Master Tells Jokes Helping with Math Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Hsihu, Formosa
A primary school boy came home and
asked his father, "Father, this mathematics question is very difficult.
Can you help me, please?" The father came over and the son said, "In this
homework, the teacher said, "Suppose your father earns only one thousand
dollars per month, and your mother spends about one thousand seven hundred
dollars per month. So, what is the answer?" The father said, "Oh, this
you have to go and ask your mother. She is the expert!"
Something in the Suit Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A. One friend said to another one, "I'm
suing my wife." And his friend asked, "Why? You were just married not long
ago. What's wrong?" The first friend said, "Well, she threw my newest suit
out of the window." And the second friend said, "Just a small thing like
that, and you're suing her in court? My God!" The first friend then replied,
"Yes, but I was inside the suit."
Burn the IOU Papers Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Los Angles, California, U.S.A.
There was a person who was a very, very, you know, kind of very terrible person, she used to lend money to everyone. She counted every penny. And then one day, she was sick, and all the doctors already shook their heads, saying "There's nothing we can do about it." So she knew her time was up. So she called about fifty of her debtors to come next to her death bed, and then told a servant to bring all the papers, the IOU papers, in front of them and burned them all in front of them. And then one of the debtors was feeling very, kind of emotional and said, "Oh, madam, we have not paid you yet, how come you burned all the papers, the IOU papers." And the madam, nearly dying, suddenly woke up, and looking them in the eyes, she said, "If I don't burn all these, when I go down there (the underworld), how can I have any proof to get the money back from all of you?" Please come to the following web sites
to enjoy the original audio and video versions of these jokes, and you
may share the joy of Master's humor with those around you as well.
|
Be a Natural Person Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
You have to be cautious and self-confident.
Listen to your inner intuition. Today, that attendant said that he had
been amazed by an inner feeling telling him that he should rush over and
light the way for me. I was then walking on a dark, rocky path. That was
his immediate feeling and reaction, yet he and the other one were standing
there like a couple of rocks. This is how we often make mistakes. We don't
listen to our inner intuition. I have already told you: Eat when you are
hungry and sleep when you are tired. By reacting naturally, you can not
go wrong. Do not be veiled by preconceived ideas, or deceived by the thought
"because people say this or that".
Sometimes, after you hear what I say,
you start to act recklessly with the excuse that I have taught you to be
natural. That is not being natural; that is scheming. Therefore, I give
up; I am at my wit's end. I don't know what to say; I dare not speak any
more. You are so good at "interpreting" my words to suit yourself. Suppose
I were to say that there is no need to separate from your two wives, if
you already have them. Then most probably someone would wait until he had
two wives before he came for initiation. (Laughter) He would say that it
did not matter because that was before he was initiated. (Master laughs)
Sometimes, people deliberately create trouble. Why do you deceive yourselves?
You should listen to your real Self! Natural responses can not be wrong.
I long so much to meet a truly natural
person. I yearn for that more than you yearn for an Enlightened Master,
but I cannot find a "human". This is incredible! Why would a human behave
like that? What do we have to fear in doing the right thing? What could
be wrong in lighting the way for someone without a light on a dark, rocky
road? If I had scolded you for doing that, it would have been all right
for you to scold me. If I had been so bad, you could have scolded me and
enlightened me a bit.
We live on the great earth beneath
the vast sky, without any barriers or obstructions. However, each of us
is carrying a portable prison on our body all the time, ever ready to confine
ourselves in it, lock ourselves in, and be tortured. Then all we get is
pain, suppression, boredom, stress, and tension. Therefore, we must not
wait until we die to get liberation; it should be achieved now, in this
lifetime. Just demolish your own prison and then you will become an absolutely
free, natural, and peaceful person. The more tense and stressed we are,
and the more we confine ourselves, the worse we become. Normally, I enjoy
seeing you very much. It is only because you are scared of me that you
imagine a lot of things to separate us. As a result, I feel uncomfortable
seeing you; the more nervous you are, the more uncomfortable I feel.
Therefore, vexations are created by ourselves only, nothing else! There are no obstacles, nothing. Really, there is nothing happening in the world. This is how most of you create trouble for yourselves, by hindering yourselves from developing, and depriving yourselves of relaxation. When you are not relaxed, your mind is blocked and, of course, you cannot act rightly. It is our destiny that we ought to do such and such things, but the happiness or pain in doing them is generated by ourselves. When we are too uptight, our mind is blocked and we act in an unhappy way. There should perhaps be just a little pain, but we multiply it several hundred times, just because we are too uptight. Sigh! Sometimes, I feel that you are so pitiable that I don't know what to say! You really don't have to live in such misery! |
Elevation of the Soul Supreme Master
Ching Hai's
(In English) ER18A (in three tapes)
ER18B (in four tapes)
Divine Love Is the Only True Love (1)(2)
One World ... of peace through music
ER19A (three tapes)
The Matriarchal System
ER19B (four tapes)
Walking in Love and Laughter (1)(2)
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Around the World" of the News magazine there is a list of telephone
numbers and e-mail addresses of our liaison practitioners, as well as
ways of contacting the News Group, the S.M. Book Department, The Supreme
Master Ching Hai International Association Publishing Company, and the
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The Enlightened Witness Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
We don't reincarnate, but a part of
our habits, our collective information reincarnates. So this part of us,
which is called the intellect, or maybe the sixth consciousness, collects
all kinds of karmic information. And then it recycles it again, like a
Coca Cola bottle, or like some of the things in the United States now that
they encourage people to recycle. It's the same thing; our 'bottles' are
recycled. Each time they can be used, and they are still connected with
other materials in this world, then we call it reincarnation; it's just
a kind of recycling. The Coca Cola substance inside doesn't reincarnate,
only the bottle does. Still, people can recognize that, or not recognize
it. But the substance is still there, so they recognize it as recycled;
we see it as recycled.
The things from which this bottle is
made are not reincarnated; this is our real Self, our soul. Each time we
want to experiment with new things, we bottle ourselves into a new recycled
substance or subject; that's it. But then again, we're used to identifying
ourselves with all this substance and information, so we say we reincarnate.
But it's not true. We never die, and we are never born. We have always
existed; we are the witness of all things created and destroyed in this
universe. We always are the witness. But then sometimes we identify ourselves
with the subject that we witness and with the circumstances in which we
witness it, so we suffer or we have joy.
Just like when we watch TV, and we
forget that it's only a movie, and we cry, or we laugh. We support this
one, and we want to kill the other. Both of them have nothing to do with
us, none of them are our enemies or friends, and none of them are real.
But we hate that one: "Oh! That mustached one, he is a bad guy, kill him,
kill him!" You sit in front of the screen, and you say, "Kill him! Kill
that guy quickly!" Or "Get out, get out! He'll kill you! Get out, quick!
This way, this way!" Like the personage on TV or the screen will actually
listen to us or hear us, but they don't. They do what they have to do according
to the director, not according to us. Therefore many of the movies' outcomes
don't suit our taste; we want to change them. But what's the use? If we
change it, it's not that movie any more. So the movie has to exist the
way it is. Actually, we fool ourselves many times, and we can prove that
every day; no need to talk about reincarnation, illusion or anything of
this world, we can prove it.
