The Supreme Master Ching Hai
eNews Magazine No. 138

==================================================================

The outcome of spiritual practice is not just spiritual
enlightenment; it's not just individual happiness and
blissfulness; it's worldly development as well.

~Supreme Master Ching Hai






======= Contents =======




? Center Events
Hsihu, Formosa/ New Jersey, USA

? between Master and Disciples
Austria/ Mexico/ Canada/ USA/ Korea/ Australia

? Panorama of Events
South Africa/ Brazil/ USA/ Formosa

? Master Tells Jokes
Wishful Thinking/ Antique Car, Antique Date/ Potato Punishment

? Master's Words
We Are Catching Up with Heaven

? Letters between Master and Disciples
My Joy in Practicing the Quan Yin Method

? Poems
We're All One

? Master's Wonders
"Ah Ma" Passes Away with a Smile/ Master's Manifestation Form
Teaches Aerobics!/Awakening Through Adversity

? Aphorisms
Developing Positive Qualities



? Master Tells Stories
The Truth Behind Fear - Zen Tales / Indian Tales

? Pearls of Wisdom
The Importance of Keeping Our Thoughts, Speech and Actions Pure/
Guiding Youth through Spirituality

? Story World
Animals Are Also God's Tools

? While on the Path
Always Keep Your Thoughts Pure

? Elevation of the Soul
Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest Videotapes/ DVDs/CDs

? Group Meditation
2002 European Retreat/ Resonance from the 2002 European Retreat

? Cinema Scene
Reflections on E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial - Love Thy Good
Neighbors

?
Annual Vaccine Inoculations for Pets May be Too Frequent

?
A Subtle Lesson in Love

?
My Decades-long Truth-seeking Journey

?
The Universal School

?
How to Cultivate Young Practitioners/ Usher Our Youth into the
Golden Age/ Overcome the Distractions of Youth

?
Dealing with Adolescence on the Spiritual Path/ A Letter to the
Parents of Adolescents

?
Bridging Science and Spirit

?
"Attending" to Master - Stories of Life with Master in the Early
Years

?

? 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. 138
Published: October 10, 2002
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.



content-c-138.JPG, content-D-138.JPG, content-E-138.JPG
 


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Center Events



The Hsihu Center



A Grand Reunion at the 2002 Moon Festivities


For the Chinese people, the Moon Festival is a beautiful and
joyous time for holding family reunions. This year, the Moon
Festival fell on the first day of the monthly two-day retreat at
the Hsihu Center, where Formosan fellow practitioners celebrated
the occasion with their friends and relatives.

On September 21, initiates and guests arrived from all around
Formosa to participate in a warm, joyous reunion at Hsihu. The
celebrations began at four in the afternoon with a widely
anticipated, delicious and nutritious vegetarian barbecue,
exquisitely prepared by the kitchen team. The barbecued foods
were more aromatic, tasty, and tempting than usual, and earned
wholehearted praise from all the participants. Laughter filled
the air, as adults and children together enjoyed the barbecue,
creating the heartwarming picture of "a grand, harmonious and
happy family."

As the moon quietly appeared over the treetops, the soft, serene
melody of the tune "Moonlight" was heard by all, signaling the
beginning of the evening program. The "Moonlight Evening Party"
began with the humorous appearance of the two MCs, the beautiful
Chang'er (Moon Goddess) played by a brother initiate, and the
mischievous Jade Rabbit played by a sister initiate. At this
romantic moment, we faxed a message of love and greeting to
Master, wishing Her a happy Moon Festival. Fellow initiates from
around Formosa then entertained the audience with diverse and
brilliant performances. Their joyous singing, skillful and
elegant dancing and superb instrumental recitals earned
thunderous applause from the audience. The evening reached its
climax when one of the MCs read aloud Master's reply in the form
of a handwritten fax saying "Thank you and I love you more,"
which was brief but contained infinite Love that deeply touched
everyone's heart, as many people cried on the spot.

The performances included a rap-talk by young initiates, kung fu
dancing, a well-choreographed dance by lively e-generation
fellow initiates, a richly artistic Chinese zither recital,
modern dances, guitar and vocal solos, and many others. The
final program was a grand chorus by all the participants, "The
Moon Speaks for My Heart," expressing the hope that they can one
day celebrate the Moon Festival with Master on a moonlit night
in Hsihu. After having enjoyed the evening to the fullest, the
participants retired under a clear and starlit sky.

Please visit the following URLs for a vivid visual report on
this event:

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/special_report/2002moon/in
dex.htm  (Formosa)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.net/eng/special_report/2002moon/index
.htm  (USA)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.com/2002moon/index.htm  (USA)


Ce4-138.jpg caption: Master sends a handwritten reply to a
message of greeting from Formosan disciples at Hsihu during the
Moon Festival.





The New Jersey Center, USA



Fragrant Fruit for a Scenic Summer and Fall


When Master visited and bought the New Jersey Center property in
1990, withered trees were all that the eye could see. So
following Master's instructions, fellow initiates soon planted
various kinds of fruit trees on the Center grounds. By 1992,
when Master visited the Center again, two peach trees had
already withered. However, a wonderful thing happened after She
sat in front of the peach trees to meet the disciples. The two
trees not only became revitalized and sprouted leaves, but they
now bear abundant fruit each year!

The local deer, black bears, wild turkeys, songbirds and other
wild animals are attracted by the tranquil atmosphere of the
Center, and often come for a visit and taste of the delicious
fruit on the trees. When peach, plum and pear blossoms fall and
fruit matures during the sunny summer, the sweet fragrance of
apple blossoms fills the air. And when fall arrives, another
season for appreciating and harvesting apples will be with us.
May the pure land of the New Jersey Center be permeated with
spiritual fragrance and, at the same time, be a scene of
abundance and prosperity, giving all visitors happy surprises
and expectations.


Ce1-138.jpg caption: Apple Blossoms, Peach Tree, Apple, Pear,
Plums. Black bears can climb trees and pick the fruit at the New
Jersey Center. Here one stands under a peach tree, stretching
out his arms toward a branch to shake off some fresh peaches to
sample.


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Videoconferences between Master and Disciples



Report from Austria



A Most Blissful Morning


[Vienna] When Austrian initiates heard the news that on
September 8, 2002 it would be the Vienna Center's turn to have a
videoconference with Master, they were completely overjoyed.
Holding this conference meant a great deal to the Austrian
brothers and sisters, because some months before they had just
moved their center into a new location. Besides, several
initiates were longing to communicate with Master in order to
ask Her some "urgent" questions.

The Vienna initiates also invited the neighboring centers to the
conference. The brothers and sisters from Munich, Germany, and
Budapest, Hungary thus came to share in this rare and happy
occasion.

The conference began at the scheduled time of 5:00 a.m., and the
initiates first reported to Master about the new center, which
is near the Vienna Forest in quiet and natural surroundings.
Master was very happy to learn that God had given them such a
good place to practice, and said that it sounded very ideal. The
initiates also expressed their hope that they could use the new
center to practice diligently. They wished to grow together in
love, joy, and harmony in order to become better citizens of the
planet. Master said that was the way all initiates should talk,
think and act every day.

Master then answered the initiates' questions, some of which had
been on their minds for years. Now through modern technology and
Master's love, they could finally ask Master for Her advice
directly. Master listened very patiently, and frequently asked
for further details. Her replies were of great comfort to the
initiates, as She kept reminding them to rely on the Supreme
Divine Power within, which can provide all the help and
protection they need.

Master also reminded the initiates to always keep in mind that
the Quan Yin Method is the highest path, that each day they are
with God, and that they should come to their center for
spiritual practice, and not to socialize or gain profit as in a
business. Most of all, they should not engage in spiritual
practice for the selfish reason of only building personal power
, but instead with full awareness, responsibility,
understanding, gratitude and respect.

The atmosphere during the conference was very peaceful and
wonderful, and before long the moment came when the Vienna
practitioners had to say "goodbye" to Master, who comforted them
that they will see Her again when She is online with other
centers.


Sp12-138.jpg:A lovely display panel shows Master the Austrian
initiates love for Her!





Report from Mexico



A Long-standing Desire Is Fulfilled


[Texcoco] Over the past few years, Mexican fellow practitioners
have been longing to see Master in person. However, due to
financial reasons, not all Mexican initiates can afford to
attend international retreats regularly or personally ask Master
the questions on their minds. Thus, the brothers and sisters in
Mexico were very excited to learn that Master would be granting
them a videoconference on September 8, 2002.

The night before the conference seemed to be unusually long, but
the special moment finally arrived! Fellow initiates had come
happily from different parts of the Mexican Republic to join in
the event, and all of them dressed in traditional Mexican
costumes to celebrate this meaningful occasion with our beloved
Master!

The day began with a group meditation session, as all gathered
in joyous peace to await the unique moment. As soon as they
heard Master's voice transmitted from the other side of the
conference and saw Her image on the Texcoco Center's video
screen, they were so happy that they could not stop clapping.
The extremely joyous atmosphere was beyond words!

During the conference, most of the questions the initiates asked
Master had resided for a long time in their hearts, and so they
were overjoyed at finally having the chance to ask them to Her
personally and to hear Her wise answers. In addition, the
Mexican disciples presented a poem and several songs to
entertain Master and initiates around the world, as the
atmosphere of the event remained very blissful.

Thanks to Master for sharing with Your children this great
encounter, which will remain deeply engraved in our hearts.
Nothing in the world can be as great as the blessing of being
with You!




Report from Quebec, Canada



A Unique Experience - Live Videoconferences with Master!


[Montreal] The Montreal Center had been viewing the worldwide
videoconferences with Master since the end of July 2002.
Initially they borrowed the necessary equipment from a brother
initiate, who is a computer expert. After three weeks of viewing
the conferences on this system, the eager Montreal initiates put
together more than enough money to purchase a fully equipped PC
system with a high-speed Internet connection for the Center, and
worked very hard to provide the most ideal conditions for
everyone to enjoy their meetings with Master. They often hold
group meditation sessions a few hours before the scheduled time
to connect online with Master, giving the brothers and sisters
an opportunity to connect with Her at the highest levels.

During Her conferences, Master always lovingly and patiently
answers all of the initiates' questions. Seeing Master online is
like having Her with us in the present moment, and we still
remember vividly the answers She has given during these live
interchanges.

The Montreal Center thanks Master for bringing miracles into the
daily lives of local initiates, as well as the major miracle of
letting thousands of initiates have a live conference with Her
in their own hometowns. This is really an incredible way to
benefit humankind at large, by teaching and blessing people from
far away, through advanced technological tools.

 


Report from California, USA



Master's Universal Message "Goes High Tech"


[San Jose] For the past several weekends, live videoconferences
via internet links have been conducted between Master and
selected Centers throughout the world, with all other centers
being able to simultaneously view the events. It is as if we
have been holding an on-line international retreat each weekend!
These live conferences bring fellow practitioners from all
corners of the world together. With hundreds of thousands of
people thinking about Master, and all focusing on God at the
same time, tremendous positive power is thus being generated
around the planet.

The San Jose Center currently has only low-speed dial-up modems.
Therefore, the local fellow initiates decided to have their
videoconference gatherings at the home of two initiates' homes,
who have high-speed cable connections with computers connected
to TVs and monitors in every room, as well as enough space to
accommodate all the local disciples. Besides, since the
beginning of September, San Jose's Vegetarian House has also
been available for disciples to view Master's videoconferences.
With this arrangement, we are able to listen to Master's wisdom
every weekend.

Fellow initiates from the San Jose Center are longing for the
day when they may have the honor to directly communicate with
Master and express their yearning and love to Her.


Sp2-1-138.jpg: Fellow initiates gather in an initiate's home,
attentively watching Master's videoconference



Sp2-2-138.jpg: Fellow initiates thoughtfully listen to Master's
words of wisdom at the San Jose Vegetarian House.





Report from Indiana, USA



An Internet Conference Brings Miraculous Blessings


[Indiana] Fellow practitioners from all of the Midwestern
Centers of the Supreme Master Ching International Association
(Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio) were
happy to gather at the Indiana Center on the weekend of
September 1, 2002 for a retreat and Internet conference with
Master.

In a relaxed manner, Master began the conference by telling the
initiates about how She takes care of Her animals, letting
everyone know how She shows Her love by allowing them to sleep
on Her bed. She reminded the initiates that, like humans,
animals have feelings and emotions, and that Her pets become
"upset" with Her if She does not pay enough attention to them.
Also, animals are much more intelligent beings than people think.

Then, before the question and answer session, initiates sang a
song to show their appreciation to Master, Who then lovingly
responded to all the initiates' queries and requests.

One initiate offered to sing a song entitled "My Mother" that
she had personally composed for Master. Her beautiful voice,
combined with her love for Master, brought tears to the eyes of
many initiates attending the conference. Also, a miracle
happened while the initiate was singing this song for Master.
The sister was born extremely nearsighted. Doctors had told her
that she had a serious eye condition and that if she ever had
certain problems with her vision she needed to seek medical help
immediately. Otherwise, she could risk blindness.

Just before the conference, the sister began having problems
with her vision. And according to the medical advice she had
been given, she should have gone to see a doctor then. But
instead, she decided to stay focused on singing well for Master.
And the miracle happened right after she sang the song. Her
vision cleared up, and the problems she had been having were
nearly gone. She blinked her eyes and could not believe that she
could see so much better!

No words can say enough about the miraculous blessings conveyed
by Master through the Internet conference!


Sp7-2-138.jpg:Everyone is happy and lighthearted as the Internet
conference begins immediately after the Indiana Center's two-day
retreat.



Sp7-1-138.jpg:At the end of the conference, Master toasts with
us and wishes that everyone will enjoy the cake prepared for the
occasion.





Report from Korea



Enlightening Videoconferences


[Seoul] Local initiates were happily surprised when they learned
that Master would be holding a videoconference with the Seoul
Center on August 25, 2002. Not wanting to let this precious
opportunity slip by, brothers and sisters from other centers in
Korea also came to participate in the Seoul conference. A
professional simultaneous interpreting facility was set up so
that all could understand Master's words without wasting any
time in translation.

At the videoconference, Master, like the Mother that She is,
patiently answered each of the initiate's questions, much to
their satisfaction, and touched the hearts of all present with
Her love and compassion. A number of initiates did not raise the
questions they had intended to ask, for they were answered by
Master's loving words to other brothers and sisters.

The Korean initiates feel deeply blessed after having greatly
benefited from the various videoconferences between Master and
disciples held in recent months. Many have become regular
attendees at these weekend conferences and have made
considerable progress in their meditation as a result. For
example, one sister initiate happily commented that she can now
focus her concentration on her wisdom eye twenty-four hours a
day, even while at work. All fellow practitioners are filled
with bliss in being constantly connected to Master, and look
forward to their weekend Internet meetings with Her at the Seoul
Center.


Sp4-1.138jpg





Report from Australia



God's Arrangements Are Always the Best


[Sydney] Initiates from the Sydney Center were overjoyed to hear
that Master would be holding a videoconference with them on
September 1, 2002! The Center currently rents a high school
assembly hall for Sunday group meditation and the
videoconference was held there as well.

After group meditation on September 1st, the initiates waited
quietly and patiently for Master's call. Initially, the audio
reception was not satisfactory, so the conference did not
officially begin until after several testing calls and
adjustments had been made. Finally, Master began the conference
by saying, "Hallo*, everyone!" and when Her sweet, loving
greeting came through the loudspeakers, the initiates cheered in
happy response, though they were somewhat disappointed that
Master's image did not appear on the screen. Master then
comforted them calmly, saying, "Pictures don't mean everything,"
and She was right. The Sydney initiates were already very
contented to feel Master's love and concern and to hear Her
charming voice. When the conference was about to end, God gave
the initiates a happy surprise - Master's beautiful figure
suddenly shone from the screen. "Hooray!" the disciples burst
out with loud cheers of joy.

During the videoconference, God played a few jokes on the
initiates and they experienced several emotional ups and downs.
Thus they could feel Master's love even more profoundly, and Her
beautiful smile and loving words left a deeper mark on their
hearts. It testifying to the fact that God's arrangements are
always the best!


* Master said that the term "hello" derives from the word halo,
which means the light surrounding a saint or celestial body so,
when giving a greeting, it is preferable to say "hallo" instead
of "hello," which sounds similar to "hell."





