Joy In The Universe, Celebrations Among The Four Seas

It was a fine autumn day with a clear blue sky on Ching Hai Day. Fellow practitioners from over thirty nations had happily arrived at the front doors of their Hsihu home. Prominent politicians and VIP's from many nations also continued to arrive for the great occasion, while some sent congratulatory messages by fax. The President and Mrs. Clinton of the U.S.A. personally sent Master their congratulations and greetings. Besides sending their congratulatory messages, the Governors of the six Mid-western states of the U.S.A. honored Master with a plaque, to commemorate Her. The U.S. Senate Leader Mr. Bob Dole and the Chairman of the Diplomatic Committee Mr. Jesse Helms also jointly honored Master with a plaque as congratulations. Mr. Fasi, former Mayor of Honolulu, and Mr. Jeremy Harris, the Mayor of Honolulu, jointly invited Master to Hawaii in 1996 to celebrate the Fourth Anniversary of Ching Hai Day. Legislators in Formosa, Mr. Cheng-Chieh Lin, Ms. Feng-Chih Chu, Mr. Pi-Hsien Li, as well as representatives from other fields, also either came in person or sent congratulatory messages.

Among the important guests who came from faraway parts of the world were Mr. Xiang-Xing Mo, Chairman of the Republican Party in the Western States of America; Mr. Zhen-Xi Chang, Chairman of the Board of the Paraguay Cultural Center; Ms. Xian-Nu Xu Jin, professor at the Royal Dance Academy in Spain; Mr. Chi-Kun Liao, the Chief Editor for the China Times in the U.S.A.; Mr. Hong-Kwang Chen, the Secretary General of The World Cultural Communication Association, USA; Mr. Da-Min Chen Zhong, news columnist for The Washington Post, USA; Mr. Priyo Suwarno, journalist for the Surabaya Newspaper of Indonesia. The media in Formosa, such as Radio China, Radio Tien Sheng, Taipei Radio Station, The Zong Hwa Daily News, The Commercial Times, The Liberty Times, The Economic Daily News and The People's Daily, also sent their congratulations or representatives to attend the occasion.

This unprecedented carnival united various races and cultures, and surpassed time and space. The thousands who attended all dressed up in traditional classical costumes of different nations or resplendent Western royal attire. Suddenly, kings, ministers and knights of past and present and from all over the world; officials and soldiers from heaven; and ladies and gentlemen, all happily gathered in one place.

There was a steady stream of heroes and beauties chatting on the tree-shaded stone paths throughout the beautifully natural Hsihu Center. One kept hearing the wide-eyed guests asking candidly, "What nationality is he? Where does she come from?" The cultures of East and West interacted and blended together, bringing to fruit the ideal of the world being one family. The peaceful scene at the Ching Hai Buddha Kingdom symbolizes that a peaceful, golden era, that is free of wars, has already arrived.

Eagerly awaited by everyone, Master, in a pure white Au Lac formal gown, gracefully appeared and went around the venue, escorted by the guards who dressed up as British royal guards. In Master's elegance there was a boundless unifying power, which touched all who were present. With thunderous applause that could surely be heard in heaven, the crowd expressed their infinite gratitude and affection, like that which children would have for their mother.

Special guests representing the First and Second Prime Ministers of Cambodia presented Master the National Construction Award, and offered their deepest gratitude to Her, for Her love and concern for the people of Cambodia.

Immediately after the brief but solemn ceremony, the wonderful entertainment program began. The heartwarming sound of drums of a Korean Drum Dance was the curtain-raiser. The Thai dance and the English contralto singer were of professional standard. The Candle Dance by Au Lac fellow initiates from the U.S.A., who shone brilliantly at the World Dance Festival in Los Angeles, was surely out of this world. They won thunderous applause and were cheered and encored. A Chinese comic dialogue by initiates from Formosa humorously described Master's unique skills and talents. The disciples of "Master Tang" performed by initiates from Hong Kong, made the audience bend over with laughter, with the "perfect" Mandarin they spoke.

The Kingdom Of God, The Buddha Land Is Before Our Eyes

The long awaited "special program" began soon after Master mysteriously left Her seat in the middle of the show. From the exquisite scene on stage -- and the lifelike coconut trees and sail boats, one could perceive the rich and peaceful Au Lac scene in the old days, with the rivers dotted with sail boats. The stage lighting appeared even more brilliant as the sky became dark. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the last and the best show. Then the music for "The Union Of The Rivers," a beautiful melody composed by Mr. Pham Binh Chuong, the Beethoven of Au Lac, began.

