Hsihu was back to its quietness after the Mid-Autumn Three-Day Retreat, until one day when the sounds of gongs and drums echoed, and the place was overwhelmed with a joyful atmosphere. Suma Ching Hai was to cut the ribbons at the ceremony celebrating several newly finished renovations.
Master, in bright colored clothes and a broad-brimmed hat, greatly vivified the autumn afternoon. Amid the applause and music, She dance and strolled; pretty and charming as She greeted residents lined along the way.
Through the joint efforts of fellow practitioners, the renovations, which were instructed by Master, were completed in quick succession before the Mid-Autumn Three-Day Retreat. Fellow initiates from overseas and Formosa who attended the retreat marvelled at the new beautiful scenes in Hsihu. They deeply thanked Master for Her consideration in making Hsihu a more beautiful and spacious environment for meditation and other activities. Besides appreciating the external beauty, fellow initiates practiced more earnestly to reach their inner beauty and to elevate their spirituality in order to be worthy of Master's meticulous love.
The International Garden, half way up the hill, is the place for Master to meet guests. Inside, there is a red tiled roof log cabin with large doors and windows on both sides. The cabin is bright and cozy and the sun shines through all day long. All kinds of blossoming flowers and chirping birds add more beauty to the garden.
After cutting the ribbon to the garden, Master blessed it to be everlasting and serviceable for the whole universe and to make all be happy forever. Later, when Master sat on a traditional imperial style throne, all the resident disciples rushed to prostrate to the holy Emperor Master with all the great courtesy of a royal court. Master responded accordingly to the royal courtesy from the disciples by joking, "Speak up now, or the office will be closed." The hearty laughter echoed in the garden. Even the grass and flowers seemed to celebrate this long expected moment.
The old meditation hall also took on a resplendent and magnificent new look. Displaying Master's reproduced paintings, Longevity lamps, books, cassettes and video tapes and other publications, it's an important place for fellow initiates and guests to get their spiritual food during Sunday group meditation gatherings.
Master cut the red silk ribbon to the cheers of people. "God bless the place to be safe! The world, to be peaceful! All will be liberated, but this hall shall remain long". Master's humorous words were followed by warm applause.
The Book Circulation department, the kitchen, the dining hall, the maintenance area, the children's corner all took on a fresh new look. Master happily inspected each place with satisfaction and cut one ribbon for each place, one by one. She said that all of these efforts should be offered to God and She blessed everyone saying, "Eat well, drink well, live long. Be beneficial to others and yourself. Be thankful to God. Everything here is good. The renovations are long-lasting as well as our love."
The main entrance with the elegant streamline posts are painted in fresh, mild colors. To the fellow initiates, it is a home door that they are most eager to come in. Master blessed this door of great importance as if it were the entrance of a country with, "Guard carefully; let pass the good and keep away the bad".
By the time everyone reached the new park beside the Dragon Boat Lake and the ancient style zigzag bridge winding through the center of the lake, dusk was approaching. The lake looks charming with the rosy clouds at dusk reflecting upon the water. People sat under the pavilion or beside grass enjoying the blessed food offered to God. As Master put it, "They are to be offered to God and to us, Hiers children".
Master considerately instructed that light background music be played. Soon disciples were all intoxicated by the melody flowing in the breeze. Master remarked that the bamboo dancing in the wind looked very beautiful. She asked everyone to enjoy it together. It's whirling moves seemed to express sentimental appreciation to Master's holy love. A wonderful day of celebration passed in the perfect harmony of love between Master and disciples.
A Heart Warming Trip Of
Spreading The Truth - An Invitation To Give
A Speech In The Chiayi Women's Prison
It is not exaggerating to say that a prison is a place where laughter is rare. However, this trip to spread the Truth at the Chiayi Women's Prison was filled with the roaring laughter of several hundred inmates. Fellow practitioners took to the inmates Master's overwhelming love and concern, which immersed the whole venue in an ocean of love and bliss.
To make this prison preaching assignment a successful one, the Chiayi fellow initiates reached a unanimous agreement to meditate every day at the local Center. As permitted by their family situations, several practitioners even held a retreat and prayed for a few days.
