The Supreme Master Ching Hai eNews Magazine No. 145 ================================================================== There is great contentment, great peace and great blessing after we're reconnected with our Father. ~Supreme Master Ching Hai ======= Contents ======= ? Supreme Art The Quan Yin Celestial Throne - a Multifunctional Meditation Seat / 2003 Happy Yogi Summer Collection / Children's Collection ? Master's Words Reconnecting with God Brings the Blessings of Heaven to Earth ? Korea / Indonesia / Thailand / USA / Canada / Chile ? Vegetarian Era Vegetarianism Comes to Yokota Air Base / A Happy Blood Donor - Vegetarianism Cured My Anemia! ? Vegetarian Houses around the World California, USA ? While on the Path Soaring into Heaven by Way of the "Sound Rocket" / Through Her Infinite Greatness Master Recalls Her Prodigal Son ? Master Tells Jokes Good News or Bad? / Who Got the Message? / Newspaper Ad ? Master Says The Detached Heart of an Enlightened Person ? Pearls of Wisdom Using Brain Power for Analysis and Action / The Soul Group ? You May Not Know Stories of Recent Saints ? Master's Wonders Wonders Collection from Mainland China / Master's Heavenly Voice Comforts Weary Souls ? Selected Questions and Answers What are Soul Mates? / Is It Necessary to Contact One's Soul Mate? / How to Meet a Soul Mate? / Becoming Omnipresent Means Not Needing to Find a Soul Mate ? Aphorisms Only Spiritual Practice Can Erase All Illness and Suffering ? Beautiful People and Beautiful Events Young Environmental Worker Strives to Shape a Beautiful World ? Cinema Scene The Triumph of Faith ? Reflections on Spiritual Practice Nothing Is an Accident! ? Newton's Research into the Secrets of the Universe ? A Truly Happy Person ? Elevation of the Soul Illustrated Tales of Wisdom by Supreme Master Ching Hai / Latest DVDs ? ? Quan Yin WWW sites 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 Dear) Example: When God wants, Hes makes things happen according to Hiers will to suit Hirmself. News No. 145 Published: August 30, 2003 Founded: April 1, 1990 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, Spanish, Portuguese and Thai. Please refer to the "Quan Yin WWW Sites" of the News magazine for related websites. ================================================================== Supreme Art The Quan Yin Celestial Throne - a Multifunctional Meditation Seat Thanks to this new thoughtful, loving design by Master, meditation can become more relaxing and comfortable than ever! The Quan Yin Celestial Throne consists of a chair and small stool. The chair features an ingeniously designed foam-padded armrest, suitable for use by people of different body sizes to meditate comfortably on the Sound. Another superb feature of the seat is its small stool. In addition to being usable as a footrest, the stool can be pulled out from beneath the chair and used separately as a cushion for meditating on the Light with crossed legs, and when not in use, pushed under the chair! ================================================================== 2003 Happy Yogi Summer Collection Designer: Supreme Master Ching Hai Falling leaves drifting in the wind; Blissful hearts rejoice in reunion; Lilies of the valley beget happiness! Merry, vibrant flowers bloom; Happy Yogi pours down golden raindrops; Happy yogis bask in the radiant nectar! 2003 Happy Yogi "Stars" collection for children Designer: Supreme Master Ching Hai ================================================================== Master's Words God has given us and our planet greatly progressive procedures and timing. And we have to update ourselves, with Hiers grace so we live according to the times on this progressive Earth. Reconnecting with God Brings the Blessings of Heaven to Earth Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Warsaw, Poland, May 11, 1999 (originally in English) Videotape No. 657 Every day I feel that God's grace keeps pouring out more and more, and people are realizing more and more of this Godly grace. And I am just so excited and so happy that I don't know how to explain it to you. Sometimes I feel that I'm out of patience because I work too slowly for Hiers commands. Hes wants to move faster. But the body has limits, and a human's mind sometimes has limits about understanding something that's almost like new such as God's grace, even though it's not new at all. If God says we're Hiers children, if the Buddha says we all have the same Buddha Nature, why can we not become like them? We must live a life of glory, a life of wisdom, a life of happiness, a life of intelligence, a life of positive power. We must because we are the children of God and we can do that. (Applause) Of course, I will show you how. And it will cost us nothing now, later, between and after, never cost you anything at all. Because the Kingdom of God is yours. It's not that I give it to you so I cannot charge you for the things you already have. And there's nothing you want that Hes will not give to you. Hes will take care of the minor details of your life, including waking you up when you're late. Really! During this hectic schedule, Hes takes care of me in such detail that I sometimes cry. I always go into a strange country almost for the first time, and don't know how to go anywhere; Hes always puts me in a good hotel and puts me next to a Chinese restaurant, Aulacese restaurant, shop or whatever so that I have everything I need. Otherwise I would probably go hungry. Every day, miracles happen in our lives once we reconnect ourselves with God. All we have to do is just sit there and try to listen to what Hes says. That's all we have to do. That's why we call it meditation, silent praying in the closet or contemplating on God -- whatever you want to call it. It's just a silent communication with God so that we know what to do with our lives. After that, we never worry about anything because we know that God takes care of us in every way. Before that, even when things all go smoothly, we still worry that they might go wrong afterwards. But when something goes wrong now, we wait and see because we know that later God will bring us somewhere else we're supposed to be, and we know that's why things went wrong in the first place. So we live in peace, in security and in the immense love of God every second of our lives, awake or asleep. Because we have made the choice to leave this coarse, gross or rough level of energy behind us and we have made the choice to ascend to a higher level of life that exists at the same time, and to take the goodness from that higher level. Before now, if we were not connected with God, our only choice was this material energy of existence. That's why even though we try our best every day, we often fail in our endeavors, and we often feel unhappy. Because the material energy on this planet is heavy and always gives us pressure. But after the reconnection, we can go higher and higher, and then we can be clearer. We know the wisdom of God, and we can take care of things better when we come back down again. That's why the Bible mentions that Heaven is within you. It means that when we quiet down and disconnect ourselves from this material world for a while, we can find something else that exists within us. That doesn't mean within our body; it's just another world within this material world, which is much better and much happier. We can always go up and come down. We can live in this world and also enjoy Heaven at the same time, or at least sometimes during the day and then later continuously when we're more adept. That's how we become holy because we have everything, and then we won't want anything. Then we will know that The Lord is my shepherd; I shall never want. Because there is great contentment, great peace and great blessing after we're reconnected with our Father. At that time we may have money but we're not attached to money. We have everything that God gives us for comfort, but we can even throw that away if necessary. But God would not want us to do that. God wants us to enjoy this material life as well as the Heavenly life at the same time. We have both worlds in our hands. When I began to seek God and then began to know Hirm, I renounced everything because I didn't feel I needed anything anymore except our Father. I was so happy to have Hirm that I didn't want anything else! But then God wanted to give me so many things - everything that I ever wanted, or didn't even want. And so I said, "Why? I don't need them." I said, "My Lord, I can go without food, I can go without drink and I can go without any comfort. If I can only see You every day, what else could I want?" At that time I ate only one meal a day and had only three pairs of clothes and a sleeping bag to take wherever I went. But God said to me, "No. You have to change. You have to show the world that I give you everything. You have to set an example of the glory in Heaven as well as on Earth; so the people who see you will see that I am a generous Father and that I am the Father who takes care of all my children so they will have everything." I was a little reluctant, but of course I said, "OK, Father, all right. Whatever you say, I will do it." So Hes has been giving and giving and blessing me in abundance ever since. I can not even use up all the things Hes gives to me. I'm so happy that I can share with other people whatever I have. And I think our Father is right: I should have money. Nowadays everything is very progressed and scientific. Suppose I wanted to come to see you, I would need to buy a ticket, but I wouldn't want to ask for it from you. I should buy it myself; that's very good. God has given us and our planet greatly progressive procedures and timing. And we have to update ourselves, with Hiers grace so we live according to the times on this progressive Earth. To be able to use all of these new inventions and comforts that God has bestowed upon us, we also need sufficient material. Then we can make use of all the new scientific discoveries to relay God's message to our brothers and sisters. ================================================================== Panorama of Events Report from California, USA The Message of Enlightenment Blossoms at a Cultural Fair [San Francisco] On June 8, 2003, San Francisco fellow practitioners participated in the 26th annual Haight Street Fair, a very popular event in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many people flocked to the famous Haight Street area to visit booths offering a variety of alternative therapies, clothing, food and snacks, to name just a few of the attractions. During the day, many thousands of flyers introducing Master's teachings were distributed to passersby and visitors to our booth. It was amazing to see that many of the visitors, young and old alike, had already incorporated some form of meditation into their lifestyles, and also showed interest in Master's teachings. For example, one man, who had been practicing meditation on his own without a master's guidance, immediately decided to stop eating meat and eggs and learned the Convenient Method after reading the sample booklet. He is now sincerely awaiting initiation. The initiates were further uplifted by an interview with a local public television show. The woman who managed the local public TV station wanted to show how the Haight Street Fair was advantageous to the community, and used our booth as an example of one of its benefits. She inquired about our Master, our method of practice, and ways to contact our association. The Haight Street Fair was another inspiring way that Master arranged to spread Her teachings to residents of the San Francisco area. Thank You, Master for this opportunity to bring Truth and Light to inquiring souls at this "fair of many colors." photo: sp1-1--Happy yogis' faces shine with pleasant smiles sp1-2-Spirituality flourishes in the hearts of the people as the world's consciousness expands. A Blessed Experience at a Renowned Sporting Event [San Francisco/San Jose] Organizers of the Bay Area Chinese-American Athletic Tournament (CAAT), a prestigious sporting event held at De Anza College, Cupertino, California, recently invited local members of the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association to participate in the event on July 20, 2003. To begin the Tournament, attendees did lion dances, played drums and conducted other traditional dances to lift everyone's spirits, as over eighty organizations participated in the opening ceremony. During the ceremony, while initiates wearing Happy Yogi T-shirts with SM logos slowly entered the venue, an introduction to Master and the Association was broadcast over loudspeakers in both Chinese and English, 10,000 people in the audience thus heard Master's name and learned about the Association. After the opening ceremony, the director and secretary of the Taiwanese Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Mr. Robert Lin and Mr. David Chien respectively, visited Master's booth and expressed great appreciation for Her loving assistance to the Formosan people in contributing a large quantity of surgical masks during the island's recent SARS crises. This first-time participation by local initiates in the Bay Area CAAT's opening ceremony was very meaningful for everyone involved. We were deeply honored to represent the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association and provide an opportunity for the media to learn about Master and Her teachings. The event also allowed initiates from the San Jose and San Francisco Centers to work together closely, and in a short period of time, both Centers collaborated to arrange the food booth and participated in the procession of the ceremony. This success resulted from the initiates' devotion to spiritual practice and their prior experience at retreats with Master, Who taught them how to organize events and perform tasks efficiently. The SMCH Vegetarian House in San Jose was one of the major sponsors of the activity, providing all the food for the Association's booth. Volunteer initiates distributed flyers about the restaurant and an upcoming video seminar to be held there. Many passersby thus learned more about the Vegetarian House and received news about the seminar. photos: sp9-1,2 Report from Thailand Providing Spiritual Food at the Thai and Muslim Foods Exhibition [Bangkok] From May 31 to June 1, 2003, fellow practitioners from Thailand ran a booth to spread Master's teachings at the Thai and Muslim Foods Exhibition held at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center. Most booths had various foods on display, but ours was the only one that presented lectures of an enlightened Master for the sake of developing visitors' spirituality. During the event, a large number of guests stopped to watch Master's lecture videos, showing great interest in the Quan Yin Method. Among the visitors was a middle-aged man who came to our booth, watched Master's video for an hour and said, "This Master teaches so wonderfully." It was interesting to see him walk away, return to watch the rest of the video and then leave contentedly, with a sample booklet in hand. The booth was frequented by both native Thais and people from other countries, especially Burmese, who came with the intention of receiving sample booklets. Later, they persuaded many of their friends to visit as well, and they in turn requested sample booklets. Through Master's blessing, our exhibition booth at the Thai and Muslim Foods Exhibition ran successfully and smoothly. Thank You, Master, for thus bringing Your blessing to Thai initiates, and for giving us the opportunity to spread Your teachings in response to human beings' profound need for spiritual development. photo: sp2-1 Report from Korea