Love In Action

Recently, tornado Paulina attacked three major Mexican seaports along the Pacific coast. The devastating force of the tornado, accompanied by many hours of torrential rain, inflicted severe damage to the three seaports -- Acapulco, Huatulco and Puert Escondido. Hundreds of people are missing, or feared dead; over 40,000 houses have to be rebuilt; the number of victims exceeded 300,000. The situation is very grave and urgent. Bridges were broken, highways were devastated, big trees and gigantic rocks rolled down from mountains and hit the residents by the riverside. The strong gale of the tornado blew away the roofs of the Indian villagers in the mountains, and even toppled their houses. As the disaster area is extensive, and the number of casualties numerous, the Government has had difficulties accommodating all the victims. Until now, there are still people sleeping on the streets, or by the roadside. They are truly in a pathetic situation. Upon receiving the report from initiates, Master with compassion immediately gave a contribution of US$50,000 to help the victims.

Fellow practitioners in Mexico contacted people at the local Red Cross and the Relief Command Center, who provided them with detailed information and route directions. They even dispatched an army helicopter taking fellow practitioners to explore the disaster area, so they could find out the real damage, and the amount of relief material required. They found the victims were badly in need of warm clothing, water and food. Therefore, fellow practitioners from various Centers in Mexico and Brazil joined forces to render emergency relief to the victims.

Villagers In Acapulco Thankful ForMaster's Help

An advance working group from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association arrived by airplane at the famous Mexican seaport of Acapulco. They made a visit to victims living in the hills and rural highlands. Fellow practitioners brought with them Master's sample booklets and News magazines in Spanish. Feeling Master's overflowing love, the victims were very touched. They had never experienced such honest and unconditional love and concern, being in the miserable situation they are in. Therefore, they were eager to find out who is this Supreme Master Ching Hai, and to acquire a copy of Master's sample booklet.

The most precious thing was, the responsible officers of the Mexico Command Center were highly efficient and courteous, with absolutely no bureaucracy. They tried their best to provide transportation for us, and their sincerity and love in helping their compatriots was unmistakably clear.

Fellow practitioners then took prompt action to purchase the items that were most needed by the victims, which included water, blankets, milk, black beans, soy beans, corn flour, sugar, rice, galvanized metal sheets and timber. They also established the area for distribution. Day and night they work hard to convey Master's love together with the relief material, without any delay, into the hands of the victims.

(Note: Relevant receipts will be published in the next issue of the Supreme Master News magazine when the relief operation has been completed.)¡¹

[Palawan] Upon receiving Master's contribution of US$10,000 for the victims of the natural disaster in the Philippines, fellow practitioners nationwide assembled at the Manila Center, bringing with them personal gifts and other necessities that they had purchased and packaged. (For the record of expenditures please refer to appendix 1) As requested, they had also prepared for community disaster prevention, other necessities including raincoats, galoshes, flashlights, office furniture such as desks, chairs and file cabinets, as well as other equipment like water pipes and water pumps.

Early in the morning, initiates sat down earnestly for group meditation. They then speedily formed the relief team and each member put on a rescue vest that embodied love and responsibility. Very quickly, the relief goods were loaded onto the truck. A banner reading "Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association Relief Team" was suspended on either side of the truck. The team then set out for the disaster area. It was in a small remote location, where people lived together in small, dilapidated shacks made of tattered bamboo-mat sheets. Floods had severely damaged some of the houses in the village, leaving them without a roofs. Almost everything in the villages including cattle had been carried away into the ocean by the surging waters. All that remained were people who were left homeless but lucky to survive.

As soon as the relief team arrived, it was immediately surrounded by a crowd of people who were pleasantly surprised. The leading relief agencies in the area including Cabcom Evacuation Center and Sapang Bato Barangay Hall provided wholehearted assistance to the rescue team. Initiates distributed to the villagers, vegetarian sandwiches that they had prepared for them as breakfast. Although it was a simple meal, it was the villagers' first taste of vegetarian food. The great joy that they expressed through their smiles touched the hearts of fellow practitioners. The villagers also received other items, including rice, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, clothes, towels, sweaters, crackers and medicine. Although these were material things, they nevertheless represented Supreme Master Ching Hai's immense love. As both adults and children relished their sandwiches, they happily hugged in their arms "relief packages" and the other necessities that they had received.

The villagers also received Master's books and News magazines -- priceless spiritual gifts that no worldly language can describe. Some expressed their interest to see Master and initiates promised that they would return with sample booklets published in the local language so that the villagers could get to know Master better. Warm applause burst out when the villagers heard that initiates would be there again to give publications to them.