Early on the day of the visit, working members assembled at the home of the liaison practitioner. They worked with oneness of mind, each executing their assigned duties. Some of them helped with transporting the decorations for the venue, others prepared exquisite meals and snacks for the inmates to enjoy. In perfect harmony, they accomplished their jobs promptly and reached the prison punctually.
When a Prison Officer came out to count the number of visitors, he was amazed to find that so many people had come. The liaison practitioner explained that many fellow practitioners were eager to participate in this meaningful activity. The Prison Officer was touched.
Therefore, in cheerful spirit, practitioners arrived at the lecture venue where the inmates were already waiting. After a brief introduction by the M.C., the fellow brother giving the lecture went on stage to tell the story of how he previously wallowed in criminal circles, and how the Buddha eventually appeared to him and directed him to find an enlightened master. He also talked about some fantastic stories encountered on his spiritual path after following Master. His speech was lively and amusing, so inmates often roared with laughter.
After that, fellow practitioners distributed Master's sample booklets and News magazines to each inmate, together with a rich portion of a delicious meal. Then, they started teaching the inmates to sing holy songs. The distribution went on as they sang, "Tears of the Holy Mother". The place was filled with bliss, and did not look like a prison at all.
When fellow initiates asked whether anyone wanted Master's photos, everyone eagerly shouted, "I do! I want them!" It seemed that everyone had raised their hand, asking for the photos. Joy and laughter masked the faces of the inmates, and the whole place was flooded with indescribable bliss and warmth.
All the initiates who participated in this assignment were very happy, and were grateful for Master's omnipresent power, which blessed them and made this preaching trip a great success.
After the lecture, a fellow brother who is a secondary school teacher said, "When I was listening attentively to the lecture in the venue, suddenly I noticed there was a halo above each of the fellow initiates who came to help with the work, just like the halo we usually see above the heads of saints. When everyone was singing the holy songs, a great light appeared on stage, and then went down and spread to each corner of the venue. A vibratory current of love made it hard for me to hold back my tears." For several days after the trip to the prison, this brother excitedly told whoever he met that he was always fully charged with bliss whenever he meditated.
*Note: Appendix see page 13.
The Taoyuan group spent five years trying to buy a piece of land for the new Center, but without any success. Just when the number of new initiates quickly grew and the hired venue was no longer big enough, a miracle occurred. They succeeded in buying a piece of land next to the downtown area of Chungli, and at a much cheaper price than the market value.
Fellow practitioners immediately volunteered to join the construction work, reinforced by many initiates who had professional skills. Within a hundred working days, the main hall, publication circulation office, children's room, recreation ground, kitchen and gardens sprouted up from the vast wasteland of grass and reeds.
Each initiate who participated in the work was equipped with the 'magical power' imparted by Master - concentration and a serious attitude to learn. In a short time, they learnt work which was totally unfamiliar to them, and even excelled the professional fellow practitioners. The more work they participated in, the greater was the enlightenment that they derived. Therefore, they deeply recognized the almighty wisdom power that Master has helped them open from within is truly omnipotent.
Making use of the summer vacation, a fellow sister came to help at the Center's kitchen, where delicious meals were prepared for the working members every day. She had a deep apprehension: despite very detailed plans, it was not certain that she could buy the required food at the market. However, acting according to her own inspiration and prevailing circumstances, the outcome was always perfect. Subsequently, she could better utilize her latent abilities in creating unique dishes, which very often met the exact demand of the fellow practitioners on that day.
Master Is Always The Chief
Engineer Behind The Scene
Whenever a new task is being launched, Master always makes fantastic arrangements for some relevant professionals to appear at the right time. Furthermore, the number of professionals is always just enough for the job. It is clear to the fellow practitioners that Master is the chief engineer behind the scenes coordinating everyone. Each time when set-backs or obstacles are encountered in the work, some timely and professional opinions will always be available. During these discussions, Master always gives them the best inspiration, helping them to accomplish every job perfectly and efficiently.
