Panorama of Events

Report from Canada

Sharing Love and Truth

[Montreal] On December 2, 2001, local initiates held a public video seminar featuring Master's teachings at the Montreal Center. Before and during the event, the organizers and volunteers tried their best to bring a loving and peaceful energy to the Center.

The warm, caring atmosphere of the insightful seminar convinced about half of the guests to register immediately for the Convenient Method. Some people were reluctant to leave, and discussed spiritual issues with fellow disciples until late in the afternoon. It appeared that everyone had a good time at the event and received a positive impression of Master and our association. Another side benefit of the seminar was that Montreal disciples learned how to work better together.

Photo:sp4-1,2-130

Report from Texas, U.S.A.

Video Seminar at the University of Texas-Austin

[Austin] On Saturday, December 1, 2001, the Austin Center held a video seminar at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin to spread Master's teachings. The event was officially hosted by "Light And Sound Meditation With The Quan Yin Method," a registered student organization run by initiates who are faculty members and students at UT. With the permission of the University, we posted several hundred seminar announcements in many buildings on campus and ran advertisements in UT publications. We also distributed several thousand flyers.

On the day of the seminar, many fellow initiates came from the Dallas and Houston Centers to share in the joy of spreading the Truth, and the atmosphere was peaceful and uplifting. The audience was comprised largely of UT students, who were very serious about seeking the Truth. Following the seminar, about one third of the guests learned the Convenient Method, after which they asked many questions and spoke earnestly with initiates about Master and the Quan Yin Method.

This seminar was the first featuring Master's videos held at UT-Austin. Fellow initiates learned much through the preparation work. For this we are very grateful to Master for guiding us in everything we do.

photo: Sp2

Report from Peru

A Retreat in Divine Love

[Lima] Fellow practitioners from Lima had long wished to hold a local retreat, and our desire was finally realized with a two-day retreat on December 8 and 9, 2001, at a farm offered by a brother who made all its facilities available for the event. The farm was surrounded by fields of beautiful sunflowers, and the air was fresh and vitalizing.

In addition to the group meditation sessions held during the retreat, we also listened to Master's audio-taped discourses. With a sincere wish to understand the profound meaning of Master's words, sister initiates frequently asked that the tapes be replayed. Participants also read the News magazines that Master had lovingly published for us .

During this soul-elevating gathering, we deeply experienced Master's all-pervading and boundless divine love. Finally, amidst the ethereal sound of holy hymns, and filled with bliss, we bade farewell and looked forward to seeing each other again at the next retreat.

photo:sp1-1-130

Report from Formosa

Hsihu Cultural Festival 2001

[Hsihu] From December 14 to 16, the Hsihu Center participated in the 2001 Hsihu Cultural Festival, the first event of its kind to be held by the Hsihu rural township office in Miaoli. Local initiates chose to exhibit in the theme area "The Beauty of Temples, Ancestral Shrines and Artifacts," located by a popular religious attraction, the Telung Temple. Officials from the Ministry of Education were invited to cut the ribbon at the Festival's opening, which was marked by diverse activities that brought a bustling and joyful atmosphere to Hsihu. The ribbon-cutting ceremony highlighted the fact that the sponsors considered the event to be a very important one for the local community.

According to Chief Hung of the Cultural, Educational, and Welfare Section, Hsihu is blessed with three treasures: religion, literature, and a good environment. Hsihu clearly has serene surroundings, and the recent activity was designed to elevate the local religious and literary life. On the opening day, an interesting incident occurred when the township magistrate led guests into the display area featuring Master's publications, and our receptionists were not present (everyone had been asked to leave the venue temporarily). In the initiates' absence, the magistrate acted as guide, introducing Master to the guests and praising our contributions to the local community. She later said, "This event is held in the hope that, regardless of religion or sect, everyone will work together to promote good things. We also hope that you will come to know more about this group - the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association." Later, when the master of ceremonies, a teacher from the Hsihu Elementary School, arrived at the venue, a fellow initiate on the working team approached him and introduced him to the "Teachers' Day Special Reports" including excerpts from Master's discussions about education in News No. 126. This enthusiastic teacher immediately requested dozens of copies of the magazine, which he planned to share with his colleagues.

During the Festival, many people visited our exhibition booth several times a day. Some stood before it for a long time until they had finished watching one of Master's videotapes in its entirety. This event demonstrated that there is not a single moment when God does not satisfy the inner spiritual yearning of Hiers children. In scenic Hsihu rural township, populated by simple and pure-minded inhabitants, we hope that more and more people will walk the spiritual path leading to the Truth.

Photo(sp3-1-130)Caption:
Hsihu Township Magistrate Yang Hsiu-hsia (second from right) introduces Master to guests attending the 2001 Hsihu Cultural Festival, and praises the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for its contributions to the local community.
Photo:sp3-2-130

Master's Words

Realize the Blessing of Self Acceptance

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Four-day Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand,
October 23, 1997 (Originally in English)
Videotape No. 598

Why do you have to be so hard on yourself? How do you know that everyone else is better than you? Or even that I am better than you? I am no better than any of you. I just accept myself; I just feel that I am good. Because if God didn't feel good about me, Hes wouldn't have created me this way. Whatever Hes does, I am fine. Whatever I am, I am OK. So feel like that about yourself, or about anyone else. Of course, we have some things we don't like about ourselves. But then again, who are we to judge ourselves even? God said, "Don't judge," which doesn't just mean don't judge other people; it also means don't judge yourself.

Try your best. Do whatever makes you feel good. Whatever you can change, if it makes you feel good, then change it. If it doesn't make you feel good to change, then no matter how many people say it, don't change. And if you can't change, even if you know it's good, then don't change. Forgive yourself and enjoy. Enjoy whatever other things you have. And try to ignore the negative things that you feel you don't like about yourself as much as possible.

After all, God made us in all colors and all personalities so that we can live a colorful life. So, accept yourselves; accept your imperfections. There's no need to be perfect. I know you don't like my high heels, but I still wear them. It's all right. In the beginning, I didn't feel like wearing this make-up and all that. And then afterwards, I said, "Oh, why not?" It's no problem! Sometimes I feel comfortable; sometimes I don't feel comfortable. Sometimes I wear things like this, but when I am not with you I wear all kinds of things, like you do. It's also comfortable. Today, I don't really feel like wearing this, but it's OK, too. It serves some purpose. It's all right; no problem.

We should not be too hard on ourselves, because that means we are hard on God. We blame Hirm for creating us like this. We blame Hirm for putting us through situations that made us learn some bad habits. We blame Hirm for not helping us to change them and for the imperfection that we think Hes created. So don't worry about it. If Hes' happy with you, you should be happy with yourself. We are OK, actually.

You come here because you don't feel you're OK. And all I am trying to tell you is that you are OK, all this way, all this while. All the lectures, all the seminars, all the retreats, and all the questions and answers are meant just to drive home one point, which is that you are OK. It doesn't matter what you are; you are very special. Because no one else is like you. That's why you are OK. Take you away, and the world is different. Because there is something missing that is not you. No one else can replace it. So you must be OK.

All the bricks in a house -- some may be smaller, some may be bigger, some may have a hole in the middle, and some may have a stain or a defect somewhere, but they all hold the house together. Take one away, and the house is not the house any more. So you are OK. And so you are practicing just to accept yourself, just to know that you are God in the end. Or slowly realize that you're perfect in every way. Just like a grain of sand is perfect in every way, you are even more perfect.

Don't worry about everything that you do. Because now you know what's wrong and what's right already, anyhow. And you're trying your best to do it. Everyone knows. The whole universe knows you're trying your best, or else you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be suffering for your own so-called defects. Everyone knows that. So it's all right; just accept yourself. Because you're perfect anyhow. Who is there to judge you? "Let the one who is not guilty cast the first stone." I am not the one who casts that stone.

