In coordination with the celebration of the "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day," extending Master's spirit by spreading the Dharma, benefiting all sentient beings, and letting more people have a chance to know Master, fellow initiates worked full-time or part-time after work to distribute sample booklets all over Hong Kong and Kowloon. On the evening of the Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, everyone gathered together at the new Book Circulation Center in Mongkok, to take part in a big group meditation, praying wholeheartedly for world peace. After the group meditation, fellow initiates, as well as their families and friends, enjoyed a bountiful meal together. In this joyous atmosphere, the topics of conversation all centered around the grand event - Supreme Master Ching Hai Day.
As the busy Hong Kong streets began to quiet down toward the end of late evening, the hearts of fellow initiates, at that moment becoming one with Master's, radiated great brightness.
In order to progress further in their practice, to uplift their spiritual levels and develop their wisdom, the fellow initiates in Thailand held a two-day retreat during the holiday break. The location was a villa provided by a fellow initiate. Surrounded by fruit trees, it was refreshing and peaceful - a perfect place for meditation.
Some people arrived early to help with cleaning of the environment and food preparation. They experienced the precious meaning of work. On the day of the retreat, due to the usual traffic congestion in Bangkok, some fellow initiates worried about being late since they were coming there after work. They concentrated on reciting the Holy Names on the buses and everyone arrived on time. It was truly Master's blessing! There were fellow initiates who came from faraway Chiangmai; they were in such an elated mood that they did not feel tired from the trip.
The fellow initiates got up early in the morning to meditate. As time passed, their random thoughts gradually disappeared, peace and harmony filled their hearts, and they felt very blissful and comfortable! At noon, they watched Master's videos, from which they received boundless spiritual warmth and mental inspiration.
The fellow initiates sincerely appreciate the happy new life that Master has bestowed upon them. Master's grace is engraved in everyone's hearts, and each are determined to faithfully follow Master in spiritual practice.
Thai fellow initiates hold a retreat during the holiday break.
Before he passed away, he once made the prophecy, "A decade from now a long haired female Master from China will come here. (Now we know why Master wears Her hair long.) She teaches the true Quan Yin Method. By practicing that method one can truly attain enlightenment. In the future, there will be more female than male enlightened people, and the whole world will use one language. (The language is the inner sound.)" Since he did not have the affinity to stay behind and learn from Her in person, he instructed his disciples to be initiated by Her and practice that method. He also foretold that after he passed away, he would return to practice spiritually.
This New Year's Eve, one of his monastic disciples went to Formosa seeking initiation from the Supreme Master Ching Hai and to attend the three-day retreat. She learned the proper way to practice as stated in the Suramgama Sutra, and verified the old Zen master's prophecy to be true.
Stepping into the Home, one could see many childlike faces, but the eyes were dull. The children were mentally handicapped. The director cordially described to fellow initiates the situation at the Home, and led them into the classrooms where children were learning. They were sitting in a circle folding colored paper under the instruction of a teacher. For some of the severely handicapped, even folding a piece of paper was so difficult that they had to use all their might, trying with great effort to coordinate all the parts of their body. The teacher without a trace of impatience, encouraged them in a soft voice.
Because the sun was particularly warm that day, many children were playing in the yard. They were extremely delighted by the visit. Fellow practitioners tried communicating with them using simple language. The shy and introverted children began to smile. The warm and pleasant atmosphere had dissolved the barrier between them. Through this visit to the Home for the Mentally Handicapped, fellow practitioners have come to realize that they are the most fortunate people in the whole universe, being physically and mentally fit, and graced with the blessings of an enlightened Master.
caption:On this trip, the Changhua fellow initiates warmly experienced Master's love uniting everyone together.
In one family, two brothers had suffered strokes and were bed ridden. In addition to the aches and pains of their illnesses, they were often troubled by medical and living expenses. Their eyes were brimming with tears when fellow initiates visited them. Their long suppressed emotions submerged like flooding waters of a river. The initiates tried to comfort them and helped them understand the ephemeralness of the cycle of birth, growing old, sickness and death in this world. They introduced them to Master's teachings and told them that only through spiritual practice could they be liberated from this sea of suffering. After this "journey of love" the fellow initiates deeply felt that in facing the various situations in life, only Master's guidance and the Quan Yin Method could help people easily overcome all the difficulties. Also, they learned that love is the best way to eliminate the ego. All participating initiates benefitted a lot from this experience. Thank You Master for reminding us always to do good and to love all as ourselves!
caption:Palawan initiates share material and spiritual food with the Filipino people from the village of Bananghx Bangcao.
At present, because there are no more groups or organizations coming to the camp to give help to the children and the minors, the Quan Yin messenger, under the loving instruction of the compassionate Master, helps the fellow initiates with the weekly distribution of milk. The milk is distributed from the camp Meditation Center to the growing children. The whole camp area is like a big family sharing and helping each other.
