The Supreme Master Ching Hai E-news Magazine No.116

Panorama of Events

Report from Korea

An Ocean of Tears

[Seoul] News No.114 contained a report on the historical change that occurred in Korea after Master led 10,000 audience members in a prayer for peace between North and South Korea at Her lecture held at Seoul's COEX Convention Center. This prayer resulted in unbelievable outcomes at a subsequent meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas.

The first agreement between the leaders to be carried out has been allowing long-separated family members from North and South to see each other for the first time in fifty years. This promise was fulfilled on August 15, Korea's Independence Day, when 100 North Koreans came to Seoul to meet their long-separated relatives. And amazingly, their meeting occurred at the COEX Center -- exactly the place where Master and 10,000 audience members had prayed for the peace of the two Koreas! At the Center, one old mother from South Korea found her son from North Korea, hugged him and cried, saying "Why did it take 50 years for you to come here even though it is actually only a one hour flight? "On that day, not only this woman, but also all the Korean people, who have had indescribable and painful personal histories, made their entire peninsula enter an ocean of tears.

Such meetings will continue in September and October of this year. Drastic changes in the history in Korea will be occurring in other areas as well. For example, religious leaders from South Korea will visit North Korea, and various performances, including musical concerts, will be exchanged. At the upcoming Sydney Olympic Games, South and North Korean athletes will enter the opening ceremony together under the same flag. And construction to reconnect a railway from South to North Korea, enabling travel from South Korea to Europe via China and Russia, have started and will be completed within one year.

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Report from Hong Kong

Dynamic Activities to Start the New Millennium

[Hong Kong] In January 2000, Hong Kong initiates greeted the new millennium and entered the Golden Era by moving the local Center to a newly erected building located in clean and tranquil surroundings. We thank Master for arranging this improved environment for our group meditation sessions, and wish that through it we can all better our practice!

We were overjoyed when Master came to Hong Kong to deliver a lecture on May 2, and are happy that a new group of initiates joined our big Quan Yin family at that time. In a spirit of oneness, many brothers and sisters contributed treasured audio and videotapes of Master's lectures to the new Hong Kong Center's library, so that new initiates can learn more about Her brilliant teachings and order their favorite tapes. Most of Master's earlier talks are in Mandarin, so a Mandarin class has been organized after group meditation on Sundays.

Besides learning basic pronunciation techniques, grammar and speaking through games and singing, initiates are urged to listen more to Master's tapes and thus learn from Her infinite Wisdom. As diligent meditation practice and knowledge of Master's teachings are equally important in pursuing spiritual growth, the Center also holds a study group on the teachings after Saturday group meditation.

In Her lecture 'The Six Buddhist Perfections,' Master taught the Convenient Method, and also advised that we do exercises before meditation. So now the Center also holds a short course on yoga exercises. We all feel more relaxed and comfortable in our meditation after doing some stretching movements.

During the local Dragon Boat Festival on June 6, we arranged an outing in the countryside for initiates and their families, which included a visit to a nature education center, and then a short walk through the mountains to the seashore. Fellow initiates also brought along cooking utensils and prepared a delicious vegetarian lunch for everyone. The children and adults also enjoyed free activities such as swimming, boating, chatting and napping under the trees. Family members of initiates were happy to have this chance to learn more about our group.

Besides Master's 'Supreme Kitchen' cookbooks, various other books on vegetarian cooking and information on organic food are also available for reference at the Center. In addition, since June, Hong Kong initiates have begun group ordering of organic vegetables and other foods, which can be collected from the Center after group meditation. In this way, we can support organic farming to protect the environment, reduce the chance of eating genetically modified food, and provide a very convenient and much welcomed service for our initiates.

We also participated in the Hong Kong Book Fair from July 19-26 to introduce Master's teachings. Brothers and sisters newly initiated in May actively helped with the Center's exhibit tasks, fully demonstrating the ideal spirit of 'all for one, and one for all' through their diligent work.

Captions

1. A glance at the new Hong Kong Center
2. The Hong Kong Center begins group ordering of organic vegetables and other foods to avoid eating genetically modified food.

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Report from Australia

Radiant Faces in a Flourishing Center

[Byron Bay/Northern Rivers] The new Byron Bay/Northern Rivers Center is flourishing, judging from the radiant faces of the initiates and Convenient Method practitioners in the local group.

The Northern Rivers district of New South Wales seems to attract many whose paramount purpose in life is searching for the Truth. The radiant smiles are from those who, by the infinite Grace of Supreme Master Ching Hai, have discovered that for which they were so earnestly searching.

The group comes together for meditation every Sunday afternoon in a picturesque country church in a quiet rural setting, twenty minutes from Byron Bay. The Center includes people from all areas of the Northern Rivers district, including the cities and townships of Lismore, Bangalow, Lennox Heads, Nimbin, Kyogle, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby and the area's many villages.

Master's love spreads like waves of happiness, as indicated by the atmosphere at a seminar held by the Center on Saturday, 12 August.

The seminar, presented in the form of a video of one of Master's lectures followed by a question and answer session and vegetarian food, attracted many sincere newcomers. There was a reluctance by all for the seminar to end, demonstrated by the lingering attendees. Many requested initiation, often displaying the deep longing for the Truth that we who are familiar with Master's teachings know so well. It was a heart and soul warming experience to feel the radiance of Master's love reaching us here at Byron Bay/Northern Rivers.

We plan to continue to hold further seminars every four months, to introduce Master's teachings to those ready to accept Her generous gifts of Convenient Method instruction and initiation into the Quan Yin Method.

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Report from Panama

Bringing Light to David City

[Panama] On August 4, Panamanian initiates traveled to David City in the Province of Chiriqui, six hours from Panama City, to introduce Master's teachings through a video seminar. Some brothers and sisters traveled around the area for two days prior to the seminar distributing invitation flyers to local residents. We arrived one day early to organize the activity and to meditate, asking Master to arrange everything and to give enlightenment to the people of Chiriqui.

On the day of the video seminar, we were invited by a local radio station to give a noontime interview. It was wonderful. We all felt Master's presence and much love coming into our hearts and going out to the people. The interest of the Radio program director was so strong that he told us he would attend the seminar.

We then went to the place where the video seminar would be held and the first thing we did was to meditate one full hour before arranging everything there. When the time came to start the seminar, we noticed that a strong rainstorm had begun to fall on the city, but at the same time we saw that, despite the weather, many sincere seekers had come to the venue to listen to Master's teachings. At the end of the seminar people asked to learn the Convenient Method and we gave the instructions immediately. When the training session had ended, the new Convenient Method practitioners were reluctant to leave.

On August 26, we went back to Chiriqui province and held a group meditation session with the Convenient Method trainees and two more people asked to learn the Method because of the new practitioners' positive reports. They were very sincere. And after learning the Convenient Method they were very happy. Some of the new practitioners told us that they wanted to someday receive initiation into the Quan Yin Method.