Amidst the powerful tune, the male dancers displayed a high, exuberant and gallant spirit. Then masculinity was supplanted by the bright and clear voices of female singers. At that time, the audience close to the stage suddenly cheered in surprise. It turned out that Master had appeared on stage! She was the leading lady in the play. Her face half covered and with Her colourful clothes fluttering in the wind, She gracefully and slowly stepped onto the stage. The audience could not help roaring with cheers.

In time with the music, Master danced slowly and quickly. She was both innocent and immensely attractive. Both adults and children clapped to the beat of the music. Those on and below the stage had become one. "The Union Of The Rivers" has beautiful lyrics and a divine melody. Furthermore it has a profound meaning. At the time we all gathered under Supreme Master Ching Hai's umbrella of love. In the future we will definitely meet again above, in the paradise of the Kingdom of God.

The play had three scenes, and Master changed Her character three times; from that of a ravishing European lady, to a noble Egyptian queen, and then to the Au Lac beauty of all time. Once again, Master displayed Her rare and extraordinary talents; She wrote and directed the play in a very short time, and coordinated the music with the set to spontaneously exhibit an impression of grandeur. She also designed all the costumes for three different time periods and cultures, which all the more stressed the uniqueness of the play. The delighted and surprised audience gazed at the Super-Master of the universe dancing as if they were looking at a scene from the Kingdom of God or the Buddha Land with their very own eyes.

It was time for the final curtain, and boundless joy emerged in everyone's heart. A continuous string of encores and sincere wishes made Master, although exhausted, appear on stage to take several curtain calls. She also gave out blessed food, and finally closed Her palms together to thank everyone, while quietly looking at the audience to bless them. The audience also held their palms together, to thank Her for bestowing upon them Her endless love.

When Master was invited to cut the cake, She could not push the knife into it. She said, "It's because God does not want us to part." Upon hearing that, everyone was touched. It was not until Master reminded everyone that they could go and eat that they were surprised at how time had flown by. Then fireworks were set off so that the guests and fellow practitioners could admire the magnificent sight while enjoying the delicious meal.

The colourful balloons drifted in the sky, an abundant supply of candies and biscuits were placed in every corner, and a joyful memory was inscribed in everyone's heart. The peace that God provided would ripple to every corner of the world through Hiers beloved children. Meanwhile, most of the fellow initiates were already eagerly rubbing their hands, preparing themselves mentally and physically, and awaiting the baptism of love which would take place during the seven-day retreat.

A Sincere Performance To Entertain People Also Accumulates Merit

The seven-day retreat formally began the next day after the Ching Hai Day Celebration. In the afternoon, Master and everyone decided together which were the best performances to receive awards. Initiates voted democratically after they viewed the

video of the programs once again. "The Union Of The Rivers" received the highest number of votes, but was declined by the one vote from Master. She said shyly and humorously that the play was only to "avenge" and "match" the bad ones performed by initiates in the past years, ones which made Her yawn and fall asleep. (Master and everyone laughed.)

The reasons why the programs won awards were that they sincerely wanted to offer Master and everyone enjoyment, the joy of beauty and an entertaining gift. Each one was well rehearsed, and their costumes were colorful and aesthetic. Master said, "Bringing others happiness and joy also has endless merits. When we sincerely perform for others, it is also a kind of merit, and a form of spiritual practice. It's because spiritual practitioners, like ourselves, all wish to become happy and free of worries. A person can only be happy when he is at ease and free. Even though they do not practice, or do not practice well, if they can laugh it means that they are at ease and free at that moment -- forgetting all their worries. At least for that moment, we let them forget their worries and be at ease for a while. With the worries in everyday life, during such a long suffering life, being able to be happy for a few minutes, a few seconds or a few hours, is already great! Most importantly is that we are sincere and earnest in our hearts, to make everyone happy, then the show will naturally be good. Of course you must silently recite the Buddha's names on stage (Master and everyone laugh), and pray to the inner Master to help you to dance. That is why when you all finished dancing, my whole body ached." (Master and everyone laugh.)