Master's Love Transforms a Restaurant into Heaven [Seoul] To share Master's wisdom and love, fellow practitioners from Korea planned a series of video seminars to be held around the capital city Seoul in 2003. The first was conducted in central Seoul on June 22. With great joy and enthusiasm, Korean brothers and sisters distributed huge quantities of flyers and posters announcing the event throughout the nearby districts. However, two days before the scheduled date, the university where the seminar was to be held unexpectedly cancelled our room reservation. Despite this setback, the fellow initiates managed to find a venue in a nearby restaurant, which was given a warm, elevated atmosphere through our decorations and, most importantly, Master's video lecture. Many unanticipated guests from the nearby university were guided to the seminar, which was filled beyond capacity. Also, thanks to Master's arrangement, the owner of a nearby café offered to accommodate additional guests. Thus many hundreds of participants were able to enjoy Master's video comfortably. It was only when we saw the large numbers of guests flocking in non-stop during the seminar that we came to understand why the original venue had been cancelled. It was because if we had held the seminar at the original place, the university, we would have had no other choice but to stop accepting more guests due to space restrictions. After the video presentation many people learned the Convenient Method, and the large turnout for the seminar was more than we ever hoped for. Thank You, Master, for making this experience so fulfilling and pleasing for us and our guests and for quenching the thirst of so many new Truth-seekers. photo:sp3-1, sp3-2.jpg A Fruitful Experience at the Seoul International Book Fair 2003 [Seoul] From June 4 - 9, 2003, Korean fellow initiates participated in the annual Seoul International Book Fair at the COEX Ocean Hall in Seoul, distributing flyers and sample booklets and presenting Master's publications to guests. By playing Master's lecture tapes on the largest TV screen in the hall, local initiates attracted many of the 180,000 visitors who attended the Fair. In addition, we made our guests feel welcome and comfortable by providing a table and seats from which to view the video presentations. Many visitors already knew about Master, and some had stopped at our booth in past years when we participated in the Fair. Adults and children alike loved seeing Master's image, and some even held on to Master's pictures with great respect. Besides tending the booth, our brothers and sisters also joyfully assisted in the preparations, helping everyone realize the inner peace and love derived from working for Master. We were very touched since through this activity we once again could feel that we are all part of one interconnected family. With the great success we experienced at the Seoul International Book Fair 2003, we thank Master for Her endless blessings and Love! photo: sp4-1 Korea's Most Successful Video Seminar Ever! [Seoul] Korean fellow practitioners were overjoyed at the success of their video seminar held on July 13, 2003 at the Gwanak Cultural Center in Seoul. Prior to the seminar, large numbers of flyers and posters were distributed in the central and surrounding districts of southern Seoul, and messages about the event were announced on many websites. Putting up posters of Master was a great pleasure, especially since we were able to reach so many sincere beings, many of whom asked for Master's posters as souvenirs. In addition, we were happy to see that a truck driver asked us to place Master's poster on his vehicle in order to help spread the good news. On the day of the seminar, the sky became ever so bright, guiding seekers to the Truth. The seminar venue was located near the entrance to a famous mountain and many of those who were descending from the mountain after hiking were surprisingly drawn to our lecture hall, arriving with rucksacks on their backs. In addition, a Buddhist temple is located right next to the hall, and thus many members of the temple also visited our lecture upon seeing posters strikingly entitled "Immediate Enlightenment and Eternal Liberation." The guests kept flowing into the lecture hall, and its first floor soon became full. So we had to ask later arrivals to go to the second floor, and ultimately received hundreds of guests. Gwanak Cultural Center is a newly constructed building with state-of-the-art facilities that is used mainly for professional performances. For the seminar, the lobby was beautifully decorated with Master's Longevity Lamps and paintings. With the sounds of Master's concert CD "One World ….of peace through music" wafting through the air, the atmosphere was fully charged with excitement and happiness. During the video presentation, most Truth-seekers in attendance were struck by Master's videotaped lecture and answers to Her audience members' questions. Most participants stayed until the end of the video, with approximately a hundred learning the Convenient Method and some applying for initiation. After learning the Convenient Method, the new practitioners asked many insightful questions, and thus the question-and-answer period continued for a long time. One guest who had found out about the event on a website and learned the Convenient Method told us, "Her lecture was so touching and all She said was true. She is a truly enlightened Master." The video seminar at the Gwanak Cultural Center was the most successful thus far conducted in Korea, and thanks to Master's blessings it went very smoothly and was highly uplifting for all. photo:sp10-1 Report from Indonesia The Light of Heaven Shines Brightly in Medan [Medan] Thanks to the tremendous blessings that Medan initiates have felt during their years of practicing the Quan Yin Method, we recently decided that it was time again to announce the existence of this precious Method to the public in North Sumatra, Indonesia during a business expo held from June 13-18, 2003. Prior to the expo, we spread the news about our booth via a banner hung on a crowded Medan street and through announcements in two local newspapers. The results were exemplary. Many brochures and sample booklets were distributed at the event, and many Truth aspirants came to learn the Convenient Method. We now hope that more and more people will soon get in touch with the ultimate path to liberation - the Quan Yin Method - and learn under a fully enlightened Master how to enjoy the Light of Heaven. photo: sp5-1 Report from Ontario, Canada The Greatest Way to Become Living Saints on Earth [Toronto] On July 13, 2003, Toronto initiates held a public video seminar in the central library of City Hall, North York, Canada. The event attracted many visitors from diverse countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Portugal, China, Au Lac and others. During the seminar, many attendees were captivated by Master's spiritual teachings and transcendent art works, remaining in awe throughout the seminar as the venue was filled with serenity and joy. Delighting in Master's humor while asking spiritual questions, the participants were in rapt attention to every word. At the end of the presentation, over three fourths of the guests decided to stay and learn the Convenient Method. After the Convenient Method meditation session, one gentleman gratefully held his palms together and bowed his head, thanking Master for his great experience. Also, many guests expressed their sincere gratitude to fellow initiates upon leaving the seminar. Witnessing countless examples of selfless devotion from Master and fellow practitioners and their ongoing efforts to be of service to humankind through such events is the best indicator that the Quan Yin Method is the greatest way for us to become living saints on earth! photos: sp6-1,2.jpg Report from Chile Providing Material and Spiritual Help to a Family in Need [Santiago] Recently, disciples from the Santiago Center organized and prepared a batch of provisions to give to a local family with economic problems. When we arrived at the family's home, we realized the extreme conditions in which they were living, and how much help they needed. Together with providing material assistance, we also offered them information about Master's teachings, making our efforts all the more meaningful. Thanks to our dear Master's unconditional Love, the family now has the opportunity to gain greater blessings from God and thus change their lives forever. The disciples from Chile thank Master for the opportunity to carry out this beautiful work, and in the future we will do our best to continue helping families in need. sp7-1.jpg Report from New York, USA Sharing Nourishing Food for Body and Soul [New York] On Saturday, June 28, 2003, The Taste of Health Food Festival was held at Damrosch Park in New York City's Lincoln Center. Many local vegetarian restaurants, health food stores, animal protection organizations and spiritual groups earnestly participated in the event. A special feature of the Festival was that all the Asian and Western food exhibits featured vegan food. In addition to serving exotic vegetarian dishes, New York Center initiates set up a booth to display Master's publications. sp8-1.jpg Despite living hectic lives in the bustling metropolis of New York City, the fellow practitioners found the time to earnestly participate in this activity, with many working from dawn till dusk. Even fellow initiates' children as young as five or six excitedly joined the working team to distribute fliers. Many Westerners were touched by the pure love of the children, and often asked, "Sweetheart, may I have one?" Fortunately, our exhibition booth was situated at the entrance to the venue, and Master's huge photo and paintings became the focus of attention, giving passersby an excellent chance to establish affinity with a living Master. Since most visitors were vegetarians or at least interested in vegetarianism, the atmosphere at the event was intensely spiritual. A high percentage of people from all walks of life accepted Master's fliers. To enable those with affinity to learn more about Master's teachings, the New York Center also planned a video seminar to be held two weeks later, and related news was announced on the fliers distributed at the Festival. sp8-2.jpg-A fellow initiate's child excitedly joins the working team in distributing fliers. As planned, New York initiates held a Truth-sharing video seminar on July 13, 2003. An hour beforehand, sincere Truth-aspirants began arriving at the venue and some asked about initiation. A woman who had traveled a great distance to attend the seminar said she could feel Master's intense blessing power at the venue. However, she had to leave early so she left her contact information and asked to be informed about when the next seminar would be held. Another woman brought her son and daughter to the seminar, and she and her daughter learned the Convenient Method. The woman told us that she loved reading Master's books, felt that Her every word was full of wisdom and acquired several of the books on display. A week later, when the woman came to the local Convenient Method group meditation session, she commented that she had felt the presence of Master's vibrations that entire week. Also, a lady in her sixties, who had been a vegetarian for more than twenty years, said that she was delighted to have this chance to learn about Master's teachings and the Quan Yin Method, adding that she was very anxious to receive initiation. These touching experiences encouraged fellow initiates to persist in their efforts to share Master's teachings with the people of New York, the most prominent financial and commercial hub in the world, so that the enormous numbers of people still on their spiritual quest will soon find liberation through the Quan Yin Method, and return to their Home in the Heavenly Kingdom. photos: sp8-3,4.jpg ================================================================== Vegetarian Era Vegetarianism Comes to Yokota Air Base by the News Group, Tokyo, Japan On June 7, 2003, initiates from the Tokyo Center promoted vegetarianism at Yokota Air Base, home to approximately 14,000 American service people, through two vegetarian food parties. The events were the first of their kind hosted by Tokyo initiates. The first party was held on June 7 in a large garden at the home of two initiates. The weather was extraordinarily beautiful that day although it rained almost every day immediately before and after the event. The guests thus commented, "I can't believe what a beautiful day it is! This is supposed to be the rainy season in Tokyo." Dozens of Americans attended the party and were surprised to discover how delicious vegetarian food can be. Many people asked for the recipes and suggested that it would be nice to have cooking lessons in the future. We then understood that it was not only important to demonstrate how delicious vegetarian food tastes but also to show how easy it is to prepare, and thus the second party was planned for June 21 to fulfill the guests' wishes. While planning the second event, we unexpectedly heard from a member of the Formosa video team, which produces the TV program A Journey through Aesthetic Realms, that the team had been thinking about doing a special on Japanese Vegetarian Cooking and would come to Japan for the event. Later, an Australian brother visiting Japan called to say that he needed a place to stay. When he arrived he began to help solve some computer problems so the invitations and announcements for the party could be printed in time. In addition, the video team mentioned that they needed a person to operate one of its video cameras. Coincidentally, the Australian brother had studied video production in the US and volunteered to help film the party and demonstrations! One day before the event, a group of cooks and decorators from Gunma and Tokyo gathered at Yokota Air Base, magically transformed an American living room into a Japanese kitchen overnight, and prepared dish after dish of Japanese vegetarian delicacies. Meanwhile the Formosan video team worked with the Japanese initiates as filming began in the late afternoon and continued throughout the night. By sunrise Saturday morning the team had filmed twelve vegetarian cooking demonstrations. Then amazingly, on June 21, the sky was again clear! The cooking demonstrations were the highlight of the event and the whole process was filmed by the Formosa video team in order to enhance the content of the TV program for viewers. Japanese sisters not only demonstrated their culinary skills, but also let members of the audience participate. The party was a big success as all of the guests appeared to love the food and many commented on how delicious it was. Some also asked when we were planning to have another party. As we reflected on the planning involved in setting the stage for this amazing play of events, we could see God's hand in all of it. The first party seemed to be a rehearsal for the second, and through these projects we gained a practical understanding of the expression "Everything is arranged by God" and learned how to better participate in God's work. The live report on the event is available for online viewing in serial No.45 of Sun TV's the A Journey through Aesthetic Realms program. Please visit: http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/hichannel/index.htm (in English, with Chinese subtitles) photos veg1-3: The cooking demonstrations were the highlight of the event. veg1-1,4,5,6,7.jpg A Happy Blood Donor - Vegetarianism Cured My Anemia! by sister initiate Yi Jing-fong, Taipei, Formosa July is surely my lucky month! Ten years ago, I was