Praying For International Human Rights
And The Peace Of The World
An enormously peaceful meditation activity called "Praying for Human Rights and the Peace of the World" is being carried out in Taipei from the 21st to the 27th of May. This praying and meditating event is convened by the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations. More than 5 thousand representatives and important personages from over twenty countries (including Formosa) participated. They also welcome all the citizens in the country to support and join their cause. The venues are at the Taipei Asiaworld Plaza Hotel and other public places. At the Asiaworld Plaza Hotel, there is also an art exhibition by the Supreme Master Ching Hai. Displayed works include Her paintings much acclaimed by international famous painters, garment designs, painted fans and rocks, lamps, etc...
It is known that the Supreme Master Ching Hai didn't learn painting technique before. Her works are mostly spontaneous creations, no composition in advance or alteration afterwards. Her pure style and touch are achieved naturally. The arrangement and design of Her garments provide incredible room for people's imagination. Observed carefully, one could experience the internal tranquility, bliss and richness of the designer. Indeed, the Supreme Master Ching Hai's view of life is a mediocre one. Her concept towards beauty in life stems from Her love and care towards humans. When true love develops, naturally there is beauty. This sentiment can be expressed in art form on the outside, or directed towards the inner search for the Truth.
Besides praying for world peace, this meditation gathering of love also is praying for the well-being of the Au Lac refugees in Hong Kong, where there is an increasing number of refugees committing suicide. As a result of a spectacular armed assault and the forcible relocation of the refugees in Hong Kong earlier, some of the desperate refugees, long tortured by life, finally resorted to suicide, to rouse the consciousness of the world. In the camps, this extreme grief and indignation is building up and spreading. The Supreme Master Ching Hai once said that only when people truly tender their love and sincerity, then the brutal atmosphere of the Earth, causing human brothers to inflict suffering and kill each other, could be dissolved.
Full of love and a self-sacrificing spirit, the Supreme Master Ching Hai joined the International Red Cross to aid refugees when She was young. Apart from preaching indiscriminate love and concepts of peace, She often mobilizes enormous human resources and material supplies to help the disaster victims in Thailand, Au Lac, mainland China, the Philippines, France, Belgium, Holland, Formosa, etc. During Her ten years in Formosa, She often instructed disciples to visit destitute families. On many occasions, She has also gone to the prisons to comfort the distressful minds of the prisoners. It is very common for Her disciples in Formosa to take part in community welfare activities, for instance, convening the “There is care on Earth and love among humans” activities, aiding the homeless, cleaning the environment, donating garbage collecting vehicles, etc. Last year, the Supreme Master Ching Hai mobilized volunteers from the Meditation Associations in many place, launching emergency relief in the disaster areas of the perilous flood in Midwest United States, and the great fire in Los Angeles. She had also donated a million U.S. dollars to help the American lepers, war veterans, cancer and AIDS research, etc. Later, She requested all Her disciples in the world to care for the homeless wanderers in all countries. This action was highly praised by many governments. Many honors have been awarded Her, including an Honorary Citizenship from the United States Government, and the World Spiritual Leadership Award.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai is a vegetarian. She teaches Her disciples a method of supra-worldly meditation, and the life concepts of eagerly caring for the world and serving people. Her disciples must be strict vegetarians, because She stresses that only when humans have stopped killing animals, then their love can emerge, thus be compassionate to all beings. In order to further care for the world, the community and serve people, they must develop their love, experience the wisdom of being one with God through daily meditation. These sum up the “spiritual practice” of cultivating the mind, and simultaneously practicing the love and wisdom acquired. Both are of equally importance.
Through this peaceful international meditation, the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations wish to add more loving atmosphere to our planet. While we are praying for a better future to the world, we also pray that a peaceful atmosphere would replace the hostility and conflicts on Earth, which are caused by the alienation between nations, individuals, ethnics, political and economic systems, religions and cultures.
For more than a year, the Supreme Master Ching Hai has been toiling around the world because of the numerous invitations from disciples to give lectures everywhere. In addition She also deals with the Au Lac refugees crisis and a chain of world-wide natural disasters. It has been a long time since She last set foot in Formosa. As this International seven-day retreat is being held in Formosa, at the earnest invitation of Her Formosan disciples. She arrived at the Tao Yuan International Airport yesterday. Coming with Her is the State Affairs Secretary of Iowa, USA, Mrs. Barbara J. Finch and her husband, also Mr. Chen Hung Kwang, General Secretary of the World Cultural Communication Association. Mrs. Barbara J. Finch is the Director of the International Federation for Human Rights.
Owing to the increasing number of all types of refugees and disaster victims resulting from natural disasters and wars, the International Federation for Human Rights was established to provide emergency aids to them. Their Honorable Director is Governor Terry E. Branstad of Iowa, USA. They have come especially to Hong Kong and have invited the Supreme Master Ching Hai to be the Honorable guest at the International Human Rights Conference held in Taipei on May 25.