The boss of a steel-plate company had seen Master's videos on Channel Four, and coincidentally he was helping with the construction of the local Center this time. Deterred by thunderstorms and rain for several days in succession, progress of the work was behind schedule.
One afternoon, he decided to stay behind so that he could resume the work immediately when the rain stopped, because he firmly believed that Master would give him enough time to finish it. Eventually, the rain completely stopped, so everyone grabbed hold of the opportunity and worked at full speed. Just as they had laid the last piece of steel plate, the rain poured down again.
Maintain Good Relationships
With The Neighbours
On one holiday, environment-cleaning day, more than a hundred fellow practitioners came to tidy up their 'new home', the new Taoyuan Center, and cleaned the vicinity as well. Fellow initiates, including males, females, the elderly and children, swept and cleaned the streets. Some of them cut the obtrusive tree branches and some picked up litter. In a short time, the streets assumed a new clean look. Neighbours came later to express their gratitude. Fellow practitioners told them it was Master's teachings of love that brought such a pleasant and blissful atmosphere.
In the past, when signing-in at the group meditation sessions, fellow practitioners had to fish out their names amid a crowded list of names and numbers. This was a difficult task for illiterate or elderly fellows whose eyesight is bad. Even if they managed to find their names, they often marked the wrong date. However, it is all different now; only a small table and a digital code reading machine are required, saving time and space, while improving accuracy. The tiny digital code reading machine can store thousands of bytes of data, saving the heavy record papers and conforming with 'green' ideals.
The new method can also accurately handle the enrollment and screening process for retreats in a very short time. All the complicated problems of the past are all solved by using this digital code reading machine.
The teachings of Suma Ching Hai were introduced amidst the swarming mass of tourists and pilgrims busy venerating the Bodh Ashram where Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment.
When many of the tourists and pilgrims saw the beautiful pictures of Master, they simultaneously asked who She was. Tour guides even brought tourists to enquire about Master's sample booklet. A curious atmosphere developed and people wanted to know exactly what Master taught. How different was She from others who taught enlightenment? How could She confer immediate enlightenment?
A video show was arranged by fellow initiates at a local monastery; they chose "The Mystery Of The World Beyond," Master's lecture at the United Nations. The audience consisted of an Australian Buddhist monk, an Indian Catholic priest, some western pilgrims, and Indians. Master's talk was highly appreciated and everyone laughed at Her jokes. People hoped to read Master's books for further study and reference.
Hong Kong Food Fair:
The Food Fair is the most popular among all of Hong Kong's grand fairs. This year, the Hong Kong Vegetarian House used the slogans, 'Total vegetarian - the first step to compassion and giving alms', and 'Total vegetarian - the first step to saving Earth'. The name of 'Suma Ching Hai' on the banners brightened the whole venue.
Fellow practitioners especially chose Master's talk in the United States called, 'Appreciating Life Begins from Enlightenment' to be distributed together with the sample booklets to those people with affinities with Master. Although there was a typhoon during the fair, the crowd was still very large. Fellow practitioners had to continuously transport additional sample booklets to the venue so as to have enough to distribute to the tens of thousands of people striving to get one.
The exquisitely printed leaflets gave a concise introduction of the Quan Yin Method, initiation, the Convenient Method and information about the Hong Kong Center. In the section about vegetarianism, it also introduced the Vegetarian House and the free vegetarian cooking classes. After the fair, many people interested in the various activities called the Center to obtain further information.
The event was held close to the Mid-Autumn Festival. The vegetarian egg yolk moon cake promoted by the Vegetarian House was supplied for the occasion. It was widely welcomed at the venue and was sold out very quickly. Various kinds of healthy vegetarian food and new style vegetarian dishes like vegetarian lobster, vegetarian egg yolk and so on, were displayed by a company of fellow practitioner's. The food received a variety of good reviews. 'Hong Kong Today', the popular Hong Kong TV news program came especially to cover the event. The program introduced the benefits of being vegetarian and the method of making vegetarian moon cakes.
