Feature Reports
Feature Reports Master's love and blessings continues to reach every corner of the world. Recently, the well-known beautiful Caribbean had the honor of welcoming a living master to one of its largest islands, the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Responding to the sincere invitation of the Consult-General and Vice Consult-General of the Consulate of Commonwealth of Dominica in Hong Kong, Master made a four-day trip to visit the island of Dominica in the Caribbean.
On the day of the departure, the Consult-General, Miss Grace Tung, and Vice Consult-General, Mr. David Hsiu, especially came to the J.F.K. Airport in New York to greet Master, and accompanied Her throughout the entire trip. After a few stops to change planes, we got on a local jet plane to reach the designated island.
From above, Dominica fully portrayed its beauty, fulfilling its reputation as the natural paradise of the Caribbean. Surrounded by clear turquoise sea water, the island was dotted with high steep mountains, interlaced with the rich tropical forests and swift cool streams.
Upon arriving at Canefield Airport, the former President of Commonwealth of Dominica, Sir C.A. Seignoret, was already there waiting to welcome Master in the airport's VIP lounge. During the conversation with him, the discussion about the present situation of the island was raised. Master considerately asked if there was anything She could do to help. She was informed that recently the island was struck by two large hurricanes, causing some damage to the residents' homes along the water front. In response, Master made a contribution of $10,000US to the Dominican government to repair damages from the hurricanes.
That night, Master was invited to a Red Cross party at the house of the director of the Red Cross of Dominica, Mrs. Kathleen Pinard-Byrne and her husband, Kieron Pinard-Byrne, the senior partner of Cooper's & Lybrand, where She offered two checks of $5,000US each to the Red Cross for its youth programs, and to the Alpha Center for mentally disabled children.
The party ended in a joyous atmosphere when Mrs. Pinard-Byrne and the Director-General of Alpha Center, Angela McIntyre, acknowledged their receipt of Master's contribution and expressed their thanks to Her in front of everyone. At the party, the hosts had especially ordered some Chinese vegetarian dishes for Master and Her group members. Surprisingly, it turned out that all the guests loved the taste of vegetarian food and soon it became short of demand. Those who had sampled the vegetarian food for the first time were impressed by its rich taste and the wide variety.
The next morning, Master met with the President of Commonwealth of Dominica, Mr. Crispan Sarvrandor, at the Presidential Palace, where She expressed concern for the people of Dominica. The meeting concluded with Master making a contribution of $15,000US to three organizations specializing in helping the elderly.
The following day, the Vice Consult-General of the Dominican consulate took Master on a tour around the island. Dominica is a true paradise. Full of beautiful lakes, pristine waterfalls, and steep mountains the island also has a huge variety of tropical plants and flowers. Different kinds of fruit trees grow naturally in the forests, as agriculture is the mainstay of the islands' economy. In addition to the natural beauty and clean environment, the people are also friendly and hospitable. It is a great wonder to find such a heavenly spot on earth where nature is as it originally was and everything flourishes in abundance.
During Her visit to Dominica, Master visited the Deputy Prime Minister, Julius Timothy, who was also Minister of Finance & Planning, and Prime Minister, Mr. Edison James to whom Master presented four checks; $5000US was given to Gertude Roberts, the Minister of Community and Welfare, help finance the classes teaching women basic domestic servicing skills in the women's center; $5000US to the Caribbean Territory, for the purchase of tools and books for schools and youth technical centers; $10,000US for the educational trust fund and school books for poor children; and finally, $10,000US to the government to be used at their discretion for the repairs of damages due to the hurricane.
That evening, Sir C.A. Seignoret invited Master to a vegetarian dinner at a local Chinese restaurant where the food was reputed to be the best on the island. At the restaurant, they were joined by the Consult-General, Vice Consul-General, Deputy Prime Minister, one of the ministers and Mr. Pinard-Byrne. Sir C.A. Seignoret used this occasion to pay his sincere respect to Master and presented Her with a silver plate with the inscription: "Supreme Master Ching Hai - Purifies Human's Hearts, And Brings Peace On Earth." (See appendix A)
Our short stay on the island ended when we set off for an early morning flight back to the States. Again, Sir C.A. Seignoret came early, waiting at the airport to see Master off. Appreciating this gesture of sincerity and hospitality, Master warmly thanked him and shook hands with him before boarding the small jet plane. The plane departed leaving the paradise behind, gleaming serenely and gloriously in the glistening blue water. It had the rare precious chance of being blessed by a true living master.
Item Amount ----------------------------------------------------------- Red Cross (youth program) $5,000US ----------------------------------------------------------- Alpha Center (mentally disabled children) $5,000US ----------------------------------------------------------- 3 senior citizen organizations $15,000US ----------------------------------------------------------- Gertrude Roberts, Minister of Community $5,000US and Welfare (Women's Center) ----------------------------------------------------------- Government of Dominica (for schools and youth $5,000US technical centers in the Caribbean) ----------------------------------------------------------- Government of Dominica (Education Trust Fund $10,000US and school books for poor children) ----------------------------------------------------------- Government of Dominica (hurricane damage) $10,000US ----------------------------------------------------------- Total $55,000US -----------------------------------------------------------