The "Family" embraced its children with infinite love, and prepared some heartwarming presents. The first release of the "Supreme Kitchen - International Vegetarian Cuisine" was good news for vegetarians. Ever since Master demonstrated Her culinary skills, fellow practitioners have been anxiously waiting for the cookbook to be published, so they can learn Master's unique secret ways.

The "Love Hat" was another thoughtful gift. It is rainproof, windproof and protects the ears which are sensitive to the cold. With a further thought that it represented Master's love, tremendous blessings permeated one's body from head to toe.

In the Publications Area, fellow initiates appreciated the newly designed Longevity Lamps, and Master's photos. They also carefully chose Christmas gifts. Their thoughtfulness added boundless feelings of friendship to the gifts.

The first day of the retreat was the day of Winter Solstice in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Amplified by a cold current, the day was really chilling and windy.

The "Love Hat" displayed its function in time. Wearing the "Love Hats," fellow initiates moved happily about in the open as if telling the world that it represented Mother's love. Wow! Everyone looked so satisfied and proud wearing it.

Fellow initiates used all their heat-packs, sleeping bags and covered themselves with one layer after the other, making themselves look like mini Mongolian tents. Once they had packed themselves nicely, they wouldn't move for fear that the freezing wind might find a hole to go through. As a result, they meditated solidly and peacefully, which was another kind of blessing.

When returning to the campsite at night, some initiates found their tents had collapsed in the wind, so they had to gather their spirit to rebuild their "Zen temple." These people, accustomed to city life, had to learn how to live in harmony with nature.

Master said, "It is a beautiful thing to meditate together!" So, She joined us at every meditation session to bless us. At the right moment, She would announce, "Meditate on the Sound now!", and She also reminded us, "Before going to sleep, meditate on the Sound, so you can sleep warmly and comfortably."

At dinner time, She always appeared driving Her mini car, to make sure that these big babies had eaten to their satisfaction. Master said humorously, "You should be concentrated when meditating, and do not open your eyes; otherwise, your Initiate Identity Card will be gone. However, you may look now, as much as you want. Those who don't look now will have their Identity Cards taken away."

She didn't forget to tell us children, "If you are not serious in your practice, I will fight you Tiger Style." Master reminded everyone that spiritual practice is the rightful duty of a practitioner. Even when we are having fun, we must not forget the noble ideal even for a split second.

In this rare reunion, Master acted like a loving mother doing Her best to satisfy, pamper, and bombard us with endless jokes.

This group of blessed children enjoyed Mother's bedtime stories every night. Like a magician, Master took out some bits of paper - Her notes, and called them books of wisdom. Then She pretended to catch some inspiration in the air, and inserted them into Her wisdom eye, after which She would begin to tell stories, sharing Her wisdom with us.

Master said, "Sometimes we have a lot of weaknesses, and if we truly have tried our best and we can't get rid of them, then learn to love them and just ignore them. Don't fight them. Try to develop other qualities in yourself that are more suitable to a practitioner, that are beautiful for your personality."

When we want to live in harmony and peace with others, then we must be round, and should not be so square. Master really admires the lay people for being able to live with a lot of people, which She finds difficult to do. Some people think that it is difficult to live alone as the monastic practitioners do, but to Master, the real hardship is to live with many people.

Master encouraged us by saying, that spiritually, we should be "givers" and not "takers." "That's why," Master said, "We must earn our own bread, because we are provided with tools and intelligence, can work and serve others. When we meditate together, we provide, we bless people in the world."

The following evening, Master told us Lord Shiva's story, letting him spend Christmas eve with us. To the Indians, Lord Shiva is the God of Destruction, but He only destroys the negative things, does not destroy any beautiful aspect. Lord Shiva was too much advanced for the people of his own generation to understand so they called Him the God of Destruction. Master said that He only destroys garbage. Not only the visible garbage, but also the invisible that we keep in our heats.