After the awards were presented, Master told us the important points for making a successful show: (1) Use appropriate music for each scene; (2) adequate rehearsals; (3) sincere desire to offer people a good time; (4) costumes and makeup should vary according to the situation, and whether it is a day or night performance; (5) express feelings realistically -- laugh during the happy scenes, and make a slightly longer face during sad ones.

Master also consoled the initiates who performed but did not receive any awards. She said it was because perhaps they were not united enough; did not practice well; or did not have enough time to rehearse. They should improve since they have identified their shortcomings, and should not be upset at not having received an award because spiritual practitioners should have already left behind matters of winning or losing.

Experience Reports Superior To Those In The Surangama Sutra

Fellow practitioners from Europe and America showed great enthusiasm in participating in this seven-day retreat, so Master spoke mostly in English during Her lectures. Most surprisingly, more than a dozen fellow initiates from Au Lac overcame one difficulty after another because of their love for Master and reached their Hsihu home. Fellow initiates all over the world were all very happy for them.

Following a living Master to practice, everyone has an abundance of experiences. With Master's permission, fellow initiates could use the spare time during the noon break to report their most memorable experiences -- to share the fruit of their practice. There were arharts -- male and female; old and young; regardless of their profession or colour of their skin, who continuously got onto the platform to describe miraculous wonders so precious and rare, and told of their love and endless gratitude to Master.

In the Surangama Sutra there are only twenty-five Bodhisattvas who related their experiences. In each of the seven days of the retreat, fellow practitioners heard stories that were even more wonderful and moving. Because these facts happened among the people around us, they were more real and credible. That verified what Master said, "It is better to practice in the modern times."

Hearing some stubborn and not so wise disciples revealing how they had tested Master, made us understand even more about Master's unlimited patience and the unknown hardships that She undertakes.

The fellow initiates from Au Lac recounted their arduous journey in their search for the Truth, which moved people to tears, and reminded all the fellow initiates to cherish their merits at hand. A fellow practitioner from the early days disclosed how, many years ago, when Master just began to give lectures to the public, he had already had a vision of the spectacular scene of an ocean of people wanting to attend Her lecture. Also, there was a fellow initiate who saw a vision of extraterrestrials talking to Master.

One fellow initiate said, "We like to be near Master so much because we were created by Her." That fully described the reason for the great love between Master and disciples that could not be undermined.

You Are The Light

Master gave lectures to us everyday, and received the fellow practitioners from aboard, personally answering their questions. As for how one could be able to see the light, Master told us some "secrets", such as choosing a soft cushion -- a type that allows air to flow through. Occasionally, we can also sit directly on a pebbled floor. The most important point is that we are relaxed. Master also said humorously, "You can experiment with various postures when you meditate to see which one suits you best. However, you must do the basic two and a half hours daily." Master also said, "You know why some of you don't see light when you meditate? It's because you think too much; you keep waiting, waiting for the experience to come. Don't wait. It will come. It can't run away. It's inside you. (Master and everyone laugh.) You are made of light. The whole of your being is light condensed. So whenever you realize that, that's the time you are liberated. You are the light and sound, not the cells that you think you are. Everything is made from light and sound but just different densities."

One evening, after reading a story about Lieh Tze, Master let us express our points of view on it. Fellow initiates from different nations enthusiastically exchanged their opinions in English. Through the discussion, Master trained us and tested the development of our wisdom. At the end, Master told us that it was good that one could be brave enough to state one's own viewpoint -- be it right or wrong, and that one's opinions and responses were so quick. This is similar to the tradition that the ancient Zen masters used with their disciples.

On the last evening, Master joined everyone to meditate and recite the holy names. The divine atmosphere was filled with boundless love that was like a warm stream coming from all directions, deeply touching and comforting the longing souls of fellow practitioners. This blessing was the greatest gift of grace.

The Well Wishes At The End Of The Retreat

There was a feeling of infinite bliss during the seven days in heaven. In a blink of an eye the retreat had come to an end. Being reluctant to leave, everyone especially treasured each minute, each second, that they were spending with Master. Giving well wishes of love to everyone at the end of the retreat, Master said, "The past seven days has been a great blessing from God, so that many people from different backgrounds, nations, races, habits and religions could stay in one place and become one. At least it was so in these seven days. Nothing happened in the past seven days. Everyone lived together quietly, even the neighbours don't know that there are several thousand people here -- eating and bathing. Therefore, we should thank God for Hiers grace and blessings." (Everyone applauded.)