initiated on the U. S.' national holiday Independence Day, July 4, and my soul was reborn. Today, ten years later, I am in excellent health and the vegetarian diet I have kept since that time has even cured my anemia. As a child, I looked strong but was actually weak, and always felt dizzy when I stood up suddenly. In my health check-up reports, doctors often wrote such terms as "malnutrition" and "anemia." So in my youth, my offers to donate blood were declined due to a low red blood cell count. However, recently, while out on an errand, I passed by a blood donation van, and thinking of the blood shortage in Formosa, resolutely went up to try and donate blood. To my surprise, I easily passed the red blood cell test! As I lay back on the reclining chair to make my donation, I proudly said to the nurse, "I'm a vegetarian! I used to suffer from anemia when I was on a meat diet, but now I'm free from it after becoming a vegetarian." Since I began following a vegetarian diet ten years ago, apart from the elimination of my anemia, I no longer have bronchitis attacks, and the excess pressure in the inner ear that I used to suffer from has also disappeared. After these conditions went away, my only remaining physical complaint was an occasional arthritis attack due to lack of exercise. So I made up my mind to begin an exercise program. Whenever I have time, I take a brisk walk around the park near my home; and if the weather is favorable and time permits, I walk around two parks in one stretch. After following this regime for two years, I can not only walk quickly, but also have gradually gotten rid of the annoying flabby flesh I used to possess. These changes make me think of a dairy product commercial I saw many years ago, in which a blonde demonstrating her graceful figure said with an artificial air, "I do exercise and drink XX powdered skim milk." Now I too can imitate her posture and say, "I follow a vegetarian diet and practice the Quan Yin Method!" If you don't believe me, then join me in a race and see who walks faster. Who ever said that the vegetarian diet is not nutritious enough? ================================================================== Vegetarian Houses around the World California, USA Vegan Tokyo Teriyaki 2518 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90007 Tel: 213-747-6880 Please visit the following website for other information about worldwide vegetarian houses (restaurants): http://www.godsdirectcontact.us/com/vegetarian/veg.html ================================================================== While on the Path Soaring into Heaven by Way of the "Sound Rocket" by brother initiate Shaun Hannocks, Byron Bay/ Northern Rivers, Australia (originally in English) It is now my fourth year as a Quan Yin Method practitioner and only now does my entire being clearly understand what the Method can accomplish. I see it at work in my life so visibly that sometimes it is a great surprise to me. The Sound force cleanses my soul at a speed so fast that I miss it when I try to experience it. It also seems like my "personal rocket," taking me to many realms without my even realizing it most of the time. In fact, I am very fortunate that Master once allowed me to see some higher domains but I became frightened as I began to worry about where I was when I found myself in a space where I could smell various fragrances. The experience became so frighteningly real that I prayed to Master very hard, and thus my fear brought me back down through the levels to the normal waking state. What I have learned from my spiritual experiences is that the Sound cleanses us first and then allows us to travel to these other dimensions. The cleaner we are the farther we can travel, getting closer and closer to the Source. Also, another important thing I have realized is that you only begin to be cleansed and then move "upward" when you concentrate; concentration is a vital part of our spiritual practice. If you are sitting and sleeping during meditation then you are better off going to bed, and then coming back to meditate later. Through practicing the most powerful method in the world - the Quan Yin Method - I have come to understand that I can definitely go back Home as long as I strictly observe the Five Precepts and Master's teachings and meditate diligently. Thank You, Master. I love You! Through Her Infinite Greatness Master Recalls Her Prodigal Son by brother initiate Magenesta Kustin, Byron Bay/Northern Rivers, Australia (originally in English) Through Master's grace, I recently experienced a positive realization after being initiated for three and a half years. Previously, my meditation sessions had been difficult and frustrating, leaving me feeling empty even though my outer life was brilliant and fun. During this period I had not felt especially drawn to visit Master, but now this feeling has changed and I am sure that if it is God's will an opportunity to do so will arise. During my early years as an initiate, I realized my attitude had to change but was lazy, unproductive and arrogant. My ego caused me to be critical, superficial and insincere. Eventually my condition affected me profoundly and I began to feel terrible, being disturbed and angry that I was wasting the God-given gift of initiation after living many empty lifetimes. I was unwilling to read Master's magazines and watch Her videos. However, I gradually came to understand that this attitude merely reflected an attachment to my lower self, of which I had to let go in order to regain my True Self through contemplation of the Sound Stream Once I realized this, I decided to claim my "divine inheritance" and things began to change. Suddenly I felt the most valuable Gift from Master, which filled me with new energy, openness and joy. Like the prodigal son, I once was lost but then was found. Master recovered me and surrounded me with Her love, grace, forgiveness and mercy, and life is different now. I feel fully committed to my spiritual practice and see that to get more I have to give more. If I take one step toward Master, She will take three steps toward me. It's that simple! I have infinite blessings from Master and everything I experience feels more meaningful. I feel a greater sense of purpose and trust in my daily affairs, and life is more relaxing. I have new energy, resolve and confidence, and am now determined to be with Master as much as possible. Also, I now recite the Holy Names during the day on beach walks, while cooking and even while driving. I am filled with a new determination to experience God-realization. Master's love and mercy are everywhere I go and I feel as though my blindness has been cured. One cannot see if one refuses to see. The negative power can be very active in my life at times, trying to widen a hairline fracture into a crack and a crack into a chasm. But all is well now. I am stronger than ever, as my faith is solid and I anticipate a radiant future. I prostrate myself at Master's feet in humility and unconditional surrender so as to bathe in divine grace should this be God's will for me. By myself I can do nothing; it is only in Master's Name that all is possible. I now see this as the Truth. The following lines express my newfound attitude. When You call me I will come, When You order me away I will go. Wherever You are, there I am. When You withdraw Your Self from me, I cease to exist. Thy will be done! ================================================================== Master Tells Jokes Good News or Bad? Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, International Six-day Retreat, Youngdong, Korea, May 9, 2000 (originally in English) Videotape No. 696 There was a millionaire who was having a heart attack, and he was taken to a hospital emergency room. After he was admitted to the hospital his three sons and four daughters walked up and down the corridor, waiting, pacing the floor. When the doctor came out of their father's room, everyone jumped on him and asked, "Good news? Any good news?" The doctor shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, bad news!" And everyone said, "Bad news?" And the doctor replied, "Yes. He's going to live for a very long time." Who Got the Message? Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, USA, May 13, 2002 (originally in English) Videotape No. 747 There was a couple who had invited a friend to their home for dinner, but they were in short supply of one of their favorite foods. So the wife said to the husband, "After your friend has finished two pieces, don't ask him to have anymore, OK?" And the husband said, "OK." But when the friend finished the two pieces of their favorite food, the husband forgot, and as usual said, "Oh, please, have some more. I'll go bring some from the kitchen." So the wife looked very, very stressed. And then the friend said, "No, no, no." But the husband still insisted, and the wife looked even more stressed. Then the guest refused even more firmly, and in a hurry said, "No, no, no!" So later when the guest had gone home, the wife was very mad at the husband and scolded him, saying, "How could you do that? How could you do that? I told you already after two pieces you should not have offered him any more, but you kept asking him. You should have told him there was no more left." And the husband said, "I'm sorry, I really forgot about it." And the wife replied, "Forgot about it! But I kicked you under the table. You should have known!" And the husband said, "No, it wasn't me you kicked. It was our poor friend!" Newspaper Ad MONDAY: For sale: R.D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale. Phone 948-0707 after 7 PM. and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him cheap. TUESDAY Notice: We regret having erred in R.D. Jones' ad yesterday. It should have read "One sewing machine for sale cheap. Phone 948-0707 and ask for Mrs. Kelly, who lives with him after 7 PM." WEDNESDAY Notice: R.D. Jones has informed us that he has received several annoying telephone calls because of the error we made in the classified ad yesterday. The ad stands corrected as follows: "For sale - R.D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale. Cheap. Phone 948-0707 after 7 P.M. and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him." THURSDAY Notice: I, R.D. Jones, have no sewing machine for sale. I smashed it. Don't call 948-0707 as I have had the phone disconnected. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Kelly. Until yesterday she was my housekeeper but she quit! ================================================================== Please visit the following web sites to enjoy the original video versions of these jokes, and you may share the joy of Master's humor with those around you: http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/145/jk1.htm (USA) http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/145/jk1.htm (Formosa) http://www.Godsdirectcontact.net/eng/news/145/jk1.htm (USA) ================================================================== Master Says The Detached Heart of an Enlightened Person Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, September 24 - 27, 1988 (originally in Chinese) MP3-3 Do you know why I tell you not to use magical power? Even if you have magical power, you must not use it. Why? (Someone answers: It interferes with the cycle of cause and retribution.) That's not cause for much concern. What else? (Someone answers: The ego.) Correct! This is very important! Spiritual practitioners can't afford to have this kind of ego, which prevents liberation from the three realms of suffering because the "individual" still exists and is separated from the universe. It's because we have this "individualistic" concept that we transmigrate between birth and death. We have "individual" bodies, which is why we have "individual" problems, "individual" karma and "individual" retribution. If we don't have this concept of separation, then we are one with the universe, one with all of Creation. This is the highest level. Perhaps you still don't understand this level so let me explain it to you briefly. A spiritual practitioner of the highest level doesn't care about any situation; he's not attached to any situation. When he falls ill, he's ill; when he's soaked in the rain, he's soaked; when the wind blows at him, he's blown at. He's not afraid when there's a gale; he doesn't mind when it rains; because all these are merely natural phenomena. For example, we might not enjoy a gale, but there are places that need wind; we might not be happy when it rains, but farmers need rain for cultivation. Suppose we pray for rain to stay away because it's better for us, but if rain is precisely what the farmers need at some particular place and in certain seasons, then what should happen? Therefore, God can't fulfill all our prayers at the same time; some people pray for rain; some pray for sunshine; some prefer strong wind and some love snow. Some people think that it's beautiful when it snows, though there are people who hate it because it's very cold. They can't grow vegetables, they can't earn a living, or it may be bad for their health. If even God cannot fulfill the wishes of every sentient being, why then should we care too much about it? There was a king in ancient China. One day, warmly clad in a beautiful, thick fur coat, he sat in his palace looking out from the balcony, and exclaimed, "Wow! It's so beautiful and enchanting when it snows!" He loved it so he kept praying to God to send more snow, while he sat there enjoying the sight. Later, his officials reported to him that many of his subjects had died of cold and hunger, but the king could not understand. He lived in a palace and thought that snow was absolutely beautiful! Most probably, there were heating facilities in the palace, and he was wearing a splendid, heavy fur coat. Of course, he wouldn't understand! Wisdom in Happiness, Anger, Sorrow and Joy All the happiness, anger, sorrow and joy in this world are lessons for us to learn. Without going through all these emotions, we can't understand the feelings of sentient beings. You see, it rained only last night, but you already find it uncomfortable living in your tents. Already you've begun to panic, pity yourselves and complain a lot. Even though you can see me here, you still complain just because it's a bit uncomfortable and inconvenient on rainy days. Although you can see me, you're still not happy enough to forget the rain. (Master laughs.) Even worse are those people who live in bitterness all their lives, without the least bit of happiness to compensate them or any situation that can make them laugh. When we're in misery, we should be grateful to God for giving us a chance to develop our compassion. If, even when we're miserable, our compassion still fails to emerge, then we ought to have pity on ourselves. We should introspect on why we're as rigid as stones! When we're happy, our compassion should also emerge, and our thoughts should be with those miserable people. When we're in misery, we should be more compassionate and think about the people who are as miserable as, or more miserable than, we are every day. This is being "always with God in whatever we do in daily life." Our compassion is "God" and our love is "God." If we lose our love and compassion, then we're very far away from God. That's what God is; God doesn't have a fixed appearance. When we meditate, we should observe the inner Light and contemplate the inner Sound, because this Light and Sound contain the supreme compassion and love within. The more we communicate with Them, the more compassionate we become. We don't look at the Light because it's very beautiful, or listen to the Sound because it's very attractive. No, no! It's