Once the fellow initiates inside the camp became self-sufficient, they began directing their attention to those still lacking in their lives. They specially arranged a group of initiates to visit the poor Filipinos and the orphans outside the camp, in response to Master's love and care for the poor and helpless. With the help of the social welfare group of the city of Puerto Princeca, they came to visit the little village of Bananghx Bangcao. Under the direction of the village leader's wife, Mrs. A.G. Betano, they visited all the poor people and orphans in the village.
The fellow initiates distributed the sample booklets and photographs of Master they brought along. After they received them, all villagers looked happily at Master's photographs and also immediately opened and read the sample booklets. In the afternoon, the village leader brought the villagers to the Meditation Center inside the camp to receive rice, milk and clothes that were donated by the initiates. Apart from the material gifts to temporarily fulfill their immediate needs, initiates also introduced them to Master's teachings about liberation from the transmigration of life and death, thus offering them the highest and most priceless spiritual gift.
caption:Palawan fellow initiates wrap thousands of rice dumplings to share with their compatriots, enhancing the festival atmosphere in the camp.
Master is always attentively caring for Her children. Taking the opportunity to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Au Lac tradition, Master out of compassion allocated funds and instructed the Quan Yin Messenger to help the fellow practitioners in the Palawan camp to prepare vegetarian rice dumplings for the New Year celebration. Within a few short days, they had prepared and wrapped thousands of rice dumplings to share with everyone, bringing the infinite and warmest love and joy to the people in the camp! The camp was inundated with the blissful and lively atmosphere of new spring, plus the hope of a bright and glorious future!
On New Year's Eve day, Au Lac compatriots gathered together in the square facing the meditation center to watch Master's video tapes, and enjoyed the rice dumplings charged with love. They watched the video tapes with deep feelings, and were intoxicated in Master's infinite love and divine words. While tasting the dumplings in their hands, a delightful smile automatically appeared on the face of each person, and their indescribable gratitude towards Master was obvious. Wishing to share Master's infinite love with others, they also delivered some rice dumplings to the destitute Filipino people outside the camp.
Westside Headquarters
Refugee Camp
Palawan, Philippines
Palawan January 28, 1995
To: The SMCH
From: Executive Committee #34
Dear Master,
As spring (New Year) approaches, on behalf of all of fellow compatriots
in the Palawan Refugee Camp, Philippines, we would like to sincerely wish
You and all of the brothers and sisters of the Meditation Association a
happy and prosperous New Year.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank You, and the Meditation Association for your concern and help during the past year. A special thanks to fellow practitioners in the Palawan Camp who wholeheartedly serve vegetarian meals to a large number of people in the camp, as well as distribute medicine to the sick, and give cakes and candies to people during the holidays. We respectfully wish You and everyone in the Meditation Association a joyous and happy spring season (New Year).
Executive Committee,
Palawan Refugee Camp,
Philippines.
President Ngo Cong Ca
At the International Exhibition of Industrial Plastics, the fellow initiates from Mexico worked together to set up a display of Master's books and other publications.
The presentation of Master's books and the playing of Her video tapes highlighted the exhibition. Each day, thousands of people came to the booth, thus keeping the fellow initiates extremely busy. To the Mexican people, the information about Master appeared to be quite novel. Surprised and curious, many people took the sample booklets home to read.
One of the visitors who had attended Master's lecture here two years ago, upon seeing the fellow initiates introducing Master's teachings, felt especially warm and familiar, and kept asking for more information about Master. For the fellow initiates, the greatest achievement in doing this event was to enable more people on the American continent to know Master.
During the 2-day retreat, the temperature suddenly rebounded. Besides giving a break to the sustaining cold weather for the past several days, it was also a record high for the customary subzero cold weather there for this time of year. It was such an extraordinary "warm" gift from Master to the locals indeed!
During the retreat, the fellow initiates meditated and held a lively concert to sing and praise this commemorable date. While meditating, everyone felt Master's strong loving blessing; one brother initiate saw extremely brilliant lights shining on all the fellow initiates. In the concert, a new initiate performed a self-composed song, expressing his joy for his new life and his gratitude to Master. The fellow initiates sang along when Master's compositions rose from the keyboard. Everyone was intoxicated in the grateful and cheerful atmosphere. Thank You Master, for giving us this beautiful day full of extraordinary meanings.