Master also once again reminded us not to suffer from amnesia and dwell on samadhi with a one track mind when we returned home after the seven-day retreat. We still needed to remember the important matters, and focus our minds on fulfilling our responsibilities to our families. Then we would have no worries and would be able to concentrate on our practice. Master said, "I hope that when you return home you can bring some benefits to your families and your countries, and let them know that practicing the Quan Yin Method is truly good for you. When they see that you are full of love, spirit and patience, and aspire for Truth, virtue and beauty, they will know that we are walking on the right path, one that benefits people greatly. Nothing needs to be said at all. Actions speak louder than words. It is best to show an example by action."

Being able to attend the Ching Hai Seven-Day Retreat this time was my greatest experience. In the mornings someone woke us up to join so many people in group meditation. Later cooked meals were there waiting for us. In the mountains, one could use spring water to wash, and breathe in fresh air all the time. Staying with a group of people who all practice on the path, one enjoyed a great atmosphere. In accordance with Master's designs, every part of Hsihu Center was made to look as beautiful as heaven. One could take a stroll in the Rainbow Garden, or linger by the Nectar River and listen to the sounds of running water and the songs of the birds in trees. What pleasure and freedom!

Most important was that we could see Master everyday, and listen to the enlightening lectures that She delivered to our souls. That is why I say that being able to come to Hsihu to attend the seven-day retreat is truly the greatest and the best experience. It is also the most precious gift that Master has given us.

If Master only showed me a vision of the Golden Era in my meditation or dream, I would be extremely delighted. However, taking the opportunity of Ching Hai Day and the 7-Day Retreat, Master let me personally experience the life of the Golden Era, and this really made me admire Her wholeheartedly!

Hsihu absolutely amazed reporters.

Usually, when I come to Hsihu, I seldom find any stories that please my Chief Editor. I'm told stories are supposed to be dramatic, full of conflicts and of controversial content. Neither can I find any themes preferred by the modern media. On ordinary Sundays when thousands of people gather in Hsihu, the adults meditate beneath the trees and rest in hammocks; the children play happily. The atmosphere is always tranquil and peaceful.

It was entirely different today. The Ching Hai Day Celebration was the prelude for the 7-Day Retreat, and attracted an attendance of over six thousand people from more than thirty countries worldwide. There were many world class and highly talented performances. All participants arrived 'gorgeously dressed'! Even the reporters, who are used to rushing around with a camera dangling behind, came to cover the event wearing ceremonial attire featuring Chinese, foreign, ancient and modern styles. Having worked as a reporter for over a decade, my usual attire consisted of casual clothes, jeans and dresses. I never dreamt of working in a low-cut gown, picking up a skirt that expanded like a balloon, and wearing silver coloured high-heeled shoes.

Even more amazing was that, I forsook the "principles and spirit in news reporting" that I had acquired through my career of over ten years, and strolled aimlessly but delightfully about the Center. In my stammering foreign languages, I conversed naturally with guests and fellow initiates from Japan, Au Lac, South Africa and other countries. Now and then, I would stop to watch the cute little flowers and plants permeated bliss; or I would sit under the big trees in a daze, appreciating the resplendent attire that my peers would rarely have a chance to see.

My job on Ching Hai Day was like a beautiful dream. This dream implied a drastic change of time, and presented a vision of the Golden Era. I remember, in one paragraph of the book "Revelation Of The Future", the superior beings from other planets described the future life of Earth people (which is the life of the extraterrestrial beings now):

They love to sing,
Their songs reveal a dear and loving spirit.
Praising the Creator,
Sing and praise love,
Wishing everyone can find the supreme bliss...
They love to dance,
In the hills or on the streets.
Where there are people, there is dancing.
Songs are friends, and so are dances.

Fast and explosive dances,
Slow and elegant dances,
Amid the singing of good friends, they start to dance.
Their world is forever in peace,
Dissolved and unified in one enormous life form,
The whole world is permeated by love and harmony.
The humans on these planets have
Seemingly transformed into a unified current of life...