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While on the Path

Experiences with other Spiritual Groups

Excerpted from conversations between Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her disciples during the Lunar New Year Celebration at the Florida Center, U.S.A.
Feburary 15, 1999 (Originally in English)

Q (Initiate A): I was with an Indian master for fourteen years.
M: Fourteen years! That's a long time.
Q: And they had a lot of personal growth groups going on in their ashram. You know, they just taught therapy and massage.
M: All kinds of things, yes, I know.
Q: The bio-energetic diet and so on and so forth.
M: That's good.
Q: So, after they are released, they look fresh and happy.
M: For how long?
Q: That's the problem. I think they get stuck at a certain level.
M: Do they teach the Quan Yin Method?
Q: No.
M: No, that's different, you see. (Yes.) That's the last step you have to take. If we don't practice the Quan Yin Method, don't talk about the outer activities or the organization or whatever therapy they offer, these are all on the physical or mental level. Even psychological help is also mental.
So without the real root healing from the vibration of the universe, everything is temporary and there is no progress. So, we don't do any healing here. People just get healed. We don't have any therapy. People just get well. Provided that they are doing what is instructed, they progress. And that's the real thing because it's yours, it's permanent, and you keep it. Whether the Master is still there or not there with you, you have it; you keep it.

The Quan Yin Method is the best method you can have. It cures everything for you. If you just do what the Master says to do, everything is perfect and you progress. It's not that you have to rely on me to get cured for a certain time, and then you have to come back again. That's the difference. So we have a lot of freedom here, too.

People can experiment with whatever they like. It's not that I forbid them from doing anything. I just lay down for them the pros and cons; and then they choose. It's just that they have chosen to stay or to continue with the instruction because most of them are intelligent enough to know that it works. And once it's working, they know that it continues to work. It works and they feel good. That's why they didn't want to change; it's not that I forbid them to change or to experiment. And I don't encourage them to do anything, either. They just don't do it. Not because I forbid it, but because they already know. Maybe they are mature enough to understand, or they have already tried enough.

Of course, I also don't encourage people to feel uptight or anything like that. So, for example, if a brother has a problem, I say, "Okay, get another girl friend." Or if a sister has a problem, and I say, "You can go get married, it's okay." Love is okay. Marriage is okay, as long as it doesn't hinder your practice. And sex is okay, too, as long as it doesn't bother you and obstruct your progress. But most of the time, it does, because our minds cannot get over it. The sexual experience is very strong for people to handle. That's why most masters tell their disciples to stay away from it.

It's just like alcohol. It's really a poison, but if you drink a little, it doesn't kill you, and it doesn't take you to hell. It's just that if you drink a little, tomorrow you will drink more and more, and then you will damage your body, your mind, and your spirit. So the master says, "Stay away from it." It's not that the master is dictatorial or controlling with people, He just knows what is good and what is not good. But we make the choice.

So, I don't encourage people to experiment with any other things very freely because they have already experienced enough in life. Need I even teach them about sex or alcohol or free choice, or wild living? Or need I even encourage you to do that? For some individuals, it's all right if they really need that,but to some extent they already know. For example, our disciples already know the five precepts; they already know the framework, so they can kind of know where they should stop. Then if they want to experience a little, it's okay, but they know that that is wrong. Because practicing the Quan Yin Method gives you this sharp awareness that you just automatically know what is not good. Even though you try it, you know already that it won't work.

Q (Initiate B): Over the years, I've been to many, many ashrams. At one point, I was doing some research on that. So I've probably been to 50 or 70 ashrams.

M: Wow! That's a record.

Q: And some of them, various ones, I stayed at for a month or a few months if I was practicing there. And I always wondered, when I looked at these different groups and traditions, why each group had its own personality that would form. And you could recognize people from groups, and they would develop a personality, and I always wondered where there was a group where each person had his or her own individual personality. So, many of the people would be very uptight, because of the practice they were doing, or too loose.

M: Too extreme, huh? Either way.

Q: But what I have experienced here is that there seems to be kind of a nice, loose energy among people. So it's very nice; it's open.

M: We are temperate. We're not one extreme or another. I say try your best to do two and a half hours of meditation each day, but that's it. Here we're free to develop individually, and we just do our homework, like everybody else, but then we develop on our own. That's why I don't encourage people to come here and work for me, even, to stay here, with their own money. I would be sitting prettier if I allowed all the people here to come and work here for free, for three months or six months or two weeks, or whatever. Because they'd be happy to do that, too. But I wonder if that would have any good affect on them. That's why I told you before that I have to think about what is good for you, after I have experienced, like you, different styles of schools.

Q (Initiate C): I think Master is the best because our group is the best and we have the best of everything. We have the chance to have group meditation and retreats and we can see Master very often. I really appreciate that. I have a colleague who is an American and he has a master in India. He saw Master's picture on my desk, and he asked, "Who is this lady?" I said, "It's my Master." So he said that he had gone to Your vegetarian restaurant in San Jose and he told me that he also practiced the Quan Yin Method.

M: Yes, it's true. Several other teachers teach the Quan Yin Method, not only me. I've told you that many times.

Q: So I asked him whether he had seen his master after he got initiated, and he said that he had never seen him. He had only seen him once.

M: That's enough. He never saw him.

Q: I asked him whether he had group meditation with others and he said, "No." He only meditated by himself. So, although I know he has enough already, I feel very appreciative because we can do so much. (Applause)

M: But can he go to India to see his master?

Q: I don't know. Maybe he's not interested. But he hasn't gone and I think he has a few brothers and sisters form his group in the same area and they don't think of doing group meditation. And I think this arrangement for our group, where Master lets us meditate in a group together, is really great from my own experience. If I had not met those brothers and sisters who helped me in the very beginning, I would not have been able to overcome my problems. It was very tough for me at the very beginning. So I really, really appreciate, Master, all the brothers and sisters who helped me. (Almost crying) Compared to others, I think that I'm the luckiest person. Thank you, Master. I really appreciate that. (Applause)

M: I think our group has produced the highest frequency practitioners, according to my experience, of any group around the world. I sampled some ashrams before I met you, and I think we are pretty okay, very balanced.

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Pearls of Wisdom

Finding the True Master and the Right Path
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hamburg, Germany
August 25, 1995 (Originally in English)

Only when we are really sincere, will God bring us to the most suitable path. There is no question about whether a master is good or not. There is only the question of whether the student is good or not. As long as we are not yet ready, as long as we are not truly, sincerely seeking the Most High, we will encounter all kinds of levels of masters, but not the highest one. So the question remains with you, until you know that you really are seeking the Most High, otherwise you're seeking magical power, or some curiosity. Take your time, and check your own heart. I am sure that you are on the right path. But my surety cannot help you if it is not your surety. If you can trust me, then I can tell you a hundred percent in God's name that you are on the best path. But it's you yourself; you must trust yourself. Trust your intuition, your wisdom, your sincerity, and then you will know if it is right or not.

By Their Fruits They Shall be Known
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Laiyi, Pingtung, Formosa
December 29, 1992 (Originally in English)

Many of our troubles are self-made. If we have no faith in a guy, then we can find another one. As long as we are happy, it's all right; just find your happiness, go swim all over the place to shop, if you want. I never bind anyone. Whatever you do, and you are happy, it's all right. But before you go, you have to be sure where you're going, and when you go to other places, decide if they're better than this place or not before you go, otherwise you waste your time. You might just as well sit here and run on the bicycle faster. If you just go in all directions, even if you go on an airplane, it just doesn't work. Therefore, you have to look where you're going or decide whether it's necessary to go, to change directions or not. If we are walking or bicycling on this road, it takes a long time. And probably we'll run out of patience, and then we might lose faith. But we have to look, ask people who are coming and going, whether it's the right direction. If they are going in the right direction, then we know we are on the right way, whether bicycling or on a motorcycle, or in a car or airplane. Don't just walk all over or run to another place just because you are going too slowly, your vehicle is too slow. The road is correct. So we accept it.