because the compassion and universal Love that They contain are a kind of medication that can cure our symptoms of selfishness, arrogance and malevolence. Without this superior medication, there's no cure for our illnesses of greed, anger and ignorance. However, there are times when we fail to devote sufficient effort to meditation and spiritual cultivation, and God has to send us illnesses, disasters or suffering to compel us to learn faster. Since we don't take the superior medication to cure ourselves, we can only take the inferior medication at such times. For instance, some patients don't like Chinese herbs, so we have to prescribe western medicine for them. And if they don't like western medicine either, and they're seriously ill, then we can only "cut" or perform surgery on them. Therefore, when a patient isn't very seriously ill, he can take Chinese herbs to recover slowly. But if his condition is grave, sometimes we have to quickly give him western medicine or an injection, which hurts a bit but is more effective. If the illness is really critical, then he will need an operation. Or, he may just die, get rid of this body completely and assume another body. Therefore, we shouldn't fear suffering; rather, we should worry about not having the stamina to withstand suffering. We should pray that God gives us greater endurance. What's endurance? Endurance is the highest level, which doesn't only call for tolerance without complaint, but also heartfelt gratitude. When we're more elevated, we're not bothered by any situation. Whatever the situation is, we just let it be; it doesn't concern us. At that time, we're absolutely detached from the world. We're not attached to happiness, anger, sorrow or joy, nor are we scared. Just like people of the world, we can also be happy, angry, sad or joyous. But then we do it like spectators, standing on the sidelines observing another person being happy, angry, sad or joyous, instead of merging ourselves in these emotions. We can see it anytime we want, and if we don't want to see it, we can just ignore it. It's similar to watching television - we push the button when we want to watch TV, and when we don't, we turn it off. It's also similar to listening to audiotapes. When we want to listen to melancholy music, we play that kind of tape. And when we have had enough of it, we can quickly play another tape. If we can behave in this way when we're in this world, then all the happiness, anger, sorrow and joy will bring wisdom to us. In this world, we live with other people. Thus, it's impossible to avoid happiness, anger, sorrow and joy, because we have to interact with them. It's just like a mirror that cannot speak. If you're ugly, it shows your ugly appearance; if you're pretty, it shows your pretty face. If you have two horns on your head, it will show you the two horns. If you have long fangs, it surely will reflect them truthfully. It won't put on makeup for you, conceal your fangs or get rid of your horns. It's merely a mirror that always reflects clearly and honestly. It's the same with spiritual practitioners. While living in this world, we will also have happiness, anger, sorrow and joy just like every one else in the world because they are reflections of the situations we experience. Thus, even though an enlightened being appears externally to have the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, in reality, he does not. He's able to change his emotions very quickly. If he wants to laugh, he can do so immediately, or if he wants to, he can cry at once. He's able to switch from weeping to laughing immediately. We don't know if he's upset or happy, because just a short while ago he may have been in tears scolding people, yet at this moment he may be laughing. So he's very much at ease with his joy, anger, sorrow and happiness. He's not controlled by these emotions, and sometimes he may fake them in order to coordinate with others. We have heard about the living Saint Jigong (an enlightened and unconstrained Buddhist monk who was widely worshipped as a saint after he died) and his great miraculous powers. He was known to be completely at ease inside. However, many people considered him insane and called him "crazy Ji." But actually he was faking craziness. Some people seemed to see him eating meat and drinking wine. But the truth is that he was also faking this. That's because basically he had no need to eat or drink, not to mention eating meat and drinking wine! Some people wanted to find proof and snatched the bone he was gnawing, but it turned out to be his bottle gourd. Sometimes he was seen to be sitting and eating meat. But when he turned around, one could only see him reciting the sutras. (Master laughs) There was no sight of any meat! Because we sentient beings can't see through the actions of great Practitioners and make casual judgments, we transmigrate life after life. Great Masters come; we see nothing special in them. Minor masters come; we also can't differentiate. Some people have followed me for a long time. They have also lived with me for some time. Yet they say that my teachings are the same as those of other people. Those people don't practice and appear to be like me, but in fact there are many differences. Magical Power Boosts the Ego Therefore, the conclusion is that we may not use magical power. Where there's magical power, there will definitely be the ego. If we were able to control this universe, the ego would be there. If I said now, "There shall be no rain. Stop raining!" and the rain stopped immediately, would you not all be very happy, clapping your hands and cheering? From then on, you would come all day long to beg me, "Master, let it not rain!" Those who like rain would then say, "Master, let there be rain so it will be more romantic! (Audience laughs) It will be nice to sit inside listening to the pit-a-pat of the rain. It will be cooler this way." Then I'd be busy day in and day out dealing with those thoughts in your minds: asking for the sun one moment, and asking for rain the next. It would be very troublesome. And I myself would also feel very proud. If every time you requested something, I immediately accomplished it right in front of you, my ego would unavoidably grow bigger and bigger. For a real Master, the ego has completely disappeared. There's no way to bring it back. Therefore, he would not perform those little magical tricks for you. Even though you may lose your faith in him because of that, he wouldn't mind. It's because he wouldn't use those little magical tricks to attract you. He uses great truth instead, great logic to make you understand clearly and know the reason for believing. He won't use those ways like a "hula-hoop" to entice sentient beings. Many magicians and witches can perform these tricks. You can see them at a circus. Even now in India, some people can do these things. Anything you want to eat, they can materialize out of thin air for you. Those things are like real. For example, one can get oranges even in the Himalayas. When he recites the mantra "hula-hoop," an orange materializes for you. Anything you want, he can make appear. However, after seeing this for a while, we will be fed up with it. Knowing that it's nothing, we will become bored. To materialize those things requires a lot of energy and makes our ego grow so that we can't be liberated; it also wastes our power. Thus, we can't go up to higher realms. That's why we shouldn't use magical power. It's the same with using spiritual power to heal illnesses. Those people waste a lot of energy in order to treat others' illnesses. Their energy is all spent in this mundane world and they can't transcend the three realms. Take, for example, an aircraft. Its fuel capacity and cruising range have all been pre-arranged. But if it doesn't take off, and only moves along the runway, or if it just gets airborne to a low altitude and then cruises around as in an aerial performance, then after a while, it will fall when it runs out of fuel. It won't be able to reach its destination. It's the same with our lives. The amount of time and the number of breaths for each human are pre-destined. How much time we can use to practice to become a saint is also pre-destined. If we don't make good use of that time and energy to practice diligently to become a saint, then all will be finished for us. As our time is very limited, we have to make haste in our practice. It won't do to say that we can practice at leisure. Slowness just won't do! That's because we don't know how much more fuel we've got. It's better in the case of the aircraft, where the fuel situation can be known. So right now, make haste and fly as far as you can. Don't hang around wasting time. After a while, it will be dark and the road will become invisible. There will be no more fuel. Then we'll be in great danger. At that time, it will be too late for remorse! It's because of this that I say we may not use magical power. We shouldn't waste our fuel in a performance for others. After a while when we fall down somewhere, no one will look at us. Take, for example, the case of a fallen aircraft. Who would spend a day standing there and looking at it? It's the same with us. When our fuel has been exhausted and our time has come, this corpse of ours will be just lying there, swollen with patches of white and black. At that time no one will want to look at you. Even your most beloved husband will not be there to hug you the whole day. Or your most beloved wife will also quickly bury your corpse; otherwise, it will stink. Even if in life, you could perform a million magical deeds, like bringing forth the wind and rain, and flying on the clouds and fog, no one would be interested in looking at you after you die! You should understand why I don't encourage you to use magical power. It's because we wish to be liberated from life and death, never to return to this world again. So we shouldn't play with magical power here. Whoever you hear is using magical power, that person is being most senseless! You'd better stay away from him; otherwise, you might be affected. Then you might play with "hula-hoops" and forget about the Holy Names. Your time and energy will then be wasted meaninglessly. We have to concentrate our attention on the wisdom eye, to allow the soul to fly up quickly. The quicker the better! If it can't be accomplished today, try again tomorrow. If it's still not possible tomorrow, then try again the day after. Try it every day, just like the newborn birdie, which is not yet able to fly and falls down after trying a little bit. But it keeps practicing every day. After a while, it will be able to fly. It's the same with the giant roc (a legendary bird of ancient China, Arabia, etc.). It can't fly immediately after birth, but can eventually fly because it trains itself every day. If a birdie is placed in a cage, it won't be able to fly in the future because it doesn't understand what "flying" means. Similarly, our soul has the power to fly, but no one has taught us how to do so. Now I've taught you so you have to try every day. You have to practice flying every day. When you practice until you're able to fly, then your soul will be free. photo: ms1-2 ================================================================== Pearls of Wisdom Using Brain Power for Analysis and Action Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at Hsihu, Formosa, April 25, 1992 (originally in Chinese) Videotape no. 243 If we want to progress in our spiritual cultivation, the best way to do so is to introspect on ourselves more. We should find out our shortcomings and anything illogical in our actions. We must analyze and review ourselves daily. If there's anything that we've handled improperly, we should find out the reason. Was it because we didn't utilize our brains properly or didn't analyze the situation carefully when we acted? Or was it because we didn't give careful consideration to our options? We must be careful to remind ourselves! Otherwise, we're all "refugees." Whatever people say, we agree with; whatever people teach us, we accept. Then, we become garbage bins! We have very good brains. Each person's brain is more or less the same. But why is it that Shakyamuni Buddha could use His intelligence to good advantage while we can't use it properly but waste it instead? Thus, we must remain vigilant. Whatever the situation may be, we should always analyze it and check thoroughly to see whether or not it's correct. Shakyamuni Buddha said that, even regarding what He said, His disciples should analyze it clearly before they believed it. We shouldn't blindly believe anything that people say, but believe only when it's logical. He elaborated on this very clearly and even cited His own words as an example to educate His disciples. Thus, we ought to be cautious. Any ideas, either new or old, if they're illogical, unsuitable, too troublesome, too complicated, and do not benefit us or others, then we shouldn't act on them. The Soul Group Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Auckland, New Zealand, April 27, 2000 (originally in English) Videotape No. 686 Do you know why you're so good? Because you are me. (Applause) We get on fabulously well because we're one. The nature of the soul is not that I am here and I have one soul in here. It's not like that. My soul is bigger than just in here. It might be all over here. (Master makes a gesture encompassing the area of the room.) It might be all me, but it looks different. It's not like God is one and everyone is one with God. It's not in that sense. It's in the sense that one individual can have a great soul that encompasses many so-called bodies. So we can happen to identify just like we are each other. Just like sometimes there are two persons, but they think exactly the same thing at the same moment. That's because that is one soul, not because they are one with God or they are one with each other. But they are one soul, just like twins or soul mates. A soul mate doesn't mean only one; it can mean a lot. Because some great souls encompass many other beings for their own purpose. Therefore, we feel like brothers and sisters; we feel like one. Sometimes you feel very good with your sister or your brother, your mother or your father because that's you! You make it become family, but it's only one: one soul and many individuals. (Applause) That's why sometimes we say, "I have affinity with that person." Or, "She's my soul mate; he's my soul mate." Because it's you; it's really you. I mean that's your individual soul group, in one soul. Apart from being one with God and one with everyone else, we also have the individual soul, which can house many big groups of people as just one soul. But it looks different. Thus sometimes we feel so good with a group of people. And the more we're with them, the more we feel strengthened because we're at home with ourselves. We're together, and we're at peace together. It's no wonder; no wonder we work so well! Can you imagine you are me? (Laughter) photo: pw2.jpg ================================================================== You May Not Know Stories of Recent Saints by resident disciples from the Florida Center, USA (originally in English) photo: nk1-1.jpg A Purification of the Planet The beginning of 2003 was a time of great change for the planet. As war broke out in the Middle East, the world was going through a spiritual purification on a much grander scale due to the grace of a great spiritual Master. This purification began with the 2002 Christmas retreat, during which 2000 initiates meditated in silence for five days, and Master explained that She was "cleaning up our group." At the end of the retreat, She disclosed that one initiate had reached