I'll tell you a foolish story about
myself. Yesterday or the day before yesterday, when I first came to Hawaii,
they rented an apartment for me and our many staff members, like the ones
who have to work close to me; also we have guests. It's a rented place
for ten days, not much, cheap, but very big and near the beach. I was thinking
to invite you there, but I don't know how to house you. It's big, but it's
not that big! It's big enough for ten persons, but not for thousands. So
now, the relativity of our world: Sometimes we say, "Wow, it's great!"
But it's not that great compared to other things. We are always in illusion
until we compare it against another background; then we know we are wrong.
It's similar with many practices. They
practice, they eat vegetarian, they meditate and they are very good, but
good to what point? Against our Quan Yin practitioners, they are just like
half-cooked, half-baked cookies, for example! So, we know the good things
and the great things in this world have their limits, compared to the Truth
or the limitless almighty power of God.
Magic Mirror Now, come back to my foolish story.
I went into the room, fantastic, everywhere it had big mirrors, so I can
see how pretty I am. (Audience laughs at Master's 'preening' gestures)
And in the bedroom, there was a big mirror; I knew it was a mirror. Everyone
immediately knew it was a mirror; there's no fooling about that. In the
bathroom, there were also two windows, and from the two windows, you could
see through to the sea.
So, they say the sage is like the fool.
Actually, afterwards I remembered, "Oh, yes, it's the mirror!" But it was
difficult to find out. You can't believe it. Because I was not used to
this kind of scenery, two windows became four, that I hadn't seen before.
And the sea was inside the wall. But it looked so real that I was mesmerized
with the beauty of the sea through the windows and I forgot about the mirror.
Really, I did! But it hit me like that: "My God! You are the Supreme Master,
okay, but you don't realize the difference between the windows and the
reflection of the windows." So, I laughed at myself, and had very good
fun when I realized that.
But it surprised me that I didn't realize
it was a reflection from the window. It really surprised me for many days.
How could I be fooled so easily? Just because I love the sea, I focused
on the sea. And I thought, "Wow! You can see the sea through the windows;
fantastic, we have four windows and on all four sides is the sea." I was
happy with the sea, and I forgot that it was an illusion. It's not that
I couldn't find out, it's just that I was too fixated on the sea.
So, similarly in our daily life, most
people are fixated on the object of their beloved desire. And then they
forget the illusion, they forget the magic mirror. It's not that they can't
find out; when they are ready, they'll find out. The Master will come,
or they will wake up themselves. Actually when the Master comes, that means
they wake up themselves. Otherwise, who can tell them they have it inside?
Just like me: I have my eyes, the mirror is there, I can always find out,
but then I am too fixated on the vision of the sea, and enjoying that.
And it looked so real; I thought it was four windows. I'm telling you the
truth; I'm not kidding you. I'm not telling a story to make a smooth gap
between our lectures; it's a true story. I am that foolish. Can you believe
it? And now, you follow me! (Audience laughs) So be careful where you're
going with the mirror.
Reflection vs. Reality We are fixed in our illusions up to
now, or still, sometimes. Therefore, we can't find the truth between illusion
- the reflection or the shadow - and the real. So, we play up and down;
we enjoy it. And sometimes we hit ourselves and we say, "How come?" It's
not there because it's not there; it has never been there.
Therefore in our real life, it's the
same thing. The reflection is never perfect, because of a different-looking
angle. And now we are not satisfied; that's that. You feel something phony
about it. Then sooner or later, we will desire the real, and the reality
will hit us. And then we know: There we are. That's why we make mistakes;
that's why we stumble so far.
The True 'I' Is Always Free Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Q: I have
one question, which is purely theoretical, but I've stuck with it for over
ten years. I understood with the mind that we don't have an I; our feelings
are not us and our thinking is not us and so on. So what is the thing that
goes from one reincarnation to another, and what causes karma and collects
it, and what causes merit and collects it? Is it our mind?
I will try to explain more. In your
life, do you understand who is living now? It's the awareness, the real
'I' that is living through the perceiving agents of the hands, the feet,
the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the feelings, and the brain. That's it.
And should 'I', this awareness, always get stuck with these feelings, with
this thinking, with this information, then the 'I' cannot be free from
the feelings, from the thinking, from the preconceived collective ideas
of society, of the environment, of the habits. And of course, that true
awareness, that true 'I' has to come back again. But should this true 'I'
always understand that he, the true 'I', the true awareness, is only the
witness of all these feelings, all this thinking, all these collective
thoughts, then this 'I' never gets stuck with these feelings or ideas,
and is always free. So when he dies, he knows absolutely that he is not
these feelings, not these bindings, not these surroundings, not these ideas;
then he is free. He marches back to the whole, to the whole river of life,
and doesn't get stuck in that corner of so-called thinking, feeling, hate
and love. So we have to awaken our awareness again, pull it back and keep
reminding it all the time, "You are not this feeling, you are not this
idea, you are not this, and you are not that." Understand? Nothing is you!
Q: Is it the
same with pain?
So why should you get stuck there,
and be bound life after life? Because you are not satisfied. You have to
know that these things are fleeting. Today it comes, tomorrow it goes.
Okay, that's it. If I have enjoyed, I enjoy it. If I experience an unpleasant
thing, then I endure it, and that's it. When I'm gone, I'm gone. When I
don't have them, I don't have them. Otherwise if we, the awareness, keep
chasing after pleasure, then we reincarnate. The awareness is trying to
catch the last leftover feeling, so it tries to put itself into a frame
again and enjoy it or suffer, always clinging to this sweet or bitter feeling,
chasing after it.
If someone gives you an apple, and
you eat it: Oh, you love it so much! But now you don't have another one,
and you go everywhere searching for an apple; every day your mind says
only, "Apple, apple, apple!" You cannot do anything else, and you lose
yourself. You lose yourself in the sweetness of the apple. It's the same
thing with our life: The awareness is chasing after the pleasant and hating
the unpleasant, and we get stuck there. The awareness cannot free itself
from these feelings; therefore, we are bound, we are not liberated. If
we know that at every moment, and especially at the time of death, we are
not this feeling, we don't care about this feeling, and we are done with
all these feelings, then we are free. We are always free! We have never
been unfree. (Audience applauds)
So, cry when you want to cry, and laugh
when you want to laugh, but understand that the crying and laughing are
not you. You just experience them, for the sake of knowing things, for
the sake of existence. Otherwise you don't exist; otherwise the world doesn't
exist. We say that the world is full of suffering and it shouldn't exist,
but why shouldn't it exist? If it didn't exist, it would also be boring.
There's nothing else to do, and you enjoy all the time: "Oh, I am this,
I am that, (Audience laughs) I am God, that's it, I am Almighty, and I
know it! I have no suffering, nothing. I am always blissful." So what?
Don't bother about nirvana, so what? If you are happy every day, so what?
But because you still want nirvana,
so work for it. Work until you don't want it any more, until you're fed
up with it, and then you'll be free. (Master and audience laugh) I only
want you to work for nirvana because I want you to know that you don't
need nirvana. But as long as you need it, then work for it. If you still
want the dummy, the plastic one, then just have it. But have it until your
mouth is dry and you have no milk, nothing, and then one day you will throw
it away. And realize that you didn't even need it in the beginning. Because
you are always free of that, you don't need it.