Therefore, before you go shopping, you should just look carefully, that's all. If all the people have good experiences and gain enlightenment, you know it's okay, you know the Supreme Master is okay. [Applause] That's the only way to judge. By their fruits they shall be known. Otherwise, what will you judge by? If you can't reach the fruit on the tree, maybe your arm is too short. That doesn't mean the tree doesn't bear fruit. Everyone else eats it, and you can see it. You cannot eat it because you cannot reach it. It's your fault. You have to try harder or climb up. You cannot blame the tree.

If everyone else eats it and you can see they are eating it, and you can see the fruit there and you cannot eat it, you cannot blame the tree. Only if no one else ever eats it or on the tree you can't find any fruit, no one ever tastes the fruit of the tree, and you don't see people eating it, then you can say the tree has no fruit. But if you see all the people eating, you know. And if you cannot, maybe it's your problem.

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Malaysia, February 27, 1992 (Originally in English)

It takes a sincere heart to stay on the path, because outside temptation is very great. I know sometimes you fail, but then you can come back and start over again. You can go out shopping, spiritual shopping, but then you will have to come back, because I know of no other better way for you. I have shopped all over the world. If there were another better way for you, I would have bought it earlier for you at an expensive price. Because I have spent my pocket money and my time running around, searching for a method of enlightenment or a Master. I have searched, I have tried, I have done zazen, I have done zen zen, I have done yoga, and I have done all kinds of things. I have even eaten one meal a day, and have sat many hours with my eyes open in case I fell asleep, and done all kinds of trying. I have called on all the saints, until there were no more saints to be called upon. And I've repeated all the mantras that you can talk about, that you can name, that you have heard of. I have bowed to them until my knees were shaking like autumn leaves. And I have gone all over the place on pilgrimages, seeking blessing and enlightenment. I have done all in my power to learn the best way to liberation. And this is the one I have selected, and it suits everyone, from children to adults, old to young. But this way is not for everyone that is for sure. Even though we are open to everyone, not everyone comes. Because it is not the outside performance. It is not only my teachings that attracts people, it is not only my appearance or my personality, it is their longing souls that are important.

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Between Master and Disciples

An Old Initiate's Testimony

Narrated by sister initiate Xiao, Shi Xiuchu, Yilan, Formosa
Compiled and written by sister initiate Zhong Wen Hong, Yilan, Formosa

Master is Omniscient

When I was initiated in 1987, Master was living in Xin Dian while my family lived in Yilan. However, Master knew everything that happened in our home. I asked Master, "Master, why are You so fantastic?" and She replied, "If I were not, how could I dare to be your Master?"

For a certain period when Master was conducting lectures in Yilan, She stayed in my house. She was very amiable, and we were just like one family. One day, I prepared a sumptuous breakfast to serve Master, but a monastic disciple told me, Sister Xiao, why have you prepared so much food? Master never eats any breakfast." So we consumed the breakfast together, and just when we had finished eating, Master came down from upstairs and asked, "What are you doing? What are you eating? Why didn't you invite me to eat with you?" Master was always warm and affable like this.

When staying with us, Master one day used the toilet on the ground floor. Feeling embarrassed, I asked Master, "Why didn't you use the toilet upstairs?" and She gave me this humorous reply: "You don't use the toilet downstairs, so you never clean it!" Usually, I used the toilet on the second floor and would clean it after each use. My husband usually used the toilet downstairs, which I never cleaned. Master took the opportunity to pinpoint my shortcoming, exposing an imperfect corner of my spiritual cultivation.

During that period, Master stayed in the room of my son, who was away in Taipei studying medicine. However, Master knew exactly what was happening in his life as he studied in school or practiced in the hospital. Later, my son was also initiated and he liked Master a great deal, so he once gave Her photo to a colleague. However, his colleague's home was a mess and he could not find a proper place to put the photo. Finally, he put the photo on an empty mahjong (a type of Chinese card game) table. Shortly afterwards, the colleague's wife and my son both witnessed Master come out of the photo in the form of a living person and complain to them: "Why do you put me in a casino?" That was an amazing example of Master appearing in Her manifestation form!

One day, the colleague's wife was watching a cable TV broadcast of one of Master's lectures. She suddenly saw Master's manifestation body walk out of Her physical body and then return. All the while, Master's physical body was still giving the lecture. This lady originally had possessed the ability to read the past and future. And after coming to know Master, she also began seeing Master's manifestation form, the Quan Yin Bodhisattva, and some superior dimensions.

Laying down the slaughtering knife and becoming a saint instantly

In 1988, I followed Master to help with Her lectures in Taitung. We pitched our tents by the riverside in Zhiben. The day before the lecture, an aboriginal inhabitant of Zhiben who was over sixty years old came to see Master. He spoke Japanese, but not Chinese. He told us that he used to be a soldier when he was young (during the Japanese occupation), and had killed people. He told us about his miserable fate; his wife and two children had all died within two years of each other, and his other children were not filial to him. Living with a couple of friends, he sustained himself by catching snakes and foxes, and eating snake meat. He also smoked and drank. He next asked Master to tell his fortune. Master told him that She didn't know how to tell fortunes, and then gave him some biscuits and a red envelope (a traditional Chinese offering containing money), telling him to buy some nutritious food. Master also advised him not to smoke and drink too much. In return, he played the harmonica to entertain Master, Who even asked for an encore. Mercifully, Master gave him an opportunity to earn the blessing derived from entertaining an Enlighten Master with his music.

He took the biscuits and red envelope and then left. But very soon after he walked back along the stream and returned the biscuits and red envelope to Master. A monastic disciple asked him, "Why are you coming back?" He replied, "I want to follow Master." The monastic disciple told him, "But then you have to become a vegetarian." He said, "I can be a vegetarian!" The monastic disciple next asked him, "Then how about the cigarette that you are holding?" He said, "That's simple! I'll just quit smoking right now." And immediately, he threw the cigarette into the river. The monastic disciple gave him one more challenge: "To become a monk under Master, you have to shave your head bald." He said, "No problem." Then, Master shaved his head and told the monastic disciple to take him to the river and have him wash himself. He was so covered with dirt that it took five or six washings to really cleanse him. Then everyone contributed some clothing to dress him. A monastic disciple happened to have brought a spare pair of shoes, which fit the man just right.

After he had cleaned his body and put on the monk's robe, he looked as if he had been reborn. There was a tranquil, peaceful and pious aura about him such that we had difficulty recognizing him as the ill-fated man living on snake meat, who had come that morning asking Master to tell him his fate. Of course, all these changes were due to Master's great compassion and infinite power in shouldering the immeasurable karma of sentient beings. Master told us, "He has shaved his head and cleansed himself. Three days after listening to my lecture, he will be initiated and attain sainthood immediately." This was truly a case of "laying down the slaughtering knife and becoming a saint instantly".

In subsequent years, I followed Master when She gave lectures in the United States, Formosa, Canada, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Brazil and Southeast Asia. In Costa Rica, Master spoke at a beautiful Christian center. The person responsible for organizing the lecture felt Master's vibration during Her talk and so he received initiation. Upon returning home, he had a fierce quarrel with his wife. The next day, he poured out his grief to Master, who gave him these words of comfort: "Never mind, just go home with love." Eventually, his wife changed so that she began to love Master very much, and was initiated as well. The couple even invited Master to visit their home. As they saw Master off at the airport when She was leaving, his wife cried like a baby because she sincerely did not want to see Master go.