a very high level of enlightenment. Even while Master was attending to disciples during the retreat, She began the laborious task of overseeing the repair and relocation of several buildings at the Florida Center. Master supervised everything down to the types of screws and nails we used. The work continued until late at night on some of the coldest nights of the year. This was the time when Master was supposed to be resting, to cleanse the karma collected during the retreat. For a period of weeks, construction also took place in the room adjoining Her bedroom so Master was never able to rest properly. She would often meditate in the morning amid the noise of hammers, drills and circular saws. It was like a construction site where workers passed through Her bedroom, and could even see Her clothes stacked neatly in the corner. She never complained about the situation but walked around calmly, as if nothing were happening. Then on February 20, 2003 Master announced that four days earlier She had achieved another great level of realization in Her spiritual practice, explaining that there were levels of enlightenment that could not be described in worldly language. At 2:00 AM on February 24, Master called the Hsihu Center with the wonderful news that many of our Quan Yin Family members, including some resident disciples, had achieved the non-regressing state of consciousness. During the phone call, Master kept leafing through a pile of papers, explaining that over the last few weeks She had been keeping count and that the information would come at any time. Thus She had to write it down wherever She could. After finishing Her call to the Hsihu Center, Master was in a state of great excitement and continued to drink tea with us until 5:00 AM. Then She suggested we immediately go to the meditation hall without sleeping although none of us had slept since the previous night. Edification and Love from Master After we had meditated, Master called us again and told us that this was a good day, and we should go to a certain place at 2:00 PM. and meditate until 9:00 PM. This was unusual, and we would never have expected what happened next. She called us after about four hours and said we had meditated enough. Upon returning to our rooms, we noticed that something was different. One of the senior monks came out and asked what was going on - someone seemed to have taken a shower in his bathroom. We then realized that what had actually occurred was that Master had come and cleaned all of our bathrooms! Three days later a mysterious notice appeared in the kitchen, stating that it was not necessary for the day's cooking team to prepare the meal. When we came for lunch we found that someone had prepared a pot of the most delicious noodles, large enough to last until the next day. For the next three days, Master came secretly each morning and prepared the meals for the entire resident group. Master thus completely turned the tables on the residents. In two hours, She would prepare more than enough food for the whole group, without making a big fuss or using many utensils, and they were the most satisfying meals we had ever eaten! She prepared just one dish per day - one day it was noodles, another day curry with bread - containing both protein and vegetables, blended together harmoniously. It was such a joy to eat in this simple way that we decided to follow Her example with our regular cooking teams in the future. Master also encouraged us to live a balanced life, checking each person's daily schedule, making sure that we all balanced our indoor work with doing outdoor labor and cleaning the environment. She jokingly said that otherwise our muscles would sag to the floor and we might step on them! Master was even concerned about what kinds of soaps, shampoos and similar items that we used, telling us which brands to buy - generally the milder and more natural varieties. Another excellent suggestion Master gave us was to put little signs that said 'Remember God' at various places around the Center. It is amazing what a positive effect these two simple words have! Another new instruction was to use the title "saint" instead of our first names, or perhaps our "Tong" names; however no one was given extra respect. Beginning with the first saints, as each new saint was elevated we would refer to him as saint so-and-so. This created a very elevated atmosphere at the Center, similar to when we look at each other's wisdom eyes. This also encouraged those who had not yet been elevated to practice harder. Master once asked one of the saints how she had progressed so quickly. The resident replied that she had been very happy for a long time. Master explained that when we are happy and relaxed, it is easier for Her to pull us up. Perhaps this is why She let us celebrate so much at that time, often inviting us for tea and telling jokes. One time She laughed for a whole hour at a single joke, which She told and retold in many versions. (Please see the "Newspaper Ad" below.) Master also watched films with us although She sent those who needed to meditate off to do so; as She knew immediately who needed to practice more. When one brother had to take a retreat, Master personally sent a resident disciple to bring him blessed food every day. Master was especially generous to the first saints, even lending them Her car when they went out, and supervising the renovation of four small houses for their personal use. The climax came when Master sent members of the resident group shopping for two days to buy whatever they liked, such as clothes, books and movies. One resident did not want to go out in order to finish some work, but Master told her later that sentient beings have been suffering for thousands of years so we should not think our work is so important that we cannot celebrate. When we returned from shopping, we found that Master had prepared sandwiches and fruit salad for us and placed them in a beautiful concentric arrangement. A few days later, Master came to dinner and gave a final gift to everyone who had helped construct the house for Her birds. She rewarded us with red envelopes containing cash! Master truly takes nothing from this world. After She handed us the presents, She apologized and said that She had to leave to take care of some business. While we were out enjoying ourselves, Master had been on retreat. She stayed in a remote part of the Center the whole time, and was so quiet that we were unaware that She was still in the area. She did not ask us to bring Her food or anything else, doing everything Herself. Sometimes, however, residents would see Her late at night going out to check on the animals. On April 24, we received news that millions and then billions of sentient beings had reached sainthood since the last retreat. This was a great surprise to us - while Master was training the residents personally, She was also blessing the whole world. This period was a great test for the Florida residents. We were thus very joyful when Master called at 5:00 AM on May 15 to inform us that everyone who had stayed at the Center through this period had reached a high plane of consciousness - except one - a 'bad boy' who had gone even higher and was the first resident to reach the Fifth Level! Although no one had told Her, we were just finishing a two-day retreat, Master could tell. As we huddled around the cell phone outside the meditation hall, we could all hear Master's cheerful voice like a songbird heralding the new day! We will all forever cherish this amazing time, a great turning point in the evolution of the planet. Whether or not we have been blessed with Her physical presence, Master has elevated us all. Thank You, Master! Thank You, God! Lessons from a Birdhouse Master recently designed a beautiful and innovative house for birds. She explained that domesticated birds depend on humans for everything. However, since they do not have to hunt for survival like wild birds, they can attain a high level of consciousness. Every day, Master visits each of Her birds individually and talks to them as if they are human beings. There are many amazing stories to tell. For example, Master can understand from Her birds what happens during the day, what they are given to eat, and so on. She even warms a spoon before feeding them by hand because She knows cold metal is uncomfortable for them to eat from. If the sunlight is too strong or not strong enough, She moves all of their cages to the other side of the room, twice or more times per day. When we built the birdhouse, Master told us to use clear plastic instead of glass - specifically, plastic that was not wavy. However, we built the whole house out of wavy plastic, thinking that it was the same. As soon as Master saw it, she asked us, "What's the use? Would you like to look through something like that?" She said that we have no love. How could we not think of what it would be like for the birds to look out through this distorted plastic all day long? Could we bear every day to look through this wavy plastic? We ourselves could not bear it so how could we do this to the birds? Master also noticed immediately that the silicone sealant we had used on the house was toxic and would thus harm the birds' delicate throats. Master later explained that many of us want to help Her and She has no doubt that we love Her, but without wisdom our help is useless. She stressed that wisdom must accompany love. Because we had not even considered the birds' point of view, we had to reconstruct the house from the foundation. Only when it was completed did we realize Master's inspiration. It's the most beautiful birdhouse in the world. During the day, the walls are transparent and full of light. At night, accordion-style doors unfold to cover everything. The ceiling has a row of thin, elegant skylights, with a graceful transparent canopy over the window. Master designed everything on the spot, based on the materials we had available. She even tried to think of possible uses for some leftover PVC pipes. One of Master's most practical and innovative ideas was to paint the outside of several roofs at the Center sky blue. Most houses have dark colored shingle roofs, and no matter how colorful the walls are, no one thinks of painting their shingles. However the sky blue color of these roofs gives the whole Center a cooler atmosphere. Once the birdhouse was finished, Master conceived a revolutionary design for birdcages. Actually, it is a very simple idea from the birds' point of view, but only Master realized it. Birds are normally confined in small metal cages. However Master's cages are more spacious and have clear plastic walls. The ceilings and floors have metal grills so that air can flow through. Master worked until late at night for several weeks to complete the cages, kneeling on the floor with Her hair tied back in a pony tail, and hammering and drilling along with the residents. She joked that She no longer needed a blanket at night because She had become so used to the freezing cold during this time. While the cages were being constructed, Master often consulted with Her birds. On one humorous occasion, She asked a bird to try out a ladder. So the bird walked over to the ladder, went up a few steps, turned around as if to say "OK," and then walked away as though it had more important business to attend to! Master made sure that every detail of the cages' construction met with the birds' approval. She went to many pet stores looking for a proper eating bowl, but felt that none of the available designs showed any consideration for the birds' convenience. Thus, She ended up taking parts from four different bowls in order to make one bowl. The night on which the birds moved into their new home was very cold, and they had to wait outside in their cages while the room was being prepared. Thus Master was very concerned about them, holding all the birds individually and touching their feet, saying, "Oh my God, his/her feet are cold!" For many nights, She stayed up late arranging space heaters and blankets for the birds. She once called a resident after midnight, apologizing for waking him up, and telling him that the heaters' electrical power cords were extremely hot. The resident did not know what to do, short of rewiring the house, but while he was getting supplies, Master figured out a way to run all four heaters without overheating the cords. photo: nk1-2.jpg Stories of Master with Animals Master takes care of all animals, even those that are not Her pets. For instance, when She saw a moth fly into a halogen working light and die, She immediately changed all the outdoor lights to low-heat-emitting bulbs. On another touching occasion, when Master was shopping, She passed a pet store and said that for some reason She had to go in. Inside, She found that the store happened to be having a sale on puppies. Master knelt down and talked to each puppy for a long time, assuring them that they would definitely find a good home. When the resident accompanying Master heard Her speak to the puppies in such a loving tone, he almost burst into tears in the middle of the store. One story the residents will never forget involves a stray dog that wandered into the Center four years ago. After Master left the Center, She continued to care for him and once called to send him a special bed, which She had seen while traveling. Unfortunately, however, the dog had been given away and gotten lost. Master never turns Her back on such adopted pets. Even four years later, when Master met with the Florida Center residents She cried for a long time when discussing this event. She often thinks of this dog and said he has reached a very high level. Master always puts Her dogs' comfort before Her own. For example, recently, Her smallest dog got a painful bruise, which no one else but Master could detect, and She immediately knew he was suffering. She then sent someone to buy painkillers, but he forgot to bring them to the dog. Master said, 'If you forget to bring me food, I'll forgive you, but if you don't bring the dog's medicine I cannot forgive you!' Later, when the weather became hot, Master slept in the heat and directed Her own air conditioning unit into Her dogs' room rather than let them suffer. Master has long been famous at the local vet's office because of Her concern for Her animals. Several months ago, She called the vet in the middle of the night to care for a wounded possum She had found on the road even though possums are rodents that most people exterminate. Later, when one of the vet's clients wanted to give away four birds that she had kept for fourteen years, the vet referred her to Master. Master then sent someone on a long trip to another state to pick up the birds, along with special toys and cages for their long journey back. However, after having the person try to talk to the birds many times, Master did not feel that they wanted to leave. So She persuaded the woman not to abandon her pets - only after paying to have the woman's garage apartment converted into a birdhouse! photo: nk1-3.jpg The Miraculously Felled Tree Another dramatic instance of Master's love and wisdom occurred when we cut down a huge 40-foot tree at the Florida Center. The tree was alive but was leaning dangerously over a house. Master told us to explain the situation to the tree, thank it for all it had done, and then wait for two days before cutting it down. She said we should finish by 10:00 PM so as not to awaken the neighbors. However we somehow managed to mix up the message so that two days later, at precisely 10:00 PM, we began to cut down the tree without even a chainsaw. We would have been there all night, had Master not called at 2:00 AM. After sincerely repenting, we