Acting in a lighthearted way, Master asked God to give Her inspiration so She could accomplish the task which Hes didn't want to do. The topic of the evening was the conversation between Lord Shiva and his soul mate. The truth is, the lady was as enlightened as He was, and she only asked questions for the sake of His disciples, to have the opportunity to listen to Lord Shiva's wisdom. Traditionally, Indian females are very humble; they would not say they were enlightened even if they were.

Master mentioned that Lord Shiva addressed his soul mate in very endearing and graceful terms, and this is the way all the husbands should speak to their beloved. Lord Shiva's words were always so sweet and romantic, unlike the way of speaking of this era. Master wants us to learn to speak in such a beautiful way.

The essence of the conversation was how to concentrate. Some fellow initiates complained that they didn't have enough time for, or could not concentrate on, their spiritual practice. Since we are not meditating all twenty-four hours, we must concentrate on, whatever we are doing. This is the meaning of the "eighty-four thousand methods".

When meditating, think with total concentration imagine that you are the Light, place your whole attention on your nerves that are as delicate as the threads within the lotus itself. If you cannot still your mind so quickly, then imagine that the Master is around you, imagine that the Supreme Master within you is all over the universe and then enter that spiritualized personality of the inner Master. Remember Master's love is omnipresent. When we cannot meditate, think about your pure true being. With this thought, we can enter samadhi.

Finally, Master ended this discourse with silence, indicating that silence is the best means of communication. Master said that people are used to listening. During the meditation, no one should speak a single word. In the silence, God's love and wisdom poured down on us as if we were soft and wordless plants receiving a new life from God when spring comes.

When leaving, Master put on a pair of furry white ear-muffs, and said that She looked like a good student preparing to go to school. Truly, Master has always been God's best obedient child.

Each day, everyone lived quietly and meditated comfortably, as contented and relaxed as vacationists.

The brisk cold wind persisted throughout the three days, but the coldness was dispelled by Master's love, and the zealous support of the fellow practitioners. Under the protection of many saints and enlightened beings, four thousand people polished their inner selves. Radiating their saintly light against all the stars in the sky, the Heavenly Kingdom was indeed at hand!

"Jingle bells! Jingle bells!"

At noon on Christmas Day, the whole Center was flooded with the delightful sounds of music. Small bells hung on the trees were singing sweetly in the wind. The azure background on the stage, contrasting against the snow white decoration, depicted a northern scene. Guests poured into the Center continuously - the performance program at each celebration is always a high light that everyone look forwards.

Amid the Christmas music, Master appeared in Her mini car, now functioning as a snow sled but without any reindeer in front. However, there was a group of Santa Clauses behind, and they travelled all around the forest castle distributing candies everywhere they went.

Under the sunlight, candies in various colours shimmering like handfuls of stars sprinkled on everyone. Fellow practitioners earnestly fought to grasp these descending from the sky blessings, and of course, the most important thing was to catch a glimpse of the loving countenance of Mother Master. With dainty steps following the music. Master was the most charismatic Santa Claus.

An "extraterrestrial" Santa Claus, who used love like electricity, performed a funny dance that brought a warm atmosphere to the whole place. Other Santa Clauses threw candies to the crowd while dancing to the music. It was so funny that everyone on and off the stage melted into one.

The jazz dance performed by the young initiates was as great as the performances by their older brothers and sisters. The Taipei fellow practitioners offered a beautiful Au Lac rumba dance which was dedicated to Au Lac -- the land that God is concerned about. A cello and violin duet, once performed in the National Music Hall, was also presented.

The Indonesian initiates introduced a tropical mood, they sang two Jakarta folk songs. Although the audience did not understand the lyrics, they suddenly applauded loudly because they heard three words common to all languages - Suma Ching Hai.

The gentle and beautiful dance by the Au Lac initiates from Los Angeles won everyone's heart. This extremely brilliant "Sword Dance" demonstrated the heroic spirit of females, which is absolutely equal to that of the males.