Please visit the following websites to enjoy the video-version of Master's words:
http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/130/mt.htm (Formosa)
http://Godsdirectcontact.org/eng/news/130/mt.htm (USA)

Quan Yin Messenger's Travel Log

Miracles of the Sound Stream

By a Quan Yin messenger

Before Christmas of 2000, I was traveling in transit through Turkey, where I could not reach any fellow initiates, and the would-be initiates did not come for initiation because something unexpected had happened. Thus, my plans for holding an initiation during Christmas had to be called off. Meanwhile, some fellow practitioners from a neighboring country had invited me to join their Christmas retreat, but I could not make it because of visa problems. So I ended up spending Christmas Eve alone in Turkey. Being a total stranger in that country, I found temporary lodging at a small, inexpensive inn behind the famous Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

On Christmas day, I suddenly felt an urge to check my e-mail to see whether there was any news from headquarters, thinking that I might have received a Christmas greeting. Actually, I had checked the day before, because as a lonely traveler in a strange country, I relied on the Internet as my only link to "home." Since it was a holiday, the streets were deserted. The several nearby Internet caf‚s that I normally patronized were closed, but after walking a long distance, I finally found one that was open for business. It was still very early in the morning, and the caf‚ had just opened. Most probably I was the first customer. The place was very quiet and the young owner was getting things ready for business as I sat down by the window. Then the hospitable young man quickly came over and opened the window so that I could get some fresh air. I did not notice it at first, but as I was preparing to connect to the Internet I saw the young man standing dazed by the window for a few seconds. Then he suddenly turned to me and asked: "Do you hear a peculiar sound?" From his eyes, I could see that he was both fascinated and puzzled. He described the sound, and then it was my turn to be amazed. It was precisely the inner Sound Stream that had been reverberating around my ears! How could he possibly have heard it?

Totally shocked and trembling, I asked him, "Haven't you heard this sound before?" He shook his head, and we began to chat. I told him some wonders about the Sound Stream. In return, he told me that he had had a dream many years back, in which he saw an oriental lady guiding him in learning the meaning of true love. I immediately introduced our Quan Yin Web site to him. Young people tend to react very quickly, and so he promptly bookmarked our Godsdirectcontact.org URL. And when Master's photo appeared on the monitor, he looked stunned once more. He must have found it very familiar! When he was still recollecting his sweet old dream, I grasped the opportunity to ask for his e-mail address, and submitted an online application for him to subscribe to our News magazine. He then mentioned that he might be moving to South Africa.

By then, other customers had started coming into the caf‚. As the young man got busy, I had the chance to check my mail, but there was none. I laughed about the fact that I had been so anxious to get connected to the Internet just a little while earlier. Then one of Master's aphorisms flashed across my mind: "Sometimes, when we are very close to God, we can act as tools for people around us, who will also suddenly receive experiences through us." Master was truly fantastic in giving me such an unforgettable Christmas gift, which was revealed by the owner of an Internet caf‚ in a strange country. Our romantic Master often lets us know, through very indirect paths, that She will forever honor Her promise to be by our side and protect us until the end of time.

Several days later, I passed by this caf‚ again, hoping to give a copy of the sample booklet to the owner, but it was closed, and even the signboard had been removed. The owner of the carpet store next door yelled to me, "It's closed!" Could the young man have moved to South Africa so quickly? After summing up the incidents of the previous few days, including my failure to get a visa, my sudden urge to connect to the Internet, and my decision to stay in the vicinity of the Blue Mosque, I realized that all these things had not happened without a reason. With the booklet in hand, I felt open and cheerful at heart. Our Master has wisely launched a channel for sharing the Truth on the Internet, thus making the Quan Yin Method even more flawless.

Elevation of the Soul

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest Videotapes

<In English + French Subtitles>

491 The Devil's Mother-In-Law

Group Meditation at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, July 15-16, 1995

544 The Holy Golden Mouse

Buddha's Birthday and International Seven-day Retreat

in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (1), May 11, 1996

<In English + Turkish Oral Translation + Indonesian Subtitles>

665A Pacifying the Mind
Lecture in Istanbul, Turkey, November 20, 1999

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest DVD

<In English + Japanese Oral Translation + Subtitles in 14 Languages>

693 Wisdom & Concentration
Lecture in Tokyo, Japan, May 7, 2000

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest MP3 CDs

<In Chinese>

MP3-5 (part 2 of 2) Seven-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, February 13-18, 1989

10. Spiritual Practice is a Race in which Even Seconds Count

11. The True Way to Practice Great Filial Piety is to Learn the Saint's Way Seriously

12. Viewing the Quan Yin Method from the Point of View of the Inner Vital Current

13. The Judgmental Heart is a Great Obstacle

14. From Misunderstanding to Gratitude - Words from the Heart of a Disciple

15. The Miraculous Palm - Force of a Valiant Sister Initiate

16. The Consequences of Eating Meat after Initiation

MP3-6 (part 1 of 2) Seven-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa,
July 29 - August 6, 1989

1. A Seven-day Retreat Begins with the Sound of a Bell

2. The World Observed through Master's Wisdom

3. Spiritual Experiences of Fellow Practitioners

4. Master's Attentive Care

5. Fellow Practitioners Sing Songs from Many Nations and Buddha's

Chanting by Master

6. The Story of the Butterfly Collector

7. Everything Can Be Accomplished through Faith

8. Marriage and Spiritual Practice

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)

Master Says

The Real Meditation

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat in Ilan, Formosa
August 12-18, 1988 (Originally in Chinese)
MP3-2

All of you are attached to visions in meditation, considering them to be real spiritual experiences, and visions that you see when you are not meditating just do not count. But actually, at that moment you are really meditating, because "Zen prevails in everything." Meditation doesn't mean that we sit tight and regulate ourselves. That is the incorrect way, because at that time, we meditate with our ego, and that's why we have no experiences. We should do it in a natural way in order to attain enlightenment.

If you are as relaxed in your meditation as when you see me, that is real meditation. We have heard the story about someone becoming enlightened while chopping logs, and another case about someone else getting enlightened upon hearing a few words from an Enlightened Master. That is it. Why don't you have an experience after hours of sitting vexed in meditation? It is because you do it with your ego, your mind. You focus your attention too hard; you push yourselves too much, so you become attached and nervous. That's why you have no experiences. That is not real meditation. It is just a kind of drill.

Real meditation takes place at any time. That's why some of you have good experiences when you are asleep or when you look at me attentively. That is meditation, for your attention is focused at that time. You concentrate because you are delighted to see me or listen to me, and you put aside your prejudices at that time. That is when you meditate, isn't it? That's when you have a normal experience.

Suppose you sit there with your brows knit, thinking, "I want to meditate. Oh! How come I have no experience? Why has it not come yet? Oh! When will it come?" (Audience laughs.) You are rushing yourself, rushing the enlightened experience. But these experiences never hurry. They come as they may, and go as they want. They don't attach to anything; as the Diamond Sutra says, enlightenment comes when we do not attach to anything. We should follow this paragon in order to attain enlightenment.

When you gaze at me in a very pure state of mind without the slightest disturbance, you have all the experiences that you should have. Some of you, while attending my lectures, have seen the lecture hall turn into a world of extremely brilliant light. That is the Pure Land. That is what is meant by the saying "the Pure Land is right in front of us." Our world is a physical one, but when we concentrate spiritually, it becomes the Pure Land at once, and devils can become saints in our eyes.

Some of you complain to me that you do not have such good experiences after you join group meditation. Actually, that's because your ego has come out and your love has diminished. The fellow initiates are not affecting you. You should not blame others; instead, you should retrospect on yourselves. That's why I don't like those who complain; it's just that I don't say so. These people expect me to blame others, but I won't be biased.

Some of you have many things on your minds when you look at me. You see as if you don't. Then you had better not look. Even as you look at me, many things are going on in your minds. You are wondering whether you should recite the Holy Names, as if you want to drive me away. (Audience laughs.) If you should remember to do that while looking at me, it means you want to drive me away quickly and that makes me feel uncomfortable. You should look at me like a child who has not seen his parents for a long time, and then you will have inner experiences, which will be the best that you can have.

We should not think that we meditate only when we close our eyes and sit there vexed and with our brows knit. No, no! That's just a kind of practice. We sit quietly to express our sincerity. Although we can't sit peacefully sometimes, we continue. We wait for God in our meditation. Sometimes we have experiences when we are sincere, but sometimes we cannot concentrate and say to ourselves: "Well, whether I am sincere or not, that's all I can do for now. Please help me, God."