There was a resident disciple in Hsihu who never wanted to go anywhere. However, when Master asked him if he would like to go to Costa Rica, he said yes. When Master went to visit the host of the Christian center at his home, this resident brother also requested to go along. The host had a one-year-old son, and when this resident brother saw him, he carried the child in his arms as though they were relatives. Incredibly, the child called him twice in Chinese: "Elder brother!" His parents were delighted to hear their son speaking Chinese. Later, Master revealed to us that the two had been brothers in a previous life. However, in this life, they were born in Formosa and Costa Rica, respectively.

At one time, we were leaving San Jose, U.S.A. in a rush for our next destination. Only fifteen minutes were left before our take off time, and some Aulacese initiates had not yet arrived to see Master off, but Master still refused to board the plane, saying, "Those Aulacese fellow practitioners are definitely coming. They must have been delayed on the road. If they finally make it here but do not see me, they will be very disappointed." A person on the public address system kept urging us to board the plane, but Master stayed near the boarding area, waiting anxiously. Finally, the Aulacese disciples could be seen from afar running towards Her as fast as they could. Master then went forward to meet them, and gave them some last minute words of comfort. This was a scene of a mother who had just recently met her children, and yet had to part with them quickly. Their sadness and emotion moved even the most apathetic people present. The airplane's engines were already roaring, and the flight attendant was urging us to board as Master dashed at the last minute onto the plane, which took off as soon as we had seated ourselves.

The death of my husband

After traveling with Master to many countries, I stayed at the Hsihu Center for over a year. One day, my son, who was a doctor, called me on the phone asking me to get packed quickly; he was coming to fetch me home to take care of my husband. After making an incidental health checkup of his father, he found that my husband had unknowingly had liver cancer for many years. His cancer was then in the terminal stage, and he had only four months to live. I found it unbelievable! My husband had never felt any pain and he lived a perfectly normal life. He went to the market and took strolls just like any healthy person. When he went to the Hsihu Center, I saw that he could still run very quickly, and eat large bowls of food. Yet the health report was not lying! If it had not been for Master's merciful blessing, he could not have lived that long after suffering from liver cancer.

Several days before his death, my husband asked me, "Do you mind if I leave before you?" And I replied, "Whether I mind or not, all people have to go one day." In return, I asked him, "Do you really feel no pain at all?" He told me, "How can there be no pain? But with Master's blessing, I can endure this little bit of pain." I asked him further, "You said you are going; did Master tell you so? Or have you had an inner experience?" He said, "All of Master's books, audiotapes and videotapes say that She will let us know! Besides, I also have had an inner experience!"

In the few days before he died, my husband suddenly spoke very standard Chinese with a Beijing articulation, while he normally used to speak very poor Mandarin. Perhaps it was an impression remaining from his previous life!

One day before he died, in the hospital, he asked our daughter-in-law and his nurse, who was also a fellow initiate, to read him Master's Immediate Enlightenment books. On the day he left this world, our daughter-in-law was still reading Master's book to him, as usual. Finally, observing that his eyes were closed, she stopped reading. However, my husband immediately opened his eyes and said, "Continue." In this way, he died peacefully while sleeping with the divine sound of Master's teachings in his ears. I nursed him for twenty-one days in the hospital, exactly the same number of days that he had once nursed me in the hospital after I was injured in a traffic accident. We seldom had any quarrels. Obviously we had had a good affinity, and owed each other nothing.

Three days before his demise, my husband told our son that he could make it to the seven-day retreat in time. I calculated to myself: "Unless my husband dies tomorrow and then is cremated on the next day, and his ashes are taken back to Yilan, it will be impossible for our son to catch the coach and join the retreat at San Di Mun in Pintung." Our son was then working at the Veterans General Hospital in Taichung, and my husband was also hospitalized there. If he really left us on the day that I had calculated, he could be cremated on the next day and his ashes taken home to Yilan, and other family members could take care of the rest, while our son took the place of his father who had signed up for the retreat, thus taking advantage of his funeral leave from the hospital. Otherwise, he was so busy at work as a doctor that he seldom had the chance to join a retreat. Eventually, both of us made it in time to catch the coach leaving for San Di Mun and participated in the Christmas Seven-day Retreat of 1992.

After the consecutive deaths of my husband brother Xiao, my father-in-law and my mother-in-law, my son went to work in Kaoshiung, leaving me alone in Yilan. Therefore I went to stay with my daughter in Taipei. I slept with my young granddaughter, who said she felt very comfortable sleeping with me. One day, she told me, "In my dream, grandpa told me that I must find Master and practice spiritually when I grow up."

For over a decade, I have traveled to many places with Master and experienced many fantastic incidents. Each footprint in the journey of my life is a testimonial to Master's almighty power.

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Cinema Scene

What Dreams May Come

By sister initiate Lee, Yenmei, Taipei, Formosa

In a western movie entitled "What Dreams May Come", the main character Chris's wife Annie was deeply engrossed in her own guilty feelings, thinking that she was responsible for the accidental death of their son and daughter. Further battered by the subsequent death of her husband Chris, even though he had ascended to heaven, she couldn't stand the pain any more. So she killed herself and fell to a deep level in hell. Persecuted by her own conscience, she sank deeply into her memories and could not wake up. If Chris hadn't taken the great risk of venturing from heaven to hell to save her, most probably she would forever have been confined in that so-called "hell without end", and would never have awakened. That is a very horrible realm because no one cares about the fallen souls there. (Master once made the following remark regarding this movie: "It is true. People who commit suicide go to a terrible place, because they don't feel good about themselves, and they create their own world.")

It was a very difficult and risky task for her husband to enter Annie's consciousness and try to awaken her brighter side. If Chris failed to accomplish his mission within a certain length of time, he too would be intoxicated by the atmosphere and go into slumber there. If his power were not strong enough, his vibration too low, and his willpower not strong enough, he would be overwhelmed very quickly. Therefore, it is equally dangerous for an Enlightened Master to go to save sentient beings in a world of a different level. If the Master is not powerful enough, He/She may get into great trouble, and also needs to have exceptional love to achieve this goal. The husband in this movie finally overcame all difficulties and succeeded in saving his wife precisely because he had this strong loving power.

It is not an easy job trying to awaken people or erase the records in their consciousness. Our fellow practitioners know that we have an "eraser" capable of blanking out the memories accrued through many lifetimes during our incessant transmigrations. The brand name of this "eraser" is the Quan Yin Method. This universally famous brand name is highly scientific, as when we know how to operate a computer, we can easily delete the data stored in the computer. While we are still in this world, we had better use the Quan Yin Method "eraser" to cleanse our actions, speech and thoughts, instead of being taken by the nose by all our remaining memories to transmigrate repeatedly, or be tortured in a painful dimension.

This movie successfully illustrates that both the so-called Heaven and Hell are created by the mind. Some of the computer-generated scenes are so vivid and realistic that the film received an Oscar award for best visual effects. The movie also goes to great lengths to describe the afterworld and some interesting characters there, including the main characters' son and daughter, the Heavenly Angel and the Angel of Hell. This is truly a movie that causes viewers to reflect deeply on the nature of love and life after death.