Academics of Singapore recently raised up a heat wave. Reputable publishers from all over the world gathered together at Singapore's largest exhibition center - the World Trade Center - for the International Books Fair. This year's fair was the largest ever. It attracted tens of thousands of people daily and it injected fruitful, spiritual food into the rich, material life of Singapore.
Due to the blessing of Master, fellow practitioners fortunately obtained a very spacious stall at one corner of the fair. Besides displaying books, Master's exquisite and unequalled artistic works also appeared for the eyes of the public. The book shelves were positioned such that they could be moved easily according to the degree of crowd congestion. Tables and chairs were also thoughtfully placed to let many people who were reluctant to leave enjoy spiritual meals in comfort.
Although the inner level of practice is invisible to the eyes, the respect for Master could be seen in facial expressions. The person in charge of the Raddha Soami stall, immediately brought over a cart full of authentic Indian nan bread when he learnt that we were the disciples of Suma Ching Hai. The next day, he again warmly brought over various kinds of vegetarian food. It amply showed the open-minded approach of spiritual practitioners.
When our fellow practitioners passed by the stall of a very famous Yoga practitioner, the person in charge told fellow practitioners that they were a meditation organization. When fellow practitioners said that our Guru was Suma Ching Hai, she immediately replied in a very respectful tone, "I know Her", and indicated that she had already visited Master's stall.
The manager of a Sri Lankan book store repeatedly came to visit our stall. He was yearning for a chance to meet Master in order to further resolve his problems with practice. But because of work commitments, he had to return to his country when the fair was over. Thus he left his address in Sri Lanka with us so he could receive Master's news magazine.
After coming into initial contact with Master's teachings, many people were yearning to understand more deeply the Truth of life and the true nature of the universe. They all came to the Center with their friends and families to buy books and to discuss their doubts. Before the book fair was over, there were scores of people registering to learn the Convenient Method. One of them who had learned a meditation method similar to the Quan Yin Method and had practiced for more than ten years, still remained at the initial level. But when she learned that the would-be initiates who had just started to practice the Convenient Method were having very high level experiences and were enjoying bliss daily, it made her very envious indeed.
There was one traditional Chinese medicine doctor from mainland China who had heard of Master and the Quan Yin Method on the mainland. He also possessed some of Master's books and had been a vegetarian for a long time. He yearned to practice but did not know how to contact us. The Heavenly Lord does not disappoint those who strive. Unexpectedly it was a joyous meeting at the fair. He immediately bought many books to prepare for further, deeper studies.
Sharing Master's Wisdom and Love at The International Book Exhibition
Under the watchful eyes of the public, the annual international book exhibition in Malaysia raised its curtains. It was a very meaningful event, and many renowned academic and cultural organizations participated.
Our booth was located in a corner, so it was like having a double front. With smart decorations, especially a large photo of Master meditating in the Center, it was the focus of attention. Both men and women, young and old, regardless of nationality, race or religion could not help stopping to admire it.
Master's aphorisms in Her lecture shown on video injected a cool stream into the souls of those who were eager and thirsty. Many people stood there for a long time, reluctant to leave. Some even put their ears next to the screen, in order to listen more clearly to the eternal and constant Truth of the Universe. Noticing the enthusiasm displayed by the guests, fellow initiates hurried to find some small stools for their convenience.
A sister initiate went to buy some books at another booth. As she went to pay for the books, she found that the person in charge of the booth was absorbed in reading one of Master's news magazines. Then she noticed that Master's reference materials were to be found in almost every booth. So all the participants of the exhibition had come to our booth!
All the guests who visited us were naturally attracted by Master. For example, when a couple of very healthy, active young boys saw the various photographs of Master, they suddenly quietened down, looked at the photographs attentively and then spontaneously put their palms together and bowed to pay respect.
After looking at Master's photographs for a while, a middle aged lady, who brought four children with her, said to herself, "This is a living Buddha."
The moment a Hindu yogi saw the photographs of Master, he said, "I like this Master very much. I know that She has attained perfect enlightenment!"
A fellow initiate asked him, "How do you know that?"
He replied, "I can see Her light." (At the same time he made a hand gesture of waving light.)
The yogi continued to study Master's teachings in front of the booth, and repeatedly said that it was the happiest day of his life.