Inspiring Events - When All Hearts Beat as One


During the videoconference between Master and Sydney disciples,
Master suggested that the initiates speak directly into the
telephone as the sound quality was not very good. When it was my
turn to ask questions, I found that my voice could not be
transmitted through the loudspeakers and the audience could not
hear Master. The two contact persons then suggested that we end
the conversation and call Master again one minute later, and
Master agreed. However, the contact persons forgot that they did
not have Master's phone number until after I had hung up. Just
at that moment of anxiety and loss, the familiar sound of a
phone ringing burst from the loudspeakers. Master had called
back! I cried out in excitement and gratitude: "Master, You're
fantastic! There's nothing that You don't know!" At that time, I
must have been so happy that I sounded incoherent.

After the last question was answered, Master asked us with great
concern if the connection had been fixed and whether we could
see Her. I said no, but we already felt very contented to be
able to hear Her loving words and feel Her profound concern.
Just then, the two brothers in charge of technical arrangements
whispered excitedly at my side, "We're about to make the
connection. Please ask Master to give us another minute." I
immediately pleaded with Master to stay online for another
minute because we would soon be able to see Her on the screen.
However, the picture still did not appear. Again I eagerly asked
Master not to leave, and She felt our anxiety and quickly
comforted us: "I'm here! I'm here!" I was deeply touched by
Master's loving words and we all felt Her profound love for us.
Finally, Master's beautiful image appeared on the screen, and
all the fellow practitioners present cried aloud with joy, as
many were moved to tears. The sincere feelings between Master
and disciples at that moment were beyond human language. All
that we wanted to say was conveyed in silence. What a wonderful
experience!



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Panorama of Events



Report from South Africa



The Joy of Setting up a New Cradle of Spirituality


[Johannesburg] Surrounded by natural grasslands on a hill north
of Johannesburg, the Gauteng Center is a picture of simplicity
and perfection. Newly planted saplings dance in the breeze
around the Center, and the vegetable garden, full of healthy
greenery, is yet another product of careful attendance by the
initiates living at the Center.

Interior renovation, including painting, tiling and the
installation of new light fixtures, is more or less completed
through the enthusiastic participation and meticulous planning
of local initiates. Of course, none of this would have been
possible without Master's invisible arrangements.

On Sunday, August 25, 2002, after the first local retreat ended,
an initiation session was held for the first time in the
Center's meditation hall, which had been inaugurated with great
pomp and ceremony on the same day. A number of enthusiastic
brothers and sisters worked together to make the event a
successful and joyous occasion.

Initiates from Pretoria have recently joined the Gauteng Center,
which is now the shortest distance away from Pretoria compared
to other centers in the region.

Wherever the initiates sit at the Center, enjoying fragrant
green tea, eating pumpkin seeds and watching a beautiful sunset,
they feel happy and contented in the embrace of Master's sacred
love. And their hearts fill with gratitude at Her endless
blessings, as they understand only too well that everything
comes from the grace of God!


Sp9-1-138.jpg: In the Center's front garden, saplings grow
vigorously through the initiates' meticulous cultivation.



(Sp9-2a-138.jpg, Sp9-2b-138.jpg): Gauteng initiates ingeniously
design and complete interior renovation of the Center.





Report from Brazil



The Message of Truth Pervades Sao Paulo


[Sao Paulo] Being located in the Southern Hemisphere, Brazil is
now in springtime, when all the flowers bloom. Recently, during
this lovely season, fellow practitioners from Sao Paulo held a
Truth-sharing video seminar, hosted by a Quan Yin messenger, at
their local center.

What was special about this seminar was that most of the
attendees were relatives or friends of fellow practitioners and
already had some basic understanding of Master's teachings. So
the audience members were exceptionally attentive while watching
the videotape, and raised quality questions relevant to
spiritual practice. Almost all of the attendees stayed behind to
learn the Convenient Method, reaching a high percentage
unprecedented in other seminars held by the Center. After
meditating with the Convenient Method, the participants' faces
glowed with contented smiles, as Master's divine love flowed
into their hearts. The Sao Paulo fellow practitioners thus
realized that they had completed another successful seminar!


(Sp3-1-138.jpg, Sp3-2-138.jpg)





Report from the USA



Attending the Holistic Living and Art Expo


[Missouri] On August 3 and 4, 2002, the Missouri Center, with
great support from the Oklahoma and Kentucky Centers,
participated in the 11th Holistic Living and Art Expo in St.
Louis. Truth seekers from around the area created a warm and
friendly atmosphere at the event, despite their different
spiritual backgrounds.

On August 4th, fellow practitioners held a video seminar at the
Center's booth, which was adorned with colorful displays. After
the seminar, about half of the attendees stayed behind to learn
the Convenient Method. Many fellow practitioners perceived that
the power of Master's love was permeating the area all during
the Expo and seminar.

A reporter from the local newspaper the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
came to our booth on the first day of the Expo, and was
overwhelmed by the information package we provided for him. The
next day, one of his colleagues visited us toward the end of the
Expo. After asking several questions, he was anxious to take a
picture of the initiates, and was very pleased to also take a
photograph of Master's picture.


(Sp5-1-138.jpg): At the Missouri Center's inaugural ceremony for
the St. Louis Holistic Living and Art Expo, all the initiate
participants stand hand-in-hand in a large circle.



(Sp5-2-138.jpg): A sister explains the contents of a folder
prepared by Missouri Center initiates for interested participants



(Sp5-3-138.jpg): A woman signs up for the video seminar at the
registration table outside the venue.





Report from Massachusetts, U.S.A.



Continuous Effort in Sharing the Truth


[Boston] In June 2002, fellow practitioners from the Boston area
convened their first video seminar through their own effort at
Harvard University. In August, they conducted another
Truth-sharing seminar at the city library in Worcester,
Massachusetts. During this event, Master's video lecture held
the audience in rapt attention, and a technical staff member
from the library became so absorbed in Master's words of wisdom
that he stood inside the venue, watching and listening with
undivided concentration. After the seminar, he borrowed a
videotape that had been played at the seminar to watch at home,
hoping to learn more about Master's teachings.

The results of the August seminar were encouraging; 95 percent
of the attendees stayed behind to learn the Convenient Method,
and five registered for initiation into the Quan Yin Method.
Boston's fellow practitioners are very grateful to Master for
giving them the opportunity to share God's Gospel with local
residents, as Master's love awakened many souls craving for
liberation.


(Sp1-1-138.jpg, Sp1-2-138.jpg,)





Report from Formosa



Always Be Prepared


[Keelung] Due to its geographic location, Formosa is often hit
by typhoons toward the end of summer and beginning of fall. This
year, weather forecasters predicted that medium-strength Typhoon
Sinlaku would bring torrential downpours to Formosa during high
tide in early September, and its serious threat forced northern
Formosa into high alert on September 6th.

Fellow practitioners belonging to the Supreme Master Ching Hai
Chinese Amphibious Rescue Association assembled that afternoon
in coordinate their rescue preparations with those of the Taipei
County Fire Department. Bearing Master's love, they arrived at
the number one command station in the easily flooded areas of
Hsichih to await further instructions. But thanks to God's
mercy, Typhoon Sinlaku, a source of enormous alarm to local
residents, edged northwards away from Formosa, bringing only
large quantities of rainfall and less than expected levels of
damage in its wake. Thus, on the afternoon of September 7th, the
rescue team was relieved of its duties when its mission was
declared complete


Sp6-1-138.jpg: Headline from Formosa's -- United Daily News,
September 8, 2002: All 26 members of the Supreme Master Ching
Hai Chinese Amphibious Rescue Association take leave of their
jobs to be on standby at Hsichih. Their valiant efforts during
Typhoon Nari in September 2001 still remain in our memories to
this day.



Sp6-2-138.jpg: Members of the Supreme Master Ching Hai Chinese
Amphibious Rescue Association sit in meditation while on standby
to carry out rescue missions should the need arise.


 

==================================================================


Master Tells Jokes



Wishful Thinking



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, U.S.A.,



June 11, 2001 (Originally in English)


There was a grandfather who came home with two blessed candies
to give to his grandson. One was green and the other was red,
and he asked his grandson, "Which candy would you like to have?"
So the grandson took the green one. Just out of curiosity, the
grandfather then asked the boy, "Why did you pick the green
candy and not the red one? The red sure looks prettier." And the
grandson said, "I picked the green one because green is the
color of hope." So the grandfather said, "Hmmm. That's good.
What are you hoping for?" And the grandson said, "I hope you'll
give me the red one as well!"


(Jk138-1a.jpg, Jk138-a.jpg,)





Antique Car, Antique Date



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, U.S.A.,



December 28, 2001 (Originally in English)


A girl asked her friend Mary, "How was your blind date?" And
Mary said, "Oh, it was horrible." Then the girl said, "Why's
that?" And Mary said, "Well, he showed up in a 1932 Rolls
Royce." The girl then replied, "Wow, that's a collectable, a
very expensive car. What's wrong with that?" And Mary said, "The
problem is, he's the original owner!"


Jk138-2.jpg





Potato Punishment



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Florida, U.S.A.,



December 28, 2001 (Originally in English)


There was a man who went to a restaurant and ordered some food.
After receiving his order, he suddenly called to his waitress
and said, "Please, come here." When the waitress came, he showed
her a potato on his plate and said, "This potato is very bad."
So the waitress picked the potato up, spanked it, put it back
down again and told the man, "Sir, if this potato makes any more
trouble for you again, just call me."


Jk138-3.jpg




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 as well:
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/138/jk1.htm  (USA)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/138/jk1.htm 
(Formosa)
http://www.godsdirectcontact.net/eng/news/138/jk1.htm  (USA)

==================================================================


Master's Words



We Are Catching Up with Heaven



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, July 28, 2002
Videoconference with the Houston Center, USA
(Originally in English)


Many decades ago, when I wasn't on this "job" yet, I read in the
newspaper that, one day, people would be able to talk together
and even see each other's picture through the telephone. So this
is what we have; the prediction came true. And soon we'll have
much more exciting news. I'm not sure how we're going to realize
it. But a lot of things you already know, like when I told you
about the other planets where people don't need to carry babies
in the mother's womb.

In this world, we'll have the same thing. It won't take long.
The technical advances are so awesome that we have no time to
even catch our breath before something changes again! In Japan,
I heard that they've already developed a kind of box in which
they put some liquid that corresponds to the natural liquid
inside a mother's womb when she's pregnant with a baby. And
they'll try to raise the baby that way.

So maybe in the future, if you want to have ten babies, it'll be
no problem. (Laughter) For nine months, you can come see the
baby every weekend or every day, whenever you have time, even
after work. They can even make the shape of the baby, the way he
or she looks, and choose the sex and whatever. It's very
exciting; we're catching up with the advances of the higher
planetary systems.

And right now we're also using laser and light to heal patients.
Remember, in one of my earliest lectures in Formosa (at that
time, I didn't even speak Chinese well) we mentioned the light
therapy used on other, more advanced planets. Those scientists
have been born on this planet now, and they're bringing their
treasured memories with them. So they're making our planet a
better place in which to live, as far as physical comfort is
concerned.

And also, maybe soon, or not very far in the future (we're
talking about years only) we'll probably have flying cars and so
on. And it'll probably be easier to see each other, with less
traffic congestion. And we'll have a faster commuting service.

All of this is very exciting for me, too (referring to Her view
of Centers in a worldwide conference). Seeing your pictures
right here, thousands of miles apart, is really good. So, it's
because we're also practicing very well, thanks to you, all the
beautiful, lovely, happy yogis. (Applause) All of this has to do
with us. So as much as I'm excited about this news, I also want
to thank you and many other groups of practitioners. Maybe they
don't belong to our group, but they're also doing their
meditation on the Light and Sound, or maybe some other less
advanced techniques. But they're trying their best to contact
God. And that's how we uplift the ambience of this planet.

And so, because the planetary vibrational frequencies have been
lifted up into the higher levels, those highly developed
scientists from the higher planets are able to reincarnate into
our world with less suffering, without losing much of their
memory about where they came from. And hence we have such
wonderful advances in technology nowadays, thanks to you.

This is beautiful. So we should continue to practice, even if
we're not scientists or computer wizards or anything. But as
long as we meditate diligently, to purify ourselves, our aura,
our environment, we indirectly contribute to the progress of our
planet. And that's really the great contribution we can make to
our society. This is wonderful. So all the things you enjoy
right now are not only the labor of the scientists and the
laboratory people, but also the fruit of your own spiritual
endeavor.

It's so wonderful to see the outcome of spiritual practice. You
see how we didn't have anything before! And suddenly, in just
one-and-a-half decades, everything has developed and we even
have a hard time keeping track of our technical developments.
But you can see the difference.

So this is a practical outcome of our spiritual practice. It's
not just spiritual enlightenment, it's not just individual
happiness and blissfulness, it's worldly development as well.
We're catching up with Heaven. We're catching up with the more
exciting and more advanced planets. Can you imagine? And soon,
if we live that long, we're going to be traveling to other
galaxies, other planetary systems live: not just sending a
robot, not just going to Mars to pick up some dirt, but going to
some populated and spiritually advanced planets to say hallo.
And we can even teach from here; we can even say hallo from
here. And we can see each other from zillions of miles away,
light years away. We can say hallo then like we're saying hallo
to each other right now. Won't that be wonderful? (Yes!)

So keep on your Golden Path and never doubt for one second.
You're on the right track. I guarantee it. (Applause)


Mt2-1.jpg


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Letters between Master and Disciples



My Joy in Practicing the Quan Yin Method




By brother initiate Elad Jacob,Kumba, Cameroon



(Originally in English)


I was fortunate to begin my spiritual practice as far back as
1972, when I began reading books from one spiritual school after
another, searching for the ultimate Truth. I also contacted many
spiritual Masters around the world through any means possible,
and studied with them before and after initiation.

Most often, I found no satisfaction in the teachings of the
various schools and spiritual masters that I contacted. This
disappointed me greatly and gave me the feeling that something
was lacking in my life.

Then, after thirty years of pursuing the Truth, I was fortunate
enough to be introduced to the Supreme Master Ching Hai by a
friend. I quickly began to communicate with the headquarters in
Formosa and obtained some information. I also discussed Master's
teachings with some brother initiates in Kumba, and was given a
chance to be initiated into the Quan Yin Method.

Since my initiation, I have finally found the joy and peace that
I had longed for for many years. Now the world appears to me
only as a transient and illusory realm. Now, I know myself
better, and I know why I am here on Earth. I also know what I
have to do and where I am going. Thanks to the Supreme Master
Ching Hai for Her gracious presence and guidance in fulfilling
my lifelong wish!


Lti-138.jpg


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Poems



We're All One



By sister initiate Winnie, Hong Kong



(Originally in English and Chinese)


We're all One in the Ocean of Love,
With inner Light and Sound,
Thankful that true Life's been really found,
We soar high with Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Far beyond the stars, the sun and moon -
Back to our eternal Home soon!
We're all One in the Ocean of Love,
With freedom, joy and peace,
Thankful in our hearts and at ease,
We soar high with Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Far beyond the stars, the sun and moon
Back to our eternal Home soon!
At Home, with plenty of room,
There's no more need to roam.
Brothers and sisters,
Let's sing a happy song in tune -
We're all One!
No need to ask for reasons why.
Just find the Guide,
Follow Her, merge with the Ocean of Love,
Be One with Her,
And all our answers will come,
As we sing and rise,
Following our ideal -
Supreme Master Ching Hai,
My Love.

With God's blessing, fellow practitioners around the world have
been able to participate in videoconferences with Master and
other centers through the advanced technology of the Internet.
'We're all One' is a song that has often resounded in my heart
for some time. During the Hong Kong videoconference, I had a
strong feeling that it could be devoted to Master as a poem. I
was much moved by Her loving encouragement as I began to recite
it to Her. The feeling was so enjoyable that before long I was
swaying naturally. I felt like the gentle ocean waves rolling to
and fro near the shore while also feeling like a child rocked in
a cradle by her mother. This feeling of merging into the Ocean
of Love was a very pleasant experience. I am extremely thankful
to our compassionate universal Mother - the perfect example of
wisdom and love!


(po2-a-138, po2-b-138)





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Master's Wonders



"Ah Ma" Passes Away with a Smile



By sister initiate Juan Li-yu, Keelung, Formosa


In the sixteen years since my initiation by Master, I have heard
countless miraculous stories about fellow initiates and their
relatives who have passed away. Now I would like to share a
similar story with everyone.