Therefore, we should meditate every day and consider it a duty, just like how we eat when we don't want to. We should make it a habit to think of God as soon as we wake up in the morning, and think of God again after we get off work and return home in the evening. Because we are too busy every day, we cannot think of God sincerely; therefore, we should do it early in the morning after we get up, and again in the evening after we return home. But this doesn't mean that we can think of God completely; we just do our best. We do it when we are working as well.

So it is our greatest blessing and merit to listen to a lecture by an Enlightened Master. Because we can see the Master continuously for two or three hours, we can be elevated by His/Her vibration, or our bad karma can be cleansed to some degree by His/Her Light, and then we will have inner experiences. Like when you come, you cannot see me continuously for two or three hours, so you don't get as much blessing as you would at a lecture. It is such a great blessing to be able to see an Enlightened Master for two or three hours at a stretch! Not everyone has this chance. One glance in eons is good enough, not to mention two to three hours! Beings on some other planets have never seen or heard an Enlightened Master before. They have had no contact with a Master. Therefore, you should seize the opportunity to see a real Master for a couple of hours. Many people, initiates or non-initiates, have experienced enlightenment during my lectures.

So meditation doesn't mean only sitting. It is meditation when we wholeheartedly concentrate. That's why you have experiences when you are working. Sometimes we have no experience in meditation and we feel frustrated, because we meditate with our ego. That's not the natural way to meditate. But it's okay. You still get merit. Just meditate sincerely. The result does not matter.

Let me tell you why you don't have inner experiences when you meditate. It is because you are not completely free of attachment at that time, and you are not really concentrating. We think we are, and we frown and wonder, "Why hasn't the manifestation of Master come?" Sincerity and longing are different from attachment. However, it is difficult for beginners to distinguish between them. It does not matter. Just do your best. It counts as long as you intentionally meditate and think of the Master, no matter whether you meditate well or not, or are distracted or not. Your efforts will be recorded and you will be elevated on any excuse. (Audience applauds.)

For example, you work for someone who sells clothes. Sometimes there are no customers, and you sit there and fall asleep. But the boss will still pay you for the time you stay. At other times you are busy the whole day long, and the boss pays you the same. As long as you come to the store, you get your monthly salary. It is the same with meditation. You should meditate, regardless of the experience. Your efforts will be recorded and I will "pay" you someday, so that you can pay for your "fare" to Heaven. (Audience applauds.)

The Real Love

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat in Ilan, Formosa
August 12-18, 1988 (Originally in Chinese)
MP3-2

You should not mind whether I get angry or not. Anger is something produced by people's discrimination. My "anger" is not real anger. My "Love" is not regular love, either. It's just something you create with your discriminating mind. Your minds have attachments and that's why you say there are good and bad, soft and tender people. Actually, there's nothing serious at all in the universe. If I really get angry, how come you have such good experiences when I scold you?

When someone is really angry, he will frighten and upset others, and be nervous and unsettled the whole day. When you quarrel with your husband or wife, or when they are angry, don't you feel unsettled and troubled? (Audience: Yes.) It is not the same as when I am angry with you and you have such good experiences. This means that it's not real anger. After I get angry, many of you have good experiences. Therefore, the method of "anger" must be among the 84,000 paths. (Audience laughs.)

So you should not care about my anger. I get upset when I have to. It's the right method to use at the right time. Otherwise, you are dependent on my "loving heart" and get attached to it, and when you meditate, you sit with an unsettled mind; and practice sluggishly, what kind of spiritual practice is that? But as soon as I scold you, your minds settle down and you repent inside, asking me for help within. At that time, your minds are settled. Therefore, you should not be sad when I scold you. It's one of the methods that I have to use.

Sometimes I don't want to be angry, because I am afraid you cannot bear it. So every time I pray to God and the Saints, to the Master inside: "If they do not practice well, let all the karma fall upon me. Let them hear no reprimand, not even one word of scolding. Please don't let them suffer." But then it does not work that way. God still wants me to use the "anger method." I cannot do anything about it.

I do not want you to hear any reprimands, so that you can practice with a peaceful mind and enjoy inner experiences without being scolded or beaten. That's an expectation of mine that cannot be fulfilled. I pray for it every day. I pray only for this. Whenever I see you suffering, I pray, "Send all their karma to me and let them relax. Let them have good experiences. It doesn't matter how much I suffer." Nevertheless, this wish has never been realized, because we still live in this world and things don't work that way. One cannot bear all the karma of others in this world.

I do not want you to suffer. But you should understand that it is better for us to pursue spiritual practice in this physical world. Here, we have joy, anger, sorrow and happiness to keep us interested and dynamic. We have heard that we can't make progress fast in some of the Heavens, where there is only happiness. When I don't scold you or get angry with you, it's as though you're in Heaven, and your spiritual practice becomes a perfunctory practice. It becomes uninteresting, routine, and unexciting. That's why you do not practice well. But it will be different if you are thrown into the Astral or physical world and are scolded. Then you make progress faster.

In the Heavens, there is nothing like scolding and beating, while there is joy and wrath, sorrow and happiness in this world. But it doesn't mean that we can only experience the physical world since we live here. No! Sometimes you see other realms or Heaven, or you see the Pure Land at the lecture venue. That is our inner perception, inner experience. It's not that you go somewhere higher physically. The Heavenly realm is inside you when are happy, and nobody scolds, restrains, or opposes you. That is Heaven. Therefore, we can't practice well in Heaven. And I have to create a physical world for you. After my anger is gone, you all get good experiences. I am the only one who is exhausted. When I scold you I have to fall down into the same realm as you are -- the physical world, in order to elevate you.

Therefore, I do not come to elevate you only when you are dying. No! At every moment there is every dimension: Earth, Pure Land, and Heaven. It depends on how we feel inside. When you see light, it means you are in the Pure Land. But when your level falls, or when you are scolded by me, you have returned to the physical world. When you leave this physical body to go to the eternal Pure Land, it is unnecessary to scold you, but you should practice well now in order to attain the eternal Pure Land.

Suppose I can die for you, go to hell for you, or suffer for you; I would be willing to do it. But I can't. I can do only half or two-thirds of it; I cannot take on everything for you. It's not that I like to scold you. No, I don't. If I can suffer for you to make you happy and practice well soon, I love to do it, and it has always been my wish to do so. I pray for more suffering when I suffer. However much I suffer alone does not matter, as long as it benefits sentient beings, and you feel more relaxed and practice well.

Therefore, you should not mind my anger. I can bear it alone. If you make progress here during the retreat, then my suffering is worth it. I don't care if I shed tears in pain. I can bear it even if the suffering is multiplied many times. You won't cherish it if I treat you casually or let you relax too much. I should use many different methods to teach you.

You all know the saying that a strict teacher has excellent students. I care about your progress, so I am strict with you. Now you understand this saying. Most of the situations in this world spoil you and make you degenerate and reincarnate. Do you want me to pamper you? You are already pampered by outside praise, beguiled by people's sweet words, and bound by human emotions. Do you want me to treat you in the same way?

You should understand what true love is. It's not using sweet words or human affections to bind people. It's giving you real training, cleansing you of dark karma, and helping you to mature into a responsible and graceful person. Those who complain and pity themselves every day only think of their ego selves and forget their almighty power inside. Actually we need nothing. Maybe you still need a little now because you have not grown up yet. But you should know that those things are not important. We don't need sweet words. How can we mature if we always rely on sweet things that are apparently friendly? If we can't bear any scolding, it means we are still obstructed, and attached to sweet words.

It is definitely helpful for you to take part in retreats occasionally. There should be some quiet place at every center, where fellow initiates can come and have group meditation, or hold one- or two-day retreats each week. You meditate all day long here and watch or listen to my tapes. Then you will truly progress and find yourselves different in a few months. If you really obey the rules of meditation, and hold one- or two-day retreats at your local center each week, it also benefits you. I don't have to be there. Actually I am there as soon as you think of me.

You will see how different you are after you practice a lot. You will be happy at that time and you will feel encouraged, knowing that spiritual practice is really helpful. However, if you practice in a careless and sluggish way, it won't help you and someday you will give up because you cannot find a good result to inspire yourselves. This is like someone who fails to be promoted after he has studied at school for a year, then he might think, "Why, studying is useless, and I have studied for one year for nothing!" Other fellow students are in higher classes, and they will become more educated and perhaps lawyers and doctors after graduation. They can help others as well as themselves, and they will feel confident and happy about it because they have accomplished something in their learning. If we practice sluggishly, we are just like those lazy students who cannot graduate, and we will feel that spiritual practice is of no use.