Another Hindu especially brought his Sikh friend over to watch the videos of Master's lectures. The Sikh friend kept putting his thumbs up, and both of them praised Master's teachings highly.
Some Malaysian compatriots from afar invited their friends to buy Master's books, but they did not know their way to the exhibition. When they asked a passer-by for directions, it turned out that the person was our neighbour. Our neighbour took them to our meditation Center, where they bought the books they wanted. As long as one is sincere in one's search for the Truth, Master will definitely not neglect them.
After reading some information about Master's lectures, one of the guests began to discuss the problems on his mind. Through the video that was showing, Master coincidentally answered his questions, and this made his very happy. It also verified that Master's teachings are living scriptures.
The security personnel were also attracted by the laughter and humour in Master's lectures, so much that they forgot their duties. There was one cleaner, who stood before the booth, bathed in Master's loving power. Not until he was hurried by his partner did he reluctantly leave.
Some friends from the U.S.A. repeatedly praised Master, saying She was dignified and beautiful. Friends from nations such as Monaco and India requested more sample booklets to take home for their friends. They also said that they would contact their nearest Centers immediately after they returned to their countries.
The Deep Affection Between
After Her trip to Africa, Master passed through Paris, France. Hearing the good news, fellow initiates immediately assembled at Terminal One at De Gaulle Airport to welcome their most beloved Master.
Wearing a traditional Au Lacese gown, Master stepped out of the airport with Her attendants, and greeted the waiting fellow practitioners. She distributed packets of candy and biscuits to them and also to some tourists and airport staff who were attracted to Master.
After a brief rest at the hotel, Master went to the Paris Center to visit the fellow practitioners as per their earnest request.
Situated in the suburbs of Paris, the Center was only purchased early this year. After the renovation and reconstruction, the residential compound was transformed into an ideal place for spiritual practice and for spreading Master's teachings. The Publications Office was originally a garage; the front block has been turned into a meditation hall; two rooms in the rear block serve as the office and computer room; and a toilet and storeroom have been built in the courtyard. The more complicated renovations were completed by professionals, while the remaining tasks were all done by fellow initiates. In choosing building materials and in the process of building the new Center, fellow practitioners have personally experienced Master's guidance and blessing.
Upon entering the courtyard, Master observed the neatly planted trees and flowers, the pond, and the water-lilies. She was delighted and said, "You have a beautiful Center!"
The Publications Room displayed Master's books, video tapes, audio tapes, photos, and News magazines. There were even handicrafts from Hsihu hanging on the walls. Master was glad to see such a beautiful Publication Room serving the disciples.
Ever since the new Center was completed, the fellow initiates in Paris had been expecting Master to come and bless the place. Now, Master has fulfilled their wish by going all that way to see the initiates, despite the arduous journey.
After She had viewed the new Center, Master said with deep meaning, "Now that you have your own Center, you have your own home." Fellow initiates understood very well that it was Mother Master who built this home for Her children, so that they can savour the warmth within the Quan Yin family. Through loving concern and humble toleration towards each other, they will learn to love their neighbors and even their enemies, and to love the world and the universe.
The Paris Center has been set up for over two years, and each fellow practitioner can notice the changes in themselves. Besides developing their compassion, they are also more disciplined and compliant.
In Her discourse, Master again stressed the incredible benefits of group meditation that will come to each spiritual practitioner, the immediate surroundings and even to the whole world. She said that any person, in doing anything, will need spiritual support and encouragement. To the spiritual practitioners, group meditation provides a gigantic vibrational field and power. It is also an opportunity for them to learn from, to support and to encourage, each other.
The next evening, a group meditation session and an initiation were held at the Center, where Master personally blessed each of the new initiates.
On the third day, when initiates were meditating in the hall, Master again appeared at the Center. She did not disturb anyone, but sat quietly on Her seat and meditated with the disciples. Graced by Master's blessing, everyone was immersed in a sea of loving vibration. After the meditation, Master gave an explicit speech; expounding profound teachings with light and humorous words. Everyone laughed happily, and then sank into deep reflection.