My grandma was ninety-five this year. Sixteen years ago, she
used to go to Hsintien (Master's first center in Formosa) with
us to listen to Master's discourses. Grandma was as pure as a
child, so she was very much loved by Master, who always joked
with her and made her happy. Just like all of us, Master also
called her "Ah Ma," which means grandma in Taiwanese. Since her
daughter, grandson, granddaughter and great-grandson were all
fellow practitioners, Master consented immediately when Grandma
requested initiation. She was eighty then.

After her initiation, Grandma seemed to be born anew and became
another person. She had previously suffered from senility and
was very forgetful. After her initiation, however, her memory
improved considerably. Also, she had not been in good health and
often had to take medicine and receive injections. But after
being initiated, she grew stronger physically.

In July 2002, however, Grandma slipped and fell, and had to be
hospitalized due to a bone fracture. One day, not long after
being discharged from the hospital, she was taking a bath with
the help of family members, and strangely, they found that she
was smiling and looking upward the whole time. Then, after
dinner, Grandma rested in a chair, still smiling and with her
eyes directed up. She was oblivious to the people talking to
her, but continued smiling. Suddenly, she took a deep breath and
passed away. This was really a fantastic way to die! She was
just an ordinary old lady, yet she could pass away with a smile
while seated, just as did old Master Kuangchin (the most
respected Buddhist monk in Formosa, who practiced asceticism for
over 70 years and died while seated). It was truly inconceivable!

Master has told us that when we fellow initiates pass away,
Heavenly saints come to greet us, and the splendor of Heaven
appears before our eyes. Obviously, that was why grandma kept
looking upward and smiling. If it had not been for the
irresistible beauty of the superior realm that she saw as she
was leaving this world, she would not have passed on without any
lingering feelings! Because she used to be very concerned about
the younger generations, and even went to the Hsihu Center once
to ask Master to persuade her grandson to get married soon, for
fear that the family name would not live on.

Regarding initiates leaving the body, Master has said, "At the
time of initiation, I have already booked a ticket to Heaven for
you. When the time comes, I will take you up to enjoy yourself."
No doubt, our fellow initiates are the most fortunate beings on
earth. Following Master in spiritual practice is safer than
being covered by ten thousand insurance policies. The demise of
my grandma helped me realize deeply that the greatest filial
piety is "receiving initiation and practice spiritually," and
the most terrible ignorance is "not believing in Master and not
practicing spiritually." I hope that this story will be an
inspiration to us all!


mw1-138.jpg





Master's Manifestation Form Teaches Aerobics!



By a fellow initiate, Zhejiang Province, Mainland China


Several months ago, a classmate of mine gave me a few
photographs of Master. I gave one of them to my niece, who was
living with me, and hung it beside her bed. My niece is a
chubby, six-year-old preschooler.

Two evenings later, just as we were preparing to go to bed, my
niece suddenly started doing aerobic exercises. And while doing
them, she carefully explained every move. I looked at her
transfixed, and realized that they were the exercises that
Master taught during the Santimen retreat in Formosa in 1990. I
had watched the videotape of the retreat and it left me with a
very deep impression. I then asked my niece, "Who taught you
this?" She said, "Master taught me this morning in our
kindergarten classroom before we had our snacks. At that time,
Master whispered to me, 'You're a little too chubby. These
exercises will be good for you.' So I learned them." When my
niece was doing the action of riding a bicycle upside-down, she
knew how to put her hands behind her back and said that in this
way she could keep her inverted body straight and do the action
correctly.

I then asked her, "How did Master come?" and she said, "Master
came from the universe, first flying down like a rocket, and
then floating down like a white cloud. She was wearing a white
cap and a snow-white dress. When She entered the classroom, her
footsteps were very soft. So neither the teacher nor the other
children knew She was there." I next asked, "How many people
came with Her?" and my niece replied, "One little girl came with
Master. She's a foreign girl and both her parents had passed
away, so Master took her in and brought her here with Her." I
continued, "How tall is Master?" And she answered, "A little
shorter than my mother; the little girl is shorter than Master
but a little taller than I am. After teaching me the exercises,
Master left quietly. My teacher and the other children didn't
know that someone had been there." Then I asked, "Why?" And my
niece answered, "No one was allowed to enter the classroom when
we were having class. Master was like a white cloud, and that's
why they didn't know She was there. They thought that it was a
cloud."

Having heard about this beautiful and wonderful experience of my
innocent and pure-hearted niece, I was deeply moved! It was an
example of how Master meticulously takes care of my whole
family. The gratitude I feel in my heart is truly beyond words!




Awakening Through Adversity



Narrated by sister initiate Lin Mei-fang, Taipei, Formosa



Recorded by the Taipei News Group, Formosa


Sister Lin still trembles with fear at the memory of the
terrible fire that occurred in her neighborhood on Lunar New
Year's Day 2002. She lives on a block with many four-storey
buildings. On New Year's Day, the neighbors to the left of her
house (the Hsu family), following the usual Buddhist devotional
custom, made offerings and burned incense at the altar on the
fourth floor of their house, before returning to watch TV in
their living room on the second floor.

A short while later, the lights in sister Lin's house began to
flicker and she smelled something burning. Her husband, brother
He, a new initiate at the time, was alerted and rushed out to
check. A neighbor living across the street told him that the
fourth floor of the Hsu family's house was on fire! Brother He
immediately rushed up to the fourth floor of the Hsu home and
saw with horror that the altar where the offerings had been
placed was in flames. The ceiling was also on fire, and the
ceiling lamp and electric cables had already melted! The blazing
fire had also distorted the house's sheet metal roof. Brother He
and sister Lin tried to douse the flames with basins and buckets
of water. But unfortunately, without fire extinguishers, they
could not put out the fire with such small amounts of water.

Observing that the fire had gotten out of control, sister Lin
rushed downstairs, shouting loud warnings to her family and
neighbors to run for their lives. Suddenly, two strangers
carrying huge fire extinguishers came and put them down at her
front gate, and then left. Sister Lin's neighbor Mrs. Hsu next
stumbled into her house, carrying an armful of house deeds, a
jewelry box and other valuables, and entrusted them to her care.
Mrs. Hsu was in sorrow and tears, and completely at a loss as
what to do. Carrying one fire extinguisher in each hand, sister
Lin then tried to reach her husband on the fourth floor.
However, the extinguishers were very heavy, and the staircase
was filled with smoke. In this desperate situation, sister Lin
quickly prayed to Master for help. As she looked back and saw
the Hsu family overwhelmed with grief, she asked them all to
recite Master's name loudly. Sister Lin finally made it to the
fourth floor and delivered the fire extinguishers to brother He.
Later, fire engines arrived amid the shrieking sound of sirens.
But when the fire fighters alighted and prepared to fight the
fire, they discovered that brother He had already put out the
huge fire single-handedly!

Afterwards, Sister Lin recalled, "The two men who brought the
fire extinguishers were total strangers. It was unlikely that
they lived in the vicinity. Anyhow, I am grateful to them for
bringing the extinguishers, without which brother He could not
have put out the fire." What really puzzled sister Lin was why
these two good men had not left the fire extinguishers outside
the house that was on fire, but instead left them by her front
door. The timing was just incredible! Worried about the safety
of her family members, sister Lin had rushed downstairs warning
them to flee. And just as she opened the front door, she saw the
men arrive with the fire extinguishers. At that moment, sister
Lin had also been praying in her heart that she could find fire
extinguishers to fight the fire.

Even more miraculous was the fact that the flames had by-passed
sister Lin's house, and affected the house of her neighbor on
the right, burning a hole in their door screen and destroying
their electrical wires. Unbelievably, although sandwiched
between the two houses, sister Lin's house was virtually
untouched! Not only were all her belongings on the fourth floor
intact, but even her washing machine, which was placed against
the wall of her left-side neighbor, was untouched. No one could
deny that it was a miracle! Brother He and sister Lin were
extremely grateful to Master for blessing their family so that
everyone came out safely in this disaster, and for giving
brother He the power to put out the huge fire without getting
hurt.

Having experienced this fire, the whole family has gained even
firmer faith in Master and the Quan Yin Method. Their daughter
is now studying at a university. Since she is staying in a
university dormitory, it is not convenient for her to meditate,
and this deters her from receiving initiation. However, this
incident left her deeply impressed by Master's infinite power.
Meanwhile, she is diligently studying Master's teachings,
preparing to first learn the Convenient Method, and subsequently
take initiation. Sister Lin is especially grateful to Master for
awakening a lost lamb through this incident, and thus fulfilling
her wish to have a whole family of fellow initiates.

==================================================================


Aphorisms



Developing Positive Qualities



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Japan, July 10, 2000



(Originally in Chinese) Videotape No.706


Do not be afraid of your fearful feelings because the more we're
afraid, the stronger will these fearful feelings become. The
more we think about something, the more powerful the thing will
become. So, let's just think about "love." At all times, we
should simply think about "love," the "love power," and always
maintain positive thinking, then the Master Power will naturally
take care of everything. Gradually, we'll get used to it and
then there will be no more obstacles, and all our fears will
vanish. We should trust the power of God and strengthen our
faith in God's love power daily. Then, we will grow stronger and
stronger.

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Master Tells Stories



The Truth Behind Fear



                                          -- Zen Tales - A Ghost
Story



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,



Group meditation at the Austin Center, Texas, USA, August, 14,
1994



(Originally in English) Videotape No. 439


This is the night I will tell you a ghost story to test your
courage, and see how you will sleep tonight. You will know, OK?

Now, there was a very young and beautiful wife, who became sick
and nearly died. She was on her death bed and told her husband,
"I love you very much, and I don't want to leave you. Please,
after I die, don't marry another person. You promise me! Okay?

Then she worried that her husband would not keep the promise, so
she threatened him. She said, "If you marry another wife, I will
become a ghost and take care of you." It's terrible! That's what
she said to her husband, "I will make you suffer, always,
forever, and eternally!" So the husband was maybe afraid of the
wife. But here (Master points to the book) they say, "respected
the wife." We always respect the wife, do we not? We respect the
wife, but we're not afraid! So the husband respected the wife
and didn't think of remarrying another person.

But as God always makes trouble for human beings, he met another
beautiful woman, younger, charming, sweeter and more attractive,
and richer even! Rich! Oh, terrible! And she even loved him very
much and maybe more than the wife. Oh, too bad! That was only
three months after the funeral service. Now what can we do about
that?

So he got engaged to her. After the engagement (the engagement
happened during the daytime), that night the husband saw the
ghost of the wife coming. "Ah ha! As promised, here I come." She
appeared in front of him and scolded him and nagged him, saying
that he had broken his promise; that he did not love her; that
he was not sincere; that he was a bad husband; that he had no
conscience; that he was a lousy man; that he was a terrible
human being; that he was not a virtuous Quan Yin practitioner,
etc.

Then the husband got very scared! Because this ghost was so
terribly intelligent; she knew exactly what had happened between
the husband and the new fiancée. She told him what time he did
what with her, and what time he gave her what, and talked to her
about what. She knew everything, everything! So he couldn't deny
it. But he was very scared.

He was so scared that he could not sleep, he could not eat, and
he dared not go to see his fiancée often. And their love affair
nearly went on the rocks. So some people told him that he should
go to a temple and talk about his suffering to a Zen master, and
maybe the Zen master could help him. Oh, my God! The Zen master
takes care of everything, including ghosts and marriage.

So the Zen master truly helped him. He said to the husband,
"Your ex-wife has become a ghost." (This we knew) "And she is
very intelligent. So she knows everything that you did with your
fiancée. Actually, you should respect such a ghost. But there is
a way to drive her away. Now, next time if the ghost appears,
you have to make a bet with her." The Zen master said that she
knew everything; she knew too much already. But probably there
was something she didn't know. If she answered incorrectly, then
she should not come back and bother him any more. Then he could
marry the one he loved.

Because she was dead! She could not serve him in any way. She
could not cook for him. She could not take care of anything. So
the husband asked the Zen master, "What can I do? What should I
ask her?"

And the Zen master said to him, "Next time when she comes, take
a handful of mung beans in your hand and ask her how many beans
are inside. She surely cannot answer that. And then she will
disappear. Because, if she cannot answer that question, you will
know this is only an illusion of your own mind, your own
conscience or your own imagination because you're already too
scared, afraid of the wife and imagining, an illusion of your
mind. If she doesn't answer, if she cannot answer, then you know
it's an illusion and she will vanish."

So, the next night, truly, the ghost appeared. And the husband
told her, "Oh, yes, you know everything. You are very
intelligent; I cannot do anything about it." And then the ghost
said, "Yes, I know. And I also know that today you went to see a
Zen master and you talked about us."

So the man said, "Okay, since you know everything, now, can you
tell me how many beans are in my hand?" As soon as he asked this
question, the ghost disappeared.

So you know, was there a real ghost? No! Then you shouldn't be
afraid tonight.


St2-138.jpg





Indian Tales



                      - Another Ghost Story



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at the Hsihu Center,
Formosa, January 8, 1995
(Originally in Chinese)
Videotape No. 466


There was once an Indian woman named Devi. Indian people usually
have sacred and great names related to God. A "Devi" is a female
Deva (Heavenly being), and the name bears great meaning.
Sometimes, Indians name their children after Indra (the
mythological king of the abode of the gods) in hopes that they
will be better humans.

This Indian woman Devi had a young son named Lahuve. The mother
and child had to flee their home, which was occupied by an evil
spirit that had killed many members of their family, including
Devi's parents-in-law and Lahuve's six uncles. Therefore, she
decided to take her teenage son away from the haunted house for
they were the sole survivors in their family. Devi took her son
to another place, where she ran a business for a living.

Several years later, Lahuve, now grown up, asked his mother:
"Mom! Where did we come from? My friends always ask me this
question and I don't know how to answer them. They want to know
why we left our ancestral house." Indian people, like the
Chinese, the Aulacese and other people in Asia, highly treasure
their ancestral homes.

Thus, his mother told him this story: "In our old abode, eight
members of our family were killed by a ghost. Fearing that we
would be his next victims, I decided that we shouldn't live
there anymore for it would bring us harm." And Lahuve said,
"Well! What's so strange about people dying in a house? Where
there is birth, there will be death. People die when their time
comes. They have already died. Why should we leave our ancestral
home? We should return; nothing will happen to us!" His bravery
was so convincing that his mother finally consented. They then
packed their luggage and went home.

Nevertheless, fear dwelled in Devi's heart. Every day, she would
make offerings to the ghost before each meal, and Lahuve was
very curious about her behavior.

One day, Devi prepared one of her son's favorite dishes, and he
wanted to have the ghost's share as well. Of course, his mother
forbade him. So he asked, "Why? For whom is this food reserved?
I like this dish very much and I didn't have enough." Devi said,
"This is an offering to the ghost. He has already killed eight
of our kin. If we don't offer him food, he will kill us, too."

Lahuve was unconvinced by his mother's explanation, and said,
"How could this be? Why do you pay so much attention to the
ghost? He might not have been responsible for our relatives'
deaths." Devi firmly believed that the ghost was behind the
family tragedy, for her eight relatives had died one after
another. But she had never seen the ghost; she just imagined
everything. Her disbelieving son insisted: "Just let me eat it!
There is no ghost!" He wanted the food very much, despite his
mother's disapproval. She then said, "Please! Don't eat it,
don't! Let the ghost have it. If you eat it, the ghost will kill
you. What will I do then?"

That day, the ghost really came to enjoy the food. Lahuve sat
there waiting for him to appear. When he did, Lahuve asked,
"Hey! Ghost! Who are you?" and the ghost told him, "Young man, I
am the third brother of your grandfather. After I died, I killed
your grandfather and your uncles, because they robbed me of my
wealth and let me die in poverty and pain. Therefore, I took my
vengeance by killing them all."

Lahuve then asked, "What power do you possess?" The ghost said,
"I am extremely powerful. I killed your uncles and grandfather
as easily as you swat flies. No problem at all! I could have
killed your mother as well, but she fled. Though she has come
back, she offers me food every day, so I spare the two of you.
Listen carefully. I can fly to Heaven, the abode of the angels,
in an instant. I can also fly to the abode of the ghosts. Don't
you think that I am terrific?"

Lahuve said, "If you are really so powerful, can you take me to
the deities and angels?" The ghost said, "No, I can't." Lahuve
said, "Then, can you convey a message to them for me?" The ghost
said, "Sure! What do you want to say to them?" The young man
said, "Please ask the angels how long I will live here? How old
can I live to be?" The ghost said, "Okay, I will." Then he left.