Master's Wonders

Eyeglasses from Master

By sister initiate Lili from Sweden

We want to thank Master for saving our family. Through Master's love and protection, our life has been getting better and better. Everything has been going smoothly for us, and through meditation, I am also becoming healthier each day.

Recently, I had a wonderful experience that outsiders may regard as incredible. Usually I need reading glasses to look at things, so whenever I go out I put my glasses in my pocket. If I forget, I find it hard to do things, and thus cause delays for myself.

One day, I had to go out to do some business. I was already on the street when I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten my glasses, and became very worried. Out of habit, I reached into my pocket and, surprisingly, my hand touched a pair of glasses. Taking them out, I saw that they were not mine, but a brand new pair of bifocals! I then asked the people around me, "Whose glasses are these?" But they all shook their heads and none claimed them.

Next, I tried the glasses on and found that they fit me perfectly, in terms of the frame size and lens prescription, and they allowed me to both read up close and see far into the distance. At that moment, I understood that the glasses were Master's blessing - a precious gift to Her disciple. I had been thinking of buying a pair of bifocals so I could see both near and far, because I could only read with my old reading glasses and could not afford bifocals. My merciful Master knew my feelings and difficulty and provided a timely solution. Thank You, Master, for Your thoughtful gift!

My "Car Blessing"

By sister initiate Jin from Mainland China

Recently, I experienced a "car blessing."

After my older brother was diagnosed with cancer, I kept him company for five months until he passed away. Afterwards, I felt I was doing worse than before, in terms of both my physical condition and spiritual practice. So I re-examined my body, speech, and mind, going over everything very carefully, but found no willful violation of the Precepts. Instead, I spent more time in meditation, and felt that my faith in Master was growing stronger each day. However, I was not having the type of good experiences that I had had when I was initiated, and thought it might be due to never having seen Master in the physical form.

Thus, on the night of August 7, 2001, I begged Master in meditation to let me experience Her manifestation form, to fulfill my longing to see Her in person. I had always envied those fellow initiates who had seen Master in the flesh, and more than once called out to Her and wept. That night I was again immersed in my longing to see Master, thinking in my heart, "I wonder what form She will manifest in?" However, during meditation, I saw not Master but a scene in which a motor vehicle was crashing into someone. I also saw blood, and was startled, thinking that my son had had an accident. I immediately prayed to Master and recited Her Holy Name for protection.

At noon the next day, I went to visit a sister initiate on my bicycle, and on the way was hit by a two-ton garbage truck. I could feel one of its right wheels roll over my right pelvis and lower abdomen. Though I felt no pain, the truck's tire left a clear tread mark on my white pants.

My first thought on being hit was, "How could I still be hit by a truck after being initiated?" But at once another thought came to mind: "All will be fine! Master will make arrangements, and they will be for the best." Faith in Master has always been my fundamental approach to solving any problem, so I tried to stand up with confidence. However, I could not do so on my first try. The second time, the truck driver held my hand and I stood up!

At that moment, I saw a great white light around me, as the nearby pedestrians, vehicles, and streets disappeared. The dazzling, intense white light seemed to shine out from my eyes, and I thought, "I was not hit on the head, so why should I see light?" I strained to open my eyes and saw the white light streaming at great speed towards a white sun in the distance. (But the sun also seemed to have some colors in it and was less brilliant than the white light.) Suddenly I understood. The bright light was Master! At the same time, I experienced the world of one sun and a thousand suns. Later, when I went home and watched one of Master's videos, at the beginning I saw a scene with bright lights coming from all directions and then converging and streaming into the distance. It was exactly the same vision that I had seen during my accident. But the light I had seen in my vision was more brilliant and magnificent. I was also enveloped by the light. I can hardly describe that feeling in words, but I felt protected by the Light.

This is how our omnipotent Master looks after Her children, each according to their needs and circumstances. My accident not only erased my fixed karma and satisfied my longing to see Master, but also solved problems in my spiritual practice.

After the accident, I immediately reassured the truck driver that I was fine and would not demand compensation. I was then taken to a hospital for a check-up and the results showed that everything was normal. Even the doctor was surprised. He prescribed some medication for me, and asked me to come back immediately if I felt that something was wrong. Next I went to the local traffic police precinct to report the accident. The police told the driver to give me financial compensation, but I refused, thinking in my heart, "I got to see Master and was immersed once more in Her ocean of love, and my problems in spiritual practice have been solved; I can't thank him enough!"

For others, it might have been a "car accident." But for me, it was a "car blessing." I was filled with inner bliss and gratitude toward Master. This experience again shows that as long as we put everything in Master's hands, She will always make the best arrangements for us.

Amazing Grace

By sister initiate Connie, Phoenix, Arizona, U. S. A.
(Originally in English)

Since the September 11 incidents in the U. S., local initiates have responded to Master's instructions by holding additional group mediation sessions to pray for global peace and elevate the positive energy of our planet. In addition to our normal Sunday group meditation session, a brother and sister initiate graciously offered their home for group mediation on Wednesdays. We also have group meditation on Saturdays in a room at a local hotel.

On the morning of December 1, before the arrival of other initiates for Saturday group meditation at the hotel, I was preparing the room for meditation. Just then, a man entered and said that he had seen the sign reading "Meditation in Session" on the door the evening before, but after quietly opening the door, had not seen anyone and decided to inquire at the reception desk about the nature of the meditation held there. The receptionist simply told him that a spiritual group came regularly to the room on Saturdays to meditate.

He asked me about the meditation method our group practiced, and I introduced him to Master and Her teachings. I had Master's framed picture in my hands and shared it with him. He was very interested and eager to know more and wanted to meditate with us that morning. I told him that one needs to be a vegetarian, be initiated and have an identification card to be able to attend group meditation, and he understood without my having to explain further. He then mentioned that he had been a vegetarian for a year and I could see that he was a spiritual practitioner. I then told him about the Convenient Method and he was interested in that as well. I asked him to return at 1:00 PM if he sincerely wanted to learn, but he replied sadly that he was returning to India and had to be at the airport around 1:30 PM. Upon hearing his reply and realizing his sincerity, I offered to teach him the Convenient Method at that time, since the other initiates were a little late for group meditation.

After learning the Convenient Method, the man shared with me a touching and inspirational story. A spiritual friend in India had recently told him that this would be his last lifetime on this planet and that he would visit the United States in November and would receive a spiritual message that would change his life forever. He didn't believe his friend at the time, because he had never been to the U. S., nor had he had any reason to visit there. But later, he found himself on a business trip to Phoenix, Arizona. He had been in the city for three days and thought constantly about his friend's prediction, but was disappointed that nothing had occurred. That morning, he was profoundly touched and showed much gratitude.

Before he left for the airport, I gave him some of Master's literature and magazines to enjoy. We were both filled with much happiness over the day's events, and he expressed his eagerness to see Master as soon as possible.

Thank You, Master, for Your love, abundant grace, and mystical ways of revealing Yourself and of bringing Home yearning souls!

Poem

The Delicate Flask

The news has spread across the globe,
That a great power lives,
Arising from the East
In a magical elixir.

Who can tell me,
Where I can attain it?
It's said to cost nothing,
But the highest price I'll pay.

Those who know tell me
To remain alert,
For when the sky is filled with color,
It will soon arrive.

The one who tastes it, in ecstasy remains,
never to return.
Although a delicate flask with female form,
It carries, forged in gold, Solomon's Key,
For it was conceived exclusively to cure the heart.

With cosmic impetus it comes,
To snatch our souls for eternity,
And trapped in trance we will remain,
never to return,
If we drink from this flask with female form.

But its qualities here don't end,
For everyone from it drinks,
yet it never empties,
And a perfume that lifts the mind
Will steal our souls for life.

Though not a liquid, like the sun it shines,
Blinding the eyes on sight,
Holding entranced he who drinks of it,
And a sweet melody, never to be forgotten,
Arises from within.

Divine symptoms it brings,
If in small doses one drinks.
Full of Love, Peace and Happiness one is,
If it can be reached.