This dream reminds us not to indulge in the materialistic, instant culture of our time, or to tolerate spiritual deficiency anymore. From this, I also understood that, behind a materially sumptuous life-style, it is possible to find a pure and serene state of mind, instead of a degenerated and rotten one. The 7-Day Retreat following Ching Hai Day was a perfect example that exemplified this dream.

Having relished the delicious vegetarian cakes, over five thousand fellow initiates changed their fanciful clothes into casual track suits, or simple attire, and meditated in the Main Forest Hall or beneath the trees nearby. Contented smiles were apparent on their faces.

Everyday around noon, there was a one-hour "sharing of experiences" session, which gave me great inspiration. Most encouraging was that the scope of the experiences had widened from illness healing and soul elevation, to the future of Earth, humans and the universe.

An expert of UFO studies wrote an article on how he met extraterrestrial beings with the help from a person who knew their language. The extraterrestrial beings told him, "Extraterrestrial beings will officially visit Earth in the year 2001 AD" (Refer to June edition of the Crown Magazine.) This, and the report by an American initiate, corresponded: In her vision, she saw extraterrestrial beings paying respect to Master in front of over tens of thousands of initiates.

Possessing a supernatural vibrational power, the Japanese author Funa-i Yuki-o pointed out in his book, "Revelations Of The Future," that the vibration of Earth has been obviously elevated, starting from around 1986. After a check, I found that this was the year Master began preaching. All this information made me feel more certain about the Quan Yin Method, and have greater admiration for Master.

Now that fellow Quan Yin initiates are increasing in number in each corner of the world, adding that they are very diligent, and becoming more positive in thought, obviously and definitely the dream of the Golden Era will soon materialize!

Before initiation when learning yoga, I carelessly injured a tendon in my thigh, which had not healed even after many years. For another illness, I underwent an operation, and received several anesthetic injections in the spine. Afterwards, I could no longer bend backwards. To participate in the performance for Ching Hai Day, I put aside all my worries, and stepped bravely onto the stage.

During the rehearsals, I always failed to catch the tempo. Day and night, I thought hard on how to dance more perfectly. Inspirationally, I embraced Master's photo in my arms, plugged the earphones in my ears, and started to dance. I practiced incessantly, until I felt myself having plunged into the Milky Way with Master. This state of bliss followed me home, and helped me live more harmoniously with my family.

Just before I went on the stage, I was still doing warm-up exercises. Throughout the dance, I kept crying out in my heart: "Dear Master-Mommy, please help me!" Following the rhythm of the music, I successfully performed the difficult moves, and flexed my body backwards. I felt increasingly happy as I danced, as if the whole universe was dancing too. That evening during meditation, I entered samadhi very quickly. Furthermore, my thigh injury had healed, and my spinal pain was gone.

Thank You, Master, thank You!

News from Hsihu: Participants going to the Ching Hai Day Celebration must wear traditional ceremonial attire or royal European court costumes when participating in the Ching Hai Day Celebration.

Fellow practitioners were excited and delighted to hear the news, and busily began looking for the most beautiful clothing. Besides the clothes, it was also important to wear a matching hairstyle, makeup, and ornamental accessories, etc., to meet admission requirements. Therefore, fellow practitioners found that it was not an easy task to look pretty, and were glad to learn this aesthetic lesson.

On Ching Hai Day, Hsihu Center was full of handsome men and beautiful ladies in resplendent clothes. The men looked gorgeous in long Chinese gowns and jackets that gave the impression of being aloof and elegant, while the Western swallowtail suits made them look handsome and full of vigor. The ladies' attire were of such great variety that people's eyes were dazzled. There were various elegant and magnificent European costumes with bell-shaped skirts, dainty and exquisitely looking Chinese traditional long dresses, noble and luxurious Manchurian Princess costumes, and ancient Chinese costumes, that made the wearer look like a goddess descending from heaven. Of course, there were the traditional costumes worn by fellow practitioners and guests from Japan, Korea and Au Lac. They greatly enhanced this grand occasion.

Having observed so many beautiful people in fanciful clothes, I came to a conclusion: One must select the proper attire to emphasize one's special qualities, so that the clothes won't overshadow one. We will look prettier if we are more relaxed and uninhibited.