The relief items came as a great surprise for the villagers, so great that many could not hide their feelings and quietly broke into tears to thank God and Supreme Master Ching Hai for the blessings that had brought them this great joy. The relief team members stood by, consoling and explaining to them Master's teachings, Her infinite love and omnipresent power. They told the villagers, "Whenever we need Her and think of Her in great faith, She is always by our side."

It was time for the relief team to return home. The initiates left carrying an indelible impression of the warmth of the villagers. As they waved good-bye to each other, the initiates and villagers together were immersed in Master's ocean of love. The initiates were happy that they had successfully accomplished the task of spreading God's light and love.

Note: Supreme Master Ching Hai has contributed an additional US$10,000 for disaster relief in the Philippines to meet the needs of the people. For the follow-up report, please read the next issue of the News magazine.

[Appendix 1] Record Of Expenditures For Flood Relief Effort Of The Palawan Center, The Philippines Article¡¹

[Bangkok] Recently, a serious flood disaster occurred in Southern Thailand. Many farm fields and houses were submerged and many people and animals were injured and/or killed. Hearing this news, we immediately contacted the local fellow initiates. Within a few hours, we collected 242,270 Thai baht. (See Appendix 2) We then purchased food, drinking water, daily necessities and so on to help those who were in desperate need. The first batch of relief goods was sent to the disaster area that same night via trucks provided by the military. Our fellow initiates also went to the disaster area to cook vegetarian food for the flood victims and military personnel who were providing disaster relief to the victims.

When the flood came, many people climbed into trees or onto roofs. They had no food to eat and all the roads were submerged under the violent flow of water, two to three meters deep. Therefore, it was very difficult to reach these people. However, through the inner Master's encouragement and love, we tried our best to help them.

After several days, the flood waters finally began to recede, but there were still many people in need of help. During the following days, our fellow initiates sent rice, vegetables, drinking water, medicine and clothes to the victims. During this flood relief effort, people in the whole of Thailand lent helping hands. Although we were only a small group among them, we felt the deep love and kindness among human beings in this situation.

The flood having retreated, we went back to Bangkok. During the morning group meditation on the second day, we heard that Master had specially called Bangkok to express Her love and concern for those who had suffered losses and pain due to the flood disaster.

We deeply thank You, Master. Your great love, compassion and teachings have brought light to Your disciples, not only illuminating our own lives, but also the lives of others.

Appendix 2 Record Of Expenditures Flood Relief Effort In Southern Thailand (Units: Thai baht)¡¹

[Hualien] Xiaoping and Xiaozhong were orphaned when their parents succumbed to illness in recent years. They were placed in the care of their grandmother who had remarried. However, their aging grandparents were disabled.

The family lived in a low-lying area that was always wet and humid. Their old wooden house leaked severely whenever it rained. Their only source of income was the grandparents' retirement benefits and social welfare funds. Life was tough and they did not have money to improve their living conditions. When typhoon Amber hit the area where they lived, it blew away a corner of the house and the metal-sheet roof that had been newly added by some kind local people and the Family Support Center. Their furniture, bedding and other belongings were

either swept away or damaged. As the old Chinese sayings go, theirs was a "leaking house caught in an overnight rain," and it was like "adding frost to snow" (that is, one disaster followed another.) The family looked up at the roof that was not there, looking expressionless but all the while worrying where they could seek refuge should another typhoon come.

As always, charitable organizations made a timely appearance to demonstrate their concern for others. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association is always there to offer prompt assistance to people in times of need. In this case, it not only provided financial aid to Xiaoping and Xiaozhong's family, but also let them know that society's loving, warm hands are ready to embrace them anytime.¡¹

[Hualien] Before the Mid-autumn Festival (also known as the Moon Festival), Master's love pervaded the typhoon-hit Hualien area. Fellow initiates, their ears filled with the music from the Buddhist Chanting tape, drove to the Hualien Family Support Center to deliver mooncakes.

When loading and unloading the mooncakes, little fellow initiates excitedly and happily counted the gifts bearing Master's blessings. However, no matter how hard they tried, they could not finish the count, which had the older initiates bursting into laughter.

The next day, fellow initiates distributed the mooncakes to needy families with the help of voluntary workers from the Family Support

Center. During the distribution process, whenever initiates were introduced as representatives from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, they received a warm and wholehearted welcome from adults and children alike. Everyone was touched by Master's compassion and concern. As initiates were leaving, the local people were reluctant to see them go and waved good-bye many times.