Now, if in large doses one dares to drink,
Though no outer proof exists,
It's said that those who taste it,
Never from this trip return.

Read the instructions for side effects,
For no antidote exists, nor was one created,
And your return trip is not assured,
If, through it, attaining Heaven is
your only wish.

Thus I'll await
Advice from those who know,
When they have signs from Heaven.
I don't wish to remain
Without tasting the elixir
From the East in a dainty flask,
In the form of a woman!!!

-- Dedicate to our beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai,

with joy and eternal gratitude

From Mary Ann Rubinstein Montes de Oca,
Costa Rica, December 4, 2001
(originally in Spanish)

Love Fairies

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno,
Santiago, Chile
(Originally in Spanish)

Dedicated to the World's Teachers of Little Children

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno, Santiago, Chile (Originally in Spanish)

Come, sit and speak to me,
When night falls.
My mother has told me
To speak to You about my life.
Before falling asleep,
I pray to You.

With mischievous elves,
Tired from play,
I go each day to an enchanted kingdom,
Where beautiful fairies dwell,
Wearing dresses of green
With white collars,
Flapping their magical wings.
With their green garb,
They dry my tears
And hold me close,
Warming my heart.
The child in me
Sings and laughs with them,
Sharing their dreams and faith.

In their tiny hands
Are hidden magicians,
Pulling out golden bread
And giving it to everyone,
To mothers and children.

You, who are the Great Magician
Of the divine Heaven,
I pray to You tonight
For the sad children.
Please bring fairies
In green dresses
By their pillows,
To guard them,
And dry their tears.
Bring radiant smiles
To their cold lips,
That they may laugh and sing
As I have,
That they may sleep smiling
In their warm embrace.

Spiritual Cultivation and Life

Pursuing a Healthy Lifestyle

Narrated by sister initiate Huang Mei-le, Taipei, Formosa
Recorded by Chang Yu-chieh of the Taipei News Group, Formosa

Thirteen years have passed since sister Huang was initiated. During this time, through Master's love and blessings, she has improved in her spiritual practice and enjoyed a smooth life, while her family members have remained in peace and good health. Three years ago, however, sister Huang found herself tiring easily and being troubled by frequent bouts of mild insomnia. Due to her carelessness during menopause, her condition became worse, resulting in habitual insomnia, followed by chronic pain in her lower back. She hastily went to see her brother, a physician, who warmly introduced her to several doctors of western medicine. But after examining sister Huang, they failed to diagnose anything abnormal; nonetheless, her pain continued to get worse. Besides, she had to take medications prescribed by these doctors, and because she has disliked taking drugs since childhood, she sought help from practitioners of Chinese medicine, but they could not cure her either.

Later, sister Huang's brother arranged for her to have X-rays, which revealed that her neck was inclined slightly forward and her lumbar vertebrae curved sideways. These conditions, together with an earlier fall on a rain-soaked road, had caused her pelvis to become deformed. At the time of her fall, she gave it little thought because she was young. But now that she was nearly fifty, all of her old problems relapsed and the pain caused her many sleepless nights. In addition, her meditation was affected, which worried her a great deal. She thought, "How can I be a spiritual practitioner if I can not practice meditation?"

Sister Huang tried meditating while standing, but could not stand for long due to her weak feet. She was thus in a real dilemma. Later she recalled that during the Santimen retreat at Pingtung in April 1990, Master had taught and demonstrated before the initiates how to do some simple massage and warm-up exercises before and after meditation. Sister Huang began to follow Master's instructions, massaging and exercising for a few minutes before and after each meditation session. Gradually, she recovered, and is very grateful that our Master considers all the minute details in initiates' lives. It is just that sometimes we are too careless to notice!

In order to further improve the condition of her neck, lumbar area and pelvis, sister Huang took the advice of a therapist, in addition to performing the exercises taught by Master and other flexibility routines. Sister Huang is delighted to offer her insights here for general reference. The exercises are performed in steps illustrated below from left to right, and from top to bottom. Initiates may choose to do the first and second back exercises, or skip them for the third tendon-stretching exercise. (Please refer to the illustrations.)

Sister Huang persevered in following Master's instructions and performed the healing exercises for some time, thus alleviating much of her pain and helping her meditation immensely. She especially emphasizes how honored we are to be able to receive the liberation method that has been transmitted on this planet for eons! For this reason, we should practice diligently and cherish our precious time on earth while we can. At the same time, we need to take good care of ourselves, so that we can serve as excellent tools for sharing Master's love and teachings with anyone in need.

These exercises help to warm up the muscles, and are extremely beneficial for meditation and health.

To view Master's personal demonstration of the exercises, please visit the following websites:

http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/light_sound/exercise/exercise.htm (United States)
http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org/meditation/excercise/ (United States)
http://www.Godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/light_sound/exercise/exercise.htm (Formosa)

Exercises for Relaxing the Tendons and Muscles of the Neck

1. Front inclination: Slowly bend the neck forward; use the weight of the head to stretch the neck muscles and tendons. Complete in 15 to 30 seconds.

2. Back inclination: Slowly bend the neck backward; use the weight of the head to stretch the neck muscles and tendons. Complete in 15 to 30 seconds.

3. Rotation: Without exerting any force, slowly rotate the neck from right to left, and then from left to right, stretching the neck muscles and tendons. Repeat five times.

4. Sideward bend: Slowly bend the neck to one side and then the other; use the weight of the head to stretch the neck muscles and tendons. Complete in 15 to 30 seconds.

Photo:life1-a

Exercises to Stretch and Strengthen the Back Muscles and Tendons

Remain in bent position for 15 seconds each time. Repeat complete cycle of movements five times.

photo: life1-b

* Do the exercises illustrated at the left twice a day to make your back muscles and bones stronger, healthier and more flexible.

Special Report

A Rich Harvest of Love at the Florida Christmas Retreat

As Christmas approached, fellow practitioners around the world missed Master greatly. Thus, they were overjoyed at receiving the good news that all initiates and their half-initiated children were invited to the Florida Center for a Christmas celebration with Master.

Before the Christmas holidays, it was really difficult to secure airline tickets to Florida, a popular destination for holiday travelers. But no matter how daunting the hindrances or how far the journey, nothing could deter thousands of fellow initiates from seeing Master. A large number from the United States and Canada had to drive a great distance, while several hundred Formosan disciples, after landing in New York, had to ride buses for 24 hours to get to the Florida Center. Failing to obtain direct flights, many Formosan initiates flew halfway round the globe, landing first in Europe, then changing flights many times and finally arriving in Florida. Touched by the disciples' sincerity and great perseverance, Master changed Her itinerary and stayed on at the Center for a few days after the retreat, so that disciples could have more time to be with Her. Therefore, for many fellow initiates, this retreat was not merely a rich four-day harvest of love, but an extended retreat that continuously elevated their souls.

Since the retreat was held during the Christmas holidays, Master mercifully allowed half-initiated children to attend with their parents. These young practitioners meditated daily for one hour, and were free to do what they wished the rest of the day. Our compassionate Master expressed deep love for these innocent and lively little angels; She not only received them in person, but even invited them to play with the pets at Her house.

A Chain of Delights on the First Day

On the afternoon of the 21st, preparations for the retreat were in full swing. Through the concerted efforts of initiates from various working groups, the Florida Center was transformed into a retreat venue permeated by bliss. The whole area was filled with an intensely festive atmosphere so joyous that even the trees and plants could feel it!

In the early morning of December 23, fellow initiates from around the world walked by the Center's fog-blanketed lake, and entered the main meditation hall in orderly fashion. Their longing to see Master was fulfilled during the very first meditation session. Her early appearance warmed our hearts and reminded us of a mother who had come to check on Her sleeping children. When She led us in reciting the Holy Names, Her kind and beautiful voice echoed and vibrated throughout the entire meditation hall.

The sky was clear that morning, but a light shower fell in the afternoon. Master's appearance made us all forget the weather, however, as She entered the meditation hall dressed in a very chic-looking peach-colored outfit, looking refreshed and beautiful. Because it was very cold at night in the Center, Master was worried that the initiates would catch cold sleeping in tents. Therefore, She thought about purchasing a warmer place near the sea that would offer sufficient space to comfortably hold retreats.