Who Am 'I'? Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
You said the Master knows everything
and is omnipresent. But I don't know anything! The Master knows. 'I' don't
have to know. We are doing without doing. If I have to know everything,
I am too busy, because I have to do a thousand and one jobs at the same
time. And you think the mind is capable of flushing out one thousand and
one jobs at the same time to report to the so-called 'me'? I already have
no 'me'; we have no 'me'. I told you already that we are only thoughts.
The so-called 'me' is only one thought after another, all garbage, all
habits, and all recorded information.
'Me' is the awakened one, the witness,
the one who sees everything that we collect or we react to. There is a
chain of action and reaction, and the one who knows that is the witness.
It's not the action or the reaction; it's the witness. That's the 'We';
that's the 'I'. But then we always mistake the witness for the event. We
are so attached to the event or the taste of all the things that we know,
and then we think that's 'we'. Now 'I' am angry, now 'I' am happy, now
'I' am not. It's not true! It's just the reaction. It's not 'me' who is
angry; 'I' am witnessing the anger; 'I' am seeing the drama that is going
on. Now it's funny, and now it's miserable, but that is all, just the action
and reaction on the stage.
Therefore, when we do some work for
ourselves, we never think it's a big deal. If you put some food in your
mouth, do you expect any reward? Or when you wash your body, do you think
you are fantastic? (Audience laughs) If you don't wash, you cannot bear
it. If you don't eat, you feel very weak, and you cannot move. So eating
itself is kind of self-rewarding. Bathing itself is kind of self-rewarding.
Similarly, doing any work for the Master, for human beings, for fellow
initiates or non-initiates, these are self-rewarding.
Of course, when we do work for Master,
it means it is for human beings, because the Master is a human being. He
is not a private person; He is a public instrument. Anyone can use it -
you know this already - to do any kind of job, it doesn't matter how humble
or how great. You always let the Master or tell the Master to do it, and
the Master will do it, whether you see it or not. The Master doesn't always
have to report to you about what the Master does. Therefore, sometimes
you know, you see it with your wisdom eye, and sometimes you don't. Maybe
your wisdom eye sleeps. (Audience laughs) Yes, it happens like that! And
then you say, "Master doesn't do anything for me. I never see anything."
When your mother is cleaning, washing and cooking while you are sleeping,
do you know anything? (No!) That doesn't mean the mother doesn't do the
housework. When you see your house is in order, neat and tidy when you
wake up, you know someone has done something. And if no one else is in
the house, it must be the mother!
The Supreme Power Does Everything So only the Master does everything. Who else is there, who else is with you except the Supreme Power who does everything for you? And then you think you meditate, you sit, you eat vegetarian, you keep the precepts, etc. Actually, it's all the Master who does it. It is the Master who seeks the Master; it's not you. Who is it that seeks? Is it all the thoughts that are jumping, one after the next, is that the one who seeks the Master wisdom? No! It's the wisdom who knows that it is time to recognize itself, to appreciate its own power. (Audience applauds) You cut off my inspiration! (Audience laughs) Never mind! I have another one. So if we still think we are doing something or seeking something, we are wrong. That's why 'we' cannot mix with the Master. That's why we can not recognize who we are, and who the Master is. The Master is ourselves. |
Three-dimensional Movie By sister initiate Wen Xin, Taipei, Formosa Recently, I had a dream in which my
father took me to a movie. He had a special smile on his face when we entered
the theater, but he didn't tell me what we were about to experience. Later,
I learned that we were watching a three-dimensional film. As we watched,
goblins flew out from the screen and all the audience members in every
corner of the theatre felt as though the goblins were directly rushing
toward them. Everyone screamed in excitement!
After a while, I noticed that my father
was not in his seat! I was not worried, for I thought that I would see
him outside after the movie. However, the man beside me made me feel uncomfortable,
so I moved up a few rows and sat on the extreme left. There, I found the
screen extending to the left and right, and I was sitting right at the
left edge of the screen.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps moving
toward me from behind the screen. All the audience members held their breath
while listening to this sound, anticipating that something would happen
soon. Then, the footsteps stopped abruptly, and from behind the screen,
a hand reached out... to grab me! At that instant, I looked at myself and
thought with reassurance: "Well! I am quite well dressed today, and my
hair looks pretty, too, so it is alright for me to be on the stage." (It
was very strange, because I could see my whole body rise from the seat.
Normally, when we look at ourselves with our physical eyes, we can only
see our body but not our head, except when we look into a mirror.)
I struggled hard, and suddenly saw
myself in the center of the screen, which meant that the entire audience
was watching me. I thought to myself, "Oh! I cannot struggle in such an
awful manner!" I recomposed my facial expression while kicking at the person
grabbing me. But I found that it was difficult to kick freely. Finally,
I managed to kick with all my might, and this woke me up from the dream.
As I awoke, I found that I had kicked
a box on my bed. Evidently, I had not only been kicking in the dream, but
also in real life. This dream was very funny and inspiring. It reminded
me that the whole world is actually a huge three-dimensional theater. The
only difference is that, in a theater, we know that we are watching a movie
or acting our part, but in this world of reality, we seem to be unaware
of what we are doing. Therefore, all our agonies and joys become so real
that it is difficult to detach ourselves from them. The truth is, everything
in this world is only a drama except that, unlike a stage play, there is
a longer span between the rise and fall of the curtain. It seems to involve
a director and scriptwriter, and the episodes are pre-arranged to some
extent, but when we are playing the roles, we don't remember what has been
pre-determined. Every actor acts spontaneously with his or her own feelings,
and coordinates with other actors in a very sincere manner so that each
person can learn something from it.
Our physical body is a costume that
we wear for our whole lifetime. In Greek, the word persona (from which
we get the English word 'person') means mask, and the ancient wisdom behind
this term implies that our true Self is not this corporeal body. However,
each individual has a different level of understanding about this point,
and his or her power of self-dominion is also different. Some of us are
more dominated by the corporeal body, while others are more dominated by
their real Self, which accounts for our different levels of freedom. This
world - this huge, three-dimensional movie - is so incredible that we unknowingly
lose ourselves in it. Fortunately, before God allowed us to come down here
to play our roles in the drama, Hes installed a window through which we
can see the Truth. When the time is right, it opens naturally. This does
not mean that we can discover the Truth only after we die and take off
our physical costume, but that we can simultaneously live in two worlds
- the world of Truth and the world of delusion. We can go in and out of
these two worlds at any time, just like falling into a dream and then awakening
from it. Of course, it would be most wonderful if we could be like the
great enlightened sages, existing constantly and simultaneously in both
worlds, and being always awake, even in the delusive physical world.
|
Curved Straight World By Clara, six-year old girl, Hong Kong
Curved and straight.
One day, straight world,
I'm on this side of curved world,
Oh, oh, straight world is in a cave;
'Look, look,
Over there, and met, very happy.
Awakened, it's a dream -
Play Looking for the Good By sister initiate Winnie, Hong Kong (Originally in English) Our daughter's name was Clara, meaning
bright, shining girl. She brought lots of light and joy to our family.