resumed work the following afternoon. But there was one problem. The entire group of residents - four of whom had engineering degrees - tried to maneuver the tree for six hours using all sorts of cables and anchors, but no one could agree on how to direct the tree so that it would avoid falling directly through the roof of the house. Just as we were reaching the critical moment when the tree was to fall, a brother informed us that Master was inside the house! We immediately informed Her that any minute the roof might collapse on Her, but She was not in the least bit afraid and walked casually outside to see what we were doing. She immediately told us to pull the tree in the opposite direction. Just in time, we moved a tractor with a cable in that direction; the tree began to fall, and as we pulled with the tractor, the tree descended approximately one centimeter past the corner of the roof! Master thus had to come and save us despite all our engineering degrees! Love for a Humble Cactus One day in March 2003, Master had the idea to go and look for some small pine trees in the forest at the far end of the Florida Center. She called a few of us who were planting trees to come with Her and we walked slowly together through the untouched pine grove. Master said that this area was very pure as people never went there. Master walked slowly and carefully on the forest floor, which was sprinkled with pine needles, reminding those who followed Her to be mindful as there were many small cacti growing among the trees. She saw a wild rabbit and spoke to her, telling her not to be afraid and apologizing for the fact that we had disturbed her home. Next Master picked out a few small pine trees, explained that they would be suitable to move, and told us to mark them or make a note of their location. As we were leaving the pine grove, Master stopped because She saw in front of Her a small cactus that had been squashed and was now growing flat. She was delighted to see a small fruit growing from the cactus, and told us that if we were in the desert and hungry we could eat such cactus fruit to survive. Master then thanked the cactus, and the gratitude in Her voice made me feel that the purpose of the cactus' existence was to grow just for Her. Next She said, "Ah, he's trying so hard even though he's flattened like a pancake! Thank you, honey." This was one of those precious glimpses of God's love for all beings revealed through a living Master. ================================================================== Master's Wonders by a fellow initiate from Hangzhou, Mainland China Affinity with the Serene Ocean of Love In May of 1995, I came across Supreme Master Ching Hai's sample booklet for the first time at a friend's home and completely fell in love with it. Master's words were everything that I had thought they would be. I was practicing qigong (a form of Chinese martial art) at the time, and during a solitary retreat in a dark cave, I experienced an extraordinary vision that changed my destiny and led me to search for a spiritual Master. The vision was of a vast azure ocean, so boundless and crystal clear that I could see its bed. On its shore was a huge rock, beside which was a pair of women's shoes that did not seem to have been made in China. However, there was no woman in sight. A black ship was sailing on the sea and a man stood at its bow, his white scarf fluttering in the wind. Strangely, there was not a single ripple on the surface of the water, yet the sea seemed to be very much alive! I loved the serene water so much that I wanted to take a dip in it. After experiencing this vision, I lost interest in practicing qigong and began searching around, but for what, I did not have a clear idea. I visited various temples and asked about scriptures until one day I met a disciple of Master Ching Hai in a temple on a mountaintop. He was a brother from another province bringing Master's books to the temple. Pointing at Master's picture on a medallion he was wearing, I observed, "I've seen this lady before." And the brother replied, "Impossible!" I then looked at the image again carefully and insisted, "Really, I've seen Her before!" She looked far too familiar, but I could not tell where I had met Her. So I asked, "Who is She?" and the brother replied, "My guiding professor." At that point an indescribable feeling of loss came over me. People in China usually refer to university professors as "guiding professors," but I was already in my forties so how could I go to a university? However, I continued to ask the brother, "What kind of guiding professor? What does She teach? Can I learn it?" The brother then said, "She's a spiritual teacher Who teaches people how to become liberated. But everyone has a different affinity with the Master, some deep and some not so strong. Some people can only hear Her name, and others may only get a glimpse of Her. It depends on what you want." So I said, "I don't want anything. In my opinion, one can be liberated only through death. But I can't possibly die. For example, once, after I had jumped into water and rescued several people, I wanted to drown myself. But the water pushed me back to shore. And on another occasion, when I rushed to save a group of people from a fire, thinking that I might burn myself to death, the fire went out by itself before I got there!" The brother then said, "Death cannot liberate us because we still have karma following us. My Master can lead you into the way of becoming liberated in one lifetime." I thought the brother was sharing some kind of international joke with me. He next told me to read Master's books first and promised to write to me after he returned home. Subsequently, we exchanged letters every other week. What the brother wrote in his letters was exactly what I had thought in my heart. It frightened me that my inner life was completely apparent to him. It was upsetting that he knew all my thoughts so I wrote to him saying that I would stop associating with him, and he replied, "Sister, you're wrong! All those comments in my letters were Master's aphorisms." I didn't know what aphorisms were, but I liked them. What puzzled me even more was how Master could read my thoughts even though She did not know me at all. The brother then said, "Master is omnipresent." That sounded even more absurd - why did I not see Her if She is omnipresent? I then begged the brother to lend me one of Master's books, but instead he gave me an address and told me to get a copy myself. Before I started out on a train to get the book, there was an exceptionally heavy snowstorm and traffic was cut off in my area. My family members wanted me to get my ticket refunded, but I refused, thinking that normal traffic would surely resume by the time of my departure and sure enough, it did! Later, I heard that my train was the only one that had left on the day I departed. After the train left the station, traffic was held up again due to a heavier snowfall plus hail! While I was waiting to get Master's book at the station, for the first time I saw Master giving a lecture in a dream and the brother I knew taking me to see Master in the backstage area. When I saw Her, Master said to me, "You may take a look and listen again." That was my first experience of spiritual bliss! Honeymoon after Initiation Then, after countless trials and tribulations, I was finally initiated by Master! On the way home from my initiation, I found all of God's creations to be absolutely perfect and loveable. Strangely, I had never noticed this before. I was delighted to observe everything around me, while singing and dancing along the way, greeting passers-by and wanting to hug them. I even felt like kissing the little animals in the environment that I used to fear, as pedestrians nearby said with suspicion, "What kind of crazy woman is that that her family doesn't watch over well?" At the time, I was too happy to notice what other fellow initiates were worried about. And at the slightest provocation, I would laugh, totally out of control, so wonderful was the effect of Master's divine love! In that period I heard from elder initiates that Master carries us spiritually during the first six months after initiation, which was the happiest time of my life. I soon learned that as long as we meditate earnestly, we will be filled with joy every day. It was truly so! I remember attending a group meditation session during that period, where several hours just flew by and I asked, "Is there a mistake? Did someone set the clock ahead?" or "Is your watch out of order?" Everyone said that I was mistaken. I responded that I felt I had sat for only an hour, had contemplated the Sound for only five minutes and had just settled down. How could the time have passed by so quickly? My legs were not yet numb and I had not heard any noise outside, while inside I felt wide awake! Master's All-preserving Tonic In 1997, I was working at a bookstore, and whenever I had the chance, I listened to Master's tapes, which were not easily accessible. At the time, I had the habit of pouring leftover tea or the residue of herbal medicine onto the weeds across the street from the store, and soon all the weeds thus watered grew abundantly. Seeing the lush growth, the shop owners on both sides of the bookstore came to ask me, "What wonderful tonic have you been taking? Even the weeds grow very well, not to mention the person!" Only then did I realize that, while listening to Master's tape, even the tea I drank and the medicine I took became fantastic tonic blessed by Master! Supreme Love Saves My Life One day while I was working in the bookstore, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my abdomen, became very weak and began sweating profusely. Unable to move, I could only turn on my Walkman to listen to Master's tape in order to distract myself from the pain. When the tape stopped playing, I thought I was okay and tried to stand up. But I began to sweat profusely again as soon as it stopped. I quickly resumed listening to Master's tape and dared not stop again until I got off work in the evening. Then I was all right. The next day I realized that I had mistakenly eaten food containing rat poison, and had had a narrow escape from death in my helpless condition! What virtue did I possess to repeatedly deserve Master's supreme love? Buddha's Chanting Restores Vitality In March 1999, I was working as a doctor at a private university (a job provided through Master's grace). One morning, I saw earthworms crawling all over the road and my balcony as well. In addition, they had already turned black. Being at a loss as to what to do, I meditated and prayed to Master to take care of them! However, I forgot to turn off my audiocassette player before going to work so Master's Buddha's Chanting tape continued to play throughout the morning. When I came back from work for lunch at noon, I found that the earthworms on my balcony had turned red whereas those on my neighbor's balcony had remained black. At that moment, a strong medicinal odor filled the air and I hurriedly placed the audiocassette player closer to the worms. By the time I came back from work in the afternoon, all the earthworms on my balcony had come alive and were slowly crawling away. Withered Flowers Bloom Again From December 27, 1999 to January 2, 2000, Master and fellow initiates held an international six-day retreat in Thailand. Initiates from my region of Mainland China who were unable to attend gathered at a sister's home for a retreat. One day during the retreat as I sat alone talking to Master's photo, I found that the flowers in the vase nearby had withered. A sister said she had bought them in May, so the flowers had long ago dried up. How I wished that they were a bunch of fresh flowers that could be offered to Master! I then sat down to meditate and listen to Master's recording. The next morning, I was amazed to find the withered flowers in full bloom, the drooping petals having straightened up. I quickly asked the other fellow initiates at the retreat to come take a look. They didn't believe it at first so they touched the stems, finding them dry and hard, but the flowers felt soft and fresh. In addition, there was not a single drop of water in the vase! Suddenly everyone became busy, bringing all kinds of food and drinks to Master's photo for Master to bless. Our earlier disappointment at not being able to see Master in Thailand was replaced by peace and contentment, for we knew that Master was with us nonetheless! Sounds of the Supreme Holy Spirit My family members and I were surprised recently when our audiocassette player was taken away and there was no tape, but we could still hear Master's chanting the whole night. We did not realize at the time that it was the Supreme Holy Spirit! But later we came to understand that if we want to have Master's Buddhist Chanting accompany us at any time, we only need to listen deep within. The Quan Yin Method Cures a Longstanding Disease by fellow initiate Wang, Mainland China More than three decades ago, I acquired a strange disease in my right ear, but financial difficulties prevented me from receiving timely treatment. For many years I was tormented by this problem, which affected my hearing and at times when it became unbearable, forced me to take painkillers. Eventually my doctor said that I needed an operation to treat it. But the fee for the procedure was too high for me to afford so I had to rely on a home remedy. My condition did not improve until November 1995, when, luckily, I was introduced to the Quan Yin Method and began to practice the Convenient Method. Then one evening in August 2000, my wife had a strange dream, in which she saw many unclean substances flowing from my ear. I was not home at the time, and she thought the dream was a manifestation of Master's great power blessing me and helping me to get rid of my disease. In her excitement she shared her dream with another sister, and not long afterwards I returned home. As I entered the house, my wife hurriedly came over to check my right ear and then walked away without a word. I thought she was worried about my seemingly incurable disease. A few days later a miracle occurred. One morning after I got up, two objects the size of peanuts and stained with blood suddenly popped out of my right ear onto the floor, making a loud sound. I quickly showed them to my wife, and she cried out in surprise. It was the blessing from Master's almighty power that she had dreamt about and which cured my longstanding affliction. This experience was truly a miracle that I will never forget! Lunar New Year Retreat in God's Light by fellow initiate Zhang, Mainland China During the 2003 Lunar New Year holidays I attended a local two-day retreat with several fellow initiates. At about six o'clock on the second evening, while we were sitting on a couch watching Master's videotapes, an inexpressible feeling suddenly overwhelmed my heart and I could not resist getting up from the couch and walking to the nearby window. Under the windowsill, I saw Master's 2002 New Year's greetings to fellow initiates. I then returned to the couch to continue watching Master's videos with mixed feelings of gratitude and sadness. After a while, I said casually to the fellow initiate beside me, "Oh! How happy we were last year when we received Master's New Year's greetings. I wonder if this year…" But before I had finished my sentence, a sister sitting opposite me interrupted me, saying: "Sister Zhang! On your head…" She pointed at me and was so excited that she could not speak further. I thought there was a caterpillar on my head and since I am afraid of caterpillars, I anxiously asked her, "What's the matter?" She replied, "There's a yellow