The ghost came again the next day and said to Lahuve, "The
angels said that you can live to the age of sixty." Lahuve
asked, "Please ask them again if it is possible for me to die
earlier, say around forty to fifty? Can I be killed earlier? If
this is not possible, then can they let me live longer until I
am a hundred years old?" The ghost said, "Okay, I will ask again
for you." He then departed again to ask the angels.

The next day, the ghost came back and said to Lahuve: "I have
conveyed your request to the angels, but they wanted me to tell
you that it is not possible. You can die neither a moment
earlier nor later, because the length of human life is
predestined."

Upon hearing these words, Lahuve immediately swallowed the
offerings set aside for the ghost and rushed into the kitchen.
He picked up a big piece of wood, lit it, and used it to beat
and chase the ghost away. He said: "If you do not get out, I
will kill you; I will continue to beat you." The ghost displayed
his deadly fangs and claws trying to scare them. Devi implored
her son to stop doing that. But Lahuve said, "Mom! Don't you
worry! The angels told me that we can't die any earlier or
later. So, why are you still afraid of the ghost?" The ghost
threatened to kill them both if they did not offer him food.
However, he had also heard with his own ears the angels say that
it is impossible to die earlier or later. Therefore, he had
nothing more to say, and was beaten out of the house by Lahuve.
After Lahuve had learned the truth, the ghost could not threaten
him anymore, and the ghost was aware of that, too. (Applause)

If we have God and Buddha in our heart, will we still fear
ghosts? God and the Buddha are the highest. If we are still
afraid of ghosts, that shows we do not have enough faith in God
or Buddha. Our faith is still too weak. Therefore, ghosts can
only intimidate weaker people; they fear those people who
practice spiritually and have stronger willpower.


St3-138.jpg


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Pearls of Wisdom



Guiding Youth through Spirituality



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Panama, January 27, 1991



(Originally in English) Videotape No. 145


When we grow up a little bit more and become teenagers, we
always have various kinds of pressure: from school work, from
competition with classmates, from girlfriends, boyfriends, or
girl and boyfriends together and from family members as well.

And sometimes we share the pressure of our parents, too, or that
of our brothers and sisters if they have problems. Even if they
don't tell us or if they only tell us a little bit, we perhaps
know the financial situation of the family or the marital
atmosphere between our parents, and so on. All of these things
add to the pressure on our soul. And thus sometimes children
feel suffocated.

So children may take pills, take drugs or kill themselves. Or
they may run away from home, or have all kinds of bad company
just to escape the pressure. That's what they think, to
substitute these things for the happiness that they have lost or
that they cannot find.

And I think the pressure on children is sometimes of a greater
intensity than that on adults. Because when we're adults, we're
more or less trained and more or less strong enough to be able
to take of these problems. But children are a little bit
sensitive, innocent and helpless; therefore, they don't know
where to turn. And they don't know how to express themselves:
They're fearful or timid and shy and all kinds of things. So I
don't think being a child or being young is as terribly
beautiful as people describe in novels.

That's why when children do something wrong, it's not entirely
their fault. It's the situation, the pressure of the society,
the circumstances and the family background; there are many
things put together. So it's lucky for those children who have
good parents or a good family and who feel happy and loved
within the family. I didn't feel it that much when I was young.
But those who practice with their parents on the path of Truth
are better, much better. They have inner comfort to rely on. And
that will give them a lot of the strength and wisdom they need
to grow and to survive the pressures of this world.

Sometimes our parents or family members alone cannot give us
enough satisfaction or inner strength to go through life.
Because there are also many things we can't talk about with our
parents. Parents have their own problems and their own
pressures. Even if they wanted to love their children more or
share more of their children's pressures, they could not by
human effort do so in a complete way.

So I think all the children should come and learn the Quan Yin
Method and eat vegetarian. And if they have problems, they can
talk to me. That's better than going and talking to bad friends!
I can be their father, mother, friend, lover, teacher or
anything so that they will survive the young period. And then
later, when they grow up, they can do things for themselves.


pw-d-138.jpg





The Importance of Keeping Our
                     Thoughts, Speech and Actions



                                                                
          Pure



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Los Angeles, U.S.A.,



March 12, 1996 (Originally in English) Videotape No. 535


There are many ghost stories in China from earlier times; for
example, Liao Zhai Zhi Yi (Tales of Fox Fairies and Ghosts, a
book of Chinese ghost stories), and so on. Some of the ghost
stories are not completely fictional; there is some truth in
them. Because the human psyche is funny; it can create a lot of
things. That's why people can have psychic power.

It is said that, in Tibet you can practice devotion to a kind of
deity. And then one day you will see the deity appear as a real
person; you can create it. If you don't have a deity that you
already like, you can create one in your mind: as a deity, a
monk, a woman and so on. After a long period of practice, these
imaginary personages will become real. And each has a reality
and a personality of his or her own. And sometimes if you're not
powerful enough to control this created apparition, it will even
harm you.

Similar to ghost stories, many things happen in our life because
of our mind. So if people say, "Everything comes from the mind,"
it means that our thinking affects our living standards and
everything around us. If you think the flu is contagious, you
should know that the thought process is even more contagious
than that.

But there's no need for alarm. Besides reciting the Holy Names,
you can pray to God, meditate and think all the time of the good
side of things. You must check your psychological lifes as well,
such as being too obsessed with some kind of idea. For example,
if your body is very healthy, and you live in an environment
that is always propagating or encouraging people to have
intercourse with the opposite sex, then the cells in the body
will sometimes listen to that message.

So you have to keep your mind at a different level (Master
points to the wisdom eye) and tell the cells the opposite. If
you can't do that, then sometimes the bodily demands are greater
than your mental ability to control them. And then sometimes you
see a ghost appear to you, like a beautiful lady in your dreams
or not in your dreams, making more trouble for you. In that
case, you should know that this is a psychological apparition.
It's not real.

So in that case, if you want to deal with this kind of ghost,
you can ask something that he cannot answer. Anything you think
in your head, the ghost will know, because he is you. So make
sure it's something that's puzzling. For example, if the ghost
comes again, you can hold a handful of rice in your hand and ask
him, "How many grains are inside?" and surely he can never
answer; then he will disappear. In that case, you'll know it's
your own psychological apparition that appeared to you because
you suppress yourself too much. So try not to suppress yourself
so much. Get married, or do something legal. (Master and
everyone laugh.) So you don't have to make trouble for yourself
and invite a ghost.

we have to check our thought processes. It's not the action
alone that counts; it's the thought inside. For example,
sometimes you hug someone, and if you love him or her, they will
feel different than when you just hug out of social etiquette,
like, "Yes, hallo, how are you?" And the other person freezes.
So similarly, with the family relationship or husband and wife,
don't think that you can cheat on her and she doesn't know it.
She feels it. And there will be turmoil in the family; you just
won't know why. You think that she doesn't know anything, that
she's become moody these days or she's become lousy. It's not
true. Inside, the knowledge is transmitted through space,
through time, and is recorded.

Everything is recorded. It's funny how we think that we're alone
all the time. We're not alone. Everything is recorded and
transmitted. For example, television and radio or CDs - they're
nothing, just pieces of metal and plastic with everything
recorded on them! How can the ether or God power not be able to
record an even finer version than that?

So we should be aware all the time of the naked visibility of
our inner thinking, not to mention our actions, which are
coarser and more visible. That's why we must always try to keep
our thoughts, speech and actions as pure as we can control them.
Because we'll affect the next person.


pw1-a-138, pw-b-138, pw1-c-138




==================================================================


Story World



Animals Are Also God's Tools



By sister initiate Aler, Miaoli, Formosa


I live each day like a fairy in the mountains, surrounded by
singing birds and fragrant flowers. In this mountainous setting,
besides many lovely animals, there are also numerous snakes. In
the beginning when I saw them, I would become frightened. But
after a while I got used to them, and would simply let them pass
by without trouble. Nonetheless, in my heart, I was still afraid
of snakes.

One day, while talking to a friend, I mentioned that after
following Master and practicing spirituality for a few years, I
had improved in many ways, becoming more confident, steady and
fearless. Then I added, "However, I am still very much afraid of
snakes."

On returning home that day, I found a small poisonous snake on
the stone wall outside my door. I immediately became frightened,
ran into my house, and dared not try to catch it, for fear of
being bitten. I hoped it would go away by itself, but when I had
to leave, I found that it was still there. Then, a few hours
later when I returned, the snake was still on the wall. That
evening, I almost dared not go back home to sleep, but at last
forced myself to take action, and procured a sack and small
bamboo stick to catch the snake, if necessary. (The way to catch
a snake is to pick it up with a long, narrow stick or rod, put
it into a sack and then take it somewhere to release it.)
Luckily, however, the snake was already gone when I returned.

On another occasion, I was living temporarily in a house on a
different mountain. One night when I entered my room and turned
on the light, I found two little poisonous snakes inside. There
was a channel for water pipes in the wall, next to the mountain
slope, and a hole through which I could see the pipes. The hole
looked ugly, so I covered it with a thin wooden board that did
not completely seal it. That day, a snake came in through the
opening near the board. When I entered, it tried to crawl back
out, but could not because the board could only be pushed in
from outside, but not the other way around. Then, behind the
board, I saw the tail of another snake, perhaps trying to help
its buddy escape. I broke into a cold sweat out of fear, and was
beside myself. I then quickly packed some luggage and ran away
to sleep somewhere else.

The next day the snakes seemed to be gone, and my neighbor came
around to search the house to make sure the snakes had left.
Wearing rubber gloves and plastic shoes and carrying a small
twig, she meticulously examined the whole place, turning over
all the cabinets and tables to make sure that the snakes had
departed. Finally, she lifted a corner of the thin wooden board
that covered the hole and found a snake curled up inside,
flashing its tongue at us! My neighbor was very brave and moved
the board, and then calmly looked at it, as I stood by, scared
out of my wits. Next my friend suggested that I seal the hole
snugly, since there were still other possible entrances for the
snake around the edges of the board. So she helped me nail the
board in place and then sealed it tightly with glue. My friend's
calm manner was an inspiration for me. I think that her innate
attention to details made her so courageous.

Later I moved back to my original house, and for a while saw no
signs of the snake that had appeared at my door. Once when I was
out of town, I mentioned the snake to my friends and wondered if
it was still living there. A few days later when I returned
home, I was surprised to find a snakeskin on the wall outside.
Perhaps the snake had heard my question and answered me with its
action. It was marvelous!

When I examined the area around my home, I found that the rain
had created many holes on the nearby mud retaining wall. These
openings were ideal homes for snakes, so I decided to plug them
with cement. But first I spread lime in the holes, so that if
any little animals were living inside, they would move away.
Indeed, that night I found a small green snake next to a tub
outside my door. When I saw its tail, I ran into the house, put
my computer near the screen door, and played Master's teachings
on an MP3 for the snake.

When I woke up a few hours later, I switched on the light and
found the snake still outside the door, with its head tilted
toward my computer, near the amplifier. It was lying stretched
out and motionless. At that time, the computer was playing a
Buddhist chant sung by Master and disciples at the Yilan
seven-day retreat. For a long time, the snake remained
motionless, and I wondered if it was dead because a live one
would have slithered away at the sight of light or humans. Then
the chanting ended, and fellow initiates began to report their
personal experiences. Only then did the snake move away, and I
knew that it was not dead, but only in samadhi upon hearing the
Buddha's chanting. I suddenly realized that snakes are also very
lovely and spiritual!

I was really surprised! These snakes seemed to possess telepathy
and knew what I was talking about even when I was far away.
Whenever I mentioned them, they would appear. It never failed!
Master once said that animals are also God's tools to help us
improve ourselves. I really feel that this is true. My
experience with the snakes taught me how to deal with things
that I fear.

==================================================================


While on the Path



Always Keep Your Thoughts Pure



By sister initiate Ease, Taipei, Formosa


In May 2002, I had the opportunity to attend Master's Mother's
Day-birthday celebration at the Florida Center. A group of
fellow practitioners remained after the two-day event, as did
our merciful Master, who occasionally came to see and speak to
us.

After Master's lecture on the afternoon following the
celebration, a Korean fellow initiate unexpectedly stopped me as
I walked by the health care center, and informed me that one of
the other Korean sisters at the Center was seriously ill and
needed a physician's help. Someone had told her that I was a
doctor, so she asked for my assistance. The ailing sister was
too sick to walk, and according to her husband, seemed to be
having heart problems. I then rummaged through the cabinets at
the health care center, trying to find any drugs that might be
useful, but only found some aspirin. I next went back to my tent
to get the medical apparatus I had brought with me, and followed
the Korean fellow initiates to visit the ill sister.

The sister had a high fever and her body ached all over. Through
a translator, she told me that she had begun feeling sick the
previous day. Since she had symptoms of angina (recurring chest
pain due to lack of oxygen to the cardiac muscle), another
fellow initiate physician administered nitroglycerine under her
tongue (a standard drug treatment for angina), an injection and
oral drugs. A traditional Chinese medical doctor also treated
her with acupuncture and cupping therapy (a method of applying
suction cups to the skin to eliminate stagnant accumulation of
toxins in the tissues). And through the fellow initiates'
sincere care, the sister's chest pains abated. But the following
day, her other symptoms progressed and could not be alleviated
by oral medication. She next revealed to me that she also had
systemic lupus erythematosus (an inflammatory disease of the
immune system). At that moment, I realized the severity of her
condition, and told her that she should seek further treatment
in a hospital if her health did not improve. While giving her
further treatment, I advised her not to take cold baths. I
worried for this sister as I thought of the enormous hospital
bills and the language barrier she might have to face in the
United States if she sought treatment for her illnesses. At that
time, we could only pray for Master's help.

While praying, my "ignorance" also went into action, as I
complained to Master in my mind, saying, "This sister came to
see you with complete sincerity; how could you allow her to be
so sick, especially at the Center!" I thus put all the blame on
Master and completely forgot that it was we who always bring a
lot of karma to Her. I even doubted if Master knew about the
sister's illness.

After the therapy session with the sister, I went to the kitchen
and was busy eating when I saw Master walking in my direction.
Good heavens! As I thought of the complaints and suspicions I
had expressed about Master just moments earlier, I wanted to
slip away at once. Usually, I longed to be near Master, but not
under such conditions -- wearing trousers that had been worn for
three consecutive days without washing, and holding half a bun
and a cone-shaped cup of water in my hands. I could not even put
them on the table! I stood there, with the guilty conscience
that I was being caught red-handed. When Master passed by, She
was speaking and I only heard the isolated phrase, "…Control
your mind!" These words precisely reflected my mood at that time!

Though I felt ashamed, it was still important to fill my belly.
I took another bun, found a seat, and sat down to enjoy Master's
talk. In Her lecture, Master mentioned that taking an occasional
cold shower does no harm, and as long as we do some sunbathing
both in the front and back of the body afterwards, we will
recover our vitality. At that instant, I was filled with
complete admiration for Master; for She handles everything so
naturally without any sign of deliberation that one can only
describe it all as "part of Creation." It is a shame that due to
my low level of spiritual practice Master had to personally give
me a lesson over such a trivial matter.

At four o'clock the following morning, when I arrived at the
designated spot to take the bus to the airport, the ailing
Korean sister and her husband came over to me. I could hardly
believe the sister when she told me that all her discomfort had
gone away in less than a day! I felt it must have been her
sincerity, her confidence in Master and Master's power that
helped her come through. I was also deeply touched by her
thoughtfulness in coming to me so early in the morning just to
tell me that she was fine and to relieve me of my worries.

This experience made me realize that there are no secrets in
this world, not in our spoken words or actions, nor in our inner
thoughts. If we think that there are, it must only be an
illusion of the brain trying to deceive us. I pray that all
fellow initiates can keep their bodies, speech and thoughts pure
at all times so that we will not cause additional trouble or
burdens for Master, Who has already given us so much!

==================================================================


Elevation of the Soul



Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest Videotapes



<In English>


736 The Illusionary Game of Life
Master's Birthday Celebration at the Florida Center, USA, May
11, 2002


<In Chinese>


737 Practicing with Ease
Master's Birthday Celebration at the Florida Center, USA, May
11, 2002


es2-138.jpg





Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest DVDs



<In English + Subtitles in 21 languages>


493 Appreciate the Value of Initiation
European International Three-day Retreat,
Hamburg, Germany, August 25 - 27, 1995 (Part 1)

"Initiation is an opportunity that occurs once in a million
years. Being a human being is already very difficult, and in
order to meet a real Master and get initiated into this Quan Yin
Method is even more so. I cannot tell you, I have no human
language to describe to you the preciousness of this method."