We often played a game in which one of us named a condition (e.g. being
tall, being short or falling down), then we took turns looking for the
good in it as much as we could. Her answers often astonished and amused
me. For example, we once played looking for the good in rain. Besides points
like the reservoirs need rain to fill up, farmers need rain for the fields,
rain often makes a hot day cooler and more pleasant, we can quietly enjoy
the sound of dropping rain etc., she suddenly said we can have fun being
wet in the rain. I clapped my hands in agreement, and we quietly looked
forward to the next rain for fun. We usually ran for shelter when it started
rain. But on that day we just relaxed and had fun. We were wet all through,
but we just took our time watching the leaves falling and floating, just
like boats on the small pools of water on the roadside. We had so much
joy running, singing and dancing in the rain, that it left us both with
beautiful memories associated with a rainy day!
Clara was six and soon changing from
nursery class to primary school. The housemaid who had helped us all along
in taking care of her was emigrating. So I planned to take nine months
leave from my work to be with Clara to help her adapt to the changes. I
accompanied her to and from school, and took her to gardens, beaches, parks,
markets, exhibitions, libraries etc. We made cakes and toys and made up
stories at home. We had so much time for fun together. At the time, I wished
to become a vegetarian. As a New Year's plan, my husband suggested that
we try it out first ourselves with the start of the year 1993 and let Clara
join us a little later. It worked out well. Our family was very happy!
Half a year with us in a holiday mood flew by quickly.
At a picnic in late February 1993,
we were happily playing one of our usual games. Like a Japanese swordsman,
Clara used a twig to cut up a long piece of grass held in the air on both
ends by my husband and me, and suddenly she asked us why she was seeing
things in double. We brought her for an examination the next day and discovered
that she had a brain tumor in an inoperable position. According to past
records, chemotherapy or radiotherapy could only prolong her life for two
to three years. The surgeon could only do a shunting operation to lessen
the headaches that would occur when the tumor grew big. It was a big blow
to us! We only told Clara an operation was needed for the brain tumor,
but did not mention the severity of the condition. She accepted the news
without a problem. At that time she was happy as usual, with no other symptoms.
After the operation she drew a thank-you card for the doctor with Mickey
Mouse sick in bed and other animal friends visiting near the bedside. All
the animals were smiling happily.
One day in mid-May, She suddenly told
me: "Mama, I'll die soon." I asked her why she had said that, and she replied,
"I know. I can feel it." So I said: "Anyone may die at any time. Mama going
out today may be hit by a car and die too. What we can do is treasure and
live well each day." So we talked about our heavenly father, places where
we can go after death, like heaven to meet Jesus, the western paradise
in Buddha's land, etc.
Then she started to slur her speech.
I could only pray for help. Taking care of her, I had stopped reading newspapers
for a few months already. But surprisingly, on May 29, I took up a newspaper
and on one of the inner pages I saw a photo of a Master from the Himalayas,
who was giving a lecture on that day. I phoned my husband at his office,
saying that I wished to attend the lecture. So we arranged to have my mother-in-law
come to take care of Clara with a new maid. As I had promised to be back
home by nine, I left the talk while Master was answering questions. The
next day my husband phoned the local contact person to learn more about
Master's teachings. We were impressed and started to learn the Convenient
Method, waiting for initiation. We also prayed for Master's best arrangement
for our daughter.
Soon, it was Clara's seven-year birthday.
Her condition deteriorated quickly. She was often in bed and could not
speak. She was frequently thirsty but could only indicate her thirst to
us by signing with her fingers. Because she easily choked while drinking,
we could only use a syringe to drop water slowly into her mouth. My husband
and I took turns taking care of her. My husband had to work in the daytime,
so I stayed up nights to look after her as she frequently asked for water
in her sleep. Then deep in the night of June 2, I was sitting next to her.
I was very tired but still struggling to keep my eyes open to watch for
her requests. As in a trance, I heard, "Lay down your heart. Master is
helping you watch over her." I was surprised and asked, "Master? What Master?"
Then I saw the photo of Master near the bed smiling at me and I understood.
I said: "You really have to watch her, because she cannot speak out now."
But I was still unsure and refused to close my eyes. So Master comforted
me and said, "You see, is she sleeping very well now? It's been a long
time that she hasn't asked for water." I agreed. Only then did I let go,
and dozed off to sleep.
The next morning, my relatives, having
heard how critical Clara's condition was, came as a group to visit. Miraculously,
she could talk again and got out of bed to play with toys on the floor.
We were so thankful to Master, and prayed for initiation as soon as possible.
We were lucky that Master soon answered
our prayer. There was a video lecture on June 26, to be followed by an
initiation. I phoned and asked whether we could bring along our daughter
who was sick. The answer was that we could. However, since she had not
been registered for initiation, she could not get in for initiation.
A few days later, Clara asked me why
she had often been seeing blue light and hearing the sound of a bell recently.
After the initiation instructions, of course I understood what she was
talking about. So I told her that it was a gift from Master and asked her
to enjoy this inner Light and Sound, which was good for her, and to pray
to Master for help in any time of trouble. I was so thankful to the one
on the phone, who had allowed me to bring her to the lecture, as she had
obviously received much blessing from Master on that day.
We prayed for Master's best arrangement.
July went by slowly. But Clara began to deteriorate again in August. She
had convulsions and frequent loss of consciousness. Minutes passed so slowly
that I understood what the Chinese phrase 'passing a day like a year' felt
like. It was more painful to watch her suffer the medical procedures than
it would be to bear the procedures myself. On August 26, a friend visited
and helped to aspirate her sputum. I mentioned that seeing her suffer so
much, I no longer wished for her to get well again. The friend asked if
Clara could hear us speaking. I said I could not tell, as she had been
unconscious for so long. But just then I caught sight of her eyeballs moving
in her closed eyes. So she could hear! Two hours later she died. She left
only after she was sure I was ready to accept her death.
Master stayed in Hong Kong then after
the lecture and we all enjoyed Her loving presence. Once Master lovingly
asked my husband and me whether we had children. When we told her that
our child had just died, She comforted us: "Your child is in a better realm
than we are in now." When my husband asked why some children die young,
She said some children come to claim debts from their parents while some
may be saints coming to help their parents. I knew that Clara had come
to help us. Master was so kind. She also blessed us with a gift of the
water spinach that She had grown Herself in the Center. We were so lucky
and happy!
I wanted to devote more time to spiritual
practice and Master's work. I thought that was the best thing we could
do for ourselves and for Clara and our relatives. My husband supported
my decision. I was happy and time flew by again.
A few months later, I had a strange,
vivid dream. I was walking quickly with a group of people when I caught
sight of Clara standing behind bars. She was not in pain, but appeared
to want to speak to me. I was puzzled. We were in a hurry to go somewhere
to do some work. I was at a loss. After many struggles, at last I hurried
on. I often wondered what the dream meant. After that, I never dreamt of
Clara again.