Master said that initially She only intended to invite the Contact Persons of the various centers to attend the retreat, in return for their tireless service to fellow practitioners. But later, the news leaked out and many other initiates also wanted to come to see Master. Thus, the occasion was finally opened for everyone to attend. However, throughout the retreat, the Contact Persons and their spouses were still Master's honored guests, and were invited to meditate by Her side. On the first evening of the retreat, Master even treated them to a special dinner.

During Her discourse at the dinner, Master talked about Her interactions with Her pets. These lively and brilliantly narrated stories left everyone deeply impressed by the cleverness and agility of the animals. From them, we also gained a true sense of all sentient beings being equal and having the God Nature within. Master's deep sensitivity and compassion were even more evident when She spoke of seeing reports about animals used in rescue work at the 9-11 disaster site in New York, and learning that they had performed their great deeds of service without the benefit of protective footgear. Master said it broke Her heart to see these dogs walking "barefoot" on sharp pieces of broken glass and possibly chemically polluted debris at the site, while the professional rescuers worked with their bodies fully protected. The rescue dogs, for the sake of accomplishing their mission and pleasing their owners, were willing to lay down their lives. Conversely, many human beings treat dogs carelessly and without love. The world should reflect on these words of Master to develop a more humane attitude toward all of God's creatures.

Master also said that She prefers happy movies, though some sad films are also very good and educational. Regarding the movie recommendation lists published in the News magazine, Master said that they are only meant to introduce to us the movies that She has watched and has found to be suitable for our viewing; She does not mean that we should adhere strictly to these lists in selecting movies.

Heavenly Christmas Celebration on Earth

During the afternoon meditation session on December 24, Master came wearing a light green casual outfit and white trousers, and entered the meditation hall with a pink Molluccan cockatoo perched on Her arm. She walked around the hall to let everyone see the cockatoo, and to let the bird know that humans also have their benevolent side. Although this cockatoo had suffered much misery before meeting Master, he is now obviously very happy and contented. When he saw someone he liked, he would say, "I love you!" or "Beautiful bird!" He would also bury his head in Master's arms when he got scared, just like a kid who is shy about meeting strangers.

Many times during the retreat, many initiates found their gentle and pure qualities awakened as they watched Master's indescribable kindness and loving affection for Her animal friends flow forth naturally.

That evening, we enjoyed a leisurely, sumptuous Christmas meal on the beautiful green meadow by the lakeside. The Christmas celebration began after dinner, as everyone poured into the main hall. The stage was surrounded by Christmas gifts that initiates had brought for exchange. Amidst applause and cheers, Master appeared accompanied by several special guests, Her colorful birds and dogs! The Saints, angels, heavenly beings, humans, deities, birds (represented by the parrots), and land animals (represented by the dogs), were all present for the occasion. However, our good-humored Master also remembered to appoint representatives for the marine animals -- the crocodiles in the lake next to the main hall! It was indeed a combined heavenly and earthly gathering that benefited the whole universe and bestowed love on all living beings.

After entering the hall, Master first walked around with Her beautiful cockatoos, and introduced each one. Next, Her attendants, leading two huge, handsome dogs, ran a lap around the hall, which made everyone laugh heartily. This was the most brilliant and extraordinary act of the evening, and was especially exciting for the children sitting in front of the stage!

Next, a variety of performers exerted their greatest effort to put on one of the best retreat entertainment programs ever. The animals seemed to enjoy the show very much, and occasionally, the birds even chirped a few words of encouragement in their own language! Master's smile and the loving looks She gave to the performers provided them with confidence and inspiration. One of the most uplifting performances was by a group of teenage initiates who integrated spiritual practice with modern music and dance. Their ethereal voices reverberated in such perfect harmony that they seemed to be singing as one! Throughout the evening, Master watched each performance appreciatively.. At the end of the program, She congratulated the performers and asked the audience to applaud the MCs for their excellent work.

Conversation Among Souls

December 25 dawned cloudy and cold, and after two days of diligent practice, fellow initiates attained a higher level in their meditation. Throughout the meditation sessions, the hall was completely quiet, as everyone was deeply absorbed in meditative bliss. Even when the music sounded to signal mealtime, many initiates sat motionless, reluctant to move. During lunch, Master came to visit disciples in the canteen area, warming everyone's heart. Then, for the afternoon group meditation, Master came to the hall in a simple blouse and skirt, looking very natural and carefree. She told several jokes, and asked fellow initiates who were able to communicate with animals to get on the stage and share their experiences.

Accordingly, one Chinese sister initiate residing in Germany said she has been able to communicate with animals psychically since she was young. Very often, in her youth, she would apologize to the dogs in her home region (Guangdong Province) on behalf of her compatriots, for their habit of consuming dog meat, saying, "Though my native people are doing this, I definitely will not do the same." When she told a dog that she was following Master and had become a vegetarian, the dog came over to kiss her. She also said she had had a fantastic experience of communicating with fish while diving. One days, she was swimming underwater and reciting the Holy Names, when a large school of fish swam near her. She told them about Master and advised them to strive to acquire a human body and pursue spiritual practice. These fish understood her, and seemed to answer her by saying, "Good!" In sincere words, this sister shared many other experiences of communicating with animals, giving testimony to the fact that "the God Nature exists in everyone."

However, the sister also said that talking to animals is very tiring. For instance, when talking to dogs, we have to lower our vibrations to those close to a dog's level in order to communicate with them. From this, she could see how exhausting it is for Master to understand the feelings of worldly people and to communicate with us! Since this sister was very sensitive to the feelings of animals, she was extremely touched upon seeing how gentle and caring Master was in treating Her pets. She hoped that she could one day possess the same qualities.

In the evening, Master met with the Aulacese initiates in the gym, and later the Formosan initiates. Slightly later, all other Chinese initiates were invited to join in. Telling the Formosan disciples that She was very proud of them, Master said that She loved them very much, and praised the way they work in such a selfless manner. The sincerity of the Formosan initiates and their longing to see Master was clearly discernible. This was indeed a very touching meeting of Master and disciples after a long separation.

To satisfy their wish to speak with Her, during the early morning meditation session on December 26, Master met with the Western disciples and with those from other Asian countries respectively, and answered their spiritual questions. She recommended to the Korean initiates that they should smile and be more confident and lighthearted, adding, "Koreans, you are good! I say so! Koreans are my favorite people. If I say you are good, you are good!"

Good News on the Last Day of the Retreat

The retreat was scheduled to end on December 26, and on that day, Master revealed the best news possible to everyone, saying that She intends to live forever in this world to meditate, not to preach, but to bless and sustain it through meditation. Everyone was extremely excited to hear Her words! Master further revealed a merciful vow that She had made in the past. She knew that, for many, it is very difficult to find an Enlightened Master and attain enlightenment. Thus, long ago She vowed to bring the Quan Yin Method to the people of the earth.

For a few days after the 26th, Master continued to stay at the Florida Center, frequently visiting the meditation hall or the eating area in the forest, to speak to everyone cordially. On several occasions, She even blessed every initiate present by touching their hands or heads. Until December 29, there were still several hundred initiates staying on at the Center, and Master met them in several groups at Her residence.

Blessed by Master's divine love, everyone's face glowed beautifully. When with Master, each second is filled with infinite bliss. Undoubtedly, this happy gathering inscribed a wonderful chapter in the lives of all who attended!

Master Tells A Story

The Best Prayer

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Seven-day International Retreat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
May 11, 1996 (Originally in English)
Videotape No. 545

Today, I'm going to read you a story to let you know what people think about prayers. Because some of you might think that your prayers are the best. Now, do you know how to pray to the Lord? Maybe you know better than I do. OK, let's see if you know better than these people.

There was a village somewhere, at some time on our planet or maybe on another planet. In this village, there was a holy man. Every time the people had some problem, some difficulty or disaster, or something that didn't go right in the village, they would come to this holy man and ask him to help them, like to pray to God and meditate for them, and see what was wrong. Then the holy man would retreat into a very special forest, and he would sit in a very, very special place. And then he would say a very, very special prayer. And then it happened that God always listened to his prayers somehow. So the villagers always got the help they needed.