This reminded me of Master's sense of dressing. She may be wearing luxurious and dazzling evening gowns, or commonplace casual clothes, yet She is always so beautiful that people are enchanted. It seems that any clothes would look wonderful on Master, and She looks elegant in whatever She wears. I finally understand that, no matter how many beautiful things we wear on our body, they can never match the quality and beauty generated from within.

I am grateful to Master for letting me -- one who loves to look pretty find out the secret way to make myself really beautiful: meditate and cultivate assiduously to fill ourselves with the brilliance of love within, then the charm of beauty will manifest on the outside. This is the most economical and secret way to look pretty!

During the recent 7-Day Retreat we had a large kitchen team. Every member urged themselves to do better by improving the food quality to meet international standards. We were in high spirits especially when we knew Master had instructed a meal box to be delivered to Her at every meal for assessment.

Members of the kitchen team included culinary experts, cooking class tutors and restaurant owners. Strict quality control was exercised while preparing, washing, cutting, and arranging vegetables. Besides the hygiene, the appearance, aroma and taste of the food were also considered.

We supervised and reminded each other to silently recite the Holy Names, and to work quickly with concentration and bliss. When numerous delicious dishes were placed in every serving area, Master's abundant blessings were then able to help fellow initiates absorb more nutrition, and thus practice better.

Throughout the seven days, every initiate enjoyed the food with great satisfaction, and the kitchen team was also complemented by Master. During the seven days on the kitchen team, everyone learned valuable lessons. Master's power is truly omnipresent, taking care of each and every aspect.

From childhood, I have been fond of participating in stage performances; however, since then I have not had an opportunity to take part in such activities. My wish was finally fulfilled when I joined the Kao-Ping Center Entertainment Group.

Originally, I felt very terrified about giving a performance in front of Master; I thought that it was equivalent to testing my achievement in spiritual practice. After giving a performance several times, I felt that my level of practice was really poor, that my ego was really big, and that I could not perform as spontaneously and naturally as other fellow practitioners did. I was determined to put everything aside, go on a lengthy retreat of my own, and engage in thorough self-introspection.

When I talked about my performing program issue with a sister, to my surprise, she did not even know that I had taken part in the program. It turned out that under the thick makeup, no one could tell who was who. Now I have finally straightened out my thinking -- once I put down my ego, I can broaden my mind and thus perform to my heart's content.

Prior to the performance on Ching Hai Day, in my heart I suddenly heard a voice: "Pray to Master for Her blessing." Once on the stage, sure enough, I was full of energy, and felt happy throughout my entire body. This energy has not disappeared until now. I wish it stays with me forever, because it is the source of my happiness.

I had never thought of participating in a seven-day retreat because I had not acquired an appreciation of the pleasure of meditating. Everyday when I meditated, I merely closed my eyes and waited for the time to be up. Therefore, I often felt so ashamed that I dared not look squarely at photographs of Master.

One night, I dreamt that I was on a mountain path, holding in my hand the things that I used for meditating. In bewilderment I looked in front and behind me, and saw a big row of brothers and sisters getting ready to meditate. Then I sat down and began to cry. I did not like to meditate, and I was surprised that even in my dream I had with me my cushion for meditating.

In order to educate the hardheaded and lazy disciples like me, Master truly uses all sorts of means. For example, frequently while I was half asleep, Master would manifest light on me and pull me up. Due to my fear of heights, I was forced to pull myself back down.

However, our compassionate Master did not give up on me. For the last Mid-Autumn Three-Day Retreat, all the branch centers prepared entertainment programs to celebrate

the Mid-Autumn Festival. The show that the Kao-Ping Center planned was "The Eight Deities And The Seven Fairies". However, when I learned about the news it was already decided who would perform in the show. Although I love to dance, I could only stamp my feet in frustration. That night, the "eight deities" appeared in my dream. In the afternoon the next day, I received a phone call notifying me to attend the rehearsal at once. In order for my performance to go well, I began meditating earnestly.

After the three-day retreat, I had a chance to perform a show at the Ching Hai Seven-Day Retreat. During rehearsals, the more diligent brothers and sisters would invariably find opportunities to correct some of my misconceptions. And I found that I was changing, little by little.

Through this seven-day retreat, I deeply appreciate Master's good intensions. I discovered that in all twenty-four hours of the day, Master always meticulously looks after each and every person, including disciples as lazy as I was. Recalling my ignorance of the past, I am truly ashamed of myself.