Before attending the Washington Christmas
retreat in 1997, we took a few days holiday in the United States. While
sitting near a freezing stream, I had memories of Clara playing happily
in the snow with her cousin in Canada. A surge of grief arose in me for
the first time since her death. Only then did I realize that I was sad
about her death. Suddenly, the meaning of what I had said at the funeral
came to light. The part inside that had died with her was my heart! I had
lost my heart and felt no interest in life. I had avoided anyone and anything
that might remind me of Clara. I had a life, but was not living. That was
why Master had said that I had no love. I decided then to really let go
of the past and be happy and loving.
On heariastories again, I review her
childhood wisdom. All things are one and connected. The curve or straightness
in the world is just a difference in perspective. They may appear different
and separate, but actually cannot be divided. It's all but a dream. So
to have a good or bad dream is our own choice. We are really free as the
wind; free to blow away the dark clouds anytime we choose, and the bright
sunlight will reappear.
So I start to play our usual game of
looking for the good in this experience. We were blessed with the chance
to meet a living Master at our time of trouble. The ephemeral nature of
life is a reminder for spiritual practice. Suffering is but a purification
process. Without the suffering due to the sickness and death of our daughter,
in our usual comfort it would not have been easy for my husband and me
to let go of the world and start our journey Home. So it is a blessing
in disguise. I also have learned the importance of releasing emotions.
I hope reading this may in some way help some brothers or sisters who may
be facing the death of loved ones. I also have learned that time heals
and love grows. In this world of dreams, love is the one true thing. Without
fear and avoidance, we can grow in empathy and unconditional love. All
are one and connected. Separation and avoidance are only a dream. We cannot
be at ease if we are stuck in our dreams and ignorance. Once we are awakened
and aware of our ignorance, it is easy to clear the blocks, and let our
inner Light shine. Let us radiate out as good examples of Master's teachings.
I am thankful for every arrangement of God and treasure the experience
of living.
If life is a dream, let it be a dream
of love and peace. If life is a play, I choose a joyous play.
Nourished by Master's Love By sister initiate Tang Ju-ying, Taipei, Formosa Having followed Master on the spiritual
path for many years, I have always felt deeply indebted to Her for Her
concern, and to many fellow initiates and friends for their help. Thanks
to them, I am able to participate in various activities held by the Hsihu
Center and other local centers with undivided attention. I have received
much, and so naturally want to join in all kinds of work to contribute
what I can. Each time I do so, I get an intense feeling that my insignificant
contribution and effort cannot measure up to the great remuneration I receive
from Master, in both material and spiritual ways.
Let me share an example with you. When
my half-initiated son began to attend group meditation with me, I was able
to meditate in the hall without worry because of the loving sacrifice of
the guardians, and parents of other young initiates. Later, I joined the
team of volunteer babysitters at the encouragement of other fellow initiates.
When newly initiated, my son had difficulty
sitting still while meditating at home. He did not enjoy group meditation
either. These problems were distressing to me, and I had no idea about
what to do. Fortunately, the situation improved shortly after I became
a volunteer babysitter. At the suggestion of other sister initiates, I
encouraged my son to keep a spiritual diary, and as the spiritual manual
instructed, I read an article from Master's teachings to him every day.
I noticed that he listened to the teachings very attentively and was able
to put them into practice. He even reminded me if I forgot to read the
teachings to him. Now, he no longer moves restlessly during meditation,
and has also begun to enjoy attending group meditation at the Hsihu Center
and other local centers.
Through this interaction with my child,
I have found myself making progress, too. I have learned much from other
young initiates and have been so touched that I cannot describe it. I am
on duty only once a month, yet I reap so much in return. I really cannot
find words to express my gratitude to Master!
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Here is a new list of movies for kids as recommended by Master. Some are suitable for bigger kids (and adults); some are suitable for young kids. We have categorized the movies according to the standard U. S. ratings, as indicated below: (G) General audiences. All ages admitted.
Movies Acted by Real Persons:
Movies Featuring Animals:
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Report from El Salvador Early Christmas Gifts Sent by God [San Salvador] El Salvador can be counted
as an economically developed country in Central America. Her people are
hard working and amicable. Unfortunately, however, the country's prolonged
civil war has worn down both the nation and its people, especially in rural
villages, where the people live in poverty, many of them jobless. Some
time ago, the country was attacked by dengue fever, leaving sixty thousand
people infected; the children were the most seriously affected. Knowing
that El Salvador's children desperately needed help, Master immediately
sent volunteers to make a survey on the spot, to find out what they needed
most, and then help them accordingly.
Upon receiving Master's instructions,
a Quan Yin messenger promptly went to El Salvador, joined by local fellow
practitioners and a brother initiate who came from Costa Rica to help,
and then penetrated deep into many remote areas, traveling over mountains
and rivers, to conduct a thorough survey. The team found that although
the peak of the dengue fever outbreak had passed, many people, especially
children, still needed help. Our group first went to the Red Cross, providing
medication most needed by the children. We also went to the local Green
Cross organization and three orphanages, one of which was devoted to accommodating
mentally handicapped children and abandoned babies who were born abnormal.
Our subsequent destinations included two remote villages by the seaside,
some other destitute communities, a Catholic hospital and a children's
hospital. We didn't forget the local drug addicts' infirmary and old folks'
homes, because we hoped to convey Master's love to all needy people in
the area.
Two charity groups helped us enormously
in accomplishing our task. One of these organizations was the local Green
Cross and the other was CEntro Salvadoreno de Tecnologia Apropiada, (CESTA)
that advocates ecological preservation and environmental protection, and
also does charity and relief work. Members of these groups accompanied
us on our visits to the two seaside villages. The Green Cross is a local
voluntary disaster relief group, and one of its volunteers, Mr. Victor,
was most helpful in driving us to visit the people most in need during
this period, and in helping with collecting information.
The first seaside village we stopped
at was San Juan del Gozo in the province of Usulutan. Two years ago, typhoon
Mitch devastated the whole village, reducing the roads to a muddy mess,
and leaving the villagers in poverty and misery. When we went there on
November 17 to explore the situation, we conveyed to them Master's loving
concern for their children. They told us that they could not take good
care of the children due to poverty, and had never celebrated Children's
Day and Christmas with the kids. Knowing that they needed a water pump,
we bought one for them, together with numerous living necessities such
as clothes, milk powder, rice, red beans, oil, sugar, and oats, as well
as plenty of toys, biscuits and candies. We delivered these materials to
the residents on November 14 when we visited their village again. We also
held an early Christmas celebration for all the children in the village,
and several hundred children participated joyously. According to the village
committee, some people also had helped them before. But they had only come
to take a look and then sent someone else to buy the things. They were
deeply touched because we really found out what they needed and then personally
delivered our love right into their hands.
In one family of this village lived
a mother and her nine children. The youngest daughter was only two. One
of her eyes was already blind, and the other was popping out and nearly
blind. Extremely weak in condition, she coughed continuously. That night
we took her to get medical treatment at the Benjamin Bloom Children's Hospital
100km away in San Salvador. We paid her medical fees and left some money
with her mother so that she had travel money to visit her daughter, and
paid for any subsequent medical fees. The mother wrote us a thank-you letter
for our efforts. At the Children's Hospital, we met two children who had
heart symptoms, but they could only wait because they could not afford
the expensive check-up fee. We also paid for them so that they could be
treated without delay.
