| | Spiritual and Intellectual Interchange | | Master (middle) attends a seminar at the Academia Sinica, Taipei. | I Live in Order to Remind People of Their Own Greatness | The Difference Between Perceptions of Religion's Significance | The True Definition of the "Transmission Beyond Teachings" | Humankind Has Only One Religion | The Door of Enlightenment Is Open to All Sentient Beings | Professor Ruaan: This dream has to rely on the Supreme Master to realize it. | | Miraculous Powers Performed Without the Ego | Supreme Master Ching Hai -- Ocean of Love Tour Experience the Divine | | Auckland, New Zealand | Remembering Our Noble Inner Quality | Experiencing the Divine | Sharing Experiences | Sri Lanka | Lighting Our God Nature Within | From God Nature to God Nature in Silence | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Open the Eye of the Soul | Kathmandu, Nepal | Hong Kong | With words of humor and wisdom, Master points us directly to our inner Self and Wisdom. | Manila, the Philippines | Filipino people open their hearts to the Truth. | Formosa | Tens of thousands of people flock to Supreme Master Ching Hai's lecture at the Taoyuan County Stadium. | Tokyo, Japan | Master emphasizes the power of inner concentration. | Seoul, Korea | Master elevates everyone to the True World, which is forever in perfection. | | Believe That You Are Really Great! | | International Six-day Retreat, Youngdong Center, Korea | Sweet Bliss at the Retreat | Master and Disciples Share the Same Ideals | Day Four of the Retreat: Master's Birthday | Heaven and Earth Celebrate An Enlightened Master's Birthday | | Supreme Master Ching Hai, teacher of the Quan Yin Method, visits Korea and delivers an open Lecture, "Experience the Divine" | | About the Quan Yin Method | |
Supreme Master Ching Hai, the Quan Yin Method, and the Chinese in Southeast Asia
(Originally in Chinese)
Caption:
(Left) Mr. Chu Hong-yuan from the Department of Modern History, the Academia Sinica
(Right) Professor Ruaan Jy-sheng of the National Taiwan University
On May 6, 2000 at the fourth seminar in a series of eight panel discussions, "Religions and the Chinese People Worldwide," Supreme Master Ching Hai was invited to speak about the Quan Yin Method and its development in Southeast Asia. The seminar was held at the Academia Sinica, a prestigious national academic research institute in Formosa. The conveners of the seminar were the Southeast Asia Research Project from the Academia Sinica, the Taiwan Religious Institute, the Central Broadcasting Corporation, the Overseas Chinese Research Group of the Contemporary History Research Faculty from the Academia Sinica, and the Chinese Interdisciplinary Association. Numerous professors, research fellows, media professionals, and elite personnel from many fields participated in the discussion.
This seminar on the Quan Yin Method (presented below) was also broadcast locally to the public on May 20 by the Central Broadcasting Corporation. In addition, the discussion was available worldwide simultaneously on the Central Broadcasting Corporation's web site at www.cbs.org.tw.
Chairman (Mr. Chu Hong-yuan from the Department of Modern History, the Academia Sinica): Good day to you, Supreme Master Ching Hai, Professor Ruaan Jy-sheng of National Taiwan University, and friends from the academic and public sectors. It is not often that the Academia Sinica has an opportunity, as it does today, to comprehensively explore a topic from both the religious and academic perspectives.
I am the convener of the Overseas Chinese Research Group of the Institute of Modern History of the Academia Sinica. Our group has been sponsoring a series of lectures over the past few years. Beginning this year, we have, at the recommendation and with the support of Director Lin Mei-rong of the Taiwan Religious Institute, incorporated religious perspectives into our research on the Chinese in Southeast Asia. Thus, we have invited an important religious leader to this seminar at the Academia Sinica today. This is the fourth in a series of eight lectures. The first three lectures were on Islam, Christianity, and I-kuan Tao. The topic today is a very special one, namely, the Quan Yin Method, a new path led and taught by Supreme Master Ching Hai. Let us learn more about this new spiritual dimension and its tremendous impact on Chinese people around the world.
We are coordinating the Chinese project with the Southeast Asian research project, also conducted by the Academia Sinica. This combined effort is proceeding under the guidance of Professor Hsiao Hsing-huang. Professor Hsiao has demonstrated his support for this activity by contributing an honorarium for each lecture. It is not much; nonetheless, it indicates his moral support for this academic study. We will be presenting this honorarium to Supreme Master Ching Hai for Her lecture. (Note: Master immediately contributed the honorarium back to the convener.) In addition, our overseas Chinese research group, which is now conducting studies on the Chinese in Southeast Asia, has prepared a token fee for Professor Ruaan, who will be serving as commentator today. But this is not important. More important is the cooperation evidenced in this event between the different institutes of the Academia Sinica working together on comprehensive research topics.
We are especially delighted to have representatives from two organizations with us today. We have the Central Broadcasting Corporation, represented by Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen is the producer of the radio program "The Overseas Chinese Community on the Air," which is broadcast to listeners worldwide. Today's lecture will be simulcast on his program to overseas audiences, and so he will record the entire lecture today.
We would also like to thank the Chinese Interdisciplinary Association for being with us today. Since its establishment 19 years ago, the association has launched a series of interdisciplinary activities with the support of university professors around Formosa. Nearly two hundred individuals with doctoral degrees are currently working with the Association to promote various interdisciplinary events. Research on religions, as well as Southeast Asian Chinese activities, is a highly interdisciplinary subject. Thus, we are delighted that the Chinese Interdisciplinary Association is participating in this seminar. We also have several other important leaders in our audience today. Of course, our greatest appreciation goes to the Academia Sinica for its attention to the lecture series, especially this fourth seminar featuring Supreme Master Ching Hai. Certain newspaper reports have raised concerns, and perhaps some tiny misunderstandings. Professor Yang Kuo-shu, Vice President of the Academia Sinica, as well as several other important administrative officials of the Sinica, have called me several times to discuss this matter. I would like to express my immense gratitude to them for surmounting all obstacles and accepting an activity of this nature.
Since this is basically an academic activity, we must first request that we remain in academic discourse. Supreme Master Ching Hai has traveled to many places, and I have asked that She begin Her lecture by discussing the Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. Then, She can elaborate on the development of Her organization, as well as related developments of both past and present. Of course, it is inevitable that Her spiritual teachings will be mentioned, but we hope that the Master will focus Her talk on the Chinese in Southeast Asia. In other words, we hope that She will refrain from discussing any doctrines or activities involved in sharing the Truth, related difficulties, and future prospects in regions outside Southeast Asia, and save these topics for a future time.
Today's seminar will be conducted in two sessions, each lasting approximately one hour. I think that this is a precious opportunity, one that none of you has ever had anywhere in the world, even at the Taoyuan County Stadium (Master's lecture venue the previous day). So, please try to be concise and keep your discussion within the scope of Southeast Asian Chinese academic research. We hope to gather relevant information on this topic with you serving as our witnesses. Time is precious.
Now that I have completed my basic introduction, let us respectfully invite Supreme Master Ching Hai (referred to hereafter as SMCH ) to speak on the Quan Yin Method and the Chinese people in Southeast Asia.
SMCH: Thank you! Thank you very much! Since I am here at your invitation, let me proceed immediately without being too courteous, so we won't waste any time. Thank you for your trust and for giving me this honor. I have always felt that Formosa is my home, so my return this time does not seem like anything special. I haven't visited Formosa for a long time because I've been very busy abroad.
I delivered a lecture yesterday and you probably were there, and so have some reference. However, since I have promised to deliver this special talk today, I will abide by the guidelines set by our chairman and confine my talk to today's topic. Should I make a slip, please help me make amends.
Perhaps most of you are aware of our presence here, because we have created quite a sensation in Formosa. I mean that the government and the media have helped us become very famous. [Laughter] Although there are misunderstandings, these are nonetheless part of God's arrangement. Hes does things in Hiers own way. Sometimes, Hes lets people praise you a lot to make you famous; at other times, Hes lets people misunderstand you, and that too makes you famous. The second way is not so enjoyable and we don't like it that much. However, Jesus Christ, for example, was misunderstood by many people and subjected to immense suffering, yet He is worshipped throughout the world today. Shakyamuni Buddha was framed and misunderstood by many people during His lifetime; however, the whole world worships Him today. If these two great Masters had to endure suffering and wrongful accusations, this little bit of suffering should not matter to ordinary people like us. It cleanses our karma. In our group, we are grateful to those who insult or rebuke us, because they cleanse our karma for us. It is inevitable that we will, at some time in our lives, do something that does not appeal to everyone, and that causes misunderstanding among people. When people speak ill of us, it means that our karma is cleansed; we become more prosperous, and will be rewarded after our death.
The Beginning
Now I will talk about our development activities. Although we have contact Centers in many countries and places, we have more brothers and sisters in Southeast Asia than anywhere else in the world. By "brothers and sisters," I am referring to our fellow practitioners. That's what we call each other because we practice a common Method.
Initially, I didn't know anyone in Formosa, but now everyone treats me like a Formosan. I am really honored. Yesterday, I felt as if I had come home. When I'm overseas, people introduce me as someone from Formosa. When we render relief aid to other places, they refer to us as a Formosan group. Therefore, I am just going to stay on here as a Formosan. Even when I am not here physically, my heart and soul will be here. This is something that we cannot change; perhaps I was born here in a previous life. Some people have, during meditation, seen me eating sweet potato leaves in Formosa in a previous life. We share a deep affinity with each other.
Although I didn't know a single soul when I first arrived here many years ago, I was greatly impressed by the warm hospitality that the Formosan people immediately extended toward me. I was ordained here, so I followed the traditional customs. I abided by the rules and disciplined myself. It was just like taking driving lessons and following the words of the instructor. There is a supervisor by our side while we drive strictly and very rigidly according to his instructions. Once we know how to drive, we don't need an instructor anymore; we have become so familiar with the rules that we can drive smoothly and naturally.
The people here took very good care of me when I first came. The temples welcomed me and treated me well. They gave me money when I was in need. I was penniless at the time, but now I am earning some money. Once, I was on a retreat in a temple when, at midnight, about a dozen people came knocking at my door. I was bewildered to see them at that hour. They came in and revealed that the Quan Yin Bodhisattva had asked them to seek me out and learn something from me. I knew few people then, and was on a retreat. I was surprised that those people knew about me, but they said it was the Quan Yin Bodhisattva who had tipped them off. I wasn't ready to teach people, but started to do so because of their intense sincerity.
I am not a Formosan citizen, so I then went to the United States, where I stayed for more than a year. There again, people came to me, claiming that God had told them to come to me at a particular temple. As a result, I established bonds of affinity with the Americans as well. Initially, I shared ties of affinity with the Chinese only, but had to leave Formosa when my visa expired, whereupon I went to the United States. I couldn't, and still can't, stay permanently in Formosa.