In this DVD, Master offers profound insights into the
preciousness of initiation, and reveals how we can receive the
great power from God so that it may work for us every day.
Master's words of wisdom reach deep into every soul. This is a
discourse that fellow practitioners cannot afford to miss! Even
for non-initiates, Master's message is like a great bell chiming
at midnight to shock them out of their worldly delusions.




Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest CDs



<In English+ Chinese Interpretation>


CD-CE01
The Supra-worldly Therapy
Discourses in Formosa during the early years,
August 3, 1985

This CD presents for the first time some of the brilliant
discourses given by Master during Her early years in Formosa,
before She began delivering public lectures.

Its main contents include the following. Why would a Master test
a disciple by having him build and demolish houses repeatedly
over seventy times, just to select a successor? And what was the
outcome? And in another story describing the "transformation of
karma," you will learn how a Master helps sentient beings turn
their sixty years of karma into a dream. For some people who go
to Heaven after they die, why is it that their consciousness is
as inert as wood or stone? What kind of supra-worldly therapy do
they need to become cured and awakened? How do the living beings
on the superior planets create things? How can they heal
traumatized souls in agony?


<In Chinese>


CD-CG01
Master's Power Takes Care of Everything
Group meditation at the Florida Center, U.S.A.,
June 4, 2001

This CD offers rich and fascinating contents. The following are
the main points of Master's discourses. Confronted with the
ephemeral happenings of this world, how can spiritual
practitioners develop a positive attitude to surmount such
ordeals? How should we equip ourselves with knowledge and
prepare ourselves psychologically once we have selected a pet
animal as a companion? When we have to make an important
decision in life but do not know how to do so, is there a good
way to help us make the decision? If our sleep at night is
occupied by incessant dreams, will Master still take us up to
superior realms to learn our lessons? What is the proper
attitude in handling worldly work or learning a skill? Is it
sufficient to merely rely on meditation? Please don't miss
Master's incisive discourse on the topic "We need to help
ourselves before God helps us."


Es1-138.jpg




To order Master's publications, please contact:

The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association
Publishing Co., Ltd.,
Taipei, Formosa.
Tel: (886) 2-87873935 / Fax: (886) 2-87870873
E-mail: smchbooks@Godsdirectcontact.org
ROC Postal Remittance Account No.: 19259438 (for Formosa orders
only)
Postal Account: The Supreme Master Ching Hai Publishing Co., Ltd.

Please visit our bookshop's website to download our catalogue
and summaries of the contents of Master's latest publications:
http://www.smchbooks.com/  (in English and Chinese)



==================================================================


Group Meditation



European Retreat --
                              Continuous Surprises at the New
Budapest Center


In the early summer of 2002, Hungarian initiates bought a
tranquil little farm on the Hungarian Great Plains. The property
is very conveniently located and boasts electricity and a
practically unlimited supply of drinkable water pumped from a 60
meter deep well. The soil is very fertile, and thus excellent
for agriculture. The farm originally had one brick, one adobe
and a few wooden buildings.

After purchasing the farm, the initiates took six weeks to
convert it into a meditation center with completely new
electrical and water systems that can support retreats for many
hundreds of people. The meditation hall is basically a roof
structure made of three layers of reed supported by locust wood
pillars. It gives good protection against both sun and rain (it
was tested for both during a recent retreat). The initiates have
also begun to build a main building. During the retreat this
building was used as the kitchen, cafeteria and bookstore. Aside
from these major construction projects, Hungarian initiates have
also started many other undertakings, such as fixing the dirt
road leading to the center, weeding, and building a large water
reservoir (which can be converted into a swimming pool in the
future).

The new Budapest Center was planned to be the site for the
four-day European Retreat held from August 15 - 18, 2002 so the
initiates had a deadline by which to complete its construction.
At some points the task seemed very daunting. But with Master's
blessing and the collective hard work of disciples from all over
Europe, they finally made it. Day by day, the site slowly began
to take the shape of a meditation center, and by August 15 it
was ready for the retreat. Everyone knew that this miracle was
possible only due to Master's blessing.

More than 200 disciples from 20 European countries attended the
retreat, which began at 4:00 a.m. on the 15th. For a number of
disciples, it was their first major retreat, and the serene
atmosphere of the Center helped them have a wonderful meditation
experience, as many reached new spiritual heights.

Then on the third day came a great surprise, the climax of the
retreat: Master held a live videoconference with the disciples
at the retreat! For some, it was their first chance to talk to
Master directly. Since the Center does not have a fast Internet
connection, a lecture hall was rented at a nearby university for
the conference, and all disciples were taken there by bus. When
Master's elegant image appeared on the screen, and Her charming
voice was transmitted via the microphone, everyone was ecstatic!

Master was more beautiful than ever! The conference lasted for
45 minutes, and Master answered various questions from the
disciples. Everyone felt greatly touched by Master's love.
Although the retreat officially ended at noon on August 18, many
disciples stayed at the Budapest Center for several more days,
and had a relaxed, joyful party on the evening of the 18th,
enjoying many fun performances by fellow disciples.


(ce1-1.jpg, ce1-2.jpg, ce1-3.jpg, ce1-5.jpg, ce1-6.jpg,)





Resonance from the 2002 European Retreat







Preparing for a Retreat is a Great Learning Experience



By brother initiate Thomas, France (Originally in French)


From July to August 2002, Hungarian initiates established a new
center in Budapest, and a great number of tasks had to be
accomplished before the start of the planned four-day European
Retreat in August. So I decided to go to the site ten days
early, and thanked Master for allowing me to join the working
team responsible for the construction of the center's meditation
hall.

We worked in rainy weather for several days, and one day as I
worked, I occasionally dreamed of something warm to drink. Then,
all of a sudden, I heard the soft voice of the team leader
saying to me, "Thomas, take a break, some tea is ready!" I
rapidly went down and could not believe that a cup of warm green
tea, prepared by the team leader, was waiting for me! During
this short but wonderful break, the brother reminded me with his
lovely smile and shining eyes that, while working, it is
essential to remain concentrated on the task at hand and not be
distracted by wandering thoughts.




Positive Persistence Overcomes Obstacles



By brother initiate Eric, Benin, Africa (Originally in English)


After a recent videoconference with Master, the initiate
responsible for its video recording told me what had happened
before the conference began. When he arrived at the university
where the conference was to be held, he realized that he did not
have enough blank tapes and batteries to record the entire
event. In addition, he was unfamiliar with the university's
video equipment, and its technician was off duty because it was
a holiday. Nonetheless, the brother insisted that the whole
conference had to be filmed and kept that idea in mind, with the
confidence that Master would help him overcome this unexpected
obstacle, which appeared very complex because the time to react
was extremely short. The brother faced many difficulties but
persevered, and finally contacted a video company with an
employee who was at that very time working at the university!
The initiate quickly drove back and consulted the employee and
finally solved his problems.

Thanks to Master for Her help and for the brother's strong
willpower, which helped him to reject the negative thought of
not being able to film the entire conference. I was really
impressed by this story by the initiate, and said to myself,
"Whenever I face such a tricky situation, I should remember this
story and the brother's wise way of thinking and acting."




A Grand Harvest from the European Retreat



by fellow initiate Rastislav A. Kovacic, Slovenia (Originally in
English)


During the four-day European Retreat, our meditation sessions
began with the playing of Master's melodic Buddha's Chanting
tape. The meditation hall was thus immediately filled with
Master's blessing power. Previously, whenever I had tried to
recite the Holy Names, I had trouble getting through the first
one, and I could not even finish the second one. Ever since this
retreat, however, I no longer have this problem. Thank You,
Master, for Your compassionate support.




Master's Almighty Power Helps in a Border Crossing



By the Hungarian News Group (Originally in English)


On the way to Budapest for the four-day European Retreat, a
miracle occurred to a Romanian sister. As she was traveling to
the Retreat in a bus full of passengers, the vehicle was stopped
at the border between Romania and Hungary, and for some reason
was turned back by the border guards. While encountering such a
hindrance, the sister could not help but begin to repeat the
Holy Names and pray to Master for help. Then, after holding back
for a while, the bus driver suddenly made up his mind to try to
go through the border checkpoint again, and unexpectedly, this
time the bus went through almost immediately!

After this experience, the Romanian sister was amazed at
Master's almighty power and felt boundless gratitude to Her.



==================================================================


Cinema Scene



Reflections on E. T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial --



                                       Love Thy Good Neighbors



By brother initiate Lin Chengrong, Yilan, Formosa


The science fiction film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which was a
box office hit 20 years ago, recently came out in a new version.
Directed by the world-renowned Steven Spielberg, the story is
not only heart warming, but also thought provoking. The plot
centers around an alien being from outer space making friends
with a ten-year-old earthling named Eliot. They learn to
communicate with each other and soon establish a warm
friendship. Moreover, in order to help E.T. return home, many
people give him their love and care, which demonstrates that
human beings and aliens are able to love and help one another
without discrimination. In contrast, many members of our often
confused and chaotic society fail to show such care and
compassion and thus have much to learn from the characters in
this movie.

From the human perspective, E. T., the alien, appears funny and
grotesque. However, he is kind-hearted, and intelligent, and
like Eliot, possesses the pure heart of a child. Throughout the
movie, they both think only beautiful, kind and positive
thoughts, and ultimately are able to win the sympathy of other
children. In their attempt to protect E. T., the children work
together to hide him from the police and the adults in their
community. The climax comes when they take E.T. in a bicycle
entourage to a mountaintop where he can begin his journey home.
At the most critical moment of the scene, E. T. has to use his
supernatural powers, and suddenly, the children find themselves
riding their bicycles on the clouds, thus escaping a police
chase. This is a highly exhilarating and powerful moment! The
film perfectly demonstrates that the spirit of peace and love
transcends everything.

Master once talked about the issue of extraterrestrials as
follows: "The aliens are not harmful. They are very, very good
people, very intelligent, very advanced. We could use their
wisdom and friendship to protect our planet and to advance into
a better civilization. Some nations make mistakes. Sometimes
they like to capture them, make trouble for them, make them die
without help, and destroy their crafts in the name of science. I
don't think these are very wise actions. I think we should
change that and instead help them. We have to love our neighbor.
It is taught like this, and the alien people are also our
neighbors anyhow." (Excerpt from the article "The Aliens Are Our
Good Neighbors," The Supreme Master Ching Hai News No. 53,
spoken by Master at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, June 10, 1995,
originally in English)

The most moving scene in the movie is when, in the still of the
night, E.T. feeling lonely and helpless, looks up at the night
sky and points at the stars with his finger, murmuring, "I want
go home." But in the meantime, his face shows an expression of
determination. This scene mirrors the experience of, us Quan Yin
practitioners. We also long to return to our heavenly Home! The
story of E. T. is only fiction. However, we, a group of true
aliens from other planets, are acting out an even more
heart-wrenching story on this worldly stage. Let us all return
to our Heavenly Home through the guidance and help of a great
living Master!


(mv1-1-138, mv1-2-138, mv1-3-138, mv1-4-138, mv1-5-138,
mv1-8-138)





==================================================================


Media Reports



Annual Vaccine Inoculations for Pets May be Too Frequent



(Originally in English)


Scientific research indicates that most annual vaccine
inoculations for pets are not only unnecessary, but also waste
money and can be potentially deadly. Vaccines for the most
important pet diseases last three years or longer, and so annual
vaccine inoculations are needless, and can even put pets at
greater risk of vaccine-related problems.

However, federal authorities do not require vaccine makers to
show a vaccine's maximum duration of effectiveness. If you are a
pet owner, you and your veterinarian should make the ultimate
decision about which vaccines need to be given to your pet(s)
and how often they should be administered, according to Dr.
Ronald D. Schultz, a veterinary immunologist at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine.



For further details, please see the following articles:

1) "Pets Don't Need Shots Every Year" by Leigh Hopper, Houston
Chronicle, June 3, 2002, at
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/1387004

2) Dog and Cat Vaccinations...Too Many, Too Often?" by Dr. T. J.
Dunn, The Internet Animal Hospital, August 26, 2002 at
http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/vac.html


==================================================================


Helpful Tips from Master on Caring for Pets:


1. Wipe dogs or cats at least once a day before bed time all
over their bodies and paws with a damp cloth or paper towel.

2. For two to three weeks, wipe with a water and vinegar
solution (50/50 %), then with a damp cloth.

3. No chemicals should be used to wash or wipe dogs, cats, etc...

4. Dogs and cats should be given Worm Guard (for intestinal
parasites), once every two to four months, and tick and flea
prevention care, also once every two to four months.




==================================================================


Spiritual Interludes



A Subtle Lesson in Love.........



By a fellow practitioner from Mainland China


One day, I was about to take a train home from a pleasure trip
out of town. After I bought my ticket, I waited at the entrance
to the train platform. Soon a young woman carrying a child came
up to me and asked where I was headed. When she learned that we
were both going to the same destination, she happily asked me if
she could travel with me. This reminded me of my condition
before initiation: I wanted to help others, but not everyone
trusted me. However, after initiation, I have had countless
experiences in which strangers place their faith in me.

After I agreed to let her travel with me, the young woman told
her mother, who came to see her off, saying that she could now
relax and not worry about her daughter's safety. The mother
seemed completely assured and asked me with a smile, "Please
take care of them!" I then held the child as the young mother
carried her luggage. We boarded the train together, and after
finding our seats, sat down and chatted. I had a bottle of pure
water in my bag, which I had placed on the luggage rack above
the seats. I asked the young mother if she wanted some water,
thinking that I would get it only if she did. And she said that
she did not need it because they had water with them. Seeing how
touched she was, I thought that I must be a very loving person.

But after a while, I saw the woman get some boiled water from
the other end of the train, while carrying her child in her
arms. The water was so hot that the child cried loudly when
trying to drink it. The mother waited for a long time, but the
water was still hot. At last, she took a small cucumber from her
luggage and gave it to the child. I then realized that the woman
had not accepted my water simply out of politeness! After we
arrived at our destination, I helped her with her luggage while
she held her child. We then exited the station and I waited with
her and the child until her husband came to meet them.

At that time, I thought I had done a good deed. At least I felt
that I had tried my best to help a fellow human being. But after
some retrospection, I realized that I still needed to improve
spiritually. The woman was obviously not well off and could only
prepare things such as a cucumber for her child to eat, while
most other children normally consume numerous snacks while
traveling on trains. Suppose our Master had been in this
situation. She would definitely have thought of getting some
snacks or toys for the child. On the surface, I seemed to have
done something good, but after analyzing my behavior, I
understood that I still can not sense what others feel and give
love and concern when necessary. There is still much for me to
learn!

==================================================================


True Stories



My Decades-  long Truth-seeking Journey



An exclusive interview with elderly brother initiate Chen Po-lin,



Conducted by the Taipei News Group, Formosa


Now almost eighty, brother Chen has been initiated for over ten
years. Before his initiation, he spent several decades searching
for the Truth without success. However, since he has been
following Master and practicing the Quan Yin Method, not only
has his wisdom developed, but he has reaped abundant fruits from
his spiritual practice.


Risking His Life for the Truth


In 1947, brother Chen became an adherent of I-Kuan Tao (one of
the largest faiths in Formosa, incorporating the wisdom of
Shakyamuni Buddha, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and other Masters), and
he was thereafter designated as the group's "manager" and
"transmission master." For twenty-six years, he also followed
master Liu Pei-chung of the Kunlun Sect (a Taoist sect in
Formosa) and practiced the use of magical powers. Brother Chen
heard about the Supreme Master Ching Hai eighteen years ago but
was skeptical at the time. The time had probably not yet come
for him to form a bond with the Quan Yin Method.