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Elevation of the Soul

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest Video Tapes

<In English>
665 Halloween Weekend with Supreme Master Ching Hai (1, 2)
Group Meditation at the Los Angeles Center, U.S.A.
October 30-31, 1999

<In English + Chinese Subtitles>
631 The Purpose of God's Creation
Group Meditation in London, UK
March 10, 1998

<In English + Slovenian Oral Translation + Chinese Subtitles>
660 A Prayer for World Peace
Lecture in Ljubljana, Slovenia
May 26, 1999

<In English + Zulu Oral Translation + Chinese Subtitles>
668 The Invisible Passageway
Lecture in Durban, South Africa
November 26, 1999

<In Chinese + Korean Subtitles>
319 Same Action, Different Situation
Group Meditation in Tainan, Formosa
February 21, 1993

554 Those Who Practice Spirituality Are Truly Free
Group Meditation at Raising Center, Cambodia
July 19, 1996

466 One Must Have Faith in Master to See God
Group Meditation at the Hsihu Center, Formosa
January 8, 1995

<In English + Korean Subtitles>
537 Use The Power of Intelligence Carefully (1, 2)
Group Meditation in Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
March 14, 1996

584 Let Your Life Be Harmonious and Beautiful
International Four-day Retreat in Sydney, Australia (4)
May 9-12, 1997

547 The Side Effects of A Non-vegetarian Diet
Buddha's Birthday And International Seven-Day Retreat in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia (4)
May 11-17, 1996

<In English + Spanish Subtitles>
582 Be Determined on the Spiritual Path
International Four-day Retreat in Sydney, Australia (2)
May 9-12, 1997

608 The Methods of Spiritual Improvement
International Four-Day Retreat in Washington D.C., U.S.A. (5)
December 24-27, 1997

<In English + Indonesian Subtitles>
260 The Mystery of the World Beyond
Lecture at the United Nations, N. Y., U.S.A.
June 26, 1992

<In English + Mongolian Subtitles>
623 Recognize Your Own God Nature (1,2)
Lecture at the University of California, Irvine, U.S.A.
June 2, 1998

<In English + Japanese Subtitles>
Looking at the Past, Stepping into A Bright Future

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest Audio Tapes

Re-edited Audio Tapes in Chinese (Story Edition)
CS5 (5 tapes)
The Story of Naropa (1-5)
Hsin Dien, Formosa June 29 ~ July 6, 1990

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
email: wisdom@m2.dj.net.tw
ROC Postal Remittance Account No: 19259438
Postal Account: The Supreme Master Ching Hai Publishing Co., Ltd.

Come to Visit the Poetry Garden of Supreme Master Ching Hai

Since She was very young, Master Ching Hai has written many poems full of loving melodies that touch the deepest corner of our souls. These works have been compiled into several books. Now, two of these collections, "The Lost Memories" and "The Dream of a Butterfly" (Aulacese versions) have been published!

"The Lost Memories" anthology of Supreme Master Ching Hai's poetry was written before She left home on Her spiritual journey, and "The Dream of a Butterfly" includes poems She wrote both before and after attaining the Truth. These volumes record intimate traces of the love, sorrow and happiness in Her life, and from them, readers come to know that, like all of us, She l lived through the many ups and down of human life. However, through the delicate thoughts in Her verses, we also are moved to ponder the deepest meaning of existence, and hopefully, we may eventually find our own Great Self embodied in human flesh as She did through devoted spiritual practice.

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THE MASTER AND I

Composed by Supreme Master Ching Hai
(Originally in English)

It's all right for a doctor to scream in pain,
But it's not proper for a Saint to cry in anguish,
Is that it?
All the excuses for the crucifixion.

Can you really do to Her anything you want,
And expect the Master to bear it?
Inside the chest, a Saint's heart beats
Exactly the same way as yours.
And the substances of his physical core
Are no different than the rest.

Master does whatever is requested
For the happiness of others.
But by all means, he must suffer,
While we enjoy in comfort.

Jesus died on the cross
So that His disciples live eternal life.
Must they spear Him while He is agonized,
Bathing in red blood?

Oh! Humans, you are crueler than most,
With all the excuses to kill.
The gracious, the Son of God
Died in your hands.
How do you judge yourself?

Even in modern days, you still continue
Stabbing the Master in the heart,
By slandering, by torturing his feelings to the utmost,
Then turning around, blaming your defects on him.

You blame the mirror for the bad image seen.
Know you not
It is your own image?
While enjoying spreading the untruthful gossip,
Stop and think!

You and the Master are even identical twins.
What hurts him,
Eventually, you'll soon feel it
In your Soul, in your spirit.
She and you are one.

Take care that you go inward with deep reflection
To find the Truth you seek,
Till the day your conscience awakes,
Then you'll cry in sorrow!

The remorse will hurt you...
So that even Heaven can't bear it.
It's still never too late.
You and I are in eternity.
Just know that the Master suffers for all humanity,
No matter how you see it.

The frog who lives in the well,
Sees the sky as the pit.
Stop now!
Don't make your view limited.
The Master is the same, but not the same.

Do not judge Him,
For you do not know Him.
And nothing is really the way it looks.
The Master knows the illusion, but he still gets hurt.

Take care of yourself that you are not cruel,
For even the Master is so much more sensitive than you.
But She must bear it for your sake.
If you are not grateful, don't condemn, at least,
For the Master is really your only best friend.

When the chapters of our lives end,
The Master is the one who greets us,
And helps in transition from this life to the next,
Brings us Home to where we truly belong.

Do not slander him now, for you'll face him soon,
When all things are revealed to the utmost.
If you think Jesus died on the cross,
You err.
He forever lives.

The Son of God only suffers like all the flesh does,
But his kingdom is the whole universe.
The Master is the King of Kings.

If you love him,
It's good for you.
If you hate him,
It's you who'll feel it.

Go within yourself to see the true knowledge.
Go within yourself to find the true liberation.
Do not look at the appearance
And criticize either that of Master or the rest.

Why waste time condemning the defects
Of other's houses?
It's better to fix your own right now
Before too late!

You do not know a thing about yourself,
Let alone about the Master,
Who is not even from this world,
Which is only a hotel for a night's dream.

Forget Me Not

Composed by Supreme Master Ching Hai
(Originally in English)

Do you know, my beloved
Of a dreamy flower called Forget Me Not
Whose Color is a mysterious blue?

The Color of Heaven,
Of the Celestial firmament,
The hue of galaxies beyond,
The Color of love

Know or not know,
Forget Me Not

MEMO

Composed by Supreme Master Ching Hai
(Originally in English)

Dear God,

If possible send forth:

*A shoulder to cry on
When needed most.

*A foot massage
Now and then
(preferably nightly)
For a better sleep.

*A loving companion
Who really loves me
And understands, etc...

*And whoever comes to me,
Let them be
Faithful and sweet;
Otherwise,
Forget it.
No more gifts from You
(if the color is blue).

*And don't try to push me out to work for You
And Your kids,
By making my life miserable and triste,
And personal relationships go sour
With odd events and nonsensical quarrels!

I have served the best I can
During the last decade.
Give me a chance;
Give me a break;
Will You!?

I don't like tricks.
I don't like being forced to do things.
I know You said my head is hard,
Maybe it is.
But I am the best You've got so far.
Take it or leave it.

Do You Know?

Composed by Supreme Master Ching Hai
(Originally in Aulacese)

Do you know that I love you,
When spring comes and flowers blossom,
When the breeze wafts sweet fragrance into your hair,
When cardinal wings soar in azure sky's fresh air.

Do you know that I love you,
When golden summer serenades pure clouds,
When lotus bloom fully in the imperial pond,
When royal poinciana's carmine petals swiftly fall from the eastern wall.

