public, some of the practitioners of the other paths were very interested in learning about The Supreme Master Ching Hai and the Quan Yin Method. Master's colorful magazines and books were highly prized by these fellow Truth seekers as they were drawn to Master's message of light and love. Some visitors wanted to learn more about The Supreme Master Ching Hai and the Quan Yin Method. These people also applied for the Convenient Method.

After visiting many other spiritual paths, we, Quan Yin practitioners, were very thankful for having the guidance of Suma Ching Hai in practicing the Quan Yin Method, the fastest and most direct way to enlightenment amongst the myriad of other spiritual paths available.