But then one day, as with everyone else, he died. So now the villagers didn't know what to do. Because their troubles didn't die. The holy man died, but the troubles were still alive. And new troubles were born every day. It's funny how we die, but our troubles never die! So after the villagers thought for a long time, they decided that they would take their troubles to the holy man's successor.

The successor of this holy man was not that holy; people knew that. But there was no one else now who was better than he. So people came to him and laid their problems in front of him, and asked him to help. So this not-so-holy man also went to the forest. And then he sat there and said a very special prayer. He didn't know what his master used to say, but now he said something special like, "Oh, my Lord! You know I am not a holy man." Well, at least he was a very honest man. "But surely you are not going to hold that against my people, are you? So listen to me and come to my assistance."

And God thought, "That's reasonable enough. Even though this man is not holy, the village people have nothing to do with his lack of holiness." So God listened to this, and then helped the people all the same.

So, people continued to come to this not-so-holy man, to have him pray to God and solve their problems. So far, so good. But you know what? It happened that this not-so-holy man also died. Ah, gosh! We have no end to the problems and no solution. The people also felt very confused now: What were they to do? So they tried to find another man, not even a holy one, and not even the successor of the other master, but someone more special, like maybe one who was sweeter than anyone else, or perhaps more diligent in his prayers.

So they just picked one of the people from the congregation. And then they said, "Now it's your job. You pray for us. We have such-and-such problems. You must try." But it happened that this man didn't know anything about the previous two people. So he didn't even know where the forest was. Well, he knew of the forest, but he didn't know where the special place was. And he didn't even know any special prayers himself. So he didn't know what to do. He just came near the forest and sat anywhere, not in a special place. Because before, the two persons used to go to that very special place. To them, it was very sacred. So therefore every time they prayed, their prayers were answered. And for the successor, it was also the same. At least he knew a very special prayer, and he knew of that very special place where his master used to sit in that very special forest.

But now, this man knew nothing about that. So what did he do? He just knelt or sat there, and said to the Lord, "Oh my Lord! If it's the formula or the prayer that makes You listen, then I am helpless. But please don't be attached to a special formula or prayer, and just listen to me. Our villagers have a lot of problems. Why don't you help them?" And with that, he just stood up and went home to sleep. And God listened all the same, because no one else prayed to Hirm. That was the only man. So Hes said, "Okay. I'll help." So God helped the villagers all the same, just like before.

Now this man suddenly became a very special person, and he continued to do his special job every day like that. But it happened that this man also went to see Saint Peter one day, like all of us. So this man died, too. It was terrible! What kind of luck did these villagers have? One died after another. But the village still existed, and the problems still existed. Perhaps the children of the villagers continued, and they kept their customs. So now they looked again for a man to do this job of praying for them. Funny! Why don't people pray directly and why do they think they have to find someone? It's a habit. We rely on something, and we're attached to something because it works one time, but it never works again. Even then, we feel attached.

So after this man died, the people were very much troubled. No one came near this category of holiness, or diligence in prayer. There was no virtuous person in the village. So they were very much troubled. They didn't know how to get in touch with the Lord anymore. And their troubles kept mounting and mounting, and nothing helped. So they just thought hard and then gathered together, and decided to pick just any man. And they happened to pick a businessman.

This man was very wealthy. He didn't have to work very hard, so he could afford the time to pray for the people. That's what they thought. That would do. Money is better than nothing. If you don't have virtue and you do have money, that's also not bad. So the man became a reluctant priest, just like that.

So now, people entrusted to him the job of getting in touch with the Lord and praying for them. But this businessman, what did he know about praying? All he knew about was the bank, money, accounting, taxes and things like that. But everyone begged him to do it, so he accepted it finally. As he was always more interested in money than in God, he was no-nonsense. He would speak directly. He just sat in his house, in front of his accounting machine, and looked up to Heaven, or maybe he looked into his computer, and he said, "Now then, what kind of God are you, that You are perfectly capable of solving any problem in this world, which You have caused?" (This means the problems you have caused yourself.) "You're capable of solving them, but you just don't do anything about it. So what kind of God are you? And then you refuse to do anything that is your duty. Now you're waiting for what? You're waiting for us to get on our knees and beg you to do it? What kind of God is that? Just do your job, won't you?!" So God felt embarrassed. But Hes listened, and Hes helped the people anyhow. So there is a different manner of praying for different people.

Now, you pick what kind of prayers you like to apply for yourself. For me, I don't care. I don't think Hes has to be told what to do, but sometimes Hes does like that. Maybe it's because Hes does what we expect Hirm to do. For the holy man, he expected that God was difficult like that, and that Hes was a very holy and pure being. So we have to be very pure and holy, and go to a very special, isolated place in order to pray to God. And then maybe God will be moved by our holiness, our purity, our time, effort and respect for God. And therefore God will grant an answer to our prayers.

But the second man expected differently. He was not holy, so he expected that God didn't care whether he was holy or not, but Hes would help the people and it had nothing to do with his holiness. So God also fulfilled his desire because the man expected Hirm to be this way. And so Hes waited for this man to go to that special place. But at least this man, even though he wasn't holy, knew about the holy man, and he knew that the holy man always went to a very special place and said a special prayer. So at least this man thought that the answer from God was connected somehow with that holy place, with that special place in the isolated forest. So he clung to that notion and believed. That's why if he had prayed at home, it probably wouldn't have worked. Because his mind expected that, even if he was not holy, he had to at least be connected with that holy man through the special place. So, God waited for him to fulfill all this, and then Hes granted the blessing.

And now the third man didn't know anything about it. So he could not expect himself to go to find a special place in a special forest, or say a special prayer. Because he didn't have that kind of idea in his mind, so he just did what he thought. He prayed to God, "Please help the people." And because he prayed straightforwardly, sincerely and from his heart, God granted this prayer, too. And why not? God has nothing else to do. Don't you think? If even in that small thing Hes doesn't help, then what kind of God is that?

After all these three people, so sincere and so humble, the villagers were short of holy and humble persons. So they had to resort to any kind of person they thought would have time to pray for them, and this time they picked a businessman. Businessmen are no-nonsense; they care about their money and their business. So if they have to do a job, they just do it like it's a business. If you know how to do the thing, then you just do it. Why wait for people to beg you?

I would say the same thing. Sometimes I say, "Well, please do it. But if you don't, it's all right." Because you know what to do. You don't need my prayers. You have to do what is in your heart. We cannot imitate one, two, or three of these prayers and say, "Well! Master Ching Hai read this story for us, and She said it's OK." Because even if I tell you to pray like that, you cannot. You cannot pray the way I do, because you don't think the way I do. And when you pray, your attitude is not like my attitude. I'm like that, so I pray like that. But you are like this, so you pray like this. So every prayer is okay; it's no problem. And in my opinion, God or the Master power will work before we even have to pray - especially in an emergency. We just do our best whenever we can in each situation. And then God or the Master power will help accordingly. But do our best, we must.

And now, why couldn't the village people, even though they were not worse than the businessman, pray themselves, and why did they have to rely on some medium like this? It's because of attachment, habit and preconceived ideas. That's why most people, when they have a problem, come to a priest or go to a monk. I don't know what the difference is between a priest, a monk or any other being.

For example, in the Buddhist tradition, the monks of the Mahayana eat vegetarian at least, and they are unmarried. And then the ordinary person's mind probably thinks, "Oh! Yes! He's a very holy man. He eats vegetarian, and he's not married. He's very pure." OK, then maybe the people have an excuse. So whenever they have a problem, they think that because the man is pure, they can come to him to make a connection with God through him, like a very good bridge. That may be excusable. But in some of the other religious practices, the priests or monks get married, too. They eat meat and they drink wine; it's very liberal. They do the things that you do at home. They eat the things that you eat every day. And they pray through the book that you yourself pray through, and read, too. So now what is the difference between you and that priest, that you have to come to him? Or that monk, that you have to come to ask him to pray for you? Think about it. You see: There's no difference, or not much! Except that he lives in a very beautiful temple, while you live in a very shabby house or something like that. Maybe the temple, the place where he lives, is different, but I don't know if the people are different. So you see, what a ridiculous life some of us are living!