Another village that CESTA led us to
visit was Toluca. We also held a Christmas celebration for its inhabitants
on November 16. In that village, we found a child who was suffering from
malnutrition and calcium deficiency. A tumor was growing on his arm and
later he had accidentally broken a bone on his arm, and the only treatment
he had received was plaster immobilization for more than three months.
He did not receive further medical treatment because the surgery fee was
too expensive for his family to pay. We promptly took him to get medical
treatment and entrusted the surgery fee, amounting to 10,000 Colones (approx.
US$1,200), to the local CESTA organization so that the group could pay
for it later.
Another orphanage that we visited was
the Aldea Anfantil SOS Santa Tecla. We also held a Christmas celebration
at this facility in the evening, and the venue was beautifully decorated
with ornamental lights. When we were about to leave, the superintendent
and all the children together sang Christmas carols including Silent Night
for us, thus ending this heart-warming evening.
On November 24, we revisited the San
Martin Village for Infants, because during our previous visit, many staff
members had expressed great interest in Master's teachings and in learning
the Convenient Method.
A person suffering from Down's Syndrome
needed his seventy-year-old father to carry him in order to move around.
Upon receiving notification, the father went to our residence and received
a wheelchair. Even after he had gone home, he still could not believe that
what had happened was true! Later, some friends from the Green Cross told
us that the father cried again and again while feeling the wheelchair,
because from then on, he could easily take his son everywhere.
On November 16, we visited a civilian
infirmary called Nuestra Senora de la Paz. Apart from helping addicts to
quit drugs, this facility also cares for youngsters perplexed by other
problems. One of the founders of this center was a CESTA member, and it
was because of this connection that we visited this place. To satisfy the
infirmary's needs, we bought plenty of food, tables and equipment. All
of the inhabitants had very good experiences when learning the Convenient
Method. Upon seeing the inner Light, they felt very comfortable and relaxed.
Since the most vital factor in quitting drugs is eliminating the stress
and anxiety when one is not using drugs, the administration staff members
realized that the Convenient Method was most effective for this purpose.
Therefore, they consulted us concerning the appropriateness of including
meditation in their daily routines.
On November 22, we went to the Rosario
region, where an environmental protection school founded by CESTA was located.
Apart from the normal curricula of a primary and secondary school, they
also taught environmental protection concepts and the cultivation of organic
plants, especially soybeans. The responsible person of that region was
very interested in processed soy products such as tofu, soybean milk, and
vegetarian meat substitutes, and wanted very much to teach production methods
for these items in the school. A would-be initiate had promised to teach
their teachers these procedures free of charge. Afterwards, they would
be able to teach their students.
Later, we visited Hospital Parroquial,
a community hospital run by the church. Although the Hospital was kind
enough to provide free medical consultation to destitute patients, all
the while they could not afford to pay for their medication. Therefore,
we also bought some of the most urgently needed medical supplies for them.
Later, we learned that an old folk's
nursing house, Asilo "Sara Zaldivar" desperately needed a water filter
to sterilize water for wound cleansing. We immediately ordered a set for
them from the United States, which could be delivered within a week. When
we visited their place, we found that the besides a water filter they also
lacked other items, especially clothing and bed sheets. Therefore, we bought
milk powder, oats, bed sheets and clothing for them, for which they were
very grateful. We also left some money with a local fellow practitioner
for the purpose of celebrating Christmas with them in December.
During this period, we went out very
early each day to buy food, toys, candies and medical supplies, and were
busy until midnight. In the few days before our departure, we managed to
find time to hold two video seminars. The theme was "How to Develop Our
Inner Almighty Power and Live a Life of Truth, Virtue and Beauty through
the Meditation Method of Contemplating the Inner Light and Sound." Apart
from Channel-4 TV, which reported on our visit to the first orphanage,
Radio El Mundo and the largest newspaper in El Salvador, La Prensa Grafica,
also reported on our aid to the orphans and needy. They also disseminated
news about the video seminars and introduced Master and the Quan Yin Method
to their compatriots.
The first video seminar was held on
November 23 at the Kalpataru Vegetarian Restaurant. Though we had no time
to print fliers, many people came nonetheless. Many learned the Convenient
Method, had wonderful experiences, and left their addresses with us for
further communication. We gave them some vegetarian food that we had bought,
and taught them how to cook vegetarian meals.
The venue of the second video seminar
on November 25 was a yoga association, and the responsible person had attended
the first seminar. He liked Master very much, and enjoyed very good experiences
after learning the Convenient Method. When he went back, he immediately
arranged the venue to welcome participants coming to this divine congregation.
The second seminar was also very successful; the atmosphere was wonderful
and people had good experiences.
We were overjoyed to see people getting the opportunity to know Master, experience Her love, and understand Her teachings. Within this period, many fellow initiates and would-be initiates miraculously turned up and contacted us, asking to join our mission. Master's intense blessing on us was obviously discernible. Before departing, we sent our best wishes to the benevolent and beautiful country of El Salvador, hoping that her people, through God's blessing, would have long lasting peace, happiness and satisfaction. (The details of expenditures and receipts
for this activity will be published in the Charity Expenditures Table in
the next issue of our magazine.)
Captions: 8. After the first video seminar,
guests stay behind to practice the Convenient Method.
9. La Prensa Grafica, El Salvador
November 24, 2000. Report from California, U.S.A. Early Christmas Gifts for the Homeless [San Jose] On November 20, a chilly
morning before Thanks-giving, fellow practitioners from the San Jose Center
gathered to distribute supplies to a group of about 100 homeless people.
Everything went wonderfully, and the people were very happy to see us.
We went to a place called Urban Ministries, which provides the homeless
with hot coffee in the mornings and a place to sit and relax for a while.
One of the differences between this place and where we went last year was
that many of the people from last year were "homeless", but were living
in shelters. These people seemed to be living mostly outside in the streets.
We showed up at 8:00 in the morning
with boxes of thick army jackets and thermal underwear. We also had put
together gift packages, including a wool cap, socks, a toothbrush, a razor,
razor blades, shaving cream, gourmet cookies and one of Master's magazines.
The people were very excited by our offerings.
They looked like they were really having
a lot of fun trying on the different jacket sizes and styles. It seemed
as though they were being pampered, in being able to put on jackets, model
them, get opinions on the fit and style, and then try on others. One woman,
after trying on several jackets and finally finding one to her liking,
became choked up and said it was just like Christmas should be. "You are
the only ones who have come here and given us these things we need!" she
said. "You are all angels!" We just smiled, knowing it was God's blessings
and Master's love.
Some of the homeless were very cold
and chilled when they came to us, wearing only very light jackets and no
hats. You could tell how grateful they were to have something warmer to
put on, and it was very gratifying to be a part of our group and to be
passing out these blessings to them.
Captions: Report from Formosa Hsihu Gets New Fire Engine [Hsihu] Considering the mountainous
terrain and narrow, winding roads of Hsihu rural township, The Supreme
Master Ching Hai International Association contributes a four-wheel-drive
light fire engine to the township administration at the local stadium on
October 25.