The violin sonata, "Song of a Wanderer" by a Taichung initiate voiced the feelings of one after initiation -- the soul doesn't have to wander any more after meeting Master. The Au Lac comedy, "Plump Snow White" pointed out that all the joys in this world are fleeting, only enlightenment can bring eternal bliss. The Taoyuan initiates also contributed a light and lively contemporary dance. Finally, everyone present sang, "Hallelujah" together, showing their gratitude to Master for bringing them miracles of love and peace.

Originally, the program was to be concluded by Master's words of blessing, but Master was on the verge of crying and could not speak because She was thinking about the tedious task of masters in teaching people. Finally, filled with emotion, Master reminded us to remember the sacrificing spirit of Jesus Christ every Christmas, and to do our best to imitate His selfless spirit of giving. Only then is Christmas day meaningful.

Originally, Christmas is for celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ, but Master thinks that this day is really His "death day." When one comes to this world and gets into this bodily cage, the soul is considered dead. Only when we leave this world, or when we meditate -- leave this body, traverse the world, and soar high to heaven, then it is our birthday.

At least once a year, Christmas, lets us think of our homeland, and remind ourselves to go home quickly. The initiated people should pray sincerely to God, the Buddha, to help us progress faster in spiritual practice, and to elevate us to higher levels.

Those not initiated should pray to their most beloved spiritual teacher to help them to free themselves from this bodily prison sooner, because it has confined us for too long. This cumbersome physical body makes us live in a bad mood everyday and feel unhappy as we do not know that a better world is right before our eyes. Master blessed us this Christmas so we could make greater progress, think of our homeland more intensely, and return to our original home soon.

It was dinner time, so Master wished everyone an enjoyable meal. Before eating, She said to thank God for so generously giving us His beloved son who was handsome and full of wisdom. On this day two thousand years later, we are still graced by His teachings and love.

Gifts were exchanged during dinner time, and many people got what they had longed for. Again, Mother Master conveyed Her immaculate love to us through these small things.

The Christmas 3-Day Retreat ended, but it was not until I returned to my office that I realized that this was the most peaceful Christmas I had ever had in my life. Really, in the newspaper, the international news mainly reported little touching stories from different countries, and on people praying for peace on Christmas eve. But I was suddenly enlightened when I meditated during the lunch break. It was because of You, Master, leading us in the Christmas 3-Day Retreat, that the power of peace permeates the whole world through fellow practitioners of every country.

Thank You my Lord, thank You Master. I am very touched and full of gratitude.

For the recent 3-day retreat most female practitioners pitched their tents in the back mountain tent area. Carrying their luggage, and dragging their heavy feet, they reached the newly developed site panting.

After the tents were pitched, we hurried downhill for the group meditation. Just as I sat down, I noticed I had forgotten to bring something. God! I had no choice but to walk that dreadfully "long journey" again.

When I went back to the camp site, Master's assistant was also visiting this "remote corner". He was talking to Master on the cordless hand telephone. From his words I could tell that Master cared a lot about this newly developed tent area for the females. Although Master has to handle a million things each day, She never overlooks any matter, which is really admirable.

Having got what I wanted, I left immediately and trod downhill warmed by Master's love. I no longer felt that the road was long; all I had was a heart full of gratitude.

Before I knew Master, I basically did not know what was the meaning of life. Now, my life is full. Getting up early in the morning to meditate becomes a moving force for me each day. I have more courage to try new things. Master has made me realize a lot and I have peace within. In fact, the problems of the world come from ourselves. Only after learning how to love oneself then one knows how to love other people.

In the Center I felt no pressure, no worries or troubles. The international retreat let me feel the real feeling and miracles of being part of one whole family of the world.

Hsihu Center is like a heaven. It feels like coming home whenever I visit. In fact, I was a very introverted person. After meeting Master, I feel She has opened and guided my interpersonal relationships. She has given me confidence to get close to people, to make friends, and She has closed the gap, which was due to a lack of communication, between me and my parents.

The step by step teaching and guidance from Master has made a lot of improvements in my life and it has opened for me a new start.