The chairwoman of the International Federation For Human Rights, Mrs. Barbara Finch, vice-chairman Mr. Hung-Kwang Chen, and the Supreme Master Ching Hai, etc., arrived by air yesterday afternoon to begin a six-day visit to Taipei. They will hold an international human rights conference on the 25th of May.
The honorable Supreme Master Ching Hai was invited by International Federation For Human Rights and The World Cultural Communication Association to attend the International Human Rights Conference which will be conducted at the Taipei International Conference Center on May 25th. She will issue an International Human Rights Proclamation during the conference. Together with Her worldwide Meditation Associations' members, they have organized a seven-day retreat to pray for international human rights and world peace.
After the Supreme Master Ching Hai, arrived in Formosa yesterday, the International 7-Day Retreat in Taipei reached its climax. Thousands disciples of the Supreme Master Ching Hai proceeded in groups from the Asiaworld Plaza Hotel to the Youth Park to participate in an outdoor meditation activity held until four o'clock in the afternoon. (Upper)
In the Asiaworld Plaza Hotel, there is also an exhibition of the Supreme Master Ching Hai's works of art, and Her magnificent self designed clothes, that have an international flavor. The Supreme Master Ching Hai, is quite controversial among the local religious people. (Lower) (Photos and articles by Wang Xing Tien.)
The International Master, Supreme Master Ching Hai, who is sponsoring a number of international refugee-aiding projects, and who promotes mindfulness and enlightenment, had arrived at the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport at noon on 22nd May 1994. A crowd of 10,000 disciples were at the airport to welcome the arrival of the Supreme Master. At the arrivals hall, countless bouquets of flowers were seen moving back and forth between the Master and the crowd. "Master, I love You" echoed in the air. The Supreme Master Ching Hai was warmly surrounded by the crowd until Her vehicle departed from the airport.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai was invited to attend the "International Human Rights Conference" on the 25th May 1994, hosted by the International Federation for Human Rights, USA and The World Cultural Communication Association, USA. In addition to the proclamation of world human rights, She also led members of the meditation associations of various countries to stage a number activities, including a tremendous peaceful sit-in, as well as prayers for world human rights, peace and harmony. These activities constitute the "Seven-day International Retreat."
The Supreme Master flew in yesterday from Hong Kong, together with the State Affairs Secretary of Iowa, USA, Mrs Barbara J Finch and her husband; and Mr Hung-Kwang Chen, General Secretary of The World Cultural Communication Association, USA and many others. Mrs Finch is also the Director of the International Federation for Human Rights, USA.
The delegates participating in this conference include more than four thousand representatives from over twenty nations.
For the purpose of welcoming the Supreme Master Ching Hai, for the yearning of the initiates who have been longing for the grace of the Master and to pray for the benefits of enlightenment, a crowd of 10,000 flocked to the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport yesterday morning from all over Formosa; this grand crowd included disciples from many other countries. With the efforts of 200 `guards' from the International Supreme Master Ching Hai Meditation Associations and the Aviation Police, the crowd - with bouquets of flowers - sat quietly and orderly inside and outside the arrivals hall.
At about 12:15 p.m., when the Supreme Master appeared at the arrivals hall, the crowd screamed, applauded continuously and offered many bouquets of flowers. The small figure of the Supreme Master Ching Hai was immersed in the moving crowd and bouquets of flowers.
When the Supreme Master sat down in the hall, She was pleased to say that: It's like coming back home. This, again, triggered waves of applause. Speaking in Mandarin and English, She said “hello” to the crowd and received warm responses from them. The Supreme Master Ching Hai said that She would meet them again later that evening. Thereafter, carried in sedan chair by the `guards', She left the hall and said "hello" to the crowd waiting outside.
At this time, the crowd was continuously screaming "Master, I love You" and presenting the bouquets to Her. After embracing the bouquets received from the crowd, the Supreme Master threw it back to the crowd, occasionally bestowing the crowd with blown kisses. Treating these as precious treasures, the crowd 'skirmished' to grab the bouquets to distribute among themselves. Merrily putting the flowers on their clothings they went back.
At about 12:40 p.m., the Supreme Master Ching Hai toured the gallery of the arrivals hall and sent well wishes to the welcoming crowd. She emerged from the crowd and left in a car. The near half-hour welcoming at the arrivals hall then came to an end.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai had been away from Formosa for more than a year. She returned on 22nd May 1994 together with the Chairperson of the International Federation For Human Rights, USA, Mrs. Barbara Finch, and the General Secretary of The World Cultural Communication Association, Mr. Chen Hung Kwang. The main reasons for Her return at this time were to attend the International Human Rights Conference - which was scheduled on 25th May 1994 at Taipei - and to attend Her disciples' International Seven-day Retreat.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai had been a very controversial character in this religious region. Besides participating in this International Human Rights Conference and the International Seven-day Retreat activities, an exhibition of Her creative works of arts which included paintings, designed clothes, artistic fans and lamps were displayed at the Asiaworld Plaza Hotel.
The International Seven-day Retreat already in progress in Taipei,
involved four thousand different representatives from more than twenty
nations. The purpose of the retreat is to pray for world peace and harmony
as well as for the Hong Kong Au Lac refugees.