People with affinity would automatically approach the counter displaying the sample booklets and take a copy. Some even took several copies for their relatives and friends. Several days later, a university student called the local Branch Center wishing to know more about Master's teachings. After watching Master's lecture videos, he asked to learn the Convenient Method, and borrowed some of Master's videos and books to study at home. In this period of about a month, fellow practitioners took turns to be on duty outside the bookstore. Hundreds of sample booklets were gradually taken home by passersby. One day, a fellow practitioner noticed something incredible - a leaflet with Master's photograph printed on it was placed in the display window of the bookstore, and no one knew when. He was so surprised and delighted, because the display window was normally locked up. He realized within, that this must be Master's fantastic arrangement working invisibly, so that more people in the university could have the chance to see Master's divine form.
Ever since the fellow practitioners read Master's words of caution in the lecture - The Way To Save The World From Doomsday, they deeply realized they are also responsible for this grave mission. As a spiritual practitioner, besides blessing the Earth by using all available time to meditate and join the group meditations, they must also grab any chance to spread Master's teachings to every thirsty soul, as much as possible. Despite the extremely cold winter, fellow practitioners, fully loaded with Master's love, still traversed the thick snow through every street and lane, distributed to the mail box of each household the leaflets introducing Master and the Quan Yin Method.
On the Lunar New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, fellow practitioners went to the densely populated Au Lac communities in London, conveying to each family the message of our soul's true home. On Valentine's Day, a western tradition, fellow practitioners distributed the beautifully printed leaflets - a token from the "Eternal Lover" in the Heavenly Kingdom, to every home. February 22nd was the Supreme Master Ching Hai Day, and fellow practitioners travelled a long way to the residential area in the middle of town to distribute leaflets, extending Master's infinite love to the people there. Even on their way going to the office or returning home, the fellow practitioners never forget to hand out the leaflets to the passersby on the way, hoping more souls will reach home, the Heavenly Kingdom, early.
Besides these, fellow practitioners also spread Master's teachings during the Au Lac New Year celebrations. Many people gratefully accepted Master's sample booklet, including the Honorable Wayne Goss, Premier of Queensland. As well, an Au Lac monk took away many copies of Master's News magazines. Fellow practitioners were also advocating vegetarianism. In one corner of the booth, they had a vegetarian area, where delicious food exquisitely prepared by the fellow practitioners was offered to many people to enjoy, so that the public would become more interested in vegetarianism. caption:A letter of appreciation from the "Free Overseas Au Lac Community" in Australia for the fellow initiates excellent contribution in Brisbane during the Au Lac New Year's Celebration.
The prison official welcomed the fellow initiates' visit. Because this official had already read the sample booklet and agreed with Master's teachings, this created a warm atmosphere in the meeting. After fellow initiate explained their intention and Master's method, without hesitation, she allowed them to give a lecture and to teach the Convenient Method.
The day of the lecture, the prisoners were deeply touched by Master's wisdom, compassion and love radiating from the video tapes. More than half of audience agreed to learn the Convenient Method of meditation. Among them, there was one so sincere and touched, that she nearly cried right there and then. Because of her sincerity, when she learned the Convenient Method, during her first meditation session, she saw Master inside. Word spread throughout the prison and others asked to learn the Convenient Method. There were really a lot compared to the total number of prisoners. This was an incredible display of Master's power of attraction. Many have already asked to be initiated into the Quan Yin Method after they leave the prison.
Fellow initiates are now regulars at the prison, and it is certain that once the information about Master spreads, more and more people will be attracted. From the point of view of beyond the worldly thinking, prisoners are so simple humble and more detached!
"We especially miss our families at joyful festivals." The fellow initiates and would-be initiates truly felt its profound meanings on this very special "Supreme Master Ching Hai Day".
The fellow initiates in the United Kingdom took this opportunity to celebrate the occasion by holding some festivities. For the convenience of all the initiates and would-be initiates that are spread out all over the United Kingdom, the celebration took place at the Birmingham Meditation Center in central England. The large kitchen at the center served well for the occasion. Everything was under Master's marvelous arrangement.
The party began with a brief introduction by fellow initiates to the guests about Master's life and Her worldwide relief efforts, and singing "Happy Supreme Master Ching Hai Day to Master" in unison. The program that followed included talent performances, guessing games and prize drawing, etc. The joyful atmosphere unified everyone.
The festivities also included vegetarian cooking lessons. From making tofu to the chef's prized dishes, everyone learned to cook many delicious vegetarian dishes. While learning, the new cooks even had the opportunity to apply their new skills by preparing all the hearty delicacies for the banquet. As they savored their products, besides being exceptionally tasty, they also felt much more confident cooking vegetarian dishes in the future!
On that day, the glory of the Supreme Master Ching Hai Day brightened everyone's heart! Thanks to Master for giving disciples this opportunity to share Her glory.
caption:The fellow initiates and would-be initiates in the United Kingdom
gather at the Birmingham Meditation Center in celebration of the "Supreme
Master Ching Hai Day."