Master then left the meditation hall and walked into the courtyard, followed by the disciples. No worldly language could describe their reluctance to part. The air was a little bit cool that late summer night. In contrast to the revelry of Paris at night, this place was quiet and peaceful. The tranquillity made Master's low whisper especially clear. The words She whispered were: "I love you all", which transformed into shimmering stars overlooking the Parisian night sky.
Put Down Magical Powers
Almost every day the branch Center in Budapest, Hungary receives phone calls from people everywhere wanting to enrol to learn the Convenient Method, or receive initiation, or for more information about Master's teachings. It is interesting that usually whole families want to learn, or at least couples. Even children want to become vegetarians. These people are very sincere, and almost all of them have had visions of Master's transformation body.
The number of people wanting to learn the Convenient Method in one remote province is especially large. So the Quan Yin messenger and fellow initiates went there, taking with them Master's video tapes and books, to introduce Master's teachings to people. Due to their sincerity in their search for the Truth, these people all felt strong blessings from Master, and they all had very good inner experiences.
In Hungary, almost all spiritual practitioners can heal people with magical powers. There is one would-be initiate, who could also heal people using spiritual powers. After coming to know Master's teachings, he strongly believes that only Master's power is the supreme one, and so he put down his magical powers. Whenever people come to him to be healed, he only prays to Master in his heart to bless the patients. Now he feels more at ease and much happier. Many others who healed using magical powers have been influenced by him and do not use their magical powers to heal any more. They have also begun to keep a vegetarian diet and are waiting to receive Master's initiation.
Witness Master's Loving Power
At A Health Expo
A recent health expo in Columbus, Ohio featured many exhibitors involved in various areas of health enhancement. The booth representing the Suma Ching Hai International Association was well attended by visitors to the expo, and featured two impressive pictures of Master, a variety of Master's publications, and delicious vegetarian spring rolls made by fellow initiates. The joy and enthusiasm that the working initiates showed as they interacted with the visitors was infectious.
One man, who was gifted with psychic abilities, said that the initiates at the booth all had very positive energy, were very peaceful, and were of an advanced spiritual level. This, all the fellow initiates knew, was due to Master's love and blessing power. Many of the visitors were amazed at the positive power emitted from Master's pictures and some even came back repeatedly to the booth to share their extraordinary experiences with the fellow initiates.
One man commented that, as he looked at Master's picture, he felt a strong tingling sensation in his head, and that if he kept looking at Her, he felt as though he would float away! This man had been practicing meditation in another tradition for many years, and could recognize an enlightened Saint when he saw one. He asked for a sample booklet and showed interest in starting to practice the Quan Yin Method.
Another woman, a physician from mainland China said that she had recently had a dream about a spiritual master, and when she saw Suma Ching Hai's picture, she realized that it was She who had appeared in her dream! This woman was strongly attracted to Master's teachings, and stayed at the booth for a long time, asking questions about initiation. She said that she liked Master's personality and style very much, felt a strong affinity with Her, and indicated that she would seek initiation.
The delicious vegetarian spring rolls made by fellow initiates were extremely popular with the visitors. One man, another exhibitor at the expo, said that he had eaten twenty of the rolls in one day, and asked if we would ship him an entire box of them via overnight express. After tasting the flavor of the rolls, a professional caterer, was amazed and was highly impressed that vegetarian food could be so delicious.
Another visitor, a physician from the Ohio area, said that she was immediately attracted to Master's picture and marvelled at Her incredible beauty. As one of the initiates spoke with her about the benefits and positive experiences he had gained through practicing the Quan Yin Method, the woman felt a wonderful energy. She had been raised in a Catholic family, had been seeking the Truth for many years, and had practiced numerous meditation methods, but never felt satisfied. She believed she had finally found the path she had been seeking all those years. She bought Master's book, and expressed interest in initiation.
The experience of the participating initiates was extremely rich. They learned a great deal through sharing Master's love and teachings, and all thank Her from the bottom of their hearts for giving them the chance to work for Her and witness the greatness of Her blessing power at the expo.