For the recent 3-day retreat, Master was especially kind to allow female fellow initiates to put up their tents in the children's heavenly playground - the Rainbow Garden. In the big Rainbow Garden there are various beautiful flowers, plants and trees. The stones, no matter big or small, were painted beautiful colors. Even the toilets, wash basins, drinking fountain and garbage bins were all painted in brilliant colors and decorated with lovely cartoon figures. The sculptured cement animals were also painted in colors that children like. There is also the swinging chair from Cinderella's pumpkin chariot for people to have a rest.

After seeing the various facilities of the Rainbow Garden in detail, fellow initiates were deeply touched and moved by the benevolent and loving way that Master teaches and cares for children. Master has always looked after all the big and small children in every detail, and provides the best service at the most appropriate time.

That the female initiates were allowed to put up tents in the Rainbow Garden was really an ingenious arrangement by God. They were secretly shown how to care for their children, also God's children, in a better way.

Furthermore, the large underground area, where children usually ride their toy cars, also became a sleeping area for the female initiates during the three-day retreat. The male initiates put up their tents in the bamboo forest, which is usually used for meditation.

Such an ingenious and timely use of space made one feel and understand the limitless wisdom of enlightened beings in looking after such a vast number of sentient beings so compassionately. This makes one feel so grateful to them.

Early morning on the second day of the retreat, sister Lin was walking quickly down the hill to join the group meditation. On the tree-shaded little path that goes from the back mountain to the Main Hall, she looked occasionally up at the starry sky. Suddenly, she noticed an exceptionally big star. As she watched it attentively, the triangular and cone shaped "star" started to emit light, and then it flew speedily back and forth between the Big Dipper stars. Like a great painter of the universe, it painted randomly in the vast and boundless cosmos. The fantastic phenomenon lasted for a good while, as if it was joining the several thousand fellow practitioners in the retreat to celebrate a Merry Christmas.

I work for the government doing horticultural work. I feel very touched and surprised every time I come to Hsihu Center! Hearing from fellow initiates that the Dragon Boat Lake, designed by Master, was finished in one week gave me a miraculous feeling because of the gardening work I do.

I had been to Hsihu one year ago. The Forest Meditation Hall at that time did not have too many shady trees. This year it's already green and there is shade everywhere. That the trees could grow so quickly is really amazing!

Another inconceivable thing is the work of the kitchen staff. With so many people at the meditation retreat, the entire kitchen staff were not only quick but also quiet. When the fellow initiate cooks were seen at work there seemed to be no need for any language, and yet they were very well coordinated. The work in kitchens is usually loud and noisy but in the center it was so different.

Master has been setting good examples for us everywhere. On seeing how Master takes care of us, we can learn how to take care of other people, fellow initiates and our families.

Upon entering the Center for the recent 3-day retreat, the first thing I saw was Master's instruction: "Walk on the proper paths; do not walk on the dirt or wrong paths made by others."

At first, I didn't feel it would be hard to comply with this instruction. However, in actuality when it was more troublesome to walk the proper path, because it meant taking a long route to reach my destination, I was often tempted to take the time-saving route. Whenever I had to make such decisions, a familiar feeling would always emerge in my heart.

Right! This instruction is also applicable to our spiritual path. To the secular mind, the proper path is not always the most convenient one. However, by taking the easy way out, though convenient, we may act against our principles. Master reminds us not to be tempted by temporary conveniences. The only shortcut on our spiritual path is adhering to Master's instructions.

The Christmas 3-Day Retreat was nearing its end so there was a continuous reverberation of "Farewell Master!" from fellow disciples. When Master's car drove past the bamboo grove, She kept waving to the fellow initiates on the right side, the bamboo forest, and only stopped when Her car turned onto another road, from which She could no longer see the fellow initiates.

Suddenly, from the highest spot in the bamboo grove, fellow initiates were still shouting: "Farewell Master!" I thought perhaps Master could not hear it. However, as soon as my thought emerged, I saw Master's car stop again. I observed the whole scene clearly, and tears soon filled my eyes. I thought: "Master! You are really immaculately caring! "

On the way home, the tears kept flowing incessantly, even until I went to sleep.