Do you know that I love you,
When autumn arrives and leaves flutter by the window,
When a flute's melody resonates softly by the lorn river,
And outside in the chilly garden, fleeting mist now hovers.

Do you know that I love you,
Even when frosty winter abounds,
Even when hazy fog obscures the moment,
We'll sail toward our future - joy, magnificence!

Please remember that we're in love,
Despite tempestuous beginnings,
The essence of love is forever redolent,
The flower of love will never fade!

Because . . . we are forever in love.

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Master Tells Stories

The Inconceivable Protective Power

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu, Formosa, September 24, 1988.
(Originally in Chinese)

An Indian farmer brought a cow and traveled over a tall mountain because he was going to sell the cow. They had to go through a big forest where there were many lions and tigers hungry to devour humans and cattle. Other farmers in the vicinity advised him not to make the journey. "It is already very late. Are you not afraid of being swallowed by a lion?" The man said, "I am not! I have a Master who will protect me. I must go today; I cannot wait until tomorrow morning. I must make the journey now because I have promised my customer who needs this cow. I cannot wait until tomorrow." The farmers could not stop him, but they were very worried about him.

However, the man himself was not afraid at all. Pulling his cow along, he recited the Holy Names silently all the way. After a while, he really heard a dreadful roar, precisely like what you sound like when you are mad and roaring at your husband.[Laughter] A lion then appeared, and walked with them side by side. The lion wanted very much to devour the cow, but something was stopping it, so it could only keep on roaring and follow its would-be victim. The man carried on walking and reciting his Holy Names, with his cow on one side and the lion on the other. The three of them made good company, [Laughter] but each of them had different things on their mind. The farmer was thinking: "Better get there as soon as possible and sell the cow." The cow was thinking: "He made a nice deal again!" The lion was thinking: "How disheartening! There are two pieces of meat right before my eyes, yet I can not enjoy them." The three of them thought of different things, though they walked together. The strange thing was that the lion could not eat the man or the cow!

When they were approaching the next village, the farmer was delighted to see the houses of the villagers. He rejoiced at heart: "Now that I can see people, they will certainly help me." He felt that he was safe and he could rely on those people to keep the lion at bay. His heart therefore was no longer with his Master. All the while, he had been reciting the Holy Names and praying for his Master to help him. But now that he had forgotten the Master, the lion immediately jumped on him; he was then relying on people and not his Master. This notion made him forget his Master and feel delighted in seeing people. This happens to most of us; when we see people outside, we feel safe thinking we can rely on them. The instant result was that the lion attacked him and almost got him. He promptly recited the Holy Names again and the lion stopped; it could not attack any more. So the three of them carried on walking as if nothing had happened. Finally, after a while, they really reached the boundary of the forest. The lion knew that the other side belonged to the humans. Not daring to take the risk, it excused itself from the other two and headed back to the forest in frustration. "Forget it! Business is bad today; I'll just go home." [Laughter]

The Holy Names are really powerful! When we have faith in our Master, many incredible things will happen. Another story is related to one Master, who is no longer living. He had a disciple; it could have been His son also, according to what I heard, who raised cattle. One day, he was sick and could not go to take care of the cattle, and three thieves came along trying to steal his cattle. Before they could get close to the cattle, they saw five stout men, slightly taller than ordinary men, and they attacked them with the sticks in their hands. The thieves were too slow to escape and were almost beaten to death. They went home and applied some medication. After getting better, they said to each other: "Well, we are out of luck today. Let's try again tomorrow." On their second attempt the next day, they ran into the same five men, and again they almost got killed. They were really terrified and fled quickly. On their third attempt, they were still attacked by the five men, and it was very lucky that they managed to escape.

Absolutely terrified, they stealthily went to the house of the cowherd and peeped inside. All they saw was an ordinary sick man, and the five men were not there. They crept inside the house, and next to the man's bed they saw the photo of his Master, who was his father, too. They were really shocked when they saw the photo. "God! He is the five men who beat us up every day! [Laughter] The five men look exactly like him!" Instead of being five different persons, the five men all looked the same. Very frightened, they went in and asked the sick man: "How long have you been sick?" He replied, "It's been three or four days. I have to rest in bed and can not go to attend the cattle."

The three thieves asked him, "Then who is this person?" He replied, "He is my Master." The men asked again, "What kind of person is he?" "He is omnipotent, above life and death, omnipresent, and has billions of manifestation bodies." [Laughter] Then they were really terrified, and understood why there were five men with the same appearance. They went down on their knees and confessed their sin. "We are really ignorant! In the last few days, we tried to steal your cattle, but were almost beaten to death by five men manifested by your Master. We don't know what to do now. There seems to be something wrong with our bodies; we feel like we have some incurable disease." The cowherd told them, "It is all right! You can never steal anything from me! Just repent sincerely to my Master and go home." The three men recovered and later received initiation! This is a true story that happened only more than a decade ago!

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Health Information

Parasitology and Vegetarianism

By sister initiate Hsu Weilin, Taipei, Formosa.

Foreword: At a banquet, a lady ordered only a dish of vegetables because she was a vegetarian. A gentleman whom she didn't know and who was sitting next to her also had only a dish of vegetables before him. The gentleman asked her, "Madam, are you a vegetarian?" She answered, "Yes, how about you?" The gentleman said, "No, I'm not; I'm a meat inspector."

Being a vegetarian and a medical student, over the years I have acquired a deeper understanding and greater affirmation of the benefits and necessity of a vegetarian diet for human beings. Through studying scientific research, I hope that more people will come to realize the importance of a vegetarian diet, the relationship between cause and effect, and the harm that a meat-based diet can cause to the body and mind. Since ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine has emphasized, "With the positive energy within us, the negative force cannot annoy us." Therefore, it is better to prevent than to cure illness. If humans choose to consume food that is beneficial to the body, mind and spirit, adopt a correct, healthy and nutritious concept of vegetarianism, and ensure the hygiene of their diet, they should have no fear of harm from toxins, and thus live a freer, healthier, happier and more relaxed life.

Some people defend meat eating with the excuse that the human body needs it for proper nutrition and good health, but hospitals are still packed with patients, most of whom are meat eaters. In these cases, meat eating obviously failed to relieve their painful situations and symptoms. Conversely, they have acquired many undue illnesses thanks to meat-based diets. This reminds me of a statement made by the famous vegetarian physician Dr. J. H. Kellogg at a vegetarian banquet: "How delightful it is for us to eat vegetarian food, in that we don't have to worry about from what cause the things that we eat died!" After gaining a better understanding of the truth, shouldn't we be more cautious before picking up our forks and spoons to dine?

The relationship between parasites and their hosts and the forms of infection.

Depending on their relationship with their hosts, parasites can be classified into six categories, the first being ectoparasites, such as lice, which live on the surface of the body. Another group, the endoparasites, including tapeworms, threadworms protozoa, and other organisms, live in the body cavities, intestines, organs and cells of their hosts.