During this period, the ancient saint Lao Tzu appeared to
brother Chen in an inner vision, instructing him to "jump into
the sea" if he wanted to find the Truth. Brother Chen, however,
misinterpreted the message, and thought to himself, "Well, the
physical body is worthless anyway, so if I can indeed find the
Truth in this way, I'm willing to sacrifice my body." Thus, he
went to Chinshan Beach, a coastal suburb of Taipei, jumped into
the sea, sustained a head injury and bled profusely. It took him
over a month to recover. Later, the inner light form of Lao Tzu
again appeared to brother Chen in a dream, telling him that if
he wanted to go "Home" he should go to Taipei to cleanse himself
in "pure water." Lao Tzu even asked him to get a photo ready.
Again, brother Chen did not understand the message, and it was
not until several years later, when he was initiated into the
Quan Yin Method, that he realized that Lao Tzu's hints about
"jumping into the sea" and "cleansing himself with pure water"
meant receiving initiation from the Supreme Master Ching Hai
("Ching Hai" literally means "pure ocean" in Chinese), and had
nothing to do with the sea or pure water in the material sense.
He realized that only through following Master Ching Hai could
his karma of many lifetimes be cleansed. The photo he was
instructed to prepare was for initiation registration. But he
had been unable to understand Lao Tzu's messages because he was
not yet enlightened, despite the fact that he had practiced
I-Kuan Tao for many years.


The Ultimate Method


Four years after having these dreams, sister Tsai, a Quan Yin
Method practitioner, told brother Chen that she was following a
true living Master, and advised him to follow the same Master
since he had great spiritual potential. However, brother Chen
was still doubtful and thought, "I'm doing very well in my
spiritual practice. How can there be a better path?"

Then, in 1988, brother Chen remembered what sister Tsai had told
him so he telephoned her. Sister Tsai again recommended the Quan
Yin Method, but brother Chen was still hesitant so he decided to
consult Lao Tzu through divination. He made three divinations
and the results were all positive, meaning Lao Tzu gave him his
consent to receive initiation, and brother Chen was overjoyed.
Finally, in 1990, at the age of sixty-six, he received
initiation from Master. During his screening interview before
his initiation, he was asked what he had practiced previously.
His reply was: "Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism." Although at
the time he was over the age limit to be initiated into the Quan
Yin Method; because of his sincerity in seeking the Truth,
Master made an exception and gave him initiation. After he was
initiated, brother Chen made repeated divinations to confirm his
decision, and the results were always "positive," giving him
greater confidence that he had made the right choice.

Because brother Chen had used magical powers for many years, he
had a hard time meditating in his early days of practicing the
Quan Yin Method, as many invisible beings came to harass him.
One day, when he was meditating, his former master appeared to
him looking very displeased, and brother Chen said to him,
"Master! I'm now following the Supreme Master Ching Hai. If I
have made the right decision and have some achievement in
spiritual practice, I will help elevate you to a higher level.
But if my decision is wrong, you will still be my master."
Hearing these reassuring words, his former master was no longer
angry. According to brother Chen, the master was practicing the
method of "rejuvenation," and though it could bring renewal to
the physical body, it was not an ultimate method that could lead
one to liberation.

Eight years ago, brother Chen fell seriously ill, and many
fellow initiates came to comfort him. In great agony, he begged
Master, "Master! I am very old already. Please take me with
You!" The manifestation form of Master then told him: "You will
be all right. You have a mission to fulfill." When he was
hospitalized to undergo heart surgery, he had numerous
miraculous experiences. And after he recovered, he had even
greater admiration and reverence for Master.

Brother Chen's next problem was his weakening eyesight. He
underwent eye surgery, but his eyesight only returned to about
half its normal strength. However, since then, in addition to
the physical world that ordinary people see, he has also been
able to see the astral world that cannot be seen with the
physical eyes.

Whenever fellow practitioners ask for brother Chen's advice on
making spiritual progress, he always says, "Master has already
imparted all the secrets of spiritual practice to us. All we
need to do is truthfully adhere to Master's teachings, meditate
diligently and attend retreats often, and we will naturally be
elevated." On one occasion, when he was in Hualien, a couple who
were fellow initiates came to visit him with an uncle who was
not yet initiated. Their uncle wanted advice from brother Chen,
and said, "My son is obese and in poor health." Brother Chen
replied, "I know why! Your son is a Buddha's son reincarnated,
and yet you feed him meat. No wonder he is sickly. You should
both seek initiation from Master." Soon, both father and son
received initiation into the Quan Yin Method.

Brother Chen used to work in construction and carpentry. He is
also an avid reader and a great calligrapher. Hanging on the
walls of his home are many calligraphic works that he created in
various cursive and angular styles. He is also good at writing
poems and verses. Very often, he puts his spiritual
contemplation into writing and hangs his creations on the wall
or collects them in albums. One day, however, the Inner Master
advised him to stop writing for no matter how well he writes, he
is still bound by words. Master told him it is impossible to
reach true liberation through words. Heeding Master's advice,
brother Chen immediately stopped writing.


Florida Retreat


Before Christmas 2001, news arrived that there would be a
retreat in Florida. And at the advanced age of seventy-eight,
brother Chen still cherished this opportunity to see Master, and
decided to go to the retreat. But his passport had expired and
he did not have a U. S. visa; the deadline for the retreat
registration was near, and with Master's blessings, he managed
to get all the necessary papers and a visa in one day, so that
he could make the trip smoothly. This was another demonstration
of Master's power!

After the retreat, when Master was speaking with a group of
disciples in the kitchen, brother Chen took the opportunity to
tell Master about his quest for the Truth. While listening,
Master was considerate enough to act as an interpreter, so that
all the initiate present could hear his story. Master said that
brother Chen's case is rare because it is very difficult for
someone who has practiced a method for several decades to
abandon it completely and switch to another method, especially
when he had once occupied such high positions as "manager" and
"transmission master" in I-Kuan Tao. This shows that, in
aspiring for the Truth, he completely renounced fame and profit.
Master added that it is also very difficult to stop practicing
the use of magical powers. Thus, brother Chen's determination is
truly rare. Especially worth admiring is his willingness to
sacrifice even his life in the quest for Truth.


Spiritual Insights


Finally, brother Chen shared with us the insights he has gained
from his spiritual practice, emphasizing that we should keep our
backs straight while meditating on the Light. When our
meditation is good, our five inner vital energies will be in
harmony, and our circulation will be smooth. When meditating on
the Sound, it is ideal to do it in the posture instructed by
Master, instead of doing it in a sitting posture. If we are in
bad health, we should just meditate diligently every day and we
will become healthy again, looking as rosy and healthy as an
immortal!

With deep feelings, brother Chen said that the ultimate Truth
that created the universe is intangible. In this world,
everything is an illusion; the love between husband and wife is
an illusion; wealth is an illusion; children and power are
illusions. Before being initiated by Master, he walked a long,
tedious and fruitless spiritual path. After following Master,
however, not only has his wisdom developed but he has reaped
abundant fruits from his spiritual practice. Nonetheless,
ordinary people are unaware of how precious it is to have a
living Enlightened Master, and miss this once-in-a-thousand-year
chance. It is truly a great pity!


True-138.jpg


==================================================================


Master Says



Youth and Spiritual Life --



                                        The Universal School



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai



(to an audience of young people), Hsihu, Formosa, June 16, 1991



(Originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 176


Human beings are the most precious and wisest beings in the
world. Therefore, you can go to school at such a young age,
understand what the teachers teach, and become increasingly
intelligent and better. If you were to put a bird in school,
would it learn anything? (Children: No.) However, we humans
should be worthy of our behavior, otherwise, we're no better
than animals.

We humans also have the qualities of animals; for example, when
we enjoy bullfighting or cockfighting. What do we look like when
we sleep too much? (Children: Pigs.) And what do we look like
when we eat too much? (Children: Pigs.) Still pigs? (Laughter)
Are pigs so bad? They have both of these qualities. (Laughter) I
mean we human beings also have animals' qualities, but that
doesn't mean we are lousy. Why do we have these animals'
qualities? It's because we have bodies like theirs. Animals also
have eyes, noses, ears, and mouths. Some animals also have
hands, and some don't have hands, but they have wings. So, we
just can't get away from animals' qualities.

However, human beings have an advantage: We can control these
qualities, increase or decrease them, depending on how strong
our willpower is. For example, sometimes when we eat too much,
we can retrospect and tell ourselves, "Oh, you don't have to eat
so much. Eat just enough! Otherwise, you will soon get sleepy,
or you may lose concentration in school. When the teacher
teaches, you will begin to snore." We can warn ourselves like
this, and then we'll eat less. Or when it's time to go to
school, but we have not had breakfast, we can tell ourselves,
"It's time to go to school. That's more important. I can eat
when I have time."

But a pig can't do that. If a pig goes to school, it has to eat
until it's full before it's willing to go. Even if you put the
food aside, it will rush to get it. Therefore, although we
humans have animals' qualities, we still have wisdom and
willpower, with which we can control ourselves and develop other
good qualities in ourselves. But animals can't do that, not even
the intelligent ones. They can't learn as much as we humans can.

People are different in terms of intelligence and talents. Some
are smart; others are awkward. The difference comes from their
knowledge or inborn talents. Some are born clever; some have to
study long to catch up; others are still awkward even if they go
to school. Although they can become a little more intelligent
than before, the difference is barely perceptible because they
don't study hard.

However, since we practice spiritually, we understand everything
very quickly. That's why some schools also teach their students
meditation. But the meditation has to be very short, because
they are mostly not vegetarians. Of course, they practice
ordinary methods only. But they still benefit a lot, even if
they practice like that. Their intelligence grows and they
become smarter.

Originally, we humans came from very high dimensions, where we
already knew everything. Our minds are full of all kinds of
materials and they'll be of use if we know how to operate with
them. Our brain is just like a computer that's full of all kinds
of materials from the universe. It's just that most of these
materials we can't utilize because we don't know how to operate
it.

We practitioners have to find the right "keys" and then we can
understand everything, we can do anything, and we can do
everything much better than ordinary people. It's because after
we practice, our inner wisdom adjusts itself automatically and
the inner Master presses the right keys for us whenever we need
anything. It provides us with the necessary materials. This is
nothing mysterious! If anything we request comes true, it's
because we have it originally. It comes out when we press the
right keys. There's nothing mystical about it!

Sometimes we don't know how to choose the right keys because we
haven't learned how. Thus, we pray to God for help because the
we will know how to choose the right keys, and miracles will
happen. Every request is answered because we've found the right
keys. After we practice well, we don't have to pray to God for
anything. We have everything we want because we know how to find
the right keys.

We meditate, keep a vegetarian diet, carry out charitable acts,
and observe the precepts. All of these things are part of
spiritual practice. The more we practice, the more we know how
to handle our own things, the more we know how to use our
abundant inner materials, and the more we know what to use in
various situations. You have heard many miraculous stories about
great practitioners performing magical feats or performing
miracles in the Himalayas. They can do these things because they
practice, not because they have magical power. Each one of us
can have this power. Whatever Jesus can do, we can do also,
provided we know how.

The same goes for school. Before you started going to school,
you couldn't even read the ABC's, but now you can. Why? There's
nothing miraculous about it: It's because you have learned them.
Those who have not learned them can't read the ABC's however
simple they're.

Spiritual practitioners go to a different school, one that's
higher than universities. Our worldly knowledge ends at the
universities. Secondary schools are higher than primary schools,
and universities are higher than high schools, but that's the
end of worldly knowledge. If we want to know greater things, we
want to know about the universe or other mysterious things, we
have to practice spiritually.

After we graduate from the university, we should go to Buddha's
or God's school if we want to enhance our wisdom. It's just
another kind of school. But this kind of school is different
from ordinary schools because it doesn't involve organizational
work. There are no written tests, and there are no tuition fees,
and students don't have to go to school every day. That's why
people don't think it's a kind of school. Of course, we can do
as ordinary schools do, but I think people who can go to this
kind of school are already mature. They are good enough and
don't need the kinds of disciplinary methods that are used to
control children. So, this kind of school is freer.

Although this kind of school is freer, students have to study
very hard. They have to meditate at least two and a half hours a
day and strictly observe the precepts. It's stricter than
ordinary schools in this respect. And there are still tests
although they are not in written form. Ask your parents. They
have a lot of tests. Sometimes, if they can't pass the tests,
their levels drop. But that doesn't matter since they can take
the tests again! We have no deadlines for the tests. It doesn't
matter when or how many times you take the tests! You can
continue to take the tests as long as you have patience and
sincerity. In this school, you also learn a superior kind of
knowledge.

Therefore, it's also a kind of school here. I teach different
knowledge, which is superior to that of the university. Worldly
knowledge cannot compare with this knowledge because there are
many mystical things that cannot be explained through worldly
knowledge. Universities have their good points; many different
subjects are taught there. However, we teach everything here,
and it's taught inwardly without the use of language. Our school
is thus a superior school.

Now you're still in primary and secondary school, so you should
study hard and do your homework carefully. But you shouldn't do
it for fame or fortune. You shouldn't do it because you want to
become a boss, run a big factory or become a president. You
should do it as part of your responsibility, to please your
parents and teachers, to fulfill your duty as a member of
society. After we complete our education, we go wherever God
arranges for us to go, and do whatever God arranges for us to do
because we know God will take care of everything.


Read good books from a young age and cultivate good ethics


When I was a student of about your age, I loved reading books.
We should not only read books from school, but also other books
that are worth reading, such as scriptures and books about
ethics or life philosophy, which are very nice and interesting.
If we read many books, we won't misbehave outside, and we won't
have too much free time, so our minds won't be misled. You're
still young; it's okay. After you grow older, you should read
more books and do more research. There are many kinds of books
in this world. Some are scientific books and some are medical
books or theological books. We can read and research any books
that are beneficial to us.

If we learn to be a good person at a young age, we won't bring
trouble to other people when we grow up. Therefore, we should
learn basic ethics from childhood. If there's anything you don't
understand, ask your parents first. I think your parents are
very good. They practice spiritually, and they have good morals
and common sense. They're older than you are and have learned
with me longer than you have. Ask them first about things that
you don't understand. Ask before you grow up; otherwise, it will
be too late.

Some initiates come to learn with me when they are old, and I
become tired when I teach them. There's an Aulacese saying that
goes, "Bend the bamboo when it's tender; you cannot bend it as
you like when it grows up." Similarly, my parents trained me
strictly when I was young. Sometimes I didn't like it, and I'd
say, "Oh, I'm just a kid! Why are you so tough on me?" However,
after I grew up, I appreciated my parents very much because
everything I do right is to be attributed to my parents' strict
discipline. If I do anything wrong, it's my own fault.

Although you're still young, you'll grow up very soon. I felt I
was like you yesterday, but I became like this very quickly
(Master laughs); I've gotten a few extra strands of white hair.
Time really flies! When you're still a student, you have plenty
of time, so you should study hard, and look for good books to
read; otherwise, you won't have time for it after you grow up.
Ask your parents if it's true that they don't have time to read
books. They can't be absorbed in the books when they do read,
because they're always dealing with this and that, busy with
financial problems, and busy with daily troubles so they can't
concentrate on reading.

If you're not a good child now, who can help you after you grow
up? Bad kids become bad adults, and they make families and
society unstable, and bring chaos to their country. Therefore,
for society to be sound and stable, it has to depend on you, the
future pillars. You should behave well from now on, and
cultivate your manners.

Do you remember the story about Mencius' mother moving her
residence three times? (Children: Yes.) If it weren't important
to study well at a young age, Mencius' mother wouldn't have
exerted so much effort to move! Now that you have such good
parents and a good learning environment, you should really study
well. Read any good books you know of. Ask your parents if you
don't know of any. Ask them to find some good books for you.
When you have free time, don't play too much. Have enough fun.
Do some physical exercises to keep fit. That's enough. Read some
meaningful and moral books. You should learn basic ethics from a
young age; otherwise, it'll be too late.

When I was little, I liked moral books very much, such as books
that teach us not to steal under any circumstances, or not to
take what doesn't belong to us. After I grew up, there was a
time when I drifted. But I wouldn't steal even if I had no money
on me. Once, when I was in Au Lac, a friend let me live in his
house, but he didn't know that I had no money and I didn't tell
him. One day, I was very hungry, but I had no money. It was
wartime, so I couldn't receive money from home, which put me in
an urgent situation. My friend put all his family's food on the
table, and it looked delicious and smelled good. I didn't eat it
although I had gone hungry for days because they had not
returned home by that time. I didn't tell them about my
situation. I tried to get a job or find some other way to settle
the problem. I did so because I had been trained that way from
the time I was young.