For this activity, fellow initiates split up into groups in order to cover the long list of families they had to visit. From the mere thought of kindness to the actual presenting of gifts of love, fellow practitioners had the opportunity to learn more about how to transform loving hearts and thoughts into action.¡¹

[Taoyuan] With Master's love, we made a trip to Gaoyi Village in the rural township of Fuxing to visit the victims of typhoons Amber and Winnie. When the villagers learnt of our initiates' intentions, they volunteered to show us the damage. The severe typhoons had caused the floors and walls of many houses to crack. The victims indicated that they were planning to relocate their village so as to safeguard their lives and property.

Fellow initiates not only brought Master's love and concern in the form of material aid, but also in the form of spiritual nourishment -- Her sample booklets and News magazines, in hopes of fostering ties of affinity with them. The villagers had never heard of Master before. Fellow practitioners rejoiced at the

honor of sharing the good news of a living Master with the small tribe in the deep mountains. Some villagers began to read the News magazines with great interest as soon as they received them. And those who didn't receive them came to ask for some.

The villagers demonstrated great appreciation of Master's love and concern. When fellow initiates prepared to leave, villagers shook their hands and expressed their thanks again and again. Fellow initiates expressed their hope that the village relocation plan would soon be accomplished and the villagers could lead a peaceful life ever after.¡¹

[Nantou] After investigating a report of a family in need, fellow initiates in Nantou learned that a woman, who had just lost her husband, together with her mother-in-law and two children, was living in a very shabby abode that offered almost no shelter from the wind and rain. Fellow practitioners quickly went to visit and comfort them.

The woman had lost her father-in-law and her husband within a short period of time and was having

difficulty accepting their deaths. Unable to sustain herself and her family independently, she was feeling depressed and destitute. The timely relief from the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association came like a beacon from a lighthouse pointing out a new direction for her. The loving visit along with the measures of relief provided by our fellow initiates enabled her to feel some warmth in this world while realizing the ephemerality of life.¡¹

Every time on the way to my mother's home, I would see the vagrant, dressed in rags and slightly mentally disturbed, searching for food among the trash. Looking at him, I would always feel sad and empathetic. It occurred to me many times that I should buy him some food. However, my mind consistently created trouble by saying the silly question, "There are so many people on the street. How embarrassing it would be if he rejected your offer!" This continued to trouble me as time passed.

Once at the night market, I saw him standing in front of a noodle stand, as if he was begging for food. At that moment, I felt the urge to ask the owner of the noodle stand to cook a bowl of noodles for him! However, my ego got in the way again, "What if the owner refused to cook it for him? Or if he did cook it, what if the vagrant refused to eat it?" Once again I failed to turn my intention into action. My inner "general of courage" was again defeated. I went home, feeling upset. As I opened one of Master's News magazines, my eyes fell on an aphorism that seemed to be meant for me. Master said, "There are two things that cannot wait: one is spiritual practice, the other is doing charity." Exactly! I asked myself, "What are you waiting for?" This bolstered my courage. I told myself that it was time for action.

The next day, when we were passing a supermarket, my husband suddenly suggested that we get some ice. I immediately asked my son to buy a bag of apple bread as well. Then we came to the familiar street. The car was traveling fast as we passed the man. I turned back to look at the familiar figure and before I had even spoken a word, my husband, a non-initiate, had stopped the car and backed it to where "Mr. Homeless" was. Deep in my heart, I prayed to Master to give me strength. As I forced myself to offer him the bread, he gently raised his hands and accepted it gratefully. It was so natural and simple; none of the complicated scenarios that I had imagined happened. As we drove away, in the rear-view mirror, I saw him gazing down at the bread and then at our departing car.

As though relieved of a heavy load, I was overwhelmed with the joy of having emerged victorious over my ego. I thought of just how great that homeless person was, and I appreciated the fact that he had awakened my inner compassion and given me chance after chance to overcome my prejudices and habits. Of course, I was even more grateful to Master; it was Her aphorism that gave me the courage and strength to conquer my ego.¡¹

[Kuala Lumpur] In 1994, funded by Supreme Master Ching Hai, fellow practitioners from Kuala Lumpur donated rescue boats to the Red Cross Crescent Association of Malaysia. When the Association mentioned that it needed a mobile lavatory, fellow practitioners this year made the donation that would help them relieve their pressing need. The chairman responsible for disaster relief at the Red Cross Crescent

Association, Mr. H.J. Abdul Rahman Bin Mohd Darus, accepted it with these grateful words: "If everyone volunteered to help with social relief work, there would be far fewer suffering people in society."

True enough. We sincerely hope that this insignificant expression of love can inspire more people to join in the meaningful work. Helping others is also helping ourselves!¡¹