Since these latter parasites largely live in body cavities and intestines, we can easily imagine that their origin is directly related to the living habits and diets of their hosts. Eating the flesh of carnivores and herbivores, including the surface and interior parts of cows, pigs, fish, and shrimp, is one of the major causes of parasitic infection in the human body. The most common pathway for human infection is the mouth. For example, the eggs of roundworms and whipworms and the mature cysts or larvae of some other parasites enter the human body through contaminated food or drinking water. Infection from plants is mainly due to eating them raw, which can be easily avoided. However, as for the other categories of parasites, unless you are a vegetarian, please be cautious about acquiring them. Besides these sources, livestock excrement is also a source for many types of parasites. Humans can be infected through the skin, through food or water by mosquitoes and flies, through human and animal waste, through contaminated water, and other means.
Other examples of parasites harmful to the human body are the helminthes, which are classified as follows:
1. Nematodes (worms): Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm); Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm); Ancylostoma duodenale (European hookworm);
2. Trematodes (flukes): Clonorchis sinensis (Chineses liver fluke); Fasciolopsis buski (intestinal fluke);
3. Cestodes (tapeworm): Taenia solium (pork tapeworm); Taeia saginata (beef tapeworm).
Protozoa (one-celled creatures) that invade the body cavities: Entamoeba histolytica; Entamoeba coli.

Parasites cause illness to the host through the following three actions:

1) Extracting nutrients: Parasites derive nutrients from their hosts for food, for their growth, for reproduction and for survival. This is one of the most common harmful effects that parasites have on their hosts. For example, roundworms and pork tapeworms live in the intestines and rob the body of nutritious substances in the intestines, thus causing malnutrition.

2) Mechanical action: Parasites can endanger the host through obstruction, compression and direct damage. For example, a large quantity of roundworms in the intestines can cause intestinal obstruction; cysticercus cellulosa can apply pressure to the brain tissues, causing epilepsy; intestinal flukes stick to the mucosa of the intestine with suckers, which can cause inflammation, hemorrhaging or even destruction of intestinal tissue.

3) Chemical action: The stimulating action of metabolites (products of metabolism), excretions and secretions from parasites, and chemical substances generated from dismembered dead parasites can cause many types of damage to the human body. For example, the protozoon Entamoeba histolytica secretes histolytic enzymes that dissolve the intestinal mucosa and submucosa (mucous membranes in the intestines and the tissue underneath), causing ulcers. If there is a large quantity of larval secretions in the tissues, severe allergic reactions may result, causing anaphylactic (allergic) shock. When some parasites suck blood from the human body, they inject secretions, which have the functions of thinning the blood and creating local irritation which causes tissue inflammation.

When the defensive power of a host is greater than the invasive power of parasites, the parasites entering the organism are totally destroyed or expelled from the body. When the defensive power of the host is temporarily equal to the invasive power of the parasites, a small number of parasites can live or reproduce in the body. Though they may not cause harm or clinical symptoms to the organism, the host will become a carrier of pathogens (disease-causing agents). When the defensive power of the host is weaker than that of the invading parasites, obvious pathological changes and clinical symptoms will appear in the host, turning the host into a parasite-infected patient.

The tapeworms most commonly found in the human alimentary canal are Taenia solium (also called the pork tapeworm or armed tapeworm), Taenia saginata (the beef tapeworm or unarmed tapeworm), and Hymenolepis nana (the dwarf tapeworm). Now we will use the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium) as an example. The adults live in the small intestines of humans causing tapeworm disease. Their larvae, which are called cysticerci, live in the flesh of pigs or humans, causing cysticercosis. When people eat raw or incompletely cooked pork containing cysticerci, the cysticerci are stimulated by the bile in the alimentary canal and retract their heads so as to hook onto the intestinal mucosa. Proglottids (segments) grow continuously from their necks and form adult worms in two to three months. Usually, there is one adult worm in the human body, but there may also be several of them. The life span of adult worms can be over twenty-five years. Their larvae living in the human body cause cysticercosis (tapeworm larva infestation), and do more damage to the human body than do adults, depending on which part of the body they live in, and their quantity.

The number of cysticerci (tapeworm larvae) living in a human body may range from just one to tens of thousands. The parts of the body the larvae live in, in sequence, are subcutaneous tissue (tissue beneath the skin), the muscles, the brain, the heart, the liver, the lungs, and the peritoneum (abdominal wall). When they live in the subcutaneous tissue and muscles, subcutaneous nodules form, often in groups, mostly in the head and torso, and less likely in the limbs. Usually, there are no obvious symptoms, only some muscular soreness. If tapeworm larvae live in the brain, they cause increased pressure in the head, headache, nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness, blurred vision, and epilepsy. More severely, they can even cause hemiplegia (partial paralysis), paraplegia (paralysis of the lower body), aphasia (inability to communicate) and mental problems. If they live in the eyes, vision is affected, very often the movement of worms can be seen, and in severe cases, loss of sight can occur.

Entamoeba histolytica is also called Amoeba dysenteriae, and lives mainly in the colon of humans. Under certain conditions, it can penetrate the intestinal wall and enter the blood stream, causing amebic dysentery and various types of amebiasis (infection with amebae).

In recent years, threatened by the so-called "Mad Cow Disease," the chicken plague in Hong Kong, and other cases of livestock and poultry contamination, people have become more alert and aware of the severe problem of parasites, bacteria, and viral infection. Thus, for the sake of health and safety, more people have chosen to replace their meaty diet with a nutritious vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism therefore is not only a trend of our times, but also a kind of awakening.

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Spot Light

Genetic Engineering - God-sent or What?
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu, Formosa June 10, 1995
(Originally in English)

Lately, many scientific horrors have occurred, like experiments mixing human species with animals. And the result is half-animal, half-human, or sometimes half-fish, half-human. It's possible! Nowadays, people are so advanced in science that they can sometimes use it for perverted purposes, or for perverted ideas that they think are correct. In the name of science and research, sometimes people do many crazy things.

For example, with DNA and all kinds of things, they can create a human out of a dead body, or preserve your DNA to make a double of yourself, in case you die and no one inherits your treasure, or make a duplicate out of you without you knowing it. Well, I don't know any more what they are going to do now. So I think the best approach is that we protect ourselves with the inner power. That's the best thing. Otherwise, what else can I tell you? So many things in this world are very crazy, like contamination, pollution and all kinds of other things.

Who Inhabits the Body?
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Singapore April 26, 1997
(Originally in English)

Q: Master, we recently have commenced with cloning, and my son asked me: What happens to the soul if a human is cloned?

M: That, you should ask the scientists. I don't clone people, so I don't know. [Laughter] I don't mess about with God's business. They are just trying to get the DNA going again, but they haven't been successful yet. We don't know what's going on. Later, after the cloning people are successful, you can ask the clones. [Master and audience laugh]
It's just like having a twin, or a double, or an extra child by artificial insemination. And whoever's soul wants to inhabit that fleshly garment will do so. There are a lot of souls running around, and ghosts also. It depends on who wants to inhabit that body. And that will make a slight difference from the original personality. Sometimes, one body is inhabited by two or three different souls, or different characters. They can be ghosts or any disembodied spirits, or those who come together at the same time. And then they try to fight each other for one body, or try to live together. So that's why sometimes a person is funny. One day he is good; another day he is lousy, or has two lovers at the same time. If you have two lovers, beware! [Master and audience laugh] Maybe you are listening to two ghosts, not yourself.

We Are Not the Body
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Austin, Texas, U.S.A. August 20, 1994
(Originally in English)

Now you have learned a lot of things about science; you have learned about people who can collect a human being's DNA and make another human being. Apart from being stopped and hindered by the government, they have nearly made one. For example, suppose you have one baby already and you want to have one more exactly like her, in case she dies or something. And you can spare some DNA from her and store it somewhere.

Later, they can make a copy of that DNA, exactly the same. Have you heard about this? (Audience: Yes!) They do the same thing that is naturally done in the case of twins or quintuplets. There is only one egg and one embryo, and then it splits itself into two or three or five or four or six.