And what kinds of nonsensical habits do many of our planet's people keep and still believe in, life after life, that one generation passes on to another generation. And people never stop and think what nonsense it is. That's why I teach you the direct path - to pray yourself. If I have a method, I'll tell you, and you do it yourself. Why do I have to keep everything special for myself? Then you have to think that I'm a special person. There is no one special. You have to believe in yourself and do everything according to your own standard, your own belief, and your own idea of how God should be, how God should respond to you, or how God should do Hiers job. That, I think, is the best.

Story World

The Story of Little Martin

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno,
Santiago, Chile
(Originally in Spanish)

One night, I was rudely awakened by a series of shrieks coming from the backyard of my house. I looked out of my window and sensed that the sounds came from a hidden spot in the garden. The following day, I was very surprised to discover a big black cat and an undetermined number of kittens in a box of books and old clothes placed under a pipal tree. Worried and astonished, I wondered what I should do with this unexpected "gift," and the only thought that came to me was to bring the cat into the house and give it water and food. I thought that once the kittens were weaned, I could give them all away, even the mother.

Days later, for some unknown reason, the cat moved her kittens one by one back to their birthplace. Perhaps due to the cat's forgetfulness, one of the kittens was left behind, and with bewilderment we took him in as a guest, not knowing what to do or how to take care of him. Carolina, my twenty-year-old daughter, took him on as her own and named him Martin.

For the first few days, we managed to feed him with a spoon. And afterwards, we made a milk bottle out of Carolina's eye-drop bottle. My son, Leonardo, graciously gave up his slipper box to make a cradle for Martin, but the kitten clawed and clawed until he got out of it a few days later. Carolina called him "son," and Martin, as though he understood, thankfully purred in response. He climbed around the collar of her jacket, where he rested happily under her hair. At other times, "his mother" picked him up and he extended his little arms, looking right into her eyes and purring as she talked sweetly to him.

My husband, who is sort of a grumbler, also was good toward Martin and, at one point, protected him from "Matusina," the white and brown cat of the house who did not look fondly upon him, thinking perhaps that the new kitten might take his place. Carlos, my other son, who is eighteen years old and not very tolerant, also assigned himself the job of occasionally feeding the kitten and lent him his guitar, which Martin accepted as a cozy cradle.

One Saturday in March, during my first group meditation after initiation, whenever I opened my eyes and saw Master's photo, the image of Martin came to my mind. After meditation, I went quickly home, where I found Martin quieter and weaker than he had been before. On Sunday I was awakened in my bedroom by my sobbing daughter, who held me close and cried while announcing that Martin had passed away. Tears also rolled down my cheeks as we held each other close. I wrapped Martin in a white handkerchief and placed him in a little coffin made from a tea box. Unconsciously, I placed his body on a picture of Master, while I put away bottles, spoons, and anything else that would remind my daughter of him.

The next day, I asked my younger son to bury Martin under the same pipal tree where he had been found. Today, when I see the yellow leaves of autumn fall on Martin's grave, I am reminded of the happy times we shared together. Master, Your lessons are truly unpredictable and unexpected! Martin, in his short life of twenty days, had managed to sow the seeds of the sweetest and tenderest compassion in the hearts of our family members. To us, this was a real life-changing experience. Thank you, Martin; you will forever remain in our hearts.

Master Tells Jokes

How Many Pieces?

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, December 17, 1995 (Originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 516

Nothing to Save

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, December 17, 1995 (Originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 516

Unexpected Weather

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, December 17, 1995 (Originally in Chinese) Videotape No. 516

Panorama of Events

Report from Canada

Sharing Love and Truth

Photo:sp4-1,2-130

Report from Texas, U.S.A.

Video Seminar at the University of Texas-Austin

photo: Sp2

Report from Peru

A Retreat in Divine Love

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Report from Formosa

Hsihu Cultural Festival 2001

Photo(sp3-1-130)Caption: Hsihu Township Magistrate Yang Hsiu-hsia (second from right) introduces Master to guests attending the 2001 Hsihu Cultural Festival, and praises the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for its contributions to the local community. Photo:sp3-2-130

Master's Words

Realize the Blessing of Self Acceptance

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Four-day Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand, October 23, 1997 (Originally in English) Videotape No. 598

Quan Yin Messenger's Travel Log

Miracles of the Sound Stream

By a Quan Yin messenger

Elevation of the Soul

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest Videotapes

<In English + French Subtitles>

<In English + Turkish Oral Translation + Indonesian Subtitles>

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest DVD

<In English + Japanese Oral Translation + Subtitles in 14 Languages>

Supreme Master Ching Hai's Latest MP3 CDs

<In Chinese>

MP3-5 (part 2 of 2) Seven-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, February 13-18, 1989

MP3-6 (part 1 of 2) Seven-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa, July 29 - August 6, 1989

Master Says

The Real Meditation

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat in Ilan, Formosa August 12-18, 1988 (Originally in Chinese) MP3-2

The Real Love

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat in Ilan, Formosa August 12-18, 1988 (Originally in Chinese) MP3-2

Aphorisms

Spoken by the Supreme Master Ching Hai in Ilan, Formosa, August 16, 1988 (Originally in Chinese) MP3-2

Master's Wonders

Eyeglasses from Master

By sister initiate Lili from Sweden

My "Car Blessing"

By sister initiate Jin from Mainland China

Amazing Grace

By sister initiate Connie, Phoenix, Arizona, U. S. A. (Originally in English)

Poem

The Delicate Flask

Love Fairies

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno, Santiago, Chile (Originally in Spanish)

Spiritual Cultivation and Life

Pursuing a Healthy Lifestyle

Narrated by sister initiate Huang Mei-le, Taipei, Formosa Recorded by Chang Yu-chieh of the Taipei News Group, Formosa

Exercises for Relaxing the Tendons and Muscles of the Neck

Photo:life1-a

Exercises to Stretch and Strengthen the Back Muscles and Tendons

photo: life1-b

Special Report

A Rich Harvest of Love at the Florida Christmas Retreat

A Chain of Delights on the First Day

Heavenly Christmas Celebration on Earth

Conversation Among Souls

Good News on the Last Day of the Retreat

Captions for color pages:

Between Master and Disciples

I Love You!

By brother initiate Hoang Anh, Boston, USA (Originally in Aulacese)

Master Tells A Story

The Best Prayer

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day International Retreat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 11, 1996 (Originally in English) Videotape No. 545

Pearls of Wisdom

Free Yourself from Preconceived Ideas

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Kaohsiung International Airport, Formosa January 3, 1993 (Originally in Chinese)

Story World

The Story of Little Martin

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno, Santiago, Chile (Originally in Spanish)

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, December 17, 1995
(Originally in Chinese)
Videotape No. 516

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, December 17, 1995
(Originally in Chinese)
Videotape No. 516

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Hsihu, Formosa, December 17, 1995
(Originally in Chinese)
Videotape No. 516

Photo(sp3-1-130)Caption:
Hsihu Township Magistrate Yang Hsiu-hsia (second from right) introduces Master to guests attending the 2001 Hsihu Cultural Festival, and praises the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association for its contributions to the local community.
Photo:sp3-2-130

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Four-day Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand,
October 23, 1997 (Originally in English)
Videotape No. 598

MP3-6 (part 1 of 2) Seven-day Retreat at the Hsihu Center, Formosa,
July 29 - August 6, 1989

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat in Ilan, Formosa
August 12-18, 1988 (Originally in Chinese)
MP3-2

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, Seven-day Retreat in Ilan, Formosa
August 12-18, 1988 (Originally in Chinese)
MP3-2

Spoken by the Supreme Master Ching Hai
in Ilan, Formosa, August 16, 1988
(Originally in Chinese)
MP3-2

By sister initiate Connie, Phoenix, Arizona, U. S. A.
(Originally in English)

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno,
Santiago, Chile
(Originally in Spanish)

Narrated by sister initiate Huang Mei-le, Taipei, Formosa
Recorded by Chang Yu-chieh of the Taipei News Group, Formosa

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Seven-day International Retreat, Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
May 11, 1996 (Originally in English)
Videotape No. 545

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai,
Kaohsiung International Airport, Formosa
January 3, 1993 (Originally in Chinese)

By sister initiate Corina Gallegos Zenteno,
Santiago, Chile
(Originally in Spanish)

By sister initiate Feng Qing,
London, UK,
(Originally in English)