A 3-day Camp-fire Retreat In The Eastern States Of America
When the heat wave in the eastern States was receding, fellow practitioners in Pennsylvania and New Jersey used the three days of a weekend in mid-August to convene a unique camping retreat. Over a hundred initiates from New York, Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, and even from the far away states of North Carolina and Indiana came to the beautiful site at Parvin State Park in New Jersey.
The camp site was on Island Point in an isolated camping area in the southern part of Parvin Lake. The island is connected to the shore by only a small bridge. Hanging high was a photo of Master smiling. Beautiful flowers and rich green shades make the natural forest an ideal place for meditation.
The abundant activities of the 3-day camping retreat were tightly arranged. Besides the diligent group meditation sessions, the afternoons were set aside as free time. Fellow initiates engaged themselves in swimming, boating and hiking so they could savor the refreshing and blissful natural atmosphere. In the evenings, there were barbecues and cheerful camp-fire parties. Under the blessing of Master's love, everyone enjoyed a 3-day camping holiday featuring rich spiritual experiences, delicious food and great fun.
Spreading The Gospel Together
In Edmonton
After the one-day retreat in Vancouver, the Quan Yin messenger and fellow practitioners set out for Edmonton to spread Master's teachings. This beautiful and peaceful city is located in northern Canada. The local residents have an open mind and are very hospitable. Although there were not many local fellow practitioners, practitioners from Formosa, Eastern Canada and Western Canada joined the work group and helped smoothly organize a Quan Yin seminar at Alberta University. The event attracted a lot of professionals, researchers and young students. Most of these people were genuine spiritual seekers so they were very attentive during the seminar. Some even came to the venue much earlier to wait patiently for the seminar to begin.
Fellow practitioners involved were all very happy to be able to spread the Truth in this new city, because not only were they allowing more people to hear about Master's teachings, they themselves also benefited a lot from the work experience.
[Let Truth Cleanse The Souls Of The Prison Inmates] [Peace And Harmony Pervade The Lecture By Suma Ching Hai International Association In Chiayi Prison]
[Reporter Su Tai An from Min Xiong]
Fifty members of Suma Ching Hai International Association went to the Chiayi Prison yesterday about 1:30 pm to preach to the inmates. Practitioner Wu told his story and described his feelings during his conversion from an evil to a virtuous life, and emphasised that "Doing good deeds is the greatest happiness".
At the gathering, a monastic disciple led a discussion to exchange ideas and insights in life with the congregation, and taught them how to meditate. Finally, they sang some holy psalms together. The gathering was full of peace and warmth, and concluded successfully at 4:15 pm.
The branch Center of the Suma Ching Hai International Association is situated in Jiang Tso Dian of Min Xiong Xiang. Yesterday, fifty practitioner 'bodhisattvas', hoping to uplift society by injecting a timely cleansing current, entered the Chiayi Prison for a Truth spreading event. As arranged by the Prison authority, about two hundred and fifty female inmates gathered at the event hall to attend the lecture.
To begin, brother Wu gave a detailed account of his early years in crime circles. He was classified by the police as a Class-A villain, and had spent eleven years in prison. Heavily loaded with karma, he was tortured by agonizing illness. By complete coincidence, he got to know about the credibility and greatness of Suma Ching Hai. Eventually, the prodigal son returned, and put down his slaying knife to follow Suma Ching Hai, to practice the Quan Yin Method, and ultimately realized the Truth about human life.
After him, a close fellow disciple went on the stage to expound the benefits of practicing the Quan Yin Method, and the greatness of Suma Ching Hai. Through a question and answer session, he exchanged ideas with the inmates, and then taught them a meditation method. After the instruction, the place was stark silent as the inmates started to meditate in their seats. The meditation has benefited them greatly.
At the gathering, members of the International Association distributed free booklets and Master's photographs. Finally, they sang the song, "Tears of the Holy Mother" together. Both parties melted into one, and the atmosphere was incredibly touching. Upon leaving, the association members served each inmate with some western snacks. After over two hours of edification, silent gratitude was present in the eyes of the inmates as they reluctantly bid farewell.