After I had developed bonds of affinity with the Americans, the Formosan people asked me to return because they really loved me. I agreed and stayed here for quite some time, which was why our group was able to grow and expand in Formosa. This is a natural affinity. I began to shuttle between Formosa and the United States, and also traveled to other countries later.
I have affinity with the Chinese people. In Southeast Asia, where there are Chinese populations, the news spread by word of mouth. We had not issued any printed or audiovisual publications back then. I was invited to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. Before we extended our reach overseas to America, our group was concentrated mainly in Southeast Asia, especially in areas sharing relations with Formosa and the Chinese people. In Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, which we have just mentioned, our group members were mainly confined to the Chinese people living there. The people there are mostly of Chinese descent and can speak Mandarin or Chinese dialects like Fukienese or Hakka. Also, one dialect in Thailand is identical to a Chinese dialect. People have discovered that the northern Thai language is exactly the same as a dialect spoken in one area in China's Yunan Province. These two peoples can communicate with each other. This proves that we Chinese once lived in Thailand. Singaporeans also speak Chinese.
When I first came to Formosa, the only Chinese words I could speak were "Is your mother well?" [This is a mistake that foreigners often make when they say the Chinese characters for "How are you?" in an incorrect sequence.] [Laughter] I didn't really understand the language. When senior practitioners in temples chanted the name "Amitabha," it sounded like "Ami-tofu" to me. I was astounded to hear them repeat the word "tofu" all day long.
However, I quickly mastered the language because I like the Chinese people very much. They treated me very well, just like a sister. Perhaps it was due to affinities made in previous lives. We could communicate perfectly despite the language barrier. But I was forced to learn some Chinese as I stayed on in Formosa, and I still remember some of it. I haven't forgotten it completely during my stay overseas. However, sometimes my tongue is tied because I have not spoken Chinese for a long time. I am most fluent in English; I even have difficulty speaking my own mother tongue, the Aulacese language. It's been so long since I last spoke in Aulacese that I have almost forgotten it.
Development in Southeast Asia
As our group continued to grow, later on Centers were established throughout Formosa, and people volunteered to be contact persons. In this way, we set up many bases, and expanded to other countries, especially in Southeast Asia. Since the chairman has asked me to talk only about Southeast Asia, I will do just that and ignore the other areas. We have numerous liaison points in Southeast Asian and other Asian countries.
As more and more people learned about us, and as our contact Centers grew in number, an increasingly large number of people asked to see me in person. Since I could not be physically present everywhere, we began to produce video and audio tapes so we could reach more people. Then, we printed sample booklets for people who could not come to us. Later, we also issued News magazines. That was how our group developed in a natural way.
Caption:
Master used to live in a tent.
Our contact Centers are not fancy or grand by any means. They are mostly located in ordinary buildings; some are makeshift structures built with thin metal sheets. They do not look in the least bit majestic. We haven't built, and give little thought to building big, grand temples. However, when our fellow practitioners find the contact Centers too shabby, they try to do what they can to make them look better. We used to live in tents; I still have a tent up on Mount Yangming. When I am back in Formosa and if I can afford the time, I go and stay there for a while. We have no plans to build anything for ourselves. Sometimes, however, it is set up naturally.
Chairman: Supreme Master, let me ask You a question. All of us have a complete set of information prepared by Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. As we listen to Master, let us turn to page 20 on "Activities in Malaysia". Please tell us something about Malaysia, where most of the people are Islamic. How did You succeed in promoting Your activities, in sharing Your Method there, when so many other people couldn't? Can You please elaborate on that?
Caption:
Lecture in Malaysia, 1993.
SMCH: Most of the Chinese are rather traditional by nature. The Quan Yin Method makes no distinction between religions, nor does it mandate that people should remove their veils or worship at temples. We have already explained that the Quan Yin Method is a path that will lead us to our God Nature and heavenly Kingdom within. It does not matter what religion you follow.
Our fellow practitioners from different religions meditate together while dressed in different attire. The Muslims wear their Islamic clothes; the Buddhist monks sometimes wear their monastic robes. Even monks from different countries are dressed differently. Some of them are from the Hinayana school, while some are from the Mahayana school; some are from China and some are from Korea. They dress differently and are accustomed to a wide variety of fashions. They gather together and meditate without discussing any religious issues.
When they attain self-realization, they become better Muslims, Buddhists, or Christians. They are so full of love and joy that their traditional appearance does not affect us. Of course, as the chairman knows, Malaysia and certain other Muslim countries, being stricter than Formosa, impose some restrictions on the people, but their governments do not interfere with us. They are quite liberal. It is all right if the Muslims join us on their own initiative. We have never gone knocking on their doors or taken other actions. They come by themselves. At that time, we had a note on our lecture flyers, "Muslims are not encouraged to come." [Laughter]
Chairman: We all know that there were anti-Chinese sentiments in Indonesia.
SMCH: That was in the past.
Chairman: Right! Yet You were allowed to deliver a lecture there in 1992. This is on page 21 of the information sheets provided by the SMCH International Association. In March 1992, the Indonesian government permitted Supreme Master Ching Hai to give a lecture, conducted in a question and answer format, in its country. Can You tell us about it? In 1992, since anti-Chinese sentiments were running high, Chinese literature was not allowed.
Caption:
In 1993, Master delivers a lecture in Indonesia. The local media report prominently on Master.
SMCH: That is true.
Chairman: I visited Indonesia around that time, too, but Chinese books were banned then. How did You manage to deliver a discourse there?
SMCH: I spoke in English. However, thank you for reminding me. I had completely forgotten about the things that you just mentioned. It seems like a remote story to me. [Master laughs]
Chairman: Right! But we research associates of the Institute of Modern History love to listen to stories. Could You please elaborate for us?
SMCH: All right, but it was too long ago. When I finish a lecture, I forget about it. Ask me what I talked about yesterday, and I can't remember a thing. Let me take a look. Maybe it will bring back some memories.
Chairman: Let us listen to Supreme Master.
SMCH: The Chinese expatriates in Indonesia were miserable at the time. I cried when I heard their tragic stories. However, good will be rewarded with good. As time goes by, the arrangements will be revealed. You can see that the Chinese people there are much better off today. God has Hiers arrangements. When people misunderstand or abuse us, we should learn from the example of endurance and toleration of humiliation set by the Chinese, and we will realize that God does take good care of us. Sooner or later, Hes will fix it for us.
Back then, the Chinese people could not study Chinese. They could not even speak their own mother tongue in public; they had to speak in English or Indonesian. However, they could speak Chinese at home. When one of our well-to-do fellow practitioners invited me to his home, all of us just squeezed into his house. It was huge and had many rooms; we were in a room that was as big as this one. There, we could speak in Chinese. I gave my public lectures in English, though. I could not violate the law. Since I was allowed into Indonesia, I had to cooperate, and everything proceeded smoothly.
Chairman: Let me ask You about Your trip to Thailand. Please refer to page 21 again. In 1994, You met Princess Sirindhorn at the Thai Imperial Palace. Can You tell us about that?
SMCH: That was after our lecture. The royal family knew and apparently had approached our fellow practitioners about it. I don't know too much about the background story. I was there on their invitation. In most cases, our fellow practitioners make the arrangements for me. When they inform me about the invitations they have received on my behalf, I accept them when time permits. It seemed that Thailand had just suffered some kind of disaster at the time, and we had contributed some relief aid and provisions.
Caption:
Lecture in Thailand, 1993.
Chairman: Quilts and woolen coats.
SMCH: That is right. We did that on a number of occasions, not only that one time. Perhaps the royal family had learned about our contributions and wanted to meet us. It was quite an honor. We presented some gifts to the Princess. But when they arranged for a second visit, I said "Sorry" to them because I did not have time. I was busy with other matters. Members of the Thai royal family are very humble and cordial. The Princess is very pure; you will surely like her when you see her. She does not act pretentiously. She does whatever has to be done, and wears no makeup. The people love her dearly, and so do I. But I didn't have time later.
Caption:
In 1996, upon learning that the cold in northern Thailand freezes some
people to death each year, Master personally leads volunteers in distributing
daily necessities to the needy in the area.
Chairman: Please turn to page 22, about the activities in Thailand in 1999.
SMCH: That was in Thailand. We have many activities there.
Chairman: You have many activities in Thailand. The information here covers a World Vegetarian Congress held in Chiang Mai. Can You tell us about Your Centers in Thailand?
SMCH: Well, we have many.
Chairman: Do You have Centers in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Bangkok, and other places?
SMCH: Yes, we have Centers in Hatyai, Khon Kaen, and Bangkok, but I can't remember the names very well. Our fellow practitioners know better than I do. I only travel around; I don't remember much. Sometimes I work so fast that I forget the time. I have to call my fellow practitioners to ask them the date, what time to do what, and if we are leaving for Japan or staying in Formosa today. Sometimes, I am very busy, having to pack my own luggage. It can be exhausting traveling alone, but I would draw too much attention if I were to travel with a crowd. I prefer to travel silently, but I have so many matters to attend to, that I sometimes become forgetful. However, I know that we have Centers in Khon Kaen, Hatyai, Chiang Mai and Bangkok; I don't remember the others. We have a large number of fellow practitioners in Thailand. Some of them speak Thai and some speak Chinese. Their translation is not bad. When I first went to Thailand, some of the Chinese people could not speak their own language, but they soon learned after listening to my audio tapes. I joked about charging them a tuition fee! The people there are very nice and benevolent; they have great respect for spiritual practitioners. Once they notice that you are a spiritual practitioner, they kneel before you and offer you flowers. They are a very humble people.
Caption:
Singapore lecture, 1993.
Chairman: Now, let us go on to Singapore. You were there as early as 1991. It seems that there were some Aulacese refugees in Singapore at the time.
SMCH: Several hundred of them.
Chairman: What was the situation back in April 1991?
SMCH: I visited the refugees and bought something for them while I was there, but the main purpose of my visit was to deliver a lecture. There were lots of people and the lecture venue was packed until there was no space to walk. Many people sat in the passageways or on the staircase. It was the same yesterday. We had even more people and it was really crowded. (Master is referring here to Her lecture at Formosa's Taoyuan County Stadium on May 5.) Things in Singapore went pretty smoothly. The Singaporean government is very open-minded and the local people, being spiritually advanced, accepted us immediately. Their country is very clean and the people are law-abiding. If you spit chewing gum on the street, you will be fined US$500. The people are able to maintain a steady spiritual practice; once they start, they continue. You just tell them and they understand immediately. The people of Singapore develop their wisdom really well. And I am very delighted about that!