My friend's family trusted me very much, and they left me at
home when they went out. I didn't touch their property or steal
their food because I had learned that from when I was young. My
parents didn't wait to teach me only when the circumstances
arose, which might have been too late. Just like when you learn
Chinese, you should learn when you are young, and then you can
speak it fluently later. You will learn how to use all kinds of
words, and then you will speak Chinese very well. There was
another time when I lived in Paris. I didn't have much money
with me, because I was an overseas student. I lived somewhere
first and then I had to move to the other place for some reason.
I needed money to move, but I didn't have very much money at the
time. You know, things are very expensive in Paris! The rent is
much higher than in Taipei. So you can imagine how difficult it
was for me, a foreign student, to be forced to move immediately!

One evening, I was looking for a job, one that offered living
accommodations, so that I could resume my education. It was OK
for me to study at night and work during the day. I went to look
for a job, but did not find one. On my way home, I passed by a
park, and a man thought I was a "street girl," so he showed me a
lot of money and wanted me to go home with him. Of course, I
said, "No!" He first showed me 200 US dollars, and then raised
it to 400. I said, "No" again. Then he raised it to 600, so I
warned him, "If you say another word, I'll call the police!" The
man became frightened, and then he finally realized I was not
that kind of woman so he ran away. Six hundred dollars was a lot
of money at that time.

Why didn't I forget my honor or morality for the sake of money?
Because I had read good books from the time I was young, and it
became a habit of mine to resist worldly fame or fortune in any
situation. I liked to read moral books such as Zhuan Tze, Lao
Tze, or the Buddhist scriptures. Others like The Story of the
Gods, Spring and Autumn, Tales of the Three Kingdoms, Tales of
the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms, The Thousand Flower Mansion, and
tales of Chengyaojin (a humorous and loyal character in Chinese
folklore) are also books containing moral lessons. In these
books, good people obtain good consequences, and receive special
protection or help whenever they encounter disaster. Bad people
are found out sooner or later, and are punished in the end.
These stories teach us and firmly build up our ethics.

If we cultivate our basic ethics at a young age, we'll not waver
in any situation; otherwise, we'll fail our first test. We'll
harm other people or seek fame and fortune in dishonorable ways.
We'll not mind even if we sell ourselves or hurt our honor.

Therefore, I think you should form the habit of taking care of
the moral aspects of your life since you are little and not just
read your textbooks, or just learn foreign languages or math.
That's not enough; although they make us a little more
intelligent. They make us know how to do business, or teach us
how to find good jobs, but they cannot build up our moral
concepts or protect our souls or dignity. Therefore, if your
school doesn't teach you about ethics, you should train
yourselves, or read some good books. When you have free time,
don't indulge yourselves in meaningless games. You can play
games, but don't overdo it; otherwise, you'll waste a lot of
precious time.

You remember and absorb everything you learn at this age, so it
matters what you absorb! Keep away from immoral books and
violent movies. Choose the right movies or books so that you can
develop a good spirit, and nourish healthy ethics. You should
cultivate this habit at a young age and refuse immoral
publications and films. You don't have to wait for your parents
to forbid you and then protest against it. You should be
responsible for yourselves. Even if you're still young, you're
human beings. You have eyes, a nose, and ears, just like I do.
So if I could read good books when I was young, you can do it,
too.

From now on, you should begin to discipline yourselves, and get
prepared for your future life; or else, you'll have no time for
it after you grow up. At that time, you might make boyfriends or
girlfriends, and concern yourself with romance. You might also
be concerned with taking on family responsibilities after you
get married. You might be involved in earning money after you
find a job. So how can you find time to train yourselves?
Therefore, this is the best time to train yourselves because you
don't have much responsibility now, and your parents take care
of you very well, buying clothes for you and cooking for you, so
you have nothing to worry about.

So, cultivate your moral concepts from now on, and make them
sound and healthy. Then you'll become a good citizen after you
grow up. You'll become a good husband or wife, and you'll be
good in every respect! "Cultivate yourself, discipline your
family, govern your country, and bring peace to the world." You
should undergo all this training when you are young, otherwise
when will you have the time to do it later? You should learn
from our ancestors, you should learn from the good scriptures
passed down from the ancient Masters, you should learn good
morals and precepts, and you should train yourselves from
childhood!


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Selected Questions and Answers



Youth and Spiritual Life




Overcome the Distractions of Youth



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Helsinki,Finland, May 30,
1999,



(Originally in English) Videotape No. 663


Q: I'm a student, and I've lost my motivation and ability to
concentrate. How can I get this back? With the Quan Yin Method
maybe? I can't really start with my studies yet, and am
suffering very much. Only You, Supreme Master Ching Hai, can
help me and other students as well.

M: When you start to grow up in your teenage life, there will be
many distractions. That's why it's difficult for you to
concentrate. But you can also practice a little bit of
meditation.

If you want the Quan Yin Method, that's fine. If you don't, then
you can practice a simple method of concentration to help you.
Also, try not to watch too many distracting movies. And try not
to look around at beautiful women or handsome men too much.

After you finish your studies, of course you can do anything you
want. Think of your parents and your benefactor, who have worked
very hard to pay for your studies, and try to fulfill your
obligations. Because the student time of your life is actually
the best time; and later you will regret it. Tell yourself you
must finish the studies in front of you first, and everything
else will come later. Be determined to finish.




Usher Our Youth into the Golden Age



Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Brisbane, Australia,



March 21, 1993 (Originally in English) Videotape No. 337


Q: Some of the teenagers of this generation have no respect for
their parents. Is it because we're not good parents?
M: No, I don't think so. It depends. I wouldn't say that all
parents are good, but most of them are good. You see, the
teenagers of this generation probably have not been groomed
enough in morality, in seeing their parents as representatives
of God on Earth, who take God's place to raise the children and
to educate them.

If the parents somehow hinder or obstruct the children when they
want to realize God, then we can say these are not very good
parents. But otherwise, there are no such things as "no good"
parents. Maybe the different outlook of our teenagers nowadays
is because of the influence of bad news, violent pictures, many
undesirable means of communication, bad company, bad influences
and bad friends. That makes the teenagers the way they are today.

So the solution again is that we have to go back to the Golden
Age. We have to live the way the Bible teaches us to do, through
the way of non-violence, the way of love, the way of
enlightenment. Then we can bring our children back to their
innocence, back to their ethical way of life. And even children
can get enlightenment, too. Then they can know for themselves,
and they will change their way of life.

So, if all the children know the way of Truth, maybe they will
choose it. And then they will discover love within themselves.
Then they will respect their parents more. And then in turn, if
the parents are more enlightened, they will be more
understanding and clearer about how to raise their children.




How to Cultivate Young Practitioners



Spoken By Supreme Master Ching Hai during an Internet
Videoconference, August 11, 2002 (Originally in English)


Q: With children who practice, when should we start and how
should we help them not become attached to materialism from an
early age?
M: Well, you can tell them about the ephemeral nature of all
things and make them see some examples from books, from others,
or from nature.

Q: Will the child's mind naturally become detached from material
things if we don't pollute it, or do we have to train it that
way also?
M: We can train it, but still, if they go to school, if they go
out, they will be affected by the society. But at least if they
have a good background, they will be able to withstand the
pressure and disappointment that life and company will bring to
them. It's not that they won't have the disappointment and
pressure and loneliness that the company will bring. But they
will be able to withstand it. They will be strong enough to
understand and overcome the sorrow or unhappiness that arise
from these circumstances.

Q: Thank you for that, Master. (Applause)
M: You're welcome.

Q: Many of us have children and they are practitioners and half
initiates, and it's always very difficult for us to know how to
raise them. The guidelines for us are quite clear, but raising
children is transferring your thoughts to someone else. It's
very difficult, so thank You for Your advice.
M: You're welcome. I hope it works. In this world, it's never a
thing that's absolute or 100%. You can only do your best and be
proud that you're doing so. Everything else also is the effect
of karma, of society, of the collective consciousness, and God's
will, and weather, and the country where you live, the
traditions, and the friends that they have and everything else.
You can't control everything. So do your best. And be a good
parent. Be loving and good. And that's good enough already.
These are very fortunate children who are born to spiritual,
saintly parents like you are.


Qa1-138.jpg


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Spiritual Cultivation and Life



Youth and Spiritual Life   




Dealing with Adolescence on the Spiritual Path



By brother initiate Matthew Sirpis,



Sydney, Australia (Originally in English)


Today's society is ridden with temptations and a low sense of
morality; so being an adolescent can often be a challenging
experience. It is equally challenging for parents who have to
properly guide their rebellious children through the adolescent
stage.

In many countries, drug problems have become common among youth.
Many take to drugs because they feel the urge to "fit in" and be
a part of their peer group. Some are misguided, and some do
drugs simply out of curiosity. They want to experiment with
their minds and experience altered states of consciousness, or
numb the pain of their lives, which may be caused by friends,
family, life changes, or other factors.

Personally, I took drugs for all the above reasons. By the time
I was sixteen I could easily drink more than most adults, not to
mention all the other poisons I was ingesting. The parents of an
adolescent may blame themselves for such behavior and respond in
various ways. The question is: What is the best way to respond?
I feel that my parents responded in the most responsible and
mature manner possible. They made it clear that they did not
support excessive drinking under their roof although I was
allowed to have a beer or two with dinner. They also did not
support any form of drug use and made that clear as well, but
they knew they could not control me outside their home. At
times, when they caught me intoxicated, they spoke to me calmly
about their feelings, but generally left me alone.

I feel this was a good way to deal with the situation, because
of where I am in my life today. Ultimately, through my parents'
tolerant approach, I learned that I was responsible for my own
actions and feelings, and a suitable amount of suffering over
the years led me to the Quan Yin Method. My spiritual journey
actually began with drug use, when I came to realize through
drugs that other states of consciousness were possible. This
prompted me to learn about meditation, which over the years
slowly replaced drugs in my life. I practiced breathing
meditation for a while, but realized I had come to a dead end
with this practice. Then I learned the Convenient Method and
received initiation.

Based on these experiences, my advice to young adults is: if you
can avoid the pitfalls of drug and alcohol use, and have the
strength to choose the spiritual path early in life, do so. I
have absolutely no regrets about my choice in this regard.

And my advice to parents is: if you are initiated, then you are
already setting a great example for your children. If they
choose to follow you, that is their choice. Try to remain
slightly detached from your children and realize that they are
individuals, and not your possessions. During intimate times,
tell your children how you feel. If such times do not occur, and
your children refuse to talk to you, then let it be. Your
children will know where to come for answers when they are ready.




A Letter to the Parents of Adolescents



By brother Lulumy, Taipei, Formosa


I am still a "freshman" in society, having recently left behind
my teenage years, but during my growing process, I have had some
personal experiences and thoughts that I wish to share with
fellow practitioners who are parents so that they may better
understand the thinking and behavior patterns of today's youth.

Emotions

Friendships with peers, family ties and love from boyfriends or
girlfriends all affect teenagers emotionally, but peer
friendships are most valued by youngsters. For young people who
are just learning how to think independently and make their own
judgments, responses from and identification with their peers
are their major sources of confirmation and encouragement. At
the same time, adolescents wish to prove in various ways that
they have grown up. For example, they desire to be free to come
home late and have the right to manage their own lives, possess
a strong sense of loyalty to friends and do not want to
disappoint them. Thus love and care from parents can become a
kind of prison for them, as during my adolescence, when I often
felt that my mother controlled me too much. Although I am now
able to understand my mother's loving heart, I always used to
let her advice go in one ear and out the other. I suggest that
parents make their home a psychological haven for their children
at this stage. When children come home emotionally hurt by those
outside the family, it is important not to reproach them.
Instead, it is best just to help them heal as quickly as
possible. Although they might go out again after the wound is
healed and be hurt again, this is a learning process most
adolescents must go through. What parents need to do is to be
patient and ready to support them. I remember once when I came
home unhappy after spending some time with friends. My mother
did not question me about why I was so late; instead, she asked
me with concern whether I had eaten or not, and hurriedly
prepared some food for me. I ate that meal with my eyes full of
tears, and decided from then on that I would never be so
rebellious again.

As for love, it is better to teach young people how to respect
and get along with friends of the opposite sex rather than to
forbid all contact. It can be a great help to their personality
development to instruct them in healthy and correct concepts
about romantic relationships and what they can learn from them.
Due to lack of experience, youngsters may not be able to
understand the true meaning of love, but helping them cultivate
positive interactions with friends of the opposite sex is far
better than turning them into emotionless "pieces of wood."

Schoolwork

For most parents, their children's schoolwork is their major
concern, because in this diploma-oriented society, it is much
easier to find a job if one has received a good education.
Although I have an undergraduate degree, I confess that I have
never been interested in studying. Perhaps it was due to
affinity that I was able to smoothly enter senior high school
after graduating from junior high, and then go on to a
university. On my university entrance examinations, the maximum
score was 600. My score was only 180 on the first sample test in
school and 190 on the second. But I made so much progress that I
got 280 in the third sample test and finally was admitted into a
university with a score of 300 on one half of the test.. And
this score was just enough for me to choose a university only
ten minutes' drive from my home in Taipei. At that time, I was
moving very unsteadily along the spiritual path. If I had had to
study in a new place far from home, I might have neglected my
practice, but while staying in the city, I was not only able to
attend group meditation regularly, but had many opportunities to
participate in work at the local center as my class schedules
gave me great flexibility. Thus, I became more resolute in
seeking the Truth.

For these reasons, I believe that education is related to one's
affinity and natural abilities. We should let things take their
natural course. However, even though parents do not need to
force their children to study, they should let their youngsters
know that, without an advanced education, it will be more
difficult to make a living in contemporary society, and one may
thus need to earn a living by physical labor. Children will have
to face their own future sooner or later. If parents can help
them see and think clearly about their own choices, they will
have no regrets later.

Spiritual Practice

During my teenage years, I often felt that I was different from
others: Apart from being a pure vegetarian, I had to meditate
two and a half hours each day and keep the precepts so I found
it difficult to preserve my friendships. It was as if I had to
make a choice between friends and spiritual practice every day.
I often thought, "Why should I practice?" or "Why can't these
two co-exist?" For some time, I even went out with friends at
eight in the evening and stayed out until eight the next
morning, and then slept through my classes during the day. No
one knew what I was doing, nor did I know myself! I only knew
that I longed to find happiness, but failed to find it after
searching everywhere outside. Finally, I found that the true
happiness that makes me really contented is right within me.

Many young fellow practitioners received initiation when they
were little. So for them, spiritual practice may be just a way
of life that they have been accustomed to since childhood. The
concept of "liberation" sounds remote to them, because they are
still too curious about this world full of temptations. If they
are persistently forbidden to contact the outside world, it
might prevent them from being adversely affected, but
over-protection may also have the opposite result. The most
influential teaching is the wordless example of parents, because
the power that can truly touch the depths of their children's
hearts is their earnest practice and blissful love. Because of
this, even in times when I have felt low, I have never thought
of leaving this Quan Yin Family for I can not imagine how I
could survive a single "tomorrow" without the Quan Yin Method.

Conclusion

Why am I writing this letter to parents rather than youngsters?
Because most young people are full of curiosity about everything
and wish to explore, experience and find the answers for
themselves. They are not very interested in listening to others'
opinions, nor are they likely to follow others' suggestions.
Looking back on myself as an adolescent, I was exactly like
this: only wanting to try out my own ideas. But the ideas of
teenagers frequently make their parents worry and may cause many
conflicts between parents and children. It was not until one
day, during a time of retrospection, that I realized my mother
had been giving me endless care and love all my life. During the
time when I was looking for the "way" and "happiness" outside,
Master had been by my side, taking care of me, loving me and
protecting me all the while. After I came to understand this, my
heart softened and from then on I broke off completely from the
concept of "rebellion."

Based on my own experience, I sincerely hope that parents treat
their teenage children with true selfless love, the most needed
remedy for adolescents facing inner contradictions and anxiety.
For young people today do not want to be spoiled or confined,
but instead need their parents' help in establishing a set of
values about right and wrong, virtue and vice, as well as good,
healthy concepts about relationships. Although they may behave
perversely and pretend not to know the proper path now and then,
that is the nature of adolescence.

I sincerely hope that my humble opinions may be of some help to
young people and their parents. May all the young members of our
Quan Yin Family walk securely and steadily along this great,
healthy path!