light over your head!" I turned my head and sure enough I saw a yellow light on the wall. I then happily moved my body from side to side, having fun with the light. Another fellow initiate raised his hand to see its shadow on the wall, and to our surprise, his hand began to shine with a sky-blue light that permeated his body. Next we all raised our hands high and waved, feeling as happy as children. At this time, another fellow initiate said that there was light in the meditation room as well. We immediately ran over and saw white, yellow and blue lights on the walls, sofa and floor - the whole room was filled with light! This lasted for about forty minutes. I said with joy, "We're surrounded by God's Light. Let's quickly thank Master!" Thus, we completed our two-day retreat in bliss. These experiences were the best New Year's gift that Master Ching Hai has ever sent, letting us know that God loves and cares for us forever! The Secret Code of Heaven by fellow initiates from Mainland China The following are fascinating anecdotes related by residents of Mainland China who have purchased or otherwise come in contact with Master's Celestial Clothes designs. Upon seeing the SM Celestial Clothes worn by fellow initiates in China, a vegetarian spiritual practitioner with psychic powers said, "Not everyone can wear these kinds of clothes. Only the blessed ones can wear them." And when he saw the Celestial Jewelry designs treasured by fellow initiates, he called them "tiny emblems," adding, "The tiny emblems worn by each of you are secretly numbered and coded, and bear special meaning. You should wear them every day instead of locking them in cabinets. You should also wear your Celestial Clothes to share the Light with others. Don't keep them in boxes. Heaven and earth allow you to share the Truth openly, yet you do nothing." An initiate then asked the psychic, "When will our Master come to Mainland China?" And he replied, "When the rivers in Heaven and earth are cleared and connected! When that moment comes, I too will follow your Master." Seeing the Designs is Like Seeing Master It is not easy for fellow practitioners in Mainland China to get opportunities to see the Celestial Jewelry and Clothes. In earlier years, Celestial Jewelry items were delivered by designated fellow initiates based on order forms, and Celestial Clothes were displayed at the homes of fellow initiates one after another. When one elderly sister received her Celestial Jewelry order, she was completely filled with bliss, saying that she had received notice four or five days in advance from the inner Master that the Jewelry she ordered had been dispatched to Mainland China. Also, the fellow brother once assigned to drive the Celestial Clothes to various provinces remains deeply touched by the scenes he witnessed during that time. For example, upon hearing that the Celestial Clothes he ordered had arrived, a brother initiate who had been working in the fields cycled 30 kilometers to collect his order without wasting an extra minute to bring his hoe with him! The brother was completely soaked in perspiration by the time he got home. Another sister, just as she entered the door and saw her Celestial Clothes, felt as though she had seen Master, embraced the Clothes and wept for a long time, creating a truly touching scene. Lively Celestial Clothes Mannequins A Celestial Clothes boutique in China bought two mannequins for display purposes. Before the dummies were dressed in Celestial Clothes, everyone thought that they looked lifeless, unlike those at the Hsihu Center, which appeared lively and animated, as though they were trying to speak to observers who stood by their side. The working staff then dressed the mannequins in Celestial Clothes and placed them on each side of the boutique's display window, where they looked much better. When the staff opened the shop the following morning, the bewildered security guards working nearby came over and said, "Last night, the mannequins in your shop came to life! When I shone my flashlight at your display window, the two of them looked just like real people. I was really shocked." The working staff then turned to look at the mannequins and were amazed! It had been only one day, but the mannequins were already exuding an ethereal ambiance and looking vibrantly alive. When viewed from the side, there was even a sparkle in their eyes! A Blend of Inner and Outer Beauty Once a sister initiate acquired a scarf designed by Master. That very night, she dreamt that Master had given her a lotus, demonstrating that each Celestial Clothes item, even a tiny scarf, is endowed with Master's great merciful love, and each acts as a medium bringing the Light of Heaven to all corners of the world. As a result, many people have had their consciousness elevated through contact with the Clothes, and the whole world has become increasingly radiant. The Celestial Clothes and Jewelry bring spiritual practitioners beauty both within and without, forging emblems that mark humankind's progress into the golden era! Master's Heavenly Voice Comforts Weary Souls by brother initiate Rastislav A. Kovacic, Slovenia (originally in English) My job as a hotel receptionist in the town of Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia, which is famous for its therapeutic hot spring, recently gave me a chance to witness Master's blessing power at work. One early morning, the manager of a large local factory brought one of his business associates along with him to the hotel. They entered the lobby while I was listening to one of Master's Buddha's Chanting tapes. The manager was extremely tired and asked me to turn up the volume so he could hear the music better. Leaning on the reception desk, he began to listen as Master's Heavenly voice filled the reception area. Several minutes passed by, then out of the blue the manager said, "This Lady could be loved by billions of people!" You can imagine my surprise when I heard this remark from someone who is normally interested only in material things. And all the while the tape was playing I had not even said a word! From this experience I realized that anyone who opens his heart and calms his mind even for a moment can become aware of Master's unconditional love. Imminent in everything is God's presence, waiting to be discovered. ================================================================== Selected Questions and Answers What are Soul Mates? Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Cape Town, South Africa, November 27, 1999, (originally in English) Videotape No. 669 Q: Please explain twin souls and the male and female aspects of oneself. M: There's no such thing as twin souls. We're all separate. But sometimes we encounter someone who's very compatible with us, and we call that person a soul mate. If we've been working, living with and loving that soul for a long time before, in different incarnations, then when we meet this so-called soul reincarnated again in a different body, we feel a sense of familiarity. Because we did things together all the time before, everything is easy; everything is compatible; everything is harmonious. So that's what we call a "soul mate." We encounter it all the time. And people who have encountered this so-called soul mate are happily married to each other, or they become a very good sister and brother together, or a good parent and child together. The relationship is very good. This is what is meant by a soul mate. Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at Georgetown University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. April 14, 1993 (originally in English) Videotape No. 352 Q: Is there such a phenomenon as soul mates in this world? If so, what is its spiritual significance for the people involved? M: A soul mate is someone that when you meet him or her, you feel a very great attraction to each other and you both will be able to complement each other in life and especially in the spiritual process. That's what's called soul mates. But in the world of non-duality, there's no soul, there are no mates; it's just the terminology of this world. So whoever you feel is very attractive to you and very helpful to your daily life activities as well as spiritual endeavors, then that's your soul mate while we're here, if you need a mate at all. Is It Necessary to Contact One's Soul Mate? Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Cape Town, South Africa, November 29, 1999, (originally in English) Videotape No. 674 Q: I want to ask you about soul mates. Is it necessary to contact one's soul mate, and if so, what happens? M: In this life, if it's necessary, then it's necessary. If it's not necessary, then it's not necessary. You'll know. We have plenty of soul mates really, not just one. It's just that our paths don't always cross because it's not necessary. How to Meet a Soul Mate? Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, International Six-day Retreat, Bangkok, Thailand, December 28, 1999 (originally in English) Videotape No. 677 Q: As a single person, I think I speak for anyone else who is still single: What's the best way to meet your soul mate? M: I also don't know if there's such a thing as a soul mate because sometimes you have this but not that. If you really want to know, you should pray. Picture yourself having a soul mate and that the soul mate you want will be of such-and-such beauty or virtue, and that she should have this and that kind of quality. List the names of the qualities. List all of the qualities, one by one, clearly, that you want in a soul mate. And one day when you meet her, you'll know. You have to picture it: Write it down. Or if you see a woman who you think might look like your soul mate, at least in physical appearance, or if you like the way she looks, you should draw that. Or take someone's picture who looks like her, and then, that's it! You have to visualize it, and one day it will come true. Becoming Omnipresent Means Not Needing to Find a Soul Mate Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, San Jose, California, USA, June 30, 1994, (originally in English) Videotape No. 437 Q: Does everyone have a soul mate? And if so, do you have to find your soul mate before you can be liberated? M: The so-called soul mate: It could be. Then again, some soul mates are already liberated, so you don't have one to find here. But some soul mates are still around so then you have to wait. Actually, this is some of the theory: If you have no more longing and no more desire in your heart, then even if your soul mate is in Heaven or hell, it doesn't matter to you. You have to arise and arrive at a level of desirelessness. Then the soul mate is everywhere and nowhere because you are omnipresent. There's no need for a soul mate when you're omnipresent. ================================================================== Aphorisms Only Spiritual Practice Can Erase All Illness and Suffering Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Pusan, Korea, March 23, 1992 (originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 234 When we practice well spirituality, our karma will be erased, and we'll naturally recover from our illnesses. That's long-lasting magical power. I've also taught you about virtues, precepts and the vegetarian diet, and that's even more everlasting magical power, which will better and forever protect the body and spirit, and we'll not have to suffer many illnesses. So I hope you'll erase your own karma through your spiritual endeavor, and then many of your obstacles and ailments will diminish naturally! ================================================================== Beautiful People and Beautiful Events Young Environmental Worker Strives to Shape a Beautiful World by Hsinchu, Formosa News Group (originally in Chinese) Concern for the environment and encouragement from his mother inspired brother initiate Yang Yin-guang to devote his free time after school to doing volunteer work and leading a work team in the Formosa Youngsters Millennium Project. Over the past year, brother Yang has gained much practical experience through his efforts, for which he received the Formosa Youngsters Millennium Project Platinum Award (Community Category), and an award as one of Formosa's Ten Most Outstanding Young Volunteers. Through a coincidence brother Yang learned about the Formosa Youngsters Millennium Project from his teacher, fellow initiate Zeng Qing-shuo. The Project was begun by Formosa's Ministry of Education in response to the World Youngsters Millennium Project initiated by UNICEF and the University of British Columbia. The project emerged from UNICEF's vision of the global village and focus on future development in the new millennium. Since today's youths will shoulder the responsibility of ensuring social progress in decades to come, they should be encouraged to use concrete action to address the vital problems facing the Earth. Thus, UNICEF invited groups of youngsters aged eleven to eighteen from around the world to participate in this competition. Each group chose to target a certain issue affecting the living environment and conceive a community service project to address the problem. The organizers hoped that the activity would broaden the young peoples' worldviews, help them to expand their influence, and encourage them to engage in community outreach, thus practically addressing the goals of UNICEF's Convention on the Rights of the Child. Encouraged by his mother, who is also a fellow initiate, young brother Yang decided to take part in the competition and thus embarked on a multifaceted learning experience. He formed and headed a group called the Green Vanguards with former schoolmates and playmates. And over the past year, Green Vanguards members have explored local environmental issues and conceived an action plan, which they have followed with ongoing reviews and improvements. Brother Yang usually helps dispose of the garbage for his family and noticed that the garbage trucks serving his community were always filled beyond capacity and there were many recyclable materials in the trash. This phenomenon not only ran counter to environmental protection, but also had an adverse impact on local hygiene. After discussions with their teacher advisor, the team members decided to set personal examples before working to improve and create a superb environment of beauty and comfort. They remembered Master's words: "When we change ourselves, it will influence others. It will spontaneously influence them and then they themselves will influence others. It naturally has to change." (Excerpt from Pearls of Wisdom, News magazine no. 97) So in addition to carrying out its community improvement action plan, the team set challenging monthly goals to enhance self-management, develop their abilities and cultivate good living habits. In reviewing the results of this project, brother Yang said, "I have rectified many of my shortcomings and made great progress. I have learned how to bake cakes, plant flowers, grow vegetables, plough the fields, slice bamboo, trim vegetables and dig up ginger (pulling is not allowed in harvesting), as well as many other skills. I have also done things that benefit people but which I normally wouldn't dare to do. In addition, I have learned the importance of persistence and cultivated good living habits. All these experiences have become my most valuable wealth." Furthermore, to carry out environmental protection in daily life, the team's advisor explained the negative influence of a meat diet on the body and environment, and everyone agreed to eat vegetarian meals at meetings. Several team members who were not vegetarian also tried to extend the practice into their daily lives. Having set their