Chairman: What is the most important method that they understand? What is the vital point?
SMCH: I just talk to them casually. [Laughter]
Chairman: But it doesn't work when I talk casually!
SMCH: They are rather intelligent! [Laughter]
Chairman: All right, let us talk about the Philippines. In April 1991, You were in the Philippines to help the Aulacese asylum-seekers. Why do You use the word "Au Lac" instead of "Vietnam"? This is the first question. The second question is, why did Manila present You with the City Key and confer upon You honorary citizenship?
Caption:
Master being interviewed by various members of the media in the Philippines,
1994
SMCH: I have no idea. They did it as soon as I arrived because someone had told them who I was and why I was there. The mayor of Manila invited us and gave us the key. I thought that the key was beautiful, so I kept it as a souvenir, but it cannot open any doors. [Laughter] I felt great receiving a key for the first time in my life. I didn't have a home then; I was living in a tent, yet I had a key. I wrapped it nicely in a pouch. Later, I lost the thrill as I received many more keys. I put them side-by-side, just for looks. I received several keys in the United States. I can give you one if you want. [Laugher]
Chairman: It is only good if the local government gives it to me. From You, maybe it's also okay!
SMCH: We can share it.
Chairman: Now, let's go on to that part about the Aulacese refugees. Please talk more about it, since You are from Au Lac. We will discuss Au Lac in greater detail later.
SMCH: At that time, I was negotiating for the Aulacese refugees with the Philippine government to help and offer asylum to them. The country eventually offered asylum to the 5,000 refugees who were still in the Philippines. The local people are very kindhearted and generous, even though their country is poor. Therefore, I paid them a visit a couple of days ago to express our gratitude.
Caption:
In 1992, Master meets with Mrs. Corazon Aquino, President of the Philippines, to discuss the Aulacese refugees' stay.
In 1992, Master meets with Ms. Imelda Marcos of the Philippines.
"Au Lac" is the ancient name of Vietnam. It means "happiness." I use this name because I feel that it brings good luck to the people. I love names that sound good. Being a designer, I love beautiful things, including beautiful names. That is why I prefer to use the name "Formosa" instead of "Taiwan". You can see that we have used this name in the information sheets in your hands. We call this island Formosa, not Taiwan, though we sometimes forget.
Chairman: Au Lac was hit by floods, and two million people were affected. How much did You contribute to their aid? Where did this money come from? This issue of basic necessities is very important, so I have to be blunt.
SMCH: I don't quite remember because it was so long ago. It isn't that I don't want to talk about it, but I have lost count of how many countries we have provided aid to, and the amount of relief provisions we have given. Does anyone remember the amount? I don't.
Chairman: What I mean is, did You raise funds for the contribution?
SMCH: You are asking where the money came from?
Chairman: Exactly!
SMCH: Well, we got it from the bank. [Laughter] We had to; it would be very dangerous to keep such a large sum of money at home. [Laughter] We work to earn most of our money. I design clothes and other things. I designed a variety of clothes then. Now I design more expensive clothes. I also designed some minor things at that time, or we wove hats and other things for sale. Being spiritual practitioners, we ate only one or two vegetarian meals a day. Life was simple. We lived in tents and didn't have many clothes, just two or three sets. Therefore, we saved most of the money we earned and then used it to help the refugees. We also had fellow practitioners who volunteered to deliver the funds. We do not directly accept contributions from fellow practitioners. If they want to contribute, they send it directly to the affected countries. Our Formosan fellow practitioners have provided financial contributions to the Philippines, and many other countries and places. And Formosa is now well-known for its disaster relief. We are regarded as a Formosan group worldwide.
Chairman: Perhaps the SMCH International Association can tell us more about how the funds were raised and how they were used. This is a very important question. However, we can raise this matter when we open the floor to discussion, since some important leaders of the Association might be present. Let us continue, as time is precious. We still have Cambodia to cover. Can You tell us about Cambodia?
Caption:
In 1996, Master meets with H.M. King Sihanouk of Cambodia.
SMCH: The whole country knows about it. Contributions came from the whole country, not just our group. Everyone contributed a little, and we sent whatever we collected to Cambodia. How much we sent, I have forgotten. Really, I forget very quickly; however, I think it was a lot, about 6,000 tons of rice. You can find that information in the newspapers. We sent the relief provisions to Cambodia because it had been in bad shape for a long time. People were starving, and crops were not growing. Now they have no problem. They saved some of the rice that we contributed to plant. Later, their Prime Minister reported to me: "Master, we planted many rice paddies from the rice that You contributed, and the yield is increasing all the time." The assistance we provided serves not only at that moment, but future generations as well. The children and the elderly are now sufficiently clothed and fed. They are very grateful to the Formosans-- fellow practitioners and otherwise, for their aid.
Chairman: The last two questions are about Cambodia. Under item six is the 1996 retreat. Could You please explain this retreat and give us a brief introduction?
SMCH: Each year, we reserve some time to sit down quietly to introspect on ourselves, since God dwells within us, and to strengthen our inner realization. This is the purpose of a retreat. We put down everything for a few days -- three, five, or seven days, depending on the situation. During that time, we concentrate entirely on our God Nature, or the God within us. This is called a retreat. We have retreats every year in different countries. The last one was in Thailand; next week, we will have another one in Korea. We do this for ourselves and for world peace. When we get together, the power is stronger and it is more convenient to pray. This is what a retreat is for.
Chairman: I think approximately thirty-five minutes have passed. In this first session, I asked Supreme Master Ching Hai some simple questions regarding the activities of the Chinese people in Southeast Asia. Professor Ruaan Jy-sheng of National Taiwan University will now give us his comments. [Applause]
Comments from a Scholar
Professor Ruaan: I am as excited as every one of you to have Supreme Master Ching Hai with us. I don't think many people, including the conveners, expected Supreme Master Ching Hai to grace us with Her presence today. I, myself, feel especially honored. The comments that I am about to make will be directly related to the theme of our seminar -- Supreme Master Ching Hai, the Quan Yin Method, and the Chinese in Southeast Asia. The theme has two parts, one being about Southeast Asia. We have a number of experts and scholars sitting among us. Our chairman, Professor Chu, is an expert in the study of the overseas Chinese, especially the Chinese communities and religions in Indonesia. He has published several articles in this area. We also have with us scholars from the Taiwan Religion Institute and the Southeast Asia Research Project, who are more competent speakers than I am on the subject of the Chinese in Southeast Asia. Therefore, I will comment mainly on Supreme Master Ching Hai and the Quan Yin Method. I read the material provided by the SMCH International Association before the seminar and have just listened to a speech by Supreme Master. I get the impression that the Quan Yin Method and its leader are very special; maybe we could say that they are of a "different variety". They are really unique. My general observations tell me that the actions and speech of this leader often shatter boundaries and rules, as they do not conform to the social codes we are familiar with. She is very uncommon and above normal etiquette. For this reason, it is very difficult for people to understand and categorize Her according to existing concepts and habitual rules. In the eyes of worldly people, Supreme Master Ching Hai is very different than other religious leaders. Supreme Master Ching Hai is an Asian lady of Aulacese origin. She has given lectures in Chinese, English, Aulacese, and even German and French on the Earth's five continents. She is well-versed in all the major religious scriptures and can easily expound profound doctrines in simple words of common usage.
The Supreme Master gives initiation to Truth-aspirants of any ethnic group or religious background, without demanding that they give up their original faith. She imparts a supra-worldly method of liberation, but is also very concerned about worldly suffering, conducting disaster relief and charitable activities when the need arises. She teaches the Quan Yin Method, a simple and apparently novel method, which She claims is the most ancient and a magnificient one. Her disciples are required to strictly observe the Five Precepts and a lifelong vegetarian diet, and to meditate for two and a half hours each day. They are also encouraged to practice the middle way, to refrain from going to extremes, and to pursue a life of Truth, virtue, and beauty. However, while She gives lectures on the Truth, She also writes poems, composes songs, plays musical instruments, recites poems, sings songs, paints, cooks vegetarian cuisine, and has compiled vegetarian cookbooks.
SMCH: This is very important to the Chinese!
Professor Ruaan: She is also a fashion and jewelry designer. She has held art exhibitions, fashion shows, and musical events in several of the world's major cities. People have difficulty detecting Her spiritual traits, and are even skeptical about Her being a spiritual practitioner. [Laughter] She offers financial assistance and dedicates Her endeavors to helping the world's most needy people, in both material and spiritual aspects. She does not build temples or churches, nor does She accept offerings. Disciples everywhere would love Her to stay with them as long as possible, but She prefers to wander around the globe without a fixed abode, not willing to settle down in any one place. With Her intense compassion for humankind, She helps people with all Her heart and effort, but occasionally reprimands them out of Her profound love for them. She has been called "the Master who reprimands people." At a time when people are pessimistic about the last stage of the Dharma, or trembling with fear about a coming doomsday, She speaks with high spirits of stepping into a new, golden age. Although it is said that She attained ultimate enlightenment deep in the Himalayas, She convinces people that it is not necessary to practice asceticism in the mountains after receiving initiation, because it is possible to attain enlightenment by practicing at home. She has the power to attract thousands of disciples and have them fly around the globe to attend international retreats. [Laughter]
SMCH: It sounds like we have supernatural power!
Professor Ruaan: This is even more impressive than those who travel island-wide on Formosa. [Laughter]
SMCH: Professor, we do practice supernatural powers!
Professor Ruaan: Their gatherings are attended by thousands of people. Very often She has to meet political leaders in different countries while conducting charitable or relief work. However, She claims that She is naturally shy, and loves to live a free, easy, and simple life. Depending on the occasion and the country She is in, She wears imaginative self-designed clothes or the traditional attire of the different countries She visits. She appears in different styles and forms, like a woman with a thousand looks. It is for this very reason that She often causes misunderstanding among people and is a target of criticism. Nevertheless, She continues to act in Her own way, enduring it all in silence and playing Her role. She claims that the Method She teaches is the most ancient one, while She gives people a very modern impression. She even expects Her disciples to become modern spiritual practitioners. All these unique, transcendental and uncommon things that She does broaden the views of the people and puzzle them as well. We can understand the puzzlement and doubts of worldly people, but we cannot deny that She teaches people to perform good deeds and elevate themselves in both material and spiritual aspects. We cannot find a negative trait in Her. We might say that for the general public, religious researchers, and spiritual practitioners, Supreme Master Ching Hai and the Quan Yin Method offer a new message and a new choice. This is a profitable matter, no matter what.
SMCH: Thank you.