Life2-a-138.jpg


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Science and Spirituality



Bridging Science and Spirit



By sister initiate Pamela Millar, San Jose, California, USA



(Originally in English)


Quan Yin practitioners and many religious individuals are not
alien to wonderful experiences such as "entering samadhi," or
being "one with Heaven" and "one with all of Creation." However,
such phenomena related to religions and spiritual practice
remain inexplicable myths to scientists. Nonetheless, in recent
years, more and more scientists are seeking to find the truth
underlying such experiences by utilizing many advanced
technological devices.

These researchers have finally decided that religion merits
serious study after all. In a new field called "neurotheology,"
serious scientific studies are tracing the physical changes that
occur in the brain during religious and spiritual experiences.
The May 7, 2001 issue of Newsweek covered this fascinating new
topic in an article entitled "Religion and the Brain." The
author, Kenneth L. Woodward, cited numerous books and controlled
studies by medical researchers offering evidence of how
spiritual and religious inspiration produces specific
neurological reactions in the brain.

These "neurotheologists" are attempting to use the data they
gather to show that the brain is wired for spirituality, and to
determine what differentiates people who have deep spiritual
experiences from those who have little or no spiritual
inclination at all. Their research is attempting to determine
what mystical experience can tell us about consciousness
overall, and whether there is a specific physical or mental
propensity that leads some individuals to a more spiritually
inspired existence.

The Newsweek article cited many examples of studies yielding
similar results, including experiments with groups of Tibetan
Buddhists, Franciscan nuns and a woman who had an epiphany at
Machu Picchu in Peru. Researcher David Wulff, who is cited in
the article, says that the consistency of "spiritual experiences
across cultures, across time and across faiths suggests a common
core that is likely a reflection of structures and processes in
the human brain."

Specifically, through spectral imaging techniques, researchers
have been able to demonstrate repeatable experiments showing
common activity in certain regions of the brain during various
types of religious experience. For example, the frontal lobe is
active during times of intense meditative concentration, the
middle temporal lobe is linked to emotional aspects of
experience (such as joy and awe), the lower temporal lobe
interprets images such as crosses or statues, the juncture of
these three lobes is where response to language is governed and
associations are formed, and when the parietal lobes are
completely quieted, a person can feel at one with the universe.

The latter finding is of special interest to scientists. There
is a region in the parietal lobe toward the top and back of the
brain called the "orientation association area" that seems to go
completely dark when subjects experience their deepest sense of
unity with the universe. This part of the brain seems to govern
the sense of self in time and space. Specifically, the left
orientation area governs the notion of a physically delimited
body, and the right association area creates a sense of physical
space where the body exists. One neurotheological researcher,
Andrew Newberg, in his book "Why God Won't Go Away," describes
the effect as follows: If you block this region, as you do
during the intense concentration of meditation, you prevent the
brain from distinguishing between self and not-self." This could
lead, then, to the impression of being ONE with the universe.

Another theory holds that heightened electrical activity in the
temporal lobes may induce mystical experience and produce
visions. This view even suggests that the great spiritual
inspiration reached by historical figures such as Joan of Arc,
Dostoyevsky, Proust, Saint Paul and Saint Teresa of Avila simply
may have been caused by "temporal lobe epilepsy," which consists
of abnormal surges of electrical activity in the brain's
temporal regions. As this is the area that governs language and
association, the theory is that mini electrical storms can cause
a heightened experience of visions and interpretative images,
such as visions of God. The left lobe is supposed to govern the
sense of self. If the right lobe is completely quieted, while
the left lobe is stimulated, the brain interprets a limitless
sense of self, or union with God. This is how the "voices" heard
by Joan of Arc and the visions of Saint Paul can be explained.

While all of this may seem like reductionist science attempting
to provide rational explanations for phenomena it does not
understand, there is acknowledgement by some that neural
activity alone is not proof of these experiences being
"imagined" by the brain. Newberg admits that "there is no way to
determine whether the neurological changes associated with
spiritual experience mean that the brain is causing those
experiences…or is instead perceiving a spiritual reality". What
these types of studies may do, however, is open science to a
greater way of understanding the nature of human consciousness,
one of the greatest mysteries of life. This bridging between the
fields of science and religion may well lead to new
breakthroughs in human understanding.

For more details, please refer to the following URL:
http://www.passig.com/pic/Religion&amp;TheBrain.htm

==================================================================


Between Master and Disciples



"Attending" to Master --



                       Stories of Life with Master in the Early
Years


When Master takes care of people, She is always very thoughtful
and sincere, leaving the recipients with an indelible
impression. Yet when disciples attend to Master, they are often
extremely careless and crude, and have to rely on Master to
remind them at every possible opportunity.


A Night on the Lecture Platform


On the mountain summit in Hsihu there was a wood cabin where
Master once lived in Her earlier days. Outside the cabin was a
high deck, where Master sat to deliver lectures in full view of
the audience. So soon the deck came to be called "the lecture
platform." One day, Master told her attendant that She wanted to
spend the night there. The cabin, which was still under
construction, had no water or electricity. Nonetheless, the
attendant heeded Master's words and immediately brought a
folding bed and hung up a mosquito net for Her. Thus, Master
spent the night outdoors.

Early the next morning, when the attendant woke up, she saw
through her still drowsy eyes that Master was already sitting in
meditation inside the mosquito net. She felt ashamed, but on
closer observation, realized how careless she had been the
previous night. In the dim light, she had hung the mosquito net
too high, leaving it free to be blown higher by the wind. She
had not noticed that it was several inches above the ground. Up
on the mountain at night was mosquito country so the attendant
wondered what a difficult night it must have been for Master.



Great People and Little People


Episode one:

After the seven-day Christmas retreat in Costa Rica in 1990,
Master and disciples went to a nearby secluded beach for a
further retreat. In the heat on that isolated beach, Master led
the disciples in setting up a tarp with a piece of driftwood so
that we could have some shade. We placed our cooking utensils,
fruit and vegetables under the tarp away from the scorching sun.

A miracle then occurred on the beach. A freshwater pool was
found not far from shore. Strangely, however, soon after our
retreat ended and Master left for Panama, the sea suddenly rose
high and flooded the little pool. No fresh water has since been
found on the beach. We could not figure out where the fresh
water came from, but it flowed into the pool and then out to
form a little creek, which meandered into the ocean. Every
morning, we carried water from the pool and filtered it through
six or seven layers of cloth before storing it for food
preparation. Mornings were the best times to collect the water
for the debris settled at the bottom of the pool during the
night.

During the retreat, Master led us in fortifying the sand
embankments nearby, which showed signs of collapse. We also dug
a deeper riverbed for the creek. However, the uneven bed
obstructed water flow and Master decided to dig a new canal for
the water to flow into the ocean. Barefooted, Master toiled hard
with a shovel in her hand. She also asked us to work hard, but
we thought it was fun and did not take the work seriously.
Darkness was about to fall, and when Master saw that we were
working too slowly, She chastised us severely and urged us on,
telling us that building this creek would have a tremendous
impact on the universe. Only then did we hasten to complete the
work. Master's attendant offered to take over Her shoveling job,
but She insisted on doing it Herself. Even though the disciples
did not understand why She had to do it Herself, they knew
somehow that this was a very important task.

Soon afterwards, most of the disciples went back to the local
center to weed the grass and plant trees to beautify the
environment, and only a few stayed behind with Master at the
beach. By then, the high temperatures had given way to rain and
everyone sought shelter under the tarp. But the shelter could
not accommodate everyone; so Master instructed us to take off
our outer robes and hang them around the tarp as an extension,
much like the eaves of a building. When the sun came out, there
were many wet clothes had to be dried. So Master fashioned a
steel wire and a piece of driftwood into a clothes hanger.

One night, before one of the resident disciples went to bed, he
remembered something that happened between him and Master, and
thought to himself, "We're great people, and we do great things.
You're little so you do little things." He even found this
thought funny and went to bed with a smile. The next day rain
came again and the winds blew. When the rain stopped, Master
asked this resident disciple to fasten the robes tighter on the
tarp the way one would fasten a curtain, but he did it
carelessly. When Master went about re-fastening them, She said
in a casual tone, "You're a great person, so you do great
things. I'm little, so I do little things." Her words came as a
shock to the disciple!

Sometimes things like this happen so that we stay alert. We thus
need to be ever conscious that we are in the company of an
enlightened Being, and not an ordinary person. From Her external
appearance, Master seems to be very ordinary, affectionate and
close to our hearts despite Her revered position in the
Universe. When we have been with Her for some time, the initial
nervousness and awe fade and often give way to carelessness.
This is also true in any human relationship as it develops over
time. We have lived in this mundane world for so long that our
habits become very entrenched. We have to trouble Master to use
different opportunities to teach us to grow out of the bad
qualities that have controlled us life after life.

Episode Two:

When traveling with Master on an international lecture tour, we
often have to move on to a new location every two or three days,
and every residence has its share of problems. For example, once
I had to wash Master's clothes in a sink that had been used by
many people. To make sure that everything was clean, I lined the
sink with a plastic bag before filling it with water. But the
sink was very small and I had to fight to cover it with the
slippery plastic bag, which was supposed to go completely over
the sink, making my job all the more difficult.

I thought that if I cleaned the sink a few more times, I could
do without the plastic bag. But just as I was about to put this
thought into action, Master appeared behind me. "You can't do
that! The sink is dirty," She said. I knew very well that I
should not let Master's clothes touch the sink, but my
impatience had gotten the better of me. I was surprised that
Master had sensed such a minor detail. She insists that however
difficult things may be, we should not lower our standards. I
sighed in relief that Master had caught me before I slacked off.

Episode Three:

During an international lecture tour, local disciples at every
stop generously offered their homes for Master and Her touring
group to stay in. One night, when everyone had gone to bed, I
took my pad and sleeping bag to the living room and lay down
beside the telephone, thinking that, if necessary, I would be
able to pick up the phone as soon as it rang. Just as I was
lying down, however, Master appeared. When She learned that I
was planning to sleep in the living room for the sake of
convenience, She said, "The living room is for public use. If
you sleep here, this living room will become your personal
space, and others will hesitate if they want to get a glass of
water or do something else. We cannot occupy public space for
selfish purposes. You can unplug the phone temporarily or move
it to your room." Master's words were impressed deeply on my
mind, especially since I had not felt comfortable about sleeping
in the living room in the first place. Until this day, I still
remember this rule: Never spread out your personal belongings in
a public space and always keep it clean.

On another occasion, I was on the phone reading telephone
numbers to someone. I thought that since he was an American, he
should be able to understand me even if I read them quickly, and
did just that. After hanging up the phone, Master immediately
corrected me, saying, "Could anyone understand you at the rate
you were reading?" I bit my tongue! This was the only time that
I had slurred on the phone and Master caught me in the act!

After having been taught and corrected by Master about many
minor details in life, I have found myself slowly leaving my
crude qualities farther and farther behind and becoming more and
more elegant. Regarding this topic, Master once said, "I've met
many so-called 'great' people, truly great people, and I've seen
how they take care of minor details with great attentiveness,
and with such a natural spontaneity that it is like second
nature to them. I think that's how they became great; they do
not neglect anything. They know everything without having to pay
much attention. For some ordinary people, even when they want
very much to pay attention to something, their so-called
attention is so minimal that when they say they have paid their
whole attention, it's not much. Therefore, they neglect some
corners, and that's how things become spoiled and not completed.
I've seen many so-called great people. They are truly very
humble in their manner and truly take care of things in a very
joyful way, taking care of other people and the tasks that are
entrusted to them." (Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai at the
Hsihu Center, Formosa, April 10, 1992, originally in English,
Videotape No. 240)

From these few simple examples, it is not difficult to perceive
the differences between great people and little people.


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Fax: 886-946-730699

S.M. Celestial Co., Ltd.
E-mail: smcj@ms34.hinet.net
Tel: 886-2-87910860 \ Fax: 886-2-87911226

The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association
Publishing Co., Ltd. Taipei, Formosa.
E-mail: smchbooks@Godsdirectcontact.org
Tel: (886) 2-87873935 \ Fax: (886) 2-87870873

LA Center Bookstore
E-mail: la_bookstore@yahoo.com
Fax: 1-909-738-9992

For the latest information of our liaison practitioners
worldwide, please visit the following URL:
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/cp/index.htm

 


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Quan Yin WWW Sites


* The contents of our "Quan Yin WWW Sites" list may be changed
frequently; for the latest information or you want to include
our Quan Yin Websites in any contact information, please use
only the information available in the following document:
http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/links/links.htm
Only the Quan Yin Websites in here are the most up-to-date and
accurate. Please do not use other obsolete Website URLs.

 


WWW:



http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw (Formosa; in traditional &
simplified Chinese, English)

http://www.smchbooks.com/ (Formosa; in Chinese and English, SMCH
Book Store)

http://www.Godsimmediatecontact.com (Singapore; in English)

http://www.GodsImmediateContact.or.kr (Korea; in Korean)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.or.kr (Korea; in Korean)
http://www.qyitv.com (Korea; in Korean)

http://www.GodsImmediateContact.org (Japan; in Japanese)

http://www.godsdirectcontact.or.id   (Indonesia; in Indonesian)

http://www.godsdirectcontact-thai.com/ (Thailand; in Thai)

http://www.godsdirectcontact.net (U.S.A.; in simplified &
traditional Chinese, English)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com (U.S.A.; in Spanish, French,
English, simplified & traditional Chinese)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/aulac/ (USA, in Aulacese)

http://www.spiritweb.org/Spirit/media.html?who=Suma%20Ching%20Hai 
(U.S.A.; in English)

http://www.Godsimmediatecontact.net/ (USA; in English)

http://www.godsimmediatecontact.net/aulac (USA; in Aulacese)

http://www.Godsimmediatecontact.org/video/ (in USA with Windows
Media Video & Real Video; in Multi Languages)

http://www.GodsImmediateContact.tripod.com (U.S.A.; in English)

http://www.contactDirectAvecDieu.org (France; in French)

http://godsdirectcontact.rma.cz (Czech Republic; in Czech)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org (Canada with Real Audio
service; in English, Aulacese)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.de (Germany; in German)

http://www.Direkter-Kontakt-mit-Gott.org (Austria; in German)

http://www.extra.hu/kozvetlen_kapcsolat_Istennel (Hungary; in
Hungarian)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/IhavecometotakeyouHome (in
English) (Book order - I Have Come To Take You Home)

 

 


To subscribe to the E-mail version, so that it can to be sent to
your personal e-mail account, please sign up at one of the
following sites:




http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/service/service.htm
(Chinese)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/service/service.htm
(English)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org/au/service/service.htm
(Aulacese)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/english/service.htm (English)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/spanish/service.htm (Spanish)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/chinese/fan/service.htm
(Chinese, traditional)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/chinese/jian/service.htm
(Chinese, simplified)

 

 


URLs for The Supreme Master Ching Hai News magazine:



Traditional Chinese:


http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/138/index.htm
(Formosa)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/eNews/chinese/138 (U.S.A.)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.net/ch/news/138/index.htm (U.S.A.)


Simplified Chinese:


http://www.Godsdirectcontact.net/gb/news/138/index.htm (U.S.A.)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/eNews/chinese/gb138/ (U.S.A.)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/gb/news/138/index.htm
(Formosa)


English:


http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/eNews/english/138 (U.S.A.)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/138/ (U.S.A.)

http://godsimmedatecontact.net/news/news138/ (U.S.A.)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.net/eng/news/138/index.htm (U.S.A.)

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/138/index.htm 
(Formosa)


Aulacese:


http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/aulac/news/ (U.S.A.;
VNI,VPS,VISCII and VNU fonts)

http://godsimmediatecontact.net/aulac/n138/ (U.S.A; VNI font)

Spanish: http://www.Godsdirectcontact.com/eNews/spanish/ (U.S.A.)

Korean: http://www.Godsimmediatecontact.or.kr (Korea)

Japanese:
http://www.Godsimmediatecontact.org/kannon/news/newsindex.htm
(U.S.A.)

Indonesian: http://www.godsdirectcontact.or.id (Indonesia)

French: http://www.contactdirectavecdieu.org/News/index.html 
(France)

German: http://www.Godsdirectcontact.de (Germany)

Thai: http://members.mweb.co.th/godsdirectcontact/ (Thailand)

 

 


Free Download websites for sample booklet: The Key of Immediate
Enlightenment (in 50 Languages)


http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/publication/sample/sample.
htm

http://www.direkter-kontakt-mit-gott.org/download/index.htm

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/sample/

 

 








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