goal, the Green Vanguards sought advice and assistance from community environmental volunteers, neighborhood leaders, township mayors, trash collection teams and the local Environmental Protection Bureau. They then held a community gathering to promote environmental protection and advise local residents about ways to reduce trash and inform them of the importance of environmental awareness. Although brother Yang is only a junior high school student, he worked in a very orderly manner. Under his leadership, the team actively promoted garbage categorization, material retrieval and kitchen waste recycling projects in the community, and applied for a NT$20,000 (approx US$600) subsidy from the Environmental Protection Bureau to set up recyclables retrieval sites in their area. They also conducted other meaningful activities, such as monthly clean-ups of the community and other environmental improvement projects, community environmental volunteer service work, the start-up of a monthly community magazine, and social dinners, in order to establish a consensus among the people on the value of environmentalism. With support from the local trash collection team, the township office and local residents, the Green Vanguards converted a litter-strewn wasteland at a major intersection into a beautiful community garden. Apart from working on environmental protection, brother Yang observed that many children could not attend school because of war, poverty or the unemployment of their parents. So he decided to raise an educational fund for students in need. He and his team members made vegetarian cakes and fruit jelly for door-to-door charity sales, and also held a flea market in the community. Through these efforts, they raised more than NT$40,000 (approx US$1,200) to help put children back in school through a group called the World Vision of Taiwan. This fund-raising activity also taught the young people to uphold the spirit of "persistence and hard work without ever giving up!" Most incredibly, young brother Yang could feel God's grace permeating all of his group's efforts. For example, when a community coordination gathering was convened for the first time, the then unknown juvenile received the support and participation of many local senior citizens! And when the meeting to promote environmental protection was being organized, many local inhabitants provided precise, timely assistance as if sent by Heaven! Also, each time a major event was conducted by brother Yang's group, local residents worried about cancellations due to rain; however the team members always embraced a positive attitude. So it turned out that either the weather was fine, or the rain came only after an activity had ended. Throughout the year, all the needed support seemed to be prearranged as though it had appeared "miraculously." Thus the team members deeply felt Master's ongoing blessing and infinite grace! The Green Vanguards team has recorded its activities on a Web page. The members' excellent performance and satisfying results distinguished them from other teams participating in the Formosa Youngsters Millennium Project, and so they received the above-mentioned Platinum Award in the Project's Community Category. Also, two of the team members received the Jury Prize for National Young Volunteers, while brother Yang was selected as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Young Volunteers. Upon receiving the latter award, brother Yang expressed the following feelings: "Our true rewards are the skills and spirit that we have acquired through the process that will benefit us for life, and which will become our personal treasure. I feel this is what's meant by the saying 'The more we work, the more we learn.' However, our efforts alone were not enough. Cooperation from local residents, assistance from adult volunteers and neighborhood leaders, and encouragement and support from our schoolmates and teachers all contributed to our achievements. I am especially thankful to brother Zeng Qing-shuo, who first informed me about the activity. I must also thank all the people who helped and supported us. Without them, our team would not have come into being, and we wouldn't have received this award. Most important of all, we have made new friends among our peers, and have worked, learned and played together. We truly feel wonderful! We hope all young people will join us in such practical learning that is so full of life!" Young brother Yang also said that he would continue to make use of his free time after school to get involved in volunteer work and promote environmental protection concepts and projects in schools and communities. photo: bp1-1.jpg ================================================================== Cinema Scene The Triumph of Faith by sister initiate Lefki Pavlidis, Melbourne, Australia (originally in English) In the 1977 film Oh, God! Jerry Landers (John Denver) is an honest, hard working supermarket manager chosen by God to spread Hiers message. The message God wants all Hiers children to hear is that there's still hope for the world and that they should remember Hirm, believe in themselves and be more loving toward each other. This idea has been communicated to humankind since the beginning of time through countless unlikely messengers such as Jerry. God attempts several times to convince Jerry that Hes is really God and finally manifests Hirmself as an old man wearing glasses and casual clothes so that Jerry can communicate with Hirm and feel more at ease. As with all of God's messengers, Jerry must face and overcome several obstacles in order to fulfill his mission. He first approaches a newspaper journalist who thinks he is insane. His own family refuses to believe that God has spoken to him. He then goes on a television talk show where he is not taken seriously. He also tries speaking with the heads of various Christian churches, but they respond by giving him a test on religion with 50 questions written in ancient Aramaic! Finally, he is taken to court for standing up to a self-involved television evangelist. But Jerry's unyielding faith in God pulls him through all these tests and Hiers message is shared and believed by those who want to believe. Oh, God! is a charming, funny and thoroughly enjoyable film. After watching it I felt immense sympathy for God because Hes is so loving and patient with us and so readily available yet most of us choose to ignore Hirm. Hes does not want us to hurt each other, but instead wants us to be loving and caring by remembering who we truly are. While watching this movie, I couldn't help being reminded of Master and thinking, "Master must go through so much to get God's message through to us! She's so loving, so compassionate and so patient." This notion is beautifully and thoughtfully conveyed in Oh, God! a sweet, entertaining film with a profound message for everyone. photo mv1-1.jpg ================================================================== Reflections on Spiritual Practice Nothing Is an Accident! by brother initiate Sunny, San Francisco, California, USA (originally in Chinese and English) In everyday life, people usually consider a situation "natural" if they know the underlying reason for its occurrence. If they do not know the reason, they regard it as an "accident." When things go well, they feel happy; and when things go wrong, they feel miserable. Unfortunately, however, many incidents in our daily lives go against our will. Perhaps this is a normal phenomenon of worldly existence. But to Quan Yin practitioners, who understand the Truth underlying mundane affairs, all events have explanations. We believe that all life experiences are arranged by our merciful Master to serve as lessons to enhance our spiritual growth. When we think in this way, we can accept all situations with gratitude, readily carry out Master's teachings in daily life, and thus naturally become Happy Yogis! Recently I experienced three incredible events that confirmed my sincere belief that "nothing is an accident." Event I When my younger daughter Lily was about to have a baby after many years of marriage, I found that while envisioning a future for her child, she became very interested in my spiritual discussions. I took the opportunity to share with her some of Master's teachings such as "the world is ephemeral; the human body is hard to come by; the purpose of life is the pursuit of Truth" and so on. I also emphasized that one who practices spiritually or helps others to practice will gain incredible blessings from God, and advised her against forcing her child to eat meat if he or she is a vegetarian by nature. After failing to meet his expected delivery date several times, my grandson finally chose to be born on my birthday. I sincerely believe that this was not a coincidence. Instead, it was a testimony to the action of God's will, which I had discussed with my daughter. Event II An initiate-to-be from the San Francisco Center, who had practiced the Convenient Method for more than a year, was hesitant about being initiated into the Quan Yin Method until she attended Master's 2003 birthday celebration. Unlike in previous years, I also participated in this year's celebration and "coincidentally" sat next to the would-be initiate. After exchanging greetings, we began to chat very naturally about topics ranging from "nothing is an accident" to the reason she was hesitant about getting initiated. When I understood her situation, I could not help but share my own experiences, while stressing that life is ephemeral, the human body is hard to obtain and everyone's life has a purpose. As a result of our conversation, wonders happened. I could not believe that our little talk had had such a powerful impact on the sister - she immediately made up her mind to receive initiation as soon as possible because she sincerely believed that what I had told her was God's will. She later sent me an e-mail saying, "Your message was so powerful that I had a hard time ignoring it." How can I not believe that it was all Master's exquisite arrangement! When I learned that the sister's name is identical to my daughter's - Lily - I was certain that my participation in the birthday celebration and my conversation with her were not accidents, and was very grateful to Master for giving me this incredible testimony to Her blessing power! Event III: The 19th annual Chinese-American Athletic Tournament was recently held in Northern California. The Chinese community in America invited our group to the opening ceremony, along with various Buddhist groups, in recognition of Master's merciful and charitable contribution of surgical masks to Formosa's hospitals during its 2003 SARS epidemic. During the ceremony, as our brothers and sisters marched past the podium, the sponsor introduced the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association as a spiritual organization advocating vegetarianism, practicing meditation, encouraging good deeds and contributing to the elevation of the world's consciousness. We are sure that the seeds of spirituality were sown in the hearts and souls of countless people who heard this message. That day, as fellow practitioners were busy distributing sample booklets and flyers, I saw a middle-aged American woman holding a plate of vegetarian food in one hand and a sample booklet and flyer in the other. I then approached her and asked, "Do you happen to know what the Quan Yin Method is?" My question aroused her interest and soon we were happily chatting about Master's teachings. She spoke to me frankly about her frustrations and difficulties, and many unanswered questions in her life, which revealed her desire to seek enlightenment. To explain the meaning of "Immediate Enlightenment," I used the example of how our ancestors obtained fire by drilling wood: If a hundred twirls are needed to produce an ember, then the Quan Yin Method represents the last of the hundred twirls, that is, the burning point of "Immediate Enlightenment." The woman not only understood but also sincerely believed my words, and was very happy to realize the true cause of her longing for enlightenment. At the end of our conversation, as I inadvertently asked her name, another incredible thing happened. I was surprised to learn that her name, Sunny, which connotes a bright, warm disposition, is the same as the penname I recently adopted. She was named after her ancestors, while I took the name from one of Master's parrots. What a coincidence! Actually, all the answers are already there before any questions arise. It's just that we're typically unaware of them. By the same token, our life experiences and choices are all clearly written in God's "grand plan." ================================================================== Spirituality and Science Newton's Research into the Secrets of the Universe by sister initiate Jennifer Wu, Austin, Texas, USA (originally in English and Chinese) Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) is regarded as one of the most outstanding scientists in history. His discoveries span all aspects of the physical world, with special emphasis on experimental and theoretical physics and chemistry and applied mathematics. Of his many scientific achievements, he is most remembered for co-inventing calculus, discovering the composite nature of light, formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation, and constructing the first reflecting telescope. His exceptional achievements formed the foundation of modern physical science. In his lifetime, Newton diligently explored the mysteries of the universe and considered atheism to be senseless, stating, "When I look at the solar system, I see the earth at the right distance from the sun to receive the proper amounts of heat and light. This did not happen by chance." In addition to his scientific work, Newton read the Bible daily, devoting a great portion of his time and effort to its study, with a special interest in prophecy and alchemy. Newton wrote over a million words of notes regarding his analysis, trying to decode the Bible and pin down the date of the apocalypse. On this subject, he wrote, "I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God* written by men who were inspired." Not long before he passed away, Newton reviewed his life and stated, "I know not what I appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me." At the time of his death, he left more than a million words of notes on the Bible. Six years after his death, Newton's work containing some of these notes entitled Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John was published. Many of his notes went to a collector and were stored in the Hebrew National Library in Jerusalem, where they were catalogued and made accessible to scholars at the end of the 1960's. Recently, while studying Newton's notes, a Canadian academic came across the original document where Newton had written down his prediction that the Second Coming of Christ would follow plagues and war and would precede a 1000-year reign by the Saints on earth - of which he would be one. The Canadian scholar also found that the most definitive date Newton set for the occurrence of the dramatic events forecast in the apocalyptic Book of Revelation, scribbled on a scrap of paper, was 2060. Newton's prediction has been explored in a special television documentary aired on the U. K.'s BBC2 network in early March 2003. For more information, please refer to the following websites. http://www.rense.com/general35/isa.htm http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/isaac_newton/prophecies/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/tv_radio/miscprogs/newton.shtml http://www.scifitoday.com/story/2003/2/23/21450/4036 pho