Professor Ruaan: An open and pluralistic society welcomes all kinds of harmless new things. I think Supreme Master Ching Hai has brought to us a brand new sensation! And Her many unique contributions have provided more free choices for society, making our social culture richer and more colorful. Finally, I would like to thank Supreme Master Ching Hai. May God be with You! Let us ask Supreme Master to say a few good words to God for Formosa, for the people on Formosa and the Chinese mainland, and for humankind. [Applause] To continue, I would like to ask a few questions. The first one relates to the religious nature and definition. This question has three parts. Part one: Both the general public and religious researchers regard the Quan Yin Method as a new religion. The Convener also referred to Your group as the Ching Hai religious group. Is the Quan Yin Method a religion? This is the first part of the question.
All Religions Originated from the Quan Yin Method
SMCH: The Quan Yin Method is not a religion. However, all religions originated from the Quan Yin Method. There are already too many religions in the world; I don't want to add another one to the list. I had no such intention in the first place; otherwise I would have done it long ago. It would be nice to hear people call you the "founder of a religion", [Laughter] but by practicing the Quan Yin Method, we are restoring our Original Self. Religions usually discuss the experiences of ancient people. Take Jesus Christ, for instance. The focus is on the abilities or supernatural powers He attained through spiritual practice, how He reunified Himself with God, what His disciples achieved through spiritual practice, and how they finally reunified themselves with God. In the case of Shakyamuni Buddha, the focus is on what He achieved through spiritual practice, how He became a Buddha (Enlightened Master), and how His disciples practiced and became Buddhas in the same way. Today, our Quan Yin Method teaches us to walk the same path. Therefore, all religions originated from the Quan Yin Method. People call it "Christianity" because Jesus Christ came; people call it "Buddhism" because the Buddha came. This is how so many religions came into existence. I beg you not to call us the Ching Hai religion after I die! [Laughter]
Professor Ruaan: The general public and religious scholars refer to Your group as the Quan Yin Method or the Ching Hai religious group. Would You accept the name "Ching Hai religious group"?
SMCH: Of course, you have the right to call us any name you like. However, since we feel that we are simply a group devoted only to knowing our Real Self, we don't want to create another religion. We worry that it might have an impact or create more religious controversies. We only want to know our God Nature, our best quality within, so we don't think there is any need to give ourselves a label. However, it is all right for you to call us the Ching Hai religion. We won't print it on our name cards, though!
Professor Ruaan: The second part of my question is related to the fact that You have said You don't belong to any religion.
SMCH: That's right.
Professor Ruaan: Then what is the relationship between the Quan Yin Method and other religions? I am not sure whether You have already answered this in the first part of the question, or would You like to elaborate further?
SMCH: Let me elaborate. I have explained that there was no religion to begin with. Before the Buddha came, there was no Buddhism; before Jesus Christ came, there was no Christianity; before Mohammed came, there was no Islam. All enlightened persons are here to act through God's will and impart this method of liberation to those people who are ready to go Home. After the Masters and their disciples died, people in later generations knew very little of the Masters' teachings, and so the lineages were broken. People worshipped statues and oral teachings without the power of heart-to-heart transmission. Then, slowly, religions were formed. However, the Quan Yin Method is the most ancient and the only path back Home. You have only one path that leads you Home. That is how it is.
Professor Ruaan: Now comes the third part of the question. We have heard of the transmission of the Quan Yin Method in Formosa and abroad. Is there a difference between these other Quan Yin methods and the Quan Yin Method imparted by You? I raise this point because the theme of the seminar is "Supreme Master Ching Hai, the Quan Yin Method..."
The Quan Yin Method is a path that will lead us to our God Nature and heavenly Kingdom within.
SMCH: It was other people who named it that way. When we practice the Quan Yin Method, we listen inwardly to our Self Nature; that is, we contemplate the inner Sound current, our original Nature and our God Nature. If another group is teaching the same thing, then they are also teaching the Quan Yin Method, except that they may call it by another name, like the "Sound Stream," "The Inner Voice of God," or "The Word." If they can let us hear our God Nature within, our heavenly Kingdom within, and see the inner Light, then their methods are the same as ours.
Professor Ruaan: The next question is related to Your organization. According to our knowledge, whether it is ancient Catholicism or the newly established I-kuan Tao, each religion has a huge church and organization, a tight hierarchy, and titles for each rank. For instance, in Catholicism, we have cardinals, archbishops, bishops and pastors between the Pope and the priests. In I-kuan Tao, we have the patriarch, matriarch, chief priests, initiate masters, altar masters, and introduction masters. With their massive organization and well-organized hierarchy, these religions can mobilize their members quickly and efficiently. However, this can also easily give rise to a bureaucracy. That is what usually happens. The Quan Yin Method is presently practiced by disciples on the world's five continents. I am not sure of the exact figure, but there must be at least several hundred thousand of them, and I believe the number will continue to grow in the future. From our observations and the information I have gathered from the written material, there is only one formal title -- the Quan Yin messenger -- between You, the Master, and the disciples in Your group. The Quan Yin Method group does not seem to be highly organized. However, is it possible for an organization like Yours that is not tightly organized to mobilize its members when engaging in Truth-sharing on a large scale? And can this last long? At present, the answer seems to be positive, because You hold huge congregations. I think this is due to the personal charisma of the leader, but can this continue for a long time? Can You share with us Your views and thoughts?
SMCH: Thank you very much. Your question is very clear. You have missed nothing. Perhaps you are very enlightened. The point is that we don't believe in hierarchical organization and bureaucratic positions. Quan Yin messenger is a casual title to let people understand that this person is authorized to give them verbal instructions regarding the Quan Yin Method. However, the real transmission within is conducted in total silence, from God, from within, from heart to heart. It is not conducted by the Quan Yin messenger, who is there only to relate the verbal instructions. That is why he or she is called a "messenger."
We don't like pompous titles very much. I alone have already endured the title of "Supreme Master" too much. I don't want others to be targets of criticism as well. We emphasize humility and self-practice, without any desire for positions. Although we have many members working in our group, you seldom see them publicly given credit. The working groups, such as the video team, have done much work, but specific names are never mentioned. Many people are engaged in printing sample booklets and scriptures, but no acknowledgement is given to them. Sometimes the names are listed, but only when required by the law of a particular country. It is better to keep a low profile. However, the names have to be disclosed if it is really necessary for others to know. They are disclosed when we have no other choice, but the people involved are not interested in gaining a titled position. They are aware of their own greatness within without having to announce it.
Professor Ruaan: So, if there is any pressure, Supreme Master will shoulder it alone.
SMCH: It is better that way, so that everyone else can be free and easy.
Professor Ruaan: My questions end here. Professor Chu.
Chairman: That was excellent. Let us thank Professor Ruaan for his brilliant commentary and questions, and also Supreme Master for Her incisive answers. Let us perhaps change the agenda a little bit. I am sure that all those present are very interested in expressing their views, asking Supreme Master some questions, or consulting our commentator. Shall we now open the floor to questions? All right, this lady!
Q: This is a follow-up to the question that our chairman asked earlier. Supreme Master Ching Hai has emphasized that She does not accept offerings. However, She has performed many charitable deeds around the world, which could not have been accomplished with a small amount of money. She just mentioned that She wove hats and designed clothes. Are these items sold only to disciples or to the public? Are the proceeds from these sales enough to help so many asylum-seekers, or victims of floods in America, and natural calamities in Southeast Asia? Can You further explain Your financial source?
SMCH: I don't accept any offerings. However, if a disaster occurs and our disciples want to send contributions or relief provisions to the victims, they can pool theirs with ours in a package or in bulk quantities. That way, all of us, including the disciples, contribute together.
Relief Work for the 9/21/99 Earthquake in Formosa
Reporter: Excuse me, but I would like to follow up on this question. We are aware that in the past, You have provided aid to many places and demonstrated compassion to many people. However, we didn't see You in areas hit by the September 21, 1999, earthquake. Could You please tell us whether You participated in the disaster relief work or provided assistance in any way?
SMCH: As soon as I saw the news on TV in the United States, I tried to call but couldn't contact the liaison practitioners, as their lines were busy. It was very difficult to get through on the phone at that time. Finally, I managed to get through to a Brother Lin, who is not a liaison practitioner. I asked him to quickly mobilize everyone and provide all the financial and material assistance they could afford. Our group was in every place that needed help and was already in the disaster-stricken areas on the very first day. Brother Lin, would you like to tell us about that?
Chairman: Will you please introduce yourself before going into the details?
Brother Lin: My name is Lin Shu-lin and I live in Tainan. On the morning of the September 21 earthquake, I received a call from Supreme Master Ching Hai from abroad. She said that She had been trying to call for nearly two hours but couldn't get through, so She finally called me, and said, "Please help me set up a disaster relief team immediately, and promptly render aid to every area that needs help. Pool together all your strength and offer as much help, as quickly as possible."
This is the first point I'd like to make clear -- that Supreme Master was very concerned about the disaster in Formosa. Then, as I transmitted Her message of concern to fellow practitioners around Formosa, I needed to let them know that She was very worried about the post-quake situation. Even though She could not give Her regards and consolation to everyone in person, She wanted to convey Her deep concern about the situation. Therefore, I asked the local Centers to contact their members and set up a mobile car team. On the evening of the earthquake, we reached Chungliao. There, we left a message on the bulletin board of the local police station, saying, "If your area needs help or support, please call us at such-and-such number." We left the telephone number of our Nantou and Taichung contact Centers, which were closest to the earthquake's epicenter.
Caption:
After 9/21/1999 earthquake in Formosa, fellow initiates rendered help to the affected areas in every way possible.
We also delivered relief provisions contributed by our Formosan members to the sports field in front of the Nantou County Government office. I personally visited the affected areas and found that these provisions alone would not resolve the situation. It was clear that we had to coordinate with the government and let the authorities handle it. Therefore, our fellow practitioners, who share the same ideals and will, together raised a fund for the quake-stricken areas. We raised precisely NT$10 million and contributed it all at that time.
Chairman: Now let us ask the director of the SMCH International Association to elaborate on this, and then we will take comments from the gentleman in the back.
Brother Ke: Let me introduce myself. I am the former Director of the Association. My last name is Ke. I personally participated in the relief work in the quake-stricken areas. Upon receiving a call from Mr. Lin, we went to the affected areas, and were the first group to arrive. At the time, the Nantou command center did not have any phone, so we provided ours for them.(1) We also organized a team of excavators(2), as we didn't see any excavators when we first arrived.
