By Fellow Initiate Wu, Kaohsiung, Formosa
When Master's Love fell upon my soul
I'm reborn a youth.
Just don't ask me what's the reason:
Reason is not a logic of Love!
Excerpt from the poem collection 'Silent Tears'
After fellow practitioners received the invitation from the prison authority, and while we were planning a trip to spread the dharma, we immediately felt that Master's love was blessing us accordingly. Also, without any consultation in advance, everyone suggested to hold a 'vegetarian feast dharma gathering'! We were hoping that besides having a relaxed, joyous and carefree vegetarian feast, we could share Master's great, omnipresent love with the brothers and sisters in the prison to console each of the wounded souls.
We related the suggestion to the prison authority; and Mr. Xia, the correctional officer, immediately started to make the arrangements. He warmly took the initiative to help fellow practitioners. He also provided all the necessary equipment and manpower that would be needed at the venue. We knew that it was all Master's marvelous arrangements, because Master knew that it was our first attempt and we actually needed a good helper. Master's blessing let this task begin well.
That day, a temporary kitchen was set up at a fellow practitioner's home near the prison. We put up a canvas shelter outside the house and even brought over a big refrigerator from the meditation center. Everyone worked joyously while silently reciting the Holy Names. Master's Buddha chanting tape was also being played. Enhanced by the fresh flowers and the decorations at the venue, bountiful dishes of beautiful and delicious vegetarian food were served on the tables. The whole hall suddenly looked like an elegant dinner party. The guards were amazed by the 'magical power' of fellow practitioners. They curiously asked, "Are Master Ching Hai's disciples all like this?" Fellow practitioners, with heartfelt understanding, smiled to one another and said, "This is our Master's magical power!"
caption: Fresh flowers and a vegetarian feast are offered to all the living Buddhas. The ingenuity of the fellow practitioners in Kaohsiung brings a new and fresh look to the preaching in the prison!
When the guests entered the venue, they appeared happy and relaxed. (They had been informed about the event.) Fellow practitioners first led everyone in a sincere, silent prayer, praying to God Almighty to bless the world. Then we introduced Master's teachings and the benefits of practicing the Quan Yin Method. The guests listened attentively while they looked through and read the exquisitely printed sample booklets in their hands. Their open souls were beginning to welcome the precious message of liberation conveyed by Master!
Everyone was well behaved during the dinner. They quietly enjoyed the vegetarian meal, and at the same time, were absorbed in watching Master's illuminating talk on the video tape. With several hundred people in the venue, there was no noise and no crowding at all.
Several dozen gifts had been prepared to be presented to those whose birthdays fell in that month. Everyone sang happy birthday to congratulate them. The birthday people were as happy as children, overwhelmed by the warmth of love. One old man was very moved. He expressed that he never believed someone would be concerned about a person like him! The fellow initiates thought to themselves, "Why not?" As Master always taught us to be thoughtful. We are also always willing to be good instruments, fulfill our duty and help our neighbors, as well as beautify the world. Just like Master has said, "If we were to work diligently beautifying this world into a paradise, then we would not need to go to the Western Paradise, because it would be here!"
The dinner party had come to an end. Fellow practitioners went on stage to ask about the number of people willing to learn the Convenient Method. Unexpectedly, all the prisoners present wanted to learn the Convenient Method. At that moment, we were all stunned by Master's marvelous love!
When everyone was meditating quietly, concentrating on the wisdom eye, the sincere atmosphere turned into a stable force gently caressing every soul that needed to be nurtured. With Her wisdom mind, like Mother Earth, Master had sown the seeds of liberation from Her hands into the hearts of the longing children. When the time is ripe, all of them will blossom into enlightenment and perceive their true self.
Caption: All the prisoners present practice the Convenient Method together. Everyone listens attentively to the instructions and cherishes this extraordinary opportunity
The feast will come to an end and everyone will disperse, but Master's love will accompany everyone forever and ever!
Bless you, dear brothers. Take good care of yourselves! Wishing that your mind will grow stronger and that you will soon find your true original self, obtaining true peace and freedom.
By Fellow Initiate Chen, Oxford, U.K.
While working for Master, we often see many incredible arrangements. They not only strengthen our faith and help us in our practice, but also broaden our views, expand our knowledge, and increase our experiences in life, which make our lives richer and oriented toward perfection. We sincerely wish that our spiritual plantings everywhere grow to bloom and bear fruit soon!
In the early morning, fellow initiates began their journey from Oxford to Yorkshire, in the northern part of the U.K. The scenes along the way were beautiful. All of a sudden, the severe winter of the northern country had vanished without a trace.
When fellow initiates arrived at the exhibition, they once again exercised their magical powers. Drawing on their previous experiences, they used whatever they could find to decorate the booth within a quarter of an hour. Compared to other booths, ours was both more bright and beautiful. Not a moment after fellow initiates had hung up Master's photograph, a lady stopped by the booth and stared at it. Even though she asked for a sample booklet before she left, she soon returned. It turned out that she was a representative for a certain spiritual healing center in Britain. Because she found Master's magnetic field very special, which made her feel very comfortable, she wanted to enquire further about the Quan Yin Method.
One morning, a lady who practiced spiritually for many years took a sample booklet. That afternoon, she returned to our booth and anxiously asked to register for initiation. She also purchased Master's books, photographs and the Buddha chanting tape. She said, "I have not been able to find a satisfactory method in years of searching. Now I have finally found it!" Before she left, she repeatedly asked the fellow initiates to inform her as soon as possible about the initiation date.
A few months earlier, after reading the books, "The Key of Immediate Enlightenment," at a municipal library in Sheffield, a Pakistani man became a vegetarian. Having learned that we would participate in this exhibition, he made a special trip from Sheffield, a hundred miles away, to register for initiation. There was also a spiritual practitioner who, introduced by a friend, came especially to buy Master's Buddha chanting tapes. Some visitors were deeply moved by Master's aphorisms on the book markers, and bought some to take home for their children.
During the exhibition, large crowds of people often gathered in front of our booth to watch Master's videos. They were fascinated by Master's amusing, humorous words of wisdom! Frequently, other exhibitors also came to discuss Master's teachings with the fellow initiates. The two days of the exhibition passed in a busy and happy atmosphere. The next day, after we returned to Oxford, Yorkshire was once again windy and snowy. We were indeed very lucky!
caption: The display of Master's eye-catching books, and other items at the exhibition in Yorkshire gave people a bright impression.
After setting up the booth, fellow initiates immediately distributed sample booklets to each booth at the exhibition. Among them there was a couple who sold yogurt. Soon after they received the sample booklets, the wife came to our booth. At that time, the video of Master's second lecture at the United Nations, "The Mystery of the World Beyond," was being shown. This lady was enthralled by it! After quite a while, she left reluctantly. Not long after, her husband appeared at our booth. He watched the video attentively for some time before he left. Then his wife appeared again. Once again she stood there and watch Master's video. As soon as she left, her husband came back again. During the few days of the exhibition, the couple took turns to come and watch Master's videos. They also registered to learn the Convenient Method. On the last day, they found that they could not do without Master in their lives, and decided to buy some of Master's video tapes. Watching this couple, fellow initiates all smiled knowingly.
Among the great numbers of people who made enquiries, there was a couple who communicated in sign language. It happened that the Quan Yin messenger present was very skilled at that. Then it suddenly dawned on the fellow initiates how incredible Master's arrangement was. It was because originally another Quan Yin messenger was supposed to come to the U.K. However, Master always makes the most suitable arrangements for sentient beings.
Caption: At the exhibition in Birmingham, visitors attentively
watch Master's lecture on the TV screen.