Visitors to Hsihu, Miaoli County are
usually enchanted and impressed by the area's small pastoral roads built
on mountain slopes. However, these very roads that blend well into the
beautiful landscape to create a nostalgic atmosphere are also a major concern
of local fire fighters, challenging their ability to maneuver heavy fire
engines provided by the government on these narrow roads. Until recently,
the local fire-fighting unit had only one light fire engine, which was
old and worn-out. Whether it could properly and safely function remained
a perpetual question. In addition, during typhoons and heavy downpours,
the mountain roads become rough and muddy, making it difficult to maneuver
heavy two-wheel-drive fire engines, thus hampering rescue work.
During the typhoon season a few months
back, township Magistrate Yang realized the seriousness of the problem
after hearing a report from local firefighters. She approached The Supreme
Master Ching Hai International Association about the possibility of contributing
a four-wheel-drive light fire engine that would be just right for the local
terrain.
This constructive proposal was in line with the undiscriminating loving spirit of Supreme Master Ching Hai in helping and benefiting others, and The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association promptly agreed. To ensure that the vehicle would well serve the local community, several members of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, who were experienced in mobile rescue work and vehicle modification, worked together to transform a new four-wheel-drive van from China Motors Corperation of Formosa into a fully equipped rescue vehicle for the Hsihu fire station. Captions: Typhoon Xangsane Disaster Relief [Taipei] Typhoon Xangsane swept over
Formosa on the first of November. Overnight torrential rains caused mudslides
in the northern mountain areas, and the debris flow rushed down into the
Keelung River. This, along with rising tides at the time, resulted in the
severe flooding of several low-lying areas, including Keelung's Chitu and
Wutu districts, Taipei's Neihu District, and Hsichih. Many buildings were
submerged by water up to the second story.
When Master heard news of the disaster from abroad, She instructed initiates to immediately join in the relief work. The Taipei Center contacted the Financial Supervisor of the Hsichih City Office, Mr. Chen, and Miss Ji of the Chitu administrative office, and learned that roads had been blocked with silt, water and power supplies had been cut off, and cooking had been rendered impossible. The victims needed food provisions, potable water, and other supplies. The Taipei Center wasted no time preparing these emergency provisions for the affected areas. Within two days, they delivered basic necessities valued at NT$257,615 (US$7,926) to the local administrative offices of Hsichih and Chitu, these including bread, instant noodles, cookies, mineral water, mixed grain porridge, and other relief materials. A Hsichih official accompanied fellow practitioners to the most heavily affected boroughs, where the relief materials were directly delivered to each borough chief for distribution. Typhoon Xangsane also destroyed 90
percent of the crops ready for harvest on a farm in southern Formosa. The
farmer, already plagued by financial troubles, received NT$50,000 (approx.
US$1,538) in funding.
Fellow practitioners took up their
post in the more easily flooded areas of Hsichih and Wutu, maintaining
vigilance until two in the afternoon. According to brother initiate Lin,
head of the Keelung Red Cross Rescue Team who also participated in the
rescue operation, the water level of Keelung River had risen near the critical
mark several times, but each time, the water receded at the most dangerous
point. Fellow practitioners were convinced that if it had not been for
Master's grace, heavy losses of life and property might have occurred.
After the 921 earthquake in 1999, Master
instructed us to organize relief teams to render more professional and
efficient relief work. Fellow practitioners have earnestly devoted themselves
to preparation work ranging from staff training, equipment and provisions
purchase, to rescue work in affected areas. They have displayed the spirit
of empathy and spread Master's love to every corner of society!
Captions: Relief for Victims of Typhoon Bilis [Hualien] On August 22, Typhoon Bilis
struck Formosa, causing severe devastation in Yuli, along the eastern coast
of the island. The Hualien Center immediately responded to the Yuli Family
Helpers' request for assistance for needy households living in remote or
mountainous areas, where houses were completely or partially destroyed.
The Family Helpers assessed the damage done by the typhoon and the assistance
required by each household. The victims, helping each other and offering
rides to those without transportation, arrived at the Family Helpers headquarters
to receive relief funds contributed by The Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association.
The Yuli township office also referred
us to other cases compiled by the police and local officials. The borough
chief accompanied us on our visits to each affected household, concerned
that some of the victims might have relocated because their houses had
been leveled. In a touching example of warmth and love, one of the chiefs
offered shelter to a mentally handicapped man, providing him with room
and board. Typhoon Bilis also damaged the mountainside home of a couple
in their seventies, who were unable to work. The old man, who was physically
disabled, and his wife, who suffered from glaucoma, were comforted by their
kindhearted neighbors, who helped them repair their home. This reminded
us of the brighter side of life, where humans help and care for each other.
We also visited a lonely old woman who was extremely touched and grateful
to see us. When we left, she nodded to us with tears in her eyes. A widow
raising two handicapped sons all by herself had her house half-destroyed
by the typhoon. She too was very moved and thankful to see us. Again, many
of her neighbors helped her to rebuild and repair her home. In such cases,
we see clearly how human beings can help and care for each other with a
pure and simple mind.
Captions: Master's Love Reaches Distant Wul ♪ [Taitung] This is how an ancient legend
of Formosa's Bunun aborigines goes. Once, during a losing battle, a Bunun
elder escaped into the mountains with his enemies close at his heels. While
in this desperate situation, he heard a humming sound. God was answering
his prayers and inspiring him through the heavenly music. He turned back
and the Bunun won the battle. Since then, the Bunun tribesmen have returned
to their dominion and imitated this Sound to create their world-famous
octet. In the Haituang rural township, Taitung County, Wulu is a typical
Bunun tribal village located high among the clouds. Its inhabitants are
pious children of God who still sing this heavenly octet. Several years
back, they performed the octet at the National Concert Hall in Taipei,
and even in the faraway Yunan Province of mainland China.
Many fellow practitioners from Taitung
participated in the free medical and barber's services that we offered
in this mountain village. They were joined by Pingtung and Taipei initiates,
who were doctors or naturopaths.
In addition to offering the free services, we also visited senior citizens over the age of sixty-five. Touched by Master's deep love, they cheerfully thanked us in their native language, saying "Ur-ni-la". We, too, said "Ur-ni-la" to Master from the depths of our hearts; it is because of You that we are what we are today! Captions: Excerpts from a Speech by Hsihu Township Magistrate Yang Hsiu-hsia on Fire Engine Contribution Ceremony on October 25, 2000 We have long recognized The Supreme
Master Ching Hai International Association as a member of our Hsihu rural
township. All of you know that we have undertaken an environmental protection
project since I assumed office. Those coming from Miaoli six kilometers
away must have realized how clean county Highway No. 28 has become. The
Chinshih village chief, who is also here with us today, is especially touched
about it.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai International
Association has maintained a long-term cleaning operation on country Highway
No. 28. I can still remember the Taiwan Restitution Day on October 25 two
years ago. It was drizzling, and I saw our fellow brothers and sisters
bringing their own equipment, braving the wind and rain, and clearing the
highway until it was virtually spotless. They transported categorized ,
and disposed of the garbage at a place more appropriate than anywhere we
could think of. I was so touched that they regarded Hsihu as their hometown,
that I went to the Hsihu Center to express my gratitude. There, I was surprised
to see that they had prepared a huge cake. They told me that it was International
Ching Hai Day, and invited me to share the cake and sing Happy Birthday
with them. Before my eyes were so many living saints. I had this strong
feeling because I am a Buddhist. They have done so much for Hsihu. For
instance, they often participate in our Environmental Protection Flea Market
and retrieve materials for recycling.