In general, we took care of the most urgent and top-priority matters. We immediately asked our members to purchase all of the tents available from nearby wholesale stores and factories. You might have seen on TV that all the tents in Formosa were sold out. That was because we had bought them all, at a cost of between NT$900 and NT$6,000 each. We purchased a total of four to five thousand tents. Since we have attended many retreats held by Master over the years, we knew about the need for tents.(3) We also bought canvas sheets. If you went to the disaster-stricken areas, you might have noticed some canvas sheets there in addition to the tents; they were contributed by us. When tents became unavailable in Formosa, we learned that many charity groups had ordered tents from places overseas, such as Hong Kong and the United States, and were flying in more tents by air.
For disaster-stricken areas inaccessible by car, we mobilized fellow practitioners to climb mountains and get there on foot. We organized a medical team to provide service in the affected areas before any TV news teams or other groups arrived. We were the first group to reach those places, before other charitable groups.(4)
The NT$10 million mentioned earlier refers only to the first cash contribution by our group. If we were to include all the relief supplies we provided, the amount would be closer to NT$20 million. Since we are a spiritual group, we do this kind of thing naturally, without feeling that we are going out of our way to do it. People may find this very strange, because it seems to be a huge amount and we seem to be a very tight organization. Let me share with you some more information. Master always teaches us to act like Jesus Christ -- when we give with our left hand, we should not even let our right hand know. Therefore, we do not regard such acts as very serious matters. This is the first point I'd like to stress.
The second point relates to how we mobilize our group in relief operations. Most organizations have an individual leader or a group of leaders, so how was it possible for Master's disciples, when participating in this disaster relief operation, to arrive in the affected areas before other large organizations? In my personal opinion, it is because we are all connected to God, so our only organization is Hiers organization. That is to say, Hes is connected with every one of us, with each of Master's disciples. Master's loving concern for and anxiety about the quake-stricken areas led us to act on our own initiative. Just one telephone call from Her, and everyone was there. It was incredible, though, that we went without knowing who else would be there, whether doctors would be present, or if transportation would be available.
Before any other automobiles arrived, we had already formed a team of jeeps. Later, we saw several jeep teams in about a dozen affected townships. I would like to inform you that our jeep team supported the Relief Center. We also set up a HAM radio communication system. The communication systems used by some of the relief associations were actually ours. Why do we have these systems? It is because we often have retreats in the mountains with Master, so we have to handle communication problems in remote locations. Many people attend these retreats, where we need food, supplies, accommodation facilities, and communication with the outside, so we have had to develop communications systems to equip ourselves. Many of our members have received training at Formosa's Directorate General of Telecommunications, so we knew how to set up the radio equipment. We sent all our electric generators and radio equipment to the disaster areas after the earthquake.
Our members were already there when everything was still in chaos, before any other charitable groups had showed up, tables or chairs had been set up, or relief provisions had arrived at the Nantou Relief Command Center. Later, when we saw other charitable groups moving in, our members quickly dispersed to help in places that the other groups could not reach. I must emphasize again that we perform these acts without feeling we are going out of our way to do so. It was more important for us to reach the places in most urgent need instead of appearing where the media were.
Endnotes for Brother Ke's comments:
(1). The "telephone" we provided was not an ordinary telephone; it was a cordless phone that routed its calls through an outside line. Most of the telephone lines in Nantou were down at the time. The Taichung and Taoyuan Relief Associations, which were engaged in a joint relief operation in Chungliao, Chichi, and Puli in Nantou County, used the telecommunication base station set up and the telephone connections provided by us.
(2). Our excavation team consisted of twelve vehicles, including three excavators, a bulldozer, three tractors, two 35-ton trucks, one eight-ton truck, and two jeeps. These vehicles were deployed in the severely hit areas of Chungliao and Chichi to open roads and clear debris from collapsed buildings and streets. They also helped to clean up the site selected for the temporary police station and to open roads between villages. During the earlier stage, when lose rocks were still falling, the excavation work was very dangerous. Work teams braved the rain and aftershocks of the earthquake to open roads between villages in Chungliao, so that the Taiwan Power Company could access these areas to repair damaged power cables. The blocked roads were finally cleared at about 3:00 AM, at the cost of two broken mounting tracks on the excavators.
When the team members left the mountain, the villagers wanted to express their gratitude to them for risking their lives to open up the roads, and they pooled some money to prepare a banquet. The villagers had just experienced a disaster and desperately needed money at the time, so the work team did not want them to spend their money on the banquet, and immediately offered to pay for the meal. But the villagers refused to accept the money. So, the work team decided to buy their dogs as an excuse, but the local residents still refused to accept the money. They were human victims and these were "dog" victims, they said, while thanking us for keeping their dogs for them. One of the dogs was named "Ah Chung" and the other "Ah Liao" after their township "Chung-liao." The story of Ah Chung and Ah Liao deepened our respect for and reflections on life, and completely reveals the splendor of warm humanitarianism, which makes us understand that we all live in God's blessing.
Our excavation team worked for seven days. After the roads were opened, much of the later work involved legal and human rights issues, such as determining the state of the affected houses -- whether they should be considered half or fully collapsed, and the compensation the occupants should receive; therefore, the government then took over the relief work completely. We had accomplished our task at the most urgent stage. We also left 95 barrels of diesel fuel, each containing 50 gallons, for the army, the civilian groups, and the Chungliao rural township office, which were carrying out relief work in Puli.
Caption:
Formosan earthquake victims using the tents provided by Supreme Master
Ching Hai International Association
(3).When the stores ran out of tents, we collected those used by our initiates and sent them to the disaster-stricken areas. We also thought of another method, which was to provide sleep screens, canvas cloth, sleeping bags, and mattresses. Together, these served as good a purpose as tents. Most of the sleep screens in the disaster-stricken area were provided by us. To solve the problem of getting these items for the victims, we purchased all the sleep screens available in Taichung, and then turned to Kaohsiung and Tainan for more.
(4).On the day of the earthquake, we set up two disaster relief centers, one in our Taichung Center, and the other in our Nantou Center. The Taichung Center facilitated the collection of relief supplies and the deployment of fellow practitioners throughout Formosa. From Taichung, we drew up relief routes and sent automobile teams to each rural and urban township, including Tali, Taiping, Wufeng, Fengyuan, Shihkang, Hsinshe, and Tongshih. The Nantou Center was responsible for relief operations in thirteen towns and villages in Nantou, including Chungliao, Chichi, Chushan, Hsinyi, Luku, Shuangwen, Kuohsing, Yuchih, Puli, Jenai, Wushe, and Tsaotun.
Power and water supplies were cut off in Nantou, and it was difficult to purchase any provisions at the time. Although Taichung was also hit by the earthquake, it was a big city, so provisions were still available, and transportation was convenient. Therefore, the Taichung Center cooperated with the Nantou Center in the relief operations, and the relief work was carried out extensively and smoothly.
Since the roads in Nantou were literally destroyed, many victims could not reach the government relief centers to obtain relief materials. In addition, sometimes they needed identity verification from their village or neighborhood warden before they could receive anything. In order to provide urgent help to these victims, our fellow practitioners gathered at our Nantou Center and divided into dozens of teams, each guided by a local Nantou fellow practitioner. These teams set out for many townships, using vans and jeeps to deliver tents, sleeping bags, canvases, powdered milk, mineral water, noodles, and other provisions to each affected household. For places inaccessible by car, teams traveled in groups of two or three by foot over mountains and rivers to deliver relief provisions to the affected areas. It was often after midnight when they returned to the Nantou Center.
In the days following the September 21 earthquake, a series of aftershocks occurred, and falling rocks often missed us only by inches. We needed God's blessings to go deep into the mountains and under Hiers protection, our fellow practitioners, thinking little of themselves, ventured into remote mountainous areas where no one else went. These included small tribal villages in Yuchih and Tongkuang townships, Chiufen's twin mountains in Kuohsing rural township, Pingting in Shuangwen, the dam on Shuili Mountain, Jenai rural township, and the hills in Wushe. Our medical team even scaled mountains to reach Wushe, and left by helicopter because of landslides. Our fellow practitioners visited all thirteen villages and towns in the affected area, including the most remote corners, to comfort the victims. Besides providing general relief provisions, we also supplied necessities for special needs. These included sanitary napkins and different brands of powdered milk for infants. From this operation, we learned to provide prompt assistance and fulfill the people's most urgent requirements.
In addition to distributing relief provisions to the victims, we also mobilized more than 50 light trucks and four-wheel-drive vans that had been provided by Formosan fellow practitioners. Meeting at the Nantou County Government Relief Command Center, practitioners helped to transport provisions to relief centers in the various townships throughout Formosa. In effect, we worked quietly to speed up the government's relief work. Even before the media had called for the government to supply mobile toilets three days after the earthquake, practitioners had silently purchased more than 20 mobile toilets from Kaohsiung a day earlier, and had already delivered them to Chungliao, Chichi, and Puli. This consideration for the victims' most pressing needs was truly touching. It was God's love in action.
Chairman: Now let us continue. The speech by former Director Mr. Ke was very interesting. Of course, we are more concerned about Formosa than Southeast Asia, but since our topic today is the Chinese in Southeast Asia, let us first get on with that. Some of you here may still have questions related to the Master's activities in Formosa. We can discuss them later. Perhaps this lady still has something to say about Formosa, but please raise your questions later. Now, let us get on to our topic of Southeast Asia.
Reporter: I am a reporter for the United Daily News. Supreme Master Ching Hai, You mentioned earlier that Your group is a not tightly organized, but I am curious about its operational structure. For instance, there are so many countries in Southeast Asia. How do You get Your fellow practitioners to voluntarily contribute so much money in such a group not tightly organized? The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Association, for example, has a fixed operational fund. If You were to ask Your members to contribute only when the need arises, and then send the money over and buy the things there, the process would be very complicated. Therefore, I am very curious about how You manage to accomplish this in Southeast Asia.
SMCH: It is just the same. We really have no organization. If you wish, you may come and investigate. We just contribute what we can afford. I give what I have, and you give what you can. We collect it all and send it over. We do it voluntarily. This is the work of God. Once the God within us awakens, Hes will know how to save our relatives and friends. There is no need to organize anything. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was established at the government's instructions.
The authorities said that we had to form an organization so they could have a membership list, and so we had a few hundred people sign up as members. Otherwise, we really have no members in the true sense of the word. We have an identity card to prove that we are really fellow practitioners when we go to retreats. It shows that we go there to meditate, and not to create trouble. We have no organization; all are volunteers. Spiritual practitioners should be easy and carefree. We cannot ask them to do anything permanently or pay annual fees. The idea has never occurred to us. We only want to remind them of their God Nature, and then it is up to them to do what they want. They are free to contribute or not to contribute. When they come to our centers, they don't have to pay for their food, drinks, or accommodations. It is completely up to them to decide if they should do anything or contribute any money. When there is a disaster, everyone has the obligation to contribute and do his share. It is not the responsibility of any single person. Is this clear enough to the United Daily News reporter?