So now, ask yourselves: How many souls are in there? There's supposed to be only one soul, one person; then because of some mistake, it splits itself into six. And now tell me six souls came inside, right? Is that correct? Actually, none! The Almighty power, the soul of the universe, takes hold of any instrument that is available and then makes use of it. And that is what we call an individual person.

The same thing is probably true now: Suppose you have one baby and you want another intelligent person like her, in case your only child dies. And you put the DNA somewhere, in a machine where some chemical reaction takes place. Then you have another baby, exactly the same as the one who died. So normally there should be one person; now there is one more, exactly like the one who died. But actually, there is only one.

The soul is apart from the body, apart from the mind, and apart from whatever we collect every day. We're just a witness to what's going on in this instrument. So don't be stupid, thinking that you are bound, that you are this and that and the other person. You are always free. You have never existed. By that I mean you've never come into existence inside any body, or inside any instrument. We just witness. We just stand around and watch the person called Pamela or Ching Hai do things. And then we identify ourselves with that person; we think we are that person.

I understand clearly that you and I are one. There is no "You" and no "I", just different instruments that we are watching. But I cannot explain it to you, so I have tried just now. Did you understand something of it? [Audience: Yes!) Okay. Similarly, in the case of the twins, there is supposed to be only one person. And then we say it's one soul. Then where does the other soul, or the other person come from? Just because another instrument is there, we say another person is born; another soul is born. There isn't any such thing!

We, you and I, are connected with the whole. And the whole is watching each of the instruments working. Perhaps the whole is working a little bit through each instrument, perhaps not. Only the brain is functioning. The soul doesn't need to do anything.

Electricity is one current. But it has different shapes and different levels of brightness. This is because of the instrument. Otherwise, the current is only one. There is no need to envy each other, saying, "Your electricity and my electricity are different." Even if it's dim or if it's bright, it is the same current. There must be a soul because it's necessary to have different functions, so there is more variety.

The electricity should not worry at all if a bulb goes out, if this one is no more. That doesn't mean the electricity is dead. It's just the bulb that is dead; it's damaged, it's kaput. The electricity doesn't worry. It probably will find another bulb and then shine again. But that's the problem with us. We always worry that we will die, that we will be unsuccessful, that we will be hungry or that we will be this, that and the other. And then we drag each other into the play, into the same ignorance and suffering together.

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Supreme Art

Unveiling the Secrets of the Celestial Clothes and Jewelry

By sister initiate Lee, Fukuei, Taipei, Formosa

While I was on duty at the S.M. Celestial Clothes/Jewelry Display Center in Taipei, I was surrounded by the fascinating Celestial Clothes and Jewelry. However, most visitors to the Center were preoccupied with the traditional image of the spiritual practitioner, and were skeptical about Master's purpose in designing clothes and jewelry and in dressing so beautifully and fashionably, which they though did not befit the demeanor of a practitioner. Of course we know clearly that Master uses the Celestial Clothes and Jewelry as tools to bring Truth, virtue and beauty into this world, and to guide us toward always thinking of God. Also, Master sets a good example for us in that She not only earns money to sustain Herself through Her creative work, but also funds Her teachings and humanitarian work to benefit sentient beings. Thus, She helps the world's needy people in both the spiritual and material aspects.

One day in a dream, I found myself dressed in tattered clothes and living in a very awful and impoverished environment. Suddenly, I remembered: "Shouldn't I be wearing the glorious Celestial Clothes and Jewelry?" As soon as this thought emerged, I was immediately dressed in magnificent Celestial Clothes and wearing Celestial Jewelry. Even more amazing was the fact that the surroundings had also changed to become a radiant and glorious divine temple. Upon waking up, I realized what is meant by the sayings "One thought immediately changes everything" and " All is created by the mind".

Master has told us that each person is covered by seven layers of bodies. Through spiritual practice, we take them off layer by layer, until finally we discover our innermost original Self-nature. Master uses the Celestial Clothes and Jewelry to wake up our souls, which have been in deep slumber for thousands of years. Exploring inwardly, it is not difficult for us to discover that the shapes and forms of the Celestial Jewelry are precisely the symbols of the inner heavenly realms. Some of the Celestial Jewelry designs actually depict the forms of astral bodies at certain levels. When some fellow practitioners see or wear the Celestial Jewelry, they shed profuse tears as they are reminded of the glory of God within themselves. Hence, it is indeed very true when Master states that everything She does, including creating the Celestial Clothes and Jewelry, is related to spiritual cultivation.

The ever-changing form of Master's attire reminds us of the colorful and magnificent heavenly realms within us. Should your astral body one day travel to certain planets in the universe, you may find a celestial queen wearing the familiar Celestial Clothes!

We are the Creator, thus, if we fail to observe beautiful things and do not keep our thoughts pure and positive, most likely we will create awful images and trap ourselves in them. Since like attracts like, we may then become intoxicated and stall in some underdeveloped planets or inferior realms.

Master portrays the Truth through the way She dresses, speaks, and acts. Anything belonging to the Truth will benefit sentient beings. Therefore, Master pays no attention to the risk of having Her honor and reputation tarnished, nor does She care about the misunderstanding of people thinking in different ways. She simply does everything to incite the aspiration for eternal liberation in all souls.

Verses from my heart:

Beautiful are Your eyes that penetrate my subconscious,
Awakening my soundly sleeping soul.
Transcending the world are Your artistic creations,
Reminding me of my faraway but glorious Home.
Your ever-changing forms,
Edify ever-changing human hearts,
Traversing the world just to recover lost souls.
Dancing in bliss, my soul soars through deluding clouds,
Returning to my Mother's Home.

Appreciate the Celestial Jewelry with the Wisdom Eye

The House of the Master

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu, Formosa, September 24,1988
(Originally in Chinese)

To be truly liberated we have to go beyond the third world. We are still not liberated if we have not gone beyond that. Some people are with me immediately after death because they've already transcended the third world. Some people have to wait longer to be with the Master, who will also come to fetch them, or send some saints to fetch them. However, these people cannot stay with the Master. They must wait for a very long time, after they have accomplished their spiritual practice, before they can go up. Not everyone can go up to the dimension where the Master stays. They must be very clean, very pure, like a newborn child, empty of virtue or evil, in order to dwell in that dimension.

Otherwise, it would be very complicated! Look at our world and you will know. We expect too much, and harbor heavy hatred; therefore we cannot take off very easily! Sometimes when people scold us, we get angry. At that time we know we are still not clean. These are tests and trials by which to measure our steps, to see how far we have gone.

It is very difficult to cleanse the hatred within us, which separates us from the rest of Creation. Lacking compassion, we are still separated from all of Creation. God is the greatest loving power, and there is nothing mysterious about it. The more compassion, loving power and magnanimity we have, the nearer we are to God. Therefore, hatred must be cleansed. Immediately recite the Holy Names each time you hate someone. It is most important to recite the Holy Names, but most of you don’t think this way, and have not gotten used to it even till now.

However, it is all right; don’t be disappointed. Everyone should have aspirations. We are only ordinary people, so take it slowly and don’t rush. If we could accomplish things quickly, there would be no human beings left! It would be empty when Sakyamuni Buddha came, and when Jesus Christ came; there shouldn’t be a single person in sight! Since there are still people around, that means human existence is proper; it is not completely wrong after all. However, since we don’t like to stay here, we ought to go.