In my first year in office, I found that Hsihu residents were often delayed when they had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment because they had to wait for ambulances coming from another town. The Association then generously contributed an ambulance to us. The mountain roads in Hsihu are narrow and winding, and forest fires occur there frequently. When there is a forest fire, the men try to contain the fire from the front, while the women use leaves to beat out the fire from the rear. That is a very tedious task, because sometimes there is no water source where the big fire engines cannot reach. Thus, the light fire engine that the Association has contributed to Hsihu is a very important resource for disaster relief. To view the video clip, please visit
Report from Malaysia Helping Fire Victims [Penang] On July 22 and August 9, two
major fires broke out in the city, one in the Chinese settlement of Georgetown
and the other in Jelutong, leaving hundreds of families homeless.
On the following day, little surprises were delivered to the children and adults, in the form of cooling fans and a few boxes of ice cream. Seeing their smiles, decorated with sweet colors, we believe that Master's love brought some hope and warmth into their hearts. Captions: 2. Contributions to Chinese fire victims on July 22, 2000 at Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia (Unit: RM) Items Income Expenses appendix
Contributions to Muslim fire victims on August 9, 2000 at Jelutong, Penang, Malaysia (Unit: RM) Items Income Expenses Appendix
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Music
and
Life
Resonance
from One World ... of peace through music
Mr. Bill Conti is one of Hollywood's
most famed composers and conductors, having won an Oscar for Best Original
Score for the Right Stuff, as well as four Emmy awards. His compositions
are well-known throughout the world and his records have sold over eight
million copies. Bill Conti has acted as orchestral director for the Academy
Awards show for fourteen years. He has composed and arranged music for
the Olympics and for more than 50 television shows, including ABC's Good
Morning America, Dynasty, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Inside Edition
and many others. He has arranged and conducted music for more than 40 orchestras,
both national and international. Bill Conti has scored music for over 100
films, including the Oscar-winning film Rocky, The Karate Kid movies, James
Bond: For Your Eyes Only, Private Benjamin, The Adventures of Huck Finn,
and most recently, The Thomas Crown Affair. Bill Conti has been honored
with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions and achievements
in music. Mr. Conti graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees from
the nation's top music school, the Juilliard School of Music, in New York.
He was also presented with a doctoral degree in music by his alma mater.
Interviewer: We'd like to know more
about your experience of the 'One World ... of peace through music' concert.
I: How do you feel about The Supreme
Master Ching Hai's music and poetry?
I: At the end of the event, you dedicated
a song to The Supreme Master and performed it. How was that - performing
a piece with the person in the audience there with you?
I: So, that evening that you performed
the piece, did it come out like you expected it to?
I: What are you up to these days?
I: What were your feelings after performing
at 'One World ... of peace through music'?
I: Would you want to share with us
once again how you came up with that poetic sound for 'I Will Forever Love
You'?
Resonance from 'One World ... of peace through music Interview with Oscar & Emmy Award-winning Composer Fred Karlin on September 19, 2000 Mr. Fred Karlin is an Oscar and Emmy-winning
composer, who has scored over 150 motion pictures and television projects.
Nominated four times for the Academy Award, he won the Oscar for Best Song
for his composition For All We Know in the motion picture Lovers and Other
Strangers starring Dianne Keaton. For All We Know was recorded by The Carpenters
and received a Gold Record.
I: Let's talk about the extraordinary
benefit concert 'One World ... of peace through music'? How did The Peace
Seeker come about?
I: So, basically, when you received
all the poetry, you went through it and you chose the ones that you felt
you wanted to work with and that brought across the message.
I: Right. What are your thoughts on
The Supreme Master Ching Hai, now that you have performed this piece and
know Her music and poetry?
I: Are you satisfied with The Peace
Seeker and how it came out?
I: What's it like at the moment when
the audience has applauded and you've finished the piece? What's that like?
I: How do you feel about Supreme Master's
poetry?
I: Thank you so much, Mr. Fred Karlin.
Resonance from 'One World ... of peace through music Interview with Gary Good, President
of Gary Good Entertainment on August 21, 2000
Mr. Gary Good is president of the resource
company - Gary Good Entertainment, which has existed for 30 years, and
works with celebrities and other notable people, including a variety of
talents such as singers Sheryl Crow, Naomi Judd, and Natalie Cole, as well
as actresses Debbie Reynolds, Linda Evans, Suzanne Somers and many others.
Mr. Good also represents famous sports figures, well-known speakers, and
media personalities.
I: Please share with us your feelings
on 'One World ... of peace through music'.
I: Following the concert, a VIP reception
took place where The Supreme Master Ching Hai's artwork was on exhibit.
Can you share your thoughts about Her artistic talents?
I: What are your thoughts about The
Supreme Master Ching Hai?
I: What do you think about the CD 'One
World ... of peace through music'?
I: What are your thoughts about The
Supreme Master Ching Hai expressing Her message through artistic means?
On the unforgettable evening of December 18, 1998, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, a sensational musical event - One World ... of peace through music, was held. Many distinguished musicians performed beautiful musical pieces, including enchanting works adapted from Supreme Master Ching Hai's poems that touched the hearts of all present. Now, at the Audio-Video Center of our Quan Yin websites, we have set up an exclusive web page dedicated to One World ... of peace through music, so that everyone can relive the grandeur of the most ethereal musical event of our time. URL address of the One World ...of
peace through music website:
Captions:
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An Ingenious Way to Keep Insects Away To keep your house or working environment
hygienic without having to kill insects such as mosquitoes, bugs, and
cockroaches, in addition to installing screen windows and doors, and
keeping the environment clean, Master has recommended to us another
ingenious method of insect prevention: |
Purity of Heart
Six months ago, there was an upheaval
in my family life. My husband was having an extramarital affair. I did
not know about it at first. I just thought that things were not going well
between us because I might be not doing my part well. So I did my best
to improve our relationship. It was a heavy blow for me when I later learned
that there was a third party between us. In great anguish, I deliberated
over the possibility of divorce and how to handle the situation. I prayed
to Master constantly, hoping that She would give me the power to live on.
One day in a dream, I saw myself wearing a ring on my finger, which Master
said was named 'Pure Heart'. She wanted me to use this pureness of heart
to handle everything and live in the days to come. When I woke up, I wondered
what the dream really meant.
Purity of heart, oh, purity of heart!
Wisdom glitters in a heart of purity,
Purity of mind, oh, purity of mind,
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Appreciate the Celestial Jewelry with the Wisdom Eye Millennium Lotus Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Hsihu, Formosa
According to some myths, initially
there were no lotus flowers on Earth. They were stolen from the superior
realms. Such stories may not be fabricated, for the lotus is very extraordinary.
Pictures of Saints always show them descending to Earth on lotus flowers.
Captions: |