Chairman: Let us continue with this discussion. I think we should devote more time to discussion because the Supreme Master tells us more in this kind of an exchange. You should be able to understand Her intent and the hidden meaning behind Her words. It is absolutely impossible to carry out activities so efficiently without an organization, so this is actually an organizing method of the "supreme" level. Perhaps you have other questions for the Supreme Master.
Wen Chin-ko, producer of the Central Broadcasting Corporation: Supreme Master Ching Hai, it is my great honor to be able to meet with You! I have heard about You and admired You for a long time. Since I am studying Buddhism, I'd like to ask You a minor question concerning Buddhism. We know that You had already accomplished some spiritual attainments before You came to Formosa. But we also know that You first appeared in Formosa in the form of a bhiksuni (Buddhist nun). From the standpoint of the Buddhist community, we wonder why You decided to approach the Formosan society as a Buddhist.
SMCH: It was my destiny that I should be a monk for some time. You may ask God if you want. [Laughter] For instance, some of us serve in the army for a couple of years, but some make it their lifelong career. Everyone has a different destiny. I have no say over my destiny. Everything is arranged by fate.
Mr. Wen: Are You saying that it was not Your decision?
SMCH: Of course it was, but we just do what God tells us to do.
Mr. Wen: If it was Your own decision, then what factors did You consider at the time?
SMCH: I didn't consider anything. I just do what God tells me to do, which is simpler.
Mr. Wen: My question is why You didn't come in Your original status or why You didn't choose to come, for example, as a Christian, Catholic, or Muslim. Why did You choose to come as a Buddhist? I think that there must have been a reason for Your decision. Can You tell us about it?
SMCH: I just did. If God wants us to do something, then we just do it; this is the simplest way. It is more complicated to resist Hiers will. Once we are enlightened, our lives become simpler because God makes all the arrangements for us. If Hes tells us to do something, we just obey Hirm. We don't use our minds to argue with Hirm like we used to, or pray to Hirm for something that we think is more beneficial or suitable for worldly people. Take myself for instance; if I really had a choice, I wouldn't be wearing these clothes and heavy ornaments. When I get home, I take them off as fast as I can. Usually, if I am not going to a lecture or to see people, I don't wear these ceremonious outfits that make me feel uncomfortable. I prefer to be dressed casually and move around like a "nobody". Therefore, I just do what God tells me to do. Perhaps you will run into such a situation one day and then you will understand. I have protested to Hirm many times, but to no avail. So, I just gave in. Hes has taught me to surrender. Are you satisfied with my answer? If you still have doubts, please ask.
Mr. Wen: Sorry, I still have something to say. I have a reason for asking this question. Personally, I respect You very much, but I don't think that Formosa's Buddhist community is very friendly toward You and there is some misunderstanding between You and this community. This is perhaps partly because You once appeared as a member of this community but the Buddhists feel that Your teachings are different. Therefore, from the secular standpoint, I think that Your strategy is, I don't know, maybe You might say that this is God's will. But I feel that it's a pity. I think that You are sharing a Method that is so free and full of life, and yet solemn in nature within. This is an excellent or very good way of teaching. If for some reason, there were a misunderstanding or an unhappy experience between You and an existing religious group, I'd say that it must be a great pity. Therefore, I'd like very much to know the reason.
SMCH: I was a monk in my past life, but my career was not accomplished, so I had to come back to finish the last part. Once I have finished my job, I don't have to do it anymore; that is all. You are right about what you said. However, even if I had never been a monk who changed later, people would still have misunderstood me. Jesus Christ had never been a monk, but He was crucified. Shakyamuni Buddha was a monk His whole life, yet someone deliberately injured His leg. He suffered lifelong humiliation by others and remains a target of criticism till this day. He didn't die in peace; there are still people who speak offensively about Him. Today, there are still people who misunderstand Jesus Christ, so what would you expect for an insignificant woman like myself who says things that people don't understand? Of course, if the whole world could understand what I say, we would not be living in this dimension. We wouldn't call it "Earth", but " Heaven" instead.
I came to this world and I live here not to please tradition, nor to win people's praise or approval. I live in order to remind people of their own greatness. I try my best to do as much as I can and remind as many people as possible. When the time comes, we must leave, whether we are good or bad, whether we wear beautiful or ugly clothes. I don't have much time. I am getting on in years.
Mr. Wen: Thank You Supreme Master. I like Your answer very much. Thank You.
SMCH: Thank you! It is great that you like it. I love to hear that. [Applause]
Chairman: Ladies and gentlemen, we have allowed more time for this first session so we could touch on more solid issues. According to our agenda, the second session should focus first on the Supreme Master's success in teaching the Quan Yin Method in Southeast Asia; second, on the main difficulties She has encountered; and third, on the prospects She holds for the future. Could You please discuss Your major achievements in teaching the Chinese in Southeast Asia, the major obstacles You have encountered, how You managed to solve these difficulties, and what plans and expectations You have for future development?
SMCH: We pursue spiritual practice in silence in order to help ourselves. We become more cheerful, and our old habits and bad concepts gradually fade away. That was why Shakyamuni Buddha had to practice for a long time before he attained Buddhahood; He didn't achieve it in one day. Things would be worse if people did not practice. According to my decade-long observations, our fellow practitioners have made much progress after practicing spiritually, and this is splendid! As you might have observed, we do not just benefit ourselves; we also serve society. Of course, we cannot prove our inner spiritual achievements. Perhaps after long observation, we can say that someone who used to scold, quarrel with, or even hurt others, has become more benevolent, and that he has improved through spiritual practice. But we cannot say that easily. However, we are of help to society, too. Take your last question, for instance, about how we manage to mobilize so many people so quickly to help others. This is because our God Nature has awakened; we have become more loving and know exactly what to do. We see the suffering of others as our own, so we do not hesitate to help society. We do what is beneficial to society.
Sometimes, when our fellow practitioners encounter difficulties or experience much suffering during their work overseas, they meditate together; then, they cheer up and become happy. Sometimes, when they are not very advanced in their spiritual practice, they may have difficulties; then it helps to talk to others and offer mutual help.
Of course, you will encounter difficulties in any work you do. They are not the monopoly of religious groups, or groups like ours that share the Truth. For instance, those of you who are professors sometimes run into students who are difficult to teach. Sometimes your busy work may impair your health; you may have to sacrifice your sleep at night, and still have to take care of your family. Besides facing the difficulties in education, you also have to take care of your family and perhaps fulfill other obligations. Parenting also has its difficult side. Being a professor is not an easy career free of difficulties. Of course, we spiritual practitioners ought to help others. And in our pursuit of spiritual practice, we will encounter obstacles and misunderstandings. However, we have accepted the fact that this is what society is like. We do our work without expecting praise or approval from others, so we are not disappointed.
How we will develop in the future depends on God's will. I will live if Hes wants me to live, and if Hes doesn't, I will say "Bye-bye" - it's very simple. Some of you asked how we have organized and developed so well. It all happens naturally. I don't really take any action. I just say, "Yes, no, okay, I will come," or "I cannot come." That's all. I don't do anything, nor do I tell them anything or dominate anyone. I seldom call them on the phone; I do only occasionally when there is a disaster. Take this brother Lin, for example. I don't call him or the liaison practitioners every day. Ask our fellows and liaison practitioners and see how many of them ever receive a call from me. None -- except when there is a disaster or when there is work to do.
Then I ask them to promptly get help from fellow practitioners. If they don't have enough money, we contribute whatever we can afford from our headquarters. Only then do I make a call; otherwise, I don't. They didn't even know when I arrived here [in Formosa]. Only when I appeared on the lecture stage did they realize, "Oh! Master is here." Before that moment, they had no idea where I was or what I was doing. I don't trouble or dominate people, nor do I exercise remote control over them. I don't do it! They do things automatically. Since they have had a taste of happiness, they want to share it with others, out of love. Things happen like that naturally. I don't have any plans.
Chairman: I think that the members of Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association have a deeper understanding of the Supreme Master than we ordinary people do. Let us quickly scan pages 29 and 30 of the notes, which mention Her major accomplishments. They mention, "Awakening humankind and elevating the human's level in body, mind, and spirit." The first achievement is that the disciples, after leading a spiritual life of over a decade, have begun to coagulate into a mighty force that is advancing toward the new era. The second achievement is their efforts in international humanitarianism and disaster relief. We have just heard the testimony of their former director, Mr. Ke. The third achievement is the promotion of vegetarianism, and the fourth, of course, is the furtherance of a concept of life built on Truth, virtue, and beauty. Let us go on to discuss the difficulties that Her Association has encountered in two areas -- perceptions of religion's significance and the aspects of life. Perceptions of religion's significance means, "understanding the true essence of religions." The notes here mention some differences, on which we hope Supreme Master Ching Hai will elaborate. Here is mentioned the experience of being one with God. How can this be achieved? This is one question.
SMCH: Suppose you are eating out in a restaurant, and you know very well whether it serves delicious food or not. If you tell someone who is reading the menu outside just how delicious the soup is, how tasty the mixed vegetables are, and that you will definitely come back to the restaurant again, will he understand what you are saying? Most likely, he won't. This is the trouble. Everyone talks about God and praises Hirm, but very few can actually communicate and chat with Hirm, or ask Hirm questions. We are able to do that because we now remember our Original Self. We are not this ordinary human body. We existed before this physical body came into being and we will continue to exist after we leave this body. That is our Original Self. We have established contact and a relationship with this Original Self, which we call the "God within" or the "Buddha Nature within." Therefore, we are aware of how God loves and protects us, teaches us every day, helps us to solve problems, and develops our compassion. We can consult Hirm when we have a problem. The person reading the menu outside praises God all the time, but he has never spoken to Hirm, so, of course, it is difficult for him to understand our explanation. Before he has tasted the food, it is hard for us to prove to him how delicious the dishes are. I might not be as knowledgeable as the professor; I am only capable of speaking simple words.
As for how "we become one with God," that cannot be explained in words. During the time of the transmission, the two of us just sit in silence, while the transmission is done from heart to heart. God talks to the God within us, and there is no place for words. We do speak before that, but only to tell you how you should sit, that it doesn't matter if you sit cross-legged or not while in meditation, and how to relax and where to put your concentration, so you can see God and communicate with Hirm. These are merely verbal instructions. Later, when the true initiation takes place, no one says a word. Such is the initiation, the heart-to-heart transmission, and the "transmission beyond teachings." It is so called because it cannot be found in the teachings. We have had God and the Buddha within us from the very beginning, so who is entitled to teach a Buddha or God what to do? It is possible only after our Original Self wakes up. This is like taking two candles, one of them already lit . When we touch the other candle with this one, it too lights up. The quality of light is originally latent in the candles; they just need someone to light them. This process needs no words or teachings; all it needs is a lamp to light it. Without a lamp, no matter how you talk about it or beg it for hundreds of years, it still won't light up.
Chairman: Thank You! Another difficulty mentioned here concerns daily life, because Supreme Master Ching Hai demands a full vegetarian diet. (Master: Yes) If you ask people to follow a strict vegetarian diet, they may hesitate to come to You because they may have difficulty putting it into practice. This is a difficulty. Suppose You say, "Never mind, just do your best to be a vegetarian," and then lots of people will join Your group. How will You overcome this difficulty in Your future development?
SMCH: We don't really want to overcome it! [Laughter] He is a Buddha and he is God. If he wants to wake up, then we give him a hand. He is a candle that is supposed to shine. If he wants to shine, then he should come closer so we can light him. If he doesn't, he can stay there in the darkness for a few thousand years; we won't disturb him. It is the obligation of a Buddha to be a vegetarian. To be a Buddha, one should act like Shakyamuni Buddha: Be compassionate, love all beings, and eat only vegetarian food. We eat some vegetables only because we have no other option. Therefore, we don't eat much, just enough, about 80 percent full, not filled to the neck. I take only one, or at the most, two meals, a day. I eat more only when I am really exhausted. Therefore, it is the people's own decision whether they become vegetarian or not; I just said that we don't want to exercise control over anyone. We stand by the side ready to help. If they want to come, we tell them what they should do; if they don't, it is all right for them to come next time, and to spend more time thinking over it. They are God; they are the ones who decide when they want to wake up.
Chairman: This part is shorter, as our main objective is to further clarify some points from the academic and religious viewpoints. We are grateful to the Supreme Master for Her answers. We will proceed to the second session, and let us again ask Professor Ruaan to give us his comments or responses to Supreme Master's earlier discussions.
Professor Ruaan: From this question and answer session, I seem to find a gap here, between one who is talking about Her personal experience as a spiritual practitioner and another who is trying to obtain an objective understanding and knowledge of an issue. The problem seems to be that there is a gap between the insiders and the outsiders. [Laughter]
In this second session, I am personally more interested in this part on "Looking back and looking ahead." Here, we have some literature about ideas and concepts. Being a scholar of history, I think that there have been wars among humans down the ages in recorded history. Despite the fact that war brings massive disasters and suffering to humankind, we still have not been able to eliminate it, even today. Superficially, war is a military conflict; from a more profound angle, the conflict concerns economic benefits and political power. At an even deeper level, we find that it is a conflict of civilizations. And religious factors, differences and antagonism, have, at least at times, been the cause of such conflicts among civilizations.
We notice that Supreme Master Ching Hai has, for many years, been promoting religious reconciliation and the concept of universal harmony. Some of you here today may have been long-time observers of the Supreme Master, but some may have just read about this in the information sheet. I have noticed that She has been promoting religious reconciliation and the concept of universal harmony. She has raised the concept that there is only one religion for humankind. A few days ago, in the China Times, we read a transcript of Her interview with a South African radio station. She mentioned that humankind has only one religion and the various religions are actually worshipping the same God, except that Hes is known by different names in different cultures, and the names are different because of the different languages. I think that this is a superb and excellent concept. If all religions could accept this concept, they would respect each other, and slowly learn to love and become united with one another. That will be a blessing for humankind. Supreme Master has advocated and expressed Her support for the convening of a world religious congress that will bring together the leaders of the world's major religions, as well as other spiritual leaders, to pray for world peace and raise suggestions for the welfare of the international community. This would be very helpful to advancing religious reconciliation and world peace.
I have read from recent world news reports that Pope John Paul II, during a mass at the Vatican Basilica on the Day of Pardon (March 12) this year, openly confessed to the world the sins committed by the Roman Catholic Church over the past two millennia and asked for God's forgiveness. Such an open confession and plea for pardon by the leader of the world's largest religion on behalf of his church was unprecedented in two thousand years. It required great sincerity, courage, and wisdom! When we heard this news, we did not feel the slightest condemnation or contempt in our hearts. Instead, we felt touched and encouraged. This good news in the first spring of the first year of the 21st century gives us a reason to embrace an optimistic view toward the future of humankind and the world. Our Supreme Master often talks about the coming of a new era and the golden age. Perhaps it is not just a dream, after all.
I'd like to raise another point after reading the chronology of the Supreme Master's major lecture events in Southeast Asia. Even though this is only a summary, it covered several pages. After reading it, I find it difficult to believe that an apparently fragile and petite lady could, within such a short time, lead, initiate, and bring together such a massive driving force; and this covers Her activities in Southeast Asia only. It does not include similar activities conducted in other parts of the world. If this is true, then it requires immense love and perseverance to accomplish. I have mentioned in the first session that there are many scholars, experts, and religious people here who specialize in the study of Chinese and religious beliefs in Southeast Asia. We also have scholars of "comparative religion" who can ask better questions than I. Here, on behalf of the many people who may share similar thoughts, I'd like to ask Supreme Master two questions that are related more to the Quan Yin Method.
Question number one: We notice that in Your address to the World Religion Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in December 1999, You did not emphasize the teachings. Instead, You stressed the method of experiencing oneness with God every day. Recorded history shows that very few Enlightened Masters have been able to impart this method of immediate enlightenment. My question is, if You have this method, would You, as They did, transmit it only to a handful of disciples? Apparently, before the Sixth Patriarch, Hui Neng, the Master would transmit the method to only one disciple. Even the Sixth Patriarch imparted it to only about ten disciples -- I am not quite sure about the exact figure. Masters of the past transmitted the method to very few disciples, and their disciples had to go through tremendous hardships before they could learn this precious method. However, the Quan Yin Method today, if it is such a method as You have described, is available to all Truth aspirants. As long as they are sincere, You will teach them generously free of charge. You let them get it very easily. We'd like to know why You are doing this. Why is there such a big difference?
SMCH: In ancient times, they also taught many disciples. Shakyamuni Buddha, for example, had tens of thousands of disciples. However, several principal ones, like Ananda and Rahula, were responsible for passing down the lineage. These principal disciples, just like the Quan Yin messengers, were specially trained and had memorized the verbal instructions that they could impart to people outside. However, most of the other disciples were laypersons, and they too had no problem. For instance, there was a lay practitioner named Vimalakirti; he didn't go out preaching, but everyone was afraid of him. He didn't have to go out preaching, because it was powerful enough for him to do it at home. Actually, Jesus Christ also had a lot of disciples, but twelve of them always followed Him and received training that enabled them to help Him accomplish His preaching mission later.
In fact, if what you said is true, we are now in a less favorable time. We ought to share the Truth quickly; otherwise, it will be too late. I am not a stingy person; I contribute money and everything that I know. Perhaps it is my character.
Professor Ruaan: Perhaps we should broaden our view further. We cannot just be concerned about the situation in China; we should hold the whole world in perspective.
SMCH: When there is good news, we ought to spread it; but this is a laborious task, of course. I'd rather behave as you suggested, hiding in a corner and waiting for people to seek me out. It would make me feel more valuable. When you share the Truth in society in this way, people rebuke and misunderstand you. You lose face. However, it doesn't matter; this is not our "Original Face." We lose this face, but we will have a better Face inside.
Professor Ruaan: I have a second question, which is also my last question. From this information sheet, I learned that apart from working as a spiritual leader guiding sentient beings to find God and become one with Hirm, You have a dream for this world; You aspire for world peace. This is a common aspiration of all human beings. However, although ordinary people love peace, wars are often initiated and provoked by the politicians in power. Therefore, logically speaking, if politicians in power can become enlightened sooner [Laughter], it should be a faster and more effective way to achieve world peace. Supreme Master, do You think this is a reasonable idea? (Master: Very reasonable.) Do You have a special way to achieve this goal?
SMCH: It is only too reasonable; the problem is that they won't cooperate. Look at me: a petite woman. Would it be easy for me to see them? You bring them here and I will enlighten them. The two of us can work in cooperation. [Laughter] This world has greater respect for men than for women. A person elected to power would not care to see us. We should be grateful already that he doesn't kill us! Some governments are afraid of people who are well-known and have popular support, and whom they regard as competitors. Politicians think that we are also in the political business, trying to gain fame and profit. Therefore, spiritual practitioners like us, who are more open and famous, face the danger of losing our lives. If any government can tolerate and understand us, and let us teach freely, we are already extremely grateful. We never dream that they will come to us. So, this dream of yours is a very beautiful one. [Laughter]
SMCH: It is not easy to deal with this world. As you know, it is difficult to establish contact with those in power. They are so well protected that it is difficult for them to contact us even if they want to. The people around a person in power shield him from contacting whom they think he should not; they give him inappropriate information and different views. He, himself, cannot break through this barrier to contact people; therefore, he, too, is confined. It is rather difficult, but we will try to think of a way, although I am not inclined to. We should just let things develop naturally.
Chairman: Thank you very much for your exchange. I think we should come back to this agenda. Does anyone want to ask any impromptu questions? Actually, we have a distinguished guest here. He is very humble, and declined our invitation to sit up here. He is Mr. Ko Wen-Fu, former magistrate of Pingtung County and former vice minister of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission. He is sitting in the last row behind you. He is now chairman of a telecommunications company. Shall we invite Director Ko to say a few words?
SMCH: A great person ought to be so humble. He is very humble; that's why he is a great person.
Director Ko: Mr. Chairman, Supreme Master, and Mr. Professor, ladies and gentlemen. I am so honored to be here. The Supreme Master may have been to my hometown in Pingtung, where She has a Center in Chaochou. I was born and raised in Chaochou township. (Master: I like Pingtung; it is very warm in winter.) I have been to Your Center, which is located at a site contributed by former Chaochou Mayor Hung. When I was magistrate of Pingtung County, he was mayor of Chaochou, so he was like a brother to me. Regretfully, he has passed away. When I went to his grave to pay my respects, I saw the Center. It is still there and it's well maintained. In my opinion, it was a pity to see Supreme Master leave Formosa, because it is such a nice Center. When You were around, the Center was like a sacred spiritual place, a sacred place of Buddhism. This Method purifies people's minds and guides them toward goodness. It is a force that our society needs most today. My question is, since You began Your mission in Formosa, is there a chance that You will come back and resume this most meaningful activity? [Warm applause from audience.]
Chairman: Will You come back to Formosa again?
SMCH: It depends on God's arrangement. People in every country ask me to stay, and that makes it difficult for me to decide. I have to be on the move all the time so I can share my time with everyone. Perhaps I will leave the matter until I am older; when I have nowhere to go, then I will come back, begging you for a place to live. Thank you very much for your loving concern and suggestion. I miss my homeland very much, but sometimes our destiny is not the same. We have to do what we can. I do miss Formosa very much. Here, I feel I am a native, and everyone loves me very much. Therefore, if there is a chance in the future, of course, I will come back.
Director Ko: Let me add a few words. I like the way You look now. You didn't give me as good an impression before as You do today. Perhaps I will follow You, too. [Laughter and applause.]
SMCH: Welcome! Of course, I look more amicable this way. I didn't used to dress this way, nor did I wear makeup. I used to feel much more comfortable. When I dress up, I feel as though I have something on my face, but I have gotten used to it. It's good that everyone likes it; it is easier to communicate with you then. Thank you! I can feel your loving kindness. If there is a chance in the future, we will come again. I've been here for three days already; about 30,000 people saw me yesterday. The whole of Formosa saw me, thanks to the live television broadcast. In this sense, I have been back to Formosa. I have been spending a little time in each country. Anyway, thank you very much. I will find a way. I like Formosa the most; I lived here for more than ten years, and it's just like my home. I've never stayed in a place for that long, except in Au Lac. In this world, I've stayed the longest period in Formosa.
Chairman: Thank You very much, Supreme Master Ching Hai. Ladies and gentlemen, there is no gathering that will last forever. We are delighted to have had Supreme Master here with us today. In this seminar that has lasted almost two hours, you have witnessed a dialogue between religion and academics, belief and knowledge. Of course, there is a gap between them, but we are researchers of the Academia Sinica, so we are seeking answers in the academic and intellectual domains through this seminar. In the exchange, the Supreme Master provided us with some words of great wisdom, which will be very valuable for our future research.
Through today's interchange, you will have realized that the Quan Yin Method, as Professor Ruaan noted, is heading toward educating modern spiritual practitioners. Supreme Master emphasized, in one concise sentence, the return to our original God Nature, which is the goal of spiritual practice. Regarding Her organization, we have found that it is very unique and extraordinary. What power makes people in different places reach out simultaneously and spontaneously to help each other? Apart from studying the issue from the religious and academic viewpoints, there is still much for us to reflect deeply upon. Their method of spreading the message is also very special. The leaders of the Association present have already explained that they accomplish their work mainly by doing things in silence, and this really deserves our admiration!
We had hoped to conduct a more in-depth study of the Chinese in Southeast Asia, but we have discovered that religion knows no boundaries. We cannot restrict Supreme Master to discussions on Southeast Asia only. Perhaps this is a special feature rather than a flaw. In the future, the Chinese world will become one connected by all the seas of the Earth. The concept of the "Overseas Chinese" is an important one that our Chinese research group will address in the future. From this perspective and that of religious activities, we can further prove that the Chinese people transcend national boundaries. When they do, especially when they go beyond Chinese and western cultures, we find that we can rise above politics. From the deeds and words of the Supreme Master, we can see that the cultural power is guiding the economic power, and is beyond political restrictions. This is a beautiful phenomenon in a pluralistic society. Therefore, politics no longer control everything. In this pluralistic society, different community groups have opened up their own worlds.
Today, we are very happy to have received the assistance of our colleagues from the Academia Sinica, who have helped make this seminar a great success. Of course, we are also grateful to our research groups and our special thanks go to our assistant secretary. Her efficient arrangements and the enthusiastic participation and organized cooperation of Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association have made the seminar a great success. We would like to thank all our guests from the academic field, the press, and the social sector for their earnest participation. We would also like to thank the commentator for his very profound and wise narration, observations, and questions. Finally, our greatest thanks go to Supreme Master Ching Hai for coming to the Academia Sinica despite Her extremely busy schedule. Her profound and inspirational speech today has left much room for contemplation. Thank you all very much!
SMCH: Thank you very much! Thank you, everyone! [Applause]
Q: May I ask one final question?
Chairman: Oh! Still another question?
Q: Are the majority of Your Southeast Asian disciples of Chinese descent? Are there any local people, for example, Indonesians or Malaysians?
SMCH: Both Chinese and local people.
Q: But, are they mainly Chinese?
SMCH: No, no! We will continue to introduce our Method to everyone who comes. There are a lot of local people, and many of us need to listen to the translation through earphones. Wherever we go, we often need many people to translate our discourses into different languages.
Q: My question is regarding the Celestial Clothes. You have mentioned that the Celestial Clothes designed by You are becoming more expensive. We are curious as to where all these Celestial Clothes have gone after the fashion shows. (Master: Sold.) All sold? Or are they kept for exhibition or other purposes?
SMCH: We sell them!
Q: To whom?
SMCH: To anyone who wants to buy. This is freedom. We also have a boutique in Taipei. Anyone can go in and buy what they want.
Chairman: Then what about the measurements? [Laughter]
SMCH: We have to take the measurements and then you will have to wait for some time. Since we emphasize quality instead of quantity, we must take the precise measurements of each individual customer. Besides, we have at the most two or three sets of clothes for each design. We cannot produce too many.
Chairman: Good. (Master: Thank you.) We now declare that the seminar has officially concluded. Thanks everyone who is present here today. Thank you. [Applause]
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Tainan, Formosa August 31, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)
Our own inner Master has great wisdom. Hes knows what we should use and what we should do to avoid causing harm to ourselves, intervening in other people's affairs, and messing with the law of this world. This is different than the very limited miraculous power registered in our minds. If we know certain miraculous powers, then that is all we have. If we derive miraculous powers by practicing the Quan Yin Method, then these are inconceivable and we can use different powers under different circumstances.
Without this great wisdom, we become easily confused in spiritual practice.
Without a good teacher, we are easily misled. As a result, we learn only
a certain part and follow that part alone instead of the whole and perfect
one. Many religions emphasize the learning of this and that, and lots of
techniques and magic; they do not stress the discovery of our Original
Nature.
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu, Formosa September 3, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)
Why do we practice the Quan Yin Method? It is because we want to understand
everything in the universe. Beyond the physical light of this sun, there
is a greater, brighter, and more beautiful Light. Beyond our worldly languages,
there is a greater and more beautiful Language. When we have learned this
Language, this Sound, we will understand all languages, including human
languages, as well as those spoken by all sentient beings.
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
Hsihu, Formosa October 11, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)
Our power is strongest during group meditation. A couple of people meditating together can also generate a lot of power, but of course, the power is stronger when there are more people. It is because of these serious spiritual practitioners that the world is beginning to have peace. Sometimes, disasters suddenly fade away when they are supposed to befall a country. And sometimes, a country is suddenly saved when it is supposed to sink or be destroyed. If we have the heavenly eye, we can see this; but if we don't, we can't.
We should pursue spiritual practice for ourselves and our compatriots as
well as for world and universal peace. When more people practice spiritually,
the world will be more peaceful. There will be no need to talk about peace,
and the world will have peace.
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai Brazil November 13, 1989 (Originally in Chinese)
It is not good for us to offer too much help to people when we meditate very little, because we are not balanced. We will lose our patience and love. If we have no love, everything we do is useless. No matter what we do, it must be done with love. Only love can touch God, the Buddha, and the people's hearts. Only then can we edify people through our work and convey God's love to them. Then, through our loving contribution, the people of the world will elevate their level step by step.
Special Report on Master's First Stop on Her 2000 Lecture Tour:
Foreword
On April 27, 2000, responding to the intense longing of many sincere souls, our beloved Master finally graced the Land of Long White Clouds -- New Zealand. (Note: the Maoris, the native people of New Zealand, call their country Aotearoa, which means 'Land of Long White Clouds').
The venue for the lecture was the Aotea Center in Auckland, a popular site in New Zealand for international conferences and performances. Fellow practitioners exquisitely decorated the huge stage using a beautiful background that consisted of a blue sky and white clouds. The edge of the stage looked like waves moving in a blue sea. The green mountains and trees on stage created a warm and natural feeling, while the brilliant sunrise in the middle perfectly matched the infinite radiance of our loving Master.
Maori Ceremony to Welcome Master
The Auckland lecture program began at 7:00 PM, and the several thousand seats were soon occupied by an earnest audience waiting for Supreme Master Ching Hai to talk about how to experience the divine realm of heaven. That night, Master wore a striking short-sleeved dress suit with a long, close fitting skirt in light pink, decorated with tiny blue and purple flowers. She wore Her hair with two short plaits hanging down from Her temples, which added to Her gorgeous and dignified appearance.
While fellow initiates were sharing their personal experiences with the audience, a group of Maori people outside the venue performed a traditional Powhiri ceremony to welcome Master to New Zealand. A Powhiri is more than just a welcome; it is an acknowledgement of the dimensions of spiritual, physical and mental wellness. This introduced Master for the first time to Maori customs, which are an important part of New Zealand's heritage and Maori life.
A Powhiri is a way of life to the Maori people. On a physical level, the physical presence of the person being welcomed is acknowledged. In that acknowledgement, reference is made to the essence of the spiritual dimension of those who have died in the year, the month, the week and the day belonging to the person whom you are welcoming, and in particular, Manuhiri Tuarangi (those who have traveled across the seas). Reference is also made to the essence of the rivers and mountains, which joins with the essence of those Tangatawhenua (native peoples of New Zealand) who have passed over. The physical presence of the person being welcomed is a visual representation of the physical and mental dimensions.
A "Kaumatua", the Maori Leader, welcomed Master to our shores, thanking the Creator for the safety of Her journey, while verbally connecting all the different aspects of the "Powhiri". On this occasion, the "Kaumatua" was also a spiritual leader of the Maori. He then thanked Her for the tremendous work that She is doing for the higher good of all people. He said that as Tangatawhenua we have a responsibility and accountability to our people to Manaaki (embrace and host the Master with the reverence She deserves), and finished his speech by calling on the Creator and the holy angels to bless Her and Her stay in New Zealand, and to continue to support Her in Her journey.
Next, a "waiata" (song) about the gentleness and beauty of the
female energy was sung by the Hato Petera (St. Peter's) Culture Group.
The second waiata was a welcome to the shores of Aotearoa (New Zealand).
Master was then given a "hongi" (a pressing of the nostrils and
forehead or third eye area together, thus sharing the breath of the spiritual
life force on all levels). This is a sacred greeting of the Maori given
to those considered to be friends. Master then proceeded to give a hongi
to everyone in the Culture Group.
Master was very moved by the ritual and remarked, "The welcoming ceremony and songs touch a person's heart." She also said that She could feel the strong spiritual tradition of the Maori people. Affirming Master's words, a newly initiated Maori sister later said to us, "The Maoris traditionally live a life emphasizing spirituality more than material aspects. The Maori race is like a sleeping giant in